Royal Princess - what do I need to know.

[Mom33]

Thanks for the list Dave! :) We were going to make one for the things we most want to do in a 7 day cruise. You saved me the time....copied and printed!!:D

[Woobstr112G]

Food is probably the single most subjective aspect of a cruise. Someone who couldn't find anything worth eating in the Horizon Court, finding the overall quality of the food terrible and the service bad, can be countered in the LIVE report from the same cruise from folks who were eating in that same venue for literally every meal and found it quite good, with the service being gracious, courteous, and friendly. And it has happened. Did happen.

 

I spent two weeks on Royal Princess this past December, ate in every single venue at least once, and found the overall food quality much better than what I had experienced the year before on Ruby Princess.

 

For the OP, some things to know if you already don't:

 

- The passenger stateroom corridors are all lined with 1000 amazing photographs from contest winners. Take time to enjoy some of them.

 

- On the last evening of the cruise, all of the different fountain shows play in sequence. It's nice to see if you happened to miss them during the week.

 

- Make your specialty dinning reservations as soon as you embark and before eating lunch. Go to the venue itself after dropping off your luggage and speak with the Maitre D. It beats waiting on the Dine Line.

 

- Instead of the Horizon Court for embarkation lunch, head for Alfredo's. All of the food is complimentary, beverages are extra charge. They have an excellent Summer Sangria. Or try a Cuban Sandwich at the International Cafe with the Soup of the Day and some fresh made cookies. All the food at the IC is also complimentary.

 

- Grab a Chili and Lime Crab Margarita from Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar. It's not a drink, but a margarita glass full of crab meat and avocado. For only 6$ it's a great deal.

 

- Try a Brownie Blast sundae with Nutella ice cream at Gelato. Yum! Gelato has a lot of wonderful sundaes (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), banana splits, as well as large waffle cones. In the afternoon the reportedly have sweet crepes. Use can use your Cafe Selects Coffee Card here as well to pay for the purchases.

 

- In the evening, Trident Grill has BBQ pulled pork sandwiches and wings.

 

- The first showing in the Princess Theater seemed to be the least busy, the 8:30pm showing always the most packed. Get there at least 30 minutes ahead of time for a good seat if going to the later shows.

 

- Pub Lunch is held twice; on the first full sea day and on the the final sea day. Both had slightly different menus. Get there early if possible, it starts at 11:30am and is held at the Crown Grill and Wheelhouse Bar.

 

- They still have a Free afternoon tea, but also a special Royal Afternoon Tea held in the seating area of the atrium under Bellini's. It's 10$ per person and uses larger, more upscale finger foods and special blends of teas. I really enjoyed it.

 

- Speaking of Bellini's, try one, They are delicious!

 

- Vines is a nice place to relax in the late morning and very early in the afternoon. There are lots of large windows overlooking the ocean.

 

- There is no wrap around Promenade Deck, but instead there are large seating areas amid ship outside of Crooners/Facets, and aft outside of The Vista Lounge. The aft seating areas have wonderful padded loungers, the ones amid ship has wicker-styled chairs and tables. If you need a place for walking or running, there is a circuit track topside. Seven times around is a mile.

 

- Try the SeaWalk at least once. It may be gimmicky, but it is a wonderful view forward and aft, and looking down.

 

- The Horizon Terrace aft of the Horizon Court is a great outdoor place to sit with your food or drink. Try the complimentary chips and salsa that come with your tasty beverage from the Outrigger Bar.

 

- Don't forget The Pastry Shop at breakfast with fresh made waffles. Or the International Cafe with their version of the Egg McMuffin. There is also a Made to Order Omelet station in the Horizon Court all the way aft on the starboard side.

 

- Don't miss the bartender shows at the SeaView Bar. Think Tom Cruise from Cocktail.

 

- The Sun Deck aft of the pool and aft of the Fitness Center has a LOT of loungers if you don't need to be right by the pool.

 

- The In Stateroom Entertainment System has tons of complimentary movies and TV shows. You can also access your shipboard account from there and check your balances.

