I've cancelled my Crown Princess cruise

[chloe45]

Good luck.

I think you will find NCL will nickel and dime you to death.

 

Yes, I've heard that. If our friends didn't ask us to join them we would probably sail on Celebrity next. DH has been wanting to try NCL. Since we will be with all of our friends everything else doesn't really matter.

[f-mattox]

Different opinion here, I won't sail on the Royal or Regal again, didn't like the size and crowds on these 2 massive ships.

 

I will second this. Too many people, too much oily soot on the balconies, not enough shade or space around the too few and too small pools; didn't like anything about the ships.

[broberts]

Let's not forget that cruise ships belch black smoke into the air 24/7/365.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Because someone is shot in my city, shooting people should be tolerated?

 

Cruise lines are well aware of the problem. Most have or are in the process of improving the quality of ship exhausts.

[Colo Cruiser]

Because someone is shot in my city, shooting people should be tolerated?

 

Cruise lines are well aware of the problem. Most have or are in the process of improving the quality of ship exhausts.

 

 

It is in Chicago.

 

Have sailed the Crown many times and enjoy sailing in her.

Edited July 11, 2017 by Colo Cruiser

[neverbeenhere]

Why is it that one must post a manifesto when maybe leaving a cruise line based on of hearsay?

 

 

40 Million fine is approximately $ 18 per passenger for one year's sailings.

[mustgo]

We went around the horn on the Crown in February. That was the first cruise we have ever taken where we decided to eat most of the dinners in the buffet because we enjoyed the food there more than the dining room

[cclarke12]

Good luck.

I think you will find NCL will nickel and dime you to death.

 

Not my experience at all. With free drinks package promotion on NCL we spend very little onboard. It is the least hard sell of the all the cruise lines we've been on. If you want to buy extras you can, but there's no pressure or indeed any need to.

 

We're booked on the Crown next week as it was a very cheap cruise, but based on our Emerald Princess cruise last year, we've found service and food (particularly in the buffet) far superior on NCL. NCL are also the masters of freedom dining compared with Princess who just couldn't cope on Emerald.

 

We really loved the food on Celebrity but they are the worse cruise line I have ever sailed on for being harassed to buy drinks packages - it was unrelenting and just put us off. They were definitely nickel and dime

[Host Jazzbeau]

Not my experience at all. With free drinks package promotion on NCL we spend very little onboard. It is the least hard sell of the all the cruise lines we've been on. If you want to buy extras you can, but there's no pressure or indeed any need to.

 

We're booked on the Crown next week as it was a very cheap cruise, but based on our Emerald Princess cruise last year, we've found service and food (particularly in the buffet) far superior on NCL. NCL are also the masters of freedom dining compared with Princess who just couldn't cope on Emerald.

 

We really loved the food on Celebrity but they are the worse cruise line I have ever sailed on for being harassed to buy drinks packages - it was unrelenting and just put us off. They were definitely nickel and dime

 

Different people have different reactions to things that they call 'nickel and dime.' We were on NCL POA in a suite with dining and drinks packages, but still felt nickel and dimed -- even though we didn't spend any extra money. Actually it was worse than feeling nickel and dimed -- we felt that we were treated like criminals. The most constant reminder of NCL's disdain for its passengers was the no-liquid policy every time we got back on the ship. I mentioned this to a crew member who told me about one passenger who bought a bottle of NCL water, took it on an NCL shore excursion but didn't drink it -- and wasn't allowed to bring it back on the ship. That's why NCL is the only cruise line we will never sail on again.

[chloe45]

Why is it that one must post a manifesto when maybe leaving a cruise line based on of hearsay?

 

 

40 Million fine is approximately $ 18 per passenger for one year's sailings.

 

Manifesto? Seriously? What part of sailing with Princess for 18 years didn't you get? I have experienced the decline. The bad Crown reviews was just the straw that broke the camels back. Didn't say I was totally done with Princess. If I wasn't happy with them I would not have sailed with them loyally for 18 years. Just looking for something else for now.

