Island Princess - 6/8/24-6/19/24 11 Days Canada/NE Review

[sns1]

My husband and I just returned from our cruise.  These are our thoughts on the cruise.

 

The positives:

 

- Our room was ready when we got on the ship.

 

- We had reserve dining. We arrived between 5:15 - 5:30 p.m. We never had to wait for a table.

 

- Ship is in excellent condition. Furniture and carpeting in good shape. There are many areas on the ships where you can sit and relax. There are also cozy areas for two. Crew was cleaning constantly. I walked most mornings at 5a.m., and they were out cleaning.

 

- We were in room D703. Bed was very comfortable. Pillows were huge! There are so many drawers with lots of storage. Couch was comfortable. Toilet did not flush for about an hour one day. We heard there were lack of water for some passengers on certain floors. We did not have that issue.

 

- Breakfast in Sabitinis was very nice.

 

- Calm seas for this cruise. I think the calmest cruise we’ve ever been on.

 

- Delivery of food and drink was quick using the app.

 

- Pizza at the pool area was very good. Burgers ordered through the Princess app for delivery were better than the pool area grill. The burgers were overdone in the grill area.

 

- We went to music trivia every evening. Jason Love the comedian was so funny. Go to his show if you can. Went to 2 shows – On the Bayon and 70’s Disco. They were good.

 

- Emerald deck at the very end of the hall (aft) has an area to sit outside. Very nice. There were chairs and tables out there. Hardly anyone used this area.

 

- Cigar lounge is on deck 5 and I never smelled smoke while I walked passed it.

 

- Ping Pong tables are constantly used. They are located in the covered pool area.

 

- We did our laundry half way through the cruise. Machines were free. I brought my own detergent and softener sheets. I did see an employee give detergent out to a passenger because the detergent machine was broken. It was a two day turnaround if Princess did our laundry.

 

- Our mini bar set up wasn’t in the room when we got there. We called and asked for only vodka and diet soda. It was brought up within the hour.

 

The Negatives:

 

- We have been on 33 cruises with Princess. This is the first cruise that we were not thrilled with the food. We ate in Sabatinis for dinner twice and our second meal was just ok. The veal was tough. We ended up eating at the buffet because we didn’t see anything on the menu worth going to the dining room.

 

- The Elite and Suite cocktail party is every evening. It’s pretty much the same thing. They do have one different food item each evening but the rest is the same.

 

- Wine ordered in the buffet came in a glass the first couple of days. After that it was in a plastic wine glass or a plastic cup. I stopped ordering it there because of the plastic.

 

- Suite D703 is across the crew area. It was a little noisy at times.

 

- Our room steward told us he had to clean so many suites and the previous cruisers only gave him a $20 tip. He kept saying how a suite is so much more work. He told us he wanted to get his 10 year old daughter a gift but had no money. We did not need to hear all of this.

 

- Casino on the Island is very small.

 

- Bayou Cafe and Steakhouse was not full when we would walk by. It didn’t have an inviting look to us. Menu was ok but nothing exciting. We decided that we did not want to pay extra to eat there.

 

- I missed the international cafe on this cruise. I got coffee every morning at Good Spirits, deck 5 and there were some pastries there but it’s not the international cafe.

 

- Soft serve ice cream machine wasn’t working a couple of days. It also only served one flavor….never a swirl. We ordered the special ice cream sundaes and the special red velvet cake. Both were just ok….nothing great.

 

- No wrap around deck on the Island. Not a deal breaker for us but I did miss that.

 

- I think Princess has taught us how to do things for ourselves. The buffet area has a huge area for water, coffee, lemonade and tea. There weren’t a lot of waitstaff there to get beverages for you. Most people would get up and get their own. My husband would go to the bar and get his own drink.

 

Ports:

 

- Norfolk, Virginia - We met some friends and toured Nauticus. This is right by the ship and very interesting. The weather was perfect. Hint – go in the afternoon. Less people and the busses with school children will be gone.

