Royal Perspective

[RLK33853]

Four of us just returned from the 10 day repositioning cruise from New York to Fort Lauderdale.

 

Background – we are experienced travellers – all in our mid-fifties – professionals – with both husbands retired (thank god our wives still work to pay for myself and Dave’s extravagances………). We truly appreciate the ability to travel due to their hard work!!!

 

The first thing I should mention is that we picked this cruise for a definite purpose. We wanted to see if the new ships (Royal & Regal) would meet our expectations. Depending upon the reviews we read, the Royal and the Regal are either the best ships ever, or were designed by the dark overlords. We felt it was best we find out for ourselves whether we would like the new ships or not. That the ship started out in New York, and that it was reasonably priced was the bonus that made this a no brainer for us. The second thing is that our review is based on a mini-suite – the category of room that we typically book. For us it was a forward Lido deck and the other couple were in a mid-ship Baja mini.

 

Please bear in mind that this review is a compilation of our experience on the Royal, based on our likes, dislikes, preferences and expectations. It is not intended to tell others what they should like, nor do we want others to tell us that we are wrong because we have a different opinion than theirs. We are just providing our experience for the benefit of those who want to read it. If anyone else reads our opinion and wants to express a different view, please feel free – but please don’t tell us that we are wrong for expressing ours.

 

Our review will be in sections – posted throughout the week.

 

Part 1 – Roll Call

 

Cruise Critic – This Roll Call was the most active and at times entertaining Roll Call we have every experienced. There were lots of suggestions, differing opinions, tips, planned excursions and activities, but in the end led to the most organized Meet and Greet that I have ever experienced. I must commend those who helped everyone and provided their own experiences so that others could make the most of their cruise.

 

Part 2 – New York City

 

Just a couple of snippets about Manhattan for the benefit of others. New York is very easy to get around either by foot, taxi, car service or public transit. We stayed in Tribeca at the Millennium Hilton (across from the Memorial) as it was close to Brooklyn for departure and provided easy access for sightseeing. As for getting around, we used Carmel Car Service from LaGuardia to our hotel (flat fee of $50.00); the subway to get into the Times Square area and for our return to Tribeca one evening; walked from Central Park back down through Midtown, Little Italy, Chinatown and to the Brooklyn Bridge; and then used Carmel to the ship ($52.00). We thought that the car service from Tribeca to the ship was expensive until we found that we had to sit in line to get to the ship for over a half hour – thus the pricing.

 

Part 3 – Embarkation & First Impression

 

We arrived at the ship at around 1 pm. As indicated there was congestion getting into the port but once inside it was a breeze. We dropped our luggage and were on board 15 minutes later.

 

First Impression

 

The Piazza is spectacular. As we walked the ship, several things came to mind. Modern décor and muted colors were followed by a walk up top on Lido and into the Horizon Court. All pretty impressive.

 

Our mini-suites – seemed smaller than what we are accustomed to but more on this later – in fact we found after a couple of days it may actually be more functional.

 

The balcony – Princess are you kidding me……….. It is smaller than small, especially since it has two chairs, a table and two footstools all crammed onto it.

 

So our first impression was – we liked it and we hated it – all at the same time. As the review progresses you will find that first impressions sometimes change.

 

Sail away and Muster

 

Sail away from NYC quickly established itself as one of our favorites (Venice, Vancouver, etc). Lady Liberty, the Manhattan Skyline and going under the bridge all make for a great sail away. The excitement of the new ship made it even more special. The Treasure Hunt giveaways seemed less than usual – no speciality dinners, etc. That said, the Scavenger Hunt is always a great way to experience a ship.

 

Muster was under the old rules – everyone had to take their life jackets. Not that it was an issue but we were looking forward to the new muster where experienced cruisers have to attend, but not take their lifejackets. Muster did go quickly and kudos for the scanned cruise cards that ensure everyone attends.

 

Up next – Part 4 – Royal Princess Mini-Suites

[seatrial]

Thanks for taking the time to share your views on Royal Princess. I've enjoyed reading parts one through three.

 

 

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Edited November 17, 2014 by seatrial

[pusywillow]

I'll be waiting for the other parts. Thanks for sharing.

