My 20th cruise, but first on Princess. I'm not sure I'd rush back for a few reasons. One, there loyalty program is terrible IMO. My mom is a platinum member and got almost nothing for it other than a special check in line, which was no faster than the normal line. Two, the price Princess quoted was more than through . Oh, she did get 150 minutes of free Internet!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We got there early, before the 1pm time in our papers, and the check in and embarkation process was efficient and fast.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The Crown Grill was really good! We went on the very first night of the cruise, so it was half price with a coupon from the coupon book in our cabin. Best meal on the ship. The food at the buffet was "pretty" good, but the lack of variety meant that by the end of the cruise it was the same-old, same-old meal for lunch every day. Other cruise lines seem to have better variety and theme stations. The Salty Dog Grill served decent burgers, but the meat patty was much too small for the bun. Food in the main dining room was good, not excellent, but the service we had was excellent.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
I made use of the gym on a daily basis and the equipment was good. A shout out to the South African ladies working there. Always very helpful. The pools and hot tubs were well used, but not by me. There were no other special activities.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Every year it seems that the cruise industry spends less on entertainment. Gone are the days of spectacular shows and excellent entertainment. No dualing piano bar, no late night adult comedy show etc.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Cabin service was great. From the moment we got to our cabin, Adolfo greeted us by name and was most accommodating. Service in the main dining room was also excellent, and nothing was too much trouble for Roland. Even service at the buffet was very good.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
For a ship having just emerged from dry dock I think it was as expected.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
As far as cabins on cruise ships go, this was about average. Like most other ships, there is a distinct lack of electrical outlets which makes it difficult to power all the modern day electronics. The door to the balcony slid very easily on the rails, which was great except when there was a little pitching, and the door wouldn't stay open.
Thanks, we take our first Princess cruise next week so will probably follow your tip on Crown Grill... We’re on Ruby Princess later in the year so we’ll see what it’s like then... Re the Loyalty programme, hardly any offer all that much, MSC (who status match) offered by far the most...
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