Recent Epic Cruiser tries Royal Princess

[LittleMissMagic]

Hello, Norwegians!

 

I recently cruised on the Norwegian Epic (4-day from Barcelona and 7-day from Civitavecchia which I wrote photo reviews for in May), and I just got back from a Christmas cruise on the Royal Princess (the newest, largest ship in the Princess fleet). I am currently writing a photo review of my experience on the 7-day Eastern Caribbean Royal Princess cruise on the Princess board which you can read here. You might enjoy this review if you're considering sailing Princess in the future, or if you just like elaborate photo reviews.

 

Come sail away with me as I relive my 2013 Christmas Cruise on the Royal Princess!

[Love my butler]

Hello, Norwegians!

 

I recently cruised on the Norwegian Epic (4-day from Barcelona and 7-day from Civitavecchia which I wrote photo reviews for in May), and I just got back from a Christmas cruise on the Royal Princess (the newest, largest ship in the Princess fleet). I am currently writing a photo review of my experience on the 7-day Eastern Caribbean Royal Princess cruise on the Princess board which you can read here. You might enjoy this review if you're considering sailing Princess in the future, or if you just like elaborate photo reviews.

 

Come sail away with me as I relive my 2013 Christmas Cruise on the Royal Princess!

 

Not sure how you can apply this Princess post to the NCL boards by saying you once sailed on the Epic. Seems like a stretch and your post belongs on the Princess boards, not here. I am fairly certain any of us interested in Princess know how to find their boards.

[coka]

Happy New Year Little Miss Magic!

I am glad to see you post here as I enjoy your pictorial reviews. I might not have gone over to Princess boards as it has been a while since sailing with them. Thank you for letting us know, I appreciate it very much! Heading over right now to check it out

 

Thank you very much once again!

 

coka:D

[djmess]

Hello, Norwegians!

 

I recently cruised on the Norwegian Epic (4-day from Barcelona and 7-day from Civitavecchia which I wrote photo reviews for in May), and I just got back from a Christmas cruise on the Royal Princess (the newest, largest ship in the Princess fleet). I am currently writing a photo review of my experience on the 7-day Eastern Caribbean Royal Princess cruise on the Princess board which you can read here. You might enjoy this review if you're considering sailing Princess in the future, or if you just like elaborate photo reviews.

 

Come sail away with me as I relive my 2013 Christmas Cruise on the Royal Princess!

 

Enjoyed your Epic review. Will go check out this Princess Review. Thanks

[Cruisercl]

Hi LLM,

 

Thank you very much for posting your review on the Royal Princess. I have not read it yet, but will. I have cruised Princess many times and I am always looking for new reviews. I cruise on NCL too.

 

I am not sure of your intent of posting it on the NCL boards. Can you clarify the reason for this for me or did you make a mistake by posting it on the NCL boards? Did you mean to post it on the Princess boards and not the NCL boards?

 

Happy and safe cruising all!! :D

[Sauer-kraut]

Hi LLM,

I am not sure of your intent of posting it on the NCL boards. Can you clarify the reason for this for me or did you make a mistake by posting it on the NCL boards? Did you mean to post it on the Princess boards and not the NCL boards?

 

Happy and safe cruising all!! :D

 

She IS posting it on the Princess board -- she is just letting those of us who are interested in her cruise review that is there to be found. Her review of the EPIC was really well done and had lots of pictures and I'm sure her Princess review will be just as informative and enjoyable.

[3DBeach]

Thank you for posting here, I wouldn't have looked on the Princess board just because I don't go on there. I am loving your review so far and looking forward to more. :D

[mizLORInj]

Very nice review--thanks for posting. I'm hoping to check out Royal Princess one of these days.

I think the Fairfield you mention is near a strip mall plaza--across the street behind the Comfort Suites? Was the Hampton Inn to the left of the Comfort Suites in the photo? We stayed there once pre-cruise.

Edited January 4, 2014 by mizlorinj

[dlynn0366]

Thank you for posting here, I wouldn't have looked on the Princess board just because I don't go on there. I am loving your review so far and looking forward to more. :D

 

Dido :)

Edited January 4, 2014 by dlynn0366

[LittleMissMagic]

Hey, guys!

 

Just to clarify - I am not posting my review on the Norwegian board. You can find my review on the Princess board. I just wanted to post here to invite people who frequent this board to read my review because personally, I don't keep up with all boards at all times, depending on what line I'm cruising next, so I really appreciate it when some of my favorite reviewers let me know that they're writing a review on another board.

 

As for how this post is relevant on the Norwegian board, I met a lot of great members here when researching and preparing for my Epic cruises who I thought might enjoy my Royal Princess review. In addition, the Royal and the Epic are competing ships sailing nearly identical itineraries (Mediterranean in the summer and Eastern Caribbean in the winter and spring), so I thought Norwegian cruisers might be interested in how they compare. I also sailed in an aft balcony on each ship, so I can share my opinions in how equivalent staterooms compare.

 

If you would like to read along, I welcome you to join in! If not, happy cruising!

[Love my butler]

Hey, guys!

 

Just to clarify - I am not posting my review on the Norwegian board. You can find my review on the Princess board. I just wanted to post here to invite people who frequent this board to read my review because personally, I don't keep up with all boards at all times, depending on what line I'm cruising next, so I really appreciate it when some of my favorite reviewers let me know that they're writing a review on another board.

 

As for how this post is relevant on the Norwegian board, I met a lot of great members here when researching and preparing for my Epic cruises who I thought might enjoy my Royal Princess review. In addition, the Royal and the Epic are competing ships sailing nearly identical itineraries (Mediterranean in the summer and Eastern Caribbean in the winter and spring), so I thought Norwegian cruisers might be interested in how they compare. I also sailed in an aft balcony on each ship, so I can share my opinions in how equivalent staterooms compare.

 

If you would like to read along, I welcome you to join in! If not, happy cruising!

 

If everyone posted off topic on the NCL boards we would not be reading about NCL. Think I might trot over to the Carnival boards and mention the Getaway is launching soon....

 

After all the Getaway will be sailing in the same water as the Carnival ships....

[LittleMissMagic]

You're a funny one, aren't you? If my post really offends you, complaining in this thread does nothing but fuel the fire. If you're actually looking for results, I suggest that you contact the moderators and ask that it be removed.

[sdmike]

If everyone posted off topic on the NCL boards we would not be reading about NCL. Think I might trot over to the Carnival boards and mention the Getaway is launching soon....

 

After all the Getaway will be sailing in the same water as the Carnival ships....

 

Have you ever posted anything nice about anyone or anything?

[Powriv]

Keep posting LittleMissMagic!! I have enjoyed reading your reviews and enjoying this one too

 

At the end would you be doing a comparison between Royal and Epic. Perhaps that would satisfy the naysayer :)

[cruisebear84]

Subscribed! And enjoying so far. Trying to figure out if I want to check out other lines and Princess hadn't occurred to me, so I'm glad that you posted the link to your review here :)

[corolla48]

If everyone posted off topic on the NCL boards we would not be reading about NCL. Think I might trot over to the Carnival boards and mention the Getaway is launching soon....

 

After all the Getaway will be sailing in the same water as the Carnival ships....

 

I am very interested in her comparisons of the two cruise lines. I have previously cruised mainly on Princess, went on the Royal last year in fact. As someone who has never cruised on NCL before (will be cruising with them soon) I find her review informative and useful for my research of cruises/cruise lines in general.

[david_sobe]

Wow, what a treat. Your photos are amazing. Ruby is a beautiful ship. But not as beautiful as you Little Miss Magic ;)

 

So in a nutshell, which did you like better, Epic or Ruby and why?

[LittleMissMagic]

Wow, what a treat. Your photos are amazing. Ruby is a beautiful ship. But not as beautiful as you Little Miss Magic ;)

 

So in a nutshell, which did you like better, Epic or Ruby and why?

 

Well it was the Royal Princess (the Ruby was beside us in port), and I hate to give "spoilers" to my review, but since you asked so nicely...

 

Ship vs ship, in my opinion, the Epic wins hands down. I think that Princess rather missed the mark with the Royal. Its size, itineraries, and pricing make it directly competitive with the Epic, but its amenities and activities are seriously lacking in comparison. While I think a lot of the extras that these mega ships offer are becoming a silly battle of one-upping another ("I have an ice bar - do you have an ice bar?" "Well I have a carousel. You're missing that, aren't you?"), Princess doesn't even put the Royal in the game. There are no waterslides. Their sports deck is a laughable afterthought. And they're really lacking in entertainment. And the novelties that they chose to spend money on - like a cantilever walkway over the side and the fountain show by the pool - are gimmicks without much entertainment value.

 

Yes, the Royal was sparkly clean and beautiful, but architecturally speaking, I was unimpressed. It was very basic and unoriginal. "I want a Class A lobby." "Well, here you go!" They spent the money on the fancy finishes, but much of it was very standard rather than artful and original. Some of the atrium felt shopping mall-esque to me with the tile floor. But that's just me being an architecture student snob. It's lovely, but it's not cutting-edge and creative.

 

I'm just really confused as to what Princess is trying to do with the Royal. Its size and itinerary make me think that they want to compete with ships like the Norwegian Epic and the Disney Fantasy, but the ship itself tells me otherwise. Because if they're competing for upper-middle class families, the Disney Fantasy and Norwegian Epic will win. The only demographic majorities I could see the Royal Princess winning is older adults and loyal Princess cruisers. But the itinerary is just too basic and typical to maintain those demographics for long.

 

All of that aside, I had a wonderful time on the Royal Princess, and if the itinerary or price really spoke to me, I would sail on her again. I think that Princess offers a great cruising experience, and I enjoy sailing with them.

