Why do you love Princess Cruise Line.

[cachouonacruise]

Hi,

 

Our sailing experience includes HAL, RCCL and X.

 

We are now considering a sailing on Majestic Princess but, not too sure what the cruising experience is on Princess.

 

So, if you want to share, I would love to hear what part of your cruising experience on Princess you love the most! 
 

Thank-you very much in advance! 

[cruzin4us]

I love the Medallion contrary to what many people say.

 

I was on the Majestic and found the ship to be beautiful.  The International Cafe and Alfredos are my 2 favorite places to eat 🙂

[voljeep]

If you haven't cruised since the 'rona outbreak ... lower your expectations so you won't be disappointed.

 

Just accept .. if you can't do that, maybe now is not the time.

[dog]

The affordable balcony cabin.

Mini fridge available for your use.

& not locked the night before departure.

lunch is available on embarkation day

room service is available most of the time

using online website to book myself, rather then phoning someone to do it for me & managing my booking myself.

 

prices for EZ Air - used them once successfully, may use them again, as issues can & do happen with any flight/ booking

 

Hope this thread stays positive & I am not put down again for my thoughts/ experience.

[JeffT237]

37 minutes ago, cachouonacruise said:

Our sailing experience includes HAL, RCCL and X

Having sailed RCCL for our last few cruises pre-covid and recently completed our first Princess cruise I feel the service and overall cruising experience was very similar.  Things like the included food such as the MDR, pizza, burgers and snacks are pretty much the same in my opinion.  I'd give Royal the advantage in speciality dining if that's important to you. 

 

Our favorite class ship is the Royal's Oasis class, I know many who don't like them because of their size.  We've made it a point to sail on the newest ships on our most recent sailings.  We sailed on an older Princess ship, the Crown on the May 7th sailing so I think it's unfair comparison if you're trying to compare ship to ship.  The Crown is showing her age and had a number of mechanical issues.  The newer Oasis ships in our opinion have better amenities, innovation, technology and entertainment.  I see you are looking into the Majestic, is it for Alaska?  This is precisely why we chose Princess over RCCL, Princess simply has better Alaskan itineraries IMO and Glacier Bay was a must for us.  Princess's additional add on pricing also appealed to us.  We had the Princess plus at $40 pp per day which included the drink package, WiFi and gratuities.  We also did speciality dining 3 times and pre-bought the water package.  All were significantly cheaper than RCCL.  We do not drink enough to justify a drink package when sailing on a Royal ship, but with Princess it was nice to have.  

 

Overall I'd say more similar than different experiences, you'll enjoy some things Princess offers and miss some of what Royal has.

 

20 minutes ago, voljeep said:

If you haven't cruised since the 'rona outbreak ... lower your expectations so you won't be disappointed.

 

This is a big factor, and the right attitude to have going into it.  Things across more than just cruising and a particular line has changed since the pandemic.  Our ship according to many we spoke with was over booked and under staffed with a lot of newer staff members.  Combine that with the Crown's first trip since the pandemic and there were issues.  I don't fault the staff, I've heard of staffing issues across all lines.  So just go with an open mind.  We also had a flight delay and a mechanic had to come from another airport to correct it and the flight next to us was delayed due to a pilot having to come from another airport as well.  This is just where we are at.  Cruising for us is still enjoyable, it's just not what it was pre-pandemic and we went in with that expectation.

[JimmyVWine]

If you have enjoyed your cruises with these other lines, there is no reason to think that you would not enjoy Princess. Each line has its own cheerleading section, but the when viewed from 50,000, they are more alike than similar.  The biggest difference is when you add the Oasis Class ships into the equation.  A ship that hosts 5,400 people simply cannot be compared to anything that Princess offers.  Those floating cities are a "love it or hate it" proposition in my opinion.  For me, those ships are the destination and the vacation, and the port stops are secondary.  There is nothing that I enjoy about an embarkation, disembarkation or port off-load procedure that involves 5,400 people.  That number can swallow a port alive and overrun its services and offerings.  But take those ships out and all four lines that you mention are similar in overall texture.

 

Specifically, what keeps me coming back to Princess is:

• User-friendly booking on the website.  It is astonishing how other cruise lines make picking a cabin so complicated.
• MDR and buffet food are more than fine, and the Specialty Restaurant upcharge is reasonable.  No cruise line should charge $50+ per person above the already-paid fare.
• Generous wine allowance.  I like to enjoy the best bottles from my cellar when I am on vacation as I have the time to sip, enjoy, reminisce, and geek out.  Bottles that are saved for "special occasions" are typically consumed while on vacation, because that IS my special occasion.  Princess has these other cruise lines beat by a mile with its unlimited bottles/corkage fee policy.
• The overall approach that the destinations you are traveling to are the real focus of your cruise without a lot of unwanted (by me) distractions where the cruise line tries to make you believe that being on the ship is the most important part of the vacation.  Of course, the time on board is very enjoyable.  But the real purpose of the cruise is to participate in world travel, not childish games.

