solo in mini suite on Caribbean Princess

[gepgelmik]

Hi folks,

I see there are quite a few fellow travelers onboard the Caribbean Princess (7-9) and others asking questions. For those who are asking questions, my response would be to run away from this ship. I don’t expect perfection, but things are ridiculous. This will be my first and last time on a Princess cruise.

 

The Context

I’m a solo traveler, and contrary to popular belief, people who travel solo enjoy having spacious accommodations. I travel solo because it’s my preference, and up until right now, the only bad cruise I’ve had was one where I went with other people. Since this is my first cruise since the pandemic,  my first time away from home since starting a battle with anxiety disorder and agoraphobia a year or so ago, and my birthday on the 12th, I got myself a mini suite. I have mobility issues and am super introverted, so my dream was simply to hang out on my balcony, read my books, drink non alcoholic frosty drinks, and just relax. I couldn’t get my money back on a previous cruise booked with Princess, this fit my schedule, and so I booked it. I have no interest in the ports and no intention of getting off the ship.  I literally have been prepping for this cruise for months, both mentally and in terms of buying clothes, researching etc. I’m writing a bit here because I want to encourage (and be realistic) with people who are dealing with mental illness. There are a lot of us out there, especially after the pandemic.  I’m not interested in any feed back on remedies for anxiety disorder. I take prescription drugs, I do therapy- they work for me.  People should do what works for them. Also, being anxious or nervous is not the same as having an anxiety disorder.

 

Travel

I live in Ohio, and I hate flying. I drove from Cleveland to Columbia, South Carolina on the first day of my road trip (7 am to 6pm). On day 2, I drove from SC to Fort Lauderdale (5 am to 4:15 pm), I stopped every 2-3 hours to stretch my arthritic legs and make phone calls etc, and I think I stopped for gas twice on each day (more so because I don’t like being under half a tank). The drive had its ups and downs. I struggled to leave each morning (hello, agoraphobia, my old friend). Also.. surprise!! I’ve somehow developed a fear of driving over bridges and through those mountain tunnels.  On a positive note, traffic was good 85% of the day on both days, I saw some beautiful scenery, and I survived not being in my house!! A year ago, I couldn’t even get outside to take my trash out. *pats herself on the back*.  

 

The next part is forthcoming…

[gepgelmik]

Ok so here is why I’m telling people to run away from the Caribbean Princess.

 

If you’ve done your research on this ship, you see that there are lots of recent reviews talking about how the toilets haven’t worked, how the app is wonky, how the internet is wonky, how its run down and dirty.  Previous Princess cruisers also have a lot to say about the food, but I find food reviews very subjective. I’ve also seen some negative comments about the crew.

 

All the crew folks I’ve spoken to have been excellent. I have absolutely no complaints there. The reason I am hating this cruise is because I have no air conditioning, and haven’t since boarding yesterday. What really bothers me is Princess must know there are constant mechanical issues on this ship, but they continue to take people’s money week after week.  Today, I tried to shower and discovered that there was no cold water, so no way to make the water cool enough to bathe. Two days in I’ve had a a gazillion issues with the app, my stateroom television..I even had a notification from my credit card that Princess had charged me $100 bucks for something, and I haven’t bought anything.  I prepaid my gratuities and have a drink package. The internet only works sometimes.

 

I’ve made multiple calls to customer service, only to be on hold for 15 minutes or more. I was even hung up on after being on hold for 20 minutes.  You can send a chat message on the app, but there is often a long long delay in response. I ordered room service and after two hours, the food was marked as delivered. It hadn’t been delivered.

 

Comments on the crew upcoming…

[voljeep]

3 minutes ago, gepgelmik said:

I even had a notification from my credit card that Princess had charged me $100 bucks for something, and I haven’t bought anything.

just a 'normal' temporary charge ( to everyone on the ship that has posted a credit card ) to verify the validity of the card you have posted ... it will fall off eventually ... 

