Review Of Crown Princess 7/22 Voyage

[danixbanani]

Hi all,

 

I haven't read all the threads about the 7/22 voyage so bear with me...I'm just going to post a little tidbit of my opinion :)

 

Let me start off by saying, this was a wonderful trip and a beautiful boat. I was shocked to see that everything was back to normal (or what I presume was normal lol) and the crew was all upbeat and ready to go. The only sign of the listing was the horrid smell of mildew on a few decks, presumably, from all the water that came gushing down on them (didn't put a damper on my cruise...just got me walking up/down the stairs a little quicker lol) and a shattered glass pane on the sun deck in the MUTS pool area (upper deck) that must've been broken and not fixed right away.

 

However, there were quite a bit of things that sort of bothered me and I know that some may have been said before but this cruise experience was not one of the better ones I've ever had. I just felt that I should share with some people what my family and I went through.

 

We get on board and my mother, father, and sister were supposed to have a mini-suite. They got upgraded from a balcony room and when you go online and type in their stateroom number to view it (E734) it showed it as a mini-suite. Well...the room was a BALCONY. And there was no bed for my sister. There was a pull down that we eventually found out but my sister is a special needs child and couldnt sleep up there. So my mother went to the pursar's desk asking where's her mini-suite and the lady behind the pursar's desk was very rude and told her she never was upgraded and the room isn't supposed to be a mini-suite. My mother asked her why online it shows the room as a mini-suite and the lady just shrugged and didn't care much with my mother's concerns.

 

My bf and I decided to find our room...an inside room on the baja deck. Very nice room. Small...but that's to be expected. Again, very nice interior, lots of room for our clothes, but when I went to open the refrigerator the door came flying right off and it wasn't working properly. I quickly found my stateroom steward and he didn't quite understand me at first but then I showed him and he said he'd get it fixed right away. It took about two days and me asking him twice to get it fixed. Apparently our air conditioning was broken too because we came back one day and there was a note that someone came to fix it...we never noticed lol. :rolleyes: I know that not EVERYTHING was to be expected to be in perfect condition but what I'm trying to relay here is that even though the crew was very nice and hardworking...it took alot to get them to do something other than they're everyday routine. (in my opinion...I'm sure others had better experiences)

 

Another glitch we encountered was in Bermuda. We decided to take a glass bottom boat and beach tour just so we could get to the beach really. (We decided to do a tour because supposedly four other boats where in port that day and there wouldn't be enough taxis...I never saw the other 3 boats). Anyway, we're getting ready to go on our tour, standing outside on the pier to meet the group when my mom sees the tour excursion lady and asks her about where we're meeting. Through the conversation my mother finds out that the boat docks off of the beach and we'd have to SWIM/SNORKEL to the beach. Well...I was a little agitated that this was not clearly stated but I would've went anyway. However, my mom who is 50 and her sister who is 53 aren't very good swimmers and, again, my sister is a special needs child. My mom couldn't keep herself up and help my sister along as well. My mother was very upset and, again, the lady from the shore excursion staff wasn't very nice, in fact, she was very rude and gave attitude ("Didn't you READ your ticket?" Yeah, we did and it doesn't say anything about swimming TO the beach!) which upset my mother more. We ended up taking a taxi to horseshoe bay and getting our money back for the tour (after fighting with them a bit because they didn't really care that it was false advertising). Needless to say, my mother wasn't having a very good trip.

 

On top of everything else, the boat was SOOOOO rocky!! I couldn't believe how unsteady it was. I was already a nervous wreck getting on board but the rocking made it worse. Okay, okay, yes I know its a boat and it sways but I mean...WOW...I've been on cruises before and this was the unsteadiest boat I'd ever been on. It was so bad the first two nights that the hangers in the closet were clanking together all night long and made it difficult to sleep (nevermind the constant jerking motion of the boat that woke me up all night long :cool: ). The rocking got better or maybe I just got used to it as the cruise went along but it sure made me uncomfortable the first two nights.

