Princess passenger considering making the move

[micbri]

My DW and I are in our mid-50s and have only cruised for the last 10 years or so. All eight cruises have been with Princess - we've always liked the food and service but we've noticed a gradual decline in the quality and quantity of entertainment options available on sea days or in the evenings.

 

We're considering a switch to RCL or Celebrity. Can anyone who's sailed these lines (and Princess) give me some info on the differences from Princess? What would be better and what might not be as good? Surely entertainment has to be better than we experienced on our last cruise where we found ourselves looking for something to do after dinner.

 

BTW none of our Princess cruises have been of the 'small-ship' variety, so we would not be intimidated by trying out the Allure or Oasis.

 

Thanks!

[debshomespun]

We have cruised twice on Princess. Twice on Celebrity, and 20+ on RC. We didn't care for Princess. The crew on both cruises were not very friendly. Maybe it was just the ones we encountered. Also, just something about the whole atmosphere of the cruises.

 

We have cruised many times on RC, and like the product. They have a wide variety of ships, from small intimate ones, to the really large ones. RC has a very nice program for repeat cruisers. We have moved up through the ranks and really enjoy our perks.

 

We have only been on 2 Celebrity, but really enjoyed them. They seemed to be a step above that of RC. Their food is better, IMO which is personal preference. Celebrity seems to be a bit more refined passengers (if that makes any sense) and a bit older than the average RC passenger. Also, the longer cruises tend to draw a bit of an older passenger.

 

It also could depend on which ship and itinerary you would choose. Hope this helps.

[39august]

I suggest you start with a Freedom or Voyager class RCI ship, then work up to Oasis or Allure! There is plenty to do on those two classes of ships. We took our first 6 cruises on Princess and loved it. But since our first RCI cruise we have never gone back. The ships are more functional and more beautiful with RCI. Balcony rooms are bigger with actual seating areas, whereas on the Princess ships we sailed, there were no seating areas in balcony cabins. Entertainment is generally good and varied. Parades in the Promenade are fun, and there are usually two per cruise. The ice shows are amazing! I expect food is about the same. RCI service is very good and very friendly. I think RCI is a bit less formal than Princess. Tho' RCI markets to families, their children's programs generally keep kids busy and not so noticable elsewhere on the ships. There are adults only Solarium pool areas on these ships that are quite lovely. Also there is a sauna and a steam room inside the locker rooms for no charge. Can't remember whether Princess charges for these.

[OCruisers]

We mostly cruise on Princess (best fit for us) but do cruise on other lines as well from time to time.

Give Oasis/Allure a try. ;)

LuLu

~~~

[fabby50]

We are in California and cruised quite frequently with RCCL when they sailed from here. We were very disappointed when they left and have been cruising Princess. In fact, our next four cruises are Princess. BUT - RCCL is coming back to California and we jumped on a reservation as soon as we heard about it. We're really looking forward to seeing if everything we loved about RCCL (one of them the entertainment) is still as good as it used to be or if it has been downgraded like a lot o things we've seen on other lines (entertainment being a big one).

 

Princess has beautiful ships, but they have seemed a bit "old fashioned" for us - even the pre-cruise on-line experience - even Carnival is much better.

 

We are really looking forward to going on RCCL again.

[Worn out mailman]

Hi. I've sailed on 4 different classes of RCCL ship, and have sailed on Ruby, Emerald, and Caribbean Princess. We've noticed the changes you mentioned, on both lines actually. Princess seems to have made changes to come to terms with the increased passenger load due to the addition of Riviera deck.

 

RCCL may have to make similar changes soon to cope with policy changes re.maximizing passengers per stateroom, plus on the Voyager class they're adding staterooms.

 

We like the dining room experience better on Royal. The dining rooms are more elegant looking, and the wait staff gets to know you very well. The staterooms are a little bigger, the showers on some ships have solid enclosures, not curtains.

 

Personally, I like the upper deck layout (pools) better on Princess. The availability of snack food is better on Princess, hands down. I also like the entertainment around the ships better on Princess, especially Movies Under the Stars.

 

It's the itineraries that keep us on Royal, and that along with the cutbacks the prices have stayed the same for a lot of years. Princess has raised their fares and taken an Island off many of their sailings. If we were wealthier, I think we'd do the 10 day sailings on Princess, though their new class of ship that's

taking these over doesn't look so great to me.

[negc]

One of the few problems we had during our cruises with Princess was the difficult traffic patterns which prevented you from getting from one point on a deck to another without having to go up or down a deck, crossing over a section and then going back down or up to get to my destination. I think the placement of the galleys on some of the ships was responsible for that.

In most other ways we found the two lines similar, although I have read complaints about the constant high level sound of MUTS which ran from early morning to late evening. RCI seems to settled for a much less intrusive system that allows guests to use the outdoor pool without being unnecessarily disturbed by the sound system.

When we used Princess' Anytime Dining the frequent use of beepers seemed to indicate frequent and lengthy waits for a table, something we have yet to experience with RCI.

[George C]

We have sailed Princess 4 times , Celeberity once and RCCL 11 times, love the RCCL ships and entertainment, I thought food was a little better on Princess, but in general perfer RCCL

[micbri]

Does RCCL offer anytime dining in its dining rooms?

[mrpayroll]

Does RCCL offer anytime dining in its dining rooms?

 

Yes they do, but it must be for the entire week. You either have early , late, or anytime.

[OCruisers]

Yes they do, but it must be for the entire week. You either have early , late, or anytime.

 

Specialty Restaurants are also an option. :)

We are not fond on the MDR food on RCCL ... but absolutely LOVE their specialty restaurants.

LuLu

