We enjoyed our week on the Royal Princess, but all in all it was nothing special. The food in the main dining rooms was generally good, but some nights the selection was less than inspiring. The buffet offered a wide variety of choices, usually tasty. As always, the ship's pastries were better to look at than to eat. Dinner in the Crown Grill was very good, and worth the upcharge; the same cannot be said of Sabatini's, which was very disappointing--the "lobster three ways" was particularly unpleasant.
As others have mentioned, the elevators were inadequate for the number of passengers.
The casino is a disaster. Too small, too few machines, too many customers, too much smoke, and illogical use of space which had dead-ends and people bumping into one another. No complimentary beverages, no matter how much one played, just an offer of casino credit on a future cruise. A glass of ordinary white wine came in at $13, including the mandatory "tip." Unconscionable.
The mattress was heavenly.
Our room steward, Michael, was quiet, efficient, and pleasant.
The Medallion experience was a very mixed bag--surely not worth the hassle. We never did manage to use it to locate our travel companions. Princess should either fix it or abandon it.
One very complimentary comment: the tv selections were excellent--recent movies, lots of on demand shows from travel and home and garden channels, all day access to MSNBC, BBC, Fox, etc., all at no charge. Best in-cabin entertainment we've ever had.
Despite a very generous offer of future casino credit, we're not enthusiastic about returning to the Royal Princess.
Nice cabin, quiet, close to elevators. Balcony slightly larger than most on the ship, but still very small.