[gepgelmik]

Like most folks, I have a limited amount of time and money to invest on vacations each year. I don’t expect perfection, but I do expect the basic amenities I’ve paid for, especially when I’ve paid a bit extra for a mini suite. My cabin steward is great, and the crew is doing their best to deal with the issues…but it’s not enough.  I can’t even leave my balcony curtains open to enjoy the view because it lets in too much heat.  They just keep saying they’re working on it, and that they had over 200 phone calls about the air conditioning. I don’t care. For me, the primary goal of being able to relax is no longer achievable because I keep having to make phone calls over and over. And I keep sweating.  And the whole situation is no good for my anxiety.

 

Guest services offered me a bottle of wine OR a spa treatment OR onboard credit.  I just want to go home. I want my dog.

 And most of all I want back the time and money I’ve invested in this trip from hell.

[voljeep]

8 minutes ago, gepgelmik said:

Like most folks, I have a limited amount of time and money to invest on vacations each year. I don’t expect perfection, but I do expect the basic amenities I’ve paid for, especially when I’ve paid a bit extra for a mini suite. My cabin steward is great, and the crew is doing their best to deal with the issues…but it’s not enough.  I can’t even leave my balcony curtains open to enjoy the view because it lets in too much heat.  They just keep saying they’re working on it, and that they had over 200 phone calls about the air conditioning. I don’t care. For me, the primary goal of being able to relax is no longer achievable because I keep having to make phone calls over and over. And I keep sweating.  And the whole situation is no good for my anxiety.

 

Guest services offered me a bottle of wine OR a spa treatment OR onboard credit.  I just want to go home. I want my dog.

 And most of all I want back the time and money I’ve invested in this trip from hell.

is your trip complete or still on the ship?  If on the ship - why not just get off at the next port?  Get a medical evacuation and let your insurance deal with it

[spookyfudge]

Thank you Gepgelmik, I am so happy you posted this I was going to do a world cruise (but cancelled it) because I too heard a lot of mechanical issues with this ship! Imagine being on it for 111-days! Thank you

[voljeep]

1 minute ago, spookyfudge said:

Thank you Gepgelmik, I am so happy you posted this I was going to do a world cruise (but cancelled it) because I too heard a lot of mechanical issues with this ship! Imagine being on it for 111-days! Thank you

the CB does a "world cruise" ??

[Sprocket]

Have you requested to be moved to another cabin?  No idea of the capacity on the ship right now but I've read of others with multiple issues being moved on various sailings.

I would never think to ask for a fan normally on a ship but it may help you if any are available.  NOT the same as air conditioning but at least the air moves.

I would take them up on the spa though, if I could get a pass for the Thermal Suite which sounds pretty nice.

Hoping they get the issues resolved soon.

 

[gepgelmik]

Hi folks,

 

Here are my responses to various questions.

 

I would definitely get off the ship…if I could get back to Ft Lauderdale without flying.

I didn’t even bother to ask about moving to a different cabin because there are widespread issues, and I don’t want to be stuck in an inside or regular balcony cabin. I was told that the ac was out on at least two decks. I do have an electric fan, and it helps somewhat.

 

I just got off the phone with customer service manager, who told me the ac was working. I told him it was working briefly yesterday, too. I told him the only thing that I wanted was (some) money back; he thanked me for calling him. 

 

Honestly, there are so many issues on this ship, I feel bad for the folks who work on it who must have to constantly deal with complaints.  I  feel like Princess is scamming people by continuing to book people and not deal with these significant issues. 

[Jeter02]

I would recommend going down to guest services in person and demand to talk to the Head supervisor of guest services and demand proper compensation. 

[voljeep]

30 minutes ago, Jeter02 said:

demand to talk

 

49 minutes ago, gepgelmik said:

ld him the only thing that I wanted was (some) money back;

 

[Coral]

I had an air conditioning issue on a 2 week trip to Norway a few years ago. There were no other rooms available.

 

I had to call multiple times. I did not make any monetary demands. The last night they offered $200 I believe and it was sent to me about a month later via check. I had no balance on my account so it was refunded that way.

