What's changed

[Travelrd]

griller...could you please tell me more about these last minute firesale prices please? how does one get notified about them?

 

cheers

[Griller]

griller...could you please tell me more about these last minute firesale prices please? how does one get notified about them?

 

cheers

 

Hi, either you are lucky and get emails from a fairy at Princess, no telling who the fairy will send them to, may help if you are a frequent passenger or live near a port, or you keep your eye on cruise critic forum and spot posts from people who get them, thats how I found out about my Ocean Princess bargain last week - or you have a great travel agent who knows what you might like to book and keeps his/her eyes open and gets you the same deal as one of his/her clients who got a great deal.

Or you spend all your free time trawling the Internet................. often works for me..............

 

Also you make friends with other cruisers, often when they book a great deal Princess will allow 2 of their friends to be notified and book at the same rate, even though they are not of a loyalty level to which Princess originally targeted the offer.

[Travelrd]

griller...thanks for the enlightenment! i really don't think i qualify. but occasionally i have seen someone on cc who mentions a price reduction on a cruise and i have been able to take advantage of it but i don't spend that much time on cc. it's really a hit or miss thing with me. glad you have found a way to reduce the price of your cruises. i still think princess is a good cruise line and meets my expectations. not that there aren't other cruise lines that i might like better but they're not in my price range. being a solo traveler, i'm already paying 100% extra to cruise.

 

cheers

[Griller]

Hi, I am also a solo cruiser at the moment, and I think the way to achieve satisfaction with anything in life is to not have unrealistic expectations, hence I will tell it like I found it and hope to save folk new to cruising from expecting that perfect cruise as shown in the glossy brochures.

Its a shame that there aren't decent places for solos to get together and save that single supplement. Can't do it on here.

MSC often doesn't have any or much single supplement on transatlantics. Best booked in UK or Europe not US.

Its not Princess but it can be fun.

[AKman2495]

So let's see what I've learned from this thread....Princess has declined very badly and from estimates of sales is going down hill very fast...

 

What I learned from my first Princess cruise last year was that Princess was a wonderful experience that was incredible. Everything on the cruise through the Panama Canal was wonderful and exceptional. The Coral Princess was in good shape, although it did need some updating,which it recently got.

 

I Found the food to be great as well.

 

From what the people hear say I cannot believe how much better it could have been just a few years ago.

 

I suppose, for them, it will never be as good as it was....

 

But for me...I look forward to many more cruises on Princess....blissfully ignorant of how bad things are.....:)

[Travelrd]

akman2495...great post. i totally agree with you.

 

cheers

[Arlened236]

akman2495...great post. i totally agree with you.

 

cheers

 

I agree with both of you...we were on the Grand in March and the food was great, loved the filet on the always available menu in the dining room (we did not eat in the buffet) yes the ship needs some upgrade's and rehab, but that did not spoil the cruise. The crew and staff still made it a worthwhile cruise. Still our favorite cruise line.

[bdjam]

I find the opposite. I started cruising Princess around the same time you did and have found the last five years to be the worst decline since I started cruising.

 

It would be interesting to know what decline you're seeing.

I think the perception has a lot to do with what one expects from their cruise vacation. About the only thing that I've seen decline in the last couple of years is entertainment - which is a scheduling issue and not due to a lack of talent - and the menus - which while they may have been changed to help reduce costs, have also been dumbed down based on passenger desires.

The big change came to Princess when they decided to go the mass market route - I don't see how you can compare a Regal Princess cruise in 1996 with a Emerald Princess cruise in 2013 - they are two totally different things. But Princess was headed in that direction - wrongly I believe - long before the Carnival merge and then afterward, due to Carnival's inability to brand the cruise line properly.

Perhaps you expect different things from your cruise than I do from mine - I still find the experience enjoyable and changes minor when it comes to affecting my vacation. I'm loyal to Princess but if they really go down a rat hole, I will find another cruise line. I don't think they're anywhere near that yet.

Edited May 20, 2013 by bdjam

[zacc]

Some of you toss out these "negatives" like any changes that have or are happening on Princess are unique to Princess cruise lines. You can go into the CC threads of any cruise line and find the exact same conversations in all of them.

 

The bottom line is the consumer has demanded lower fares so that cruising was not just for the "well to do". They also demanded more to do. Cruising is a business....a business designed to make a profit. To meet these demands and still maintain the profit margin needed changes and cuts have been implimented. This holds true for every service oriented business out there......not just the cruise industry.

 

I listen to people complain about smaller portions.....what difference does it make since you can order more than one. I hear people complain that drink prices went up. The prices go up at least once a year in every bar and restaurant in my area as well as yours. People complained about not being able to get a seat for the shows so changes were made. Now they complain that the shows are shorter. Some complain about the autoamtic tip charged to the cabin each day. If the average couple went to a really nice restaurant and ordered all the food they normally order for dinner on the ship the bill would be well over $100.00. In my book thats at least a $20 tip which means everyone elase who waited on me during the day was a bonus.

 

I cruise to relax and enjoy....not look for things to complain about. Others seem to go on a cruise to find things to simply complain about.

