LabGuy64

I would not put it past them to blame a delay that would seem to be more the fault of Princess on Noro tomake it seem they are just working for the passengers best interest. Don't know that it is the case here though.

I am becomming convinced that theses chronic Noro outbreaks are the fault of service or kitchen staff's lax hygene. and while most are probably compliant it only takes one preparing food to affect hundreds. passenger based spread would tend to move more slowly as, we don't have so close an interaction between ourselves and other cruisers. Especially as this virus is primarially transmitted by lack of hygene after toilet use.

I have no blind loyalty to Princes (or any other cruise line), and I'm not about to speculate about Noro or any other reason for such a delay. However, I can't imagine that any cruise line arbitrarily creates a delay. The ill will it generates is too great, so I assume that there must be a very good reason for the delay. I am sorry that you will be effected, especially on a short cruise, but these things happen. Princess probably doesn't want the delay anymore than you do.

did they offer any compensation? you are right about it being a short cruise and every hour counts

We have a three night cruise scheduled for THIS Saturday on the Crown Princess.

We had planned to get there early, eat lunch on board, relax a little, hit the muster drill, then do a Meet & Mingle with our Roll Call group, return to the room dress for dinner, get to dinner early to avoid the typical lines and crowds in Anytime...then go to the 8:15 show...and then on to one of the later night activities before retiring to bed...

 

Today, less than 72 hours from sailing, Princess sent us an e-mail telling us that boarding has been delayed until 5:30 pm with some decks being told to show up to board AFTER 8:00 pm!

 

The excuse was that the ship needs to be disinfected due to an outbreak of Norovirus.

 

Problem is that, since I regularly read Cruise Critic, I know that there is NO CURRENT outbreak of Norovirus. The last Norovirus outbreak reported on the Crown Princess was back in MID-NOVEMBER...

 

So, I called Princess for an explanation. The agent I spoke with had no clue and was unaware of the delay. She put me on hold to go find the "official" word, then came back with, basically, the same explanation as on the e-mail. I told her that there was NO current outbreak and she admitted that I was correct...but there had been an outbreak recently. I told her that it was over a month and a half ago...and she admitted that I was correct, but that Princess decided to do this cleaning NOW in response to that...

 

So, what Princess has decided to do, in response to a situation that passed several cruises ago, is to arbitrarily ruin OUR cruise experience on less than three days notice.

 

The cruise is already a very short one as it is. This delay basically makes it that much shorter. They expect us to forego the first afternoon...arrive at the pier at 8:00 pm...rush to the likely overcrowded Anytime dining room for what will be for us a very late dinner...sneak in a muster drill (still required, of course, as our evening's entertainment...and go to bed, hopefully with our luggage showing up to our cabin sometime or another...

 

For those flying in and with transportation and flight arranged, I suppose they are expected to wait for several hours standing in the San Pedro parking lot...

 

A wonderful first day of only three...Thank you, Princess Cruise Lines!

I assume it is similar to a Hospital...there are a host of issues that are requirements that you get "dinged" for and would drop your "score". There are always lot's of other things that they would like to see done, that they think would be good practices but, they really don't have enough evidence yet (might never have) that it would enhance safety enough to become a requirement....basically just recommendations they think would be useful.

I don't think 100 means they are perfect, just means the things found were not serious health issues. I read the eclipse report and there were about 20-30 items listed.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Hi,

I am just getting back to cruising after being away for some years but, ....the last cruise we were on (RCCL) in 2013 required that if one had a drink package then both had to have it...I assume to keep one from doubling up and get drinks for his wife/partner. Princess does not require this?

If your DH buys a bottle of wine for himself, he can share it with you. Sounds like if you drink something different that you should buy a drink package for yourself. The drink package is for the person purchasing the package.

Glad to hear at least some good posts about the beds....although I suppose we can get a topper if it is too hard.....Will be on the Crown for our firt trip in april '15 and are very much looking forward to it! just a 7 day coastal but will be a great getaway.

I like the look of the Celebrity suite package as well......I was just wondering if I was missing out on something with the "Haven" experiance.

