Royal Princess - what do I need to know.

[dmwnc1959]

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

 

 

The 'dress code' for the Horizon Court buffet areas for dinner are the same as they are during the rest of the day, however you may find some people dressing a little 'better' in dockers and polo shirts, especially if they are dining when the Crab Shack or Fondues is set up. I wore jeans every time I are up there and it was never an issue.

 

As for formal night and tuxedos, if your DH enjoys wearing his tux, by all means take it. I saw everything go from tuxedos to regular suits to people in dress shirt and tie.

[dmwnc1959]

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!

 

The adult pool on Royal Princess is at The Retreat, located between the main pool area and The Sanctuary.

[kywildcatfanone]

The adult pool on Royal Princess is at The Retreat, located between the main pool area and The Sanctuary.

 

BTW, thanks for your posts in this thread. My wife and I looked at your pictures from your recent cruise, well done! It was great to walk through them, you have a very good eye! :)

[dmwnc1959]

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!

 

I'll answer some of your questions with descriptions from Princess Cruises along with some pictures I took while on the ship...

 

 

Bellini's

From Princess Cruises:

'With its back-lit floors and glowing ambiance, this brand new Italian inspired cocktail bar appears to float midair. A perfect place to enjoy the liveliness and entertainment of the atrium and Piazza while relaxing and indulging in one of the delicious Bellini-style drinks.'

 

Now I had to ask myself, what is a Bellini? Never heard of it. So I used my best friend the internet and found this tidbit of information:

 

"A Bellini cocktail is a mixture of Prosecco sparkling wine and peach purée. Originating in Venice, it is one of Italy's most popular long drinks and was invented by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy. Because of its unique pink color, which reminded Cipriani of the color of the toga of a saint in a painting by 15th-century Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini, he named the drink the Bellini.

 

The drink started as a seasonal specialty at Harry's Bar (Venice), a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis and Orson Welles. Later, it also became popular at the bar's New York counterpart. After an entrepreneurial Frenchman set up a business to ship fresh white peach pureé to both locations, it was a year-round favorite.

 

Today the Bellini is an IBA Official Cocktail, thus indicating its popularity and making it a well-known cocktail to many professional bartenders."

(Wikipedia)

 

Bellini's, Atrium, Deck 6

 

 

 

 

 

next...Princess Live!

 

:D

[dmwnc1959]

Royal Princess does not have an Explorer's Club. It has a venue called Princess Live!, which is a brand new venue for Princess Cruises. It was not designed to 'replace' the Explorer's Club, but instead be a new venue described here:

 

'There's nothing quite like being in a live TV studio audience, and there's a special behind the scenes excitement to it. But for most of our passengers that's not an opportunity that often presents itself. So, on Royal Princess we're giving our passengers the chance to experience the exciting studio atmosphere for themselves.

 

What we've designed is a brand new, high-tech venue located on the Promenade Deck just aft of the atrium, and its called Princess Live!'

 

'The design philosophy was to create a flexible space based on a TV broadcast studio. We can move the seating around to arrange different performance spaces, such as bleacher-style or In the Round. This allows us to present, for example, the Cruise Director's 'The Wake Show' in a live format which can simultaneously be broadcast into staterooms while being enjoyed by a live audience.

 

We will feature some of our passenger participation game shows that have become a staple of Princess Cruises over the years. These will also be rebroadcast into the staterooms the following day.

 

We are also looking forward to presenting some of our incredible musical talent in a very different setting. These will be Unplugged and In the Round performances in this very intimate venue, allowing our on board talent to stretch out a little bit and connect with the audience in a very unique environment.

 

All in all, the Princess Live! studio will afford us the opportunity to present a wide variety of new offerings that will give passengers different ways to Escape Completely'. (Princess Cruises)

 

 

And this description from a Cruise Critic article on Royal Princess:

 

'With seating for 280 passengers, the space is a television studio that doubles as an intimate performance venue. The ship's "The Wake Show" will broadcast daily from here with a live studio audience. Game shows, cooking demos, art house films, enrichment programming, murder mystery and trivia games, and acoustic and smaller-scale performances by the ship's musicians will also take place in Princess Live!'

 

 

Princess Live!

 

 

 

 

Next....two tops in the MDR.

 

:D

[dmwnc1959]

The two MDR's amid ship (Concerto, Symphony) do have tables for two, and they're placed what looked like a decent distance from each other. There are a rare few two-tops against the walls but I imagine they are difficult to secure...

 

 

 

 

 

I really didn't get a good look at the aft MDR (Allegro), but there do appear to be tables for two scattered here and there...

