Princess vs. RCL

[CGTNORMANDIE]

FOOD: RCI has the edge...Princess has a tough time cooking roasts...they come out like they have been boiled. CHOPS is a very nice atmosphere and good quality while STERLING etc. has no atmosphere but good food. PORTOFINO'S is heads above SABBATINI'S...a lot of frozen food reheated...not good. The Anytime Dining is convenient...if you can get a reservation...or you like to eat after 8:00 PM...and it lacks the consistently good service you get with Traditional Dining on RCI. It usually takes us 2 or 3 tries before we find the right waiter on Princess. I do not know what it is that prevents Princess and RCI from preparing good Italian food...but neither one excels in that department. I find the pasta to be mediocre and the pizza to be bland on both lines...not even close to true Italian food. A lot of people will say they love the food on both lines...I guess that Pizza Hut and Olive Garden have had an impact on taste...go figure...LOL.

 

CABINS: The Mini Suite on Princess is the way to go...but...the D1 on RCI is a great buy. The balcony cabins on Princess are really good...nice layout and good balcony space. The suites on RCI are much better than Princess and the Concierge Lounge and service makes RCI the clear winner in the Suite dept.

 

OVERALL: Princess has nice ships...but the service is not as good as RCI. Princess cabin service is always hard pressed as each steward has so many cabins to care for. RCI cabin stewards work as a team and the service is better coordinated. Princess is really a mass market line and you can see it and feel it. Remember...Princess is the next step up from Carnival and Carnival has successfully used Princess as an upscale alternative to the Carnival product. Princess does not have a very good suite program either. RCI beats Princess by a country mile in that respect. There are many ships and the numbers are staggering...but I have to give the edge to RCI. There are many people I know who are dedicated Princess fans...Princess gives better repeat discounts to its clientel. I have kept a very close watch on both lines and I can say that each line appeals to different pax for different reasons. I wish I could tell you just what it is that attracts each group to Princess or RCI...but I doubt that a marketing genius could tell you either...LOL.

[cruisnfool]

I will add my 2 cents........

 

I would cruise both believe I like things about both.

 

The design of RCI far exceeds any cruiseline. Very innovative. Not just with the looks but with additions like rock wall, ice rink etc.

 

Princess ships while traditional in looks are still nice.

 

Fresh water in pools on Princess....but I think I read RCI will change over to fresh in the future.

 

I love the dining rooms on RCI. Since the Princess are one level they seem to be louder.

 

I like food better in dining room on RCI....horizon court on Princess.

 

I think there is more choices of entertainment at night on Princess.

 

I also think the casino is bigger and better laid out on Princess than RCI

The dealers were friendly on Princess when my son worked for them!

 

I think dealers on all cruislines need to be coaxed to be friendly. I think its just a part of how they have always been. It seems if I get them talking they are friendly but I always have to initiate it.

 

I too do not like anytime dining. But its great for those that want it.

 

I also feel Princess offers better itineries.

 

Mini suite on Princess is a better buy than the comparative Jr suite on RCI.

[TRadle]

I just came back from a round trip Hawaii cruise on Radiance last month..14 days from San Diego and back. The Island Princess was doing the same trip about the same time out of Los Angeles. I did meet a man on a bus back from the car rental who was on Island Princess who was upset that the times they stayed at each port was very short.. check out that as well.

 

Radiance stayed at each port until 9pm or 11pm with the exception of Hilo which was only until 5pm

 

Now here is my personal opinion about a cruise to Hawaii.. I had not seen the Hawaiian ISlands before and I knew my time would be short at each island. I now realize that this is not the way to see the Hawaiian islands ( I think I knew that in the back of my mind ) but I wanted to experience many sea days.. and with that I was successful and have now booked a transatlantic...loving the days at sea. If I were to do a cruise to Hawaii again I would do a one way..fly there and cruise back or vice versa that way you could add some days in Hawaii either pre or post cruise.

 

We haven’t been to Hawaii yet and are looking to get a feel for the islands on a floating hotel. Since we both love sea days this seems to be the best option. I do like the idea of the one way and spending more time on the islands, but I think we’ll do that next time.

One of the things I noticed with the one ways is that the out of country ports are not a direct flight from Chicago. With the flight schedules it still takes two weeks to do this cruise and I’d much rather spend that time at sea. We both still work, so a 15 day vacation is really as much as we can do at one time.

I’m still waiting for a 7 day cruise to nowhere! :D

[Guest scfjjb]

We like both cruise lines for different reasons.

 

Dining choices - Draw - Princess does have more to choose from even though we HATE anytime dining (if "anytime" is so great why is Traditional always "waitlisted" on Princess cruises?). It's not the concept, just maybe we have had bad experience with it and Traditional dining works better for us.

