Royal Princess Caribbean Cruise 10th March 2018

Having just returned I wanted to share my disappointment at the quality of the food, the range of excursions , the length of time at certain ports and the unbelievable rudeness of some of the guests. I wondered if anyone else felt the same. Our suite and stateroom steward were both fabulous , which saved it from being a holiday disaster

I certainly disagree with your view of the food.

All cruise lines have a decline in food quality.

We were on the Royal the cruise before you and we too did notice that the food selection in the dining room is not the same as a few years ago. Some nights it was tough to find a featured entrée and we had to revert to the always available entrees.

Boy, sometimes it is so hard to believe people were on the same cruise! I too, was on the 3/10-3/20 Royal Princess cruise and very very politely disagree with PYBentley. I am also sorry that his first post here couldn't have been more positive. Hopefully his next cruising experience will be a better one!

First, I know the food is very subjective and I agree that the food was not as good as 5-10 years ago. But in comparing what I had this time on Royal with what I had on Ruby in September, 2016, to my taste buds the Royal was some better. I guess I have come, in recent years, to expect only so much from mainline cruise lines. For what I have paid, I thought the food was fine. But I wasn't going in expecting a Ruth Chris experience either. I was kinda going with Outback, Chili's etc. So with that in mind, the food was fine. Just need to ask waiter to explain the item you want to order! Grin. One night they had filet mignon with etc.; well, thank goodness our waitress was very good and in tune with my hubby as she rushed in to tell us that the filet was cut into cubes and put on a "piece of wood" as she explained it. So he just ordered two "sticks" and wasn't disappointed as he knew what to expect. Within the two he found about 1/2 or so to be good tender pieces of filet; some were well done. So all in all ok meat choice. This is what I mean about getting what I am expecting. They were overdoing their Caribbean type items, but that's ok. There is always the regular menu (by the way the roasted chicken was good!) Oh, now that Coconut Chocolate Love dessert we had one night really was one of the best desserts I have ever had. I wanted to order two more but I didn't!! Now I just ate in the MDR, Speciality Dining locations, the IC, and Alfredo's. They were all very decent in my opinion. I never even entered the buffet or used the facilities by the pool area so can't give an opinion on them.

I don't do ship's excursions if I can help it so don't know about the range available. There was not much of a range for Martinique but I thought that was due to the late change of ports due to the recent hurricanes. I did one Princess excursion on Martinique and one on disembarkation to pass time before our later flight home. They were your typical herd (45 passenger bus) type tours but were fine. I will agree that my private tours were much better than anything I found through Princess though. Oh, on a side note, if you are ever in Aruba again, you MUST do Trikes-Aruba; that was soooo much fun!!!!

Length of time at ports: I never do really long tours as I don't like to be out all day, so the times in port didn't bother me. I never felt rushed after doing a 4 hour tour or so and had time to shop if I had wanted to. But I am not a beach goer or diver, etc. which might take longer.

Rudeness of guests: Well again, I expect rude people getting in, getting out, and being in the elevators(why oh why do people have to talk and laugh soooo loud in a full elevator!!!!) But besides that, I lucked out and didn't run into any rude guests.

Our stateroom steward was perfect (did what we asked and helped us when we asked and we hardly ever saw him, but when we needed something he seemed to be there!)

CC dining was fantastic and my waiting staff was so much fun and excellent to our needs. Remembered all our drink orders, and likes and dislikes and all were ready quickly after arriving. I felt like it was the good old days of traditional dining!

The CD was fantastic and we had a wonderful time with him and his cruise assistants. They made the entertainment fun.

So, all I can say, is I believe I received very good value for what I paid and even think I got overall a little better experience than what I was expecting.

Pooh

Having just returned I wanted to share my disappointment at the quality of the food, the range of excursions , the length of time at certain ports and the unbelievable rudeness of some of the guests. I wondered if anyone else felt the same. Our suite and stateroom steward were both fabulous , which saved it from being a holiday disaster

Say what?

All cruise lines have a decline in food quality.

I totally agree with you!!!

Tony

 

Rudeness of guests: Well again, I expect rude people getting in, getting out, and being in the elevators(why oh why do people have to talk and laugh soooo loud in a full elevator!!!!) But besides that, I lucked out and didn't run into any rude guests.

