MORE very bad changes made on Princess ships????

[Kingofcool1947]

On 2/7/2019 at 5:56 AM, Doug R. said:

 

I think may be time that you consider bidding Princess farewell. Why allow yourself to become bitter over a vacation you won't enjoy and spend your time finding fault with Princess? We just sailed on the Regal and if there were cutbacks in service we never noticed. We enjoyed the food, despite any "cutbacks". There were no music or announcements "blared" in the cabins. Cannot comment on chairs as we had a loveseat in our balcony cabin. The only change we disliked was EFFY taking over the jewelry concession. 

 

What happened to Diamond International?  I didn’t see Princess pitching them on my recent Mexican Riviera cruise?   Has EFFY replaced D.I.?

Edited February 12, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[Hlitner]

Can't hear the announcements in the cabin?  We only wish it were always true :). OK, call me a contrarian but I truly hate my day being interrupted by the noise that some prefer to call announcements.  So lets understand cruise ship logistics.  The Bridge can "pipe" announcements anywhere on the ship including into cabins.  But many of us do not want to be annoyed and the cruise ships sometimes actually try to please the masses.  For those that want to hear announcements they are usually available on one of the TV channels or by opening your door.  Do I want to hear the Captain telling me about tomorrows weather forecast (which is often wrong)?   No.  Do I want to hear a Cruise Director telling me about the activities that are printed in the daily schedule?  No. Personally, I would love to be on a ship for a month and not hear any announcement.  Oops. I am now giving away one of the secrets of the ultra-luxury lines where they understand that it is not wise to bother passengers with announcements.

 

And by the way.  Our favorite Cruise Director is the one we have never heard or seen :).

 

Hank

[Peacefulness]

We sailed on Golden Princess in January 2019, for four days and had the Captain make one announcement in the room during late afternoon, just before leaving Port Lincoln for the day. The announcement was made to inform us about the odd weather pattern that we were going to encounter during the next day, and to suggest that we should take precautions to avoid sea sickness if necessary. I really appreciated the announcement coming into the room so that I didn't miss it.

 

As warned, we did have rather an odd rolling around for the entire day and it was obvious that many people were experiencing sea sickness, even with the warning announcement in our cabins.

 

I have no problems with announcements of this nature, being made in the cabin, as I most often just ignore the announcements otherwise.

 

Tania

[elliair]

3 hours ago, Gwendy said:

South Pacific islands are in 3rd world countries.  For some of us this is their charm, beautiful unspoilt beaches and the people.  Happy, friendly, helpful what more could you want?  Mystery Island does not have any occupants, islanders come over from nearby islands on cruise days.  We took a tinny (small outboard boat) around the island once, wondered why the second guy was on board.  As we got into deeper water found out he was there to bail out the water. Lol 

Use google to research your ports and you will know what to expect.  

Isn't the part of cruising is to see the unexpected?  I know what Mystery Island is all about, big a$$ spiders!  A WWII runway, a beach and that's it.  What more could I want?  Well, it certainly wasn't Maui!  Never again!  Been there done that.  I do not recommend this Fiji Island cruise to anyone flying over from the USA!  Go to Hawaii and see islands, beaches, and more to do and see.  Oh US money is accepted in Hawaii!  There's no buckets at the tenders for unwanted Fiji money!

Edited February 12, 2019 by elliair

[USCcruisecrazy]

You should cruise like you live life...don't sweat the small stuff.  Enjoy every day like it's your last one.  So many people let "stuff" control them instead of controlling the stuff.  I feel for your loss...because you lose out on life!!  Happy cruising everyone!! 

[OrinocoFlow]

it's been my experience that there's a lot of misinformation on the internet.  some is deliberate. I will leave it to the reader to guess as to potential motivations. 

some, is just low understanding or low thresholds for cruise realities. 

 

As always, I'll let my lived experiences speak for themselves. 

[Cindy]

On 2/9/2019 at 10:02 AM, fyree39 said:

We've been on Carnival, Royal and Princess and have had balcony cabins on all.  Princess balcony cabins have been the smallest. 

