Opinions Please...RCI Allure OTS vs. Regal Princess?

DH and I have a yearly tradition of taking a March cruise with my mom and one of her friends {going on the 3rd year}. We were pretty much set on trying Allure OTS in March 2015 both for the ship itself and for St Thomas and St Maarten as we have never been to either. Everyone we know who has been on this ship [with the exception of a very few] has loved it. That said, the same weeks on the brand new Regal Princess are considerably less money so now that has us thinking. What to do?

Both ships go to St Thomas and St Maarten so that is a wash. Allure goes to Nassau [we've been there before and it's nothing special] whilst Regal goes to Princess Cays in the Bahamas. I'm sure either would be fine as 1 of 3 ports since the other two are the real draw.

On the March 15th sailing [our normal week of travel] the inside staterooms on Regal start at $599pp whilst on Allure they start at $1,068pp! If we move up the date to March 1 [a risky move for flights out of New England where 2 weeks can make a huge difference in terms of weather] the price for Regal remains at $599 and Allure is at $910. Either way Regal is FAR less expensive. I know RCI always discounts cabins last minute but we need to book flights so don't like to wait too late. I would hate to pay so much for Allure and then have the price drop to $700ish after final payment. I know this is always a risk with cruises but no one wants to feel cheated and hundreds of dollars difference can make one feel that way. On Princess, I feel that $599 is already pretty low and cannot get MUCH lower. I would not feel as if I overpaid even if the prices did drop slightly.

I know Allure is the biggest ship in the world and that alone is a pretty cool selling point [at least to say we did it] but is it really worth such a huge price difference? Anyone that has sailed both lines, please chime in with which you prefer and why. I will be 32 then, DH will be 47, mom and her friend are in their early 60s. We tend to like fixed dining and don't mind a more formal atmosphere if that is the way it is. I feel Princess may have far less children which is definitely a plus for us all but RCI may have more things to do on sea days. Regal looks more elegant inside but Allure also seems to be quite nice. Such tough choices!! :confused:

**Disclaimer: I am posting this on both the RCI and Princess forums so I can compare responses.

Here is a recent post that discussed that very thing:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2050068

I posted some blog links in post #9 where I discussed our experiences with being on the Royal Princess and the Allure OTS just a week apart last fall, with lots of photos.

You really can't to wrong either way, but if you value entertainment, the Allure winds hands down. Food is better (we think) on Princess. Pools are MUCH nicer on Princess and their adults-only Solarium is free.

Although I have not sailed on the Regal, I did sail on the Oasis 2 years ago,(my first solo cruise). I adored it, I had a Central Park balcony and although I didn't use it as much as I thought I would, (too busy) I would still get one again, or maybe an inside promenade. The entertainment was great, food was amazing and the staff were exceptional. It is an amazing ship and never felt crowded although it was full. I would agree with others that a week is not really enough time to see everything, although I gave it a good try..

Happy sailing whichever you choose

Here's a post with my thoughts after cruising the Allure in August: Penthouse Suite on Royal Princess vs Owners Suite on Allure of the Seas / PCL vs RCCL

Lew

Here is a recent post that discussed that very thing:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2050068

 

I posted some blog links in post #9 where I discussed our experiences with being on the Royal Princess and the Allure OTS just a week apart last fall, with lots of photos.

 

You really can't to wrong either way, but if you value entertainment, the Allure winds hands down. Food is better (we think) on Princess. Pools are MUCH nicer on Princess and their adults-only Solarium is free.

Here's a post with my thoughts after cruising the Allure in August: Penthouse Suite on Royal Princess vs Owners Suite on Allure of the Seas / PCL vs RCCL

 

Lew

Thank you both for the input! We are planning a TA crossing on QM2 next Sept so the March trip will be in an inside to save some cash. Do either of you think, for an inside stateroom going to the same ports, that Allure is really worth paying 40% more?

The one thing to remember here is that Allure and Oasis are in a class by themselves and charge a premium to prove it. There is literally nothing out there like them in terms of scale for a comparison and no ship offers the variety they do.

Personally, no I don't see a 40 percent premium as worth it UNLESS you plan to take advantage of the amenities that they offer (shows, dining venues (some for a fee), rock climbing, etc). If the ports are more your focus, you will get a similar experience no matter which ship you choose.

The one thing to remember here is that Allure and Oasis are in a class by themselves and charge a premium to prove it. There is literally nothing out there like them in terms of scale for a comparison and no ship offers the variety they do.

