Review: Crown Princess Alaska July 14-25

[CruiserN1]

This was our third cruise with Princess. We have also sailed several times with Celebrity and most recently with HAL in March 2023. We're an early 50's/early 60's couple with no kids. We take two 10-14 day vacations a year (not retired yet and not wealthy). This was my third Alaska cruise and my husband's second. We cruised to Alaska on the Coral Princess in July 2011. We chose this cruise primarily for the itinerary. Below are my thoughts, which no doubt differ from some of yours.

 

CABIN: We chose a Reserve mini-suite, which is on Deck 9 (Dolphin), mid-ship. The cabin size was roomy compared to a regular balcony on Princess and other lines we've sailed. The exposed balcony wasn't great because we had a good bit of rain. The cabin and its furnishings were quite worn. The sofa looked like something out of a thrift store, saggy and threadbare in places. The coffee table was missing the cap on two legs and the wood was badly scuffed and scratched. The walls were peeling where people had shuffled against them at the end of the bed. The bed itself was comfortable enough but not exceptional. The bathroom was nice and big with the tub, which was larger than expected. Overall I would rate the cabin 3/5.

 

RESERVE CLASS EXPERIENCE: The best aspect of the experience was the Reserve Class dining room. More about that under food. The rest of the Reserve experience either wasn't much or we didn't receive it. We were not allowed in the Priority Embarkation lounge because the person monitoring the entrance said it was for suite, elite, and platinum only. He didn't seem to know what Reserve Class was and I wasn't going to argue about it. If there was a concierge onboard to help book specialty dining, we weren't introduced to them or told where to find them. We ordered the canapes the first day and they were not at all tasty. A fruit and cheese plate would have been much better. I would rate Reserve Class 2/5 and the 2 is for the dining experience.

 

DINING ROOM: The restaurant manager and waiters in the Reserve Class dining room (really a section of the Da Vinci dining room) were outstanding. We felt welcomed and cared for from the first meal, which was embarkation lunch. The restaurant manager prepared a special salad for sea day lunches and a pasta dish or risotto for dinner, usually with shrimp. They were all exceptional and I skipped the main entree several nights to enjoy his entree instead. All of the food we ordered arrived hot. We never went without our favorite cocktails. We were never asked to share a table (though the tables for 2 are quite close together). It was the best dining room experience we have ever had on a cruise. Reserve Class dining gets a 5/5.

 

NON-DINING ROOM FOOD: The buffet on the Crown is poorly laid out for the number of people on the ship. The stations are crowded and there are fewer stations with fewer choices than on other ships of similar size that we have sailed pre and post-COVID. We had one lunch there after returning from an excurision and it was not good. We avoided the buffet except to grab a mid-afternoon snack. The International Cafe was disappointing. The pastries were very dry and lacked flavor. I love a chocolate or almond croissant with my coffee in the morning and after a couple tries I stopped ordering them. Very little filling and very dry pastry. I had soup and a sandwich there for lunch one time and they were OK except for the sandwich roll being soggy from the tomato. Specialty coffees were hit or miss, sometimes tasted burned. The "best pizza at sea" had a good crust but very little flavor in the sauce or cheese. The Salty Dog Grill was typically a long wait (30-40 min) and the food was just OK. Forget about the line for the premium ice cream desserts. We never got one because one person was making them and the line was 10-15 people every time we were in the area. I give the ship's non-MDR food a 2/5.

 

CREW: We found the crew to be friendly and helpful and eager to please. We don't require much of our steward or anyone else on board. My one experience going to guest services to redeem a gift card was great. Everyone who served us did so with a smile. I give the crew 5/5.

 

ACTIVITIES: I attended several of the arts and crafts activities and they were rushed and not that fun. The person leading was either super stressed out or apathetic (two different leaders). The crafts themselves were cheap projects and not that fun. I would have paid $25 for a two-hour class where we made something worth bringing home. We aren't trivia, music, production show, or game show people, so we didn't attend any of those and can't comment. We did go to all but one of the enrichment lectures. Our "naturalist" mostly told stories about life in Alaska or gave very basic facts about wildlife, flora, etc. We went for something to do but didn't find the lectures interesting or even really focused on nature. She also seemed to be promoting shore excursions a lot of the time. Activities gets a 2/5.

 

FELLOW PASSENGERS: I really don't mind children around, despite not having my own, but the standards of behavior of some parents and kids were outrageous. We had a family on our deck and side that allowed their 3 kids to run down the hall at full speed and making as much noise as they wanted to at any time of day or night. These weren't tiny kids, they looked to be 8-14 years old, and our room shook when they ran by. Other poorly behaved and unsupervised kids were often around the ship. Other than that, most people seemed friendly and it was a diverse group age-wise. I won't assign a rating here as it doesn't seem polite, but the no-kid ships are becoming more appealing to us.

 

These are the main categories of our experience that seemed worth sharing. I'm happy to answer questions about other aspects of our cruise experience. We would consider sailing Princess again if the itinerary appealed to us, but would not sail on the Crown or any of the older ships as the experience just isn't great.