 

DH and I both agree that Princess is our least favorite of the three, but we just can't seem to put our finger on why. For me, the small cabins have something to do with the ranking. We like to hang out in the room in the afternoons, regrouping or napping, and the small cabin without adequate inside seating makes hanging out in the room on Princess less comfortable.

 

Sorry,  I posted twice.

Edited February 12, 2019 by Cindy

[Cindy]

On 2/9/2019 at 10:02 AM, fyree39 said:

We've been on Carnival, Royal and Princess and have had balcony cabins on all.  Princess balcony cabins have been the smallest. 

 

DH and I both agree that Princess is our least favorite of the three, but we just can't seem to put our finger on why. For me, the small cabins have something to do with the ranking. We like to hang out in the room in the afternoons, regrouping or napping, and the small cabin without adequate inside seating makes hanging out in the room on Princess less comfortable.

 

I agree that the balcony cabin size on Princess is lacking, especially compared to some other lines. Luckily it’s not really an issue for us as we usually choose a mini-suite on Princess.

 

Life is all about choices, and I’ve found that while the cabins are smaller than some, Princess more than makes up for it in other areas such as itineraries and food quality. When we plan cruises we usually choose between Princess, RCI, Celebrity, and HAL. Cabin availability/price/size is a factor, but only after we choose an itinerary and basic dates.

[hpeabody]

Who? Susan

 

[possum52]

15 hours ago, elliair said:

Isn't the part of cruising is to see the unexpected?  I know what Mystery Island is all about, big a$$ spiders!  A WWII runway, a beach and that's it.  What more could I want?  Well, it certainly wasn't Maui!  Never again!  Been there done that.  I do not recommend this Fiji Island cruise to anyone flying over from the USA!  Go to Hawaii and see islands, beaches, and more to do and see.  Oh US money is accepted in Hawaii!  There's no buckets at the tenders for unwanted Fiji money!

Mystery island is a beautiful island. One of our favourite places to visit in the South Pacific. Did you go snorkeling? As Gwendy said the beauty of visiting these islands and ports is their charm, beautiful unspoilt beaches and the people. Fiji is still very much a third world country, you can't compare it with Hawaii. We had wonderful times there. The people are happy and always smiling and glad to help you. Re the mention of US money is accepted in Hawaii - did you expect to be able to use US money in Fiji? 

 

On our cruises to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji there have been passengers from the US who were thoroughly enjoying their visits to these islands. 

 

Leigh

 

 

[toescat]

On ‎2‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 3:53 PM, Grburkart said:

I am so looking forward to my Princess cruise. I’ve learned to be wary of the naysayers so the negative connotations will be in the back of my mind and not a deciding factor to my decisions. 

 

Glenn

 

 

What I have discovered through 35 years of cruising is you can't please everyone.  I could care less if I don't have a chair in my cabin as I never sit on it anyway.  One thing for sure is you can sit 10 people at table and they all order the same thing and you will one person telling the world that it was the worse experience and tasting food they ever had and the other nine praising the food and the chef.  I listen is one ear and use my filter to filter out what I don't want to hear or read. Many times I find that the person doing the complaining has only gone on one cruise and has nothing to compare it to.  Lets put it into perspective, how many restaurants do you go into where they feed over four thousand people in four hours.  Never, if they make a mistake no big deal you only need to ask them for something else.  

 

Glenn, I am like you I am looking forward to my cruise in May and I tune out all the negative.  I would be happy going on a cruise to nowhere each only chips, beef jerky and some fruit as long as I a cruising.  

 

[elliair]

56 minutes ago, possum52 said:

Mystery island is a beautiful island. One of our favourite places to visit in the South Pacific. Did you go snorkeling? As Gwendy said the beauty of visiting these islands and ports is their charm, beautiful unspoilt beaches and the people. Fiji is still very much a third world country, you can't compare it with Hawaii. We had wonderful times there. The people are happy and always smiling and glad to help you. Re the mention of US money is accepted in Hawaii - did you expect to be able to use US money in Fiji? 

