So sad...Royal one star reviews

[kendon]

Looks like there were 4 types of repeated complaining.. :D

 

Resistant to change

- "forget the many good things on the ship, there is no promenade deck. OMG! Also.. what's with emails, fax machines worked just fine!"

 

Misplaced dissapointment

- "heavy traffic getting to port, weather is bad, and fellow passengers are rude, thus this is not a good ship. Horrible experience on the Royal!"

 

Overblown minor issues

- "the waiter didnt smile when he took my order, I demand onboard credits for his rudeness! While you are at it, make my balcony 3 feet deeper!"

 

Misaligned expectations

- "where is the rock climbing and the water slides? there's nothing to do on this ship! Gosh, so bored!"

 

So true!

[sunshine100]

We have been on Royal twice, the exact same cruise! We really enjoyed the ship, the crew, the service, the new things that Princess put on this ship! Sad to say that we just booked a Celebrity TA cruise for the fall because Regal and Royal are quite expensive!! Would have loved to have gone on either of them from Europe to the States!! I am sure the opportunity will come up again!! I would agree, this really is not a family ship, we are in our mid 50's but loved, loved Royal and we will be back on Royal or Regal sometime in the future--not sure about other Princess ships, we would really miss what we had on Royal.

[Thrak]

Haven't sailed on this ship but..

 

I can tell you for certain that smaller balconies are a bad idea. I can tell you for certain that my wife would (will, as we will probably sail on this ship one day) be extremely annoyed that the promenade deck is not a complete circuit, tell you for certain that the lack of OV cabins is certain to annoy many people, tell you for certain that soot covered balconies is a really bad thing, and tell you for (almost) ccertain that, when we do sail on this ship, we will likely enjoy ourselves immensely.

[canadarocks]

All I know is that when I booked our 20 day on the Royal last week, almost a year in advance, there were very few cabins in the category I wanted left.

 

So the reviews don't seem to be effecting the bookings! ;)

[bachcruise]

Although I haven't taken a cruise on Royal I spent several hours onboard in December. I can't imagine rating this ship 1 star just based on how beautiful she is and the wonderful service and food we experienced in the dining room. Given the opportunity I'd love to sail on her in he future.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Cruise Junky]

Different things appeal to different people. As soon as we saw the size of the balconies we cancelled the maiden TA. There seem to be a lot of negative reviews pointing out things that we've discussed here on CC since her deck plans and pics came out..we cancelled, obviously a lot of reviews are from people that had no idea and were expecting the normal Princess product, decent size balconys, promenade, aft pool, etc. Royal is a different direction and she's very dividing. We haven't sailed on her but have good friends that have and unless it was a stellar itinerary, they wouldn't sail her again either.

[PrincessVIP]

I guess some people don't know a good thing when they see it. :confused:

[cccc1747]

Just got off the Royal and I honestly have to say that anyone who says they didn't like this ship has to be a spoiled cruise brat. This ship was so lovely and enjoyable they had to practically drag me off of her.

[Cruise Junky]

I guess some people don't know a good thing when they see it. :confused:

 

If a decent size balcony and a promenade deck etc are important to a cruiser then Royal isn't a good thing. But, these things were known a year ago. Many of these one star reviews could have been avoided if people did their homework and just picked another ship. It's pointless to read about the faults of a ship, ignore the reviews and then come back and complain about the same things.

[caribill]

Even our recent bartenders told us they would not want another contract on Royal. :rolleyes:

 

Did they give any reasons?

 

What annoys the passengers (small balconies, no center staircase above deck 7, no full walk-around Promenade deck, lack of an aft pool) would not be anything the staff would care about.

[dmwnc1959]

:)

If a decent size balcony and a promenade deck etc are important to a cruiser then Royal isn't a good thing.

 

But, these things were known a year ago. Many of these one star reviews could have been avoided if people did their homework and just picked another ship. It's pointless to read about the faults of a ship, ignore the reviews and then come back and complain about the same things.

