Temporary deviation

[elycelynne]

So after seven consecutive annual cruises with HAL, I decided to try Princess and booked the Royal Princess for the end of this coming January. I already know that, since I can't afford a suite, I won't be able to get a hot room service breakfast and also that my cabin will only have a shower instead of the tub/shower combo. The absence of the wrap-around promenade won't make much difference to me.

 

Other than what I've just itemized, what are any major differences that will really stand out?

[sail7seas]

After90+ HAL cruises. I sailed Ncl FOR THe FIRSt TIME NCL's suite experience far xceeded my expectationss. my friends iwth whomI SAILED LAST Summer invited mto sail with them againd onINCLand I might do so.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

So after seven consecutive annual cruises with HAL, I decided to try Princess and booked the Royal Princess for the end of this coming January. I already know that, since I can't afford a suite, I won't be able to get a hot room service breakfast and also that my cabin will only have a shower instead of the tub/shower combo. The absence of the wrap-around promenade won't make much difference to me.

 

Other than what I've just itemized, what are any major differences that will really stand out?

 

One major difference is the size of the ship. The Royal Princess guest capacity is 3560, whereas HAL's largest the Koningsdam is 2650. Probably you have been on the smaller R and S class HAL ships.

 

I have sailed several Princess cruises and generally the food and entertainment is comparable to HAL. Although service is generally good on Princess, I prefer the way HAL crew "take care of us."

 

I don't know if you have posted over on the Princess boards, this same question, but I would. Pam in CA is a good Princess cruiser who also cruises sometimes on HAL, and would be a good person to answer your questions.

 

Barbara

[jhannah]

We have sailed Princess a number of times, but not recently. We enjoyed the experience. It's different in the ways mentioned; but there was nothing really negative IMO. Their ships are more "chrome and glass" in appearance as compared with HAL's "brass and wood" décor. The Princess atriums are a sight to behold.

 

Princess crews are different. Just a different vibe from HAL's. However, I felt well taken care of.

 

I am certain you will enjoy your experience. Have fun!

[elycelynne]

One major difference is the size of the ship. The Royal Princess guest capacity is 3560, whereas HAL's largest the Koningsdam is 2650. Probably you have been on the smaller R and S class HAL ships.

 

I have sailed several Princess cruises and generally the food and entertainment is comparable to HAL. Although service is generally good on Princess, I prefer the way HAL crew "take care of us."

 

I don't know if you have posted over on the Princess boards, this same question, but I would. Pam in CA is a good Princess cruiser who also cruises sometimes on HAL, and would be a good person to answer your questions.

 

Barbara

 

Actually I've only been on three out of the four Vistas and the two signature-class ships, so at least I'm not starting off from "very small". And I'm one step ahead of you -- I posted a similar thread on the Princess boards. (And I've already discovered that Pam in CA knows a whole heckuva lot!)

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Actually I've only been on three out of the four Vistas and the two signature-class ships, so at least I'm not starting off from "very small". And I'm one step ahead of you -- I posted a similar thread on the Princess boards. (And I've already discovered that Pam in CA knows a whole heckuva lot!)

 

Good for you. Yes, Pam is very knowledgeable about Princess, and HAL too for that matter. Glad you are used to the larger HAL ships. Transition will not be that difficult.

[sppunk]

Unless things have changed on their newest ships if you're in a regular balcony Princess cabins don't have a loveseat/couch/comfortable chair really. That's one of the reasons we stopped sailing them actually.

[elycelynne]

Unless things have changed on their newest ships if you're in a regular balcony Princess cabins don't have a loveseat/couch/comfortable chair really. That's one of the reasons we stopped sailing them actually.

 

I opted for their newer "deluxe balcony" category. It's 10 sq. ft. larger than their regular balcony cabins and does include a sofabed. (I could have probably actually bought a sofabed for the difference in price, but whatever.)

Edited June 10, 2016 by elycelynne

[Hlitner]

We have cruised a lot on Princess (been Elite for years) and also have about 450 days on HAL...and do enjoy both lines. While we have not been on the new Royal, we did cruise (last year) on the even newer Regal...which is a near identical sister ship. Besides not having a wrap around Promanade (which you mentioned) the Royal also does not have any passengers stairs in the center of the ship above deck 7. For those of us who prefers stairs to elevators..this is a pain....but our experience is that most HAL cruisers even use elevators to go down 1 deck :).

