I chose this cruise for the destinations! Princess offered great ports. It was unfortunate that Istanbul was removed from the itinerary, but due to safety reasons in that part of the world, it was a good decision. Regarding the Royal Princess, I knew from the get go that this was not a top ship in the Princess fleet. The cabin, though a balcony, was too small; similar to cabins we had stayed in 15 years ago. Dining options were poor at best; many nights offering a new variety of stir-fried fish/beef/chicken & veggies. The specialty restaurants, the Crown Grill was excellent, and Sabatini's was very good; The entertainment left a lot to be desired. Some of the comedians were mildly entertaining, the instrumentalist was excellent, but the lounge singers who sang in the lobby were not that good. Very disappointing! There were some positive segments of the cruise - room service, cleaning, room stewards, all very good and kudos to passenger service people!
Response from TaylorW, Social Team, Princess Cruises
With the offer of $600, we chose to go from an unobstructed balcony to an obstructed one. I didn't mind the obstruction, but the customer service rep told us that this room was larger than the initial one - not true! The room was so small it was hard to maneuver for the two of us.
We enjoyed walking around on our own
This is such a gorgeous ride and the cities of Ravello, Amalfi and Positano are to die for!
Wonderful day with super guide. Went to Aix-en-Provence, Cassis and of course, Marseille