Princess has become a 2nd rate cruise line!

[catmand]

This is an addition, edit to my post: When I began to write this i had no idea this thread was 8 PAGES LONG! I read page 1 and hit reply before noticing the length. When I posted I realized just how long this was. I am sure most all of what I wrote will be redundant, after all there are many of you who are more eloquent than me. I would have deleted this entire post so as to spare anyone the read but I just spent so much time on it, feel free to skip it, thanks, Chuck

 

" They now have special restaurants with extra charges for special dinners. All their food used to be that good, now we have to pay extra for it? There no longer are the grand extravaganza dessert nights, no more gifts for Captain's Circle members, no more table side Cesar salad or pasta preparations. Things that used to be included in our cruise fare are now charged for - shall I go on?"

 

No, please don't. I think one of the reasons complaints such as yours usually do not get the sympathy vote from so many posters here is because of the nature of your complaints. While you mention many things that went wrong, and the may have, the truly petty things you find fault with may just be an indication of your lack of tolerance for anything you do not perceive as "going the way it should."

 

Yes, there are special restaurants on the Princess ships these days, as well as Celebrity and Royal and HAL and.................(get my point?). It isn't a matter of not having "all good food" as you put it but a dining venue that is a little different, a little special for those passengers that may want that. No one is forcing you to eat there and pay that extra price.

 

No longer the "grand extravaganza dessert nights" is another complaint of yours. Have you ever stopped to think about all that waste from those? Every day on a Princess cruise 24/7 there is food and dessert selections. I hardly think something that is "fun" and "nice" to take pictures of but is such a waste is a problem, I think of it as an improvement.

 

No more table side service for salad and pasta preparation? Well, isn't that just terrible? Is it really a problem? Is it a determining factor in what makes a cruise a good time? Petty.

 

Yes, things that used to be included you may now find are a charged item, that is just one of the ways the cruise vacation has changed over the years. If you don't think you can have a great value vacation for all of the things that are included in a Princess cruise then maybe a different line or vacation is for you.

 

Oh yes, and no more gifts for Captain's Circle Members? So it is getting something for nothing that is a problem?

 

I realize you may have had problems but it just kills me to hear about salad tossing and free gifts. How fortunate we all are to be able to take these trips and converse on this message board, let's think about something that is truly a problem before we vilify an entire cruise line!

[spongerob]

Can you tell me the timeline that you all feel is the appropriate lag between posts before someone is accused of being a post-and-run?

 

It's not a timeline, just a pattern. You get a first post stating that the OP is upset and will never sail Princess again and an admonition that anyone else thinking of cruising Princess should immediately cancel their plans. That is followed by requests for more information. The return post then lists a few complaints, some of which might be valid and some that are clearly off-base, and a re-iteration of the warning to never sail Princess again. The third post always makes charges that anyone disagreeing or not joining in the pity-fest must be an employee of Princess or otherwise on the take, or just too uncultured and unappreciative of the finer things in life to know how badly Princess is screwing over its passengers. More argument follows, and if there is any further response from the OP, it is only to express their displeasure at people who somehow manage to enjoy themselves even though their wine hasn't been served in Reidel crystal.

 

Personally, I think this is a drive-by, because I just refuse to believe that people could really be so petty and vindictive.

 

My purpose in this is not so much to try to change the OP's mind, since there is little chance of that happening. My hope is that those who have not cruised or have not tried Princess realize that the expectations expressed in the complaints are out of line with the product being delivered, and should therefore be treated as unrepresentative of the normal level of satisfaction one can experience while cruising - on Princess or most other lines, for that matter.

[coiran]

Spongerob - well said!!

 

Ron

[Fantazy]

[QUOTE=coiran]Spongerob - well said!!

Ron

 

Exactly

 

I have yet to sail Princess. My first time will be in September. I have, however, traveled extensively on land based vacations. Mostly Europe. (I was in Scotland when the World Trade Center blew up....wondering if I were going to make it home, yet would not have been "unpleased" if I had had to extend my vacation ;))

 

Am I expecting my cruise to be fairy tale wonderful as portrayed in Titanic?(before it started sinking obviously). No, I do not. The days of "grand elegance" are almost gone. If I want that type of experience, I can pay almost a years salary, per person, to get it. (like THAT is going to happen :rolleyes:).

