Does Princess respect its passengers.

[Loreni]

if what I am reading about the pizza and tea are true, I have to wonder. Especially since they are doing well.

 

Why change to cheap sauce and cheese, unless they think we can't tell the difference and will scarf down anything they decide to serve us.

 

Why switch to brand X tea, unless they think we can't tell the difference and will slurp down whatever they pour.

 

How much money are they saving in exchange for treating us so contemptuously. And they may not even save any money, if some decide to skip the lousy pizza and have something which actually costs Princess more to provide.

[wishfulone]

It's a shame really that Princess have chosen to dumb down a lot of the things that made them exceptional.

 

The list goes far beyond the brand of tea and the now dreadful pool side pizza. The room service hamburgers which were better than many shoreside burgers, have shrunk and lost their beautiful flavour and sesame seed bun. But saddest of all, the New York cheesecake which was a real crowd please on the favourites list for years is now a very sad version of some sort flummery.

 

The dining room staff are so busy apologising or fobbing off passenger comments and criticisms it must hurt them too.

 

And then there's the lack of supervision of MDR dress requirements - formal night or smart casual. And the inability to keep Anytime Dining for those who've requested it.

 

So no, I hadn't thought of it that way, but Princess does not respect it's passenger anymore. How sad.

[Bill B]

You're a number to be gotten on board and sold stuff to. :(

[Reader0108598]

Have to say it is not just Princess. May not be cruising for quite awhile. I think that is what they want out with the old in with the new! Looking at all inclusives.

[MJSailors]

Perhaps these changes are the result of Carnivalization of Princess.

[nukesubsailor]

Could it be that the cost saving measures being taken are to pay for the Ocean Medallion fiasco????

[PrincessLuver]

if what I am reading about the pizza and tea are true, I have to wonder. Especially since they are doing well.

 

Why change to cheap sauce and cheese, unless they think we can't tell the difference and will scarf down anything they decide to serve us.

 

Why switch to brand X tea, unless they think we can't tell the difference and will slurp down whatever they pour.

 

How much money are they saving in exchange for treating us so contemptuously. And they may not even save any money, if some decide to skip the lousy pizza and have something which actually costs Princess more to provide.

 

Ever Princess ship we are on we see people consuming large plates of food all day long so their taste palettes must not be that sophisticated.....Princess has not changed that much but the complaints some Princess cruisers have seem to be pretty petty in the grand scheme of a cruise.....:)

[tip]

.....Princess has not changed that much but the complaints some Princess cruisers have seem to be pretty petty in the grand scheme of a cruise.....:)

 

My thoughts exactly!

[Coveguy4]

My thoughts exactly!

Ditto for me too! I love Princess and really appreciate all they offer after going on other lines which are fine, but not as nice as sailing on Princess

[davekathy]

We don't feel disrespected.

[GUT2407]

I’m not sure it’s a respect sue, but $$$$ and to a degree I nderstand why.

 

Cruise 2004, $1799, same cruise 2017 $1699 and $350 OBC.

 

That has to come from somewhere and looking at share prices it’s not the bottom line it’s coming off.

[reedprincess]

I’m not sure it’s a respect sue, but $$$$ and to a degree I nderstand why.

 

Cruise 2004, $1799, same cruise 2017 $1699 and $350 OBC.

 

That has to come from somewhere and looking at share prices it’s not the bottom line it’s coming off.

Exactly. In adjusted dollars, that $1799 fare should be $$2331 - that's without any price hikes, etc. Instead, it's significantly lower, and adds OBC.. That difference has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is increase in specialty restaurant ootions and pricing, decrease in overall included food quality, decrease in staffing, etc.

Personally, I am a fan of the more a la carte pricing model as it allows me to pay a cheap basic fare and only then pay for the extras I want... Versus paying a much higher fare and it covering things I don't want/need.. Not everyone looks at it that way though..

As people vote with their wallets, cruise lines have listened, and kept those base fares ridiculously low... Something has to give...

[floridalover5623]

 

And then there's the lack of supervision of MDR dress requirements - formal night or smart casual. And the inability to keep Anytime Dining for those who've requested it.

