vermontvoyager Posted March 6, 2006 #1 Share Posted March 6, 2006 I wanted to find out from fellow cruisers that have sailed Princess Cruise Lines and RCCL in the past if there was any preference to either cruise line ? We have sailed on RCCL twice and we are looking to cruise in the Southern Caribbean. The first ship we are looking at is Princess' new ship The Crown Princess. The 2nd ship is RCCL's Serenade of the Seas. They both are doing the same southern itinerary out of San Juan,PR on a 7 night cruise. The Crown Princess' Mini Suite is $560 lower than Serenade's Junior suite and the Mini Suite is also larger in size. Other than saving over $500 for a larger room is Princess worth cruising over Royal Caribbean ? Bob:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloudmaster Posted March 6, 2006 #2 Share Posted March 6, 2006 My parents have cruised both, and like them equally. I have not been on Princess, but the Serenade is the most beautiful ship I have been on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dega2 Posted March 6, 2006 #3 Share Posted March 6, 2006 I'm thinking about the Crown Princess also for sometime in Jan 2007. I was on the Serenade of the Seas southern caribbean in January 2005 and The Navigator of the Seas western caribbean in November 2005, both cruises were great. I'm hoping that Princess is as good as RC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jtd724 Posted March 6, 2006 #4 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Go with Princess, that savings is huge and Princess is a really good cruise line. Only one I know of that serves King Crab during Alaska tours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nliedel Posted March 6, 2006 #5 Share Posted March 6, 2006 I like Princess (Golden) but better than RCI? I just didn't see it. I like them both but am more loyal to RCI at the moment. To Alaska however it would be Princess all the way. They have a lock on Westours and they are the best for their trains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TupeloHoney Posted March 6, 2006 #6 Share Posted March 6, 2006 I've sailed Princess twice and RCL once (although we leave Friday for the Serenade!). Right now I prefer Princess. But I think I just don't like the mega ships, and we were on Adventure of the Seas last time. But honestly, I just don't see that much difference between the cruise lines. Especially between Princess and Royal Caribbean. Maybe I'm just not too picky - but I go with the itinerary, not the cruise line (except Carnival, my in-laws, who we cruise with, refuse to sail on Carnival). Sounds to me like Princess is a much better deal right now, so I'd go with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critterchick Posted March 6, 2006 #7 Share Posted March 6, 2006 We sail both Princess and RCI and like them both, but give RCI the edge by a whisker, mainly because I think their onboard service is better (their shore customer service is only good for routine matters - any emergencies or special requests and there's a fuse blown). As for the minisuite vs. the JS, I personally prefer the layout of the JS - it's shorter and wider than the mini. Both have a nice sitting area, good closet and bathroom space, but the JS just works better for me. There are 2 TVs in a Princess mini, but they are right next to each other, so I don't see how you would manage to watch 2 different programs. We've decided that 2600 passengers is our limit for a cruise ship, so we're not tempted to try the Voyager class (although we'll probably do it once to check out the skating rink) or anything larger than a Grand class vessel on Princess. But for $500, I would have to consider very carefully whether all of that matters. I'm not sure it would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nliedel Posted March 6, 2006 #8 Share Posted March 6, 2006 If people are turned off by the sheer size of the ginormous ships that RCI has (and I have to admit I am one of them) then I strongly suggest the Radiance Class. They are smaller and more intimate (although you are still sailing with 2000 passengers) and just lovely. I like the Voyager class of RCI ships with my kids but never again unless they are along. I don't think I'll be booking the Freedom any time soon either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlcple2 Posted March 6, 2006 #9 Share Posted March 6, 2006 We were on the Caribbean Princess Sept. 05 and on the Mariner 2 weeks ago. There is no comparison in any way between the 2 lines. The food on Princess has a lot to be desired and the coffee is the nastiest I have ever, they use syrup if you can believe that. I would rather take the Carnival cruises we took over the Princess cruise any day of the week. I would pay the extra $$ and go on RCCL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love2cruiseseattle Posted March 6, 2006 #10 Share Posted March 6, 2006 We did the Southern Caribbean on the Golden Princess (1st time on Princess) and the ship was beautiful, with lots of pools, but we were not impressed. We thought the food was about the same as RCCL and the entertainment was not that good, seemed like everything shuts down at a certain hour except the disco. No matter which cruiseline/ship you decide on you can't go wrong with a Southern route, it was beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39august Posted March 6, 2006 #11 Share Posted March 6, 2006 to Vermontvoyager- We've been in Princess mini-suites on Grand class ships and in Jr. Suites on RCI ships. The Jr. Suites are quite a bit larger than the mini-suites on Princess. The mini's on Crown are shown as 324 sq. ft., INCLUDING balcony. The Jr. Suites on RCI are 293 sq. ft. and another 66 sq ft. balcony. Just for your information. That being said, I'd take the Crown to save that much money. The mini-suites are fine for 2 people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontvoyager Posted March 6, 2006 Author #12 Share Posted March 6, 2006 to Vermontvoyager- We've been in Princess mini-suites on Grand class ships and