Book our first princess cruise!!!

[Cmoore19]

Hello all,

Me and DH just book a cruise on the Royal Princess next October for Cabo. I know that's a long time... we might have to book another in between that. :) We normally cruise with Royal Caribbean but this one we don't have to fly anywhere and with Royal not doing the half off deposits anymore we decided to try another line. The price was very affordable. And this will also be our first Interior room as we normally book ocean view and one time we booked a promenade. The interior room is the horizontal layout too. Anyways I was interesting in people opinion on princess vs. RC and what are the differences? Again this will be our first princess cruise! Very excited!:):D:D

[Thrak]

If you decide you like Princess and plan to sail again you should definitely purchase Future Cruise Deposits while onboard. Buy at least one each. The cost is $100 and it is refundable if not used within 2 years. The $100 can be used as the total deposit on a future cruise and will also provide free on board credit depending on the length of cruise and type of cabin you book. It's a totally risk-free thing to do that can not only save a bundle on the deposit but provide free spending cash onboard.

 

OBC From FCD

3 - 6 Days $15 Inside, $15 Outside, $25 Balcony, $25 Suite

7 - 10 Days $25 Inside, $25 Outside, $50 Balcony, $50 Suite

11 - 16 Days $75 Inside, $75 Outside, $100 Balcony, $100 Suite

17 + Days $125 Inside, $125 Outside, $150 Balcony, $150 Suite

[nukesubsailor]

Hello all,

Me and DH just book a cruise on the Royal Princess next October for Cabo. I know that's a long time... we might have to book another in between that. :) We normally cruise with Royal Caribbean but this one we don't have to fly anywhere and with Royal not doing the half off deposits anymore we decided to try another line. The price was very affordable. And this will also be our first Interior room as we normally book ocean view and one time we booked a promenade. The interior room is the horizontal layout too. Anyways I was interesting in people opinion on princess vs. RC and what are the differences? Again this will be our first princess cruise! Very excited!:):D:D

 

Our first cruise was on Princess Cruises. Our second cruise was on Royal Caribbean International. Based on our comparison of those two cruises, our next 30 + cruises were on Princess and none on Royal Caribbean.

[JF - retired RRT]

I've never sailed on RCCL, but many differences are apparent from just looking at ads and reading the reviews.

1) no water slides, carousels, etc.

2) fewer pay for the food restaurants (there are 2 on most Princess ships and a couple that "pop up" occasionally.

3) probably less of a party ship than RCCL or Carnival...possibly fewer bars depending on the RCCL ship.

4) as noted in the above posts, Princess doesn't hold as tight to your money as RCCL does.

Princess cruises are more laid back than some other lines. There's still lots to do, it's just not as frenetic.

Princess gives a nice OBC for veterans/active military (send in proof once), check here or Google to get the info for signing up; for purchasing Future Cruise Deposits; for shareholders. And almost all OBC can be combined, you don't have to choose which one you want.

[skynight]

Hello all,

Me and DH just book a cruise on the Royal Princess next October for Cabo. I know that's a long time... we might have to book another in between that. :) We normally cruise with Royal Caribbean but this one we don't have to fly anywhere and with Royal not doing the half off deposits anymore we decided to try another line. The price was very affordable. And this will also be our first Interior room as we normally book ocean view and one time we booked a promenade. The interior room is the horizontal layout too. Anyways I was interesting in people opinion on princess vs. RC and what are the differences? Again this will be our first princess cruise! Very excited!:):D:D

I assume you are speaking about the Royal Princess fall 2019. I can't comment fully on RCI but here is some information regarding the Royal Princess.

Food at no extra charge:

DR's open for Breakfast and dinner each day & lunch on sea days

International Cafe, open 24/7 no charge for food, espresso drinks have a charge

Alfredo's waiter served pizza and other Italian selections, open 11am to late evening every day.

Pub Lunch in the Crown Grill/Wheelhouse Bar served some sea days

Horizon Ct/Bistro/Pastry Shop buffet - All or some sections open 6am until 11pm or midnight every day. Never closes during that time. This is where you can get free coffee, tea, hot chocolate. The buffet on the Royal & other Royal Class ships is the best and largest in the Princess Fleet. Like made to order omelets? Prepared to order in the Horizon Ct.

