Royal Princess Expert Review Princess Cruises
Table Of Content
It’s a fun little curio, though maybe not the best hangout for those prone to vertigo. The main bar serving the Horizon Court buffet, Outrigger is located on Deck 16 aft. In addition to the regular bar menu, variations on the Bloody Mary were on offer—a Highland Mary made with scotch, a Bloody Caesar made with vodka, etc. The Outrigger also had the distinction of being the first bar to open each morning, at 6 a.m. The drink selection is the same and the seating area is a little more subdued than in the Piazza, but few of the food items from the International Café were on offer.
Crown Grill
Imaginative shows created in-house feature dazzling stage sets, Broadway classics, popular hits and original numbers performed by some of the largest and most talented casts at sea. Stay connected to the internet anywhere on board so you can text, post photos, video chat and more. Get more out of your travels with shore excursions recommended by two of the most trusted names in world travel—Discovery™ and Animal Planet™. From the moment you step aboard, we want you to feel welcomed and right at home. And with attentive service from a friendly crewmember that knows what hospitality means, you’ll find your Princess® ship truly is your home away from home.
Fellow Passengers
The bathroom was stocked with Princess-branded shampoo, conditioner and body lotion. While a waffle-weave bathrobe was also waiting for us in the closet on previous Princess cruises, that wasn’t the case on Royal Princess. The couch was a pullout bed, though we were told when extended it blocked access to the balcony. A built-in desk faced the couch, where there was a phone, ship directory, and electrical outlets (two three-prong 120-volt outlets, plus one European-style, 230 volt “schuko” outlet). Next to the desk was a mini-fridge that contained four cans of soda (Coke, Sprint, including diet versions—$1.95 each). Above the mini-fridge was a drawer storing a hair dryer and above this was a shelf with bottled water ($3.50), an ice bucket and a pair of glasses; the ice bucket was refilled daily.
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Some also have pullman beds to accommodate 3rd and 4th passengers. The Princess Cruises’ website said our cabin measured 233 square feet total. We consider this to be a generous interpretation of our cabin’s usable space. By our measurement, the inside of the cabin came out to approximately 188 square feet.
Princess does a decent job with salads, and there are always a couple pasta dishes, available in an entrée size or smaller portion as an appetizer (the fettuccini Alfredo is a longtime Princess fave). Sun Princess is the first in the Sphere class of ships, and it is quite striking architecturally. There’s a glass-enclosed globe on the upper, forward-most deck, as well as at the ship’s center.
Night Alaska CruiseDetails
Good Spirits takes viewers around the globe in search of extraordinary everyday people, sharing stories of spirits and collecting farm-fresh, local ingredients to inspire one-of-a-kind cocktail creations. Immerse yourself in the region as skilled bartenders lead you through an immersive cocktail experience. On every Princess ship, you'll find so many ways to play, day or night. Explore The Shops of Princess, celebrate cultures at our Festivals of the World or learn a new talent — our onboard activities will keep you engaged every moment of your cruise vacation. Photos, floor plan diagrams, amenities, and furnishings represent typical arrangements and may vary by ship and stateroom.
Other Cabins
One is the Chef’s Table Lumiere, priced $115 per person and limited to 12 guests. But we were able to sign up for the Wine Maker’s Dinner, a $40 event conducted in the Concerto and Symphony venues, within semi-private rooms enclosed by wine bottles. Having been the first of the Royal Class vessels, the Royal Princess deck plan served as the blueprint for the rest of the ships in its class. Public spaces are grouped together on decks 5, 6, 7 and 16 to 19, whereas cabins take the rest of the decks.
Decks
The four singers performing “Sweet Soul Music” were terrific, perhaps in part because they had a live, seven-piece band backing them. Along with 12 dancers, they plowed dutifully through the Motown library in one- and two-minute versions, but also stretched to include Proud Mary and I'm Every Woman. There are a number of venues for entertainment, with the Princess Theater serving as the main showroom. This 925-seat theater—the largest in the Princess fleet—isn’t flashy, but it’s quite functional, utilizing the latest show technology and featuring unobstructed sightlines from all seats.