 

I already posted why I'm sailing NCL. Not my first choice.

[MrMan]

My sentiments EXACTLY. Why go even further downhill with NCL? Or as the OP suggests, sideways to NCL? If you want a better experience, expect to pay a whole lot more on a premium line. Try Azamara where everything (just about) is included. Balcony price for a week in the Med. is roughly $7000 vs. $4000 for Princess. You get what you pay for. :)

 

 

 

NCL Haven offering is pretty suite and as someone who sails both lines, NCL offers a better suite product

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[jlat]

If I based my decisions on what I heard about a cruise line, NCL would be one of my last choices. I hope you enjoy it though.

 

Interesting, after coming of the Caribbean Princess a couple of weeks ago, I can't wait to book my next cruise on NCL. We won't be back on Princess......e.v.e.r.

[lovevacadays]

Different opinion here, I won't sail on the Royal or Regal again, didn't like the size and crowds on these 2 massive ships.

 

It is interesting the difference of opinion. We loved the Regal and it never felt crowded to us.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Interesting, after coming of the Caribbean Princess a couple of weeks ago, I can't wait to book my next cruise on NCL. We won't be back on Princess......e.v.e.r.

 

That doesn't contradict the tenor of this thread at all. People who love NCL probably won't like Princess. In the same way, people who love (or loved in the past) Princess probably won't like NCL. They are very very different in every way.

[Ellipooh]

Interesting, after coming of the Caribbean Princess a couple of weeks ago, I can't wait to book my next cruise on NCL. We won't be back on Princess......e.v.e.r.

I hope I'm not being rude, but since I'm on Caribbean in 2 months I got anxious about your p.o.s.t emphasis. So I looked at your other posts to see what the problem was -- and other than a reference to a problem in Edinburgh re-boarding, I found fairly positive feedback from you. Including this:

 

Just got off the CB today. I thought the ship was in good shape .... I thought the ship in general was great and the crew was outstanding. This was our first time on Princess and I think we will be coming back again.

 

I suppose I'm hijacking, and perhaps even stalking, but I am in good faith curious why you've changed your perspective so long after you got back home?

[Skai]

 

$40 million judgement ? CCL stock price and dividends has never been higher .

 

The same could be stated for McDonald's.

 

Your point again?

 

 

To the OP. Princess is no longer considered a "premium line". You are correct. Princess is trying desperately to compete with and move closer to the CCL/NCL a la carte model(s). Thing is, Princess' newest 'gimmicks' to make up for the decline in quality (for what has traditionally been included in one's fare) have generally fallen flat and/or have been received rather poorly.

 

Skywalks? Fountains that take up valuable outdoor pool deck space?? The elimination of wrap-around promenades??? 'Share'???? Medallions????? etc. etc. etc.

 

Princess is undergoing an identity crisis in the 'Arms Race' of who can pack the most passengers onto the 'Behemoth of the Seas'.

 

By liquidating the majority of the smaller pax ships in their fleet -- which I view(ed) as a mistake -- for the likely reasoning of believing "bigger is better", they're missing out on the appeal and what may attract the type of clientele and demographic that they are looking to target. Quality all-inclusive cruising sans an overt class system laden with nickle-and-diming.

 

Those looking for quantity have better valued mainstream cruise-lines to choose from than Princess.

[puli]

NCL Haven offering is pretty suite and as someone who sails both lines, NCL offers a better suite product

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We have sailed in suites on HAL,Celebrity, Princess and NCL ( and other defunct lines) and have found NCL offers the best perks, especially their Concierge/butler service (butler service now copied by Celebrity) having your own coffee pod machine (now copied by HAL) , and their specialty breakfast and lunch sites (partially copied by Princess). never mind the Haven itself....

[Woobstr112G]

Please keep trashing the Crown. I'm sailing her in December and hopefully all this kvetching and cancelling of reservations will cause them to make drastic changes and reduce prices. I can't wait to re-fare!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Bob

[caribill]

 

By liquidating the majority of the smaller pax ships in their fleet -- which I view(ed) as a mistake -- for the likely reasoning of believing "bigger is better", they're missing out on the appeal and what may attract the type of clientele and demographic that they are looking to target.

