2013 Christmas Cruise on Royal Princess - A Photo Review!

[LittleMissMagic]

LMM - your photos are all wonderful (especially the low light exposures) and you have an excellent eye for composition. I have the Nikon D7000 camera with a prime 1.8 lens and an 18-300mm zoom. I really love the 18-300mm lens, but with the camera, an 18-300 lens and a Nikon SB 900 flash, the camera can get pretty heavy.

 

We have only been to WDW twice (in 25 years) and never been on a Disney Cruise Ship. We are taking our family (7 members) and grandchildren (ages 4 & 5) on a 3 day pre-cruise and 3 day post-cruise to WDW (Contemporary Resort - Theme Park View) along with a 7 Day cruise on the Disney Fantasy.

 

At WDW, we have arranged for breakfast at Cinderella's Castle. Based on your experience, do you think the Cinderella Breakfast would be a positive experience for our 4 year old granddaughter and 5 year old grandson? In addition, we are thinking about arranging for a 10 hour VIP Tour…is the VIP worthwhile in your opinion?

 

Thank you,

 

Ancon

 

I think that Cinderella's Royal Breakfast would be a great experience for a 4-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy. Just know that you aren't paying for the food (it's mediocre) but the experience - to dine in the castle and meet the princesses. They also include the an 8x10 print of the souvenir photo that you take with Cinderella at the beginning of the meal, as well as a wand for the little girls and sword for the little boys.

 

I have never done a VIP tour at Disney. We visit so often, that it's never been something that we've even considered. However, I observed several VIP tours while I was there for New Year's. It will definitely maximize your time in the parks, as the VIP guides escort you to the front of the line (well, they actually take you in through the exit or FP entrance). If you think that you will do Disney again in the future, you might want to wait until your grandchildren are tall enough to ride all of the attractions because most of the long lines accumulate for the "big-thrill" attractions. You also might consider breaking it up to 5 hours one day and 5 hours another day, especially if you want to use the VIP guide at multiple parks. This way, your transportation time between parks will not be part of the hourly cost. I would definitely suggest using the VIP guide for Magic Kingdom, and then maybe Epcot or Hollywood Studios.

 

Have a great time on your cruise!

[joand452]

I just happen to be trolling the Princess boards for reviews of Royal Princess and so happy to find another of your reviews, Victoria!! I got a little turned off of Princess after our Ruby sailing. The good service just wasn't there. And I hated the tiny Horizon Court. Is the new layout better? We're researching for a cruise in 2015, and I know DH would like to sail on Royal Princess.

 

Loving your pictures from Disney World, too. DH and I were there December 15-22. Your pictures of the MK fireworks are amazing. I don't carry around my DSLR anymore; it's just too heavy, so I make do with my Lumix. The the poster who may go to Coronado Springs Resort with her husband, don't expect too much from the free wi-fi in the rooms. That's where we stayed and connectivity was pretty awful. It was good in El Centro (the main building), however.

 

Your family has got to sail on Allure or Oasis. Those ships are just amazing. I think the prices are coming down, especially since the fares on Quantum are through the roof. Glad we booked when we did!

 

Back to your excellent review!

[The Big Booper]

 

...>>>SNIP<<<...

 

Loving your pictures from Disney World, too. DH and I were there December 15-22. Your pictures of the MK fireworks are amazing. I don't carry around my DSLR anymore; it's just too heavy, so I make do with my Lumix.

 

Your family has got to sail on Allure or Oasis. Those ships are just amazing. I think the prices are coming down, especially since the fares on Quantum are through the roof. Glad we booked when we did!

 

Back to your excellent review!

 

Which Lumix do you use? We have the FZ-150, FZ-70 and waterproof TS-25.

 

Victoria's review is terrific.

Edited January 19, 2014 by The Big Booper

[sabesh]

Hi Victoria,

 

Excellent review! Like you, I love taking shots during vacations too.

 

Curious - I see that some of your shots had reflections on the water, others did not. Did you use a polarizing filter, by any chance?

