I am currently on a 7 night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean onboard the Royal Princess. After taking a 5 night cruise on the Ruby Princess last month, I was excited to have the chance to cruise on Princess Cruises largest and newest cruise ship. Here are some of my first impressions of the Royal.
The Ship
The Royal Princess is a beautiful cruise ship and still has that new ship feel to it. The larger Piazza quickly became my favorite part of the ship. It is a great place to people watch, listen to live music, or even grab a bite to eat at the International Cafe or Alfredo’s (both complimentary).
I have also noticed that there are a lot of quiet places on the ship that have great ocean views. The open air Outrigger Bar never seems to be crowded and offers great views of the ship’s wake.
Even though there are 3,400 passengers onboard for this cruise, the ship doesn’t seem crowded at all.
Cabin
My balcony cabin on deck 12 (Aloha) offers a huge closet to hang clothes. The shower is the largest than I have seen on a ship (in standard staterooms), but it does take away some of the bathroom space. However, I think it is a good tradeoff.
The 42” TV is also the largest I have seen in a standard cabin and has a nice variety of tv shows and movies to watch. There is also a handful of news and sports channels to choose from.
I have heard many complaints about the size of the balconies before this cruise. Yes, the balcony does seem to be smaller but it is still adequate.
Buffet
The buffet on the Royal Princess is huge and offers a really nice variety of food to choose from. The buffet consists of the Horizon Court, Horizon Bistro, and the Pastry Shop. As you are walking through it, it seems to go on forever.
I was also impressed with the staff at the buffet. I have never had to wait more than 5 seconds after sitting down before I was asked what I would like to drink. The staff at the Horizon Court is really on top of things and has done a tremendous job so far on this cruise.
There is no need to juggle your plate full of food, silverware, and your drink as you find a table to sit at. The silverware is already in place at the tables and the staff gets your drinks for you. I wish other cruise lines would copy the way Princess services their buffets.
Royal.Princess.Com
One of my favorite features on the Royal Princess is opening up my phone or Galaxy tablet and visiting royal.princess.com. It is a free feature that is offered onboard through the ship’s wifi and has all the information you need about the cruise.
You can find anything from dining times to seeing what events and activities are currently going on. You can also view your stateroom account and get general information about the cruise.
It is a really popular feature onboard as I have seen many passengers walking around with their smartphones and tablets out using it.
Movies Under the Stars
The staff for MUTS has really gone above and beyond so far on this cruise. They walk around during the movie with popcorn, pizza, ice cream, and cookies & milk for the passengers.
Other features of the Royal Princess that I have greatly enjoyed are the Seawalk and the nightly fountain and light show on the lido deck.
We were on the Royal Princess for 10 days (19-29 Dec) last year and had a ball. It was our first cruise with Princess but it won’t be our last. Outstanding service —great ship!!!