 

Which also has meant the elimination of many unique itineraries that only the smaller ships could navigate to (example: Amazon River).

 

There are only so many times the most fanatic of cruisers wants to visit Cozumel or St. Thomas along with the 10 or more other cruise ships there that day.

[Chief02]

The same could be stated for McDonald's.

 

Your point again?

 

 

To the OP. Princess is no longer considered a "premium line". You are correct. Princess is trying desperately to compete with and move closer to the CCL/NCL a la carte model(s). Thing is, Princess' newest 'gimmicks' to make up for the decline in quality (for what has traditionally been included in one's fare) have generally fallen flat and/or have been received rather poorly.

 

Skywalks? Fountains that take up valuable outdoor pool deck space?? The elimination of wrap-around promenades??? 'Share'???? Medallions????? etc. etc. etc.

 

Princess is undergoing an identity crisis in the 'Arms Race' of who can pack the most passengers onto the 'Behemoth of the Seas'.

 

By liquidating the majority of the smaller pax ships in their fleet -- which I view(ed) as a mistake -- for the likely reasoning of believing "bigger is better", they're missing out on the appeal and what may attract the type of clientele and demographic that they are looking to target. Quality all-inclusive cruising sans an overt class system laden with nickle-and-diming.

 

Those looking for quantity have better valued mainstream cruise-lines to choose from than Princess.

 

Personally, I feel that the current CEO is running this cruise line into a dumpster. Whether it be by the fines associated with the "Magic Pipe", or from sheer incompetence, this cruise line is on the way out. IMHO. "Bigger" was not "Better" for Princess. Especially, since their older ships are now so neglected . . . BIG TIME.

[jacketwatch]

I am perplexed by comments like how Princess is going downhill. I've been reading them for yrs. The reviews about the Sapphire and the Diamond, our last two Princess cruises were fair at best and I have to say what were they smoking?? Our experience was just what we have come to expect from Princess and that is service that's a notch above the rest. We did our first NCL cruise on the Getaway and I must say they were better than expected but still not up to the standard we have come to expect from Princess.

Also as an early riser I fondly remember going to the IC at a time when few were up, getting a cappuccino and just watching the day begin!

Edited July 12, 2017 by jacketwatch

[curtdesilets]

All cruise lines are not as attractive as they once were. We have been cruising steadily for about 20 years. In the early 2000's, cruising was a dream. Luxury abounded, food was succulent, service was out of this world, no matter which line you chose. No more! Hard to explain what happened but now we have to pay a pretty price on lines like Oceania or Crystal to get a good plate of food! Just my 2 cents, which BTW the cruise lines want to squeeze from me as well. :confused:

 

P.S. This sort of "not as good as it used to be" thread occurs on every cruiseline board here on Cruise Critic. You should see what the Celebrity people had to say when they rolled out "Modern Luxury" and cut corners at every front.

Edited July 12, 2017 by curtdesilets
additional info

[rbt001]

DH and I have soured on the Princess brand. We've notice over the last couple of years that the Princess product has gone downhill.

 

Giving NCL a try. Have a transatlantic booked for next April. I know NCL is not considered a premium line but Princess isn't anymore either in our opinion.

 

There's a reason (or several) why NCL is not considered a premium line, and based upon my recent experience, you may be rather upset at being trapped on NCL for a transatlantic with no ports to run off with your bags to fly home.

 

With my dozen or more cruises on Princess over the past three years, I've noticed the gradual "chipping away" on Princess. So I was eager to experience NCL Escape when I took a 7 day cruise this April. I had an expiring deposit cert that I had to use or lose.

 

Your comments indicate that you don't travel in suites, so "The Haven" on NCL sounds out of the question because of cost. I spoke with a "Haven" guest about why she would only stay there on NCL. I've stayed in a Princess full suite and enjoyed the benefits, however, "The Haven" outshines Princess.