How can it honestly be a "lack of supervision of MDR dress requirements" when they plainly state it's perfectly OK to dress down for the DR. Unless someone was dressed in shorts there should be no complaints.

[OCruisers]

Princess has not changed that much but the complaints some Princess cruisers have seem to be pretty petty in the grand scheme of a cruise.....:)

 

Ditto to that also!

[CineGraphic]

Princess didn’t start buying a cheaper cheese, their supplier changed products on them, and they have already attempted to bring in a better product but are still looking for something even better.

 

 

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[CI66774]

I've never felt disrespected. When (if) I ever do, I have the freedom to take my money elsewhere!

[cardiffman]

The approach Princess AKA Carnival Corp/Plc takes is analytical and there is no consideration of respect or disrespect. Example: Do people like the pizza? Let's ask a focus group. Okay the focus group accidentally contains an overbalance of pizza haters and people who try to eat from the hand while posting on Cruise Critic. They hate pizza oil. Pizza oil is that delicious liquid I often find myself licking off the inside of my arm while eating pizza. So the oily pizza recipe (to be exact the recipe with real dairy cheeses) is dinged in the focus group. They test it against Tombstone or something and it doesn't give off pizza oil, giving the idea that there could be an acceptable pizza that doesn't have dairy, so the next thing you know, oil-free fun-free pizza is the order of the day. And then no one eats pizza, neither pizza lovers nor pizza haters, and maybe the next step is no pizza at all. It's not disrespect, it's just an overreliance on analysis, possibly due to a self-distrust regarding observational skills. Your egoistical Steve Jobs type honcho would not have this problem.

 

And of course the people who do the hotel services on the ship, such as room stewards and waiters, are generally very nice.

[Flatbush Flyer]

if what I am reading about the pizza and tea are true, I have to wonder. Especially since they are doing well.

 

 

 

Why change to cheap sauce and cheese, unless they think we can't tell the difference and will scarf down anything they decide to serve us.

 

 

 

Why switch to brand X tea, unless they think we can't tell the difference and will slurp down whatever they pour.

 

 

 

How much money are they saving in exchange for treating us so contemptuously. And they may not even save any money, if some decide to skip the lousy pizza and have something which actually costs Princess more to provide.

 

 

 

The reality is that there are enough folks out there to fill a ship who don't have (or don't want/nor need to have) much of a discernible palate to tell the difference in quality or taste. A key component to being able to say something is lousy is that you have to have a basis for comparison.

 

 

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[Northumberland]

I believe the quality of the food is somewhat subjective. We've sailed on Princess, RCCL & MSC. The only cruise line that disappointed us was MSC. It wasn't that their food was not good as much as it was prepared more for european tastes. We talked to many people on board from europe that loved the food served, but we disliked it except for the pizza, which was the best we ever had on any ship.

[Bill B]

I agree with those who say it's not a matter of respect. It's a business that has to evolve or die. Princess has chosen to evolve and remain competitive through cost cutting measures and by slowly switching to a focus on on board revenue. These have been a series of small, incremental changes over time that when examined individually don't seem like much, but collectively have resulted in a 'different' cruise line.

 

To those who say "Princess hasn't changed much", I say you haven't been cruising long enough to remember 'the good old days'. ;)

 

I became Princess 'Elite' on my last cruise... but my next cruise is on Silversea. This will be my first, luxury line 'all-inclusive' cruise. When one considers everything that is included on SS, and compares to a similar stateroom on Princess with a 100% single supplement (and all the 'extra' charges), SS with its 25% single supplement is not that much more expensive.

 

Will SS respect me more than Princess? No... they just want my money too. ;p

 

EDIT: Perhaps my Princess nostalgia is seen through 'rose coloured glasses', but I do remember: better menus in the MDR; when your waiter had the time to get to know everyone's likes and dislikes... and sweep the crumbs off the table with flourish using a silver crumb scoop; wine stewards... and when room stewards had the time for interaction and acted more like butlers than maids.

Edited December 16, 2017 by Bill B

[ExploringTheGlobe]

if what I am reading about the pizza and tea are true, I have to wonder. Especially since they are doing well.

