Emerald Princess Cruise Reviews - Reviews

The good points are that there is plenty to do, the destination expert and lectures were informative and entertaining. The cruise director and staff were also great. The problem was that the low morale and poor quality of service from much of the staff. Most of the ship had a we don't give a crap vibe. The exception was the staff at the International Cafe. They were always smiling, friendly and helpful. The waiters and staff at Crooners could not be bothered. On the pool decks you would be more likely to find a unicorn than a waiter. The ones that were there could usually be seen talking to each other on the sides well away from any passengers. Other times we felt rushed. We showed up for the pub lunch a little after 1Pm. The event was supposed to last until 2. At about 1:30 they started tearing down the decorations. We had to ask about 6 times to get our desert. Afternoon tea was not much different. Our room steward did the bare minimum. We had to request to have the floor vacuumed and the window and mirrors were full of smudges from previous cruisers. I have been on other 4 Princess ships and service has always been great.

Great ports, shabby ship, crappy food, constant upselling

This itinerary should be a must for anyone who is interested n wildlife and the excitement of going to the end of the earth and also visiting wonderful Buenos Aires and Santiago as well as all the other ports.

Ship great. Perfect sailing days. Staff don’t seem too happy. Other cruisers commented this this trip is not up to par with princess standards. Too much product peddling.

Loved this cruise and its itinerary. About a year before sailing, the cruise changed from Cape Horn route from Rio, to departure out of Buenos Aires. We actually went to Rio pre-cruise for New Year’s and had a great time. We had VERY smooth seas throughout the 2 weeks (the cruise prior apparently had a much rougher time). This was a great and diverse trip (food in most ports was AMAZING), but we didn’t exactly starve on board either. :-) We loved Share by Curtis Stone and although we miss Sabatini’s, this restaurant had a great variety of menu choices and wonderful service. Crooners’ Bar is our favorite and this trip didn’t disappoint. They always seem to have a great crew of bar staff who seem to enjoy working together and ribbing each other a bit. This was our first time sailing as Elite and having someone do our laundry and dry cleaning was stupendous. Most days we received it back in 2 days and the ship was sold out with a lot of Elite travelers so we were impressed.

Everything was perfect! This was our first cruise and we loved it. Hoping we could go on another Princess cruise again. The crew was surprinsingly kind all the time, and this made the difference.

We sailed from Jan 3 to Jan 17, 2018. Everything was perfect, the room and the common areas. Every place was very clean and tidy at all times. Employees were efficient and kind, we felt wonderful. Our stateroom (L257) stewardess, Maria, was probably the best person we met, we are grateful to her for taking such good care of us. Other people that made our staying most comfortable and enjoyable were: John and Ivan (desktop attendants), Tami (Boticelli's waitress, table 59, 2nd shift), Mangesh (International Café's night shift), Ryan (Explorer's waiter), Mirella and Shan (Lotus Spa), Lorena (Lolo), Verónica, Armando and Teo (entertainment). Special congratulations for choosing Duke Christopher as Cruise Director. Sadly I don't remember some names of people that also were wonderful and worked so hard to make our journey more memorable, I apologise to them. Thanks for everything, Princess Cruises!!!

Have sailed this ship more than once and will say upfront that it’s always been a great experience! Food is amazing as always, enjoyable entertainment, and the staff are friendly and talkative as normal. ROOM: As on most ships, definitely not the roomiest but well kept and comfortable. Gorgeous views from balcony. Upper bunks are slightly uncomfortable, but main beds are some of the most comfortable I’ve ever slept on. FOOD: A pretty wide variety and tastes great! Noticed that the buffet has started offering vegan and gluten-free options which is great to see. Dining room service is stellar and the food is always a highlight. ENTERTAINMENT: Not Princess’s strongest suit, but as a dancer myself I can say that they’ve definitely stepped it up in recent years. Enjoyable, but if you have high standards for shows maybe not the ship for you. STAFF: One of the highlights of my cruise. Staff are all talkative and friendly, some of the best service at sea. Always smiling and I have had many interesting conversations with staff from all over the world. OTHER: Ship is really nice and the piazza is a beautiful area to sit and read. The gym is really nice too. Embarkation and disembarkation is very well organized. Overall a great experience!

