The Crown had known propulsion problems, but nothing can be done about the engine failure, and yes the ship was traveling at low speeds. Juneau was a short stop, as was Icy Strait. Skagway was too long, but we assume it was to accommodate the Glacier Bay scheduling. Bottom line, we had a very pleasant cruise and our concerns pre-sailing were unfounded.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was easy and efficient. We had an early flight into Seattle and the only wait time was at the airport waiting for the Princess transfer bus. Not unexpected, since these were the same buses bringing passengers from the ship to the airport. We were on board by 11:00 a.m. and our stateroom was ready. Lunch was served in the Horizon Court buffet ONLY. No dining rooms were open on embarkation day for lunch. The Grill was also available for hamburgers, hot dogs, etc.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The dining staff was also exceptional. We had minor glitches with the "Dine Your Way" reservation app. We had reserved a table for two, same table, same server, but the "system" did not always recognize that request. We wound up with three different serving teams on opposite sides of the dining room, but ALL the servers were excellent.
Food tastes are subjective, but we found the food to be very good. Lots of choices, prepared well and presented beautifully. Lobster was served on formal night, as was beef wellington and other favorites. The baked Alaska parade was brought back as well.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Entertainment was back to normal, two production shows and the added entertainers were very good, especially the comedian, who did three shows. Even the lounge and Piazza entertainers; Too Cool Duo, Seascape and Christian Bilbo, were very good. (Many times those are "hit or miss").
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Throughout the cruise, we had stellar service; our room stewardess was exceptional! She was always visible and available and any requests were handled swiftly. The dining staff was also exceptional.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Standard cabin. We had to change the bed configuration from Queen to separated twins because there was a two drawer chest instead of a nightstand. With Queen configuration, the bed was against the wall on one side. Did not work for us.
The biggest disappointment was our stop in Victoria. We knew it was a late stop (7:00 pm to midnight), but we had a medical helicopter evacuation on our way, which delayed our arrival and we did not arrive until 9:30 p.m. All shore excursions were cancelled. We regretfully did not leave the ship, since the time was so short. Sad for those who had not been there before. That said, no one can fault Princess for the added delay - the safety of the evacuated passenger was paramount.
Good to hear you had a great time on your cruise despite what trolls and others have posted about Princess ships and their lack of service. I have been on 5 Princess cruises this year and although I have had minor issues, these were not bad enough to waste my time complaining on this app and as I said they were minor and easily corrected. I won't ruin my cruise because of pettiness like so many other cruisers who seem to get their thrills by giving bad reviews.
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