0208 248 2355
Questions about your booking? Contact Us
Login
A welcoming ambience and innovative offerings create the perfect way to see the world
After thirteen cruises with Norwegian, I finally decided it was time to see what Princess was all about. I boarded with no expectations, just curiosity. Before the trip, my friends Cindy and Geoff — veteran Princess cruisers — took the time to walk me through how Princess works, and their guidance was incredibly helpful. Throughout the cruise, I noted where I thought each line excelled, recognizing that this was based on a single Princess sailing versus many more with NCL. What emerged was a surprisingly balanced comparison: Princess impressed me in areas I didn’t expect, while NCL still holds advantages in others. Boarding & Embarkation Princess made an excellent first impression. They mail your Medallion — essentially your room key and onboard ID — to you ahead of time, which streamlines the entire process. As first‑time Princess cruisers, we spent less than ten minutes checking in before we were walking up the ramp and onto the ship. It was incredibly smooth. All cabins were ready at 1 p.m. — every single one. NCL, by contrast, rarely has cabins ready before 3 p.m., and even then it’s often only some of them. Princess’s efficiency here made embarkation feel relaxed instead of chaotic, and it set a positive tone for the rest of the trip. Casual Dining & Buffet Quality Casual food is where Princess really stands out. Their buffet is superb — not just good “for a cruise ship,” but genuinely good by any standard. Multiple carving stations every day, abundant cheese and charcuterie, fresh vegetables, plentiful condiments (anyone who’s sailed NCL knows the game of “hunting for ketchup”), and food that wasn’t oversalted. They also keep the buffet open later than NCL, which is a quiet but meaningful win. Breakfast was equally impressive, with incredibly fresh fruit, multiple varieties, and rotating selections. Eggs were prepared in several styles and always cooked fresh. Nothing was dried out, repurposed, wilted, or past its prime. And the pizza really is as good as advertised. Desserts, bread, and included ice cream also leaned heavily in Princess’s favor. I’ve never had good bread on a cruise ship until now. To be fair, NCL deserves credit for one buffet category: Indian food. They consistently serve some of the best Indian dishes I’ve had anywhere — land or sea. It’s one area where NCL truly shines and, at least compared to Princess, stands out in a big way. Specialty Dining This is where Princess fell short. We never tried a specialty restaurant because they aren’t included in the standard “Plus” package — unlike NCL, where specialty dining is part of the package and a clear win. I wish I had tried one on Princess, but it was seemingly impossible: the ship carries 3,700 passengers and only has three specialty restaurants, all of which were booked solid for the entire cruise. NCL offers a much wider range of specialty restaurants than Princess. Cagney’s remains a standout staple, but newer ships have introduced additional venues that, in my experience, are even stronger than some of the classic specialty options. Beverage Program Beverage package value tilts toward Princess. Both lines include cocktails, beer, wine, and the usual alcoholic drinks — that’s the main reason people buy these packages. But Princess pulls ahead in the extras that add real day‑to‑day value. Princess includes specialty coffee drinks — cappuccinos, lattes, mochas, espresso shots — at no extra charge. On NCL, the drink package only covers brewed coffee from the buffet. Any specialty coffee drink, even a basic latte, costs extra. Princess also includes bottled water, which you can simply grab as needed. On NCL, bottled water is an additional charge unless you buy a separate water package. Princess even includes Red Bull in cans. NCL recently started offering a different energy drink brand, but they still charge extra for Red Bull specifically. NCL’s included wines are simply better. Order a “house” wine on NCL and you’re served something genuinely good — far better than what Princess poured as their included options. I never saw a full wine list on Princess (largely because I couldn’t get into a specialty restaurant), so they may offer higher‑end bottles elsewhere, but I assume those are not part of the standard beverage package. Service & Atmosphere Service was another standout for Princess. Crew interactions felt more attentive, and cabin service was excellent. Shopping onboard was refreshingly low‑pressure. In the buffet, staff comes to your table to take drink orders — something that has never happened once in any of my NCL cruises. And the overall warmth of the crew reminded me of my early years sailing with NCL, before the line gradually lost some of that personal touch. Many other reviews mention this shift as well, and Princess really stood out for bringing that feeling back. Entertainment & Activities If you want a ship buzzing with things to do, NCL remains the leader. Entertainment variety, daily activities, and even bingo were all stronger on Norwegian. That