solehigh Posted October 13, 2013 #1 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Reading about the new Royal it seems that all everyone that is posting is doing is complaining about the ship. Surely a new ship must have some good things about it. Nothing is ever perfect unless you have your own ship. Please let's hear good reasons to book the Royal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firststatecruiser Posted October 13, 2013 #2 Share Posted October 13, 2013 The Royal Princess is absolutely gorgeous! Staterooms are lovely. Food in Both Horizon Court and main dining room is wonderful. Entertainment was great, especially the new production shows. Great dance band on board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunsetbeachgal Posted October 13, 2013 #3 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Our family group of six all LOVED the ship, the service, the Horizon Court, the IC, Alfredo's, the Children's program, etc. Not one whisper of a complaint! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capitano1 Posted October 13, 2013 #4 Share Posted October 13, 2013 We had a wonderful vacation on the Royal Princess for 12 days. It is a beautiful ship and met all of our expectations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iamcruzin Posted October 13, 2013 #5 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Reading about the new Royal it seems that all everyone that is posting is doing is complaining about the ship. Surely a new ship must have some good things about it. Nothing is ever perfect unless you have your own ship. Please let's hear good reasons to book the Royal. Things that are being reported such as soot on the aft balcony, toilet issues, poor WiFi connection, poor transportation to ship via Princess transportation, lack of ship activities on port days when most are in port and free elite laundry service backed up can happen on any ship. Disappointment in balcony size, lack of mid ship stair case, and disappointment in the size of the owners suite is just some of the design flaws two of which were pointed out before the ship even sailed. To me the only good reason to book any ship would be for the itinerary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare JimmyVWine Posted October 14, 2013 #6 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Reading about the new Royal it seems that all everyone that is posting is doing is complaining about the ship. Surely a new ship must have some good things about it. Nothing is ever perfect unless you have your own ship. Please let's hear good reasons to book the Royal. The name of this site is"Cruise Critic", not "Cruise Bandwagon". Of course any new ship is going to have oodles of new bells and whistles that deserve mention and serious consideration. Royal is no exception. But there is a tendency to overreact to fresh paint and flat screen TVs. Everyone wants to try the latest and greatest, and we all want to love it. The negativity you see here is an attempt to balance out the excitement generated by the newness with the disappointment generated by the design flaws. How would you feel about booking an aft balcony only to find out that you couldn't enjoy it because doing so would expose you to soot and grime? How would you feel if you booked a mini-suite for your family of four only to find out that you could not fit all four of you on your balcony? The natural reaction would be to say: "If I had only known..." Some people here have seemingly unlimited resources such that a cruise on a less-than-ideal ship can be written off as an "experience" and quickly forgotten when their next cruise rolls around. Others are trying to allocate very limited resources to a single cruise on a ship that fits their needs as closely as possible. This becomes infinitely more difficult if people do not honestly report the bad with the good. And if it seems as if the bad outweighs the good, well, maybe that should tell you something. The common belief (hope?) is that the most recent prototype is a natural extension and improvement of all that came before it. Be it cars, planes, mobile phones, tablets, computers or ships, we assume that the 2013 model is better than the ones that came before it. But when features or design concepts fall flat, disappoint or frustrate, it is both natural and necessary to report on them. If everyone ignored these things and reported only on the truly wonderful features of Royal, would that constitute "balance"? Would that benefit people who are trying to learn as much as possible about this new ship? There are many, many people who either find no flaws in this new ship, and many others who find flaws, but do not consider them to be material. That is their right and no one can contend otherwise. But there are others who see flaws sufficient to cause them to look elsewhere. Let's not blame either group or try to stifle anyone's opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tapi Posted October 14, 2013 #7 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Have you been reading similar reviews on sites besides Cruise Critic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom33 Posted October 14, 2013 #8 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Reading about the new Royal it seems that all everyone that is posting is doing is complaining about the ship. Surely a new ship must have some good things about it. Nothing is ever perfect unless you have your own ship. Please let's hear good reasons to book the Royal. We have been reading all the threads on this forum pertaining to the Royal, by those who have sailed her and those who are critical of her design with no experience sailing her. We have also read all the Member Reviews posted on CC. We are currently reading the live comments from seasoned cruisers on board the ship right now. We have taken all comments into consideration and we agree that we will continue with our plans to sail the Royal in the Caribbean and the Baltics in the Spring. :D Can't wait!