Princess v RCCL

[Gracie115]

This is also subjective , but I think Princess's itineraries are far superior to RCCL's .

 

I agree!!! That's why we tried Princess 2 weeks ago, they have more varied itineraries than either Royal or Celebrity.

[SeaMystique]

I've done Princess to the Panama Canal and to Mexico, and RCL to the Baltic. No comparison -- Princess has much better food, better service, more convenient hours for those who don't eat on strict schedules, much better entertainment, both live and on room TVs, fewer smoking venues, and in general an air of classy elegance, while Royal feels like a floating bus tour.

Specifics: table beverage service in the buffet. Wider choice of breakfast items. Actually talented dancers and singers. General-knowledge trivia. A classically maritime atmosphere, instead of a Holiday Inn at sea. On RCL I felt like a peasant; on Princess, like royalty. No comparison, if you ask me.

FWIW ...

[Bruin Steve]

I've done Princess to the Panama Canal and to Mexico, and RCL to the Baltic. No comparison -- Princess has much better food, better service, more convenient hours for those who don't eat on strict schedules, much better entertainment, both live and on room TVs, fewer smoking venues, and in general an air of classy elegance, while Royal feels like a floating bus tour.

Specifics: table beverage service in the buffet. Wider choice of breakfast items. Actually talented dancers and singers. General-knowledge trivia. A classically maritime atmosphere, instead of a Holiday Inn at sea. On RCL I felt like a peasant; on Princess, like royalty. No comparison, if you ask me.

FWIW ...

 

And I would disagree with you pretty much across the board...And I have been on many cruises on both Princess and on RCCL...

 

On Princess, I feel FAR from "Royalty"...If I want to feel like royalty, I cruise on Celebrity or Oceania...much better food and service...far "classier elegance"...

 

As to "convenient hours" for those "not on a strict schedule", ALL of the cruise lines now have some form of an "Anytime Dining" option. "Talented singers and dancers"? After many cruises on all of these lines, I'd still say RCCL's entertainment blows away all of the competition--especially on their big ships...But one major disappointment with Princess is that they've cut all of their shows to about a half an hour! And, of course, with those undersized venues, a lot of people don't get to see the shows.

 

"Choice of breakfast items"??? Another standard joke...The breakfast menus on just about every ship I've been on--eight different lines--are ALL pretty much the same. Eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, pancakes, french toast, eggs benedict, omelets, oatmeal and cereal, grapefruit, melon, bagels and lox, croissants, juice, coffee etc. Nobody has exactly come up with anything different for breakfast...and they all serve the same stuff...

 

Trivia games are pretty much the same everywhere as well...and the prizes on all lines have become crummier and crummier over the years...

 

Are you sure you were really on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Or was that Carnival? What you describe makes no sense at all...

 

To others who have posted regarding itineraries: Most cruise lines visit the same exact ports--because they all need ports capable of accommodating large ships. The one place Princess holds an edge for me is that they do cruises out of Southern California--something which RCCL and Celebrity have abandoned of late. But if you really want original itineraries, it's not Princess...Try Oceania--with their smaller ships, they can do a lot of ports the bigger ships can't get into--so they have the most original itineraries.

[coops]

RCCL web site still says:

 

"For your convenience, prepaid gratuities are automatically added to My Time Dining reservations. Some guests choose to recognize particularly exceptional service with an additional cash gratuity on the last night of their cruise."

 

Website might say it but it is not true, when they increase tip amount they also now ask you if you want to prepay upfront or not with MTD.

[cisco 09]

Hi guys. Apologies for nor coming back sooner Have had great difficultly logging into Cruise

Critic - it has been a nightmare lately!! Thanks for all your input - I knew I would get lots of opinions. Incidentally I wasn't complaining about the weather. Anyone who books a transatlantic cruise in November should know what to expect. And my complaint about rubbish quiz prizes is influenced by our Baltic cruise in 2011 when we won 5 bottles of champagne. I guess its all downhill after that! We did a cruise to Japan last year with Princess and because our itinerary had to be changed they refunded all our money -£1400 of cruise credit. I was very pleased with that. Maybe every company would do the same I don't know. In all honesty ive never had a bad cruise, I was just curious about other people's experiences. And to prove we're not biased we has booked a RC cruise for next February and a Princess one for 2017 😀

Happy cruising everyone

Janice

[Jimmy Geegitz]

We prefer Princess over Royal. Food quality on Princess blows Royal away. Also Royal is just all around more expensive and they do nickel and dime you.

Showroom entertainment on Princess could be better. Small venue entertainment good on Princess. Princess needs to can the Princess Live venue. Total waste of space.

[SeaMystique]

And I would disagree with you pretty much across the board...And I have been on many cruises on both Princess and on RCCL...

 

 

 

On Princess, I feel FAR from "Royalty"...If I want to feel like royalty, I cruise on Celebrity or Oceania...much better food and service...far "classier elegance"...

 

 

 

As to "convenient hours" for those "not on a strict schedule", ALL of the cruise lines now have some form of an "Anytime Dining" option. "Talented singers and dancers"? After many cruises on all of these lines, I'd still say RCCL's entertainment blows away all of the competition--especially on their big ships...But one major disappointment with Princess is that they've cut all of their shows to about a half an hour! And, of course, with those undersized venues, a lot of people don't get to see the shows.

 

 

 

"Choice of breakfast items"??? Another standard joke...The breakfast menus on just about every ship I've been on--eight different lines--are ALL pretty much the same. Eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, pancakes, french toast, eggs benedict, omelets, oatmeal and cereal, grapefruit, melon, bagels and lox, croissants, juice, coffee etc. Nobody has exactly come up with anything different for breakfast...and they all serve the same stuff...

 

 

 

Trivia games are pretty much the same everywhere as well...and the prizes on all lines have become crummier and crummier over the years...

 

 

 

Are you sure you were really on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Or was that Carnival? What you describe makes no sense at all...

 

 

 

To others who have posted regarding itineraries: Most cruise lines visit the same exact ports--because they all need ports capable of accommodating large ships. The one place Princess holds an edge for me is that they do cruises out of Southern California--something which RCCL and Celebrity have abandoned of late. But if you really want original itineraries, it's not Princess...Try Oceania--with their smaller ships, they can do a lot of ports the bigger ships can't get into--so they have the most original itineraries.

 

 

My, you are not the most polite person around. I shouldn't expect you to be nice to me, though, since unlike you I can't brag about having been on Oceania.

The dig about Carnival is simply rude and childish. I don't agree with you, so I must be so stupid I don't know what line I sailed? Ewww, there could be a Carnival cruiser in the room. Everybody run!

Travel, like life, is a subjective experience. You had your experiences. I've had mine. They were different. End of story.

[satxdiver]

We prefer Princess for several reasons. Princess allows us to stack OBC (military, FCC, stockholder etc) while RCCL does not. The FCC can be used to book a cruise at any time and is refundable after two years while the RCCL equivalent is not refundable. Ship excursions can be reserved any time before boarding and paid for on the cruise while RCCL requires payment upon reserving. You can choose ATD and not have to pay the gratuity at the time of booking while RCCL demands payment up front.

 

All the food on the Lido deck on RCCL is inside the WJ which closes and locks the doors between meals while Princess has a grill and pizzeria near the pool as well as ice cream available plus the HC is open from 6 AM to 11 PM continually. We have found the food comparable but that is a very subjective finding. The IC on Princess has a far more varied offering than the cafe promenade on RCL. The food layout in RCL's WJ is better than the Princes HC except for their two newest ships. When at sea I like to be able to see the sea which is not possible on RCL's RP. I find this very annoying to me.

 

RCL has the ice skating rink with ice shows which was interesting at first but not any more to us. The climbing wall and some of the other offerings like the flow rider may be a draw for the younger crowd but those days are past for us. One thing nice about RCL is the love seat in the staterooms which Princess does not have. However Princess has more storage room and a nicer layout for the bathroom and clothes storage area. Again a subjective review of the stateroom layout.

 

We have been on all the different Princess ship classes while only having been on RCL's voyager class ships. Perhaps if we had been on some of their newer ships, it might have been a better experience although I doubt it. Flow riders, above ship experiences, gargantuan ships, zip lines on a ship etc are just not that appealing at our age.

[Mr Princess]

One big difference, I believe, is in their 'loyalty' clubs.

