New to RCCL a few questions

[Embracedbylife]

I've only sailed Princess and we are considering a sailing on the Jewel in June 2012. For anyone else who's really been committed to Princess and has tried RCCL, what should I expect and will we like it? I'm very open to new things and hopeful that the food will be as good! A few specific questions:

 

1. Is there a place to get cheeseburgers and pizza like on Princess?

2. How are the buffets? Are they comfortable and spacious?

3. Is it easy to get breakfast in the morning at the buffet?

4. How does room service work?

 

Thanks for the info!

[Embracedbylife]

I'm doing a lot of research and it sounds like the Royal Promenade on RCCL is similar to the International Cafe on Princess. Is the Royal Promenade a place to get small sandwiches and snacks without an extra fee? Do you really have to pay extra for burgers at Johnny Rockets? Do you pay extra for pizza? I'll continue the research but thanks again for anyone who is able to give some info!

[melbur]

I'm doing a lot of research and it sounds like the Royal Promenade on RCCL is similar to the International Cafe on Princess. Is the Royal Promenade a place to get small sandwiches and snacks without an extra fee? Do you really have to pay extra for burgers at Johnny Rockets? Do you pay extra for pizza? I'll continue the research but thanks again for anyone who is able to give some info!

 

The Jewel does not have a Royal Promenade.

You can get burgers and pizza in the Windjammer at lunch time.

Personally, I prefer the Windjammer to the Horizon court buffet. Lots of variety and roomy. there is outdoor seating on the Jewel.

You can get lighter fare in the Solarium and the Seaview Cafe has sandwiches, chicken fingers, onion rings etc.

[Cruisegirl6]

1- yes RC offers you a place to get burgers, fries, hot dogs and pizza

2- Cafe Promenade is similiar to International Cafe

3- Cafe Promenade is complimentary no fees

4- Johnny Rockets yuck look up their nutritional value of their burgers the most fattening highest greasy fat burgers you ever can eat, yes, you pay for that forget it totally discusting!! You can get regular burgers at the grill in RC ships.

5- Pizza is included and I have to say better than Princess pizza

 

I cruised many cruise lines and have to say they all have cut back but Carnival cut back the most drastic that I won't take a Carnival cruise for a long time, where RC and Princess I feel even though have cut back they cut back the least. Both RC and Princess service is excellent, the food is very similiar, I prefer the bedding better in RC, Princess is more quieter after 11pm where there are more activities and such to do on RC after 11pm. Both are classy ships not glitzy like Carnival.

 

Honestly both cruise lines are on my list but I prefer RC as they offer much more to do.

If you have any other questions just ask anytime.

[DHADEN]

I'm doing a lot of research and it sounds like the Royal Promenade on RCCL is similar to the International Cafe on Princess. Is the Royal Promenade a place to get small sandwiches and snacks without an extra fee? Do you really have to pay extra for burgers at Johnny Rockets? Do you pay extra for pizza? I'll continue the research but thanks again for anyone who is able to give some info!

 

You won't have a "Royal Promenade" on the Jewel. That is Promenade Cafe that is only on the Bigger ships. There is no Johnny Rockets on the

Jewel.

 

On the Jewel, there is the Seaview Cafe on deck 12. It has a GREAT menu and is open late (1:30 am, I think)

 

You will be able to get Pizza in the Windjammer during the hours for that, and in the Solarium Late Night hours. There is no charge for that at either place.

On the Jewel, the only additional charges for food are at the "Alternative Dining" areas like Portifinos and Chops.

 

Some of the differences we have experienced on the RCI ships vs Pricess were:

Much better and friendlier service on RCI

A LOT FEWER people. The Jewel is almost as big as the Grand Princess, but there are about 600 less passengers. You will never feel crowded on the Jewel of the Seas.

Although Princess ships usually have numerous pools (I think the Grand has 4), You will LOVE the Solarium on the Jewel.

 

Hope This Helps.

[megr1125]

The Royal Promenade is a collection of places to eat, drink and shop.