 

On our cruises to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji there have been passengers from the US who were thoroughly enjoying their visits to these islands. 

 

Leigh

 

 

No, we don't snorkel and as it turns out there were stinging jelly fish and people stayed out of the water.  On one of the islands, we were told to bring our water bottles back to the ship.  However, there was plenty of garbage laying around especially aluminum cans. plastic bags and paper plates.  I'm pointing out that there's not much to do on the Fiji Islands, we are better off going to Hawaii.  It's closer to the US, more to see and do.  We got to experience the Fiji's, wasn't impressed at all.  So, what one from the US may experience, may not be what someone else from the US experienced.  It wasn't our cup of tea.

[fredthecarman]

On ‎2‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 10:50 PM, hobbyfarmer2 said:

Wow,

I feel somewhat dumb.  DW & I have had a great time on all our Princess cruises.  We are halfway to elite and our good experiences have far outweighed any annoyances to date.  Perhaps we are not critical enough and are missing the bad stuff.

We agree. We are Elite because Princess has never given us a reason to leave. It takes all kinds. One woman in the elevator, during a particularly rainy cruise, was blaming the Captain on the weather. How can you be miserable on a cruise?

[RMMariner]

I can see how Fiji may not be for everyone. 

 

My wife and I travelled around the islands for several months on our honeymoon as part of a 16 month trip on our bicycles around the Pacific. We found the snorkeling and diving to be amazing. The bike ride will live in my memory forever, as will the people, but the facilities were a far reach from what one would expect in the U.S.

 

We biked all the major islands. We camped a lot, stayed on Kandavu for 10 days, eating only what we could catch from the ocean or forage on land. Two days we caught nothing because of a storm and lived on bananas and tea. We stayed in the Fiji villages and lived just like the villagers did. We were caught in a hurricane on a ship that had only Japanese safety instructions, and where everyone was seasick, and we felt like it might sink the entire time. The bathroom was covered in vomit, and we basically laid in a fetal position for most of the twelve hours of the trip. On the boat a cow got loose and attacked the pigs, and the Fijian islanders when they tried to restrain it. At the end of the trip, the cow was loaded into a 10 foot aluminum boat, had its legs tied to each corner and was transported away like this. When we came to the smaller airports, the goats and cows had to be herded off the airfield before a plane could land. We were uncomfortable for much of the time, but I now look back on that trip as one of the best in my life.

 

What I am trying to say is that one person's terrible trip is another one's great experience. I loved Fiji. The spiders and sea snakes were some of the best parts. Oh, and I was repeatedly stung by jellyfish. It happened almost every time I snorkeled. It was like a bee sting, not like the damn box jellyfish that really did ruin our snorkeling in Queensland.

 

I loved it, but I can see why many people would not. My wife cruises to relax and I cannot get her to commit to another long bike ride. But to me, Mystery Island sounds fantastic. She much prefers Hawaii. To each their own.

[possum52]

49 minutes ago, elliair said:

No, we don't snorkel and as it turns out there were stinging jelly fish and people stayed out of the water.  On one of the islands, we were told to bring our water bottles back to the ship.  However, there was plenty of garbage laying around especially aluminum cans. plastic bags and paper plates.  I'm pointing out that there's not much to do on the Fiji Islands, we are better off going to Hawaii.  It's closer to the US, more to see and do.  We got to experience the Fiji's, wasn't impressed at all.  So, what one from the US may experience, may not be what someone else from the US experienced.  It wasn't our cup of tea.

Fair enough, that is your opinion but were your experiences what you expected of your visit to these islands including Fiji? If you were disappointed with what you found perhaps some research may have been important to do before booking your cruise. Yes, cruise ships do dock in commercial and industrial docks in Fiji  but go out of these areas and discover the real Fiji, the beautiful islands a short trip away from where you docked, a visit to a Fijian village is fantastic or a visit to an orchid farm where a family of Scottish descent still live and encourage the local women to be self sufficient. 