 

If you have time, you may also get some tips from my 2-week B2B LIVE thread. There are also a lot of pictures here...

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1950107

 

Hope this helps! Go and have a GREAT cruise!!!

 

 

P.S. Quite a few of us who sailed her in the Inaugural Year are booked again on Royal Princess or her sister Regal Princess, and can't wait to get back!!!

 

:D:D:D

 

Dave;

 

As you said, food is subjective. I found a majority of the food in the HC terrible. The hot food was never hot or too over/under spiced. I also found a majority of the items boring as they were repeated day after day. The service in the HC was bad and not up to the usual Princess standards. Food service throughout the rest of the ship was good. I found the food in Alfredos, the CG, Ocean Terrece, and Sabatinis to be very good. I found the "Smokehouse BBQ" not very good at all. The food was pre-cooked and sat in a bin until the dish was prepared. I found a majority of the food here very dry and uninspiring. There were many people who raved about the food but these were my subjective observations. As you stated it happened, It did happen......

 

Bob

Edited March 14, 2014 by Woobstr112G

[cruisingmimi]

Hi all,

 

We just booked the Royal Princess last evening for the March 30th Caribbean cruise. My question is about the cabin we selected and I wondered if anyone could advise whether we made a good choice or should change it. We got a great rate and we do like the aft location but not 100% that we picked the right deck.

 

Booked Cat DE, cabin E726, which is last cabin aft w/ owners suite next door along the back of the ship.

 

There are still lots of cabins that I could switch too if those of you who have been on Royal can give me opinions. I just checked the deck below and see that the Vista Lounge/dance floor are directly below our cabin. I am wondering what the noise level might be? I would rather switch now before it's too late!

 

One other thing is whether cabin is unobstructed, can't find anything that says it is.

 

Thanks so much.

Edited March 14, 2014 by cruisingmimi
corrections

[galelynn]

We are in a Marina cabin M508, under the horizon court. What should we expect as far as noise and will we have lack of sunlight on the balcony due to the overhang?

 

Would love some picture if anyone has been in that cabin or close to it.

[spyro1952]

Hi all,

 

We just booked the Royal Princess last evening for the March 30th Caribbean cruise. My question is about the cabin we selected and I wondered if anyone could advise whether we made a good choice or should change it. We got a great rate and we do like the aft location but not 100% that we picked the right deck.

 

Booked Cat DE, cabin E726, which is last cabin aft w/ owners suite next door along the back of the ship.

 

There are still lots of cabins that I could switch too if those of you who have been on Royal can give me opinions. I just checked the deck below and see that the Vista Lounge/dance floor are directly below our cabin. I am wondering what the noise level might be? I would rather switch now before it's too late!

 

One other thing is whether cabin is unobstructed, can't find anything that says it is.

 

Thanks so much.

 

As far as I know they are still having issues with soot that can not be fixed until a dry dock so I would definitely book another balcony cabin. Everyone on CC is avoiding those aft balconies until they fix the stacks.

Have a great cruise. I am 26 days on the Royal on 4/27 and can't wait for something new and different.

[Firtree]

We are in a Marina cabin M508, under the horizon court. What should we expect as far as noise and will we have lack of sunlight on the balcony due to the overhang?

 

Would love some picture if anyone has been in that cabin or close to it.

 

We were in B508 and quite a ways away from the bumpout..good location.

 

Sent from my KFJWI using Forums mobile app

[dmwnc1959]

Dave;

 

As you said, food is subjective. I found a majority of the food in the HC terrible. The hot food was never hot or too over/under spiced. I also found a majority of the items boring as they were repeated day after day. The service in the HC was bad and not up to the usual Princess standards. As you stated it happened, It did happen......

 

Bob

 

 

Proof that two people can be on the same ship and the same time and have completely different experiences. ;)

[harfield]

Does anyone know when the Royal is booked in for dry dock to fix up these teething problems and for how long.

[dmwnc1959]

Does anyone know when the Royal is booked in for dry dock to fix up these teething problems and for how long.