Trident Grill & Prego Pizza by the Lido Pool. Open every day 11am until late evening.

Room Service 24 hours, limited menu.

Shows & Entertainment

All shows in the Princess Theater and the Vista Lounge are walk in. No reservations. Arrive early.

You will also find live music in the Piazza, Wheelhouse Bar, Vista Lounge, Crooner's & a late night DJ in Club 6.

Beverages

Mostly all alcoholic beverages are menu priced $12 or lower and most are below $10. A 15% gratuity is added to all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Beverage Packages have the gratuity included in the price of the package, nothing more is added when drinks are ordered.

Each person 21 & over can carry on 1 x 750ml bottle of wine at no charge for use in your cabin. Additional bottles can be brought on board and they are subject to a $15/bot corkage fee. These bottles can be used anywhere on the ship. You can also bring on board as much non-alcoholic beverage as you wish. No limit.

[Clownfish Cruiser]

If you decide you like Princess and plan to sail again you should definitely purchase Future Cruise Deposits while onboard. Buy at least one each. The cost is $100 and it is refundable if not used within 2 years. The $100 can be used as the total deposit on a future cruise and will also provide free on board credit depending on the length of cruise and type of cabin you book. It's a totally risk-free thing to do that can not only save a bundle on the deposit but provide free spending cash onboard.

 

We just booked the Royal for next January, after thoroughly enjoying the Regal this past March. This will be our 4th Princess cruise. We haven't sailed Royal Caribbean and I can't compare there, but we think Princess is great, we love the atmosphere, the food is good, and we have enjoyed the excursions. I love the quiet in the morning, which usually involves a trip to the International Cafe. On our last cruise, we really enjoyed Alfredo's (only on the Regal and Royal...I think?) and went there several times. We are also huge fans on the Crown Grill and always book a specialty night there.

 

We also have purchased two of the the Future Cruise Deposits while on the ship every time we have cruised with Princess, as Thrak suggested. In fact, we just used ours to book the upcoming trip on the Royal! Enjoy!

[elliair]

You picked the right ship that's for sure. The Royal is a beautiful ship and you will be happy on her. It's been years since we cruised on Royal Caribbean so I can't tell you what the difference is. Every ship is different in every fleet. I wouldn't mind cruising on the Royal again.

[jr8934]

We are diamond plus on RCCL and I can tell you from experience that Princess does a better job! Sad that we only got the Sip and Sail promo. Would have liked prepaid grats. But looking forward to our upcoming cruise on Coral. Joyce

[geocruiser]

Tou will love Royal Princess. If you have been in the military, you can get OBC.

 

Enjoy!

[Cmoore19]

If you decide you like Princess and plan to sail again you should definitely purchase Future Cruise Deposits while onboard. Buy at least one each. The cost is $100 and it is refundable if not used within 2 years. The $100 can be used as the total deposit on a future cruise and will also provide free on board credit depending on the length of cruise and type of cabin you book. It's a totally risk-free thing to do that can not only save a bundle on the deposit but provide free spending cash onboard.

 

OBC From FCD

3 - 6 Days $15 Inside, $15 Outside, $25 Balcony, $25 Suite

7 - 10 Days $25 Inside, $25 Outside, $50 Balcony, $50 Suite

11 - 16 Days $75 Inside, $75 Outside, $100 Balcony, $100 Suite

17 + Days $125 Inside, $125 Outside, $150 Balcony, $150 Suite

 

 

Great to know! Yeah we are kinda getting tired of how greedy RC is becoming. No half off deposits and there is some deposits that are non refundable. We also noticed that they have a standard price and then when they have a sale they jack it up and mark it back down to the original price... so really no sale. This is a bummer. Our very first cruise was with them and it was what got us hooked on cruises. So we kinda have a special place for RC. But I am really excited about this cruise on Royal. Try out another line. We are trying to avoid carnival cause everyone I talk to says nothing but bad things about them.

[Cmoore19]

Our first cruise was on Princess Cruises. Our second cruise was on Royal Caribbean International. Based on our comparison of those two cruises, our next 30 + cruises were on Princess and none on Royal Caribbean.