 

Then there are little things that other people have stated such as the poor buffet setup (and food quality might I add...I just wanted a sandwhich sometimes and they didn't have those until the last three days or so) which bothered me but it doesn't make much sense to post them. I never had trouble getting a seat at the pool (and it was almost a full boat) but I feel like the Crown is just TOO big. I sailed on RC's the Voyager of the Seas last year and that was a BIG boat but I felt like it was just better. I was speaking to a lady about my preference for RC and she said that I wasn't getting the full Princess effect from the Crown. We both agreed that Princess cared more about stuffing as many passengers on this boat than they did about the accomodations. She told me I should try a smaller Princess boat to get the full "Princess effect". Who knows.

 

I'm not trying to list off all the bad but I feel like these are things that people should know. I did enjoy myself, as I said, and the boat was great and I had a lovely time but there were some glitches that shouldn't go unnoticed. Oh, and one last thing, whenever we docked there would be a bit of a vibrating noise in our room. However, this morning at 6:30AM, I have NO IDEA what the boat was doing but our WHOLE ROOM was SHAKING! And there was a horribly LOUD vibrating noise. It scared me so much that I woke up out of a deep sleep and jumped right out of bed and was halfway out the door before my boyfriend called me back. :eek: It scared the wits out of me and continued for like 20 minutes. It was horrible. I mean EVERYTHING was shaking in our room...the mirrors on the walls, the glasses on the desk, the BED...it was awful and I couldn't go back to sleep after that. I don't know WHY it was happening either being that we're 11 decks above the engines and what not but WHO KNOWS. I couldn't wait to get home and take a nap.

 

Anywho...sorry its so long but I wanted to share. BTW...the food on this cruise was EXCELLENT!!! The dining room food was the best I ever had, the Crown Grill was also excellent, and the buffet was hit or miss. But those chocolate chip cookies were out of this world and I always had them with a glass of milk at night before going to bed. They gave me the glass of milk for free at the international cafe as well. It was yummy :)

 

Will I be sailing with Princess again? ehhhh, I'm not sure. If I do I'm definately taking that lady's advice and sailing a smaller ship. Hope noone is bothered by my review!

[celebrity]

We sailed as well and didn't encounter the vibration this morning & I had been awake since 4:30am. I hope that you let the "powers that be" know of your encounter with surly employees. My family & I had a lot of fun but it's doubtful that we will sail Princess again. I am a vegetarian & the selections were poor at dinner. We also didn't care for the layout of the ship. I enjoy running at sunrise overlooking the pool and the design was not conducive to that. The service on the other hand was superb and the embarkation was the best we have ever experienced.

[Redsgj]

This might sound like a bit of a lecture but I am just trying to indicate how a little research in advance can go a long way. I would like to say though that nothing excuses the rudeness of the staff (although they have had a stressful couple of weeks!).

We get on board and my mother, father, and sister were supposed to have a mini-suite. They got upgraded from a balcony room and when you go online and type in their stateroom number to view it (E734) it showed it as a mini-suite. Well...the room was a BALCONY. And there was no bed for my sister. There was a pull down that we eventually found out but my sister is a special needs child and couldnt sleep up there. So my mother went to the pursar's desk asking where's her mini-suite and the lady behind the pursar's desk was very rude and told her she never was upgraded and the room isn't supposed to be a mini-suite. My mother asked her why online it shows the room as a mini-suite and the lady just shrugged and didn't care much with my mother's concerns.

Unfortunately, the Princess website is incorrect when you specifically request information on E734 and the deck plan color codes are backwards for the BB's and AD's. It is unfortunate that your parents thought they had been upgraded and nothing excuses the purser desk employee's rudeness.

 

However, it sounds like you needed to do a bit more research before booking as the only third bed in any of the balcony cabins (which is what your parents booked) is the pull down type. Was it your TA who recommended a balcony cabin? Seems like your parents should have booked a mini suite in order to get the lower third bed that they needed.

 

Another glitch we encountered was in Bermuda. We decided to take a glass bottom boat and beach tour just so we could get to the beach really. (We decided to do a tour because supposedly four other boats where in port that day and there wouldn't be enough taxis...I never saw the other 3 boats).

