Sun Princess v Rhapsody of the Seas

We sailed on Sun Princess over Christmas 2014 on a 13 night cruise to New Caledonia & Fiji.

We sailed on Rhapsody of the Seas in March 2015 on a 9 night cruise to New Caledonia.

We thoroughly enjoyed both cruises and it was interesting to compare the two ships. They are similar in size but quite different in interior design. We preferred the design of Rhapsody overall, especially the pool deck, but felt that the décor on Sun was more elegant, especially in the Atrium/Centrum areas and in the Main Dining Rooms. One thing we didn’t like on Rhapsody was that the easiest access to the theatre was right through the Casino.

We loved the Promenade deck going right around the ship on Sun, on Rhapsody there was no access through the bow of the ship. We loved the Schooner Bar on Rhapsody with wonderful views out to sea in the daytime.

On our Sun cruise we were desperately in need of some quiet rest and relaxation so booked ourselves into the Sanctuary for the whole cruise. Whilst this was very comfortable and luxurious being waited on all day, there was no direct views of the sea and no decent swimming pool in that area, just a very shallow “splash” pool. I’m not sure the extra cost was justified, however there seemed to be no other quiet, shady spots on the ship. There were some loungers on the promenade deck but there was always a constant stream of traffic promenading. The only other shaded loungers were around the main pool area and it was extremely noisy there.

On Rhapsody we found our peaceful relaxation just aft of the Solarium (choosing port or starboard depending on the wind) which had reasonably comfortable sun loungers that enabled us to look directly out to sea. This area was under cover but still got some sun in the afternoons on the appropriate side. It was easy to take a dip in the Solarium pool, and had the Park Café, tea/coffee/water stations, and Solarium Bar close by.

On Sun we had a balcony cabin, on Rhapsody a large interior cabin which we had booked as an interior guarantee. Although we loved the balcony on Sun we found the balcony chairs not really comfortable for sitting for a long time, they were very firm with no cushioning and no footrest. However since Sun has limited comfortable loungers overlooking the sea we found the balcony did have some advantages as we enjoy the sight and sounds of the ocean, and we did enjoy the Ultimate Balcony Dinner there one night. We actually didn’t miss the balcony that much on Rhapsody as we spent very little time in our cabin on this cruise.

Comparing the two staterooms:

• Both ships had firm beds but Sun had a plush topper on the mattress which was lovely, however both beds were comfortable and we slept well on both ships.

• There was very little space between the bed and the walls on Rhapsody, and also between the bed and the sofa on one side and drawers on the other. The base of the bed had nasty metal corners which we had to be very careful of to avoid bruises.

• Rhapsody had slightly better storage overall although we could not fit our suitcases under the bed, they had to go in the wardrobe, however we still had plenty of room for our clothes and our collapsible mesh laundry hamper.

• The bathroom on Sun was slightly bigger, especially the shower compartment, but the shelves weren’t as convenient as on Rhapsody. The shower on Rhapsody was really small and awkward.

• Sun had one AUS/NZ and one US powerpoint, located behind the TV so awkward to use but luckily we were allowed to take our travel powerboard (2 USB ports, 2 power points) on-board which made things easier. Rhapsody had two US powerpoints (110v) and two European (220v) powerpoints. We were not allowed to take the travel powerboard with us but had adaptors for both. However we mostly used the European powerpoints.

• The wall mounted hairdryer on Sun is useless. The large oblong air outlet blows more air around the cabin than on to your hair. The hairdryer supplied by Rhapsody, with a US plug, is worse than useless. Take your own (which I did) and a European plug adaptor.

• We had a chair on Sun, which was right next to the balcony door. We only used it to put stuff on. We had a small sofa on Rhapsody – more space to put stuff on and still have room to sit.

• Being a light sleeper who is rarely able to sleep without an eye mask I really appreciated the darkness of the Rhapsody interior cabin. There was very little light seepage from under the door and the TV had a red LED. On Sun there was more light seepage under the door and the TV had a green LED (which is much brighter than red). Also light seepage around the curtains tended to wake me earlier even with an eye mask.

We preferred the Main Dining Room layout on Sun. There were lots of smaller tables – 2s, 4s, 6s, and 8s and only a few 10s. We did end up on one of the 10s but they reduced it in size after a few nights of only six of us there. Sun also had removable dividers that they used to split the 4s and 6s into 2s for breakfast and lunch and we were mostly able to get a two-top at those times. On the Rhapsody lower level there were tables for 10 all the way down each side with a corresponding reduction in the number of smaller tables. Again we ended up at a table for 10. Our table companions didn’t eat in the MDR some nights so we dined in solitary splendour on those nights. Luckily the tables were oval so we could sit comfortably spaced at one end. We refused to sit at a ten-top for breakfast and lunch, we just waited for a two-top to become available.

The Centrum on Rhapsody had more seating but a smaller dance floor (I think).

Rhapsody definitely topped Sun in the music stakes. There was a wonderful Filipino band that played great music from the 50s up, a male and female vocal duet, a Caribbean-style band, the Rhapsody orchestra, and more (think we missed one or two), all of whom played in the Centrum and other locations at various times and didn’t repeat themselves too often. The musos on Sun – a singer/pianist, a trio, and a 4 piece band – tended to repeat themselves each night and by the end of the cruise we were tired of their limited repertoire. On the other hand we felt the Sun “production” shows were better, they seemed livelier. The Piano Man show on Rhapsody seemed very lacklustre and tired in comparison, although the other show we went to was slightly better.

Apart from a few stand-out dishes, we felt the meals on Rhapsody were lower quality than on Sun. Rhapsody has a buffet section in the MDR for breakfast, for cereals, fruit and juices. The fried eggs were very good but both the omelet and the french toast that I tried were awful. There wasn’t much variation in the breakfast menu across the whole cruise, especially if you don’t like things Benedict. Service at breakfast was very slow. There was more variety on Sun, most things were very nice and the service was good.

We tried lunch in the Rhapsody MDR on our first two sea days and loved the salad bar however one day the fish main was good and the other day it was overcooked. I did have a great crème brulee for dessert though. Again service was slow. Sun offered a three course lunch in the MDR – appetiser, main and dessert – which varied from good to seriously yummy, with lots of variety each day. The portions were small, so suitable for lunch, and the service was very quick.

Rhapsody offers a three course dinner – appetiser, main and dessert, although a couple of times we snuck in an appetiser and a soup, before the main. Sun offers appetiser, soup/salad, main and dessert. Rhapsody started off well. I thought the slow roasted beef was just a fraction nicer than the Sun equivalent, next night there was superb roast duck, and the following night a wonderful venison stew. After that the meals were nice but not outstanding until the appetiser of seared bay scallops (very small scallops that must be tricky to cook) on cauliflower puree with a chorizo crumb that was served on the last night. Somehow I ended up with two serves of that – our waiter was excellent, he seemed to know exactly what I would like by the end of the cruise. Sadly the turkey that was also on the menu that night wasn’t as good as the turkey on Sun. There was no lobster on Rhapsody unless you want to pay an extra US $35 for one, and the dinner menu seemed to favour red meats, especially beef. There seemed to be more variety on Sun, more fish, and more poultry and game dishes including superb guinea fowl which I’d never tried before. There was a lobster tail and giant prawn dish on the second-to-last night. We’d had the lobster on the balcony dinner so chose the pheasant that night instead. Sun almost always had a consommé soup on offer for dinner, Rhapsody had that only on some nights. Desserts were more interesting on Sun, although the souffles on Rhapsody were very good. Our wonderful waiter rushed them out from the kitchen so they were still piping hot when they reached the table. Our dinner wait staff on Sun were nice guys but very slow. The team on Rhapsody were excellent.

Apart from the great dinner service on Rhapsody, the service in other areas showed signs of the ship being understaffed. As I have already mentioned this was very noticeable at breakfast and lunch in the MDR. There was only two waiters circulating in the Centrum for drinks service whereas there were 3 or 4 on Sun. At times the bars on Rhapsody seemed understaffed as well and getting a cocktail could take a while if there was a crowd waiting, although the bar staff were amazingly quick.

Drinks prices on Sun were in AU $ and very reasonable. We were able to treat ourselves to some very nice mid-priced international wines for lunch and dinner. Our drinks bill on Sun was half that of Rhapsody where we ended up getting drinks packages as the individual drinks prices, and wine by the bottle prices, were so high in US $. That limited our wine selections somewhat as well, especially as they had run out of a couple of options on the wine list. I did try my best to run them out of a particularly good NZ Pinot Noir but they must have seen me coming and stocked extra. ;)

When we finished our Sun Princess cruise we thought “wow, that was fantastic, Princess is the cruise line for us”. Of course it was our first cruise and chances were we’d end up either loving it or hating it and of course we loved it. But we had nothing to compare it to other than a Rhine river cruise some years ago.

When we finished our Rhapsody of the Seas cruise it was “love Rhapsody, not so sure about Royal Caribbean!” The ship was wonderful but the things we didn’t like were company-wide not ship-specific.

In the end it’s very much a swings and roundabouts verdict from us. Both ships have their advantages and disadvantages. Princess doesn’t appear to discount their guarantee cabins close to the sailing date, whereas RCI does. I haven’t finished crunching the numbers so I’m not sure if the higher cost of an inside cabin on Princess matched with the lower drinks prices is a better deal than a cheaper cabin on Rhapsody with higher drinks prices. We do enjoy good food and wine so Sun Princess wins extra points there, but that free peaceful haven won points for Rhapsody.

I might just have to try some more cruises to decide. :p Shame Rhapsody is leaving the Australian cruise region soon. :(

Thanks for that review. We haven't tried Rhapsody yet but did try Radiance and found it felt somewhat enclosed and crowded. Have cruised a few times on Princess and find them consistently pretty good. Your review is a good comparison.

Steve.

Great review! We did the Sun princess nearly 8 years ago and are now doing the rhapsody. Very interested in your thoughts

Thanks for that review. We haven't tried Rhapsody yet but did try Radiance and found it felt somewhat enclosed and crowded. Have cruised a few times on Princess and find them consistently pretty good. Your review is a good comparison.

 

Steve.

Radiance seems to be quite a different configuration. It looke like it's a bit bigger - two extra decks of cabins. The Solarium is forward instead of aft so may not have those outdoor areas leading from it. Hard to tell from RCIs deck plans, they aren't the greatest.

I think if we hadn't found that wonderful sheltered outdoor area on Rhapsody we may have felt enclosed and crowded too. We're "relax and read in a quiet spot" types of cruisers rather than needing to be active all the time. We would not have enjoyed spending time around the main pool, too noisy! Even the Solarium seemed stuffy and noisy when the roof was shut on three out of four of the sea days, although I have to admit we shrieked and giggled as much as everyone else over the wave action when having a dip in the pool on sea days. Great fun!

We also enjoyed the morning Trivia in the Schooner bar, which I forgot to mention above, although we had to get there early to get a comfortable seat by the window. We also tried dancing classes on the first two sea days which were fun.

Great review! We did the Sun princess nearly 8 years ago and are now doing the rhapsody. Very interested in your thoughts

Look out for a waiter called Prasath, a tall Indian guy, in the MDR if you go there. If you see him give him a big hug from me, he was wonderful and so was his assistant, Geraldine.

thanks for your comprehensive review of these two ships which we have also sailed on.

like you, the Sun was our first cruise ship and we also thought 'wow!'

we really enjoyed the bread rolls at dinner on the Sun.

so far, we feel that the Princess ships are just a small edge better than the RCL ships.

Thank you for that comparison, we haven't been on Royal yet so very useful.

thanks for your comprehensive review of these two ships which we have also sailed on.

like you, the Sun was our first cruise ship and we also thought 'wow!'

we really enjoyed the bread rolls at dinner on the Sun.

so far, we feel that the Princess ships are just a small edge better than the RCL ships.

Yes, those bread rolls were awesome. Really good French bread but done as a roll. Yum!

I think I'd struggle to find a good quiet spot on Sun without paying extra for the Sanctuary and that's what gives Rhapsody the edge for me. I guess it very much depends what sort of cruiser you are. We like quiet days, good food and wine, and good dance music at night. Sun had better food & wine but Rhapsody outclassed Princess on the music scene.

Thank you for that comparison, we haven't been on Royal yet so very useful.

I think it would very much depend on which Royal ship you went on. We were very lucky with Rhapsody but, from what I saw of the Voyager infomercial, we may not like other Royal ships as much, especially when you take the high drinks prices into account.

Would I sail on Rhapsody again? Yes, without a second thought.

Would I sail on another Royal ship? Maybe, but only maybe if the deal was good enough.

thanks for your comprehensive review of these two ships which we have also sailed on.

like you, the Sun was our first cruise ship and we also thought 'wow!'

we really enjoyed the bread rolls at dinner on the Sun.

so far, we feel that the Princess ships are just a small edge better than the RCL ships.

Agree! But you do have to remember that they have completely different target markets and Princess has a price premium over Royal Caribbean, so technically you should expect it to be a more polished offering ;)

I think it would very much depend on which Royal ship you went on. We were very lucky with Rhapsody but, from what I saw of the Voyager infomercial, we may not like other Royal ships as much, especially when you take the high drinks prices into account.

 

 

 

Would I sail on Rhapsody again? Yes, without a second thought.

 

 

 

Would I sail on another Royal ship? Maybe, but only maybe if the deal was good enough.

We really loved voyager of the seas and hope that rhapsody compares.

I love the big ship feel.

We really loved voyager of the seas and hope that rhapsody compares.

 

I love the big ship feel.

Rhapsody is probably closer in feel to the Princess ships that are here, than she is to Voyager...