Transatlantic: Which would you pick?

[KruzPrincess]

I think I might try a transatlantic cruise for the first time this spring. These two cruises could work for me. I want the cruise to end in England. I've always wanted to see some UK ports, so I was looking at the Caribbean. After having a disappointing cruise on the older Grand recently, I'm hesitant to book the Caribbean. I'm not really sure I'd like the BIG ships, but I'm thinking maybe this is an opportunity to try one. Does anyone have any thoughts on my dilemma? I do like some of the amenities on the Royal, like on demand movies, etc. I will be traveling solo, so I will probably watch movies while at sea some evenings. Which would you pick?

 

14 Days British Isles Passage

 

From Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to London (Southampton), England

 

Ship: Caribbean Princess

 

Ports: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | Bermuda (West End) | Glasgow (Greenock), Scotland | Dublin, Ireland | Cork, Ireland (Cobh - For Blarney Castle) | London (Southampton), England

 

>>>>>OR>>>>>

 

14 Days Western Europe Passage

 

From Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to London (Southampton), England

 

Ship: Royal Princess

 

Ports: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada), Portugal | Cork, Ireland (Cobh - For Blarney Castle) | Rotterdam, The Netherlands | Brussels/Bruges (Zeebrugge), Belgium | London (Southampton), England

[wineforhealth]

This is a no contest go with the Royal. There are more people but with all the space the ship will feel it's half capacity compared the the Grand Class ships.

 

you can't go wrong

[KruzPrincess]

This is a no contest go with the Royal. There are more people but with all the space the ship will feel it's half capacity compared the the Grand Class ships.

 

you can't go wrong

 

Thanks for responding. :)

[shepp]

None of us, of course, has any idea which itinerary you'd enjoy more. I thought the Royal was great for a Transatlantic. Lots of room, great HC, lovely ship. Without a promenade deck and sufficient pools, she wouldn't be my first choice for a Caribbean cruise, but that's another story.

[Woobstr112G]

My personal choice would be the Royal's itinerary. The Azores is a much better choice than Bermuda. You also might enjoy some of the cool features on the Royal like Alfredos, the Enclave and the bigger Horizon Court.....:):):)

 

Bob

[KruzPrincess]

Thanks. I was guessing that more people would pick the Royal. I looked at reviews and the Royal is now getting a lot of positive reviews and the Caribbean is not getting great reviews. I know you need to take reviews with a grain of salt, but I do think it's interesting that the Royal is getting very good reviews now.

[CI66774]

I did a transatlantic on the Royal this past April (did the whole 26-day cruise). Loved it. I would choose the Royal.

[NavyVeteran]

I would pick it based on itinerary and price. The Caribbean has Glasgow and Dublin; the Royal has Rotterdam and Brussels/Bruges/Ghent. All of these ports have great things to see. Have you been to any of them before? If so, I would go to the other ones.

 

I took trans-Atlantic cruises last April to Southampton on the Emerald and in December the other direction from Civitavecchia on the Ocean. I enjoyed the crossing on the smaller ship more, but part of that was probably the direction of travel. I also prefer the smaller ships, but that is my personal preference.

 

Fall trans-Atlantics are better because of the 25-hour days instead of the 23-hour days in the other direction in the Spring. On our cruise in April, they changed the clock from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm in the middle of the day instead of at night.

[KruzPrincess]

I would pick it based on itinerary and price. The Caribbean has Glasgow and Dublin; the Royal has Rotterdam and Brussels/Bruges/Ghent. All of these ports have great things to see. Have you been to any of them before? If so, I would go to the other ones.

 

I took trans-Atlantic cruises last April to Southampton on the Emerald and in December the other direction from Civitavecchia on the Ocean. I enjoyed the crossing on the smaller ship more, but part of that was probably the direction of travel. I also prefer the smaller ships, but that is my personal preference.

 

Fall trans-Atlantics are better because of the 25-hour days instead of the 23-hour days in the other direction in the Spring. On our cruise in April, they changed the clock from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm in the middle of the day instead of at night.

 

I haven't been to any of the ports. I would have loved to do this on a small ship, but none are sailing at the time I'm looking at. Interesting about the time thing. Thanks for that input.

[Sea Day Cruiser]

I've been on the Caribbean twice and both times there were delays in departures. On the British Isles cruise a couple of years ago we missed Liverpool because of leaving Southhampton a day late. I'd choose the Royal because of that.

 

 

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[fishywood]

I know weather is unpredictable but if the potential for cold, rain, and missed ports would be a big downer for you then I also suggest the Royal itinerary. Calls at Dublin are often scuttled by storms at the beginning and end of the already-short season of calm on the Irish Sea. Though if you are the hardy sort, even in the worst weather Glasgow has far more to recommend it than the North Sea ports on the continent.

 

You can also use the mid-Atlantic port call as your deciding factor: Bermuda if you want a beach break or pub crawl, Azores for beautiful mountain scenery and really good wine.

Edited January 9, 2015 by fishywood

[flamomo]

I know weather is unpredictable but if the potential for cold, rain, and missed ports would be a big downer for you then I also suggest the Royal itinerary. Calls at Dublin are often scuttled by storms at the beginning and end of the already-short season of calm on the Irish Sea. Though if you are the hardy sort, even in the worst weather Glasgow has far more to recommend it than the North Sea ports on the continent.

 

You can also use the mid-Atlantic port call as your deciding factor: Bermuda if you want a beach break or pub crawl, Azores for beautiful mountain scenery and really good wine.

 

 

Hmmm! I have missed the Azores port call twice on westbound T/As ..... because of weather!