To achieve elite level on Princess you will have to do 160 days (or 16 cruises); while on RCL you need to achieve 80 points to get to diamond level.

So it boils down to: free laundry and minibar setup versus free booze every night from 5.00pm to 8.00pm!

MP.

[denatravels]

We prefer Princess for several reasons. Princess allows us to stack OBC (military, FCC, stockholder etc) while RCCL does not. The FCC can be used to book a cruise at any time and is refundable after two years while the RCCL equivalent is not refundable. Ship excursions can be reserved any time before boarding and paid for on the cruise while RCCL requires payment upon reserving. You can choose ATD and not have to pay the gratuity at the time of booking while RCCL demands payment up front.

 

 

 

All the food on the Lido deck on RCCL is inside the WJ which closes and locks the doors between meals while Princess has a grill and pizzeria near the pool as well as ice cream available plus the HC is open from 6 AM to 11 PM continually. We have found the food comparable but that is a very subjective finding. The IC on Princess has a far more varied offering than the cafe promenade on RCL. The food layout in RCL's WJ is better than the Princes HC except for their two newest ships. When at sea I like to be able to see the sea which is not possible on RCL's RP. I find this very annoying to me.

 

 

 

RCL has the ice skating rink with ice shows which was interesting at first but not any more to us. The climbing wall and some of the other offerings like the flow rider may be a draw for the younger crowd but those days are past for us. One thing nice about RCL is the love seat in the staterooms which Princess does not have. However Princess has more storage room and a nicer layout for the bathroom and clothes storage area. Again a subjective review of the stateroom layout.

 

 

 

We have been on all the different Princess ship classes while only having been on RCL's voyager class ships. Perhaps if we had been on some of their newer ships, it might have been a better experience although I doubt it. Flow riders, above ship experiences, gargantuan ships, zip lines on a ship etc are just not that appealing at our age.

 

 

I cannot (yet) comment on many of your comparisons, but I do like the idea that princess stacks OBC, as I recently purchased CCL stock for my upcoming princess and HAL cruises. Royal Caribbean wouldn't even let me stack my loyalty bonus ($50) with the OBC deal ($150) I booked with!!! So next two Royal cruises without loyalty bonus.

The one discrepancy I wanted to point out is that Royal no longer requires gratuity payment in advance.

[cruisingram1]

The Royal and the Regal have some cabins with connecting interior doors. Not sure if the deck plans still show them. We sailed on the Royal along with DD and family and we were on one of the first sailings of the Royal so booked the connecting cabins well before ship came out. Although the deck plan had a little connecting door on it, since no one had sailed on her we weren't 100% sure they were connecting until we boarded and saw the two cabins. It worked out great, perfect for a family with children.

 

I looked at the deck plans for the Royal on the Princess website and they do not have the little arrows that indicate a connecting room. When you search there is a box to check that will highlight these cabins. It would be a lot easier if they used the traditional arrow to show this type of accommodation. I've looked at those plans before, but I did not pay close attention to the check box, but rather looked for the mark. Glad you pointed that out. Hope either show up on the West Coast some time soon.

[baldercash]

I cannot (yet) comment on many of your comparisons, but I do like the idea that princess stacks OBC, as I recently purchased CCL stock for my upcoming princess and HAL cruises. Royal Caribbean wouldn't even let me stack my loyalty bonus ($50) with the OBC deal ($150) I booked with!!! So next two Royal cruises without loyalty bonus.

The one discrepancy I wanted to point out is that Royal no longer requires gratuity payment in advance.

 

If you reach Diamond on Royal they give $300.00 on a balcony booking plus they load your sea pass with 3 free bar drinks a day not counting the free cocktail party from 5:30 to 8 every night. Do the math.

[caribill]

If you reach Diamond on Royal they give $300.00 on a balcony booking plus they load your sea pass with 3 free bar drinks a day not counting the free cocktail party from 5:30 to 8 every night. Do the math.

 

And will not allow other OBC to be combined with that such as stoickholder OBC.

[baldercash]

And will not allow other OBC to be combined with that such as stoickholder OBC.

