Thoughts of Royal Princess please

[Jo and Rob]

We are touring the British Isles on Royal Princess on 1st August and are very excited about trying a new ship. We have recently sailed on Britannia's maiden voyage which left the majority of passengers underwhelmed. I have the impression that Royal Princess has had a better reception and would be very interested in your thoughts both positive and negative.

Edited May 30, 2015 by Jo and Rob

[whitecap]

We are touring the British Isles on Royal Princess on 1st August and are very excited about trying a new ship. We have recently sailed on Britannia's maiden voyage which left the majority of passengers underwhelmed. I have the impression that Royal Princess has had a better reception and would be very interested in your thoughts both positive and negative.

 

Jo, I'll try to make this quick; we sailed the Royal in a mini suite and found the room comfortable, balcony (extended) was very nice but completely uncovered, ship is beautiful, Horizon Court buffet is tremendous with plenty of inside and outside seating, theater was disappointing as it felt small and cramped, entertainment was just ok. All in all we loved the ship and will be sailing the sister ship, Regal, this November. Hope you have a great cruise.

[Jo and Rob]

Jo, I'll try to make this quick; we sailed the Royal in a mini suite and found the room comfortable, balcony (extended) was very nice but completely uncovered, ship is beautiful, Horizon Court buffet is tremendous with plenty of inside and outside seating, theater was disappointing as it felt small and cramped, entertainment was just ok. All in all we loved the ship and will be sailing the sister ship, Regal, this November. Hope you have a great cruise.

 

Thank you. The theatre was definitely one of the negative aspects on Britannia. How many shows do they have in the theatre? I think one of the Britannia problems was that with only two shows there was no way everyone could fit in the theatre and the 8:30pm show was often full 20 minutes before the performance. We were lucky enough to have a Deluxe Balcony on Ventura which was identical to the mini-suite we had on the Crown however this time it is an obstructed balcony on Royal.

[whitecap]

Thank you. The theatre was definitely one of the negative aspects on Britannia. How many shows do they have in the theatre? I think one of the Britannia problems was that with only two shows there was no way everyone could fit in the theatre and the 8:30pm show was often full 20 minutes before the performance. We were lucky enough to have a Deluxe Balcony on Ventura which was identical to the mini-suite we had on the Crown however this time it is an obstructed balcony on Royal.

 

Sorry, I don't recall the number of shows, maybe 2 or 3.

[Mom33]

Here is a review of our experience on the Royal. We enjoyed our cruise. :)

 

Royal Princess Cruise…. A Royal Treat - Review

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2023448

Edited May 30, 2015 by Mom33

[Jo and Rob]

Here is a review of our experience on the Royal. We enjoyed our cruise. :)

 

Royal Princess Cruise…. A Royal Treat - Review

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2023448

 

Thanks for the link and the pictures which were great. Where do you get the Crab Marguerita from? Is it the Crab Shack? I thought the Crab Shack was a fee paying venue but you say you had three Crab Margueritas before your evening meal so maybe not. Also, I'm interested in Alfredos as it is complementary. ;)

[san diego sue]

JO and Rob,

You are already booked. Go with a positive attitude and you will have a great time. We have cruised twice on the Royal and cruise Princess often. I did love the Royal. Some don't but we all are different with

our expectations.Enjoy your cruise.

Edited May 30, 2015 by san diego sue

[pppatpc2]

We were just on the Royal's Transatlantic this month. We love large ships and obviously it is, but heard many negative comments. A few of them are very true, the biggest one being that there is no center staircase-very inconvenient especially since our cabin was center ship. Another negative in my eyes is the Princess Live theatre instead of the old Explorer's Lounge and no Skywalkers Lounge in the rear of the ship. I liked the new Princess Theatre, but was disappointed that there are no side exits, it makes it very inconvenient because people have to get up for everybody going down their aisle. Plus I think it's a little bit of a safety issue. That being said everything else about this ship is terrific. Crooners and Vines are much larger which they needed, because I have been on ships where they put folding chairs in the aisle outside of Crooners because of the crowd. Horizon Court is amazing! The dining rooms are lovely and the addition of the "wine rooms" in the center is a nice touch. We were fortunate enough to do the winemaker's dinner and the Chef's dinner lumiere and if you get the chance I would take the opportunity. Many people complained about no promenade deck on 7, there are plenty of places to step out or sit outside on that deck, just no place to stroll. I did not miss it because there is a nice walking/jogging path at the top of the ship. It is convenient, unencumbered and is a beautiful view considering the height. I also very much like the way the purser's desk is located, it feels more like a hotel lobby and doesn't take up precious piazza space. The piazza is probably the best part of the new design. It is much larger than their others and encompasses new features such as Bellini's champagne bar, Alfredo's and Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar (where you can get the Crab Margarita). Also be sure to check out the Ocean Walk, very cool. As on all Princess ships I have been on, the food and the staff are terrific, you will have a great time.

