Nice Ship
Royal Princess Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern
10 Night Eastern Caribbean Voyager (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)
Sail date: March 13, 2016
Ship: Royal Princess
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: M621
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 8 years ago
Review summary
Had to fill out Royal Princess ship questionaire and this is my impression:
1. Very clean
2. STAFF VERY FRIENDLY, POLITE AND ATTENTIVE
3. NEVER GOT SLIPPERS AND TOWEL QUALITY NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
4. Balcony, ROOM SMALL
5. FOOD EXCELLENT, Crown Grill best specialty restaurant Similar to QM2
6. ITINERARY GOOD
7. ST THOMAS POOR CHOICE OF DOCK ( one other ship in port) and they put us at the old Navy base!
8. Princess canceled St. Kitts and Substituted Dominica
9. Canceled Princess Cay due to failed generator but we still did 20 knots returning to Ft Lauderdale!
10. More expensive than HAL!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
See above
Ports of call
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
Princess Cays (Cruise Line Private Island) Did not visit port
4 Comments
BDRebel 8 years ago
They do offer the "Superior Balcony" as an in-between for the regular balcony and the mini-suite. The room is slightly larger than a regular balcony and does include a small loveseat. Additionally, they have some of these at the front of the ship (facing forward) above the bridge and generally the balcony is quite a bit deeper than normal, and the two rooms in the center (101 and 102) the balcony is somewhat wider due to a fire locker between the two rooms.
I've heard that they give the aft balconies a run for their money.
noname111 8 years ago
joem124 - Thank you for posting your review.
A couple things may help make your next cruise (and I hope you do cruise again) more successful...
PCL balcony cabins are different than others we have been in. The biggest issue we started to notice was that many of the older ships did not include a sofa/loveseat in balcony cabins. That is what got us started comparing cabin size and amenities across cruise lines as part of our selection and booking process. On PCL's older ships, if you want more room and a sofa/loveseat, you pretty much have to book a mini suite. We do see that ships like the Regal Princess have better in-cabin seating but it is important to critically evaluate the cabin before booking.
The cruise line does not pick where they dock unless they have a really sweet deal with the port. Generally, port schedules are set in advance but unfortunately that doesn't automatically mean ships get the berth that is the most passenger-friendly.
Ports get changed for a variety of reasons. It is disappointing for sure. Substitutions are not easily arranged (due to advanced port schedule). As much as we book based on itinerary, we always keep in mind that any given port could be cancelled and don't let it knot our panties if/when it happens. It sounds like you had your share of port changes... one is disappointing but two changes is a real blow.
I hope your next cruise sails smoothly.
jetsvettes 8 years ago
I have been to Dominica several times. I believe I was actually there once when it did not rain. LOL Your best bet in Dominica is to take a tour. The downtown area scares me. I never go to the Private Island and actually try to pick Princess Cruises that do not go to their own Island. A private island may be good for a cruise line but I don't want to give them all my money. I prefer the choices of free enterprise.