 

If you do an on board booking that can get you an additional $200.00 or $300.00 OBC or you can use a Future cruise deposit to get the $200.00 OBC same as Princess and that can be combined with the $300.00 Balcony credit. Plus what your TA gives you in OBC when you pass it over which can often include prepaid gratuities which can be added. At times Royal offer on board credit with a booking which can also be combined. Agents tend to offer less OBC and free gratuities for Princess cruises in my experience.

 

True the Royal stock holder credit is pretty much redundant which is why we sold our shares but it is still easy to get well over $600.00+ in discounts on any booking of a balcony.

Diamond plus get $350.00 on a balcony.

The other Loyalty perks offered on Royal and X like the drinks, free ship tours, private functions, some internet, free wash, 2 free photos are nice perks IMO.

So it could be close to a wash on the discounts and not a deciding reason to pick one over the other. Itinerary is usually more important for us.

 

We figure 3 drinks each a day is worth $40.00 so on a seven day cruise, that is worth a minimum of $300.00 plus tips in we usually pick up a glass of wine on the way into dinner and then a free drink when we head to the show. Not worth anything if you don't drink but we do and we have not had a bar tab in years and don't have the hassle of dragging wine on board which you pay for. Royal give a 1/2 bottle of wine in the cabin for D+ and D and above get a few bottles of water in the cabin gratis as well.

 

I did book a Princess cruise for last fall where the TA put me on hold to check with Princess to see if I could stack all the credits I had, he stated "they would not book it if they ended owing me money when it was done".

Princess approved it.

 

You do need to be Diamond or above but then that status gives you Elite status on X which has even better perks.

I achieved Elite status on X first so I was a Diamond on my first Royal cruise just one more perk. We are close to achieving Diamond Plus and are Elite Plus on X now. Two cruises away from Elite on Princess.

Edited November 22, 2015 by baldercash

[caribill]

 

I did book a Princess cruise for last fall where the TA put me on hold to check with Princess to see if I could stack all the credits I had, he stated "they would not book it if they ended owing me money when it was done".

Princess approved it.

 

 

That makes no sense at all as neither Princess nor the TA would know how much you would spend (to be offset by OBC) once on the cruise.

 

When you book the cruise, they have no idea how many beverages you would buy, how many shore excursions you would take, how many photographs you would purchase, how many Spa treatments you would have, how much you would spend in the ship's boutiques, how many evenings you would dine in specialty restaurants, how many Bingo games you would play, etc.

[satxdiver]

...

The one discrepancy I wanted to point out is that Royal no longer requires gratuity payment in advance.

 

RCCL always did defer the gratuity payment until you were aboard the ship. However if you select anytime dining, they required the gratuity payment in advance when you pay the last payment. Have they changed this policy regarding the gratuity and booking anytime dining?

[coops]

RCCL always did defer the gratuity payment until you were aboard the ship. However if you select anytime dining, they required the gratuity payment in advance when you pay the last payment. Have they changed this policy regarding the gratuity and booking anytime dining?

 

Yes they did change maybe 6 months ago. When they raised the gratuity they also now give you option to prepay at final or on the ship at the end. The RCCL site does not reflect it but it did change. And this is for MTD.

[dides]

We usually cruise on Princess but was on the same Anthem transatlantic as the OP. From our limited exposure to RCCL, we noted the following differences:

 

TV - very unsatisfactory range of TV channels and limited movies on Anthem - pay-per-view only on recent movies. Quite a comedown from the offerings on Princess.

 

Buffet - offerings on par between Anthem and Royal class on Princess. However, seating was REALLY hard to find on Anthem in busy periods.

 

Pizza - Sorrentos pizza was so-so. Preferred the pizza on Princess especially Alfredos.

 

Dynamic/anytime dining - Anthem non-pay restaurants varied in quality (Silk was horrible). The MDR/Alfredos/Fondue offerings on Princess are usually very good.

 

Cocktails - I like frozen cocktails and these were only available in limited bars on Anthem plus you had to ask for them - could not find a menu. Princess has frozen cocktails and menus in almost every bar.

 

Laundry - really missed the self-service laundry from Princess. Nothing on Anthem.

 

Internet - Anthem's internet speed and availability was brilliant. The internet on Princess is usually very slow.

 

Sandra

Edited November 22, 2015 by dides

[baldercash]

That makes no sense at all as neither Princess nor the TA would know how much you would spend (to be offset by OBC) once on the cruise.

