Royal Princess - much too loud

[westcliffo]

Just came back from a cruise around the UK on the Royal Princess. The loudness of the music in the Piazza was beyond acceptable. It was impossible to carry on a conversation even in the bar on deck 7. I certainly hope Princess is not turning into a Carnival.

I have told Princess this but have no reply.

[Potstech]

Was it all the music or just certain types as you were sitting there? Was just on the Royal in April and did not experience this problem. Some music yes but not all.

[Alicomp]

We had the same issue with the Regal in April. Will probably not sail on Regal or Royal again because of noise in the Piazza.

[westcliffo]

Hi:

 

The music from 8:00 to 10:00 in the evening.

[KruzPrincess]

Was this every night or some nights? I have been on a couple ships in the last 6 months and I experienced some nights where they had loud music in the Piazza, but it wasn't every night. In particular, they played loud music for the party with the balloon drop. I'll be on the Royal in October, so I'm interested in hearing more about this. I like music, but I also like the easy going feel to cruising on Princess. I don't mind a couple parties in the Piazza, but I wouldn't like it to be a loud party every night.

[f-mattox]

The Piazza used to be a place to meet friends, have a conversation, have a quiet drink and a snack, and just enjoy the beauty of the décor. Not any more--especially on Royal Princess. Now it is a practically non-stop entertainment/event venue. I can understand holding the Captain's party, the champagne waterfall, and a few other big events there; but the near-constant parade of singers, jugglers, acrobats, etc. etc. has driven me out.

[skynight]

It is part of the ship's poor design. On Princess's ships with an Explorer's Lounge, Wheelhouse Bar and Club Fusion the rock and other music is mostly in these lounges. The Piazza on these ships normaly has softer background music and then Piano music at Crooner's starting at 9pm.

On the Royal & Regal Princess Princess incorrectly choose to eliminate lounges and places for dancing. Thus they are now forced by their own design error to fill the Piazza area each evening with dancing and music that would best be somewhere else on the ship.

Possible remedies:

First and most import recognize the issue as a flawed design and acknowledge same.

During the first dry dock replace Princess Live with an open style lounge.

Enlarge the dance floor in the Vista Lounge.

Enclose the Horizon Terrace and turn it into an area that can be used for music and dancing in the evening, while keeping it a dining and relaxing view area during the day.

[PescadoAmarillo]

The Piazza used to be a place to meet friends, have a conversation, have a quiet drink and a snack, and just enjoy the beauty of the décor. Not any more--especially on Royal Princess. Now it is a practically non-stop entertainment/event venue. I can understand holding the Captain's party, the champagne waterfall, and a few other big events there; but the near-constant parade of singers, jugglers, acrobats, etc. etc. has driven me out.

I feel quite the same way. The ship has a beauitful Piazza but I cannot stand to be there after about 10am when the three ring circus kicks off. Sadly, this is not unique to the Royal; on any Princess ships with a Piazza, it is used for musical and other performances. It's just that on the Royal it is the primary dancing venue, too.

[Alicomp]

On our Regal cruise it was used for Zumba and Aerobox every morning at 9:00 and was busy and loud from that time on.

[Clutterlady]

Everyone has different priorities......I love the music and the hustle and bustle. After all, I'm on a FUN vacation!!!!! Don't want a whole lot of stuffiness.

[aquilegia]

Everyone has different priorities......I love the music and the hustle and bustle. After all, I'm on a FUN vacation!!!!! Don't want a whole lot of stuffiness.

 

Why does fun have to consist of loud noise and why is a more moderate volume indicative of stuffiness? I'm with the OP on this one.

[IECalCruiser]

We have the same complaint about the volume in the Piazza on the Regal. It is a real problem for us. There is entertainment in the Piazza on other ships but at a reasonable volume.

 

The Calypso Cove shop is two decks up from the Piazza and separated by a wall with an opening. DW likes shopping in the Calypso Cove but the noise from the Piazza was so loud in the shop that DW was getting a headache and had to leave. Lost revenue for Princess [emoji33].

 

We did a Stammtisch Table in Vines and we could not hear the description of the wines or talk with people around the table. Staff said they tried to schedule around entertainment in the Piazza but that doesn't always work. We have not had that issue with noise from performers in the Piazza impacting Vines on any other ship.