 

To the OP. Go on your Princess cruise and enjoy. Believe me when I say the positives will far outweigh the negatives!!

[Griller]

Some of you toss out these "negatives" like any changes that have or are happening on Princess are unique to Princess cruise lines. You can go into the CC threads of any cruise line and find the exact same conversations in all of them.

 

The bottom line is the consumer has demanded lower fares so that cruising was not just for the "well to do". They also demanded more to do. Cruising is a business....a business designed to make a profit. To meet these demands and still maintain the profit margin needed changes and cuts have been implimented. This holds true for every service oriented business out there......not just the cruise industry.

 

To the OP. Go on your Princess cruise and enjoy. Believe me when I say the positives will far outweigh the negatives!!

 

Hi, does the line in your list of cruises

 

Commodore - Princess Academy 1/12

 

 

 

mean that you are a travel agent?

 

Because that would mean you could be biased.

 

Not that I disagree with the content of your post particularly.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Thank you to everyone for their replies and information! :)

 

OP, I don't believe you told us what ship are you on?

 

I am one of those who thinks Princess offers a great experience for the money. I do not believe I could, as someone else said, sail Azamara or Oceania for the same price I paid, but I do not book premium cabins. We did two Royal Caribbean cruises last year and found them to be very comparable to Princess, with some pluses and minuses between the two lines. I like the Princess food, love the International Cafe, think the entertainment is fine , think the staff does a very good job, and overall I'm very pleased.

 

Bon Voyage, whereever you are sailing!

Edited May 20, 2013 by sunsetbeachgal

[cruising deacon]

Probably the biggest thing is the smoking policy. There is a thread at the top of the forum with info and conversation about smoking.

 

The buffet is no longer open 24 hours per day. I believe it closes around 11PM or midnight depending on the ship. The International Café (on most ships) is open 24 hours a day. Some ships have the new Alfredo's Pizza venue in the atrium.

 

There's probably other things, but I can't think.

Not all Princess ships have an International Cafe, it was a great addition to the ones that have them.

[bdjam]

griller...could you please tell me more about these last minute firesale prices please? how does one get notified about them?

 

cheers

 

You can also go into your profile on the Princess website and set yourself up for last minute notifications (they call it the Stand By program) or check under the Cruise Deals tab for specific deals and to sign up for special offers. The catch is that the "fire sales" usually apply to only ne sailing that's not selling out...so you might need to be ready to go on short notice.

[Mom33]

To the OP, go and enjoy your cruise. I have been cruising Princess while you've been elsewhere and I have experienced the changes that have occurred while you have been gone. I appreciate some of the changes they have made and understand the reasons for the change.

 

That said, I have never had a bad cruise with Princess. They have wined and dined me, entertained me and catered to all my needs.They take me where I want to go and at a cost I am willing to pay.I enjoy the atmosphere that Princess provides aboard their ships and the decor is classy without being ostentatious.

Some of the comments I have read here, I have seen on other cruise boards. Every cruise line has had to adjust to the economy and the "new cruisers" they attract to their business.

 

Have a good time!:D

[Kinkacruiser]

One change I haven't read mentioned is that you can now print off your own statements, rather that bother the pursur.

 

Personally and after 7 years with Princess, I wouldn't cruise with any other cruise company, and I haven't seen any detrimental changes.

Edited May 20, 2013 by Kinkacruiser

[bdjam]

So let's see what I've learned from this thread....Princess has declined very badly and from estimates of sales is going down hill very fast...

 

What I learned from my first Princess cruise last year was that Princess was a wonderful experience that was incredible. Everything on the cruise through the Panama Canal was wonderful and exceptional. The Coral Princess was in good shape, although it did need some updating,which it recently got.

 

I Found the food to be great as well.

 

From what the people hear say I cannot believe how much better it could have been just a few years ago.

 

I suppose, for them, it will never be as good as it was....

 

But for me...I look forward to many more cruises on Princess....blissfully ignorant of how bad things are.....:)

 

So from someone who was there before, Princess was considered a premium line in the past. Some management changes and her direction was changed to mass market.

As a mass market cruise line, I agree with you that Princess provides a good product and does well in the mass market. Some of the changes have been difficult for people to accept (remember the uproar the curtailing of lunch in the dining room on port days caused?). Me not so much because the changes have been mostly around things that don't matter much to me. I'm still having pretty much the same cruise experience I've had all along.

All the doom and gloom about Princess going down a rat hole is overly dramatic.

[iggy's mom]

We will be on the Emerald Princess.

 

OP, I don't believe you told us what ship are you on?

 

I am one of those who thinks Princess offers a great experience for the money. I do not believe I could, as someone else said, sail Azamara or Oceania for the same price I paid, but I do not book premium cabins. We did two Royal Caribbean cruises last year and found them to be very comparable to Princess, with some pluses and minuses between the two lines. I like the Princess food, love the International Cafe, think the entertainment is fine , think the staff does a very good job, and overall I'm very pleased.

 

Bon Voyage, whereever you are sailing!

