items no longer given/offered

[johnmik1]

2 hours ago, pablo222 said:

 

Butlers in suites.

and mini-suites

[casofilia]

The sugar "bottles" seemed to work quite well once people got used to them.   They had white ones readily available on many tables and would bring a brown one if requested.   It seemed to get some people flummoxed when they wanted more than one pour!!   They seemed to block up if the spout finished under the liquid and liquid got into the sugar.

[johnmik1]

19 hours ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

No slippers for Elites 😢

Been Elite for 12 years and never got slippers unless we were in a suite!

[RMMariner]

We have not cruised for that long (four years or so), but I have to say for all the complaining on this board about what has been lost, the cuts discussed in this thread seem to be rather minimal.

 

Also, many of the perceived cuts seem to happen on one cruise and then be available on the next. Not surprising considering the nature of Princess' supply chain. I am talking about escargot or a particular wine being unavailable. 

 

Other complaints like having to ask for extra butter or breadsticks seem pretty ridiculous actually. Or the new soap, lack of plastic straws and sugar no longer being served in packets - come on.

 

When I started reading this thread, I really expected that the experience must have really deteriorated. Keeping in mind that the actual price has probably held very steady over quite a long period. My dad says he remembers paying basically the same prices in the 90s.

 

In our 4 years of cruising, there has been some changes (some good, some not so good) but nothing that stands out as being harmful to the enjoyment of our trip.

 

That being said, I do miss the BOGO.

 

[MissP22]

7 hours ago, RMMariner said:

We have not cruised for that long (four years or so), but I have to say for all the complaining on this board about what has been lost, the cuts discussed in this thread seem to be rather minimal.

 

Also, many of the perceived cuts seem to happen on one cruise and then be available on the next. Not surprising considering the nature of Princess' supply chain. I am talking about escargot or a particular wine being unavailable. 

 

Other complaints like having to ask for extra butter or breadsticks seem pretty ridiculous actually. Or the new soap, lack of plastic straws and sugar no longer being served in packets - come on.

 

When I started reading this thread, I really expected that the experience must have really deteriorated. Keeping in mind that the actual price has probably held very steady over quite a long period. My dad says he remembers paying basically the same prices in the 90s.

 

In our 4 years of cruising, there has been some changes (some good, some not so good) but nothing that stands out as being harmful to the enjoyment of our trip.

 

That being said, I do miss the BOGO.

 

Do you believe the confiscation of coffee card money to me minimal?

[pablo222]

On 12/11/2019 at 12:03 PM, Knickearth said:

please add items if you have any.  Thanks

 

I think someone should start a poll thread, and people can predict when bathrobes disappear!

 

I think I should be employee of the month, just for suggesting it.

( the bathrobes, not the thread)

 

Edited December 14, 2019 by pablo222

[susancruzs]

Boy, what a thread!  I've been cruising since 1982, could write pages on what has changed or is "missing"!  Some of the things mentioned an environmental issue, others might be available if you ask. 

 

The canapes for elites, I get a card in my stateroom asking if I want them on formal night.  Seeing the amount of food wasted on a cruise, understandable.  I have had chocolate covered strawberries arrive in my cabin when I haven't asked for them.  Oct. Sapphire cruise, in fact.

 

Many things have changed on all cruise lines, primarily sail with Princess but have sailed 5 other lines,  too.  A class half full type, none of the things mentioned make a difference for cruise enjoyment.  I'm happy to be on a cruise and can afford to pay double, sailing as a single (and I don't complain about it "too much").

[tip]

9 hours ago, RMMariner said:

...Other complaints like having to ask for extra butter or breadsticks seem pretty ridiculous actually. Or the new soap, lack of plastic straws and sugar no longer being served in packets - come on...

 

 

Well-said.  Talk about first world problems!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9 hours ago, RMMariner said:

 

In our 4 years of cruising, there has been some changes (some good, some not so good) but nothing that stands out as being harmful to the enjoyment of our trip.

 

That being said, I do miss the BOGO.

 

 

[pablo222]

5 hours ago, susancruzs said:

Boy, what a thread!  I've been cruising since 1982, could write pages on what has changed or is "missing"!  Some of the things mentioned an environmental issue, others might be available if you ask. 

 

I was recently at McDonalds.

I used a straw.  It said, made from plant based materials,  100% biodegradeable.

 

Princess seems to want to hide cost cutting by claiming  enviornmental.

 

I guess they never read chicken little...

[1980dory]

18 hours ago, pablo222 said:

Based on the love blind apologists here, cabins will never go unsold.

 

I'm actually surprised that some of them haven't jumped in to tell us not

to live in the past when things were better.  (Which I have read here)

 

I miss the plain soda package to $4.95.

The forced up sell to the soda'n'more to someone who doesn't want the 'n'more prevents me from purchasing.

Which, at the moment, is one of the things that keeps me on land.

 

 

Shoot!  I miss the 5 cent Coke in a glass bottle with a 2 cent deposit on it.  Now we have plastic throw away bottles which are going to destroy the universe and all civilization along with those terrible plastic straws.

Yes, I know.  I'm old and stupid and don't  know anything.

Common sense is quite uncommon nowadays.

Edited December 14, 2019 by 1980dory
spacing

[kywildcatfanone]

The price increase in the soda package has ran me away from it.  $12/day is just too much.

[pablo222]

26 minutes ago, 1980dory said:

Shoot!  I miss the 5 cent Coke in a glass bottle with a 2 cent deposit on it.  Now we have plastic throw away bottles which are going to destroy the universe and all civilization along with those terrible plastic straws.

 

The change to only soda'n'more only was within the past few years.

No more than 5 years.

 

It I wanted to lament older things disappearing, it would be $1 Bass Ales at London Pub Night on (the older) Crown Princess.

