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CA Coastal Cruise in the Fall

Royal Princess Cruise Review

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 142

Overall rating:

4.7 out of 5
Royal Princess

7 Night Classic California Coast (San Francisco Roundtrip)

Sail date: October 30, 2022

Ship: Royal Princess

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: E709

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

Although I have taken this cruise before, this is a good cruise for those who are either new to cruising or just would like to experience the cruise experience without having to leave the ship. The staff on the Royal Princess are professional and attentive. There are plenty of activities to keep most people engaged and interested.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Absolutely the best and most efficient embarkation that I have ever experienced! We took the Princess shuttle from SFO, and the checked bags were picked up by the awaiting porter. We then walked into the port with our Medallions on and our passports open, and moved right along the process. It went so quickly that we didn't have much time to look around. On the ship and in our cabin within 30 min of arrival.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
Food was great. Good selection in the buffet and in the dining rooms. Had dinner at Crown Grill, and was good, as always. The portions are a but smaller in all venues, which is not a complaint at all, as we never left the eating establishments wanting for more. Great variety of food, very well prepared.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
Plenty of activities, even though there were about 900 passengers aboard. The cruise director, Corinna, and her staff were friendly and engaging. A lot of trivia opportunities, along with music and other things.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Princess Theater

5 out of 5

Comedian AJ Jamal was performing and is always fun to watch. Seating was easy to get and the show was more intimate due to the amount of passengers on board.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Amazing service from all staff on board. Very attentive and friendly. Our room steward, Edgardo, on the aft Emerald deck starboard side, was amazing! He anticipated your needs, was respectful, responsive to requests, and so friendly and welcoming. It felt like you were staying with close family. Our waiters in the Concerto Dining room, Timothy, Kadek, and Aldrich, along with many others who assisted us during our breakfasts and lunchs, were so attentive and efficient. Such a wonderful experience.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Beautiful ship. Always clean and fresh. Hard to believe that the Royal is almost 10 years old.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Typical balcony cabin. Near aft of ship. Conveniently located near aft elevators, but still quiet. One deck above Promenade deck. Lights on deck below are somewhat bright and we closed our blinds so the light would not disturb us. Room has motion detector lights at the base of the nightstands, and the light to the closet area is also motion detected and bright. The lower lights on the nightstands are pretty helpful, but I'd prefer to not have the bright light come on with every restroom visit during the night. Overall, a nice cabin and great cruise.

Ship tip

Do it! Beautiful ship and great staff. I wish that I had more time to be able to extend our stay on her.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

San Diego, California

5 out of 5
We decided to talk the short walk over to the USS Midway, and take their self-guided tour through the aircraft carrier and the static aircraft displays within and on the flight line. There are many docents to assist you through your visit to the museum, and also includes a food venue and a gift shop. Although there are elevators to bring you up to the main inside deck and up to the flight line, those with wheelchairs and walkers may not be able to experience the living quarters and other areas which are accessed through stairs and ladders. Overall, a great experience.
Thumbs Up

Ensenada, Mexico

3 out of 5
Been there, done that. This is the cruise's foreign port. The pier has been upgraded over the years, and to get into town, you can take about a 1 mile walk, or pay $4 for a round trip shuttle which will drop you off and pick you back up in town. A lot of shopping and Mexican food awaits those who choose to visit.
Thumbs Up

San Pedro (Los Angeles), California

4 out of 5
We have been to San Pedro many times but had never toured the USS Iowa on the pier. My husband is an Air Force veteran and he thoroughly enjoyed the self-guided tour. It is an easy walk from the cruise ship terminal. However, it is not for those with limited mobility, as there are many stairs and ladders which take you into and through the ship.
Thumbs Up

Santa Barbara, California

4 out of 5
This is a tender port. We took the ship-sponsored excursion to Solvang on your own. I was born and raised in California and had never been, so decided to use our OBC to take this excursion. Very nice drive to Solvang from SB. Nice, quaint little city, with European background. We were there several hours and had plenty of time to look around, have lunch, and shop.
Thumbs Up

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Another amazing moment! Our meeting time was scheduled at 8:05am and we were off immediately. Walked down to the baggage area, found our bags, went through customs in record time, and onto the shuttle back to the airport. Perfect disembarkation.
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8 Comments

Eyetwinkle    2 years ago

Thanks for the suggestions. Much appreciated
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RichB165    2 years ago

Thanks for your review! We haven't sailed on the Royal yet but look forward to doing our 6th Cal Coastal aboard her next year. As for those annoying/blinding motion sensor activated lights outside the bathroom, I've found that a shield over the sensor fashioned from a double-thickness of sticky note (The "I'm Interested" stickies from the art auction work well) returns all control of the light to the wall switch. We bring our own night light to plug into the bathroom outlet, leave the door open, and have just enough light to navigate during the "wee" hours at night. 😁
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AuntPinkie    2 years ago

Appreciate your detailed review. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.
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Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise
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byhisgrace    2 years ago

Appreciate your feedback. Glad that you enjoyed your cruise and had great service
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RoynKaren    2 years ago

thanks for your review.
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shipmates4lfe    2 years ago

Thx for the review glad you had a great time. We leave on the Royal Princess in 15 days. So excited 😆
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javawoody    2 years ago

Thanks for the review
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