 

Again, I am not accusing all of these other cruise lines of failing in all of these things.  But when I put the whole bundle together, Princess fits us a bit better than these others.     

[JeffT237]

28 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

No cruise line should charge $50+ per person above the already-paid fare.

This was a big advantage to us with Princess, the pricing for the additional things was much more affordable for our budget.  With Royal and their dynamic pricing you do have to continue to monitor pricing as it fluctuates and try and get it when it's lower, or purchase and cancel and re-purchase at the lower price.  Much easier with Princess.

 

Not to get too far off topic but should a business charge $50+ or do I like that they charge $50+?  2 different questions, they charge what they can to make money.  Demand sets the price point, if cruisers are willing to pay it the cruise lines will charge it.  The consumer decides if it's too much.  I live in SoCal and have always heard the argument for this applied to Disneyland.  People think it's outrageous what they charge for attendance (as do I) and pretty much everything, but yet every day it's completely packed.  

Edited May 23, 2022 by JeffT237

[Lady Arwen]

We love Princess itineraries, especially British Isles embarking in Southampton.  We love the International Cafe.  We love that the buffet has extended hours.  We like the entertainment.  We like the food and service.  We only like cabins that have a sofa - deluxe balconies on Royal Class and Mini suites on all ships.  We don’t like that standard balconies do not have a sofa.  We don’t like the shower stalls with the curtain.  We do wish the balconies on Royal Class were larger!
Princess is our #2 go to cruiseline.  Celebrity is #1.  We love everything, except the itineraries are sometimes not what we would choose and the price can be substantially higher.  Although the opposite can also be true, so you really need to look at sales and special offers.  All bathrooms, especially Edge class, are exceptional.  Princess is not even close.  All staterooms from insides to suites have a sofa on all ships in the fleet.

We will continue sailing with both lines, depending on where we’re going and how much we want to spend.  You will definitely enjoy your Princess cruise!

[CineGraphic]

1) Laundry Room

We will not sail on any line that does not have a laundry room for passengers to use.

Even though we're now "elite" and qualify for free laundry, we'll still use the laundry room.

 

2) Wine Policy

When possible, I love to bring our own wine on the ship, and like @JimmyVWine I like to bring      some of my better bottles. It's nice to be able to have your fine wine served to you in any of the ship's venues. We've even brought a bottle of Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame to Steamers, and they had an ice bucket and nice champagne flutes ready to go. The $20 corkage fee was nothing compared to what I could have spent by ordering from the ship's wine list, and that's IF they have it in stock. I've heard many  folks complain about their favorite wines being out of stock. Bringing your own eliminates that.

 

3) Crew

Most of our best memories involve a crew member. They simply go above & beyond.

 

4) The Ships

The look & feel of the ships are a good match for us.

The decor finishes are elegant, and not flashy or gaudy.

We prefer floating hotels, and not floating amusement parks. Yet, if we ever have grand-kids,  we know that they'll enjoy themselves based on what I've seen on-board and read here on CC.

 

 

 

[JimmyVWine]

9 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

The $20 corkage fee was nothing compared to what I could have spent by ordering from the ship's wine list, and that's IF they have it in stock.

To say nothing of vintage.  The ship might have the current vintage of Ornellaia, but they aren't likely to have a nicely aged 1998. I don't blame them.  A ship can't possibly store wine for aging. Their goal is to sell their wine as fast as they can load it onto the ship.  Fine for most circumstances, but not really what I am trying to achieve.  Princess provides me a workaround. Other cruise lines don't.

Edited May 23, 2022 by JimmyVWine

[cachouonacruise]

Thank-you very much to all, I really enjoy reading and learning about Princess Cruises and the perspective of their passengers. Please, keep the information coming! 

 

In response to a question asked above, I realized that I forgot to mention our planned destination and timeline. I always book my cruises quite early.

 

So our destination would be New-Zealand in the spring of 2024.

 

By then, fingers crossed, I am hoping Covid and its impact will be a thing of the past.

 

Thank-you very much again for taking the time to share your loving moments on Princess.

[Ombud]

I'm elite so my opinion is skewed towards that sometimes:

1. not a floating amusement park

2. large variety of music from classical -> jazz -> country -> rock -> piano bar

3. free laundry (over & over again. Never take dirty clothes home or onward)

4. multiple free dining options (not talking about buffet, never been to 1 on Princess bc it was just obscenely tempting on Carnival) especially Alfredos (free 4 courses) which is just Sabatinis lite ($29 for 5 courses), tea, and International Cafe

5. taking on my wine

 

[Esprit]

For us it’s the availability of 14 night itineraries compared with 10-12 nights with Celebrity.More varied entertainment and opportunities to dance Latin/Ballroom.

