Comparing RC and Princess...my thoughts

[divingaggie]

RC vs. Princess

 

I've posted this in the Princess forum, but I wanted to share here as well...

 

Compared to most, I'm still a pretty new cruiser. I've been on two Princess cruises (Island and Ruby), and most recently, I went on Freedom of the Seas with Royal Caribbean. Before going on Freedom, DH and I tried to see what people thought of both and what the differences were. We have LOVED Princess, but since we have an 11-yr-old boy, we thought that we'd give Freedom a try to see if DS would like the activities better. So we went into the cruise with an open mind, excited about experiencing a new line.

 

So with that said, after returning, I jotted down a few things that we like better about one or the other, and I wanted to share that with everyone.

 

What we liked better about Royal Caribbean:

 

--Checking in was faster, even though we weren't experienced RC cruisers. We typically arrive by about 10 or 11, and we have had to sit in a holding area with Princess. But with RC, as soon as we checked in, we were able get on the ship.

 

--We loved the miniature ship models on each floor. We could always see where we were in reference to the rest of the ship.

 

--We also loved the touch screen guides on each floor. We could see where we were and how to get to any part of the ship. We could also see all of the activities going on and the menu for that evening.

 

--I actually liked the Royal Promenade much better than the Princess plaza concept. I liked being to walk up and down the mall area, and the parties along the promenade were great.

 

--Since we don't spend the money on balconies or suites, we usually book interior or oceanview. I appreciated the shower stalls with the actual sliding door. I can't stand the teeny shower stall on Princess, and I especially don't like the curtain.

 

--I know that it isn't that big of a deal, but we were always excited to see what towel animals would be waiting for us at night.

 

--I think that the shows on RC are much better than the shows I've seen on Princess. Now, shows aren't make or break for us, though.

 

--We liked the fact that there were two movies that were showing during our week that were brand new (in theaters at home).

 

--This is BIG for me. I LOVED the fact that RC had a one-price-pays-all for photos. I bought the photo package before the cruise, so since I knew that we already could get all of our pics, then we took advantage of as many photo ops that we could find. I wish, wish, wish that Princess would start doing this!

 

--I like the gym on RC better. It seems bigger, and the layout is nicer.

 

--DH loved that there were soccer games on the ship.

 

--Little things--I think I liked the design & art on RC better than on Princess, but I would never make a decision between lines based on that.

 

--DS liked self-serve ice cream. Easy to get.

 

--We loved the Tutti salad in the MDR for lunch. GREAT salad!

 

--The cruise directors and assistant cruise directors on RC seemed way more fun. And we saw the officers much more on RC than we ever do on Princess. The night activities seemed more enthusiastically attended on RC than on Princess.

 

What I liked better about Princess:

 

--The buffet! I think that although the layout on RC was better, the food choices and quality were better on Princess. I know that there are buffet staples for breakfast and lunch. I don't expect a buffet to be completely different every single day, but I do expect some variety. I don't remember much variety on RC. We like that on Princess, we can tell the difference between the days' offerings.

 

--The PIZZA is divine on Princess. DH, DS and I ate the pizza on Princess every single day, and some days, we ate it multiple times! I can pretty much eat any pizza. Even frozen pizza makes me happy sometimes. But my frozen pizza is better than the pizza I ate on RC. Ugh.

 

--The grill on Princess...it was nice to be able to get hamburgers, grilled chicken and hot dogs easily while we were at the pool.

 

--The MDR lunches were much better on Princess. And of the three sea days on RC, they used the same lunch menu twice. I was expecting three different lunch menus like we have seen on Princess...I sound so spoiled. But for foodies like us, it's nice to have different choices each day.

 

--MDR food was so much better for us on Princess. I love the fish dishes on Princess. I have enjoyed almost everything I have eaten in the MDR on Princess, and I just liked the food on RC. It's good, sure. I never sent anything back. I ate it and liked it. But I really like Princess MDR food that much better. There was nothing that made me go WOW on RC whereas I can list easily the things I love on Princess.

 

--DH and I love the tea times on Princess.

 

--Coming back on port days, we received cooling towels and bottled water with Princess. Nothing like that on Royal Caribbean.

 

--We like not having to check towels in and out on Princess. That got annoying on RC.

 

--Service in the MDR seemed better and more organized on Princess. I don't think that our waiters were bad at all. They just seemed more frazzled and rushed than the ones we've had on Princess. Also, we like having the bread basket at our table on Princess. Unless we flagged down our waiters or waiter assistants on RC, we would never get a second bread roll. But they were always so rushed that they often forgot to offer us more bread.

 

--We like the closet area and storage availability on Princess much better. Smarter layout.

 

--Smoking--I don't know what it is, but it seemed to me that in the public areas outside, there was more of a compliance with the smoking rules on Princess than on RC. I think that this is a fault of the passengers who could care less about rules and other people, but it is also because they weren't being told to stop smoking. But I am sure that the poor RC workers were afraid of the complaints that would have been turned in about them.

