In the beginning, the phone app that customers are forced to use is absolutely horrible. Who ever designed it and those who ok'd it to be used with the ships customers should be ashamed. I would seriously think twice about cruising with Princess again solely based on the app. I was frustrated before I ever got on the ship. It is slow, clunky, not intuitive an only works part of the time, I could spend all day talking about how inadequate it is. I work in the information technology field and I was really struggling with it. I can't imagine how the older clientele feel about it. It wasted A LOT of my time. The medallion concept and functionality was fantastic and we really love how that worked throughout the ship.
The weather was horrible to Alaska, not LA, San Diego or Ensenada like is listed in this review form. Princess's IT group really needs to get it together. We were delayed getting out of Seattle and missed two of our three ports of call. This is not what we expected but we understood that the captain was trying to keep us safe and more comfortable. We don't blame him or the cruise line for that, can't control the weather. We received 35% off another princess cruise but honestly I'm not sure that is worth it if all of ships have the same food and crumby service. I will still have to fork out a considerable sum to be forced to use the app and be disappointed with the food and waiter service. Being first time cruisers we had no idea there was such a thing as formal night. And this ship has two! We were told we couldn't go to the main dining room if I didn't have a tie on. I didn't bring formal wear at all. Ended up in the buffet most of the trip. Why two nights? I can see why its done but that's a lot and why were we not informed!? The lack of communication (about many many things) and what to expect is a bit dis-heartening.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Smooth and on time
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The main dining rooms were rushed and the food was sub par at best. The buffet was good....some of the time. Excellent shrimp. Had to pay extra if you wanted a lobster roll. I'm not sure who thought runny scrambled eggs were a good thing, THEY ARE NOT! They were like that every morning. A person could drink them. The Crown grill experience was horrible. We payed extra for a nice experience. The waiter was extremely rushed and the lobster was rubbery. I will say the steak was good, not excellent, but good. I was really looking forward to the food, everyone raves about cruise ship dining, Princess really missed the mark on this one. I would have given this part 1 star but Bars and bartenders were excellent. Thank god, because that's about all there was to do on board. Alexandra was awesome, and at the wake view bar Pintu, Roney, and Adnan made the cruise for us. They have great personalities and bring A LOT to the ship!
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
On board activities were for geriatrics only. The outdoor activities that I would have partaken in weren't happening because of the weather (not the cruises fault) but they should have had other options ready. Knitters and natters and bingo are not my thing. C'Mon there were people on board under 70! The Casino was ok, but it just a casino and a good place to throw money away. We did a massage that was pretty good, but they try and sell you a bunch of stuff afterward while you are still naked wrapped in a towel. ....really? We wanted to go to the comedy show but couldn't figure out when it was or who to ask. They changed the dance show to the comedy show due to rough seas but we didn't know that.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
We didn't get to go to any shows. They communication about what the shows are and when they happen was horrible. Overall communication was horrible. The guy playing the piano and violin in the main room next to the international market and in the crown grill was very good.
Children's Programs
No kids
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Again can't say it enough, the Bars and bartenders were excellent. Thank god, because that's about all there was to do on board. Alexandra was awesome, and at the wake view bar Pintu, Roney, and Adnan made the cruise for us. They have great personalities and bring A LOT to the ship! Our room steward did an excellent job, and I wish I could remember her name. Bartenders were the best and we received far better service in the buffet area then we did in any of the restaurants.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We continually commented on how the clean the ship was, not a speck of dust and the crew was constantly cleaning and disinfecting common areas. That part was wonderful. Not one complaint, great job crew!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Beds were extremely comfortable, room was adequate for our needs and having the balcony is a must. The balcony door was difficult to open at times, but not worth deducting any points for.
I totally agree about the app. It's terrible! Who ever designed it and approved it should both be fired! In regards to formal night, if you read your travel summary it tells you there are 2 formal nights typically held on sea days (at that point you could have looked online to see what the dress attire is for formal night,even though formal implies dress shirt and tie.) The shows/times and daily events are always listed in the daily patter (on the app or can get a print out from guest services each day). There is trivia, games, bingo, lots of lectures abouts the ports etc. Alaska cruises don't have as many onboard events though because everyone is very heavily focused on Alaska, lectures and site seeing. It's always a good idea to go on YouTube and research your cruise. All in all it sounds like Carnival will be more your style. I love Princess for some cruises and Carnival for others.
Thanks for your review. Using the Medallion app. on your cruise is not required. I put my phone in the safe and leave it there. You can use your Medallion to open your cabin door and purchase items, if you desire. You can also locate your shipmates using your Medallion on the displays by the elevators. If you did not receive a Princess Daily patter with all the daily events, you could have asked your cabin steward for one or there are extra copies at Guest Services. I hope your next cruise is better.
Sorry you had such an underwhelming experience. As first time cruisers, did you do any research to find out what to expect? You probably would've found out about the formal nights by checking out the many cruise vlogs and the cruiseline's website. I hope you won't let this experience taint cruising for you and give it another try, perhaps on a different line. Each cruiseline has different characteristics and these can vary from ship to ship within the same line as well. There are surveys and articles online that can help you select a cruiseline and ship based on you want out of a cruise. Good luck!
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