 

- We did a horse drawn carriage ride around the town in Charleston, South Carolina. We did not plan this ahead of time but glad we did it. We were told by the tour operator that the city has voted not to renew the cruise line contract so no more cruises after 2024.

 

- In NYC we booked a Princess bus tour through the city. There was hardly any traffic and we were able to get around quite nicely. Driver stopped at Rockefeller Plaza for 30 minutes and then the 911 Memorial for another 30 minutes. Driver and tour guide were excellent.

 

- We booked a pvt tour in Halifax with Halifax Titanic Historical Tours. Paul is amazing and made the entire trip. He is so knowledgeable and has short videos to watch during the trip. His van is very comfortable.

 

- We did not get off the ship in Newport. We live in CT and have been there many times. It was nice to have the ship to ourselves.

 

This cruise definitely met our expectations. We already have another cruise booked.

 

 

[memoak]

3 hours ago, sns1 said:

My husband and I just returned from our cruise.  These are our thoughts on the cruise.

 

The positives:

 

- Our room was ready when we got on the ship.

 

- We had reserve dining. We arrived between 5:15 - 5:30 p.m. We never had to wait for a table.

 

- Ship is in excellent condition. Furniture and carpeting in good shape. There are many areas on the ships where you can sit and relax. There are also cozy areas for two. Crew was cleaning constantly. I walked most mornings at 5a.m., and they were out cleaning.

 

- We were in room D703. Bed was very comfortable. Pillows were huge! There are so many drawers with lots of storage. Couch was comfortable. Toilet did not flush for about an hour one day. We heard there were lack of water for some passengers on certain floors. We did not have that issue.

 

- Breakfast in Sabitinis was very nice.

 

- Calm seas for this cruise. I think the calmest cruise we’ve ever been on.

 

- Delivery of food and drink was quick using the app.

 

- Pizza at the pool area was very good. Burgers ordered through the Princess app for delivery were better than the pool area grill. The burgers were overdone in the grill area.

 

- We went to music trivia every evening. Jason Love the comedian was so funny. Go to his show if you can. Went to 2 shows – On the Bayon and 70’s Disco. They were good.

 

- Emerald deck at the very end of the hall (aft) has an area to sit outside. Very nice. There were chairs and tables out there. Hardly anyone used this area.

 

- Cigar lounge is on deck 5 and I never smelled smoke while I walked passed it.

 

- Ping Pong tables are constantly used. They are located in the covered pool area.

 

- We did our laundry half way through the cruise. Machines were free. I brought my own detergent and softener sheets. I did see an employee give detergent out to a passenger because the detergent machine was broken. It was a two day turnaround if Princess did our laundry.

 

- Our mini bar set up wasn’t in the room when we got there. We called and asked for only vodka and diet soda. It was brought up within the hour.

 

The Negatives:

 

- We have been on 33 cruises with Princess. This is the first cruise that we were not thrilled with the food. We ate in Sabatinis for dinner twice and our second meal was just ok. The veal was tough. We ended up eating at the buffet because we didn’t see anything on the menu worth going to the dining room.

 

- The Elite and Suite cocktail party is every evening. It’s pretty much the same thing. They do have one different food item each evening but the rest is the same.

 

- Wine ordered in the buffet came in a glass the first couple of days. After that it was in a plastic wine glass or a plastic cup. I stopped ordering it there because of the plastic.

 

- Suite D703 is across the crew area. It was a little noisy at times.

 

- Our room steward told us he had to clean so many suites and the previous cruisers only gave him a $20 tip. He kept saying how a suite is so much more work. He told us he wanted to get his 10 year old daughter a gift but had no money. We did not need to hear all of this.

 

- Casino on the Island is very small.

 

- Bayou Cafe and Steakhouse was not full when we would walk by. It didn’t have an inviting look to us. Menu was ok but nothing exciting. We decided that we did not want to pay extra to eat there.