[dchip]

Looking forward to reading more. I so agree with "your experience is your experience". We had a really tough B2B cruise on the Star Princess but I didn't write a review because what we experience others most likely didn't. It was just one of those things.

 

Cheers, Denise

[canadarocks]

Depending upon the reviews we read, the Royal and the Regal are either the best ships ever, or were designed by the dark overlords. We felt it was best we find out for ourselves whether we would like the new ships or not.

 

That might be the best explanation I have read about the Royal. Thank you! I'm really looking forward to the rest of your review. :cool:

[Working 2 Cruise]

This promises to be a really interesting review!

 

Thank you!

[loveJake]

I am really interested to hear more about your mini suite since we have a Lido forward, L221 booked in 3 weeks. We loved the Lido deck on Carnival, but the spa rooms and spa are above you, worried about noise from the pool area on the Royal.

[RLK33853]

You have nothing to worry about - we were in Lido 210 and we too were concerned a little about noise from above, but thought since it was the Retreat area, it wouldn't be bad.

 

We found that we had zero noise and were close to the pools, Horizon Court, bar, etc. If there is one thing that is a detractor (for others it may be a bonus) it is that the deck above juts out taking away any sun.

 

Ray

 

 

I am really interested to hear more about your mini suite since we have a Lido forward, L221 booked in 3 weeks. We loved the Lido deck on Carnival, but the spa rooms and spa are above you, worried about noise from the pool area on the Royal.

[loveJake]

You have nothing to worry about - we were in Lido 210 and we too were concerned a little about noise from above, but thought since it was the Retreat area, it wouldn't be bad.

 

We found that we had zero noise and were close to the pools, Horizon Court, bar, etc. If there is one thing that is a detractor (for others it may be a bonus) it is that the deck above juts out taking away any sun.

 

Ray

 

Thank you for taking the time to reply, exactly what I hoped to hear. For us the sun is a distractor, but since we are so close to the pools we can always go sit there.

[cibaygirls]

looking forward to reading more of your review. I just finished posting mine, as I was on the same cruise, and so far am very much in agreement with what you have said (from "interesting" roll call to the sailway, muster drill, etc)

 

Dana

[RLK33853]

Too bad we didn't run into each other on the ship Dana.

 

Interesting - certainly is the right word to describe the roll call - I think everyone was trying to help each other but at times maybe too much.

 

I will check your review out as well.

 

Ray

 

 

looking forward to reading more of your review. I just finished posting mine, as I was on the same cruise, and so far am very much in agreement with what you have said (from "interesting" roll call to the sailway, muster drill, etc)

 

Dana

[RLK33853]

Part 4 – Royal Mini-Suites

 

Compared to the older Princess ships, we had mixed opinions when we first walked in to our minis. My thought was that we had less shelving and the room seemed cramped. Conversely, the women thought it was laid out better. Go figure – four people, four differing opinions right off the bat. After the first day though, as usual, our wives were right (as I have been informed to say) and once we got settled, there is more usable space.

 

The rooms – both the old version and the new are pretty much the same size but the new version doesn’t have the big island with the televisions, thus you have more room to move around. There is still a lot of storage, just different.

 

The Bathroom – the new version of the bathroom is a clear cut winner with the exception of the toilet which is set at an odd angle, which for most isn’t an issue, but if you are taller – your knee is in the bathtub. As for the numerous complaints about the toilet paper holder – it is kind of awkward but really isn’t much of an issue. The positives are the bigger sink, the very usable shelving and just the clean new look.

 

Rough Towels??? I have read the reviews and yes the towels may be rougher than on some ships, but it is not like they are made of sandpaper – not much more to comment in this regard.

 

Décor – the coloring and the overall look of the new mini is so much better than the old.

 

Televisions – the new interactive television is the winner. Start the show when you want, check your onboard account, etc. Great upgrade.

 

Curtain separating the room – never used it so really no comment.

 

Hair Dryer – weird to say the least. Wired into a drawer and you have to keep the on button pressed for it to work. Not user friendly and again – weird setup.

