Emerald Princess was an epic disappointment. Never again on Princess

[Itchy&Scratchy]

26 minutes ago, memoak said:

I do find it odd that someone who has taken multiple cruises had never been on cruise critic prior to the aforementioned cruise

we had been on many cruises before I joined CC. We started cruising in 2009...

[LACruiser88]

@loge23  Very well stated, my friend...

[SaltyDoggg]

13 minutes ago, memoak said:

I do find it odd that someone who has taken multiple cruises had never been on cruise critic prior to the aforementioned cruise

Why is that odd? I didn’t even know about Cruise critic until my last cruise when there was a group gathering. I’ve only been on 5 cruises in my lifetime, and as I begin to enjoy the experience, I notice the shortcomings and the wins.  Best case scenario would be for these cruise lines to recognize that complacency is not an option.  
 

Best to you!

[Paula_MacFan]

48 minutes ago, memoak said:

I do find it odd that someone who has taken multiple cruises had never been on cruise critic prior to the aforementioned cruise

I know lots of people who cruise all the time and aren't members of CC (many family members and co-workers for starters).  Especially in this day and age of multiple other online forums.  I wouldn't find that odd at all.

Edited January 3 by Paula_MacFan

[Itchy&Scratchy]

6 hours ago, SaltyDoggg said:

Will be on reflection in March.

so will we. 🙂 I guess I'll have some points to compare between X and Princess.

 

6 hours ago, SaltyDoggg said:

I think this is exactly my point with Princess that they do seem to exclusively cater to a much older demographic, but the reality is those guests are not going to be around forever. They need to start transitioning to people that are more my age, in their mid-50s, else lose the market.

not anymore. We are under 50, always cruising with a kid who loves Princess even more than we do, and Princess caters to us just fine. We were getting really tired of the old production shows on Princess, so Enchanted definitely delivered with their new line of highly entertaining material with modern music in 2022.

 

I think you might have a rather biased opinion on Princess, the one you developed before you even sailed on a Princess ship. I would encourage you to try a much newer Princess ship and you may discover a lot more that you like about Princess.

[memoak]

1 minute ago, Paula_MacFan said:

I know lots of people who cruise all the time and aren't members of CC.  Especially in this day and age of multiple other online forums.  I wouldn't find that odd at all.

Well I guess some people only log on to trash cruises   The OP says he found out about cruise critic one cruise ago but never bothered to join until he decided to trash a Princess cruise. I would have thought they would have gone on to praise the cruise lines he likes

[Paula_MacFan]

3 minutes ago, memoak said:

Well I guess some people only log on to trash cruises   The OP says he found out about cruise critic one cruise ago but never bothered to join until he decided to trash a Princess cruise. I would have thought they would have gone on to praise the cruise lines he likes

 

I'm not defending the OP and think the review is an outlier as someone else up thread already said.  I'm just saying there are many people who cruise frequently and aren't members here.  I've tried to get some family members to join but they prefer other online forums.  So I don't find that odd. 

 

I currently have 3 Princess cruises booked so I'm obviously not letting this review influence me too much.  We leave in 2 weeks for the next one 🙂

 

Edited January 3 by Paula_MacFan

[SaltyDoggg]

39 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

Do you or have you complained about it?

In my survey review, yes

[SaltyDoggg]

40 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

not according to the latest Celebrity reviews in X subforum.

 

when did a random IT guy become an expert on food quality across the entire Princess fleet?

Because he is human with taste buds and sails among every Princess ship for weeks on end.  

[Itchy&Scratchy]

2 minutes ago, SaltyDoggg said:

Because he is human with taste buds and sails among every Princess ship for weeks on end.

why would somebody in Princess IT dept sail on every Princess ship for weeks on end? is that why everyone is complaining about their website quality? Not enough programming, too much sailing?

 

My hubs is in IT as well, and he also has taste buds, but I wouldn't use him as an expert food critic.

[Spif Barwunkel]

14 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

OTOH we are in our early 70s and plan on cruising around 100 days a year for at least another 10, mostly on 3-5 week "boutique" cruises in either PCL Reserve Collection mini-suites or higher, NCL Club Class mini-suites, HAL aft-facing verandas, or Celebrity sunset veranda or AQ cabins (depending on ship classification).  

 

With regards to your statement, "I think this is exactly my point with Princess that they do seem to exclusively cater to a much older demographic, but the reality is those guests are not going to be around forever. They need to start transitioning to people that are more my age, in their mid-50s, else lose the market."

