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Lynda D wrote a review Dec 2024
4 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
We are an active, well travelled, professional, 70ish Canadian couple who took the 5 week re-positioning Royal Princess cruise from Vancouver to Sydney Sept/Oct 2024.

Lovely being on the calm, open ocean in such a luxurious floating hotel with delicious dinners in classy dining rooms.....but there were some negative aspects which greatly detracted from the pleasure of this cruise for us, such that we would not board this ship again:

1) There is very little outside space on this ship. (as most cabins have balconies).
-There is no outdoor promenade on the "Promenade Deck"- it's all closed in & one can only have a stroll INSIDE past glitzy shops & bars with nary a glimpse of the ocean. The only outside deck one can actually walk all around is sports deck 18 (an elevator trip!) - a narrow top deck running/walking track with no nice steamer lounges to gaze across the sea.
-The buffet is all closed in with only a small outside eating area which fills up quickly - so little chance of dining al fresco. (and all dining rooms are inside on lower decks)
-The only large OUTSIDE area is the main pool & hot tub deck with bars & casual meals - but football & movies are blasted loudly on the huge outside screen every afternoon, transforming a peaceful swim or basking in the sun into a very noisy head-ache inducing nightmare.

2) The only large INDOOR communal space is the 3 deck tall "Piazza" which is noisy from morning 'til night with dancing classes, music, loud staff commentaries/announcements, etc. NO peace here. Forget about a quiet drink or being able to hear your Japanese lunch companions. (& astonishingly, despite the Japanese chef & waiters, the "casual" Japanese lunch serves the SAME sushi roll every day!).

3) Elevators - numerous & quick, but if you're not keen on constantly negotiating many flights of stairs, you need to take them to get anywhere - with others crowding in like sardines.

4) There are 3500 passengers + crew, which is not at all conjucive to easily re-connecting with other kindred spirit guests you may have met. So like a big hotel, you are pretty well isolated with little opportunity to develop friendships you might otherwise have done. Have a nice friendly dinner with some Aussie/kiwi folks you'd enjoy meeting up with on your Ozzie/kiwi travels, but chances are slim you'll see them again. Too many people. Most passengers were committed "cruisers", who had done dozens of them.

5) Buffet: Wide selection, but always the same, only varied by introducing a new item or 2/day. Breakfast good, but basic - no creativity here. If you liked playing dodgeball as a kid, then the buffet is for you!...Dodge 100's of people to get your food. Wears thin after 5 weeks! Yes, there is room service, but only very limited choices as well as the specialty restaurant additional charged meals. (dining room & casual dining resto menus are not available) Room service is efficient & prompt, but for a cooked breakfast, limited to an inedible egg/bacon sandwich bun.

6) Various trip segments were sold for this cruise, so that the passengers & dynamics were constantly changing....Van-SF, SF - Honolulu, Hon-NZ, NZ-Sydney.
We were some of the few dedicated Trans Pacific travellers who had booked the entire 5 week trip.

7) Be sure to check your final bill before debarking....whether by error or design, we & others found extra, invalid charges appearing on final bills which entailed lining up at guest services to rectify them.

8) Lots of cash grab attempts: young Asian women flogging pricey spa products & treatments in the elevator areas; a lab coated "doctor" giving seminars to sell yet another age defying "snake oil"; trashy art auctions; lots of bars - even portable ones set up some mornings!

I have taken the time to point out what were drawbacks for me in the spirit of providing helpful information. But hey, this might be just what you want!
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Sail Date: October 2024
Cabin Type:
Type of Trip:
Destination: Australia
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Royal Princess

221 reviews
 All photos (2,781)2,781
Full view
Traveller (653)
Common Areas (1,576)
Dining and Bars (842)
Itineraries for this ship
Itinerary
13 Night Cruise to Australia & New Zealand
Departure date
Friday, 28/02/25
Route
Auckland, Tauranga, Paihia, Christchurch, Dunedin, Fjordland, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney (Australia)
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Overview

About
Passengers: 3,560   |   Crew: 1,346
Passengers to crew: 2.64:1
Passengers to space: 39.95:1
Launched: 2013   |   Refurbished: 2018