[JimmyVWine]

1 hour ago, gepgelmik said:

Honestly, there are so many issues on this ship,

What else besides the AC is so troublesome that you would expect compensation?  Don’t get me wrong. Malfunctioning AC that caused the cabin to be too hot is a big deal and justifies both complaining and remediation. But I haven’t really seen anything else in this thread that is a deal breaker. Bad internet and a wonky app are disappointments. But unless one started cruising within the last 5 years, we all managed to cruise without issue or complaint without either from 1910-2015.  Having flawless internet is aspirational but I still consider it to be a nice “plus” but is not the breaking point for a good/bad cruise the way AC, plumbing, food and service are. Besides bad AC, any other operational issues?

[gepgelmik]

Hi Jimmy,

 

 You make a good point- internet access can be at the bottom of that list in terms of importance. But, it’s important to me for a variety of reasons, and that’s why I pay for it. Everyone has their own idea of what a good cruise is. At a minimum, I expect to receive the product I paid for.  Imagine I rented any product for a week, and it only worked 50% of the time, and I was offered no solution, compensation or explanation.  In fact, imagine you rented a product, and the company took your money for it knowing it didn’t function correctly, and then offered you chocolate strawberries to make up for it. 

 

For some, the internet on a cruise is an entertainment gadget. When I don’t have the net, I’m cut off from friends and loved ones, which makes me anxious and worries them. It also means that I may not have access to therapy I need.  Also, I do use it as an entertainment gadget.

 

In terms of operational issues, there are none right this moment. The ac is still on, and my plumbing appears to be fixed. The plumber removed the plug from the tub so the tub is just a glorified shower. I wanted to take a bath this week since I don’t have a tub at home, but I’m tired of complaining, and I don’t want any strawberries. 

 

My first cruise was in 2016. I’m not sure what you mean about the “we” who cruised without “issue or complaint” from 1910- 2015.  I could guess but it would be more interesting to see what else you have to say on this. My hope is that you’re not saying something cliche like how internet is new-fangled/something only “millennials” need/people should disconnect on cruises or some combination of those things. 

 

 

 

[rabin1]

1 hour ago, gepgelmik said:

Hi Jimmy,

 

 You make a good point- internet access can be at the bottom of that list in terms of importance. But, it’s important to me for a variety of reasons, and that’s why I pay for it. Everyone has their own idea of what a good cruise is. At a minimum, I expect to receive the product I paid for.  Imagine I rented any product for a week, and it only worked 50% of the time, and I was offered no solution, compensation or explanation.  In fact, imagine you rented a product, and the company took your money for it knowing it didn’t function correctly, and then offered you chocolate strawberries to make up for it. 

 

For some, the internet on a cruise is an entertainment gadget. When I don’t have the net, I’m cut off from friends and loved ones, which makes me anxious and worries them. It also means that I may not have access to therapy I need.  Also, I do use it as an entertainment gadget.

 

In terms of operational issues, there are none right this moment. The ac is still on, and my plumbing appears to be fixed. The plumber removed the plug from the tub so the tub is just a glorified shower. I wanted to take a bath this week since I don’t have a tub at home, but I’m tired of complaining, and I don’t want any strawberries. 

 

My first cruise was in 2016. I’m not sure what you mean about the “we” who cruised without “issue or complaint” from 1910- 2015.  I could guess but it would be more interesting to see what else you have to say on this. My hope is that you’re not saying something cliche like how internet is new-fangled/something only “millennials” need/people should disconnect on cruises or some combination of those things. 

 

 

 

What is your cabin number and name and how much longer is your cruise? I became friends with one of the floor supervisors on the ship when I was on her several months ago. We what's app all the time. I can send him a message to see what he can do for you

Kathy

[Coral]

6 hours ago, gepgelmik said:

Hi Jimmy,

 

 You make a good point- internet access can be at the bottom of that list in terms of importance. But, it’s important to me for a variety of reasons, and that’s why I pay for it. Everyone has their own idea of what a good cruise is. At a minimum, I expect to receive the product I paid for.  Imagine I rented any product for a week, and it only worked 50% of the time, and I was offered no solution, compensation or explanation.  In fact, imagine you rented a product, and the company took your money for it knowing it didn’t function correctly, and then offered you chocolate strawberries to make up for it. 