~~~

Edited March 24, 2014 by OCruisers

[Stateroom_Sailor]

Our seasoned cruising friends (mid 60's) just did their 3rd cruise on Princess last month. They said the food had gone downhill, the cabins less comfy, and not enough entertainment to their liking. They primarily sail Royal Caribbean and Celebrity (sometimes Disney with the grandchildren), so maybe try both out.

 

You'll probably find more activities at night on Royal Caribbean, more luxury on Celebrity.

[hansolosmom]

We were on the Caribbean Princess a couple years ago, Celebrity Reflection this past summer and multiple RC ships.

 

We really enjoyed the Princess cruise. I like the design & layout. My mom loved the coffee place & the sitting area where they did the activities. (Of course the pastries you could get with the coffee) I love MUTS and the cookies. We enjoyed the ship and the dining. We started out as Anytime & luckily got it moved to early - we had a nightmare experience with Anytime. Other than that the trip was wonderful.

 

We did Celebrity this summer & the whole cruise left a bad taste in my mouth. The ship is pretty, much like the elegant look of the Princess ship. Most of the staff was great. Food was Ok, everyone says it's soooo much better but we didn't find it to be. However we had the most horrible other passengers on-board, very rude & obnoxious. I have never been knocked into or over like I was on this trip. It'll be along time before I sail with them again. I didn't find it "upscale" at all. I also thought the ship felt crowded. We were at capacity but I've never felt crowded before on a ship. (Not sure if that makes sense)

 

We've done multiple RC trips, the biggest ship we've done is Freedom. I agree with whoever else said to to give that class a try. We love the Promenade, I could sit & people watch there all day. Also I totally admit I like to run through the splash zone. I hate getting in & out of the pool, so it's a nice place to hang out. The ice show is amazing & in general the entertainment is good.

 

Hope that helps a bit.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Since you specifically mentioned entertainment as your concern, then by all means try one of the larger RC ships, as I find that they have very good entertainment and lots of different options (although we sail this Sunday on the Freedom, and it appears that the main shows are exactly the same as they were when we cruised Freedom two years ago!).

 

I personally find the dining room food better on Princess, and I love the International Café and pizzeria on Princess, far better than the Cafe' Promenade or the pizza on Royal Caribbean. Buffet perhaps a slight edge to Royal Caribbean.

 

We like trying different lines here and there! Variety is good!

Edited March 24, 2014 by sunsetbeachgal

[flatcircle]

We've sailed Princess (1), Celebrity (1), and RCI (2); all other cruises have been on HAL (6). We found entertainment, crew friendliness & Anytime Dining much better on RCI than Princess. We try to avoid Princess (due to a terrible experience with the front desk) and Celebrity (lots of complaining passengers) & usually choose for ports/dates. Of the 4 lines, we have found RCI to have the best evening entertainment (main stage & small venues).

