I hope it's just post-pandemic adjustments, but it seems Princess has cut back on its staff-to-customer ratio and quality of service seems to be suffering. We'll be back aboard in June with hopes things will be closer to what we were used to enjoying pre-pandemic.
And the Medallion/ Medallion app was a real headache for us. It unlocked our cabin door just fine (And triggered the "portal" screens to remind me it was "my" anniversary several times - with no mention of my wife), but wouldn't let us re-arrange dining schedules to join with travel companions, wouldn't allow scheduling of a departure group, only showed My account folio charges & credits (which is problematic when my wife doesn't use a smart phone) and was just plain Non-functional on several occasions. Dining room servers had to take our wine order with pencil and paper - so did servers in the Explorers lounge.
Kudos to the Supersonics! They are a great band that played Explorers & Fusion lounges with occasional appearances in the Piazza too. They kept us up dancing until well past our bedtime several nights, and we look forward to seeing them again when we cruise Alaska in June. (Their contract aboard the Ruby runs to July 9, they say)
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Used the Medallion app pre-cruise to get assigned "green lane." It took about an hour from drop-off at pier 27 until we were on board and free to roam the ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
With only two of three main dining rooms in use, it was difficult to get or change dinner reservations. Staff told us "Just use the app." but the app wouldn't work much of the time. We just stood in line until a table was available 3 of the 7 nights. Food was OK most nights but trout was overcooked one night, snapper undercooked the following night. Dining rooms seemed understaffed. Servers were polite but rather impersonal.
Breakfast in the buffet was good. Made-to-order omelettes were delivered promptly. There was a good selection of other breakfast items. Finding a table was not too difficult (I was told we were at only 80% capacity on this sailing).
The Medallion app was usually useless for ordering beverages in the Explorers Lounge. Staff resorted to pen and paper to take orders most nights.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Cooler weather kept us away from the pool. We did watch a few of the games, trivia contests, and a couple of art auctions.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Stage shows were so-so. Magician Trigg Watson's first show relied heavily on the ship's internet and fell flat with us. He's been better on past Princess cruises. We skipped his second show. Comedian Doug Funk wasn't all that funny we skipped his second show too. The "Colors" production show was enjoyable, and the band Supersonics - a group of 5 from Romania - were the Best we've ever enjoyed aboard ship. They kept us up past our planned bedtime several nights.
Children's Programs
No kids with us this trip.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Our room steward did an excellent job, Servers in the dining rooms seemed too busy to do anything but their jobs.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship seemed generally clean and well maintained. Smoking is still permitted in the casino on deck 6 midship, so getting from front to back and avoiding smoke smell is best done on deck 7. If you need to do business at the front desk be prepared for a whiff of smoke smell. Access to Botticelli dining room is a bit weird. It's on deck 6 but you have to go full aft on 7 and down a deck to get there.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Virtually the same balcony cabin we've experienced on the Grand and Island Princess, C deck cabins have larger balconies with plenty of room to stretch out and move around. When we boarded, there was only One chair in the room for the two of us. Michael, our cabin steward, promptly provided another when we requested it. Cabin itself was clean and well-maintained.
Disembarkation
3 out of 5
The Medallion app. never did make it possible for us to schedule a disembarkation time, and the front desk folks couldn't tell us with any certainty when we would be allowed off the ship, making schedling a pick-up ride something of a shot in the dark. Once our group was called, we were off the ship, hrough customs and waiting for our ride within about 20 minutes.
We sailed on Ruby in November. Second time on Princess using the Medallian App. We loved it. No problems for us. In fact, we thought it was MUCH improved since we used it on the Caribbean Princess in June 2019.
Medallion is a joke that was pushed out too fast and apparently a big political thing. And is the reason I have started cruising other lines even though I am a Princess elite. The aft dining room on many ships are the same odd access, primarily due the the way the kitchen and the other dining room on that deck are forward and take up the entire width of the deck.
*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.
9 Comments
stacyandmikey 2 years ago
RichB165 2 years ago
Tony005 2 years ago
AuntPinkie 2 years ago
RetiredRay 2 years ago
WhippetMum 2 years ago
Gwbigdog 2 years ago
javawoody 2 years ago
javawoody 2 years ago