So sad...Royal one star reviews

[bluesea321]

Agreed! Princess night time entertainment is definitely lacking. Glad we can make our own entertainment. We travel with friends who enjoy playing cards and that's what we do when we find nothing offered by Princess. That is happening more and more often.

 

I also agree. On our Royal cruise they had three 30 minutes shows in the theater at night and in order to get a seat we had to arrive about 30 minutes early. We went one night and it was not worth it. I used to remember the good old days when the typical show was 50-60 minutes and pretty good. I also remember good quality geographical/historical presentations in the theaters but not so anymore.

[bluesea321]

No big loss, who wants to fly around in circles over a cruise ship in a plexiglass sphere? :rolleyes:

 

Not me.... :)

[Coral]

Am I the only one who hated the Diamond? Did not care for the four small dining rooms at all.

 

Yes :) Though, it doesn't matter to me if the dining rooms are large or small. I don't judge a ship by that as long as I have a dining room to go to. I did like the decor of them - it was a nice change from the usual.

Edited April 17, 2014 by Coral

[Cruise Junky]

Am I the only one who hated the Diamond? Did not care for the four small dining rooms at all.

 

I actually liked that on Sapphire. I liked they had their own signature dishes

[Woobstr112G]

Though, RCCL has expanded their night time entertainment and it is pretty decent entertainment where Princess seems to be cutting back on that.

 

Agreed.....:):):)

 

Bob

Edited April 18, 2014 by Woobstr112G

[Woobstr112G]

I would happily trade Royal to get Sapphire or Diamond back

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

And how.....:):):)

 

Bob

Edited April 18, 2014 by Woobstr112G

[dorisis]

 

and how.....:):):)

 

bob

 

me too!!!

[hubofhockey]

What are problems to you are not problems to me. Quantum of the Seas??? I couldn't run far enough away!

 

See what I mean? To each his own. :)

 

Bases on the one star reviews? :D I'd wait until seeing reviews before believing the ship will be as tepidly received as the Royal.

 

You are correct though. If pools, balconies, or lack of a promenade deck are not important to you, then the Royal might be one of the great ships out there for you. Those factors are important to most people when it comes to Caribbean cruises and much of it is the result of cost cutting or lack of investment. I think the Royal is probably a very good ship for Baltic itineraries (why we booked it ;) ) but inadequate for the Caribbean.

[Mom33]

Bases on the one star reviews? :D I'd wait until seeing reviews before believing the ship will be as tepidly received as the Royal.

 

You are correct though. If pools, balconies, or lack of a promenade deck are not important to you, then the Royal might be one of the great ships out there for you. Those factors are important to most people when it comes to Caribbean cruises and much of it is the result of cost cutting or lack of investment. I think the Royal is probably a very good ship for Baltic itineraries (why we booked it ;) ) but inadequate for the Caribbean.

 

As a pool user and lover, I found the Royal met my needs for the Caribbean.I was able to swim laps during peak hours at both the Fountain and Retreat pools. I always thought the forward pool at the spa area on the Crown class as a sad waste, because so few people actually used it. It was great for me for swimming, but not cost effective for Princess. I did use the aft pool on the Crown class, but it isn't for swimming. It is a plunge or dipping pool.The Royal has a plunge pool also.

Most complaints about inadequate pools are actually complaints about not enough deck space around the pools for a lounger.

When one is willing to sit away from, but near the pool area, they can usually find a chair. Most people on all ships, either do not use the pool, or just go in, get wet and go back to their lounger. In reality, they use the swimming pool as a dipping pool. My pictures, taken on all my cruises as well as the Royal, have repeatedly shown this to be true.I have also seen this on the Royal pictures recently taken by others.

 

As far as the promenade and balcony, they both offered us outdoor spaces to commune with the sea. As for walking, the track on deck 18 was used by us and many others.

We enjoyed our Royal Princess Caribbean cruise as much as our Emerald and Crown cruises in the Caribbean.

[pcsunlover]

As a pool user and lover, I found the Royal met my needs for the Caribbean.I was able to swim laps during peak hours at both the Fountain and Retreat pools. I always thought the forward pool at the spa area on the Crown class as a sad waste, because so few people actually used it. It was great for me for swimming, but not cost effective for Princess. I did use the aft pool on the Crown class, but it isn't for swimming. It is a plunge or dipping pool.The Royal has a plunge pool also.

