My personal experiences onboard the Sapphire 28 day Hawaii/Samoa/Tahiti cruise.

[Toto2Kansas]

Our thoughts and memories of this cruise are a bit different, and as requested, I am posting it, against my better judgment.

I have added what we scheduled, or found on our own to do in the ports, as well as comments about the cruise itself, in different sections of this review.

I am sure I will have some nasty comments made after posting this, and as I wrote previously, I am posting it against my better judgment.

I will not defend my review after posting, as it is our experiences and our experiences only, and will not be responding to any comments either. In fact, after this cruise, I am not even sure I will continue to post on Cruise Critic, as I am totally burnt out with questions after this sailing.

 

But these are our feelings about this cruise, and our observations. (Although I did first send it to someone else who was onboard for their opinion, just to make sure my review was not ‘totally off’ or possibly just something we experienced that others did not. I was assured that we were not the only ones that found this cruise to be the way I have written up this review).

 

We have sailed 28 times on Princess (over 45 cruises in all to date), and this was our 10th visit to Tahiti, second to American Samoa, first to Western Samoa, and so many cruises to Hawaii I have lost count. (so I feel that I do have extended cruises to this area of the world to compare this one to).

 

The Sapphire is definitely a lovely ship, although with the improvements she will undergo in January/February while in drydock, it will add a few interesting additions to what the ship offers.

 

Embarkation was organized chaos in San Pedro. Thankfully we arrived early and were able to get a seat in the Priority lounge (which filled up quickly and had to turn many away). My understanding, and from what was announced, there were over 1700 Platinum and Elite members onboard this cruise, as well as many VIP’s and high rollers. Which is the highest percentage of well traveled past passengers on one ship that we have ever seen.

 

Our GS suite was fantastic, and they spoiled us from start to finish. That was the main reason for this cruise, was to experience a longer voyage in the best suite onboard.

The GS suite is like a larger one bedroom apartment, with enough storage to actually live onboard for years. We pack heavily, but we still didn’t make a dent in filling up the cupboards and drawers, although we did fill up the closet. The balcony was a delight, and we shared it with many new friends onboard. When the weather turned cooler the last two days, we just moved our little group inside to the sitting area. The sitting area had room to sit 7 comfortably, and the dining area 6 (although we added an extra chair brought in, and comfortably enjoyed dinner for 7 one evening with friends).

 

John Paul (the Maitre d) was attentive and took care of a lot of personal requests for us, and called and visited our cabin often (we will admit, we knew him from previous sailings where we had quite a bit of contact with him). But he was very busy, mainly with the VIP’s onboard (I was told), but still took the time out of his busy schedule to see to our personal needs. He had copies of the entire 28 day dinner menu sent to our suite, so that we could decide if we would rather make a special request for certain evenings.

 

Our room steward ‘Rolando’ was the best we have ever encountered on Princess in 18 years and 28 Princess cruises. It was like he had a crystal ball, and each time I thought of something we might like/need, he had it there even before we asked. Although the suite was huge, he was quick and thorough, and always had everything bright and shinny in a very short time. If we left our suite, he took care of our cabin next, and rarely did we return when he was still inside cleaning.

 

We began the cruise having breakfast at Sabatinis (normally a perk for full suites only), but that didn’t last very long. We finally gave up on Sabatinis for breakfast. Many mornings it was so full, and the staff so busy, breakfast took what seemed like forever. A quiet breakfast turned into a noisy dining hall right from the start. We attempted it at different times of the morning, and only a few times did we find it quiet and not almost filled to capacity (with VIPs and suite passengers). Yes, I guess I am spoiled when it comes to Sabatinis, as we are used to a quiet dining venue that is never busy, with great service, both on the larger and smaller ships, and this is not what we found onboard. This is the only time we have ever seen servers with sweat running down their cheeks as they tried to do their job flawlessly, it was just too much for them to handle.

 

The beginning of the cruise was almost magical, and passengers were so excited (many visiting this part of the South Pacific for the very first time). But the magic seemed to fade quickly as we began our sea days to Tahiti. And seemed to be totally gone by the time the ship sailed from the last Tahitian port. My husband’s words are that this cruise definitely lacked the Charisma of past Hawaii/Tahiti cruises and ranked low in the delight department compared to past cruises we have experienced on South Pacific voyages with Princess, and I totally agree. (keep in mind before reading on, my husband turns 71 this spring, so he is definitely not a young man). ;)

 

One observation of this itinerary is that there is not enough time visiting Tahiti on this cruise. Bora Bora and Moorea for only one day, is not enough of a taste of the islands to make it worth while. Yes, we knew the itinerary when we booked, but I think we just never considered how short of time that really is when you finally arrive at the primary destination. I feel Princess could easily fit an overnight into the Bora Bora stop, which would definitely give more of an incentive to this itineary, with more time to explore one of the greatest islands, we feel, Tahiti has to offer.

 

This cruise also lacked (for us) the enthusiasm and energy from the passengers that we have found on past Princess cruises to/from Hawaii/Tahiti and around the Islands of Tahiti. From attitude to attire, it was totally different than what we have experienced on 9 other Tahitian cruises (both large and small ships). Whether this was because of the age/physical condition of the passengers onboard (much higher than we expected, or have ever sailed with in the past), or for some other unknown reason.

We ran into so many confused people onboard, that didn’t even seem to be able to grasp the concept of using an elevator, let alone know where they were even sailing to. Wheelchairs, scooters (with many not even knowing how to operate them it looked like, and I have the scars on my legs to prove it, as they would run you down if you didn‘t watch out). No, they were not slow, but speeding through large groups not seeming to care (I guess maybe a horn was needed to at least alert passengers they were passing, and maybe then it would have avoided some of the mishaps we encountered). I think we all respect those with mobility issues, I know I do, but courtesy runs both ways. We are always courteous and helpful to those passengers who might need assistance, with holding doors and elevators and attempting to move out of their way so they can get by. But there were many that seemed to feel ‘entitled’ to ‘plow‘ through and didn‘t seem to care who was in there way. Scooters, Walkers, canes, etc seemed to outnumber those able bodied onboard. We even witnessed some (who appeared to be in the later stages of Alzheimer’s, being led around by family members and had absolutely no idea where they were, or what they were doing). FYI, this or the ages onboard does not usually effect my enjoyment, or lack of enjoyment of a cruise, just the energy and attitude of fellow passengers we found. It does show the larger passenger make up we witnessed, . And with so many confused passengers, it was an experience just to take an elevator up or down trying to help them find the deck their cabin was located on, as many were unable to do that themselves.

A friend had to assist a neighboring cabin as the passenger’s husband fell out of bed and she couldn’t get him back up and was afraid if she called 911 they would put them off at the next port for not being self sufficient/able to take care of themselves. My understanding is she was screaming in the hallway begging someone to assist her husband, and then was so shook up, she wouldn’t allow our friend to even leave her side until she was sure her husband would not fall out of bed again. (This to me is a bit over the top. But it was only one occurrence out of many we actually witnessed ourselves onboard).

The passenger that was taken to the Solarium each day with her pillows and blankets, reclined in a lounger by the window, and spent the entire day laying there covered in her bedding as she was not able to walk or get up on her own.

Grown men stripping down naked above the pool on Deck 15 to change out of their wet bathing suits, I might add, after standing there in full view of dozens of passengers, drying every part of their body??? (Another first for us onboard a ship, with restrooms and staterooms close by, totally unnecessary and uncalled for). I did not realize that much older meant no common sense???

I have to say, I think my eyes are still stinging as the one I witnessed was in his 90’s, I would guess. The same thing happening on tour buses, mainly with the men????? From those in the same age group. Yes, I know that some of the elderly are forgetful of where they are, but this was just too over the top for me.