 

Also, I'm wondering if I should bring along an ND filter + mini tripod as well (well, my X100s has a built-in ND filter, but I'll need one for my Sony NEX-6). I like to take 2 small cameras on trips, to minimize lens swapping.

 

Thx,

 

Sabesh

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sabesh/

 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

[LittleMissMagic]

I just happen to be trolling the Princess boards for reviews of Royal Princess and so happy to find another of your reviews, Victoria!! I got a little turned off of Princess after our Ruby sailing. The good service just wasn't there. And I hated the tiny Horizon Court. Is the new layout better? We're researching for a cruise in 2015, and I know DH would like to sail on Royal Princess.

 

Loving your pictures from Disney World, too. DH and I were there December 15-22. Your pictures of the MK fireworks are amazing. I don't carry around my DSLR anymore; it's just too heavy, so I make do with my Lumix. The the poster who may go to Coronado Springs Resort with her husband, don't expect too much from the free wi-fi in the rooms. That's where we stayed and connectivity was pretty awful. It was good in El Centro (the main building), however.

 

Your family has got to sail on Allure or Oasis. Those ships are just amazing. I think the prices are coming down, especially since the fares on Quantum are through the roof. Glad we booked when we did!

 

Back to your excellent review!

 

Yes - the Horizon on this Court is very large, and it handled crowds well. I never had to look too hard for a place to sit, even during peak meal time hours.

 

Disney is working on providing free wifi everywhere (because of their new app, My Disney Experience), so hopefully the wifi in the rooms at Coronado will improve! I noticed a huge improvement in wifi offered at the resorts and in the parks over just a few months.

 

I definitely want to sail the Allure or Oasis, it's just a matter of when. We can probably manage to get on one of the mega ships within the next two years, though!

[LittleMissMagic]

Hi Victoria,

 

Excellent review! Like you, I love taking shots during vacations too.

 

Curious - I see that some of your shots had reflections on the water, others did not. Did you use a polarizing filter, by any chance?

 

Also, I'm wondering if I should bring along an ND filter + mini tripod as well (well, my X100s has a built-in ND filter, but I'll need one for my Sony NEX-6). I like to take 2 small cameras on trips, to minimize lens swapping.

 

Thx,

 

Sabesh

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sabesh/

 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

 

On this trip, I only used the ND filter for photographing fireworks, and that was a first for me. Otherwise, I shoot with no filter, but I almost always use the lens hood.

 

As for the reflections on the water, if you're talking about the long exposures I did at night, I think that might be due to the exterior lighting on the ship. In my first batch of photos, I went out at 5AM, and a lot of the lights were turned off. When I shot around 6:30PM, all of the lights were still on. If you're talking about daytime photos, then I that was just a matter of luck and sun location!

 

I definitely suggest taking a tripod if you want any long exposure photos. An ND filter could help if you want to create longer exposures, but it would be more useful during an hour when they still have most outdoor lights on.

Edited January 19, 2014 by LittleMissMagic

[joand452]

Which Lumix do you use? We have the FZ-150, FZ-70 and waterproof TS-25.

 

Victoria's review is terrific.

 

Mine is the DMC-ZS3. Just noticed on this last trip that there's something wrong with the display. If I rotate it to take "portrait" pics, sometimes it blacks out. I'm sure it's not worth fixing. The camera was less than $200, I think, from Costco a number of years ago. I may want to upgrade before our April cruise. I love the low-light capabilities on this, but I also like the new wi-fi cameras. I'm looking into one of the new Samsungs (we have a couple of their TVs and are very happy with them).

 

Sorry for the hi-jack, Victoria. Back to the review!

[sabesh]

On this trip, I only used the ND filter for photographing fireworks, and that was a first for me. Otherwise, I shoot with no filter, but I almost always use the lens hood.

 

As for the reflections on the water, if you're talking about the long exposures I did at night, I think that might be due to the exterior lighting on the ship. In my first batch of photos, I went out at 5AM, and a lot of the lights were turned off. When I shot around 6:30PM, all of the lights were still on. If you're talking about daytime photos, then I that was just a matter of luck and sun location!

