I don't want to write this review...

[richsea]

1 hour ago, floridalover5623 said:

Unfortunately the Royal class ships (with the better prepared food) do not do longer 14 day cruises like the CB. That was one of our main reasons for returning to that ship.

But as you said, not again.

I'ed rather waste a day in Ft Lauderdale during a turnaround day then put up with their bad food. 

I hear ya! The problem I have with a 14 nighter comprised of 2 7 nighters is the repetition of the MDR menus and entertainment. Like I said, we had a great time but...

I understand she is going into drydock soon. Perhaps the AC issues will be addressed then, & they will rethink the buffet offerings. Fingers crossed, lol. She is inly scheduled to do 2 14 night sailings un February of 2020. I can’t understand why cruielines don’t schedule more true 14 night cruises in the winter months. Our sailing was full of northerners fleeing the cold, (& lots of canes & mobility devices), but it’s all good. I intend to check the post drydock reviews for any improvements.

We’ll be on Regal for her repo from NY to FLL this October. Hope she’s as good the Royal.

Edited February 14, 2019 by richsea

[LarryL]

5 hours ago, Xport said:

 

Thank you for review...  Not my thing but please know that "pork and beans" are viewed as an essential component of a "Full English Breakfast" and are frequently offered at cruise ship buffets [for instance, Celebrity has an English Breakfast station] or as a "side" on cruise ship "sit down" breakfast menus regardless of where ships are sailing...

 

https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-a-full-breakfast-435324

 

 

 

 

We found the British and European choices to very good on our TA in December aboard the Pacific. Although I had my share of omelets and traditional American breakfasts, it was nice to have the beans, tomatoes, and croissants as well as the traditional "European" style. Maybe it's the specific ships executive chefs but we had fresh roast beef and a very good selection for lunches.

 

I have to agree, the service in the buffet was a little lax. When we brought our own coffee they may have assumed we didn't need anything else so we found ourselves getting our own water and juice. 

[whatcruiseisnext]

1 hour ago, ProfMHC said:

We did this cruise in January. Agree totally about the buffet. Breakfast and lunch items — same same same — day after day (we ate in MDR at dinner and only occasionally were frustrated by lack of interesting choices there). Agree that the “upgrades” to Planks and Steamers, particularly at lunch, were worthless. 

 

But most aggravating on our cruise was the near constant banging, drilling, and grinding that occurred as they replaced the angle iron on balconies.  Again, day after day! Three days of it.  It was so intrusive that we were just about unable to watch in room movies in the afternoon — always something we enjoy as a vacation treat.  It was literally like being trapped in a dental chair! Such a shame...the new beds are so comfortable and great for viewing!

 

Love the Regal and Royal but wanted the itinerary so went with the CB. UGH.We will experience the refitted Sapphire and Emerald next, again because of the itineraries.  Hopefully they escaped the buffet changes.  But our next Caribbean cruise.....it’ll be one of the newer ships —like the Sky — even if we have to arrange multiple BTBs.

We are also booked on the Sky but we are disappointed because the Sky will have the World Fresh Marketplace... at least according to the deck plans... and not set up like the Royal/ Regal. We are on the Sapphire next as well... like you because of the itinerary. 

Edited February 14, 2019 by whatcruiseisnext

[whatcruiseisnext]

8 hours ago, Coral said:

I think because you had been gone for 6 years - you noticed the difference more than those who cruise once a year (or more) and gradually adjusted to the changes. You had a more contrast in what you had previously vs now.

I disagree. We cruise 3 to 4 times a year on Princess and our recent Caribbean Princess Cruise was a way different experience than we have ever had on any other Princess ship in relation to all the points mentioned by the OP. 

[floridalover5623]

2 hours ago, richsea said:

We’ll be on Regal for her repo from NY to FLL this October. Hope she’s as good the Royal.

Other than some of the activities which is controlled by the CD, it's just as good otherwise. I'm sure by the time you sail they'll have a change of staff so no use mentioning them but they were OK except I would have preferred more movies to be shown in the lounges during the afternoon.

[webzila]

I just did my first cruise on Princess but it's my 16th overall. I have been on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, NCL, and Disney. With that said, the food was fine at the buffet. At this point I really didn't see any difference between all the other lines. It truly seems all the same or similar.

 

What I found strange is that the buffet area is kind of small. There are two identical sides to it but they are not connected from inside so if there are no tables then you have to go outside in order to get to the other side.

 

Also there are tons of tables outside but no drink stations to get water, iced tea or coffee.

 

Also the staff now want you to wash your hands prior to entering the buffet but there are only 2 sinks...when there are alot of people that causes a line...