 

Do I expect to sail the sunny blue waters of the Caribbean? Do I expect to have someone else make my bed and clean my bathroom? Do I expect someone else to do my cooking? Do I expect to relax and have fun? HE!! YES.

 

That is what I am paying for. And if you ask me, I am not paying nearly enough for this pleasure. I priced both an all inclusive and "regular" land based vacations in the Caribbean. This would have cost almost twice as much as my cruise did....and I would have been stuck in one place (unless I wanted to spend even more).

 

ANY vacation is going to have its share of "issues" the enjoyment of your vacation is totally dependant upon your attitude and how you choose to handle the situation.

 

[Northender]

It is all about the timing. Well said spongerob. The last time our OP was on these boards was August 2nd in the evening. Probably just checking to see how much damage control had been done:D

 

Looks like the OP is on to bigger and better things in her life :confused:

[atlcple2]

DITO!!!! We actually did price a 7-day vacation to St. Martin and it was more than double what we paid for our cruise PLUS food, entertainment, etc. I have traveled out of the country a lot as well, and even at all inclusive places, there are issues. We only have 4 weeks left Fantazy!!!!!!! 28 days!!!!!

[Fantazy]

DITO!!!! We actually did price a 7-day vacation to St. Martin and it was more than double what we paid for our cruise PLUS food, entertainment, etc. I have traveled out of the country a lot as well, and even at all inclusive places, there are issues. We only have 4 weeks left Fantazy!!!!!!! 28 days!!!!!

 

I wish YOUR countdown clock was our official counter as you seem to already be on the ship. :)

[GOLDENBONNY]

You poor dear! I, for one, understand how upset you must be. I once was also forced to eat a Ceasar salad not prepared in front of me. I had nightmares for almost a month.

LOL!:p

[atlcple2]

I wish YOUR countdown clock was our official counter as you seem to already be on the ship. :)

 

Fantazy...I am already in "Cruise" Mode for sure! My daughter had her first child in May and I took my vacation time to be with her and help her with the baby. I wouldn't take anything for that time, but it was not a vacation! lol Other than a couple of long weekends at the beach and mountains, I have not had a vacation this year and am soooo looking forward to it!!!! I will probably start packing my bags a week before the cruise....I put everything I want to take in there and then start taking stuff out I don't really need. ; )

[donna5]

I wonder if they OP had Anytime dining?

FYI baked alaska parade is only done in Traditional dining(they can't do it in anytime because people aren't finishing their meals all at the same time), but they still have the baked alaska on the menu, it is called bombe de diplomat or something to that effect.

We did do traditional on the Golden in Dec and they also did cherries jubilee, which I had forgotten about since we had been using pesonal choice and decided to try Traditional again.

 

On a coastal in May, they did a pasta that the head waiters did(we did traditional on that one-LAH-YVR) and noone was hardly asking for it and the poor headwaiter looked so sad that noone was eating it. I think that was the case. They use to try to give you so much pasta instead of a little of it that most people weren't eating it.(Hey, we still had our ordered dinner and deserts to eat!) There is always a pasta dish or two to order and you can always talk to the maitre'd to special order your own pasta.

 

I would prefer the cheaper price for a cruise and pay for some of the extra's that I want. Otherwise if they are going to include all this specialty stuff that I don't normally use, I WANT MARTINIS INCLUDED!!! (shaken not stirred)

[orhodes]

RE: "hit and run..." WELL SAID Rob!

 

RE: OPs claim of PCL as a "second-rate line." Well, We've only sailed Princess and Disney but found the Island Princess experience far superior to the Wonder (well, ok...so DCL has very professional stage productions) in overall quality, and most important to me--Princess has exceptioinal value for the dollar.

 

Disney again? ...no (it was fun but once was enough)

 

Princess again? ...Island's sister, the Coral Princess, Oct 5--Panama canal! :)

 

Great, realistic expectation voyages to all!

