Bathroom amenities - a 'welcome' change

[JimmyVWine]

All one needs to do is employ a simple bit of logic to see what a "downgrade" the dispensers are.

• Princess treats Suites better than Non-Suites.
  
• Princess does not subject Suites to dispensed toiletries.
  
• Ergo, Princess does not consider dispensed toiletries to be as nice or desirable as individual bottles.
  

 

And if Princess doesn't think dispensed toiletries are as nice, why does it think its passengers will?

[Ron the Rev]

Oh, just to be able to "come back new" forget the soap, just take a year or two off my age that would be nice. Seriously though the whole cruise industry is over serviced by the amount of ships on the oceans. Just like the airlines drop their prices to suit the mass market the consequence is that standards drop. Sadly there goes Princess, little things mean a lot.

[paddingtonbear]

I have yet to meet one person who thinks shampoo/conditioner all in one a superior product or even an acceptable product. Even my boys who are always keen to speed up the bathroom process think it's awful.

 

For my hair it is a disaster.

[lolane1]

I am going to be in the minority here and say that I hated the Eycalyptus products. My last cruise with Princess had me laughing when I went to the theater and the entire place stunk to high heaven with Eucalyptus! Seriously funny and stinky if, like me, you don't like the smell. A more neutral product is welcomed IMHO. However, it would be nice if the products were good and from previous posts, they appear not to be.

 

This summer, I did a cruise with HAL and really like the Elemis products but usually I bring my own stuff

Edited October 10, 2014 by lolane1

[nanwel]

After reading this I will be taking my own products for sure! - see a cost saver to the cruise line - that is what they had in mind - we will not be using the wall dispensers, so they will not use as much and save money!!!

I do not always use soap on my hair - unless it has a lot of product in it, I often just use the rinse product, and there will not be one available.

Get the idea of no bar of soap, but at least get one with a scent that is "liked" by most users - wonder if they tried this on a test group and if so who they were - not regular passengers I am sure!

[JimmyVWine]

I am going to be in the minority here and say that I hated the Eucalyptus products.

 

I am in complete agreement with you on the selection of the product, and have no quarrel with Princess moving to another option. But I don't think that they chose very wisely and the installation of the dispensers lowers the overall quality of the bathroom to something more akin to a YMCA or Youth Hostel. Not the look or feel that I am going for on a cruise.

[Mycruises62]

Seriously? A dispenser in the shower is considered an improvement with no bath soap available? Yuck!

 

Follow the money. This is just Princess being cheap.

 

Well said. I would never use a ship dispenser you never know if you had some kind of rude person before you that put something in it. Even though Princess might either put new liquid ever cruise or not, but I don't think so. who knows what's floating around in the dispensers. I'll buy my own.

[caribill]

wonder if they tried this on a test group and if so who they were - not regular passengers I am sure!

 

Maybe they tested it on accountants.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Well said. I would never use a ship dispenser you never know if you had some kind of rude person before you that put something in it. Even though Princess might either put new liquid ever cruise or not, but I don't think so. who knows what's floating around in the dispensers. I'll buy my own.

I'm not certain passengers can access what's in the dispensers (maybe they can, but I've certainly never tried). I'd be more concerned with the germs on the end of the nozzle. Actually, I'm waaaayyyy more concerned with the germs on the shower curtain that someone else's nether region touched just hours before I boarded the ship.

[ggprincess2004]

Maybe they tested it on accountants.

 

That is unnecessarily unkind to accountants......:o

You never know how many CPA's are Elite Princess passengers.

Edited October 10, 2014 by ggprincess2004

[caribill]

That is unnecessarily unkind to accountants......:o

You never know how many CPA's are Elite Princess passengers.

 

I apologize to bean counters everywhere, whether Elite on Princess or not.

[Azure Moon]

More like a cheap motel than a supposedly classy cruiseline. If they have to use the bulk buy dispenser stuff, get proper good quality body wash and shampoo. I am sure Molten Brown, Elemis or other mid range company could do a good deal for bulk buy. Not too much to ask surely.

 

Norwegian (NCL), sometime between 2007 and 2009, had Elemis products in their shower wall-mounted dispensers (Sharp shower gel. I can't remember what the shampoo was) and in the dispenser at the bathroom sink (liquid Lavender handsoap). The Elemis products were in all cabins as part of NCL's 2.0 initiative, but it was very short-lived for all cabins. We only sailed once or twice with Elemis being available - inside or balcony cabin(s). Last I know of, the high-end cabins (full suite and above) have Elemis products still available in their bathroom(s).

 

I could be wrong, but cost would be my guess as the reason the Elemis products weren't offered too long in the majority of cabins.

 

I loved the Elemis liquid hand soap and the shower gel. Peppermint/spearmint sure help wake a person up for an early morning excursion and refresh after a long day in port! :cool: ...literally! Lol.

Edited October 10, 2014 by Azure Moon

[ggprincess2004]

I apologize to bean counters everywhere, whether Elite on Princess or not.

 

Thank you - apology accepted. I am retired, now I just bake them occasionally.;)

[Mycruises62]

I'm not certain passengers can access what's in the dispensers (maybe they can, but I've certainly never tried). I'd be more concerned with the germs on the end of the nozzle. Actually, I'm waaaayyyy more concerned with the germs on the shower curtain that someone else's nether region touched just hours before I boarded the ship.

