RCCL vs Princess - Same Basic Itinerary, Different Prices!

[ChevyCruiser]

As a disgruntled Diamond-level citizen of the Nation of Why Not who is now banned from the Concierge Lounge, I'm sitting on a couple of B2B reservations for a South Seas cruise from Sydney to the States:

 

26 nights, balcony, $5098 per person, or $196 pp per night. Pay for laundry, pay for internet, pay for every drink everywhere, have my wine confiscated for my safety, confiscate my iron for my safety, banned from the Concierge Lounge, OBCs are per stateroom and not combinable

 

I checked with Princess for a similar intinerary. Here's what I found:

 

30 nights, balcony, $5195 per person, or $173 pp per night. On Princess there are several laundromats with irons and ironing boards on each deck, multiple shows each evening to choose from, free internet packages, free mini-bar in the stateroom, free pub-style lunch in the bar (think Schooner Bar) on sea days, free fruit plate delivered each afternoon, I can take some wine on-board if I want, OBCs are per person and combinable.

 

I'm asking myself Why Not move my booking over to Princess?

[I'm on holiday]

I say you found a killer deal!

[allseas1586]

Sounds great! I've always wanted to visit the South Pacific! Enjoy!!

[amunhbuu]

I am envious. Have fun whichever you choose!

[CrusinAgain]

You can't go wrong with Princess. Their entertainment is wonderful and not only has the evening show but another show going on in another venue and then some activity going on in another venue. They also have a choice of traditional or anytime dining. Their prices have been excellent to us and we have been able to have a balcony on some cruises for $100 a nite for each of us. Service is above par. About to take my first Royal cruise so of course will be comparing everything with Princess. I do know Princess loyalty program is far above RCI's. I'm at Platnium now with Princess so I will get free internet on our next cruise. I do love having the venue for 24 hours dining and the self-serve laundries on each floor. People say they don't do laundry on a cruise? Don't believe it! They do. Also Princess offers movies that haven't been released to the video stores yet while I see Royal's so far have been out for some time.

 

Go for it!

[sailor moon]

Which Princess ships are similar to the RCCL Radiance class?

[donnaw]

As a disgruntled Diamond-level citizen of the Nation of Why Not who is now banned from the Concierge Lounge, I'm sitting on a couple of B2B reservations for a South Seas cruise from Sydney to the States:

 

26 nights, balcony, $5098 per person, or $196 pp per night. Pay for laundry, pay for internet, pay for every drink everywhere, have my wine confiscated for my safety, confiscate my iron for my safety, banned from the Concierge Lounge, OBCs are per stateroom and not combinable

 

I checked with Princess for a similar intinerary. Here's what I found:

 

30 nights, balcony, $5195 per person, or $173 pp per night. On Princess there are several laundromats with irons and ironing boards on each deck, multiple shows each evening to choose from, free internet packages, free mini-bar in the stateroom, free pub-style lunch in the bar (think Schooner Bar) on sea days, free fruit plate delivered each afternoon, I can take some wine on-board if I want, OBCs are per person and combinable.

 

I'm asking myself Why Not move my booking over to Princess?

 

And say thank you to Royal on the way out! You will have a great time!

[ChevyCruiser]

Here's what you get with 15 cruise credits on Princess as their Elite, top tier program:

 

 

 

 

PREFERRED SERVICES PACKAGE

Priority Tender Embarkation

As a well-traveled guest with Princess, you have the opportunity to travel ashore quickly and without waiting in line. Simply present your Priority Tender Ticket directly at the gangway instead of waiting with other passengers in the lounge area. You will then join any remaining passengers and board the tender as soon as it is clear to embark.

 

Priority Disembarkation

You'll be contacted towards the end of your cruise by the Circle Host to determine approximately what time would be most convenient for your disembarkation. If you'd like to linger onboard longer, we'll be more than happy to give you a later disembarkation group. If you'd like to be one of the first groups to disembark, we'll gladly accommodate - the choice is yours!

 

Shoe Polishing Service

Your shoes will be polished upon request - this service is complimentary.

 

Complimentary Laundry and Dry Cleaning Services

Upon request, your cabin steward will organize your laundry to be cleaned - compliments of Princess Captain’s Circle!

 

 

ELITE CABIN AMENITIES PACKAGE

Complimentary Mini Bar Set Up**

Your stateroom will receive one mini bar set up according to your personal preferences. If no preferences have been indicated in your Member Profile, the standard selection will be given. Drinks will be refilled upon request and you will only be charged for the additionally requested drinks consumed.

 

Deluxe Canapes Selection

You may receive, upon request, a complimentary selection of deluxe canapés specially created by the Chef, delivered to your stateroom on formal night. This benefit can be ordered through room service and should be requested at least 6 hours prior to the desired delivery time.