 

Thats a good thing! I like to hear that! How come you never booked with RC again?

[Cmoore19]

I've never sailed on RCCL, but many differences are apparent from just looking at ads and reading the reviews.

1) no water slides, carousels, etc.

2) fewer pay for the food restaurants (there are 2 on most Princess ships and a couple that "pop up" occasionally.

3) probably less of a party ship than RCCL or Carnival...possibly fewer bars depending on the RCCL ship.

4) as noted in the above posts, Princess doesn't hold as tight to your money as RCCL does.

Princess cruises are more laid back than some other lines. There's still lots to do, it's just not as frenetic.

Princess gives a nice OBC for veterans/active military (send in proof once), check here or Google to get the info for signing up; for purchasing Future Cruise Deposits; for shareholders. And almost all OBC can be combined, you don't have to choose which one you want.

 

Yeah like that they are less tight with money and the price was right for us with no flying. I also like the less party atmosphere. I dont want to have to deal with drunks. I want to relax.

[Cmoore19]

I assume you are speaking about the Royal Princess fall 2019. I can't comment fully on RCI but here is some information regarding the Royal Princess.

Food at no extra charge:

DR's open for Breakfast and dinner each day & lunch on sea days

International Cafe, open 24/7 no charge for food, espresso drinks have a charge

Alfredo's waiter served pizza and other Italian selections, open 11am to late evening every day.

Pub Lunch in the Crown Grill/Wheelhouse Bar served some sea days

Horizon Ct/Bistro/Pastry Shop buffet - All or some sections open 6am until 11pm or midnight every day. Never closes during that time. This is where you can get free coffee, tea, hot chocolate. The buffet on the Royal & other Royal Class ships is the best and largest in the Princess Fleet. Like made to order omelets? Prepared to order in the Horizon Ct.

Trident Grill & Prego Pizza by the Lido Pool. Open every day 11am until late evening.

Room Service 24 hours, limited menu.

Shows & Entertainment

All shows in the Princess Theater and the Vista Lounge are walk in. No reservations. Arrive early.

You will also find live music in the Piazza, Wheelhouse Bar, Vista Lounge, Crooner's & a late night DJ in Club 6.

Beverages

Mostly all alcoholic beverages are menu priced $12 or lower and most are below $10. A 15% gratuity is added to all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Beverage Packages have the gratuity included in the price of the package, nothing more is added when drinks are ordered.

Each person 21 & over can carry on 1 x 750ml bottle of wine at no charge for use in your cabin. Additional bottles can be brought on board and they are subject to a $15/bot corkage fee. These bottles can be used anywhere on the ship. You can also bring on board as much non-alcoholic beverage as you wish. No limit.

 

Wow thank you for all the information! This is all great to know. I have heard you have to arrive early to the shows. I hear the food is great on the ship too. :)

[Cmoore19]

We just booked the Royal for next January, after thoroughly enjoying the Regal this past March. This will be our 4th Princess cruise. We haven't sailed Royal Caribbean and I can't compare there, but we think Princess is great, we love the atmosphere, the food is good, and we have enjoyed the excursions. I love the quiet in the morning, which usually involves a trip to the International Cafe. On our last cruise, we really enjoyed Alfredo's (only on the Regal and Royal...I think?) and went there several times. We are also huge fans on the Crown Grill and always book a specialty night there.

 

We also have purchased two of the the Future Cruise Deposits while on the ship every time we have cruised with Princess, as Thrak suggested. In fact, we just used ours to book the upcoming trip on the Royal! Enjoy!

 

Yeah it seems every video I see of Royal it never seems crowded. Which is nice. It seems the new cruise ships like to pack people in.

[Cmoore19]

You picked the right ship that's for sure. The Royal is a beautiful ship and you will be happy on her. It's been years since we cruised on Royal Caribbean so I can't tell you what the difference is. Every ship is different in every fleet. I wouldn't mind cruising on the Royal again.

 

Oh good! That makes me feel good. I am excited since she has been remodeling she looks beautiful!