 

The lids pop right off. the nozzle plus the whole cabin and balcony including all handles

and door nobs are wiped down with Clorox wipes.

[minabruuke]

I have no problem with using dispensers, I like that it cuts down on plastic waste. I loved being able to take home the remainder of the old stuff at the end of the cruise because when I would use it the smell would take me back to Princess memories but I'd rather less plastic be used so I can't complain about the wall mounted containers.

 

However, I do have as serious problem with the fact that conditioner is not provided. Conditioning shampoo is NOT conditioner and does not work like conditioner at all. At least it doesn't for anyone that I've ever asked that has longer hair. It especially doesn't work when your hair has been in salt water, a pool with chemicals, and/or blowing around all day in the wind on the ship and is therefore a tangled mess. I need decent conditioner more on a cruise than any other time! I expect conditioning shampoo at a 1 or 2 star motel/hotel but most 2.5 star + hotels have conditioner. The fact that Princess can't even offer bathroom products comparable to a basic 3 star hotel is quite sad. At least I know that I have to pack my own.

[jammen]

No problem with soap for me, my wife brings her own. This makes me happy.

[suzyed]

My husband just used the sink soap in the shower...no problem. I always bring my own...no problem.

 

My DH always brings his Irish Spring soap...uses it to wash his hair too (he has the softest hair!) I bring my own shampoo and separate conditioner. That combo stuff does not work well on my hair!

[suzyed]

I imagine you were referring to the addition of suite and elite perks because I don't see any improvement in the basic amenities. All I see is a bunch of fancy adjectives that describe common toiletries that are dispensed in the same fashion as any public restroom in a subway station or prision. There is nothing modern or contemporary about this idea and how they could think this is elegant gives me cause to worry about what's in store for the future. I also hate when they play the environmentally friendly card when the really mean economically friendly.

 

You provided me with my first morning chuckle! I love your prison reference!! ;)

[suzyed]

My naturally curly hair became one big fuzz ball from the shampoo/conditioner.:mad:

Me no likie - I will bring my own from now on.

 

My naturally curly hair no likie it either! I always bring my own shampoo and conditioner even if I am going to a hotel...even the best hotel products don't do well with my hair. I already have my toiletries packed for my upcoming cruise! Along with my shower cap, q-tips, etc.

[Love.II.Cruise]

The biggest benefit to the wall dispensers is that there won't be tens of thousands of tiny plastic bottles being thrown away... Even if they were being recycled, the ship doesn't have to deal with all that waste.

 

I have zero problem with the dispensers. My only wish would be that they bring back the eucalyptus-scented bath gel and shampoo.

 

Agree about the waste! We too miss the eucalyptus. :(

 

However, the best products we've ever had on a cruise ship were L'Occitaine (Verbena Collection) on Windstar.

Edited October 11, 2014 by Love.II.Cruise

[pablo222]

Well said. I would never use a ship dispenser you never know if you had some kind of rude person before you that put something in it. Even though Princess might either put new liquid ever cruise or not, but I don't think so. who knows what's floating around in the dispensers. I'll buy my own.

 

I had a small 'single-serving' bottle of shampoo in a hotel room

-- it had been tampered with. Ick.

 

(I don't think it was vindictive, I think someone added water

to use up all the liquid, but there is no way to know for sure)

[suzyed]

While not a fan of liquid soap, I find the dispensers have some interesting characteristics. They:

1. Intrude into an already crowded shower space
   
2. Appear to be at a mutually inconvenient height
   
3. Make great back scratchers, although the noise from me jumping up and down to get a good scratch does cause people to worry
   
4. Make a place to hang a wash cloth, however it is not really clear which liquid is now on the cloth
   
5. When washing hair, one can't read the labels, which are usually turned anyway
   
6. Not as badly scented as some, but definitely not the nice eucalyptis I'm used to
   

 

Personally, I've found that some shampoos and soaps cause an all-over rash (as I found out on a business trip, showering in a Sheridan hotel, then feeling itchy all over during an all day meeting...:eek::( )

 

Here's a picture...

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/showphoto.php?photo=29214

 

 

Haha! I thought you were going to show us a picture of your rash!!! :eek:

[suzyed]

you would think princess would realize that more chocolate = expanded surface area of each passenger = more bath product utilized in order to cleanse said surface area. Thus, their new chocolate area is actually costing them more than simply upgrading the bath products.

 

lol! :d

[suzyed]

All one needs to do is employ a simple bit of logic to see what a "downgrade" the dispensers are.

• Princess treats Suites better than Non-Suites.
  
• Princess does not subject Suites to dispensed toiletries.
  
• Ergo, Princess does not consider dispensed toiletries to be as nice or desirable as individual bottles.
  

 

And if Princess doesn't think dispensed toiletries are as nice, why does it think its passengers will?

 

No kidding!!! I like the way you think! ;)

[Love.II.Cruise]

Haha! I thought you were going to show us a picture of your rash!!! :eek:

 

HAHA!!! I thought the same thing, and I still clicked on it to see it! :eek: