First and probably last cruise with Princess

[maxydu]

I will be embarking on my first Princess cruise after 13 successful voyages on Carnival. Why you ask am I trying Princess? Carnival has had some major cutbacks; mostly on entertainment. The production shows are a thing of the past

as well as a live band in the theatre. There are some cutbacks on food but all in all I enjoy it. Just looking for something different.

Now my concerns......I've been reading reviews of the Crown Princess and they are not flattering. The ship is showing it's age which is to be expected, but having torn, dirty, faded, carpet is unacceptable. The food is hit or miss and that could be subjective to one's taste. Not one review was mostly positive. I'm trying to go in with a positive attitude but it seems to be getting harder with each review. The question now is.....should we cancel?

[floridalover5623]

I will be embarking on my first Princess cruise after 13 successful voyages on Carnival. Why you ask am I trying Princess? Carnival has had some major cutbacks; mostly on entertainment. The production shows are a thing of the past

as well as a live band in the theatre. There are some cutbacks on food but all in all I enjoy it. Just looking for something different.

Now my concerns......I've been reading reviews of the Crown Princess and they are not flattering. The ship is showing it's age which is to be expected, but having torn, dirty, faded, carpet is unacceptable. The food is hit or miss and that could be subjective to one's taste. Not one review was mostly positive. I'm trying to go in with a positive attitude but it seems to be getting harder with each review. The question now is.....should we cancel?

I wouldn't cancel but at the same time don't expect the same food & appearance as you would get on the newer ships.

[Host Jazzbeau]

That's kind of what I was thinking although I'm pretty sure they close down their restaurants around the same time also.

Showing up a few minutes before the official close means they have to keep the place open for another 45 minutes for only 1 couple which is a little inconsiderate. :o

 

Land-based restaurants advertise a "closing" time that really means last time to be seated. My experience on ships has been similar. So I thought this was a valid complaint. [That's one reason I prefer the sit-down dinners to the buffet: I do expect a buffet to look pretty depleted 5 minutes before closing]

[PescadoAmarillo]

I agree about being seated until closing time. We've done that more than once. Naturally, we place any hot galley orders immediately and keep them very simple and fast and try to be done within 30 minutes. In fact, we've not been the last ones to leave when we do that.

[floridalover5623]

Land-based restaurants advertise a "closing" time that really means last time to be seated. My experience on ships has been similar. So I thought this was a valid complaint. [That's one reason I prefer the sit-down dinners to the buffet: I do expect a buffet to look pretty depleted 5 minutes before closing]

 

Yes it's true that a person could force the issue but it's something that most people wouldn't do (at least I wouldn't). They're trying to get cleaned up at that time & showing up at the last minute only adds to their work load. I try to make things as easy as possible for all the crew no matter what their job.

Guess I just see it differently.

[RMM34667]

I was on the same cruise and it was my 12th Princess cruise. I didn't find the menu as appealing as previous cruises. I know they removed the filet medallions awhile ago but I missed having that option a lot this cruise.

[stephenandrew]

Yes it's true that a person could force the issue but it's something that most people wouldn't do (at least I wouldn't). They're trying to get cleaned up at that time & showing up at the last minute only adds to their work load. I try to make things as easy as possible for all the crew no matter what their job.

 

Guess I just see it differently.

 

 

 

So I don't think there is anything to "force". If the restaurant has dining hours until 9 am, guests should be welcome to come in until that time and order their meal. I'm not suggesting people should be rude or intentionally inconvenience the staff, but the ship's staff are there to provide a service to the guests...that's what you are getting with your cruise fare. I see no reason to feel guilty about being on vacation and wanting to take your breakfast at 8:55am if you so choose. Again, there is a difference between being rude to the staff, and expecting them to reasonably provide the services offered....sure they may well want to clean up, but they are there to provide service to the guests.

 

 

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[fishywood]

I must admit to also seeing the door close early at MDR breakfast--in one case almost literally in passengers' faces as one of the headwaiters dashed to the doors when he spotted a couple lifts-full of passengers emerge and turn towards the entrance. And at least once I witnessed a passenger trying (unsuccessfully) to "force the issue" to be admitted by pointing out how many people were still eating even though in that case it actually was several minutes after the posted closing time.

