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Booked Royal Princess - differences to Grand Class?

shipfriend_max

By shipfriend_max,
in Princess Cruises

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riclop

riclop

Posted
Posted
Hi @all,

 

I have just booked Royal Princess today! :)

 

I know already Crown/Emerald Princess. How does Royal Princess differ from those ships, or other similar ones such as Grand/Golden/Star Princess?

 

Help would be appreciated, thanks!

 

Much better buffet and nicer ships.

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caribill

caribill

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Lighting is brighter in the atrium and some other public areas. Also the cabin bathrooms are much brighter,

 

There is a separate gelato shop that the Crown/Emerald do not have (they have just scoops of gelato at the IC). If you have a coffee card, it can be punched for gelato instead of having a charge to your onboard account.

 

The Explorers Lounge has been replaced with Princess Live! which has about the same number of seats, but in a much smaller area. Many of the game shows and lectures are held there. These may be recorded and can be played back on your cabin TV.

 

The cabins require a credit card sized card to be inserted to turn on and keep on the lights. This is similar to what many hotels in Europe have done for years. Any old credit card or old cruise card will do.

 

The Royal does not have an aft pool.

 

Instead of Skywalkers, there is Club 6 on deck 6 for many of the Skywalkers type activities, but without the view.

 

The TV in the cabin allows you to start, pause and resume movies whenever you want. There is an extensive list of movies for this and there is no charge for any movie.

Edited by caribill
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shipfriend_max

shipfriend_max

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Thank you all for the replies! Seems she does not have such a great promenade deck as the other ones have.

Sounds great that the ship seems to be a little brighter than the older ones. :)

 

So much has been written about the differences of the Royal class and Grand class. You can see the differences in pictures in my reviews below. :)

 

That's interesting and nice hear, I will take time to read through all your review, seems to be very helpful. :)

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D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL

D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL

Posted
Posted
Thank you all for the replies! Seems she does not have such a great promenade deck as the other ones have.

Sounds great that the ship seems to be a little brighter than the older ones. :)

 

 

 

That's interesting and nice hear, I will take time to read through all your review, seems to be very helpful. :)

 

I missed the walk around on the promenade deck and now you have to go to Deck 17 and compete with the runners if you want a complete lap around the ship.

I really missed not having stairs mid ship as I did not mind walking up and down a few flights of stairs. I find the elevators become quite busy especially at the early traditional that has 2 sittings plus any that use ATD.

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shipfriend_max

shipfriend_max

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I really missed not having stairs mid ship as I did not mind walking up and down a few flights of stairs. I find the elevators become quite busy especially at the early traditional that has 2 sittings plus any that use ATD.

 

Ok, such "profane" fact as staircases do not really bother me and limit my cruise/ship experience... ;)

 

The retreat area/pool is accessible without any extra cost (apart from the Canbanas)? I truly hope so... :)

I like the fact that it is only accessible for adults.

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seacruise9

seacruise9

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hi,

 

I have cruised on seven Grand Class ships (Caribbean, Crown, Golden, Grand, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire) as well as the Royal Princess (inaugural voyage) and Regal Princess. I like both classes of ship, but there are some major differences. The Royal/Regal are larger and have a much more impressive (and very attractive) Piazza. Overall, I think the public areas of the new ships are stunning and more modern. Also, I really liked the Horizon Court on the new ships.

 

As noted above, the Royal/Regal do not have a traditional promenade deck and there is no central staircase. Because I usually try to take the stairs as much as possible, it is better for me to book a stateroom that is forward or aft near the stairs. Also, the balconies are small. The Explorers Lounge is replaced with Princess Live! (a fairly plain auditorium style space). There is no Skywalkers (with the great views), but a traditional lounge, Club 6, on Deck 6. On the Grand Class, I like the fact that there are four different pool areas. The Royal/Regal only have two major pool areas. However, they also have the fountain shows on some evenings. There are advantages and disadvantages to both classes of ships.

 

Chuck

Edited by seacruise9
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Knickearth

Knickearth

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Having been on all of these, I absolutely adore The Royal Princess. The atrium area is spacey and open and wonderful.

 

Altho the balconies are very small, we tend not to use it anyhow so it makes no difference. There is an option on the Royal for a "deluxe balcony" cabin with still a small balcony, but the room is roomier.

 

I think the food on the royal is sooooooooooooooo much better than the other class ships. I have always disliked the buffet layout on the other class ships, but think they smartened up for the Royal/Regal.

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shipfriend_max

shipfriend_max

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Hello to all,

 

and thank you very much for the replies! :)

 

i have done some researches on Royal/Regal Princess and despite the lack of Skywalkers, the aft pool and a classic promenade deck, the layout seems relatively practical to me, and well thought out.

 

One question: Is it possible to access the bow?! I am asking because of my attached picture.

And the people at the bow look like passengers to me...

Unbenannt.jpg.19f5b52c2b1066fbfea464128948d065.jpg

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sunsetbeachgal

sunsetbeachgal

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We love the Regal and Royal, despite some of the design changes that have been documented many times over. For us, the positives so far outweigh the shortcomings. Love the buffet, Alfredos, the piazza, the fantastic interactive stateroom TV's. They are just beautiful ships!

Edited by sunsetbeachgal
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cruzsnooze

cruzsnooze

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The Royal and regal are large and crowded. The buffet is to big to look at everything first and then go back and get what you want and then find a seat. I prefer a small ship. There are as many opinions as there people. I would not sail on the Regal (same as the Royal) again, didn't care for it. YMMV.

Edited by cruzsnooze
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Sea Day Cruiser

Sea Day Cruiser

Posted
Posted
Hi @all,

 

 

 

I have heard from some sources that a small aft pool has been added to Royal Princess - is this true?! :confused:

 

Even Douglas Ward mentions it - but in general I see him very critical...

 

 

They added a small pool to the Regal Princess. There are rumors one will be added to the Royal during its dry dock but I don't know if anyone is sure if that is true or not. There is no aft pool on the Royal now.

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berlingo

berlingo

Posted
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Ok, such "profane" fact as staircases do not really bother me and limit my cruise/ship experience... ;)

 

 

Sorry but when one descends to sarcasm to belittle a fellow forum members good intentioned response, it is always a good idea to make sure one uses the correct "word".

 

Perhaps one was trying for "profound"?

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