Recently off of the Royal

[Hobbes67]

We recently took our 32nd cruise with Princess on the Royal.  I have been a loyal cruisers and was very disappointed.  We were in a penthouse suite and aside from access to the Concierge Lounge, everything else was far below our expectations.

 

We did not have our medallions before the cruise so we had to wait in a very long line to pick them up before boarding in Seattle.  When we asked the representative at the beginning of the line if there was a line for Elite or Suite guests and he said NO.  You only receive benefits once on the ship. 

 

I realize that it is difficult to get staff, but many of the people spoke limited to very limited English.  In the concierge lounge the staff member that provided drinks spoke limited English and understood less.  No matter how many times you told him what you wanted you typically did not get it.  It was still nice to have a quiet place to go.  One night they invited us to cocktail hour with the officers, although no officers came.

 

The food in the dining room was also below what we had experienced in the past.  We have been on 3 other cruises since the pandemic and this was the worst.  The first night we ate in the Crown Grill and the food was excellent.  The second night we ate in the reserved section and the food was poor and very cold.  When we told our waiter it was cold his only response was it was cold in the room.  No attempt to resolve the issue.  The next night we requested someone else and had better luck.  The food was better and hot, but not what it used to be.  In addition, I am allergic to seafood which seems to be the majority of what is offered on the menu.

 

Ports - We had to miss Juneau due to a storm, then went to Skagway which was very nice.  It rained so hard in Ketchikan that after getting off for 10 minutes we had to return to the ship to dry our clothes and shoes.  We had an umbrella, but it was raining sideways.  I guess we chose the wrong time to go!!

 

It didn't help that my husband got Covid on Friday and was severely dehydrated so we had to go to medical.  $1250 later we were back in the cabin to pack up to go home.  Once we got home I got it also.  Then husband got better and tested negative a week later.  Another couple of days he got it again. I don't blame any of this on Princess, it just obviously did not provide a great memory for the trip.  Our flight was at 1:30, however they came to the room at 6:30am and made us leave the ship with all other Covid positive people and their families. 

 

This is the first time in many years that we did not purchase any future cruise credits and we talked about this being our last cruise.  There are so many other places we can spend our money and have a better experience. 

[Rick&Jeannie]

Very sorry that you did not have a more enjoyable cruise.  We just got off the Caribbean Princess (though NOT in a suite) and had a great Canada/New England cruise.

[Lady Arwen]

Sorry that you didn’t enjoy your cruise on Royal.  As you’re aware some of your issues were not controllable by Princess.  Just part of cruising and sometimes quite disappointing.  
 

Food is very subjective, but a decrease in quality has been noted by many people.  It seems to be hit and miss, depending on the ship, the itinerary and which restaurant you choose.  Frustrating for sure.

 

Service should always be top notch, but it looks like some occasional fails are being reported.  Most cruiselines are having issues attracting enough crew members and this greatly impacts the quality of service.  Again, very frustrating for passengers.

 

We’ve sailed on Royal a few times pre-pandemic and thoroughly enjoyed our cruise every time.  The cruise experience now does not always meet our expectations.  I can assure you this is not unique to Princess.  Our Celebrity cruise in the spring was just not the Celebrity that we’ve always known and loved.

 

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us.

[voljeep]

3 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

 Most cruiselines are having issues attracting enough crew members and this greatly impacts the quality of service

why? - I'd like facts, not readers opinions

 

what do crew members state is/are the problems?

[Lady Arwen]

12 minutes ago, voljeep said:

why? - I'd like facts, not readers opinions

 

what do crew members state is/are the problems?

Great question!  Perhaps someone here has direct knowledge.  The crew never seems to complain outwardly to passengers but you can tell they’re overworked and stressed.  

[voljeep]

1 minute ago, Lady Arwen said:

Great question!  Perhaps someone here has direct knowledge.  The crew never seems to complain outwardly to passengers but you can tell they’re overworked and stressed.  

If the crew is there to be hired, visa'd, trained, etc and Princess chooses not to go to that expense, then that's a real problem - not for Princess - they made their decision.  And passengers, like us, can continue to sail or not, under those circumstances.

[that]

@Hobbes67

our experience on this same voyage was also plagued with disappointments.  We are 🤞🏻

looking forward to replacing this

memory with a Princess Proud experience soon!  
So sorry you were both sick and hope fully recovered.

[MissP22]

I think your best bet is going with Cunard.

[IndyKid]

We're taking a Princess cruise for the first time in December on the Caribbean Princess. We've done a couple on Royal Caribbean in the past. We're not beholden to any 1 cruise line as we don't have status. 

 

The CB is an older ship, but appears to be well maintained, and from what I've read here and watched on YT it's been a great experience for all those aboard. And if it's not up to our expectations there's always other cruise lines. We're already thinking about trying Virgin Voyages.

[Lady Arwen]

2 hours ago, MissP22 said:

I think your best bet is going with Cunard.

Cunard is not perfect, either.  I’ve heard some disappointing responses from loyal passengers.  I wouldn’t recommend trying another line based on one ship’s not so perfect experience.  We were a tad disappointed in our last Celebrity cruise, but we’ll continue to sail with them.  The same goes for Princess.  If it becomes a problem, then we’ll look at our options.

[BamaVol]

1 hour ago, IndyKid said:

 We're already thinking about trying Virgin Voyages.

Just do plenty of research before making a deposit.

[BamaVol]

On 10/6/2023 at 2:52 PM, voljeep said:

why? - I'd like facts, not readers opinions

 

what do crew members state is/are the problems?

This is speculation on my part.

 

I think it’s similar to what land-based businesses are experiencing.  People got used to working remotely and when companies started talking about coming back to the office, even a couple days a week, employees dug in their heels.  A career with a cruise line is challenging.  Many of these employees don’t see their families for months on end.  So, if they were furloughed and went home, they got used to a more normal life. Maybe they found a job at home, or nearby. Maybe it pays the same as cleaning cabins or bussing tables in the buffet.  Maybe just a little less. I don’t know about unemployment rates worldwide, but it’s still 3.8% here in the US.  It’s possible the cruise lines will have to offer more to attract the numbers of employees they need.  I don’t think they can say, c’mon back.  Your old job is available. Same pay. Same benefits. Another reason prices will probably continue to rise until the next recession.

 

Just my opinion. I don’t have any inside information.

[IndyKid]

17 minutes ago, BamaVol said:

Just do plenty of research before making a deposit.

Oh I plan to. I always do plenty of vetting when making a significant purchase, whether it's a cruise, an AI resort, a car or major appliance...