 

But the main issue the OP had was not whether it was or wasn't still five minutes before last seating but the fact that they were unaware of the actual dining times. Further proof that nobody ever reads the back page of the Patter.

[Thrak]

We almost never eat breakfast in MDR as we tend to sleep in when on vacation. :) When we have eaten breakfast there we learned that the Eggs Benedict is incredibly bad. Very disappointing to say the least. As for deserts... I eat a lot of creme brulee when sailing. Love it and Princess does it well. I also eat other deserts - the chocolate journeys stuff is great - but the creme brulee is my go to desert. Despite the fact that other people rave about them I I have always found the souffle deserts to be mostly tasteless.

[mustgo]

I will be embarking on my first Princess cruise after 13 successful voyages on Carnival. Why you ask am I trying Princess? Carnival has had some major cutbacks; mostly on entertainment. The production shows are a thing of the past

as well as a live band in the theatre. There are some cutbacks on food but all in all I enjoy it. Just looking for something different.

Now my concerns......I've been reading reviews of the Crown Princess and they are not flattering. The ship is showing it's age which is to be expected, but having torn, dirty, faded, carpet is unacceptable. The food is hit or miss and that could be subjective to one's taste. Not one review was mostly positive. I'm trying to go in with a positive attitude but it seems to be getting harder with each review. The question now is.....should we cancel?

 

I suggest you try the Crown. We just did 2 weeks on her in Feb in South America and had a wonderful cruise. I did not see the flaws about which I had been reading. I did not think the dining room food was up to the standards of previous princess cruises but found we like dining in the buffet which surprised us as we usually prefer the dining room. We did the Carnival Horizon TA and vowed it was our last Carnival cruise. We are Platinum on both lines. We enjoyed our 2 weeks on the Crown so much more than the 13 nights on the Horizon. As others have said, both lines have cutbacks.

[Diver2014]

Food is so objective. See this concurrent thread for someone with diametrically opposed opinions of your cruise: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2478314. All that proves is that one person's tastes can differ immensely from another's. I'm glad you found other things to enjoy on the ship and hope that your next cruise on whichever line you chose is better for you.

 

That was my post you were referring to. Just goes to show that food is subjective. I find it hard to believe that we were on the same ship at the same time as the OP. Maybe we don't pay attention to the things that bothered the OP. If there was something that wasn't up to par, they should make their wishes known (ie cold bacon - order a fresh batch or have some warmed up for you). All you have to do is ask if there is something that is not up to your standards - that what guest services is for. All I can say is, it was a wonderful cruise, fabulous food, amazing ports, beautiful ship, great staff.....and it was my 33rd cruise so maybe I don't expect to be 'wowed' on every cruise we go on but we sure were on this one. Maybe my standards are too low.......;p

[XBGuy]

I'm a little late to this party, but I want to say that the OP's criticism of the food is not unreasonable. I have to say, however, that the comment about the cold bacon being offered in the buffet caused me to chuckle. I've had many a buffet breakfasts in my time--mostly, in hotels while on business travel--and my experience is that the bacon sitting in buffet chafing dishes is never hot. ;)

 

I will add this, and it is an opinion that I have offered many times here on Cruise Critic. I have experienced wide variations in the food quality and the dining service level of various Princess ships. I have experienced wonderful meals in Princess restaurants. Sadly, I have also experienced non-descript meals in Princess restaurants. I attribute these variations to the management on the different ships. If a room's headwaiter does not demand top level service from the wait staff, there is a good chance that the service will not be top level. Similarly, if a room's head chef does not demand top performance from his line chef's, then, surprise, surprise, they will be happy to "mail it in."

 

I have my reasons for sailing with Princess. I have enjoyed every cruise I have ever taken. Like the OP, I choose to look beyond the disappointments and base my enjoyment on the whole experience.

[floridalover5623]

We've sailed the Royal many times and think their food is far superior to any other Princess ship. Their kitchen staff is among the best of all the ships & has been since we first started sailing the Royal a few years ago.

