Royal Princess design: badly solsticized

[Cruise Junky]

I'm on the TA, but with the absence of aft pool areas and the iffy promenade, the thought of a Caribbean sailing is at this point less attractive to me. (Oh, and BTW, it's not just the aft pool that's missing, but an entire outdoor area, like the Sapphire's wonderful tiered multi-deck aft.)

 

But you booked Coral for your Panama Canal cruise. You realize you can't use the aft pool unless you pay?

 

I think the pool deck looks amazing, it's just different from the current ships. Can't wait to book a Cabana at the Adult Pool.

[shepp]

But you booked Coral for your Panama Canal cruise. You realize you can't use the aft pool unless you pay?

 

Yep, realize that, since I was on the Island last year. It was, in fact, the thing I liked least about the Island - that the Sanctuary area was gated off to non-payers even when the Sanctuary was closed, and therefore evening dips in the aft hot tubs were a non-starter. Actually, I recall complaining here about that very fact.

 

However, it's my impression that Princess essentially had nowhere else practical to put the Sanctuary on those older ships, which is different from a new build lacking that aft area altogether. And like I said, no ship is perfect. I will enjoy being on the Coral - I will not enjoy being unable to even walk through the aft pool area for free.

[RickEk]

Yep, realize that, since I was on the Island last year. It was, in fact, the thing I liked least about the Island - that the Sanctuary area was gated off to non-payers even when the Sanctuary was closed, and therefore evening dips in the aft hot tubs were a non-starter. Actually, I recall complaining here about that very fact.

 

However, it's my impression that Princess essentially had nowhere else practical to put the Sanctuary on those older ships, which is different from a new build lacking that aft area altogether. And like I said, no ship is perfect. I will enjoy being on the Coral - I will not enjoy being unable to even walk through the aft pool area for free.

 

I don't know about that... the Island and the Coral have the same forward upper deck space (with the splash pool) into which the Sanctuary was installed on the Sun-class vessels. I think this would have been a much better place for the Sanctuary on the Island/Coral.

 

This is on Sea Princess

Sanctuary by RickEk, on Flickr

[Loonbeam]

There isn't a hot tub back there on the Coral, just a 3 foot deep or so small pool.

 

Yep, realize that, since I was on the Island last year. It was, in fact, the thing I liked least about the Island - that the Sanctuary area was gated off to non-payers even when the Sanctuary was closed, and therefore evening dips in the aft hot tubs were a non-starter. Actually, I recall complaining here about that very fact.

 

However, it's my impression that Princess essentially had nowhere else practical to put the Sanctuary on those older ships, which is different from a new build lacking that aft area altogether. And like I said, no ship is perfect. I will enjoy being on the Coral - I will not enjoy being unable to even walk through the aft pool area for free.

[FritzG]

Oh no! We sailed on the first eastbound TA of the Eclipse, and we didn't like it at all. One of our main complaints was that you couldn't walk around the entire ship on the promenade deck; it felt so closed in to us. We walk all around the ship at least 2 or 3 times a day, and we really missed that on the Eclipse.

[shepp]

There isn't a hot tub back there on the Coral, just a 3 foot deep or so small pool.

 

See, I never even got to find that out. ;)

[Coral]

There isn't a hot tub back there on the Coral, just a 3 foot deep or so small pool.

 

The aft pool on the Coral/Island is lame! Not even sure why they bothered.

[cruiselvr1]

I hate to hear this. I guess I'm old-fashioned, but I want a cruise ship to look and feel like a cruise ship.

 

I sailed on the Celebrity Solstice one time and found it akin to sailing in an Ikea store. The overall design was cold and unwelcoming. We had a stateroom on the stern and awoke to a fine layer of soot on our balcony every morning. The lawn was a lot of wasted space and it was roped off and "resting" most of our voyage. I was glad when the cruise was over.

 

I also sailed on the NCL's Prison Ship Epic one time as well and will not repeat that mistake. Worst designed cabins and ship I've ever had the misfortune to sail on. To tell you how bad it is, NCL has scrapped the design of the prison-cell cabins on their next ships. Another cruise I was glad when it was over.

 

It's what happens when the artsy fartsy designers get to sit at the big table and everyone else is afraid to shout out that the emperor has no clothes.

 

We learned to take a better look at the ship design and try to visualize life on board. Now we don't book ships like Solstice, The Epic, The Oasis, the Allure etc. They may work for some, but for me I want a ship that looks like a ship, a promenade where I can stroll all the way around the ship and smell the ocean and maybe even see some sea life, a shady deck where I can read a good book, fresh brewed coffee, venues where I don't have to wear earplugs because some twenty-something has cranked the volume up to 10, an MDR where people dress like they are going out for fine dining and not a truck stop, a comfortable/functional/clean cabin, and stairs forward, mid-ship, and aft.