Where did you get the information that there would be 3 other ships in Bermuda? I'm almost positive that the West End where the Crown docks can only hold one ship at a time. Also there is a beach (Snorkle Park) which is a five to ten minute walk from the pier.

 

Through the conversation my mother finds out that the boat docks off of the beach and we'd have to SWIM/SNORKEL to the beach. Well...I was a little agitated that this was not clearly stated but I would've went anyway. However, my mom who is 50 and her sister who is 53 aren't very good swimmers and, again, my sister is a special needs child. My mom couldn't keep herself up and help my sister along as well. My mother was very upset and, again, the lady from the shore excursion staff wasn't very nice, in fact, she was very rude and gave attitude ("Didn't you READ your ticket?" Yeah, we did and it doesn't say anything about swimming TO the beach!) which upset my mother more.

From the Princess shore excursion info:

The boat will anchor in approximately three-feet of water and you can enjoy the beautiful beach or use the supplied snorkeling equipment to explore the shoreline in search of colorful parrotfish.

ACTIVITY LEVELSubstantial level of activity; Beach and water-related tours

Again, nothing excuses rudeness but this clearly says the boat does anchor off the beach and indicates a substantial level of activity.

[Suskies]

Thanks for the info and also your great attitude for balancing the positive and negatives and keeping everything in perspective. We leave on 8/7 and know everything won't be perfect but we'll still have a wonderful time!

[cynbar]

Sorry you had such a poor experience with so many disappointments. We are sailing on 8/25 and I hope our experience will be more positive -- I will keep in mind about looking closely at the descriptions of our shore excursions, thanks for the tip. Some passengers prefer Princess, some prefer other lines --- there is something out there for everyone. Happy cruising in the future....

[kendon]

I've often heard that the sea is very rough between New York and Bermuda, no matter what ship you're on.

[JanMD]

Oh my- that is all I have to say.

 

Okay- the boat is a ship. I was told that after my 10th cruise.

 

Re: the vibration- it was docking in NY city- it was using the things that bring the ship closer to the dock. On the Golden we were in the mini suite and from the vibration- the mirror was actually cracked... That is normal after the ship has been in service for awhile. We know the seas were rough for the ship to be rocky- but you are the 5th person to mention it. Even when it is calm seas the aft cabins are having problems.

 

Do we think that the ship needs to go into drydock and get this little things taken care of- yes!!

 

I still can't believe after the ship was in port with NO pass. on it in Florida and they still haven't gotten the ac and ref. fixed on this ship. There is NO excuse for this now. And the way the pursers desk- they need to go to Mickey Mouse school for treating passengers. yes, I have told them that before...

 

As we know- when a new ship comes out- crew members love to jump to the new ship. They were talking about her last year when we were on the Caribbean Princess. It sounds like the person overseeing the crew members is not a very good manager.

The engineer dept needs to look into everything that has been mentioned on these boards.

Please send a letter to the corp office and let them know your concerns.

 

All I can say- it better be fixed by Thanksgiving when we crusie on her. That is when the ship will be doing the rt route from San Juan.

Jan

[madelinerose]

Hi danixbanani...IMHO, I think this sentence says it all. ;)

 

 

 

I was already a nervous wreck getting on board but the rocking made it worse.

[madelinerose]

Jan, are all of the aft cabins/suites having problems? What problems specifically? Do you mean fully aft/sterm? Is vibratiion the problem? Details, please. Thanks.