 

Why change to cheap sauce and cheese, unless they think we can't tell the difference and will scarf down anything they decide to serve us.

 

Why switch to brand X tea, unless they think we can't tell the difference and will slurp down whatever they pour.

 

How much money are they saving in exchange for treating us so contemptuously. And they may not even save any money, if some decide to skip the lousy pizza and have something which actually costs Princess more to provide.

 

You state "if what I am reading about"... so that suggests you haven't actually experienced what you are complaining about, is that correct? I've been very happy with my experiences with Princess, and I've had several!

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Ever Princess ship we are on we see people consuming large plates of food all day long so their taste palettes must not be that sophisticated.....Princess has not changed that much but the complaints some Princess cruisers have seem to be pretty petty in the grand scheme of a cruise.....:)

I agree.

My husband and I are tea drinkers and last month we found some good tea to drink at the Horizon court. Even if it wasn't Twinings. And, surprisingly, the water was extremely hot.

We don't eat poolside pizza anyway, so no complaints. Neither of us got tempted enough to try it over the years, and, unlike my hubs, I am a glutton who will shovel pretty much any food in my mouth. My kid liked it last year, but he is 6. :)

 

On the other hand, the goat cheese souffle was superb, and I had two of those.

[Steelers36]

I too don't think "disrespected" is the right term, but along the lines of others thoughts, I too am afraid there is a trend to "dumb down" the product. And whether it is them telling suppliers they won't pay more, or a supplier trying to scam them with inferior substitute product for same price, it isn't good. Princess' buyers should be on the ball and aware of changes.

 

I'd rather be paying a higher fare, inflation adjusted, than the same fare as a few years ago and get an inferior product. I don't understand it because I think there is a large gap between Princess/HAL/Celebrity and a line like Oceania, Regency, etc. I am not talking about the "suite life" - we don't book suites of any size. So, I don't see why there isn't a niche there to provide an "upper middle class"(??) line that is a cut above the other mass market lines, but not all the way to Oceania, etc. IMO, Princess and Celebrity were there, but it appears Celebrity is not and now Princess going down.

 

I will have 60 nights soon to make such assessment, and it has been 2 years since we cruised and my sense from CC (if it is representative), is that many things have slid in quality over past couple of years.

 

I hope it isn't true and I hope Princess sees there is a niche to fill. Maybe the current corporate thought from surveying consumers is that people just look at all the lines as pretty similar (Carnival, MSC, HAL, RCI, X, Princess, etc) and just buy whatever has the good deal or is going to some islands they like.

 

Again, I'd like to see the quality kept up in food and drink and charge me accordingly. I do not expect to take the same holiday every year for 5 years or 10 years and not pay more in year 5 or 10 than I paid in year 1.

[Bill B]

I'd rather be paying a higher fare, inflation adjusted, than the same fare as a few years ago and get an inferior product. I don't understand it because I think there is a large gap between Princess/HAL/Celebrity and a line like Oceania, Regency, etc. I am not talking about the "suite life" - we don't book suites of any size. So, I don't see why there isn't a niche there to provide an "upper middle class"(??) line that is a cut above the other mass market lines, but not all the way to Oceania, etc. IMO, Princess and Celebrity were there, but it appears Celebrity is not and now Princess going down.

 

I will have 60 nights soon to make such assessment, and it has been 2 years since we cruised and my sense from CC (if it is representative), is that many things have slid in quality over past couple of years.

 

I hope it isn't true and I hope Princess sees there is a niche to fill.

 

I think Oceania IS filling the "upper middle class" niche. They are not 'all-inclusive' (alcoholic drinks are not included) in the way Regency, Silversea, Seabourn and Ponant are... and their fares reflect it.

[Happy2cruise]

.Princess has not changed that much but the complaints some Princess cruisers have seem to be pretty petty in the grand scheme of a cruise.....:)

 

Ditto for me too! I love Princess and really appreciate all they offer after going on other lines which are fine, but not as nice as sailing on Princess

 

Totally agree with both PrincessLuver and Coveguy!!