We’re not bothered about the food but like Sabatini’s for the ambience.

[Ken the cruiser]

3 hours ago, cachouonacruise said:

Hi,

 

Our sailing experience includes HAL, RCCL and X.

 

We are now considering a sailing on Majestic Princess but, not too sure what the cruising experience is on Princess.

 

So, if you want to share, I would love to hear what part of your cruising experience on Princess you love the most! 
 

Thank-you very much in advance! 

We like Princess because of their longer itineraries, and we always have a great time, to include laughing a lot at their evening game shows. We also tend not to gain as much weight when we're on a 3-5 week PCL cruise as we would on some other cruise lines.

 

We also like X if (1) we just want to cruise around the Caribbean on a 2-3 week B2B cruise or (2) go on a B2B transoceanic cruise. But since their food is a little richer and they fill your plate a little fuller, we do tend to gain a few pounds on one of their cruises. But we do have a great time!!

 

HAL is just too "relaxing" for us, and we're in our late 60's so that might tell you something. 😉

 

 

[NerdsInNature]

I just returned from my first Princess cruise on the Discovery to Alaska.  Been on 7 other cruises (NCL, Carnival, and MSC).   I'm in my early 40's.

 

What stood out to me as the benefits of Princess:

- Excellent variety of creative and fun daily activities.  It was far more engaging to my brain than the other lines I'd sailed.

- The entertainers were fantastic. Rock Opera was quite possibly the best show I've ever seen at sea.  Love the variety of music onboard... was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the house band's New Orleans jazz concert in the piazza.

- The entertainment was G/PG.  I appreciated that they don't rely on crude jokes or overly revealing costumes to excite a crowd.

- Very few children in May on an Alaska itinerary.  A fairly sedate, mature crowd can be a bonus, if that's what you're into.

- The balcony cabin was affordable.

- Echoing the praise for the free laundromat right down the hall!

 

Is it my favorite cruise line?  No, but I can still appreciate the positive aspects of my experience with Princess, even though there were a lot of things I didn't like.  Would I sail with them again?  Maybe... I really wanted Princess to win me over, but they didn't.  I'd give them another shot if the price/itinerary/timing was right and my cruising buddy was agreeable.    

Edited May 23, 2022 by NerdsInNature

[Blondilu]

I haven't sailed since the start up and have only ever sailed Princess so I don't know if my opinions apply. 

 

I like the whole experience of cruising. Princess, in general, fits my style.  I find the atmosphere to be easy going and relaxed.  Love the itineraries.  The food works for me.  The entertainment has always been good.  I have especially enjoyed the string groups and pianists that play around the ship.  One violinist comes to mind.  He played so beautifully it made my heart ache.  And the staff have always been top notch IMO.  I don't care for the bigger ships and will probably just ignore the Medallion thing.  Seems unnecessary and needlessly complicated.  Technology is not why I cruise.

 

Having not sailed another line, familiarity comes into play in the way I feel.  One cruise we spent 4 days pre-cruise touring London.  The city was great, but we had chosen a hotel (for the location) that was less than what we were hoping.  We won't be staying there again.  

 

Anyway, when we finally got onboard we went immediately to our cabin.  Opened the door and there was this huge Ahhhhhh moment.  Felt just like coming home.  And that's how Princess feels to me; getting to travel the world from the comfort of my home. 

 

From what I've been reading lately that may have changed.  Or maybe they're just not up to speed yet after the shut down.  That's my hope anyway.

Edited May 23, 2022 by Blondilu

[mtnesterz]

For your comparison, we have sailed on RCCL and X, but we are Elite with Princess. On RCCL every single day we were at the services desk for some problem, and no-one could help. It was always up to someone, somewhere up the line. We called it, "The Nation Of No." A play on their slogan at the time. At Princess, the problem will get addressed, now. Everyone makes it their businesss. On RCCL, it's no one's job.

The Princess experience is similar to X, though there are more daily activities on Princess, food might be better on X. They are equal in that the volume of their entertainment is punishingly loud and no amount of complaining can turn it down.  Bring earplugs either line. The biggest difference is that disembarkation on Princess is flawless, a well oiled machine. X disembarkation was chaos on every cruise. A re-invention of the wheel it seemed.

 

[JeffT237]

39 minutes ago, NerdsInNature said:

- Echoing the praise for the free laundromat right down the hall!