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ne1travel Posted October 14, 2013 #9 Share Posted October 14, 2013 We are sailing in January and will do so with open minds. Looking forward to seeing this new beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyro1952 Posted October 14, 2013 #10 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I was supposed to be on the current Royal TA but had to cancel. None the less, I do have 2 cruises booked on the Royal and I'm looking forward to experiencing the ship. But I am also going to make some changes and change my aft deluxe balcony for a mid forward mini for the return TA. By the time I board the ship in April, I think most of these issues (except for the obvious design issues) will be worked out and most of the crew will have been changed out. I am looking forward to all the new venues and production shows. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bimmer09 Posted October 14, 2013 #11 Share Posted October 14, 2013 The name of this site is"Cruise Critic", not "Cruise Bandwagon". Of course any new ship is going to have oodles of new bells and whistles that deserve mention and serious consideration. Royal is no exception. But there is a tendency to overreact to fresh paint and flat screen TVs. Everyone wants to try the latest and greatest, and we all want to love it. The negativity you see here is an attempt to balance out the excitement generated by the newness with the disappointment generated by the design flaws. How would you feel about booking an aft balcony only to find out that you couldn't enjoy it because doing so would expose you to soot and grime? How would you feel if you booked a mini-suite for your family of four only to find out that you could not fit all four of you on your balcony? The natural reaction would be to say: "If I had only known..." Some people here have seemingly unlimited resources such that a cruise on a less-than-ideal ship can be written off as an "experience" and quickly forgotten when their next cruise rolls around. Others are trying to allocate very limited resources to a single cruise on a ship that fits their needs as closely as possible. This becomes infinitely more difficult if people do not honestly report the bad with the good. And if it seems as if the bad outweighs the good, well, maybe that should tell you something. The common belief (hope?) is that the most recent prototype is a natural extension and improvement of all that came before it. Be it cars, planes, mobile phones, tablets, computers or ships, we assume that the 2013 model is better than the ones that came before it. But when features or design concepts fall flat, disappoint or frustrate, it is both natural and necessary to report on them. If everyone ignored these things and reported only on the truly wonderful features of Royal, would that constitute "balance"? Would that benefit people who are trying to learn as much as possible about this new ship? There are many, many people who either find no flaws in this new ship, and many others who find flaws, but do not consider them to be material. That is their right and no one can contend otherwise. But there are others who see flaws sufficient to cause them to look elsewhere. Let's not blame either group or try to stifle anyone's opinions. Jimmy, I had to quote it all as it is (as always) nicely reasoned. I think I may have to buy you a cyber-Guinness for this one....cheers! Norris in Chicago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonnenschein Posted October 14, 2013 #12 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Jimmy V Wine, thank you for your balanced view, I agree very much with your statements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchip Posted October 14, 2013 #13 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Jimmy V Wine, thank you for your balanced view, I agree very much with your statements. Me too! I'll get to judge for myself in a few weeks but I already know what may be problem areas for me. Cheers, Denise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruiserkenn Posted October 14, 2013 #14 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Jimmy V Wine, thank you for your balanced view, I agree very much with your statements. Yes, I agree. Thank you, JimmyVWine, for your rational and reasonable approach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlantic cruiser Posted October 14, 2013 #15 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I think you have spoken to so many who have not wanted to be either side of the fence. It is very obvious that there are serious design, structural problems with this ship. The cheerleaders may try to deny this but I am under the impression that this is not a ship that has everyone overwhelmed with. Sad that more thought was not put into the structure but the dollars which don't follow this ship will tell the real tale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PescadoAmarillo Posted October 14, 2013 #16 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I think the biggest disservice we can inflict on fellow cruisers is to downplay the negatives, causing expectations to be set unattainably high. In fact, some Royal Princess passengers have attributed their disappointments to just that. Let's face it, threads that are all positive, all the time bear some responsibility. So do people who can't bear to hear any negatives for fear it will diminish the build up to their own cruise. I will be boarding the Royal in two weeks, and, at this point, I'm expecting very little beyond a beautiful Piazza, a larger buffet, Alfredo's and a ledge in the shower for leg shaving. Something tells me I won't be disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMM34667 Posted October 14, 2013 #17 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I've read both positive and negative post regarding the Royal. A few things will affect me (no central stairs), some things will not (small balconies or soot on the balcony). I do look forward to the amazing piazza as well as the new HC. I guess I do have really high expectations for this vacation. But some are on Princess and