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Is Royal the worst rated ship on CC?


Loreni
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When I looked at the reviews, CC says "62 % loved it ." I couldn't find any Princess ship with a lower rating. So I checked random ships from all the major cruise lines, and the only others I found in the 60s were Cunard, and even these were higher than 62%. Most other ships were in the 80s, many were in the 90s. I didn't check Costa. Has anyone looked at all the ratings? If 62% is the lowest ever, that would be saying something. Would it be enough for Princess to consider design changes in the future?

 

One of the recent reviews indicates the elevators are frequently out of order. Another that elevators are small and without air conditioning. Without central stairs, it is really important to have working, pleasant, elevators. Another person reported that the room was hot and that they were told 78 degrees was an appropriate temperature for their room...in other words the air conditioning was working as specified and did not need to be repaired or adjusted. I have also read about soot on the aft balconies and of people booking special forward/wrap-around mini suites and marking them no-upgrade, only to have Princess try to reassign these rooms to VIPs at the last minute. It is easy to dismiss a few complaints, but the overwhelming weight of complaints point to a problem. I wonder if anyone who cares is listening.

Edited by Loreni
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Of Carnival's 25 ships only one, the Sunshine, has scored lower.

 

No Holland American ship has scored lower.

 

No Cunard ship has scored lower.

 

I will continue to check.

Edited by Loreni
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We would have preferred Celebrity Silhouette, but Princess Royal port schedule worked out better for us. Since the ports are more important to us than the cruise itself, I am just hoping for the best. As long as the food is reasonably ok and we can have a decent nights sleep, we are prepared to put up with

 

bad elevators (if really true)

irritating embarkation (if really true)

being shut out of sanctuary, enclave, if this does happen. For this sailing, I am not going to get nuts over, but if this would happen when I am really going for the cruise ship over ports, then I would be furious.

 

Not being able to get into sp restaurant on first night, if this happens.

 

For the reasons above, I prefer Celebrity. Everything can be prebooked before getting on the ship. Embarkation is a breeze. Of course it is much more expensive than Princess.

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When I looked at the reviews, CC says "62 % loved it ." I couldn't find any Princess ship with a lower rating. So I checked random ships from all the major cruise lines, and the only others I found in the 60s were Cunard, and even these were higher than 62%. Most other ships were in the 80s, many were in the 90s. I didn't check Costa. Has anyone looked at all the ratings? If 62% is the lowest ever, that would be saying something. Would it be enough for Princess to consider design changes in the future?

 

One of the recent reviews indicates the elevators are frequently out of order. Another that elevators are small and without air conditioning. Without central stairs, it is really important to have working, pleasant, elevators. Another person reported that the room was hot and that they were told 78 degrees was an appropriate temperature for their room...in other words the air conditioning was working as specified and did not need to be repaired or adjusted. I have also read about soot on the aft balconies and of people booking special forward/wrap-around mini suites and marking them no-upgrade, only to have Princess try to reassign these rooms to VIPs at the last minute. It is easy to dismiss a few complaints, but the overwhelming weight of complaints point to a problem. I wonder if anyone who cares is listening.

 

Please read my LIVE. I was on for 30 days from Barcelona to FLL. Most of the people yapping haven't even been on her yet.

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We would have preferred Celebrity Silhouette, but Princess Royal port schedule worked out better for us. Since the ports are more important to us than the cruise itself, I am just hoping for the best. As long as the food is reasonably ok and we can have a decent nights sleep, we are prepared to put up with

 

bad elevators (if really true)

irritating embarkation (if really true)

being shut out of sanctuary, enclave, if this does happen. For this sailing, I am not going to get nuts over, but if this would happen when I am really going for the cruise ship over ports, then I would be furious.

 

Not being able to get into sp restaurant on first night, if this happens.

 

For the reasons above, I prefer Celebrity. Everything can be prebooked before getting on the ship. Embarkation is a breeze. Of course it is much more expensive than Princess.

 

I just checked Celebrity and no ship scores lower than the Royal.

 

Some have said the Royal was an attempt to solsticize Princess, but Celebrity Soltice class are scoring about 20 points higher.

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No Royal Caribbean ship scores lower. None are even close to scoring as low as Royal Princess.

 

I am not going to check any other lines. We like the smoking policy on Princess and like the policy even better on Celebrity, we are considering trying Celebrity. I don't think we would try other lines until they improve their smoking policies, but does appear to be happening, so we are keeping an open mind and looking around.

 

We might even sail Royal on a very port-intensive itinerary. Still the numbers are troubling.

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I think some of it has to do with people's expectations (too high, didn't study the deck plans or do their homework), and how they compare this new class of ships to their all-time favorite Grand-class ships. Others have indeed had issues with soot on aft balconies, disliked the smaller balconies, miss the wrap around promenade deck, and comment on the fewer pools.

 

I spend two weeks on her and had none of those issues adversely affect my cruise, although I did not have a balcony.

 

I'm glad that I didn't cancel my cruise based soley on the negative reviews and comments of others. It turned out to be a truly wonderful cruise on a gorgeous ship!

