Princess vs. RCL

DH and I have only cruised Princess, booked for next Feb. on the Emerald. We are going to book another cruise and are interested in possibly RCL.

Few questions please:

Does RCL have anything similar to anytime dining or is everything traditional seating?

Does Steiner run the Spas?

Does RCL have outdoor movies?

What about 24/7 buffet?

These are just a few questions to get me started, any help would be very much appreciated.

One other thing, in the larger ships (don't even know what class ship I'm talking about - just really big ships) which deck has the larger balconies. Ex: on Princess grand class ships, Caribe has the larger balconies.

Thanks in advance

I don't know many answers as I have only cruised Majesty on RCL and never Princess but I'll give you a bump to page 1 in case the more experienced cruisers can help. You might also post on Princess board as many there might have also sailed RCL.

I've read hump cabins give better views and privacy for their balconies and aft balconies can be larger, I think, on Voyager class. Good luck.

DH and I have only cruised Princess, booked for next Feb. on the Emerald. We are going to book another cruise and are interested in possibly RCL.

Few questions please:

Does RCL have anything similar to anytime dining or is everything traditional seating?

Does Steiner run the Spas?

Does RCL have outdoor movies?

What about 24/7 buffet?

These are just a few questions to get me started, any help would be very much appreciated.

One other thing, in the larger ships (don't even know what class ship I'm talking about - just really big ships) which deck has the larger balconies. Ex: on Princess grand class ships, Caribe has the larger balconies.

Thanks in advance

RCL does not have anytime dining. This is only a year or so old on Princess. I do believe Steiner runs the Spas. They do have a buffet that is most of the time if not 24/7. You can always order room service 24/7. No out door movies. On the really large ships they have a promanade down the middle with shops and stores. Hope this helps.

DH and I have only cruised Princess, booked for next Feb. on the Emerald. We are going to book another cruise and are interested in possibly RCL.

Few questions please:

Does RCL have anything similar to anytime dining or is everything traditional seating? Traditional only. Optional restaurants have reservations

Does Steiner run the Spas? Steiner runs the spas, of course

Does RCL have outdoor movies? Thank goodness, no MUTS, pool decks quieter

What about 24/7 buffet? The buffet is 6AM to 10 PM. The big Voyagers and Freedoms have Cafe Promenade on the Promenade deck which is snacks, COOKIES, and light sandwiches and pizza 24 hours.

These are just a few questions to get me started, any help would be very much appreciated.

One other thing, in the larger ships (don't even know what class ship I'm talking about - just really big ships) which deck has the larger balconies. Ex: on Princess grand class ships, Caribe has the larger balconies. The balcony fanatics swear by the big aft D1 balconies

Thanks in advance

Hope this helps. The Voyager/Freedoms have many features not found on the big Princess ships such as the ice skating rink and shows, rock climbing, inline skating, the Promenade, etc. And they are much bigger with only 70 more people than on the CB so are more spacious (138,000 GRT vs 116,000 on the CB).

Thanks everyone, this does help. We started sailing Princess in 1/04, they had the Anytime Dining at that point and we really like it. But from the pictures I've seen on various boards, the dining room on RCCL looks fabulous! As long as we don't have to eat everymeal, everyday in the dining room, I'm fine with the traditional seating -- buffets, etc....

I really think we will try RCCL. I have learned one thing though, no spa treatments from Steiner....such a hard sell!. Last time I had a pedicure, the gal tried to sell me a body brush, grabbed my upper thigh, and told me the brush would get rid of my leg fat!!! She literally shook my leg!(I'm 5'6" and 130lbs pretty well toned). I don't think I'll subject myself to a full body massage, hard to tell what they'd find with that:D

Does RCCL have an 'Adult Only' pool area? We liked this on Princess for reading and just relaxing in the pool.

Thanks again!

We've been on Princess and RC, both multiple times, and RC is far above Princess. They do have an adult only pool in the solarium. The dining experience on RC is wonderful. Staff and food are very good.

I have sailed on Princess 5 times with one on Emerald Princess scheduled for Nov/07. I have also sailed on the Freedom of the Seas twice and Liberty pre inaugural as well as Voyager class. I like Princess very much but I LOVE RCI.

I love the innovativeness of the RCI ships..Royal Promenade, Flowrider, rock climbing wall, the beautiful 3 level dining with the awesome chandelier, I really like the huge pool deck and also the solarium especially on the Freedom class ships with the hot tubs that are cantilevered off the side..what a view from there.

The Promenade is so great for people watching, strolling, having a snack at Cafe Promenade, cappucino or a slice of Pizza in Sorrento's or a glass of wine at Vintages. It is like a city street designed after a street in Milan I believe. They have parades on two occasions during your cruise. I remember on Freedom watching the parade and the acrobats from the ceiling of the promenade and I had to remind myself...I am on a ship in the middle of the Caribbean.

