Pacific Pearl or Rhapsody of the seas

[spritz81]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm brand new here and am just trying to plan our very first cruise. Will be me, hubby, and 2 kids aged 15 and 6.

Just wondering which would be the better ship for us, Pacific Pearl orRhapsody of the seas? My 15 year old son just wants to eat his way around the ship and the 6 year daughter is wanting to try kids club. It will be out of school holidays though so not sure how many kids will be aboard. Hubby and I are not drinkers or interested in casino/nightclub but just want a nice relaxing holiday.

Any advice or thoughts would be great.

thanks heaps.

[spritz81]

Sorry, also I forgot ask, do you book online or through a travel agent and if you book online which sites do you use?

thanks again.

[The_Big_M]

Both ships cater well to the family market, so it may come down more to the itinerary and cruise price. Pearl has tips inclusive so pricing is likely to be better, whereas they are extra on Rhapsody.

 

Rhapsody is a little bigger though, so has a rock climbing wall that Pearl doesn't have, though Pearl has the acrobatic shows. On the other hand Rhapsody is in US currency onboard so you have the currency factor to be aware of. Also, some prefer to do laundry onboard - Pearl has self-service laundries, whereas Rhapsody you pay for the service, usually piece by piece though they sometimes have bag specials.

 

There are some other minor differences like the above, but they're not going to make or break a holiday, just different ways of doing things. I'd suggest focussing on dates and pricing as the main differentiators.

 

For the second question, we're not able to discuss specific TAs, either online or real world here. I've booked both direct through cruise lines and through TAs. Going direct gives you more flexibility and responsiveness though if you can find a good TA that can be helpful in difficult situations - though that is exceptional.

[Dizziedi]

Well I'm sure a lot of people will respond here so I'm going to give you my opinion:). To me, if it's just the ships you're comparing, it's a no brainer - it's Rhapsody. You just can't compare the two. However, if your son wants to eat his way through the ship (lol), again, I'd say the Rhapsody BUT P&O do the kids club very well though and probably cater for families better so you will have to weigh it all up:confused: As The Big M said, book it by where you want to go and what your pocket okays.

 

Cheers

Di

[subaru94]

For us it would be the Rhapsody of the Seas, she has just had a makeover and found her to be very relaxing ship, pools and spa stay open until midnight, whereas P&O close pools and spas as soon as it gets dark. Food in the Windjammer Restaurant Rhapsody is excellent. In regards to gratitudes when you get on the ship you can cancel it and pay whom you would like to. Also have option of paying gratitudes and then going to any time dining which means you can dine at any time in the main restaurant. I feel anyday at sea is a fantastic day. We have booked online and through a TA both have been excellent, will pay to shop around some fantastic bargains around. Happy to answer any questions you may have:D

[cjm66]

I suggest you take Big M's advice and focus on itinerary, timing and price. Check whether the RCL price includes gratuities - they are starting to advertise some prices that are inclusive and check carefully exactly what this "all inclusive" price covers - Ask if it covers the 15% service charge on your bar bill as well as the daily "hotel charge" - your contribution to the tips pool for the dining room waiters and back of house staff and the stewards etc who service your cabin. If this charge is NOT included you will be up for $11.65 per person (regardless of age) per day. You acan ask for the daily charge to be removed but NOT if you opt for anytime dining. The extras may still mean the cruise on RCL is within your budget, if not the Pearl would be the better choice on this basis if the itineraries and timing are comparable. I would not advise opting for the Pacific Jewel - the Pearl is reported as being a more attractive ship. I have sailed on the Jewel and while not fond of the ship itself found the service from P&O to be excellent.

 

Cheers and enjoy! Colleen

[musicorn]

I have been on the Rhapsody but not on the Pearl Until 8 days time and that will change. However, I have been on the Sun and Dawn with P&O.

 

I have a 15 year old son who likes the P&O cruise experience more that the RCI experience. Based on tenn club and food but he is a fussy eater.

 

The main difference between the 2 cruise lines you are comparing is easy really. Royal has nicer ships that are newer, bigger and prettier. P&O has better placed family fun (in my opinion). And itinerary may be a deciding factor as well.

 

My first cruise was on the Pacific Sun (the worst ship afloat according to some and I loved it).

 

Go with your heart and go with an open mind and you will have fun whatever ship you decide.

[Brossy]

I have cruised on both ships and I would pick Pacific Pearl. Why? P&O have more activities organised throughout the day and evening for both kids and adults, The kids clubs are also better run with a lot more stuff for kids to do (Especially the teenagers). You'll probably find that prices are cheaper on P&O too. The ship is nice (not as glam as Rhapsody but still nice :)).

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Both ships are fine.....if I had to choose one though , I would go for Rhapsody of the Seas.

I would also be looking at itinerary and price......:D:D

 

 

 

[Gayesy57]

I haven't been on the Pacific Pearl, but have been on the Pacific Sun and the Pacific Dawn, as well as the Rhapsody of the Seas. I imagine the experience on the Pearl would be similar to that on the Dawn, so will give my family's feedback on that and the Rhapsody. :)

 

We went on the Dawn back in Jan 2010 when the kids were almost 13 and almost 8, and on the Rhapsody last December (almost 15 and almost 10). You can't go wrong with either ship in my opinion, but my whole family did prefer the experience on the P&O.

 

Here are some comparisons and comments:

Room: On the Rhapsody it was perfectly adequate and comfortable, but the one on the Dawn (equivalent category) seemed a fair bit bigger. When you have four people trying to stash their junk, get dressed etc in the one space, every extra square metre is a bonus. You don't spend a lot of time in the room though, so that alone wouldn't be a big deal in my decision.

Ship in general: Both were lovely, had great pools, great areas to just sit and relax etc. The Rhapsody did seem to have more tables outside near the pool where you could bring your buffet breakfast food etc. Both were very clean and in good repair. One negative about the Rhapsody was that the pool was so highly chlorinated that it literally wrecked our bathers. We rinsed them out after each swim but clearly not well enough. :o Pool was very nice though, with ledges to sit and relax etc.

Kids clubs: My kids greatly preferred things on the Dawn. My daughter (the younger child) still enjoyed it on the Rhapsody, but the P&O kids' experience was much more fun. More and better activities, parties, you name it. Son didn't end up getting involved at all on the Rhapsody because he went along to the first few advertised activities and no leader showed up in the first 30 mins, so he got fed up and left. I did see teens enjoying activites later in the cruise, but unfortunately my son is shy and they kind of "missed the boat" (pardon the pun) by being slack at the start of the cruise.

Food: My whole family preferred the food on the Dawn. It seemed more suited to our fussy selves. :lol: The Rhapsody still had menus from its American cruises and was geared more to those tastes. The quality was fine, but the choices were things I and my kids are not that fond of. It was hard to find things at the buffet or on the menu we fancied, whereas on the Dawn, it was hard to narrow down choices because there was so much that appealed to us, if that makes any sense. On the Rhapsody, there is soft serve ice-cream available all the time for no additional charge, which kids seem to like. You can buy beverage packages on the Rhapsody, which makes soft drink affordable, but on the Dawn, you can bring on cans and you have a fridge in your room, so that works fine too.

Entertainment: We found it very good on the Dawn, and even better on the Rhapsody. This was one area in which the Rhapsody definitely had the edge in our opinion. Activities were good and varied on both ships.

Service: In general, great on both ships. Some staff on both were outstanding, and a few were so-so.

We had a great time on both cruises, but did prefer the overall experience on the Dawn.