 

 

 

Pooh

As long as you brought that one up, I can't understand all the yelling and loud talk necessary of the elevators either. Most people just stand their quietly until that one person says something to get the whole elevator started & they all burst out as if they were forced to hold it it.

Also- never carry food openly in an elevator as everyone will make comments as though they've never seen food before. If you cover it with a napkin nothing is said.

Strange. :confused:

Oh BTW, once again, the food was great on the Royal. It wasn't gourmet but certainly better than what we eat normally at home.

Since you have taken the time to respond comprehensively then I will expand my rationale . We did not take a budget option holiday. We paid FULL PRICE for a full suite which meant “Club Class” dining ( this was unlike many other passengers who loudly share the fact that they paid virtually nothing for their inside cabin and enjoy spending absolutely zero cash whilst on board.) Due to the price I have paid, I expected something far superior to Chilli’s etc. The Club Class waiting staff were pleasant enough but lacked knowledge and raced you through your courses. Sabatini’s food was only average in the evening. The breakfast was ok but one of the Romanian waiters was always rather surly ( plus scrambled egg was persistently overcooked whilst poached eggs were raw!) The crown Grill, which calls itself a steakhouse , managed to ruin the steak. The dumbed situation was poor. People putting towels on them early doors and then never returning ( towels were never removed by staff after thirty minutes despite policy) . Luckily my suite was at the back which had sun beds , dining table and chairs and bistro table and chairs . We also had a huge wrap around balcony , so was able to relax there. It would have been nice to spend a little time on the lido deck though . The walking tour at Martinique was a joke. We travelled a short distance on a bus then our guide shown us the bus terminus , a fruit market and a library! One of our fellow passengers wrecklessly endangered us all with his necessarily long walking stick. He virtually stabbed one poor woman in the chest whilst remaining unapologetic and spatially unaware. On a positive note, the UTV tour in Aruba was fabulous . We often had breakfast on our ‘private’ balcony , which was always, on time, and delivered with a happy smile. We were however, a little disturbed one morning to find the woman in the suite above us videoing us! The rudeness I referred to was generally nothing to do with the elevator. It was the constant pushing and line cutting; the inability to use the words “ please” or “thank you” ; and the constant sharing of loud conversation or attempts at parenting. I also don’t understand why Princess has a dress code if they don’t enforce it. Loud Short sleeve shirts are not “formal”.this was not our first cruise but was certainly the last with a Princess. PS the assumption that I am a man was incorrect 😊

Boy, sometimes it is so hard to believe people were on the same cruise! I too, was on the 3/10-3/20 Royal Princess cruise and very very politely disagree with PYBentley. I am also sorry that his first post here couldn't have been more positive. Hopefully his next cruising experience will be a better one!

 

First, I know the food is very subjective and I agree that the food was not as good as 5-10 years ago. But in comparing what I had this time on Royal with what I had on Ruby in September, 2016, to my taste buds the Royal was some better. I guess I have come, in recent years, to expect only so much from mainline cruise lines. For what I have paid, I thought the food was fine. But I wasn't going in expecting a Ruth Chris experience either. I was kinda going with Outback, Chili's etc. So with that in mind, the food was fine. Just need to ask waiter to explain the item you want to order! Grin. One night they had filet mignon with etc.; well, thank goodness our waitress was very good and in tune with my hubby as she rushed in to tell us that the filet was cut into cubes and put on a "piece of wood" as she explained it. So he just ordered two "sticks" and wasn't disappointed as he knew what to expect. Within the two he found about 1/2 or so to be good tender pieces of filet; some were well done. So all in all ok meat choice. This is what I mean about getting what I am expecting. They were overdoing their Caribbean type items, but that's ok. There is always the regular menu (by the way the roasted chicken was good!) Oh, now that Coconut Chocolate Love dessert we had one night really was one of the best desserts I have ever had. I wanted to order two more but I didn't!! Now I just ate in the MDR, Speciality Dining locations, the IC, and Alfredo's. They were all very decent in my opinion. I never even entered the buffet or used the facilities by the pool area so can't give an opinion on them.