 

I definitely suggest taking a tripod if you want any long exposure photos. An ND filter could help if you want to create longer exposures, but it would be more useful during an hour when they still have most outdoor lights on.

 

Hey, I meant the ocean shots at the port destinations. I think a polarizer would have helped with some of them. This one turned out well:

 

 

Thx for the info. I'll be taking polarizers for all my lenses and a tripod. I don't think that there will be a need for an ND filter. If need be, I'll just use the built-in one in my Fuji X100s.

 

Also, great idea for waking up at 5am to take shots! I hate people in my architectural shots too, lol. But I might also attempt long exposure shots at the same scenes with movements of people blur.

[lynwar]

I'm continuing to enjoy your Disney World Adventure!!

 

My mind is still on the Royal Princess, a bit. I saw her sail away today and heard the horn. :)

 

Your review is keeping me "grounded". ;)

 

Lynne

[sabesh]

Hi Victoria,

 

Just 2 more questions, please :)

 

- Was the in - room safe big enough to house your laptop + DSLR? (If so, what size laptop?).

 

- How did you manage to write this review while cruising? Do they have WiFi? If so, how much does it cost?

 

Thx,

 

Sabesh.

 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

[LittleMissMagic]

Hi Victoria,

 

Just 2 more questions, please :)

 

- Was the in - room safe big enough to house your laptop + DSLR? (If so, what size laptop?).

 

- How did you manage to write this review while cruising? Do they have WiFi? If so, how much does it cost?

 

Thx,

 

Sabesh.

 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

 

The safe was big enough for a DSLR, but not a laptop (mine is 15") - it might fit a 13" laptop. I just had to leave my laptop in a tote bag in our room all week.

 

I did not write this review while cruising. The most I did was keep a notebook of the things I did that day and upload my pictures to my computer. They have an internet lounge and internet packages. I'm not even sure if they had wifi because I never looked into it.

[sabesh]

The safe was big enough for a DSLR, but not a laptop (mine is 15") - it might fit a 13" laptop. I just had to leave my laptop in a tote bag in our room all week.

 

I did not write this review while cruising. The most I did was keep a notebook of the things I did that day and upload my pictures to my computer. They have an internet lounge and internet packages. I'm not even sure if they had wifi because I never looked into it.

Thx, much appreciated!

[crewzr]

The safe was big enough for a DSLR, but not a laptop (mine is 15") - it might fit a 13" laptop. I just had to leave my laptop in a tote bag in our room all week.

 

I did not write this review while cruising. The most I did was keep a notebook of the things I did that day and upload my pictures to my computer. They have an internet lounge and internet packages. I'm not even sure if they had wifi because I never looked into it.

 

In preparation for my upcoming cruise on the Royal, I called and asked about how big the safes are in the staterooms. They told me that the dimensions were 8 1/2" Wide x 7 3/4" High X 12" Deep.

[bjtomko]

So I am really considering room D730. We hang a ton on the balcony...sometimes taking a small nap out there on accident. Was the soot an issue for you. If so, what does that mean? Was the smell of diesel bad? I would love to have this room, but it needs to be useful since that is a critical part of our trip.

 

Thanks so much for your review. It has been so helpful for me!

[LittleMissMagic]

So I am really considering room D730. We hang a ton on the balcony...sometimes taking a small nap out there on accident. Was the soot an issue for you. If so, what does that mean? Was the smell of diesel bad? I would love to have this room, but it needs to be useful since that is a critical part of our trip.

 

Thanks so much for your review. It has been so helpful for me!

 

I have no balcony soot complaints! I never smelled diesel. Only once I went outside on the balcony barefoot at night after it rained, and I realized that the bottoms of my feet were black (thankfully before hopping in bed).

[Colo Cruiser]

I have no balcony soot complaints! I never smelled diesel. Only once I went outside on the balcony barefoot at night after it rained, and I realized that the bottoms of my feet were black (thankfully before hopping in bed).

 

Hi Victoria,

 

What cat are those 2 cabins?

And cabin numbers again please?

 

Thanks

[bjtomko]

I have no balcony soot complaints! I never smelled diesel. Only once I went outside on the balcony barefoot at night after it rained, and I realized that the bottoms of my feet were black (thankfully before hopping in bed).

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[LittleMissMagic]

Hi Victoria,

 

What cat are those 2 cabins?

And cabin numbers again please?

 

Thanks

 

Category D4 Premium Deluxe Balcony

D731 and D729

[LittleMissMagic]

LittleMissMagic's Royal Princess Member Review

 

My review finally got published in the Member's Review section! You can read it here. Can you believe that although I have now completed six photo reviews, this is the first time I have actually published a review in the Member's Review section? Now that I am more familiar with the format, I'll know that I should add my stateroom review in the main review, as well as the individual stateroom review section.

 

I also wrote a port review on Princess Cays.

[gnatz007]

LittleMissMagic's Royal Princess Member Review

 

My review finally got published in the Member's Review section! You can read it here. Can you believe that although I have now completed six photo reviews, this is the first time I have actually published a review in the Member's Review section? Now that I am more familiar with the format, I'll know that I should add my stateroom review in the main review, as well as the individual stateroom review section.

 

I also wrote a port review on Princess Cays.

 

Great Review! Both on the Forum and Members section. We leave in 24 days and we are very excited, but know what to look out for. Greatly appreciated!

[rwright261]

Your photos are the best I have ever seen!

 

You have inspired me to save up for a good camera and take a course.

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your review, thanks for taking the time to write it and take such beautiful photos to accompany it.

 

I'm now going to move onto your older reviews!!

[mairinmaureen]

Hi Victoria!

 

I just finished reading all of your cruise reviews! I desperately needed an escape from the winter doldrums and your stunning photos did the trick! I noticed you don't have a review for your Carnival Dream cruise and wondered what your overall impressions of that cruise were. We have cruised RCI and Carnival in the past and will be cruising the Disney Magic this spring. So far, I have to say, I think we prefer Carnival over RCI which everyone tends to scoff at. We just seemed to have a better time on that voyage. Again, just curious what your Carnival experience was like or if you posted a review for that cruise on MB or any other site.

 

Thanks,

Maureen

[LittleMissMagic]

Hi Victoria!

 

I just finished reading all of your cruise reviews! I desperately needed an escape from the winter doldrums and your stunning photos did the trick! I noticed you don't have a review for your Carnival Dream cruise and wondered what your overall impressions of that cruise were. We have cruised RCI and Carnival in the past and will be cruising the Disney Magic this spring. So far, I have to say, I think we prefer Carnival over RCI which everyone tends to scoff at. We just seemed to have a better time on that voyage. Again, just curious what your Carnival experience was like or if you posted a review for that cruise on MB or any other site.

 

Thanks,

Maureen

 

There's a funny story as to why I don't have a Carnival Dream cruise review (I was actually asked by some MBers to do one). The roll call for that cruise was the biggest I've ever been part of. It was also before there were rules against Facebook roll calls, and I was also part of that group and added Rachel. This was in the last few weeks of school before break, so whenever I needed a study break, I'd go to the FB group and read all of the arguments over there. That roll call group was the biggest group of one-up-anothers I've ever met. "I have a spa suite." "Oh, well I have the owner's suite." And there was one particularly unsavory character named Keith (I'm using his real name because according to him, he's not even on Cruise Critic and just found the group through Facebook) who liked to tell people how to dress, what to pack, and talk about stock like he was some big somebody. I don't know who he was trying to impress. But it was funny because when I reunited with Rachel (she was in high school and I was in my freshman year of college), we both looked at each other and said, "KEITH!"

 

Needless to say, we didn't go to any Cruise Critic gatherings because we had no desire to meet any of those people. We did, however, find Keith. He was easy to spot because his entire family was wearing crocs and lanyards, just like he said.