 

Having no status on NCL, I didn't have priority boarding. The Disney-esque line kept moving and only took 15 minutes to be called to an agent. Looking at his watch as he handed me my key card he stated: "Just to your left and up the escalators. We should start boarding just about now." WONDERFUL, I thought: just like Princess; I'll be unpacked in my room 20 minutes from now. Up the escalator I was handed my "Boarding Pass" --- for Group 25!! It was a 90 minute wait until my group was called.

 

Walk off disembarkation was no better, with a line that snaked practically the length of the ship and back before walking outside to the gangway.

 

I love the Princess daily rotation of the MDR breakfast and lunch menus. The NCL MDR breakfast menu was on a three day rotation for my 7 day cruise. I tried a number of the specialty restaurants, and it seems they are geared for the mass market. Crown Grill beats the NCL Steakhouse hands down, and Old Menu Sabatini's outshines NCL's Italian offering. I can only give a "shake of the shoulders" to the French restaurant.

 

I never visited the buffet on NCL and I typically don't use HC on Princess.

 

Service, or more specifically supervision and training of service on NCL pales in comparison to Princess. It's the small things that make the difference. Take what I saw in the French restaurant. Two 4-top tables were put together to accommodate a party of 8. With three on each side and one at each end, it meant the middle person on each side was sitting where the tables were joined. Only problem is the tables were an inch different in height. None-the-less, the table was set with that middle plate leaning at a 40 degree angle left to right. To my server: "I know that is not your table, but let me ask you something. If you were a guest here tonight in NCL's 'nicest' specialty restaurant and you were paying $35 to eat here, how would you feel about sitting at THAT seat?" pointing to the the setting. She looked, turned back to me with a big smile, I smiled at her, pointed again, she looked, then looked back at me. So I asked her: "Do you see how that plate is sitting on the table? Would you like to eat from it at that angle?" She smiled, acknowledged with a nod, and walked off. I saw her say something to another service staff member. But no change was made from the table. It took the ship's F&B Director, who had planned to visit with me at the end of my meal, before the table and place setting was fixed.

 

In the steakhouse, the couple at the table next to me (who I had a conversation with on another day) got the wrong table on SEVERAL COUNTS. The setting sun was right in the husband's face because the panel of blinds over their table didn't descend when the staff flipped the switch to lower the blinds. So I called our waiter over, and as I pointed and before I could say anything, he snapped: "It's broken."

Me: "Well, yes, I can see that. But can YOU see that long metal rod? I think if you crank and turn it, the blind will slide down."

 

"Do you work on the ship?"

"No, but I believe that is the manual crank."

He was amazed as the blind descended, asking "Wow! How did you know that?"

 

I just smiled in return, as I thought to myself: "Umm, just simple common sense."

 

They had been the second table seated in the dining room, and I heard them let their waiter know they were skipping a course because they had show reservations for 7:30pm. It was 5:40pm. A wasted comment, it turns out. I was served, followed by three tables to my left and two tables in front of me while the couple nervously glanced at their watches and each other.

 

So I signaled for our waiter as I asked: "Do you know what happened to their food?"

 

"I don't know."

"Well, I've watched five other tables who ordered after them be served their meals. Could you find out? Because remember they mentioned they had a show reservation, and they were the second order that you took, before these other tables."

 

Okay, I'll stop here. But I could go on. Yes, Princess staff do have their "moments," but they seem few and far between. Service in general on Princess seems more attentive and personalized compared to NCL.

 

There just seems to be more care and attention on board Princess.

 

Have you considered a shorter cruise on NCL first, to test the waters?

[Griller]

DH and I have soured on the Princess brand. We've notice over the last couple of years that the Princess product has gone downhill. We've cruised Princess 20+ times. We used to book suites the last few years I was working but I retired early so we had booked a mini on the Crown in December. We don't care for the MDR because it takes too long. We planned on using the buffet and what I've heard lately doesn't sound good. The same food being served over and over again. Then I heard about what they did to the buffet on the Caribbean Princess on the last refurbishment and couldn't believe it. Hope this isn't a new trend. Peanut Butter and Jelly station and breakfast for dinner. You have got to be kidding me!