[floridalover5623]

2 minutes ago, webzila said:

Also the staff now want you to wash your hands prior to entering the buffet but there are only 2 sinks...when there are alot of people that causes a line...

They realize that many people have already washed their hands elsewhere & don't care to do it again.

[shukapaw]

I'm glad it's not just me. When we sailed on the CB this past June (2018), we already had another cruise booked on her for June of 2019. At the completion of the 2018 cruise I told my wife that I wasn't going to do that again. We rebooked for a different itinerary on a different ship. Prior to that sailing, I had nothing but good things to say about Princess.

 

I found the MDR food adequate, the buffet food/selection poor and the pizza served on the pool deck inedible (but that seems to be fleetwide now) 

 

Hopefully, someone from Princess is listening and taking notes.

 

~Brian

[richsea]

We actually thought the pizza on the Pool deck was ok; not as good as home, but good enough for a quick bite at lunch. 

[Oilers rule]

6 hours ago, ProfMHC said:

We did this cruise in January. Agree totally about the buffet. Breakfast and lunch items — same same same — day after day (we ate in MDR at dinner and only occasionally were frustrated by lack of interesting choices there). Agree that the “upgrades” to Planks and Steamers, particularly at lunch, were worthless. 

 

But most aggravating on our cruise was the near constant banging, drilling, and grinding that occurred as they replaced the angle iron on balconies.  Again, day after day! Three days of it.  It was so intrusive that we were just about unable to watch in room movies in the afternoon — always something we enjoy as a vacation treat.  It was literally like being trapped in a dental chair! Such a shame...the new beds are so comfortable and great for viewing!

 

Love the Regal and Royal but wanted the itinerary so went with the CB. UGH.We will experience the refitted Sapphire and Emerald next, again because of the itineraries.  Hopefully they escaped the buffet changes.  But our next Caribbean cruise.....it’ll be one of the newer ships —like the Sky — even if we have to arrange multiple BTBs.

We are on the CB for a 14 day cruise starting on February 23rd. We are very much looking forward to our cruise. But I must say that I am now a little worried. Is the revamped buffet on this ship as bad as what this thread is making it out to be? Any positive comments would be worth reading as well. 

[Cruzin Grandma]

7 minutes ago, Oilers rule said:

We are on the CB for a 14 day cruise starting on February 23rd. We are very much looking forward to our cruise. But I must say that I am now a little worried. Is the revamped buffet on this ship as bad as what this thread is making it out to be? Any positive comments would be worth reading as well. 

The desserts are very good.  You can make your own salad with many choices of dressings and toppings.  We had really good fresh fruit.  Take a open mind and don’t be afraid to try something different.  As I said in a previous post, I did not go hungry! Have fun!!

[Coral]

4 hours ago, whatcruiseisnext said:

I disagree. We cruise 3 to 4 times a year on Princess and our recent Caribbean Princess Cruise was a way different experience than we have ever had on any other Princess ship in relation to all the points mentioned by the OP. 

While I believe you - I remember there being a recent thread that several indicated that the Caribbean Princess was their favorite ship. Go figure.

[redcruzer]

Will have to disagree. LOVE CB!! Can't beat the aft pool. Food and service fantastic! Can't wait to sail on her again

 

[rgr33]

OP back here for a follow up.

First, I am a bit humbled here, I expected to get a metric ton of negative feedback after my review. Guess this must be a kinder, gentler crowd than my football group.

 

I'm glad I came back to check on the response to the review. After reading the comments, I now wonder if I may have branded all ships in the Princess fleet as poorly run and substandard, when in fact there may still be still ships in the fleet that  live up to the Princess expectations. I chose the Circle Caribbean cruise for the itinerary like many others, and had the bad luck of sailing on a ship that has fallen far below the high standard we have always received from PCL.

 

Our next cruise is going to be the Alaskan cruise, and though I still want to try a different cruise line, I will  keep Princess in the back of my mind in the future.

 

Thanks to all who replied, good to know I'm not just turning into a grumpy old man.

Gosh Darn it, I hope someone at Princess reads this and takes it to heart.

[idahospud]

42 minutes ago, Oilers rule said:

We are on the CB for a 14 day cruise starting on February 23rd. We are very much looking forward to our cruise. But I must say that I am now a little worried. Is the revamped buffet on this ship as bad as what this thread is making it out to be? Any positive comments would be worth reading as well. 