[dave_k58]

2 hours ago, CruiserN1 said:

This was our third cruise with Princess. We have also sailed several times with Celebrity and most recently with HAL in March 2023. We're an early 50's/early 60's couple with no kids. We take two 10-14 day vacations a year (not retired yet and not wealthy). This was my third Alaska cruise and my husband's second. We cruised to Alaska on the Coral Princess in July 2011. We chose this cruise primarily for the itinerary. Below are my thoughts, which no doubt differ from some of yours.

 

CABIN: We chose a Reserve mini-suite, which is on Deck 9 (Dolphin), mid-ship. The cabin size was roomy compared to a regular balcony on Princess and other lines we've sailed. The exposed balcony wasn't great because we had a good bit of rain. The cabin and its furnishings were quite worn. The sofa looked like something out of a thrift store, saggy and threadbare in places. The coffee table was missing the cap on two legs and the wood was badly scuffed and scratched. The walls were peeling where people had shuffled against them at the end of the bed. The bed itself was comfortable enough but not exceptional. The bathroom was nice and big with the tub, which was larger than expected. Overall I would rate the cabin 3/5.

 

RESERVE CLASS EXPERIENCE: The best aspect of the experience was the Reserve Class dining room. More about that under food. The rest of the Reserve experience either wasn't much or we didn't receive it. We were not allowed in the Priority Embarkation lounge because the person monitoring the entrance said it was for suite, elite, and platinum only. He didn't seem to know what Reserve Class was and I wasn't going to argue about it. If there was a concierge onboard to help book specialty dining, we weren't introduced to them or told where to find them. We ordered the canapes the first day and they were not at all tasty. A fruit and cheese plate would have been much better. I would rate Reserve Class 2/5 and the 2 is for the dining experience.

 

DINING ROOM: The restaurant manager and waiters in the Reserve Class dining room (really a section of the Da Vinci dining room) were outstanding. We felt welcomed and cared for from the first meal, which was embarkation lunch. The restaurant manager prepared a special salad for sea day lunches and a pasta dish or risotto for dinner, usually with shrimp. They were all exceptional and I skipped the main entree several nights to enjoy his entree instead. All of the food we ordered arrived hot. We never went without our favorite cocktails. We were never asked to share a table (though the tables for 2 are quite close together). It was the best dining room experience we have ever had on a cruise. Reserve Class dining gets a 5/5.

 

NON-DINING ROOM FOOD: The buffet on the Crown is poorly laid out for the number of people on the ship. The stations are crowded and there are fewer stations with fewer choices than on other ships of similar size that we have sailed pre and post-COVID. We had one lunch there after returning from an excurision and it was not good. We avoided the buffet except to grab a mid-afternoon snack. The International Cafe was disappointing. The pastries were very dry and lacked flavor. I love a chocolate or almond croissant with my coffee in the morning and after a couple tries I stopped ordering them. Very little filling and very dry pastry. I had soup and a sandwich there for lunch one time and they were OK except for the sandwich roll being soggy from the tomato. Specialty coffees were hit or miss, sometimes tasted burned. The "best pizza at sea" had a good crust but very little flavor in the sauce or cheese. The Salty Dog Grill was typically a long wait (30-40 min) and the food was just OK. Forget about the line for the premium ice cream desserts. We never got one because one person was making them and the line was 10-15 people every time we were in the area. I give the ship's non-MDR food a 2/5.

 

CREW: We found the crew to be friendly and helpful and eager to please. We don't require much of our steward or anyone else on board. My one experience going to guest services to redeem a gift card was great. Everyone who served us did so with a smile. I give the crew 5/5.

 

ACTIVITIES: I attended several of the arts and crafts activities and they were rushed and not that fun. The person leading was either super stressed out or apathetic (two different leaders). The crafts themselves were cheap projects and not that fun. I would have paid $25 for a two-hour class where we made something worth bringing home. We aren't trivia, music, production show, or game show people, so we didn't attend any of those and can't comment. We did go to all but one of the enrichment lectures. Our "naturalist" mostly told stories about life in Alaska or gave very basic facts about wildlife, flora, etc. We went for something to do but didn't find the lectures interesting or even really focused on nature. She also seemed to be promoting shore excursions a lot of the time. Activities gets a 2/5.

 

FELLOW PASSENGERS: I really don't mind children around, despite not having my own, but the standards of behavior of some parents and kids were outrageous. We had a family on our deck and side that allowed their 3 kids to run down the hall at full speed and making as much noise as they wanted to at any time of day or night. These weren't tiny kids, they looked to be 8-14 years old, and our room shook when they ran by. Other poorly behaved and unsupervised kids were often around the ship. Other than that, most people seemed friendly and it was a diverse group age-wise. I won't assign a rating here as it doesn't seem polite, but the no-kid ships are becoming more appealing to us.

 

These are the main categories of our experience that seemed worth sharing. I'm happy to answer questions about other aspects of our cruise experience. We would consider sailing Princess again if the itinerary appealed to us, but would not sail on the Crown or any of the older ships as the experience just isn't great.

