Royal Princess®

SEPTEMBER

The Royal is a great ship and the cruising to Alaska for a cruise-tour, or just visiting along the coast is always a wonderful experience. This was our third Alaskan cruise and will go again soon. The Royal has a customer capacity of just over 3,000 so would be considered "small" by today's standards. Had a balcony cabin which is very comfortable for the two of us, plus the view is breath taking for a great part of the voyage.

SEPTEMBER

I would recommend this trip to Alaska in warmer months. Chilly and rainy Really limited, or totally eliminated, several excursions.

AUGUST

Where does one start? Our Mother Daughter trip was sooo fun! Weather was perfect (August 19-26), the ship sailed smoothly, our stateroom was ALWAYS clean, Jie was OUTSTANDING!! He greeted us daily, explained things well, gave tips of what to do, etc...he is good!! We also had exceptional service from Kris and his coworkers at Crooners Bar! He/they work hard on keeping their guests libations coming, shared short stories of entertainment on stops, answered questions of areas of the ship, etc...OUTSTANDING as well!! We also enjoyed Gerald, our waiter, in the Symphony dining room. He made us laugh, knew us by name on second visit, explained the menu, etc...OUTSTANDING TOO!! Was a wonderful vacation, really could not have been better...Thank YOU All!!

AUGUST

Excellent service! Awesome time and experience!!

AUGUST

Excellent service! Awesome time and experience!!

JULY

Compared to Carnival, the beds and food were so much better. The broadway type shows were not as good and they didn’t have nightly comedy shows but there was plenty to see and do.

JULY

My family group of 11 had a fabulous time. Ship was beautiful and immaculate. Service top notch everywhere on board.

JUNE

The Alaska cruise was amazing and the first cruise I did. I will definitely go again.

FEBRUARY

The ship and the crew were very good, the food was excellent including the buffet which was better than any I've ever seen before. The only draw backs are the Facets shop and the Art Gallery staff. They make the experience of even browsing a nightmare. They are very over zealous pushing you to purchase their wares. I felt very uncomfortable even walking past their shops. Also the balconies are so small that a chair just barely fits, very uncomfortable to even have a cup of coffee on. Better to just book a windowed stateroom.

NOVEMBER

Easy and highly organized embarkation process in Vancouver and an expedited and well planned departure from the ship. In our case we disembarked to the Princess train to Denali. The train trip and stay in Denali and subsequent bus trip transfer to Fairbanks with a paddle wheeler cruise on the river was outstanding and very well planned and organized by Princess. I recommend the post cruise train to Denali as a must see!!

AUGUST

Easy and highly organized embarkation process in Vancouver and an expedited and well planned departure from the ship. In our case we disembarked to the Princess train to Denali. The train trip and stay in Denali and subsequent bus trip transfer to Fairbanks with a paddle wheeler cruise on the river was outstanding and very well planned and organized by Princess. I recommend the post cruise train to Denali as a must see!!

JULY

See comments above.

JULY

Our first ever cruise met all expectations and more.

JUNE

Rooms are seriously outdated: Our mini-suite had only TWO outlets in the room, and NO USB ports available. We were lucky to have brought an outlet extender that included USB ports. Also, the high back chair is superfluous and just takes up space. Ship communications was also a problem: 1) We were assigned the Symphony Dining Room and found it closed. After two days we were informed that the Symphony was closed and we were moved to the Concerto Dining Room 1 floor up. 2) In Juneau, we had purchased a helicopter excursion to a glacier scheduled for 9:30 am. We arrived at 9:15 to find the excursion was cancelled due to weather. The rep told us they had canceled early that morning due to weather on the glacier. The ship did not notify us, and by the time we found out all of the excursions that interested us were sold out. (Then, rather than issue a full refund, Royal deducted our room charges from the near $900 amount we paid. It seemed rather chintzy.

JUNE

We loved the trip!

JUNE

Great trip if a lifetime! Saw and did many things. Can’t wait until our next adventure

FEBRUARY

The staff was terrific. very cordial, helpful and seemed to always have a smile.

JANUARY

Itinerary did not measure up to Caribbean itinerary.

JANUARY

Really enjoyed our mini-suite except for the size of the balcony. Lots of room to move about and get comfortable. Plenty of storage for clothes.

JANUARY

We had the best time ever. The ship was so impressive and well laid out. We plan on taking another trip again this next year. Awesome Ship

DECEMBER

Loved, loved this ship. Everyone is super helpful and never a negative. Have been home one day and will rebook on Royal tomorrow.

DECEMBER

Wife found the trip to be very relaxing and enjoyable; I believe that the cost represented decent value.