 

 

Even when it is calm seas the aft cabins are having problems. Jan

[PreciousPetal]

Nice review. My parents are on the Crown right now (7/29)with 3 other couples. (i'm using my mom's CC name- cause i'm relaying her "live on crown experience" through her emails to me so i can post on her thread). All the "glitches" you talked about are many of the same ones her and her group are encountering. They are having a wonderful time so far...but certain things stick out like...the a/c problem, my aunt and uncle have a broken fridge which they said they cant fix because they dont have the parts on board,and the "just-ok buffet"...but they like those cookies! I can see what that woman was saying about being on a smaller ship...I've never been on Princess, but i LOVED being on the "small" (well compared to everything else now) ship Celebrity Century. I like the smaller atmosphere...always find it better food/better service. Some of these ships just are getting too big (well for everyone it's different what they prefer). With the Crown it appears that even though it's a huge ship, the public places are quite small and all in nooks and crannies. I'm sure the "Princess Experience" is worth a shot on a smaller ship. Plus, the Crown is so NEW! They may have not worked out all the "kinks" yet, which is understandable to a certain extent. But I do know these few and small kinks and glitches won't stop my parent's group from enjoying their trip. They can make the best out of any scenario...hehe. Thanks again for your review!!!!!

[PrincessLostHerCrown]

Its a bit comforting to read that others had the same feelings about the 7/22 cruise that we did. We were VERY disappointed to lose 2 days on the itinerary (although our hearts go out to those who were injured/scared by the listing incident). We felt that Princess should have tried to fit in another port so that we didn't spend 5 days at sea.

 

Speaking of which, 5 days is far too much and what I attribute to my first bout of motion sickness. I've NEVER been seasick--and I've been in moderate hurricane conditions in a catamaran before. This boat (and yes, I know that I'm calling it a boat) moved more than any I've been on before. We've previously been on the Carnival Destiny and Triumph (hubby went on RC pre-wifey days) and didn't experience half of the movement we did on the Crown Princess. I ended up in medical services Wednesday night and had to get a shot of promethazine (thank you to my nurse Sara--she was wonderful, came to my room, and brought me to the clinic for treatment) and was basically out of commission for the rest of the trip.

 

That said, we really REALLY enjoyed Grand Turk--though it should be pointed out that had nothing to do with Princess. We did go on the glass bottom kayak/snorkeling tour. The kayaking was beautiful, but much too short (less than an hour). The snorkeling was fantastic!! Crystal clear water--we were nearly 1/2 mile offshore and could see things amazingly clear. The island has very little on it, which made it that much better. Unfortunately, it looks like there's going to be lots of development in the years to come, so go soon if you can before it gets ruined. My suggestion to those going to this port--don't bother with the excursion if you like to snorkel. Get a taxi to "the strip" where Columbus Landfall National Park is. The locals will know what you're talking about, so don't worry.

 

Our cabin steward Antonio (Riviera deck) was very kind and quick. He managed to take care of everything when we left for only a few minutes for snacks. We even got to hang out on the beach with him for a bit.

 

We also felt that the Passenger Services desk was lacking in customer service. We were locked out of our room (cards became demagnetized for no reason) and we were soaking wet. I called the desk to ask that someone come up to let us in because the stewards were on off hours. I argued with them for several moments before they agreed to send someone up. We waited another 15 minutes before we spotted a steward and got in--passenger services showed up 2 minutes later. There's no reason for it to take that long--its not like they have anywhere to go on the floating food barge...

 

Speaking of which, we rate the buffet food only one notch above dormitory eats. They had a few dishes that were good, but nothing stood out. I really felt like I was in the dorm all over again. The wait staff in the formal dining room was phenomenal and the dessert was to die for. They have the Princess Love Boat Dream every night. Its a dark chocolate mousse covered in ganache in the shape of a heart. The nice thing is, if you just want dessert in the formal dining room, you can go just for that. You don't have to have a 5 course meal to enjoy the atmosphere.

 

We were disappointed at how many things Princess charged extra for: ice cream, to sit in an area that was quiet on the deck (Pocket of tranquility--$15 per half day). Even Carnival doesn't charge for ice cream or to sit on the deck.

 

We expected a higher level experience with Princess since its touted as a high end cruise line, but were sorely disappointed with our experience as a whole. We've decided to hang up our stabilizers and be done with cruising for the time being (unless hubby wants to take me to Tahiti).

[Sandytoes]

Did your mother go on Princess's website to see exactly what the mini-suit had to offer? This cabin does not accommodate third and fourth person, no red dot.... E734 two twin beds A separate sitting area features a sofa bed.

