Princess vs Royal Caribbean - JMO

[Cindy]

One thing that I didn't really mention before, but someone else brought it up.

 

Yes, far more similar than different.

 

But Royal Caribbean STILL feels "like home" to me. It's warmer, more genuine.........probably the wrong word for what I mean, but it feels more ME, at least when I'm with my kids.

 

I'm just the opposite...I feel more at "home" on Princess, but would still happily cruise on either line!

I wonder if part of my preference has to do with Princess being my first cruise. I was so blown away by cruising and amazed at everything. I think I kind of got it in my head that that was how things should be on any ship, and I was surprised on our 2nd cruise when RCI didn't do everything exactly the same way!:eek: If I had cruised on RCI before Princess, my opinion might be reversed.

On our first cruise I was just in AWE of everything, and critical of nothing. It was perfect, and it also got me hooked. I guess it's a good thing I didn't start cruising on Crystal, huh!:rolleyes:

[Merion_Mom]

Hey just noticed you're from Merion, PA. Grew up not to far from you in Montgomery County. And yes, when I go home to visit my folks, I see these same kind of kids roaming the malls, ahhh, i guess times have changed...my mother must be right, I am getting old. ugh....

Where? I live in Merion now, but I grew up in Elkins Park.

 

Good to hear, Carol. We're booked on the 12-day Southern on EOS.

Which one? We are doing that cruise on 12/23/07.

[PescadoAmarillo]

This was a GREAT, extremely helpful comparison. It was especially fun to find someone else so in agreement with me that RC and Princess are more alike than different, and I agree with every one of your detail points (pretty amazing, when you consider the abundance of opinions on CC!).

 

I would just add two more points (if you don't mind):

Better itineraries on Princess (especially long cruises) and

Self serve laundries on Princess (great for those long cruises)

 

Thanks for taking the time!

[angelina]

Merion Mom, I grew up in Huntingdon Valley, Went to the other LMHS, Lower Moreland, not Lower Merion, which we are confused with all the time...

 

Yes, I am so looking forward to my cruise on 10/27, even with these recent events on the Crown. I figure I might as well have fun. Thanks for your thoughtful posts regarding the Crown.

 

And I love the fact that this is leaving out of NY, even if its Brooklyn. Saves me a trip down, and only have to fly up, since its the repositioning cruise.

[Merion_Mom]

Hey, I'm a Cheltenhamster! ;)

 

There were some people on our 7/11 Crown cruise from Huntingdon Valley.

 

Small world. :D

[ssatterly]

Nice....I think I may sick with RCCL after reading this.

[Tatka]

p I do wish Princess made the towel animals though. I always look forward to that on RCI.

..

 

Wep 6hadp t6hemp onp CBp onp twop nig6htsp andp onep morning.p :)

[ssatterly]

Wep 6hadp t6hemp onp CBp onp twop nig6htsp andp onep morning.p

 

 

 

HUH?????

[Merion_Mom]

Wep 6hadp t6hemp onp CBp onp twop nig6htsp andp onep morning.p

 

 

 

HUH?????

"We had them on CB on two nights and one morning." :)

[ssatterly]

Oh ok....thanks....

[Tatka]

"We had them on CB on two nights and one morning." :)

 

Sorry .. it was some kind of keyboard gluke... I was trying to fix it later, but you can only change it within 20 minutes. I didn't want to flood the board. :)

[Giorgi-one]

We are booked on the Crown in January and were on RCL Freedom in August. Previously sailed on Grand Princess about 4 years ago. Just a few comments.

 

Windjammer on Freedom was the worst buffet experience in our 18 cruises. Food was almost inedible, could not get a table and people/children walking in every direction with dishes full of food. I would much prefer to stand in a nice orderly line if food is edible and I can actually sit down to eat.

Entrees in Main Dining Room on Freedom were worst in our 18 cruises. Actually served turkey roll on the last night. Lobsters came out rare. Steak was not chewable. Replaced rack of lamb with lamb shank (this is the part of the lamb that you throw away).

Dining Rooms on Freedom were closed on port days forcing you to eat in the Windjammer - see above. Hope this is not the case on the Crown.

Most shows for late dining on Freedom were before dinner at 7 PM or at 6 PM for the ice show. If I really wanted to be ready at 6 or 7 PM, I would probably go to early dinner. Just a smart move to get more passengers into Casino/Bars after dinner. With more options on Princess, I am hoping to see some shows on the Crown.

[coiran]

Very nice comparative review by the OP - I am surprised, however, that they are comfortable letting their 18 year old be served at the bars on her own. Oh well, different strokes.......

Ron

[Nymue]

But who has the better Coffee...Princess *OR* RCCL....and who has a better offerring, such as flavored coffees?

 

Anne

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Thanks for your comparison.

 

We switch back and forth. Both have pluses and minuses but, for us, are comparable. We love Princess ships for West Coast cruises. Newer and better ships. There are many who agree that RCI needs to put a better ship on the West Coast. Princess also has better Transatlantic itineraries with more ports. RCI's concierge club is a nice perk for Diamond/Diamond Plus but I think Princess Elite offers more services. No matter which line we choose it's a great vacation.

