Princess vs. Royal Caribbean: Which of those well-liked cruise traces is best for you?

The cruise line’s next-generation ships, nevertheless, promise one thing extra. When Princess debuts the 4,300-passenger Solar Princess in February 2024, the ship will introduce Park19, a high-energy zone unfold over three prime decks. The realm will function 9 partaking family-friendly actions, together with the Sea Breeze Rollglider and The Web ropes course.

Innovation and pleasure have lengthy been the calling playing cards of Royal Caribbean and its fleet of 26 ships. Along with providing among the largest thrills at sea — looping waterslides, simulated sky diving and glow-in-the-dark laser tag — the cruise line operates the 5 largest ships on the earth.

In 2024, that quantity will leap to seven when Icon of the Seas, a brand new class for Royal Caribbean, and Utopia of the Seas, its sixth Oasis-class vessel, will seize the highest two spots.

Visitors reserving a cruise on Royal Caribbean ought to count on a energetic onboard vibe with actions and leisure for all ages. These are large ships, so if theme parks, all-inclusive resorts and Las Vegas casinos are your factor, you may really feel proper at residence.

Associated: The final word information to Royal Caribbean cruise ships and itineraries

Measurement of ships

Let’s begin with Royal Caribbean, which over the previous twenty years has turn into synonymous with the time period “megaship.” The soon-to-be 11 vessels in its Oasis and Quantum courses can accommodate 4,100 to five,700 passengers at double occupancy, and as many as 5,500 (Quantum) and seven,000 (Oasis) at capability.

When Icon of the Seas debuts, it would carry 5,600 company at double occupancy, and as much as 7,600 at capability. The brand new ship will function eight neighborhoods (together with the brand new family-centric Surfside) and provide extra cabins and suites that may accommodate 4 or extra passengers than some other ship within the fleet.

The rest of the Royal Caribbean fleet — older ships within the Imaginative and prescient, Radiance, Voyager and Freedom courses — carry 2,000 to three,900 company at double occupancy.

Princess has maintained a comparatively unflashy fleet with simply three courses of ships — Royal, Grand and Coral — and none of its ships rank within the prime 40 of world’s largest ships. When Solar Princess debuts, nevertheless, will probably be the cruise line’s first megaship. Its sister ship, Star Princess, will launch in 2025, and each vessels will probably be bigger than Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class ships.

At the moment, the biggest Princess ships are its six Royal-class vessels launched between 2013 and 2022. They accommodate 3,660 passengers at double occupancy.

The seven Grand-class ships carry 2,600 to three,100 company, whereas the 2 smallest ships, Coral Princess and Island Princess, accommodate round 2,000 company at double occupancy.

If it is a megaship expertise you are looking for, Royal Caribbean has loads of choices. The closest Princess can provide will probably be Solar Princess. However, in the event you get pleasure from a big ship (3,000-plus passengers) with a much less chaotic vibe (fewer children, no splashy slides), Princess’ Royal-class ships is likely to be a great match.

Associated: The three courses of Princess Cruises ships, defined

Who’s on board?

Each Royal Caribbean and Princess appeal to a cross-section of largely U.S. vacationers on the lookout for a mainstream cruise expertise providing good worth and quite a lot of onboard eating choices. However that is the place the similarities finish.

Royal Caribbean skews decidedly youthful and welcomes much more households with youngsters than Princess. Mother and father with lively children and youths are drawn to its ships’ expansive children golf equipment, a number of swimming pools, splashy waterparks and thrilling onboard actions, lots of that are included within the cruise fare.

The bar and lounge choices on Royal Caribbean’s ships additionally make them well-liked with younger {couples} and teams of buddies, particularly bachelor and bachelorette getaways on shorter sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean.

Princess, then again, is stronger with {couples}, together with older {couples} who benefit from the model’s lower-key atmosphere and consistency. With its “The Love Boat” affiliation, Princess has at all times performed up onboard romance and has been a well-liked choice for honeymoons, anniversaries and vacation spot weddings.

That is to not say that there are no children onboard. On the contrary, Princess’ programming partnership with Animal Planet and Discovery appeals to oldsters with kids and youths who’re fascinated by the pure world and will not miss theme-park-style points of interest. Princess ships do function a number of swimming pools, simply not waterslides.

The distinction is evident: For onboard pleasure for all ages, go for Royal Caribbean. For a extra low-key vibe with a deal with destination-inspired discovery, Princess is the higher choice.

Grand-class ships provide one thing distinctive: a two-bedroom household suite, which is a mini-suite and inside cabin mixed with a shared dwelling area in between. It could sleep six to eight passengers.