[Nymue]

You seem to be very defensive of anyone criticizing a Princess cruise yet you have remained silent on my post, does that mean that you find a waiter making fun of a diabetics choice of Sugar-free desserts acceptable? It would seem the Princess boards are only for those with rose colored glasses. My recent cruise did not leave me with a poor taste for Princess however the rudeness that the original poster on the thread was met with has left me with a acerbic taste for the Princess Boards here on Cruise Critic.

 

Anne

[coiran]

I don't think anyone thinks that diabetes is a joke. If I read your post correctly, you expected the waiter to know you were diabetic just because you entered the information on your personalizer. This info does not get filtered down nto the entire staff. If you had told him or the headwaiter on your first day of your situation it probably would not have happened.

 

As for robes and feather pillows, just because you have them listed on your personalizer doesn't mean they will be there automatically - all you have to do is ask mthe steward "Would you please get us robes and feather pillows" and it will happen.

 

Ron

[Northender]

You seem to be very defensive of anyone criticizing a Princess cruise yet you have remained silent on my post, does that mean that you find a waiter making fun of a diabetics choice of Sugar-free desserts acceptable? It would seem the Princess boards are only for those with rose colored glasses. My recent cruise did not leave me with a poor taste for Princess however the rudeness that the original poster on the thread was met with has left me with a acerbic taste for the Princess Boards here on Cruise Critic.

 

Anne

 

Anne, why single out one person on this issue. I agree that the waiter "should not make fun of you" but maybe if the first night you told him to please not offer you any desserts, that would have been it for the cruise.

I agree with you and the filling out the forms - I have yet to have a bathrobe when I get to the cabin and always have to ask for a specific item my DH needs. Glad you still like Princess and sorry that you find this forum to be acerbic tasting, but somedays you are the goldmine and others you are the shaft.:D I think all of us here have been both one time or another.

I think Corian is great but I also think I can disagree with him regarding the swill they call coffee.:mad: I just take it all in stride. Stick around for a while, I think you may change your mind.

[coiran]

I think Corian is great but I also think I can disagree with him regarding the swill they call coffee.:mad: I just take it all in stride. Stick around for a while, I think you may change your mind.

 

Thanks for the --- complement???----Coffee is a very subjective thing and I will that part of your complement ride!!

 

Thanks

 

Ron

[ssbeagle]

We are elite status on Princess and have also sailed other cruise lines. We keep coming back to Princess. Yes, quality has gone down and certain services have been cut to reduce costs. When we first started cruising it cost a lot more than it does now. I was going to book a Carnival ship, but our TA said not to do it. We wouldn't like it after Princess. We were on RCL and liked the ship but the food and entertainment was worse than Princess. We have had bad stewards and waiters but just a complaint in the right department quickly gets it straightened out. The Chief Purser has always been a tremendous help. One time on the Royal we had terrible cabin attendants but it didn't keep us from quitting cruising with Princess. That was when Carnival was getting ready to take over Princess and non of the crew were very happy about it. But it's happened and everyone is adjusting and things are getting as good as they can with Carnival in charge overall. They didn't change too much about Princess except doing away with the smaller ships and bringing in more mega ships.

[MizzouMary]

I don't think anyone thinks that diabetes is a joke. If I read your post correctly, you expected the waiter to know you were diabetic just because you entered the information on your personalizer. This info does not get filtered down nto the entire staff. If you had told him or the headwaiter on your first day of your situation it probably would not have happened.

 

As for robes and feather pillows, just because you have them listed on your personalizer doesn't mean they will be there automatically - all you have to do is ask mthe steward "Would you please get us robes and feather pillows" and it will happen.

 

Ron

 

We recently sailed on the Carnival Valor with my niece. When we booked the cruise, I informed Carnival that she is a diabetic. On the first night at dinner, the Assistant MaitreD came to our table and asked for her. She quietly whispered in her ear and told her about the sugar-free dessert options as well as the diet menu available. In addition, each evening the waiter pointed out the sugar-free or diet choices on the menu for my niece. She is a registered nurse and has had diabetes for many years, so she was well aware of what she should or should not eat. However, I thought it was nice that they took the time to make sure she was following her diet.