 

I would not expect her to have her first dry docking until 2017 or 2018. Other than the soot issues, what other teething problems are you concerned about?

[harfield]

I would not expect her to have her first dry docking until 2017 or 2018. Other than the soot issues, what other teething problems are you concerned about?

 

Nothing of great concern. Just thought being brand new they sometimes may fix up any problems they have found since it was launched.

We are on the Royal in Sept 2014 doing the TA 17 nights and can't wait to board her. I know there have been a lot of negative reports many early in her sailings but the more recent review all seem to be positive. To me it looks absolutely beautiful and after that little review you gave us a few messages ago I wish it was next week we cruised on her.

We will probably wont won't to get off at the end of the cruise.

 

Six months and counting!!!!!!!

Aussie Bob

Edited March 15, 2014 by harfield

[dmwnc1959]

Nothing of great concern. Just thought being brand new they sometimes may fix up any problems they have found since it was launched.

We are on the Royal in Sept 2014 doing the TA 17 nights and can't wait to board her. I know there have been a lot of negative reports many early in her sailings but the more recent review all seem to be positive. To me it looks absolutely beautiful and after that little review you gave us a few messages ago I wish it was next week we cruised on her.

We will probably wont won't to get off at the end of the cruise.

 

Six months and counting!!!!!!!

Aussie Bob

 

 

Sounds like you're going in to this with a positive attitude!

 

If you have some spare time, in my signature is the LIVE thread I did, links to over 1300 pictures, and my final review of the B2B.

 

Hope you have a GREAT cruise!!!

 

:D

[Colo Cruiser]

I would not say there has been "alot" of negative reports.

[cruisingmimi]

Hi Bob,

 

I wondered if I might ask you a question about the aft balcony cabins on Royal where u have been on the ship.

 

We just booked the Royal a couple of days ago and sail March 30th. I selected an aft cabin because my DH and I like the peace and quiet back there. However, I am reading all these terrible stories about the soot and I am very concerned. We booked E726 (deluxe balcony), which is the very last aft cabin on port side. Will we experience the soot and engine smells in this location? I have placed a call to our TA (she hasn't called back yet) and sent her an email also (not responded to this either). She is in the office as I called to verify this.

 

After what I have been reading I am looking to see what other cabins are still available. We booked a balcony specifically so that we can sit out during the day and enjoy our cruise.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Mary

[CI66774]

My daughter and I loved the food in the Horizon Court - much more than the food in the MDR. Also really enjoyed Alfredos - never seemed to be busy. Ocean Terrace - never tried it - but the offerings looked fantastic. Gelatos - yum. International Café - yum. I found the food on Royal to be much better than Disney or Cunard and on par with Regent - just my humble opinion. :D

[A1A]

Dave is one cool guy! Thanks again Dave for your tips and your posts, a wealth of information.

Cheers!

Ken

[Woobstr112G]

Hi Bob,

 

I wondered if I might ask you a question about the aft balcony cabins on Royal where u have been on the ship.

 

We just booked the Royal a couple of days ago and sail March 30th. I selected an aft cabin because my DH and I like the peace and quiet back there. However, I am reading all these terrible stories about the soot and I am very concerned. We booked E726 (deluxe balcony), which is the very last aft cabin on port side. Will we experience the soot and engine smells in this location? I have placed a call to our TA (she hasn't called back yet) and sent her an email also (not responded to this either). She is in the office as I called to verify this.

 

After what I have been reading I am looking to see what other cabins are still available. We booked a balcony specifically so that we can sit out during the day and enjoy our cruise.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Mary

 

Hi Mary;

 

I'm not sure if you will experience the soot issues in that cabin since it's not on the very aft portion of the ship. I wouldn't however if you did experience some soot issues.....

 

Bob

[ckrcjr]

Hi Bob,

 

I wondered if I might ask you a question about the aft balcony cabins on Royal where u have been on the ship.

