What's Next After Royal Class?

[WAMarathoner]

I think the cruise line can make money and not take away every night steak as an option

There isn't steak every night in the MDR on the regular menu????

[NoWhiners]

There isn't steak every night in the MDR on the regular menu????

 

Not anymore--now it's a nice hamburger. How's that for "coming back new" :D

[dmwnc1959]

The bigger the ship, the less ports that can handle it.

 

The bigger the ship, the ports that can handle it will be more crowded.

 

Princess used to have a fantastic variety of itineraries. But a big ship that goes to St.Thomas, St. Maarten and a (overcrowded) private island is not, in my opinion, an award-winning itinerary.

 

I don’t want Award-Winning Itineraries. I don’t feel the need to be among 250-500 passengers and to get to know them all by the end of the cruise. I don’t need eco-tourism style shore excursions hosted by world renowned experts. If I wanted that I’d cruise National Geographic.

 

I do, however, want a ship that has style, class, size, plenty of options, lots of amenities, and all the bells and whistles to keep me entertained and fed without it being a floating amusement park at sea.

 

The Caribbean (and the Med) are just about maxed out in what we’ve seen and done there. So bouncing around between the same-old same-old is going to happen. The SHIP has to become just as much as the destination as the destination itself.

 

Maybe Princess needs a specific offshoot line like Celebrity has with their Galapagos expedition fleet, and stick it somewhere in Asia, or Central America. But I highly doubt they’re going to new-build something just to compete in a market that barely exists when the competition for dollars are for new, big, and shiny.

[Micahs Grandad]

There isn't steak every night in the MDR on the regular menu????

 

Nope but you can have fish of a type you have never heard of before.

[villauk]

There isn't steak every night in the MDR on the regular menu????

 

Not anymore--now it's a nice hamburger. How's that for "coming back new" :D

 

Shocked about that as we have decided to give Princess another try (only sailed with her once previously) after our last experience on X (Celebrity) in the Med during the summer months :o; I don’t think I’ll be mentioning the lack of steak to my DH on the MDR menu before we sail.

[diane.in.ny]

 

I do, however, want a ship that has style, class, size, plenty of options, lots of amenities, and all the bells and whistles to keep me entertained and fed without it being a floating amusement park at sea.

 

The Caribbean (and the Med) are just about maxed out in what we’ve seen and done there. So bouncing around between the same-old same-old is going to happen. The SHIP has to become just as much as the destination as the destination itself.

 

.

 

 

I agree with you on both accounts.

 

Because the ship has become the destination in many cases, you have the mega RCI ships

 

But I still like the ship, as you describe, with class, etc.

 

We sometimes are on itineraries where we have already been to a POC. We simply stay on board and enjoy the ship's environment.

[crochetcruise]

I'd like more staterooms equipped for Handicapped Passengers, especially Window Suites. Effectively these are the equivalent size of 2, or 2.5 Oceanview Staterooms as 1 Window Suite or Handicapped Accessible Window Suite. Other than the Caribbean, Golden and Grand Princesses, the other Handicapped Accessible Suites I know about are Penthouse Suites. Which, when travelling solo, is rather expensive! I have not yet travelled on the Sea or Sun Princesses. The new Australian brochure-saw an online preview- seems to indicate that might be a necessity for me in the future.

 

I personally did enjoy the Suite Perks when travelling in the Window Suite. Sabatini's breakfast was wonderful with attentive and unobtrusive service-there promptly when needed for a fresh knife when I clumsily dropped mine, or the offer of more pastries when the server noticed I had finished my supply. Laundry was most helpful, as was the card wallet I used to hold the ship map I was given on boarding, and my cruise card. Ever so easy to obtain a soft drink-I'd go to the bar, and flip open the card wallet so the bar tender could see I had the Soda and More Package. Also useful for Muster Drill, I presented my card as I approached my station, the crewmember seems startled that a Blue Card holder knew what to do-thanks to Cruise Critic.

 

Everyone will have their own opinion on any changes.

[TheRabbit]

We like the Royal class. Have sailed on them 4 times with another this summer.

 

Doing our first one later this year on Pacific Princess and will see how we like a much smaller ship.

It'll almost be like getting into one of the Royal's tenders. LOL

The only bad side I can see of the smaller Pacific is the stability in rough seas. You also loose some amenities, but some of those can be over rated, though fun.

[TheRabbit]

I agree with you on both accounts.

 

Because the ship has become the destination in many cases, you have the mega RCI ships

 

But I still like the ship, as you describe, with class, etc.

 

We sometimes are on itineraries where we have already been to a POC. We simply stay on board and enjoy the ship's environment.

I just can't see getting up in the morning and making a list of things to do. Wall climbing, Zip lining, surfing, water slide, etc.

Why did you get on the cruise? What happened to just sitting back and watching the ocean go by.

[dmwnc1959]

I just can't see getting up in the morning and making a list of things to do. Wall climbing, Zip lining, surfing, water slide, etc.