[Cmoore19]

We are diamond plus on RCCL and I can tell you from experience that Princess does a better job! Sad that we only got the Sip and Sail promo. Would have liked prepaid grats. But looking forward to our upcoming cruise on Coral. Joyce

 

Yay! Good to know... maybe we will get hooked on princess now!

[Cmoore19]

Tou will love Royal Princess. If you have been in the military, you can get OBC.

 

Enjoy!

 

Ok thanks!

[MCC retired]

Great to know! Yeah we are kinda getting tired of how greedy RC is becoming. No half off deposits and there is some deposits that are non refundable. We also noticed that they have a standard price and then when they have a sale they jack it up and mark it back down to the original price... so really no sale. This is a bummer. Our very first cruise was with them and it was what got us hooked on cruises. So we kinda have a special place for RC. But I am really excited about this cruise on Royal. Try out another line. We are trying to avoid carnival cause everyone I talk to says nothing but bad things about them.

 

 

 

We find it great to experience other cruise lines just for their differences . Re Carnival , how can you hear nothing but bad things from the Largest cruise line . Expecting little , you may be impressed .

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[peanutter]

Congratulations on your upcoming first Princess cruise! I think you will love it.

 

Having done both RC and Princess (actually on the Liberty of the Seas the same month last year as in your signature - maybe the same cruise?!), I think you will enjoy the Royal Princess thoroughly. That is, if you are not looking for the water slides, wave runner, rock wall and the madhouse Windjammer buffet area! RC is great for kids and Princess is great for a more relaxing experience (not boring, just not quite as electric).

 

We love the Royal Princess (and the Regal is a close second). The atrium is very nice and if you like specialty coffees and treats (free), the International Café is in that area and nice. Alfredo's located close by is very good as well.

 

We have had inside cabins a few times, but never the sideways type. We love that it is quiet and dark. Being this far out, please be on the lookout for price drops and deals (like free gratuities or drink packages or possible upgrades for a higher category cabin at the same price you paid).

 

At the pool, you do not have to "check out" towels like on RC. You simply go up and get what you need from the pool guys/gals.

 

There are generally two happy hours where you can "buy one get one for a $1.00" (unless that has gone up the $2.00). Look for the times and locations in the Princess Patter (their daily newsletter). The drink prices are much lower than RC prices.

 

Another vote for purchasing the Future Cruise Deposit onboard. Totally risk free and worth every penny. It can only be purchased onboard.

 

I think Princess has a nice loyalty program. We enjoy the free internet and the priority disembarkation lounge. And speaking of disembarkation, they have plenty of staff to help with the process and it runs smoothly.

 

The muster drill is held inside in specific lounges (can't remember if RC has changed from having lines outside on the deck or not).

 

The seating for the shows can be kind of a nightmare sometimes. At least the first one of the evening. The theatres can get quite full, early. Don't worry as there are generally several things going on, so passengers can kind of "spread out" around the ship. But if there is something that you just must see at a specific time, plan to get there early just in case.

 

There is a retreat pool that is open to everyone (behind the sanctuary, which is a pay thing). It is a small, I think adults only pool that is very relaxing).

 

They still give you chocolates each night alongside your Patter for the next day and any info (and any sales "stuff" that is happening the next day - a lot of paper gets printed!)

 

In the majority of "regular" cabins, they have a chair instead of a little loveseat. Not a huge deal but I do like that RC had more places to sit in the cabin.

 

Oh, and a final thought, Princess has a great intranet service. You can send messages to each other on a phone or tablet. It also has the schedule of shows and a lot of other information you can access with your phone. This is free of charge and does not use any minutes of your phone or internet package (if you buy one). It's great. I was completely surprised that RC didn't have anything comparable on the Liberty as they tout themselves as being on the cutting edge of technology. But that was last year and things may have changed at this point.

 

Have fun planning and enjoy your cruise!

[voljeep]

the BOGO is be gone - as many have posted..:(

 

on a positive , Princess still, as I am typing this, does not require "both/all" passengers in a cabin to buy the Preferred Beverage Package...:)

[peanutter]

Voljeep, thanks so much for the correction. I just missed that discussion and didn't know. We aren't big drinkers at all, so this was a nice perk for us to attend a time or two per cruise.

