My Review of our Feb 1 Caribbean Cruise on the Emerald

[monicakm]

We were on the Feb 1 sailing out of Houston. It was touch and go till the last minute due to the probability of fog but all was well and the incoming was on time and so were we :) Princess did a good job of keeping us updated on the weather.

 

Embarkation was smoooooth! It’s our first time out of Houston. No complaints. Disembarkation was just as smooth and faster. We left two garment bags behind and before we even left the port, we got a call (on our home phone) that the bags were found and would be mailed to us. They were taken to FedEx on Monday and shipped overnight for $30.

 

We were “upgraded” to a wheelchair accessible room on the Caribe deck (C303). It was HUGE! I’m spoiled <lol> Nearly 400 sq feet of room, bathroom and balcony. The balcony could have easily handled 6 people with room to move around. We spent a lot of time on our balcony with a flameless candle and a bluetooth speaker (kept low enough as to not bother surrounding balconies). The “wet room” bathroom was soooo roomy. The shower was huge. Loved the fold down shower bench. Good thing we had it. It was rough seas the entire trip. We loved the roughness of the sea tho. Reminded us that we were on a ship and not a 952 ft luxury hotel :) With the addition of a mattress topper, the bed was uber comfy :) And we liked the “no top sheet” scenario. That’s how our bed at home is made. Did I mention how much we loved the rocking of the ship? :D

 

We were right across from the elevators. I was concerned about noise but we heard nothing. One night there was some loud talking but it was brief and not at all bothersome.

 

Breakfast at the Horizon Court every morning was very good! I ate a variety but my favorite (from previous Princess cruises) was the muesli! You know what else was good? All that stinkin’ bread! Thank you very much for the extra 7 lbs I packed on! :o Lunch at the Horizon Court and International Cafe` was also pretty good. And I can’t say enough good things about the Crown Grill! OMGoodness! The two best dinners we had all week. The first night we had ribeyes and lobster. They gave us two lobsters. The next night they brought out FOUR lobster each :D Holy Moly! And I ordered the Goat Cheese Soufflé and SO glad I did. I tried goat cheese before I left home and was not impressed to say the least but tried the soufflé anyway. It’s rich but very delish.

 

Dinner in the dining rooms was a disappointment. We missed one formal night and missed the Italian night (but the Crown Grill won out over Italian). Nothing stood out as excellent to us. Oh, DH’s flourless chocolate cake was a winner.

 

Not sure what the big deal is about the pizza. I was expecting something extraordinary...it wasn’t.

 

The two entertainers we watched were excellent! Robbie Printz and I can’t recall the name of the comedian/guitar player/singer. LOVED him!!!

 

Now for the part that’s hard to type. We’ve cruised more for the ship than the ports. We were on the Grand in 2005 and 2006. Altho not the fanciest at the time, she was very well maintained and a beautiful ship. EVERYONE made us feel very very special. They all went above and beyond to please and make you feel like you were the only one that mattered. I hate to say it but that was not the our experience this time. We didn’t experience anyone rude or unpleasant but no one seemed to go out of their way to make our cruise experience an unforgettable one. They had a job to do and did it. Our cabin steward wasn’t best at what he was hired to do. Definitely didn’t get that pampered feeling from him like we did 9 and 10 years earlier. There were times our room wasn’t freshened when we returned. There were times that it was freshened but used wet towels were still in the bathroom (along with fresh ones). He didn’t clean too well either. We had sewage odor in our bathroom that was coming up from the drain channels around the perimeter of the shower. In fact, we smelled sewage in several places around the ship. All the elevators smelled like fishy sea water. Yes, we got the sewage issue in our bathroom resolved. Also had issues with the AC in our room. That took two days to fix once someone realized it was because our balcony door wouldn’t close all the way (wasn’t sealing). The balcony doors were (semi) fixed. I’m sure the next occupants had to complain about it too. DH said the part they replaced was just a band aid.

 

The condition of the ship was in need of repair. It could have been cleaner too. Dirty upholstery and carpet. Lots of chipped paint and rust. And they really need to work on the smell in some areas. The overall feel was not a cared for and clean one.

 

The Da Vinci and Michelangelo dining rooms were a disappointment in the looks department and food. For example, how could the Crown Grill serve THE best lobster we’ve ever eaten and the main dining rooms were just the opposite. I couldn’t even eat mine. It was shiny, pasty white and “jiggly”. It had the appearance of panna cotta. The replacement was no better. As I said earlier, I can’t think of anything that was exceptional. Twice we ate a small dinner later in the night because the food in the dining room wasn’t to our liking. And I don’t think it was just a matter of our palettes not appreciating the cuisine.

 

Based on our first two cruises, I never thought I’d ever say we’d consider a different cruise line but after our experience on the Emerald, we don’t feel that allegiance any longer. And could we have been expecting too much (based on 10 years ago)? Maybe. Maybe that’s just the way the industry has evolved over a decade. If so, that’s sad. We’re glad we went and had a good time but it definitely wasn’t the magical experience we had in 2005 and 2006 on the Grand. But anytime I can spend the week hanging over the rail of a huge ship gazing out over that beautiful sea mesmerized by the swells and whitecaps, it’s a good week! BTW, it took two days back on land to stop the feeling of swaying back and forth <LOL>

 

I wish my review could have been 100% positive but I appreciate it when someone writes an honest review so I wanted to do the same.

