Back to Princess after RCCL. Need advice

[dcastro]

I've sailed with RCI about 9 times and want to cruise Princess again (after a long hiatus). I got used to the RCCL mega ships and features. Could you guys please help me decide which ship in princess will be the closest match?

[traveling1969]

There really is nothing to compare with RCCL's Voyager/Freedom class ships on Princess. The Crown class ships (Crown, Emerald, Ruby) are the largest of the Princess ships accomodating 3000+ passengers but they lack many of the features you've come to expect on RCCL i.e. no Royal Promenade, no ice skating rink, no rock climbing wall or flow rider. That said, they do offer many other large-ship features including multiple dining venues (specialty restaurants, multiple buffets, wine bar, cafes etc), the piazza which is a 3 story atrium with "street" entertainers, lounging areas etc, multiple pools (w/fresh water!), the Sanctuary (extra cost for privacy and luxury lounging etc.) and multiple lounges/entertainment venues. We love RCCL and have diamond status there but we also enjoy the understated elegance of Princess ships. Hope this helps. Bon Voyage!

[Cruzinnana47]

Also, there is M.U.T.S. (Movies under the stars), which is a nice added feature, especially when on a Caribbean itinerary. Sitting on deck at night watching a movie with a lap blanket and popcorn is a nice touch.:)

[EmpressofPurple]

The multiple pools and variety of entertainment is my favorite on Princess (plus MUTS)... I enjoy RCI too but am always surprised they only have 2 pools even on the big ships! On Princess you have the MUTS pool, the "music/games" pool, the spa pool and the aft pool... lovely choices.

 

Also, enjoy some of the lectures and art/craft programs that are unique to Princess... plus afternoon tea... classical music and/or doo-wop groups in the atrium... many nice features.

[jmaco]

We too wanted to try Princess and did after getting somewhat bored with RCCL - Moved to Celebrity and it's now our favorite. We missed the open feel of the center lobby and multi level dining rooms - going back but will sail Princess again but not now or very soon. We didn't like the layout of the ship and the issues to deal with when selecting cabins - beams, vents, no covers on mini-suites, no connecting cabins - important to us since we love our balconies and have children we travel with - we keep them near us.

[Pam in CA]

We didn't like the layout of the ship and the issues to deal with when selecting cabins - beams, vents, no covers on mini-suites, no connecting cabins - important to us since we love our balconies and have children we travel with - we keep them near us.

Just a quick comment is that there are covered balcony mini-suites on all of the Grand-class ships, the "AD" mini-suites on Emerald deck; and, there are connecting balcony cabins on the Coral, Island, Royal, Pacific and Tahitian Princess.