 

We really like have a laundromat on board, not as big of an issue now that we cruise without young kids but still a nice option.  There was a charge on the Crown to use, however since the token machine was not working guest services gave us tokens and did not charge us for them, that was nice.  In our area about half of the machines were out of order so we had to do laundry on 2 different decks, thankfully not many passengers were using the other machines.

 

39 minutes ago, NerdsInNature said:

s it my favorite cruise line?  No, but I can still appreciate the positive aspects of my experience with Princess, even though there were a lot of things I didn't like.  Would I sail with them again?  Maybe... I really wanted Princess to win me over, but they didn't.  I'd give them another shot if the price/itinerary/timing was right and my cruising buddy was agreeable. 

 

I agree with you we will consider sailing with them again, being on the May 7th Crown sailing I don't think we really got the true Princess experience and we definitely did not get the Alaska experience we had hoped for.  But we do have a partial FCC we may or may not use and we would like to do an Alaska cruise do over as we still want to experience the excursions that we missed.  We still enjoyed the week mostly due to the service and friendliness of the staff, and we missed cruising in general!

[Ombud]

55 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

At Princess, the problem will get addressed, now.

I had an issue on my last cruise (4/23-4/30/22) that could not be immediately resolved by Passenger Services Desk. But I was called once it was handled the next day. I had an issue that was handled through the medallion and the same guy at PSD called me again!! 2 minor issues / PSD took responsibility to make sure that they were resolved 

 

Got $20 refunded after my 12/9/21 cruise (partially refunded disembarkation tour as they skipped 1 stop)

 

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by Ombud

[JeffT237]

8 minutes ago, Ombud said:

PSD took responsibility to make sure that they were resolved 

 

Got $20 refunded after my 12/9/21 cruise

 

Yeah, I agree the customer service department was great on our May 7th cruise, long lines every day dealing with many frustrated passengers, they were pros all the way.  The excursion desk staff was equally great for the same reasons.  

 

How long did it take for your refund?  I called customer relations when we returned home and they said refunds are taking 6-8 weeks as we have about $750 coming back to us, was that time frame your experience? Thanks.

[Ombud]

14 minutes ago, JeffT237 said:

 

Yeah, I agree the customer service department was great on our May 7th cruise, long lines every day dealing with many frustrated passengers, they were pros all the way.  The excursion desk staff was equally great for the same reasons.  

 

How long did it take for your refund?  I called customer relations when we returned home and they said refunds are taking 6-8 weeks as we have about $750 coming back to us, was that time frame your experience? Thanks.

Really surprised me that it only took about a month. 

[PacnGoNow]

4 hours ago, cachouonacruise said:

Thank-you very much to all, I really enjoy reading and learning about Princess Cruises and the perspective of their passengers. Please, keep the information coming! 

 

In response to a question asked above, I realized that I forgot to mention our planned destination and timeline. I always book my cruises quite early.

 

So our destination would be New-Zealand in the spring of 2024.

 

By then, fingers crossed, I am hoping Covid and its impact will be a thing of the past.

 

Thank-you very much again for taking the time to share your loving moments on Princess.

We’ve taken Princess to Australia and NZ and they do a fabulous job!  Bringing on local entertainment at our stops and a great destination specialist were just a few special things they did for us.

We left RCCL, even though we did have some great cruises on them.  It started to turn into bigger and bigger ships and we feel Princess is a much  more personal experience.  It’s more laid back, and no one can beat the crew!  They are amazing.  We like the Royal class ships the best and the restaurants Gigi’s/Alberto’s and the cozy International Cafe.  But, we have tried a lot of different ships and enjoyed those also.

Hope this helps.

[Steelers36]

We have always loved the ambiance on Princess and it just "feels right" to us.  I hope we get that feeling back again, but I am expecting it to not quite be the same in October.  I do wish them success in getting back on their feet.  And they must get that MC App fixed so it removes barriers to newer guests.  We old-timers can put up with it as we know more what awaits us on the other side.

[whataboutport]

Do they still have cabins ready for you as soon as you board? I remember that was a thing the last time I sailed with them.

 

I also love the landromats onbaord. I know some will refuse to do laundry on their holiday but it's nice to be able to use it if you really need to. We had to dry our sneakers last time. It came in handy.

[pris993]

We have 60+ cruises on 9 lines: including Princess, Celebrity, HAL, Cunard recently.  Basically, we see these lines as more similar than different.  We do have 30 cruises on Princess.  From our experience pre covid, Princess was the most consistent in quality and service on board.    I say pre covid because all lines have some issues past covid, after being shut down for nearly 2 years.

 

We always book a mini suite on Princess, love the extra space in the cabin and in older ships large balconies.   We also love the Crown Grill on board, that is the steak house which has an extra fee of $29pp.   The newer Princess ships have large buffet with a wide variety of offerings, much like you would find on the other lines.