underwhelmed by Princess (Emerald)

[floridalover5623]

19 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

Not my favourite ship either, but still better than staying at home.

Or simply changing to another Princess ship. The Royal class ships outperform the older ships by miles. 

[satxdiver]

I was on the Emerald earlier this year for an 18 day cruise and found it to be like I had remembered.  I have been on both the Regal and Royal and found them to be enjoyable but prefer the Ruby/Emerald/Crown ships.  I have already booked a cruise on the Ruby for 2020.  

 

Food is very subjective so what I find good others may find awful.  The HC is a buffet and serves buffet food which I approach without high expectations.  For that reason I limit my HC experiences and go either to the MDR for all three meals or to a specialty restaurant.  I particularly like Sabatini's which many on here seem not to like but then I am not a steak or even beef lover.  

[Brisbane41]

11 hours ago, Centsless_Cruiser said:

I am curious as to where you find the layout of the Emerald to be significantly different from other Grand/Grand+ ships?  My DW and I have been on all the Grand+ ships (Emerald, Crown and Ruby) plus the Sapphire, Star and Golden and other than minor differences find them all to be very "familiar" which to us is a plus.  Our most favorite is the Sapphire but the Emerald is our second choice.

 

Thanks for posting.

With regards to Emerald Princess compared to both Sapphire and Diamond Princess with Skywalkers. You can be in this lounge on Diamond and Sapphire and have access to the aft decks and veranda. This is not the case on Emerald Princess as it was locked and blocked for rear balcony access and viewing areas. There are a few other areas on the aft decks that let you move between levels outside on Sapphire and Diamond but you are prevented on Emerald.

 

There were a few others but I cannot remember off hand. The reason I know about the skywalkers area is that the aft parts of those ships are my favourite outdoor viewing areas for scenic cruising when I want to get up high with my camera and want quick and easy access.

[Mike45LC]

30 minutes ago, satxdiver said:

The HC is a buffet and serves buffet food which I approach without high expectations.  For that reason I limit my HC experiences and go either to the MDR for all three meals or to a specialty restaurant. 

Satx, I had to laugh.  My wife and I went to the Main Dining Room for lunch one day, got seated and were handed the menu.  A few minutes later, we agreed that the selection at the buffet had to be better, so we got up and left the MDR without eating.  I had a grilled chicken breast and "street tacos" from the Salty Dog Grill (or whatever they now call the Trident Grill) and my wife made herself a very nice salad at the buffet and added a chicken breast from the Grill -- much nicer (for both of us) than the MDR selections!

 

This is what makes a horse race!  And we are all happy (except for the OP!!)

 

[nukesubsailor]

As to the creaking noises---------you wouldn't think that a big ship made of steel would do so but all ships of any size will have some flexing when at sea.  Depending on the construction features of the ship, the flex points will vary from one ship to the next. If you have a cabin in the area of a flex point, you will hear some creaking. I have been on a ship that had expansion joints.  You could actually see the deck flex at each joint as we passed over a wave.  I would wager that most noise cruisers hear is caused by objects moving with the motion of the ship....... doors, furniture, clothes hangers, etc.

[Skai]

8 hours ago, cruisingourmet said:

The reviews from cruise critic show it as 4 Star. The food on Celebrity is very good and their optional dining Murano is close to Michelin 1 star dining. I simply expected the MDR to serve appetizing well prepared food and again I chatted with over a dozen other passengers who also said and I quote "Princess has slipped in quality" I don't think getting quality meals daily is unrealistic and again I let the Exec Chef know by detailed letter (no reply at all)

 

 

Fair enough.

 

It certainly wasn't my intention to chide you for your opinion about your experience, rather to question what led you to the preconceived expectations that you had prior to sailing Princess.

 

There is no question that the quality(and presentation) of food on Princess has declined in the last decade(or two). However, this is an issue that is endemic across the entire mainstream cruiseline industry.

 

In an attempt to keep fares lower/competitive and to fill ever-increasing ship capacities, the move to a la carte style pricing -- where one can 'pay more to get more' -- has become prevalent.  The trend as gradually been moving further away from the traditional 'all-inclusive' style of cruising.  Hence, concepts like 'Club Class',  'Concierge Class', 'Specialty Dining' etc. etc. etc.  That stated, as it pertains to consistency, even the specialty 'extra-fee' restaurants on Princess have also slipped in recent years.