said, Princess did offer some genuinely good entertainment. The illusionist was top‑tier — easily one of the best I’ve seen at sea. Two of the production shows were very good, and the comedians were about what you’d expect on most cruise lines. There were also several venues with live music and a DJ, though the overall vibe felt more subdued compared to NCL’s high‑energy atmosphere. Princess also ran the usual cruise‑ship staples: wine tastings, art classes, bingo, game shows, trivia, and similar activities. They were all enjoyable, just not offered in the same volume or frequency as NCL. Cabins & Ship Design Cabins were a mixed experience. Princess gave us a massive (by cruise standards) 43” LED TV with tons of on‑demand movies, shows, and live content — a huge upgrade from NCL’s tiny 12” screen with almost no selection. NCL wins for bathroom layout, bed comfort, and even carpet quality. The Princess ship we sailed was only 12 years old but looked and felt older, which surprised me. NCL’s ships generally feel more modern, and their full wraparound promenade deck is something Princess didn’t offer. Operations & Casino Experience Operationally, NCL takes the lead in tendering and public restrooms. Tendering was smoother and more organized, and their public restrooms were consistently cleaner and better maintained. Princess does score a meaningful win in the casino, though. Their Medallion‑based room‑charge system is far more convenient than NCL’s. You simply tap your Medallion at a machine, then insert cash or charge your room — and Princess does not impose a fee for charging your cabin to load money into a machine. When you’re done playing, you “cash out” to your personal “bank.” That bank can then be used to load another machine or truly cashed out later. It’s efficient, seamless, and avoids the paper ticket system that NCL (and most casinos) still use. Cruise Style & Atmosphere: Traditional vs. Freestyle Princess leans more traditional in its overall cruise style. They offer formal nights, numerous photo backdrops and portrait opportunities, and a generally more classic approach to evening attire and onboard ambiance. While that’s not really my thing, it absolutely appeals to many cruisers and is worth calling out. NCL, on the other hand, literally trademarked the term Freestyle Cruising, and they mean it. No formal nights, no dress‑code pressure, and a much more come‑as‑you‑are vibe. If traditional cruise elements like formal nights are important to you, Princess is the better fit. If you prefer the flexibility and informality of Freestyle Cruising, NCL is the clear choice. Bottom Line Princess exceeded my expectations in embarkation efficiency, service, casual food quality, beverage package value, and casino convenience — to the point where those categories alone could sway me toward sailing with them again. NCL still dominates in entertainment, activities, ship design, specialty dining, and certain cabin comforts. Neither line is universally better; they simply excel in different areas. If you prioritize casual dining, warm service, and a smooth boarding experience, Princess is a fantastic choice. If you want energy, entertainment, modern ships, and top‑tier specialty restaurants, NCL still holds the edge.
Cruising has changed in the past year. We use Princess most often and have noticed the sudden changes, some good and others !!!! For the most part the Mexican Riviera cruise is enjoyable. Super weather, it was totally warm, maybe a little too warm for January. The ship lacked the outside Movie Theatre, because the sound system was being replaced. You would of thought they would show the NFL Football games even with-out the sound, they did not. Poor Judgement on Princess. The crew everywhere was nice, but lack a bit of enthusiasm. Our cabin steward only opened up at the very end. !! The food was very good quality, although the Royal ( maybe other ships ) have a reduced menu. That was fine for me, I like the Fish items and there were numerous. Service was a bit iffy in the Buffet sometimes you were helped immediately other times you got you own coffee. the Main dinning room was super nice and reliable for a good time. The cruise director needs help, she is not very enthusiastic, and was hard to find. The assistants were fantastic, very funny and enjoyable. Pool service was lacking. The hot tubs did not open much before 6:30 am or later, even after asking for assistance. They were also cool and questionable water. Kids during the day eating food in the hot tub. They should have been drained at night for heath reason. Some of the rest rooms were out of order. Get them repaired. The Ports were nice ( as nice as Cabo can be.) Mazatlan is always super fun. Puerto Vallarta has become bigger and bigger recently. This is because of local tourism and the cruise ships. The new issue is the internet service. !!!! It is so good and every one buys a plan. Then they lounge around the ship looking at their phones surfing, social media, txt'ing. Not a lot of in person communication. I think this might be the future of cruising. Get on the ship log on, play with you phone for 7 days. !!!!!!!