 

I don't do ship's excursions if I can help it so don't know about the range available. There was not much of a range for Martinique but I thought that was due to the late change of ports due to the recent hurricanes. I did one Princess excursion on Martinique and one on disembarkation to pass time before our later flight home. They were your typical herd (45 passenger bus) type tours but were fine. I will agree that my private tours were much better than anything I found through Princess though. Oh, on a side note, if you are ever in Aruba again, you MUST do Trikes-Aruba; that was soooo much fun!!!!

 

Length of time at ports: I never do really long tours as I don't like to be out all day, so the times in port didn't bother me. I never felt rushed after doing a 4 hour tour or so and had time to shop if I had wanted to. But I am not a beach goer or diver, etc. which might take longer.

 

Rudeness of guests: Well again, I expect rude people getting in, getting out, and being in the elevators(why oh why do people have to talk and laugh soooo loud in a full elevator!!!!) But besides that, I lucked out and didn't run into any rude guests.

 

Our stateroom steward was perfect (did what we asked and helped us when we asked and we hardly ever saw him, but when we needed something he seemed to be there!)

 

CC dining was fantastic and my waiting staff was so much fun and excellent to our needs. Remembered all our drink orders, and likes and dislikes and all were ready quickly after arriving. I felt like it was the good old days of traditional dining!

 

The CD was fantastic and we had a wonderful time with him and his cruise assistants. They made the entertainment fun.

 

So, all I can say, is I believe I received very good value for what I paid and even think I got overall a little better experience than what I was expecting.

 

Pooh

Having just returned I wanted to share my disappointment at the quality of the food, the range of excursions , the length of time at certain ports and the unbelievable rudeness of some of the guests. I wondered if anyone else felt the same. Our suite and stateroom steward were both fabulous , which saved it from being a holiday disaster

We were on the Royal for 20 days in February. Where you in a full suite? If so you should have had breakfast at Sabatini's as well as Club Class Dining. Did you find this not to your liking? It is excellent service and cooked to order meals in Sabatini's.

I don't agree with you regarding the food. DR selections were what is expected from large scale banquet meals, and the selections were generally tasty. The buffet has excellent selections. We often ate there in the evening. Alfredo's and the International Cafe are also excellent in choice and taste.

Rude guests, well you can get them anywhere. While crowded I did not experience any rude passengers.

I believe your itinerary was just about the same as our Feb 18th one. I do agree some port times were short. We don't even leave the ship at some ports, and we did not take any Princess excursions.

We also thought Matt O was a really energetic cruise director and his staff was also very good. Matt's trivia and game shows were fun to see.

We did not enjoy Perry Grant. We know some people love his act, but we thought his songs were way too old, and his act turning the ball on or off was not entertaining.

I thoroughly understand HER (sorry there) comments about her disappointment in her cruising experience. In fact, I probably would have been voicing similar comments about 6 or so cruises back. I don't remember the exact timing but it was when there was a decent few years between two cruises and I expected the experience of the prior on the one a few years later and was very disappointed in the service level (not as personable) and food quality.

So, to be honest, even though I will spend the money on an M1 category now, I would never ever think of spending the money it costs for a suite experience. Now if cruising was like it was years ago, maybe, but not today. But when I book a M1 today and usually get 1-3 discounts before sailing, then I get my money's worth. I guess what I am saying is I still enjoy cruising, but my expectations are way below PYBentley's and what I use to enjoy in cruising. So maybe all in all, that is the reason for the different outlooks on our same cruise. Now if I were going on a high end cruise line and had an experience as PYBentley's I might be quite negative too!!!! I just don't expect as much from Princess!:o:*

Pooh

We were in a full suite. We had breakfast at Sabatini and thought it was ok. The scrambled egg was persistently overcookef and the poached eggs virtually raw. The maitre d was very nice but there was a rather surly Romanian waiter. We preferred breakfast on our balcony

We were on the Royal for 20 days in February. Where you in a full suite? If so you should have had breakfast at Sabatini's as well as Club Class Dining. Did you find this not to your liking? It is excellent service and cooked to order meals in Sabatini's.

I don't agree with you regarding the food. DR selections were what is expected from large scale banquet meals, and the selections were generally tasty. The buffet has excellent selections. We often ate there in the evening. Alfredo's and the International Cafe are also excellent in choice and taste.

Rude guests, well you can get them anywhere. While crowded I did not experience any rude passengers.