 

The first thing you will notice is that the Royal is a very large ship when compared to all but the newest HAL vessels. The passenger balconies on this ship are very small (a major complaint issue) when compared to past Princess ships (or HAL ships). One big plus over HAL is that on Princess there are actually quite a few passengers who stay awake past 9pm.....and they even are out and about! And our favorite spot, the International Cafe, is open 24 hours a day with their excellent small batch brewed coffee and decent small snacks (no charge).

 

Princess has long been known as having the best pizza at sea (HAL has the worst) and on the Royal you can get great pizza at Alfredo's (where you order individual pizzas) or in the Lido. This pizza tradition goes back to when Princess took over Sitmar (an Italian Line) and adopted their excellent pizza tradition. They also have some darn good Gelato..although that does come at a small extra price. Another big plus that Princess has over HAL is the wine list...but that is an issue that only impacts we Oenophiles.

 

Another difference is with dining. Princess has 3 MDRs on their Grand and Royal Class ships and they are somewhat identical. They do this instead of the huge multi story MDRs found on many other cruise ships (and on HAL's newer vessels). Anytime Dining is a very popular option on Princess so they generally dedicate only 1 of their 3 MDRs for fixed sitting and primarily use the other two for the Anytime Diners. If there is a very big demand for early fixed sitting...they will sometimes utilize a 2nd MDR to handle the overflow fixed diners.

 

We have talked to other HAL regulars who tried Princess, and the thing they normally do not like is the large size of the Princess ships. But with size does come more amenities and options (especially with public rooms).

 

Hank

[DSLibrarian]

I sailed Princess for the first time 2 years ago with a friend (not DH) so not in a suite and no 4* amenities!! However, I enjoyed it and had a great cruise. So much so, that I've booked another Princess cruise for August 2017 (almost the same itinerary as the one from 2014) but in a suite this time so DH can enjoy the fabulous itinerary.

 

Be sure to purchase a coffee card (I think it was about $30 for 15 espresso drinks and unlimited coffee and tea at the international cafe.) We almost always had a light breakfast there before heading out each day. They have self service laundry facilities, too. Meals in the main dining room seemed comparable to HAL.

[elycelynne]

I sailed Princess for the first time 2 years ago with a friend (not DH) so not in a suite and no 4* amenities!! However, I enjoyed it and had a great cruise. So much so, that I've booked another Princess cruise for August 2017 (almost the same itinerary as the one from 2014) but in a suite this time so DH can enjoy the fabulous itinerary.

 

Be sure to purchase a coffee card (I think it was about $30 for 15 espresso drinks and unlimited coffee and tea at the international cafe.) We almost always had a light breakfast there before heading out each day. They have self service laundry facilities, too. Meals in the main dining room seemed comparable to HAL.

 

Too bad I'm not a coffee drinker! I was, however, thinking of doing the "Unlimited Soda and More" option at approximately $8/day. Fountain sodas, juices, "mocktails" and (here's the best part) shakes and malts.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I know it will be a while before we hear how your cruise is, but I will be looking forward to your review when you get home.

It has been years since we sailed on Princess -- we are Elite with them. A couple of years ago we were going to book the Royal Princess -- had friends who sailed on her -- they came back told us how the cabins are much smaller.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Am I the only one here who had a bad experience on Princess? The front desk and travel people were rude. Rather than try to be helpful, the front desk staff would tell any lie to make people go away. The worst part was the lack of quiet space to sit near the pool. Loud music or the soundtrack of the movie made it impossible for us to enjoy those areas. We spent a lot of time on our teeny-tiny balcony. Thank heavens we had that for a refuge! If I had it to do again, I'd spend the $10 for 3 hours at the quiet pool area a few times.

 

The shows were poor and way too loud. Volume does NOT make up for lack of quality. WAY too many announcements! I swear, we were reminded about bingo 2 hours, 1 hour, 30 minutes, 15 minutes, 5 minutes before it started.