 

There are always those that are so excited to visit new areas of the world, but most that we seemed to run into were just blah’ze about the entire thing and seemed to be only along for the ride. On past cruises we have sailed to Tahiti, the excitement never seems to end on the passenger’s part, which does make a huge difference in the cruise experience ‘for us‘, we found out.

It seemed that anything that came without a charge onboard, or had just a minimal fee, was overflowing with passengers and lines formed up to an hour before anything started. To include most classes, shows and entertainment venues. We had attempted to see a couple of the earlier shows, but arriving over an hour early to find two seats was just not something we wanted to do, or should have had to do, but in order to see the show, you had to. Waiting for shows was more like ‘nap time’ for a good percentage of passengers, and many could not even stay awake through the earlier shows, we witnessed.

 

The poor staff onboard, I could not help but feel sorry for some of them. One night at dinner one of the staff described to us the HC that morning. Although it does not open until 6:00 AM for breakfast, at 5:00 AM one entire side was full with passengers waiting for breakfast. As the hour went along, they were grumbling and groining and nasty to the crew because they were hungry and there wasn’t a thing the crew could do, as there was another hour wait before the HC had breakfast ready. This is all printed in the Patter, and why room service was not called by some of these hungry people amazes me. The moment the buffet opened, there was almost a stampede to get food, I was told. By evening time, the DR staff were still exhausted from what they went through that morning. They told us they had never in their careers at sea seen anything like this onboard any other ship.

 

Nasty to the crew. Yes, I need to add to that statement. I have never in my entire life heard so many elders speaking so badly to crew members. Rude and nasty are the only words I can come up with to describe it. Again, they acted like they were entitled to special treatment, and it was not above them to yell and argue over the smallest of what they considered a problem.

 

Pool chairs and the pools were rarely used on this cruise, even during the sunny and warm days, so that was a plus for sun worshipers. At any time of the day, you had your choice of lounges anywhere onboard, even directly next to any of the pools. Except on the day we crossed the equator. Those chair savers were out in full force early in the morning. And we witnessed one screaming match where after 5 hours of the chair not being occupied, a man returned to throw a screaming fit to the point you wanted to cover your ears, as someone had taken over the chair he had placed his towel on, 5 hours prior.

The equator crossing ceremony was much better than those we have attended on the smaller ships, I will definitely admit that, and I was impressed (as I was on three of the larger ship sailings when crossing the equator in the past, and even those weren't as funny). The high point was actually placing Captain Ivan Jerman into the pool.

 

Halloween was great fun, and probably our best night onboard. We prepared simple costumes, filled a plastic pumpkin with candy, and went to every bar, shop, and dining venue handing out candy to the staff (and the few children onboard). The smiles we received in return were our rewards for a minimal effort in preparation. All of the staff were dressed up for Halloween (some with very elaborate costumes), and it was a shame that most of the passengers couldn’t come up with even the slightest costume (or even just a mask) to participate. Again, I was a bit disappointed in the lack of passenger participation and enthusiasm/energy.

 

As for the ports, When visiting Hawaii it is just a shopping stop for us, and that is about all we did while there except for Germaine’s Luau the evening in Honolulu. They picked us up right next to the ship and returned us in plenty of time (over an hour) before the ship sailed. It was enjoyable, not the best luau we have ever attended, but definitely not the worst either. For the small fee they charge through online consolidators, it was well worth the effort to go.

 

We visited Tisa’s Barefoot Bar in American Samoa after finding out our visit with friends had to be cancelled because they were ‘off island’ that day in San Diego for a medical appointment. (so sorry we had to miss our visit). This was our first visit to Tisa’s and we found out the bartender there was related to those we were supposed to see. We had a nice chat, and hubby took a swim. The waters were a bit on the cooler side, but it was a very nice few hours. Water shoes are a must at Tisa’s as it is quite rocky in the water there.

