Emerald Princes Review 1/18/16 -1/23/16

[cruise2relax]

This was the five day Getaway RT Fort Lauderdale stopping at Princess Cays and Grand Turk. The ship itself is in wonderful shape having just undergone a dry dock. The carpets were replaced, much of the upholstery, new beds etc. The staff for the most part reflected the same fresh attitude, we did not run into any surly or unhelpful staff. I would note that the cruise director was never seen or heard of by myself or my three travelling mates. We have noticed this as a theme lately and it is not a positive one. I expect the cruise director staff to be front and center interacting with the guests. A prerecorded "morning show" played on the TV is not a substitute for an engaging cruise director.

 

With the upgrades from dry dock, I am disappointed that Princess has yet to upgrade the gem class ships with the entertainment system found in the cabins on the Royal class. I hate to sound so snobby but it really is antiquaited and an area sorely in need of improvement. The internet and intranet service on the ship was some of the best I have experienced so kudos for that improvement. That includes a much simpler log in/log off of the internet than before. Much easier to use and much harder to leave running. Embarkation and Debarkation are simply the best on Princess as always.

 

I will not go into depth on the food as it is very subjective as we all know. We enjoy dining room service and rarely go to the buffet. Menus are changing and it appears that they are trying to incorporate a more local flair to the menus based on where the ship is positioned, I welcome this attempt. This was our 21st cruise on Princess in the last 14 years so it is always good for us to see new items to try. One HUGE disappointment was no Norman Love desserts in the dining room or at the International cafe. If there was, we missed it. They were a highlight of our last cruise. Princess recently announced an expansion on the program...where?

 

There were two new additions to the dining program on the Emerald: Share and the Salty Dog Gastropub. We elected not to eat at Share. Point blank, we all find the price point of $39 per person to be too steep for the menu and experience they are offering. We all really liked the design and decor of the space, a muted contemporary flair that is a nice fit. We spoke to some passengers we dined there and the feedback was very positive save for one who left the venue still hungry as the portion size was small. We did however try the Gastropub and loved it. This is a hit folks. First, the Wheelhouse remains open, live music playing, dancing etc. We sat at the bar a couple of evenings as that is also not reserved for the pub. The food is quite simply wonderful. It is higher end gastro pub food. The table is served bread sticks with a beer and cheese dipping sauce, a light salad of greens, cheese crisps and parma ham with either or both sweet potato fries and truffle fries with 3 dipping sauces: a BBQ sauce, a house made ketchup and a garlic aoili. All very good. Then each person orders three small plates. Some of the dishes we tried were the lobster mac and cheese, the roasted beets, the asparagus side, the crab cake (a standout) and of course the burger, which almost everyone gets and should as it is the star of the place. Then you choose a dessert, all of which are delicious. Our waiter Villiam was the absolute best.

 

Two comments if Princess is listening. One, although we were thoroughly full from our meal, we find it very disagreeable that on both the Share and Gastropub menus you specifically state your are limited in what you can order. You do not limit in the dining room and now I am paying an upcharge and you want to limit what I order? Not cool. In fact, slightly offensive. Two, it came to our attention that the Gastropub concept may be broken down into individual plates with individual price points. Although that may be a solid concept, make it in addition to not in replace of the present concept. It is working judging by its popularity on this voyage. Our strongest suggestion would be to take some if not all these specialty dining venues and offer some form of a paid lunch, especially on port days. I would welcome that immensely. Perhaps that would be the way to incorporate a la carte pricing.

 

The rest of the comments remain the same as we have come to expect: solid service, solid product, consistent experience and a welcome place for our vacation dollars. We will see you soon.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review.

[floridalover5623]

It's been hard to tell just when those Norman Love desserts were to make an appearance. Most times they're on a formal night but not always.

I have yet to try all of them.

[clan]

Thanks for your review. We will be boarding this ship on the 30th, so are happy to hear your favorable comments.

[RetiredNTraveling]

Great to have fresh views on the Emerald! I really enjoyed your thoughts on the Gastropub & Share. When you pay the price of a cruise and the upcharges you shouldn't be limited in your order to what somebody else thinks.

Good review, Thanks!

Just Mike

Edited January 24, 2016 by RetiredNTraveling

[Lanwood]

Thanks for the review.

Nice to know they have given her a refresher in dry dock.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Unfortunately, Norman Love desserts aren't served on short cruises as I found out on November. However, you should have had a formal night on a 5 day cruise. One of the desserts would have been served in the MDR. They are also served at the Crown Grill.

 

As for the GastroPub, I will happily stay away. It doesn't appear to be too healthy.