Biggest mistake on the Royal Class

[Lucky TGO]

The dreadful Princess Live needs to go, don’t know anyone who likes it.

 

I totally agree with you!!! Princess Live is Awful! (n)

Tony

[Micahs Grandad]

I totally agree with you!!! Princess Live is Awful! (n)

Tony

 

It is ok when someone is giving a presentation but for trivia where there is a team involved it is an awful venue.

[richsea]

The dreadful Princess Live needs to go, don’t know anyone who likes it.

We love Princess Live ( but you don’t know us so it doesn’t count)

 

Would like to see an indoor pool; Celebrity’s is great.

 

Don’t care about a full promenade deck.

 

A larger balcony would be nice, but didn’t mind the smaller one as much as I thought I would. But I wouldn’t want to eat out there, too small for that.

[Hlitner]

And then there's shipboard etiquette. :cool:

 

We simply assumed that the particular person who posted the snide comment had very little to no knowledge about cruise ship terms.

 

Hank

[mevs904]

For us the promenade deck is much more than just a place to walk or run. A treadmill in no way compares to walking around deck 7 on the Coral with the ocean right next to you or hanging out on the promenade railing at the stern of the ship watching the wake. We’ve sailed on the Royal and, although we enjoyed the ship, we didn’t care for the limited area that serves as their attempt to provide a promenade experience. We love all four of Disney’s ships that have complete promenade decks.

[Bimmer09]

Blu is for Aqua Classified balcony cabins, not suites.

 

Luminae is for dining room room for suites.

 

Ron, I have eaten in Blu-where suite pax are welcome and in Luminae on both my X cruises. I have never sailed Aqua class.

Luminae is the better of the two but Blu is great for breakfast.

Norris

[caribill]

Princess Live! - It's not all that bad for what it's used for.

 

 

In my opinion it is that bad:

a) It is used for group events such as Trivia. There is no way to turn the seating around so a team can easily work together. In addition, there is no table to use when writing.

b) When used for events that are recorded for putting on the cabin TV, the cameras and their operators can often block the view you came to see. When used for events that are not being recorded, the cameras are in a fixed position that blocks the view for many.

c) There are no tables for putting a drink on.

 

The number of seats available is about the same as what Explorer's had, but the tables and the movable chairs in Explorer's made it a much better venue

[nellydean]

Recently off the Royal and, although I wasn't expecting a full deck promenade, I can't see the point in having the bits they do have as we couldn't use them properly when we wanted to, which was mostly after dinner, when we like a stroll/sit down on the prom deck. The rattan chairs in one area were tied up every day at 5-5.30pm sharp, plus, there were horribly strong lights under the rails that made it impossible to sit there without them shining in your eyes, or, on the wooden chairs further up that were left out in the evenings. Not to mention it was open to the elements. The busiest it ever was was on embarkation and disembarkation days.

I guess princess likes to encourage people to stay inside and spend more money

[PrincessLuver]

VERB

promenades (third person present) · promenaded (past tense) · promenaded (past participle) · promenading (present participle)

1. take a leisurely public walk, ride, or drive so as to meet or be seen by others.:halo:
   

 

Love it.....on some ships it is called the SASHAY Deck:

sashayed; sashaying; sashays:

To strut or move about in an ostentatious or conspicuous manner

 

[shof515]

I guess princess likes to encourage people to stay inside and spend more money

that is the trend with pretty much every ship these days. Cruise ships do not make money on the cruise fare, they make the money from on board spending.

[WVBill]

And then there's shipboard etiquette. :cool:

 

For some, Etiquette is defined as "you doing nothing to annoy me".

[stevenr597]

Club Class Dining (which is a stateroom perk) and Aqua Class on Celebrity (which is a self-contained cabin category meant to convey an entirely different cruise experience) are two entirely different animals. Dining in BLU is not for Full Suite passengers, just for those who pay for a specific cabin class--mainly to dine in a separate dining room with no formal nights, which was X's main marketing tool for Aqua Class before they stopped enforcing formal nights in the peon's MDR.