 

Thermostat – instead of the up/down buttons or a digital setup where you control warmer or colder, the new thermostat has a dial that is hard to reset the temperature once you change it.

 

Safe – better setup and easier to use – also there is a shelf inside to keep things separate and thus easier to find.

 

Bed – one word – comfortable.

 

Balcony – this is where we all agreed – what was Princess thinking? It is small and crowded. We use the balcony a great deal but this was so cramped we only used it to look out and check the weather. The only rationale we can think is that Princess doesn’t want you in your room or on your balcony – you aren’t spending any money if you do. This is a deal breaker for us on a warm holiday. If the ship was in the Mediterranean or the Baltic – basically a very port intensive cruise – it wouldn’t be an issue. But on a Caribbean itinerary this is an absolute miss.

 

Part 5 – Food and Food Venues

 

Horizon Court Setup – Mixed opinions throughout the cruise – ranging from great to not so great – but the one overall impression – sometimes it was hard to find what you want. Waffles in the Pastry Shop, eggs someplace else, toast another place – well you get the picture.

 

Horizon Court food – more choices than other Princess ships due to the expanded area, but the funny part was that pretty much every day they changed where you could find things. Thus you had to hunt the entire food court to ensure you were getting what was offered. Is this bad, no – just different. If there was a bad part it was that after around 10 am, breakfast was very limited. A definite positive was the ease of getting around – the areas are very open.

 

But the absolute best part – the seating. Different areas have different décor – an example is the Bistro area. It is very open, bright, some high tables – basically we loved it. The staff were very helpful and pleasant.

 

Trident Grill and Prego Pizza – pretty standard

 

Dining Room Food – Lots of choices but we all agreed that the food was not up to the Princess standard we have grown accustomed to. Was the food bad – absolutely not. Was it inspired – definitely not. One of the things we love about Princess compared to other cruise lines, is their dining. We love a leisurely meal with great food and fun conversation. Most days on a cruise we open the Dinner Menu and go WOW – I want that. Of the four of us, over a period of ten days – the WOW factor was pretty much missing. Uninspired would be the best way to describe both the food and the menu. Strange, since many of the dishes were the same as on other ships, but very few people want eggplant and zucchini with EVERY meal (Chef Lisner – there are other vegetables). The other word to describe the food was BLAND. Now couple it with a waiter that forgets what you ordered or brings the food in the wrong order (not just a onetime occurrence) and this very special part of our cruise just didn’t measure up. The saving grace – our assistant waiter kept trying to fix his waiters’ mistakes without getting himself into trouble.

 

Dining Room Setup and Décor – We ate in the Concerto Dining Room and in many ways it is very well set up. There is more room between tables and the room itself is easy to move about compared to the older ships. Another positive is that the Alternative Dining Rooms have two entrances which reduces the line ups at busy times. The only thing we didn’t like – was the bright lighting which destroys the atmosphere.

 

Alfredo’s Pizza – our travelling companions were not impressed with the small portions and the mushy pizza crust. Again the food wasn’t bad – just not great. As for the portions, well we could always order more so that is on us.

 

We didn’t try the Crown Grill, Sabatini’s, the Chef’s Table or the Wine Dinner this cruise so can’t really review them, other than the areas look very nice.

 

Next up – Staff

[Candiaccruiser]

Great review, thanks for taking the time. We're looking forward to cruising on the Royal at the end of January, so really appreciate it.

 

 

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[kenorus]

We to were on that cruise. Very dissapointed with the food in the dining room and the horizon court. Have travelled mainly with holland in the last couple of years or celebrity. Food was not hot luke warm not alot of choices. But was it so bad that it ruined our cruise no. We are not foodies we are there just to enjoy the ship. We have booked the royal again for march for 20 days. So it wasnt that bad, just wish they would get more choices.

[lovevacadays]

Thank you for your review. I'm looking forward to reading more.

 

 

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[Loonbeam]

Hmm. I wonder if the change in food (we thought it was pretty good) was due to a change in ECs. It looks like Chef Josef switched to the Regal, was he your EC?

[dchip]

This made me laugh because we were on the old Regal and were served broccoli every night for 18 days!!