 

Western Samoa we decided to try on our own, and found a Taxi to drive us totally around the best parts of the island to see the sites. Beautiful views from high up in the hills and mountains to along the coast. And doing it ‘our way’ meant we avoided most of the rain along the way. We felt Western Samoa was definitely a beautiful place, and prettier than American Samoa.

 

In Bora Bora, Patrick’s Tour was again on our agenda. Only this time Patrick had taken on a larger number than we had ever seen before. There were close to 90 of us on his tour that day, and he was able to rent a large double deck boat for the overflow his smaller boats could not handle. It went quite well, even with the larger group. The only thing we found that was really different was his Motu was quite crowded on that day. But the line for lunch moved quickly and the food offerings were too numerous to count. The Motu is as lovely as ever, and the water like bathwater, with the best views in Bora Bora.

Many in our small group on Boat #2 had Patrick’s cousin (our tour operator) drop us off at Matira Beach after the tour and we went for a quick swim and then jumped on the shuttle to Bloody Mary’s on our way back to the ship. Fortunately we arrived when we did, as Bloody Mary’s was going to be closing in 15 minutes for a private party. Such a shame when they do that as we ran into many back at the tender pier that were just setting out for a drink there, and we had to inform them that they would be closed. This also happened last March when we visited Tahiti (closed for a private party).

 

Moorea was a repeat trip on Albert’s Moana Lagoon Tour. Again, a nice tour, but the water was very cold that day, so minimal swimming and snorkeling took place. The food was fine and plentiful, but the weather was not the best we have had compared to past visits.

 

Papeete, as usual, was a bustling port, with little to do or experience. A couple of walks over to LeMarche and we were finished in Tahiti. They did provide entertainment under the covered tent area just off the ship that went on for most of the day. The vendors by the pier were not open the night we arrived, but Les Roulottes were in full swing that evening. We saw a few carrying back flowers or wearing beautiful leis they had purchased at Le Marche the following day (which are the only inexpensive things we have ever found in Tahiti), but very few in comparison to other cruises.

 

Tim Donovan, who we have had in the past on a couple of different sailings, and has never been our favorite, has always seemed (to us) to be so fake, we tried to stay away from any entertainment venue he was hosting. (yes, I would say in agreement with others, he was a bit irritating and has never been in the running for our favorite Princess CD on any ship we have sailed on with him).

 

After we sailed from Papeete, the ship seemed to come to a stand still as far as passengers were concerned. 8 Days at sea, and most/many passengers seemed to be just plain old bored. To them, it seemed the cruise was over. (yes, I know there were some that loved to join in all of the groups and had a marvelous time), and others that loved just curling up with a good book, or playing games, so not all were bored.

With close to 18 days without (or with very little) outside communication (News, TV, Internet access), it was just too much for the both of us.

I had better luck on the PC provided in our stateroom, but 3 times out of 4 it would pop up a screen telling me there were too many subscribers online, and to try again later. After hours of trying passed, I finally just gave up entirely. Unlimited complimentary access sounds like a great perk, but if it can’t be used because the system is overloaded, it is worthless. I actually ended up using over 1250 minutes online, to check my email a dozen times, and post the few reports here on CC, and that was all the PC was used for. Over 1200 minutes (that equals out to 20 full hours) for such little time online? I would have been furious if I had been paying for it outright.

 

On a scale of 1-10, for visiting the South Pacific, this cruise ranked very low for us. The cruise and itinerary itself maybe a 4, although the Grand Suite definitely was 10+.

Would we ever consider booking this itinerary again? Not on your life. Even if they gave us the Grand Suite at no charge, we would not be interested in sailing this 28 day cruise, even complimentary.

 

So, all I can say, is that if you want to visit Tahiti and really enjoy Tahiti, take those flights or sail down from Hawaii to Tahiti and stay onboard for another 10 days visiting the smaller islands, and then fly home. The difference between this cruise and those Tahiti sailings is like day and night. We have never failed to have a fantastic time visiting Tahiti with Princess, until now. Maybe some of this experience has to do with actually finding a ship full of passengers who enjoy the South Pacific on past sailings. On all past cruises, the dress onboard tells you immediately where this cruise is headed to, and the lei’s around passengers necks, and energy of the passengers, help to make the cruise special. This is something we did not find onboard this cruise.

