Concerned about CB overall quality

[FiveFamily]

We're sailing on the CB on 7/17/09 and are experienced cruisers. I've read what, in my opinion, is an excellent, well written review by MRHMatrix on this site concerning the same itinerary. The review is not a one sided bashing of the CB and Princess by any means. It indicates enjoyable aspects of the cruise but an experienced marked by less than stellar customer service and attention to detail(such as dirty utensils with cabin service holes in bedding, disinterested buffet staff, etc). I think this review is very significant when we are in an era of decline in certain aspects of cruising such as downgraded dining quality, etc. Is demand for cabins so great that Princess and other mainstream cruise lines can simply not care about service and consistency in maintaing high quality? I do not buy the argument that on a large ship with high capacity, customer service can be lacking. I also do not buy the argument that I've seen on here that fine hotel quality and service seen on land should not be expected on a large ship at mainstream pricing because "you" are a passenger at sea, not a guest in a hotel. I am left with concern about our upcoming sailing and am fairly sure we will not be expecting the cruise of a lifetime by a longshot. Please let me know your comments. Thank you.

[jennifers490]

You're sailing today? I think you should try to go with an open mind and try to have a good time...you can then write your own review instead of worrying about someone else's bad experience...you can either try to make the best of your trip or cancel which doesn't seem like an option...

 

have fun!!!

[FiveFamily]

You're sailing today? I think you should try to go with an open mind and try to have a good time...you can then write your own review instead of worrying about someone else's bad experience...you can either try to make the best of your trip or cancel which doesn't seem like an option...

 

have fun!!!

Sorry, Meant 7/17/09. Thanks for the reply. You must be a regular on this board.

[kooljamming]

We're sailing on the CB on 7/17/09 and are experienced cruisers. I've read what, in my opinion, is an excellent, well written review by MRHMatrix on this site concerning the same itinerary. The review is not a one sided bashing of the CB and Princess by any means. It indicates enjoyable aspects of the cruise but an experienced marked by less than stellar customer service and attention to detail(such as dirty utensils with cabin service holes in bedding, disinterested buffet staff, etc). I think this review is very significant when we are in an era of decline in certain aspects of cruising such as downgraded dining quality, etc. Is demand for cabins so great that Princess and other mainstream cruise lines can simply not care about service and consistency in maintaing high quality? I do not buy the argument that on a large ship with high capacity, customer service can be lacking. I also do not buy the argument that I've seen on here that fine hotel quality and service seen on land should not be expected on a large ship at mainstream pricing because "you" are a passenger at sea, not a guest in a hotel. I am left with concern about our upcoming sailing and am fairly sure we will not be expecting the cruise of a lifetime by a longshot. Please let me know your comments. Thank you.

 

I have never paid for, expected, or gotten any vacation of a lifetime. I have had once in a lifetime experiences. What you see depends on what you seek. I have always gotten much more than I pay for, never perfection. You get what you pay and many are not paying the rate of FINE land hotels. If you are paying that kind of money to cruise these days, then you should find or change your TA. Take the good from the review to get excited. Take the bad to adjust your expectation. On a mass market line, forget about the cruise of a lifetime. Not to say it can't be wonderful, exciting and memorable, with once in a lifetime moments. Yes, there has been decline in service since my first cruise in 1995. Also a plummet in cruise prices since that time as well. Then and now I still managed to enjoy it all. I don't think what you are seeking is present on a mass market line these days!

 

Good Luck

[bubbadog]

If you go,and look for things,that are wrong,you probably wont have a very good cruise,If you go and ignore minor things,then you will have a great time,:rolleyes:

[jennifers490]

i didn't mean to sound rude, i am definitely not a princess cheerleader even though i prefer them to other lines. i read the review you mentioned and i am hoping i dont have those experiences as i'm also booked in october. i've never had those things happen before and would definitely be complaining if they did. i've had issues with princess at times and also on other cruise lines. you know as an experienced cruiser there is the good and bad on every cruise. i also don't think princess or the main stream lines should be compared to a fine hotel because they really are in a different class and price range. if you sail crystal or another comparable line your expectations should be higher. you should still expect good service and cleanliness and decent food.

 

all i meant in my reply was that you could miss out on a great time if you worry about all of the negative things that could happen and rely on other people's perspectives and experiences. i would try to relax and look forward to spending time with your family and enjoying the caribbean :)

[wilfros]

We read the reviews and concerns expressed by others on this site before we departed. We had the same reservations that you are showing.

 

I believe once you have gone on one cruise you can't help but compare the good and the bad of one against the other. I think that is what is happening here.

 

We were first time cruisers and it was the trip of a lifetime for us!!! Inpite of all my reservations and concerns.