 

Strange, since many of the dishes were the same as on other ships, but very few people want eggplant and zucchini with EVERY meal (Chef Lisner – there are other vegetables).

 

Cheers, Denise

[RLK33853]

Chef Jozef Lisner - and since everything did seem to come with eggplant and zucchini - to be fair, once in a while there was a carrot........ we started ordering a plate of specific vegetables for the table.

 

So like everything else - if you don't like something, just ask and Princess will try to make it right. This is always the thing that keeps us coming back to Princess. As for the quality - the food wasn't necessarily bad - just not very inspired and like I noted - there was absolutely no WOW factor involved.

 

Food is always one of the things that is so subjective - one person likes the fish or the Beef Wellington , the next person does not.

 

Hmm. I wonder if the change in food (we thought it was pretty good) was due to a change in ECs. It looks like Chef Josef switched to the Regal, was he your EC?

[RLK33853]

Funny Denise - Broccoli is what our wives started to order as a separate plate..............of course the sane ones of the group - the husbands - wanted some peppers or something edible.............trees belong in the forest.

 

This made me laugh because we were on the old Regal and were served broccoli every night for 18 days!!

 

]

[Woobstr112G]

Outstanding review so far. Looking forward to reading more.....:):):)

 

Bob

[RLK33853]

Part 6 – Staff

 

We found service to be excellent, poor (but not bad), and in between. I don’t think staff were intentionally trying not to do their job – it seemed more like they didn’t have the skillset or training at times.

 

Our room steward was excellent, our junior waiter was excellent, the majority of the bar staff were excellent, but conversely our Dining Room waiter while a nice guy, was a terrible waiter, as was one of the passenger services personnel. Not sure why, but it was noticeable. At times it also appeared that some of the staff may have been overwhelmed.

 

Passenger Services/Pursers Desk – Hit and Miss depending on the person you were dealing with, but can’t really be reviewed since this was a very small sample size of three interactions. Once, the person was over the top friendly and helpful, the second was good, but the third interaction was ridiculous – I had left my glasses on the table in the Horizon Court one morning. A lady who had shared our table saw us later and told us that she had turned them in. I went to the Horizon Court and they told me they had been sent to the Passenger Services desk. I waited until that evening to make sure they had made their way down and would be available. When I asked for them and described them (they are $800.00 designer glasses and are very distinctive), I was told they didn’t have them. I asked her to look again since I was sure they had been turned in and sent down. She opened the drawer again and although I could clearly see them, she told me they weren’t there. After I pointed to them and mentioned that they were exactly as I had described, she actually told me that they weren’t mine as they didn’t look like they would be????? Only after I was adamant that they were mine and proved it to her as they are prescription, did she actually give them to me – this interaction was bizarre to say the least.

 

With the new interactive ability to see your bill on the stateroom television or on your device via the ship Intranet, most times the lines at Passenger Services seem to be non-existent.

 

Cruise Director and Staff – Sam Hawker-Thomas. We have had Sam as the Cruise Director on other cruises and were never impressed. Our impression changed greatly on the Royal. She and the staff were always around and making things happen. Very pleasant surprise.

 

Photo Services – The photographers on this ship were probably the most entertaining of any ship we have been on. They were funny and actually took some great photos. The gallery overlooks the Piazza and is very accessible.

 

Bar Services – The majority of times the bartenders were very good. A nice new program – BOGO – Buy One Get One Free (3 pm at Crooners and 11 pm at Club 6) were great. If you wanted six beers, buy three and they gave you three – better than buying a bucket.

 

Part 7 – Ship Areas

 

Piazza – Spectacular but again some things just didn’t make much sense – much of the Piazza rail space is used for the Crooners piano, the Seafood Bar, Bellini’s, etc. so in actuality even though the Piazza is bigger and looks more spectacular than the other classes of ships, it may have less viewing space.

Services such as Passenger Services, Shores Excursions, etc are now off the Piazza which is nice. The worst part of the Piazza though, is that although it is wide open and bright, the curved staircases and entrances from the mid ship staircase (Deck 5, 6, & 7) lead to choke points when there are crowds. We found this to be annoying at times as people would stop and no one could get by.