 

For the most part you are right, but there are still those who fall into that first sentence above, really enjoyed Royal Princess, and have booked this class of ship for a second or third time. They've enjoyed this class of ship for all that it has to offer, not for what it lacks. And some of those people, even long time Princess fans, are the ones rebooking again and again.

 

That's where you are wrong in the first generalized statement saying Royal Princess "isn't a good thing" if those things are important to someone. They can enjoy the ship immensely, just that they won't have everything on their check list. Maybe those clientele won't be repeat guests on Royal Princess or Regal Princess, but they can still have a truly wonderful cruise none the less. And there are those who may have those things on their check list, but will still book this class of ship knowing those facts in advance.

 

Either way, there's no excuse for booking a cruise, not doing your homework, and then complaining about what are well known facts, at least well known to us. There are endless resources out there, don't solely rely on your travel agent or a Princess Cruises rep for the final word.

[BRANDEE]

:)

 

For the most part you are right, but there are still those who fall into that first sentence above, really enjoyed Royal Princess, and have booked this class of ship for a second or third time. They've enjoyed this class of ship for all that it has to offer, not for what it lacks. And some of those people, even long time Princess fans, are the ones rebooking again and again.

 

That's where you are wrong in the first generalized statement saying Royal Princess "isn't a good thing" if those things are important to someone. They can enjoy the ship immensely, just that they won't have everything on their check list. Maybe those clientele won't be repeat guests on Royal Princess or Regal Princess, but they can still have a truly wonderful cruise none the less. And there are those who may have those things on their check list, but will still book this class of ship knowing those facts in advance.

 

Either way, there's no excuse for booking a cruise, not doing your homework, and then complaining about what are well known facts, at least well known to us. There are endless resources out there, don't solely rely on your travel agent or a Princess Cruises rep for the final word.

 

Hi Dave, I truly feel you are the number one expert on the Royal. By any chance, do you know when the deck plans for the Royal were finalized. Thanks

[dmwnc1959]

Hi Dave, I truly feel you are the number one expert on the Royal. By any chance, do you know when the deck plans for the Royal were finalized. Thanks

 

By that do you mean the deck plans on the Princess Cruises web site? Those are STILL wrong in some aspects, and I've emailed Karen Candy, the Media Relations Manager at Princess Cruises, and informed her/them of where some of those errors are, yet they have made no effort to correct them. It's truly a shame because there are some very blatant errors, some that can easily be misinterpreted, and some small ones, but to me it is inexcusable that they are still incorrect.

[BRANDEE]

By that do you mean the deck plans on the Princess Cruises web site? Those are STILL wrong in some aspects, and I've emailed Karen Candy, the Media Relations Manager at Princess Cruises, and informed her/them of where some of those errors are, yet they have made no effort to correct them. It's truly a shame because there are some very blatant errors, some that can easily be misinterpreted, and some small ones, but to me it is inexcusable that they are still incorrect.

 

When I booked the Royal in April/May of 2012 the "artist rendering" was pretty vague, but it looked like a very elegant (and she is ) Princess ship. I don't remember when it became clearer that aside from many of her new additions, there were also some deletions. I'm guilty of booking, assuming it was everything as usual and more. I even booked my usual mid cabin by the stair case to run up 2 flights to the pool. :)

 

By time I checked in again a year later, I was surprised to hear all the negatives starting. I'm one of those who does care about the pools, promenade deck and dancing. Since I already extended 9 days before and 14 days after our July 5th cruise, I never thought of canceling. It was our retirement celebration. I never had time to use cc before, life was way too busy to check on a "sure thing". Now I do :)

 

I think the negative/disappointed reviews in the very beginning were from some very surprised cruisers who "assumed" this new ship was just like the old ones, but with even more. Although I have cruised 17 times, I only check the cc review of a ship and book, I just started following posts in Aug.

