Princess vs. Royal Caribbean

[Shammy1]

We have sailed on Royal Caribbean in the past for all cruises. We are looking to cruise in the spring sometime on Ruby. My question is: Is Princess a little above Royal as far as service, ship features etc. Which one would you cruise on??

[Pia1913]

We have sailed on Royal Caribbean in the past for all cruises. We are looking to cruise in the spring sometime on Ruby. My question is: Is Princess a little above Royal as far as service, ship features etc. Which one would you cruise on??

 

LOL. This is a Princess board, so what do you think the answers will be? ;)

[Shammy1]

I know that I everyone will be partial for that reason but would really like to get a feel for Princess.

[1 HappyCruiser]

We've sailed mostly Princess with RCI second & in the past the shows have always been more elaborate on RCI with better guest entertainers. The food maybe a little better on RCI but not by much. Service was comparable with Princess being slightly better.

Cost wise RCI has always been higher but with the new Princess pricing plan of 2012 it might not be true any longer.

[austinlw]

We've taken 3 cruises on each, Royal Caribbean and Princess. We were on Ruby Princess recently the week after Thanksgiving. We found our experience this Princess cruise to be very similar to our experiences on Royal Caribbean. Great service, great food, lots of activities available. I would say that we have found the Princess MDR food to be consistently good or great, whereas on Royal Caribbean it's usually very good but not as consistently. I would also say that Princess production shows in the theater are consistently somewhat better, more professional productions, than Royal Caribbean's.

 

To me the biggest difference between Royal Caribbean and Princess is the layout of the ships. Princess ships are more compartmentalized so that the large public areas are not as big and grand as Royal Caribbean's. RC ships also tend to have more big windows to see the ocean, which I like. My understanding is that the intention of the sectioned layout on Princess is to help alleviate the feeling of being on a ship with so many other people. However, in some cases it leads to more congestion (particularly in the buffet and the theater). For instance, there will be one MDR on a RC ship that is 2 or 3 stories high with views of the ocean. On Princess ships, there will be 2, 3, or 4 smaller one story dining rooms where the ceiling seems low (and the decor bland) after being on a RC ship. Princess theaters are one level with no balconies and are sometimes not large enough to accommodate all who want to see a show. If you want a good seat for a big Princess show, be there 20+ minutes early. One night on Ruby we decided a bit late to catch a production show and couldn't find 2 seats together, so we went to the lounge to see the comedian, and it was already packed also. So we sat outside the lounge and just listened to the comedian and saw the production show when it was offered again the next night. We have not had that happen on RC. The early/late dinner and show times are better coordinated and the multi-level theater (so no seats are too far from the stage) holds half of the ship capacity, so we've never had problems getting a show seat.

 

Those differences aside, the experiences on Royal Caribbean and Princess are more similar than different. We enjoy both and will go on both again, depending on price and itinerary (and possibly whether it is a newer vs. older ship if everything else is the same).

Edited January 4, 2012 by austinlw

[waterbabyfish]

I think the buffet and dining room salad bar is much better than Princess. And I also like having a couch in the room, much better than Princess.

Everything else about the same.:p:)

[Pam in CA]

Cost wise RCI has always been higher but with the new Princess pricing plan of 2012 it might not be true any longer.

What new pricing plan? The 2012 itineraries and fares have been available for over a year.

 

Princess allows TAs to discount cruise fares so you can almost always do better than booking directly with Princess. Sometimes, significantly better.

Edited January 4, 2012 by Pam in CA

[trinty1]

Just off the RCCL Navigator of the Seas this past December. Prior to that, we cruised Ruby Princess in March 2011. We will be running, not walking, back to Princess this year. Princess food, guests, public areas, embarking and disembarking where heads and tails above RCCL. The only negative about Princess is that it gets pretty deserted in the public areas after dark (but that is ok). Princess is the best !!!

[austinlw]

Cost wise RCI has always been higher but with the new Princess pricing plan of 2012 it might not be true any longer.

 

I've been comparing the prices of Mariner of the Seas (doing the Belize/Roatan itinerary) and Crown Princess next winter out of Galveston . Granted, Crown Princess goes to one more port (Costa Maya, which we don't really care much for) and the ship is somewhat newer, but the Princess price is considerably higher for comparable cabins. Logging in with email and password only brings it down $50 pp, still about a $400 difference total for a balcony.

[Pam in CA]

I've been comparing the prices of Mariner of the Seas (doing the Belize/Roatan itinerary) and Crown Princess next winter out of Galveston . Granted, Crown Princess goes to one more port (Costa Maya, which we don't really care much for) and the ship is somewhat newer, but the Princess price is considerably higher for comparable cabins. Logging in with email and password only brings it down $50 pp, still about a $400 difference total for a balcony.

As said, find a good discount TA, one that specializes in Princess cruises, and then compare the prices. It's not unusual to get 10-20% discount, plus perks.

[gelo7]

LOL. This is a Princess board, so what do you think the answers will be? ;)

That may require a bit of thought....