 

Afternoon Tea

Complimentary afternoon tea may be served in your stateroom, should you wish. You may request this via room service at least 6 hours prior to the desired delivery time.

 

Upgraded Bathroom Amenities

Your stateroom bathroom will be stocked with the upgraded amenities reserved for Suite guests.

 

 

PREFERRED DISCOUNT PACKAGE

10% Boutique Discount

Our Boutiques are second to none for choice and gift selection. Now, as an Elite Member, take advantage of a 10% discount storewide to buy those extra gifts for all your family back home! Your Cruise Card is your key to this wonderful benefit,- simply show it when you make any purchase, and our Boutique Staff will automatically deduct 10% from your purchase price.

 

Complimentary Wine Tasting

Our Wine Tasting Events are popular and many of our members attend, so we have made arrangements to pick up the cover charge for you! Space is limited at these events so, should you wish to attend, you must confirm with the Circle Host who will contact you at the beginning of your cruise.

 

 

*Members are eligible for a higher tier on the next cruise following completion of necessary cruises and/or cruise days.

**Complimentary mini-bar set-up is one time only, per stateroom, for passengers 21 and over.

 

Plus, the following Platinum Member Benefits:

 

Complimentary Cruise Atlas

Every year you will automatically receive a copy of our Princess Cruise Atlas. With details on all itineraries and sailings for the year, you will be able to plan ahead easily!

 

Princess Platinum Vacation Protection Upgrade^^

As a Platinum member, when you purchase Princess Vacation Protection at the standard rate, Princess will purchase an upgrade to Princess Platinum Vacation Protection automatically on your behalf. Click here to learn more about the Vacation Protection program.

 

Preferred Check-In

When you arrive at the port, don’t wait in line. If you are a Platinum member, you and your family or guests will be invited to use the Preferred Check-In desk to help expedite your embarkation.

 

Platinum Members Lounge

In recognition of your loyalty, and to make your last morning with us more enjoyable, we invite Platinum members to use the Platinum Members Lounge, offering light refreshments and peace while you await disembarkation.

 

Complimentary Internet Packages

Each Platinum Member will receive a credit towards the purchase of a package in our Internet Cafés or on a personal laptop! Our current internet packages onboard have now been expanded fleetwide to include wireless internet!

 

 

$75 for voyages of 7 days or less (equivalent to 150 minute package)

$100 for voyages of 8-20 days (equivalent to 250 minute package)

$200 for voyages of 21 or more days (equivalent to two 250 minute packages)

 

You can use your credit towards a larger package if necessary, or enjoy all those minutes - compliments of the Princess Captain's Circle!

 

Exclusive Phone Line

Enjoy an exclusive shoreside phone number for contact to the Circle Desk. Your call will be routed quickly through to the Membership desk to discuss your cruise history, membership status, benefits delivery or any other Circle-related questions you may have.

*Members are eligible for a higher tier on the next cruise following completion of necessary cruises and/or cruise days.

^^Available to U.S. and Canadian resident Members only. Platinum Members sailing prior to Summer of 2009 sailings will continue to enjoy the Princess Travel Care Gold upgrade when they purchase Princess Travel Care at the standard rate.

 

Also includes all the Gold Member Benefits:

 

Launch Savings^

Effective Summer 2009 sailings and beyond, Princess Captain’s Circle Members who book early can enjoy an additional savings of $50-$300 per person off their cruise fare (for the first 2 passengers in the cabin, depending on itinerary and date). This discount can be combined with Escape Fares (formerly known as Early Booking Discounts), group rates, regional promotions and other past passenger discounts. Some restrictions apply.

 

Preferential Pricing Offers

Throughout the year, we specially select itineraries we know you love and will keep you informed of special offers and deals. You can tell us whether you would prefer to hear about these by mail, phone or email in your Member Profile .

 

Members only onboard Events

As a member, you will be invited to exclusive events during your cruise with us. These are a great way to meet fellow members!!

 

Princess Passport

Our special Princess Passports are another member exclusive, giving you a unique way to record your memories of treasured adventures.

 

Collectible Destination Stamps

Every time you sail with us, we will give you a stamp depicting the destination you have traveled. The stamps are signed by the Captain and can be displayed in your Princess Passport.

 

Circle Host

We are committed to making your vacation experience with us a special one,- that is why, onboard every vessel, there is a Circle Host, - a representative of the Princess Captain’s Circle, ready to make sure that you receive all the benefits to which you are entitled.

 

Member Benefits Card

You have been issued a membership card which indicates your member status. This card should be kept handy at all times and your member number quoted when making a reservation. Providing this number guarantees that you will receive all the benefits to which you are entitled.