I believe your itinerary was just about the same as our Feb 18th one. I do agree some port times were short. We don't even leave the ship at some ports, and we did not take any Princess excursions.

We also thought Matt O was a really energetic cruise director and his staff was also very good. Matt's trivia and game shows were fun to see.

We did not enjoy Perry Grant. We know some people love his act, but we thought his songs were way too old, and his act turning the ball on or off was not entertaining.

I'm constantly amazed at how people on the same trip could have such wildly varying experiences.

We were onboard 10-20 March and had a great time. We knew the port times when we booked - it's not like they're a surprise when you get onboard. None of the ports were shortened unexpectedly. Princess Cays got cancelled due to rough seas and winds, etc - it happens, it's a tender port. Bummer for many, I'm sure, no loss to us as we don't go to port there anyways..

We enjoyed what we ate, some of the beef in the buffet was outstanding. Seriously among the best we've had onboard any cruise line in over 50 cruises.. Go figure. We didn't once eat in the dining room - we're pretty much over the whole 1.5-2 hour fancy dining experience, especially on a laid back Caribbean Cruise.. The buffet, Alfredo's and grill/pizza were all good, with some great dishes in the buffet, and some of the beef - seriously good. Didn't bother wirh specialty dining this time either

We encountered some seriously cranky folks along the cruise, as par for the course. Throw 3000+ people together in tight quarters, of course some are rude, some are polite, many are from various cultures where your rude is their polite and so forth . That's part of the joy of travel - encountering various cultures and experiences. Sure, it would be nice if the entire world was taught please and thank you, or how to queue like a Brit (I mean, they have that part down!) and so forth - but we all aren't raised the same way, particularly in different cultures. Roll with it, or consider a different form of travel where you only rub shoulders with those from the same culture and experiences as you - although even then, I'm sure some will end up being rude.

We had a great time, Matt O is a cracked up, could have done with less karaoke, and missed the contortionists or gymnasts that used to perform short shows in the Atrium..

The two new production shows - Encore and Secret Silk - we're fantastic. I'd sit through either again several time. Encore really was a hit. My husband couldn't stop talking about it all week. Go figure.

All in all, good cruise had by us. For the complaints you had with food and service, I'm assuming you addressed them while onboard with the maitr'de? So they could have a chance to set things right? What was the response?

Yes we did comment on the food and the waitress offered to change it , which makes it awkward when the other person’s meal has not been returned . This was a repeated experience that became tedious . With regards to your comment about acceptance of other cultures , I found it rather ironic coming from a person who lives in a country where over 80% of the population do not own a passport.

I'm constantly amazed at how people on the same trip could have such wildly varying experiences.

We were onboard 10-20 March and had a great time. We knew the port times when we booked - it's not like they're a surprise when you get onboard. None of the ports were shortened unexpectedly. Princess Cays got cancelled due to rough seas and winds, etc - it happens, it's a tender port. Bummer for many, I'm sure, no loss to us as we don't go to port there anyways..

We enjoyed what we ate, some of the beef in the buffet was outstanding. Seriously among the best we've had onboard any cruise line in over 50 cruises.. Go figure. We didn't once eat in the dining room - we're pretty much over the whole 1.5-2 hour fancy dining experience, especially on a laid back Caribbean Cruise.. The buffet, Alfredo's and grill/pizza were all good, with some great dishes in the buffet, and some of the beef - seriously good. Didn't bother wirh specialty dining this time either

We encountered some seriously cranky folks along the cruise, as par for the course. Throw 3000+ people together in tight quarters, of course some are rude, some are polite, many are from various cultures where your rude is their polite and so forth . That's part of the joy of travel - encountering various cultures and experiences. Sure, it would be nice if the entire world was taught please and thank you, or how to queue like a Brit (I mean, they have that part down!) and so forth - but we all aren't raised the same way, particularly in different cultures. Roll with it, or consider a different form of travel where you only rub shoulders with those from the same culture and experiences as you - although even then, I'm sure some will end up being rude.

We had a great time, Matt O is a cracked up, could have done with less karaoke, and missed the contortionists or gymnasts that used to perform short shows in the Atrium..

The two new production shows - Encore and Secret Silk - we're fantastic. I'd sit through either again several time. Encore really was a hit. My husband couldn't stop talking about it all week. Go figure.