 

 

 

Please read my LIVE. I was on for 30 days from Barcelona to FLL. Most of the people yapping haven't even been on her yet.

 

 

Here is a link to Pia's LIVE thread...

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1920928

 

And a link to one that I did as well...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1950107

 

:D

Edited by dmwnc1959
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As of today there are 200 reviews of the Royal out of tens of thousands who have said on her...not a representative sample at all!

 

We sailed on the Royal on the maiden TA and loved the ship! We enjoyed the ship so much we've booked the Regal maiden TA and 20 days on the Royal in the Caribbean embarking January 2015.

 

Studies show that those critical of an experience, a restaurant, cruise or whatever, are more apt to express their dissatisfaction at a rate of 8-10:1 compared to those who had an enjoyable experience. So take the Royal's approval percentage with a grain of salt.

 

I can't recall ever not enjoying a cruise or a ship and I've never written a review. I also don't read those reviews.

 

Lew

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How many reviews are there compared to how many passengers have sailed on the Royal? How many reviews are from the first month or so when there were issues? How long have the other ships been in service compared to the Royal? Numbers don't lie but they can be manipulated.

 

Having sailed on the Royal, she is now one of my favorite ships, and I've been on quite a few, including Celebrity. She's not perfect but what ship is? She has quite a few things that are better than any other Princess ship and for that matter, any other ship on any line. I can't wait to re-board her in September.

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How many reviews are there compared to how many passengers have sailed on the Royal? How many reviews are from the first month or so when there were issues? How long have the other ships been in service compared to the Royal? Numbers don't lie but they can be manipulated.

 

Having sailed on the Royal, she is now one of my favorite ships, and I've been on quite a few, including Celebrity. She's not perfect but what ship is? She has quite a few things that are better than any other Princess ship and for that matter, any other ship on any line. I can't wait to re-board her in September.

Thanks for the input. We are sailing on her in March. I have been very worried about the reviews - both good and bad. Thanks for putting my mind at ease.

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Studies show that those critical of an experience, a restaurant, cruise or whatever, are more apt to express their dissatisfaction at a rate of 8-10:1 compared to those who had an enjoyable experience. So take the Royal's approval percentage with a grain of salt.

 

 

Lew

 

The problem with that analysis is that if true, it should apply equally across the board to all ships. You have the same clientele and same sample group (albeit in smaller numbers) reporting on Royal as you do, say, Sapphire or Silhouette. If people are predisposed to complain more than they are to cheer, then every ship should suffer the same fate of low ratings. But Royal's low ratings are statistically significant. 200 is only a small number if you want it to be. The overall "love it" percentages has not risen meaningfully since the review count was 20. Remember that news outlets can call an election with 2% of the vote in.

 

To Pam's point about "early reviews", just read the ones from December, 2013. Very split. Some people appear to be Princess regulars who have good things to say and some are from people who decided to give Princess a try and many of those are not good. As for the Princess regulars, many love the newness. Others prefer ships with Explorer's Lounge instead of Princess Live; Skywalkers to Club 6; Full Promenade to a jogging track; aft pools to empty space; large balconies to small and 2600 people to 3600 people. To me, this period of newness is largely irrelevant. The true test will come in a couple of years when Royal is competing head to head with the Grand Class ships after the new ship smell has dissipated.

 

Lew: you may not read the reviews. But people who are considering trying Royal or Princess for the first time do. CC is by far and away the most used research tool.

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Bad reviews always come across with the "loudest" voice. Take the good and the bad with an element of balance. Any vacation anywhere can have its hiccups, but if you decide they won't derail you having a good time, you will have a wonderful time.

 

Sent from my SCH-I915 using Forums mobile app

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We were on the Royal cruise which had to cancel in Naples abruptly in September. Even with that disappointment, we loved the Royal and would not hesitate to sail on her again. She is a beautiful, beautiful ship with a lovely crew.

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Please read my LIVE. I was on for 30 days from Barcelona to FLL. Most of the people yapping haven't even been on her yet.

 

As of today there are 200 reviews of the Royal out of tens of thousands who have said on her...not a representative sample at all!

 

We sailed on the Royal on the maiden TA and loved the ship! We enjoyed the ship so much we've booked the Regal maiden TA and 20 days on the Royal in the Caribbean embarking January 2015.

 

Studies show that those critical of an experience, a restaurant, cruise or whatever, are more apt to express their dissatisfaction at a rate of 8-10:1 compared to those who had an enjoyable experience. So take the Royal's approval percentage with a grain of salt.

 

I can't recall ever not enjoying a cruise or a ship and I've never written a review. I also don't read those reviews.

 

Lew

 

How many reviews are there compared to how many passengers have sailed on the Royal? How many reviews are from the first month or so when there were issues? How long have the other ships been in service compared to the Royal? Numbers don't lie but they can be manipulated.

 

Having sailed on the Royal, she is now one of my favorite ships, and I've been on quite a few, including Celebrity. She's not perfect but what ship is? She has quite a few things that are better than any other Princess ship and for that matter, any other ship on any line. I can't wait to re-board her in September.