 

Princess Captain’s Circle Quarterly Magazine

Every three months, you will receive our Magazine, published exclusively for members of the Princess Captain’s Circle. As well as advance notification of promotions and new itineraries, you will be the first to hear about our new ships. We are also pleased to share behind the scenes information with you and feature your favorite Princess crew members,- taking a peak at what they like to do when they are back at home!

 

Princess Captain’s Circle Center Online

Once you register for the Circle Center, you will have access to extra benefits, including our Stand By Program. We will also feature regularly updated articles on the latest developments at Princess,-like new ships, itineraries and shows. Your Member Profile is also accessible through the Center and can be kept up to date to ensure that we are able to anticipate your every need. Tell us what you like, what you don’t like, and how you would like us to keep in touch with you!

^Available to U.S. and Canadian resident Members only.

[coxswain]

ChevyCruiser - i've just written to Princess to ask about status match.

 

 

 

 

jj.....

[ChevyCruiser]

ChevyCruiser - i've just written to Princess to ask about status match.

 

 

 

 

jj.....

 

Cool. Who knows, never hurst to ask. We cancelled some RCCL reservations for 2009 and booked a couple of Princess cruises instead and I must say I was more than impressed with the ship, their staff, food, their staterooms, their booking agents, EVERYTHING! And if you've ever been on an RCCL ship in a busy port with other cruise lines, Princess seems to get the primo parking spots. We hit San Francisco last Fall on an RCCL ship and we were parked at a berth south of the Oakland Bay Bridge while two Princess ships were just across from the Trolley stops near Fisherman's Wharf.

[I'm on holiday]

ChevyCruiser - i've just written to Princess to ask about status match.

 

 

 

 

jj.....

 

Hmmm...what a concept. I'll be interested to hear how Princess, or any other line, replies.

[allseas1586]

Which Princess ships are similar to the RCCL Radiance class?

 

Island Princess and Coral Princess

[eroller]

ChevyCruiser - i've just written to Princess to ask about status match.

 

 

 

 

jj.....

 

 

 

Not going to happen. I'm Platinum level with Princess and close to Elite and you will have to earn it just like the rest of us. Can you imagine if Princess grandfathered you in at a high loyalty level just because you earned it with Royal Caribbean? Talk about an outrage. If you think what you are reading about C&A on this board is bad, you don't want to see what would happen on the Princess board.

 

Ernie

[ma3]

I wish we had the time to take such a great cruise. You will be happy with Princess. We sailed on the Crown and were very happy. I am presently deciding on which Princess cruise to book. I am thinkiing about canceling my 2 booked cruises with RCI.

[eroller]

As a disgruntled Diamond-level citizen of the Nation of Why Not who is now banned from the Concierge Lounge, I'm sitting on a couple of B2B reservations for a South Seas cruise from Sydney to the States:

 

26 nights, balcony, $5098 per person, or $196 pp per night. Pay for laundry, pay for internet, pay for every drink everywhere, have my wine confiscated for my safety, confiscate my iron for my safety, banned from the Concierge Lounge, OBCs are per stateroom and not combinable

 

I checked with Princess for a similar intinerary. Here's what I found:

 

30 nights, balcony, $5195 per person, or $173 pp per night. On Princess there are several laundromats with irons and ironing boards on each deck, multiple shows each evening to choose from, free internet packages, free mini-bar in the stateroom, free pub-style lunch in the bar (think Schooner Bar) on sea days, free fruit plate delivered each afternoon, I can take some wine on-board if I want, OBCs are per person and combinable.

 

I'm asking myself Why Not move my booking over to Princess?

 

 

Sounds like a no brainer. Why are you even questioning it?

 

Princess is a fine cruise line. I'm Platinum level with them and close to Elite. They are very consistent but a bit bland. Overall I prefer Royal Caribbean but I don't hesitate to cruise Princess if the price and itinerary is right. Most of the Princess ships are very similar, right down to the carpet and lighting fixtures. If you have sailed on one you have pretty much sailed them all.

 

I started cruising with Princess in the 80's. I have to say no cruise line has changed as much for me as Princess. They used to be quite upscale, with an all Italian dining room (lots of table side preparation) and British bar and cabin staff. Those days are long gone and now they are very much mass-market with the mega 3000+ passenger ships. Service and food is nothing like it used to be, but then again prices are much cheaper too. It's all relative.

 

Princess has also made a lot of changes that pis-ed people off. They have downgraded some aspects of their past passenger program and taken away things like free ice cream except in the dining room during lunch and dinner. They are big on upselling cocktails to a "large" size when you place an order, and they are push their art auctions more than most lines as it's an in-house operation and not a concession.