 

We just booked the Royal a couple of days ago and sail March 30th. I selected an aft cabin because my DH and I like the peace and quiet back there. However, I am reading all these terrible stories about the soot and I am very concerned. We booked E726 (deluxe balcony), which is the very last aft cabin on port side. Will we experience the soot and engine smells in this location? I have placed a call to our TA (she hasn't called back yet) and sent her an email also (not responded to this either). She is in the office as I called to verify this.

 

After what I have been reading I am looking to see what other cabins are still available. We booked a balcony specifically so that we can sit out during the day and enjoy our cruise.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Mary

 

We just returned from the Royal on 3/9 and were in Cabin E715. Although it is not all the way aft, I believe there would only be about 5 cabins between our cabin and the last one and we zero problems with soot on the balcony. I think most of the soot issues are for the aft facing cabins on certain decks. As far as noise from the Vista Lounge - we never heard a thing. Our cabin was a great location and we loved it. Wish we were back the Royal now - would sail her again in a heartbeat.

 

We had a great time and can't think of anything major that was negative. The only time we had to wait for elevators was during peak times, and even then it was not long at all but we would use the stairs as much as possible to walk off all the gelato, which was fantastic. Fell in love with the turtle sundaes - yum!!

 

Go with a great attitude, relax and enjoy the cruise! The crew is incredibly friendly and I can honestly say we were always greeted with a smile and a "hello" everywhere we went - fantastic! Love, love, love the Royal!

[Julia’s Journey’s]

Proof that two people can be on the same ship and the same time and have completely different experiences. ;)

 

 

Too true, we were on the TA with Bob and it's the cruise we ate most meals in HC, we are normally in the dining room for dinner but found the selection in HC great. We also found the service good.

We did do the fondue dinner and it was a nice change, would do it again but we try not doing every option every cruise.

We are booked on Regal for Thanks giving with the kids depending on there schedules etc and I'm looking forward to it ;)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - Oy, excuse the auto correct ;)

[Julia’s Journey’s]

Nothing of great concern. Just thought being brand new they sometimes may fix up any problems they have found since it was launched.

We are on the Royal in Sept 2014 doing the TA 17 nights and can't wait to board her. I know there have been a lot of negative reports many early in her sailings but the more recent review all seem to be positive. To me it looks absolutely beautiful and after that little review you gave us a few messages ago I wish it was next week we cruised on her.

We will probably wont won't to get off at the end of the cruise.

 

Six months and counting!!!!!!!

Aussie Bob

 

 

I think a lot of the negatives posted early on were from people who hadn't even sailed her, we went with a positive view and enjoyed our cruise, we often stopped by princess live and watched a show when going by, enjoyed Alfredo's for lunch and sitting out on the promenade seating. The 18 days flew by :(

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - Oy, excuse the auto correct ;)

[cruisingmimi]

Thanks Bob and everyone else for their comments. I did touch base w/ our TA and she is going to move us up one deck to Dolphin and a more forward cabin location. This should eliminate any potential soot issues. We so love to cruise and looking forward to some nice warm weather after our very long, cold, snowy winter and just want to be able to relax, and enjoy the Royal. I am all set to go except to find a hotel. LOL We are driving down from MA because we are planning to spend a couple of days in DC to sightsee so looking to find a hotel where we could park the car during the cruise. Everything is expensive right now or booked. I'm sure I'll find something!

 

We've never eaten dinner in HC, is it set up the same as during breakfast and lunch or do they dress it up a bit? I am looking forward to trying out some of the different venues aboard. And gelato - to die for!

 

One other question, please. Do many of the gentlemen wear tuxes on the Royal? My DH loves to wear his tux but I have heard that the Caribbean cruises are less formal and you see more suits than tuxes. Just curious.....

 

 

 

Mary

Edited March 15, 2014 by cruisingmimi

[kywildcatfanone]

Food is probably the single most subjective aspect of a cruise. Someone who couldn't find anything worth eating in the Horizon Court, finding the overall quality of the food terrible and the service bad, can be countered in the LIVE report from the same cruise from folks who were eating in that same venue for literally every meal and found it quite good, with the service being gracious, courteous, and friendly. And it has happened. Did happen.