We are booked in the PH ....but not til 2016..we are looking forward to it very much. I am thinking about booking at the end of '15 ant looking at options

I like the designs of the older ships a bit better....I don't understand why Princess dropped the Grand suite for the last several ships and even the OS are smallish.....they seem to have embraced a less is more attitude....Mine is that less is less....I like the option of the bigger suites and wish Princess would have them available on all their ships...even if the are fewer in number....I like them especially on the longer cruises :cool:

Once you do a suite you won't want to go back....even if you think the cost is higher than you want to pay there will always be something saying you should be in the bigger, nicer cabin...lol...and if the line you had the suite on gives good perks...multiply the feeling times 2...at least :)

Yep. I made a similar mistake by taking DW on a First Class flight. Of course I was working at the time, traveling for work quite a bit, and the upgrade was comped. Now I'm retired and have a big problem ... Anyway, glad you enjoyed your mini-suite. You're going to have problems going back ... I sort of dread the day we get either upgraded or an upsell to a full suite.

INTERESTING QUESTION.....I don't think any specialty restaurants on any of the ships have outside seating?...anyone else have a different experiance on any ships?

There is outside seating but its not for the restaurant.

Kind of a viewing area over the aft pool.

or at least blindfolded here...so I don't have to read some of the posts

If you are looking for an exciting excursion in Istanbul, take a taxi ride but take a blindfold so you don't have to watch what's happening :). Irrespective of that experience, I would go back...the blue mosque and other "tourist" sites are magnificent .

The reason I was comparing them was that I read that the Deluxe OS was over 1100 sq ft and by size seemed comparable to the PH suite on the S class Celebrity ships...any other thought on the benefits of the "Haven" vs Celebrity's PH suite perks?

I've visited the Dlx OS and it is a small odd room that is not really a suite with a separate bedroom. It just has a table barely big enough for 4 to eat squeezed in. Its main feature is it is on deck 15 with a great balcony with hot tub and view of the pool area. IMO the regular OS is better and much larger, no hot tub, less $.

 

I have not sailed on Celebrity but have been looking at X suites. Their PH appears larger than the NCL OS. It also appears better decorated than NCL, but remember I've not been in it.

Good, I had always wanted to see Istanbul....I am really into the Roman Empire and had wanted to see the Capital of the Eastern Empire.. Hopefully the prolems we ran into were just isolated incidents. Was there one thing you think is a DO NOT MISS under any circumstances sight to see?

Our last 2 cruises were European Itineraries on Celebrity's S class ship - The Silhouette. I honestly think the S class ships are the ideal size and we never had any issues in a number of ports where we were docked - Venice, Dubrovnik, Naples, Sicily, Malta, Athens, Rhodes, Kusadasi, Crete as well as in smaller ports where we were tendered - Kotor, Santorini, Mykonos(we docked there instead of the usual tendering), Split.

 

A cruise is as much about a ship, as it is about the places you see. I would not downgrade from an S class ship as I personally love big ships (atleast S class on Celebrity and Voyager Class on RCCL). Unless ofcourse the itinerary is brilliant and there is no other choice (like in Asia)

 

Unfortunately the S class ships no longer go to Venice, so if that's a stop you definitely want to do, you will have to go with the smaller ship. If you are going towards Venice, try and choose an itinerary which includes Kotor, it was the most outstanding port.

One common note I see is that people seem to think the entertainment is spotty and a bit lackluster. I really think Celebrity needs to look at this. I am 50 and the diversity and shear quantity of entertainment I have been exposed to compared to my parents generation is huge. Celebrity better keep that firmly in mind when planning shows and entertainment in general. I find very boring much of what my parents would consider good...and although I am 50 and just (maybe) starting to slow down a bit, my generation was weaned on ROCK not the big bands.

Cruised on the Eclipse during winter 2013: OUTSTANDING Just came back cruising on Equinox. Here our point of view:

1-) After a few minutes being onboard, we felt something was slightly different but couldn't say what exactly. Maybe it was only the "wow" of the first cruising with Celebrity, the ship being exactly the same so no "wow" moment ... but it was nothing to be disappointed about.

2-) In our inside room: no ice bucket/ice (we had to request one and were told in order to have one you NOW have to ask for one). However, after asking, the ice bucket was filled every morning and evening.

3-) Food was excellent, no difference

4-) The entertainment level came in waves (at the Theater). On the Eclipse, it was always top notch. The comedian and The Tenors of Rock were outstanding on the Equinox. The ship dancers and singers were just okay and performed repeatedly.

5-) Zumba was entertaining and brought loud music but we are not dead yet so we enjoyed that for an hour or so...