DECEMBER

The rooms are very small. Perhaps if one were to upgrade to a larger room it might be better. We never saw our rooms steward, although the towels were changes and the bed was made daily. Unless you use the high-tech location finding stuff around the boat, you cannot tell which is the bow and which is the stern unless you are on deck. It takes a good two days to get oriented. Perhaps Princess cruises has smaller vessels, but this was too big for me, however some of the main areas were beautifully decorated. Also, if one is leaving on one of the short cruises from Los Angeles, the guests are a pretty mixed crowd many of whom are just interested in partying. If that is what you want, that's great but not entirely suited to me. Embarking was not well organized and debarking was completely confusing and disorganized perhaps because of the size of the ship and numbers of guests. Would not go on this specific cruise again.

NOVEMBER

Really great cruise just like you would want it to be. We got our first Ocean Medallions to just walk on the ship & have drinks brought to you, look at your bill, etc & it worked well. It was a hard app to install though which I read about many times. We love ?? the Royal Princess. It is classy & beautiful & there were always seats in the atrium. The ship did not seem crowded (except in the main show lounge). All of the crew were friendly & helpful. There was a 10 min walk to Seaport Village in San Diego & the Monterey tender dropped us off at the boardwalk. Extremely fast debark.

NOVEMBER

Some of the best food I have ever had on Princess. The Cruise Director's were the Friendliest I have ever encountered and this was #9 on Princess. They stopped and talked to me at least 4 times. Great Entertainment on the ship especially the band One Way who are from Romania. I had many conversations with them and they were cordial talking to us for as long as we wanted too. They are great musicians who sing a very wide variety of songs and were great at all of them from 50's Rock to current hits and also Country.

NOVEMBER

We enjoyed the food, but wished there was more options after 11pm. Lots to do. We enjoyed the retreat pool area for adults only. plenty of lounge chairs available for all guests, packed schedule with lots of activities to choose from. I didnt enjoy the shows as much as other ships.

OCTOBER

Everything was perfect. The food both in the dining room and on the deck buffet was outstanding.

SEPTEMBER

<div>Space management was stupendous! The ship was comfortable and easy to navigate with none of the &quot;oh my God, this ship is huge!&quot; feeling we got when sailing on the aforementioned above. The ship&#39;s staff was exemplary in every sense of the word! They made us feel like family. We recommend this ship eleventeen on a scale of 1-10</div>

SEPTEMBER

Great that they have enlarged Alfredos Pizza restaurant in the Piazza. Very classy decor throughout the ship.

SEPTEMBER

Our Cabin Stewart “Dali” was the most efficient, pleasant and helpful Stewart we have ever had on a cruise. He was excellent. He couldn’t help the grouting and mold that needed replacing in the SUITE nor the handle falling off the shower so the water couldn’t be turned off or the light ballistics that need to be re-laced in the bathroom not just the light bulbs. The wait staff we had for breakfast in Sabatini’s was personable, fun and always ready with a smile and a joke whereas Jamie the evening waiter we had on my wife's birthday ruined the meal, ignoring her completely, being absolutely rude to her causing us to leave before dessert. Excellent food in the Crown Grill where we ate 3 times with William as our waiter was outstanding. He did his own bit of teasing and laughing and actually had my non dessert eating wife eating dessert on our last night there.

SEPTEMBER

Did not get as close to Hubbard Glacier, or the glaciers in Glaciers Bay Natl. Park as on previous cruises. Staff said ship too big compared to other ships we have been on. Did not go thru Inside Passage, but out to the Pacific going from Ketchican to Vancouver for same reason

SEPTEMBER

We had 7 days cruise from Vancouver to Whittier (Anchorage), then continued for land tour via train to Denali and McKinley, then back to Anchorage. Cruise was excellent as I previously experienced of Princess. Much of glaciers had been melted compared to my previous visit about 15 years ago, sorry to say that. Land tour was a special one to remember for a long time. The train was nice with glass covered roof, allowing us to see spectacular view during the almost all day traveling to Denali Park. A couple days of land tour after cruise was even more fun to explore the nature of grandiose beautiful nature. We saw all kinds of bears, Musses, and so many of animals. Fantastic experiences over all. Beautiful Loges and very well organized by Princess and staff, excellent services.

AUGUST

We loved the whole experience on land and sea. Alaska is beyond description and all the crew was amazing. The McKinley Lodge and the Denali Lodge could use some refreshing but overall the experience was amazing. Loved the Gastineau guiding whale tour in Juneau and the cruise on the Aleutian Ballad from Deadliest Catch in Ketchikan was the best!! Can’t wait to sale on the Royal Princess again.

JULY

<div>The Royal Princess was beautiful, bar service was great along with the food. Service was superior. Clean and well laid out.&nbsp;The train ride had passengers sitting across from the bar which took away the view. Seats should not be used. River cruise portion in Fairbanks was great!</div>

JULY

We weren't sure if we were "cruise" people, so we figured this specific cruise was a good place to start. We were very pleased with the entire process from boarding to disembarking. The staff was friendly, and the staterooms were comfortable. We had a deluxe balcony and appreciated having the extra sitting area in the room as well as outside. We were a little surprised by the emphasis on shopping (specifically for jewelry) but found that easy to ignore. The educational programming was excellent.