All Princess ships provide accessible cabins, however none at the moment have single cabins for solo vacationers. Solar Princess will function inside cabins for single occupancy.

Solar Princess may also debut a completely new idea referred to as the Signature Suite Assortment. This grouping of fifty suites, essentially the most ever supplied on a Princess ship, could have unique entry to a non-public restaurant, two-deck lounge and solar deck overlooking the ship’s wake. Solar Princess may also function “cabana” mini-suites providing further rest area and direct entry to a shared sundeck with scorching tubs solely for cabana company.

Royal Caribbean affords 4 most important stateroom classes — inside, ocean-view, balcony and suite — and all ships have accessible rooms, however there are a lot of subcategories. Passengers reserving Oasis- and Quantum-class ships can select from virtually two dozen choices. The overwhelming majority of cabins on these newer ships have personal balconies.

The road’s Oasis-class ships additionally function balcony staterooms with out ocean views. That is as a result of they overlook the Boardwalk, an open-air inside eating and leisure neighborhood, or Central Park, an onboard inexperienced area that includes stay crops and several other eating places.

Passengers reserving a cruise on 11 of Royal Caribbean’s ships will pay a bit further for a “Digital Balcony,” an inside stateroom that includes an 80-inch high-definition display screen providing real-time exterior views.

Six Royal Caribbean ships (Brilliance of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Concord of the Seas and Spectrum of the Seas) additionally provide cabins designed for solo vacationers. These vary from a 101-square-foot Inside Studio Stateroom to a 199-square foot Studio Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony.

High-tier lodging are often known as Royal Suite Class. Thought-about to be among the most spectacular suites within the mainstream cruise sector, they’re accessible on Oasis- and Quantum-class ships and vary from comparatively modest 290-square-foot junior suites to two-level, 1,800-square-foot Royal Loft Suites that rival a recent penthouse house. Priced nicely above different staterooms, these concierge-serviced suites attraction to rich vacationers, particularly these cruising with their households, preferring the energetic atmosphere of a giant ship to a smaller luxurious vessel.

Associated: Royal Caribbean cruise ship cabin and suite information

The 2-level Final Household Suite — a vibrant and playful choice for households with youthful children and a beneficiant price range — is obtainable on Surprise of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas and Spectrum of the Seas.

All Royal Suite Class company get pleasure from entry to unique venues, such because the Coastal Kitchen restaurant and a non-public sundeck. Facilities and VIP perks differ by the Royal Suite Class class booked.

When Icon of the Seas debuts in early 2024, it would provide 28 cabin and suite classes, together with 14 utterly new lodging varieties. This ship was designed with households in thoughts and 80% of its staterooms will be capable of be linked or provide sufficient area to accommodate bigger households.

Whereas Princess is lastly beginning to elevate its suite lodging for top-tier company, it nonetheless lags far behind Royal Caribbean in providing revolutionary stateroom design.

Eating

If you wish to get pleasure from genuine Italian-inspired delicacies or wonderful steakhouse eating, each Princess and Royal Caribbean have you ever lined. There’s different overlap as nicely, however the variations between the eating choices on every cruise line are primarily a matter of choices, together with the free ones.

Princess has lengthy held the excellence — not less than amongst its followers and several other cruise web sites — of getting among the finest pizza at sea: fresh-from-the-oven particular person pies served at Alfredo’s Pizzeria (also called Gigi’s Pizzeria on some ships). Higher nonetheless, this sit-down eatery on all Royal-class ships, in addition to Grand Princess and Sapphire Princess, is complimentary. Takeaway-style Slice Pizzeria is featured on all different ships.

What different complimentary eating choices does Princess provide? The sit-down most important eating room and the buffet-style World Contemporary Market (Horizon Court docket on some ships) each serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Visitors can even get pleasure from informal burgers and rooster sandwiches on the poolside Trident Grill for lunch; it additionally serves barbeque and smokehouse specialties for dinner.

Some ships have The Salty Canine Grill, serving burgers, scorching canines, tacos and pulled pork sandwiches. Worldwide Café, positioned within the Piazza, is open 24 hours a day for snacks comparable to croissants, salads and sandwiches.

Past its celebrated pizza, Princess additionally has an Italian specialty restaurant, Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria. As its title implies, Sabatini’s serves conventional Italian classics primarily based on genuine household recipes at a further per-person price. Want a steakhouse? Princess has two: Crown Grill, on most of its ships, and Sterling Steakhouse, on Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess.

