Crown Princess Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Good cruise to help determine if a 7 day or more cruise is a the next vacation you want to explore.  The cabin was great, a mini-suite, would highly recommend this size since it has a full bathtub in the bathroom! Slept 4 people very comfortably. 

This cruise was excellent because of the service we received ,entertainment , food and service in the

Da Vinci anytime dining room . Embarkation fast and friendly.

Cruising  2-nd time with Princess cruise. The first time we wonderful time on Princess Sapphire,  Unforgettable experience at the state room balcony and the Spa. Good memories over all. Food was perfect, different shows every day, very good service. The second time we were on Princess Crown ,clean and nice , very fancy , helpful staff, Compering other cruise liners the Princess  ships are very Luxurious. Very nice set up and organized , no shaking , no problems, We had wonderful time on  both ships.  

Our Mexican Riviera Cruise was a wonderful, relaxing experience on the Crown Princess, a high class vacation ship on a beautiful decorated floating 5 star hotel.

Sheilla took such pride in the care of our cabin several times daily. She continually spruced up our room as it was always "spic and span."  It was our pleasure to see her beautiful smile ~ she always took the time to say hello and share happy wishes for the day.

Our waiters, Victor and Kumar were friendly and experienced servers, never allowing an empty glass or lengthy wait time for each dinner course. We really lucked out with them!

The Princess' entertainment was superior - We couldn't believe how professional the shows were.The dancers were amazing, as was the choreography, scenery, music, singing, and beautiful the costumes....just like Broadway!

We love cruising and look forward to sailing Princess again!

Excellent experience, highly recommend this cruise!

ALL JUST GREAT !!! WE HAD A VERY HAPPY WEEK WITH YOU.

THANKS A LOT "CROWN PRINCES" !!!

OUR CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS !

Excellent experience, highly recommend this cruise!

We get to the port and to our surprise had to wait in a hanger til 3PM to board the ship to this time no lunch was available and soon to be dinner unacceptable.

For the monster exercise, our cabin is on the 15th flr and need to go on the 7th flr and told we need to go by the steel stairs, older people cannot do this unacceptable.

Also the entertainment was really poor (princess cruise dancers & singers) come on

Other then the issues mentioned above, the service was good.

The ship should explain more about the virus and methods to avoid catching it. I ended up with it the last couple of days and had to drive 300 miles home. The version of the Norovirus I caught cause a low grade fever, chills, vomiting and diarrhea. They also want to charge $75.00 to see the medic.

I really enjoyed our cruise and would recommend princess to many people, but not everyone. The food was good, staff wonderful, and entertainment terrific! I've cruised a lot and they are really what you make of them. I was happy to just relax and read during the day. I wish there had been more port education. Excursions vary so much they aren't fair to review a cruise on. My big problem is that the ship wasn't very clean and our cabin was filthy. If you squig at cleanliness issues like other people's hair I can't recommend this cruise to you. If it bothers you but you can move on, its a good value. My other complaint is the nickel and dining on costs. We spent almost as much on little extras (mainly drinks and not all alcohol, which is normal to pay extra for) as we did on the cruise itself. The reason the cruise is priced so low up front is that you will pay extra for everything. That said, the up front price is low enough you can afford the extras, just plan for them. As I told a friend, princess is the Red Robin of cruising - consistent, basically reliably good but not what you'd generally call great or rave about. If you've cruised on top ships you'll be disappointed in the comparison. If this is your first cruise this could be an excellent one. I would do it again for what I paid but not for full price. I enjoyed the chance to have a week of free time with my love, enjoy some shows, and good food and I got that. Speaking of food - absolutely pay the up change to dine at the higher end restaurants on board! The grill was to die for good and the Italian one was delicious!

It was a nice itinerary for the holiday break. We were the second cruise after a large Norovirus outbreaks and special procedures were in place (thumbs up). We had a delayed boarding and the restuarant schedules were not adjusted which caused some level of confusion and very long lines at the buffet. Things calmed down after the first day. We did have a handful of possible Norovirus cases on the ship but the captian and crew kept people informed and on alert. We did have 2 reported fires during the cruise a first for me a seasoned cruiser. I think the ship is ready for a refurbishment. The people were great and if you're a go with the flow kind of person you'd enjoy the cruise.