 

I spent two weeks on Royal Princess this past December, ate in every single venue at least once, and found the overall food quality much better than what I had experienced the year before on Ruby Princess.

 

For the OP, some things to know if you already don't:

 

- The passenger stateroom corridors are all lined with 1000 amazing photographs from contest winners. Take time to enjoy some of them.

 

- On the last evening of the cruise, all of the different fountain shows play in sequence. It's nice to see if you happened to miss them during the week.

 

- Make your specialty dinning reservations as soon as you embark and before eating lunch. Go to the venue itself after dropping off your luggage and speak with the Maitre D. It beats waiting on the Dine Line.

 

- Instead of the Horizon Court for embarkation lunch, head for Alfredo's. All of the food is complimentary, beverages are extra charge. They have an excellent Summer Sangria. Or try a Cuban Sandwich at the International Cafe with the Soup of the Day and some fresh made cookies. All the food at the IC is also complimentary.

 

- Grab a Chili and Lime Crab Margarita from Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar. It's not a drink, but a margarita glass full of crab meat and avocado. For only 6$ it's a great deal.

 

- Try a Brownie Blast sundae with Nutella ice cream at Gelato. Yum! Gelato has a lot of wonderful sundaes (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), banana splits, as well as large waffle cones. In the afternoon the reportedly have sweet crepes. Use can use your Cafe Selects Coffee Card here as well to pay for the purchases.

 

- In the evening, Trident Grill has BBQ pulled pork sandwiches and wings.

 

- The first showing in the Princess Theater seemed to be the least busy, the 8:30pm showing always the most packed. Get there at least 30 minutes ahead of time for a good seat if going to the later shows.

 

- Pub Lunch is held twice; on the first full sea day and on the the final sea day. Both had slightly different menus. Get there early if possible, it starts at 11:30am and is held at the Crown Grill and Wheelhouse Bar.

 

- They still have a Free afternoon tea, but also a special Royal Afternoon Tea held in the seating area of the atrium under Bellini's. It's 10$ per person and uses larger, more upscale finger foods and special blends of teas. I really enjoyed it.

 

- Speaking of Bellini's, try one, They are delicious!

 

- Vines is a nice place to relax in the late morning and very early in the afternoon. There are lots of large windows overlooking the ocean.

 

- There is no wrap around Promenade Deck, but instead there are large seating areas amid ship outside of Crooners/Facets, and aft outside of The Vista Lounge. The aft seating areas have wonderful padded loungers, the ones amid ship has wicker-styled chairs and tables. If you need a place for walking or running, there is a circuit track topside. Seven times around is a mile.

 

- Try the SeaWalk at least once. It may be gimmicky, but it is a wonderful view forward and aft, and looking down.

 

- The Horizon Terrace aft of the Horizon Court is a great outdoor place to sit with your food or drink. Try the complimentary chips and salsa that come with your tasty beverage from the Outrigger Bar.

 

- Don't forget The Pastry Shop at breakfast with fresh made waffles. Or the International Cafe with their version of the Egg McMuffin. There is also a Made to Order Omelet station in the Horizon Court all the way aft on the starboard side.

 

- Don't miss the bartender shows at the SeaView Bar. Think Tom Cruise from Cocktail.

 

- The Sun Deck aft of the pool and aft of the Fitness Center has a LOT of loungers if you don't need to be right by the pool.

 

- The In Stateroom Entertainment System has tons of complimentary movies and TV shows. You can also access your shipboard account from there and check your balances.

 

If you have time, you may also get some tips from my 2-week B2B LIVE thread. There are also a lot of pictures here...

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1950107

 

Hope this helps! Go and have a GREAT cruise!!!

 

 

P.S. Quite a few of us who sailed her in the Inaugural Year are booked again on Royal Princess or her sister Regal Princess, and can't wait to get back!!!

 

:D:D:D

 

Thanks to everyone for the responses, I've been working a lot and haven't been online much lately and am just now catching back up on this thread. We do the Crown Grill on formal nights, but mostly it just hanging out by the pool. If MUTS has something we want to see, we hangout there, if not, we go to the adults only pool. I think in my reading about the Royal it's not at the back of the ship, so I'm going to have to look at deck plans to find it. :D

 

Only 2 weeks to go!

