Royal Princess Cruise Ship Review

My wife wanted to sail with the Royal Princess. We just did the reposition cruise on the Royal from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal down to Fort Lauderdale with three stops in the Caribbean.

It is hard to answer when people ask me what is the best cruise line for Baby Boomers and just as hard to compare ships because it really is up to your personal taste and desires. But having taken 22 cruises and having sailed on the Royal with 2,600 guests with Princess Platinum or better cards, here are some observations.

The sweet spot of the ages on this cruise was say mid-60s to early 70s, so we now fit it perfectly. That is kind of strange since we used to think the people were older, now they are our fellow Baby Boomers.

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The Royal is a nice big glitzy ship with 3,560 guests and 1,700 crew but you don’t feel too crowded. There are some large spaces like the Piazza atrium which some felt was too much for their taste but most people liked it. We noticed there is no problem finding a seat at the bar lounges and around the Piazza atrium’s three levels. That was nice.

I must say the food and the Royal’s singers and dancers were the best I have seen. Also, we had no problem at all with our dining getting in without any wait. Those are a big part of the cruising experience right there.

Small things people were complaining about were no stairs above deck 8 in the center of the ship. Shower curtains rather than glass doors. A small balcony in their cabins.

But as the cruise got on, you saw many positives like I have mentioned above with the food, shows, and no wait to dine. There is Alfredo’s  Pizzeria, a new no-fee restaurant with is nice for lunch, and a full-size Gelateria bar serving ice cream and Italian crepes. The SeaWalk on the side of the ship was fun to walk across and look down 128 feet to the ocean under your feet.

The Movies Under the Stairs on the Poolside was amazing. It is the largest movie screen on any cruise ship I’ve ever seen. It looked great, even during the day. The sound quality was amazing and resulted in some great pool parties during the day.

The Princess Theater has the most up-to-date technology and the digital props on stage were amazing.

I loved the Royal’s ship horn which plays part of the Love Boat Theme. The passengers on the Carnival ship next to us got a kick of it and cheered us goodbye!

The Royal Princess is a beautiful ship and you should give it a try!