HELP - Should I cancel my CB cruise?

[nattie]

Just read the "mutiny" review here - no mutiny, but tons of valid issues.

 

We are sailing CB on 11/30 out of San Juan for 7 days Southern and now I am completely freaked out. This will be our 11th cruise (I think) and 3rd with Princess, in fact we were just on CB in May. May cruise was only 4 days and it was great - I didn't notice too much crowding even though it was sold out, air in our Dolphin deck mini worked fine and food was good. These upcoming cruise we are going with large group most of whom are new to Princess and/or cruising in general. Plus I just found out that I am pregnant, so it will be my last cruise for couple of years and I want it to count! I am still within the cancellation window.

We already have air booked to SJU, but I can always get similar cruise on RCI or Carnival (I think).

I know it is silly to ask other people opinions on this, BUT I am having really hard time deciding especially with all the bad reviews popping up and I am the "cruise director" for my clan, so they are no help.

Thank you for your opinion in advance :)

[Whimsy]

Just read the "mutiny" review here - no mutiny, but tons of valid issues.

 

We are sailing CB on 11/30 out of San Juan for 7 days Southern and now I am completely freaked out. This will be our 11th cruise (I think) and 3rd with Princess, in fact we were just on CB in May. May cruise was only 4 days and it was great - I didn't notice too much crowding even though it was sold out, air in our Dolphin deck mini worked fine and food was good. These upcoming cruise we are going with large group most of whom are new to Princess and/or cruising in general. Plus I just found out that I am pregnant, so it will be my last cruise for couple of years and I want it to count! I am still within the cancellation window.

We already have air booked to SJU, but I can always get similar cruise on RCI or Carnival (I think).

I know it is silly to ask other people opinions on this, BUT I am having really hard time deciding especially with all the bad reviews popping up and I am the "cruise director" for my clan, so they are no help.

Thank you for your opinion in advance :)

 

Nattie, I have been on the CB 3 times. In fact I was on one of the 4 day cruises in May as well. I found the passengers on the shorter cruises to be a different makeup than what I had found on my 7 day cruises. I found the passenger make up to be different on my eastern cruise than my western cruise. The point is, everyone of those cruises were great, just in a different way.

 

While I had a very nice time on our 4 day cruise in May there was a lady at the airport on our flight who was on the same cruise and she complained about everything. Funny, we were on the same ship but had a whole different experience.

 

I would stick with what you planned. You and your group will have a great experience if that is what you want.

 

BTW, congratulations on your baby!

[Berliner]

unless you can expect this

you shouldn't be worried.I don't think we're there yet :D

[jpg1747]

One more who was on one of the May 4 day cruises. That was my introduction to the CB and I can't wait to go back. I'm sailing again on November 23 and I'm just taking all the complaints with a shaker of salt (they seem to need more than a grain or two). I made my final payment and reserved my shore excursions. Whatever happens, happens. I'm still looking forward to my vacation.

[yorky]

Just read the "mutiny" review here - no mutiny, but tons of valid issues.

 

We are sailing CB on 11/30 out of San Juan for 7 days Southern and now I am completely freaked out. This will be our 11th cruise (I think) and 3rd with Princess, in fact we were just on CB in May. May cruise was only 4 days and it was great - I didn't notice too much crowding even though it was sold out, air in our Dolphin deck mini worked fine and food was good. These upcoming cruise we are going with large group most of whom are new to Princess and/or cruising in general. Plus I just found out that I am pregnant, so it will be my last cruise for couple of years and I want it to count! I am still within the cancellation window.

We already have air booked to SJU, but I can always get similar cruise on RCI or Carnival (I think).

I know it is silly to ask other people opinions on this, BUT I am having really hard time deciding especially with all the bad reviews popping up and I am the "cruise director" for my clan, so they are no help.

Thank you for your opinion in advance :)

 

Sorry I don't mean to be rude but surely this is a little silly. You were on the ship only four months ago and enjoyed it and due to a few negative postings you are thinking of cancelling.:confused:

 

If we all canceled a cruise because some people did not like it there would be no one cruising.

[Clutterlady]

If you just got off the CB and you had a good time, why would you want to cancel:confused: You are always going to get some negatives on every cruise line!! The CB was one of my best cruises to date.

 

Go and enjoy!!

 

PS: Congratulations:)

[LENORA516]

Doesn't your own experience count for anything ? If you had a great time in May why should someone else's experience matter to you.

 

I was on a 9 Day cruise on the CB in July and I thought it was one of the best cruises I have ever been on and I have booked again for May.:D

[Toto2Kansas]

Just read the "mutiny" review here - no mutiny, but tons of valid issues.

 

We are sailing CB on 11/30 out of San Juan for 7 days Southern and now I am completely freaked out. This will be our 11th cruise (I think) and 3rd with Princess, in fact we were just on CB in May. May cruise was only 4 days and it was great - I didn't notice too much crowding even though it was sold out, air in our Dolphin deck mini worked fine and food was good. These upcoming cruise we are going with large group most of whom are new to Princess and/or cruising in general. Plus I just found out that I am pregnant, so it will be my last cruise for couple of years and I want it to count! I am still within the cancellation window.

We already have air booked to SJU, but I can always get similar cruise on RCI or Carnival (I think).

I know it is silly to ask other people opinions on this, BUT I am having really hard time deciding especially with all the bad reviews popping up and I am the "cruise director" for my clan, so they are no help.

Thank you for your opinion in advance :)

 

A cruise is ALWAYS what YOU make of it. Reading a review and booking/sailing on a ship or not because of that review is something that I would not even take into consideration.

We have sailed many ships, come home, read a review of someone on the same sailing, and they had a totally opposite experience then we had on the same ship, same sailing date.

 

Even changing to another cruise line will never guarantee you a perfect cruise with no mishaps. Personally, I would stick to what I have booked and stop reading the negative reviews and posts about it if it were 'freaking me out' (as you say). Relax, have a great cruise, and I am sure you will be glad you went.

[JandD Mom]

Nattie,

 

I read the "mutiny" review and from what I could tell, the bulk of the problem with last week's cruise according to the reviewer, was the fact that the passengers onboard tended to be on the difficult side, and that the reviewer was quite a bit younger than the folks on board.

 

While you are not likely to encounter that on a cruise out of San Juan at that time of year, you should keep in mind that you can't control who the other passengers will be on ANY cruise you take. I was on the Jewel of the Seas once and our group, then families in their late 30s with children, experienced open hostility from the other passengers. On that cruise they called "Alpha Alpha Alpha" twice. Many of the wait staff even told us on that cruise that they were having a difficult time because the passengers were so difficult. You just can't plan for that or control it, but it did put a damper on our good time.

 

We were just on the 8/24 sailing of the CB and had a wonderful time. We were a group ranging in age from 1 to 66 and everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Food was great and service was great "for us". We bent over backwards to be nice to the waitstaff and found it to be returned in kind. There were a few areas that should be addressed on the drydock/rehab, but there was nothing to bother us. She is in good shape. Have fun and don't worry!

[LuvTheGoodLife]

We have sailed on the CB in November/December for the past 4 years with never any significant complaints. Last cruise our in-cabin airconditioning was a little weak several nights and it was a minor annoyance but nothing more. Other than that, the ship has not been crowded, dining waits for Anytime Dining have been non-existent, we found few chair hogs on the pool deck, had a nice group of fellow passengers from various age groups, countries and regions to socialize with, found it fairly easy to get a seat for the evening shows and all food was good.

 

I think you have to overlook the recent negative reviews from last week's cruise and realize that because of the disrupted itinerary to avoid the hurricane, passengers might have been more annoyed than usual with small things.

 

Personally, the thought of changing cruises at this late date for a group and going instead with Carnival or RCI out of San Juan would be an anxiety producing nightmare for me. Stick with your current plan and remember, 'newbie' cruisers are usually so wowed by the ship and the service, they do not notice or dwell on little things that more experienced cruisers might notice as being 'wrong' or changed from past cruises...

[paul929207]

I would pay a lot more attention to my own experiences than those of others.On every cruise i have taken, there have been some people complaining. I still ahd a wonderful time. Some people are only happy if they are miserable and everyone around them is too.

[sofi]

I don't think you will encounter the same issues as I did on last week's cruise. According to Passenger Services, there will not be such an old average passenger age on 11/30 so everyone won't be clamoring to eat early. However, if the ship is full, you will encounter the overcrowded buffet area. The big problem would be the airconditioning. You will be in a hot, humid climate and the ship will still not have visited drydock. As an expectant mother, your body temperature might be running hotter than normal so take that into consideration. btw, I didn't hear any complaints about skipping Newport. Everyone seemed to understand that it was a wise decision in view of the forecasted hurricane. However, I heard a lot of discussions about people's unhappiness with all the things you have been reading about here and many of the people I spoke to seemed to be saying they'd choose a different line or at least a smaller ship after this experience. It is kind of insulting to read some of the comments made after people post here about their experiences - that there is something wrong with the poster rather than the cruiseline. I, for one, wish I had been in your position when I started reading about CB's problems. You have the option to change without losing money, I didn't. Had I been in your shoes I would have looked into an RCCL cruise.