Decks

Additional decks
Deck 4 layout
 

Cabins

Balcony
Cabin size: 222 - 233 sq. ft.
Connected rooms: 30
Accessible rooms: 29
Maximum passengers: 4
Number of cabins: 1029

Activities & entertainment

Activities (48)
  • Arts and Crafts Classes*
  • Beauty Salon*
  • Bullseye Range
  • Center Court
  • Club 6
  • Dancing Classes
  • Deck Parties
  • Disco and Dancing
  • Fitness Center
  • Fitness Classes*
  • Whirlpools (7)
  • Hydrotherapy Pool*
  • Internet Cafe*
  • Jogging Track
  • Karaoke
  • Lawn Court
  • Lotus Spa and Salon*
  • Massage*
  • Pools (3)
  • SeaWalk
  • Solo Travelers Get Togethers
  • Table Tennis
  • The Driving Range
  • The Game Lounge
  • The Enclave*
  • The Library
  • Trivia
  • Ultimate Ship Tour*
  • Wine Tasting*
  • The Sanctuary*
  • The Beach House Teen Lounge
  • Camp Discovery Youth Center
  • Princess Casino*
  • The Piazza
  • The Shops of Princess*
  • Fine Arts Gallery*
  • Photo Gallery*
  • Guest Services
  • Shore Excursions Desk*
  • Captains Circle Loyalty
  • Future Cruise Planning*
  • OceanMedallion
  • OceanFront
  • Wedding Chapel
  • Concierge Lounge
  • Churchills Cigar Lounge*
  • Self_Service Laundry*
  • Medical Center
Entertainment (9)
  • Live Music
  • Comedy Shows
  • Movies Under the Stars
  • Nightly DJ
  • Outdoor Movies
  • Princess Live
  • Princess Theater
  • Vista Lounge
  • Game Shows
Dining (29)
  • Allegro Dining Room - Main
  • Concerto Dining Room - Main
  • Symphony Dining Room - Main
  • Good Spirits at Sea - Craft Cocktails*
  • Horizon Bistro - Buffet
  • Horizon Court - Buffet
  • Horizon Terrace - Casual
  • Bellinis - Champagne Bar*
  • International Cafe - Coffee & Pastries*
  • Princess Live Cafe - Cafe*
  • Trident Grill - Pool Grill
  • Chefs Table Lumière - Gourmet*
  • Alfredos Pizzeria - Gourmet Pizza
  • Gelato - Ice Cream*
  • Swirls - Ice Cream
  • Princess Live Cafe - Cafe*
  • Sabatinis Italian Trattoria - Italian*
  • Crooners - Martini Bar*
  • The Pastry Shop - Pastries
  • Prego Pizzeria - Pizza
  • Mermaids Tail - Pool Bar*
  • Retreat Bar - Pool Bar*
  • Outriggers Bar - Scenic Bar*
  • SeaView Bar - Pool Bar*
  • Wheelhouse Bar - Pub*
  • Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar - Seafood*
  • Crown Grill - Steakhouse*
  • Vines Wine Bar - Wine Bar*
  • Room Service*
* May require additional fees