[Richard Stein]

I have elite status with Princess and will sail them to far away places. What other cruise line gives me free laundry and dry cleaning on a long cruise that lets me bring fewer things. I got out my Conde Nast Traveler from 1992 and the top 4 popular cruise lines then were: Holland America -80.8, Royal Caribbean- 80.3, Celebrity- 78.1 and Princess -73.8. Princess has gone up in their ratings and Royal Caribbean has dropped like a lead ballon. I remember the Song of America and some wonderful meals aboard her. When they went with their bigger ships and the food slipped, they lost me. Do the people on this web site also consider Royal Caribbean a second class cruise line, I do. I hope this Princess bashing stops soon.

[coiran]

We just made Elite in February and will start enjoying the benefits in October - it will really come in handy for our So America trip in February. We also have booked our first mini suite in October for the Star with our Son - we will enjoy those added amenities too.!

 

Princess bashing will always be here for the hit and run folks who like to stir up controversy. SAD!

 

Ron

[Conte Biancomano]

Here, Here,

Some of the criticisms of Princess are fair. I've heard from a few loyal Princess cruisers that the product has declined somewhat as of late. In fairness, most of these people were speaking of Caribbean Princess, who clearly was designed with not enough passenger space- all in the name of those precious balconies that so many people love! ;)

[phillipahain]

Our big complaint now about Princess is the cancellation of the 2007 exotic cruises around Far East /Africa etc

 

They really have upset a huge number of loyal Princess fans who would like to do cruises outside of the usual Caribbean,Med, Baltic and Mexican Riviera

 

Its the way they have handled the whole fiasco that does them no favours

we dearly wanted to sail on Pacific Princess in 2007 for our Ruby Wedding

[kevinsac]

Our big complaint now about Princess is the cancellation of the 2007 exotic cruises around Far East /Africa etc

 

They really have upset a huge number of loyal Princess fans who would like to do cruises outside of the usual Caribbean,Med, Baltic and Mexican Riviera

 

I agree! (Even though I have not yet become a "loyal" Princess fan:o ; I have not even taken my first Princess cruise yet.)

 

It seems that the volume of passengers are in the more "traditional/typical" cruise itineraries for North Americans....Carib and Mexico. When I was younger and fresher, I did several of these. The next step up seems to be the Medit and Baltic, Panama, and maybe some Pacific Island cruises thrown in.

 

For those of us who have experienced all of those, we are interested in more "unique" cruises. (Heck, we spent 12 days in Antarctica last winter.) So anytime the exotic cruises are changed or dropped, there is a certain clientel who will be disilluisioned. Granted, the numbers are few. But luckily, the other cruise lines will catch our attention.

 

;) Nevertheless, if our Sept cruise goes well, we'll probably be back for more Princess intineraries in the future.

 

cheers

[phillipahain]

What is it about the traditional USA passenger that they only want to do the mundane cruises and not venture to other parts of the world

 

Given that the news in the USA seldom goes beyond its shores maybe a large portion of the USA do not think theres a huge world to enjoy out there

 

We have travelled to a lot of the world but have yet to do Antartica and some of the far flung places that a cruise ship visit is perfect for but one would not want to spend a week or so there

[coiran]

Princess bashing - see what I mean??? SAD!!!!

 

Ron

[Catnip]

Sue,

Sorry you are getting bashed by all the Princess cheerleaders. I, for one, never look at a person's post count (we were all first-time posters at some point), but read and listen to their post and what they have to say.

I have been on lots of cruises on many different lines (about 8 on Princess over the years) and love to cruise. But, alas, I think on most of the mass-market lines, you will notice cost-cutting measures less personal service than ever before. (Most of) the crews are overworked & don't have the same friendly attitude they did years ago.

I also know that not all cruises are perfect and things DO go wrong! I thank you for posting your review and hope your next cruise will be better.

Happy sailing! :)