We are platinum members and have been on many princess ships. The Royal is our new favorite! The MDR food is superb! We were never enticed to go to a specialty restaurant. We never ate at the buffet except for an occasional breakfast. Ship is very clean and well maintained. A maintenance issue with the cabin was promptly addressed. We had an extended balcony cabin at the front of the ship. The only negative was the “lumpy “ mattress. Hope those are replaced at the next dry dock. Pools and hot tubs are very clean. We enjoyed the production show and the comedians. The manic show was meh. No problem getting drinks. Bars were never crowded. The itinerary provided lots of opportunities to whale watch on board. We did excursions in Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta not through the ship. We had not been to these ports. Okay tours but did not enjoy the “vendor” stops. Although it was not hard sell, just don’t care for it. Embarkation and disembarkation was a breeze.
This was our first cruise. We went with the Royal Princess Mexican Riviera 7 day cruise and it was an awesome introduction to the cruise experience. We booked mini suite M410 with the premier package and ordered our medallions ahead of time. We also chose to book our excursions through Princess. Embarkation was organized and surprisingly fast. Even though we were unfamiliar with the process, all the staff were very friendly and helpful getting us where we needed to be. Our suite was very nice. The bed and pillows were heavenly. The balcony a definite plus. Our Steward Fidel was a rock star! The only downside was the outlets on each side of the desk instead of the nightstands. The buffet on floor 16 was overwhelming with so many choices. It was what you’d expect from a buffet but the food was decent and all the staff was friendly and helpful. I’m glad we went with the premier package which provides restaurant style food and service. Be sure to make reservations early because they fill up. The drink package was also worth it for us. Mixed drinks, beer, wine, and specialty coffee’s were unlimited. Getting around the ship was a challenge at first but we quickly learned 16, 7, 6 and 5 were a good start to find food and fun. There were tons of activities and the entertainment didn’t disappoint. Again all the staff were extremely approachable, helpful and friendly. The morning “wake up” with Jody was a great addition to the daily activity pamphlets. The app is a must have for bookmarking activities for our daily itinerary. The shopping on board was boutique style with high end labels. The highlight for me was Megan in Effy. She took time to get to know me, my style and together we found the perfect ring for me. There is an excursion for everyone. I’m glad we booked ours in advance through Princess. For our first cruise and first time in Mexico, it was a stress free introduction to each port of call with transportation to and from the boat without the worry of making it back in time. Overall, the ship was beautiful for its age and we are happy with the entire experience.
Royal Princess Review, 1/3-1/10/26 This will be a little long, because I appreciate reading detailed reviews and hope someone else will, too. Overall, this was a wonderful cruise and I don’t have any huge complaints. We are a family of 4 (adults mid-40s, twin kids age 13) Parking—we parked in the lot at San Pedro Cruise Terminal. $161 for the week. We were very close to the cruise terminal, parking was easy. We stayed at the DoubleTree the night before and they do offer parking and a shuttle, but we knew that we wanted to go straight home on disembarkation day. On disembarkation day we were in the car at 8:00 and able to hop right on the freeway. I’m glad we didn’t have to wait for a shuttle. Boarding—I was very happy I paid the $10 to have medallions shipped beforehand. The Green line was about 30 minutes to get onto the ship and the Blue line was long; I heard it took about 2 hours for some people! We did get there at 10:30ish for 11:00-2:00 boarding. Stateroom—we had a deluxe balcony on deck 9, midship, starboard side. We are a family of 4. The deluxe balcony has a sofa bed and the pullman bed comes out of the ceiling over the sofa bed. This was tight but it worked for us. A regular balcony for 4 requires the pullman beds to come out of the ceiling over the main bed—no thanks. Mini suite would be great but it was around $1000 more and we did this cruise on the cheap. Ship—was fine? I didn’t notice some of the smell issues others had, although the casino smoke was overwhelming. I did not like the layout of this ship at all. Not enough public spaces overlooking the water; some of the prime spots on deck 7 were almost completely obstructed by lifeboats. I was constantly confused and losing my way. I see so many people say they love the Royal class ships but I’m not sure why…and I definitely wouldn’t take one on an Alaska cruise! Now, the only ship I have to compare to is HAL’s Koningsdam, and I was really missing the Crows Nest and covered pool. It was really windy on the 2 sea days back and there weren’t really good public areas to be looking at the water. And library! The Royal library and game collection was small and sad. Activities staff was great; we loved the trivia and game shows. The singing/dancing shows were not for us. Ship was over 100% capacity at more than 3800 passengers. Food—was really good for us. The MDR was horrifically slow—we went once to Allegro MDR (you reserve a time on the day of) and more