gepgelmik

OP, I'm really sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I was on the Caribbean Princess July 9th to 16th and posted about how terrible a time I had because the AC and cold water didn't function in my room, D 223. The internet didn't work properly either. As a result, I am likely to look into cruises on another line in the future. When I stated this, many posters responded with negative comments. I stopped commenting. Maybe the OP never returned because they've been accused of lying, borderline harassed by folks, and otherwise received negative responses. Just because a person doesn't have a positive experience on your favorite cruise line doesn't mean they are personally insulting you. Just because they had a negative experience and you had a positive experience doesn't mean anything. You all do realize that there are thousands of people on a ship, each having a different experience, right? In any case, there are many reports in various threads about issues on this ship. I would advise those who are thinking about booking on it to seriously consider the number of bad reviews/complaints on the forums.

Yeah, this is my last comment on this. And a confirmation of why I’m usually a lurker. Safe travels, everyone.

Hi Coral, I have indeed experienced good internet at sea, and I’ve seen posts from others that have also had good experiences. I’ve attended meetings/classes over zoom, FaceTimed, made WhatsApp calls, downloaded books, games and audiobooks, and even used streaming services like Netflix. Because I’m experiencing swirling/loading on this ship when trying to watch movies, I suspect that they are using some sort of streaming tech for their stateroom tv/movie offerings? Does anyone know? In any case, my point is that there are some ships that have spotty internet, and some that have super fast internet most of the time. I’m not sure why there are differences between ships. Also, people can definitely experience bad internet on land trips, depending on location and infrastructure.

Hi Jimmy, You make a good point- internet access can be at the bottom of that list in terms of importance. But, it’s important to me for a variety of reasons, and that’s why I pay for it. Everyone has their own idea of what a good cruise is. At a minimum, I expect to receive the product I paid for. Imagine I rented any product for a week, and it only worked 50% of the time, and I was offered no solution, compensation or explanation. In fact, imagine you rented a product, and the company took your money for it knowing it didn’t function correctly, and then offered you chocolate strawberries to make up for it. For some, the internet on a cruise is an entertainment gadget. When I don’t have the net, I’m cut off from friends and loved ones, which makes me anxious and worries them. It also means that I may not have access to therapy I need. Also, I do use it as an entertainment gadget. In terms of operational issues, there are none right this moment. The ac is still on, and my plumbing appears to be fixed. The plumber removed the plug from the tub so the tub is just a glorified shower. I wanted to take a bath this week since I don’t have a tub at home, but I’m tired of complaining, and I don’t want any strawberries. My first cruise was in 2016. I’m not sure what you mean about the “we” who cruised without “issue or complaint” from 1910- 2015. I could guess but it would be more interesting to see what else you have to say on this. My hope is that you’re not saying something cliche like how internet is new-fangled/something only “millennials” need/people should disconnect on cruises or some combination of those things.

Hi folks, Here are my responses to various questions. I would definitely get off the ship…if I could get back to Ft Lauderdale without flying. I didn’t even bother to ask about moving to a different cabin because there are widespread issues, and I don’t want to be stuck in an inside or regular balcony cabin. I was told that the ac was out on at least two decks. I do have an electric fan, and it helps somewhat. I just got off the phone with customer service manager, who told me the ac was working. I told him it was working briefly yesterday, too. I told him the only thing that I wanted was (some) money back; he thanked me for calling him. Honestly, there are so many issues on this ship, I feel bad for the folks who work on it who must have to constantly deal with complaints. I feel like Princess is scamming people by continuing to book people and not deal with these significant issues.

Don’t book it. I’m currently aboard and haven’t ac since boarding yesterday. Also had no cold water in the bathroom so I couldn’t shower. Nothing works. The crew is great though.