[dagadget]

Yes, the drinking age thing on RCI is changed according to a rep I just spoke to. Heard the rumors and wanted to verify.

 

There is a lot of similarities between the large ships on RCI.

 

I have noticed that Mariner of the Seas Balconies are spaced out better than the ones on the Voyager. They are airier and feel much less like a cave too. The ships are very much alike but a few nice changes are made for the newer ships in each class. I suspect that the Freedom Class will share this trait on the newer ships as they come out.:D

[DesrtDrmr]

We didn't have towel animals on the AOS, or even long ago, on the Viking Serenade. ONLY towel animal we've ever had on a cruise was on the Island Princess. :)

Princess pools are fresh water, sort of heated (?), and open 24/7.......we liked that.

I do like the layout of the Windjammer better than the Horizon Court, hated the Promenade on the AOS, felt like I was in a mall at home, liked the Johnny Rockets, and being able to sit outside and eat. We liked the lounge at the top of the RCI ships. I do like the food on Princess better, though. I liked having a little couch on RCI, which we haven't had in a balcony cabin...........on Princess........just in a mini suite. I like the decor on Princess ships better, seems warmer to me. We've had great service on both lines. We've seen people with much ruder behaviour on RCI, but have read of some pretty bad situations on Princess, too, which we've been lucky enough NOT to experience.

We like the itinerary choices on Princess better, and the free internet at the Platinum level. We'd sail any of them again, though. We also loved HAL and their crew shows.

[pumukl]

We just finished a cruise on Princess, and I am glad that I read your post first, or I would have bben disappointyed. This cruise has taught me that RC is the thing for us. Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed my time, but it is the little things that give RC the edge. The service was freindlier, the food was way!! better on RC. I am a dessert freak, and the little spot ont he buffet line just was disappointing to me. RC's 3 table dessert was just better to me. The food selection adn quality I found better on RC. The entertainment was much better on RC, especially the scheduling. When there were several things you wanted to see, they were all around the same time. The kids were ok, about the same on both lines, not too much of a bother. The cabins were about the same, more closet space on Princess, but better layout on RC. So, to most of it, I have to agree with you, just the daily activities I have to disagree, they were better on RC, I thought. They wer not very well planned, and certainly not very well done. There was only one per morning, and usually at a bad time.

Overall, I hate Carnival, Princess is ok, but I will stick with RC, and shall not stray again.

Either way, thank you for you post.

Heike

[flvol77]

I would like to try RCI one day - but we love anytime dining so much that when we decide on a cruise its the anytime dining that gives Princess the edge -

 

Also RCI is (IMO) MUCH more expensive - we always have a mini suite and I know some say that the D1 balcony is the same on RCI's big ships - well, I am sorry but 70 sq ft less isn't the same and the price is the same if not more a Mini Suite. I have have got many many price quotes from TA's for RCI and the price is always about 30% more for a smaller room - Thanx but no Thanx

[molemaui]

Great comparisons-Marion Mom.

 

OverallI argee with you. I've sailed RC 3 times and this was my first time on Princess.

 

The only differences I'd comment about are:

 

a. Dining room service was always excellent on RC-on the Grand Princess this time, it was outstanding. In fact, I've never seen the need to over tip the head waiter. This time everyone I had contact with in the dining room got over tipped. The service was that personal and good.

 

b. Buffet. Pretty decent on RC, terrible on Princess. Food generally cold.

 

c. Entertainment. RC shows seemed better, Musicians in bars and public areas on Princess were great. They were so good we skipped most of the shows to listen to music.

 

d. Pursar. Whenever I had an issue (overcharge, not applied credit, etc) it was promply resolved on RC. You could also check your bill on the tv so you didn't have to keep going back. On Princess, each error (not applied wine credits supplied by my TA) I had to go back 3-4 times and get mad before they would do something.

 

e. Towels for pool. RC, most good resorts have a towel pick up and drop off area on the pool deck. Towels are also left in your stateroom for excursions. The most aggrivating thing on Princess is they leave you two towels in your room and when they get wet, tough luck until the next day. Also, you go to beach, come back on the ship and want fresh towels-good luck. I finally wised up and told my cabin attendent that I want 4-6 towels in my room every day. That seemd to work.

 

f. Pricing: I was astounded at Princess's low pricing. I would have gone RC but got a cruise fare for a mini suite (Cat AB) about $200 per person less than a low level balcony on RC.

 

Overall, I like them both and will be back on both.

[KKB]

We LOVED our first Princess cruise (only complaint was BEDS & buffet...but I am not a big fan of buffets anywhere...), and actually find the comparison of Disney to Princess very similar, from an adults viewpoint

 

Edge to Disney...PALO (adult dining--FAB!), comfy beds, sports bar

 

Edge to Princess...dining room food, nightlife, PRICE

 

We have always considered RCI & my folks like it very well, but Princess beat the price for our next cruise. Just saw a special on The Travel Channel on the Freedom of the Seas; between that special & this post, I am VERY interested in cruising RCI for our 2008 cruise!