 

I spent a full month on the ship after they redid the menu in August. While the buffet is definitely not like the Royal and Regal which are the best of the best, we enjoyed the new offerings on the Caribbean Princess. I wrote extensively about the ship, the Medallion, and the buffet (every single day we were on the ship, actually) on my blog but am not allowed to post the link here. But here is part of one post I did specifically about the buffet. It'll give you an idea of the food....

 

"There has been lots of chatter about the new buffet on the Caribbean Princess. While it's not as amazing as the Royal and Regal Princess, the menu is still pretty innovative. Having spent a month on the ship it was nice to have something new and different to eat. It was also nice to have several food stations to choose from. Being able to avoid the cafeteria-type line on a cruise ship is always a plus for us!

 

Chicken, lamb, soups and hot sandwiches, chips and quesadillas.

Pasta bar, Ramen station, salads and smores.

Cold sandwiches and a section just for cheeses.

They also have cereal and milk 24/7 for those folks (like hubby) who likes it for a before-bedtime snack.

 

Seating areas have been updated. If we could climb onto those tall chairs we'd be picking those seats all the time. Who wouldn't want a straight view out to the ocean?"

 

 

Edited February 15, 2019 by idahospud

[floridalover5623]

13 minutes ago, idahospud said:

 

I spent a full month on the ship after they redid the menu in August. While the buffet is definitely not like the Royal and Regal which are the best of the best, we enjoyed the new offerings on the Caribbean Princess. I wrote extensively about the ship, the Medallion, and the buffet (every single day we were on the ship, actually) on my blog but am not allowed to post the link here. But here is part of one post I did specifically about the buffet. It'll give you an idea of the food....

 

"There has been lots of chatter about the new buffet on the Caribbean Princess. While it's not as amazing as the Royal and Regal Princess, the menu is still pretty innovative. Having spent a month on the ship it was nice to have something new and different to eat. It was also nice to have several food stations to choose from. Being able to avoid the cafeteria-type line on a cruise ship is always a plus for us!

 

Chicken, lamb, soups and hot sandwiches, chips and quesadillas.

Pasta bar, Ramen station, salads and smores.

Cold sandwiches and a section just for cheeses.

They also have cereal and milk 24/7 for those folks (like hubby) who likes it for a before-bedtime snack.

 

Seating areas have been updated. If we could climb onto those tall chairs we'd be picking those seats all the time. Who wouldn't want a straight view out to the ocean?"

 

 

Your pictures do show their buffet food accurately. 👍

I can't say it entices me to return. 😫

[floridalover5623]

48 minutes ago, Cruzin Grandma said:

The desserts are very good.

We were on the CB for 28 days & most days they offered bread pudding, fruit crumble or what was supposed to be warm brownies with a sauce to put on top.

The guys who put the items on the server would never turn on the warming tray and it was always cold by the time I got to it. I got tired of telling them to turn it on and even the notifying the supv. didn't do much good. 

Totally incompetent for a buffet line where they're suppose to check the temp of all hot food. 

[floridalover5623]

1 hour ago, Oilers rule said:

Any positive comments would be worth reading as well

The DR food & service was very good.

The shows were typically very good as well as are most Princess production shows.

 

On a more negative side the AC in the cabins near C600 was almost non existent & they couldn't do anything to improve it either. If you're accustomed to a warm cabin it won't affect you.

[whatcruiseisnext]

1 hour ago, Oilers rule said:

We are on the CB for a 14 day cruise starting on February 23rd. We are very much looking forward to our cruise. But I must say that I am now a little worried. Is the revamped buffet on this ship as bad as what this thread is making it out to be? Any positive comments would be worth reading as well. 

There are no positive comments to be made on the buffet food on the Caribbean Princess. I don’t speak of the new decor which is very nice or the concept of the World Fresh Marketplace.  The concept is great but the implementation is poor.  All those photos posted of the food in the buffet look ok but they don’t show the dried out  old food that has been sitting in the cardboard containers under hot lights or the little containers of salad with a ton of dressing on them making them wilted, or the addition of a great amount of weird spices to many things, or the use of a lot of oil in most dishes making everything floating in grease, or the addition of highly spiced ingredients added to what should be a normal sandwich like a Turkey or BLT.  not to mention all these pre-made  sandwiches

were soggy and dried out as well.  My BLT with Turkey had essentially  raw bacon on it. 

 

I heard the complaints about the buffet on the Caribbean but really didn’t believe them until I experienced it for myself.  

Edited February 15, 2019 by whatcruiseisnext

[ldubs]

13 hours ago, Xport said:

 

Thank you for review...  Not my thing but please know that "pork and beans" are viewed as an essential component of a "Full English Breakfast" and are frequently offered at cruise ship buffets [for instance, Celebrity has an English Breakfast station] or as a "side" on cruise ship "sit down" breakfast menus regardless of where ships are sailing...