 

I had a opportunity to talk to the supervisor in Sabatini's and he said the noise from the Piazza is really a problem with a number of tables there and that the entrance was poorly designed to shut out noise.

Edited June 25, 2015 by IECalCruiser

[KruzPrincess]

The people who like the loud entertainment in the piazza suggest that others move on to a quieter place. I liken this to those who hate MUTS on the older ships and are often told to go to another pool. I understand that reasoning for most of the ships that have other pools. That said... Are there actually other venues where people can go to meet and chat? What do you suggest for where people should move on to? I'm not being facetious. I'm curious for my upcoming cruise. It sounds like most everything is centered around the piazza.

 

To Mom33: Leaping from not enjoying very loud music to not wanting to be with other people is quite a jump, in my opinion.

Edited June 26, 2015 by KruzPrincess

[wrtmlt]

We just returned from the Regal noticed loud music the first night as we looked for our spot to enjoy pre dinner cocktails. We simply moved on to the Wheelhouse bar where we found the best bar staff we have ever had on a cruise and enjoyed that location for the rest of our time. There are so many places to have that drink find the one that fits you and enjoy.

[Woobstr112G]

We had the same issue with the Regal in April. Will probably not sail on Regal or Royal again because of noise in the Piazza.

 

The noise (music) in the Piazza made it, at least for me, impossible to enjoy a quiet meal in Sabatinis which is adjacent to the Piazza. Another noise issue involved the placement of the Wheelhouse bar right outside of the Crown Grill. When the piano player was performing it was also hard to enjoy a quiet meal in the CG......

 

Bob

Edited June 26, 2015 by Woobstr112G

[caribill]

Are there actually other venues where people can go to meet and chat? What do you suggest for where people should move on to? I'm not being facetious. I'm curious for my upcoming cruise. It sounds like most everything is centered around the piazza.

 

 

If you are referring to a planned meeting with others, there are several quiet venues at times during the daytime other activities are not scheduled there.

o Depending on the ship, Skywalkers, The One5, Club 6

o On the Crown, Emerald and Ruby: Adagio Lounge

 

If you are referring to meeting new people that may be there when you arrive, then the above would not be good places as they are usually deserted during the day.

Edited June 26, 2015 by caribill

[CI66774]

I've been on the Royal for a total of 67 nights and agree the noise can be somewhat elevated at times. But many times I loved the activity in the Piazza and loved it was a gathering place - so to speak. There are a lot of quiet places on the ship. But I can see both sides of the issue.

[kendon]

It is part of the ship's poor design. On Princess's ships with an Explorer's Lounge, Wheelhouse Bar and Club Fusion the rock and other music is mostly in these lounges. The Piazza on these ships normaly has softer background music and then Piano music at Crooner's starting at 9pm.

On the Royal & Regal Princess Princess incorrectly choose to eliminate lounges and places for dancing. Thus they are now forced by their own design error to fill the Piazza area each evening with dancing and music that would best be somewhere else on the ship.

Possible remedies:

First and most import recognize the issue as a flawed design and acknowledge same.

During the first dry dock replace Princess Live with an open style lounge.

Enlarge the dance floor in the Vista Lounge.

Enclose the Horizon Terrace and turn it into an area that can be used for music and dancing in the evening, while keeping it a dining and relaxing view area during the day.

 

I love the Horizon Terrace the way it is...no changes please!

[Iamcruzin]

I don't mind entertainment in the Piazza but I really don't think it should turn into a loud dance party. When I was a teen I would blast my music in the yard and my mother would come running out and say in a sarcastic tone," I hope everyone in the neighborhood likes this song."It did teach me to have consideration for other and needless to say I got headphones as a Christmas gift. Between the lack of a central staircase, slow elevators and now loud entertainment, the midship location is no longer desirable for me. Factor in the aft soot issue and it looks like forward is the prime location on these new builds. Hey, but the food is great!

[JimmyVWine]

It is part of the ship's poor design. On Princess's ships with an Explorer's Lounge, Wheelhouse Bar and Club Fusion the rock and other music is mostly in these lounges. The Piazza on these ships normaly has softer background music and then Piano music at Crooner's starting at 9pm.

