Crown Princess vs RC...our thoughts....

[OCruisers]

Linda .... Thanks for an extremely well written report with your thoughts!

If you ever decide to cruise on another Princess ship, please do get a Mini-Suite! ;)

LuLu

[Wilda]

Agree about the mini-suite on Princess...that is the only cabin category we have booked and find them to be a great size for us.

 

How about the laundry rooms ...did you have a chance to check them out? I love that feature on Princess:D

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Agree about the mini-suite on Princess...that is the only cabin category we have booked and find them to be a great size for us.

 

How about the laundry rooms ...did you have a chance to check them out? I love that feature on Princess:D

 

 

Didn't use the laundry rooms, but went inside to check it out. Very clean, 2 washers and 2 dryers plus 2 ironing stations...even has a TV! :)

Thats something I wish RC had....especially for longer cruises!

 

***

[Folk Singer]

If you're serious, check the January prices for the Navigator out of Galveston ... we booked the 18th, only six weeks after we sail on 12/7. At those fares, we can't afford to stay home! We figure that we'll eat more than we spend.

 

FYI ... air r/t from Phoenix is only around $275/pp on Southwest, nonstop in both directions. Cruise prices, of course, vary by accommodations, but even a balcony is going for around $750/pp including tax, tag and title.

 

Al

 

nice. go for it.

[Desert Cruizers]

I really like the laundry feature on Princess Ships. We had a fun morning once as several ladies and actually a couple men were doing theirs. As we sat watching our laundry spinning around, I commented that it looked like we were watching " Soap Operas and another lady spoke up and said " As the World Turns. " We were right across the room so made it really nice. We learned quickly, even if they are full don't walk away and wait or you lose your turn.

[OCruisers]

While I've never used the laundry room to actually do laundry, I have taken our water shoes there to wash them out good in the nice large stainless steel sink.

In addition to washers & dryers there are also irons and ironing boards.

LuLu

[pcur]

As promised, a mini review of our Crown Princess cruise.....I will say that RC is our preferred cruise line.

 

 

We are D+ and love Royal Caribbean. We took this cruise with friends who we “owed” because they took their first RC cruise with us in May on the Navigator. It was a nice itinerary of the California coast visiting San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San Diego and Ensenada. Weather was perfect!

 

 

We always arrive the day prior to avoid any stress of travel snafu’s. Well this time that backfired on us.

 

 

First our plane was 40 minutes late arriving in PHX. Then it took longer to board than the usual time on SWA. Then once boarded we had to wait for paper work to be completed. We taxied out and were promptly held on the taxiway for “VIP traffic in LA. Obama was in LA. We sat for 30 minutes, We finally were able to take off, now almost 2 hours late. The flight itself was flawless and just 58 minutes.

Once in LAX it was a quick baggage claim and out to the center curb for the hotel shuttle. Normally it comes every 20 minutes, but because of Obama in LA things were backed up and we waited one hour. All in all it took just about 5 hours to get to LA. ...we could have driven!! That is just one reason you need to arrive the day before.We stayed at the Marriott LAX, and took Princess shuttles in the morning.

 

 

 

This being our first Princess cruise we really didn't know what to expect outside the standard cruise experience.

 

 

We found the ship itself to be out somewhat outdated and chopped up. We also found it difficult to get use to deck names vs deck numbers, but after 4 or 5 days we pretty much had that figured out! I really missed RC's electronic “Way Finders”

 

As for the ship being out dated, it may have been the over all décor, however I did see a lot of rust and crust that needs attention. The dining room had all wood paneling and very few windows, first ship we ever had encountered that way.

 

Our cabin category was BA # 422 on the Baja, which is deck 11. It was a good mid ship location. Although that category didn’t work for us, it was too small and congested. The balcony was a decent size, fully covered and we enjoyed that every day. The cabin had just a small side chair that was always in the way, we were constantly moving it away from the corner fridge to get to the ice or then moving it away from the balcony door. It was a no win situation there. The desk area had good storage but very poor lighting. The bathroom was standard, the shower head was not height adjustable. The best feature of the cabin was the closet!! It was separate from the main cabin and across from the bathroom making it seem like a walk in...a girls dream come true!! :)

 

With all that said about the cabin, I can’t compare it to any RC’s cabin because all of them have either a love seat or full size sofa, something we missed. We knew that when we booked the cruise, so can’t say we weren’t aware of that, but once in the cabin we found it to be difficult for us. We are use to a D or Jr Suite category. We did visit friends who had a Mini Suite, it was very nice and spacious. That would have to be our cabin choice for any future Princess cruises.

