RCL or Princess -- HELP!!

[granite-stater]

I would very much appreciate any help or thoughts that anyone might offer me on this issue. I am a first time cruiser and, I must say, all of the information out there can make your head spin. (Not to mention that I am a little nervous about cooping myself up on a cruise ship, having never done it before).

 

I am a 47 y/o Dad taking my daughter on a cruise for her Senior year present. She's 17, although she will turn 18 on the cruise. I have narrowed it down to two possible choices which, itself, was difficult, but making the last choice seems almost impossible with all of the information out there. Sooo . . . I was hoping for some personal insights.

 

The two cruises are the RCL Mariner on March 11, or the Caribbean Princess on the same day. At present, I am leaning towards Princess because, I have heard:

 

(1) RCL doesn't do as good a job of managing the crowds as Princess;

 

(2) A number of postings have suggested a decline in RCL service (cost-cutting) in the last year;

 

(3) The activities on Princess, while not quite as good as RCL (rock-climbing wall), look pretty suitable (like Movies Under the Stars, for example);

 

(4) The itinerary, Eastern as opposed to Western Caribbean, I am told is better and less likely to be affected byweather in March;

 

(5) I was told that the Princess food, service and cabins are better than RCL.

 

My only concerns about Princess are:

 

(A) Will the group be suitable for a younger girl? My daughter is cool about hanging with me, but I am sure she'll want some kids her own age too. From what 've read, Princess caters to a slightly older crowd, but other reviewers have noted that, this being Spring Break week, there will be no shortage of teenagers in tow with parents;

 

(B) The itinerary, because of distance, cuts out one port of call and your entire first two days are at sea. Again, maybe not a big deal if the ship has lots to do, and also kind of a wash if, on the Western side, you'd lose a day to weather potentially, but it does case me some thought.

 

I would really appreciate any help anyone sees fit to offer.

[GORDONCHICK]

I think there will be plenty of kids on board, from the young to the late teens, because as you said the time of year. I would think the activities on RCI would be more towards your daughter's liking, but MUTS is a great thing on the Princess ships. Either ship will be really crowded, again spring break does that just about any where. It would be really hard to go wrong on either ship.

[Kerry&LuAnn]

We have sailed on Royal Caribbean's voyager class ships on both eastern and western itineraries and loved the cruises.

 

Last March we sailed on the Caribbean Princess (eastern itinerary) and, because we had such a great time, we're going back again on the same ship and the same itinerary March 11. We really appreciate the flexibility of Anytime Dining. We also enjoyed the eastern itinerary better than the western.

 

Last March we saw plenty of young people aboard the ship and there were a lot of activities for them. If you decide on the March 11 sailing of the Caribbean Princess, jump in on the Roll Call (see the link below my post) and get to know some others who are sailing this one.

 

On the Caribbean Princess, one of the places the young people like to hang out is Club Fusion, which blends the atmosphere of a New York-style club with a touch of Las Vegas-style games and excitement. The lounge features high-tech capabilities and appearance with 42 high-definition video screens throughout.

 

Another popular place is Skywalkers Nightclub. This is a futuristic club suspended above the stern of the ship, 150 feet above the water. By day it is a spectacular observation lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows. After dark, it is transformed into a lively nightclub with state-of-the-art lighting, sound and video effects.

 

In addition, there are a variety of scheduled activities like trivia games, karaoke, talent contests (Princess Idol), and more!

 

And, of course, the swimming pools, volleyball court, miniature golf...