nschille04 Posted November 16, 2010 #1 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Hello, My husband and I are very excited to be sailing on the Freedom of the Seas in April! We went on a cruise for our honeymoon last year and it was amazing. Last time, we went Princess so that really is our only means of comparison for cruises. So, we loved Sabatinis on Princess and I'm just wondering if Portofino is similar. Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated. We were also big fans of Princess Cay. It was great to go snorkeling and just lounge around. How does Coco Cay compare? Are they pretty much the same idea? Is the snorkeling better at one than the other? We are so looking forward to the trip and would appreciate any advice that you can offer. When we went on our honeymoon someone on Cruise Critic recommended Captain Nautica and it turned out to be one of our favorite experiences, so I really value the feedback I get back from you more experienced cruisers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigeagle12 Posted November 16, 2010 #2 Share Posted November 16, 2010 We have sailed both Royal and Princess and although we prefer Royal (mainly because of the Voyager class ships) we would do either again in a heartbeat. To answer your questions Coco Cay and Princess Cay are comparable. Sabatinnis and Portofinos used to be equally as good. However reading recent reviews on this site it appears that the quality of Portofinos may have declined. But then food reviews on here ae always subjective. Here is just a quick comparison (our opinion) of the 2: Embarkation - equal Disembarkation - advantage Princess Muster Drill - advantage Princess Food - slight advantage to Princess - little better quality and more variety Dining Room (service) - equal Dining Room (decor) - advantage Royal Cabins - advantage Princess - bigger closet - better layout Entertainment - equal Ship (Promenade vs Atrium) - advantage Royal Casino - advantage Royal Service (Dining Room) - equal Service (Windjammer vs Caribe) - advantage Royal Service (cabin) - equal Johnny Rockets vs Trident Grill - advantage Princess (free) Movies Under the Stars (MUTS) - advantage Princess Promenade Cafe vs International Cafe - advantage Princess Pizza - advantage Princess Bars/Lounges - advantage Princess Onboard Activities - advantage Royal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmccarthy Posted November 16, 2010 #3 Share Posted November 16, 2010 I have been on 5 cruises, 4 on Royal and my last one was on Princess. I enjoyed both CocoCay and Princess Cays. Both are nice beach days with an island bbq lunch. I thought that sand was softer at CocoCay and didn't have to step on a bunch of rocks to enter the water. I haven't been on anything bigger than a Voyager class ship, but am looking at the Freedom for next year. Overall I enjoyed my Royal Caribbean cruises better than Princess. However, if the price and itinerary were right, I would probably cruise Princess again. Enjoy your cruise! Beth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nschille04 Posted November 16, 2010 Author #4 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Thanks for the replies! Is Portofino the same style as Sabatinis, where you select an entre and they just bring you a little of everything for appetizers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigeagle12 Posted November 16, 2010 #5 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Thanks for the replies! Is Portofino the same style as Sabatinis, where you select an entre and they just bring you a little of everything for appetizers? Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nschille04 Posted November 16, 2010 Author #6 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sargenet Posted November 16, 2010 #7 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Thank you for asking this question. The only specialty restaurant I have ever been to was Sabatinis when I sailed Princess. I took a break from cruising for a few years till my son got older. We are finally cruising again on Saturday and we have both Portofino and Chops booked. My husband is more interested in Chops...but I remembered how wonderful I thought Sabatinas was and was hoping it provided a similar experience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nschille04 Posted November 16, 2010 Author #8 Share Posted November 16, 2010 I hope so. We had such a wonderful time at Sabatini's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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