Hi all,

My wife and I are booked on Navigator Of The Seas in February, 2003 for our 1st anniversary. Our honeymoon was aboard Grand Princess in Feb '02.

I'd like to ask those who have cruised on both lines what's different, what's the same, what's better, what's worse between these two lines. I am NOT seeking to ignite a flame or holy war, I'm just really curious what the experienced cruisers think.

I've read a lot of reviews, but I think it would be interesting (and informative) to see things compared side-by-side.

Our Experience

We found Grand Princess to be a truly magnificent ship, although I'd describe the experience as more luxurious than exciting. Don't misunderstand - that's not a Bad Thing.

It may be that we're a little below the target age (I'm 33, my wife is a few years younger), and as such the entertainment and such felt just slightly bland for our tastes. We're not nightclub/party people, but we like to think we're still reasonably young!

By comparison, I've heard that RCCL ships often have a large number of children and teens aboard; some of the reviews described them as not well-behaved or well-supervised. Agree? Disagree?

We found the food to be exceptional, if a little more "gourmet" than we were expecting. We both enjoyed Grand Princess's 24-hour buffet, but I'm sure Navigator will not suffer from lack of eating options. How's the RCCL food?

This time out, we're cruising the Eastern Caribbean; we did the West on Grand Princess. While we can't compare ports of call directly, how do the lines compare in terms of excursion service and value? We went all-out for our honeymoon, but this year we need to be a little more conservative. Princess's tour pursers did a superb job (Dave from Canada got an additional tip!); we're hoping and assuming RCCL's crew are equally up to the challenge.

Sorry to rattle off so many questions; I'm just excited to be going to sea again! I know we're already committed to the trip, so no one's horror stories can scare us off, I'm just looking for lively discussion.

Thanks in advance for your info!


-Scott

[This message was edited by Scott H on December 12, 2002 at 02:25 PM.]

Hi Scott,
You are going to have a wonderful time! Both ships are fabulous. As for comparison, you will find the Navigator to have a slightly younger demographic than the Grand.
--The Navigator tends to be little more "high energy" and appeals to persons who enjoy an active lifestyle.
--The decor is bit more luxurious, and understated on the Grand, but the Navigator promenade is quite impressive!
--Food: about the same - RC is a little less "imaginative", but quality is similar. I have experienced everything from bland to excellent on both lines.
--As for entertainmet, personally, I think the production shows on RC are much better than on Princess.
--Children issue: There is no question that the Navigator attracts more children. (Rock-climbing wall, inline skating, ice-skating, miniature golf, etc. plus the outstanding youth program on these ships are big draws for families). However, as you are going in February this should not be a problem - The ships tend to be overrun with children during traditional school breaks (Easter, Christmas, summer vacation).
--Shore excursions for the most part on an Eastern Carib. itinerary can easily be done on your own. If you want specific suggestions - feel free to e-mail me directly.
Nancy