 

Crooners – Crooners has expanded which makes it easier to get seating during the busy pre or post dinner time periods. If there is a downside to the increased space, it is that when busy, waiters from other areas are brought in. While efficient, they are not the regulars who make Crooners the special place it has always been.

 

Bellini’s Bar – we looked over the menu and this is a very specific type place – thus we didn’t see much activity.

 

Ocean Terrance Seafood Bar – see the comments for Bellini’s.

 

Vines – seemed like a great place and although we kept talking about trying it, we seemed to always stop somewhere else prior to dinner.

 

Missing Mid-Ship Staircase – The much maligned missing Mid-Ship Staircase. We never take an elevator (one way to have the extra dessert) so the stairs are important to us. Is the missing staircase a nuisance – probably – but in reality there are two others, one set forward and one aft. For us it meant a few more steps but it really wasn’t an issue.

 

The Wheelhouse is very small although your first impression makes it look bigger since it sits just outside the Crown Grill.

 

Open Deck Areas – Lido and the other open decks were a surprise. From the reviews we read, we came to the conclusion that there would be limited loungers and deck space. In actuality we found that we never had a problem finding loungers and we were always looking for four. We also saw deck personnel removing chair hog possessions and saw a number of confrontations between the chair hogs and the deck personnel once they returned to find their possessions gone.

 

We never used the Retreat or Sanctuary so cannot provide a review.

 

The Skywalk, etc. Neat addition to see but this feature was quickly forgotten – after the first day we didn’t see much use.

 

Pool Fountains – they let kids play in the early hours and then it became part of the sun deck. After 6 pm there are light and water shows that last for about 6 minutes – again neat the first time, not so much once you have seen it. They did integrate it into a performance with the singers and dancers the night of the deck party, which was very good.

 

Fitness Areas – The gym setup is strange. There are lots of aerobic machines (I believe there were 24 treadmills, 10 elliptical, four steppers and a number of bikes). There are also a number of weight machines – but very little room for free weights and zero room for any stretching if the TRX/aerobic room is being used by the staff for classes. The gym is also the only way to get from the smoking area at the back of the ship to the front unless you change decks. Thus as you work out there is a constant parade of people going through the gym. The biggest positive that we have never seen on other Princess ships, is the fridge of cold wet towels for cooling off.

 

Sports Deck – Hands down this is a great upgrade. The running track is marked for walking (inside) and running (outside), surrounding a netted area that can be used for tennis, basketball, etc. The cruise staff also run a batting cage and right beside this area are the ping pong tables that are also surrounded by netting to keep the balls from taking off. There is also a shooting simulator (basically a high end video game).

 

Internet – Small area combined with the Library – Internet service was sometimes slow, sometimes not a problem. There is now an improved Intranet for checking your onboard account, etc.

 

Library – Teeny, Tiny………….I guess the digital age of reading has caught up to Princess.

 

Club 6 – now on deck 6 and is certainly easier to use than Skywalkers.

 

Casino – deck 6 and open to deck 7 above – obviously setup to bring more people in as they walk by.

 

Next up – Entertainment, the Captains Circle & Final Impression

[Jimbo59]

I was on the same cruise. It appears that the design is intended to keep people inside, near the shops and Piazza, thus no wrap-around outside promenade deck.

 

The main pool and adult pool are insufficient for a warm weather cruise.

[Working 2 Cruise]

:D

I was on the same cruise. It appears that the design is intended to keep people inside, near the shops and Piazza, thus no wrap-around outside promenade deck.

 

The main pool and adult pool are insufficient for a warm weather cruise.

 

The main reason for the lack of Promenade is the life boats...

[Mom33]

I was on the same cruise. It appears that the design is intended to keep people inside, near the shops and Piazza, thus no wrap-around outside promenade deck.

 

The main pool and adult pool are insufficient for a warm weather cruise.

 

I found them both sufficient in the Caribbean. I was able to swim in them on the busy sea days and had no problem finding loungers.:)

[bdjam]

:D

 

The main reason for the lack of Promenade is the life boats...

Funny - I think the main reason for the lack of an exterior Promenade is poor design.