 

I really enjoy cc and met some great people at my first M&G three weeks ago on the Emerald. I wish some of the cc posters wouldn't flame other posters who voice a disappointing review. A review is someone's opinion of their expected quality of a product. We all have different expectations.

 

I am glad that so many have loved their experience on the Royal. I wish everyone knew about cc before cruising to know the facts. I think only a fraction of cruisers know this board exists. That being said, I don't think cc could have helped me, I booked so early.

 

Lesson learned: Don't book an inaugural cruise, newbies are beautiful, but can be filled with surprises.

Edited April 10, 2014 by BRANDEE

[dmwnc1959]

Many of these one star reviews could have been avoided if people did their homework...

 

Case in point: I distinctly remember someone here, who after looking at the deck plans, asked a question about something that 'looked like a gate' by the lifeboats that would prevent someone from walking around the promenade deck from one end to the other. This was June of last year, and pictures were posted to confirm this. Someone did their homework, asked questions, and found out the facts. It's unknown if this person ended up booking or not, but at least they used all of the resources available to them to get an answer.

 

:D

[OceanPrince]

Did they give any reasons?

 

What annoys the passengers (small balconies, no center staircase above deck 7, no full walk-around Promenade deck, lack of an aft pool) would not be anything the staff would care about.

 

hahaha good point, Caribill. Some people just get carried away with negativity.

[dmwnc1959]

Lesson learned: Don't book an inaugural cruise, newbies are beautiful, but can be filled with surprises.

 

A lot of people are also finding out about this in regards to Quantum of the Seas. Still under construction, and with new press releases still due on features and amenities, some folks are deciding maybe this isn't the ship for them and that they will stick with the more traditional RCI ships.

 

Everyone has a set of expectations, and whether they are unrealistic or cautionary, that is a product of so many factors, the aforementioned press releases being one of them. Sometimes it takes a few thousand 'guinea pigs' (please forgive the term used) to find out just what the truth is, and for them it may be too late once they are aboard ship. I think this happened a LOT with the two Preview Cruises out of Southampton when there was still so much to discover about the Royal Princess. And those very first reviews were nothing short of utter condemnation.

 

Royal Princess was billed as a prototype using a lot of brand new, never before used on a cruise ship, technology. She has had, and still has, some teething problems even from the outset of her Maiden Voyage. Someone joked last year that she was undergoing a year-long 'breaking in' period. This surely doesn't help, and there are those who jump on any bad news to prove their point that Royal Princess is a faulty product. Royal Princess is a convenient punching bag for many who don't like change, whether it is dictated by new shipbuilding regulations or not.

 

And you are correct that not everyone has access to Cruise Critic, but I do find it ironic that those who have never posted here before, will make that first post or review about Royal Princess and their disappointment. It's a shame they couldn't find us before they went on their cruise, but they sure found us after they got back. ;)

 

:D

Edited April 10, 2014 by dmwnc1959

[ar1950]

I am so sorry to see all the one star CC reviews of the Royal Princess. I thought the ship was top notch. It is not a family fun ship by any means, bonus points for us! A brand new ship, great service, good food and entertainment...one star? Geez. Sad.

 

I am always skeptical of reviews of Princess ships that are one or two star ratings (even three star reviews are somewhat suspect to me). We have found that, even after being away from cruising on Princess for a while, that our last two sailings in no way deserved less than an overall 4+ stars. Reading the reviews that were 3 star or less about the Star and the Ruby in no way resembled our overall experience. There are some quality changes that have been made that have lessened what we used to like, but, considering the cost of the cruise vs what everything else costs these days we are pretty darn happy with the value and the experience. That said, and in spite of the short comings people have expressed about the Royal (and the new Regal), we are looking forward to sailing on one of them in the future. Just my thoughts. *YMMV :cool:

 

*Your Mileage May Vary

Edited April 10, 2014 by ar1950

[hubofhockey]

Different things appeal to different people. As soon as we saw the size of the balconies we cancelled the maiden TA. There seem to be a lot of negative reviews pointing out things that we've discussed here on CC since her deck plans and pics came out..we cancelled, obviously a lot of reviews are from people that had no idea and were expecting the normal Princess product, decent size balconys, promenade, aft pool, etc. Royal is a different direction and she's very dividing. We haven't sailed on her but have good friends that have and unless it was a stellar itinerary, they wouldn't sail her again either.

 

 

So many Princess regulars take the strengths of the Grand Class ships for granted. I suppose that I am one of those. Our hopes were that Princess would build off of those strengths and add more. Instead, they added gimmicks like water show and sea walk and made balconies smaller and went away from their strong pools concept. All considered, I believe the design people went off the rails and that Princess does not consider this class to be a success and just are happy that it's not an epic fail.

 

We're on this ship in less than 90 days and we're excited for the itinerary and to be on a cruise. Of course we'll enjoy the ship and the Princess experience. We'll also book the Enclave and enjoy the specialty restaurants. I'd like to thank all who provide reviews, whether they be positive or negative. If you only read one type or the other, you would not understand what you were booking. The price for our choice summer itinerary in the Baltic Sea is very low and that's great, but also an indication that thist ship is what it is. Princess won't get new ship premium fares on this class.

[dorisis]

I am so sorry to see all the one star CC reviews of the Royal Princess. I thought the ship was top notch. It is not a family fun ship by any means, bonus points for us! A brand new ship, great service, good food and entertainment...one star? Geez. Sad.

 

We did a B2B on the Royal in February. We found it not to be a ship we would cruise on again. that does not mean it is not a good ship for every one but it had too many things we did not like. Those things have all been discussed here.

 

What is 1 star for some may be 5 star for others.

[Reader0108598]

Take ALL reviews with a grain of salt!

 

I was on the Royal and loved her would return in a heartbeat:)

 

Reader

[kywildcatfanone]

I am so sorry to see all the one star CC reviews of the Royal Princess. I thought the ship was top notch. It is not a family fun ship by any means, bonus points for us! A brand new ship, great service, good food and entertainment...one star? Geez. Sad.

 

For no reason other than the Retreat pool separation from the main pool area, I give it 5 stars. So much better than the other Grand Class ships adults only section.

[kendon]

Just got off the Royal and I honestly have to say that anyone who says they didn't like this ship has to be a spoiled cruise brat. This ship was so lovely and enjoyable they had to practically drag me off of her.

 

Like

[JPEvans]

I have CC friends who's family sailed on the Royal when I did. They were

Not thrilled with the ship. But when they realized how the Royal was better

In other ways. They booked the Regal.

 

As for the balcony size. They are the same size that I've had on Carnival.

And the Queen Mary 2.

[JPEvans]

So many Princess regulars take the strengths of the Grand Class ships for granted. I suppose that I am one of those. Our hopes were that Princess would build off of those strengths and add more. Instead, they added gimmicks like water show and sea walk and made balconies smaller and went away from their strong pools concept. All considered, I believe the design people went off the rails and that Princess does not consider this class to be a success and just are happy that it's not an epic fail.

 

We're on this ship in less than 90 days and we're excited for the itinerary and to be on a cruise. Of course we'll enjoy the ship and the Princess experience. We'll also book the Enclave and enjoy the specialty restaurants. I'd like to thank all who provide reviews, whether they be positive or negative. If you only read one type or the other, you would not understand what you were booking. The price for our choice summer itinerary in the Baltic Sea is very low and that's great, but also an indication that thist ship is what it is. Princess won't get new ship premium fares on this class.

 

I wish Princess were not getting new ship premium fares on this class. I'm

Looking at doing a 15 day transatlantic on the Royal in 2015. The cost of

That cruise is way more than other lines are charging for TA's around

The same time. Even Celebrity is about $1,200 less per person than what

Is being asked by Princess.