Thw Windjammer is great for alternative dining option if you do not want to go to the dining room. The Windjammer is laid out so much nicer than the Horizon Court on Princess ships..more room and not as crowded.

As far as cabin size the balconies on the Freedom class on the side are about the same size as the Caribe Deck balconies on Princess. On the Freedom class the size of balconies were increased. The preferred balconies on Freedom or Voyager are the hump or bump out ones or the aft cabins.. I have stayed in an aft cabin on Voyager class and a side balcony on Freedom Class... I have also had a Caribe Deck on Princess ships and have one booked for my Nov Princess cruise.

I like the layout of the ship better on Royal Caribbean.. easier to get around. It is hard to put a finger on what it is I like better about RCI but I just feel the staff and crew make me feel more comfortable and welcome. I just find that RCI ships have more energy...

They both are excellent cruise experiences.... so I say 'Get out there" and try RCI:p I am a big fan of the Voyager and now the beautiful Freedom class ships

RCL has a head waiter assigned to your table to check on you besides the table waiter, assistant waiter, and bar waiter in the dining room while with Princess you only have the table waiter and assistant waiter, and 1 or 2 maitre D's per dining room. The multi-level dining rooms are much more beautiful on Royal Caribbean and the staff are much friendlier. Also on Royal Caribbean they honor price cuts up until the day you sale except for 1 day specials I have saved hundreds of dollars this way. After you make final payment to Princess there are no price cuts. The ships have many more activities. Also there is an adults only solarium on Royal Caribbean ships. Really no comparison.

We have also cruised both and I agree with what has been said so far. I personally enjoy the huge beautiful dining room as compared to the smaller intimate dining rooms on Princess. We also enjoy the fixed dining where we have the same tablemates each evening allowing us to make new friends every cruise. My wife and I both thought the food slightly better on the RCCL cruises. An odd thing we enjoyed on the Princess cruises was they do have better movies. Both in the theater and on the in-room tv's. On RCCL however we always have the kids and are so busy we don't have time to kick back anyway.

To me the big difference is kids and activities. I have 3 kids and we would not take them on a Princess cruise. They would be bored after the RCCL vacations we have had. However when my wife and I go by ourselves for that quiet getaway we personally prefer Princess (although actually second to Celebrity from the cruise lines we have been on). The RCCL cruise will have multiples of the number of kids on a Princess cruise. And with good reason when you see the activities and the number of kids. My kids have friends all over the US and Canada they keep in touch with from our previous RCCL cruises.

Both are awesome. Try RCCL especially if you have any kids 8-18. I guarantee the kids will enjoy RCCL better.

I have sailed on Princess 5 times with one on Emerald Princess scheduled for Nov/07. I have also sailed on the Freedom of the Seas twice and Liberty pre inaugural as well as Voyager class. I like Princess very much but I LOVE RCI.

 

 

Thw Windjammer is great for alternative dining option if you do not want to go to the dining room. The Windjammer is laid out so much nicer than the Horizon Court on Princess ships..more room and not as crowded.sounds like The Windjammer is a buffet? Geeze, I really do have to research these ships more:o

 

As far as cabin size the balconies on the Freedom class on the side are about the same size as the Caribe Deck balconies on Princess. On the Freedom class the size of balconies were increased. The preferred balconies on Freedom or Voyager are the hump or bump out ones or the aft cabins.. I have stayed in an aft cabin on Voyager class and a side balcony on Freedom Class... I have also had a Caribe Deck on Princess ships and have one booked for my Nov Princess cruise. What are hump and bump cabins:confused:

 

They both are excellent cruise experiences.... so I say 'Get out there" and try RCI:p I am a big fan of the Voyager and now the beautiful Freedom class ships

We are really looking forward to trying something new. I must say....so far the folks responding on this board are VERY nice, not always the response that you get from some folks on Princess. And I really like Princess cruises, not a slam against the cruise line, just some of the responses to question of Princess vs. RCI.....geeze, off with my head!

we have been on both and had a great time on each...the one thing that I truly did enjoy a lot that Princess has and RCI doesn't offer is the anytime dining...it was nice to just go to the dining room whenever you're ready...you can dine whenever on RCI but not in the dining rooms

We are really looking forward to trying something new. I must say....so far the folks responding on this board are VERY nice, not always the response that you get from some folks on Princess. And I really like Princess cruises, not a slam against the cruise line, just some of the responses to question of Princess vs. RCI.....geeze, off with my head!

cruise fairy ~ the Windjammer is a buffet area open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For the first time last month on Radiance we diecided to try it out for dinner as we have had many breakfasts and lunches here. I really like it. You could have a piece of chicken grilled, fish and they also had stir fries made right there and you picked out the fresh ingredients you wanted. You can get a drink or wine as well and we used our wine package in the Windjammer.

