Princess goes on Mariner

[Denisern2]

It is always good to try something new. Mariner of the seas is the second most beautiful ship I have been on. Second to Emerald Princess.

Embarkation same as Princess except I was not platnum so I had to wait and I did not wait long great job. No winner tie

 

Cabin I felt that the cabins were equal in cleanliness however the size Princess..Storage Princess....And bath products definatly Princess. The bath products were so bad I had to buy on the ship. On Princess I ask for extra to take home to keep in my Gym bag. Princess wins

 

Entertainment....No contest RCCL wins hands down!!!!!! The best ever I would have paid for most of the shows that I saw....Ice show WOW and the Drifters were the bomb! RCCL wins

 

Food and service in Dining room... On the other hand no contest here Princess wins about 100 times better. I heard that we had a whole new captain and crew this could have been the problem. But really cold food and a waiter that did not check how things were for 15 min means bad experience. Princess wins this one by a mile.

 

Specialty restraunts We hated the dining room so ate here 2 nights in each......WOW Chops was great food and service as was portafinos. Ties with princess. I am sure all ships have great specialty restraunts otherwise nobody would eat there. Tie

 

Activities RCCL had more varied activities however this ship really felt crowded. I mean there is not many places to escape the noise. Announcements were ear shattering people were covering their ears cause so loud. Mini golf is cool. Pools were clean and chairs were pretty easy to find. The Gym was great but their music was so loud I could hear it over my Ipod. Spinning instrctor was boring but the last 15 min this guy from New Zealand took over and he was amazing. Felt the calsses were not worth the 10$. Overall a slight nod to Princess more organized and easier to navigate activities.

 

Debarkation....Excellent best ever RCCL wins.

 

Overall I will continue to put Princess first. I feel they have the product that best fits my needs. They deliver a classy more refined service. However I would not rule RCCL if Princess did not have the Itenerary I was looking for.

 

A great cruise line for me would be the Cabins, Food and service of princess. Then add the fabulous entertainment of RCCL and the varied activities of RCCL with the organization of Princess. Throw in the great ambiance of Celebrity and Carnivals prices. I would call this Cruiseline Impossible...LOL

 

Case and point A day at sea beats a day in the office ANY DAY.. Good luck and bon voyage

[PhoenixCruiser]

Thanks for the comparison Denise! Wow, we are not hearing anything positive about the dining room food lately, unfortunately.

 

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[Missus Makkem]

It is always good to try something new. Mariner of the seas is the second most beautiful ship I have been on. Second to Emerald Princess.

Embarkation same as Princess except I was not platnum so I had to wait and I did not wait long great job. No winner tie

 

Cabin I felt that the cabins were equal in cleanliness however the size Princess..Storage Princess....And bath products definatly Princess. The bath products were so bad I had to buy on the ship. On Princess I ask for extra to take home to keep in my Gym bag. Princess wins

 

Entertainment....No contest RCCL wins hands down!!!!!! The best ever I would have paid for most of the shows that I saw....Ice show WOW and the Drifters were the bomb! RCCL wins

 

Food and service in Dining room... On the other hand no contest here Princess wins about 100 times better. I heard that we had a whole new captain and crew this could have been the problem. But really cold food and a waiter that did not check how things were for 15 min means bad experience. Princess wins this one by a mile.

 

Specialty restraunts We hated the dining room so ate here 2 nights in each......WOW Chops was great food and service as was portafinos. Ties with princess. I am sure all ships have great specialty restraunts otherwise nobody would eat there. Tie

 

Activities RCCL had more varied activities however this ship really felt crowded. I mean there is not many places to escape the noise. Announcements were ear shattering people were covering their ears cause so loud. Mini golf is cool. Pools were clean and chairs were pretty easy to find. The Gym was great but their music was so loud I could hear it over my Ipod. Spinning instrctor was boring but the last 15 min this guy from New Zealand took over and he was amazing. Felt the calsses were not worth the 10$. Overall a slight nod to Princess more organized and easier to navigate activities.

 

Debarkation....Excellent best ever RCCL wins.

 

Overall I will continue to put Princess first. I feel they have the product that best fits my needs. They deliver a classy more refined service. However I would not rule RCCL if Princess did not have the Itenerary I was looking for.

 

A great cruise line for me would be the Cabins, Food and service of princess. Then add the fabulous entertainment of RCCL and the varied activities of RCCL with the organization of Princess. Throw in the great ambiance of Celebrity and Carnivals prices. I would call this Cruiseline Impossible...LOL

 

Case and point A day at sea beats a day in the office ANY DAY.. Good luck and bon voyage

 

Very interesting

[Denisern2]

The dining room was pretty bad however and extra 20 bucks a night for special restraunts was ok. They were really good and made for a nice evening. 80 extra bucks for a nice vacation. Priceless!! I hate when food and service is bad because it really puts a damper on the eve. We heard alot of reg RCCL customers complaning so...... It is not a fault of the cruiseline just a bad team in the Diningroom perhaps.