THank you for what seems like a very honest and objective review. We are also from Texas and are doing the cruise out of Vancouver on August 25. Did you go early to explore Vancouver?  Any excursions that were really good or any that were not good/waste of money.  Did you have a favorite port?  PS - We're taking out grandson - he's 24 and insisted on a private cabin. We are also in a mini on Dophin Deck - didn't know when I booked it there was no cover on the balcony. We have had the club class on several other ships ( royal Class) and would also give that a 2, despite the great service in the dining room. They forgot didn't know about priority boarding either and didn't care about the canapes. THe complimentary half bottles of wine we dumped after taking one sip

[Coral]

5 hours ago, CruiserN1 said:

These weren't tiny kids, they looked to be 8-14 years old, and our room shook when they ran by. Other poorly behaved and unsupervised kids were often around the ship. Other than that, most people seemed friendly and it was a diverse group age-wise. I won't assign a rating here as it doesn't seem polite, but the no-kid ships are becoming more appealing to us.

 

This is the age group where I have experienced issues also. It is an age where some parents feel they no longer need to keep tabs on their kids and let them do whatever they want. The older teens don't seem to be an issue.

[CruiserN1]

10 hours ago, dave_k58 said:

THank you for what seems like a very honest and objective review. We are also from Texas and are doing the cruise out of Vancouver on August 25. Did you go early to explore Vancouver?  Any excursions that were really good or any that were not good/waste of money.  Did you have a favorite port?  PS - We're taking out grandson - he's 24 and insisted on a private cabin. We are also in a mini on Dophin Deck - didn't know when I booked it there was no cover on the balcony. We have had the club class on several other ships ( royal Class) and would also give that a 2, despite the great service in the dining room. They forgot didn't know about priority boarding either and didn't care about the canapes. THe complimentary half bottles of wine we dumped after taking one sip

We arrived the day before the cruise. We've visited Vancouver before and had limited time for this trip. Granville Island is a fun place to spend the day if you have time before the cruise. 

 

I don't think we had a favorite port. Our least favorite was Icy Straight Point. We did two Princess excusions and three privately booked excursions. The Glacier Point Safari in Skagway was our favorite, booked through AlaskaX. We also had a great whale watch in Juneau with Harv and Marv and an OK whale watch with Hoonah Whale Watching in Icy Straight. The two Princess excursions were OK but a bit crowded. We did the Sea Otter Wildlife Cruise in Sitka and the Eagles, Lighthouse, and Totems in Ketchikan with Princess. The Sitka one was crowded but we saw more than we did with the Ketchikan excursion.

[cruisingtheresa]

Thank you for this review! We will be on the Crown Princess August 12 and are in a penthouse suite so I appreciate your comments regarding the reserve dining room. 

 

We're hoping that since we'll be going towards the end of August, there won't be as many kids (fingers crossed).

[CruiserN1]

1 hour ago, cruisingtheresa said:

Thank you for this review! We will be on the Crown Princess August 12 and are in a penthouse suite so I appreciate your comments regarding the reserve dining room. 

 

We're hoping that since we'll be going towards the end of August, there won't be as many kids (fingers crossed).

Ask for Arnold in the Reserve dining room, he and his assistant I'wayan will take great care of you!

[cruisingtheresa]

1 hour ago, CruiserN1 said:

Ask for Arnold in the Reserve dining room, he and his assistant I'wayan will take great care of you!

Thanks! Will do. 🙂

[memoak]

Full suite perks such as concierge service are not part of reserve mini suites. About all you get above regular mini suites is what Princess regards as better location, some bottom end wines and reserve dining room. If you want full suite perks you need to book a full suite

[CruiserN1]

On 7/28/2023 at 5:05 PM, memoak said:

Full suite perks such as concierge service are not part of reserve mini suites. About all you get above regular mini suites is what Princess regards as better location, some bottom end wines and reserve dining room. If you want full suite perks you need to book a full suite

See https://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/ships/staterooms/reserve-collection/ where it states that Reserve Mini-Suite guests receive "Priority Specialty Dining Reservations.
Receive special assistance with priority reservations at your favorite specialty restaurants." I did not receive this service nor was it offered to me.

[memoak]

28 minutes ago, CruiserN1 said:

See https://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/ships/staterooms/reserve-collection/ where it states that Reserve Mini-Suite guests receive "Priority Specialty Dining Reservations.
Receive special assistance with priority reservations at your favorite specialty restaurants." I did not receive this service nor was it offered to me.

Did you call the dine line ?  That is what you have to do

[CruiserN1]

37 minutes ago, memoak said:

Did you call the dine line ?  That is what you have to do

And I was supposed to know this how? 

[memoak]

5 minutes ago, CruiserN1 said:

And I was supposed to know this how? 

There should have been a piece of paper on your desk when you embarked telling you that the dine line can make reservations 

[CruiserN1]

Just now, memoak said:

There should have been a piece of paper on your desk when you embarked telling you that the dine line can make reservations 

No paper received. I did call the Dine Line for a reservation for Crab Shack. The first time I was told to call back the next morning. I did, made the reservation, and showed up at the correct day and time to discover they didn't have my reservation. It wasn't fully booked so they accommodated us, but I wasn't impressed. And certainly didn't feel like a "priority."