 

I am very glad some/many enjoyed their first visit to Tahiti on this cruise, but afraid we are not in that group.

So, it goes to show, there are thousands onboard the same ship, and some will enjoy it, others will not.

 

We had a very large roll call before this cruise, 250 plus if memory serves me correctly.

But afraid this cruise group really did us both in. It seems many didn’t attend the meetings onboard, but thought it would be fun to just rely on calling our suite for any and all information that might be needed for upcoming ports, and transportation off the ship to the ports for the private tours. With the phone in our suite ringing constantly (yes, I am exaggerating a bit here, but it was enough to call it constant onboard a cruise. while showering, sleeping, dining, relaxing) the first two weeks, all of the messages left on the phone for call backs, the knocks on the door at all hours, and notes left for me to respond to, it became just a bit more than I (or my DH) could handle on a very expensive vacation. Our phone had to have rang 50 times (or more) during that 1st two weeks, with those worrying how they were going to get off the ship in time to make the tours, some not even remembering when the tour was, or in what port. I don’t think any of these callers ever took into consideration that we were also on our cruise, and were not a paid tour provider, and that all information will be shared at the scheduled M&G’s that were posted before we left, all they had to do was attend at the specific time and place.

 

For those I got to know, thanks for the memories, we enjoyed meeting you and sharing this experience, without you, I would have jumped ship in Bora Bora. J

　

　

　

[coops]

Toto,

First off , welcome home after your long trip, hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

Thank you for posting as I always look forward reading anything you have to say.

 

Dawn

[Aus Traveller]

Thanks for posting your review. I can see you had positives and negatives on this cruise. I hope your future cruises are all positives. :):)

[Cancun01]

Thank you for your comments on a cruise that we hope to take one day. How disappointing for you to come away with such an impression for an expensive voyage. Luckily you were able to enjoy your GS and had room for friends. I really have enjoyed Sabatini's during the twice that we had suites. The best perk as far as DH is concerned!!! Sorry that it was not the experience that one has come to expect. As for the mobility-challenged, I am of the school that I am glad that they are not just sitting home. Easy for me to say not having been there!! That being said, one would think that Princess would limit the number of mobility-challenged for safety reasons - a lot of folks needing assistance in an emergency regardless of $$$ lost in passage would be my biggest concern.

I hope that when the dust settles that you continue to post as you bring a great wealth of experience for others including me.

[srphnx]

I know you wrestled with the potential to offend with your review, I for one appreciate your candor.

 

I can't say I know I would have been as bothered by some of the things that concerned you but I fully understand why they might.

[Coral]

Toto -

 

Thanks for posting your review. I appreciate hearing the positives and negatives of this type of cruise.

 

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!

 

Theresa

[Hulagirl]

Toto:

 

I know you didn't want to post this and I truly hated to even ask you to. But I do want to say thank you for doing it. When I read what you had to say I knew it was very hard for you since you do love cruising and Tahiti. But what you said has really helped in a decision for me. When we sailed to Hawaii even, we ran into some of the same things you wrote about, but no where near in depth as what you went through. On our cruise there wasn't even a Chef's Table for any of the 14 nights because nobody wanted to pay for it but us.

 

I do hope you don't stay away forever, but can see why you would want to take a break from here and questions. Sounds like you had way too many on the cruise.

 

Thank you so much for your honest feelings about the trip. I'm glad you loved the GS, as I knew you would. Even with 3 of us in there, we still couldn't fill all of the drawers and spaces, except for the closet. That was heaven having enough room and hangers to hang all of our clothes.

 

Do take care and appreciate what you wrote.

[Host CJSKIDS]

I'm glad there were some things that you were able to enjoy Sue and sorry the cruise wasn't the cruise of a lifetime. Thanks for taking the time to try and post from onboard and for writing the review.

