What to expect for a 1st time Princess cruiser who's used to RCI?

[astera]

So far all my cruises have been with Royal Caribbean but a lot of people keep saying that Princess is similar (when asked which operator they prefer the answers have been roughly split 50/50).

 

Are there any tips you can give someone who is (very) accustomed to Royal Caribbean and is about to go on their first Princess cruise (sailing on the Diamond Princess)? What works differently, what not to miss in terms of events, etc.?

[joanne2]

As a Celebrity cruiser who tried Princess last spring for a TA (and doing another Princess TA this spring) I can tell you 1 thing that's different between Celebrity and Princess. On Princess you don't have to get you buffet food, find a table, put down your food and then try to find drinks. A waiter brings you coffee or juice. It is so much easier and you can eat while your food is still hot.

Another thing we found different but negative about Princess was the scheduling of the evening shows. They were never scheduled so early diners could see 1 show and late diners the other. They were somewhere in-between so there was always a mass of people going in and out at the same time, either getting to the dinner late and missing the end of the show, or having rushed from dinner without dessert. Some people felt it was that particular cruise director who scheduled badly, we'll find out in April. Celebrity has always been so much smoother. We'll see if they still are in Oct.

[donswife]

So far all my cruises have been with Royal Caribbean but a lot of people keep saying that Princess is similar (when asked which operator they prefer the answers have been roughly split 50/50).

 

Are there any tips you can give someone who is (very) accustomed to Royal Caribbean and is about to go on their first Princess cruise (sailing on the Diamond Princess)? What works differently, what not to miss in terms of events, etc.?

 

I think it mostly depends on what class of RCI ship you prefer. If you like the Radiance class or smaller, I believe you will find Princess quite similar. On the other hand, if you love the bells and whistles of the larger RCI ships, such as flow rider, climbing apparatus, zip lines, and skating rinks, you may be bored or disappointed with Princess, which is a much more "classic" cruise product.