in Jr. Suites on RCI ships. The Jr. Suites are quite a bit larger than the mini-suites on Princess. The mini's on Crown are shown as 324 sq. ft., INCLUDING balcony. The Jr. Suites on RCI are 293 sq. ft. and another 66 sq ft. balcony. Just for your information. That being said, I'd take the Crown to save that much money. The mini-suites are fine for 2 people. Thanks for that bit of info...I was not aware that the size of the balcony in a Mini Suite was included in the room size. That makes a difference in the size of the room for sure. How big are the balconies in the mini-suites ? Bob:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontvoyager Posted March 6, 2006 Author #13 Share Posted March 6, 2006 We were on the Caribbean Princess Sept. 05 and on the Mariner 2 weeks ago. There is no comparison in any way between the 2 lines. The food on Princess has a lot to be desired and the coffee is the nastiest I have ever, they use syrup if you can believe that. I would rather take the Carnival cruises we took over the Princess cruise any day of the week. I would pay the extra $$ and go on RCCL. We have been on the Mariner and loved the ship and the crew.The Voyager was our 1st. cruise and that was a great experience and we loved the cruising experience after that. The coffee on RCCL was real bad I thought so Princess' coffee must be real bad. Bob:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasMom2 Posted March 6, 2006 #14 Share Posted March 6, 2006 That's a tough one. Is the $560 savings per person, or for the cabin? If it were per person I would suck it up and go on the Crown. If it were the cabin, I would go on Serenade, but that's just me. The $280/pp would be worth it to me but if it were $1120 total it wouldn't. The Crown and the Caribbean Princess added an extra deck to the Grand class platform, which added 500 passengers but the rest of the ship did not get any added space to accommodate those 500 extra passengers. Depending on the review, some say the Caribbean is crowded and some say it's not. There are features that I like about Princess, like the pizza and 24-hour buffet. I don't like that you can't get a hot breakfast from room service, the dining rooms are "intimate" (translation-boring) you can't get from one of the ship to the other on many decks without going up or down first. Oh, and the clingy shower curtain. That said, the southern intinerary is wonderful and you really can't go wrong whatever you choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontvoyager Posted March 6, 2006 Author #15 Share Posted March 6, 2006 That's a tough one. Is the $560 savings per person, or for the cabin? If it were per person I would suck it up and go on the Crown. If it were the cabin, I would go on Serenade, but that's just me. The $280/pp would be worth it to me but if it were $1120 total it wouldn't. The Crown and the Caribbean Princess added an extra deck to the Grand class platform, which added 500 passengers but the rest of the ship did not get any added space to accommodate those 500 extra passengers. Depending on the review, some say the Caribbean is crowded and some say it's not. There are features that I like about Princess, like the pizza and 24-hour buffet. I don't like that you can't get a hot breakfast from room service, the dining rooms are "intimate" (translation-boring) you can't get from one of the ship to the other on many decks without going up or down first. Oh, and the clingy shower curtain. That said, the southern intinerary is wonderful and you really can't go wrong whatever you choose. It is $560 per cabin and it is a new ship. The clingy shower curtain would stink for sure.Does anyone know if they change them after every cruise? If not that is pretty bad. Bob:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontvoyager Posted March 6, 2006 Author #16 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Go with Princess, that savings is huge and Princess is a really good cruise line. Only one I know of that serves King Crab during Alaska tours! Do they only serve crab on the Alaska cruises?How about lobster? Do you know if they have a "Lobster Night" like on RCCL ? Bob:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keela1eva2 Posted March 6, 2006 #17 Share Posted March 6, 2006 That's a tough one. Is the $560 savings per person, or for the cabin? If it were per person I would suck it up and go on the Crown. If it were the cabin, I would go on Serenade, but that's just me. The $280/pp would be worth it to me but if it were $1120 total it wouldn't. The Crown and the Caribbean Princess added an extra deck to the Grand class platform, which added 500 passengers but the rest of the ship did not get any added space to accommodate those 500 extra passengers. Depending on the review, some say the Caribbean is crowded and some say it's not. There are features that I like about Princess, like the pizza and 24-hour buffet. I don't like that you can't get a hot breakfast from room service, the dining rooms are "intimate" (translation-boring) you can't get from one of the ship to the other on many decks without going up or down first. Oh, and the clingy shower curtain. That said, the southern intinerary is wonderful and you really can't go wrong whatever you choose. I have sailed on both and I would rate RCI then Princess but Celebrity as higher than both. RCI have nice ships but it is too noisy round the pool with them trying to sell drinks all the time and a lot of announcements. I would however think about what you are getting for your money and whether you want a really big ship ;or something a little smaller like suggested the Radiance class. I've been on Golden but also Island Princess and I enjoyed both. Just have a great time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nliedel Posted March 6, 2006 #18 Share Posted March 6, 2006 We were on the Caribbean Princess Sept. 05 and on the Mariner 2 weeks ago. There is no comparison in any way between the 2 lines. The food on Princess has a lot to be desired and the coffee is the nastiest