[piercetc4]

we were on the same sailing, denise- our food in the d.r. was always hot and the service was good - our dinner at chops was excellent! the service and attention to detail and the food at chops was awesome - we didn't make it to portofino this time-

embarkation and disembarkation went very well-

we missed the shows as our show was the casino and wig and gavel and a night or 2 in the disco ( briefly) -

there were 10 of us traveling together- we had such a blast- wish we were all still there enjoying the mariner :)

 

someday will have to try princess to see what all the fuss is about over there...............maybe.....lol- the loyalty program is there for a reason and i do believe its working ( at least for us anyway :) )

 

happy cruising :)

[BiteMEagain]

That has got to be one of the best comparision reviews that I have read on these boards. Thanks so much for the review.

[Lionesss]

should we book "chops" before we go. I mean is there trouble getting reservations. Can a 13 year old go with us?

 

Thanks

[lulybellsea]

Thanks for posting such a great, impartial review! I agree that it's one of the best I've read.

[PhoenixCruiser]

The dining room was pretty bad however and extra 20 bucks a night for special restraunts was ok. They were really good and made for a nice evening. 80 extra bucks for a nice vacation. Priceless!! I hate when food and service is bad because it really puts a damper on the eve. We heard alot of reg RCCL customers complaning so...... It is not a fault of the cruiseline just a bad team in the Diningroom perhaps.

 

The food in the specialty restaurants is wonderful and the service is usually great!!

 

There have been complaints from long-time RCI cruisers about the food, it wasn't just your table :)

 

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[Merion_Mom]

should we book "chops" before we go. I mean is there trouble getting reservations. Can a 13 year old go with us?

 

Thanks

 

You can only book reservations at Chops after you board. You can call from your cabin or walk in and book in person.

 

Chops is for 13 years and up. Some ships and some specialty restaurants allow diners at 6 P.M. to bring younger children. So, you are ok.

[ruskatab]

We try to eat at chops and Portifinos toward the end of the cruise. Its hard to go back to the dining Room food after eating at those 2 places. Thanks for your review. We are dying to try Princess especially since we get an interline rate so glad to see the comparisons. I dont think anyone can beat the ice show on RC, it is awesome.

[gaileeh]

Thanks for the review. I'll agree with you about RC's food. The food on our last cruise was very dissapointing. After our next cruise on Mariner we're giving Princess a try.

[Silque1964]

We are dying to try Princess especially since we get an interline rate so glad to see the comparisons.

 

What is an interline rate?

[ruskatab]

What is an interline rate?

 

Its like a military rate and is offered to airline employess and other airline affiliated employees. My husband is an air traffic controller and we get the interline rate on almost all cruiselines except for RC.

[rednancy1]

Thank you for the impartial review. We are cruising on the Golden Princess in Nov for the 1st time and I look forward to comparing the two cruise lines myself.

 

I agree the food on RCI has gone downhill even in the two+ years I've been cruising. However, Chops and Portofino are still excellent. :) And, yes, it is hard to return to the dining room after eating in the specialty restaurants. :(

[critterchick]

Thank you for that great comparative review. What kind of cabins are you comparing?

 

I found the food in the dining room on Radiance to be simply awful in September. I hope that's not becoming the norm across the fleet - we've had some great dining experiences in the past two years, but since July we've noticed a downward trend, except in the specialty restaurants, which have been fab.

[Cruising89143]

Thank you for that great comparative review. What kind of cabins are you comparing?

 

I found the food in the dining room on Radiance to be simply awful in September. I hope that's not becoming the norm across the fleet - we've had some great dining experiences in the past two years, but since July we've noticed a downward trend, except in the specialty restaurants, which have been fab.

 

I'm hoping that everyone that has had the inferior food is making sure that Adam Goldstein and Richard Fain are hearing about it. Is the problem from RCI cutting the food budget and purchasing lower quality food or is it that the ships are simply becoming too large to cook decent food for all of the passengers?

 

I have been reading reviews on the other boards and it seems that most of the mainstream lines are cutting back. Especially on the cuts of meat that is being served. Maybe this is the way that they are making up for the higher fuel prices. If so that is not a smart idea IMO.

[firefly333]

So far the Caribbean Princess has been my favorite ship too, so we pretty much agree on every point. I was also on the Grand Princess which was not quite as nice, even though it also had MUTS.

 

I did Rhapsody after my two Princess cruises and came back dissapointed in the food and lots of posters here told me it was just me. It just seemed like you could eat when you wanted more on Princess. Besides the seafood cold buffet which was all you could eat of crab legs and shrimp etc the first night, we had one day where they put a huge bowl of cashews out with the salads for instance when in Belize. You could get chips and dips at 11 pm on Princess and not on RCI. I admit food is important to me on a cruise.

 

I still will do RCI of course. I loved the entertainment at night on all my cruises, hard to pick one over the other. I love the musical shows.

