Liberty of the Seas vs Royal Princess

[Dancin85]

After a month, I still can't decide. Help!

 

Both cruises are in December. Both are 5 days and will be DH's first cruise.

He's a landlubber, and this is his maiden voyage. I want him to have a great time because we have a cruise booked out of San Juan December 2015.

 

Some of you veteran cruisers of all cruise lines, send me some advice.

 

Liberty of the Seas to Belize and Cozumel. I've been to both but DH hasn't.

I've read some really good reviews for the LOTS. I think we'd have a lot to do, and I've always wanted DH to see Belize. I had an amazing time there on my first (and only) cruise. LOTS sounds fun.

 

Royal Princess to Nassau and Grand Turk. New ship. Gorgeous pictures. I've read the food is amazing. We enjoy good food (too much!) On the other hand, a LOT of complaints about the design and small balconies. Nassau and Grand Turk sound like good ports, too.

 

We were 99.9% sure Liberty was the ship for us, even though airfare is higher for the days that she sails in and out. I was getting ready to book her but.....

 

Someone with many many cruises under their belt told me,

 

"Go on a Princess ship, and go with the newest, Royal Princess. Better service? Maybe.

I would not do Royal Caribbean – Food is not as good as Princess or Celebrity.

Princess is a premium line like Celebrity."

 

 

Both cruises are starting to fill up because they sail in 2 months.

 

:confused::confused::confused:

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

After a month, I still can't decide. Help!

 

Both cruises are in December. Both are 5 days and will be DH's first cruise.

He's a landlubber, and this is his maiden voyage. I want him to have a great time because we have a cruise booked out of San Juan December 2015.

 

Some of you veteran cruisers of all cruise lines, send me some advice.

 

Liberty of the Seas to Belize and Cozumel. I've been to both but DH hasn't.

I've read some really good reviews for the LOTS. I think we'd have a lot to do, and I've always wanted DH to see Belize. I had an amazing time there on my first (and only) cruise. LOTS sounds fun.

 

Royal Princess to Nassau and Grand Turk. New ship. Gorgeous pictures. I've read the food is amazing. We enjoy good food (too much!) On the other hand, a LOT of complaints about the design and small balconies. Nassau and Grand Turk sound like good ports, too.

 

We were 99.9% sure Liberty was the ship for us, even though airfare is higher for the days that she sails in and out. I was getting ready to book her but.....

 

Someone with many many cruises under their belt told me,

 

"Go on a Princess ship, and go with the newest, Royal Princess. Better service? Maybe.

I would not do Royal Caribbean – Food is not as good as Princess or Celebrity.

Princess is a premium line like Celebrity."

 

 

Both cruises are starting to fill up because they sail in 2 months.

 

:confused::confused::confused:

 

I would hands down pick Liberty.

 

We would much rather stop in Cozumel and Belize than in the Bahamas. We've sailed Princess, and most likely will not again unless they have a good itinerary at a good price, that Royal doesn't offer. Princess just wasn't a good fit for us, it was a little to quiet and laid back. We prefer to have lots of events going on and have activities all over the ship (rock climbing, ice skating, etc.)

 

We found the food and the service on our recent Radiance of the Seas cruise to be amazing! Remember, food is subjective.

 

What cruise lines have you sailed?

Edited October 6, 2014 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[Dancin85]

I have only sailed once about 8 years ago. The Norwegian Spirit was sailing out of New Orleans at that time. I went with a friend.

 

I had absolutely no complaints with the cruise.

 

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[Dancin85]

We are on the Celebrity Summit December 2015.

 

 

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[goneclear]

Can't speak for Royal but we love LOS. we have sailed her twice in the past and will be doing the 5 day Belize , Cozumel on her again next April. The Royal promenade is a big selling point for us on RCL Ships. As I said I don't know about Royal but I am sure you will not be disappointed with LOS.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I have only sailed once about 8 years ago. The Norwegian Spirit was sailing out of New Orleans at that time. I went with a friend.

 

I had absolutely no complaints with the cruise.

 

Sent from my BNTV600 using Forums mobile app

 

We are on the Celebrity Summit December 2015.

 

 

Sent from my BNTV600 using Forums mobile app

 

I would also post this on the Princess Boards if you haven't already.

 

I think either cruise will be great. In the end, it all comes down to personal preference. IMO, Royal will have a more of an upbeat atmosphere with more things going on and tons of activities to keep you busy...if that's more your thing.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Can't speak for Royal but we love LOS. we have sailed her twice in the past and will be doing the 5 day Belize , Cozumel on her again next April. The Royal promenade is a big selling point for us on RCL Ships. As I said I don't know about Royal but I am sure you will not be disappointed with LOS.

