Disappointing cruise paired with amazing ports helped balance out our vacation. This was our 4th cruise and first and last with Princess but we have no regrets. We are already looking forward to our March Mardi Gras and NCL Escape cruises.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Medallions made embarkation quick and easy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
1 out of 5
We had heard rave reviews about the food on Princess and were really let down. The cut backs they are making showed in every venue we tried. The quality was very low in the buffet. The MDR was average at best. They couldn't keep the International cafe stocked with food for the number of passengers. The Lido pizza was okay. Alfredo's was good. We did not try specialty dining for fear it would just be an extra charge for mediocre food. The drinks were decent on day one but the quality went down from there. We tipped additional mid cruise and the drinks got a little better but It is frustrating that you have to do that to get what you already paid for.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
We knew that Princess would be geared towards a bit older demographic and expected the activities and excursions to be lack luster. We tried karaoke one night but they cut your song off after 2 minutes to make time for more singers. Many times the best part of a song is the ending so it was just awkward. My husband was going to audition for the voice of the ocean but they canceled the first day due to technical difficulties then the next day each contestant would only get 90 seconds to sing so we just skippped it. Two activities that we passed on were the paper airplane flying and egg drop in the atrium. The disappointment really seemed to be that if there was an activity we wanted to do, it was just not worth the hassle. The cruise was significantly overbooked for the number of crew and activities available. We were only able to get a deck chair one time in the entire 8 days and that was not on lido. Chair hoggers were everywhere and no one was enforcing the no chair holding policy.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The shows were overcrowded but we were able to see a sub par magician. The dj ended up being the best entertainment on the ship. The band they had on lido for New Years Eve was terrible, they didn't know the music or the words to the songs. I think that because this was a New Years cruise, they had a lot more younger passengers than they were used to. They tried to come up with entertainment to appeal to them and it fell flat. They tried to throw in deck parties like a glow party but no one had packed for that as Princess is not known for those parties.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Our room stewart Renato did a great job keeping our cabin tidy on our schedule. We ate in the MDR 7 nights, again due to overbooking and not enough crew the service was extremely slow. Two of our MDR waiters showed personality and were engaging and fun. The bartenders and bar waitstaff were slow and could show no sense of urgency or hussle. Roger at the casino bar was a rare exception and seemed to try to handle the heavy flow of passengers. It was not uncommon to wait in line 20 min for a drink at the bars. They shut down the medallion app for ordering after they realized they couldn't keep up. The majority of the bartenders, waitstaff, dining attendants and public areas cleaning crew looked exhausted and depressed. They were really being pushed to their limits and it was so sad to see. These people work extremely hard and they just couldn't keep up with the number of passengers Princess had allowed on this sailing. It was heartbreaking to see one customer after another complaining about the service when the crew did not have the manpower to fix it.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
We liked the layout of our square interior cabin. The light and noise from the hallway were the only drawbacks. The closets and storage were morethant we expected or needed. The bedding was a cruise highlight, as well as the pump hand soap in the bathroom. The decor was outdated but nothing too bad, it's not a new ship and Renato our room stewart keep our cabin clean and well stocked.
Ship tip
Unfortunately, we will not sail with Princess again. The tip I would give is to book for an off time. They are not capable of providing the quality and service we had heard about during a holiday or peak sailing.
Amazing port! We rented golf carts and toured the island. It was touch and go with traffic on the roadways and the directions given, but we had a fantastic day. 1000 steps is a must if you are a diver or snorkeler. We only toured the north side and it was breathtaking!
Amazing port! The ports on this itinerary were the reason we booked this cruise. It's safe to go around with your own group, even after dark. If you are there on a Thursday, I recommend going to the Punda side if you are there at night. If you are looking for adventure, we rented a car and went to Playa Forti, where my husband did their 40-foot cliff jump. Beautiful port and people!
Glad you enjoyed the ports! Those were what I visited for my very first cruise in September, although I cruised with Celebrity. My next cruise is in March on Regal, so I'm hoping that your negative experience was due to the timing of the cruise, but I still keep negative feedback in mind to be as prepared as possible. I hope your next two cruises will be so much better for you!
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