Live From The Royal Princess

[Lynda90]

Can someone tell me if the standard balcony will house 4 people standing up and looking over the rail? Can we squeeze two extra straight chairs out there? Thanks in advance for checking. Am completely enjoying all who are posting! :p

[nasa1974]

Great reviews and good information. Thanks everyone.

 

Marty

[PrincessPete]

Hi Linda

 

Having been on the ship on Wednesday on a day visit I am sure that 4 people could physically stand alongside each other on a standard balcony. I doubt you can get any more chairs on them and be able to manoeuvre around them though.

 

Happy to hear other thoughts from anyone on the ship who will have had longer to check on this than my fleeting glance.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Kind regards.

 

Peter

[cruiserjanet]

Forgive my ignorance but I don't understand why there are so many issues that need to be taken care of on a new ship with paying passengers on board unless the first several cruises are discounted heavily. Regular issues I can understand but not the kind of issues I'm reading about or have read about with regard to other new ships. Would enjoy receiving an education on this please.

[Lynda90]

Hi Linda

 

Having been on the ship on Wednesday on a day visit I am sure that 4 people could physically stand alongside each other on a standard balcony. I doubt you can get any more chairs on them and be able to manoeuvre around them though.

 

Happy to hear other thoughts from anyone on the ship who will have had longer to check on this than my fleeting glance.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Kind regards.

 

Peter

Peter, thanks for the information. I am prepared to be ok with this but not overly excited. More fun to share balcony space with others, but this will have to do. I guess we will utilize the space closest to balcony door but inside cabin as well as outside. For viewing, we always stand by rail anyway! I will be the "glass is half full" person! :p

[cmst220]

what is it with folks complaining about the cost of preview sailings on the royal princess if you thought it was to dear why did you book it .

the idea of preview cruises is to give the staff the oppertunity to work under cruise conditions .

we join tomorrow paid a lot of money for a week but we chose to as its the MAIDEN VOYAGE .

i havent read or heard anything that will make me apprehensive about tomorrow .

thanks to the 3 folks for live feed reviews .

no ship comes into service without hick-ups we did ventura preview and that was the same .

tomorrow is going to be a great day for us all .

happy cruising

[juakkers]

Hi all

 

Some quick answers:

 

TV: we are in a standard balcony and it is around the same size we have at home- 42" ish. It's flat to the wall and can't be moved round. Fine in our from, not so sure about a mini. We are 'last man standing' then as ours still isn't working.

 

The aft 'premium' balconies are the same size as the old caribe ones. We stood and looked down on one when we were at the horizon terrace. If you get one on deck 15 marina it is fully overlooked, but we could only see half of the one on deck 14 riviera and none of the ones below. 2 chairs and one of the 'large' tables not the tiny coffee table thing we have. Haven't seen the inside.

 

Crowded?: I don't think this ship is full. I have seen 9 empty cabins just on our side of marina deck. This may be contributing to the fact that we can always get a seat / don't feel as crowded as on emerald or crown etc. not sure of the exact figures - perhaps shogun or aimhigh might know. Makes a big difference.

 

Off to crooners for a pre- Alfredo's drink now :)

 

Julie

[juakkers]

Hi Linda

 

Having been on the ship on Wednesday on a day visit I am sure that 4 people could physically stand alongside each other on a standard balcony. I doubt you can get any more chairs on them and be able to manoeuvre around them though.

 

Happy to hear other thoughts from anyone on the ship who will have had longer to check on this than my fleeting glance.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Kind regards.

 

Peter

 

As Peter says you can easily stand four alongside. You can also put the chair from the room out and still manouvere ok. You could physically get 4 of the balcony chairs out there if you put them in a tight row and sat upright. This would give you a 1ft space to get in and out of the door ( I've just been out and tried :) )

 

Not great but do-able just I think

[spyro1952]

Hi all

 

Some quick answers:

 

TV: we are in a standard balcony and it is around the same size we have at home- 42" ish. It's flat to the wall and can't be moved round. Fine in our from, not so sure about a mini. We are 'last man standing' then as ours still isn't working.

 

The aft 'premium' balconies are the same size as the old caribe ones. We stood and looked down on one when we were at the horizon terrace. If you get one on deck 15 marina it is fully overlooked, but we could only see half of the one on deck 14 riviera and none of the ones below. 2 chairs and one of the 'large' tables not the tiny coffee table thing we have. Haven't seen the inside.

 

Crowded?: I don't think this ship is full. I have seen 9 empty cabins just on our side of marina deck. This may be contributing to the fact that we can always get a seat / don't feel as crowded as on emerald or crown etc. not sure of the exact figures - perhaps shogun or aimhigh might know. Makes a big difference.

 

Off to crooners for a pre- Alfredo's drink now :)

 

Julie

 

Julie, thanks for the info on the aft balconies, will keep it for now as it sounds like it will be worth it for 17 day trip. :)

[strummer]

Hi all

 

Off to crooners for a pre- Alfredo's drink now :)

 

Julie

 

Ohh looking forward to hearing review for Alfredo's as an evening eating venue :D

 

Thanks all for taking time out to report back!

