A Royal Sailing.
Royal Princess Cruise Review to Transatlantic
22 Night Western Mediterranean Grand Adventure (Ft. Lauderdale To Rome)
Sail date: April 22, 2016
Ship: Royal Princess
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: E210
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 8 years ago
Review summary
We took the Royal Princess on a transAtlantic voyage from April 22-May 14, 2016, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. The at-sea days were filled with activities for all ages, including movies (both in-stateroom and on deck); the Pop choir rehearsals and performances; bridge, canasta, and mahjong play; pickle ball play; interest-group get-togethers; enrichment lectures; port talks (Julio Delgado did an outstanding job at this); trivia contests; dance classes; karaoke; outstanding evening shows; and, of course, eating. Unfortunately, the shows during the second leg of our journey (in the Mediterranean Sea) were duplicates from the transAtlantic portion of the trip. The BOGO happy hours were a pleasure, though the second drink now costs a dollar rather than getting 2 for 1 pricing. We traveled a similar transAtlantic last year on the Regal Princess, and the trips were quite similar. Ron Goodman, the cruise director on the Royal Princess, did an outstanding job scheduling and coordinating a full slate of activities. Moreover, the captain's occasional announcements were filled with humor as well as information--certainly a plus.
The ports were interesting. One pleasant surprise was that weather precluded our going into Cadiz, and the Captain substituted Lisbon for it. In those ports where the ship docked a ways from the city, a shuttle was made available for $12 to $15 round trip, a charge we considered excessive. In most ports, a more personal tour in a cab is available for less money than ship-sponsored excursions, and allows for closer approaches to castles, cathedrals, etc. On the other hand, if you have not visited Gaudi's still incomplete Sagrada Familia, be sure to take the tour that goes inside--it is well worth it. And be sure to see the monkeys and caves at Gibraltar.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Look for the exercise machine room at the stern on the starboard side rather than forward across the bow.
Ports of call
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands
Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy