Royal Princess Review

Like other Princess Cruises ships, Royal Princess embraces many traditional components that loyal Princess cruisers love, and through partnerships and technology, adds extras that appeal to first-time cruisers.

Royal Princess was launched in 2013, christened by Catherine (Kate) Middleton, then known as The Duchess of Cambridge, now the Princess of Wales. If you head down to Deck 5 between the Piazza and the Guest Services area, you’ll find a glass case displaying the dress she wore, along with photographs and memorabilia from the christening ceremony.

Royal Princess went into dry dock for an extensive renovation in December 2018, and other than a few age-related shortcomings (such as no USB plugs in the cabins and the clingy shower curtain in the bathroom), it still shows very well in all areas.

Royal Princess Deck Plans Spell Consistency with Minor Changes

The first of six Royal Class vessels, the Royal Princess deck plan served as the blueprint for the rest of the ships in its class (Regal Princess, Majestic Princess, Discovery Princess, Sky Princess, and Enchanted Princess). Interior public spaces are found on decks 5, 6, and 7, decks 16 to 19 are the outdoor areas, and cabins take the rest of the decks. The only exception is Deck 16, which is home to a few cabins in the forward part of the ship. This layout makes it easier for passengers to navigate their way around since the public decks are grouped together.

An innovative feature and an industry-first at the time (2013) onboard Royal Princess is the SeaWalk - an open-air glass-bottomed walkway cantilevered 28 feet over the edge of the ship on the starboard side. For those who aren’t afraid of heights, a walk over the glass floor will let you see down 128 feet below.

The only thing unusual about the Royal Princess deck plan compared to older Princess vessels is the spa and the fitness center are no longer together. While the gym is located on Deck 17 aft, the spa is buried down on Deck 5 forward, without any natural light. If you’re used to the spa’s top-deck location, you won’t find that on Royal Princess or her sister ships. 

At 142,229 gross registered tons, Royal Princess is a large cruise ship at 1,083 feet long (the length of 3 American football fields), 217 feet tall, with a capacity of 3,560 passengers based on double occupancy. Until the recent debut of Sun Princess, the Royal Class ships were the largest in the Princess fleet. Although multiple venues spread passengers out, you may find some lines and waits at peak dining times – and finding a lounger around the main pool may be a frustrating experience on sunny sea days.

Princess vs. Royal Caribbean for Alaska, Hawaii and Riviera Maya Itineraries

First-time cruisers trying to decide between Royal Princess and some of Royal Caribbean’s ships for their Alaska, Hawaii or Riviera Maya trips may find it hard to pick one due to their similarities in terms of ports of call. However, the experience aboard each of them is actually pretty different: while Royal Princess offers a mellow, more traditional experience, Royal Caribbean is all about the wow factor when it comes to family fun, with high-tech amenities and stunning Broadway shows.

For a full comparison between the two cruise lines, read Princess Cruises vs. Royal Caribbean International.

The Royal Princess Cruise Ship Offers a Traditional Experience with Destination Enrichment

Royal Princess - and Princess Cruises in general - offers a consistent cruise program, where the food, beverage, entertainment, activities, and service appeal to a broad age group and lifestyles. It has something for everyone from solo travelers to couples, families, and groups, from kids to seniors and first-time cruisers to veterans at sea, without skewing towards any particular demographic.

 We also believe a big part of Princess’ appeal comes from its laid-back, mellow but fun atmosphere onboard. Although there are plenty of opportunities to let your hair down, this is more of a classic cruising experience, with activities that range from afternoon tea to Bingo, trivia, and game shows.

But there’s also an enrichment side of a Princess cruise, with special guests and subject-matter experts coming onboard to offer destination-themed talks, music lessons, and cultural demonstrations. In Alaska, Princess invites Iditarod winner Libby Riddles to talk about her life experiences; and in New Zealand, Maori descendants are onboard to teach guests traditional dances and games. Royal Princess still holds formal nights and offers traditional fixed-seating dining.

That’s not to say that Royal Princess is stuck in time. The modern and high-tech OceanMedallion, a personalization technology, is meant to make your cruise more convenient and service more intuitive. OceanMedallion, a quarter-sized disk replacing the key card, is used to open cabin doors automatically, embark and disembark, order food and drink to be delivered wherever you are on the ship, and charge for shipboard purchases and services.

However, the technology is only great when it’s used consistently. On our Royal Princess New Zealand sailing, we mainly used the Medallion to embark and disembark the ship, open our cabin doors, and check in at restaurants. Bartenders, waiters, and spa staff mostly asked for our cabin number, like always. And the Medallion technology has also replaced signing for your purchases and services. Once you’ve tapped your Medallion (or have given your cabin number), the charge goes straight through without requiring a signature.

Royal Princess shines in its food and beverage partnerships, including wines by Napa Valley vineyards Silverado and Caymus, SMiZE & Dream ice cream by Tyra Banks, Sláinte Irish Whiskey by Liev Schreiber, and Pantalones tequila by power couple Matthew McConaughy and Camilla Pantalones. Princess also recently announced partnerships with Blake Lively for her Betty Booze and Betty Buzz beverage line, and non-alcoholic wines by Kylie Minogue.

A nice choice for people who love a traditional cruise's comforts and rituals, Royal Princess is certainly a good choice for first-timers and experienced cruisers.

Princess Plus and Princess Premier Offers More Inclusions, At Expense of Standard Fares

Princess has revised their pricing programs into three tiers with various inclusions at each level: Princess Standard, Princess Plus, and Princess Premier.

Princess Standard is the bare-bones price package - and the least expensive, but it just includes the basics and everything else comes at a cost.

Princess Plus is a more inclusive tier at a higher price, which includes a beverage package good for drinks up to $22 each (with a limit of 15 drinks a day), two casual restaurant meals, two fitness classes, two specialty desserts, MedallionNet Wi-Fi for one device, unlimited juice bar, full room service including delivery charges, and crew gratuities.

The highest priced package - Princess Premier - also comes with the most inclusions. In addition to all the Princess Plus benefits, the beverage package is upgraded to unlimited drinks up to $30 each, plus the specialty and casual dining meals, fitness classes, and specialty desserts also become unlimited. In addition, there’s an unlimited digital photo package (and three prints), reserved seating at production shows in the Princess Theater, and free entry for a chance to win Princess Prizes (giveaways through OceanMedallion).

Both Princess Plus and Princess Premier pricing packages elevate the passengers’ cruise experience to an all-inclusive environment, without the need to whip out their Medallion for drinks and additional dining. And if you enjoy a few drinks - especially when ordering the top-priced drinks, and need Wi-Fi (who doesn’t these days?), it’s worth paying extra for what Princess calls “the things you’re gonna do anyway”.

The only people who lose out in this pricing structure, in our opinion, are the ones who book Princess Standard, because a lot of what used to be included has now been taken away. For example, every fitness class - including the easy morning or afternoon stretch - now incurs a charge. Room service which used to be free also comes with a delivery charge under Princess Standard. And the ability to order food and drinks anywhere on the ship for free is also gone. It’s really Princess’ way of encouraging passengers to book Princess Plus or Premier.

When booking your cruise, you can choose the Princess Standard, Princess Plus, or Princess Premier pricing. Even if you opt for the Princess Standard package at the time of booking and change your mind later, you can still upgrade to Princess Plus or Premier at any time, even when you arrive onboard.