Princess experience reduced? T & L rank 7th

[momofmeg]

I was only in the buffet twice on the Sun and it is an awkward layout. Their serving utensils are not great. The first time I went I tried to get a meatball and it slipped from the spoon rolled across my plate and fell on the floor. The second time I tried to get a piece of pizza. Their utensils bent and the pizza flipped on to the floor. I never returned. Probably just as well as they no doubt posted my picture with a circle on it with a line through it. :rolleyes:

However the food in the other restaurants was really good and the service was superb.

 

We tried the main dining room twice on the Sun (April 2011) and did not find it all that great. After that, if we were not eating in a specialty we did the buffet.

[Kentchikan]

We tried the main dining room twice on the Sun (April 2011) and did not find it all that great. After that, if we were not eating in a specialty we did the buffet.

 

Congratulations on mastering their serving utensils. If we sail together on the Sun will you help me? We only ate in the MDR once and agree it was nothing special. The specialty restaurants were good though. Although some passengers loved it.

[Cruisin' Chick]

The flaw in every magazine survey is that it only reflects the opinions of the readers/subscribers of those magazines. I stopped subscribing to T&L - it was an automatic renewal from my AMEX card, and I resented the automatic charge. I felt that most of the trips they wrote up were high end itineraries/accommodations, did not at all reflect my demographic. The survey forms were weighted heavily toward the high end lines, perhaps because that is what their subscribers indicated they were sailing. Take it all with a grain of salt (around the rim of a margarita). EM

 

I agree with you about taking these surveys with a grain of salt. If the magazine's demos are vastly skewed one way, that's how the survey is going to be. And it looks like that's the case with this one.

[Kentchikan]

I agree with you about taking these surveys with a grain of salt. If the magazine's demos are vastly skewed one way' date=' that's how the survey is going to be. And it looks like that's the case with this one.[/quote']

 

Also if the survey is not done scientifically there is there are many factors that could skew the results. The people who take the time to do the survey vs. those who don't for example might boil down to who has the time. Also I've received emails to vote for such and such an establishment on a particular site so they can win best in their category in our local area. There's one restaurant which is OK but not great but every year wins best restaurant. As they used to say, "The fix is in".

[pris993]

Many of you have read Travel and Leisure World's Best awards Aug 2013 issue:

 

1. Crystal 2. Regent 3. Azamara 4. Oceana 5. Holland America 6. RCI

7. Princess 8. Cunard 9, Celebrity 10. Norwegian

 

Those who have been on the other lines as well as Princess recently, do you think that Holland America and RCI have improved their cruise experience to rise above the Princess ships or do you think the princess experience is not what it was some years ago?

 

Princess suites vs. Crystal, Seabourn, Regent?

 

or Princess vs. Holland, Oceana, RCI, Cunard, Celebrity, Disney?

(for mega ships Princess ranked lower than celebrity, Disney, Cunard too)

 

What do you think of the Travel and Leisure rankings????

 

I have been reading the results for years, don't put much stock in them.

 

Cruised Crystal once years ago, did not think the higher prices was worth it, so did not go back.

 

Elite on Princess, Elite on Celebrity, 2 Star on HAL, 2 cruises on Cunard -both Queen Victoria, returned recently to NCL Jade after not cruising NCL in 10 years. Cruised RCI years ago, there ships don't appeal to us. We have over 45 cruises on 9 different lines over past 30 years. We cruise based on itinerary and lines we like in general.

 

I think Princess is more consistent overall. Although, I feel the MDR menu on all the cruise ships we cruise on are not anything like it use to be. More comfort foods than anything. Celebrity is hit and miss for us on food, service and entertainment. Cunard delivered a very high quality product in terms of food, service and entertainment on the two cruises we did recently, we were impressed, that was in a balcony cabin category. NCL was not that far behind the others and a lot cheaper. We enjoyed an 11 day Mediterranean cruise on the Jade - mini suite cabin was actually nicer than any of the other lines. We were not impressed with MDR menu or service on NCL so we skipped the MDR. Did the same on the Equinox (Celebrity) on a Mediterranean cruise because food and service were so so.

 

So if I was rating I would turn the rating upside down.

[Oxo]

The cruise lines are all the same in the MDR. Banquet style food. The cruise lines want us to go to the Specialty Restaurants. Two fold, they save on food in the MDR and make a profit on the food in the SR. Soon you will have to pay for each meal even in the MDR. NCL is sort of going that way now. JMHO.

[Kentchikan]

The cruise lines are all the same in the MDR. Banquet style food. The cruise lines want us to go to the Specialty Restaurants. Two fold, they save on food in the MDR and make a profit on the food in the SR. Soon you will have to pay for each meal even in the MDR. NCL is sort of going that way now. JMHO.

 

That is the model used on the Alaska State Ferries and elsewhere.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I stopped paying attention to those stupid rankings and supposed awards. I'm tired of getting emails begging me to vote for this cruise line or that one so they can win the latest award or ranking. When cruise lines pump their TAs for votes, it throws all objectivity out the window. :cool:

[Kentchikan]

It doesn't matter what T&L says it only matters what we think. IMHO

[Coral]

Many of you have read Travel and Leisure World's Best awards Aug 2013 issue:

 

1. Crystal 2. Regent 3. Azamara 4. Oceana 5. Holland America 6. RCI

7. Princess 8. Cunard 9, Celebrity 10. Norwegian

 

Those who have been on the other lines as well as Princess recently, do you think that Holland America and RCI have improved their cruise experience to rise above the Princess ships or do you think the princess experience is not what it was some years ago?

 

 

I am not surprised by this and don't think it is far off.

 

Having sailed Crystal, they are top notch. They routinely rank 1st amongst most surveys I have seen. Regent, Azamara and Oceana are pretty similar to each other and are all probably in a similar category to each other.

 

I find Holland America and Princess pretty similar. The main benefit HAL has over Princess is that HAL ships are not overly crowded. Their space ratio is much better compared to Princess. They also have larger rooms in some categories (my inside cabin had a huge bathroom and a couch). RCCL attracts a certain audience and people are pretty loyal to them. I think every line from Holland America and down has seen declines in food and service. RCCL, while have declined in that area, have excelled in other areas (ship amenities). This is probably why RCCL is scoring high, especially with their new ships which are extremely popular. While not my style of cruising, this tends to be the trend of the new cruisers that they are attacting.

 

The only (possible) surprise I found in this was that Celebrity ranked pretty low. Though, like I have been disappointed in declines in Princess, my friends on Celebrity have been equally as disappointed.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Also if the survey is not done scientifically there is there are many factors that could skew the results. The people who take the time to do the survey vs. those who don't for example might boil down to who has the time. Also I've received emails to vote for such and such an establishment on a particular site so they can win best in their category in our local area. There's one restaurant which is OK but not great but every year wins best restaurant. As they used to say, "The fix is in".

 

It's all about the methodology. Most readership polls are obviously skew toward their subscribers and those buying the issue that has the poll. A high end publication would definitely get different results from Frommer's Budget Travel.

[Oh2B@C]

This is just one of those things where opinions are very subjective. I took one Celebrity cruise recently and thought the food and service were better than Princess. But I prefer the Princess itineraries, the cruise staff and the evening activities better on Princess. But I do agree that Celebrity fans will not like this. As a Princess fan I say: "who cares?" I'm still going to be loyal to Princess because they offer a product that I like. To each their own...

[Kentchikan]

It's all about the methodology. Most readership polls are obviously skew toward their subscribers and those buying the issue that has the poll. A high end publication would definitely get different results from Frommer's Budget Travel.

 

Good point. Also different from a "click here" survey.