 

When you book the cruise, they have no idea how many beverages you would buy, how many shore excursions you would take, how many photographs you would purchase, how many Spa treatments you would have, how much you would spend in the ship's boutiques, how many evenings you would dine in specialty restaurants, how many Bingo games you would play, etc.

 

I was booking the cruise from a Travel Agency not directly from Princess.

The cruise was 14 days but a back to back to back, It was heavily discounted by the Agency about 80%. The agency was offering $100.00 OBC on each leg and I was using a Princess Future cruise deposit on each leg. I had a full credit for the full amount of a 3 day past Cruise on Princess in a mini suite which I was applying towards the cruise and I was only booking an Ocean view.

I ended up only paying about $150.00 total out of pocket for the cruise for the two of us and had enough OBC to cover the gratuities plus some spending money which I withdraw at the casino and pocket. Plus got a bunch of free drink coupons.

Edited November 22, 2015 by baldercash

[baldercash]

We usually cruise on Princess but was on the same Anthem transatlantic as the OP. From our limited exposure to RCCL, we noted the following differences:

 

TV - very unsatisfactory range of TV channels and limited movies on Anthem - pay-per-view only on recent movies. Quite a comedown from the offerings on Princess.

Sandra

 

I agree the TV on Royal Caribbean is the worst of any line we have been on. The news is thin and some sports get repeat broad casts or they may be old games. The shows and movies seem to be a package that just repeats over and over. It is apparently a broad cast but appears to be some kind of bundle.

We did 15 days on Serenade this Spring, Nola to Boston and then a Fall Colour Snow Bird cruise this fall on her again 15 nights Quebec City to Ft. Lauderdale and the TV was garbage. Cruisers protested to get the movies they were putting on in the Movie Theater ( holds maybe 100 ) or outside on their Muts ( fall cruise cold or raining at night ) on the cabin TV. They eventually did do it.

Edited November 22, 2015 by baldercash

[denatravels]

I can watch tv at home-- rarely even turn it on during a cruise. Just my personal preference.

[Duffysmom]

We just returned from a 28 day cruise to Tahiti on Princess and I was impressed with Princess and think it is far superior to RC. We are Diamond on RC (mostly Transatlantics) so we know the cruise line well; Princess' food, staff, entertainment, lecture programs, as well as cabins (we had a mini suite on the Emerald deck) were a delight. There are so many little things that were offered that impressed me and helped to make a long cruise a once in a lifetime adventure. I must say the staff were the friendliest I've experience on the high seas. Thank you Princess....

Edited November 22, 2015 by DUFFYSMOM

[dides]

I can watch tv at home-- rarely even turn it on during a cruise. Just my personal preference.

 

It's a nice way of watching a recent movie if you don't want to be blown away outside (as on the Anthem TA). Princess have introduced a great feature on Regal/Royal where you can watch movies, pause and come back to them later.

[baldercash]

I can watch tv at home-- rarely even turn it on during a cruise. Just my personal preference.

My preference as well, we don't even bother with a TV cable package at home though I enjoy watching sports but the TV is still bad on Royal.

 

We do enjoy going to the main theater or Muts and watching first run movies late at night.

Wanted to watch the Royals and Jays series games but that was not carried on their sports package.

 

A fond memory from the first cruise we went on which was with a group of three other couples. The 1st day on board we gathered at breakfast and everyone was excited and discussing what they wanted to do that day on board. I stated I intended to go to the sports bar and watch the football playoffs and buy a big a$$ beer they were advertising that came in the shape of a football another fellow in the group said that sounded fine to him as well.

Our DW's began to suggest we do some things together until one of the group mentioned she was going to a flower making seminar and after that a fruit carving display.

I have been sold on cruising since then.

[baldercash]

It's a nice way of watching a recent movie if you don't want to be blown away outside (as on the Anthem TA). Princess have introduced a great feature on Regal/Royal where you can watch movies, pause and come back to them later.

 

Celebrity has has had that feature on their Solstice class ships since 2008. They also allow you to bring up your on board photos in your cabin to review on the TV.

 

I agree that often the Muts on all cruise lines can be far too loud at times.