JULY

We had seen the comedian on Celebrity cruise in February, same jokes. Country singer was not that good. Activities were mostly for selling you stuff.

JULY

Newly refurbed ship, very traditional decor, quite elegant. Ocean Software programs for use to search locations on ship, shows, etc, were encouraged to be used, very inconsistent and inefficient. Internet/TV cable were generally not available. Food was not up to par in buffet at all, though we met with the wonderful Maitre D twice and he was most interested in hearing what we had to say to make improvements, classy man. Our stateroom attendant was probably the best we have ever had.

JUNE

This is a excellent cruise to experience wildlife, see nature in its glory. The staff was on cue to give the best possible service. I highly recommend this cruise an the excursions were coordinated very well.

JUNE

We had a wonderful time viewing and visiting Alaska!

JUNE

The Royal Princess has the feel and look of a traditional cruise ship, but with some modern elegance and technical advantages. The Medallions work seamlessly throughout the experience and are easy to use as little or as much as you would like. The dining staff is amazing, and I highly recommend the Crown Grill and Alfredos for alternatives to the main dining rooms. The ship is large, but it does not feel overwhelming and it does not seem over the top like some ships heading up to Alaska this year. During our sailing, there was a tragedy that Princess Cruise Line handled extremely well. Everyone seemed to love the cruise overall from first-time cruisers to seasoned travelers.

JUNE

<div>As an elite member I had cause to visit the Guest Services a couple of times. Though the elite line was very short, the issues seemed to take longer. The staff dealing with the other guests dealt with them rather than look at us and serve us as well...8 people were assisted by the staff before we were even called to the counter...It was only when something was mentioned that they took us before the other guests....In my mind, that is the service that should be offered to the elite guests considering there was only one staff for elite....Other than that it was an amazing trip</div>

MAY

Having not been to Alaska for 18 years, it was time to go back. And this time of a cruise line with a long pedigree in Alaska--Princess. I was eager to experience what my clients do every summer. I was extremely happy with almost every aspect of the cruise. This is the latest ship to become Medallion, so I was also able to experience this process. Overall, it was very easy to set up, but I did have some issues on board. Nice surprise -clearing customs in Vancouver. This meant we did not have to do on board, and the Vancouver port authority personnel had a great system in place, whereby when the lines are long, you are directed to be seated in the same order as you were in line. Very handy for elderly or mobility-challenged passengers. That being said, even with my Ocean-Ready medallion that should speed you through the embarkation process, it still took an hour. My cabin, A710, was good. Plenty of hangers and a large closet. Not as many drawers, but there were shelves in the closet. Bathroom was clean and functional, but the somewhat dingy shower curtain, that did not stop the water from pooling on the floor (due to its length and the height of the shower curb) could be updated. Room steward, Anthony, was great, and handled my requests promptly. Dinner was also a nice surprise. Due to a medical condition, I eat smaller meals every 4 hours. Dinners aboard ships, with 5 or 6 courses, were always slow for me, since I would have to wait for my companions to eat their appetizers, soup, and salads, before I could get my main course. Princess has streamlined the process. The choices are still there, but not as separate courses. Dishes came promptly and at the correct temperature. I ate one night in the Crown Grill. Excellent steaks and very nice wine list. Service was outstanding. One thing that I very much disliked was the layout of the three dining rooms. I like three smaller dining rooms, but if your cabin is aft, as mine was, you need to constantly walk to the mid-ship elevators if you want to access anything on decks 5 and 6. Your elevators will only serve the dining rooms on those floors. You cannot walk through to get to the Piazza on deck 5, for example. Normally, I prefer Aft to Forward, but on Princess, forward is better because of those dining rooms. I also did not like Ocean Now. Princess touts this as a way to be served drinks and food without moving from your seat. I tried it three times during my week. Once, in the Vista Lounge, before that bar opened. App said my location was not available. Second time, in the Princess Theater. Again, the app said my location was not available. Lastly, I tried in the casino, but you are not allowed to have your cell phone out at the gaming tables, so I could not use the app. I commend Princess on how they handled the air tragedy that occurred on May 13th, when two small planes collided during Misty Fjords Flightseeing. Princess got the affected families and companions off the ship before making a ship-wide announcement. The ensuing delay caused us to arrive late in Juneau the next day. I know the Shore Excursion personnel were up until 3am rescheduling morning tours, and were back at the desk at 730am, handling the guest requests. Princess also canceled some entertainment for that evening, and brought counselors on board for the remaining guests. Disembarkation was smooth.

MAY

Highly recommend this adventure to all!