Overall, my wife and I thought that this cruise was excellent, except for the customer service staff and the declining buffet. We enjoyed ourselves immensely, and took advantage of everything that the staff had to offer. The food in the MDR is still the best that we have encountered on any cruise ship, and the activities, entertainment, and ports-of-call were all acceptable.

This was a "Fantastic Voyage" and look forward to 10 days next year. Pre Cruise we drove to LA and spent the night at the Crowne Plaza. Hotel was lovely as the room was spacious, furniture was comfortable, staff was friendly, and we could see the port from our room. Room was priced fairly (around $230 and that included covered parking for the week in their garage as well as complimentary shuttle to and from the port) We took a very short walk to "Grinders" restaurant and their food was outstanding (and surprisingly low cost). Tab for the four of us was less than $50. Food was kind of “elevated” diner food (wife and I both had a Chicken, mushroom, and veg angel hair pasta dish. On embarkation day, we had a buffet breakfast at the hotel (included in our room rate). Buffet was not as good as the nicer ones in Las Vegas; but, for a hotel in LA, it was fine. While choices were limited, food was flavorful and well prepared. After breakfast it was time for the shuttle to the port. We were a little excited (you think?) and showed up a little too early.

This was our Swan Song cruise with Princess. If we do cruise the Mexican Riviera again, we will take the ports of call more into consideration when choosing while specifically avoiding those with only half a day in highlight ports such as Cabo forgoing Mazatlan altogether. Will select cruise lines that have more of a "When in Rome" attitude by offering the culture of the destination to enhance menu options on board.

Best cruise director ever! Very funny, fun, energetic, good dancer. We love all the staff on Princess as they all smile and are personable, making the trip more enjoyable.

The cruise was relaxing and enjoyable. I can see why the cruise line receives awards for the food on their ships. The food on Emerald Princess was much better than on the Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas. The shopping on the Baja peninsula leaves much to be desired. I enjoyed visiting Cabo, but do not expect to return.

Returned from a 5 day cruise to Cabo San Lucas for Thanksgiving. I'm not sure if it was my party or others but, the staff was lack luster. They were not very friendly or engaging at all. The bartenders really need to pick it up. The last cruise I was on was a Carnival and the bartenders were very friendly, by day 1 knew our names and what we drank. But not here. I found the boat layout alittle confusing. And as I have seen by others the food for dinner was lack luster in the dining room. The pool area was taken over by children. Every hot tub had 10-12 kids in it. At one point later in the evening, we managed to get in, but I felt like a pedifile as 3 little girls under 15 jumped in wearing little bikinis. Very uncomfortable. They should have a kids area or At least a time where its only adults. If the staff can up their game, it would have been perfect.

We just returned from a 5 day Cabo Cruise on the Emerald. I think the ship is in great shape. It was a great cruise. Cruise Director David was hilarious. Two areas for improvement: the bartenders all seemed annoyed and not very friendly. And this is the first cruise I have been on when no lobster was served and the food in the dining room was somewhat blah. I was a bit disappointed in that but other than that a great Thanksgiving getaway!

As my first cruise that I can remember, this was a wonderful experience with outstanding activities being offered on the ship as well as lovely staff and cruise personnel.

we booked a back to back cruise on this ship and was fun and easy two get off ship and get right back with no problems.when getting on to second cruise to cabo. and cabo was fun time.

The Elton John tribute entertainer Jeffrey Allen was fantastic! Both my husband and in laws would’ve loved for him to play longer than an hour. All around great show! The comedy show was hilarious and he had the crowd laughing to the point of hysterics. Very entertaining. Now the Disco production show was not so great. The male singers were lacking in vocal talent and the show itself was a little cheesy. However, there was a female singer who was rather talented. Although the Disco show was lackluster, the Elton John tribute and the comedian more than made up for it. The quality of food (specifically buffet) was outstanding. By far my favorite of the 3 Princess ships I’ve been on. The Crown Grill was superb as always and Share was also tasty but it took us 2 1/2 hours to get through all 6 courses. Overall, I am a lover of Princess Cruises which is why I still give it 5 stars. Can’t wait for the next cruise.

Great cruise.....had a couple fighting for 2 and half days close to our room.....finally on day 5,staff called their room.....my god how could your BF take you on 7 day cruise, and be so miserable?

No regrets, just paled in comparison to the cruise we took on the Celebrity Solstice six months prior.