6-) Their OBC for future cruise are not as generous as last year. The marketing thoughts with the 123 offer is genial. You think you are getting a free lunch BUT you are not! The prices between inside room and ocean view are way too much... If you are not aware of the 123 offer, it applies for booking an ocean view or higher. I do believe if Celebrity has sales in the future, it will apply to only inside room.

7-) The employees were OUTSTANDING just like on the Eclipse.

8-) We do believe that the cost of Celebrity cruises went up over the last year.

9-) Even though we love Celebrity, we always select our cruises with the itinerary. HAL has more choices so we are "obliged" to cruise with them this October as Celebrity doesn't have 24 day Mediterranean/Greek cruise. We were told to consider BTB but still they can not compete with HAL itineraries... Same thing with Asia 2015... We will be cruising with HAL. But if the itineraries would be the same, we would purchase Celebrity cruises over HAL.

Hope our comments can assist you.

I was wondering if anyone had done cruises in both these cabins and had comparisons....many people seem to like the "Haven" experiance on the Norweigian ships but when I looked at a youtube video of the Deluxe Owners suite on the Pearl the decore seemed brash and well....a bit tacky IMO...I guess some might call it more "fun"....sometimes things seem different in person that from a video......so...taking in the entire cruising experiance....any comparions that anyone wants to share?

What was it you liked best about Istanbul, I have not made it there yet...but, I was not that impressed with the exposure to Turkey that we have had.....lol...my wife especially did not like the attitude towards women....she still is not over the time we passed by a shop and a woman was trying to get my wife to look inside....I did not like to look of the place and said...No...lets go....when the woman tried again to interest my wife a man came out of the shop and basically told the sales girl to stop...that I had said no, ....so that was the end of it....My wife was not amused....though I was....a bit

Not quite true. All the airlines accommodate what is called "open jaw" fares which often cost about the same as a round trip. This permits passengers to fly to one city and home from another (the distance between the two cities is the "open jaw"). We actually prefer cruises that begin and end in different ports since it makes it more fun to spend land time at both ends of the cruise. We will often fly-in several days (or even weeks) prior to a cruise, take the cruise, and then spend several days (or weeks) after the cruise in Europe. One of our favorite cruises was between Civitavecchia (Rome) and Istanbul. We were able to spend several weeks driving in France and Italy and then dropped our car at Civitavecchia to take the cruise. After our voyage we spent a few days in wonderful Istanbul.

 

Hank

You can answer a question i had.....why would anyone want to do repeat cruises with the same itinerary...especially very near to each other?...there are lot's of places to see.....or places you have not seen recently...no being critical...just want to understand it as I have seen others mention the same thing

As Gek wrote attitude is the main culprit.

 

The first time that we sailed on the Summit we expected it to be like the S class ships because it was Soltiized and we built it up to friends that sailed with us. Wee were really disappointed as we we in AQ and it was not the same as AQ on the Solstice. That plus trying to make sure that our friends were enjoying themselves and then some others issues that they had made it one of our worst cruises ever. The next year we sailed the same cruise by ourselves and it was one of our most enjoyable.

 

We also just got off the Eclipse. We did the same exact cruise with the same cabin 3 times in the last year. It was not as enjoyable as the previous 2 times because we were bored. We have this same cruise scheduled.for Mar 2015 and we are seriously considering canceling. I am sure that the majority really enjoyed it but If I were to write a review it would not be favorable. It is more of a personal opinion as we are getting tired of the same food, entertainment, and ports. We have also noticed many cutbacks in personnel, amenities, entertainment, and activities so that also contributes to it. Plus it appears as if the quality of food is getting worse.

 

If we haven't done this cruise before it may not have been noticeable but for us it is.

 

It is just our opinion and I won't write a review as it is probalby not a fair evaluation because of what we expected from past experience and it is probably due to all the great times we had before and they can't be repeated or lived again. The first time is usually always the best.

 

Happy cruising

has the sewage smell issue been one all through Millie's life or more due to age?

Oh Sorry...did not see youhad not sailed on her in her early days....so I throw it out there to anyone that has....

We spent 31 days on Millie since November 2013 in 2 separate cabins Deck 6 aft. Having cruised extensively (though nowhere near Arno's record) and travelled on S class and M class Celebrity ships, my opinion of Millie is this:

 

Public areas were recently "solstisized" and are very nice. We enjoyed Bistro on 5, the casino, and Cafe al Bacio.

 

Cabins are in need of updating. Broken light fixtures, scratched and sometimes broken paneling and doors.