 

I have so enjoyed your posts, wisdom and live from threads over the past few years and I know that I for one will miss you from these boards.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Appreciate your honesty and candor. You might not get as many flames as you think, as you have such credibility on this board. Thanks for taking the time to publish such a thorough review! :)

[4x4bob]

Toto;

Thanks for the well written review of your Cruise. I always look forward for your posts and have appreciated your input.

 

I could not believe that people would bother you on a cruise for trivial matters.:mad:

 

After you have time to reflect on what happened I hope that you do return here to continue passing on your experiences and knowledge.

 

Bob

[Umbarger]

Well, I thought this cruise was on my bucket list, however, now I think I may just fly there and catch a cruise. I don't care for sea days, anyway. Thank you for the review.

[2Canucks]

Thank You for posting this review. The info is very much appreciated.

 

We are looking at booking the Star Princess...Mar 26, 2013... 28 day...Hawaii, Tahiti & Somas Roundtrip from Los Angeles.

 

You mentioned you have done the Tahiti and smaller island cruise several times so thought I'd ask your opinion...What time of the year is "better" for this itinerary?

 

Thank You for any info you or anyone else can share with us concerning the best time frame for this itinerary.

 

Pat :)

[Whoo]

Toto,

 

First off, I have to thank you for all the valuable information and knowledge you have shared with everyone, for this cruise, and in general! Please don't leave Cruise Critic!

 

I always admire the bravery of people who post "live" threads from cruises - because they always get the questions of "what movies are playing", "who is the cruise director", "can you look at cabin ## to see what it looks like", "is ?? served in the dining room if it's not on the menu", "my friend/relative so&so is on your cruise - can you please look for him/her?". I can't believe the gall of some people to expect someone they don't know to go and do these things. And yet, you and others have done so.:)

 

I cringed when reading of the numerous phone calls to your cabin. If these people could not keep up on the internet, or attend the CC meetings on board - that is just rude. You were not their travel agent.

 

Thank you for your review - I have considered this cruise, due to DH not wanting to fly anymore. I know what you mean about the passengers participating or being enthusiastic. I took a shore excursion in Belize with DH one year, and we had a great time. I took the same shore excursion a year later - with the same company, and same tour guide, without DH. It was a totally different experience, the passengers were a total dud - I mentioned it to Sharon, the tour guide, and she said it happens. Some groups are lots of fun, and some are not. It does sound like your cruise had a "different" demographic trend.

 

Please, continue to share your advice and experiences with us.

 

Sue

[happytalk44]

Toto,

Having been on this same cruise with you I agree totally with all you had to say here. Of course, I did not have all the folks thinking I was their private TA but we certainly had the experiences with the venues, grumpy demanding people and rude manners. You didn't even mention the confrontations between passengers and passengers and crew. I personally witnessed 2 passengers who had to be separated waiting at the door of a bus after arguing over which of them was first in the line!!! Then, there was the "gentleman" who pushed a crew member against the wall in the Horizon because there was no cream for his coffee.

 

We actually dreaded the 8 sea days home for fear someone would actually make the "murder cruise" official!

 

We loved the islands as it was our only possible trip there *ever* so we don't begrudge us having taken the cruise. However, I am glad it is over and I would not do it again.

 

Hang in there, rest up and be back soon. We really do need you here.

Pat

[TracieABD]

Thanks for the really, really honest review... I truly appreciate you perspective.

 

I hope you get a moment to relax in peace, now that you are home.

Happy Thanksgiving.:)

[Cruise Junky]

Sue, please do not stop posting on CC.

[Talisker92]

Thank you for your honest and sometimes painful review. I have a few observations

First, you cannot cure stupid.

Second, you have no more rights to anything just because you are older.

Third, as someone who had a physically challenged wife, it did no give us anymore right than anyone else.

Fourth, is someone ran into me with a scooter, it would be kicked back about 50 feet!