I agree with these 3 posts & was on the same cruise & would gladly sail the Royal again. I put more credence in reviews on this board & being able to get additional info from reviewers. I don't read the other reviews which are too often rants & completely different experiences on the same cruise. Unfortunately negative reviews on the CC website last longer than positive reviews on this board.

 

As others have said basing a cruise on 200 reviews isn't how I decide on which cruise to sail. People who aren't experienced with CC must wonder why anyone would ever want to cruise based on so much negativity. :eek:

 

There isn't a ship that everyone would agree was perfect including the Royal & I would never cancel a cruise based on CC posts. Opinions are not always factual & not knowing which are true I take a cruise to decide for myself. It's a cruise & it's difficult to understand those who say they have a terrible cruise.

 

I've never had a bad cruise...just some are better than others. :D

Edited by Astro Flyer
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There must be some validity to all the negative reviews. I'm looking at a seven day Caribbean cruise in March. I like the newer ships so, besides Royal, I looked at RCL Allure, HAL Niew Amsterdam, and Celebrity Reflection balconys. Royal was $100-$300 cheaper than the others. That tells me they aren't filling the ship. Based on this and the negative reviews, Royal is out of the running. Maybe, if the reviews get better I'll give them another look next fall.

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There must be some validity to all the negative reviews.

 

On the "Community" Board or the Reviews section of CC, that would be the case. On this board, that statement will never gain traction. When a ship has an approval rating of 84%, then the reviews are spot on. When the approval rating of the ship hovers around 60%, then the reviews are unreliable, statistically insignificant, and the natural result of the fact that more people post negative reviews. Funny how that last point can be true when many ships have approval ratings over 80%.

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To Pam's point about "early reviews", just read the ones from December, 2013. Very split. Some people appear to be Princess regulars who have good things to say and some are from people who decided to give Princess a try and many of those are not good. As for the Princess regulars, many love the newness. Others prefer ships with Explorer's Lounge instead of Princess Live; Skywalkers to Club 6; Full Promenade to a jogging track; aft pools to empty space; large balconies to small and 2600 people to 3600 people. To me, this period of newness is largely irrelevant. The true test will come in a couple of years when Royal is competing head to head with the Grand Class ships after the new ship smell has dissipated.
It's very possible that the Royal may be a better ship in the Med and not on (relatively) short Caribbean cruises. It also has to do with people's expectations and (gasp!) age. Whether a ship has an Explorer's Lounge, Skywalkers, full promenade, aft pool, etc. doesn't influence me whether or not to book a cruise. But some people do and it's nice we all have choices.

 

If someone is really set on a full/true Promenade deck, then they'll be disappointed with any Princess ship newer than the Sapphire. To me, a Promenade deck is one that's wide, has loungers and no stairs. If you cruise to sit at a pool and party in a bar, then the Royal is probably not the ship for you. Ditto lounging on a large balcony. So, it really comes down to expectations and what each of us likes to do on a cruise. It doesn't mean the Royal is a "bad" ship. It just doesn't meet the expectations of some of those who have sailed on her, realistic or not.

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I feel compelled to reply to this...I read all the reviews on the Royal from Europe and the T/A voyage and I was lucky enough to tour the ship when it was in Ft Lauderdale after the T/A and fell in love with it....So much so that I booked the Thanksgiving week voyage and LOVED it! In fact, I am about to book a last minute trip on it for March because we liked the ship so much. Make no mistake...some of the features from the "Grand/Caribbean/Ruby Class" ships are missed. But what the Royal Princess brings to the table with new features and layout, we really like. Sure, we miss the wrap around Promenaded deck, Explorers Lounge, and rear pool. But that did not make or break our cruise.

 

We, as Princess cruisers, are spoiled by what we "had" with the previous class of ships....bigger balconies, great rear-facing cabins, different color carpets port and starboard to help us navigate to our cabins, etc....all of them not game changers. The Royal Princess is a crown jewel in the Princess fleet as far as I am concerned and would never hesitate to cruise on her if the opportunity presented itself...and I hope it presents itself in early March!

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If you cruise to sit at a pool and party in a bar, then the Royal is probably not the ship for you.

 

I agree with all of your post, but the above sentence surprises me. Seems that with the creation of the Retreat and the addition of venues such as Bellini's, the Seaview Bar, the raw bar, etc., it seems as if sitting at a pool or drinking in a bar is exactly what they expect people to do.

 

Nevertheless, the point about the December reviews is that the degree of positivity (or negativity) isn't changing too much over time. And to the point that 200 reviews is too few, consider that 286 out of the next 300 reviews would have to be "love it" reviews to bring Royal up to 82% which is where many Grand Class ships reside. 200 may not be enough for some people, but even after 500, the favorability rating will lag behind other Princess ships.

Edited by JimmyVWine
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I agree with all of your post, but the above sentence surprises me. Seems that with the creation of the Retreat and the addition of venues such as Bellini's, the Seaview Bar, the raw bar, etc., it seems as if sitting at a pool or drinking in a bar is exactly what they expect people to do.
I said that only because people have complained about the lack of an aft pool and that the pools aren't as large as on the Grand-class ships. A Caribbean cruise is very different from a Med cruise, one of the reasons why I avoid them. Been there, done that. :)
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