I have ever, they use syrup if you can believe that. I would rather take the Carnival cruises we took over the Princess cruise any day of the week. I would pay the extra $$ and go on RCCL. LOL! Princess is known to have the worst coffee on the high seas but RCI's is nothing to write home about either. I swear I will consider bringing my Tassimo with me in the future, except it will take valuable shoe room.:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontvoyager Posted March 6, 2006 Author #19 Share Posted March 6, 2006 How are formal nights on Princess? Is their food in the dining room good and presented well ? Do they offer concierge service on Princess? Bob:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontvoyager Posted March 7, 2006 Author #20 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Anyone else care to add their thoughts ? Bob:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKSOUTH Posted March 7, 2006 #21 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Having sailed on both lines I have to say rccl...hands down. We first sailed on the crown about 10 years ago and it was nice...for the times. BUT....princess has tightened itself up a bit since then. We went on the regal to the Panama Canal 4 years ago and we will never use princess again. They had done something to add rooms and did not make the dining room bigger. It was very crowded and noisey, the food was not very good and sometimes we had to send things back at dinner. We have never done that before and have been on 28 cruises! Had a mini suite and there were 3 of us....They put in a small rollaway bed for the third person and the room was not really big enough for that. I would spend the extra money and go on rccl. BTW...Is there a new Crown Princess? As I said, We were on it about 10 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontvoyager Posted March 7, 2006 Author #22 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Thanks to everyone for your opinions and advice...it is most appreciated. Bob:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlcple2 Posted March 7, 2006 #23 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Having sailed on both lines I have to say rccl...hands down. We first sailed on the crown about 10 years ago and it was nice...for the times. BUT....princess has tightened itself up a bit since then. We went on the regal to the Panama Canal 4 years ago and we will never use princess again. They had done something to add rooms and did not make the dining room bigger. It was very crowded and noisey, the food was not very good and sometimes we had to send things back at dinner. We have never done that before and have been on 28 cruises! Had a mini suite and there were 3 of us....They put in a small rollaway bed for the third person and the room was not really big enough for that. I would spend the extra money and go on rccl. BTW...Is there a new Crown Princess? As I said, We were on it about 10 years ago. Yes, there is a new Crown Princess. The original ship was used for the Love Boat tv show years ago. The new Crown will be based on the same lines as the Caribbean Princess. Not sure when it is set to be in service. I'm with you though about Princess. We took our first Princess cruise this past September on the Caribbean Princess and the food was okay, but nothing to brag about. You are correct, they added 500 passengers and no extra space in the public areas, especially where dining is concerned. People on the Princess board kept saying what a step up from Carnival Princess is, but I do not agree. We got much better service and food on the Carnival Pride & Spirit than Princess. RCCL is definitely a few steps up from Princess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisky Posted March 7, 2006 #24 Share Posted March 7, 2006 I would also like to weigh in. We have sailed Sea, Dawn and most recently, Golden Princess (Southern Caribbean) and this winter, RCI's Legend of the Seas. Overall, we would rate both lines equal, with Princess having a slight edge in food quality and RCI ahead in staff/crew friendliness. We currently have booked Serenade for next winter (Southern Caribbean), but if better pricing becomes available for Celebrity or Princess, we will switch. By the way, if you purchase independent travel insurance like TravelGuard that our travel agent recommends, it is portable between cruise lines. Also, TravelGuard better covers pre-existing conditions. The only negative we have found is that there are age categories, like 60+, so you may pay slightly more based on your age. If you purchase RCI insurance, it obviously isn't portable and you lose your payment if you switch cruise lines. Be sure to check this out with your TA. nisky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critterchick Posted March 7, 2006 #25 Share Posted March 7, 2006 How are formal nights on Princess? Is their food in the dining room good and presented well ? Do they offer concierge service on Princess? Bob:) As on RCI, some people dress to the nines, others dress like slobs and some find a middle ground. We've seen everything in the dining room on formal night. We enjoy Princess' food, and have only had one traditional dining room experience that wasn't up to snuff. It was on the Sun, and probably the facts that she was booked to the rafters and had Norovirus onboard contributed to that. Waiters in traditional dining have been ok, but nothing like on RCI, IME. There is no concierge service on Princess. If you book a full suite, you will get the Elite level amenities - one time bar setup (about 8 airline-sized bottles of hard liquor, sodas, water & beer and you can swap out what you don't like for what you do like), complimentary laundry, free Internet, priority tendering/disembarkation, you can stay in your cabin until you're ready to leave (or until they make you leave) the ship. You also get upgraded bedding & a glass of champage on embarkation day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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