I hate to say this but I would not count on internet on any cruise ship being good. It is a plus when it is but it really is too much to expect it to be good at sea. It does appear when people do press the point on this, they do seem to get a refund.

 

If you do need internet on vacations, I would avoid cruise ships in the future. Despite their marketing, it isn't like land trips.

[gepgelmik]

Hi Coral,

 

I have indeed experienced good internet at sea, and I’ve seen posts from others that have also had good experiences.  I’ve attended meetings/classes over zoom, FaceTimed, made WhatsApp calls, downloaded books, games and audiobooks, and even used streaming services like Netflix.  

 

Because I’m experiencing swirling/loading on this ship when trying to watch movies, I suspect that they are using some sort of streaming tech for their stateroom tv/movie offerings? Does anyone know?

 

In any case, my point is that there are some ships that have spotty internet, and some that have super fast internet most of the time. I’m not sure why there are differences between ships.

 

Also, people can definitely experience bad internet on land trips, depending on location and infrastructure.

 

 

[Coral]

17 minutes ago, gepgelmik said:

Hi Coral,

 

I have indeed experienced good internet at sea, and I’ve seen posts from others that have also had good experiences.  I’ve attended meetings/classes over zoom, FaceTimed, made WhatsApp calls, downloaded books, games and audiobooks, and even used streaming services like Netflix.  

 

Because I’m experiencing swirling/loading on this ship when trying to watch movies, I suspect that they are using some sort of streaming tech for their stateroom tv/movie offerings? Does anyone know?

 

In any case, my point is that there are some ships that have spotty internet, and some that have super fast internet most of the time. I’m not sure why there are differences between ships.

 

Also, people can definitely experience bad internet on land trips, depending on location and infrastructure.

 

 

I have had both good and bad internet on the same ship. It is inconsistent. My point is - if internet is important to you, a cruise vacation is probably not the best vacation for you. Same with land  - though on land, you can often use your phone as a hot spot.

 

If you follow these boards - you probably know this.

Edited July 11, 2022 by Coral

[geoherb]

I hope the rest of your cruise improves. It sounds like they fixed the AC. If your cabin steward can't get you a plug for the bathtub, you could try using a washcloth as a makeshift stopper.

 

I'm booked for the Caribbean next month. It's a cruise to Greenland, so I won't have to worry about AC. Sad to say, but I'm already counting on the internet not being great. If it's significantly bad, I'll ask for a refund. I had a fun time on the Caribbean in December. 

[Jersey42]

We just got off of the Caribbean Princess (7/2 - 7/9).  While we partially experienced some of the issues brought up by the original poster, we did not experience others and none of the issues had a significant impact on our cruise.  Here are a few of our notes:

• AC - Our cabin (Emerald aft) was actually as cold as any we have ever had in 40 cruises.  Definitely needed the comforter at night.  Most of the public areas were plenty cold and sometimes a light sweater would have been useful.  There were a few very warm spots, but most of these were on or near deck 7 when there was an open door to the promenade.  The warm air could be felt in the hallway and at the stairs.  We did not have a balcony this time, so we were not subject to any issues sometimes found when nearby cabins keep their balcony door open. 
• Toilet - We had toilet issues.  It flushed most of the time, but sometimes it could take 5-15 minutes to flush.  After the first slow flush, they cleaned out the pipe outside the cabin and all was good for a few days.  They did another cleanout later in the cruise.  This was not ideal.  Plus we were in a cabin where people reported toilet problems several weeks ago.  So there is a bigger problem here, but for us it was more of a minor annoyance. 
• Water temperature -  No issues.
• Internet speed -  Great (for a cruise) from Saturday until Wednesday afternoon.  Poor for the remainder of the trip.  I was seeing 2.1 - 3.7 Mbps download speeds at the beginning of the week.  They went to 0.1 - 0.2 Mbps (or worse) at the end.  Latency was pretty bad the second half, but I never measured it during the first half of the week.
• Medallion Class App - The first day it would often freeze or give "not available" messages.  Similar problems on both Android and iOS.  I ended up deleting and reinstalling the app and it worked fine on both platforms for the remainder of the cruise.  Fine means all of the functions worked and it stopped freezing. I could order drinks, make reservations, book FCDs, find shipmates and view my statement. That said, the app still needs a lot of work. Among other things, the interface needs work, it needs to respond better, and the daily activity presentation is terrible on the small screen.
• Wrong charges -  While we saw one big erroneous drink charge on a prior cruise (passenger services removed it), we only had a minor issue this time.  They charged us for one extra drink in one of the lounges, but they did not charge us for one of our drinks on Princess Cays (when they were just writing down cabin numbers).  The net difference was only about a dollar and I think it was in our favor.