[valleyvillage]

Thanks so much for posting this! I am constantly amazed by the generosity of CCers like you who take the time to include us in the Magic!

[david_sobe]

Well it was the Royal Princess (the Ruby was beside us in port), and I hate to give "spoilers" to my review, but since you asked so nicely...

 

Ship vs ship, in my opinion, the Epic wins hands down. I think that Princess rather missed the mark with the Royal. Its size, itineraries, and pricing make it directly competitive with the Epic, but its amenities and activities are seriously lacking in comparison. While I think a lot of the extras that these mega ships offer are becoming a silly battle of one-upping another ("I have an ice bar - do you have an ice bar?" "Well I have a carousel. You're missing that, aren't you?"), Princess doesn't even put the Royal in the game. There are no waterslides. Their sports deck is a laughable afterthought. And they're really lacking in entertainment. And the novelties that they chose to spend money on - like a cantilever walkway over the side and the fountain show by the pool - are gimmicks without much entertainment value.

 

Yes, the Royal was sparkly clean and beautiful, but architecturally speaking, I was unimpressed. It was very basic and unoriginal. "I want a Class A lobby." "Well, here you go!" They spent the money on the fancy finishes, but much of it was very standard rather than artful and original. Some of the atrium felt shopping mall-esque to me with the tile floor. But that's just me being an architecture student snob. It's lovely, but it's not cutting-edge and creative.

 

I'm just really confused as to what Princess is trying to do with the Royal. Its size and itinerary make me think that they want to compete with ships like the Norwegian Epic and the Disney Fantasy, but the ship itself tells me otherwise. Because if they're competing for upper-middle class families, the Disney Fantasy and Norwegian Epic will win. The only demographic majorities I could see the Royal Princess winning is older adults and loyal Princess cruisers. But the itinerary is just too basic and typical to maintain those demographics for long.

 

All of that aside, I had a wonderful time on the Royal Princess, and if the itinerary or price really spoke to me, I would sail on her again. I think that Princess offers a great cruising experience, and I enjoy sailing with them.

Thanks for your comparison. Sorry for the typo since I had "Ruby" on the brain. I love the private area on Princess (forget what it is called).

 

Epic is a fun and amazing ship!

[jdvmd]

Am looking at doing a cruise on the Royal Princess. She looks amazing! Thank you so much for posting!

[Cruisercl]

Hey, guys!

 

Just to clarify - I am not posting my review on the Norwegian board. You can find my review on the Princess board. I just wanted to post here to invite people who frequent this board to read my review because personally, I don't keep up with all boards at all times, depending on what line I'm cruising next, so I really appreciate it when some of my favorite reviewers let me know that they're writing a review on another board.

 

As for how this post is relevant on the Norwegian board, I met a lot of great members here when researching and preparing for my Epic cruises who I thought might enjoy my Royal Princess review. In addition, the Royal and the Epic are competing ships sailing nearly identical itineraries (Mediterranean in the summer and Eastern Caribbean in the winter and spring), so I thought Norwegian cruisers might be interested in how they compare. I also sailed in an aft balcony on each ship, so I can share my opinions in how equivalent staterooms compare.

 

If you would like to read along, I welcome you to join in! If not, happy cruising!

 

Hi LLM,

 

Thank you for your clarification. :) Not everyone who posts on one cruise line board about another cruise line has good intentions like yours are.

 

This is a really good example of flaming of others (aimed at me by others) for asking a question or expressing an opinion. Happy cruising to you too. :D

[CruiseIreland]

Not sure how you can apply this Princess post to the NCL boards by saying you once sailed on the Epic. Seems like a stretch and your post belongs on the Princess boards, not here. I am fairly certain any of us interested in Princess know how to find their boards.

Jesus wept! I thought you got a raw deal on other threads for posting your dissatisfaction with NCL but now I see that you are no more than a grumpy troll. Little Miss Magic is one of those rare treats on CC in that she posts very informative, ,photo laden reviews of her various cruises. I would read her reviews regardless of what cruise line she sails. You need to get your hemorrhoids treated, or whatever ails you.

[SissasMomE]

Hello, Norwegians!

 

I recently cruised on the Norwegian Epic (4-day from Barcelona and 7-day from Civitavecchia which I wrote photo reviews for in May), and I just got back from a Christmas cruise on the Royal Princess (the newest, largest ship in the Princess fleet). I am currently writing a photo review of my experience on the 7-day Eastern Caribbean Royal Princess cruise on the Princess board which you can read here. You might enjoy this review if you're considering sailing Princess in the future, or if you just like elaborate photo reviews.

 

Come sail away with me as I relive my 2013 Christmas Cruise on the Royal Princess!

 

Thanks for posting this. I'm interested in this ship, and I'm glad to see that they had a meet and greet for the 18 - 20 year old group. This is a plus and I wish more cruise lines would do that!