 

For a full review I invite you to my blog http://www.stamperspad.com/caribbean_princess

 

You're going to have a blast. It is so much better than land vacations.

[Zubsin]

we sailed the CB in March and I too was concerned given what I had read but we had a great trip and the service was no better or worse then on the sapphire or any celebrity cruise we were on. We never had BAD service. We chose anytime dining so I don't expect the same kind of personal service you get with traditional dining but it wasn't bad. Smile, you are on a cruise and enjoy! cruise on...donna

[Csparkles]

If you go,and look for things,that are wrong,you probably wont have a very good cruise,If you go and ignore minor things,then you will have a great time,:rolleyes:

Nicely said!!!

[dcl1710]

We sailed the CB in March and it was a month past dry dock. We found the place clean, lots of sanitizer available, no dirt. There were a lot of complaints prior to our cruise due to workmen finishing the dry dock. We found the workers very polite and attentive. If I have one complaint it would be the people who get three or four plates of food and instead of taking one back to get more food, they leave a bunch of plates on the pool area floor. But the pool attendants were quick to pick them up. There were just times when they were overwhelmed. Enjoy the cruise.

[Maraprince]

Just returned from a 9-day sailing from the Caribbean Princess on Thursday and had a wonderful time, excellent service, fantastic food, and unbelieveable entertainment.

 

No complaints what so ever.

 

 

MARAPRINCE

[Fabian52]

I really don't think that you can compare a 5 star hotel to a cruise ship unless like the other poster said its the Oceania or something like that.

We traveled to South American in December and were very concerned about a massive amount of children on board as well as very large families.

We found nothing of the sort.

We are scheduled to go on the Sun Princess in November to Australia/New Zealand and have read some rather negative reviews on the ship. I quieried further and got alot of positive reports from couples that had just cruised on this ship and they had great reports.

What it comes down to it nothing is perfect and you have to go with an open mind. I hope you enjoy your cruise. I will be looking for your review when you return

[zacc]

We sailed on the CB Sept 08, March 09, and are sailing on her again this Sept. If we had experienced any major problems with service, cleanliness, quality of the food, or any other criteria we certainly would not continue to return. The other poster was correct....if you look for problems you will certainly find them. In addition, I find that many times the attitudes of the people who feel they are having problems is the root of the problem itself. Repeatedly I see passengers treat staff as if they were personal slaves rather than employees. The friendly smile and courteous attitude we all expect while on vacation is also appreciated by those waiting on us. Relax, count your days until sailing, and have a great cruise!

[travelmoxie]

We sailed on the CB Sept 08, March 09, and are sailing on her again this Sept. If we had experienced any major problems with service, cleanliness, quality of the food, or any other criteria we certainly would not continue to return. The other poster was correct....if you look for problems you will certainly find them. In addition, I find that many times the attitudes of the people who feel they are having problems is the root of the problem itself. Repeatedly I see passengers treat staff as if they were personal slaves rather than employees. The friendly smile and courteous attitude we all expect while on vacation is also appreciated by those waiting on us. Relax, count your days until sailing, and have a great cruise!

 

I was on the CB the 2nd week after drydock in February. I thought this one was one of the most beautiful ships I had been on. The staff was very polite and willing to please, and we did not encounter any of the problems mentioned by the first poster.

 

I always figure its not up to the cruise line to "make" your vacation. Its up to you.

 

Enjoy your trip!!

[PhoneGoddess]

We're sailing on the CB on 7/17/09 and are experienced cruisers. I've read what, in my opinion, is an excellent, well written review by MRHMatrix on this site concerning the same itinerary. The review is not a one sided bashing of the CB and Princess by any means. It indicates enjoyable aspects of the cruise but an experienced marked by less than stellar customer service and attention to detail(such as dirty utensils with cabin service holes in bedding, disinterested buffet staff, etc). I think this review is very significant when we are in an era of decline in certain aspects of cruising such as downgraded dining quality, etc. Is demand for cabins so great that Princess and other mainstream cruise lines can simply not care about service and consistency in maintaing high quality? I do not buy the argument that on a large ship with high capacity, customer service can be lacking. I also do not buy the argument that I've seen on here that fine hotel quality and service seen on land should not be expected on a large ship at mainstream pricing because "you" are a passenger at sea, not a guest in a hotel. I am left with concern about our upcoming sailing and am fairly sure we will not be expecting the cruise of a lifetime by a longshot. Please let me know your comments. Thank you.

 

I did not experience any of those things on the CB in May. It was a "high quality" cruise IMHO. The service was excellent and the ship was spotless. Have a wonderful cruise! :)

[MFH]

We were on the 6/2/09 sailing and had no complaints whatsoever. In fact, I think service was among the best we've had on any cruise. The ship was clean and crew members were helpful and smiled. I wouldn't hesitate to sail her again.