 

Service in the dining room for breakfast and afternoon tea was chaotic. After the first morning, we had breakfast at the buffet. The buffet food was good, although there was no omelet station, just little pre-made rectangles. Food at dinner was good and dinner service was good--we had fixed dining, so our waiter got to know us. He was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing cruise.

[mame42]

Am I the only one here who had a bad experience on Princess? The front desk and travel people were rude. Rather than try to be helpful, the front desk staff would tell any lie to make people go away. The worst part was the lack of quiet space to sit near the pool. Loud music or the soundtrack of the movie made it impossible for us to enjoy those areas. We spent a lot of time on our teeny-tiny balcony. Thank heavens we had that for a refuge! If I had it to do again, I'd spend the $10 for 3 hours at the quiet pool area a few times.

 

The shows were poor and way too loud. Volume does NOT make up for lack of quality. WAY too many announcements! I swear, we were reminded about bingo 2 hours, 1 hour, 30 minutes, 15 minutes, 5 minutes before it started.

 

Service in the dining room for breakfast and afternoon tea was chaotic. After the first morning, we had breakfast at the buffet. The buffet food was good, although there was no omelet station, just little pre-made rectangles. Food at dinner was good and dinner service was good--we had fixed dining, so our waiter got to know us. He was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing cruise.

 

On my one and only Princess cruise, around the British Isles, I felt as though I had stepped into the painting "American Gothic". And they say HAL skews older! I cruise solo; that sailing was the only one that I have been on that I could not strike up a conversation anywhere with anyone during the entire cruise.

 

Oh, how I love the adventurous, experienced, gregarious pax one encounters on HAL, young at heart no matter what their age.

[Parrottdizes]

Too bad I'm not a coffee drinker! I was, however, thinking of doing the "Unlimited Soda and More" option at approximately $8/day. Fountain sodas, juices, "mocktails" and (here's the best part) shakes and malts.

 

The "Unlimited Soda and More" package is good, we always get it.......BUT.......I do not believe you can get shakes or malts on the Royal or Regal. Just don't want you to be disappointed.

[elycelynne]

The "Unlimited Soda and More" package is good, we always get it.......BUT.......I do not believe you can get shakes or malts on the Royal or Regal. Just don't want you to be disappointed.

 

Thanks for the heads-up. I'm seeking confirmation of that on the Princess board. If that does indeed turn out to be the case, it wouldn't be the world's biggest catastrophe, and there's probably a nice frozen mocktail concoction that would make an acceptable substitute! :D

Edited June 11, 2016 by elycelynne

[OTOW guy]

makes pizza to order and was one of the best I have had on any ship. Just big enough for 1 and you choose your ingredients. Princess had good pizza when I sailed it several years ago but it was indoors. Recently sailed on Veendam and they had the old pizza that stayed under the heat lamp too long and was like cardboard.

[Parrottdizes]

Thanks for the heads-up. I'm seeking confirmation of that on the Princess board. If that does indeed turn out to be the case, it wouldn't be the world's biggest catastrophe, and there's probably a nice frozen mocktail concoction that would make an acceptable substitute! :D

 

Most of other Princess ships do offer shakes and malts......the vanilla shake is delicious. Don't know why it is not on every ship.

 

All but one of Princess ships have MUTS (movies under the stars) which we enjoy; if you go during football season, they do show some of the games.

 

Another thing that most people like is the IC "international cafe", it is open 24/7 and is great for a lite bite.

 

Oh and before I forget, they have hot chocolate where they serve the specialty coffees. Normally they charge for the hot chocolate, but it is included under the "soda and more" sticker.

 

The bartenders will make you any mocktail, that you can come up with......if they have the ingredients. I asked for a virgin mango colada and at first the bartender was a little confused, but I explained that it was like a pinacolada but with mango.......the bartender smiled and made up the most delicious frozen concoction ever. :D

[elycelynne]

Most of other Princess ships do offer shakes and malts......the vanilla shake is delicious. Don't know why it is not on every ship.

 

All but one of Princess ships have MUTS (movies under the stars) which we enjoy; if you go during football season, they do show some of the games.