[sun&sea]

Relax! This close to final payment and you would start over with a large group???:eek: Take a deep breath and think it through. Think about it...what if you changed the whole thing to another cruiseline and something went wrong???:confused: :confused:

 

I do understand the pressure of "directing" a group. You want so much to make everything perfect for everyone. However, just as the others have indicated, each cruise is different according to the people that sail. You couldn't control that if you wanted to.

 

You've already had a taste of the CB in May (me too!). I have to say, for a 4 day cruise, that was a blast!! However, the crowd and atmosphere was a little different for that cruise. I took some "first-timers" on that cruise, and they are totally hooked! But I have been on many southern routes (Princess and otherwise), and I have to say, they have all been fantastic! No two alike, but all wonderful. I love sailing the southern caribbean; so much to do and see, and for the most part, wonderful weather.

 

As others have suggested, take the negative reviews with a grain of salt. Different strokes for different folks.;)

 

 

Janet

 

P.S. Congrats on the little one!

[judbusluc]

We were on the 8/24 sailing and did not have the issues that the negative reviews have posted. In fact, in reading the reviews I wondered if they had been on a different ship than we were!

 

The ship is is great shape. (NO...this is not my first cruise.....This was out 18th cruise with Princess) If you eat before 6:30 or 7:00 there are minimal, if any, waits at the Anytime Dining venues. All the ships tours were tendered ashore first in Bar Harbor making the wait longer for those without a tour.

 

Honestly, I think that some people go on a cruise just looking for what they can complain about.

 

There are many, many people in this poor economy that can't afford to cruise or who have health issues that prevent them from doing so. You are on a cruise. If everything is not 100% perfect, so what. You are on a vacation. Just chill out and relax and enjoy. If you go expecting to have a poor time, chances are you will do so.

[nattie]

Thank you all for your opinions!

 

I think after reading the past couple CB reviews I was just taken aback by all the negativity. MY DH said it were my hormones talking and he personally can't wait to get back to Wheelhouse bar :) .

We did have a wonderful 4 day on CB. And you guys are right, personal experience should count much more then John Does. Now may be I'll just upgrade to Dolphin mini from my Riviera balcony (under buffet) and be happy about it.

 

Again, thank you for getting my head straight :)

[Pam in CA]

I think after reading the past couple CB reviews I was just taken aback by all the negativity. MY DH said it were my hormones talking and he personally can't wait to get back to Wheelhouse bar :) .

We did have a wonderful 4 day on CB. And you guys are right, personal experience should count much more then John Does. Now may be I'll just upgrade to Dolphin mini from my Riviera balcony (under buffet) and be happy about it.

One thing to remember is that everyone has different expectations, experiences with waitstaff/stewards, temperature comfort levels, etc. Relax and enjoy your cruise.

[NeurosurgeryNP]

We LOVE the CB. Sailed on her twice this past year and booked on a thrid for the October repo from NY to SJ. We can't wait. Sold out both times we cruised on her, and we didn't feel overly crowded at all. :D

 

As others have said - two people can go on a cruise, and have completely different experiences - one has a great time and the other complains about every thing. Perspective is everything. That is what I see all of the time in the reviews posted on CC.

[Solara]

We loved the CB when we were on her in May for 9 days. Go with your own experience. Two families could be on the same ship and have 2 completely different experiences. The cruise is what you make of it so go with an open mind and you will have a wonderful time.

[zacc]

3100 pax aboard each cruise and how many complain here each cruise......2, maybe 5.....that isn't even 1/2 a percent and you're thinking about cancelling because of that? I must agree with one thing you said.....silly question. A complaint is simply an opinion....nothing less and nothing more. The only opinion that should really count at the end of a cruise is your own.

[CruiseLover72]

All the bad reviews over the summer had me freaked out about our 8/15/08 trip on the CB. I probably would have cancelled if it hadn't been past final payment. However, we had a great time. There was absolutely no need for me to worry. I didn't notice any problems with the AC either; our cabin was fine, and I was never hot in any of the common areas. As far as crowding, I never noticed except in the buffet during peak times.

[KLLund]

I have said before that the CB is not my favorite ship .. but I think it comes down to YOU enjoyed it last time .. probably not much has changed and there is NO reason you wouldn't enjoy it again .. especially since you are going with a large group.

Sail away and forget your cares !!!

[noobiecruiser]

Don't worry, be happy. :)

[usha]

I have said before that the CB is not my favorite ship .. but I think it comes down to YOU enjoyed it last time .. probably not much has changed and there is NO reason you wouldn't enjoy it again .. especially since you are going with a large group.

 

Sail away and forget your cares !!!

My sentiments exactly!:)