A Taste of Italy, Enjoyed in Luxury
The main pool area has two pools - one barely bigger than a plunge pool. There are also two hot tubs in the main pool area, as well as two on the deck above. There are four shows in rotation on Royal Princess and we saw three of them. They were each a tight 35 minutes—a little shorter than shows on other Princess ships—and performed three times. None were groundbreaking, but they were fresh, colorful and full of energy. The music, most of which is canned backing tracks rather than a live band, is played loud.
The drink selection was much the same, with an iced bucket and bottle of Moët & Chandon at the ready, for those needing a bubbly splurge. In all, while there were no major surprises good or bad in the dining opportunities aboard Royal Princess, the new options will be welcome news to Princess regulars, and the old standbys were pleasantly consistent. The ship’s staff is culturally diverse, hailing from more than 50 countries. For the most up-to-date testing, masking, and vaccination requirements aboard Royal Princess, please refer to Princess Cruises. You can also use Cruise Critic’s guide to health requirements on the world’s major cruise lines as we know them.
Overall, the crew aboard Royal Princess was excellent, and we appreciated the smoothly run operation. The check-in process at Port Everglades was particularly disorganized and poorly managed, riddled with conflicting instructions and long lines. We found servers stretched thin in the Crown Grill on the busy night we dined there, and a couple other dining experiences were shortchanged by understaffing. Otherwise, from our cabin attendant to the waiters in restaurants and bars, service was polished and warm. Royal Princess is also the first in the fleet to promote a full-blown tea service. The Royal Afternoon Tea included fresh berries and cream, warm scones, queen of puddings and finger sandwiches, along with Mighty Leaf teas from the café’s tea tower.
Another new venue for Royal Princess is Bellini’s, a bar that overlooks the Piazza from Deck 6. It’s an open space defined by marble and glass, somewhat sequestered from the hubbub of the Piazza. It didn’t see a lot of traffic, and we noticed people lounging here without ordering from the menu. Wines available by the glass included Hogue riesling, Nobilo sauvignon blanc, Woodbridge chardonnay, Katnook Estate shiraz, Estancia pinot noir and Robert Mondavi cabernet sauvignon, at prices ranging $7.25-$7.95. Korbel brut reserve was available in 187ml bottles for $7.25 and Nicolas Feuillatte brut reserve by the glass for $13.
If you’re booking a treatment we suggest clarifying with the receptionist that your massage won’t be plagued by a second-hand rendition of My Heart Will Go On. Located next to the Fountain Pool on Deck 16, the SeaView Bar on the port side is a cantilevered watering hole. The arced bulge has windows built into the floor that offer sea views 128 feet straight-down. This bar, open-air but completely shaded, was usually less busy than the nearby Mermaid’s Tale and, depending on the ship’s position, it was often a good spot for sunset libations.
On select nights, one corner of Horizon Court is turned over to a specialized menu (with a surcharge) for fondue or a crab feast, to mixed results. Staged entertainment was much improved over the staid, stale shows we’ve usually experienced on Princess ships. It’s loud, flashy and colorful—not for all tastes, but at least it’s not boring.
Our cabin was primarily illuminated by overhead lights, controlled by switches at the cabin door and another behind the bed-pillows. At check-in, nametags were posted outside all cabin doors, identifying the occupants and their status level in Princess Cruises’ Captain’s Circle. And, whoever thought of locating the toilet paper dispenser in cabin bathrooms behind the toilet—the most ergonomically awkward location possible—should have their design credentials removed.
The ship does a fantastic job of balancing traditional cruising with modern comforts. You won't find waterparks, go-kart tracks or other flashy, family-focused additions. Instead, Royal Princess focuses on relaxation, classic entertainment, and great dining.
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