 

Liberty of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean ship... :confused:

[goneclear]

Liberty of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean ship... :confused:

 

Correct, meant Royal Princess. Hope the OP got it

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Correct, meant Royal Princess. Hope the OP got it

 

Oh, sorry! My bad, thought you meant Royal as in Royal Caribbean, lol.

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I have cruised aboard both ships: (1) Liberty of Seas in December 2011 and February 2013; and (2) Royal Princess in June 2013 (maiden voyage) as well as her sister, Regal Princess in June 2014.

 

I like both ships, but the best choice depends on the type of cruise that you prefer. The Royal Princess is a newer ship with better food and service (in my opinion). In particular, I liked the Horizon Court with its separate pastry area. Also, the Royal Princess has a more elegant atmosphere (beautiful Piazza lobby). Although the ship has some design flaws, these did not really bother me (I am booked on this ship again next year).

 

The Liberty of the Seas is more casual and has more activities (ice skating shows, the Royal Promenade with parades, etc.). I think this ship is better for people who want a more active cruise. Also, the Liberty of the Seas has a more interesting itinerary.

 

If you want a more refined, quiet and traditional cruise, I recommend the Royal Princess. If you want a more active cruise, I recommend the Liberty of the Seas.

 

Chuck

[yj2cute]

I love Royal but in this instance I think I'd go with the Royal Princess. I can't resist a new ship especially if the air costs would be less.

 

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[racerxspeedy]

One comment regarding the Princess Itinerary - Basically two beach days

 

Grand Turk - Huge Pool Area and Beach overlooking the ship. This island is basically a huge sand bar. Not much elevation, scenery or town, but a great no cost party stop.

 

Nassau - Not as bad as people make it out to be. Nice free beach (Cabbage) near Atlantis. Atlantis is neat to see once - but way overpriced.

 

 

The Western Itinerary would offer more excursions - if that matters to you

[Artemis908]

I couldn't disagree more with Princess being "premium". I have done Disney, Carnival, Princess, and Royal. We did Princess the first and only time for our wedding.

 

The MDR food was better on Princess, but IMHO the buffet food was so terrible that I was forced to eat at the MDR every meal because I didn't like ANYTHING there. I would say that I think Royal's ships are more grand and impressive. I felt Princess' ships were kind of "eh". Was never really impressed by anything on the ship, including the shows.

 

I am personally not a fan of Nassau but enjoyed Grand Turk. We did horseback riding in the ocean which was a little scary (falling into the ocean wouldn't have been a big deal but it still feels scary riding a horse bare back). But I enjoyed it.

 

All in all, I felt Royal was better over all, all things considered. My run down would be...

 

Buffet food: RCI

MDR food: PC

Service: PC

Ship: RCI

Onboard activities: RCI

Shows: RCI

Planning experience: RCI

[Dancin85]

I would also post this on the Princess Boards if you haven't already.

 

 

 

Good idea...thanks!

 

And I appreciate all the advice everyone has give me. You've given me several things to talk over with DH.

[tinatark]

I would do the Royal Princess. Brand new -BEAUTIFUL ship. Dates, flights work better for you. Bahamas port sucks but so does Belize!

 

My only concern : we did a 5 day on the Ruby Princess earlier this year -the staff seemed a little out of sorts -they just weren't used to the shorter cruises.

[kelbabykel]

Hi! We sailed LOS in 2009, & Royal Princess 2013.

 

The Royal Princess was beautiful, pretty mellow though. (Eastern Med) We had a balcony room & were not impressed. The food was AWESOME!

 

We absolutely loved LOS. (Eastern Caribbean) Balcony cabins are really nice. You're on the ship a lot more, (on that type of cruise) all the activities were great! I remember the food being great too!

 

We're in our early fourties, RCI is the line for us.

 

Enjoy :o

[ivanrocko]

RC Liberty is a better ship. Bigger and with more to do (Promenade, better shows, ice skating, parades, mini golf, flow rider, rock climbing, H2O Zone, etc.).

 

 

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[Aquahound]

I cruised LOS and 2 Princess cruises this year. I agree with Artemis. Princess is no more "Premium" than RCI. In fact, when it comes to food, entertainment, music, games shows, etc, I thought the 2 lines were identical (excluding Oasis Class, of course).

 

All in all, I still prefer RCI. On both the Ruby Princess and Caribbean Princess, I found the MDR's to be extremely cramped and uncomfortable. Plus, their ships felt a lot more crowded than RCI. I prefer the vast open spaces of LOS and large standard rooms and large private balconies....balconies that others cannot look down into from above.

[Topo Gigio]

I cruised LOS and 2 Princess cruises this year. I agree with Artemis. Princess is no more "Premium" than RCI. In fact, when it comes to food, entertainment, music, games shows, etc, I thought the 2 lines were identical (excluding Oasis Class, of course).