All in all, good cruise had by us. For the complaints you had with food and service, I'm assuming you addressed them while onboard with the maitr'de? So they could have a chance to set things right? What was the response?

To OP, I understand your disappointment and frustration that your recent cruise didn't meet your expectations. I don't know if you have cruised before, either with Princess or another line, but when you pay top dollar (Or Pound, Euro, etc.) you do expect more.

About 4-years ago DH and I went on a River Cruise in the US, which was rather expensive, about $1000 per day, and we were not in a suite. Many aspects of the cruise were fine, but the dining experience as a whole left a lot to be desired. The "Fine Dining" was an area that the brochures really touted, and while not a true "foodie" I was expecting more. The service was abysmal, and we had enjoyed much better food in New Orleans in the days leading up to that particular cruise.

I will say that the many long time cruisers, not just on Princess, but on the other boards as well, bemoan the decline of the cruise experience. It has a lot to do with an over-supply of ships, and the necessity of keeping prices low to fill ships. We sail on the Royal in less than a week, and I paid less for my balcony cabin (With paid gratuities) then I paid for an inside cabin for the same type of itinerary (10-day Caribbean) in 2009. I am sure that in the last 9-years the cruise line costs have gone up, but my fare hasn't kept up with inflation.

I truly hope your next vacation/holiday meets your expectations. For me, the greatest disappointment when a trip falls flat isn't the money, but the time. We American's get so little vacation time (Compared to most other Western countries) that we hate wasting our few precious days. Oh, and the 80% of American's don't have passports is a myth. The number is closer to 46% that do have a valid passport (That's per our State Department). I attached an interesting article that explains the true numbers of American's and traveling.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-d-chalmers/the-great-american-passpo_b_1920287.html

To OP, I understand your disappointment and frustration that your recent cruise didn't meet your expectations. I don't know if you have cruised before, either with Princess or another line, but when you pay top dollar (Or Pound, Euro, etc.) you do expect more.

 

About 4-years ago DH and I went on a River Cruise in the US, which was rather expensive, about $1000 per day, and we were not in a suite. Many aspects of the cruise were fine, but the dining experience as a whole left a lot to be desired. The "Fine Dining" was an area that the brochures really touted, and while not a true "foodie" I was expecting more. The service was abysmal, and we had enjoyed much better food in New Orleans in the days leading up to that particular cruise.

 

 

I will say that the many long time cruisers, not just on Princess, but on the other boards as well, bemoan the decline of the cruise experience. It has a lot to do with an over-supply of ships, and the necessity of keeping prices low to fill ships. We sail on the Royal in less than a week, and I paid less for my balcony cabin (With paid gratuities) then I paid for an inside cabin for the same type of itinerary (10-day Caribbean) in 2009. I am sure that in the last 9-years the cruise line costs have gone up, but my fare hasn't kept up with inflation.

 

I truly hope your next vacation/holiday meets your expectations. For me, the greatest disappointment when a trip falls flat isn't the money, but the time. We American's get so little vacation time (Compared to most other Western countries) that we hate wasting our few precious days. Oh, and the 80% of American's don't have passports is a myth. The number is closer to 46% that do have a valid passport (That's per our State Department). I attached an interesting article that explains the true numbers of American's and traveling.

 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-d-chalmers/the-great-american-passpo_b_1920287.html

Don't know the statistics, but just as an aside, the person that spoke about cultures is from St. Lucia, WI, not the U.S. Maybe 80% of St. Lucia's residents do not have a passport. But cultures are different and one must have the mindset to consider it an adventure to learn different things. But some people have a hard time with that (foods, hours eating, lines, etc.) and so cruising is a perfect answer for me as I am in the former category and my DH is in the latter! Grin. This way I get to see different places and my DH survives!

Pooh

We haven't been on a Princess cruise in 18 years and that was the one that hooked us on cruising.

However, we have cruised with RCCL & MSC.

We were very happy with the food on the RCCL cruises generally.

MSC was a different story. Not so much that the food was terrible, but it was tailored more toward european tastes and therefore not to our liking.

We will be on the Royal from March 30th till April 9th.

After reviewing the comments, both pro & con, I think I'll go on this cruise with 0 expectations.

That way, there will be less chance of being disappointed.