Is Royal the worst rated ship on CC?

[fishin' musician]

I haven't read all the pages of this thread yet, but I do have an observation to make. We were on the Maiden Transatlantic on Oct. 9 with Pia, Pam and many other Cruise Critic people who have sailed many times on Princess ships. There were a few things about the design that I didn't care for, BUT ...

 

Three weeks after we disembarked the Royal, we boarded the Diamond in Singapore for 39 days. And I must say that many of the things I was looking so forward to seeing again on a Grand class ship weren't all that great anymore. The Horizon Court was a real letdown on the Diamond after the magnificent Horizon Court, Bistro, and Pastry Shop on the Royal. There were never seats on the Diamond at the buffet, and there were always seats on the Royal in the buffet. Thirty nine days of never finding seats and having to take the food outside and walk around for 10 minutes to locate a place to eat, got us quite annoyed!

 

Then the cabin. Our inside on both ships had many differences. One I noticed right away was the lighting both in the cabin and out in the corridors was just dismal on the Diamond. The Royal is so much brighter and lighter! True, the closet was a little smaller and the toilet paper holder harder to reach, but the bathroom on the Royal had a lot of advantages, including a larger shower, adjustable height shower head and the bench in the shower. Plus, once again, it was much brighter in there with the improved lighting.

 

I enjoyed the larger internet cafe on the Diamond, but a lot of that was because it was the only place on the ship I could sit and read where it was quiet! The Diamond seemed so crowded, and the people were downright loud. The Royal didn't seem crowded at all, what with all the seating in that huge Piazza, and there were more places to read. And I sure missed that pizza at Alfredo's. YUM!

 

Just a few examples of how your viewpoints can change. I would love to cruise on the Royal again (and the Regal, too). So try not to be so negative and be a little more open minded, people. You may enjoy yourself!:)

 

 

Are the Diamond and Sapphire considered "Grand" class ships?

[JimmyVWine]

Only 202 member reviews and ratings of the Royal Princess ...

This isn't as small a sample as people make it out to be. Consider that Coral Princess, launched in 2003, has 389 reviews (and an 86% "love it" rating). Diamond Princess, launched in 2004 has 488 reviews and an 83% "love it" rating. Celebrity Reflection, launched in October, 2012--about half a year before Royal--has 287 reviews and an 88% "love it" rating. 202 reviews for Royal in just over 8 months isn't as low as it sounds. Of course, 202 reviews compared to the total number of occupied cabins it has sailed with is miniscule. But not nearly as miniscule as the percentage of reviews written for Coral or Diamond in comparison to the occupied cabins it as sailed with. It's all relative.

 

Are the Diamond and Sapphire considered "Grand" class ships?

Yes.

Edited January 14, 2014 by JimmyVWine

[Blk_Amish]

Most of Princess ships are very similar so they are loving the same ole thing. I sailed the Sapphire and Diamond and in pics can't tell the difference. This is the first ship that gave us something to think about to talk about. Carnival and RCL have different ships/theme in the fleet to choose from, Princess though pretty but some see it to the point of boring, until now. At least in 10 years we will have stories to tell our kids about Princess trying something different with the Royal design. Maybe they will add themes so your pictures look different. Carnival changed it up with Magic and RCL gave us Monstrosities of the Sea. Princess finally gave us something to talk about...BRAVO!

Edited January 14, 2014 by Blk_Amish

[pcsunlover]

This isn't as small a sample as people make it out to be. Consider that Coral Princess, launched in 2003, has 389 reviews (and an 86% "love it" rating). Diamond Princess, launched in 2004 has 488 reviews and an 83% "love it" rating. Celebrity Reflection, launched in October, 2012--about half a year before Royal--has 287 reviews and an 88% "love it" rating. 202 reviews for Royal in just over 8 months isn't as low as it sounds. Of course, 202 reviews compared to the total number of occupied cabins it has sailed with is miniscule. But not nearly as miniscule as the percentage of reviews written for Coral or Diamond in comparison to the occupied cabins it as sailed with. It's all relative.

 

 

Yes.

 

Yes, I agree, it is all relative. But before I ruled out sailing on a ship because of a low percentage of people loving it, I would read quite a few of the reviews to determine why they didn't like it and decide for myself if their reasons would impact my personal cruise experience. As some have pointed out, what is a dealbreaker for one person is a non-issue for someone else.