 

Another thing that most people like is the IC "international cafe", it is open 24/7 and is great for a lite bite.

 

Oh and before I forget, they have hot chocolate where they serve the specialty coffees. Normally they charge for the hot chocolate, but it is included under the "soda and more" sticker.

 

The bartenders will make you any mocktail, that you can come up with......if they have the ingredients. I asked for a virgin mango colada and at first the bartender was a little confused, but I explained that it was like a pinacolada but with mango.......the bartender smiled and made up the most delicious frozen concoction ever. :D

 

That's great! Hopefully they can do a mocktail version of HAL's "Miami Vice" -- Pina colada with swirls of frozen strawberry daquiri. Yum!!!

[sail7seas]

[The last time we sailed Princesss wedecided would bbehe the last time and, indeed, it was. Though we have about80 days and 9 or so cruises on Princess. DH,nev er returned and I dou bt I will.

Edited June 11, 2016 by sail7seas

[Hlitner]

Am I the only one here who had a bad experience on Princess? The front desk and travel people were rude. Rather than try to be helpful, the front desk staff would tell any lie to make people go away. The worst part was the lack of quiet space to sit near the pool. Loud music or the soundtrack of the movie made it impossible for us to enjoy those areas. We spent a lot of time on our teeny-tiny balcony. Thank heavens we had that for a refuge! If I had it to do again, I'd spend the $10 for 3 hours at the quiet pool area a few times.

 

The shows were poor and way too loud. Volume does NOT make up for lack of quality. WAY too many announcements! I swear, we were reminded about bingo 2 hours, 1 hour, 30 minutes, 15 minutes, 5 minutes before it started.

 

Service in the dining room for breakfast and afternoon tea was chaotic. After the first morning, we had breakfast at the buffet. The buffet food was good, although there was no omelet station, just little pre-made rectangles. Food at dinner was good and dinner service was good--we had fixed dining, so our waiter got to know us. He was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing cruise.

 

I guess we just enjoy cruising with many different lines :). But some of your post does pose some questions. Regarding an Omelet station on Princess, they do not have a station with a cook making 2 omelets at a time (even if 10 people are in line) but rather have an order taker (at 2 different egg cooking areas) who simply takes your order, notes it on a form, and submits it to the cook(s). The cooks, who are working with a large galley grill (on the other side of a window on most of the ships) can make quite a few omelets at the same time....and are not limited to 2 small omelet pans like on many HAL vessels. It is actually more efficient then on the old HAL Lidos (we have not tried the new MarketPlace yet). We suspect you just did not know about this method...and we do not recall signs.

 

As to volume in the shows, we find that on just about every ship (of every line) it is either too loud or too low. In fact, on our recent Prinsendam cruise (last month) we thought it was not loud enough....while a friend walked out of the same shows saying the volume was too loud. There is just no pleasing everyone.

 

As to your comment about the pools. we agree....especially if you are doing a shorter Caribbean cruise. On the other hand, when we were on the Rotterdam there were about a half dozen teens that took over the SINGLE pool on the ship. Some of the seniors who wanted to do their usual pool exercises could not even get in the pool....and we heard other folks complain that their hair got wet in the pool because of the kids splashing. Oh drat! Imagine getting your hair wet in a pool. horrors. Princess does have their somewhat elegant adult-only Sanctuary which is really a great option....however we have a personal issue with the fact that the Sanctuary is a very expensive (often $40 per day) option for those who want this service. But the sanctuary feels like a ship within the ship, where the loungers have very plush cushions, there is lots of personalized service, and its very quiet. We have friends who will book a lower cost outside cabin (no balcony) and with part of the money saved they pay for the Sanctuary (it is first come first serve...but they do allow a certain number to reserve their Sanctuary loungers for the entire cruise. Another friend pointed out that the Sanctuary is actually a good deal (even at $40 per person/day) when compared to what it costs to have a private sunning/lounge area on NCL (the Haven Suites get it) or Cunard (you get a private area if you book a "Grill" Suite). On Princess, even somebody with the least expensive inside cabin can get seats at the Sanctuary (as long as they get it reserved before they are all gone).