 

I suspect that this decline comes on the heels of the $40 million dollar judgement. Somebody has to pay for it and it's the loyal Princess passengers that will bear the brunt.

 

I'm not saying we are totally done with Princess but will wait and see if they clean up there act in the future.

 

Giving NCL a try. Have a transatlantic booked for next April. I know NCL is not considered a premium line but Princess isn't anymore either in our opinion.

 

Yes Crown Princess is not at all good, we were so pleased to debark after the recent transatlantic on there. I cruised NCL Epic last fall Transatlantic and was very pleasantly surprised by the food and entertainment. I want to try NCL Getaway next.

We wanted to go to New England and Canada this fall and Princess have Crown P on the itinerary we wanted, well that decided us, we have just booked more or less the same itinerary on Celebrity Summit. Painful economically because no stockholder OBC. No Future Cruise OBC. No Military OBC on Celebrity for me.

But no more Crown Princess for us ever, even if half the cost.

Once bitten twice shy.

[Skai]

There's a reason (or several) why NCL is not considered a premium line, and based upon my recent experience, you may be rather upset at being trapped on NCL for a transatlantic with no ports to run off with your bags to fly home.

 

Interesting observations.

 

The positives I recognized on our only NCL cruise were that the entertainment was the best we've seen among all of our cruises. The theater shows were top notch - Great improv comedians, top-notch acrobats and talented/well choreographed Cirque-de-Soleil(Vegas quality) productions. We've seen some decent entertainment aboard Princess at times, but NCL was clearly a couple notches higher.

 

It's obvious that NCL devotes a little more of their budget towards entertainment...at well perhaps...at the expense of the quality of the included in the fare food offerings. The buffet was downright unappetizing, and we found ourselves having to eat in a 'specialty' restaurant just about every night of the cruise to get a decent meal. Even then, they were hit-or-miss. While it was nice to have a multitude of variety - and many were priced reasonably (ie. $10-15 cover charge per person for the lowest cost). The (Asian Fusion?) place was the most bland and uneventful Chinese food that we've ever had. Teppenyaki(think Benihana's) was entertaining enough and the food was O.K. We found the Italian restaurant pretty good - and ate their twice during our sailing -- Perhaps we lucked out with what we ordered. My Rib-Eye entree and Lobster Pasta entree (combined both times at no additional charge) were as good(or better) than any meal I've had in the Princess MDR. The Brazilian steakhouse was a little meh. I'm a big meat eater and there was plenty of variety of it coming (as long as I kept my card facing green up on the table), but many of the cuts were a little on the dry side and it could have been a little better had they been a little juicier.

 

We decided that the roughly $125 pp more that we spent on specialty restaurants on our 7-day NCL cruise averaged out to be about the difference in what we would've paid for a similar Princess cruise fare - not including the cover charges for the couple times a cruise that we dine at specialty restaurants on a Princess sailing.

 

For that reason, I would actually consider the comparison to be a wash. The specialty restaurants on NCL are as good as(or slightly better) than the MDR on Princess. Being smaller venues, the SR's ambiance and service is a little better on NCL than the MDR on Princess as well.

 

Enough about food though....The other thing I liked on NCL was the casual dress code. We don't participate in formal nights -- opting to dine at specialty restaurants instead on those evenings of a cruise. Most of our cruises are warm-weather tropical cruises. On many days, often the last thing I like to do -- after a sun-drenched long day touring around a humid environment -- is to throw on some pants to go to the MDR on Princess. I, of course, still comply with the suggested dress-code anyways.

 

It was nice to be able to go to the NCL dinner venues in docker-style shorts and be comfortable while having dinner. I'm not among the crowd to really give a damn what other people are wearing in the MDR as long as it isn't trashy or bathing suits etc. But that's me. I'm on vacation and I want to be comfortable. I couldn't care less if the guy across from me at another table has shorts on. His legs are under his table anyways.