[Jo and Rob]

JO and Rob,

You are already booked. Go with a positive attitude and you will have a great time. We have cruised twice on the Royal and cruise Princess often. I did love the Royal. Some don't but we all are different with

our expectations.Enjoy your cruise.

 

I'm sure we will. Rob is jealous as he is not coming on the Royal. Britannia seemed quite dark but all the pictures of Royal are light and bright which is encouraging. Also Princess provides the International cafe for complementary light bites whereas Britannia had the Market Cafe which charged a fee for all cakes etc (and was always empty!) The International Cafe is a favourite location of mine on Princess.

[TracieABD]

Hi Jo and Rob-

I was on the Royal for 10 days with my mom in Jan/Feb of this year. I posted a "live from" and the link is in my signature line. I did chat quite a bit about the ship (and that darn cold).

 

I guess we really enjoyed ourselves, because we are returning to the Royal on June 26 for a cruise around the British Isles! Can't wait!!!

[Jo and Rob]

We were just on the Royal's Transatlantic this month. We love large ships and obviously it is, but heard many negative comments. A few of them are very true, the biggest one being that there is no center staircase-very inconvenient especially since our cabin was center ship. Another negative in my eyes is the Princess Live theatre instead of the old Explorer's Lounge and no Skywalkers Lounge in the rear of the ship. I liked the new Princess Theatre, but was disappointed that there are no side exits, it makes it very inconvenient because people have to get up for everybody going down their aisle. Plus I think it's a little bit of a safety issue. That being said everything else about this ship is terrific. Crooners and Vines are much larger which they needed, because I have been on ships where they put folding chairs in the aisle outside of Crooners because of the crowd. Horizon Court is amazing! The dining rooms are lovely and the addition of the "wine rooms" in the center is a nice touch. We were fortunate enough to do the winemaker's dinner and the Chef's dinner lumiere and if you get the chance I would take the opportunity. Many people complained about no promenade deck on 7, there are plenty of places to step out or sit outside on that deck, just no place to stroll. I did not miss it because there is a nice walking/jogging path at the top of the ship. It is convenient, unencumbered and is a beautiful view considering the height. I also very much like the way the purser's desk is located, it feels more like a hotel lobby and doesn't take up precious piazza space. The piazza is probably the best part of the new design. It is much larger than their others and encompasses new features such as Bellini's champagne bar, Alfredo's and Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar (where you can get the Crab Margarita). Also be sure to check out the Ocean Walk, very cool. As on all Princess ships I have been on, the food and the staff are terrific, you will have a great time.

 

Thank you for the great information. Do you pay for food at the Ocan Terrace Seafood Bar? I'm on a tight budget on this cruise as we are leaving Rob behind so I'm keen to squeeze as much as I can out of the cruise without spending too much as we are cruising Caribbean Princess straight after. We have done Chef's Table a couple of times on the Crown and I have to agree that it is an experience not to be missed if you haven't tried it.

[Flo71]

We were just on the Royal's Transatlantic this month. We love large ships and obviously it is, but heard many negative comments. A few of them are very true, the biggest one being that there is no center staircase-very inconvenient especially since our cabin was center ship. Another negative in my eyes is the Princess Live theatre instead of the old Explorer's Lounge and no Skywalkers Lounge in the rear of the ship. I liked the new Princess Theatre, but was disappointed that there are no side exits, it makes it very inconvenient because people have to get up for everybody going down their aisle. Plus I think it's a little bit of a safety issue. That being said everything else about this ship is terrific. Crooners and Vines are much larger which they needed, because I have been on ships where they put folding chairs in the aisle outside of Crooners because of the crowd. Horizon Court is amazing! The dining rooms are lovely and the addition of the "wine rooms" in the center is a nice touch. We were fortunate enough to do the winemaker's dinner and the Chef's dinner lumiere and if you get the chance I would take the opportunity. Many people complained about no promenade deck on 7, there are plenty of places to step out or sit outside on that deck, just no place to stroll. I did not miss it because there is a nice walking/jogging path at the top of the ship. It is convenient, unencumbered and is a beautiful view considering the height. I also very much like the way the purser's desk is located, it feels more like a hotel lobby and doesn't take up precious piazza space. The piazza is probably the best part of the new design. It is much larger than their others and encompasses new features such as Bellini's champagne bar, Alfredo's and Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar (where you can get the Crab Margarita). Also be sure to check out the Ocean Walk, very cool. As on all Princess ships I have been on, the food and the staff are terrific, you will have a great time.

 

Hi you mentioned the promenade, I am in a cabin towards the aft and was told the aft lifts only go down so many floors far then I would need to walk to mid ship on the prom to go down further.