[1 HappyCruiser]

What new pricing plan? The 2012 itineraries and fares have been available for over a year.

 

Princess allows TAs to discount cruise fares so you can almost always do better than booking directly with Princess. Sometimes, significantly better.

 

I've only priced one cruise since the beginning of the year & it was still $100 cheaper than going direct. The online TA I use has changed their way of getting prices & although they still give a price upfront they also tell you to contact them for additional discounts I suspect the TA prices will still be cheaper in the long run. :D

 

I've been comparing the prices of Mariner of the Seas (doing the Belize/Roatan itinerary) and Crown Princess next winter out of Galveston . Granted, Crown Princess goes to one more port (Costa Maya, which we don't really care much for) and the ship is somewhat newer, but the Princess price is considerably higher for comparable cabins. Logging in with email and password only brings it down $50 pp, still about a $400 difference total for a balcony.

 

Interesting. I haven't seriously compared their price differences in a long time but I just might do it in the fall.

 

Not that Princess doesn't provide a decent product for the price but I'm so tired of the Princess entertainment that RCI would be a welcomed change. Even the guest entertainers repeat the same old material from years ago. I can't remember the last time I saw a big name entertainer on Princess. Maybe 15 years ago? They certainly don't want to spend the money to attract them.

[Pam in CA]

I've only priced one cruise since the beginning of the year & it was still $100 cheaper than going direct. The online TA I use has changed their way of getting prices & although they still give a price upfront they also tell you to contact them for additional discounts I suspect the TA prices will still be cheaper in the long run. :D

The new policy is an advertising policy, not a fare policy. TA's can no longer advertise or promote discount prices so if you go to a website, they will have either the same price as booking directly or a "Please call" message. If you ask for a quote or their price, they can discount as much as they want. Edited January 4, 2012 by Pam in CA

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Princess is by far better.....

[1 HappyCruiser]

The new policy is an advertising policy, not a fare policy. TA's can no longer advertise or promote discount prices so if you go to a website, they will have either the same price as booking directly or a "Please call" message. If you ask for a quote or their price, they can discount as much as they want.

 

From what you say & what I've found so far I'm beginning to believe that. It just makes it more difficult to get pricing now that I have to call for each trip.

 

 

 

Princess is by far better.....

 

Better if you don't mind paying extra. Most people don't.

[Worn out mailman]

We've taken 3 cruises on each, Royal Caribbean and Princess. We were on Ruby Princess recently the week after Thanksgiving. We found our experience this Princess cruise to be very similar to our experiences on Royal Caribbean. Great service, great food, lots of activities available. I would say that we have found the Princess MDR food to be consistently good or great, whereas on Royal Caribbean it's usually very good but not as consistently. I would also say that Princess production shows in the theater are consistently somewhat better, more professional productions, than Royal Caribbean's.

 

To me the biggest difference between Royal Caribbean and Princess is the layout of the ships. Princess ships are more compartmentalized so that the large public areas are not as big and grand as Royal Caribbean's. RC ships also tend to have more big windows to see the ocean, which I like. My understanding is that the intention of the sectioned layout on Princess is to help alleviate the feeling of being on a ship with so many other people. However, in some cases it leads to more congestion (particularly in the buffet and the theater). For instance, there will be one MDR on a RC ship that is 2 or 3 stories high with views of the ocean. On Princess ships, there will be 2, 3, or 4 smaller one story dining rooms where the ceiling seems low (and the decor bland) after being on a RC ship. Princess theaters are one level with no balconies and are sometimes not large enough to accommodate all who want to see a show. If you want a good seat for a big Princess show, be there 20+ minutes early. One night on Ruby we decided a bit late to catch a production show and couldn't find 2 seats together, so we went to the lounge to see the comedian, and it was already packed also. So we sat outside the lounge and just listened to the comedian and saw the production show when it was offered again the next night. We have not had that happen on RC. The early/late dinner and show times are better coordinated and the multi-level theater (so no seats are too far from the stage) holds half of the ship capacity, so we've never had problems getting a show seat.

 

Those differences aside, the experiences on Royal Caribbean and Princess are more similar than different. We enjoy both and will go on both again, depending on price and itinerary (and possibly whether it is a newer vs. older ship if everything else is the same).

 

These are very good comparisons. I would re-emphasize the need to show up at any entertainment venue close to 1/2 hour early (presuming your cruise will be on one of the newer Grand Class ships with the Riviera deck). I do remember thinking the musicians were better on Princess, and that entertainment was more readily available around the ship, as was food, especially late in the evening. I do enjoy the dining room experience better on RCCL, and especially the menu choices.

[kicker]

7 RC cruises, one Celebrity (last January). We'll be doing Crown Princess 1/14/12, and right now the reviews are enough to scare the bejeebers out of anybody! Not really Princess' fault - Noro problems.

 

Here's what I'm expecting after reading these threads for a long time:

 

1). Food comparable

2). Better entertainment on Royal

3). Service about equal

 

I think Royal's done a great job with their private island (Labadee), where Princess Cays sounds like what I saw in Labadee years ago. Princess seems to have a better embarkation & debarkation process.