 

In my opinion as you suggested, Celebrity has definitely taken the lead on this to target folks in your age group. One way they are doing this is by shortening their Caribbean cruises and adding a stop at the Coco Cay private island. At the same time to enhance their bottom line, they have introduced huge price increases, to include a 20% surcharge for a refundable deposit, the elimination of their All-Included gratuities perk, and reduction in service, especially in the area of their sky suite butler provisions.

 

And I think Princess and HAL, and even NCL to an extent, have noticed this and have tried to develop some interesting booking "perk" options to entice that "older demographic" (like us) leaving Celebrity to come over to their side, especially when it comes to their creativeness when developing longer 3-5 week "combined itinerary" offerings, but without increasing their prices. However, in the case of HAL their prices have actually dropped, which has caused us to take a new look at them since we stopped cruising with them back in 2019 when they fully switched to their Music Walk entertainment strategy along with eliminating their production shows to entice that "younger crowd".

 

In our case since cruising started back up, we have cruised with Celebrity, Princess, and NCL multiple times averaging around 100 days a year and have had some awesome experiences (see some of my favorite Live From threads below). However, for us it's also about getting the most quality for our $$$. To that end we currently have 11 cruises booked with Princess, 5 with NCL, 2 with HAL, 2 with Crystal, and 0 with Celebrity though 2025, none of which BTW are in the Caribbean unless we're just passing through because we're on one of our 2 booked Panama Canal cruises.

 

Anyway, that's my two cents on the subject. 🙂

 

I have always enjoyed your posts, Ken. They are succinct, sensible and to-the-point. Even negative reviews and comments are done with class and respect. Until now, all on the Celebrity forum and I have noticed that you are no longer as smitten with X as you once were. Obviously, over the last several years, similar threads have appeared on the X site with the same huffin' and puffin' and blowin' the house down. We all know that these tirades are not unique to any one forum. Rather, they seem to be a seasonal thing...cruising season, across the industry.

 

I do not believe that any cruise line is targeting any specific age group at the expense of losing another. One would think that disposable dollars are coveted by all no matter from where they come. Also, is not the age cycle continuous? What was young is old and vice-versa. It is difficult to balance the enticements of what cruising offers in order to please everyone. It boils down to the proverbial, 'throw it against the wall and see what sticks', which is especially pertinent when speaking about food.

 

Over the years, despite the occasional letdown, disappointment, or huffin' and pufin', Celebrity remains our cruise line of choice. X marks the spot where we still prefer to spend our cruising $$$. In no way does that imply that others should not take their money elsewhere. Like you said, "getting the most quality for our $$$" is what it's all about.

 

As I mentioned in my previous post, when the occasion arises where we can enjoy our first Princess cruise, we will certainly avail ourselves of that opportunity.  

 

 

 

 

[SaltyDoggg]

Just now, Itchy&Scratchy said:

why would somebody in Princess IT dept sail on every Princess ship for weeks on end? is that why everyone is complaining about their website quality? Not enough programming, too much sailing?

 

My hubs is in IT as well, and he also has taste buds, but I wouldn't use him as an expert food critic.

Because his primary role is to install and maintain the ships WI-FI.  That’s why.  
 

also, you don’t need a food critic to know what’s good and what’s not.  Anyone who eats across the fleet for extended periods and woks for the company, can tell you, this ship has better food than that ship etc. 

 

everyone should be keeping these corporations honest.  

[Potstech]

2 hours ago, SaltyDoggg said:

The problem is having that ridiculous show force fed to you on the Jumbotron when you’re sitting on the pool deck. You’re literally trying to relax while listening to a nonstop infomercial. 

Ido not have that problem as I do not ever sit on the pool deck. Extremely sun sensitive.

[azbirdmom]

31 minutes ago, SaltyDoggg said:

Why is that odd? I didn’t even know about Cruise critic until my last cruise when there was a group gathering. I’ve only been on 5 cruises in my lifetime, and as I begin to enjoy the experience, I notice the shortcomings and the wins.  Best case scenario would be for these cruise lines to recognize that complacency is not an option.  
 

Best to you!

 

You have based your "complacency" opinion of Princess on a grand total of 1 cruise with them and 4 with Celebrity and Disney which you are clearly wild about.  Every ship is different.  Every cruise is different for that matter.  There are some where everything seems darned near perfect and others not so much.  You've already decided that you're done with Princess after a single cruise so why keep stirring the pot on this board?  Wondering if you work for Celebrity as even those on the Celebrity board are lamenting that many things on their ships aren't what they used to be.