 

What we really miss on Princess is being able to get decent hot breakfasts in our cabin. We have been on 14 cruise lines, and nobody does this better then HAL! We also like that HAL has room service breakfast on debarkation mornings.....while nearly all other cruise lines (including Princess) have no room service on that last morning.

 

 

Hank

Edited June 11, 2016 by Hlitner

[knittinggirl]

On Star Princess last year, the only hot item was a muffin sandwich similar to the Egg McMuffin.

 

We'd booked a room right across from the laundry, and our washing machines were out of order the whole cruise.

 

My only experience w/ HAL was back in 1999. But we found Princess does much better with special requests in the MDR than Royal Caribbean. Forget any special requests on Royal Caribbean.

 

I second the coffee card. I've sailed Princess three times, and got a coffee card each time. The last time, they wouldn't give out free hot chocolate, but I'd suggest asking them before you buy. You can also share the card. Sometimes, we got the unlimited coffee, and some times, we got the specialty coffee (one punch). We tipped them in the Piazza when we remembered to bring it. The hot chocolate may cost you a punch, and that would be easier tracking on your bill then fifteen individual charges.

 

Princess also has something called Ultimate Balcony Dining. Where you get to dine on your balcony, really great food! We don't regret blowing our specialty budget all at once. For a cold climate, I'd think they'd set up inside your room, they bring the table. We got fancy steak, salad, cocktail, champagne, dessert, flowers and a photo. They do look around the cabin as they're serving you. Because they noticed my camera battery charging.

 

I liked the food on Royal Caribbean better even with their cutbacks. The breakfast and lunch were o.k., but about halfway through, they must have gotten a new chef, because all the MDR food tasted funny.

Edited June 11, 2016 by knittinggirl

[RMLincoln]

I think we are Platinum or something mid-way on Princess having done 3 14 or 15 day cruises (old regal Princess, Diamond, Ruby) and a 21 day B2B (10+11) on little Ocean Princess. Platinum gets us each some number of internet minutes, 100 last time. But that's small stuff.

 

The big negative on Princess for me is that I don't like that their rooms don't have a couch until you are up to a junior suite, except for little Pacific Princess (also Ocean Princess when we sailed on her but they have since sold her). Even our balcony room had only a small round cocktail table and two chairs -which is more than I can say for Koeningsdam's Insides which don't even have a chair or a table.

 

I enjoy having more entertainment choices on Princess, usually a lounge show in addition to the main show theater but no more classical music. Oh well.

 

I find HALs show room sound volume way too loud and I need ear plugs so I don't feel assaulted by the sound level. Maybe Princess is like that too now.

 

Princess's more limited room service is not a big deal to me because where are you going to eat? on that little 18" cocktail table I guess, no thanks. Otherwise the food all seems to be about the same to me, mostly good to very good. Princess used to have shrimp cocktail available every night, that was nice.

 

We've liked our Princess cruises, a little different in some ways but if the itinerary hits well and the price is good, we're on, even without a couch. Plenty of good to enjoy. m--

[Infi]

I'm Elite on Princess but have not sailed them for a few years, as we found food quality went down after a menu change and the itineraries got repetitive so we switched to exclusively sailing HAL and haven't looked back.

 

That being said, Princess has a lot of good qualities. I think you'll be find the entertainment to be head and shoulders above HAL's: production shows are more elaborate, with intricate sets and a full troupe of singers and dancers. (Individual/specialty acts I find to be better and more varied on HAL - Princess' are more of the comedian and juggler variety.) There are also more activities, both throughout the day and at night. Princess tends to gravitate more towards game shows conducted by the cruise staff and karaoke, though there is live music and a piano bar in Crooners. As a whole, Princess ships stay up later than HAL's do and are livelier in the evenings.

 

As far as food, the International Cafe is a great spot for a quick bite: breakfast sandwiches and danish in the mornings, and sandwiches and salads at lunch. Princess excels in Italian food, and their fettuccine alfredo and other pastas are quite good. And of course, the pizza - a vestige of their takeover of Sitmar - blows HAL's out of the water (not that that's difficult, of course) ;)