Different extra-cost specialty eating venues, with availability various by ship, are: Bistro Sur La Mer (a contemporary French bistro), The Catch by Rudi (an upscale seafood restaurant and uncooked bar by Princess’ head of culinary arts Rudi Sodamin), The Salty Canine Gastropub (an off-the-cuff comfort-food eatery accessible on Discovery Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess), Chef’s Desk (an intimate multi-course tasting menu with wine pairing), Crab Shack (a pop-up seafood eatery on ships cruising Alaska itineraries), Ocean Terrace (a sushi bar and sashimi bar) and Bayou Café (a New Orleans-style venue on Coral Princess and Island Princess).

Princess now affords Dine My Method, which permits passengers to customise their eating preferences and instances through the MedallionClass app on their smartphone. There are not conventional early and late seatings for dinner on Princess ships, a standard means of cruise eating that Royal Caribbean maintains for many who want it.

Royal Caribbean is understood for that includes a big selection of specialty eating ideas — greater than 18 — throughout its fleet, whereas on the identical time providing passengers who do not wish to pay further a stunning variety of complimentary choices, particularly on its newer ships.

Within the included column is the primary eating room with themed menus that change nightly. The Classics part, providing choices comparable to grilled rooster breast and herb-crusted salmon each evening, has been eliminated, though a few of these favorites do seem at instances on the brand new menus. Consequently, this revamped format can restrict choices for choosy eaters. (Princess, too, has tweaked its most important eating room menus, however Princess Favorites are nonetheless supplied nightly.)

When reserving a cruise, Royal Caribbean passengers should select between conventional eating (both an early or late seating for your complete cruise) or extra versatile My Time Eating. With the latter, they’ll reserve a desk of any configuration at any time or simply present up on the most important eating room and wait in line for a desk.

The buffet-style Windjammer Market is the opposite most important complimentary eating venue on all Royal Caribbean ships. However passengers with children and people on a price range may also admire the road’s enjoyable, informal eateries, that are additionally free. These differ by ship, with Oasis and Quantum-class vessels having essentially the most.

Choices embody Canine Home for grilled frankfurters, Sorrento’s for pizza (inferior to Princess’), El Loco Contemporary for tacos and burritos, Noodle Bar for quick-serve Chinese language dishes, Café Promenade for 24-hour snacks, Park Café for grab-and-go sandwiches and Vitality Café for wholesome salads and wraps.

Royal Caribbean’s specialty restaurant lineup additionally varies from ship to ship, though Chops Grille, providing a steak and seafood menu, is aboard most vessels. Newer ships function as many as 12 extra-cost specialty eating choices, however older ships might have as few as three.

Choices embody Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen for family-style classics, Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver for a Tuscan-inspired menu, Wonderland for ingenious fashionable delicacies, Izumi for sushi and Japanese specialties, 150 Central Park for contemporary American wonderful eating and the just lately launched The Mason Jar for southern delicacies.

Royal Caribbean passengers should buy specialty eating packages at a reduced value previous to crusing.

Whereas each traces provide a various eating lineup, Princess comes out on prime for total meals high quality whereas Royal Caribbean has an edge in terms of free eateries that youngsters will love.

Onboard points of interest

Do you wish to be severely wowed or subtly wooed? There is no escaping the in-your-face pleasure of Royal Caribbean’s onboard points of interest. Princess, in the meantime, takes a extra old-school (however nonetheless energetic) method to retaining its company completely satisfied.

Embracing the notion that cruise passengers love a great pool, Princess designed all of its ships with a number of choices — however not a single one has a waterslide. 4 Royal-class ships (Discovery Princess, Enchanted Princess, Sky Princess and Regal Princess) have a pair of enormous swimming pools with energetic music and live performance movies on an enormous display screen, plus a smaller aft Wake View (or Terrace) Pool and a quieter, adults-only Retreat Pool.

Aft swimming pools are additionally featured on a number of Grand-class ships, comparable to Crown Princess, Grand Princess and Caribbean Princess. Different vessels, together with Majestic Princess and Sapphire Princess, have a lined Calypso pool, and even the smallest, Coral Princess and Island Princess, have three swimming pools.

When Solar Princess debuts, it would function two most important Lido Swimming pools, a Wake View Pool and a forward-facing Sea View Pool, in addition to a pool within the adults-only Sanctuary, which requires a each day payment.

Princess can be recognized for its nightly (climate allowing) Films Below the Stars, which lets company loosen up on loungers by the pool as they watch function movies and snack on free popcorn.

