Open letter to Princess President John Padgett

[billco]

3 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Well if you really need another chair is the room, on Royal class ships you can always bring one of the balcony chairs into the room. Of course with the Royal class some also complain that they are chairs since not enough space on balconies for recliners.

 

We found that with the cabin space in a normal balcony the barrel chairs that they used to have on the Grand Class took up too much space

Our solution has been to Princess’s benefit. Older ships we book mini suites, newer we book deluxe balconies (obstructed).

[voljeep]

let's all at least admit that being able to use the 'package' to be able to order 'drinks' to your cabin is really, really nice.

[PRINCESS Sweet Pea]

John Padgett, and others to whom this may concern,

 

Hello.

While there are a lot of Princess Cruisers who do not seem to like any of the changes.  And, while that is very valid.  I would like to address a few very specific shortcomings and bad experiences we had with Princess on our last cruise.

 

1.  TOTAL AND COMPLETE unacceptable lack of customer service.

Our Princess Planner was totally AWOL,  failed to respond to any messages or requests, and most importantly, she would still put out very very annoying mass emails encouraging us to contact her immediately to book a cruise and get the best deals.

Worst of all, the recent promotion which offered the Excursion OBC came out just after we booked.  And we could find NOBODY  at Princess to handle making the switch and getting this credit for us.  When we knew we were making a specific booking with Princess that this would have helped to cover.  That, along with future price drops costed us hundreds of dollars on a short cruise.  Not Okay.

THAT IS MONEY THAT I KNOW WE COULD NEVER GET BACK.

 

I will also add the booking issues, and problems, caused by most, or even ALL, deluxe balconies only being shown available to parties of 3 or 4.  This is a huge problem.  We usually book a deluxe balcony.  We would have to try to deal with the totally non-existent customer service, or do some kind of 'hokey pokey' as some call it, to actually book a cabin that we wanted.  This totally locks couples out of desired locations, such as AFT premium deluxe balconies, and midship bump out deluxe balconies, with slightly larger balconies.   This is a very real problem.

 

2.  TOTAL AND COMPLETE unacceptable lack of edible steak onboard. 

Even in Crown Grill.  This is nothing less than shameful to charge people for this.  On top of that, our service was lacking, we sat there for what seemed like forever (while on a cruise ship entertainment schedule) waiting for our meal, while others were served.  All we got was a lame excuse, and a very bad steak, which we then had no time or desire to send back for change.

 

3.  Can we talk about the beds?  

Seriously.  I had been assured that all of the beds on the Regal Princess had finally, FINALLY, been changed out.  Imagine my shock and disappointment and unhappiness to walk into our cabin and see, visible thru the freshly made bed linens, two very very saggy, lumpy, awful mattresses shoved together with a huge ridge up the middle.  Really?   Are you not kidding?  And the past slogan was 'Come Back New', as in relaxed or refreshed?  Wow.

 

4.  Menus and dining.

If there are a very few things that people have recommended when dining on Princess, it has been things like the Alfredo, the Princess Specialty desserts, and few others.   What in the heck are you all at Princess thinking to take the few things that work, and get rid of them!!!   The 'shaved' thin slice of Prime Rib on Farewell Night.  And that embarkation night menu, are severely lacking,.  Again, nothing short of an embarrassment.   While we did enjoy a lot of good food on our cruise, there is still no excuse for these cutbacks and changes.  When you have a very limited few things that work, don't 'fix' them.

I can live with some rushed, less than attentive, service.  Which is what is now standard.   But, the things mentioned above can not be overlooked.

 

Yes, we very much enjoyed our cruise!

But whether it is cruising or any other service industry,  The above points are all just totally unacceptable and a total embarrassment to Princess.

 

I will make a point to offer some positives that help to offset the problems I have mentioned.

In particular, the wonderful and hardworking staff onboard!

1. Rodrick (Hot Rod) our Steward, who was excellent.  I believe he managed to switch out our mattresses for some slightly better ones from a nearby cabin.  He took excellent care of us!  And, when we walked out for dinner, dressed, after changing out of sloppy travel sweats, he raised his eyebrows and told me that I looked stunning that evening!

2.  Our server in Allegro, Cyrel,  who took excellent care of us, and provided friendly and quick service!  We returned to our table there throughout the cruise.

3.  Jooey our server in Crooners who remembered our favorite martinis, and offered me an imaginary wheelchair when we declined another drink, because how then would I make it to dinner!

4.  The great staff up in The Sanctuary, which truly is a wonderful happy-place!

5.  The staff on Princess Cays, who made it very nice, even thru a very rainy beginning of the day.  Their dedication to service, running and soaked in the weather, is to be commended.  Even the servers on the island's buffet line had cranked up some Caribbean Jam and were singing and dancing and partying to keep spirits up!  I definitely got that on video on my phone.

 

Thank You, very sincerely

 

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by PRINCESS Sweet Pea

[mom says]

Well OP, I hope you feel better after getting all that off your chest. I also hope you realize that your letter won't make one iota of difference. It likely went directly into the circular file. It looks like it is time to expand your horizons and try different lines. Just realize that all of the other mass market lines have been experiencing similar cut backs and price increases. You're going to need to look elsewhere- to the luxury lines.

Edited January 20, 2023 by mom says

[akeasley]

I agree with Princess trying to attract a younger audience but can you blame them? A younger crowd/people with kids spends more $$ at the casino, on drinks, excursions etc. With ships not sailing during Covid, Princess needs to be money back into their pockets.