[mailmama]

Have to give an edge to RCCL for the entertainment (and a hugh kudos for shows on Oasis class) Princess is just ok unless you get to see the Bayou show on the Coral. Both lines are about the same on trivia, casino, bingo etc. Princess has 2 venues I prefer however. One is the International Cafe. So much better than Cafe Promenade on Royal ships. Service better and quality of food at the International Cafe better. Princess also has a true outside grill that I love. Princess has movies every night on offer while Royal has a few and more shows. This depends on what you enjoy really. Pizza imho is better on Princess. Royal does not have a grill outside for the hamburgers/ chicken sandwiches and hotdogs. That is a great place on Princess to grab a bite to eat anytime. I give Princess an edge to the ships with a "swim against the current" pool. Really I love both cruise lines and service has always been great on both. I think it depends on how active or laid back you want your vacation to be. Active? Go with Royal. Especially the Oasis/Allure. It's non-stop. Relaxing? Go Princess. Celebrity is ok but really we found them to have a more sedate crowd on board than we like. Food was good but that's not the focus of our cruise. We are mid-50's and Celebrity is our least favorite.

[TexCruise371]

I t really depends on what you are looking for. Royal sure has the flow riders, rock walls, ice skating rink and Ice shows. On Allure and Oasis there is the Aqua theater and their shows. Show wise there is Chicago and Hairspray. Royals ships are great and easy to navigate. Oh, and don't forget Shrek, the dreamworks characters, the Barbie experience, etc.

 

Celebrity is more laid back, maybe a little more older crowd. Fewer annoucements for bingo.We have loved our Celebrity cruises, especially on the newer Solstice class ships. They are really nice

Our experience with the dining rooms and food have been about equal.

Good luck on which you choose and enjoy!

 

 

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[Worn out mailman]

Have to give an edge to RCCL for the entertainment (and a hugh kudos for shows on Oasis class) Princess is just ok unless you get to see the Bayou show on the Coral. Both lines are about the same on trivia, casino, bingo etc. Princess has 2 venues I prefer however. One is the International Cafe. So much better than Cafe Promenade on Royal ships. Service better and quality of food at the International Cafe better. Princess also has a true outside grill that I love. Princess has movies every night on offer while Royal has a few and more shows. This depends on what you enjoy really. Pizza imho is better on Princess. Royal does not have a grill outside for the hamburgers/ chicken sandwiches and hotdogs. That is a great place on Princess to grab a bite to eat anytime. I give Princess an edge to the ships with a "swim against the current" pool. Really I love both cruise lines and service has always been great on both. I think it depends on how active or laid back you want your vacation to be. Active? Go with Royal. Especially the Oasis/Allure. It's non-stop. Relaxing? Go Princess. Celebrity is ok but really we found them to have a more sedate crowd on board than we like. Food was good but that's not the focus of our cruise. We are mid-50's and Celebrity is our least favorite.

 

Mailmama added what I wanted to add: About Oasis and Allure regarding the excellent entertainment, entirely in a different class than any of the other RCCL ships I've been on (with the exception of the ice shows that are also on Voyager class and Freedom Class). Princess stage shows qualify to me as "cheesy". So do the run of the mill RCCL shows except those on Oasis and Allure. The Aqua Theater show is awesome.

 

She also mentioned the International Café. You'll miss that on an RCCL ship. They do a great job with fresh pastries and switching things up a little. The only thing that Café Promenade has that I.C. on Princess doesn't is free coffee. Also, along with no Pizza and burgers right on the pool deck, there's also no buffet that stays open late, so you can't get, say, a piece of yummy Boston Cream pie at 10pm to make you sleepy.

 

While these things may make you reluctant to switch, Don't worry. A cruise on RCCL is a very enjoyable experience that you'll love.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Worn out mailman

[kruzerci]

Royal Caribbean definitely has the best ships and entertainment but the food quality is not very good. People will say that it is fine, but if you have remotely high standards, you very well may be disappointed. We eat most of our dinners at specialty restaurants to avoid the MDR these days.

 

On the flip side, there is lots of live music and fantastic entertainment.

[tink1974]

Made the switch tonight! 8 cruises on princess..it was time for a change. I agree with you that's why we decided to try something new and hoping we are happy! The perks for being platinum on princess are not enough to keep me coming back this year! It seems like there was so much less to do on our last cruise in Nov.! Now we will have the opposite problem! Lol I hope the food is comparable.

 

 

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