I take comments with a grain of salt since we been there & know what to expect.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion.

[Sillyjilly]

Just back from our first cruise with Princess, (Royal Princess).

 

Have to say we were disappointed, maybe our expectations were too high as I had previously heard and read good things about Princess.

 

The food wasn't as good as I was expecting, although I realize that tastes are different. My husband and I both enjoy cooking, and we enjoy good food. We did have one or two really good entrees (we both liked the Curtis Stone fish stew), but there were more dishes that just didn't pass the taste test. Desserts were especially disappointing, not much choice, in fact most nights I passed on dessert. I did try the soufflé as it is a favorite of mine, but on two occasions it was almost scrambled egg, the third time on the menu though, it was good.

 

We were surprised to find that the dining room closed for breakfast by 9am, we turned up at 8.55am and told we had to go to the buffet. The bacon at the buffet was cold each day I tried it so I opted for freshly made omelet and that was good.

 

We did enjoy the food in Alfedo's

 

We tried the pub lunch one day, opting or fish and chips, it was without doubt the worse fish and chips we have ever tried. The fish was gray and rubbery instead of white and flakey.

 

I know that there will be people that disagree, to each their own.

 

The crew were lovely, nothing but praise for just about everyone we encountered.

 

The photographers were great, paid a lot of attention to detail when taking photos (not all cruise photographers do).

 

The entertainment was hit and miss (again, like food, this is subjective). What we enjoy, others might not.

 

We did like the Movies under the Stars,

 

We enjoyed the itinerary, especially Dominica, Grenada, Bonaire and Curacao.

 

Overall, we enjoyed our vacation (after all, we were on vacation, and whatever the circumstance, we make the best of it). Met some lovely people, saw some beautiful places, and had some great experiences.

 

Princess though is not for us.

 

This is not to say there is anything drastically wrong, just different strokes for different folks as the saying goes.

 

I've been on over 50 cruises on Princess and my last one in January was the worst Princess cruise I've ever been on. Food was mediocre at best. Hope this isn't the new Princess. :eek:

[KiwiFunCruiser]

We found Princess food to be of very high standard. Yes it is different and subjective and others may feel that it is not, but we generally find that many of the newer land based restaurants are too Artie! all covered in "rocket" with too many flavours killing your fish or steak. That is why we look so forward to a wide choice of menus and have always found somewhere in the dining rooms, buffet and specialties a "Something Different" aspect to look forward to on our next cruise. Sometimes we have all appetizers and have no trouble sending a plate back if feel that we would like something else.:):)

[Pierlesscruisers]

Just back from our first cruise with Princess, (Royal Princess).

.......

Princess though is not for us.

 

This is not to say there is anything drastically wrong, just different strokes for different folks as the saying goes.

 

As someone else mentioned, here, you're in Seattle and we've got 2 Princess ships in port here every weekend from May through most of September going to Alaska (a very popular Princess destination) so you might want to give Princess another shot. The ships are smaller than the Royal and that might make a difference to you. One added advantage of doing this is you won't have a very long trip from home to/from the pier!

 

 

Tom

[Reader0108598]

Just back from our first cruise with Princess, (Royal Princess).

 

Have to say we were disappointed, maybe our expectations were too high as I had previously heard and read good things about Princess.

 

The food wasn't as good as I was expecting, although I realize that tastes are different. My husband and I both enjoy cooking, and we enjoy good food. We did have one or two really good entrees (we both liked the Curtis Stone fish stew), but there were more dishes that just didn't pass the taste test. Desserts were especially disappointing, not much choice, in fact most nights I passed on dessert. I did try the soufflé as it is a favorite of mine, but on two occasions it was almost scrambled egg, the third time on the menu though, it was good.

 

We were surprised to find that the dining room closed for breakfast by 9am, we turned up at 8.55am and told we had to go to the buffet. The bacon at the buffet was cold each day I tried it so I opted for freshly made omelet and that was good.