MAY

<div>This was my 1st cruise in 30 plus years. I was hesitant after getting seasick on 1st cruise but thought the inside passage would be my best option. With the aid of a patch I did fine. I can&#39;t really say anything was bad in regards to the cruise except for the lengthy line at the pier to enter US Customs before boarding. I do understand that it saved us on the back end of the cruise from having to do this. I found my stateroom to be awesome. It was roomy and clean. I found the itinerary to be great. I was amazed by number of jewelry stores and they way they all tried to lure you into their stores.</div>

MAY

<div>The overall trip was both informative and enjoyable! The ship was beautiful and getting to the ship was amazing. Everyone was so helpful to me and my service dog. I was met at the transfer bus by an attendant with a wheelchair and taken through check-in; then transported by a Princess attendant via wheelchair to my cabin, where my scooter was waiting for me. The accommodations were acceptable (disable cabin) with the exception of the beds, which were too short for my 5&#39;10 structure. In addition, Princess built a box for my dog to do his business and they insisted on tending to the cleaning of the box. The ports-of-call were all amazing; I went shopping in each port and explored each town. I took a tour in Whittier, but this is the only excursion I took. Views of the Glaciers and wildlife from the deck and my balcony yielded wonderful pictures. Unfortunately, the disembarkation did not go smoothly and guest services were of no help in getting a wheelchair and in getting my mis-routed luggage to the correct location.</div>

MAY

Had a wonderful time on board the Royal Princess on the Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise. We really enjoyed all of the ports and felt we had a sufficient amount of time to view the glaciers. We did not experience any hiccups during the check-in process, on board, or the disembarkation process. All was very well organized. I think the ship decor could use a little face lift, and more casual included dining options other than pre-made burgers and pizza at the outdoor grill and the buffet would have been appreciated.

MAY

We enjoyed the scenery and the ports of call. The staterooms are lacking a common area to sit unless you sit on the bed. Entertainment in the Prince Live lounge had us laughing every nights. Only went to one show in theater since none of the titles interested us.

MAY

<div>This was the first time my client took a cruise and first time to Alaska. He really loved the layout of the inside of the ship, never felt crowded, enjoyed the scenery from our balcony, liked the room (convenient next to elevator), enjoyed all the different entertainment. I could go on and on. He loves Princess, loves all the different dining choices, and book another cruises. Yahoo for Princess Cruise Line, GREAT JOB, a BIG THUMBS UP. Great itineraries and shore excursions. We took the Mendenhall Glacier, salmon hatchery, and salmon bake tour, we really liked it, but enjoyed the salmon bake the best, with the waterfall, good food, roasting marshmallows on the open fire, live local music, and great friendly people. We wish we would have booked more excursions, especially anything in Denali, or a train ride, just too much to enjoy and take in. I advise at least two weeks.</div>

MAY

Wonderful Itinerary, wonderful food, and the entertainment was fabulous.

APRIL

<div>This was our first time on the Royal Princess. They were using the Ocean Medallion Program for the second time on this ship and our first experience with it and&nbsp; I liked that a lot. I would recommend downloading the Ocean Compass Apps before leaving home.</div>

APRIL

Because of the many people on this ship, the wait in the main dining room was too long for service. This was our only complaint.

APRIL

We relaxed, visited new places, ate lots of great foods, and most of all had fun.

FEBRUARY

What a great week! Check-in: arrived at 12:30 and it was a smooth, flawless process. Disembarkation was equally easy, departing with our own arrangements at 9:00 AM (from the time we started walking to our exit from the ship to pulling out of the parking lot, it was 35 minutes.). The only downer was the location of the Allegro Dining Room. We missed it and were frustrated because of the limited access.

FEBRUARY

<div>The Royal Princess Cruise Ship and its staff continues to provide passengers a memorable vacation.</div>

JANUARY

It was great break, even though the weather didn't co-operate a 100% of the time. We really like a little smaller ship with about a thousand less people as this was the biggest ship we've ever been on. Otherwise, great food, staff, and shows.

DECEMBER

Most relaxing time for this time of year. Everything was great and ship was beautiful. I would recommend this ship to anyone.

NOVEMBER

Terrific service in all areas — room, dining, shops, lounges.

OCTOBER

Anytime dining was poor. After complaint several times got assigned a regular table and seating time.

OCTOBER

<div>Piatoon was our room sturart. By the 2nd day out he called me by name every time we pass in the hallway. The excursions at Charlottetown were very disorganized. Disembarking the ship took 20 min and the bus was an hour late as well. All stops were shortened to be back to the ship on time. I don&#39;t think I got my moneys worth at this port.</div>

OCTOBER

Even though the waiters were fantastic the wait for food was way too slow. 2 hrs from start to finish.

JULY

<div>The food was excellent and everyone went out of the way to make things as smooth as possible.</div>