[beckcab]

A cruise is what you make of it. If you go into it looking for the negatives I'm sure you can find them. This will be our third time on the CB--twice before drydock and the upcoming one after drydock. Both other times we have had a wonderful time.

[WWCJR]

We have cruised on the CB four times, three last year and then last month on the May 17th repositioning cruise. We have never had a bad experience with any of the staff on any of these cruises, but can say that many times the passengers did not treat the staff with the respect that the staff deserve. The staff works very hard to see that we have a great time on our cruises. They are not our personal slaves but do treat us like we are royality meeting our every need.

 

Since the ship was in drydock in January it has a lot of new updates and the very few places that I had spotted in the past that needed some repairs were all fixed. I would say that in May it was in BETTER shape than the new Ruby was in March when we were on it just 4 months after it first cruised. The staff on both were very comparable with comparable service.

 

We too would not be returning to the CB time and time again if it was not a great ship with a great staff.

[Solstice23]

We are sailing on her in August, and we ave some reservations on many things, We are Celebrity cruisers, But we realize the state of the economy, and the fact that Princess is still a good cruise line, we are going to enjoy a great week on a good ship, just do the same!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Forgive an ignorant question from a non-Princess cruiser. What is the CB? I thought all the ships had names like "Sapphire Princess", etc.

[FiveFamily]

I have never paid for, expected, or gotten any vacation of a lifetime. I have had once in a lifetime experiences. What you see depends on what you seek. I have always gotten much more than I pay for, never perfection. You get what you pay and many are not paying the rate of FINE land hotels. If you are paying that kind of money to cruise these days, then you should find or change your TA. Take the good from the review to get excited. Take the bad to adjust your expectation. On a mass market line, forget about the cruise of a lifetime. Not to say it can't be wonderful, exciting and memorable, with once in a lifetime moments. Yes, there has been decline in service since my first cruise in 1995. Also a plummet in cruise prices since that time as well. Then and now I still managed to enjoy it all. I don't think what you are seeking is present on a mass market line these days!

 

Good Luck

We are experienced cruisers, as mentioned so I do understand you point. We first cruised in 1985 and there has certainly been a decline in service. However, I disagree with your point that we should all lower our expectations because of what has become of the mass market cruise industry. Keeping our expectations high is the only chance the cruise industry has to survive. The declination in quality will eventually catch up with the cruise lines. Royal Caribbean is already in severe financial condition, reportedly, at least. Where I disagree with you is that to survive, quality must be restored on the mass market lines. That's what will distinguish them from one another. Again, and I mean you no disrespect, this is simply a discussion, it makes no sense to expect less because of discounted pricing. Discounted pricing is due to changes in demand. Don't you see that? Thanks.

[FiveFamily]

Forgive an ignorant question from a non-Princess cruiser. What is the CB? I thought all the ships had names like "Sapphire Princess", etc.

So far, you are the only one who has not given me a lecture. For some reason, to be accepted on this board, you have to lower your expectations, realize its JUST a cruise on a mass market line and accept it. If there's a problem on my cruise, I must be creating it. So I appreciate your question. The CB is the Caribbean Princess. Thank you for not criticizing my concerns!

[kendon]

I'll be honest with you. The CB was always my least favorite and I've been on nearly all of them. However, I'll be going on it for the 4th time this August...first since the refurb. Couldn't be that bad now, could it? The size of the ship has nothing to do with it. The Crown and Ruby (same size) just had a different 'attitude'. Was it the passengers? Was it the crew? I don't know. We'll see this time. I love Princess overall, so it's my first choice...but I cruise for the itinerary and the people I meet along the way. I'll post my thoughts in August.

[Theresa522]

I am also on the same sailing with you 7/17 and I cannot wait!! I am sure I will have an excellent time as I will settle for nothing less!!!!!!!! :D:p;)

[WWCJR]

Forgive an ignorant question from a non-Princess cruiser. What is the CB? I thought all the ships had names like "Sapphire Princess", etc.

 

On the Princess web site when you look at the different ships part of the address for each ship is a two letter designator that Princess uses to identify the different ships. Those are:

 

CB = Caribbean Princess

CO = Coral Princess

KP = Crown Princess

DP = Dawn Princess

DI = Diamond Princess

EP = Emerald Princess

NP = Golden Princess

AP = Grand Princess

IP = Island Princess

RU= Ruby Princess

SA = Sapphire Princess

CP = Sea Princess

TP = Star Princess

SP = Sun Princess

PA = Pacific Princess

RP = Royal Princess

TA = Tahitian Princess

OP = Ocean Princess

 

Hope this helps.