 

 

 

[dmwnc1959]

...and here's a thread on Gelato that should answer some of your questions...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=41022916

 

:D

[dmwnc1959]

BTW, thanks for your posts in this thread. My wife and I looked at your pictures from your recent cruise, well done! It was great to walk through them, you have a very good eye! :)

 

THANKS for the kind words! I'm glad that you enjoyed the pictures!!!

 

:D

[kywildcatfanone]

THANKS for the kind words! I'm glad that you enjoyed the pictures!!!

 

:D

 

You are a wealth of information, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions in such detail. As I mentioned in the OP, we've been on several cruises, but I'm always nervous on a new ship, especially one so big. Looking forward to seeing it in person though. :D

 

P.S. You are right, your pictures of 2 person tables does look a lot more spaced out than on other ships, so that is good to see.

[dmwnc1959]

You are a wealth of information, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions in such detail. As I mentioned in the OP, we've been on several cruises, but I'm always nervous on a new ship, especially one so big. Looking forward to seeing it in person though. :D

 

P.S. You are right, your pictures of 2 person tables does look a lot more spaced out than on other ships, so that is good to see.

 

The best part about Royal Princess is that she was new to ALL of us. However those of us that were around a year ago had the benefit of the 'Everything' thread to help fill in some of the gaps prior to embarkation. ;)

 

Now that we've had an almost full season of Caribbean reviews, it seems like Royal Princess has hit her stride. There are still the lingering issues with soot affecting the aft facing balconies, windy days up at the Retreat, and other things that bother some, but not others. And we still have the Easter and Spring Break cruises ahead, so it will be interesting to get feedback from those guests.

 

:D

[kywildcatfanone]

OK, so I have one more question for anyone. The Pastry shop in the HC, does it carry the same items as the IC, at least as far as breakfast items and desserts?

[kywildcatfanone]

OK, so maybe one more. The retreat pool area, is that the adults only area like on Grand Class ships, or it tied to the sanctuary and you have to pay to be in that area?

[HRPro]

I think I can answer both questions--the Pastry Shop has more items than the IC--it's huge and there are lots of options with the IC having a more limited range of desserts. The retreat pool is just outside the sanctuary, but not a part of it. Therefore, no fee and a good place to lounge if you like the sun. There are some shaded areas, but they are limited. They also have two hot tubs adjacent to the retreat pool.

[jmk22]

We are looking to book the Royal Princess next February. When I read the Royal Princess overview on CC, it mentions - One aspect where Royal Princess does fall down is cabin sizes, which, in certain cases, come in significantly smaller than those found on Grand Princess. It's particularly noticeable with the balconies, which are tiny -- barely enough space for two chairs and a table.

Has anyone stayed in one of the Regular Balcony cabins, not the Deluxe Balcony. I realize you spend little time in your cabins. My research says the Balcony cabins are 181 sq ft and the deluxe balcony cabins are 192 sq ft. These are just the rooms. The balconies are both 41 sq ft. There is a big price difference when you go to the deluxe and I wonder if it's worth it.

I'd also like to know what is the cost of using the sanctuary. Can you buy a full cruise pass or only daily?

Thanks in advance for your information

[janetz]

OK, so maybe one more. The retreat pool area, is that the adults only area like on Grand Class ships, or it tied to the sanctuary and you have to pay to be in that area?

 

 

 

It is not tied to the sanctuary and is free. :)

[kendon]

Take the ship reviews on CC with a grain of salt. The latest review heavily criticizes the Royal for not having a mid ship stairway, and so they had to walk way too much to get anywhere. Duh, so the mid ship stairway would have solved that problem? Also, they complained that the ship was too big...didn't they know what kind of ship they booked? It's a gorgeous ship, not perfect but pretty close. For anyone interested in trying her out, please don't hesitate.

[kywildcatfanone]

Absolutely. You read reviews from the same cruise where some say the food is awful and some say it's great.

 

Personally I need all the walking I can get on a cruse.

[cruisehome]

thanks for the information

[jagmanss1]

Does anyone know if the Royal Princess has Milkshakes and are they INCLUDED in the Unlimited Soda & More Package? Where do you get the shakes from on the Royal Princess? Does Gelato's have them? Does swirls have Them?

[dmwnc1959]

Does anyone know if the Royal Princess has Milkshakes and are they INCLUDED in the Unlimited Soda & More Package? Where do you get the shakes from on the Royal Princess? Does Gelato's have them? Does swirls have Them?

 

See here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2021808