 

What Baja Stateroom did you stay in? Was it Aft or forward?

 

WHOLE ROOM was SHAKING! And there was a horribly LOUD vibrating noise.

Because the ship needed to turn, in tight waters, to dock.

 

On top of everything else, the boat was SOOOOO rocky!! I couldn't believe how unsteady it was.I've been on cruises before and this was the unsteadiest boat I'd ever been on.

You're not sailing Caribbean waters....But the North Atlantic Ocean.....Plus,....Weather played a major part of the "ship's movement"

The rocking got better or maybe I just got used to it

Because you ended up in the Caribbean Waters....you were now in calmer seas......

[pfay64]

On top of everything else, the boat was SOOOOO rocky!! I couldn't believe how unsteady it was.I've been on cruises before and this was the unsteadiest boat I'd ever been on.

You're not sailing Caribbean waters....But the North Atlantic Ocean.....Plus,....Weather played a major part of the "ship's movement"

The rocking got better or maybe I just got used to it

Because you ended up in the Caribbean Waters....you were now in calmer seas......

 

How about this, maybe the stabilizers were not engaged. For whatever reason, they may have not been sailing with them, maybe something to do with the previous voyage.

 

Another poster mentioned this was the rockiest of her 12 cruises.

[Sandytoes]

PrincessLostHerCrown

we were soaking wet. I called the desk to ask that someone come up to let us in because the stewards were on off hours. I argued with them for several moments before they agreed to send someone up. We waited another 15 minutes before we spotted a steward and got in--passenger services showed up 2 minutes later. ...

 

 

Where did you make the call to the desk if you were soaking wet and couldn't get in your room?

Do you think you're the only one on the ship?

When you want something you expect it "now"?

Why did you need to argue for several moments?

Why would you be walking around "Soaking Wet"?

How come you didn't dry off after the use of the pool?

 

Really sorry to hear that you did not enjoy the cruise....Hopefully you'll find a ship to your liking....

[Redsgj]

On top of everything else, the boat was SOOOOO rocky!! I couldn't believe how unsteady it was.I've been on cruises before and this was the unsteadiest boat I'd ever been on.

You're not sailing Caribbean waters....But the North Atlantic Ocean.....Plus,....Weather played a major part of the "ship's movement"

The rocking got better or maybe I just got used to it

Because you ended up in the Caribbean Waters....you were now in calmer seas......

I'm thinking that maybe part of this too is that there are a lot of people taking this cruise that have never sailed out of NYC before and don't realize that it is generally rougher sailing there as kendon mentioned.

 

Also, after the list I am sure people are hyper sensitive to any motion on the ship so I wonder if it is more that people are just noticing it more than usual rather than it is actual rockier.

[TexasMom2]

Did your mother go on Princess's website to see exactly what the mini-suit had to offer? This cabin does not accommodate third and fourth person, no red dot.... E734 two twin beds A separate sitting area features a sofa bed.

 

Why would Princess sell a cabin to a family of four that only accommodates 3?

[TexasMom2]

PrincessLostHerCrown

 

 

Where did you make the call to the desk if you were soaking wet and couldn't get in your room?

Do you think you're the only one on the ship?

When you want something you expect it "now"?

Why did you need to argue for several moments?

Why would you be walking around "Soaking Wet"?

How come you didn't dry off after the use of the pool?

 

Really sorry to hear that you did not enjoy the cruise....Hopefully you'll find a ship to your liking....

 

Why can't you be more helpful, instead of trying to pick a fight?

 

Relax, it's all good!