 

The Cafe Promenade on ships that have this, is free...BUT on some ships, there are other places that have a charge....jewel, as someone said, does not have a cafe promenade (nor a royal promenade...)

 

That said, you can get pizza and burgers at the Windjammer when it is open...

 

On ships that have Johnny Rockets, yes that is dxtra, but again you can get burgers in the Windjammer....

 

The seaview cafe on the ships that have one, is free, but you'll have to pay for soft drinks and/or alcohol..

 

ROom service is free except between about midnight and 5 AM , when there is, I believe, a 3.95 surcharge. If you order something, a gratuity is suggested....

 

hope that helps

[reallyitsmema]

1- yes RC offers you a place to get burgers, fries, hot dogs and pizza

2- Cafe Promenade is similiar to International Cafe

3- Cafe Promenade is complimentary no fees

4- Johnny Rockets yuck look up their nutritional value of their burgers the most fattening highest greasy fat burgers you ever can eat, yes, you pay for that forget it totally discusting!! You can get regular burgers at the grill in RC ships.

5- Pizza is included and I have to say better than Princess pizza

 

I cruised many cruise lines and have to say they all have cut back but Carnival cut back the most drastic that I won't take a Carnival cruise for a long time, where RC and Princess I feel even though have cut back they cut back the least. Both RC and Princess service is excellent, the food is very similiar, I prefer the bedding better in RC, Princess is more quieter after 11pm where there are more activities and such to do on RC after 11pm. Both are classy ships not glitzy like Carnival.

 

Honestly both cruise lines are on my list but I prefer RC as they offer much more to do.

If you have any other questions just ask anytime.

The Jewel does not have a Promenade, let alone a Cafe promenade. It also does not have Johnny Rockets.

 

To the OP, you can get all the foods you asked about in the Windjammer. The breakfast buffet has a lot of variety. There are cooked to order omelettes or eggs to order, along with lots of other things on the buffet.

 

Room service is pretty similar to a hotel, not much but enough to meet a craving. There is an additional charge for room service late night, midnight to 5am if I remember correctly. All other times there is no additional charge.

[05mak05]

We've had great experiences on both lines. We found the crowd to be older on Princess. We're seniors and prefer RCI but would not hesitate to book Princess if the price was substantially lower. The deal breaker for me is the hot breakfast delivered to the room on RCI. Sitting on the balcony with scrambled eggs, toast and coffee is my favorite part of the day. RCI does have not laundry facilities, however, laundry fees are not outrageous. (I do hate going home with a suitcase full of dirty clothes.) The Jewel is a fabulous ship, lots of glass, very classy and easy to navigate. You'll love it.

[Embracedbylife]

Thanks sooo much everyone! I am getting excited to book it now! :) We rarely eat pizza and burgers except when on vacation...certainly not every day but a couple times a cruise so that's something I want to get for lunch one day and not have to pay extra for it. For the rest of the time we'll really be looking forward to the Windjammer buffet. We enjoyed the quality meats and cheeses, yogurts and other healthy expensive snacks and things on princess so I have a feeling we'll really like RCCL as well. I also heard Carnival has pretty bad food. We like quality food and are looking forward to something similar to what Princess offers! Full breakfast on the balcony sounds pretty good too!!

 

I have done a little research on the tipping and it sounds similar to what princess does - a flat amount per day. Is this what most poeple go with? I like to keep it simple.

 

Also, do you get free water and icetea and/or lemonade? Just the little things that make it easy.

 

Also, how about the coffee? Do you need to buy a speciality coffee card as you do with Princess to get a decent cup or is there regular brew good and non-syrup stuff?

 

I really appreciate everyone's info!!

[reallyitsmema]

Iced tea, lemonade, flavored waters, coffee, tea, milk and chocolate milk are all included in your cruise fare. I would say "free" but someone will take issue with that.:rolleyes: Juice is included at breakfast. I find the coffee drinkable, others don't. You can buy coffee and specialty coffees at Lattitudes but there is no coffee card.