Most complaints about inadequate pools are actually complaints about not enough deck space around the pools for a lounger.

When one is willing to sit away from, but near the pool area, they can usually find a chair. Most people on all ships, either do not use the pool, or just go in, get wet and go back to their lounger. In reality, they use the swimming pool as a dipping pool. My pictures, taken on all my cruises as well as the Royal, have repeatedly shown this to be true.I have also seen this on the Royal pictures recently taken by others.

 

As far as the promenade and balcony, they both offered us outdoor spaces to commune with the sea. As for walking, the track on deck 18 was used by us and many others.

We enjoyed our Royal Princess Caribbean cruise as much as our Emerald and Crown cruises in the Caribbean.

 

If you were able to swim laps in the fountain pool during peak hours (which I consider between 10 & 2) then you were very fortunate. We sat out above the fountain pool (on deck 17) every sea day from 9 - 2pm and that pool was packed, both in and around the outer perimeter. The only exception we saw was the first sea day because the water was very cold.

 

In my opinion, the pool deck on Royal is nice because of all the extra seating, not because of the pools. And the deck above (17) doesn't come close to being as nice as those on the other ships I mentioned. There are too many glass partitions and big lights (for the fountain show I believe).

[pcsunlover]

Though, RCCL has expanded their night time entertainment and it is pretty decent entertainment where Princess seems to be cutting back on that.

 

I agree!

[Iamcruzin]

I also agree. On our Royal cruise they had three 30 minutes shows in the theater at night and in order to get a seat we had to arrive about 30 minutes early. We went one night and it was not worth it. I used to remember the good old days when the typical show was 50-60 minutes and pretty good. I also remember good quality geographical/historical presentations in the theaters but not so anymore.

 

Well this sounds discouraging. You have to arrive 30min early for a thirty minute show, climb over the seats to get one with a non obstructed view while holding your drink because there isn't a table to place it on. Sounds like the passengers are putting on the show.

 

The Princess theater is probably the worst at sea on any ship and it seems that cutting the shows in half and adding an additional one hasn't helped the seating problem.

[kendon]

We got to the Princess theater 15 minutes before with no problem. In New York, I get to any live venue at least 15-30 minutes before show time with reserved seating. No big deal.

[kendon]

We got to the Princess theater 15 minutes before with no problem. In New York, I get to any live venue at least 15-30 minutes before show time with reserved seating.

[bluesea321]

As a pool user and lover, I found the Royal met my needs for the Caribbean. I was able to swim laps during peak hours at both the Fountain and Retreat pools. I always thought the forward pool at the spa area on the Crown class as a sad waste, because so few people actually used it. It was great for me for swimming, but not cost effective for Princess. I did use the aft pool on the Crown class, but it isn't for swimming. It is a plunge or dipping pool.The Royal has a plunge pool also.

 

Most complaints about inadequate pools are actually complaints about not enough deck space around the pools for a lounger. When one is willing to sit away from, but near the pool area, they can usually find a chair. Most people on all ships, either do not use the pool, or just go in, get wet and go back to their lounger. In reality, they use the swimming pool as a dipping pool. My pictures, taken on all my cruises as well as the Royal, have repeatedly shown this to be true. I have also seen this on the Royal pictures recently taken by others.

 

As far as the promenade and balcony, they both offered us outdoor spaces to commune with the sea. As for walking, the track on deck 18 was used by us and many others.

 

We enjoyed our Royal Princess Caribbean cruise as much as our Emerald and Crown cruises in the Caribbean.

 

It is interesting how different people see the same things and form different opinions. I guess that's what makes us all unique. :) I know you love the Royal, no doubt, and I would not want to dissuade you from that (it would be impossible anyway) but I would like to present a different perspective on your comments for others that may be reading this thread.

 

In reality it is not feasible to swim laps on any ship; the pools are too small in comparison. A good swimmer would take about three strokes from one end of the Fountain pool to the other, hardly what we would consider a lap back at home. The only place I have found to "swim" on a ship is the Spa/Retreat pools of the Grand class of ships. They have a “stationary” swimming machine that allowed me and my wife to swim continuously for a while. We found this machine quite popular during our cruises on the Sapphire, Ruby, Grand, etc. We also found the Spa/Retreat pool used extensively by those on the Retreat and the Sanctuary.