[sashas_mom]

The Royal is a beautiful ship but it's misses outweigh it's pluses for us. Biggest issues for me was the overall terrible quality of the food in the HC. The service in the HC was also bad. The central staircase wasn't an issue. But the elevators were usually an issue. I doubt we'll ever book a cruise on her or the Regal. That is unless there was an itinerary we just had to sail and if they've definitely solved the aft soot issues. Having sailed the Royal and seeing just how tiny the regular balconies really are, I would only book the larger aft facing suites. The soot was a real issue for us back in October.....

 

Bob

 

Hi Bob,

 

Hope you and Holli are doing well.

 

This is a perfect example of how subjective the discussion about food can be. We loved the food in the Horizon Court. Of the 15 Princess cruises we've been on, this was the first one we spent most of our meals there. I think we went to the dining room twice. To each his own. We LOVED the Royal. Even it had a destination I wasn't interested in, I would go on her again just to be on that beautiful ship. Wish they'd send her to the West Coast, but doubt that will ever happen.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

Thanks Bob and everyone else for their comments. I did touch base w/ our TA and she is going to move us up one deck to Dolphin and a more forward cabin location. This should eliminate any potential soot issues. We so love to cruise and looking forward to some nice warm weather after our very long, cold, snowy winter and just want to be able to relax, and enjoy the Royal. I am all set to go except to find a hotel. LOL We are driving down from MA because we are planning to spend a couple of days in DC to sightsee so looking to find a hotel where we could park the car during the cruise. Everything is expensive right now or booked. I'm sure I'll find something!

 

We've never eaten dinner in HC, is it set up the same as during breakfast and lunch or do they dress it up a bit? I am looking forward to trying out some of the different venues aboard. And gelato - to die for!

 

One other question, please. Do many of the gentlemen wear tuxes on the Royal? My DH loves to wear his tux but I have heard that the Caribbean cruises are less formal and you see more suits than tuxes. Just curious.....

 

 

 

Mary

 

For our Ruby cruise in February I flew down to meet hubby and then we drove to FLL and I booked parking with united airport parking, it is parking at embassy suites and 1/3 of the price of booking with Embassy suites, I did pre pay it and they have a free shuttle to and from port - it was a great deal.

[kywildcatfanone]

So, I'm looking at the deck plans now.

Are there any good tables for 2 in the anytime dining rooms? Most of them on other ships are basically inches from the next table, and really not intimate enough for what I like. Usually there are a few tables for 2 on ends or against walls that I like better. Will I find that on the Royal?

 

What is Princess Live? Did that take the place of the Explorers Lounge on other ships?

Is Gelato an upcharge?, and what is Belllini's?

Lastly, we are in a forward Lido Balcony cabin, anyone stayed in one and want to comment on how it was?

 

Thanks!

[Av8tor]

Hi Bob,

 

I wondered if I might ask you a question about the aft balcony cabins on Royal where u have been on the ship.

 

We just booked the Royal a couple of days ago and sail March 30th. I selected an aft cabin because my DH and I like the peace and quiet back there. However, I am reading all these terrible stories about the soot and I am very concerned. We booked E726 (deluxe balcony), which is the very last aft cabin on port side. Will we experience the soot and engine smells in this location? I have placed a call to our TA (she hasn't called back yet) and sent her an email also (not responded to this either). She is in the office as I called to verify this.

 

After what I have been reading I am looking to see what other cabins are still available. We booked a balcony specifically so that we can sit out during the day and enjoy our cruise.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Mary

 

From what I've read, it's only the very aft cabins that have the soot problem, i.e. the suite and premium deluxe balcony cabins that have balconies that actually face aft. I haven't heard of any soot problems on the balconies that face the port or starboard sides.

 

FWIW, this is only from my research for my upcoming cruise on Regal's maiden voyage. I haven't actually sailed on Royal...