Long lines everywhere and bad food

Enchanted Princess Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 3

Overall rating:

2.3 out of 5
Enchanted Princess

7 Night Western Caribbean With Mexico (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: July 13, 2024

Ship: Enchanted Princess

Cabin number: B502

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 3 months ago

Review summary

Honestly, I have never really loved cruises on large ships. Being a sailor, and a lover of the sea, I have been enticed by friends to join a few big cruises over the years. This particular outfit, Princess, while all the others may be somewhat similar, is a huge disappointment. If you love to spend your vacation in endless lines waiting for marginally acceptable services - or just to get three or four decks up or down on the elevators that are always full - to eat food that would be on par with a school cafeteria - then this is the vacation for you! Even the specialty restaurants are not great if you are a lover of good food. The staff, while generally very friendly, are inadequately trained for their stations, and a few are outright rude. Even though we bought the highest package in terms of drinks and extras, it seemed like they had ways to pry additional money out of your pockets. Yes, it’s a business, I get that. But anyone who wants to taste a luxury experience at sea, unless you are used to trailer park living, will find this feeble attempt at creating an enjoyable at-sea experience disappointing, to say the least. The pools are so packed with people that the water color is that of a petrie dish infused with God knows what. To get a drink? Better be prepared to wait in line for 15 or 20 minutes. I remember when you could get good food on a cruise ship in the main dining rooms. Here, the quality of the food is like lipstick on a pig - dressed up to look fancy, but extremely poor quality. Anyway, if you like peace and quiet and the sea, you will be so better served (as will Planet Earth) if you travel somewhere nice, and stay on the seaside for a week or two. Why anyone would choose to put themselves through this kind of experience and call it a vacation is beyond me! Anyway, it’s nice to pack once and see different ports, of course. But seasoned travels will tell you that it’s so much better to pick a place and really get to know it, than to flit around getting a small taste, lacking any significant impressions of depth of experience. If all you want is a surface level experience, long lines, mediocre food, and huge crowds crammed into small spaces, then maybe this is your ideal vacation!

Embarkation

3 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5

Entertainment

2 out of 5

Service and Staff

2 out of 5

Ship Quality

2 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

2 out of 5
Acceptable

Ship tip

Dont

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

3 out of 5

Cozumel, Mexico

4 out of 5

Belize City, Belize

4 out of 5

Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

3 out of 5

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

1 out of 5

Disembarkation

3 out of 5
Was this review helpful? 3

17 Comments

robindeberry     3 months ago

We did this ship in May and loved it! Going again in March with friends.

SirBarre     3 months ago

I can’t believe what I’m reading and can’t believe what this person experienced. I’m an Elite status cruiser and have been on a great number of cruises with Princess and other cruise lines. I just completed a 20 day cruise on the Enchanted and never came close to experiencing what this cruiser did which makes me what actually what ship they were on. Unbelievable!!

trisha33     3 months ago

Yeah Cruising is not for you….

1960cruiser     3 months ago

I have been on many Princess cruises and looking back on those cruises, I have never experienced anything close to what this person experienced. I'm guessing cruising isn't for you or you just love to complain about every little thing you can. When I read people's reviews saying it's the worst cruise ever, it's usually their own entitled selves who ruined the cruise.

jbick65     3 months ago

I’ve been on the Enchanted 5 times and what you described was not my experience. We had exceptional service, food was great, and the only times we had to wait for elevators were at the beginning and end of the cruise. Sorry you did not have the same experience

Greg1055     3 months ago

I just returned from a Caribbean 12 day cruise on Princess (Emerald). It was my cruise and I was really excited. I did not experience the situation you described. While the buffet seemed bland and and nothing noteworthy, we went the dining room/specialty option. The boat was crowded, but not so much to ruin a good time. One thing I totally agree, some of the waiting staff should not be working on a cruise ship. Some of them were this way. The vast majority were exceedingly polite, helpful. Sure am sorry you had your experience.

PNWDenny     3 months ago

Sounds like you should have just said 'No' to your friends instead of doing something you didn't want to do and then bash it.

booger1xx     3 months ago

A review is just one person’s opinion and this sounds like this person is extremely opinionated. 29 Princess cruises and not one has been like what’s described here!

Oakvillepatti     3 months ago

Maybe you need to try another line in a smaller ship. I do hope you had a little fun.

mrwonderful     3 months ago

karlgrgurich     3 months ago

Our Princess experiences have been wonderful and we have enjoyed them immensely.

RC2cruises     3 months ago

You can give a negative review of a cruise you disliked without putting down those of us that love cruising. I don’t know how much a vacation in Utopia would be but most of us don’t have that kind of money.

BarbSeymour     3 months ago

How about not booking in the busiest season of year if you do not like long lines.

HeavySeas     3 months ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise experience

TiffyTaffy     3 months ago

Scathing review. To each their own.

cruising2004     3 months ago

Sorry this cruise was a disappointment.

javawoody     3 months ago

Sounds like cruising is not for you

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