Potential evidence Princess has made too many cutbacks?

[ccruzer123]

Just off Royal Princess, we found the MDR menu very limited, food bland, tasteless and not very warm.  Many things we had been use to on our other Princess cruises are now missing, especially on the menu.  Yes, the ship is beautiful and very clean but the ship is also very crowded.  

We have noticed may changes over the years, especially on the larger ships.  We have found that the small ships tend to have better food and a larger selection.  We have started cruising on smaller more upscale cruise lines the last 2 years and will continue that trend in the future.  However, we would not hesitate to book another Princess cruise on one of their smaller ships with a desired itinerary.

 

 

[geocruiser]

1 hour ago, dcrow72 said:

amen to that!  A chair??? Really.  I could care less about a chair.  I love Royal and Regal although I do miss the Promenade walk around, but that's it!  Just off Royal in Alaska and loved it.  Food was amazing. Service great.  Medallion spectacular.  Everyone makes cuts and has to punt to save $$$ and keep the rooms filled.  The old addage "the grass isn't greener" certainly applies here!

For you the chair is not important.   For me and my bad back it is.

[1emerald1]

I was on the Mexico portion of the cruise the OP took.  I didn't realize I didn't get the cruise log until just now, not important to me evidently.  I thought the service across board was outstanding, especially in the MDR.  I had so much attention from my waiters, head waiters and Maitre' d that it reminded me of cruising back in the good old days.  The food, however, for me was over cooked.  And as they do not serve real butter anymore, in the future I will bring my own individual wrapped pats (and a baggie to put the wrappers in and will dispose of them when I get home).  I will also bring straws and again will take the used home and put in the recycling bin.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the ship, the staff and crew and those I met at the meet and greet!  It was a great cruise and I did not want to leave.

[geoherb]

3 hours ago, mreasier said:

While none of the cutbacks individually are major, to us it is death from a thousand cuts. We are Elite on Princess with well over 300 days but have cancelled our next Princess cruise in favor of Viking. As someone posted earlier, when everything that is included is considered, it is not that much more expensive than Princess.

 

I've looked at prices on Viking and don't see anything come close to being as affordable as the prices on our Princess cruises. But perhaps that's because we are just as happy in an inside cabin booked at the last minute rather than a suite. Even on our 15-day crossing, our bar bill was around $350. The bulk of that was a 10-bottle wine package.

[Ombud]

That 

3 hours ago, mreasier said:

when everything that is included is considered, it is not that much more expensive than Princess.

Depends on your habits. I'm fine with 1 glass on wine a day, overuse coffee program, and prefer to do either small tour excursions or on my own using local transit. So including wine, excursions, photos just doesn't interest me. Plus I like Princess' food where I can taste all the food without spices. Just butter, salt, herbs

[riffatsea]

It's really interesting to hear why some Princess regulars are leaving the flock!

We''ve been on Royal Caribbean, NCL lots on Carnival and had our first Princess cruise this past December to the Panama Canal. We only book suites these days and we really enjoyed the benefits on Princess and thought the service and food was very good as a whole!

Yes there were things we didn't like but right now we have 2 more Princess cruises booked.

We were supposed to try Oceania in November for Cuba but you all know what's happening with that situation and so we cancelled that cruise altogether!

Maybe one day we'll try Oceania again and one day we'll try a river cruise. It's funny to hear folks talking about Viking as for the river cruise set it's considered low end.

We have certainly found Princess to be more expensive than some of the other cruises we've been on but at this point in our lives we don't nickel and dime our vacations!

We also don't like the gigantic new ships out there so won't be trying them at all!

Everyone has different taste buds for food and different needs when cruising.

For right now Princess is just fine for us!

[Tucker in Texas]

7 hours ago, #love2cruise said:

Yes, they could save a lot of money if they stopped all the paperwork they leave in our cabin every day. They have many ways now to advertise and push their products...tv, medallion, interactive boards around the ship. Etc.   PRINCESS, USE your head for a change.  Doesn't take a rocket scientist to know, that lowering prices for all things for sale onboard will increase the sales volume to benefit you.  You are losing loyal guest.

I have heard that the art auction company, the shops, spas etc. pay/provide for those ads that are inserted rather than the cruise line.  If this is true, I am sure there is a fee involved to include them and, of course, the cruise line gets a piece of the action on sales. .  Like most of you, I stand by the trash can and immediately file them in there (lol). .