[WisCruiser2]

Jo and Rob -- yes, there is a charge for the Crab Margarita (maybe $6?) but well worth it! We were on the Royal this past winter & enjoyed it, loved Alfredo's. The theatre was ok, didn't find the aisles a problem. The shows are presented 3 times/night, with the first or last show easiest to get into, it seemed. We had a balcony, found it big enough for us although smaller than on other ships.

 

Flo -- The aft lifts do only go down to the aft dining room deck (deck 6, I think) but you can't walk forward from there (as it is on all Princess ships we've been on because that's where the kitchen is). We would get off at 7 & walk forward there. Or, because we were on deck 9, just took the aft stairs as our cabin was in that location (so no central stairs above 7 didn't affect us).

[Flo71]

Jo and Rob -- yes, there is a charge for the Crab Margarita (maybe $6?) but well worth it! We were on the Royal this past winter & enjoyed it, loved Alfredo's. The theatre was ok, didn't find the aisles a problem. The shows are presented 3 times/night, with the first or last show easiest to get into, it seemed. We had a balcony, found it big enough for us although smaller than on other ships.

 

Flo -- The aft lifts do only go down to the aft dining room deck (deck 6, I think) but you can't walk forward from there (as it is on all Princess ships we've been on because that's where the kitchen is). We would get off at 7 & walk forward there. Or, because we were on deck 9, just took the aft stairs as our cabin was in that location (so no central stairs above 7 didn't affect us).

 

Sounds a pain getting to and from shops/atrium/casino from aft.

[WisCruiser2]

Sounds a pain getting to and from shops/atrium/casino from aft.

 

Not at all, you either go to deck 7 & walk to the Piazza area, or go to the mid elevators on your deck & use those to get to decks 5 or 6 :)

[dickinson]

We just got off the Royal. Did the TA and then a BI cruise. Have only been on Grand class ships but we loved this ship. Did it have issues? Yes… no center staircase but that is solved by walking to either aft or forward (we always took the stairs). No Explorer's Lounge but instead Princess Live. Not really a substitute but just "different". they had a lot of game shows there and taped them so you could watch them on the tv in your cabin if you missed it. Good when you have a lot of sea days with nothing to do.

 

I would go back on this ship in a heartbeat.

[Wehwalt]

I was on a Christmas cruise so it may not be typical, but it did feel very crowded. The puny promenade deck is a bit of a sore point, especially since my Emerald Deck cabin was right above the crew-only extension.

 

I did like the Horizon Court/Bistro very much for it being so spread out. I liked the Princess Live! theatre because it was good for small performances (I happened to be at the kid talent show, not in the Patter, as it was right before trivia). I did like the walk/run track, well, many things about it. I'd cruise her or the Regal or the XXX2017 again, especially if they dropped the price.

Edited May 30, 2015 by Wehwalt

[Flo71]

Not at all, you either go to deck 7 & walk to the Piazza area, or go to the mid elevators on your deck & use those to get to decks 5 or 6 :)

 

So on 7 I can walk through to public areas?

[Colo Cruiser]

Sounds a pain getting to and from shops/atrium/casino from aft.

 

 

Not at all, as mentioned just walk on deck 7 aft. ;)

[beg3yrs]

A question was asked regarding Alfredo's being complimentary. Yes it is!

 

On the Royal it's a very nice venue with a larger seating area and a more varied menu selection than on the Grand class ships.

[Mom33]

Thanks for the link and the pictures which were great. Where do you get the Crab Marguerita from? Is it the Crab Shack? I thought the Crab Shack was a fee paying venue but you say you had three Crab Margueritas before your evening meal so maybe not. Also, I'm interested in Alfredos as it is complementary. ;)

 

They were $6.00 at the Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar. I didn't have the three all in one visit. :D

[WisCruiser2]

So on 7 I can walk through to public areas?

 

Yep, 7 (Promenade Deck) is all public areas, from the Vista Lounge to the Princess Theatre (upper level)

http://www.princess.com/deckPlans.do?shipCode=RP

[Jo and Rob]

Using deck 7 as a walk through would be preferable if you ask me Donna. We had an aft cabin on Britannia (which also lacked midship stairs above deck 7) and it wasn't a pain at all. However the day we walked to the midship lifts we waited for ages so I would avoid those.

 

I like the sound of Alfredos being complementary. Any recommendations?

[caribill]

Yep, 7 (Promenade Deck) is all public areas, from the Vista Lounge to the Princess Theatre (upper level)

 

And unlike the Grand class ships, the photo gallery is not there so the walkway is not blocked by those looking for their pictures.

[sunsetbeachgal]

We love the food at Alfredos and also love the atmosphere. On our Caribbean cruise earlier this year we ate two lunches and a dinner there. Pizza is good, so is the eggplant and the ravioli in a wonderful sinful cream sauce. Salads are excellent too, I love the grilled vegetable antipasto.