[joeyancho]

Sorry to hear that you did not thoroughly enjoy your cruise. That stinks. We had the opposite experience on the Crown last December. It was our 31st cruise and Princess really wowed us. So much so that we are going again in March. The food was the best and the level of service was superb. The food was so good in the MDR that we didn't even dine at the specialty restaurants as we had planned. The ship was in great condition. The staff went out of their way to serve us. Sorry you spent all that money to have a mediocre time.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Thanks for your review. In my 9 cruises with Princess, I've been fortunate to have all great cruises. Sorry you didn't.

 

I assume you didn't bother getting FCCs?

[monicakm]

Thanks for your review. In my 9 cruises with Princess, I've been fortunate to have all great cruises. Sorry you didn't.

 

I assume you didn't bother getting FCCs?

 

No, I didn't "bother" getting FCCs or maybe I did. Have no idea what it is.

[montgomeryfamily]

Did you originally book a balcony guarantee?

[monicakm]

Did you originally book a balcony guarantee?

 

Yes we did, a B2 category on the Caribe Deck.

[broberts]

I am sorry to see that there are still issues with some meals in the Emerald dining rooms.

[caribill]

No, I didn't "bother" getting FCCs or maybe I did. Have no idea what it is.

 

Future Cruise Certificates from the future sales consultant for $100 each. That becomes your full deposit on a future cruise (which you do not have to book on board) and some OBC when you do take that next cruise.

[Vivsmom]

We were on this cruise too. This was a first for us on Princess, we have cruised MSC, NCL and HAL in the past.

 

We also commented on the main dining rooms. We were not impressed. We did eat in the Crown Grill on Friday night and it was fabulous. I cannot eat Lobster but my husband said it was excellent. We had a booth by the window and watched the sun set. We also enjoyed the International Café; I should have paid attention to the coffee drinkers advice and purchased a coffee card, as the brewed coffee there was so much better then the free coffee elsewhere. As early risers it was so nice to go down and get a coffee and pastries and go back up to our balcony.

 

Our balcony room was on the Baja deck and super quiet. We have always had a mini suite on other lines, but we got a great price on this room and decided we did not need anything bigger. I took the advice of some on this board and brought a couple of binder clips for the bottom of the shower curtain and that worked slick! I was amazed at the amount of storage. Loved the closet. Truly the best storage of any ship we have been on. Our bed was really comfy. Our cabin steward was quite good. He quickly learned our habits, kept the ice bucket full, so I was happy. And I enjoyed the "rocking" too! I don't get seasick, and like you, do enjoy knowing I am at sea! I spent a lot of time on our balcony reading, as this was a "decompress and relax" trip. When I wasn't on the balcony I was in a lounge chair. (and while on the lounge chair I save quite a bit of money, as no one ever came by and asked me if I wanted a drink!)

 

The embarkation and debarkation was simply the best. Wow, do they have that down to a science. It was nice, efficient and calm. But maybe that was just because this was our first process in the USA and not in Europe.

 

We detected the sewer smell in some places too, luckily not in our cabin.

 

Did the Emerald win me over to Princess? Not really, but I am not sure I will ever be a one cruise line cruiser. The price and the itinerary was what hooked me into this one.

[Hotdog 52]

We were on the Feb 1st cruise also. For us, it was a great cruise. Great food, we didn't have any issues with the food at all. The room and steward were one of the best we've had. The entertainment was good. The ship is in very good condition. We receive a great price for the cruise and obc. We met some of the nicest fellow cruisers on this cruise. This was cruise #31 for us. :)

[Vivsmom]

I am with Hotdog 52, this was a ship full of some of the nicest cruisers. Really everyone was friendly, polite and happy! I reread my post and hope I did not sound dissatisfied. This cruise delivered on everything we wanted and more. I think next time I cruise Princess I would go back to traditional dining. And we LOVED watching the Super Bowl under the stars...even at the end in the rain!

[DrivesLikeMario]

Thanks to both of you for your honest comments, good and bad. :)

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the review. :)

 

They must have taken on better food in the 2 cruises after yours.

Disembarked yesterday, had great DR meals, escargot/lobster/New York steak/roti wraps/Norman Love desserts etc etc.

Ate in Michelangelo every night. Great service too.

 

 

The comedian Printz was excellent. :D

They can keep Alfred/Seymor. :(

[Lineaway]

We got off this same cruise but a week before yours. Thought exactly the same on the food. Mediocre. I was surprised at the Horizon Court as it was really good for Breakfast although terrible for Lunch and Dinner. The International cafe was ok. Did the Crown Grill one night and thought the food very good. Overate so decided for the 50 bucks to not do that again. You all do know that the Cruiselines are dropping the quality of the comp food so you pay for what the food used to be like don't you? Dinning room was also just ok. Didn't like that the dinners went at least 2 hours. The staff all seemed to be very busy yet it took forever for the meal. My guess is staffing cuts adds work to the crew but slows the meal.

 

Totally agree that getting on and off this ship was well handled. Nice facility but I also worried about weather issues so will probably not go out of Houston again. We were blessed by great weather for this week though. Watched an amazing sunrise the first morning.

 

Never noticed the sewer smell but did notice the brown trim on the entire outside of the ship AKA rust. Out balcony on the Carribe deck was covered in rust. Most of the rest of the inside of the ship was ok though.

 

I can easily sum up our cruise as OK. Just OK. Biggest letdown was the food. Mediocre at best. We were on a Carnival Cruise in April last year and the food was the same. Only difference is Princess has more options of Mediocre food.

 

We did buy a future cruise credit but after this week was done we ended up booking an NCL Alaska cruise for August and a Celebrity cruise for next Feb. Not sure when we would go on Princess again. Really comes down to cost. Our cruise was not very much so I really got what I paid for.