Just Back From The Royal Princess Inaugural Med-T/A Cruise

[Sanibel*Gal]

Thanks Bob for posting your review, we all certainly appreciated your "Live" these past days & we will be looking for your photos too.;)

[whitecap]

Bob, thanks for the review. We sail on her in Nov 2014 and have a aft facing cabin, D728. If I understand you post right, you are saying that the portion of your balcony that was covered in soot was the "wrap around portion, from the aft to the port side" that is NOT covered. Is that correct? Did the balconies that face aft have a soot problem?

Thanks

[TorontoTL]

Quite a comprehensive review. Just a few comments:

 

While we didn't bring a DVD or Blu-Ray player, we did bring a Mini-iPad and Nexus 7 with HDMI adapters and HDMI cable. The input button on the front of the TV was locked out and the remote was very basic. I found that unplugging the ship's HDMI cable and plugging mine in worked fine. We watched several movies and videos I had brought. The TV is a Viewsonic VT4236LED in case anyone would like to set up a universal remote prior to their cruise. Might be able to better access the TV settings that way.

 

We enjoyed Princess Live, particularly the evening quiz shows hosted by Deputy Dan. One thing we liked was walking by, seeing something going on, and stopping in. I also enjoyed Club 6. The veterans meeting were held there with much the same atmosphere as is in the Wheelhouse Bar on other ships. Princess continues to be a good supporter of veterans. I believe there were five meetings held on this cruise.

 

As a vegetarian, I don't feel qualified to comment on food, other than to say the quality and quantity available to us seemed about the same as other Princess ships we have sailed on.

 

It did seem some of the elevator issues might have been alleviated if more of those who were able had opted for the stairs more often. Also, I didn't think the distance between the forward and aft staircases was all that great to warrant a center staircase. It wasn't as if the staircases were all the way forward or aft. Far from it.

 

Interesting comment about the lack of central stairs Bill. That actually makes sense. I believe that the Solstice class ships also only have two sets of stairs, but only have two sets of elevators compared to the Royal Princess' three sets of elevators.

[bananavan]

Thanks to all who posted live from the Royal.

I have sailed on Celebrity Solstice and found her to be too big and as a result canceled the Royal TA once word got out about how she was constructed.

I am thrilled that Deputy Dan was onboard. Bob, is this the same young man from the UK who delighted many of us on the 2009 Ruby TA? If so, I am so glad that I made a point of letting Princess know that they had a real gem in him. He is brilliant.

[Floflegs]

Thanks for your review, Bob. I don't think we will be booking the Royal but, hopefully, we will cruise with you again sometime.

[Mom33]

Thanks for your review. Look forward to the pictures.:)

[The Big Booper]

Interesting comment about the lack of central stairs Bill. That actually makes sense. I believe that the Solstice class ships also only have two sets of stairs, but only have two sets of elevators compared to the Royal Princess' three sets of elevators.

 

Solstice class, like all RCI and =X= ships, has two banks of elevators. Forward bank is 1/3 way from the front of the ship and main bank is 2/3rds in. Since all the dining rooms are stacked at the rear there are no rear elevators needed. Since the theater and main lounges are in the forward section, the actual passenger activity happens between the two banks of elevators (totaling 24) and their staircases. The only reason to go to the extreme front or rear is to get to your cabin, so the actual walking required in moving around the public areas is less then the Royal.

 

Solstice class carries 2,800 pax, RP carries over 3,600 with the same total number of elevators. You do the math. Solstice is 122,000 GRT. RP is 141,000 GRT.

[Woobstr112G]

Bob, thanks for the review. We sail on her in Nov 2014 and have a aft facing cabin, D728. If I understand you post right, you are saying that the portion of your balcony that was covered in soot was the "wrap around portion, from the aft to the port side" that is NOT covered. Is that correct? Did the balconies that face aft have a soot problem?

Thanks

 

I pretty much had soot over the entire portion of the balcony.....:(:(:(

 

Bob

[Love.II.Cruise]

Thanks for taking the time to do a review!

[johnmik1]

Quite a comprehensive review. Just a few comments:

 

While we didn't bring a DVD or Blu-Ray player, we did bring a Mini-iPad and Nexus 7 with HDMI adapters and HDMI cable. The input button on the front of the TV was locked out and the remote was very basic. I found that unplugging the ship's HDMI cable and plugging mine in worked fine. We watched several movies and videos I had brought. The TV is a Viewsonic VT4236LED in case anyone would like to set up a universal remote prior to their cruise. Might be able to better access the TV settings that way.

 

We enjoyed Princess Live, particularly the evening quiz shows hosted by Deputy Dan. One thing we liked was walking by, seeing something going on, and stopping in. I also enjoyed Club 6. The veterans meeting were held there with much the same atmosphere as is in the Wheelhouse Bar on other ships. Princess continues to be a good supporter of veterans. I believe there were five meetings held on this cruise.

 

As a vegetarian, I don't feel qualified to comment on food, other than to say the quality and quantity available to us seemed about the same as other Princess ships we have sailed on.

