Help -- RCL or Princess

[granite-stater]

I would very much appreciate any help or thoughts that anyone might offer me on this issue. I am a first time cruiser and, I must say, all of the information out there can make your head spin. (Not to mention that I am a little nervous about cooping myself up on a cruise ship, having never done it before).

 

I am a 47 y/o Dad taking my daughter on a cruise for her Senior year present. She's 17, although she will turn 18 on the cruise. I have narrowed it down to two possible choices which, itself, was difficult, but making the last choice seems almost impossible with all of the information out there. Sooo . . . I was hoping for some personal insights.

 

The two cruises are the RCL Mariner on March 11, or the Caribbean Princess on the same day. At present, I am leaning towards Princess because, I have heard:

 

(1) RCL doesn't do as good a job of managing the crowds as Princess;

 

(2) A number of postings have suggested a decline in RCL service (cost-cutting) in the last year;

 

(3) The activities on Princess, while not quite as good as RCL (rock-climbing wall), look pretty suitable (like Movies Under the Stars, for example);

 

(4) The itinerary, Eastern as opposed to Western Caribbean, I am told is better and less likely to be affected byweather in March;

 

(5) I was told that the Princess food, service and cabins are better than RCL.

 

My only concerns about Princess are:

 

(A) Will the group be suitable for a younger girl? My daughter is cool about hanging with me, but I am sure she'll want some kids her own age too. From what 've read, Princess caters to a slightly older crowd, but other reviewers have noted that, this being Spring Break week, there will be no shortage of teenagers in tow with parents;

 

(B) The itinerary, because of distance, cuts out one port of call and your entire first two days are at sea. Again, maybe not a big deal if the ship has lots to do, and also kind of a wash if, on the Western side, you'd lose a day to weather potentially, but it does case me some thought.

 

I would really appreciate any help anyone sees fit to offer.

[karen2cruz]

We were on the Mariner and my teen kids at the time were not impressed with the Teen program. My daughter enjoyed ice skating show, promenade mall and the diner Johnny Rockets. The regular balcony cabins are not as nice as Princess.

 

You are right in that the crowd control of the youth/college age kids was pretty meager on Mariner and is better on Princess. Princess does have better food overall. MUTS is fun, if the movies are good. There are lots of activities youth age and adult age she could participate in on Princess.

 

Our kids actually liked the western itinerary better than the eastern and in March the weather never seemed to be that different between the two, FYI.

[Tak8]

I think the reasons you give for leaning toward Princess are sound. I like both lines, but Princess is my favorite. Food is very subjective, but I enjoyed the choices and dishes more on princess. The freshwater pools are great. I like the eastern over the Western itinerary. Since you are going around Spring break time, I imagine there will be a good number of teenagers on board. Although Princess doesn't have all the bells and whistles of Royal, there is plenty to do doing the day. Enjoy.

[Kerry&LuAnn]

We have sailed on Royal Caribbean's voyager class ships on both eastern and western itineraries and loved the cruises. Last March we sailed on the Caribbean Princess (eastern itinerary) and, because we had such a great time, we're going back again on the same ship and the same itinerary March 11. We really appreciate the flexibility of Anytime Dining. Last March we saw plenty of young people aboard the ship and there were a lot of activities for them. We also enjoyed the Eastern Itinerary better than the Western. If you decide on the March 11 sailing of the Caribbean Princess, jump in on the Roll Call (see the link below my post) and get to know some others who are sailing this one.

[Kerry&LuAnn]

I am a first time cruiser and, I must say, all of the information out there can make your head spin. (Not to mention that I am a little nervous about cooping myself up on a cruise ship, having never done it before).

 

You won't feel cooped up! The ship is large, with lots of room and activities for everyone. And when you step out on the deck and see nothing but ocean in every direction, you'll really feel like there's lots of room!

[willysgrandma]

There is more than enough to do on the ship at sea, more than we have seen on any other cruise we've been on.

 

I amnot a fan of the at sea days, but I wished we had an additional day at sea on the Crown to partake of more of the activities - there was so much going on, we couldn't decide what to do first.

 

I'd go with Princess.

[Kerry&LuAnn]

On the Caribbean Princess, one of the places the young people like to hang out is Club Fusion, which blends the atmosphere of a New York-style club with a touch of Las Vegas-style games and excitement. The lounge features high-tech capacilities and appearance with 42 high-definition video screens throughout.

 

Another popular place is Skywalkers Nightclub. This is a futuristic club suspended above the stern of the ship, 150 feet above the water. By day it is a spectacular observation lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows. After dark, it is transformed into a lively nightclub with state-of-the-art lighting, sound and video effects.

 

In addition, there are a variety of scheduled activities like trivia games, karaoke, talent contests (Princess Idol), and more!

 

And, of course, the swimming pools, volleyball court, miniature golf...