 

That all stated. Our NCL cruise would likely rank near the bottom of our cruising experiences. Not necessarily bad (never had a bad cruise), just not as good (overall) as the others we've taken. The cruise at the bottom is the Carnival cruise that we took out of NOLA as a back-to-back with the the NCL one. We found that the clientele on the Carnival cruise was more 'Tennessee/Alabama' and the clientele on the NCL cruise was more 'Michigan/Wisconsin' FWIW.

 

We'd sail NCL again, knowing what to expect. The Ultimate Dining Package would be a requirement for sure.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Interesting observations.

 

The positives I recognized on our only NCL cruise were that the entertainment was the best we've seen among all of our cruises. The theater shows were top notch - Great improv comedians, top-notch acrobats and talented/well choreographed Cirque-de-Soleil(Vegas quality) productions. We've seen some decent entertainment aboard Princess at times, but NCL was clearly a couple notches higher.

 

It's obvious that NCL devotes a little more of their budget towards entertainment...at well perhaps...at the expense of the quality of the included in the fare food offerings. The buffet was downright unappetizing, and we found ourselves having to eat in a 'specialty' restaurant just about every night of the cruise to get a decent meal. Even then, they were hit-or-miss. While it was nice to have a multitude of variety - and many were priced reasonably (ie. $10-15 cover charge per person for the lowest cost). The (Asian Fusion?) place was the most bland and uneventful Chinese food that we've ever had. Teppenyaki(think Benihana's) was entertaining enough and the food was O.K. We found the Italian restaurant pretty good - and ate their twice during our sailing -- Perhaps we lucked out with what we ordered. My Rib-Eye entree and Lobster Pasta entree (combined both times at no additional charge) were as good(or better) than any meal I've had in the Princess MDR. The Brazilian steakhouse was a little meh. I'm a big meat eater and there was plenty of variety of it coming (as long as I kept my card facing green up on the table), but many of the cuts were a little on the dry side and it could have been a little better had they been a little juicier.

 

We decided that the roughly $125 pp more that we spent on specialty restaurants on our 7-day NCL cruise averaged out to be about the difference in what we would've paid for a similar Princess cruise fare - not including the cover charges for the couple times a cruise that we dine at specialty restaurants on a Princess sailing.

 

For that reason, I would actually consider the comparison to be a wash. The specialty restaurants on NCL are as good as(or slightly better) than the MDR on Princess. Being smaller venues, the SR's ambiance and service is a little better on NCL than the MDR on Princess as well.

 

Enough about food though....The other thing I liked on NCL was the casual dress code. We don't participate in formal nights -- opting to dine at specialty restaurants instead on those evenings of a cruise. Most of our cruises are warm-weather tropical cruises. On many days, often the last thing I like to do -- after a sun-drenched long day touring around a humid environment -- is to throw on some pants to go to the MDR on Princess. I, of course, still comply with the suggested dress-code anyways.

 

It was nice to be able to go to the NCL dinner venues in docker-style shorts and be comfortable while having dinner. I'm not among the crowd to really give a damn what other people are wearing in the MDR as long as it isn't trashy or bathing suits etc. But that's me. I'm on vacation and I want to be comfortable. I couldn't care less if the guy across from me at another table has shorts on. His legs are under his table anyways.

 

That all stated. Our NCL cruise would likely rank near the bottom of our cruising experiences. Not necessarily bad (never had a bad cruise), just not as good (overall) as the others we've taken. The cruise at the bottom is the Carnival cruise that we took out of NOLA as a back-to-back with the the NCL one. We found that the clientele on the Carnival cruise was more 'Tennessee/Alabama' and the clientele on the NCL cruise was more 'Michigan/Wisconsin' FWIW.

 

We'd sail NCL again, knowing what to expect. The Ultimate Dining Package would be a requirement for sure.

 

Equating specialty restaurants on NCL with the MDR on Princess says it all.