For that matter, I think London Pub Night has disappeared, too.

 

[RMMariner]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Do you believe the confiscation of coffee card money to me minimal?

 

Princess could have handled that better, but my wife had a coffee card, and we were given lots of lead time to use it. We did.

 

I think what people are most upset about is that the entire feeling of cruising has changed over the last 25 years plus. I just looked at some websites that talk about 1995 cruise prices. The fares were actually higher or equivalent to todays prices. People were paying around a $1000+ for an inside on a 7 day cruise.  

 

For those not enjoying Princess anymore, I would recommend Oceania. We have been on them twice. The experience is probably closer to what older cruisers may remember: no sales pressure, better food, smaller ships, less add on costs, more things included. We enjoyed Oceania, but it is roughly twice as expensive as Princess, and there was not a lot of activities compared to Princess. We found we preferred cruising on Princess for half the price.

 

That would mean Oceania is about as expensive as Princess would be if Princess has just raised its rates along with the cost of inflation. There are so many cruise lines: Celebrity, Azamara, Norwegian, all the other Carnival lines, Royal Caribbean, Crystal, Viking etc. for cruisers to choose from. Go find the one (or more than one) that works for you.

 

I will agree with this: Princess has changed its model to become a more budget line, you owe the company nothing. Go find a line that gives you what you want, at a price you think is fair. 

 

 

[swifty]

Yoplait yogurt!

[JF - retired RRT]

1 hour ago, RMMariner said:

 

Princess could have handled that better, but my wife had a coffee card, and we were given lots of lead time to use it. We did.

 

I totally agree. We had 4 coffee cards (2 unused) and the deadline for using them was before our next cruise. We gave them away.

If they'd let us know before hand that we would get some kind of credit after the deadline we would have kept them.

[geoherb]

I have a pen in my cabin currently on the CB. We had escargots on the Crown in October. I think they're served the second formal night, which won't be until Wednesday on this cruise. I have a bar of soap at the bathroom sink and the dreadful body wash dispenser in the shower. I've started bringing a full-size bar of soap on my recent cruises.

 

I miss unlimited free internet. 

[hobbyfarmer2]

On 12/11/2019 at 12:03 PM, Knickearth said:

Being on a cruise at present, I thought it interesting to start a topic of items we noticed were no longer given or offered.

 

White Zinfandel

Elites:  gel masks

dining room mints and toothpics

 

please add items if you have any.  Thanks

Toothpicks are still offered.  Just ask the hostess at the MDR door.  I asked on two nights on th Sky 2 weeks ago and picked up a couple each time.

[1980dory]

Was there a 15% mandatory gratuity charge added to you bill?

[Sanz]

6 hours ago, tip said:

 

 

Well-said.  Talk about first world problems!

Yes, much of what you will find here in terms of complaints are first world problems. Some of those small things make some people's cruises more pleasurable - i.e, a sheet of The New York Times news that use to be given out on board.  We will miss having a bar of soap.  I do not need to qualify why,  other than to say it is what we have always  found on our many cruises up until now.    I will have to go to a store in Italy after touring for over a week to buy a bar of soap! Many of us bring our own soap on a cruise (liquid or bar).   Another cut back.

6 hours ago, tip said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Go-Bucks!]

3 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

I totally agree. We had 4 coffee cards (2 unused) and the deadline for using them was before our next cruise. We gave them away.

If they'd let us know before hand that we would get some kind of credit after the deadline we would have kept them.

 

I've read that some ships are allowing any leftover punches to be added to your cruise card as a credit toward the coffee drinks...sure hope I can get it to happen next month because I have 37 punches left on 4 cards - 2 of which were totally unused - that I would love to be able to use on my next cruise. The value is roughly $90!

[geoherb]

1 hour ago, Go-Bucks! said:

 

I've read that some ships are allowing any leftover punches to be added to your cruise card as a credit toward the coffee drinks...sure hope I can get it to happen next month because I have 37 punches left on 4 cards - 2 of which were totally unused - that I would love to be able to use on my next cruise. The value is roughly $90!

 

It would have been nice of Princess to formulate a consistent policy instead of a wishy-washy depends on what ship you sail on and to whom you talk. I sent my unused cards to someone so that they could be used. I'm glad they were used. But it would have saved me from purchasing the coffee package in September on my Crown Princess cruise if I had saved them and found someone willing to bend the announced policy.

Edited December 14, 2019 by geoherb

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, Go-Bucks! said:

 

I've read that some ships are allowing any leftover punches to be added to your cruise card as a credit toward the coffee drinks...sure hope I can get it to happen next month because I have 37 punches left on 4 cards - 2 of which were totally unused - that I would love to be able to use on my next cruise. The value is roughly $90!

I read that comment a while back but I didn't have any luck on the Crown Princess in getting anything for my unused punches. 

I'll try again on the Regal but I don't expect anything different. 

[cruzsnooze]

5 hours ago, hobbyfarmer2 said:

Toothpicks are still offered.  Just ask the hostess at the MDR door.  I asked on two nights on th Sky 2 weeks ago and picked up a couple each time.

I did and they said when a ship runs out of their supply they will not be restocked so your ship hadn't run out yet.

[Pierlesscruisers]

On 12/11/2019 at 1:02 PM, PrincessLuver said:

 

We would not miss those Princess cloth tote bags.....we always throw them away and I am sure they could save so money getting rid of those too....

 

Might I suggest either seeing if someone you meet on the ship might want the bag or just give it to your room steward or leave it in your cabin when you disembark. That way it won't go to waste. Just a thought.

 

Tom

[Pierlesscruisers]

On 12/11/2019 at 11:49 PM, Trevor Fountain said:

Whose bright idea was that?

Ouch!  (Nice catch though!)

 

Tom