 

Food is very subjective, so I will just say it was good and at least in my eyes, I didn’t have to shop, cook or clean it up! :D

 

 

 

Our first night dinner was slow, 3 hours, service wasn’t good we think our waiter had a new assistant. We heard so much about Princess pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers, so of course we had to try those, yes, very good and better than RC’s.

 

 

 

The Horizon Court Buffet food service stations was very small and congested not set up very well. Seating was abundant and nice service by crew for beverages and they always helped find you a table. I really had to laugh at the crew stationed at the entrance and exit.....you couldn't cheat on either one, trust me I got scolded a few times ....you think they would have given a poor lady like me with a cane a break....but not so. LOL

 

 

 

Room service for morning coffee was impressive, after calling, it was always at the door with in 10 minutes. We didn’t try any of the other restaurants, every day I said I was going to go to the International Café on deck 5 for some of the tasty sandwiches and treats I heard about, but I never got there! Sometimes a 7 day cruise just isn’t long enough!!! :eek:

 

One thing we found to be difficult was the timing of the evening shows. Because of Anytime Dining, the theater fills up and those with main dining can’t get there early enough. It was simpler when they had 2 shows and it coordinated with main and late dining times.

 

Princess has excellent embarkation, disembarkation and transfers system something RC can take a lesson from! Simple, fast and organized!

 

Overall we had a very nice cruise, glad we experienced it. I would probably try another Princess cruise, but DH would really have to think about it. I will borrow something a friend said , for a good rate and itinerary, we can be bought!! ;)

 

A few comments on the Marriott LAX....hotel has 945 rooms and no free internet in the guest rooms, only the lobby. Sheesh! I complained at the desk about that, I think the deck agent took pity on me with my cane and comped the internet fee.

 

 

Their breakfast buffet was very confusing, one buffet 3 different prices.

Full buffet, continental buffet and another type I can't remember the name of. So how does the server know exactly what you had??? :confused:

 

 

We did get a good tip from the hotel bus driver telling is to go to the SW

 

baggage claim for the Princess shuttles because that is the first stop.

That worked out great, first ones on the bus! We're off to a good week!!

 

 

Overall we had a nice cruise, enjoyed many of the features and met some great people. I tried not to be a "Negative Nellie" , yet, also wanted to be honest on our experience.

 

 

 

***

 

I agree with you completely. We have been on two Princess cruises, with one being 28 nights roundtrip from Los Angeles (too good to pass up). We have the same opinion of their ships' layout, dining room, and cabin. We were especially frustrated with the buffet layout and the in-and-out rules.

 

We had good cruises both times, but missed our D+ perks and RCCL's ships. We'd go again, but only for the itinerary.

 

We went on HAL for the first time this year to get home from Australia, and enjoyed it very much. Great cabin, fabulous buffet. Main dining room scheduling was not good for late diners. But, a good cruise, and got to the West Coast for $600 less.

[jayblue]

Thank you for posting your review here. I'm considering an Eastern Caribbean on the Regal Princess next year. It helps to know that while they are not perfect, they are a good line.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

I agree with you completely. We have been on two Princess cruises, with one being 28 nights roundtrip from Los Angeles (too good to pass up). We have the same opinion of their ships' layout, dining room, and cabin. We were especially frustrated with the buffet layout and the in-and-out rules.

 

We had good cruises both times, but missed our D+ perks and RCCL's ships. We'd go again, but only for the itinerary.

 

We went on HAL for the first time this year to get home from Australia, and enjoyed it very much. Great cabin, fabulous buffet. Main dining room scheduling was not good for late diners. But, a good cruise, and got to the West Coast for $600 less.

 

 

TY Peggy, we talked about taking another Princess cruise, DH is turned off to the idea, mostly because of our D+ perks, we worked had to achieve them. ;)

 

I agree the itinerary and cost would really have to be great! :D

 

***

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Thank you for posting your review here. I'm considering an Eastern Caribbean on the Regal Princess next year. It helps to know that while they are not perfect, they are a good line.

 

Right, in cruising, nothing is perfect. :D

 

***

[pcur]

TY Peggy, we talked about taking another Princess cruise, DH is turned off to the idea, mostly because of our D+ perks, we worked had to achieve them. ;)

 

I agree the itinerary and cost would really have to be great! :D

 

***

 

Take a look at Princess' South Pacific 28 night cruise, roundtrip from Los Angeles. If you sign up for their brochures and emails, they usually reduce the price within 90 days of sailing. AHHHHMAAAAZING cruise!!