 

If we had the cabin AC problems experienced by the OP, this would have been a major issue for us.  Hopefully it is now fixed.  In our (limited) conversations with other passengers last week, we never heard about cabin AC issues.  So hopefully that problem is limited in scope.  Unfortunately, if it is your cabin, it does not help if most of the other cabins are fine. ☹️

[geoherb]

3 hours ago, Jersey42 said:

 

• Internet speed -  Great (for a cruise) from Saturday until Wednesday afternoon.  Poor for the remainder of the trip.  I was seeing 2.1 - 3.7 Mbps download speeds at the beginning of the week.  They went to 0.1 - 0.2 Mbps (or worse) at the end.  Latency was pretty bad the second half, but I never measured it during the first half of the week.

 

It's sad that Princess internet has gotten so bad that people start describing 2.1-3.7 Mbps download speeds as great. That's not quite good enough for streaming videos without buffering problems or degraded video quality.

 

On the Regal in February, I had good internet speeds. Here's one of the tests I did from the ship in Roatan, Honduras.

 

[JimmyVWine]

17 hours ago, gepgelmik said:

Imagine I rented any product for a week, and it only worked 50% of the time, and I was offered no solution, compensation or explanation.  In fact, imagine you rented a product, and the company took your money for it knowing it didn’t function correctly, and then offered you chocolate strawberries to make up for it.

I hear you.  But you didn't pay $3,000 for the internet.  You paid $5-$10 per day for it.  So that's $35-$70 for a week, and if it worked half the time, you were cheated out of $17-$35.  That is at most 1% of the money you paid.  If I rented a product for a week and 1% of it failed half the time, I wouldn't let it raise my blood pressure.  But most importantly, I have yet to read reviews of any cruise line where people are trumpeting the magnificence of the internet on board.  A recent podcast by a group that was on the Disney Dream revealed that to a person, they all found the internet to be absolutely unusable and the onboard app to be a complete waste.  Two wrongs don't make a right, but in this instance, cruising in general should be pilloried, not just Princess.  As I stated earlier, great internet at sea is aspirational.  The industry isn't there yet.  Anyone who desires or needs top-notch connectivity while on vacation best look for land-based alternatives, at least for now. 

[voljeep]

10 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

I hear you.  But you didn't pay $3,000 for the internet.  You paid $5-$10 per day for it.  So that's $35-$70 for a week, and if it worked half the time, you were cheated out of $17-$35.  That is at most 1% of the money you paid.  If I rented a product for a week and 1% of it failed half the time, I wouldn't let it raise my blood pressure.  But most importantly, I have yet to read reviews of any cruise line where people are trumpeting the magnificence of the internet on board.  A recent podcast by a group that was on the Disney Dream revealed that to a person, they all found the internet to be absolutely unusable and the onboard app to be a complete waste.  Two wrongs don't make a right, but in this instance, cruising in general should be pilloried, not just Princess.  As I stated earlier, great internet at sea is aspirational.  The industry isn't there yet.  Anyone who desires or needs top-notch connectivity while on vacation best look for land-based alternatives, at least for now. 

I blame Padgett , OM app, and Princess Plus - the perfect storm

[gepgelmik]

Yeah, this is my last comment on this. And a confirmation of why I’m usually a lurker. Safe travels, everyone.