 

Like pcsunlover said, if you swam in the Fountain and Retreat pools you were fortunate. On our cruise on sea days it was difficult to find much space either in the pool or on the edges and ditto for the hot tubs. There are only 6 hot tubs on the Royal, each with a stated capacity of 6 people. The Royal holds more passengers than the Crowns but has less pool and hot tub space than the other ships.

 

The Aft pools on the Crowns are far larger than the plunge pool on the Royal. There is really no comparison as the surface area of the aft pools is about 3 to 4 times larger.

 

Regarding chairs around the main pool area, on port days it was not a problem but on the 3 sea days after about 9:30 am the chairs were either occupied or “hogged”. We could only find chairs by deck 17 aft close to the fitness center. This worked ok for us but would not work well for others who wanted to be closer to the activities by the pool. It is sad that so many people place a book on a chair and disappear for hours.

 

The Royal emphasizes their high ratio of balcony staterooms - 81% of cabins are balcony – only 19% inside. We knew that the balconies were smaller but were surprised how small they are in comparison. I measured my balcony, a mere 3’ 7” (same for nearly all Balcony, Deluxe Balcony and Mini-Suites). The chairs are smaller and not as comfortable – and cannot be reclined unless placed sideways. Since balconies are all the rage these days this seems counterproductive, especially since there was room, beam wise, to make them larger.

 

There is no comparison between the promenade deck on the Grands and the jogging track on the Royal, soot aside which I hope they resolve soon. Walking on the Promenade was a real joy for us.

 

Lastly you mentioned that you enjoyed your Royal cruise as much as your Emerald and Crown cruises and I have no doubt that this is true. :) However, since the approval ratings for the Emerald and Crown are higher most people apparently did not.

[Mom33]

It is interesting how different people see the same things and form different opinions. I guess that's what makes us all unique. :) I know you love the Royal, no doubt, and I would not want to dissuade you from that (it would be impossible anyway) but I would like to present a different perspective on your comments for others that may be reading this thread.

 

In reality it is not feasible to swim laps on any ship; the pools are too small in comparison. A good swimmer would take about three strokes from one end of the Fountain pool to the other, hardly what we would consider a lap back at home. The only place I have found to "swim" on a ship is the Spa/Retreat pools of the Grand class of ships. They have a “stationary” swimming machine that allowed me and my wife to swim continuously for a while. We found this machine quite popular during our cruises on the Sapphire, Ruby, Grand, etc. We also found the Spa/Retreat pool used extensively by those on the Retreat and the Sanctuary.

 

Like pcsunlover said, if you swam in the Fountain and Retreat pools you were fortunate. On our cruise on sea days it was difficult to find much space either in the pool or on the edges and ditto for the hot tubs. There are only 6 hot tubs on the Royal, each with a stated capacity of 6 people. The Royal holds more passengers than the Crowns but has less pool and hot tub space than the other ships.

 

The Aft pools on the Crowns are far larger than the plunge pool on the Royal. There is really no comparison as the surface area of the aft pools is about 3 to 4 times larger.

 

Regarding chairs around the main pool area, on port days it was not a problem but on the 3 sea days after about 9:30 am the chairs were either occupied or “hogged”. We could only find chairs by deck 17 aft close to the fitness center. This worked ok for us but would not work well for others who wanted to be closer to the activities by the pool. It is sad that so many people place a book on a chair and disappear for hours.

 

The Royal emphasizes their high ratio of balcony staterooms - 81% of cabins are balcony – only 19% inside. We knew that the balconies were smaller but were surprised how small they are in comparison. I measured my balcony, a mere 3’ 7” (same for nearly all Balcony, Deluxe Balcony and Mini-Suites). The chairs are smaller and not as comfortable – and cannot be reclined unless placed sideways. Since balconies are all the rage these days this seems counterproductive, especially since there was room, beam wise, to make them larger.

 

There is no comparison between the promenade deck on the Grands and the jogging track on the Royal, soot aside which I hope they resolve soon. Walking on the Promenade was a real joy for us.

 

Lastly you mentioned that you enjoyed your Royal cruise as much as your Emerald and Crown cruises and I have no doubt that this is true. :) However, since the approval ratings for the Emerald and Crown are higher most people apparently did not.