 

Personally, no I don't see a 40 percent premium as worth it UNLESS you plan to take advantage of the amenities that they offer (shows, dining venues (some for a fee), rock climbing, etc). If the ports are more your focus, you will get a similar experience no matter which ship you choose.

Thanks for responding!

We definitely like shows and good food but don't usually go to the pay restaurants [on NCL Breakaway we did try a couple since they don't have set dining times...but normally we eat in the MDR each night].

I may try the rock climbing or waverunner on the Allure simply because they have it. However, this would not be a focus of my trip nor a deciding factor.

What about service between the two? Princess is more of a premium line so I expect the service and MDR food quality would reflect that? Would it be wrong to assume that?

Another gripe about Allure is that right now the price is over $1,000pp for an inside but usually that goes down to around $700 closer to sail date. That is quite a large difference.

If you do not choose to spend extra money on specialty dining, then Princess might be the better choice. But, for the price difference you cite, the entertainment on RC accounts for all of that and more.

We thought service on the Allure was just as good as, and in many ways better than on Princess.

The best part of the Allure was enjoying the enjoyment of our fellow passengers, people from all over the world who came to enjoy that ship because it was the world's largest and most well known. It definitely had a different vibe than most Princess cruises out of Fort Lauderdale, with lots of large family groups celebrating 50th anniversaries and cancer recoveries (and wearing t-shirts that said so), and I didn't encounter a single unhappy cruiser the entire week.

 

We definitely like shows and good food but don't usually go to the pay restaurants [on NCL Breakaway we did try a couple since they don't have set dining times...but normally we eat in the MDR each night].

 

What about service between the two? Princess is more of a premium line so I expect the service and MDR food quality would reflect that? Would it be wrong to assume that?

We found food quality and preparation well below that on Princess. Don't sail on Allure for the food. However, service in all areas was first rate. Everyone was very helpful, knowledgeable and in good spirits...Allure wins for service.

Lew

Please also keep in mind you do need to take a tender to access Princess Cays. If there are any mobility issues (although with you mother and her friend still being so young I would doubt it) you may not be able to enjoy that port. I love it. I book a clamshell and just stare at the ocean all day!

For us the shows were definitely better on the Allure than those we've experienced on Princess. Princess has nothing that compare with Chicago, OceanAria, Blue Planet, and Ice Games.

 

We found food quality and preparation well below that on Princess. Don't sail on Allure for the food. However, service in all areas was first rate. Everyone was very helpful, knowledgeable and in good spirits...Allure wins for service.

 

Lew

Good to know. Still a tossup as I've heard others say the MDR food on Allure is nothing great and many rave about Princess. We do like shows though so with Allure winning on that end we come out in the middle again! AHHH so many things to consider.

Please also keep in mind you do need to take a tender to access Princess Cays. If there are any mobility issues (although with you mother and her friend still being so young I would doubt it) you may not be able to enjoy that port. I love it. I book a clamshell and just stare at the ocean all day!

No mobility issues but thanks for the headsup on the tenders. I wasn't aware of that.

If you do not choose to spend extra money on specialty dining, then Princess might be the better choice. But, for the price difference you cite, the entertainment on RC accounts for all of that and more.

 

We thought service on the Allure was just as good as, and in many ways better than on Princess.

 

The best part of the Allure was enjoying the enjoyment of our fellow passengers, people from all over the world who came to enjoy that ship because it was the world's largest and most well known. It definitely had a different vibe than most Princess cruises out of Fort Lauderdale, with lots of large family groups celebrating 50th anniversaries and cancer recoveries (and wearing t-shirts that said so), and I didn't encounter a single unhappy cruiser the entire week.

The international draw was a selling point for us. DH is Chinese by birth and he reads numerous accounts of travel on Allure and Oasis from Chinese websites.

However, large family groups are more of a drawback. As we don't have children we prefer not to be around crowds of them. My mom only had 2 kids [me and my brother...8 years apart] so she is not into huge families of small children either.

Thank you all for your input! We decided on the Regal Princess as the price was just too good to pass up. Also, since it is the 50th anniversary of the line in 2015, they have Love Boat themed deck parties! Not a deciding factor but you gotta love it anyway! HEHE :D

Glad you made a decision, maybe the Allure or Oasis will be a future cruise. I agree it is more expensive but I personally think it's well worth it.

Have a great cruise

Another factor, assuming that's you in the avatar...

Although I'm guessing that RCCL's mega-ships are prolly hospitable to gays as any, Princess is really, truly queer-friendly. Husband and I celebrated our honeymoon aboard last year and our anniversary last month and they were both great. Like you, we'd rather not be around crowds of kids, and though we love musicals, ziplines, and the like, we'd prefer our cruise ships not to be like theme parks...and, for that matter, our theme parks not to be like cruise ships. Princess is a great fit for us, and maybe you, too.