 

[neverbeenhere]

I save all the paper advertisements, in case I need to make a life preserver. You know, with all the cut backs. 

[Hlitner]

4 hours ago, mreasier said:

While none of the cutbacks individually are major, to us it is death from a thousand cuts. We are Elite on Princess with well over 300 days but have cancelled our next Princess cruise in favor of Viking. As someone posted earlier, when everything that is included is considered, it is not that much more expensive than Princess.

You think?  I guess that depends on what category you book on Princess.  We can cruise on Princess for no more than $200 per passenger day in a mini suite and a lot less if we take a balcony.  Viking is hundreds of dollars per day more.  Not saying that Viking is overpriced, but it is a lot more expensive than Princess.  In fact, we can cruise on Seabourn (on some cruises) for less than Viking.

 

Hank

[Sea Day Cruiser]

I’ve been Elite for years and cruised mainly on Princess. After 2 weeks on the Caribbean Princess in February I came home and cancelled 3 future bookings on Princess.  There have been too many cuts and it’s been going on for too long.  I’ve mentioned it repeatedly in the end of cruise surveys. I don’t know about those who come here and say their prices haven’t increased. Mine have. Every time I look at a new cruise the prices are higher. Princess isn’t worth it anymore. I still have one cruise booked on the Enchanted but it’s a year and a half away and I’m hoping Princess will stop the cuts and return quality by then. If not, I will cancel that cruise too. 

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, Sea Day Cruiser said:

I’ve been Elite for years and cruised mainly on Princess. After 2 weeks on the Caribbean Princess in February I came home and cancelled 3 future bookings on Princess.  There have been too many cuts and it’s been going on for too long.  I’ve mentioned it repeatedly in the end of cruise surveys. I don’t know about those who come here and say their prices haven’t increased. Mine have. Every time I look at a new cruise the prices are higher. Princess isn’t worth it anymore. I still have one cruise booked on the Enchanted but it’s a year and a half away and I’m hoping Princess will stop the cuts and return quality by then. If not, I will cancel that cruise too. 

We hear you!  But, the problem is where will you go if you want to continue to cruise.  DW and I cruise on many different lines and have run into the same "death by a thousand cut-backs" on all of the mass market lines upon which we cruise which include HAL, Celebrity, RCI, Princess and some others.  One can certainly spend more money (sometimes a lot more money) and go on the higher end luxury lines or perhaps take advantage of the ship within a ship options on some lines like MSC.   Based on our most recent cruises we actually think that both HAL and Celebrity have done more cut-backs then Princess.  

 

In terms of "real dollars" the cost of what we pay to cruise today is far less than cruises (in much smaller outside cabins) cost me in the 70s and 80s.  If one wants more quality then the alternative is to book the higher end much more expensive lines or perhaps the "ship within a ship" concept on a few lines.

 

Hank

[pamwigs]

12 hours ago, Coral said:

It all depends on where you are cruising. I was looking at a Princess cruise in Europe this summer (that I had sailed last summer) and it was quite a bit more than last year - approx 60% more. There will always be cheap Mexican, Alaskan and Caribbean cruises for those who want them.

There is nothing cheap about Alaskan and Caribbean cruises unless you take a cruise for 3 or 4 days

[pamwigs]

12 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

Not sure about that....

 

I did a cruise to Hawaii in 2018 - priced out the exact same cruise for 2019 and it was almost three times as much!

Many times there will be 2 sailings on a popular  itinerary with 1 being in the spring (which are higher because of the time of year). One in Oct will always be less than one in March. That's how vacations and seasons go.

[pamwigs]

12 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

You're probably right - she sure isn't getting the reviews that other ships usually get in Alaska. However, I have done Alaska so many times that this trip is more about taking a cheap trip rather than staying home. The price was right, I can walk to the port, and maybe I will get lucky and be offered a move-over so I can grab that Hawaii cruise I can't afford! LOL

It's early in the season. The Royal is doing her first trip to Alaska. I have heard excellent reviews.

[Ombud]

So I just looked at the Malaysia cruise I took November 2018. If I took it this year I could have had a mini-suite for what I paid for my premium balcony! I have no intention of repeating that cruise but may repeat the British Isle one I took July 2018 next year as that price also came down! I fully agree

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

In terms of "real dollars" the cost of what we pay to cruise today is far less than cruises (in much smaller outside cabins) cost me in the 70s and 80s. 