 

By all means, your perspective is welcome, as is mine. I also provided my experience on my cruise, as well as my perspective. This, and the many pictures posted on CC can help future cruisers make a well informed decision

on sailing the Royal. :D

Edited April 18, 2014 by Mom33

[bluesea321]

We got to the Princess theater 15 minutes before with no problem. In New York, I get to any live venue at least 15-30 minutes before show time with reserved seating. No big deal.

 

Apples and Oranges... Reserved seating and a good Symphony/Opera/Theater performance lasting 2 hours or more makes a big difference. In Houston we do the same as you, arrive early, linger around the lobbies, have a drink, people watch, etc. We go in when they flash the lights and with a show lasting 2 hours or more this is no big deal as you said. Big difference however in the Royal theater. The shows at 8:30 and 10:30 pm were quite crowded and the quality of the 30 minute shows hardly made them worthwhile for us.

[bluesea321]

By all means, your perspective is welcome, as is mine. I also provided my experience on my cruise, as well as my perspective. This, and the many pictures posted on CC can help future cruisers make a well informed decision on sailing the Royal. :D

 

I agree fully... :)

[CI66774]

I swam laps (albeit short ones) in the Royal Retreat pool without problem. Also found chairs on the pool deck without problem. In fact, although the Retreat area was a little windy at times, it was never crowded and I enjoyed that area very much. I'm booked on the Royal again soon so I'll have to go back and confirm my observations. :D

[BRANDEE1]

I swam laps (albeit short ones) in the Royal Retreat pool without problem. Also found chairs on the pool deck without problem. In fact, although the Retreat area was a little windy at times, it was never crowded and I enjoyed that area very much. I'm booked on the Royal again soon so I'll have to go back and confirm my observations. :D

 

 

Hard to determine if a ship has adequate pool space unless you know the time of the year and itinerary.

 

July 5th Mediterranean cruise with 400+ youngsters on the Royal the main pool was over crowded (there is no teen pool on the Royal). On our cruise, the Retreat pool was so windy on two days it was unusable. Can not imagine the July 18th cruise with 800 youngsters.

 

Last month in the Caribbean on the Emerald there were 24 youngsters. The dozen teens lived at the teen pool area. The two main pools had room to "swim a lap".

 

Since Princess is advertising family cruising, why did they eliminate pools especially the teen pool?

[joe/jack]

We returned last Sunday and for the most part had a nice vacation.

Service was not outstanding

Food in the Dinning Rooms was fair

Entertainment was good

Balcony little small but worked

Ship was very nice but no mid-ship staircase could be an issue in an emergency situation. (scary to think about)

There is not doubt they are cutting corners to fill cabins.

We will now try Celebrity and compare Service

Just one persons opinion!!

:cool:

[Colo Cruiser]

We returned last Sunday and for the most part had a nice vacation.

Service was not outstanding

Food in the Dinning Rooms was fair

Entertainment was good

Balcony little small but worked

Ship was very nice but no mid-ship staircase could be an issue in an emergency situation. (scary to think about)

There is not doubt they are cutting corners to fill cabins.

We will now try Celebrity and compare Service

Just one persons opinion!!

:cool:

 

Thats what the mid ship stairway is used for, Crew/Emergencies!

Not scary at all.

[cruiseclues]

On the first Page of the Cruise Critic Member Reviews (25 most recent) Royal Princess had only one 1 Star Review. :):):):)

[louden]

I actually liked that on Sapphire. I liked they had their own signature dishes

 

Loved the variety of dining rooms on the Diamond and Sapphire and the signature dishes. So much more interesting than Traditional dining rooms

 

Louden

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[A1A]

On the first Page of the Cruise Critic Member Reviews (25 most recent) Royal Princess had only one 1 Star Review. :):):):)

 

Are things getting better or do Royal Princess Cruisers expect less? If you look at the beginning date of this thread, you will see that it is over a month old. Prior to the beginning of this thread the reviews were much lower than they are now. One could debate that Princess Lovers have come out to support their brand, that the expectation level is lower due to many negative reviews or that some issues have self corrected.

 

Having sailed aboard the Royal a mere 4 weeks ago, I would say it's perhaps a combination of all. The Royal is a beautiful ship but there a few kinks that need to be (an will) worked out. For folks with issues that include center staircases, and a promenade deck they may not remain fans and choose to sail elsewhere or on Pre-Royal Princess Ships.

 

Cheers!

Ken