 

 

 

I was thinking the same.  I don't recall the last time I was on a cruise ship where they didn't have pork & beans in the breakfast  buffet.   

 

That aside,  among Celebrity, RCI, and Princess, I have always found the buffet on Princess to take 3rd place.   Sorry to hear this one seemed to be so lacking.   

[suec12]

MDR fetticini Alfredo every day?

[cheezenip]

3 hours ago, whatcruiseisnext said:

 The concept is great but the implementation is poor.  All those photos posted of the food in the buffet look ok

 

Princess gets credit for trying new stuff but the cost-cutting mentality ruins the idea. Visually, yes it is appealing but the passengers are actually getting less food options compared to the other non Royal class ships BASED on the photos Idahospud presented (thank you Idahospud). I would be curious if Idahospud and others who have traveled on several non Royal class ships can verify my suspicion.

 

Take the Cheese monger as an example. There are only 4 cheese options available cut up in cubes. Usually, we get 5 or (sometimes 6) each night. Lots of wasted space with nuts and crackers that could be used for more food options.

 

The fruits in the baskets look like they are taking up valuable space which could be used for more food options. The sandwiches I am neutral on and the ramen selection is a nice idea if you like that stuff but I would like to specify how much of each ingredient I want instead of pre-made bowls.

 

If they would maximize the space with more offerings and variety, I could see the revised design as an  improvement if the food choices were decent. 

Edited February 15, 2019 by cheezenip

[Geoffa30]

We sailed CB on a Circle Caribbean cruise last year. Loved the buffet. Loved Planks. Loved food in the MDR. It was one of our best Princess cruises to date but we’ve only been sailing with them since 2014. We have done 10 Princess cruises in the time since though.

 

Like someone else said we do not like 7 day B2Bs because of the repeated menus and entertainment so the 14 day was a real treat. Also meant we got to some more distant ports.

 

Still prefer the Royal Class ships though. Just wish they had the fabulous aft pools of the Grand Class ships and something akin to Skywalkers. Hopefully the next class of ships due in 2023 will be like a greatest hits of Princess’s best bits.

[satxdiver]

We were on the CB for a 14 day  cruise in November.  Princess did a redesign of several parts of the ship particularly on the lido deck.  The redesigned WFM menu indeed leaves a lot to wish for but we did enjoy lunch in Steamers at the noodle bar.  The additions to the Pizzeria and the Grill were interesting but we did not try the Ernest burger.  We had second seating TD which was at 7:45 and not the advertised 7:15.  We only went to one or two shows so the later time did not present a problem.  It was show first and dinner second.  The MDR menu was fairly near to what we have seen on our other cruises.  I have noticed that they have been adding a simple dinner option for those that do not want the more upscale offerings.   As always we enjoyed our dinners in the MDR and glad they still serve the snails.

 

We did not have any problem getting drinks on the Lido deck but always sit at the tables on the side.  Ordering drinks with the OM had not been initialized yet and sounds like it has some refinements needed.  The new beds and TVs in the staterooms were well appreciated.  On our cruise they were re-varnishing the balcony rail but we did not have the noise the OP is complaining about.  As long as I an remember they have always offered pork and beans for breakfast in the WFM/HC as it is an English staple which I do like along with the selection of cheese and meat.  On our cruise the PES was in the lounge and not Skywalkers.  We will be back sailing on the CB next year.  

[tere247]

7 hours ago, whatcruiseisnext said:

There are no positive comments to be made on the buffet food on the Caribbean Princess. I don’t speak of the new decor which is very nice or the concept of the World Fresh Marketplace.  The concept is great but the implementation is poor.  All those photos posted of the food in the buffet look ok but they don’t show the dried out  old food that has been sitting in the cardboard containers under hot lights or the little containers of salad with a ton of dressing on them making them wilted, or the addition of a great amount of weird spices to many things, or the use of a lot of oil in most dishes making everything floating in grease, or the addition of highly spiced ingredients added to what should be a normal sandwich like a Turkey or BLT.  not to mention all these pre-made  sandwiches

were soggy and dried out as well.  My BLT with Turkey had essentially  raw bacon on it. 

 

I heard the complaints about the buffet on the Caribbean but really didn’t believe them until I experienced it for myself.  

Oh boy. My husband is going to kill me.  We're booked on a 7 day next month.  

Having just got off a great b2b on the Royal Princess where every lunch and dinner the buffet offered multiple carving stations with tender meat, served on plates. I don't understand the card board.