 

It did seem some of the elevator issues might have been alleviated if more of those who were able had opted for the stairs more often. Also, I didn't think the distance between the forward and aft staircases was all that great to warrant a center staircase. It wasn't as if the staircases were all the way forward or aft. Far from it.

 

What amazed me was the large amount of fit looking people jamming themselves onto the elevators to go down one floor and this was forward and aft,not in the center.I understand that some people with issues look perfectly healthy but this was way beyond that.If I was within 4 floors either way,I walked when there was stairs available.

[CruiseKing]

Hi Bob and welcome home. Would it be possible for you to list the alternative dinning venues and any cost to use them. Thanks and our best to Holli.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Thanks for you review...sounds like after a rocky start you both enjoyed yourselves. We do not book suites, but looking at the photo it is not what I would expect if I did book one!

 

Glad you are home safely and thanks for taking the time to report back!

[CI66774]

What amazed me was the large amount of fit looking people jamming themselves onto the elevators to go down one floor and this was forward and aft,not in the center.I understand that some people with issues look perfectly healthy but this was way beyond that.If I was within 4 floors either way,I walked when there was stairs available.

 

Maybe it's the not-so-fit people (not talking about medical issues) that SHOULD be taking the stairs and not taking the elevator. Maybe then - they'd be fitter!

[Starlaker]

Don't judge a book by its cover. I look very fit, but arthritis in my feet makes it very painful for me to go up or down stairs.

[dforeigner]

Thanks for taking time to write a review.

[dmwnc1959]

Hi Bob, thanks for taking the time during the cruise to post on the Live From thread, and for taking the time to submit both this review and the one on CC. I know you were really really looking forward to the suite and I fully understand your disappointment when your expectations were so high. I'm really happy that in the end, you were able to enjoy your cruise despite that initial major disappointment with the cabin. So often, one big negative at the beginning of a vacation, can sour you for the rest of it. Glad that that didn't happen to you.

 

+1

 

Well said Benny.

 

Bob,

 

THANKS for a well balanced review. To have overcome such a disappointment is remarkable, and I'm glad that for the most part Royal Princess pleased you and Holli. I have a friend going on the 11/10 sailing who just got off the Queen Elizabeth and has reset his expectations. With all of the good and bad reports coming off of the ship it will be interesting to experience Royal Princess in person, and I am thankful for everything that so many others have witnessed to help the rest of us get ready.

[Woobstr112G]

In case anyone is curious about the OS suite I stayed in, I just finished uploading pictures to my flickr site.....:):):)

 

Bob

[CI66774]

+1

 

Well said Benny.

 

Bob,

 

THANKS for a well balanced review. To have overcome such a disappointment is remarkable, and I'm glad that for the most part Royal Princess pleased you and Holli. I have a friend going on the 11/10 sailing who just got off the Queen Elizabeth and has reset his expectations. With all of the good and bad reports coming off of the ship it will be interesting to experience Royal Princess in person, and I am thankful for everything that so many others have witnessed to help the rest of us get ready.

 

Although I'm not cruising on the Royal until later this year, I have cruised on the Queen Elizabeth and the QM2. Both ships had their high and low points. I'm sure the Royal will be the same.

[need2cruisesoon]

Thats a nice balcony, it's a shame it was covered by soot most of your cruise.:mad:

[icat2000]

I see what you mean about your suite. Its a shoe box. I would have been very disappointed. Especially if you had paid a lot of money and gotten that. Balcony nice too bad it was covered in soot.

[Woobstr112G]

Hi Bob and welcome home. Would it be possible for you to list the alternative dinning venues and any cost to use them. Thanks and our best to Holli.

 

Hi Bruce;

The usual alternative venues of Sabatini's & Crown Grill were ($25.00pp). The "Crabshack" and "Fondues" are "pop up" venues that are not offered every night. Bot4 take place in the Horizon Court and run $20.00pp.....:):):)

Tell Sharon Holli and I also say hello.

Bob

[dstables]

In case anyone is curious about the OS suite I stayed in, I just finished uploading pictures to my flickr site.....:):):)

 

Bob

 

Bob:

 

Boy have you ever put a lot of work into your photos! Awesome job! You might want to review your photos of your suite. I think you might want to remove one. :eek:

[need2cruisesoon]

Bob:

 

Boy have you ever put a lot of work into your photos! Awesome job! You might want to review your photos of your suite. I think you might want to remove one. :eek:

 

Hey Bob:

 

Yes please review your pics of the suite, you do indeed need to delete one that stands out among the rest.:eek:

[Cruise Junky]

Hey Bob:

 

Yes please review your pics of the suite, you do indeed need to delete one that stands out among the rest.:eek:

 

Or face divorce proceedings :) I e:mailed Bob a while back to point that out, hopefully he gets it.

[Guest arowe6]

As always, I enjoy reading your thoughts and reviews. We are sailing on Nivenber 17th in an aft cabin. Will be interesting to see the soot issues.

 

-Andrew:)