Princess vs Royal Caribbean

[MaaDo]

Just wondering if there's anyone out there that has travel on both Princess and Royal Caribbean. I usually travel Royal Caribbean, but am considering a Princess cruise. What's your favorite and why. Thanks!

[waterrats]

Love CB. Its a nice ship. From what I remember, RCCL VOS had more daytime activites that I participated in. The night club on CB rocks until the wee hours.

[RaMar]

We've been on both and we actually like Princess a bit better. We were on Adventure of the Seas and the ship is gorgeous, but we find the service better on Princess.

[waterrats]

If you love sports, Royal Caribbean hands down. Princess is great if you have the pizza joint on the pool deck. Excellent pizza.

[Sea and Me]

We have been on both. RCCL Grandeur is one of our favorite ship. We know it is an older ship but we like the size of it. Have been on the Adventurer and its too big for us. Did the Grandeur twice and wouldn't hesitate to do it again at some point in time. We have sailed on Princess twice and going again on March 8th. The first time on the Golden in '04 and the Sun '05 doing the Sun in March. We liked the Golden especially the adult pool at the back of the ship. That is where we spent most of our time on sea days. We really liked the Sun for the size, smaller than Golden and it seemed to be easier to go about. The 10 day cruise was great and looking forward to another 10 day on her. We will be going on the Jewel 10/31 RCCL on a 12 day repositioning which goes from Boston and ends in Ft. Lauderdale. Looking forward to both cruises. To think that hubby was hesitant to cruise in '95 when we took our first one. We like both lines and I don't think you can go wrong with either one. Have a great cruise and happy choosing.:cool:

[normanb]

We just got off the Star Princess last month. The two previous years we did the Radiance (2004) and the Brilliance (2005). WE have cruised on both of those lines other times, and have also been on most of the other mainstream lines. Overall I would rate Celebrity first, Princess second, and RCCL third.

 

I think that Princess and RCCL are similar and you would enjoy either. RCCL has more activities, especially out by the pool. The service is pretty similar, it just depends on who you get. RCCL has bigger and splashier Atriums. However, I would say that Princess is "classier". For example, the lounge chairs at the pool have cushions. The pools are freshwater, not salt. The major difference is that Princess has much better food, especially in the dining room. I did a post a couple of weeks ago on this board (Just off the Star Jan 22). If you go back and look that up it give some comparisons on dining.

 

I think that if you like RCCL you like Princess, maybe even more than RCCL>

[MaaDo]

Thank you all very much for your insight. I think we are going to give Princess a shot. I think we are really going to like it.

[many cruises]

Without a doubt, Princess is classier than RCI. We think the food is much better & we love the anytime dining on Princess. There are usually fewer children on Princess and those children who do cruise on Princess behave better because Princess has visible youth security all over their ships. We have seen kids destroying property and acting rowdy on RCI & we have never seen that on Princess. I would call Princess more of an adult cruise line. ;);)

[alwayscoldmom]

The drinks seem to cost less on Princess. I wouldn't choose a cruise based on it but it did factor into our choice of Princess for an upcoming Alakan cruise. I also thought that the food was better on Princess (but it has been a few years and it might have changed since then) That said the Jewel of the Seas is hands down the prettest ship I have been on. The staff on RCI was EXCELLENT.

 

Hope it helps. We just had to make the same choice and it wasn't an easy one to make.

[Tak8]

I would vote for Princess. I like Royal, but Princess does the little things so well. I like the food selection in the dining room and buffet more on Princess. I also feel the service is a little friendlier and more attentive on Princess. The pools and paddle tennis stand out. Royal does the unexpected cruise things well: rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, etc. Both have good children's programs. My son liked both of them.

[rkdahl]

We've been on both and like them both. I think in general the passengers on RCCL are on average 10-20 years younger than on Princess. No matter the itenerary, it seems Princess has an older crowd to us and less teens and children.

[sellwingri]

We've always found the food to be great on RCCL and had a bad experience on the Grand Princess a few years back with both food and service. We do enjoy the activities on Princess more, especially the CD and staff. Bingo is also much cheaper (which I love to play). On RCCL, it's $35 per package. I believe it's $20 on Princess and they pay more. I split a pot on RCCL this past summer and only won $70, not much more than I paid.

 

We're on the Coral in April and are looking forward again to sailing on Princess.

[Bonnie&Rob]

We've been on both, and loved both. We like anytime dining, which gives Princess a slight edge for us.

 

The differences I can think of: Princess has fresh water pools and self service laundry. Royal has shower doors instead of those clingy shower curtains and stateroom TV access to book excursions and check your sail & sign account.

 

Food, entertainment and service was outstanding on both.

[negc]

Without a doubt, Princess is classier than RCI. We think the food is much better & we love the anytime dining on Princess. There are usually fewer children on Princess and those children who do cruise on Princess behave better because Princess has visible youth security all over their ships. We have seen kids destroying property and acting rowdy on RCI & we have never seen that on Princess. I would call Princess more of an adult cruise line. ;);)

Well there might be some doubt as to which is classier. In many ways that is a matter of opinion and it can difffer from ship to ship, itinerary to itinerary. Didn't realize that kids are better behaved on Princess than on RCI. Do they screen them somehow or do they threaten to make unruly kids walk the plank? LOL Most of the time we have not realized the number of kids on RCI because their excellent Adventure Ocean program kept the kids occupied and out of sight and not underfoot.