[1412p0oi]

23 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

 First I would like to say that Disney is in a class of its own and can't be compared to mainstream lines. Celebrity has a younger vibe and a dedicated indoor adult sanctuary that you don't have to pay for.The buffets on the Grand Class ships have always been a challenge. I see they are still serving instant eggs as well. Pizza and a salad are my go to for lunch on sea days. The only bad meals that I have had in the MDR is the rubber lobster but I seem to get that on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean as well.  I have been sailing on Princess since 1991 and the entertainment was always lacking. Please tell me that they stopped doing those tacky 70s parties. I now live in a 55 plus community and our New Years Eve theme  was 70's disco. You could tell who had a few cruises under their belt. Is anyone ever going to move on to the next decade?  It's amazing how these loyalty programs suck people in. What they won't put up with for some cheap vodka and free laundry.  Princess needs to do some rebranding because as the silent generation and boomers start fading away they are going to have to attract millennials and Gen Z who are not brand loyal.

I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience with this cruise. At the same time, it also seemed a bit risky to take a 14-day cruise with a cruise line you haven't been on, on an older ship, with exacting standards. You also forget to mention that Disney cruises also cost 3x more than your average Princess cruise for the same itinerary and duration. If you have expensive tastes, just go for luxury cruise lines. Simple as that.

 

It's fine to go for that, but one would think that naturally it HAS to be a lot better to justify that exorbitant price tag. Frankly, the offerings on those cruise lines don't justify it for me when I can take several cruises for the price of one cruise there. FYI - I'm millennial, traveling solo, and not brand loyal, but I do care about what's worth spending more dollars on. 

Edited January 3 by 1412p0oi

[coo359a2]

1 hour ago, SargassoPirate said:

Do you or have you complained about it?

Never does any good.

 

How come you didn't ask the same question on post regarding loud football??  You must like it.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

45 minutes ago, SaltyDoggg said:

Because his primary role is to install and maintain the ships WI-FI.

20 hours ago, SaltyDoggg said:

I spoke with one of their top IT guys onboard

 

wow, Princess sends their TOP IT guy to install and maintain the ships' wifi and to tell passengers that Emerald Princess has the best food.... 

Sorry to tell you this, but....

 

you know what, never mind. Please disregard. Enjoy Celebrity!

[SCX22]

1 hour ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

when did a random IT guy become an expert on food quality across the entire Princess fleet?

 

Princess has a roaming set of IT workers who "jump" from ship to ship to maintain the wi-fi and the Medallion infrastructure.  I saw a team, not sure if it's the same team as the OP saw, on several ships when Starlink was being installed  on Princess ships earlier this year.  They are allowed to eat at the buffet like the production actors, kids club staff, and shopkeepers.  Sometimes they are comped a meal at one of the specialty restaurants like the officers and Guest Services crew.  You have to give the roaming IT workers some credit about food critiques because they've eaten on many of the Princess ships.

[SaltyDoggg]

1 minute ago, SCX22 said:

 

Princess has a roaming set of IT workers who "jump" from ship to ship to maintain the wi-fi and the Medallion infrastructure.  I saw a team, not sure if it's the same team as the OP saw, on several ships when Starlink was being installed  on Princess ships earlier this year.  They are allowed to eat at the buffet like the production actors, kids club staff, and shopkeepers.  Sometimes they are comped a meal at one of the specialty restaurants like the officers and Guest Services crew.  You have to give the roaming IT workers some credit about food critiques because they've eaten on many of the Princess ships.

I appreciate that input. I am not just blowing smoke, I am trying to communicate my experience, but it seems folks get very defensive and territorial. That is not my intent, just trying to communicate my experience, which was not great, but was validated by a gentleman who has been on more princess cruises than Most considering his role with the company. 