Visitors looking for wellness-focused rest can head to Princess’ signature Lotus Spa. The venues do differ by ship, with some Grand-class vessels that includes a Lotus Spa Pool, whereas Royal-class ships affords The Enclave thermal space with a big hydrotherapy pool, hammam and Roman-style caldarium (at an added price).

Princess ships additionally provide fashionable health facilities in addition to a sports activities courtroom, mini-golf, ping pong and shuffleboard. As famous above, Solar Princess will break the mould with its Park19 zone, designed to draw extra activity-seeking households with points of interest such because the hang-glider-inspired Sea Breeze Rollglider, a ropes course, climbing construction and a water park.

Most Royal Caribbean ships are well-known for providing all types of adrenaline-rush actions, together with a number of swimming pools and splashy waterparks. Icon of the Seas could have a complete of seven swimming pools, together with Royal Bay, the biggest pool at sea.

Passengers aboard the cruise line’s well-liked Oasis-class ships can scream their means down 10 decks of corkscrew spirals on the Final Abyss slide, get swept away on The Good Storm waterslides or strive simulated browsing with FlowRider. The mountain climbing wall and zip line are two different methods to beat a worry of heights, whereas less-intense actions embody ice skating, mini-golf, pickleball, laser tag and escape rooms.

Quantum-class ships provide an virtually utterly totally different lineup of points of interest. Along with the FlowRider and the mountain climbing wall, lively thrills embody the sky-dive simulator RipCord by iFly and a two-level SeaPlex with a sports activities courtroom/bumper automobile rink/laser tag maze and areas devoted to Xbox and virtual-reality gaming. Quantum-class ships even have the North Star, a pod-like sightseeing capsule that extends above the ship. If you happen to’re on the lookout for a waterslide, you will not discover any on ships on this class.

Older Freedom-, Voyager-, Radiance- or Imaginative and prescient-class ships additionally provide some thrill-based actions comparable to waterslides, the FlowRider and the mountain climbing wall, with the previous two courses providing extra choices than Radiance- and Imaginative and prescient-class ships.

Pool areas, apart from the adults-only Solarium Pool on many Royal Caribbean ships, are typically extra raucous than on Princess. Royal Caribbean passengers looking for a quieter escape can head to a extra distant solar deck or to the Vitality Spa, the place thermal suite passes can be found at an additional price.

Sure, there’s an apparent distinction in terms of these two cruise traces’ onboard points of interest. Princess ships are designed primarily for enjoyable and socializing. Royal Caribbean company can embrace exhilarating rushes and gravity-defying challenges — therefore its higher recognition with households.

Children actions

Some youngsters are fearless and might’t sit nonetheless, whereas others get pleasure from discovering cool issues concerning the world and making new buddies as they do. By now, you’ve got in all probability found out which cruise line most accurately fits every persona.

Princess takes a hands-on studying method to its children programming, which is constructed round partnerships with Discovery and Animal Planet and focuses totally on having fun with and understanding the wonders of nature.

The Camp Discovery children program options distinctive areas for junior cruisers by age: The Treehouse for ages 3-7, The Lodge for ages 8-12 and The Seaside Home for ages 13-17. Actions vary from scavenger hunts and basketball tournaments to hands-on science challenges and theme weeks impressed by Discovery’s Shark Week and numerous Animal Planet sequence. All programming is complimentary throughout port days. Charges apply on sea days and babysitting for youths age 3-12 is obtainable for an hourly payment.

There is no onboard arcade, however the children and youths golf equipment do provide well-liked video-game consoles (PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox). Teen actions revolve round video- and court-game tournaments and theme events in The Seaside Home hangout area.

Conversely, Royal Caribbean’s method to its onboard experiences for youths and youths depends closely on lively play, particularly water-based. Plenty of ships additionally function Battle for Planet Z, a laser-tag sport acceptable for youths age 5 and older. Royal Escape Rooms (accessible on seven ships and shortly Icon of the Seas) are additionally enjoyable for households with children age 12 and older.

The Journey Ocean youth program on Royal Caribbean ships options particular person areas and actions comparable to artwork and science initiatives, video games and events designed for 3 teams: ages 3-5 (Aquanauts), 6-8 (Explorers) and 9-12 (Voyagers). This system is free throughout the day and early night, however there’s an hourly fee after 10 p.m. The Royal Infants & Tots nursery accommodates little ones ages 6 to 36 months for drop-off (for an hourly payment).