If more "adult" is a code word for the casino closing down before midnight, I have experienced that on Princess but only on an Alaskan cruise and one through the Canal and I attributed it more to the itineraries than to the line. The service we received on one Princess cruise was superlative, on another, less than satisfactory. I believe that the superlative service was what Princess strives to provide. The less than satisfactory service was an atypical occasion where they fell down on the job.

Actually, I think that there are for more similarities between the two lines than there are major differences. If you like one you will probably enjoy the other.

Hey there Tonya - good to see you posting. We had a great time sailing with you on the Jewel last year and, as you can see, we are doing the repositioning on her next Halloween.

[Ula]

I have a funny from last night. We will be going on our first RCI cruise. Everything I heard there is not a big difference from Princess. Just this past week my husband was saying he is excited about another cruise, and it will be fun to try a new line.

Mr Richard also is very much not into details. Last night we were watching the Science Channel, and RCI was sponsoring the show on the V-Rod development. RCI had an ad with their Rock wall. Floored my my husband. I told him I do not know if RCI has one on our ship, and it is not part of Muster.

Rich is a little set in his ways and rock climbing is when you go camping not cruising. I did not bring up the ice rinks. To me that is a big difference not the food or service. And I know we will have a good time on this new cruise.

RCI really has very different entertainments than most lines. Told Rich it is a very family oriented line. We will have a nice time.

[negc]

I'm not sure whether this is good or bad news for your husband but the Radiance of the Seas, and indeed all RCI ships, have a rock climbing wall. If he doesn't believe that it is an appropriate activity on a cruise, there are plenty of other activities he can participate in. No ice skating on Radiance class ships though.:)

[Firefighterhoop]

Both lines have Pro's and Con's

 

Princess has a lot of entertainment options, comedian in one lounge, and Main show in another (as an example), where as RCCL has one show going on, but I do notice that the quality of the one show is better.

RCCL puts more emphasis on daytime activities, games, etc. Also at night their gameshows that they put on seem much more organized and involved. The cruise directors staff on princess have seemed to me like for the most part they don't want to be there, where on RCCL they all seem like they are happy

 

BOTH Cruise lines had great embarkation and Debarkation

 

RCCL Seemed to have more friendly staff.

 

Princess' Pizza Rocked! Whereas Their buffet was well, Wierd! They started out with a good dish, IE Baked Chicken, and added some mystery sauces to it, and didn't label a lot of stuff, so at lunch we coined the buffet "Mystery Meat"

 

RCCL Had better food, The buffet was well labeled and tasted a lot fresher in my opinion.

 

However, princess had the late night buffet each night, where rccl Closed theirs down at 10.

 

The 2 lines are comparable, with a few differences. Over all I like RCCL better, but would cruise both again.

[waterrats]

Lets start a new cruiseline and combine the best of RCCL and Princess. I would then be super loyal to one cruiseline.

[Twice_a_year]

Just wondering if there's anyone out there that has travel on both Princess and Royal Caribbean. I usually travel Royal Caribbean, but am considering a Princess cruise. What's your favorite and why. Thanks!

 

I've enjoyed ALL my cruises. Obviously some more than others. It's been awhile since we've been on Princess but I can say there were many things that I enjoyed on their ships.

 

The itinerary always was appealing and the food and room service was great. The ship's desk crew seemed to be lacking consistency with the rest of the staff. The shows were of lesser quality than RCCL but not enough to get upset about. The passangers base was older and more English Isles than the heavier percentage of US people on RCCL. I happened to enjoy meeting "cousins" from across the pond.

 

We are planning a cruise back to the Med. this fall and we will most likely be on a Princess ship.

[ehogan]

We did a Princess cruise in 1996 and I had been looking forward to doing another, but could never find a really good deal, well we found one on the Grand Princess on Jan 21 and I have to say I was disappointed. Maybe I had unrealistic expecations but the RCCL voyages we have done since the 1996 cruise (Brilliance, Splendour) were better in many ways.

Here is a synopsis:

 

RCCL: better food, (way better desserts and coffee)and buffet set up,better main theatre entertainment, more activities, nicer cabins, younger crowd, nicer casino, better slot payouts, better shops

 

Princess: slightly better service in the shops and cabins, excellent purser's office service, Theatre under the Stars (great), better price on internet (.35 rather than .50/minute), better lounge band. Texas hold'em poker (DH had a ball)

 

I think it all depends on what you like and what is more important to you. You should try different lines because they all do something better than another one. We discounted Carnival and NCL because of bad press for years, then tried them and loved them both.

 

Every cruise is different and every cruise is great.

 

One thing I will look into more carefully for our next cruise is how many ports you have to tender in to. Tendering is frustrating and a big waste of time.

[DesrtDrmr]

We have been on the Adventure of the Seas, and more Princess ships. We were also on RCI's Viking Serenade a long time ago.