 

Anyway, I never posted a review because I legitimately feared the Carnival boards, as a statement as simple as, "I liked our cruise director," would stir up an argument.

 

I had a good time on the cruise. It's the last time the four of us ever shared a stateroom, though - that was pretty miserable. And I'm not sure if our cabin steward was just lazy or if it isn't Carnival custom, but he would never push the bunk bed back up into the ceiling which made our couch unusable. My dad actually hunted him down in the hallway on several occasions to get that bunk put away.

 

My dad really loved that there were nine hot tubs. The cantilever hot tubs over the edge on deck 6 (I think) were really fun to sit in while the ship was leaving port. And speaking of ports, that's one of the most interesting itineraries we've done. I really enjoyed Mahogany Bay. I've considered another Carnival or Holland America cruise just because I think they have some of the most unique ports of call.

 

I loved our cruise director, Butch, and his assistant, Baby Butch. They were really fun. However, my roll call was very verbal about not liking him because of his suggested sexual orientation which really rubbed me the wrong way. Keith, in particular, made a lot of ignorant, inconsiderate jokes and to be honest, that's one of the things that turned me away from Carnival - all of the unsavory people. And I'm sure not every Carnival cruise has a crowd so closed-minded and uppity. But I did find it ironic that the most "bargain" line we've ever sailed had the most braggarts I've ever encountered.

 

I think it's going to take a little more time until I book a Carnival cruise again. It just feels "icky" to me, still.

Edited January 24, 2014 by LittleMissMagic

[mairinmaureen]

OH MY GOSH! Thanks for sharing your experience, Victoria! I can definitely understand your hesitation in booking another Carnival cruise after all of that. Those kind of people drive me insane. Braggarts and blowhards! Chris and I probably had such a good time, because other than staff, I don't think we even talked to a single soul on board. Our CD was named Noonan and he was really great as was all of the entertainment staff we encountered. They are definitely the main reason we enjoyed the cruise so much. Our RCI entertainment staff has never been that friendly or outgoing. I am super excited about our Disney Magic cruise because one of my good friends from high school is actually performing in all the productions. The other thing that bothers me about RCI is all the smoking. I felt like it was everywhere. I liked our Carnival cruise because it was virtually a non-smoking ship except in the casino. I agree about Carnival's itineraries. They always seem a bit more exciting to me and seem to have less sea days. I'm not a big fan of the sea days, although on the Magic, I would definitely take a sea day over going to Nassau.....again! I'll probably just stay on the ship this time around. I hope you will decide to give Carnival another chance in the years to come. It sucks that you had so many narrow minded, ignorant people on your roll call.

[bmc alabama]

Great review. Late to this, but I found it as we are looking at the Regal (or Ruby) Princess for next year's spring break.

 

The funny thing about your thread. I am going to estimate that we were about 5 yards to your left the night of 12/30 on the Tomorrowland Bridge the night they did the NYE 360 degree fireworks (everyone needs to see this at least once!). We were also in Hollywood Studios on the 31st. Go figure. Small world.

 

I see that you are sailing on the Fantasy in May. We are on the cruise 2 weeks after yours, so I do hope that you are planning on another photo review of that cruise. I will say that DCL cruises are a bit different as far as the roll calls go. Most of them will be on DISBOARDS.

 

The last, and quite possibly most important, thing for you to look into for your May Fantasy cruise is to participate in a Fish Extender list. If you aren't familiar with Fish Extenders (or FE's as they are known), I'd google it. We have participated in them since our first DCL cruise and it is always one of our favorite things about the cruise. I say this now because it may take you a little bit to make one or order one. It's something that definitely makes a DCL cruise a bit unique.

 

Last tip I'll leave you with for your DCL cruise is that DCL actually lets you bring liquor on board. That's right. Just put it in your carry on and bring it right on board. I am serious about this. They also don't confiscate it when you get in port. There is a good liquor store at the Publix in Cocoa Beach about 5 minutes from Port Canaveral...

 

Happy Sailings and Roll Tide!