 

On another note, unless I'm mistaken, in the first 2 pages of reviews there are 2 cruise critic members who have posted 2 reviews of their sailings. How can we put much stock in the percentages if people are allowed to post multiple reviews of the same sailing?

[pcsunlover]

Most of Princess ships are very similar so they are loving the same ole thing. I sailed the Sapphire and Diamond and in pics can't tell the difference. This is the first ship that gave us something to think about to talk about. Carnival and RCL have different ships/theme in the fleet to choose from, Princess though pretty but some see it to the point of boring, until now. At least in 10 years we will have stories to tell our kids about Princess trying something different with the Royal design. Maybe they will add themes so your pictures look different. Carnival changed it up with Magic and RCL gave us Monstrosities of the Sea. Princess finally gave us something to talk about...BRAVO!

 

Yes, I am also one of those who is glad to see something different from Princess although I feel sympathy for those who are disappointed because they were looking forward to a new ship that they thought would have new features in addition to the features that they loved about the grand class ships.

 

I can't wait to experience the ship for myself. Even if it turns out not to be a match for me, it will still be an adventure!

[sunshine100]

And then there are people like us that don't write reviews (for lack of time) but enjoyed the RP so much that we just booked her again! We were on the Nov 10 sailing and we leave this Sunday on the 1-19 sailing! There were many, many more positives then negatives on this ship!

 

There were many things, after reading and following Dave's LIVE thread that we never got to experience, so we are really looking forward to spending another week on her!! Great food, great company, great service, great staff!! Can't wait to spend another great week on the Royal!!

[caribill]

For several years posters on this forum had said they wished Princess would come out with a different design than the Grand Class ships.

 

So the Royal filled this wish and a number of posters complain they miss a number of features that the Grand Class had.

 

Darned if you do and darned if you don't.

[SwissDave]

For several years posters on this forum had said they wished Princess would come out with a different design than the Grand Class ships.

 

So the Royal filled this wish and a number of posters complain they miss a number of features that the Grand Class had.

 

Darned if you do and darned if you don't.

 

I agree. I think that if PCL had built another Grand clone, then the views would have just as polarised, with many people saying 'boring, been there, done that, got the souvenirs, give us something new, dont want to sail on the same old same old', with those on the opposing side saying 'it's a new ship, I like Grand class, be gratefull for any new ship'.

[princessprincej]

I have heard many mixed reviews on the Royal. Being a new ship, new concept and a change to the 'normal' Princess lay out of Grand, Star, Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby etc there are bound to be things that people are not pleased about.

 

Firstly, a new ship will have teething problems. Royal Princess is initially a prototype of a new class of ship built by Fincantieri. There will be parts that need to be fixed, changed or retrofitted. The changes due on the Regal Princess shows how changes to the original will be made to improve the prototype.

 

Secondly, us passengers who love Princess are less likely to adapt to new changes. I personally think that the Royal Princess is a stunning ship and has some fantastic new features. The Atrium is beautiful and a great improvement on the current decor of the previous Grand Class. I still love the older ships but there is a certain elegance with the Royal.

 

I think that the Royal marks a change in the design of future ships, with P&O using the same prototype for the new Britannia being built. The ratings will change and I am sure that the Royal will be in the 90% mark in no time at all, as will the Regal too.

[Mapu]

For several years posters on this forum had said they wished Princess would come out with a different design than the Grand Class ships.

 

So the Royal filled this wish and a number of posters complain they miss a number of features that the Grand Class had.

 

Darned if you do and darned if you don't.

 

I totally agree! I think it is time to put this thread to rest.

[baldercash]

I have heard many mixed reviews on the Royal. Being a new ship, new concept and a change to the 'normal' Princess lay out of Grand, Star, Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby etc there are bound to be things that people are not pleased about.

 

 

I think that the Royal marks a change in the design of future ships, with P&O using the same prototype for the new Britannia being built. The ratings will change and I am sure that the Royal will be in the 90% mark in no time at all, as will the Regal too.

 

So you believe pax will grow to not only accept balconies too small to sit on facing the Ocean but that they will grow to love them and prefer them to large balconies?

I will be interested in reading the 1st review that supports that position.

[Blk_Amish]

So you believe pax will grow to not only accept balconies too small to sit on facing the Ocean but that they will grow to love them and prefer them to large balconies? I will be interested in reading the 1st review that supports that position.