 

All in all, I still prefer RCI. On both the Ruby Princess and Caribbean Princess, I found the MDR's to be extremely cramped and uncomfortable. Plus, their ships felt a lot more crowded than RCI. I prefer the vast open spaces of LOS and large standard rooms and large private balconies....balconies that others cannot look down into from above.

 

Those are the 2 Princess ships I have been on, and as you can see, I have never been back...however I really want to try the Royal/Regal Princess. Looks like they learned a lesson or 2 from the other ships especially when it comes to the bathroom.

[LittleMissMagic]

I sailed Royal Princess last Christmas and had a grand time (check out my review in my signature for lots of photos!)...

 

There really isn't a "hands down" answer here.

 

Personally, I don't think Princess's food is that great. If you're hoping for a "signature" cruising experience, I honestly think that Princess is very close to the same level as Royal Caribbean. It's competitive with Royal Caribbean price-wise, actually, and that is the reason I chose Royal Princess... my first choice was Independence of the Seas, but the rates were more than I wanted to spend. Atmosphere, like Royal Caribbean, is laid back and fun. Sure, it has a slightly older demographic overall, but it's still a mass-market cruise line sailed by many families.

 

The ship is very lovely. The lobby is grand, and the fixtures are all very nice and well-designed. Personal opinions here are that they splurged on some unnecessary gimmicks (then again, who isn't these days) and that their extras - SeaWalk cantilevered platform and the fountain show on the pool deck - aren't very purposeful or well-utilized by guests. Truthfully, the fountains just make the decks a slippery mess.

 

While, yes, the standard balconies are ridiculously small... there are some large balconies to be had. We were lucky enough to snag an aft-facing premium deluxe balcony on deck 9 (biggest aft balconies), so our balcony was one of the biggest we've ever had. Also, look into the forward obstructed view balconies which are large. Note that they ask you not to open the door while the ship is sailing, but it is not physically locked... ultimately, it's just uncomfortable to sit on a forward-facing balcony on a sea day with 50 mph winds. But the balcony is big, and the room is a bargain.

 

Entertainment-wise, I found Royal Princess to be lacking in quality productions... but I only think that Royal Caribbean really succeeds in that category with the Oasis-class ships, as well as the ice skating show on Freedom-class.

 

As for itinerary... Nassau and Grand Turk? Nassau is in my opinion the worst port, always ridiculously crowded with little to see or do. And Grand Turk doesn't have much going for it besides the Margaritaville and the scuba diving, if that's something you do.

 

If you're 99.9% sure Liberty of the Seas is right for you.... I think that's what you should book. If you listen to your friend, there is a good chance that you will be disappointed because they may have over-hyped the Princess experience for you (it's a great experience, for sure, but it is not above and beyond Royal Caribbean by any means)... as well as have different priorities for what makes a good cruise vacation.

Edited October 7, 2014 by LittleMissMagic

[Dancin85]

I sailed Royal Princess last Christmas and had a grand time (check out my review in my signature for lots of photos!)...

If you listen to your friend, there is a good chance that you will be disappointed because they may have over-hyped the Princess experience for you (it's a great experience, for sure, but it is not above and beyond Royal Caribbean by any means)... as well as have different priorities for what makes a good cruise vacation.

 

 

It wasn't really a friend....it was my TA that I quoted....an email she sent.

 

That is why I started doubting our decision for Liberty of the Seas.

[Dancin85]

I posted this on the Princess board too.

 

CC members can be such a great help to a newbie like me!

 

Liberty of the Seas was the overwhelming choice of most.

I would say 70%.

There were a lot of reasons...the itinerary was a big plus; lots to do on the ship; the overall feel.

 

What surprise me was on the Princess board, only 4 people gave what I consider a definitive answer...and all were for the Liberty of the Seas.

 

Liberty of the Seas is our choice too.

Only bad thing is airfare is about $200 more for her sailing.

It's a 12 hour drive but we may drive it.

 

So very often, I see snarky and judgmental answers on CC, and I'm often leery of asking questions. This time it proved to me that people can be very helpful.

 

Thanks

Dancin

[msweezie]

This is hysterical to me, because I also was looking at the Princess cruise for my boyfriend and I. Also looking at the Liberty for the same time. The fact that it is a newer ship also intrigued me. I was interested in the Grand Turks port, but by reading some opinions, it is just a beach day. The Liberty has a beach day in Labadee. The funny thing is, I have sailed RCI before, and here I am on this forum wondering the same thing! Curious to see what answers and opinions everyone would have on the Princess forum. But ultimately, we are late 40's and very active and are "people" people. That is why I am booking on the Liberty of the Seas. I think is has more to offer, and just sounds to me like Princess may be alittle more laid back than we want. Waiting for that vacation approval and I am booking the Liberty for December 1st!

[OCruisers]

Gosh... while I like Princess cruises more, Liberty OTS has the better itinerary so I'd go with Liberty! :D

LuLu