many more are on me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI66774 Posted October 14, 2013 #18 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I'm booked on the Royal in December and April. I hope my expectations are reasonable. I realize Princess is a mass market cruise line and not Regent or Crystal. As such, I can't expect a luxury product. I expect a reasonable good product consistent with other mass market cruise lines (NCL, RCL, etc.) Nothing more, nothing less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faiz23 Posted October 14, 2013 #19 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I am deciding right now if we are going to take the Royal on my birthday month for March 30th to the Caribbean. I have plenty of FCC to cover the cruise for 3 people in a mini suite. I need it to be 7 days or longer and around a certain price range. The royal falls into that itinerary and price range so that would make it one of my top 3 choices. I will use the information about preferred room location and then use all the other resources to plan an eventful trip along with prime location at a great value. I think you have to take the positive and negatives and use them to your advantage to make an ideal outcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeinboca Posted October 14, 2013 #20 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I thought I would chime in here and offer my opinion on the Royal. We sailed her in August on a completely full ship with 800 kids on board. We had an amazing time!! She is a wonderful ship that offers so much! Is she perfect? No. Does she have some flaws? Well we all do, don't we. I am glad when people offer their opinions, that is part of what makes CC a great resource, not just for info, but to hear people's experiences and thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chamima Posted October 14, 2013 #21 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I think the biggest disservice we can inflict on fellow cruisers is to downplay the negatives, causing expectations to be set unattainably high. In fact, some Royal Princess passengers have attributed their disappointments to just that. Let's face it, threads that are all positive, all the time bear some responsibility. So do people who can't bear to hear any negatives for fear it will diminish the build up to their own cruise. I will be boarding the Royal in two weeks, and, at this point, I'm expecting very little beyond a beautiful Piazza, a larger buffet, Alfredo's and a ledge in the shower for leg shaving. Something tells me I won't be disappointed. I was supposed to be on the current Royal TA but had to cancel. None the less, I do have 2 cruises booked on the Royal and I'm looking forward to experiencing the ship. But I am also going to make some changes and change my aft deluxe balcony for a mid forward mini for the return TA.By the time I board the ship in April, I think most of these issues (except for the obvious design issues) will be worked out and most of the crew will have been changed out. I am looking forward to all the new venues and production shows. :) I think these threads are invaluable for future cruisers to make informed decisions about whether or not to sail and if the decision is yes then where on the ship to book a cabin! Those aft deluxe balconies are a third more than the regular balcony cabins on the side of the ship right next to them ($1529 vs. $1039/pp for a 7 day cruise). For that much more don't we all NEED to have as much information as possible before we book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brentlym Posted October 14, 2013 #22 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Personally, I can't wait to get onboard Nov. 3. Before final payment was due, we changed cabin locations twice based on the info that we saw on here, along with the pics. We ended up settling on a Dolphin deluxe balcony on the port side toward the front. I take the good with the bad as no ship or cruise can be 100% flawless (I learned many cruises ago), and the bad will never keep me off a ship as any day on the sea is better than any day on land. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
san diego sue Posted October 14, 2013 #23 Share Posted October 14, 2013 From someone that always goes to the shows, you will not be disappointed. There are some interesting special effects. The theatre seems larger, quite beautiful. JimmyVWine summed it up really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom33 Posted October 14, 2013 #24 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I thought I would chime in here and offer my opinion on the Royal. We sailed her in August on a completely full ship with 800 kids on board. We had an amazing time!! She is a wonderful ship that offers so much! Is she perfect? No. Does she have some flaws? Well we all do, don't we. I am glad when people offer their opinions, that is part of what makes CC a great resource, not just for info, but to hear people's experiences and thoughts. Thanks for responding to this thread in such a gracious manner. Great post. :) Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyro1952 Posted October 14, 2013 #25 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I think these threads are invaluable for future cruisers to make informed decisions about whether or not to sail and if the decision is yes then where on the ship to book a cabin!Those aft deluxe balconies are a third more than the regular balcony cabins on the side of the ship right next to them ($1529 vs. $1039/pp for a 7 day cruise). For that much more don't we all NEED to have as much information as possible before we book? I totally agree and right now the difference isn't all that much between the mini and premium aft balcony. This is why I love CC because I can make informed decisions. I love to cruise and have really only cruised Princess. I am not at all picky and only remember the good stuff once I step off a ship. :D Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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