 

In time they will become educated consumers and if those amenities are important and deal breakers, they won't book. My first cruisers I hated the food on Princess. This time I booked knowing, therefore the food won't be an issue with my vacation. Have I accepted food I think it pretty bland for me, YES. Do I prefer it to real spicy food, NO. Change will never be easy for Princess type cruisers. Many can't get pass the fact jeans are allowed in the MDR. Many are stuck in their way and want, familiar, comfortable and homey. They want the new ship the same old way so they can find their way blindfolded or maybe like me loosing vision and scared to get lost. Forget about vision, its loosing memory, which is why I am not liking the megas ships or resorts. Ok, I am turning into an old fart!

 

One could ask is the balcony really too small or like my butt too big? Maybe Princess joined with the American health association:D

Edited January 15, 2014 by Blk_Amish

[princessprincej]

So you believe pax will grow to not only accept balconies too small to sit on facing the Ocean but that they will grow to love them and prefer them to large balconies?

I will be interested in reading the 1st review that supports that position.

 

If the balcony size is all you are looking for when you cruise then maybe you will not like the Royal Princess. I personally prefer to enjoy the other areas on the ship and the places that are visited during the cruise and I do not go on holiday to sit in my room. I am sure that passengers will prefer a larger balcony over a small one as much as passengers will prefer a the larger public areas compared to smaller public areas.

 

From reading all the posts it's clear that there will never be a right answer to this or any question raised on CC, everyone has there own opinions and experiences

[crewzr]

…

You know, you can have two people on the same ship at the same time and have completely opposite expectations, experiences and opinions. How many times have we seen "competing" posts when someone responds with, "Were we on the same ship?" Some things appeal to some people, other things appeal to other people. There's no way to convince people that what they expected and experienced isn't what everyone else did. There are few absolutes and what might be a negative "fact" for one person is of no consequence to another.

 

Absolutely!!! Someone’s personal expectations, the amount of time they spent researching the trip and their general attitude / disposition are only a few of the things that can make a vacation either amazing or a disaster. There are soooo many factors involved.

 

One thing that I have seen on these boards that makes me laugh are the people who haven’t even sailed on the Royal, yet take every opportunity to slam it, using what other people have said in reviews as their proof of why the ship sucks. :rolleyes:

 

Personally, I try to take reviews with a grain of salt. As already stated above, what can be good for some can be horrible for others. Besides, it is a well-known fact that people are more likely to write reviews to complain, than to give praise.

 

In less than a month, I will be on my honeymoon cruise on the Royal and I refuse to let any of this negativity affect how well I enjoy myself. I plan to keep a positive attitude and refrain from speculating until I experience the ship for myself.

 

After I do, I’ll be sure to come back here and tell you all about it. ;)

[Blk_Amish]

STOP THE SHIP, OH SHIP

 

Some of these people haven't actually sailed the Royal. Poor souls who take what posted here as gospel and worse spend their dollars accordingly

 

 

That what I call pretty SHIPPY because before you knock it, one should try it.

Edited January 15, 2014 by Blk_Amish

[Cruise Junky]

For several years posters on this forum had said they wished Princess would come out with a different design than the Grand Class ships.

 

So the Royal filled this wish and a number of posters complain they miss a number of features that the Grand Class had.

 

Darned if you do and darned if you don't.

 

Yes, but we'd hoped it would be more like Millennium class to Solstice class which seemed to be leading the pack on new ship design. Innovative, new decor, but not taking away passenger's personal space which unfortunately Royal did.

[Cruise Junky]

STOP THE SHIP, OH SHIP

 

Some of these people haven't actually sailed the Royal. Yet, some people take what posted here as gospel and worse spend their dollars accordingly.

 

That what I call pretty SHIPPY

 

Come on... do you really need to put your hand in the fire to know it's hot? We're not blind, we can see the size of the balconies very clearly from pictures and Princess is being completely deceptive on their renderings online.

[SwissDave]

Come on... do you really need to put your hand in the fire to know it's hot? We're not blind, we can see the size of the balconies very clearly from pictures and Princess is being completely deceptive on their renderings online.

 

But there are still people on here claiming that you cannot turn your chair to face out over the ocean, when you can. I know you can, I did it.

[crewzr]

But there are still people on here claiming that you cannot turn your chair to face out over the ocean, when you can. I know you can, I did it.

 

Thank you. Exactly! If you haven’t sailed on the ship and experienced it for yourself, you should keep your comments to yourself. There is a lot of misinformation out there and people are just repeating it, when they don’t even know what they are talking about. :rolleyes:

[Gettingwarmer]

But there are still people on here claiming that you cannot turn your chair to face out over the ocean, when you can. I know you can, I did it.