Like most folks, I have a limited amount of time and money to invest on vacations each year. I don’t expect perfection, but I do expect the basic amenities I’ve paid for, especially when I’ve paid a bit extra for a mini suite. My cabin steward is great, and the crew is doing their best to deal with the issues…but it’s not enough. I can’t even leave my balcony curtains open to enjoy the view because it lets in too much heat. They just keep saying they’re working on it, and that they had over 200 phone calls about the air conditioning. I don’t care. For me, the primary goal of being able to relax is no longer achievable because I keep having to make phone calls over and over. And I keep sweating. And the whole situation is no good for my anxiety. Guest services offered me a bottle of wine OR a spa treatment OR onboard credit. I just want to go home. I want my dog. And most of all I want back the time and money I’ve invested in this trip from hell.

Ok so here is why I’m telling people to run away from the Caribbean Princess. If you’ve done your research on this ship, you see that there are lots of recent reviews talking about how the toilets haven’t worked, how the app is wonky, how the internet is wonky, how its run down and dirty. Previous Princess cruisers also have a lot to say about the food, but I find food reviews very subjective. I’ve also seen some negative comments about the crew. All the crew folks I’ve spoken to have been excellent. I have absolutely no complaints there. The reason I am hating this cruise is because I have no air conditioning, and haven’t since boarding yesterday. What really bothers me is Princess must know there are constant mechanical issues on this ship, but they continue to take people’s money week after week. Today, I tried to shower and discovered that there was no cold water, so no way to make the water cool enough to bathe. Two days in I’ve had a a gazillion issues with the app, my stateroom television..I even had a notification from my credit card that Princess had charged me $100 bucks for something, and I haven’t bought anything. I prepaid my gratuities and have a drink package. The internet only works sometimes. I’ve made multiple calls to customer service, only to be on hold for 15 minutes or more. I was even hung up on after being on hold for 20 minutes. You can send a chat message on the app, but there is often a long long delay in response. I ordered room service and after two hours, the food was marked as delivered. It hadn’t been delivered. Comments on the crew upcoming…

Hi folks, I see there are quite a few fellow travelers onboard the Caribbean Princess (7-9) and others asking questions. For those who are asking questions, my response would be to run away from this ship. I don’t expect perfection, but things are ridiculous. This will be my first and last time on a Princess cruise. The Context I’m a solo traveler, and contrary to popular belief, people who travel solo enjoy having spacious accommodations. I travel solo because it’s my preference, and up until right now, the only bad cruise I’ve had was one where I went with other people. Since this is my first cruise since the pandemic, my first time away from home since starting a battle with anxiety disorder and agoraphobia a year or so ago, and my birthday on the 12th, I got myself a mini suite. I have mobility issues and am super introverted, so my dream was simply to hang out on my balcony, read my books, drink non alcoholic frosty drinks, and just relax. I couldn’t get my money back on a previous cruise booked with Princess, this fit my schedule, and so I booked it. I have no interest in the ports and no intention of getting off the ship. I literally have been prepping for this cruise for months, both mentally and in terms of buying clothes, researching etc. I’m writing a bit here because I want to encourage (and be realistic) with people who are dealing with mental illness. There are a lot of us out there, especially after the pandemic. I’m not interested in any feed back on remedies for anxiety disorder. I take prescription drugs, I do therapy- they work for me. People should do what works for them. Also, being anxious or nervous is not the same as having an anxiety disorder. Travel I live in Ohio, and I hate flying. I drove from Cleveland to Columbia, South Carolina on the first day of my road trip (7 am to 6pm). On day 2, I drove from SC to Fort Lauderdale (5 am to 4:15 pm), I stopped every 2-3 hours to stretch my arthritic legs and make phone calls etc, and I think I stopped for gas twice on each day (more so because I don’t like being under half a tank). The drive had its ups and downs. I struggled to leave each morning (hello, agoraphobia, my old friend). Also.. surprise!! I’ve somehow developed a fear of driving over bridges and through those mountain tunnels. On a positive note, traffic was good 85% of the day on both days, I saw some beautiful scenery, and I survived not being in my house!! A year ago, I couldn’t even get outside to take my trash out. *pats herself on the back*. The next part is forthcoming…