The layout of the food stations in Windjammer is much better than Horizon Court on Princess..no one is bumping into each other. I don't think Princess gave enough space to this area and the traffic flow is better as well.

Now the hump or bump out cabins are located mid ship. If you look at deck plans for the Radiance, Voyager or Freedom class you will see how the structure of the ship 'bumps out' slightly giving you a better view and if you look at the balcony size you will notice that especially the middle of this hump area they are larger.

This is a very informative thread. We’ve been looking at different cruise lines for our Hawaii Circle cruise and Princess is on our list so I read everything here with great interest!:)

I have not been on Princess, but I do want to point out one flaw with the Windjammer; they don’t have trays. For the life of me I can’t figure out why. On Celebrity they not only have trays, but the wait staff carries them for you and helps you find a table! :D

One other item to mention, it seems to me that Princess offers better discounts many times. We are doing eastern caribbean in July and Princess was about $200 less per person. However my kids would be very disappointed if we did not do RCCL. Are my kids spoiled or what! That less expensive applies to all categories however it seems especially to the Mini-Suites.

We love both lines for their unique advantages.

This is a very informative thread. We’ve been looking at different cruise lines for our Hawaii Circle cruise and Princess is on our list so I read everything here with great interest!:)

 

 

I have not been on Princess, but I do want to point out one flaw with the Windjammer; they don’t have trays. For the life of me I can’t figure out why. On Celebrity they not only have trays, but the wait staff carries them for you and helps you find a table! :D

 

Now you have me thinking.. about the tray thing for Horizon on Princess..my first thought is no they do not have trays either.. just large plates as well...funny how some things get fuzzy:)

I also remember reading that when they list the square footage for cabins that Princess includes the balcony in the sq footage and RCI does not..can anyone clarify that?

Now you have me thinking.. about the tray thing for Horizon on Princess..my first thought is no they do not have trays either.. just large plates as well...funny how some things get fuzzy:)

 

I also remember reading that when they list the square footage for cabins that Princess includes the balcony in the sq footage and RCI does not..can anyone clarify that?

RCCL gives the square footage of the cabin and list the square footage of the balcony separately. I find this very helpful when selecting cabin categories! I prefer my square footage outside.:D

Now you have me thinking.. about the tray thing for Horizon on Princess..my first thought is no they do not have trays either.. just large plates as well...funny how some things get fuzzy:)

 

I also remember reading that when they list the square footage for cabins that Princess includes the balcony in the sq footage and RCI does not..can anyone clarify that?

When we look online at RCI ships, balcony footage is always quoted separately from cabin footage, this is more honest and informative than lumping them together. I use Yahoo travel just to check out the cabins.

This is a very informative thread. We’ve been looking at different cruise lines for our Hawaii Circle cruise and Princess is on our list so I read everything here with great interest!:)

 

I just came back from a round trip Hawaii cruise on Radiance last month..14 days from San Diego and back. The Island Princess was doing the same trip about the same time out of Los Angeles. I did meet a man on a bus back from the car rental who was on Island Princess who was upset that the times they stayed at each port was very short.. check out that as well.

Radiance stayed at each port until 9pm or 11pm with the exception of Hilo which was only until 5pm

Now here is my personal opinion about a cruise to Hawaii.. I had not seen the Hawaiian ISlands before and I knew my time would be short at each island. I now realize that this is not the way to see the Hawaiian islands ( I think I knew that in the back of my mind ) but I wanted to experience many sea days.. and with that I was successful and have now booked a transatlantic...loving the days at sea. If I were to do a cruise to Hawaii again I would do a one way..fly there and cruise back or vice versa that way you could add some days in Hawaii either pre or post cruise.

Thanks for the square footage info.. :)also poster Merion Mom has a very good comparison between the cruise lines and maybe she will see this thread and post it :)

Well it looks like most agree with us. We have done both the Princess and Royal Caribbean and prefer Royal Caribbean. Both are better than NCL or Carnival in our book. Here are the differences as we see them.

Dining - Royal Caribbean - We prefer the large 3 story dining rooms and the experience of getting to know your waiters (as we do at resturants around our home) and with other cruisers at large tables. Getting to meet other people and share what you did on excursions is part of the cruise experience. You might learn something about cruising or excursions.

Food - Royal Caribbean - Both Princess and Royal Caribbean are close. We like Royal Caribbean a little better. We have done the alternative dining on both and believe the extra charge for the Steak House, etc, to be with it, for a change. We do these at least one night to change things up.