 

Yes but sitting like economy on an aircraft? I haven't seen photos showing chairs facing the ocean with any decent legroom. In fact I don't think I've seen photos with chairs facing the ocean on standard balconies at all. The inside of the Royal atrium looks great but some mistakes have been made.

Edited January 15, 2014 by Gettingwarmer

[Blk_Amish]

Yes but sitting like economy on an aircraft? I haven't seen photos showing chairs facing the ocean with any decent legroom. In fact I don't think I've seen photos with chairs facing the ocean on standard balconies at all. The inside of the Royal atrium looks great but some mistakes have been made.

 

Make no mistake some sit quite comfortably while others don't. It's clear picture and others opinion is ALL some need to spend their vacation dollars. Me, when the price is right I go for the adventure, sometimes just to say been there, done that.

Edited January 15, 2014 by Blk_Amish

[SwissDave]

Yes but sitting like economy on an aircraft? I haven't seen photos showing chairs facing the ocean with any decent legroom. In fact I don't think I've seen photos with chairs facing the ocean on standard balconies at all. The inside of the Royal atrium looks great but some mistakes have been made.

 

I fully agree, however, that is not the same as saying it is not possible to turn your chair to face out, as some here keep saying. I also don't think there is anyone on CC who would say that no mistakes have been made.

 

 

--------------------------

 

I really enjoyed my cruise on RP, yes the balconies are small (the ones on NCLs new ship Breakaway are even smaller), they missed a trick with the central staircase (but that doesnt affect everyone) and hopefully they will upgrade the crew staircase for passenger use during the first major drydock to resolve that.

Outside promenade is a bit more tricky, but at least they are going to open up the narrow walkway between the boats and the hull to allow people to walk between the different outside areas.

 

As many people are saying, different things are more or less important to them than others. For me I usually book fwd or aft cabins, so am not bothered about central stairs. I dont spend hours on end on a balcony, so if it's small it doesnt bother me. I do like a longer, preferably wrap around, outside promenade deck but it is not a deal breaker, to me, if there isn't one. I don't use pools or hot tubs either, so whether there was 1 or 100 it would not come into the equation when I was booking a cruise.

 

There was an outcry at the beginning about the number of pools, everyone saying there were not enough, but unless I have missed something I have not seen any real, or continuous, evidence that there has been a problem.

 

If people want Grand class features then they should go on a Grand class ship. The Royal and Regal are not Grand class and so it should not be expected that they have the same features - otherwise what is the point of a new design or class?

[Mapu]

We always book a balcony cabin, usually on Caribe on the Grand Class ships.

We use our balcony everyday weather permits. Many who book balcony cabins don't seem to use them at all. based on my observations on 27 Princess cruises. We sailed on the Royal and I was indeed disappointed that there were no equivalents to the balconies on Caribe deck. We had a deluxe balcony cabin and while the balcony was smaller than we are used to we had enough room for two people to sit out facing the water. I would say, having just been on the Pacific Princess, the Royal balcony was comparable to that one. The Pacific Princess is one of the smaller ships.

Edited January 15, 2014 by Mapu

[Blk_Amish]

We always book a balcony cabin, usually on Caribe on the Grand Class ships.

We use our balcony everyday weather permits. Many who book balcony cabins don't seem to use them at all. based on my observations on 27 Princess cruises. We sailed on the Royal and I was indeed disappointed that there were no equivalents to the balconies on Caribe deck. We had a deluxe balcony cabin and while the balcony was smaller than we are used to we had enough room for two people to sit out facing the water. I would say, having just been on the Pacific Princess, the Royal balcony was comparable to that one. The Pacific Princess is one of the smaller ships.

 

So smaller balconies are not new to Princess. I assume all the Princess ships have the aft pool and promenade. If they don't, what's the big deal, if they did what they have done already. Instead of making a carbon copy of another ship, they combined features currently on others. I assume any ship with smaller balconies are the least favorite and rated at the bottom.

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Forums mobile app

Edited January 15, 2014 by Blk_Amish

[Mapu]

I assume any ship with smaller balconies are the least favorite and rated at the bottom.

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Forums mobile app

 

I don't believe that is the case. The Pacific Princess and the Ocean Princess are able to get into smaller ports and often have more unique itineraries. I think it is a case that the different classes of ships each have its fans. Different stokes for different folks.