This was a very good cruise despite the star rating, just not perfect for me. I found myself always comparing things to RCI and Princess wins out on so many counts. It felt like moving out of the house you grew up in. However this cruise served as a learning experience on how to enjoy the future Princess cruise sailings. Medallion technology and ocean now delivery sets a new standard. I will have to make a cruise card out of my hotel key to go with the collection of cruise cards.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Was Green lane and once through security never stopped walking more than a minute.
Since there wasn't a scheduled arrival time, took the first shuttle available from the hotel. So even though arrived before boarding began, once they began it was a pretty steady pace.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The buffet area was physically laid out similar to Carnival Magic with multiple choices in the different areas. Unlike Carnival most of the stations were open during peak periods giving the feel of the Royal Caribbean Windjammer.
Main dining room reservation system needs work too often times were not available in any dining room and reservations could not be made, a major pain point on a line without traditional dining times. I understand that this is changing soon. The menus appear to have been slimmed down but there is a favorites section for those less daring to try new items. Food was good even if the service was lacking due to lack of staff.
Specialty dining service was lacking again appears to be a lack of staff here. Food was prepared well and they were able to accommodate a peculiar request without question and quickly.
Pool deck, Slice and Salty Dog were both excellent with the items tried.
Ocean now delivery service is great, just remember that drinks ordered this way are only discounted even with a package.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Too much smoking in the casino means that this venue was useless.
Spa services were very good.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
There were plenty of shows. However the layout of the Princess Theater seating prevents being able to see the stage from many seats. Need to get here very early to get a decent seat as most shows in this limited seating venue were full.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
This really should have been perfect but for one significant issue to me. However I chose not to bring this up as everything else was perfect. I hate the idea of being a Karen/Kyle on vacation and refuse to complain as I don't believe it was intentional and take some small amount of responsibility for allowing it to happen.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Standard Carnival layout with weird rear dining room access. Was not impressed with the retreat pool. When comparing to the Solariums on RCI ships. Did not pay for the sanctuary. Will probably do so in the future or purchase a spa pass.
The staircases in the central elevator banks were always humid. Looking up at the ceilings on deck 16 Lido they were moldy near the vents. Aside from this single area the ship appeared to be perfect. Still makes me wonder about the lack of adequate ventilation on this ship design after Covid.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Overall the cabin was very nice once the technology issue was resolved after 3 calls to the front desk.
Ship tip
Definitely get either the Plus or Premier packages. The desserts in the atrium are just amazing. Medallion technology isn't perfect but it's a giant leap in the right direction. Remember that drink orders through the ocean now delivery service are only discounted even if you have a package.
Three ships in port really stressed the capacity of this port. Harmony of the Seas, NCL Breakaway and Enchanted Princess adds up to about 14k people. Very crowded.
Thanks for the great review. I think your comparisons are very good. I did love the solarium on RC. I don’t know why Princess is supposed to be higher than the other mainstream brands, Princess is typically cheaper (much cheaper than RC) in my experience. What I like about Princess is the food. Not fantastic but mostly good. And the buffet is open all day rather than closing for hours between meals. Carnival is best for Lido type food.
@RedDawn55 - Indeed, it's impossible to compare two different experiences. I can only measure my feelings afterwards since it was my first premium brand experience after becoming somewhat jaded/complacent about sailing RCI. Of course many people start off with the mass market brands and use that one experience to define cruising. While I expected Princess to be superior to RCI and CCL in all respects, that was not always the case. My best example was that I preferred the Solarium on Enchantment of the Seas to the retreat. So the next time I'll consider the Sanctuary and expect it to be superior to the Solarium on Anthem. Princess did enough to keep the others from voting to try Celebrity Edge class which is the next logical comparison and was my original vote (I was outvoted).
@Cruising2004 - There's rarely a reason to not enjoy a cruise. This cruise was a great learning experience after 15 years of sailing primarily RCI. I'm sure there are more Princess cruises in the future. (Right now the debate is between Icon or another Princess but it will come down to a vote. I'm still planning to vote for Princess) There were so many little things that were better on Princess and there were a lot of things that I prefer on RCI. It was almost like putting an RCI ship and a CCL ship into a blender and out came Princess.
Thank you for your detailed review! Very informative and glad you enjoyed your cruise. Difficult to compare RCL, Carnival, and Princess however, because RCL and Carnival are " resort-style cruises " and Princess is more in the "premiere cruise" category ( more on par with Celebrity and HAL).
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