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Take a look at Princess' South Pacific 28 night cruise, roundtrip from Los Angeles. If you sign up for their brochures and emails, they usually reduce the price within 90 days of sailing. AHHHHMAAAAZING cruise!!

 

 

I'll take a peek at it....sounds like something that should be on our bucket list...a 28 day cruise. :D

 

***

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

One more thing I just thought of in comparison, the muster drill.

 

Princess still has you taking the life jackets from your cabin to the drill.

Once at the drill they make you put it on so you know how it works. Been there done that.

 

Now this part is just freaky!!! They actually tell you how to jump overboard if necessary! WHAT...OMG....never in all our 25 cruises have we been instructed to do that!

 

OMG...hold one arm over your chest while holding onto the life jacket and use the other had to cover your mouth and nose...JUMP! Pretty freaky!!

 

Muster is over and now you've got to take your life jackets back to your cabin...good luck in getting an elevator for about 30 minutes.

 

While I appreciate SOLAS, Safety Of Life At Sea, this was a bit over the top for me! :eek:

 

***

[californiacruising]

Now this part is just freaky!!! They actually tell you how to jump overboard if necessary! WHAT...OMG....never in all our 25 cruises have we been instructed to do that!

Not jump but step, that's the instruction we were given at our Muster Drill. Never had that before either.

 

We were on the cruise before yours. We enjoyed trying out Princess because they seem to be the only ones sailing out of West Coast ports. (don't do Carnival). The major problem we have with them is the need to buy a coffee card for fresh brewed coffee. It was an inconvenience going to IC (International Cafe) before breakfast and before dinner. This quickly became annoying.

 

Next cruise is b2b on Serenade of Seas. Back to flying but at least it is a relatively short flight to New Orleans.

[A&L_Ont]

[quote name='Arizona Cruz Chic']One more thing I just thought of in comparison, the muster drill.

Princess still has you taking the life jackets from your cabin to the drill.
Once at the drill they make you put it on so you know how it works. Been there done that.

Now this part is just freaky!!! They actually tell you how to jump overboard if necessary! WHAT...OMG....never in all our 25 cruises have we been instructed to do that!

OMG...hold one arm over your chest while holding onto the life jacket and use the other had to cover your mouth and nose...JUMP! Pretty freaky!!

Muster is over and now you've got to take your life jackets back to your cabin...good luck in getting an elevator for about 30 minutes.

While I appreciate SOLAS, Safety Of Life At Sea, this was a bit over the top for me! :eek:

***[/QUOTE]

Having been on the Oasis Class ship so much lately I totally forgot about the Princess drill. The first time we saw on the video presentation for the muster drill on Oasis I thought, this is so strange. Reflecting upon your comments, maybe not as strange as cross you arm over the life jacket, cover your nose and step over the side. That is, after you check if it is clear below.:)

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

[quote name='californiacruising']Not jump but [B]step[/B], that's the instruction we were given at our Muster Drill. Never had that before either.

We were on the cruise before yours. We enjoyed trying out Princess because they seem to be the only ones sailing out of West Coast ports. (don't do Carnival). The major problem we have with them is the need to buy a coffee card for fresh brewed coffee. It was an inconvenience going to IC (International Cafe) before breakfast and before dinner. This quickly became annoying.

Next cruise is b2b on Serenade of Seas. Back to flying but at least it is a relatively short flight to New Orleans.[/quote]


We basically booked for the same reason, a cruise out of the west coast!
We booked the October 2015 Jewel California Coastal the day it opened!!

Since I never got down to the International Cafe, I don't know anything about a coffee card, we were impressed with the room service coffee service.

Hated needing to take the life jackets back to the cabin....love that RC has changed to no jackets at the drill.

It was creepy to have those instructions at a muster drill. :eek:

***

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

[quote name='A&L_Ont']Having been on the Oasis Class ship so much lately I totally forgot about the Princess drill. The first time we saw on the video presentation for the muster drill on Oasis I thought, this is so strange. Reflecting upon your comments, maybe not as strange as cross you arm over the life jacket, cover your nose and step over the side. That is, after you check if it is clear below.:)[/quote]

Not having sailed on the Oasis, I don't know about the video presentation.
The instructions were as for a last ditch effort kind of thing....but still creepy!

***

[jewopaho]

[quote name='Arizona Cruz Chic']TY Peggy, we talked about taking another Princess cruise, DH is turned off to the idea, mostly because of our D+ perks, we worked had to achieve them. ;) I agree the itinerary and cost would really have to be great! :D ***[/QUOTE]
Yep ... the loyalty perks may well be RCI's carrot for us horses, but they do enhance the cruise experience considerably.

