Royal Princess Review
Another Great Cruise on the Royal
Rating by category
Additional details
This was my second time on the Royal, and I've also been on the Regal. They are my very favorite class of ship!
We flew in the day before the cruise, and stayed at the Premier Inn West Quay. If we had to do it over again, we'd have gone with the Grand Harbour--nicer hotel, better location. But the PI was fine.
Boarding was easy and reasonably quick--checkin was very efficient. We were among the first aboard, so we got to walk through a nearly deserted ship! Kind of surreal, but nice. We went to lunch in the MDR, as rooms were not ready yet. We were seated at a table for 8, with 2 couples already there. It was the first of many pleasant dining experiences shared with "strangers"--we always lucked out with good people.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Balcony
I found it very comfortable, but with just me in there, it wasn't crowded. With a second person it might have been. I used all the storage space, and the whole (very generously sized) closet. The bathroom is small, but there was space for all my "stuff". Not a fan of the shower setup--shower doors would be much better. The balcony is small, but there was room enough to stand out there and view the port, or watch the sea. The thermostat didn't seem to do anything to change the temperature. I picked the same cabin for my next cruise on the Royal.
Port Reviews
Dublin
We took a taxi to the Guiness Storehouse, and then used the HOHO bus to get around to the other places we wanted to see. Had a wonderful pub lunch at "The Bank"
Greenock (Glasgow)
We took a tour through Discover Scotland Tours, to the Trossachs, Loch Lomond, and Stirling Castle. Great driver/guide. Beautiful scenery.
Edinburgh (South Queensferry)
Edinburgh is my favorite city! Having been there several times already, we opted for a do-it-yourself day. We started out at Real Mary King's Close, which was excellent. Walked around the Royal Mile for awhile, then got a cab to North Queensferry for a boat ride on the Forth Belle out to Inchcoln Island. Had a lovely lunch at a pub in NQ while we waited for the boat to arrive.