 

I would put Princess in the 3* level, towards the upper end, but firmly in the 3* level.  (Cruise Critic may be a tad more generous when it comes to rating 'Dining' -- They obviously haven't ordered any beef dishes from the MDR in recent times.)  

 

Princess often tends to shine more in the 'Service' part of the dining experience. Although, I believe that recent cutbacks in MDR staffing #s has also (at times) had an adverse effect in this area as well. 

 

Honestly speaking here,  your complaints to Princess management will likely fall on deaf ears.  Princess knows what level of (dining)product that they are providing, and their stance is likely 'Take it or leave it'.   Plenty of people are content with what's provided, as evidenced by Princess being able to fill their ships.

 

My suggestion to you (if you're looking to have a closer to gourmet food experience on a cruise ship) is to try Oceania(4*), or even one of the 5* luxury lines such as: Seabourn, Crystal or Regent.  

 

Looking at inflation, the current fare cost of sailing on a line like Oceania is roughly what it cost to sail Princess a few decades ago...a time when the 'included in the fare' quality was of a higher scale.   

Edited December 28, 2018 by Skai

[Centsless_Cruiser]

58 minutes ago, Brisbane41 said:

With regards to Emerald Princess compared to both Sapphire and Diamond Princess with Skywalkers. You can be in this lounge on Diamond and Sapphire and have access to the aft decks and veranda. This is not the case on Emerald Princess as it was locked and blocked for rear balcony access and viewing areas. There are a few other areas on the aft decks that let you move between levels outside on Sapphire and Diamond but you are prevented on Emerald.

 

There were a few others but I cannot remember off hand. The reason I know about the skywalkers area is that the aft parts of those ships are my favourite outdoor viewing areas for scenic cruising when I want to get up high with my camera and want quick and easy access.

The Sapphire and Diamond are Japanese built twins that are different from all other Grand class ships (Trivia Answer-The Diamond caught fire during construction and they switched the name with the Sapphire since they wanted the Diamond to be the first ship).  One great feature on the Diamond and Sapphire is the wide Promenade Deck that have teak deck loungers and still plenty of room for walkers.

 

The Emerald, Ruby and Crown are sister ships built in Italy and are nearly identical to each other.

[OCruisers]

6 hours ago, Coral said:

Thrak - have you sailed on lines outside of Princess?

 

While Thrak may not have, we have cruised on other lines and still do.   Everyone needs to "sleep around" every once in a while to make sure there's not a cruise line/ship  you'd like better.

It's just Princess continues to be the  "all around" best fit for us .  

 

[Coral]

14 minutes ago, OCruisers said:

 

While Thrak may not have, we have cruised on other lines and still do.   Everyone needs to "sleep around" every once in a while to make sure there's not a cruise line/ship  you'd like better.

It's just Princess continues to be the  "all around" best fit for us .  

 

I even said that in my response: It really is worth trying different lines, even if you discover that Princess is the line for you.

 

Sometimes when people don't understand when others say the Grand class is choppy - it is obvious that they haven't experienced other lines/ships that flow better.

 

Edited December 28, 2018 by Coral

[GUT2407]

31 minutes ago, OCruisers said:

 

While Thrak may not have, we have cruised on other lines and still do.   Everyone needs to "sleep around" every once in a while to make sure there's not a cruise line/ship  you'd like better.

It's just Princess continues to be the  "all around" best fit for us .  

 

Totally agree, Princess fits us best (just in front) but don’t hesitate to sail elsewhere if all else fits (Itinerary, Price, Timing).

[jagsfan]

We alternate between Princess and Royal Caribbean and are happy with both. They each offer something different from the other, which keeps us satisfied. 

In the past, we’ve sailed on Carnival, Holland, Oceania, and Cunard. Each of those lines offer something different, too. 

Princess and Royal, though, are our steadies, but the time may come when we check out the grass on the other side of the fence again. 

And so far as good quality, if you check out the threads of the other lines, you’ll see plenty of comments on the declining quality of the food. 

[gwhitti]

This is certainly a “different strokes” issue. We were on the Oct. 2018, 28 day Hawaii/Tahiti cruise on the Emerald and LOVED the layout. Loved it so much we booked the 15 day PC back to back with the 28 day 2020 Hawaii/Tahiti cruise as soon as we got back. So many different spaces to be. Loved the Adagio lounge and Skywalkers for relaxing, reading, playing cribbage, cocktails, etc. Sky deck had the best views. How many different ships you have cruised on is not relevant if you love the one you choose. As for the quality of the food we find that argument tiring and subjective. People here at home engage in the same polemics all the time about restaurant A vs restaurant B. People and expectations are different with both sides being satisfied with their choices. Some people live to eat, others eat to live. Both end up happy if they get what they want.