[ChutChut]

I've cruise both Disney and Princess - multiple times and enjoyed both - for different reasons. When my daughter was young, she was into Disney stuff so I booked the Disney Fantasy twice (and later the Magic). The Fantasy was a lovely ship and we had a wonderful cabin but I couldn't sleep well at night because the cabins on either side were so loud with numerous children (lots of Disney cabins can hold up to 5 people, etc.). Moreover, kids were running up and down the hallways, screaming, etc. Princess cabins may not be as sparkly, but I sleep like a baby on them. Food on Disney was atrocious, especially in the buffet. Princess food is not terrific but better than Disney's. Disney's productions were spot on and always enjoyable. Princess can be hit or miss. What I didn't get on Disney was peace and quiet. Always a character meet and greet, groups of kids surrounding me, etc. On Princess, I can find quiet time to enjoy the ocean, etc. The worst cabin attendant I've ever had was on Disney. The best - on Princess. So, I found both good and not-so-good on both cruise lines. I cruised on Disney before it jacked up its prices to an ungodly amount. I won't cruise it now because, IMHO, the value isn't there. I have another Princess cruise booked next Christmas as I got, what I consider to be, a good fare. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

12 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

Princess has a roaming set of IT workers who "jump" from ship to ship to maintain the wi-fi and the Medallion infrastructure. 

I am sure they do. That is not what I questioned. The company I work for also provides non-customer facing technical experts on Princess ships. However, their technical expertise has nothing to do with food, nor do I ever regard their opinions of the Princess food as that of an expert food critic.

 

Heck, I provide plenty of my own opinions on cruise ship food (just look at my CC reviews which are heavily centered on food), but these are my own subjective non-expert opinions.

 

So, when someone who's been on one Princess cruise tells us that the TOP IT guy on the ship regarded Emerald Princess' food as the best in the fleet, one can't help but wonder - what is a TOP Princess IT guy doing installing wifi on ships? Maybe, a certain someone likes to exaggerate some things?

[dickinson]

@SaltyDoggg  I'm sorry you didn't have a good cruise.  It happens on all lines.  One should never base their opinion of a cruise line based on one cruise although I understand why someone may not want to try to cruise on it again.  All ships sometimes have some issues.  The people who were working on your cruise will go off contract at some point and go home.  When they come back, they may or may not be on the Emerald.  Hopefully, if enough people have a bad experience and complain, then things will change.  It all starts at the top.  Maybe it's the captain or maybe it is the director of hotel operations.  If they don't do a good job running things then it definitely trickles down.  Enjoy your future cruises on whatever line you pick but someday if the opportunity arises, try Princess again.  

[SCX22]

5 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

I am sure they do. That is not what I questioned. The company I work for also provides non-customer facing technical experts on Princess ships. However, their technical expertise has nothing to do with food, nor do I ever regard their opinions of the Princess food as that of an expert food critic.

 

So I shouldn't listen to the commoners opinions of food, only seasoned, professional, expert food critics?  A business won't survive if all they listen to are "experts."  They have to take the experience and opinions of customers and workers as well.  And let's face it, the Michelin Guide hasn't touched cruise ship dining venues.

 

Princess listened the the "expert", John Padgett about the Medallion and we know how much of a cluster that has turned out to be.  The technology he instated at his former employer, Disney, is doing so much better without him.  

 

8 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

the TOP IT guy on the ship

 

9 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

what is a TOP Princess IT guy doing installing wifi on ships?

 

Doesn't have to be the top IT guy of Princess.  It could have been the top IT guy of the team that was on the ship.  If you've ever worked as a team on a work project, someone always has to take the lead, who ultimately takes all the credit or the blame.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

15 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

So I shouldn't listen to the commoners opinions of food, only seasoned, professional, expert food critics? 

no, but they are not calling themselves or others TOP anything, do they? When I provide my opinions on CC, I definitely preface them with "I am a glutton and will eat just about anything, so beware."

 

15 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

Doesn't have to be the top IT guy of Princess.  It could have been the top IT guy of the team that was on the ship. 

like I said - does it look like someone likes to exaggerate?

I mean - aside from the itinerary and lido pizza, EVERYTHING WAS HORRIBLE?

 

The food overall was awful, even putrid, but the food at the buffet was just horrific.

a major communication problem between the crew and the guests

The language barrier is really frustrating to overcome.

everything else was just so awful

 I did an up-charge steak one night and it was terrible. 

Entertainment sucked. It was pathetic.

Mechanics. Everything is broken on that ship. 

 

 

 

I mean -  I was just on MSC in steerage class, and some things were just awful and some were frustrating, but, surely, not ALL of them.

Edited January 3 by Itchy&Scratchy

[Itchy&Scratchy]

11 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

Princess listened the the "expert", John Padgett about the Medallion and we know how much of a cluster that has turned out to be. 

we loved using it.