[cruising couple nyc]

I've sailed on RCI Voyager of the Seas from NY to Bermuda twice and it was smooth as silk. I was on the 7/11 Crown and even when we were in the Carribbean, the ship was quite rocky, enough to wake me up a few nights. :cool:

[roadcrash1]

Hi all, we have also returned from the Princess Crown July 22nd voyage along with our friends. We had a total of 14 cabins booked on the ship on various decks. My husband and I traveled along with our two sons 14 and 4. I along with my husband have taken well over 14 cruises on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian and Celebrity. This was our first Princess Cruise and for sure will be our last. We have traveled out of New York City many a time to Bermuda as well as leaving from Florida and Puerto Rico. I agree the waters were rocky, however, experiencing hurricanes back to back to Bermuda leaving from New York this voyage was just as bad if not worse and there were NO hurricanes. Two of our friends were sick as dogs and also were in to see the doctor for shots. These people have never experienced sea sickness prior to this voyage. Although the ship was gorgeous, it did have too many bad points that far outnumbered the good. We understand that there was a problem last week however I still feel as though it should have not set sail with all the glitches. We took a shot and have no one to blame since we were able to get our money back in full. We risked sailing still not knowing the results of the investigation. In short I will list what we had problems with.

 

No air conditioning in our room.

No refrigerator since door also fell off

My son as well as myself got stuck in the elevator on two separte occasions. And other people did as well.

4 year old went off ship when we reached Turks and no one bothered to scan his card or ask for it for that matter....(Safety of passengers is their motto) When I looked at security guard and said by the way that little boy is my son that just walked off the ship, she looked alarmed. Thank goodness we had 28 people in our group and we were all right there with him.

Mildew smell in dining area.

Changing carpeting while we were on board.

Ceiling leaking in horizon, while we were eating.

Rude staff, not helpful at all. Evans, the bartender in casino was the nicest one on the ship.

Blowers on 4th floor with wires all over the place posing safety hazard when disembarking.

My luggage handles were broken off my bag upon arrival.

No room in theater to accomodate the guests although ship was not full.

Poor menu choices, food less than splendid.

Paying for ice cream and coffee is ridiculous.

Only good think and I agree....THE COOKIES......

 

Anyhow, hope all of you have a better trip than we did.

[sea glass]

Everyone thought the buffet was bad...is there another option for breakfast or lunch;can you eat in the dining room????? Please let me know;I feel bad for all these unhappy people.:(

[smeyer418]

July is a busy month for Bermuda. During the week(as opposed to the weekend), all 5 cruise docks are full. There are two in Hamilton two in St George and one in the Royal Dockyards- Kings Wharf. Bermuda is a relatively small island and there are only so many cabs so when the docks are full so are the cabs. You really can't see the ST George or Hamilton Docks from the Royal Dockyard but they are about as far away as Bayonne and the Manhattan Cruise terminal is from the Red Hook docks. You can see the Bayonne one from the Red Hook pier but not the one in Manhattan.

 

I am sorry you had a rough crossing and that the ship wasn't what you wanted/needed.

[Sandytoes]

Why can't you be more helpful, instead of trying to pick a fight?

Relax, it's all good!

__________________

Tina

 

Asking questions is trying to pick a fight? Interesting....

Curious minds want to know....

_______________________________________

 

roadcrash1

 

I am so sorry to hear about your ordeal cruising on the Crown....

Security Guards were not paying attention...They were not aware of your son...That is sad.....No air conditioning in our room.

No refrigerator since door also fell off seems to be the major issue....I hope everyone is bringing this to Princess's attention....Thank you for your review....

[spingal]

No air conditioning in our room.

No refrigerator since door also fell off

My son as well as myself got stuck in the elevator on two separte occasions. And other people did as well.

Mildew smell in dining area.

Changing carpeting while we were on board.

Ceiling leaking in horizon, while we were eating.

Blowers on 4th floor with wires all over the place posing safety hazard when disembarking.

I would imagine this is why Princess offered you a 50% discount for this sailing. They knew that things would still need repair from the incident.

[Merion_Mom]

Everyone thought the buffet was bad...is there another option for breakfast or lunch;can you eat in the dining room????? Please let me know;I feel bad for all these unhappy people.:(

Absolutely. You can eat all of your meals in the dining room and never even know that there IS a buffet, if you wish. :)

[Cindy]

We try to eat as many meals as possible in the dining room. On the Grand in March we only stepped foot in the buffet twice, because we needed something quick before or after an excursion. We had MUCH better impressions of the food after eating almost all our meals in the dining room.