 

That being said our complaint with all cruise ships we have been on is the wasteful space allotted to too much speciality dining. 

Edited December 28, 2018 by gwhitti
Auto-correct error

[Brisbane41]

7 hours ago, Centsless_Cruiser said:

The Sapphire and Diamond are Japanese built twins that are different from all other Grand class ships (Trivia Answer-The Diamond caught fire during construction and they switched the name with the Sapphire since they wanted the Diamond to be the first ship).  One great feature on the Diamond and Sapphire is the wide Promenade Deck that have teak deck loungers and still plenty of room for walkers.

 

The Emerald, Ruby and Crown are sister ships built in Italy and are nearly identical to each other.

I am fully aware of all those facts since I was on both not long after they entered service. Even said they are still the Grand class and share the same layout and design features as the rest of the Grand class. Take Golden Princess for example. Identical in many respects yet the public rooms may have different locations or names or deck levels. Example Wheelhouse Bar taking the space of the casino and simple tweaks like that. 

 

The Crown, Emerald and Ruby have more in common with the Diamond and Sapphire than the rest of the Grand class. The other main problem with the likes of the Crown variants is slapping an extra deck on top with over 700 more passengers for a ship frame only designed to cater to 2,600 passengers. Despite that extra deck being slapped on top not one extra passenger public space area was added to compensate for the crowding. 

 

If it came to choice then Diamond and Sapphire would be at the top of my list followed by Golden and Star Princess. The Crown variants would always be last choice.

[Doubt It]

OP, thank you for your excellent review.  Also thanks to other posters who have reported on the decline of the food recently.

 

Princess food is getting a bad rap currently on the Holland America site under the thread Edge envy. 

 

The food examples described by the OP is not acceptable - it is slop.  

 

I have observed many posts in the past year about declining Princess food quality and it is not acceptable to our household.

 

However, just completed an Oceania 18 day, and their new August 2018 menus also cheapened and reduced the food offerings.  That and the arrogant Oceania management attitude and their corporate tendency to miss ports means no more Oceania cruises.

 

So declining food quality seems to be pervasive even at the premium cruise level.

 

Have no cruises booked going forward.

[Wishing on a star]

We were impressed by everything about the REGAL,  EXCEPT for the new cutbacks in food, dining, and service.

These factors were AWFUL.

Some inedible cheap processed food...  no drinks... rude service..

Seriously,  NO excuse, Princess.

 

OP:  That 'mashed potato ball' you described....  sounds exactly like the so-called nice potato croquette that I was served on the Regal.  Seriously...  overly baked, browned/broiled putty.  Disgusting.  Even a simple scalloped typed potato was so overly processed and so salty with possible MSG...  that it was like it came out of a huge institutional tray from Campbell's Soup.  It was BAD.

 

Veggies that are both undercooked and mushy at the same time would seem to be from frozen.

 

Having noted that...

The Emerald has been getting some negative comments and reviews for some time now.

 

Edited December 28, 2018 by Wishing on a star

[Cruise Raider]

21 hours ago, suzyed said:

In order for DH to agree to a cruise, he wants me to get it to $100/pp/day.  However, I factor in OBC, free grats, and other perks to get it to the $100.  And I have gotten that on OV and Balcony cabins.  But it is getting harder and harder and I think he is going to have to give me a little more leeway on that price!  LOL!
I'm also a bargain shopper and I want the most bang for my buck!  And if it's something really special like our upcoming "In Search of the Northern Lights" sailing, I will splurge a bit since this is a bucket list item for me!

Our last 25 day sailing was on the Crown.  I would say there were maybe 3 delish meals in the MDR......the rest mediocre or awful!  Out wait staff tried to help by suggesting other options but by that time, I was essentially "over it".   Our meals in the specialties were very good but our friends (4 of them) did not enjoy the gastropub.  We thought it was ok.  The Crab Shack was one of the best meals we had onboard!

 

Yes ... cruising is still a bargain and so I tend to book quite a few of them when I see the deals.  My DH just told me he doesn't want any more trips until the one we have planned in the spring ... but, but, but ... I found some good last minute deals.  hahaha!  