I told my DW that if I wanted to go to Central Park, I would go to NY. I don't want to rock climb, shop in overpriced stores. Give me just a cruise ship.

[cruisetrail]

Oh no! We sailed on the first eastbound TA of the Eclipse, and we didn't like it at all. One of our main complaints was that you couldn't walk around the entire ship on the promenade deck; it felt so closed in to us. We walk all around the ship at least 2 or 3 times a day, and we really missed that on the Eclipse.

 

I agree.

This is a HUGE disadvantage of the Solstice class design.

[kkorman]

This is the beauty of having variety of cruise ships... If you must have a full promenade, choose a grand class vessel. If you want an aft pool, choose a grand class ship. If not having these would ruin your experience, you have an option, don't sail the new Royal.

 

The posters who are already complaining about these things will be the same people who sail on Royal, come back on here and negatively post how their cruise was ruined by this, and then sail Royal again.

 

 

---

I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?psbr1h

[Carolyn R]

The Royal does have a large aft outdoor dining area behind the Horizon Bistro and Court that will be so much nicer than eating at the poolside tables.

[billco]

This is the beauty of having variety of cruise ships... If you must have a full promenade, choose a grand class vessel.]

I like full promenade, but I am not crazy about the Promenade on Grand class. Too narrow. I prefer Dawn, Sea, Sun, Diamond, Sapphire, Island, and Coral Promenades. But, I am willing to sacrifice and give the Royal a try next year.

[cruisetrail]

If you must have a full promenade, choose a grand class vessel. If you want an aft pool, choose a grand class ship. If not having these would ruin your experience, you have an option, don't sail the new Royal.

 

 

Thank you.

But please note that I did not ask you for unstructions on my personal cruise planning.:)

 

This thread is about the Roayal Princess design.

[Beopthtuh]

this thread is a long way of the royals design more like a slagging match between princess and celebrity cruisers .

the ROYAL is different in design from the last batch of princess class of ships ,she wont be to everyones liking ,but until she sets sail on her voyages no one will no her faults or plus,s .i for one am looking forward to sailing on her out of southampton on 16th june .

the RP.is not a celeb ship or n.c.l , r.c.c.i ,she,s a princess ship so give her a chance to sail before you condemn her to the realms of not to be sailed on

[dmwnc1959]

this thread is a long way of the royals design more like a slagging match between princess and celebrity cruisers

 

That was evident from the very beginning in the OP's thread title. ;)

[skynight]

WOW! Looks as if Princess is looking for different clients.

1. No real dance floors, a hallmark of Princess, and one of their best features. Wheelhouse is there, but no dance floor and its attached to a dining venue.

2. Explorers is gone, another live band venue missing, guess they just want to focus on saving money, while you spend money.

3. Club 6 has a dance floor, but that looks like the disco. Princess voyages I have been on have not had very much action in the disco.

4. The Vista Lounge has returned, I guess that is a good thing, but it appears to be the only place for dancing, and the Vista lounge isn't good for that.

5. The Lido pool deck is way way way way too small for 3600 passengers in the Caribbean. Unless Deck 17 has shade, passengers will have fist fights over the few shaded areas on deck 16.

6. No wrap around promenade, that's a mistake, it's the way ships were built in the 1950's when walking just wasn't done.

7. People in the vista bar and vista walk on deck 16 will be able to look down onto the balconies of those below. So much for privacy.

 

Overall: Looks like a poor design.

[Spender Nui]

Everything you are looking for is available on HAL's "midsize" ships. :)

 

That's why we sail them.

[Spender Nui]

I think a lot of folks are operating on the wrong assumptions. The assumption was that Princess designed this ship to appeal to Princess cruisers. Why would they. This ship is designed to appeal more to the cruisers that Princess is NOT getting in favor of the Allure, Oasis, etc. They have seen how successful those builds have been.

 

New models of anything are rarely designed with current customers in mind. They are designed to attract new ones while not pissing off the old ones too much.

 

In short, the Royal was not designed to appeal to the forum regulars here, they just don't want you to hate it so much you leave the line period (which with all the other ships is not a realistic worry)

 

I've heard the prices on the 2 RCCL ships have dropped big time.

[pris993]

Oh no! We sailed on the first eastbound TA of the Eclipse, and we didn't like it at all. One of our main complaints was that you couldn't walk around the entire ship on the promenade deck; it felt so closed in to us. We walk all around the ship at least 2 or 3 times a day, and we really missed that on the Eclipse.