[SlyOldLady]

We've done a few ta's. Both sound great, as a matter of fact we've been looking at these as well. I couldn't care less about which boat to take as they are all great. We look at price and itnerary. Look carefully at the excursions available in each. On a side note we accually like westbound trips more. We get the major flying out of the way early. Getting to port many days early to explore. On the eastbound trips the days are shorter so we found ourselves getting up late everyday, don't think we even made breakfast! Fwiw enjoy your ta wherever it is, they are the best cruises to take.

 

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[AKman2495]

We've made our choice for a TV-that's on the Royal -going the other way this fall.;)

[partybarbie]

My vote is for the Royal. It's a newer ship, better entertainment, and better ports.

[bassfisherman]

We did the Royal TA last April and enjoyed it. We are doing the westbound Regal TA in September that goes from Copenhagen to NYC with stops in Norway, Ireland and Scotland. You might want to consider this sailing.

[Times Prince]

I think I might try a transatlantic cruise for the first time this spring. These two cruises could work for me. I want the cruise to end in England. I've always wanted to see some UK ports, so I was looking at the Caribbean. After having a disappointing cruise on the older Grand recently, I'm hesitant to book the Caribbean. I'm not really sure I'd like the BIG ships, but I'm thinking maybe this is an opportunity to try one. Does anyone have any thoughts on my dilemma? I do like some of the amenities on the Royal, like on demand movies, etc. I will be traveling solo, so I will probably watch movies while at sea some evenings. Which would you pick?

 

14 Days British Isles Passage

 

From Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to London (Southampton), England

 

Ship: Caribbean Princess

 

Ports: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | Bermuda (West End) | Glasgow (Greenock), Scotland | Dublin, Ireland | Cork, Ireland (Cobh - For Blarney Castle) | London (Southampton), England

 

>>>>>OR>>>>>

 

14 Days Western Europe Passage

 

From Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to London (Southampton), England

 

Ship: Royal Princess

 

Ports: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada), Portugal | Cork, Ireland (Cobh - For Blarney Castle) | Rotterdam, The Netherlands | Brussels/Bruges (Zeebrugge), Belgium | London (Southampton), England

I really think it is a matter of which ports you want to see. We are booked on the Caribbean Princess for this TA in April, and got a great deal. The current prices that I see are competitive.

 

In 2013 we did an Eastbound TA on the Crown Princess that originated in Houston, stopping in the Azores, Lisbon, Zeebrugge, northern France (for Paris), ending in Southampton. The stops in Azores and Portugal kept us in a warmer climate, but a cold front caught up with us in Northern Europe (low 40's F for a high). England, however, was warmer post cruise, and then we spend time with family in the Netherlands.

 

We chose the Caribbean Princess this time for the itinerary - we've never been to Scotland, and although we've been to Ireland, it is also attractive to us. If you choose this we'll see you onboard! :)

 

What disappointed you about the Grand Princess? With some exceptions, Caribbean Princess is a similar design.

Edited January 9, 2015 by Times Prince

[dorisis]

I have been on both ships and would pick a window suite on Caribbean Princess. Royal has no oceanview cabins and an inside would not suit me, nor would I find a balcony necessary on the transatlantic. The Royal was just too big and seemed more crowded amd less friendly than the Caribbean.

[jagsfan]

Looks like Hobson's choice.

I would love the UK itinerary, mostly because my RCI TA missed Cork.

On the other hands, Azores is lovely.......scenery includes baby volcanoes. Had pineapple liqueur that knocked our socks off!

Bruge is a lovely port, for sightseeing, chocolates and Belgian waffles.

The Netherlands is small enough that you have lots of sightseeing choice out of Rotterdam.

All things being considered, I think Royal might give you more room to roam around on all the sea days.

If I could only talk my DH into one more Transatlantic, I'd jump on either one of them.

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

Would have to be the Caribbean, so you can meet a big white fluffy dog in Greenock,:D

 

 

yours Shogun

[HRPro]

We did the westbound TA on the Royal in 2013 and had a wonderful time. So much fun that we are booked on the spring TA on the Royal this year. Come join us; we have a very active roll call. Bruge and Rotterdam are both wonderful ports--we're headed for Amsterdam on the Rotterdam stop. I'm also looking forward to the Azores with the beautiful scenery and wine. Royal is a beautiful ship with more dining options (nice on a longer cruise) and great entertainment. Either way, I think you'll love the transatlantic cruise.

[sbflcruiser]

We were on the regal for 3 weeks May/June, we then did a short 5 day on the Caribbean in September. I must say that we sailed on the Caribbean also in 2010, and of all the ships we have been on it has been my least favorite. But there are things such as sky walkers that I did enjoy again that I miss on the new ships. But we are booked on a transatlantic on the Regal in April, as after our last cruise I said our next needs to be back on the regal.

 

So the Royal would get my vote.

[KruzPrincess]

Thank you to everyone who took time to answer my question. You all make good points. Still torn, but I'm getting closer to a decision.

[KruzPrincess]

What disappointed you about the Grand Princess? With some exceptions, Caribbean Princess is a similar design.

 

I had a nice time on my last cruise on the Grand because of the people I sailed with, but there were a lot of issues with my cabin. The public areas were well kept. My cabin had newer carpet and the bed was OK, but other parts were really beat up. Couch was dirty/stained and had ripped upholstery. Door to fridge was hanging from one hinge. Tiles were broken out of the floor in the bathroom. I had a very mediocre cabin steward which usually never happens for me on Princess. Food and dining service was mostly good, though. Also, had a recent bad experience on an older HAL ship. I guess I'm just a little gun shy with older ships right now.

 

Hi All

 

Would have to be the Caribbean, so you can meet a big white fluffy dog in Greenock,:D

 

 

yours Shogun

 

Well, that's a huge draw. :)