Royal Princess or Regal Princess with a teenager

[jp2746]

We are looking at a cruise on the Royal or Regal Princess with our son who is 14.  He isn't a kids club kind of kid and prefers to do things with us.  I am taking advantage of this since I know him wanting anything to do with us is short lived, so I am thinking about taking a trip on one of these ships.  Would this be a good choice?  We have gone on RC and love it.  I know Princess is a different kind of ship and a different group of guests, but will there be interesting things to do on these ships that we can do together?  What is the food like?  It seems like life is centered around food when we cruise, so this is very important.  Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[Karlzmom]

Our 14 year old son loved the Regal and Royal. We did a combination of teen club time and with us.  He found the movie time and facilitated activities good at the club,  but didn't care to just "hang out"    I can't recall exactly what we did together, but we were certainly never left bored or wishing there was something to do.  He very much enjoyed the sushi bar (first sailing he had done with that option for lunch) but that might not matter to another teen.  Good luck.

[MJSailors]

jp2746- 

     You mention the Regal or the Royal,but you did not mention itinerary.

I am thinking that a port intensive cruise may be good for your family, such as a cruise to Alaska, Canada/NewEngland or a European cruise.

Such cruises would offer dozens of experiences without spending too much time on the ship as sea days are limited.

      There are activities onboard during the day,many in the Piazza (atrium) area that may or may not interest your son. However, you could arrange for an Ultimate ship tour which includes the areas of the bridge,theater, galley and a few other areas. Sometimes there are putting contests. egg drop challenges where passengers create devices that allow an egg to land safely from a certain height or a floating boat challenge where passengers create  vessels that can stay afloat in one of the pools. Of course there are trivia contests and bingo also.

      There is a Sports Court area with basketball and other games. Some may be organized,while some are pick up games.

      In the evenings, movies are shown on an outdoor screen on the pool deck. It is called MUTS. Perhaps your family may enjoy shows in the theater in the evenings as well.

      You mentioned food on the cruise. While there is a  buffet and poolside grill on the ships, there is also a complimentary,sit down Italian place named Alfredo’s where pizza is on the menu,. There are also a gelato area, and the International Cafe that serves specialty coffee and tea for a fee  along with items such as sandwiches and pastries which are complimentary. There are specialty restaurants,fee based, namely the. Crown  Grill (steak house) and Sabatini’s ( Italian). 

       I suggest going on the Princess web site to check out what these ships have to offer.

Wishing you a pleasant family vacation !

 

[mtnesterz]

Good and timely idea vacationing with your teen.  By high school, they don't care to travel with parents anymore. We have been on the Regal, sister to the Royal. Princess is very consistent with food and services, which are excellent. Princess does not offer as much for teens as RCCL, but the Royal class ships have high-speed MedallionNet and a big selection of on-demand TV viewing. 

You did not mention which sailing you are considering. Western Caribbean itineraries offer active excursions that often appeal to male teens. He can view Princess' shore excursion website for things that will interest him.

Edited January 11, 2020 by mtnesterz

[Fishboy1947]

We did a multi family cruise to Alaska on the Royal last June. None had cruised before. Our 6 diverse teenagers, 14-17, had a great time. We didn’t expect them to use the teen room but they loved it.  All they talk about now is doing another family cruise.

 

so we’re doing a Caribbean cruise on Caribbean Princess in June. The 18 yr old is bummed out since the teen room is 13-10 only.

[cruisequeen4ever]

Both ships will be great for him. They’re sister ships, so I wouldn’t recommend one over the other. Princess’s food is awesome! The Royal and Regal have an amazing variety in their buffet. 

[jp2746]

Thanks for all the information.  We wound up booking a cruise on the Royal Princess.  I am looking forward to surprising him and eating without having to cook for an entire week! (That's my favorite part of cruising!)