We had a great time on the Crown Princess.  Food was outstanding.  We ate at Crown Grill and Sabatini's four nights and it was well worth the extra $25 per person per meal. Food throughout the trip was excellent.  Service was great, our inside cabin was roomy enough for us.  We over packed.  Laundromat down the hall was great.  We brought a case of water for our room, and it worked out great.  

We booked our shore excursions online, not through Princess.  We zip-lined in Puerto Vallarta, went horseback riding in Mazatlan, and rented waverers for an hour in Cabo.  The only on I would do again is the Waverunner rental in Cabo -- it was a blast.  the other two activities were okay, but next time we'll just go do some tourist shopping in these port cities.

We are definitely going to be doing more cruise vacations.  Thanks!

My husband and I have been on several different week long cruises with four different lines.  There were some major setbacks with our departure this trip. Overall however, we enjoyed this cruise and would gladly cruise with Princess again.

Boat: great.  Very clean, classy, well kept, lots of different spaces to hang out.  Loved the lounges, art gallery, plenty of pool spaces and putt putt golf area!

Room: good.  We got an Oceanview partially obstructed view on deck 8, room E209. There was a large ferry boat on the bottom 2/3 of our view and crew access platforms on the left. We never saw any crew members which is good because they could have seen in our space, and the cruiser's walking path was enough below us that they wouldn't be able to see in.  Though not ideal, I wouldn't mind an obstructed view again, as I like seeing the ocean and daylight.  On rocky evenings, we both felt our room must be in a bad place as it was rockier than in other parts of our ship.  Our room was always made up by the time we returned, and they delivered chocolates instead of towel animals.

Food: good.  The buffets were average, but didn't have a super layout. We chose Anytime Dining and always enjoyed our experience.  The menu was hit and miss for us, though I loved lobster night!  Sometimes the waiters were a bit overloaded and there was almost always a line to get into the restaurants, but everyone worked really hard to accommodate us.  Specialty restaurants filled up FAST and we were unable to get any reservation at either by day three. They had a 24hr International Cafe, which was our FAVORITE, a tasty pizza and ice cream bar and a pool side burger/hotdog grill that was all included.

Stage Entertainment: average. On the main stage, we saw a hypnotist (dull), a Sir Elton John impersonator (who was very good) and a cruise singers/dancers show (average).  We ended up REALLY enjoying a comedian and a fantastic swing/creole band on a smaller stage.

Daily Activities: great. We loved Movies under the Stars (above pool movie screen), trivia, "Name that Tune" type games, karaoke, poolside live band, hosted events, putt-putt golf, current movies playing in the stateroom etc.

Ports: good.  Due to an emergency, we were unable to visit Puerta Vallarta, and I've heard that is a great port.  Mazatlan was great.  Everyone was transported via tram to get past the dock and delivered into a tourist mart.  We did all our shopping there (make sure to barter!), but took a taxi and bus into/around town.  Very pretty and easy to get around.  Cabo San Lucas was beautiful, loved the arch and the water was the clearest I have ever seen.  We took a snorkeling excursion to two separate spots, no impressive wildlife, pretty reefs.  We didn't get past the immediate shopping street into town, but really enjoyed our time there.  I heard from other passengers that the immediate shops didn't open until 10ish.

Staff: wonderful.  :)

Boarding/Disembarkation: average. The boarding process took quite a while, probably two hours and there were lots of lines. Disembarkation was very easy and seamless.

I give this cruise 3 and ½ stars - not because of the missed day and the norovirus problems - but because of the lack of communication at the beginning. We were told that we would be provided a complimentary bus to Long Beach and back.  We were not told that we would be forced to stay in Long Beach for 5 hours with no option to return to the pier.  Nor were we informed of any reasons for the delay or given a timeline for departure.  Simple communication would be nice.