 

Anyway enjoy your next trip to Hawaii while I'll enjoy my next cruise to Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

 

Leigh

 

[elliair]

You're assuming that I didn't do any research into our Fiji cruise.  Seriously?  I won't tell you how much we spent on our trip, but let's just say anyone who forked out what we did and did not research, shouldn't be traveling to foreign countries.  You can have Fiji, I'll enjoy Hawaii.  At least I'll see whales, turtles, dolphins, tropical fish, and nice restaurants and stores.  Have fun.

[suzyed]

On 2/12/2019 at 5:07 PM, hpeabody said:

Who? Susan

 

Theo

[hpeabody]

37 minutes ago, suzyed said:

Theo

 

😞

 

[Lidolounger]

On 2/11/2019 at 10:24 PM, Hlitner said:

Can't hear the announcements in the cabin?  We only wish it were always true :). OK, call me a contrarian but I truly hate my day being interrupted by the noise that some prefer to call announcements.  So lets understand cruise ship logistics.  The Bridge can "pipe" announcements anywhere on the ship including into cabins.  But many of us do not want to be annoyed and the cruise ships sometimes actually try to please the masses.  For those that want to hear announcements they are usually available on one of the TV channels or by opening your door.  Do I want to hear the Captain telling me about tomorrows weather forecast (which is often wrong)?   No.  Do I want to hear a Cruise Director telling me about the activities that are printed in the daily schedule?  No. Personally, I would love to be on a ship for a month and not hear any announcement.  Oops. I am now giving away one of the secrets of the ultra-luxury lines where they understand that it is not wise to bother passengers with announcements.

 

And by the way.  Our favorite Cruise Director is the one we have never heard or seen :).

 

Hank

Just returned from our first MSC cruise.  Was just as you explained.  Was quite nice.

[Stonewolf Cruiser]

On 2/12/2019 at 2:55 PM, USCcruisecrazy said:

You should cruise like you live life...don't sweat the small stuff.  Enjoy every day like it's your last one.  So many people let "stuff" control them instead of controlling the stuff.  

 

This is a great approach to life.  The older I get, the truer it rings.  Wish I didn’t sometimes forget to do it.

[suzyed]

9 hours ago, hpeabody said:

 

😞

 

Actually just heard from him that he may be coming back to Princess but still working for Effy.

[fredthecarman]

9 hours ago, Stonewolf Cruiser said:

 

This is a great approach to life.  The older I get, the truer it rings.  Wish I didn’t sometimes forget to do it.

Here here.

 

[hpeabody]

10 hours ago, suzyed said:

Actually just heard from him that he may be coming back to Princess but still working for Effy.

 

Maybe Effy pays better?  I was really hoping he would be a cruise staffer on my upcoming South America cruise.

[suzyed]

4 minutes ago, hpeabody said:

 

Maybe Effy pays better?  I was really hoping he would be a cruise staffer on my upcoming South America cruise.

Maybe they do....I have no idea.  When is your S. Amer. cruise and what ship?

[nattie]

On 2/6/2019 at 8:03 PM, Colo Cruiser said:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2631010-chairs-removed-to-make-more-room/

So that was the bruhaha about? We only use desk chair and to pile on clothes at that. I would rather have them completely remove stupid round table that always ends up in the closet.

Cant really tell you about the "barrel" chair as I frankly dont remember if we had one (balcony room). Wouldnt have missed it anyways.

On the other hand, we do not take 20+ day cruises with lots of sea days either, so not really paying attention to "in cabin amenities" so to speak.

FWIW, from my recent cruise on Royal (Dec18-Jan19) - we have enjoyed MDR food nightly and offerings were good with plenty of variety. I like Royal class buffet so much, we are hesitant to book on other class ship now. Recently booked (thank you whomever tipped off Princess boards about Europe sale) 11 day Baltic on Regal (my fave ship so far) and looking forward to it!