[uksimonusa]

Its like a military rate and is offered to airline employess and other airline affiliated employees. My husband is an air traffic controller and we get the interline rate on almost all cruiselines except for RC.

 

That's strange, my SIL, a Purser for BA, gets interline on RCI

[ruskatab]

I'm hoping that everyone that has had the inferior food is making sure that Adam Goldstein and Richard Fain are hearing about it. Is the problem from RCI cutting the food budget and purchasing lower quality food or is it that the ships are simply becoming too large to cook decent food for all of the passengers?

 

I have been reading reviews on the other boards and it seems that most of the mainstream lines are cutting back. Especially on the cuts of meat that is being served. Maybe this is the way that they are making up for the higher fuel prices. If so that is not a smart idea IMO.

 

I did think of emailing RC after my last 2 cruises with them but food is such a sticky thing to complain about. I think your correct about the cutting back to cover other expenses they are incurring. I worry that there will be a fuel surcharge next. I think the food quality started going downhill when they started rolling out the new ships but could be a coincidence. They have to get the ships paid off to make the big profits so maybe thats why they are cutting back in other areas.

[ruskatab]

That's strange, my SIL, a Purser for BA, gets interline on RCI

 

I think since the FAA is a government agency RC doesnt consider Controllers airline employees. It sure would be awesome if they did. The discount can really add up.

[Phamer55]

I thought this review was very interesting because my two cruises will be on the Emerald Princess and the Mariner OTS. I have been on quite a few RCI and Princess cruises, and I've definitely come to the conclusion that RCI is the better product. I'll throw my 2 cents in about the food, which is so subjective. My wife and I both think RCI has better food. Usually, on RCI, we both have a hard time choosing which entrees and/or appetizers to order. On Princess, it was often hard for my wife to find something she liked. It seems the dinner menus on Princess don't appeal to us as much as they do on RCI. Also, room service menus have less offerings on Princess. I especially do not like the fact that you can't get hot breakfasts (eggs & bacon) for room service breakfast, and the fact that certain items like Eggs Benedict arer not offered daily in the dining room, like they are on RCI. Food quality will always be debatable though. I thought the dining room service is excellent on both lines.

 

I do take exception that Princess is somehow the "classier" line. The RCI ships, especially the Voyager class ships, are so much classier than the Princess ships. How can you compare Princess' dinky one-story dining rooms to the spectacular 3 story dining rooms of the Voyager-ships? The design and beauty of the RCI ships is unparalleled - they are in another league. The Royal Promenade is fantastic, a true gathering point for passengers on the ship. What does Princess have, a mere 3-story atrium? The Radiance-class atriums are way superior, with glass elevators that look out into the sea.

 

In summary, all things being equal, I will always choice RCI. I will choose Princess only when they offer a superior itinerary (such as my Med cruise next year) or for pacifical coastals that go into or out of San Francisco, my local port

[luvmyjewels]

I'm hoping that everyone that has had the inferior food is making sure that Adam Goldstein and Richard Fain are hearing about it. Is the problem from RCI cutting the food budget and purchasing lower quality food or is it that the ships are simply becoming too large to cook decent food for all of the passengers?

 

 

 

I don't think the quality of the food neccessarily has to do with the ship size. We were on the Majesty last week, which is one of RC's smaller ships and the food was a bit blah. Since this was our first cruise, I can't really compare to how the food was in the past. But it was enough to make me consider other lines for my next trip. I still think our Majesty cruise was a great deal...but I'm willing to pay a little more for better food.

 

Shell

[missamg]

I was on the same cruise as you. I loved the Drifters!

[critterchick]

I do take exception that Princess is somehow the "classier" line. The RCI ships, especially the Voyager class ships, are so much classier than the Princess ships. How can you compare Princess' dinky one-story dining rooms to the spectacular 3 story dining rooms of the Voyager-ships? The design and beauty of the RCI ships is unparalleled - they are in another league. The Royal Promenade is fantastic, a true gathering point for passengers on the ship. What does Princess have, a mere 3-story atrium? The Radiance-class atriums are way superior, with glass elevators that look out into the sea.

 

I think when a lot of people talk about "class" they're talking about the activities offered and the people who choose one line over another, and I take great exception to that. I suppose that one person's "class" is another person's "dull." Princess doesn't have a lot of the "silly" activities - Quest, bellyflop, sexy legs - that RCI has. I might agree that the cruising experience is more sedate on Princess, but that doesn't make it classier - bores can be boors, too, after all.;)

 

I would agree that the RCI ships tend to be more interesting. I'm not a fan of the Promenade, but I love the glass of a Radiance or Vision class ship. The colors and artwork tend to be more eyecatching (sometimes over the top) on RCI as well.

 

I've been a confirmed RCI fan in the past, but have also sailed 7 times on Princess. I prefer the larger Princess ships to the smaller ones. On RCI I prefer the smaller (if a 2600 pax ship can be considered small, LOL) to the larger. Go figure.