Our stateroom was kept fairly well maintained and clean, about a 4 ½ star level.  The entertainment, food, Port options and other amenities were very well done.  Movies under the stars – what a great idea.  Everything on the cruise was above a 4 star level, but it did not quite make up for the problems at the beginning.  We will cruise with Princess again – but only if the pricing is much better than Celebrity for the same cruise.

Our Princess Cruise and Land Tour to Alaska was fantastic!  We found the staff very helpful and the service outstanding.  The food was delicious and we really enjoyed "anytime dining".  The ship had all the amenities we required and the daily afternoon tea service with the string quartet was delightful.  The bus and rail travel on land was extremely comfortable, with our hotel rooms ready to walk into upon arrival with our luggage already in the room.  We did have one small mishap with a lost bag, but the Princess staff immediately corrected the problem, with the 'lost" bag being found and returned within a few hours.  Overall a fabulous trip with our highest recommendation in terms of value for the money.

Almost 3 hour wait in Vancouver before processing thru Crown Princess to board ship.  Was not greeted with friendly personnel; seemed tired and exasperated.  Cabin and cabin steward was good.  Food was not up to par with other cruise lines that we had experienced.    Medical emergency was difficult to handle to get transportation back home; Monica handled getting the doctor's appointment but left us to find our way to the appointment.  Walked for 30 minutes in the wind and rain to down town Juneau, AK and could not get a taxi cab to take us as only two passengers.  Multiple cruise ships were in town and they wanted the larger groups.  Finally caught a woman cab driver coming out of a restaurant and begged her to take us to the doctor's appointment which was miles out of town in a residential area.  She had sympathy and called her dispatcher to get someone else to take her pickup while she took us.  Meanwhile we say a white Princess van pass us twice during this search but would not stop.  VERY BAD EXPERIENCE and still continuing since I had to return home and now can not get the Cruises Only agent or Princess to split out the cost of the cruise from the 3-day land tour to be able to claim on the Vacation Protection policy that Cruises Only sold us.  We cancelled the 3-day land tour 3-days prior to the start of the land tour but we get NO COOPERATION.  This was our seventeenth cruise but first with Princess; we will not be making a second cruise with Princess!

Everyone on the crown princess was top notch .  Loved the entertainment! Food was great! Would definitely recommend this cruise.  The sencery was undescriable, beautiful

First, Maggie and I really like The Princess line and have become Platinum members with our latest cruise on the Crown from Anchorage to Vancouver .Great advantages in cruising  with this line whether it's your first cruise or your fiftieth.  There is a great deal to love about the Crown Princess including the fact that Princess simply caters to a more sophisticated and mature audience than Carnival, RC, or most any other line.  If you are in your 40's, 50's, 60's or 70's and take vacations without children, you know what I mean. It's not that children are not invited, there just does not seem like a lot for them to do.  If you like the peaceful existance of being on a large ship while not feeling pressured to do or buy anything, then you will love The Crown or any of Princesses ships. It almost feels like the kind of experience we enjoyed thirty years ago when we first started cruising. 

This trip was one of our favorites as we flew into Anchorage a day early and were able to explore and absorb the vastness and beauty of this incredible state. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to visit Denali and Mt McKinley three hours north of Anchorage. Those folks that we talked to who did go north said they loved the experience and would do it again in a heartbeat. 

The next day we met at the airport for our bus ride to Whitier (about an hour). The problem we encountered from Princess was that we were not directed to the airport at a particular or specific time. It was very unclear as to how and where we were to get the bus to Whitier. The reps for Princess who met our plane told us just to show up at the airpor the next day before four pm. When we did get to the airport the next morning at about 11 am. We were told that it would be a three hour wait for the bus . Are you kidding me? The reps for princess should have handled it better. This will be one of my few complaints about this trip.

Once we boarded, our trip through the snow covered mountains and glaciers was mesmorizing; Maggie and I couldn't believe the extreme beauty that surrounded us and have never seen a part of the world so beautiful. The trip took more like an hour and a half and got us to the ship a little after four. We checked in and walked to town (less than half a mile). Town is a few trailers that cater to the fishing crowd and needn't be visited for anything. There was very little available to buy for cruisers at the General store which was in reality two small trailers that sold fishing goods, boat parts, hardware, bait, tackle and soda.

