I also was quite shocked by some of the negative reviews regarding the Regal Princess. Yes, the disappearing staircases are quite odd, but I could live with it. The ship is beautiful as was the Royal Princess that my wife and I were on last year when we did the Grand Med. The Eastern Carib. we have done twice before, but this was a cruise to just RELAX!. And that we did. It was a nice mix of snorkeling in St. John, to laying on the beach in St. Marten to just enough shopping. Weather was perfect! I have to say I was impressed with passenger services. We were initially in a balcony fwd, port side and we experienced waves slapping the side of the ship at night during some rough seas that actually woke my wife up at night. (not me, I'm out for the count) I called in the steward and he sent in his supervisor and he experienced the shaking of the cabin. Within 45 minutes passenger services called us and moved our room to Balcony mid-ship. Now that's service!
Princess has upped their food a few notches. We only went into the formal dining (anytime dining) twice the entire 7 day cruise. The buffet food in the Horizon Court was fantastic! The variety and the taste was beyond anything I expected. We have done two RCCL's and Eight Princess Cruises and Princess has always had better food. Alfredo's is our favorite "free" restaurant. And the pizza both at Alfredo's and Prego (poolside) is the best pizza at sea.
The one thing that I think Princess has to work on is the entertainment. Although the first night they had a comedian/magician that was extremely entertaining. The Princess entertainers go all out to do a good job for you, but the "Broadway" element is missing. RCCL does have a better entertainment venue.
Since my wife and I went from an inside cabin years ago to a balcony for the last 10 years, we will never go back. The difference in price for a Balcony (in my opinion) is made up during my morning coffee on my Balcony and sitting out at night with my wife watching the shooting stars, the bright moon and the sound of the water. I did however find the cabin and balcony to be a bit smaller than RCCL. Really, how much time do you spend in the cabin?