[Pia1913]

Ohh looking forward to hearing review for Alfredo's as an evening eating venue :D

 

Thanks all for taking time out to report back!

 

When I read they had added antipasti, etc., DH and I said the same thing. Another dinner venue. :)

[MerryFLLMom]

Julie

Just wondering if you are on the side of the ship where the skywalk overhangs? If so can the people on the skywalk look down on your balcony and in reverse what do you see when you look up?

[KofAK]

"Firstly the coffee- I am indeed a coffee drinker and am sad to report that those machines in the HC that look like they might be brewed coffee are actually I think just syrup ones that look fancier. HOWEVER on the plus side it is much stronger than normal and is approaching decent - the coffees from the IC are the same as usual."

 

Thank you for that information. Looks like I better plan on taking the French Press.

 

It is really great that you folks are willing to answer all the questions that are being asked.

 

George

[Solara]

Thanks to all of you who are taking the time to post live for all of us.

 

Could you please find out which areas of the Promenade deck are smoking? I'm on the Emerald deck starboard side midship where one of the open areas is below & wondering if there are going to be smokers right underneath my balcony? Also in case I'm able to change my cabin could you also find out which of the other areas are smoking on the promenade deck?

 

Thanks so much & enjoy your cruise!!

[smoosh21]

Hello all

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few bits of info that come to mind:

 

There are two (that I've discovered so far!) sections to walk out on each side of the prom deck. Whilst I agree that it's a shame it doesn't go all the way round what there is is much wider than the grand class and has some really nice loungers (at the back) and furniture(at the front). There are even some loungers out facing aft where I spent a lovely 15 mins tucked away watching the prep for sail away.

 

 

 

The biggest improvement for me however, is the technology. The royal princess intranet has the patters on it and you can check your stateroom account instantly on it which is really convenient.

 

Life is good!

 

Julie

 

Is access to the intranet complimentary? It would be great to be able to use my smartphone to view the patter and other ship board data from where ever I am onboard. It would be nice to see some free data you could access without having to pay the internet fees

[xavier]

"Firstly the coffee- I am indeed a coffee drinker and am sad to report that those machines in the HC that look like they might be brewed coffee are actually I think just syrup ones that look fancier. HOWEVER on the plus side it is much stronger than normal and is approaching decent - the coffees from the IC are the same as usual."

 

Thank you for that information. Looks like I better plan on taking the French Press.

 

It is really great that you folks are willing to answer all the questions that are being asked.

 

George

 

Perhaps it's better/stronger cuz the machines are newer ;)

[smoosh21]

Did you go see a show at Princess Live! I am wondering how that venue is, it sounds like it could be very interesting

[Woobstr112G]

Ohh looking forward to hearing review for Alfredo's as an evening eating venue :D

 

Thanks all for taking time out to report back!

 

Looking forward to your post regarding Alfredo's.......:):):)

 

Bob

[Astro Flyer]

There's a photo showing the coffee machines in the HC which I've read are not self service. I went to the manufacture's website & only saw "bean to brew" machines.

 

Hopefully that means brewed coffee instead of from concentrate in the HC & dining room & wouldn't mind being served brewed coffee instead.

 

Did you try the coffee or notice if they are "bean to brew" coffee makers?

 

Thanks! :)

[Woobstr112G]

When I read they had added antipasti, etc., DH and I said the same thing. Another dinner venue. :)

 

With all the different dining venue options, I can see MDR's not very crowded.....:):):)

 

Bob

[Astro Flyer]

With all the different dining venue options, I can see MDR's not very crowded.....:):):)

 

Bob

That's why we have AT dining because we may not go there often while enjoying the other options & using OBC to pay for it. :D

[Pia1913]

With all the different dining venue options, I can see MDR's not very crowded.....:):):)

 

Bob

 

They can have our seats any time. The MDR is usually our last choice.

[caribill]

Is access to the intranet complimentary? It would be great to be able to use my smartphone to view the patter and other ship board data from where ever I am onboard. It would be nice to see some free data you could access without having to pay the internet fees

 

Intranet use is free.

[Steven_&_Daniel]

Hi

 

I spent an hour in the gym this morning. They have the usual range of weight machines including a full bench press. They also have loads of free weights - the largest said 100 on them - I'm presuming that is pounds not kilos!!

 

Sorry don't know about the sauna/steam room in the changing rooms, but you will be fine with the gym. It has everything a decent land gym would have :)

 

Thank you very much! You're definitely dedicated if you're spending an hour working out on such a short cruise, LOL.

[Steven_&_Daniel]

Forgive my ignorance but I don't understand why there are so many issues that need to be taken care of on a new ship with paying passengers on board unless the first several cruises are discounted heavily. Regular issues I can understand but not the kind of issues I'm reading about or have read about with regard to other new ships. Would enjoy receiving an education on this please.

 

The first two cruises (those sailing this week) were not originally scheduled. They apparently finished ahead of schedule and decided to add a couple 2-day cruises prior to the official maiden voyage. That is most likely the reason for the unexpected issues. It's a chance you take when booking a preview cruise.