 

There is an outside eating area of the WJ which we loved on our NE/Canada cruise on the Jewel. Most found it too chilly but we were part of the hardy few out there every morning.

[05mak05]

I don't think you'll find a difference in the food on RCi and Princess. However, we're not really foodies. I've never had a bad meal on RCI. And, the coffee is vastly improved. I used to order a glass of ice with breakfast room service as the coffee was as thick and bitter as mud. I had to dilute it. Our last cruise was in April on the Jewel and the coffee was just fine. Good as a matter of fact. The Jewel cruise was a family cruise. We met on the outside area of the buffet for breakfast on the last morning. Several said that they had no idea that area existed. It's nice sitting outside and tables are usually available.

[Embracedbylife]

Sounds great! I'm enjoying reading all the information and looking forward to the outdoor seating also! I have read the entertainment is much better on RCCL also which is good as I never did enjoy Princess' entertainment, but it was never a deal breaker for me. We like the fact that the balcony rooms also include a sofa on RCCL.

 

On a side note, given that we don't have any pre passenger history with RCCL what's the best way to get a good rate for out booking? I know with Princess booking through a TA is better for first timers but our platinum level gave us excellent pricing on their website. With RCCL should we go with a TA rather than booking direct on their website?

 

Thanks again for all the info!!

[johneeo]

I've only sailed Princess and we are considering a sailing on the Jewel in June 2012. For anyone else who's really been committed to Princess and has tried RCCL, what should I expect and will we like it? I'm very open to new things and hopeful that the food will be as good! A few specific questions:

 

1. Is there a place to get cheeseburgers and pizza like on Princess?

2. How are the buffets? Are they comfortable and spacious?

3. Is it easy to get breakfast in the morning at the buffet?

4. How does room service work?

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Wow, you are going on a cruise and are concerned with getting "cheeseburgers and pizza"?:eek:

 

Personally, having been on a number of cruises, I have yet to ever eat a cheeseburger or pizza. I guess that filling up on four appetizers, two main courses, and a dessert or two at the MDR every night kinda just about does it for me.

[Cruisegirl6]

Johneeo hahahahaha that was funny to me. I not even eat that stuff at home myself neverless have it on a cruise lol :D:D

[Cruisegirl6]

I have to admit if you want fast food type foods Carnival is much much better for that!

[cruisin4kicks]

On a side note, given that we don't have any pre passenger history with RCCL what's the best way to get a good rate for out booking? I know with Princess booking through a TA is better for first timers but our platinum level gave us excellent pricing on their website. With RCCL should we go with a TA rather than booking direct on their website?

 

Thanks again for all the info!!

That's one thing about Princess that really surprised me. We were thinking of taking a trans-Atlantic on Princess and a friend of ours told us about an online travel agent that had lower prices than the Princess website.

 

Others here may correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure Royal doesn't do that. The price for a cabin will be the same whether you deal with Royal, regular travel agent, or online travel agent. We're D+ with Royal and have never found a difference in price between Royal and a travel agent.

 

It may be possible that a travel agent may have booked a block of cabins and you may be able to find a price a little cheaper than Royal is offering but I believe that would totally depend on which travel agent you were dealing with. It's never happened to us. Again, if I'm wrong, someone will set me straight. Hope this is helpful.

 

Tim

[Embracedbylife]

Wow, you are going on a cruise and are concerned with getting "cheeseburgers and pizza"?:eek:

 

Personally, having been on a number of cruises, I have yet to ever eat a cheeseburger or pizza. I guess that filling up on four appetizers, two main courses, and a dessert or two at the MDR every night kinda just about does it for me.

 

funny! Well princess had the BEST cheeseburgers on their roomservice menu and I am not one to over eat even when cruising so I enjoy a couple burgers out of 12 nights - big deal...that's what vacation is for, to treat yourself. Anyway, the point of my question was to see how it is compared to princess. The rest of the time we will be enjoying the other food - like I posted before our favorites on princess were always the variety of cheeses, fruits, yogurt and quality items. Not interested in Carnival food but thanks for your post.