 

My point is that no cruise line is perfect, and it's a good idea to try out other lines to see if it is a good fit for you. It may be, or you may decide that Royal Caribbean is best for you after all.

 

Ernie

[Cruise Junky]

As a disgruntled Diamond-level citizen of the Nation of Why Not who is now banned from the Concierge Lounge, I'm sitting on a couple of B2B reservations for a South Seas cruise from Sydney to the States:

 

26 nights, balcony, $5098 per person, or $196 pp per night. Pay for laundry, pay for internet, pay for every drink everywhere, have my wine confiscated for my safety, confiscate my iron for my safety, banned from the Concierge Lounge, OBCs are per stateroom and not combinable

 

I checked with Princess for a similar intinerary. Here's what I found:

 

30 nights, balcony, $5195 per person, or $173 pp per night. On Princess there are several laundromats with irons and ironing boards on each deck, multiple shows each evening to choose from, free internet packages, free mini-bar in the stateroom, free pub-style lunch in the bar (think Schooner Bar) on sea days, free fruit plate delivered each afternoon, I can take some wine on-board if I want, OBCs are per person and combinable.

 

I'm asking myself Why Not move my booking over to Princess?

 

Also keep in mind that Princess allows TAs to discount, you might do better than that $173 PP a day. You also forgot they treat you like an adult and will sell you a bottle of booze to enjoy on that balcony you and your DW are paying $10,000 for :)

[Tatka]

We allways go back and forth between the lines and for the most part enjoy each of them.

 

Princess is our favorite at this point.

 

Although we never sailed on Radiance class of RCCL or Island class of Princess.

[gerig]

You want to talk about some other big differences.I became a travel agent last year and I did a ton of online training. I became a RCCL Expert Plus on RCL and they sent me a certificate and a magnet. I took a similar online course (about 40 hours of work on each) on Princess and became a Commodore. They gave me Elite Status and a free Graduation cruise that I have yet to take because we are too busy.

 

 

I have read that Princess sales have increased since last year during the prime booking season January - March. However Royal's sales are down - Why Not?

[eroller]

I have read that Princess sales have increased since last year during the prime booking season January - March. However Royal's sales are down - Why Not?

 

 

I'm not sure where you read that. Sales are up at most cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean. Unfortunately yields are down which is why cruise lines are not necessarily making any more money.

 

Ernie

[39august]

There is one thing wrong with comparing Princess with RCI and that is in the balcony cabins. Princess balcony cabins (I've been on 6 Princess cruises with balconies) have no sitting area. There was one small club chair in the corner by the "desk". I really don't like the small cabin and having to sit on the bed! So, for me to compare Princess cabins to RCI cabins means I have to move up to a mini-suite on Princess. I have yet to see a mini-suite for less than a balcony (with my Diamond discount) on RCI. If I could find one with and itinerary I liked, I wouldn't hesitate to sail Princess again.

[eroller]

There is one thing wrong with comparing Princess with RCI and that is in the balcony cabins. Princess balcony cabins (I've been on 6 Princess cruises with balconies) have no sitting area. There was one small club chair in the corner by the "desk". I really don't like the small cabin and having to sit on the bed! So, for me to compare Princess cabins to RCI cabins means I have to move up to a mini-suite on Princess. I have yet to see a mini-suite for less than a balcony (with my Diamond discount) on RCI. If I could find one with and itinerary I liked, I wouldn't hesitate to sail Princess again.

 

 

Yes, standard Princess balcony cabins are very small, as is the bathroom. They are really nothing special, and the beds are very hard!

 

Ernie

[coxswain]

Thanks Ernie i love a hard bed lol

 

 

 

 

 

jj....

[eroller]

Thanks Ernie i love a hard bed lol

 

 

 

 

 

jj....

 

 

I think you are going to love Princess! ;)

 

Ernie

[GoodAsGold]

I would say the Grand class ships

(Grand,Golden and Star) They're 109,000 tons and have the solarium pool with the retractable ceiling. The other two ships here are smaller.

 

 

Island Princess and Coral Princess

[ellbon]

After 12 princess cruise i know princess is a great line. But you do not get freee drinks or internet like the OP said. at 6 cruises you get internet-so many minutes-not sure. at 16 cruises you get your free booze.

 

I left princees to try rci and their JS is bigger and the upscale dinner is better but we have better entertainment at night- in two venues.

 

there are 2-count them-2 adult pools on all Grand class ships. also the pools are fresh water and the towels are in the cabin-helps at those 730 port tours.

 

after one RCI and one celebrity cruise I prefer Celbrity to RCI but princess to RCI