[Shannons]

Just got back from first RCI Mariner of the Seas on the Dec. 17-24 cruise.

We've been on Princess long ago and Carnival Triumph once. We loved

the Mariner - beautiful ship. Is the Caribbean Princess open like the Mariner?

We've read that some Carnival ships are like walking around in dark boxes with

no ocean view. Well, the Windjammer has almost all windows to it and is a

lovely view. I never thought there might be bad view on a ship. The three

kids loved the food - big variety in the Windjammer - we also liked the Cafe Promenade. They liked the pizza and that's all that matters. Coffee was yuck, but I usually do 1/3 coffee and the rest milk anyway and it was still strong or bitter. Heard some bad reviews for Mariner but it was excellent in service and food was way better than I heard.

Anyone have pics of the Caribbean Princess or info?

[happy cruzer]

I think Princess has the edge on wine policy too. The wine list is better. they allow you to carryon wine with a corkage fee in dining room. RCI does not allow carryon wine.

 

I believe Princess still sells liquor setups for the rooms too.

 

these policies tend to change but last time I looked Princess had the edge.

[Giorgi-one]

We just finished a cruise on Princess, and I am glad that I read your post first, or I would have bben disappointyed. This cruise has taught me that RC is the thing for us. Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed my time, but it is the little things that give RC the edge. The service was freindlier, the food was way!! better on RC. I am a dessert freak, and the little spot ont he buffet line just was disappointing to me. RC's 3 table dessert was just better to me. The food selection adn quality I found better on RC. The entertainment was much better on RC, especially the scheduling. When there were several things you wanted to see, they were all around the same time. The kids were ok, about the same on both lines, not too much of a bother. The cabins were about the same, more closet space on Princess, but better layout on RC. So, to most of it, I have to agree with you, just the daily activities I have to disagree, they were better on RC, I thought. They wer not very well planned, and certainly not very well done. There was only one per morning, and usually at a bad time.

Overall, I hate Carnival, Princess is ok, but I will stick with RC, and shall not stray again.

Either way, thank you for you post.

Heike

 

We were on Freedom in August. If food on RC is better than Princess, then I am going to be really disappointed in two weeks when we sail on the Crown. Food on Freedom was worst we have experienced in 18 cruises. I did not have one meal in the dining room that was equal in quality to the restaurants in our local shopping centers. I did not find one desert on the whole cruise (except for specialty restaurant) that was worth eating. Most shows for late dinner seating were scheduled before dinner. The whold point of choosing late dinner seating is not to rush - so we did not see any shows.

 

To each their own!

[Sealover11]

:) My spouse and I like to dine in the buffet. We like the freedom of eating when we want and then going on to do other things. We absolutely feel in love with Coral Princess' buffet when we sailed April 2006. It's in the front of the ship, not the back!!! And there are tables for 2, 4 or 6 people by the front window. What a pleasure to eat while looking out over the bow of the ship!! The food was very good, in fact, I came off of Celebrity Century on 12/16/06 and I will say that the food on Coral Princess surpassed the food on Century. Much better selections in the buffet and in the dining rooms for one. For two, the toughest steak I've ever eaten at sea I had on the Century. I sent it back! The food (steaks too) on Coral was always good. The dessert tables on the Coral were great! So many choices, so many calories. That to me is the way a cruise should be!!! There was a large selection on Century as well, but I didn't care for a lot of their desserts. There were other wonderful things about Coral Princess. Their beds were very comfortable. Century's were bad, just really bad. I like to walk off my desserts. Coral has a wonderful Promenade deck. The Century's Promenade deck is impossible to walk all the way around. My Coral cabin steward was a great guy. My cabin was clean and there was always an extra roll of t.p. in the bathroom. (Very important for one's mental well-being.) On Century, we were always running out of t.p. and twice their was alchohol missing from our room after we came back from dinner. These two ships are built differently. Coral is built to fit through the locks of the Panama Canal, so the ship doesn't seem as wide as other ships, and it showed in the size of our room. On the Century, although it does seem a little wider, they put ridiculous beds in the rooms. The beds are rounded at the foot. They did not seem to be longer, but the set up left only about 10 inches of room between the foot of the bed and the wall. And because the beds were rounded, it was very easy to stub our toes on the bedframes. We had our cabin steward wrap a towel around it finally so we would stop hurting ourselves. Entertainment on both ships is great!! Service on Century is sorely lacking. After multiple bad experience's with Celebrity on our 12/06 cruise, my spouse and I have decided in the future to stick with HAL and Princess.

 

Sovereign of the Seas - 9/19/1992

Horizon - 3/11/1995

Majesty of the Seas - 9/10/1995

Monarch of the Seas - 9/29/1996

Rhapsody of the Seas - 12/12/1998

Westerdam - 10/30/1999

Maasdam - 12/10/2000

Golden Princess - 12/8/2001

Oosterdam - 12/21/2003

Oosterdam - 12/12/2004

Coral Princess - 4/13/2006 - :)

Century - 12/11/2006 - :mad: :mad: