dolls123

On 1/1/2024 at 3:19 PM, worldtraveller said:

We had this cabin recently and yes the balcony is great.  Just watch the seats as there may be soot on them.  We had to wash them off.

Okay, thanks for the info 

4 hours ago, J13C85 said:

Never sailed Haven but have sailed in YC as well as full suites on Princess.We love the Suite Experience on Princess and that is all we sail now. That said, on nearly every comparable Yacht Club beats Princess.

 

Where Princess Wins:

Room Size

(on MSC the Suite was basically a slightly larger version of the Princess Mini Suite on Princess the full suites are large and multi room). 

Bathroom

This is far superior in the Princess Suite. Shower is huge, there is a bathtub, a large vanity and a seperate room with toilet and sink.

Suite Breakfast

On MSC breakfast is fine but the Princess Suite Breakfast in the Specialty Dining venue has a way of just feeling special.

Free Laundry

On MSC you pay. Princess has a great program that is easy. Put your items in a bag, fill out a card, leave bag for Steward. We usually get it back the next night.

Where YC wins

Restaurant

YC restaurant is wonderful. Menu changes every day and when we sailed it was available for lunch all days, sea and port. The menu was more "culinarily adventurous" than Princess.

Princess Reserve Class is nice but it is a sectioned off area of the MDR. Menu is basically same as MDR with one or two additional dishes. Dinner menu changes daily. Lunch is only available on sea days only and lunch menu does not change.

 

YC Bar/Concierge Lounge

ON MSC this is a full bar with live music each night. Snacks available appx 20 hours a day. We met here every night before dinner.

Princess Concierge Lounge is more intimate and accessible 24 hours a day. There are daily events which include free cocktails that don't count toward your drink package allowance. This is one of our favorite venues.

Location

On MSC the Yacht Club encompasses 4 floors at the top of the ship (fwd). The entire YC (restaurants, lounges, suites) are all in this area. YC area is accessible by elevator (kwy card tequired to access YC). This leads to a true "ship within a ship" experience. It would be very easy to keep to the YC area exclusively.

 

Butler Service

Princess does not offer a comparable. Butler (and assistant) do so much for you including escorting you to any shows (complete w/ bypassing any lines), specialty dinners, etc. They also escort you off and on the ship each time you leave.

Pool Deck

Princess does not offer a comparable. MSC has an exclusive pool deck within the YC. This area also has a bar and grill. 

 

Our Princess Suite experiences have been on Royal and Grand class ships. The experience on the two new "Sphere" class ships may be a more "apples to apples" comparison.

 

While I think the MSC YC experience compares favorably to Princess Suites, my choice is still Princess (my next 2 cruises are booked on Princess). It's weird, but on MSC the experience is different when you venture outside the YC. Everything is so crowded and the service level is terrible. We rarely left the YC and as such did not utilize much of the other venues on the ship. On Princess, anywhere we went service was top notch. The overall Princess Experience far exceeds any non YC experience on MSC.

 

 

 

 

This helps me a lot, thank you! Now I won't show up to the MDR for lunch on port days. 

38 minutes ago, memoak said:

MDR lunch is only sea days for everyone reserve or not 

Thanks! I’m new to Princess suites. I’m used the NCL Haven and MSC Yacht Club where you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in the suite restaurant everyday. 

Reserve dining in the main dining room for lunch only on seadays?

5 minutes ago, TAW1963 said:

As you should be!  We must have similar cabin preferences.  We were just in L107 on the Majestic to Alaska a couple of weeks ago and will back on the Majestic in M108 in November for a 10-day Mexican Riviera cruise. We have M107 booked for 19 days (b2b 11-day and 8-day) on the Regal to the Western Caribbean next January-February.   Happy sailing in great cabins!

Remind me never to cruise with you since we like the exact same cabins 🤣 Now I'm jealous 🛳️

1 hour ago, TAW1963 said:

@dolls123 and @lancashire_cruisers:  My wife and I spent 15 days in the aft-facing Premium Deluxe Balcony cabin D730 on the Sky Princess on a transatlantic cruise last November.  We loved it.  On debarkation day, our cabin steward asked if we would like to tour the Premium Suite cabin D727, which is the mirror image of D726.  It is a lovely, large, and spacious suite with an enormous, partially covered, corner-aft balcony.  I am jealous that you both get to stay in D726!  In my mind, it has to be amongst the best cabins on the Royal class ships, along with D727, B734 and B735.

I am beyond excited! I just booked M108 and L108 on Royal Princess as a b2b that starts after the Sky cruise ends. I'm going to be in big balcony heaven! 

5 minutes ago, lancashire_cruisers said:

That’s the one we have booked 😀

The balcony looks amazing!

6 hours ago, lancashire_cruisers said:

We’ve booked one of the aft suites on D deck for later this year. I’ll report back as it’s also our first Princess cruise.

I have D726 booked for next March and I'm really looking forward to it 

I appreciate all the helpful info. THANKS! 

28 minutes ago, Sea Hag said:

I love those cabins! The two on Marina deck are our very favorites. Back in April we had one on Lido deck, and it was also great. The Marina deck cabins have larger, think huge, decks, while the cabins on Lido have smaller but still very large decks and larger bedrooms. As noted above, looking out the window at the stars is wonderful. You only need to keep the curtains closed when you have a light on in the cabin. We open our curtains when we turn in for the night. These cabins have steel-fronted balconies, which doesn't bother us. We like the separation between sleeping and living areas, since one of us can get up way too early (not always the same person) and be free to move around without disturbing the other.

This is what I was hoping to hear. We just booked a b2b and both cabins were not available both weeks so we are doing M108 for 10 days and L108 for 5 days

32 minutes ago, Mike A said:

My opinion is M107 and M108 are the best staterooms on the Royal Class ships, especially now that they are Reserve Class. We had cushions on the balcony with wood furniture M108 on the Royal Princess in May 2016. I too have seen pictures as stated above where they were replaced with the traditional patio furniture. Regarding the Mini-Suite it was the best non-full suite we ever sailed in. Absolutely loved the huge window in the bedroom. As long as you leave the light off with the room in total darkness, (this is a must) you can open the curtain, and looking out the window at the stars in a dark room from the bed is amazing. Also loved the absolutely huge balcony that is directly on top of the bridge. Please note you also must keep the light off on the balcony as well as keeping the balcony curtain closed at night. The only thing my wife complained about was it's a long walk from the fore elevators/stairs to M108 in the front of the ship. The only difference between M107-08 and L107-08 is the Lido deck versions have smaller while still large balconies. Either way, you cannot go wrong.

Thanks! We always book either the aft or forward cabins so I don't mind the walk. It's the only exercise I get on cruises beside walking the ship and in port 

2 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

I've posted videos a couple of times of M107 on the Majestic but we've also stayed in the same cabin on the Regal.  Royal would be the same.  It's like a two room version of a shrunken full suite with a mini suite bathroom and lots of storage.  The bed faces forward and there's a window that allows you to look straight ahead from there but the curtains need to stay closed at night as light can interfere with the navigation on the bridge below.  The balcony is massive and extends out over the "wing" of the bridge.  The only time we couldn't be out there was when it was windy or rainy, otherwise it's amazing out there.  The only negative is that if you are prone to motion sickness you feel every wave up there so take precautions.  Other than that I wouldn't hesitate to book that mini suite again.

Thank you so much!

13 minutes ago, Sea Hag said:

I don't have any recent pics, but when we had M108 on the Royal some years back the furniture was padded. I think it's likely that it isn't by now. I say that because the same cabins on the newer ships don't have padded furniture, in my experience.

Thanks! I guess I'll find out next year. Did you like the cabin? Any pros or cons?

Anyone have any current pics or videos of these 2 cabins? If you have stayed in either one do you have any pros or cons about it? I've seen pics with the  furniture padded and without. 

23 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

To each their own, for sure. I'm all for those groups - I've gained a lot of information from them, met some cool people (just like from here), and honestly I do find way more value from them than Cruise Critic roll calls. I also always find myself having to cross post which is annoying given the limited value here. The NCL board, however, is invaluable here compared to any of the groups I'm in at that other place. 

 

As for the security aspect, well we always have someone at our home when we're gone. I know that's a perk many don't have as it's costly. Even my mom requires payment for staying at my place...might have to do with dealing with four dogs and a cat. 🐶🐈

When my kids house sit for us hubby tells them they are staying at a fully stocked Airbnb so they should be paying us 🤣

On 1/18/2024 at 5:14 PM, skynight said:

Read instructions completely and follow them exactly. Your cabin steward will handle the movement of your goods. Hang as much as possible in your closet. It will be hung on a rack and hung in your new closet. Other items place in the suitcase. The suitcases will be moved to your new cabin. Empty your safe and keep with you. Visit your.new cabin steward. He/she probably will.allow you to place valuables into the new safe.

Immigration. What port?

 

On 1/19/2024 at 6:24 AM, Cruise Raider said:

We just did this recently and were moved to a different deck.  My DH was always so anxious about having to move rooms but after the seamless move, with no very little work on our part, he now doesn’t mind it at all.  
You will pack up all of your belongings that are not on hangers and leave your suitcases in the closet. Take your valuables from the safe with you. The room staff will clean your new cabin first and move all your belongs as a priority.  
If you need to go through immigration at your turn around port, you will be given a in transit card and meet at a specific spot and be escorted off the ship as a group.  You will then go back through security, but not through a second check in and be on the first group to be allowed to reboard once the ship has been cleared.  Your new cabin will most likely be ready by the time you are back onboard.  
It is super simple and they give you clear instructions on exactly how it is handled.  


 

On 1/19/2024 at 6:35 AM, Steelers36 said:

Just to add that most ports outside US do not involve the extra immigration step and just another day.  Whatever the immigration situation is, it is the same for all B2B'ers - whether changing cabins or not. 

 

I would seek out and speak with the new cabin steward and give them heads up you are moving.  Your new cabin will be prioritized.  We have moved safe contents right away - no issue.  We have moved our own stuff as well - no issue.  We don't usually have a lot of stuff and are mostly packed up ready to go the night before as if we were departing the ship.  Done a cabin move 2X IIRC, plus a mid-cruise move.  It's pretty easy whichever way you go.

Thanks for the info since I just booked a B2B yesterday in 2 different cabins

34 minutes ago, CJANDH said:

Did you have any problem with the sounds from the aft pool area right below your balcony? Also, were the thrusters used to keep the ship in place at tender ports still as noisy as they were for us in March?

We sailed in November and only heard sounds from the aft pool when I was on the balcony looking down at the pool. Since we normally sail in aft cabins I couldn’t tell if the thrusters were loud since we’re used to them and don’t pay any attention to them. It’s just part of being in the aft. 

53 minutes ago, Jratlanta said:

Dolls- Do you recall the model Rolex your husband purchased?  

I never ask. I don't want to know how much money he has spent on his watch collection 🙈🤣

22 minutes ago, Lenbro1944 said:

Thanks

The balcony on 7116 is a lot bigger than the one featured in the above video. It has 4 chairs, 2 small tables and 2 loungers 

3 hours ago, Lenbro1944 said:

Thanks for reply. Would you stay there again? What were the pros and cons in your opinion of the suite?

Yes, I always try to book a cabin at the aft of the ship so this was the perfect location for us.The cabin was the perfect size and loved the balcony. I was sitting on the loungers everyday for 15 days just looking at the wake! Loved the huge walk in shower. I hate hate hate the tub/shower combo 

4 minutes ago, chill6x6 said:

Thank you! I actually looked at photos of the one below it 6090, and it wasn't that way.  Perfect! Thanks!

If you do a internet search for 7116 and see a pic with hats on the wall that's my room. It does show 1 pic of the balcony furniture. 

On 5/20/2024 at 8:20 AM, uktog said:

And tax is payable when disembarking I read - the ship reports the sales to the authorities so buyer beware etc 

Yes! Hubby bought a Rolex in November and had to pay the taxes at customs. 

3 hours ago, chill6x6 said:

So....I've been considering Explora for some time.  BUT....here's my issue....As it is with most of you, there are two of us. So there's ONE lounger on every balcony until you get to a Serenity Residence.  That is my one must haves is two loungers.  Anyone ever asked for a lounger to be brought to your balcony like what would be on deck? I've done it with Celebrity and it was taken care of. 

I stayed in cabin 7116 (aft deluxe penthouse) and I had 4 chairs, 2 tables and 2 loungers on my balcony 

On 11/15/2023 at 8:32 AM, Lenbro1944 said:

Has anyone stayed in cabin 7116. A deluxe penthouse on the aft of the ship? I’d love to here your feedback.

I stayed in cabin 7116 November 3-17, 2023

10 hours ago, CatMom72 said:

Thanks for posting these! Can you tell us what these dishes are? 😃 Also, is this classified as “experiential dining”?

From the OP "This thread will only be photos of the ship with no commentary or reply to comments, I just want to keep it simple."