Youthful children accompanied by mother and father can benefit from the Splashaway Bay aquapark, whereas those that are 4 toes or taller can courageous the twists and turns of The Good Storm’s waterslides. On Oasis-class ships, the Boardwalk’s nostalgic carrousel is well-liked with youthful children.

Actions for teenagers embody hanging out in The Dwelling Room or Gas teen membership, competing for the very best rating on the arcade (at an added price) or attempting the mountain climbing wall or FlowRider. Relying on the ship, they’ll additionally courageous the Final Abyss and/or Good Storm slides or play courtroom sports activities or video video games within the SeaPlex.

Whether or not your youngster will benefit from the actions on Princess vs. Royal Caribbean is dependent upon their pursuits. In the event that they’re into studying and discovery, they will be completely satisfied on Princess. But when they’re extra excited by lively thrills and would fortunately spend hours swooshing down waterslides, Royal Caribbean is the higher selection.

Leisure

There’s cruise-ship leisure after which there’s Royal Caribbean cruise-ship leisure. It is virtually unattainable to prime, so let’s begin there.

The leisure line-up on Royal Caribbean’s latest ships contains Broadway musicals comparable to “Hairspray” and “Mamma Mia!”, cowl bands enjoying prime hits of the ’70s and ’80s, excessive divers leaping into an onboard pool and multimedia spectacles that mix stay performances with a high-tech help.

Having fun with a success Broadway present at sea — free of charge — is a good worth for certain, however to see one company have to e book an Oasis-class ship. All different vessels provide colourful, high-energy manufacturing exhibits with musical and pop-cultural themes nightly of their onboard theaters.

Oasis-class ships additionally provide two distinctive types of leisure: Thrilling high-dive performances within the AquaTheater {and professional} ice exhibits in Studio B. The ice rink can be aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom- and Voyager-class ships.

Quantum-class ships function one thing edgier: Two70, a multi-level efficiency area the place big-screen know-how and daring acrobatics mix into a novel multi-sensory expertise. These ships additionally function Music Corridor, the place cowl bands carry out hits by legendary rock bands comparable to Bon Jovi and Journey.

Love a sport present and the possibility to be a participant? Royal Caribbean has some side-splitting adults-only competitions targeted on love and marriage.

When Icon of the Seas debuts, it would provide many passenger favorites (Music Corridor, a revamped ice area and Playmaker’s Sports activities Bar & Arcade) plus thrilling new leisure venues. These embody AquaDome, residence to a next-level AquaTheater that includes robotic arms and state-of-the-art projections.

Princess’ onboard choices may appear tame by comparability, however its old-school leisure has a sure appeal that the road’s repeat cruisers love.

There are authentic manufacturing exhibits with elaborate stage units and costumes within the Princess Theater, energetic sing-alongs within the Crooners piano bar, karaoke nights, stay jazz paired with craft cocktails, avenue entertainers within the Piazza, headliner comedians and world-class illusionists.

The Piazza, a multi-deck atrium on all Royal-class ships in addition to six Grand-class ships, is a glamorous social hub. It is residence to a number of bars and eateries and options family-friendly daytime occasions comparable to Puppies within the Piazza and nightly musical performances and dancing.

Princess additionally loves a great sport present, and a few of its ships invite passengers to play a model of Deal or No Deal or The Voice of the Ocean. They’re additionally requested to put on white and gold and be a part of the Love Boat Piazza Occasion for an evening of music, dance and a love-themed sport present.

Simply as with its onboard actions, Royal Caribbean leaves opponents in its wake in terms of leisure. However Princess scores factors for being a artistic crowd-pleaser with out the advantage of dramatic areas and tech-enhanced theatrics. Will Solar Princess change that? It appears that means because the ship’s glass-enclosed, multi-purpose leisure area, The Dome, guarantees acrobatic performances by starlight.

Royal Caribbean is the dominant cruise line in its namesake Caribbean area, cruising there from a number of U.S. ports year-round and visiting Good Day at CocoCay, its personal island within the Bahamas. However the cruise line additionally affords dozens of itineraries within the Mediterranean, Greek Isles, Alaska, Canada & New England, South America, Asia and Australia & New Zealand. In all, Royal Caribbean’s ships go to greater than 300 ports of name on itineraries spanning three to 14 nights.

Royal Caribbean has an edge within the Caribbean, whereas Princess is a best choice for Alaska and affords extra itineraries in Asia, Australia & New Zealand and the South Pacific. Each provide a variety of 7- to 10-night sailings in Europe from April by means of October, though Princess additionally affords longer 16- to 28-day itineraries within the area.

Associated: The 5 finest locations you may go to on a Royal Caribbean ship