The difference between the AOS, and that class of ships, and the Princess ships, to me, is that the RCI ships are based inward, to their Promenade, and activities inside, rather than to the Sea. I feel more contact with the outside on Princess. I know that sounds kind of crazy, but when we were on AOS, unless I was in my cabin, or up at Johnny Rockets, we didn't see much of outside.

I think the bread :), on RCI is better than Princess, but we love the anytime dining options on Princess. We have found the service to be great on both, and the food is mostly comparable.............I like the Windjammer physical arrangement better than Horizon Court, but Princess Dining Rooms better. I like the 24 hour dining options better on Princess. If you must be busy, physically, every day, all day, then I think RCI is a better choice, if you like to pick and choose, activities, naps, etc, then I like Princess better. On a SEVEN DAY cruise, RCI seems to have a younger crowd, but Princess is catching up..........but on a longer cruise.......which I have only taken on Princess, the age level goes up........probably because retirees have more time available options than working families do. Cruising during the summer, or during school vacation times, is probably crowded with families on all the mass market lines........I only wish we had discovered cruising when our kids were young, what a great family vacation!

[negc]

 

The difference between the AOS, and that class of ships, and the Princess ships, to me, is that the RCI ships are based inward, to their Promenade, and activities inside, rather than to the Sea. I feel more contact with the outside on Princess. I know that sounds kind of crazy, but when we were on AOS, unless I was in my cabin, or up at Johnny Rockets, we didn't see much of outside.

I agree with you on your assessment of Voyager class ships such as the Adventure and that is why my favorite class of RCI ship is the Radiance class which almost never lets you forget that you are at sea in a beautiful ship. I only wish they had decided to build more ships along the style of the Radiance ships.

[Twice_a_year]

We did a Princess cruise in 1996 and I had been looking forward to doing another, but could never find a really good deal, well we found one on the Grand Princess on Jan 21 and I have to say I was disappointed. Maybe I had unrealistic expecations but the RCCL voyages we have done since the 1996 cruise (Brilliance, Splendour) were better in many ways.

Here is a synopsis:

 

RCCL: better food, (way better desserts and coffee)and buffet set up,better main theatre entertainment, more activities, nicer cabins, younger crowd, nicer casino, better slot payouts, better shops

 

Princess: slightly better service in the shops and cabins, excellent purser's office service, Theatre under the Stars (great), better price on internet (.35 rather than .50/minute), better lounge band. Texas hold'em poker (DH had a ball)

 

I think it all depends on what you like and what is more important to you. You should try different lines because they all do something better than another one. We discounted Carnival and NCL because of bad press for years, then tried them and loved them both.

 

Every cruise is different and every cruise is great.

 

One thing I will look into more carefully for our next cruise is how many ports you have to tender in to. Tendering is frustrating and a big waste of time.

 

Nice review:

I'm planning on the Grand for Sept/Oct 2006. I've been happy with RCL but my taste lean more towards Celibrity ships and the Radiance class of RCL rather than the Voyager class. With that in mind, what were you disappointed with on the Grand Princess. PS We're in our 60's but still very young at heart.

[ehogan]

We are in our late 50's, so when I say older I mean mid 70's maybe. I guess "old" is in the eyes of the beholder.

 

Re the disappointent with the Grand, I would say that the quality of the food was the biggest disappointment, not as much variety in the Horizon court as on RCCL ships and the dining room food was good, but not outstanding - but I never came even close to returning food (although I doubt I would ever do this). The dining room staff is so obliging, though, if you don't like something try something else - I never asked for anything else, but one dessert that I just left, so disturbed the waiter that he insisted on a replacement. Also coffee - we love good coffee and that is nowhere to be found on board. Deck 7 has a small coffee bar that serves brewed coffee, not the stuff made of syrup.

 

We had traditiona dining which we prefer but we did try the anytime - no lineups, but they did not seat people properly. We were ready for dessert by the time the next group was seated at our table and we found that to be a bit awkward - better to leave the remaining seats empty rather than seat people at other courses (there were lots of tables available so this would have been doable)

 

Also, I found the entertainment in the main show lounge geared to the older crowd and it was pretty dull in general - I've seen much better production shows and the one headliner we saw was so poor we walked out after her second number. The comedian was great though and their showlounge band "Onlyne" was excellent.

 

We still had a very good time, but if you ask me given the same price, same itinerary, I would go with RCCL or Carnival next time.

[CruiseFever]

Just wondering if there's anyone out there that has travel on both Princess and Royal Caribbean. I usually travel Royal Caribbean, but am considering a Princess cruise. What's your favorite and why. Thanks!

 

If you made me pick one it would be Princess but you would have to make me because I would not want to willingly. They're both good.

 

If I were to start picking away at little meaningless things to give one a leg up over the other (and that's what it would take) Princess would have less to pick away at....things that could be good or bad depending on personal tastes.

 

In general, if you liked Royal Caribbean you'll like Princess....unless you're a rock wall freak. I would never have guessed that there are people SO into climbing those walls before I sailed on one of those ships. Some of those people are real fanatics about it.