[Embracedbylife]

That's one thing about Princess that really surprised me. We were thinking of taking a trans-Atlantic on Princess and a friend of ours told us about an online travel agent that had lower prices than the Princess website.

 

Others here may correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure Royal doesn't do that. The price for a cabin will be the same whether you deal with Royal, regular travel agent, or online travel agent. We're D+ with Royal and have never found a difference in price between Royal and a travel agent.

 

It may be possible that a travel agent may have booked a block of cabins and you may be able to find a price a little cheaper than Royal is offering but I believe that would totally depend on which travel agent you were dealing with. It's never happened to us. Again, if I'm wrong, someone will set me straight. Hope this is helpful.

 

Tim

 

 

thanks so much Tim for this information. Helps me decide how to book! :)

[satxdiver]

Having been on both cruise line ships, Princess does a much better job with their Lido deck grill near the pools. Be aware that RCL closes their buffet between meals which means locking the doors to the room while Princess is open 24 hours. If there is a Johnny Rockets on the ship, a fee is charged for their food which is prepared as it is ordered as opposed to a hot table in the buffet. If you want early morning room service, RCL charges for it. I noticed that the Promenade cafe is mentioned but it does not compare to the International Court on Princess. I found the food on both comparable in both the buffet and dining rooms. RCL does have a better layout in the buffet than Princess as to accessibility when it is open (only during specific meal times).

 

RCL does offer more recreational activities such as climbing wall, ice skating rink, etc., depending on the ship of course. I have found Princess to be a bit more expensive but they do allow you to bring your own wine aboard while RCL will not allow any alcohol to be brought aboard. It is all in what you want on the cruise.

[smeck]

What turns me off about Princess is the up charge for the adult pool area where Royal doesn't charge. Princess is taking up charging to a new level.

[Traveling Library]

The Jewel is my favorite RCCL ship. Lots of light and just the right size. Do not miss the Seaview Cafe. It is above the outdoor Windjammer seating area. There isn't a lot of signage so the Seaview is often overlooked. It is a gem on the Jewel. You don't pay for food or iced tea or water. Other drinks are normal prices. Menu varies but they make a really nice fresh tuna steak on salad and wonderful onion rings. One day I had a burger lunch (freshly cooked) at the Seaview while everyone else was lined up for burger by the pool. Mine was better ;-)

[melbur]

Also the coffee is way better on RCI than Princess. Royal uses real ground coffee - Seattles Best - vs the syrup style on Princess. Although you can go to lattetudes for a great cappucino or latte. They have a frequent buyers card, not well promoted but ask for it. I believe you get one free after you purchase 6 or 8 - can't remember which.

[negc]

The claim that RCI will charge you for early morning room service breakfast is true only if you are ordering it before 5am. I suspect that most who order breakfast from room service are looking for delivery a good bit later than that.:rolleyes: The Johnny Rockets fee is a cover charge and includes as much food as you want. Most drinks are an extra charge which is no different from Princess.

[Embracedbylife]

What turns me off about Princess is the up charge for the adult pool area where Royal doesn't charge. Princess is taking up charging to a new level.

 

 

Thanks everyone! Looking forward to checking out the Seaview Cafe!

Also to clarify the Adult Pool on the Princess Ships I have been on is free for everyone to use. The area above the pool known as the Sanctuary has a charge but the pool isn't part of the Sanctuary. Not a lot of people realize this and therefore dont' use that pool...but we always use it and it's our favorite!! :)

[smeck]

Thanks everyone! Looking forward to checking out the Seaview Cafe!

Also to clarify the Adult Pool on the Princess Ships I have been on is free for everyone to use. The area above the pool known as the Sanctuary has a charge but the pool isn't part of the Sanctuary. Not a lot of people realize this and therefore dont' use that pool...but we always use it and it's our favorite!! :)

 

Thanks for clarifying