 

We chose Princess because of its itinerary (seems every Royal cruise went to San Juan, St. Thomas...). I will certainly post a review after returning offering my thoughts on Princess vs Royal.

[srpilo]

Very subjective question.

 

 

 

 

But if we're talking personal preferences, I normally prefer Princess over RCL

Srpilo

[hubofhockey]

If we're with our kids, Royal Caribbean is better. If it's just the two of us, Princess is better. It's a different atmosphere altogether. I can honestly say that I am able to relax more on a Princess cruise than on any other line that I have been on. There is also always something to do. It's a nice combination. We enjoy both lines and have cruises scheduled on the Caribbean Princess for this Summer and Allure of the Seas for next Spring.

[coordinator23]

Overall, I like the "perks" better on Princess. "Tea" on Royal is cookies and cake in the buffet; "tea" on Princess is amazing, butlers, tea sandwiches, fancy desserts. Pub grub on sea days in the Wheelhouse on Ruby, an alternative to the buffet on boarding day (dining room), entertainment, all better on Ruby. Ruby is an amazing ship. I really enjoyed her. I have taken two cruises with Princess (Diamond Princess to Alaska was fantastic; Ruby Princess eastern Carib. was amazing too.) I have been on at least 10 more with Royal. I would choose the Ruby as one of my favorite boats, if not my fav. My husband, however, is a smoker, so unless he quits, we will not be back. (He likes to smoke on the Balcony - just a couple a day.) Probably good news to some of you, but we were about to switch to Princess for more cruises. Don't get me wrong, Royal is a nice line, but we feel Princess is a little nicer. He retires in a year and I sure do wish Princess was still an option for us.

[coordinator23]

There is a lot of talk about smuggling booze onboard Royal Cruises. You can bring your own wine, no problem, on to a Princess cruise and pay corkage fee (or bring your own corkscrew and use it in your cabin). We usually travel as extended family. When on Royal, we have to meet at a bar to get together. On Princess we have met in one of our cabins. Before we went on Ruby, I ordered some type of harder booze for my parents cabin as a gift. When we met there, they would make us a high ball. My Dad really enjoyed hosting these get togethers before dinner. (PS my Dad is in his mid-80's and I was 60. His youngest is in his mid-50's)

I feel as if Princess treats us more like adults. The shampoo is not bolted to the shower (think gym shower). We are trusted to have a drink in our room. I could go on, but I won't.

Enjoy Ruby!!

[keplerd]

Thank you "coordinator 23" for all of the info on the Ruby........Going in March! Have been on 5 RCCL and only 1 other Princess which was a "caribbean sampler"..........a short weekender cruise on the Caribbean Princess. It sounds like the Ruby Princess is going to be perfect for us! Happy Cruising!

[royalcruz]

The service depends on who is servicing. You can even get good and bad service on the same ship and sailing. I have found no differences in the service level on these 2 lines.

 

I prefer the RCL couches to the Princess chairs in cabins.

The people are a little older on Princess, fewer families.

The food is comparable.

I prefer Princess's Sabatinis to RCL specialty restaurants.

RCL is better at generating the crowd into high spirited fun, but Princess does a great job at entertaining too.

RCL has great Diamond-level drink benefits.

Princess's soda package is better value than RCL. RCL is more generous with alcohol pours than Princess. Princess MUTS has really comfortable lounge chairs, but RCL has the peaceful (and free) solarium.

[Donnerz5]

We cruised on RC last March on the Allure. It was our second cruise and we decided to go to experience the largest cruise ship. We had a great time on Princess for our first cruise, so we just expected the to be as good or better. I enjoyed my RC cruise, but was just disappointed that it did not have the same feel as Princess.

 

First the Pros: The entertainment was wonderful. I liked scheduling them before boarding so you could see each show. The ship was beautiful! They had everything and there was always something to do. The food in the speciality restaurants was wonderful and chefs table was our favorite part. The rooms were great and i liked the set up of the balcony room.

 

Cons: The service. Hands down they had worse service then we experienced on Princess. I still know the names of employees on the Princess Sapphire from 2 years ago and hope to see them again in two months. I can't remember anyone on the Allure, and I can't say anyone went out of their way to make us feel special or even taken care of. I had food restrictions and that was very difficult in any restaurant other then the speciality. Any small concern was not handled well and we recevied different answers/instructions from each crew member. The cruise was also 50%+ more then we would have spent on Princess and it seemed like there was a charge for everything. We pre-purchased the wine package and found it so difficult to get the wine we purchased, we almost didn't drink it all.

 

I would consider RC again, but I would check the reviews and hope for a better crew experience. Also, it could have been the size of the ship that made it feel so impersonal and it was new. For now, I am staying with Princess.

[WVBill]

.... Princess theaters are one level with no balconies ....

 

First cruise - on Ruby - coming up in March. Am I reading the deck plan wrong? It seems to show a "Princess Theater Lower Level" on Fiesta Deck 6 and a "Princess Theater Upper Level" on Promenade Deck 7.