to Concerto (walk in). We didn’t face long walk in waits but we went on the earlier side, 5:45ish. When we came out the walkin line was very long. Service was slow and off—like the wrong waiter would come to the table, someone would bring menus when we had already gotten appetizers and were waiting on main dishes, afternoon tea took about 30 minutes out of the 45 minutes scheduled to get the actual tea. MDR staff seemed overworked and not very friendly. This did not ruin our cruise by any means! We ate in the buffet for breakfast and a few nights for dinner. Buffet waiters didn’t come around offering water, coffee, etc. We went to the waiter stands and just served ourselves. There is only one self-serve water/juice/tea/coffee station. Food quality and selection was great! Excursions—we did a historic walking tour in Puerto Vallarta that totally exceeded expectations. This was a ship excursion. The guide was great and we would walk a while and then have 15-30 minutes to explore on our own and meet back. It was 90 minutes of walking spread out over 4 hours. Cabo—we did a ship excursion so we could get on the tenders quickly—Best of Cabo—went to San Jose del Cabo and a glass blowing factory. Again, amazing tour guides! Really enjoyed this; wish we had spent more time in San Jose del Cabo. There was a drink stop at a restaurant that was a waste of time. Mazatlan—we did a pulmonia tour booked through Viator. It was okay. We saw a lot of city highlights. Tour guide was good for the first two hours but then we wound up at a crappy, overpriced restaurant that we didn’t feel we had a choice going to. If I do this trip again I’d probably do a beach day or excursion at Stone Island. Teen club was excellent. They had a nice balance of structured activities (scavenger hunt, ping pong tournament, chess tournament, game shows) and free time, like board games and video games. My kids are on the younger side of teen club. One stayed in the club most of the time and the other would spend the first 2 hours in teen club and then go duck hunting with a friend group he made. The teen club operates in 3 hour blocks of time mostly. Medallions—really great for families! We could see where our kids were and they could scan in at any elevator map and see where we were. Overall, I want to sail Princess again, but not on this ship. I might want to try Discovery (the newest of the Royal class), or the new Sun/Star, or the older ones.
From the moment you step aboard, we want you to feel welcomed and right at home. And with attentive service from a friendly staff that knows what hospitality means, you’ll find your Princess® ship truly is your home away from home.
Experience the Ultimate Night of Sleep at Sea
With your overall wellness in mind, we’ve collaborated with a board-certified sleep expert to create the ultimate in blissful comfort. Our luxurious new beds feature a scientifically engineered mattress and bed springs, a plush two-inch pillow top, European-inspired duvets and 100% luxurious Jacquard-woven linens-to assure that at the end of your voyage, you come home feeling refreshed and renewed.
The Princess Luxury Bed is available across the fleet except for Regal Princess, where most staterooms have been updated. On Regal Princess all Full Suites and Club Class staterooms have been updated and we are continuing to convert the few remaining beds.
Photos, floor plan diagrams, amenities, and furnishings represent typical arrangements and may vary by ship and stateroom.
Indulge your appetite whenever you wish on board Princess®. Every hour, our chefs are busy baking, grilling and sautéing great-tasting fare from scratch. Princess offers unparalleled inclusive dining options throughout the ship with a wide range of culinary delights to suit any palate, from endless buffet choice to gourmet pizza, frosty treats, decadent desserts and much more.
Speciality Dining
Dining on board a Princess® cruise ship is a joyful celebration and our speciality restaurants always deliver an extraordinary experience. They are among the best at sea – or anywhere. We serve dishes made with the freshest ingredients, and our menus reflect regional flavours from around the world. You'll find our speciality restaurants are the perfect place to celebrate any occasion.
From fitness to pop choir classes, wine tasting to art classes, Royal Princess offers a wide variety of enrichment classes for passengers to enjoy.
On every Princess ship, you'll find so many ways to play, day or night. Explore The Shops of Princess, celebrate cultures at our Festivals of the World or learn a new talent — our onboard activities will keep you engaged every moment of your cruise holiday.
Original musicals, dazzling magic shows, feature films, top comedians and nightclubs that get your feet movin’ and groovin’. There’s something happening around every corner; luckily, you have a whole cruise of days and nights to experience it all.
Whether you are looking to soak up the views and work up a sweat while having an invigorating gym session, or to just sit back and relax as you get your nails and hair done in the salon, the ship offers a wide range of health, beauty and fitness options.
Royal Princess’ youth and teen centre is fully equipped with everything from the latest video games and movies, arts and crafts and a DJ booth – plus a dedicated outdoor space for each age group. Catering for children aged 3-17, kids can have fun making new friends whilst you take advantage of some of the adults-only facilities available onboard.