[voljeep]

no problem...it got to be some heated threads with very upset cruisers - some even threatening to never cruise Princess again because of it...:rolleyes:

[land lover]

Hello all,

Me and DH just book a cruise on the Royal Princess next October for Cabo. I know that's a long time... we might have to book another in between that. :) We normally cruise with Royal Caribbean but this one we don't have to fly anywhere and with Royal not doing the half off deposits anymore we decided to try another line. The price was very affordable. And this will also be our first Interior room as we normally book ocean view and one time we booked a promenade. The interior room is the horizontal layout too. Anyways I was interesting in people opinion on princess vs. RC and what are the differences? Again this will be our first princess cruise! Very excited!:):D:D

 

 

The 2 cruise lines I have cruise the most RCI since '92 and Princess '98

 

 

RCI will always have the most beautiful ships...Princess will never compare....

 

I have been on every class on both lines...

 

Princess has the best itineraries, RCI will never compare.

 

Staff/ Officers on RCI ships seem to be more relaxed... Princess more by the book, less flexibility at the ship level.

 

RCI leases their ships, Princess owns theirs.

 

 

RCI more fun and upbeat...especially on the mega ships so nice to have such positive energy and first time cruisers, just loving it...Even cruising in Europe...good vibe from the ships.

 

Princess on some sailings, can have, let's just say demanding guests...I didn't say that did I???????

 

But the most important point of all...... your only choice for this itinerary is Princess they started sailing it a few years ago...and Princess sails out of San Pedro........... RCI abandoned us So. Ca cruisers in Jan. 2011.:')

 

 

You'll have a great time in Cabo....the overnight is cool as you are "tendered"......Princess does a great job.

 

And yes you will have to book a cruise before this Cabo sailing....

[Joyinthemouse]

That is exciting! We are going on our second Princess in September and been on RCCL 3 times, but I agree they are more expensive. Princess won't have an ice skating rink, a rock climbing wall, or any of that other stuff, it is just traditional cruising with regular pools and hot tubs.

 

I do think the appointments in the staterooms are prettier in most RCCL ships, the staterooms tend to be more plain on Princess but other than that both ships are pretty.

 

I think you will find a huge difference in cleanliness of ship, at least in my experience on RCCL people's leave dirty dishes in pool areas etc and the dishes stay for hours. Princess seemed to clean everything right away all the time.

 

The food is much better on Princess in my opinion too. I think Princess has better deposit and refund policy too if you have to change after booking.

 

The only thing is if you are younger in 20's or 30's you may find Princess is an "older" crowd for you, there are still young people but the majority seem to be 40 or up. Which we are in that category, we sailed Disney Cruise the most while our kids were growing up but now that we are empty nesters I think Princess is going to be our number one line. I like a cruise on any line though, a cruise is a great vacation.

 

Joy

[Cmoore19]

That is exciting! We are going on our second Princess in September and been on RCCL 3 times, but I agree they are more expensive. Princess won't have an ice skating rink, a rock climbing wall, or any of that other stuff, it is just traditional cruising with regular pools and hot tubs.

 

I do think the appointments in the staterooms are prettier in most RCCL ships, the staterooms tend to be more plain on Princess but other than that both ships are pretty.

 

I think you will find a huge difference in cleanliness of ship, at least in my experience on RCCL people's leave dirty dishes in pool areas etc and the dishes stay for hours. Princess seemed to clean everything right away all the time.

 

The food is much better on Princess in my opinion too. I think Princess has better deposit and refund policy too if you have to change after booking.

 

The only thing is if you are younger in 20's or 30's you may find Princess is an "older" crowd for you, there are still young people but the majority seem to be 40 or up. Which we are in that category, we sailed Disney Cruise the most while our kids were growing up but now that we are empty nesters I think Princess is going to be our number one line. I like a cruise on any line though, a cruise is a great vacation.

 

Joy

 

 

That actually works better for us. We are in our 30s but we tend to see eye to eye with older people rather then people our age. We want to relax and not have a party atmosphere all the time. Thats why carnival scares us... we havent tried them yet.