 

--Movies Under the Stars--SO much better on Princess. The popcorn, the blankets--so nice. I tried to watch a movie outside on RC, and I had to get five towels to cover myself with.

 

--The game room. We tried to find the game room on RC, and we found a room at the top that had some cards. There may have been some games in there somewhere, but if there were, they must have been hidden in the cabinets or something. It was also a quiet area, so it was hard for us to play games and chat. We aren't loud, but we want to laugh a little without getting looks from the next table. On Princess, we loved the fact that we could go to one of the restaurants (designated for family games) any time during the day, and there would be a table full of games we could borrow, and many tables that we could use. There is also a table set up with drinks and snacks for us. Nice touch.

 

--The International Cafe. Enough said. YUM.

 

--The non-alcoholic beverage package was better for DS on Princess. The package on Princess included the mocktails, whereas the one on RC only included sodas (and other drinks, but not mocktails). Our kiddo loves his mocktails.

 

--We love the promenade deck on Princess much better. We love the loungers on Princess, and it just seemed more relaxing than on RC.

 

--There seemed to be less announcements on Princess. I liked that.

 

--The procedure for leaving the ship on port days seemed much more organized on Princess. It seemed confusing and crowded on RC.

 

--Wheelhouse Bar's fish & chips lunch

 

BOTH:

 

To tell you the truth, if someone were to gift me a cruise on RC or Princess, I would be ecstatic. But if I'm paying, I would pay for Princess much more readily than RC.

 

But, I think that many things are similar. The service we have received on both lines has been super. The people who work the lines are hard-working, dedicated and friendly. There was nothing that they wouldn't do for us. We liked both cabins. We love trivia, and we enjoyed both lines. I think the shopping was similar on both lines, but I'm not that big of a shopper. There were activities throughout the day on both ships that have kept us occupied, and the music has been good on both. We have loved all of our cabin stewards, no matter what line.

 

Like I said above, I'd go back again on both, but if given the same itinerary that is served by both, I would probably choose Princess. I hope that this is helpful for anyone who is looking for differences and similarities between them.

 

Happy cruising!

Bernadette

Edited July 1, 2014 by divingaggie

[Aquahound]

Very nice, balanced comparison. Thanks for your thoughts. :)

[macleay]

Great comparison! I've been on several Princess cruises and only one RCI cruise. I felt they were pretty comparable in most ways.

 

I did like the nightly entertainment on RCI much more than Princess.

 

I did LOVE the pizza on Princess as you said!

 

I'd go on either, but if the itineraries were the same, I'd pick Princess just because we're Elite for those benefits.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your comparison.

[retire2cruise55]

Thank you for the comparison.. Never been on Princess. Your review is very helpful.

[pops43]

Thank you, divingaggie, for the excellent review. See also RCCL vs Princess on this RCI board.

[hollon]

Since you've been on the Island and the Freedom, if you had to do it over again, which of these two ships would you pick and why?

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[divingaggie]

Since you've been on the Island and the Freedom, if you had to do it over again, which of these two ships would you pick and why?

That is comparing two completely different ships. The Island is much smaller and more intimate than Freedom. For me, if it were just my little family, I'd pick Island. I loved the food, service and attention. But if I had a big family or friends coming along who want more activities, I would go with Freedom. Personally, I would choose Island.

[reallyitsmema]

Thanks for the comparision, very detailed an helpful. My only comment would be about the non-alcoholic drink package. The replenish package on RCI does include mocktails, did your child only get the soda package instead of the $20 a day replenish package?

[divingaggie]

Thanks for the comparision, very detailed an helpful. My only comment would be about the non-alcoholic drink package. The replenish package on RCI does include mocktails, did your child only get the soda package instead of the $20 a day replenish package?

 

I don't remember exactly what the pricing was, but when we compared the soda package on RCI to the Coke sticker on Princess, Princess's deal was much cheaper, and that included the mocktails. We didn't want to pay the larger amount for the Replenish package just to add the mocktails. I think that was our thought process when we were deciding.

[divingaggie]

Great comparison! I've been on several Princess cruises and only one RCI cruise. I felt they were pretty comparable in most ways.

 

I did like the nightly entertainment on RCI much more than Princess.

 

I did LOVE the pizza on Princess as you said!

 

I'd go on either, but if the itineraries were the same, I'd pick Princess just because we're Elite for those benefits.

 

I really did like the shows on RCI. The ice show was so amazing, and when I think about how they were doing all of that with the ship's movement, I was even more impressed. And then their Broadway-type show was SO good. It was the fairy tale one...funny, great singing, and amazing set!

[Wilda]

Thanks for your thoughtful review. Completely agree about the poolside grill, so convenient!

 

Curious about your son. What would he say about activities and kids club?

Edited July 1, 2014 by Wilda

[Sass4]

Thank you for the review/comparison!