 

We did enjoy the food in Alfedo's

 

We tried the pub lunch one day, opting or fish and chips, it was without doubt the worse fish and chips we have ever tried. The fish was gray and rubbery instead of white and flakey.

 

I know that there will be people that disagree, to each their own.

 

The crew were lovely, nothing but praise for just about everyone we encountered.

 

The photographers were great, paid a lot of attention to detail when taking photos (not all cruise photographers do).

 

The entertainment was hit and miss (again, like food, this is subjective). What we enjoy, others might not.

 

We did like the Movies under the Stars,

 

We enjoyed the itinerary, especially Dominica, Grenada, Bonaire and Curacao.

 

Overall, we enjoyed our vacation (after all, we were on vacation, and whatever the circumstance, we make the best of it). Met some lovely people, saw some beautiful places, and had some great experiences.

 

Princess though is not for us.

 

This is not to say there is anything drastically wrong, just different strokes for different folks as the saying goes.

 

 

 

Thank you for your honest review! Our first cruise on Royal was great! Our last cruise on Royal was not! Kind of turned me off cruising for awhile after 27 cruises.

 

Just did a land based Vaca It was great! :)

 

 

Reader

[Alaskanb]

One of the joys of cruising is that if a dish is not to your satisfaction, or taste, then another may be requested. We have found that the wait staff are a great source of advice about dishes they think we would enjoy.

[maxydu]

I suggest you try the Crown. We just did 2 weeks on her in Feb in South America and had a wonderful cruise. I did not see the flaws about which I had been reading. I did not think the dining room food was up to the standards of previous princess cruises but found we like dining in the buffet which surprised us as we usually prefer the dining room. We did the Carnival Horizon TA and vowed it was our last Carnival cruise. We are Platinum on both lines. We enjoyed our 2 weeks on the Crown so much more than the 13 nights on the Horizon. As others have said, both lines have cutbacks.

I appreciate your advice and will most likely follow through with the reservation. Our last CCL cruise was

on the Breeze which we enjoyed for the most part. We leave in a month for an 8 day voyage on the Vista.

Based on reviews, I'm a little nervous about that trip as well. The best way to know what you like is to take the plunge! I've read many a review of a horrible cruise and I was on the same trip and had a fantastic time. Thanks for taking the time to respond .

[riclop]

The buffet food is better then going to the MDR.

[floridalover5623]

The buffet food is better then going to the MDR.

It sure was.....every time I've been on the ship. More variety & you get to sample a little of everything & then go back for more of the best.

Try that in the DR. :cool:

[Host Jazzbeau]

We sailed on Coral Princess twice in six months [June-July 2013 to Alaska; Jan. 2014 Panama Canal]. We loved both cruises, but the food was dramatically better on the second cruise -- same menus, but a different Executive Chef directing their execution. So any other Princess cruise you take may well have much better food than OP experienced.

[Selion]

But the main issue the OP had was not whether it was or wasn't still five minutes before last seating but the fact that they were unaware of the actual dining times. Further proof that nobody ever reads the back page of the Patter.

We showed one night at the ATD MDR 5 minutes before the posted closing time (9:30pm closing per PP). I asked the hostess if we were too late to be seated, and she answered "no" and we were seated in the same table. This was March, on the Regal. Of course, different day + different ship + different staff = different experience.

 

BTW, thoroughly enjoyed all the food from MDR & Sabatini's on the Regal. Didn't hit the buffet, so can't comment on that.

[Corinda]

I appreciate your review. I am a confirmed Princess person (and I've got the tiara to prove it😊) but i like to hear differing opinions. Nothing is perfect...and when i recommend Princess i try to be as honest as possible. Its all so subjective I'm glad you had a nice time...and i hope your next cruise is exactly what you like.

 

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[lidojohnny]

I see you and your husband are foodies. Food on these ships

Princess, Holland, Royal etc. are most of the time Chevrolet.

As a foodie myself, so several times I went to the Chev. ships.

Then we went to the Cadillacs, Oceania, Crystal, Azmara,

now there is food. Of course it costs more, but if you like food

to be Cadillac when you pay Chevrolet price fugget abot it.