Entertainment - Royal Caribbean - While Princess has a great variety of entertainment (three comedians on the last cruise), Royal Caribbean has bigger and better productions that would rival Vegas or New York. Also Royal Caribbean has more name entertainers.

Casinos - Equal - Little larger on Princess.

Pools - Equal - Most have adult pools now, which is important during the Summer months.

Theater - Royal Caribbean - Large with plenty of room. On the Caribbean Princess class you better be there 30 minute early if you want a seat.

Bars - Equal - Great variety! Love the piano Bars. They can make a cruise.

Ships - Royal Caribbean - We believe bigger is better. The Voyage Class SHip on Royal Caribbean are wonderful. The four story, block long, Promenade down the middle of the ship is wonderful, with Bars, Shops, Sandwich Shop, Coffee Stand, Ice Cream Parlor, Parades, etc.

Rooms - Princess - We just did the Caribe Deck on the Carirbbean Princess with Balconies three times larger than anything we hve ever seen. Two loungers, two chairs and a table. WOW!

The Capt

 

Food - Royal Caribbean - Both Princess and Royal Caribbean are close. We like Royal Caribbean a little better. We have done the alternative dining on both and believe the extra charge for the Steak House, etc, to be with it, for a change. We do these at least one night to change things up.

 

 

 

 

Theater - Royal Caribbean - Large with plenty of room. On the Caribbean Princess class you better be there 30 minute early if you want a seat.

 

 

The Capt

Good pionts about the specialty dining. I much prefer the specialty on RCI Portofino and Chops compared to Sabatini's... service for me has been better on RCI in these specialty dining area.

I find it hard to find a seat in the theatre on Princess..they are not as large and I think the Anytime Dining has a bearing on this. With people eating at all different times there is often only one show time where on RCI they gear the main evening show to the Traditional dining times...

I am not a fan of Anytime Dining ..we did do it once on Caribbean Princess..Dh and I prefer the traditional for all the reasons mentioned.

One area that Princess seems to shine is the choice of itineraries and that is why I have chosen the Emerald Princess this fall. It is a 10 day out of FLL to great islands like Aruba, Bonair, Grenada, Dominica, St. Thomas and their own private island Princess Cays... RCI wish you had a regular sailing like this;)

I'll go by my RCI cruise and 4 RCI cruises my bride has been on in the last 4 years (2 voyager class, 2 radiance class) was on with her sister. This are all IMHO and not as a slam to either line. Just what we have observed.

Dining choices - Princess (anytime dining, traditional dining, 24 hour buffet options and 24 hr room service).

Dining food - Princess and RCI are even.

Entertainment - close, but edge to RCI because seats are easier to get closer to show time.

Activities - RCI gets the edge as they have more activities than Princess.

Casinos - Princess and RCI are even. Like the host in the Princess casino better and lower min bets, but RCI dealers are better (friendly) overall.

Pools - Princess with freshwater and one or more are open 24/7 on most ships.

Bars - Princess and RCI are even.

Ships - Princess and RCI are even to us and feel both lines have excellent choices for almost everyone.

Rooms - Princess gets an edge for us. The mini-suites are usually a better deal than with RCI.

As I said before, this is just what we have observed. We've been on both several times and will continue to cruise both lines in the future.

The Solarium is not Adults only, this is something we all get incorrect. It is 16 and over, so teens are allowed in there. Also there are other times they may open it up to under 16...

From the guest vacation policy

During inclement weather and select hours, the ship may permit the Solarium Pool (if covered) to be

used by persons under age 16 provided they are directly supervised by a parent or guardian.

and now the pools on the Freedom class are fresh water... :)

I will add my 2 cents........

I would cruise both because there are things I like about both.

The design of RCI far exceeds any cruiseline. Very innovative. Not just with the looks but with additions like rock wall, ice rink etc.

Princess ships while traditional in looks are still nice.

Fresh water in pools on Princess....but I think I read RCI will change over to fresh in the future.

I love the dining rooms on RCI. Since the Princess are one level they seem to be louder.

I like food better in dining room on RCI....horizon court on Princess.

I think there is more choices of entertainment at night on Princess.

I also think the casino is bigger and better laid out on Princess than RCI

The dealers were friendly on Princess when my son worked for them!

I think dealers on all cruislines need to be coaxed to be friendly. I think its just a part of how they have always been. It seems if I get them talking they are friendly but I always have to initiate it.

I too do not like anytime dining. But its great for those that want it.

I also feel Princess offers better itineriaries.

Mini suite on Princess is a better buy than the comparative Jr suite on RCI.