 

I agree with you, we cruised in the Mediterranean on the Equinox and just tried the Eciplse in the Carribbean for 7 days. Really missed the promenada deck on both ships. Did not like the MDR either, so tried BLU the second time. Something is missing from Celebrity -- was not impressed.

[pris993]

That's why we sail them.

 

Now if we could just get some better itineraries on HAL. I keep looking.

[pris993]

That's why we sail them.

 

Now if we could just get some better itineraries on HAL. I keep looking.

[RickEk]

WOW! Looks as if Princess is looking for different clients.

1. No real dance floors, a hallmark of Princess, and one of their best features. Wheelhouse is there, but no dance floor and its attached to a dining venue.

2. Explorers is gone, another live band venue missing, guess they just want to focus on saving money, while you spend money.

3. Club 6 has a dance floor, but that looks like the disco. Princess voyages I have been on have not had very much action in the disco.

4. The Vista Lounge has returned, I guess that is a good thing, but it appears to be the only place for dancing, and the Vista lounge isn't good for that.

5. The Lido pool deck is way way way way too small for 3600 passengers in the Caribbean. Unless Deck 17 has shade, passengers will have fist fights over the few shaded areas on deck 16.

6. No wrap around promenade, that's a mistake, it's the way ships were built in the 1950's when walking just wasn't done.

7. People in the vista bar and vista walk on deck 16 will be able to look down onto the balconies of those below. So much for privacy.

 

Overall: Looks like a poor design.

 

1 and 2 - Dunno... seems like enough dance floor space for the twenty or so people I've ever seen dancing on a Princess ship. You do seem fixated on the dance floor issue though... :p so I guess that's a deal breaker for you.

 

3 - It's probably a good thing that the disco is now on the lower decks (although I think I'll miss the view from Skywalkers). As you say, there usually isn't much action in Skywalkers, so having the disco on the lower decks will increase foot traffic. The most crowded discos I've seen have been on the Sun-class ships which are located on the Promenade deck.

 

4 - I'm very happy that the Vista Lounge has returned. It's a much better venue than Club Fusion or Universal Lounge.

 

5 - Maybe so. It does look like the Sports deck overhangs the Sun deck to create some shade. We'll have to see... And really... fist fights?

 

6 - I agree. They could have done something along the lines of Carnival's newest ships which are about the same size. Those Promenades are wrap-around and feature some nice venues and hot tubs.

 

7 - Okay... this made me laugh. Like there is privacy on any of the Grand-class vessels for the mini-suites on Dolphin deck?! :p I think there will be a much smaller number of non-private balconies on the Royal Princess as compared to the current fleet. Only those under the Sky-gimmicks and the aft balconies are exposed, but hey, you'd actually have to be on the Sky-gimmick or the aft Horizon terrace railing to see inside someone's balcony. Stand at the rail of a Grand-class Sun deck and you can see down into most every Dolphin balcony.

 

As others have said, we'll have to wait until the actual ship debuts to see how it's all put together and how it works... I'm reserving judgement until I hear some reviews or stand on her decks myself.

[c-legs]

ROYAL Princess ( debuts in 2013 )

''yet unnamed'' ( debuts in 2014 )= REGAL Princess ??

Same ''vein''....

 

but poor design....too much Sostice imitations without all its plusses.

Cheers

[dm33]

Wanted to throw my two cents in too.

 

Princess ships have been my favorite, but this ship looks like a Celebrity ship with a Princess logo on it. A wrap around promenade is an absolute must for my sailings and Princess ships have been some of the best. I love the many varied pools.

 

I will never sail on this Royal Princess. Hope they keep their other ships around a long time and change their ways after the Royal. Make me worry what other Celebrity related changes they're making. The only cruise we've ever disliked was the Celebrity Horizon. I couldn't wait to get off that ship. I would have paid to get off.

[Woobstr112G]

Wanted to throw my two cents in too.

 

Princess ships have been my favorite, but this ship looks like a Celebrity ship with a Princess logo on it. A wrap around promenade is an absolute must for my sailings and Princess ships have been some of the best. I love the many varied pools.

 

I will never sail on this Royal Princess. Hope they keep their other ships around a long time and change their ways after the Royal. Make me worry what other Celebrity related changes they're making. The only cruise we've ever disliked was the Celebrity Horizon. I couldn't wait to get off that ship. I would have paid to get off.

 

While I'm somewhat unhappy about the lack of a walk around promenade, I think we all should give it a try at least once. I'm sure the Royal will have things that are to die for.....:):):)

 

Bob