[winecountry]

Toto Bravo...We were also on this cruise and everything you said is so very true. We were so ready to get off the ship. Again Bravo....

[Cruisin' Chick]

I definitely appreciated your candor about your cruise. Some of those seniors on my last Hawaiian cruise must have been on your sailing as many thought they were the rudest around (and those I had heard from were their peers, age-wise). Fortunately I was one of the few who didn't directly encounter them or their scooters (I have delicate toes).

 

It's a shame that fellow passengers were taking advantage of your knowledge to the point of calling your cabin. At least they should have been offering to buy you drinks or something in return for your help. I hope many of them read your post and are now reconsidering their behavior.

[Pam in CA]

Sue, thank you for your brutally honest review. I know that you are one of the most caring people around and for things to bother you the way they did, it must have been extreme and difficult to write about.

 

I cannot fathom the audacity and rudeness of those who called your cabin or knocked on your door. You are a wealth of information that you have very generously shared over the years on CC but that blows my mind. What were they thinking?

 

I'm begging you: take a break but please don't go from CC; your wealth of knowledge and willingness to share is invaluable and irreplaceable. ::: sending hugs to you and your family :::

[avalong]

Thanks so much for your candor Toto.

 

Before you write off CC, consider this: you prevented me (& most likely others) from making a very costly mistake. I, for one, am most grateful.

 

Happy ending: I've cancelled our booking for the 2012 version of this itinerary & substituted a 10-day Paul Gauguin cruise. Yay!

[caribill]

Thanks for posting your report.

 

It seems that 90% of the negatives had to do with the other passengers, not with Princess. One can pick which cruise (and cruise line) to take, but one cannot pick who the other passengers will be.

 

When we cruise with Princess, the best ports are usually those we have never been to before. In Athens for the first time, "wow." In Athens for the fifth time, not so good an experience. With your past cruising to most of the ports, maybe the "wow" factor was just missing and could not be there even if the problems with other passengers did not exist.

 

In all likelihood, you could have had the same experience on any other cruise line with an itinerary of this type.

 

I hope that you do not have "Cruise Critic burnout" and will continue to post here on CC. Along with many, many others, I enjoy reading your posts and benefitting from your cruising experiences and advice.

[JWJs]

I'm in a state of shock after reading your review. I had no idea that your cruise was anything but wonderful for you and your husband. Thank you for writing and posting your review.

I'm still just shaking my head over so many things that you mentioned. One in particular, a few men stripping down in public to change out or into their swim suits. !!!!! I saw one older man do that on a beach at some Mexico port on our last Panama Canal cruise and that was absolutely the pits!

Please don't be away from CC for long...

[CZEE]

Appreciate your honesty and candor. You might not get as many flames as you think, as you have such credibility on this board. Thanks for taking the time to publish such a thorough review! :)

 

I so agree. Please continue to post, Toto. I always look forward to your perspective.

[kath00]

Thank you so much for posting this honest review! Many people are drooling over this itiniary because it looks so incredible on paper, but having the real life experience is really, really important to share!

 

I think Princess definitely needs to take responsiblity for this cruise. Of course they have no control over the ages of the passengers but they should make a much more concerted effort to entertain passengers on all those long and boring sea days with no internet or TV or anything. Also, there is no excuse to have to wait an hour to get in on a show. They should have multiple shows each day and repeat performances throughout the cruise. I also believe they should do better in spreading out the crowds in places like the HC and the theaters by offering more variety and more venues "going" at the same time. Otherwise these long cruises become impossible to enjoy due to 2500 passengers looking desperately for ways to pass the time (like 8 sea days in a row)...

 

I also believe the whole situation with Sabatini's and the VIP perks is rediculous given that everyone was elite AND supposedly they had some VIP "high rollers" who were automatically given elite benefits without truly being in either suites or 15+ cruise elites.

 

Again, thanks so much for your review. We have definitely decided to do 2 B2B cruises instead of one long one....

 

Katherine