 

- I missed the international cafe on this cruise. I got coffee every morning at Good Spirits, deck 5 and there were some pastries there but it’s not the international cafe.

 

- Soft serve ice cream machine wasn’t working a couple of days. It also only served one flavor….never a swirl. We ordered the special ice cream sundaes and the special red velvet cake. Both were just ok….nothing great.

 

- No wrap around deck on the Island. Not a deal breaker for us but I did miss that.

 

- I think Princess has taught us how to do things for ourselves. The buffet area has a huge area for water, coffee, lemonade and tea. There weren’t a lot of waitstaff there to get beverages for you. Most people would get up and get their own. My husband would go to the bar and get his own drink.

 

Ports:

 

- Norfolk, Virginia - We met some friends and toured Nauticus. This is right by the ship and very interesting. The weather was perfect. Hint – go in the afternoon. Less people and the busses with school children will be gone.

 

- We did a horse drawn carriage ride around the town in Charleston, South Carolina. We did not plan this ahead of time but glad we did it. We were told by the tour operator that the city has voted not to renew the cruise line contract so no more cruises after 2024.

 

- In NYC we booked a Princess bus tour through the city. There was hardly any traffic and we were able to get around quite nicely. Driver stopped at Rockefeller Plaza for 30 minutes and then the 911 Memorial for another 30 minutes. Driver and tour guide were excellent.

 

- We booked a pvt tour in Halifax with Halifax Titanic Historical Tours. Paul is amazing and made the entire trip. He is so knowledgeable and has short videos to watch during the trip. His van is very comfortable.

 

- We did not get off the ship in Newport. We live in CT and have been there many times. It was nice to have the ship to ourselves.

 

This cruise definitely met our expectations. We already have another cruise booked.

 

 

A request for a $20 tip ?  We always have great service and tip way more than that. I have never had a steward beg for a tip and would be a turnoff. Mostly they ask to be given good grades on the survey 

[t&atravel]

21 minutes ago, memoak said:

A request for a $20 tip ?  We always have great service and tip way more than that. I have never had a steward beg for a tip and would be a turnoff. Mostly they ask to be given good grades on the survey 

I read it that he wasn’t requesting a $20 tip but was complaining that it was all he got.  Those comments were highly inappropriate. 

[voljeep]

I wish you could have seen On the Bayou before the changes to Island P and the removal of the Universe Lounge where OTB was performed.

 

Best show by far we have ever seen on Princess 

[Rick&Jeannie]

Thanks for the review!  We'll be boarding the Island Tuesday...

Edited Sunday at 05:45 PM by Rick&Jeannie

[AZaTaz]

Thank you for balanced review. We will be getting on 7/5 for 31 days.  Your review reassures me that it is the ship that I remember. 

[sns1]

Yes, the room steward was complaining to us that he only got a $20.00 tip from previous cruisers that were in a suite.  He kept saying how he has a 10 year old daughter and has no money to buy her things.  We have never had a room steward tell us anything like that before.  We were half way through the cruise when he said this.  I guess it was his way of letting us know that he wanted more than $20.00.

[partybarbie]

We cruise with Princess Plus, so the gratuity should be included. For good service, we tip our steward an extra dollar a day for each of us. For a ten day cruise, an extra twenty is enough.

[latebuyer]

May i ask what you thought of weather? I am looking at taking a canada new england cruise on the island princess next year at that time. Disappointed there is no promenade deck.

[sns1]

The weather and seas were outstanding.  There were two sea days that were a little cold but everyone had their jeans on for those days.  The covered pool was very busy.  We were in shorts the rest of the time.  The seas were very calm.  We normally take Dramamine but never needed to on this cruise.

[memoak]

On 6/23/2024 at 5:19 PM, partybarbie said:

We cruise with Princess Plus, so the gratuity should be included. For good service, we tip our steward an extra dollar a day for each of us. For a ten day cruise, an extra twenty is enough.

We would be tipping higher than that but it is up to the individual