 

Dining food - Even in dining rooms. RCI for Windjammer. We think some of the food choices in Princess buffet is odd.

 

Entertainment - close, RCI

 

Activities - RCI has more activities than Princess.

 

Casinos - Don't know - we don't gamble:eek:

 

Pools - Princess - more pool areas.

 

Bars - Princess - great options in lounges.

 

Rooms - Princess - better storage

 

Service/crew - RCI

[emmy]

Dining choices - Draw - Princess does have more to choose from even though we HATE anytime dining (if "anytime" is so great why is Traditional always "waitlisted" on Princess cruises?). It's not the concept, just maybe we have had bad experience with it and Traditional dining works better for us.

 

 

Bingo..my biggest complaint too..on our first Princess cruise when they were offering Anytime Dining we booked about 6 months out and we were waitlisted #560 :eek:or so for early traditional dining...we never did clear the waitlist although we got to about #150 or so...

 

So this tells me that many want the traditional dining so why not open up another dining room for this?

 

We also had a bad experience with it but I can see how it would be good if you had a group (we were just the two of us that cruise) and you would have your table ready made sp you could pick your time to dine. I have read that they are now using those 'beeper' things that tells you your table it ready if you show up to Anytime and there is not a table at a certain time.

 

I agree for some it is great and I would not rule out trying it again like I said especially if you are sailing with a group of people.

[emmy]

 

I’m still waiting for a 7 day cruise to nowhere! :D

 

I am ready to book that one:p..that is why I booked the transatlantic with 6 days at sea and on a Freedom class Independence of the Seas..lots of time to really experience that ship. To me in many ways the ship is the destination.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

I am ready to book that one:p..that is why I booked the transatlantic with 6 days at sea and on a Freedom class Independence of the Seas..lots of time to really experience that ship. To me in many ways the ship is the destination.

 

I feel the same way EMMY...I love those sea days...when a ship can be a ship and not just a hotel that moves.:D

[TRadle]

I am ready to book that one:p..that is why I booked the transatlantic with 6 days at sea and on a Freedom class Independence of the Seas..lots of time to really experience that ship. To me in many ways the ship is the destination.

 

 

HMMM....maybe a B2B!

[cruise182]

Prefer RCCL over princess. I do notice that most people prefer the line that took their "cruise virginity".

Also, Princess seems to be having some customer relation issues too. If I were you I would try RCCL. Variety is the spice of life!

[crusingdave]

Prefer RCCL over princess. I do notice that most people prefer the line that took their "cruise virginity".

Also, Princess seems to be having some customer relation issues too. If I were you I would try RCCL. Variety is the spice of life!

I prefer the RCCL product and also because of a customer relations issue I will never cruise Princess again. Princess has a don't care attitude and don't care if they if they lose a customer. Because I was treated so well by Royal Caribbean I just bought stock in Royal Caribbean and this is the first stock I have ever purchase other than retirement plans through work.

[cruisnfool]

For those thinking Hawaii....if you are gamblers.....it used to be that the casinos were only open during the crossing and never in evening between islands. This is not true on RCI & Celebrity.

[cruise fairy]

Wow! great responses and lots to think about.

I like the idea of traditional seating for the reasons Emmy gave. If Freedom Class (see I'm doing more research, getting the know the classes of ships) is going to freshwater pools, another plus for me. I really like the Adult only pool though...hmm.

I would like to see the larger ships of RCI do a 10 day itinerary....does anyone know of one?

We like to cruise in Feb, Mar usually, love the tropics, would even do the Mexican Riviera.

[TexasMom2]

The Explorer (Voyager class) does longer alternating eastern/western itineraries from Bayonne, NJ. The eastern itinerary has Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. John's, Antigua; Roseau, Dominica; Bridgetown, Barbados; Basse-Terre, St. Kitts; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Bayonne, New Jersey (New York).

 

The western has Labadee, Hispaniola, Haiti (private island); Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Bayonne, New Jersey (New York).

 

Medium sized ships are the Brilliance doing Panamal Canal from Miami and the Radiance and Jewel alternating 6-day western and 8-day eastern from Fort Lauderdale.

 

Freedom and Liberty alternate 7-day eastern/western from Miami and Mariner alternates eastern/western from Port Canaveral (Orlando).

 

A popular option is the Empress from San Juan, but it's a small ship. The itinerary is amazing with Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Basse-Terre, St. Kitts; St. John's, Antigua; Castries, St. Lucia; Bridgetown, Barbados; Porlamar, Venezuela; Curacao; Aruba, Dutch Caribbean; San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

I also think RCI is missing out by not having longer itineraries from Florida. Hopefully they'll have enough ships someday to do this.