[sonnenschein]

We have also seen many changes in the last couple of years, and our cruise on the Grand last month left us very disappointed in Princess. The food had definitely dropped in quality, the ship was very shabby, and if this had been our first Princess cruise it probably would have been our last. In HC the bases of the tables and the floor were crusted with dust and dried "stuff", and a couple of the beverage stations had a strong mildew smell. If we encountered a restaurant like this at home we'd never go back, and yet we ate breakfast and lunch there every day. Croissants and pastries that used to be so fresh and delicious are now grocery store freezer case quality. Lots of little things that we loved so much are gone.

That being said, we've tried Celebrity, and we liked Princess better. We just hope that Princess reads some of the increasingly negative comments faithful customers are posting and makes some improvements. I'm sure we'll be booking another Princess cruise soon, but I think we'll stick to the newer ships.

We have enjoyed all of our 26 Princess cruises on many different ships,we liked the Emerald very much on our 20 day cruise and I am sure you are going to have a great time, so go and enjoy.

Now to the "renovated" Grand Princess, yes she was beautiful in her Hayday,all shiny and impressive, unfortunately not any more :( We cruised on her for 10 days in March/April, what a dissapointment this cruise was. The worst part were the balconies, they removed the rubber mats and left us with a rusted dirty floor I refused to step on even with shoes. I took pictures of the floor and still can't believe what I am seeing. Also the new balcony furniture are sooo uncomfy,you need to use pillows to sit and even that does not help much.The cabin itself looked old,nothing new was done except for a better tv. The bed was super hard,we needed 3 toppers to finally get some sleep.I have always seen the glass half full and never complained about changes I did not like to much.Live and let live was my motto, but the Grand was just to far gone to have a pleasant cruise. Not to be unfair I liked the Alfredo Pizza place in the Piazza,but that can't make up for overflowing showers and all the other shortcomings of this Ship. we love the 15 day Hawaii cruise fromS.F. (no flying to port) now that the Grand has taken over this route we are forced to fly to L.A. to do this trip on another Princess ship,I am not happy about this situation and hope we get another ship soon. This is my first "complain post" and I hope my last. :cool:

[bdjam]

It's interesting that everyone seems to be crapping on Grand Princess lately and yet at the same time, she's getting four and five stars in the members review section...hmmm.

It's been stated that the balcony matting will be replaced during the December dry dock, so that will be taken care of. I personally like a hard bed and I didn't find the new balcony furniture on Star Princess that uncomfortable...not sure what people are looking for. There seemed to be plumbing problems for a while (quite possibly due to a passenger stuffing something he or she shouldn't have down the toilet?) but I can't imagine that Princess would not address those adn any other hotel issues especially after the millions they spent to rennovate the ship.

Not that I'm doubting reports, just saying...and by the way, Star Princesss will be taking over for Grand Princess beginning the Alaska season in 2014...so you can sail her from SF.

[OCruisers]

We will be on the Emerald Princess.

 

We were on Emerald Princess in January for 20 days and had one of our best cruises ever. :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[JimmyVWine]

Some of the changes have been difficult for people to accept (remember the uproar the curtailing of lunch in the dining room on port days caused?). Me not so much because the changes have been mostly around things that don't matter much to me.

 

I am squarely in this camp. I see changes. Other people see a "decline".

• So the buffet is not open at 3:00 a.m.. The number of times that I gorged my pie-hole on a cruise at 3:00 a.m.? That would be zero. So to me, that is a change and not a decline.
  
• I enjoy fresh air on my balcony, so the change in the smoking policy is a change, not a decline.
  
• I thought that I would be bummed about the MDR being closed on port days. I was a vocal objector on that one. But once I experienced it myself, it became a non-issue. And with Alfredo's on the Sapphire, I will surely not miss the MDR on my next cruise.
  
• The coffee cards are no longer usable in perpetuity. Frankly, it probably should have been that way from the beginning and if the cruise line saves money here, that is good for the passenger. To some, this is a "decline". Not for me. I understand.
  

Perhaps I am in the minority but I haven't walked off a single ship saying: "The recent changes at Princess have really lowered by enjoyment level." Maybe that day will come, but it hasn't yet.

Edited May 20, 2013 by JimmyVWine

[Travelrd]

bdjam...i just found a great cruise. october 20th, 2014, the star princess from san francisco to mexico for 10 nights. ports are cabo, loreto, la paz and puerto vallarta. and the best part of all, for me that is, there are 5 sea days. i love sea days the best of all. of course, the best thing about port days is staying on the ship while the others leave for the day! are you interested?

 

cheers

[Mom33]

We will be on the Emerald Princess.

 

The Emerald is a "Gem":D We love it.

[Travelrd]

brian...thanks for the information about the standby program. i just found it and went in and registered for it.

 

cheers

[cpj]

Cheez, dudes, way to spread sunshine. I'm sure after reading your posts, the OP has already cancelled and fled back to whatever line s/he's been sailing on previously. You know, if y'all are so displeased with Princess, maybe it's time to consider other travel options. I'm not trying to squelch dissenting voices around here, but some of you can really suck the air out of this board.

 

what wrong with people giving there opinion. Most of what ive been reading is true.