More than met our expectations!

Crown Princess Cruise Review to Europe - Western Europe

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 37

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Verified Review
Crown Princess

12 Night British Isles (Southampton Roundtrip)

Sail date: July 16, 2011

Ship: Crown Princess

Cabin type: Inside

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 13 years ago

Review summary

Overall, with two exceptions, my wife and I had an enjoyable experience aboard the Crown Princess. (1) There was a clear lack of capacity for many shore excursions, many of which were sold out weeks before the cruise began. One would have thought Princess could anticipate the number of passengers during the peak Summer period and plan accordingly. For those who plan a cruise around the assumption that they will be able to visit certain sites, the lack of capacity for shore excursions for which no alternative exists (for example, to Normandy and Paris from La Havre), raises questions about Princess' ethical and legal obligations to deliver what passengers pay for and expect. (2) I understand that Internet access via satellite may be intermittent at times based on the position of the ship. But to continuously receive the message of too many subscribers logged in suggests a different problem that represents a shortcoming within the ship's and Princess' power to control and correct. The lack of reasonable (if not continuous) Internet access created unanticipated work-related difficulties for me and caused unneeded problems during what was supposed to be primarily a vacation. If not fixed, this should give pause to anyone who requires onboard semi-regular Internet access.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

Ports of call

Le Havre (Paris), France

5 out of 5
Best excursions were to Normandy and Paris. But both sold out quickly, leaving many passenger frustrated and angry.
Don't Miss: excursions to Normandy or Paris

Pros: ports visited; flexible dining times; customer service

Cons: too many shore excursions filled and unavailable; Internet access less than advertised and costly

Recommends Crown Princess? Yes!

Was this review helpful? 38

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