 

What is your opinion of the cost difference between the lines?

[divingaggie]

Thanks for your thoughtful review. Completely agree about the poolside grill, so convenient!

 

Curious about your son. What would he say about activities and kids club?

 

My son isn't a good one to compare most kids with. He's 11 going on 40! :) He doesn't usually go to the kids' club because he likes to just hang out with us at the pool. He's pretty shy. He enjoyed the kneeboarding lesson on Freedom, but the schedule to use the Flowrider was weird. The only times that were available for kneeboarding coincided with our meal time or something else that we did. He enjoyed the first-run movies on Freedom, but he enjoyed the Movies Under the Stars experience better on Ruby and Island. As the child of foodies, he already appreciates good food and good service. He liked the food on Princess (both Island and Ruby) much more than on Freedom. He was treated really well by waiters on both lines. They were all so sweet to him, and when I looked around, I noticed the same treatment for all kids.

[Ladysilver]

Thanks for the great comparison on both lines. I've never cruised on Princess but your comments make me want to someday! :)

[divingaggie]

Thank you for the review/comparison!

 

What is your opinion of the cost difference between the lines?

 

We found the costs pretty comparable, but when looking at our next cruise, we saw that RCI was more expensive by about $100 per person than Princess.

[John&LaLa]

Haven't been on Princess in quite some time, but you are pretty accurate. You did not mention self-debarkation on RCL and how that compares to Princess. Can you elaborate on that please

[rubrrick]

Thanks for a very honest, and IMHO a very fair comparison.

 

I cruise both Princess and RCI, and I have to say that two of the things that I have found lacking with RCI....of late, are the quality of food, and the staffing.

 

We cruise in suites on both, and as Elite members, we receive 2 bar setups on Princess, and spend a bit of money on drinks, on both lines. Royal Caribbean gives us free drinks in the evening, which is a plus for them.

 

Also, of late, I have found that Princess does a better job of keeping their ships in shape. I wish Royal Caribbean would do a better job of keeping their cabins in good condition. This has only happened of recent times.

 

Rick

[divingaggie]

Haven't been on Princess in quite some time, but you are pretty accurate. You did not mention self-debarkation on RCL and how that compares to Princess. Can you elaborate on that please

 

I'm sorry, but I can't compare because I didn't do self-debarkation on Princess. We did do it on RCI, and it was super easy. We liked not feeling pressured to get our bags out at a certain time. We had plenty of time in the morning to get ready and eat breakfast. Then we walked right off with no problems. We will definitely try it on our next cruise.

[RocketMan275]

Thanks for the comparision, very detailed an helpful. My only comment would be about the non-alcoholic drink package. The replenish package on RCI does include mocktails, did your child only get the soda package instead of the $20 a day replenish package?

 

Been on FOS and Caribbean Princess. Have two more Princess cruises and one RCI cruise scheduled.

 

Princess has two 'unlimited soda packages'.

 

For $5.18 PPPD the "Unlimited Soda Package". You get a souvenir tumbler and you get all the fountain drinks served at any bar or restaurant. Includes service charge. Price includes service charge.

 

For $8.05 PPPD there is the "premium Unlimited Soda & more Package".

This includes the Unlimited Soda Package plus any mocktails, juices, shakes, floats and complimentary hot chocolate throughout your cruise. Price includes service charge.

 

Basically, RCI offers their replenish package for $20 PPPD which mirrors the Princess Unlimited and More but RCI includes specialty coffees and teas.

 

Princess offers a "Coffee Card" for $31 one time charge that gives you fifteen specialty coffees. It also gives you unlimited fresh brewed coffee and teas. (The regular Princess coffee is syrup based and some don't care for it.)

 

Wife and I got the Premium package on Caribbean Princess and we really enjoyed it. We bought one coffee card which can be shared. Worked well for us and I think we would prefer the Princess package over the RCI package.

 

Like I say, been on each once and have future cruises booked on both. Our only regret is that we're not cruising on either one right now.

[divingaggie]

Thank you for sharing these prices. We bought our DS the premium unlimited on Princess and that was perfect for him. We didn't want to purchase the Replenish for that much more especially bc the tea and coffee would have been wasted on him.

[marci22]

I cruise both Princess and RCI, and I have to say that two of the things that I have found lacking with RCI....of late, are the quality of food, and the staffing.

 

These seem to be the major complaints lately. And it seems to have been enough to push OP over to Princess.

 

I hope Royal Caribbean is listening.

[jackyfromwyk]

Thank you for this review. We have been on three princess cruises in the past (crown, emerald and ruby) and we will be on the oasis of the seas later this year.

We have been doing a lot of research on RC, but it was nice to read an honest review comparing the pros and cons of each cruise line.

[yknot13]

Thanks for taking the time to offer the well thought comparison. From your likes outlined I would suggest you give Celebrity a try in the future. Be sure to book one of the newer class of ships.