Royal Princess Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This was our sixth Princess Cruise. Our cruise (20 April 2014) was the last before a repositioning cruise, and a good portion of the more experienced crew had been transferred to the new Regal Princess. The service performed by the remaining dining crew was very spotty. For example, can you imagine a waiter coming to a table of 8 passengers to take orders, take orders from two of the persons at the table, and then disappear? This happened on two separate occasions with different dining room staff.
The bartenders remaining on the ship in the pool areas did not know how to make either a Mojito or a frozen Daiquiri. At $9 a drink, it was a clear rip-off.
The Royal Princess’s overall business plan appears to be aimed having more passengers onboard, and maximizing money from the passengers. This business plan is not an improvement if one wants a sea experience as opposed to an indoor experience.
Cabin Review
The cabins are much smaller than the Grand class Princess ships (the Emerald, Ruby). My guesstimate is that the cabins are about two feet narrower, and the depth is about a foot less. If one uses a wheel chair or a motorized scooter, there does not appear to be any way to take the wheel chair scooter into a normal cabin.The biggest disappointment is the balcony size. The stated balcony size is 41 square feet, down from the 80-90 square foot range on older ships. The balconies come equipped with two chairs and two foot stools, with the implication two adults can be on the balcony at the same time and sit and stretch out. If Princess believes two adults can be on the balcony at the same time, there must be a belief the passengers are Hobbits. We heard a number of passengers express extreme disappointment about the balconies, and heard many complaints that if a couple wanted to play cards or read, there was insufficient space. Numerous passengers who wanted a balcony will not again take this ship.