ORB

It really does depend on what you normally do on cruises. We enjoy having balconies, but the inside rooms don't bother us at all. We usually find the Promenade deck has more comfortable seating than our balcony, and it is closer to the water (which we love). We read, nap, watch people, have light conversation--then eat and go to shows. Our cabin--even when we have a balcony--is usually just a place to sleep, clean up, and keep our stuff.

Everyone should try it once. If it means you can afford 2 more cruises a year, you might find you never need a balcony again.

To be honest, I'm not exactly certain what direction RCL is taking! As a stockholder, though, I'm happy with the way my investment has been going. I've been on the Allure, and loved it, but I'm glad to see that RCL isn't putting all of its energies into larger and larger ships--Quantum is a step down in size, and that will allow a greater number of possible ports than the Oasis class has been able to visit. One of my biggest gripes about Royal has been that their itineraries are nowhere near as developed or interesting as some of the other lines.

We just got back from a cruise on the Explorer of the Seas. I suppose you could call the Voyager class vessels mid-range and middle-aged. It needs its upcoming dry dock--if you looked with a critical eye you could see the wear around the edges. The high-traffic areas on the carpets aren't as plush--that sort of thing. The ship was very clean, though, and with a glass of wine and a little mood lighting that sort of thing just disappears.

There were a few organizational glitches--the Windjammer didn't always seem able to handle the crowd very well. I've come to expect that on embarkation, but when it happens during a port day my eyebrows go up a little. I don't think the lunch and breakfast service in the dining room is as attentive as it should be, though our waiters were always busy. I think they've probably just trimmed the staff levels a little too low for those meals.

On the other hand, we had "My time" dining and apart from Embarkation Day, when we waited about 12 minutes, we never had to wait--and we never made reservations. It worked much better than when we had the comparable program at Carnival or NCL. We sat wherever they put us and had a variety of waiters. They were all uniformly courteous and attentive. Some old favorites were missing from the menus, but unlike the last time we sailed with Royal there were no menus where we couldn't find something we would enjoy eating. The wine list seems a little better than it did when I first sailed Royal as well.

I've tried various ships on other lines. I'm not sure Royal is really my "absolute favorite" anymore, but at worst it is a very close second. To me, there is nothing as relaxing as sitting on deck in a quiet, cool spot looking out at the ocean. That's always going to make me happy to be on a cruise ship, no matter who has put their company logo on it.

14 days. 14 long, long days followed by 9 very quick days on Explorer of the Seas.

If I could figure out how to make the days of waiting pass as quickly as the time on board, and make the time on board pass as slowly as the days of waiting, I could make a fortune.

Good luck--We enjoyed the Crown Princess. If you like Fettucine Alfredo, be sure to try the Princess version. It's one of the best I've had on land or sea.

They also do a really wonderful afternoon tea on sea days, because who doesn't need a few more goodies in the mid afternoon? We still prefer RC overall, but if the itinerary and price were right would take Princess again in a heartbeat. They have a lot to enjoy, and there are a few things they do even better than RC.

That would never fly here since there are any number of people who read the question and immediately hit reply. :D

 

BTW, did you mean 15 posts rather than 15 pages?:eek:

No--the late, lamented Television Without Pity asked contributors to a given thread to have read the last 15 pages. As a result, I did a lot more reading than posting.

I was on a forum once which asked you not to post unless you've read the last 15 pages; I've skimmed through, but if I've missed someone making this point I'm sorry.

I've been on one Princess Cruise so far; I enjoyed it and we have another one booked--even though we still prefer Royal overall.

It WAS convenient being able to go directly to the room, and we didn't have the problem that some seem to have had about the room not being perfectly ready--it was all we could have asked for. On the final day, though, they were pushing very hard to get us out of the rooms MUCH earlier than Royal does. So there was a trade-off. Most of the time, I'd rather have the extra time for disembarkation. One has been known to overdo it on the last night from time to time...

Really interesting thread! Overall, I think Royal does a lot of things well, which is one reason why they are my current favorite line. There are a few things from other lines, though, that I think are better.

Food is an extremely subjective area, and I've found more difference within the Royal fleet sometimes than between Royal and another line. Overall, though, I think they are slightly weaker than many of the lines which are their prime competition.

Perhaps more importantly, their focus on larger ships has meant their ability to offer new and exciting itineraries is seriously less than the competition. For some people that won't matter--I loved my cruise on the Allure and I'd go back with a large grin on my face. BUT--I will always be shopping some of the lines with smaller ships because they can take me someplace more interesting than Cozumel is after you've been there six times.

When it comes to designing ships in a way which allows large groups of people to move quickly without feeling crowded, though, there is no one who can hold a candle to RCL.

I've read and enjoyed all your reviews. This is one of the best.