 

BLU has an entirely different menu from the X MDR, not just one or two supplemental dishes. When I was on Celebrity Infinity a few years ago (which will absolutely be my first and last Celebrity cruise) any Aqua Class passenger who did not care for the night's menu in BLU could walk over to the Select dining room--and be placed at the front of the line, ahead of those actually enrolled in Select Dining.

 

 

So feh on Aqua Class and feh on BLU. But if that is the experience you prefer, as suggested above take your money elsewhere rather than ask Princess to change just for you.

 

I believe that Club Class is Princesses version of Celebrity's Aqua Class. When one books Celebrity, one notices that Aqua Class is the first to be booked up.

 

Individual's in Suites are permitted to dine in the Blu Dining Room on Celebrity. In fact, there were so many complaints that Aqua had a separate dining room, while Suite Passengers did not that Celebrity is not creating a separate dining room for Suite Passengers.

 

Where is this all going. Probably a multi-class system on the ships, such as we seen in Cunard.

 

It is not a question of taking one's money elsewhere. Princess, like Celebrity, like RCCL, like NCL, constantly polls their cruisers to see what they like and what they don't like. Club Class, like Aqua Class is a new service that has been found to be very popular, and in fact, both lines are expanding it.

[voljeep]

We simply assumed that the particular person who posted the snide comment had very little to no knowledge about cruise ship terms.

 

Hank

 

 

Is there, or is there not, a track at the top of the ship that has lanes marked for walkers, runners and a place to step off and rest as to not to 'bother' the others?:confused:

[stevenr597]

Why a covered pool deck.

 

We just got back from an 11 day cruise of the Baltic's on Regal.

 

For most of the trip the ship was uncrowded. However, on one sea day it became cold and rainy. Nobody could stay outdoors, and this resulted in the Horizon Court and Bistro becoming very crowded, difficult to find a table. If the Regal, like Celebrity, provided the crew the option of covering the pool, there would be that much more space for individuals.

 

This is especially true for Caribbean Cruises in which at times, one can have rainy weather for days.

[elliair]

For some, Etiquette is defined as "you doing nothing to annoy me".

 

Yeah like licking your fingers in the buffet then touching the serving spoons, pushing your way into the elevator before others can get off, and how about those chair hogs!:halo:

 

Originally posted by Hlitner We simply assumed that the particular person who posted the snide comment had very little to no knowledge about cruise ship terms.

 

Hank

 

It wasn't snide at all. If you take a look at my cruise history you will see that I am quite knowledgeable about cruise ship terms - especially cruise ship etiquette.

[AF-1]

here is a video of the promenade deck i found on youtube:

 

at first, it appears to be a horrible layout but then i sailed on other ship on other cruises line that have a similar configuration. while it does ruin the whole promenade outdoor deck feel, atleast they are some spots were you can still see the ocean

 

wow just watched your video; that is terrible. Not a lot of room to walk hand in hand with your spouse. View is bad too. Thanks for posting this. I have not been on Regal or Royal. Is there a walking track up higher where you can get a good view?

[Dudleydog73]

A significant omission to me on the Royal/Regal is the lack of anywhere, inside or outside, to get a forward view unless you purchase the Sanctuary.

 

Not entirely true. The Royal class does have some MiniSuites and balconies overtop the bridge with amazing forward views. So add those to your booking the Santuary option.

[The Wilkies]

The dreadful Princess Live needs to go, don’t know anyone who likes it.

 

Totally agree. Waste of space.

 

My pet hate was lack of hand sanitisers in Horizon Court (maybe called something else). Confusing layout so people just walked in and out, no one supervises.

 

On a positive note. The piazza is great, much more space. On our recent cruise had DD and the Groove here most nights. Great atmosphere.

Edited August 27, 2018 by The Wilkies

[stevenr597]

Totally agree. Waste of space.

 

My pet hate was lack of hand sanitisers in Horizon Court (maybe called something else). Confusing layout so people just walked in and out, no one supervises.

On the Regal Princess there were two hand sanitizers at the entrance. At times, one of them was not of solution. In addition, there was a small sink to wash ones hands.

 

At times, there was an individual posted at the front to remind you.

 

But I would stress....at times.

[Cruiser411]

wow just watched your video; that is terrible. Not a lot of room to walk hand in hand with your spouse. View is bad too. Thanks for posting this. I have not been on Regal or Royal. Is there a walking track up higher where you can get a good view?