Reviews
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moosenantlers wrote a review 11 Feb
Sydney, Australia12 contributions5 helpful votes
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Royal princess cruise from Sydney to New Zealand 15 days full lap and back , I’ll try to keep it short and to the point if you are considering cruising with princess line , embarkation was chaos at Sydney , forget trying to use elevators as all are packed at this time and in general the elevators are always full , balcony room on deck 15 midship is a disaster as above is pool deck and constant noise coming through from people moving furniture running etc , buffet experience is also a nightmare absolute chaos in there everyone fighting for food and battling to find anywhere to sit , food is ok but same same every day gets very boring , on a brighter side we ate at the symphony restaurant every night and cannot fault the excellent service there from fantastic hard working staff . In general the ship is so crowded and large in size I would prefer the smaller ships any day . To finish I would say this ship is not for me and I certainly would not return .
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Gerry S wrote a review 7 Feb
Belfast, United Kingdom71 contributions19 helpful votes
3.0 of 5 bubbles
My wife and I did the 2-week Sydney to New Zealand cruise (in January). In terms of positives: the bed was large and very comfy; buffet food was often lovely (and arguably better cooked than the 'walk-in' restaurants!); most of the staff were friendly and hard working; and the port calls were fine, generally. Nevertheless, some criticism was apparent, including: the 'Deluxe stateroom with balcony' was a misleading description, and we were disappointed with what was an underwhelming, basic, tired cabin, with a small balcony! Our initial impression wasn't helped by having to clean our dusty cabin upon arrival. We reported this and it was given a 'deep clean' subsequently - albeit that had a limited impact in truth! It was no surprise to us that the 'housekeeping' proved inconsistent thereafter - but staff are probably simply not given enough time to clean and tidy properly! Our scheduled departure changed from 6pm to 4.15am the next morning (due to a dispute about the weather, apparently!). Indeed, the crossing of the Tasman Sea was subsequently 'rough'; so overall not a good start to the cruise! The Royal Princess is a tired looking ship and needs some tlc / refurbishment. Too often, the crew are focussed on selling opportunities, be that the shops or in terms of shore excursions! Indeed, it appeared that almost every ship event was a selling something occasion! The restaurants (not the specialised options) had the same menu, no matter where you ate, strangely (obviously helpful for the chefs but not in the customers interests)! Furthermore, and most frustratingly, the service was SO slow; something that many people experienced! It was also disappointing that breakfast juices were warm (we had to ask for ice cubes!), as was the milk for cereals☹️ Entertainment was a mix of good (standout was the '60Four' group) to poor, with one of the worst being 'meet the crew'; as it was drawn out too much with 'guess the crew member's job', etc: very stupefying! Finally, as I appreciate that trying to decide whether to explore independently is a frequent passenger anxiety, compounded by the ship information suggesting it was best to choose the company's excursions. But please be assured that it is SO easy to get from the ship (don't fall for the usual cruise information about 'limited free tenders / shuttles to the port - there are plenty and go to and from the ship regularly). We decided not to do any of the New Zealand cruise excursions, as they are very expensive, and did our own for a fraction of the price. Public transport is readily available in all ports, with the local council putting on additional transport for the ship's arrival; so be encouraged and go local🤗
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Mako49 wrote a review Jan 2025
Auckland, New Zealand109 contributions33 helpful votes
3.0 of 5 bubbles
A group of 10 friends booked this 14 day cruise holiday from Auckland via Sydney to Auckland.On the 1st day prior to leaving Auckland my wife slipped on the top deck walkway near the pool and landed in the ship hospital. We found the area to be poorly signposted. However the medical staff were professional. Luckily the fall was not bad and only caused some bruising.Beware any injuries on a cruise is liable for paymeny by you even though it was an accident as they are not ACC dependant. The food was great and generous-too much of a variety to be able to choose which is great but beware of the many guests wondering around with full or empty plates trying to decide their choice.The shows were average and the stops at ports were sufficient to disembark except for Sydney that was too short. The casino experience was a disappointment as any credits not cashed in were removed from the medallion given on embarking -My credits were taken from me twice and the last is still owing to me as the casino closed 2 nights prior to our disembarking. It has been a nightmare trying to email the Princess customer services to refund me my credits/money. I doubt if I will choose Princess again.
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Usia2014 wrote a review Jan 2025
Calgary, Canada1955 contributions822 helpful votes
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We took the Royal Princess from Vancouver down the Pacific coast and ended in Los Angeles. This ship is very similar to the Discovery Princess and it also has the same type of curved glass walkway overlooking the water below. The buffet food was excellent and had a wide variety of choices each day! International Cafe was good for a light lunch or snack. The dinning room had some specialty meals and we really enjoyed the lobster dinner there. Our balcony cabin was very spacious and the bed was comfortable. All staff we encountered were super friendly and helpful. We enjoyed visiting the coastal cities and relaxed on the ship.
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Woodrow P wrote a review Jan 2025
Lewes, Delaware7 contributions2 helpful votes
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Royal Caribbean has always been a good bet for a decent cruise. Wife and I prefer a balcony to stay in touch with the time of day and hear the lovely sounds of the seas.
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Upcoming itineraries

Itinerary
13 Night Cruise to Australia & New Zealand
Departure date
Friday, 28/02/25
The map for this itinerary is not available at this time.
Itinerary
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Prices are cruise only, per person, double occupancy, and are provided by our partners. Taxes, fees and port expenses are not included. Fuel supplements may apply. Availability of prices is subject to the supplier’s pricing availability.