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by akeasley

[dog]

I always book a balcony, deluxe balcony or aft facing balcony for 2 adults. 
 

Up until the pandemic shut down I used an independent Travel Agent who responded to my calls, email requests immediately.  
 

Good luck with your future travels.
 

 

[Lady Arwen]

Sorry to hear that you didn’t fully enjoy your cruise.  We use a CVP, who is extremely competent and reliable, so we never have issues with our booking.  We love mini suites, so we always enjoy our staterooms.  We don’t eat meat, so can’t comment on the steak issue.  There are lots of vegetarian items and we do eat fish.  Always enjoyed our meals, but we’re not food people.  We also sail Celebrity and HAL and I can assure you that cutbacks are not unique to Princess.  I personally don’t think these issues are at the “embarrassing” level, but that’s just me.  I sincerely hope your next cruise meets your expectations.

[Bgwest]

8 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Let us know his response. 

Winner of the Gold Star 🌟of this entire thread!!

[Bgwest]

TL;DR

 

BUSY people on the receiving end of these missives. 

[memoak]

We have an awesome CVP. She always responds within 24 hours. Can’t imagine better service 

[Guest ldtr]

Amazing all of the problems people seem to have contacting Princess. I have been able to get things resolved when I need to either with my PVP who responds quickly ( I guess mine likes me, better then theirs like them), calling customer service, or via the chat function. Especially when money is at stake.

Edited January 20, 2023 by ldtr

[memoak]

I also have not had a bad bed on any Princess cruise in years

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

I also have not had a bad bed on any Princess cruise in years

We have been on 6 different ships in the past year and have found the beds to be good. The comforter is a bit bulky and heavy, but the mattress itself has been good.

Edited January 20, 2023 by ldtr

[SargassoPirate]

4 hours ago, damiross said:

Would you bring a chair to a hotel room?

No, but my hotels don't carry me to different locations and give me more food than I can possibly eat and several venues for entertainment - all included in the price of my cabin.  

 

 

[malba2366]

Why didn’t you just cancel and rebook if better promotions came along?  If it was after your final payment then, those are the rules.  It is a gamble to wait until the last minute because prices may not go down , and the cabin selection may be less than ideal. 

[mom says]

Highly doubt anyone read past the first couple of paragraphs. It likely went straight into the circular file. Next time keep it short, professional, proof read, and without the emotional baggage.

 

Next time find a TA to manage your booking.

[dog]

17 minutes ago, malba2366 said:

Why didn’t you just cancel and rebook if better promotions came along?  If it was after your final payment then, those are the rules.  It is a gamble to wait until the last minute because prices may not go down , and the cabin selection may be less than ideal. 

Some have non refundable deposits.

[riffatsea]

No problem with our beds on Princess!

BEST filet my  husband has ever had anywhere found in the Crown Grill!

I truly don't understand c all these complaints!

[jimdee3636]

I haven't cruised with Princess post-covid, so I can't say one way or the other if the OP's points are valid. But I can say that he's lost any leverage he might have had with Princess by flatly announcing he's done with the line. If a customer---any customer in any business---has irrevocably decided to stop patronizing that business, why bother responding to him?

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, riffatsea said:

No problem with our beds on Princess!

BEST filet my  husband has ever had anywhere found in the Crown Grill!

I truly don't understand c all these complaints!

There are some variances between ships. We found Crown Grill to be excellent on Discovery, not so good on Crown. Mostly I believe it come down to the expectations and mindset of each individual.

 

 

[PRINCESS Sweet Pea]

Hey!  Sorry,  but what I described is what we experienced.  Yes, we knew we could cancel and re-book, but it wasn't that simple, for sure.  Believe me, we tried.  Our Steward even admitted problems with that bed.  I am not the only one with bad beef at Crown Grill.   Others have posted actual photos here, which I will not link.  Many others have noted the menu changes.  And, we did find most of the other food to be very good!

 

Facts are facts are facts.  No baggage necessary.

 

Our message was fairly short, with four very specific and titled points.  Skimming thru the first lines of those should get the message across within a few seconds.  Then we added the positives. 

 

My apologies to those who think everything on Princess is perfect.  It isn't.  Nothing is.

 

 

 

 

 

[coo359a2]

50 minutes ago, mom says said:

Highly doubt anyone read past the first couple of paragraphs. It likely went straight into the circular file. Next time keep it short, professional, proof read, and without the emotional baggage.

 

Next time find a TA to manage your booking.

Also sentence structure should be checked.

[HappyInVan]

3 hours ago, PRINCESS Sweet Pea said:

3.  Can we talk about the beds?  

Seriously.  I had been assured that all of the beds on the Regal Princess had finally, FINALLY, been changed out.  Imagine my shock and disappointment and unhappiness to walk into our cabin and see, visible thru the freshly made bed linens, two very very saggy, lumpy, awful mattresses shoved together with a huge ridge up the middle.  Really?   Are you not kidding?  And the past slogan was 'Come Back New', as in relaxed or refreshed?  Wow.

 

 

Totally unacceptable!

[SantaFeFan]

13 hours ago, dockman said:

Letter will likely end up in the circular file.

 

I doubt it was even sent. The quote "The shortcomings of this ill-conceived piece of technological rubbish have been well-documented in this forum..." tells me it was only written to be posted here for CC members to offer sympathy. How would Mr. Padgett, or anyone at Princess, know what forum the OP was talking about?

 

Nope. It was not meant, or sent, to Mr. Padgett. 

[c-boy]

why ya writing us. I/we can't do anything.