But it seems to be cheaper year over year too (or am I just catching it right?).  I don't mind paying a little more for items I rarely use (wine, milkshakes, ect) and even gratuities as long as the total cost remains reasonable 

Edited June 10, 2019 by Ombud

[ceilidh1]

2 hours ago, pamwigs said:

Many times there will be 2 sailings on a popular  itinerary with 1 being in the spring (which are higher because of the time of year). One in Oct will always be less than one in March. That's how vacations and seasons go.

In my case, it is the exact same time of year. Exact same ship. Exact same itinerary. Almost triple the price for the exact same cabin. I've been cruising long enough to know how vacations and seasons work....

[pamwigs]

2 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

In my case, it is the exact same time of year. Exact same ship. Exact same itinerary. Almost triple the price for the exact same cabin. I've been cruising long enough to know how vacations and seasons work....

I'd like to see that.

[dcrow72]

2 hours ago, pamwigs said:

There is nothing cheap about Alaskan and Caribbean cruises unless you take a cruise for 3 or 4 days

The 5/18 Royal Alaska cruise had inside cabins for $199 and balconies for $499.  I call that about as cheap as you can get and Royal was amazing. food and service were better than last time I sailed her years ago!  

[dcrow72]

2 hours ago, pamwigs said:

It's early in the season. The Royal is doing her first trip to Alaska. I have heard excellent reviews.

 

Sailed 5/18 and she was terrific.  No complaints worth stating here.  I could be picky; couldn't we all, but overall the cruise was just perfect in every way.  

[dcrow72]

9 hours ago, geocruiser said:

For you the chair is not important.   For me and my bad back it is.

 

I have a horrible back thank you.  There is a chair at the vanity/desk and one on the balcony.  It just took up space.  Not sure it was a cost saving thing; I bet more people tripped over it or stubbed a toe making it a liability issue.  Book a deluxe and you have a sofa to sit on.  

[GUT2407]

And the daily cost is still about the same as when I sailed about 20 years ago. For the same cabin.

Edited June 10, 2019 by GUT2407

[kywildcatfanone]

Ultimately the cruise line doesn't care much about loyalty which is why you see those programs degrading slowly.  There are plenty of people waiting to cruise if someone with a loyalty program doesn't book.  They fill the ships regardless of loyalty level. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

And the daily cost is still about the same as when I sailed about 20 years ago. For the same cabin.

 

I'm finding the cost is creeping up, and that's only in four years. It does depend on the itinerary but there is some definite cost creep. I haven't cruised on Princess since the drinks prices went up so don't know how much that will impact the overall cost. I'll find that out later this year when we do the Hawaii/Tahiti cruise, which will be the most expensive inside cabin cruise we've done by a long shot before taking drinks into account. 

Edited June 10, 2019 by OzKiwiJJ

[Hlitner]

6 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

 

I'm finding the cost is creeping up, and that's only in four years. It does depend on the itinerary but there is some definite cost creep. I haven't cruised on Princess since the drinks prices went up so don't know how much that will impact the overall cost. I'll find that out later this year when we do the Hawaii/Tahiti cruise, which will be the most expensive inside cabin cruise we've done by a long shot before taking drinks into account. 

You are correct that increased drink prices add a few dollars per day to those of us who imbibe.  But our bigger problem with Princess price creep has been with their wine prices.  Until 3 or 4 years ago we always thought Princess had the most attraction wine prices (per bottle) of all the mass market lines.  That is no longer the case.  This seems to be the industry trend as everyone pushes their drink packages which can add about $70 per person day on some lines.

 

Hank

[geocruiser]

3 hours ago, dcrow72 said:

 

I have a horrible back thank you.  There is a chair at the vanity/desk and one on the balcony.  It just took up space.  Not sure it was a cost saving thing; I bet more people tripped over it or stubbed a toe making it a liability issue.  Book a deluxe and you have a sofa to sit on.  

I have never tripped or stubbed a toe on the chair in my 27 Princess cruises.  I have no idea if anyone has done that .  I have not talked to all the PAX to ask it they had trouble with the chair. I will not move a balcony chair inside the cabin.  Nor will I pay more money to get a better cabin (I would take a deluxe if it were cheap in price).

There are two people in my cabin, DH and me.  So, one chair will not do it.

I am very sorry to hear about your bad back.  I hope that it improves.