 

Yes, as someone mentioned before, there is a walking/jogging track that circles the funnel.

[myfuzzy]

If I could write a letter to Princess this is what it would be:

 

Dear Princess,

 

As you moved into the building of the "Royal" class of ships, you seemed to have missed the mark on the important issues that your customer base demands.

 

Once your first build the Royal Princess entered the market, it was immediately found the passengers noted the "missing" aft adult pool, the "missing" center stairway, the minuscule balconies, the lack of an oceanview category, and the lack of a "wrap around" promenade deck for runners and joggers.

 

However the additions of the "Seawalk", Princess Live, Alfredos, Gelatos, have drawn mixed reviews. As the Seawalk causes concerns for those in balconies under or near and Princess Live has gotten criticism on being a wasted space where the Wheelhouse bar would make more sense.

 

The people here in Cruise Critic have spoken and here is what they desire to see on new ships as they come onto the market

 

A large, usable adult aft pool

 

Regarding the Lido pool(s) The "water feature" that divides the area into two smaller pools. Lose the water feature. It isn't used enough to be viable. People want a larger pool. For 3000 passengers, the smaller pools are quite "cozy" and would appreciate one very large one.

 

No longer have a jogging/running track on the sports deck, where it's windy and slippery when wet, and hot in the sun and relocate it to the Promenade deck where it would be made wider, say 20 feet, where you would have the same runners and walkers be able to do their daily exercise in comfort. And of course this would have to go completely around the ship

 

Then you would have to make a second Promenade deck for those who just want to relax and read and gaze at the sea without the sounds of the thump thump thump and coming through, and the possibility of getting "run" over by those coming through.

 

Then making the balconies bigger so people can actually relax and enjoy without having to sit with their knees touching the railing.

 

Edible food.....Seems like in past few years, food quality and selections have gone down hill. You have world class chef's why can't you give the passengers cuisine they wouldn't get at home. What happened to beef wellington, wide selections of sea foods, desserts that have flavor and creativity. Without the extra cost. For my past so many cruises, its the same old same old.

 

Entertainment..Bands in the Atrium at times are too loud. Between the marble and glass the sounds just bounce off it and it sounds like breaking glass. Then you have the piano players, who at times, draw a very large crown, blocking the way for people to pass by. Seems to me like you haven't figured out which entertainer to put where for the proper venue.

 

So, for me, my ideal Princess ship would have larger pools, dining venues with first class food, entertainers in the proper venues, balconies I can actually enjoy and fitness enthusiasts who have the proper areas to keep fit, separate from those who just want to enjoy their cruise.

[MrMan]

We will admit to liking a covered pool (or at least one with a movable roof like on the Grand) as an option. Why? Because we enjoy long sea days sitting in a lounger near a pool and quietly reading our books and socializing. The lack of a covered pool becomes a real negative in bad or cold weather.

 

 

 

Hank

 

 

 

You should look at RCI Solarium product then, and it’s free

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[HappyCruiserettu]

The dreadful Princess Live needs to go, don’t know anyone who likes it.

 

My wife and I enjoy the game shows there.

[Hlitner]

You should look at RCI Solarium product then, and it’s free

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Our DD was Diamond (RCI) before age 15. We used to be big fans of RCI, but since they changed their emphasis to Mega ships, carnival like atmosphere, downgraded cuisine, etc. we have sworn off RCI in favor of other lines (we have cruised on 14 lines). The really sad thing is that Celebrity is now being run by a CEO who came over from RCI....and she seems determined to downgrade Celebrity to something less then even RCI. Go figure. Princess without an indoor pool is a far better product then RCI...even on a bad day.

 

Hank

[Thrak]

Haven't sailed Royal yet but...

 

Lack of aft pool

Stupid fountain taking up pool space

No real second pool

Lack of ocean view cabins

Tiny balconies

Princess Live

 

Will most likely try Royal once she is on the west coast. Question: The deck plans have a listing on the side for Limelight but I don't see it on the actual plan. Can anybody tell me what/where this is? I see a couple of spots simply marked Bar. Is it one of these and, if so, which one?