On the Royal & Regal Princess Princess incorrectly choose to eliminate lounges and places for dancing. Thus they are now forced by their own design error to fill the Piazza area each evening with dancing and music that would best be somewhere else on the ship.

Possible remedies:

First and most import recognize the issue as a flawed design and acknowledge same.

During the first dry dock replace Princess Live with an open style lounge.

Enlarge the dance floor in the Vista Lounge.

Enclose the Horizon Terrace and turn it into an area that can be used for music and dancing in the evening, while keeping it a dining and relaxing view area during the day.

I think there is much to this. I suspect that the architects did not sit in the same room as the CDs when the ships were being designed and afterwards, the CDs booked a whole bunch of entertainment, looked at the layout and said: "Uh-Oh! Where am I going to put all these performers?" And the Piazza became the default. As much as I detest the "If you don't like it, leave" attitude, I am not sure what other option Princess is giving people. At least until it wises up and builds Explorer's Lounges on the new ships.

[PescadoAmarillo]

The other side to this is that by relegating the musical, dance and other entertainment options to the Piazza, it necessarily cuts the number of options available. This was immediately apparent to us on the Royal when the Crooner entertainer couldn't start playing until 10pm because there was dance music in the Piazza until then. On other, smaller ships, entertainment can be occurring simultaneously in Crooners, with dancing in the Wheelhouse and in Explorers Lounge, etc.

 

Unless the hope was simply to cut the entertainment budget, this could not have been any CD's idea of a good thing.

 

ETA: Not to mention the fact that holding entertainment performances in the Piazza immediately limits the number of mobility-impaired and older passengers who can attend. Seating is limited, and to really see what's going on, one either needs to be in a chair on Deck 5 or standing on the steps or by the railing on the upper decks. Many people simply can't do that.

Edited June 26, 2015 by PescadoAmarillo

[deb54knight]

We feel the same way about the loud music on the Royal. It really seems to be worse this year with the addition of a few bands with VERY loud vocalists who play in the evening. It is difficult to get away from the noise without completely leaving the atrium area which means no Vines or International Cafe seating. I will say that we feel that most of the problem is with the one band and it's female vocalist who literally SHOUTS. Hoping they are gone when we board in December.

[Mommypig]

Some people go on cruises to have fun, some go to see exotic ports, others to relax. I go for all three, but loud music to the point of drowning out conversation or making it impossible to to enjoy a meal is not what I call fun.

 

It shouldn't be too hard for Princess to monitor the decibel level of their entertainment. and to turn down the aplifiers.

 

I prefer the intimacy of the small ships so it is not likely that I will ever sail on the the megamoose ships. The noise complaints is just one more reason to avoid them.

[caribill]

It shouldn't be too hard for Princess to monitor the decibel level of their entertainment. and to turn down the aplifiers.

 

 

The Atrium is an open area and any sound must be heard from deck 5 up to deck 7.

 

On the Royal and Regal Alfredo's, Gelato, Vines and Bellini's are part of the Atrium area and anything that can be heard in the Atrium will be heard in those food venues. Sabatini's is just off of the Atrium, so it may be difficult to prevent the noise from reaching since the sound must reach those sitting at the end of the Atrium next to Sabatini's.

 

For the Atrium, only the moving of the events to another venue could cut down on the noise in the food venues.

 

The Wheelhouse Bar is right next to the Crown Grill with no floor-to-ceiling wall between them. And the Piano is right next to the Crown Grill. Any noise from the Wheelhouse will go into the Crown Grill.

 

For the Crown Grill, only a floor-to-ceiling wall can help cut down on the noise.

[KruzPrincess]

If you are referring to a planned meeting with others, there are several quiet venues at times during the daytime other activities are not scheduled there.

o Depending on the ship, Skywalkers, The One5, Club 6

o On the Crown, Emerald and Ruby: Adagio Lounge

 

If you are referring to meeting new people that may be there when you arrive, then the above would not be good places as they are usually deserted during the day.

 

I'm actually referring to the Royal. I'm familiar with many of the other ships. Thanks for responding, though. :)