We did splurge a little on a Mardi Gras cruise a couple of years ago.  It really would have been a splurge had the prices not come way down as it got closer to the sailing.  Then, they threw in all sorts of perks to really make it worth while.... so there you have it!  It's ok to splurge every so often on a once in a lifetime sailing.  

Good to know about the Crab Shack .. I've never tried it but will seek it out on my next Princess cruise.  I usually love the Crown Grill ....never had a bad meal there.  I can't say much about Sabatini's, though ... it wasn't that the food was awful, I just didn't care for anything that was listed on the menu.  My DH loved it, though ... but we have very different tastes.  I wouldn't bother to go again.  

[cruzsnooze]

On 12/26/2018 at 8:25 PM, cruisingourmet said:

A little is okay, although I spoke to many people & made friends onboard and their cabins did not creak.

This was creak creak and occasionaly loud crack that kept waking us up !

We had a similar problem on the Star Princess and they verified it was loud and problematic and gave us a nice big OBC for the inconvenience . Princess is a mass market line never was a 4 star.

Edited December 28, 2018 by cruzsnooze

[pcsunlover]

On 12/27/2018 at 12:52 PM, Cruise Raider said:

 

 

I do agree that it seems a lot of the entertainment during the day has just gone missing.  I love live music and you can't seem to find that much anymore during the daytime.  I do love MUTS but in the earlier hours, they just show concerts or maybe not even that.  Why not a good family movie (not cartoon movies) for those that choose to stay onboard or on sea days?  I don't know how many times I can see Tina Turner or those Minions on the big screen.  Ugh!!  

 

We were on the Royal last week and I agree with you about the entertainment.  I’d say more than 50% of the Patter were “activities” geared towards sales.  We had to search to find the actual entertainment, and during the day if you don’t care for trivia or bingo it’s virtually non-existent or geared towards entertaining yourself or having other passengers be the entertainment. The one day they used MUTS while the ship was in port, they showed Cirque du Soleil and last year on the Regal they showed 3 hours of it. It was incredibly boring, especially on a caribbean cruise.Thank goodness for the pools at least.  I must say that The Secret Silk was really good, but it was incredibly loud and hard to understand some of the dialog and song lyrics. I love Princess, (at least I have in the past), and we pretty much cruise exclusively with them but we think it’s time to experience what some other cruiselines have to offer for some variety.

 

 

 

[Cruise Raider]

2 minutes ago, pcsunlover said:

 

We were on the Royal last week and I agree with you about the entertainment.  I’d say more than 50% of the Patter were “activities” geared towards sales.  We had to search to find the actual entertainment, and during the day if you don’t care for trivia or bingo it’s virtually non-existent or geared towards entertaining yourself or having other passengers be the entertainment. The one day they used MUTS while the ship was in port, they showed Cirque du Soleil and last year on the Regal they showed 3 hours of it. It was incredibly boring, especially on a caribbean cruise.Thank goodness for the pools at least.  I must say that The Secret Silk was really good, but it was incredibly loud and hard to understand some of the dialog and song lyrics. I love Princess, (at least I have in the past), and we pretty much cruise exclusively with them but we think it’s time to experience what some other cruiselines have to offer for some variety.

 

 

 

 

We always jump around between different cruiselines just for some variety.  We actually have most of our sailings with Princess, nearly half of all cruises combined.  Why?  Their itineraries get us hooked every time and they have a ship home ported in San Francisco, which is a hop skip and a jump for us.  

I have a favorite line, which isn't Princess, btw ... but most other lines have pretty much abandoned us on the west coast and flying across country isn't my idea of a vacation, although sometimes, we have to do it to experience a little variety in entertainment, activities, food, ship amenities, etc.  

[pcsunlover]

26 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

We always jump around between different cruiselines just for some variety.  We actually have most of our sailings with Princess, nearly half of all cruises combined.  Why?  Their itineraries get us hooked every time and they have a ship home ported in San Francisco, which is a hop skip and a jump for us.  

I have a favorite line, which isn't Princess, btw ... but most other lines have pretty much abandoned us on the west coast and flying across country isn't my idea of a vacation, although sometimes, we have to do it to experience a little variety in entertainment, activities, food, ship amenities, etc.  

