Overall, I was a bit disappointed, but it was good
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation was 32 minutes from the time of getting in line to the time of being onboard. My recommendation would be to have medallions shipped to you, it would cut that time into about 8 minutes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Food was VERY inconsistent across the ship!! A lot of food was bland, and I even had to use salt and pepper in the main dining room. Options in the main dining room were not great, and world fresh marketplace was typically the same every day.
Sabatini’s was okay, we had an overcooked steak and sent it back, then 30 minutes later it came out properly cooked, but had zero seasoning.
Crown Grill was the best dining experience on the ship!!
Alfredo’s was good! Salty dog was also inconsistent and bland.
International Cafe lacked freshness, and often food appeared to just be sitting in the cases for a few days.
Drinks onboard were great, the ocean now concept is great, however the execution is awful. Many times I ordered drinks on the app, and they were marked “delivered” but I never received them and had to go to the bar anyway, in which crew sometimes told me that it was my fault, and would give me a drink in its replacement. Bartenders are very stressed and overwhelmed with the addition of the online ordering.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We loved our cruise director Aaron!!
However, we felt that activities were lacking. Many times around the ship we had nothing to do, or found that all the good activities occurred at the same time and we had to pick and choose. Pools on the ship were very good and never felt full!
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Entertainment in the main theater was decent, not the best, but not the worst. Rock Opera was the best of the 3 production shows. Musicians across the entire ship were fantastic! I wish they rearranged the sets playing in each venue, for example having the string duo playing in the piazza on formal night instead of the band.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
By far the best cabin steward we have had in the last 5 cruises! Shoutout to Boylin (E516) we got into our cabin, and our luggage was waiting for us INSIDE of the cabin at 11AM!
While we had some great interactions with the crew (particularly good spirits, vines, wakeview bartenders, and photographers) we found the service to be inconsistent and not what was expected by Princess. The order now option on the app was not up to par, many times I waited 30-40 minutes for drinks to be delivered and would have to go up to the bar myself, which brings me to my next problem. I have never, in 15 cruises, been told while SITTING at the bar, that if I want a drink I need to stand up and get in the line. Only 2 bartenders at every bar, and they were all struggling to keep up.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Ship layout took a little bit to get used to, particularly accessing the retreat, and ceilo dining room, both would have to be accessed from the deck above/below.
Cleanliness was decent, the crew was struggling sometimes to keep up with the empty glassware around the ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Only negative about the cabin were the motion detected lights, often they’d turn on at night due to the hangers/clothing swinging with the ship.
Ship tip
Book your dining options early, research the ship to minimize the frustration of learning where everything is located and how to access venues.
Disembarkation was great!! By the time we finished breakfast our luggage tags were called and we walked right off the ship, grabbed our luggage and got in the car!
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