 

Olympic Grill was very good and consistent each time we dined there. It is essentially the same menu as Murano. We generally dined in Blu and there were several misses in both service and food quality. Never dined in the MDR but heard generally good comments.The Oceanview Cafe was the usual scrum for breakfast and lunch but the food was good.

 

We did notice the "smell" as you approached mid ship on Deck 6. Seemed worse in the AM than later in the day.

 

The ship IS old at 15 years. Celebrity needs to either update the M class ships or farm them out. I have sailed on Regent Voyager, which is even older than the Millie and you would never know it's age as it is absolutely beautiful and looks like it just launched. The lesson here is that some cruise lines take pride in how their ships look, others do the minimum necessary to keep them afloat and producing revenue.

 

The ports of call are why I would choose Millie and after all, isn't that why we cruise? Go and enjoy!

Those studio cabins freak me out......maybe European singles would like them.....but they are just too damn small

MG,

 

I've cruised Med, Carib and River Cruise (French). I cruise every year with my 80 year old Dad, so for obvious reaons it feels like a singles cruise to me, expecially after 10 PM when he calls it a night. I go on whatever cruiseline / itinerary he chooses and we've done CCL, Princess and NCL. I would advise a 40 year old single cruiser to avoid school vacation periods (Christmas, Spring Break, T'giving and Summer) and also Disney and Carnival cruiselines (very kid friendly). NCL caters to solo adults in their Studio cabins but their partnership with Nickleodeon scares me and I'm not sure if I'll go back. I don't like Spongebob Squarepants at the best of times. I sure don't want to bump into him on a cruise.

 

Regardless of the cruise line, the service has always met or exceeded my expectations. I was always able to meet and spend time with fellow adult cruisers be they single or attached. People are good at heart and like to embrace perfect strangers. Find a hot tub or pool with a chatty group. Grab a drink and slide in. You'll be included in the conversation within minutes.

 

Celebrity and Princess have the reputation of being more elegant and adult oriented, but really, on any cruise with over 3000 guests you should be able to find a handful that share your interests. Each ship will have an assortment of adult activities. Bars, comedy, DJ's, casino, dancing etc. The maitre'd or MDR hostess can help seat you with guests of similarly age or circumstance.

 

Make your decision based more on which cruiselines best meet your itinerary / cost / dates / embarkation port expectations. IMHO.

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

 

HTP

:cool:

Make friends with someone in one of the penthouse or Royal suites....they get lot;s of free booze to share...:cool:

Agree with DYKWIA. Just back from Eclipse and all was wonderful. We did not have a drink package and also found the drink prices to be out of sight!!

TRUE,

It is a messy business....of course you could ask how good a friend she is...However, as I have checked the other PH which is still open.....the price has gone up 4,000 I will let it go...just never use her again

Of course as you pointed out I am getting a pretty nice package from Celebrity but the TA really did not do much for her money.....she should have "spread the love a bit"

Kind of pisses me off as the TA is supposed to be a friend of my wife

Yes, at the casino for a 5% fee, though on occasion I've seen it waived.

 

We have received more than 10% for cruise at those levels of spend, or close to it. Combined with Celebrity OBC and loyalty perks with said TA much more than 10%.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

Anyone else out there that has booked a cruise at this level or higher get 10% from their TA or near it?

could use it in the casino couldn't I?

Guess she took a short term profit rather than the long term association.....short sighted but you live and learn.....of course as the more expensive cruise is 2 years away I could line up a better TA, cancel and rebook....

Michael

it's not an issue of "feeling special" Personally I like the bigger room and can't stand the tiny bathrooms in the ocean views and interiors (am 6'8")...and as I can afford it why shouldn't I be comfortable...Nor do I make any issue of what cabin I am in....but if it makes YOU feel good that your Vacation costs less because of the idiots paying 10X as much in the Suites....then do....enjoy your "cheap seats"

I can't say I've ever noticed any difference, indeed I am not even sure that a waiter would know what sort of room you had............................. in the past I have occasionally had crew ask me when chatting socially what sort of room I had, they didn't know from my card or room number even.

Apart from the cabin stewards - who would know - not many of the others get to the accommodation decks.

 

However if it makes for a happier cruise experience for someone to think that they are "special" by virtue of having paid 10 x as much for a suite as an inside then go for it.

Keeps the cheap seats cheap for me.

 

Oh, and I leave $10 for two usually, or $20 if I don't get charged corkage - happens sometimes.