Why did you get on the cruise? What happened to just sitting back and watching the ocean go by.

 

There are a LOT of people who have ZERO desire to just sit back and watch the ocean go by. BORING! That’s why Royal Caribbean built ships like the Oasis-class, and THAT’S why they’re so successful. Tons of amenities other than watching the ocean go by.

 

Me? I’m satisfied at this point in my life to book a cruise and never get off the ship. And yes, watch the ocean go by. That’s why creature comforts and onboard amenities are important, innovations I could care less about. That floating lounge thing on the Celebrity ship? I just shook my head.

 

What’s important to YOU may not be important to the other guy.

 

I love the Royal-class as is. Could they be improved? Sure. I made a list. But Princess has to do something to kick it up a bit or risk becoming stale. Go big or go home. But don’t lose what makes you Princess Cruises.

[Micahs Grandad]

It'll almost be like getting into one of the Royal's tenders. LOL

The only bad side I can see of the smaller Pacific is the stability in rough seas. You also loose some amenities, but some of those can be over rated, though fun.

 

Will be interesting. Doing a TA back to Florida so hoping we get good weather on the crossing.

 

Friends have done a crossing on the PP and said it is their favorite ship in the fleet so we shall see.

[Jimbo59]

The bigger the ship, the smaller the library. Certainly true for the Royal class.

[Wishing on a star]

Do NOT get rid of the Sanctuary!!!!

 

I do agree that a covered. (and NOT totally enclosed like they are ruining the Sky) pool area would be a huge plus.

 

I do believe that some updating and innovation and options for dining, activities, public areas, is much overdue.

[Roatanfans]

The improvements that I think should happen in a new build would be more family cabins in more classes. Some of us travel with kids or parents or both and a quad cabin doesn’t do it for all families- and as much as I like the family suites, the ships that have them usually only have 2 and they are expensive. The other cabin area that I suspect would be well received would be cabins for single travelers in all different classes. They seem to work well when I’ve seen them talked about on other ships

 

 

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[pris993]

Something has to give and building another 150,000 ton ship after Sky is not gonna get anybody excited.

 

Perhaps Princess has on the drawing boards 120,000 ton 2,000 passenger ship with more innovation and dining options.

 

Let's try building smaller with more luxury and a reason to get excited.

 

Let's skip the ***** debacle and put efforts (and $$) in to a real truly designed ship that will wow the cruise industry.

 

Your thoughts?

 

 

I am with you... did the Royal on a TA last October... happy to go back to the Grand, which I can do out of my home port, unless they building something smaller and more exciting... I am very happy with the Grand.

[CruiseMstr]

My understanding is the reason for the improved internet system was to accommodate the RFID connections of the Ocean Medallion. Since they aren't able to retrofit all the existing ships with fiber optic wiring, the solution was to provide the connection through WIFI and speed was needed as well as bandwidth. New dishes were brought on board for the satellite connection. Regal was to be the first trial and I believe that the CB will be next to bring on the "Grand-type" class ships. It could be that the CB has already had the added satellite capturing dishes on board but don't quote me on that.

 

 

 

The Crown Princess just came out of dry dock. It was supposed to have received the new antennas and connections for the faster internet and Ocean Medallion.

 

 

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[Woobstr112G]

I’d like them to build a Super Royal-Class along the size or bigger than that of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-Class ships. Not unlike how NCL’s “new” class of ships were enhanced versions of the Breakaway. They could keep the same/similar platform but...

With the additional length and size Princess could add a few exotic or high end specialty restaurants, other entertainment venues, more or bigger topside pools (something like an upper level aft, tiered horizon pool similar to what MSC Miraviglia has would be nice).

They could eliminate the pool fountains like they did on Britannia. Build a series of water slides within and aft of the funnel (also similar to MSC Miraviglia).

Get rid of The Sanctuary once and for all and turn it into a forward-facing Observation Lounge during the day, and a full-fleged disco and night club after 8pm.

Also: keep the Retreat Pool, but enclose it like they did on Majestic Princess. Maintain Crooners, return the Explorer’s Lounge.

Reconfigure the main lounge to be able to stage honest-to-goodness Broadway shows and license two or three of them like “The King and I”, “Cabaret”, “Beautiful - The Carol King Musical”, or “Kinky Boots”. Maybe add a Planetarium Experience like Queen Mary 2 has into Princess Live!.

Figure out someway to add a foot or two back onto the balconies. Give the inside cabins Virtual Balconies.

And quit adding more cabins into every little void and empty space, and give the bean counters a vacation.

These aren’t all new innovations, and since we don’t want Princess to become “something else” in the process while adding innovations like giant theme parks and weird gimmicks, it’s difficult to say what they could add to break out of their mold.

 

Oh. And while they’re figuring out a way to add that extra foot or so back into the balconies, reconfigure the lifeboats to hang and suspend from the sides. I think most all of us are past the “aesthetics”, and would appreciate a wrap-around promenade, even something like The Waterfront.

 

 

I’m in total agreement with you sir.....:):):)

 

Bob