The air is so clean in Alaska that even when it rains, which is often, you want to take giant gulps because it is so refreshing. Once asea, we retired to our balcony room (a must on any cruise but most important on an Alaskan cruise. Generally you can be on your balcony at any time of the day in a shirt or a light jacket. Now the reason I say a balcony room is so important is this, the light of day lasts around twenty hours. Even when the sun does go down the sky is light and seems more like dusk than midnight. This was true for the first three or four days and as we got closer to Vancouver, the nights came earlier and became much darker. That first nitght though was incredible as Maggie and I snuck back outside to view the scenery at two in the morning.

If you take this cruise for the first time, nothing in the world will prepare you for your first glimpse of the Hubbard Glacier on day two. Words, pictures, video, nothing can do justice to the beauty of eyeing your first glacier up close and personal. The colors of Hubbard, reds, greens, grays, blues and more will astound even the most scrutinizing individual. We rushed  to one of the top decks hoping to get a better view as the Crown Princess crept closer to the wonder before us. The bay waters were as calm as as could be and the silence was awe inspiring. I was not dressed adaquitely at first wearing only a shirt and a light sweater. We soon learned that if you are going to be on deck as you approach The Hubbard Glacier thru those icy waters you better be dressed for it. I came back with a heavy hooded sweatshirt, light jacket zipped fully up, stocking cap and heavy gloves. The ship will take you closer than you think possible to Hubbard. You can almost feel the crystal peaks and rivers of blue that run thru this glacier. The immensity of this natural wonder is forever ingrained in me. It's not true as I had previously been told, that if you see one glacier, youve seen them all. This glacier was seven mile long, but later that trip we saw a glacier that was sixty-five miles long and 4,000 feet high. The ship does a full 360 degree turn in the bay so that you are able to see and take pics of everything. Just when you think you have seen everything, we do another 360 turn and are able to view areas that you may have missed the first time. Sharply peaked  Icebergs floated in the glasslike  waters beneath us, cloud cover was so low that you could almost reach out and touch it and the eerie quiet made you feel as though you were in a different world completely. One of the true wonders still left in the world to enjoy.

The days that followed were just as inspiring as that first day. The three Stops we made, Skagway, Juneau and Kethikan were perfect and disembarking at these locations was and easy. I won't continue to bore you with specific details except to say that we went on a tour in each of the cities. Some good some not so. I would strongly advise not to do the White Summit bus tour with a stop at Liarsvill to do gold panning. Sounds like fun huh? boring, childish and a complete overcharged waiste of time. I would suggest though that you have to see the Mendenhal Glacier in Juneau. We took the bus tour through the cruise line and once there, were able to explore on our own. This was our best tour by far, especially if you walk down to the glacier and waterfall. Simply amazing, being able to touch the incredible water from the fall and see this glacier so up close.

Being our first time on an Alaskan cruise we did not know what to expect.

We had an excellent time and got to see everything we wanted to see.

Would take more time in certain places but that will be for another trip.

Would recommend taking warm clothes and binoculars to see everything you can.

Overall was one of the best cruises we have taken.

Sometimes we felt food could be more simple at buffets but overall was great.

 We have cruised on several cruise lines, Princess by far had the best food quality and selection. Gil our waiter was wonderful, he seranated us for our 25th anniversary . The ports of call were beautiful, the stop in Ketchacan we went ziplining and our guide Iris was amazing! My husband who is terrified of heights (ziplining for me), Iris took her time with him....thank you Iris! 

 The only reason I would not recommend the cruise is for families with children, I did not see many things to do for kids, there was a teen lounge and small game room, but kids would get easily bored on the ship. 

Being flexible travelers who are destination-oriented, we look for the cruise that gets us to the places we want for the best deal.  This time it turned out to be Princess Cruises and, more specifically, the Crown Princess because we wanted to see Hubbard Glacier and also cruise Glacier Bay.  We were not disappointed!  We also enjoyed our port stops.  The Alaska cruise in general was so different from our previous cruises (3 in the Caribbean on Carnival and 1 in the Mediterranean on a European cruise line).  It is hard to know if the difference was the location and weather, or if it was Princess. We knew that Princess tends to cater to a more mature crowd and expected a little more formality.  The Caribbean itineraries with lots of beach/ water options naturally would tend to be more informal. It would actually be interesting to us to take a Caribbean cruise on Princess to get a real feel of the differences we saw with this cruise on the Crown Princess.

With that being said, there were things we liked better on the Crown Princess, and things we liked better on our Carnival trips.  We have always chosen an inside cabin since we don't spend a lot of time there and prefer to spend our money doing things in port.  Our cabin on this ship was beautiful and the layout with the entrance to one side instead of the middle helped to make it feel bigger.  The bed and linens were very nice and comfortable, although it was also the case in our cabins on Carnival.  We seemed to have more storage on this ship, tho. So we did prefer our cabin on the Crown Princess! The ship was also beautiful, and although it is a bigger ship, the public meeting areas seemed to be smaller than ones we have experienced before.  It wasn't a huge problem, but seemed interesting to me!  (We do love the Carnival Liberty, tho!)  The cigar lounge, casino and theatre were all definitely smaller than ones we previously experienced.  But we found ourselves enjoying the entertainment in the lounges more.

Entertainment and activities were similar, as was the food in the buffet areas.  There was a hamburger bar, pizza, and ice cream bar available.  The International Cafe was an interesting new twist, being located in the atrium.  It was nice to have the option to grab lunch (it is served kinda deli-style) or dessert and perhaps watch any entertainment that might be happening.  The only problem was finding an available table, or even chairs, so you might want to scope that out before getting your food!  Nice area, tho!

One area that we were just a bit disappointed in was the dining room experiences.  The food was okay, but we found ourselves missing the Carnival selections and quality! There was a time or two when nothing really stood out and we didn't know what to order, and there was a time or two when the food was really incredible!  But overall, we were expecting things to be a step above Carnival, and we were not impressed!  The serving staff was good, but more subdued--maybe this is a Princess thing?  We didn't necessarily miss all the "entertainment" from the servers, but we would have liked to see more smiling and maybe even a little more friendliness.  One of the dining room managers really didn't seem to be happy at all, and this sets the mood for when you enter the dining room.  There seemed to be a little confusion with the AnyTime Dining, and we had to wait 30-45 minutes at least a couple of times.  But others told us this was quite unusual.  Since this was our first time to stray from traditional dining, we weren't expecting this much waiting.  Maybe we chose wrong times to eat?

We would have liked to see hand santizers at the dining room entrances and in other areas of the ship.  The only ones we saw were at the entrance of the buffets, but we did appreciate those.

Another difference, and we are not sure whether we like or dislike this, is that they do not do announcements in your cabins, nor very often through the ship.  They take sort of a "hands off" approach, not disturbing you in your cabins.  This is fine, unless you are busy and don't realize that you have arrived at this huge glacier or that there is a pod of whales on the port side, etc.  They also do a "quiet" disembarkation, so you have to stay on top of things that morning!  This was kinda nice, as long as you are confident in knowing the time! We did enjoy the less-party-like atmosphere of this cruise overall.  Again, would this be different on a Caribbean itinerary when more people are out by the pools?

So was it a great cruise?  Yes!  Was it our best cruise ever?  Not sure!  It was so different with the demographics of the passengers, the weather, the location, and us not having our young-adult sons with us this time. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and the itinerary.  Would we cruise on the Crown Princess again?  Definitely, if the itinerary and price were right!  Not sure, tho, if it will stand out like the Carnival Liberty did for us, or if we are ready to commit our loyalty to Princess!

The Crown Princess was a nice ship. didn't have the glitz and glamour that other cruise line ships had. Food in Dining room was fair, steaks were tough and meat was fatty. You would think that being in Alaska you would experience Salmon fixed in many different ways but didn't. We missed the enthsiasm of the cruise directors in getting people involved w/ all sotrs of programs and games onboard, unlike Carnival and Royal Carr. Don't get me wrong we had a great time seeing the Glaciers and the ports, just lacked something on board ship itself.