 

We live in Michigan so no matter where we cruise from it involves flying somewhere. Right now the time we are able to spend cruising is limited so we typically book 7 day caribbean cruises during the winter months.  Princess has always been a good match for our activity level, but their 7 day caribbean itineraries are getting stale.  I’m pretty tired of the Princess Cay/St. Thomas/St. Maarten itinerary.  Many times we stay onboard during those ports now. Really wish they hadn’t discontinued the ABC island cruises.

[Cruise Raider]

19 minutes ago, pcsunlover said:

 

We live in Michigan so no matter where we cruise from it involves flying somewhere. Right now the time we are able to spend cruising is limited so we typically book 7 day caribbean cruises during the winter months.  Princess has always been a good match for our activity level, but their 7 day caribbean itineraries are getting stale.  I’m pretty tired of the Princess Cay/St. Thomas/St. Maarten itinerary.  Many times we stay onboard during those ports now. Really wish they hadn’t discontinued the ABC island cruises.

 

Yes, the ABC islands are the best!!  We are lucky to live so close to an embarkation port but our choices are pretty limited.  But, like you mentioned, I'd rather cruise, even if it means just staying onboard and having a nice relaxing lunch without the crowds.  

[emmak8]

Sounds like you should look into Silversea, Oceania, Regent.

 

[Coral]

44 minutes ago, emmak8 said:

Sounds like you should look into Silversea, Oceania, Regent.

 

The OP is actually pleased with Celebrity's food. At one time, Celebrity and Princess were considered equals. 

[Colo Cruiser]

22 hours ago, reedprincess said:

We just recently did 33 nights in Emerald.  28 day r/t South Pacific followed by 5 day Cabo

The head chef changed in between, left the ship - and Princess - upon return to LA from South Pacific.   There was a very distinct change in food taste and presentation between the two cruises. Obviously,  menus repeated, so we saw lots of the same dinner items both cruises, and presentation on the second cruise, along with flavor, was distinctly different - and nowhere near as good as the 28 night.  

The 28 nighter had very good food, including in the buffet. Indian and curry dishes with actual flavors, and some heat, meats cooked tender, veggies not mushy, etc.  The MDR had well cooked fish and beef, plenty of extra green veggies when we asked for them (every night, lol), soups that had depth of flavor, etc. 

The next cruise - blah.. The buffet was disappointing,  MDR had much more bland foods, weren't able to supply extra green veggies, or when they did it was 4 pieces of broccoli, soups all tasted alIle.

 

We were frankly quite surprised at what a difference it was between the two cruises - and how much of a difference the head chef really did seem to make.

 

And the Cabo cruise only had approx 100 more people aboard, so it wasn't a huge change in people served or such either.   

 

We'd have been sorely disappointed if the food on the 5 nighter had been what we had for the previous 28 days. 

 

We did eat at Share, several times. Absolutely outstanding. I'll take it over just about any Celebrity specialty restaurant any day...outstanding.  Wish it was on some of the Princess ships sailing the Caribbean!! 

Curious how you know the Chef left Princess?

Seems to imply that his departure was not voluntary?

This to me would be a very private personal internal matter within Princess.

Not sure why any crew would pass this info onto any passenger.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Yes, Chefs do come and go...  take furlough...  change ships..... etc...  that is no big deal and no big secret.

Many of these staff members are openly introduced and mentioned in the Patters.

Let's make something out to be a falsehood or a negative, when it just isn't.

 

BUT,  I would be interested to know if those who said the food was fine on Emerald Princess sailed before any of the new menu/dining changes.  I am assuming that this ship does have the new menus, recipes, suppliers, etc...  But, I really do not know that for sure.   The description of those inedible 'potato balls' sounds exactly how I would describe what I was served on the Regal.  With the new menus and changes.

 

The new Beef Welling"type" entree was equally inedible and gross.  Just to give another specific example.

 

I do know that our experience on the Regal, which just recently instituted the changes, was not good.

 

I do know that there are plenty of 'cheerleaders' here for whom Princess can do NO wrong.

(which is true of most all other travel/cruise/resort boards as well)

 

Our last experience, before changes, on another Princess ship, was really great!!!!!

It is not that I am negative or picky or against any cruise line.

Just off the Regal, with the new changes in menus, service, etc...  it was just awful...  Night and day.

 

I have absolutely no problem posting this, as perhaps this kind of feedback is something that Princess needs to hear.

Edited December 28, 2018 by Wishing on a star