Have a great cruise.

Another factor, assuming that's you in the avatar...

 

Although I'm guessing that RCCL's mega-ships are prolly hospitable to gays as any, Princess is really, truly queer-friendly. Husband and I celebrated our honeymoon aboard last year and our anniversary last month and they were both great. Like you, we'd rather not be around crowds of kids, and though we love musicals, ziplines, and the like, we'd prefer our cruise ships not to be like theme parks...and, for that matter, our theme parks not to be like cruise ships. Princess is a great fit for us, and maybe you, too.

 

Have a great cruise.

Yes it is me in the avatar. After viewing the advertising videos of both ships, we decided Princess seems more our style as well. Thanks for checking in! :)

Here is a recent post that discussed that very thing:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2050068

 

I posted some blog links in post #9 where I discussed our experiences with being on the Royal Princess and the Allure OTS just a week apart last fall, with lots of photos.

 

You really can't to wrong either way, but if you value entertainment, the Allure winds hands down. Food is better (we think) on Princess. Pools are MUCH nicer on Princess and their adults-only Solarium is free.

Did you actually mean to say that Princess pools were much better? Cause I wanna know where that free Solarium is ;)

Did you actually mean to say that Princess pools were much better? Cause I wanna know where that free Solarium is ;)

I have been on the Allure and the Royal Princess. The Allure is a better ship in just about every aspect. It has much better entertainment, better casual dining, better upscale dining, better pool areas, and you don't need to worry about those crazy overcrowded elevators on those Princess Royal Class ships. The way I look at pricing is to add the cost of the specialty dining package to your cost of the Allure cruise and that's your price. I don't think I would even consider booking the Regal or Royal for a Caribbean cruise in any case. Nice ships for cooler weather itineraries like Baltic/Scandinavia and British Isles itineraries though.

I have been on the Allure and the Royal Princess. The Allure is a better ship in just about every aspect. It has much better entertainment, better casual dining, better upscale dining, better pool areas, and you don't need to worry about those crazy overcrowded elevators on those Princess Royal Class ships. The way I look at pricing is to add the cost of the specialty dining package to your cost of the Allure cruise and that's your price. I don't think I would even consider booking the Regal or Royal for a Caribbean cruise in any case. Nice ships for cooler weather itineraries like Baltic/Scandinavia and British Isles itineraries though.

Thanks for the input but I feel like the Regal Princess was the right decision for us. The ports are basically the same and Regal gives you more time [and better blocks of time] in said ports. I'm confused as to why you said to add the price of specialty dining to the Allure cruise though. The Allure was already $400pp more expensive than the Regal for the same dates; if we added specialty dining to that it would increase even more. Anyway, we rarely eat in the specialty restaurants except on NCL since their MDR is so-so. Everyone has told us Princess has much better MDR food than RCI so we are excited for that. Of course, RCI wins in entertainment from what we've heard and whilst we do love musicals and theatre we feel food is more important.

We will likely still sail Allure sometime in the future though; it will be cool to sail on the biggest ship. The price difference this go-round was just not justified for us.

Thanks for the input but I feel like the Regal Princess was the right decision for us. The ports are basically the same and Regal gives you more time [and better blocks of time] in said ports. I'm confused as to why you said to add the price of specialty dining to the Allure cruise though. The Allure was already $400pp more expensive than the Regal for the same dates; if we added specialty dining to that it would increase even more. Anyway, we rarely eat in the specialty restaurants except on NCL since their MDR is so-so. Everyone has told us Princess has much better MDR food than RCI so we are excited for that. Of course, RCI wins in entertainment from what we've heard and whilst we do love musicals and theatre we feel food is more important.

 

We will likely still sail Allure sometime in the future though; it will be cool to sail on the biggest ship. The price difference this go-round was just not justified for us.

I didn't mean that it would be an advantage to the Allure to add in the specialty restaurants. I would say that to really enjoy the Allure experience, you would want to dine at the specialty restaurants and consider the cost as part of the vacation cost. However, if specialty restaurants aren't important to you, then at a $400 price difference, I would book the Allure in a minute. The ship is much nicer. The entertainment is on an entirely different level and there are more things to do than you have time. I would never book the Royal/Regal for a Caribbean itinerary in any case for several reasons. If I were to book a large Princess ship for a Caribbean cruise, my search would start with the Ruby.