I hadn't thought about the Princess muster drill, since we've gone through it several times ... but you're right; it is kind of creepy. It would be more appropriate on a Costa ship!

We've cruised so often that the only itineraries that influence our decision are those overseas. We've been to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, the Norwegian Fjords, Croatia, the Greek Isles, Turkey, lots of European ports, and have even done a transatlantic and two Alaska trips (with one more in the works) ... all in less than eight years. At this stage of our lives, hopping aboard a floating resort, and spending less than an hour to get there, works for us ... we rarely leave the ship at any of the Caribbean ports. Even with four cruise lines to choose from, we still lean toward RCI, primarily because of the perks ... and now, with a couple of free Internet hours, it becomes more difficult for the competition to lure us away. It's really tempting to take Princess up on their latest offer ... $299 for 7 nights ($599 for a balcony) ... but it isn't always about price. We prefer to look at value ... and RCI delivers a bit more desirable product for us. The differences between Royal and Princess are fairly minimal, but nonetheless discernible ... and they're here year-round, so time is not an issue. Edited November 2, 2014 by jewopaho

[Sunkissed Mommy]

Thank you for your review. It validates the choice I made earlier this year.

We were originally booked to sail on the Crown on 10/5/14 for a California Coastal cruise. We had planned to do California in 2014 and New England/Canada in 2015. But when they released those Jewel itineraries earlier this year we made a big switch up: Canada/New England on Brilliance this year and California on 10/3/15 on the Jewel!

We really like Royal Caribbean and we're going to finally make Diamond in two weeks when we get off the Liberty. So our 1st official Diamond cruise will be on Jewel next year. :) Yipee!

We have sailed on Princess once before, in Alaska, and we liked it for the itinerary. But I agree with you on many points: loved the "closet" but hated that there was only a chair in the room. My Mother In law loves Princess and will only go on another line if we drag her on. She said she likes Princess because she is Elite and FIL is a Veteran so they benefit more from those perks than their status on other lines.

To each their own.

Thanks again for your mini-review!

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

[quote name='jewopaho']Yep ... the loyalty perks may well be RCI's carrot for us horses, but they do enhance the cruise experience considerably.

I hadn't thought about the Princess muster drill, since we've gone through it several times ... but you're right; it is kind of creepy. It would be more appropriate on a Costa ship!

We've cruised so often that the only itineraries that influence our decision are those overseas. We've been to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, the Norwegian Fjords, Croatia, the Greek Isles, Turkey, lots of European ports, and have even done a transatlantic and two Alaska trips (with one more in the works) ... all in less than eight years. At this stage of our lives, hopping aboard a floating resort, and spending less than an hour to get there, works for us ... we rarely leave the ship at any of the Caribbean ports. Even with four cruise lines to choose from, we still lean toward RCI, primarily because of the perks ... and now, with a couple of free Internet hours, it becomes more difficult for the competition to lure us away. It's really tempting to take Princess up on their latest offer ... $299 for 7 nights ($599 for a balcony) ... but it isn't always about price. We prefer to look at value ... and RCI delivers a bit more desirable product for us. The differences between Royal and Princess are fairly minimal, but nonetheless discernible ... and they're here year-round, so time is not an issue.[/quote]


Yep! Our horses loves those carrots too! :D

Again we agree on itinerary and cost, most ports we don't get off the ship mostly because we've been there so many times or mobility issues....darn arthritis can really kick DH's butt.

***

[magicolor_girl]

[quote name='pcur']I agree with you completely. We have been on two Princess cruises, with one being 28 nights roundtrip from Los Angeles (too good to pass up). We have the same opinion of their ships' layout, dining room, and cabin. We were especially frustrated with the buffet layout and the in-and-out rules.[/QUOTE]


Can you please explain what you mean by the buffet in and out rules? Just trying to get the tips we'll need for our spring break cruise. 😀



Sent from my iPad using Forums

[pcur]

[quote name='magicolor_girl']Can you please explain what you mean by the buffet in and out rules? Just trying to get the tips we'll need for our spring break cruise. 😀



Sent from my iPad using Forums[/QUOTE]

From post#1:

"The Horizon Court Buffet food service stations was very small and congested not set up very well. Seating was abundant and nice service by crew for beverages and they always helped find you a table. I really had to laugh at the crew stationed at the entrance and exit.....you couldn't cheat on either one, trust me I got scolded a few times ....you think they would have given a poor lady like me with a cane a break....but not so. LOL "



Not a deal killer, but annoying.