Our First Princess Cruise review

[Molliem]

We have completed our first Princess cruise on Island Princess, to Alaska and return from Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Our review and comments are as follows:

 

" Embarkation:

Very well organized and went smoothly. Onboard cards were provided with ease. Cabins were available shortly after boarding.

Disembarkation:

Very well organized system without any lineups. Their scanning of boarding cards provided a very quick exit. By scanning cards while held in our hands, this avoided unnecessary delays. Excellent.

Cabin:

Very clean and spacious. Well laid out and quiet.

Cabin Attendant:

Courteous and polite, followed through on all requests. Always smiling and making us feel welcome.

Room Service/Housekeeping:

Very efficient and timely response. Any problem solved quickly.

Life Boat Drill:

Very efficient and moved along quickly. Scanning of cabin cards aided in ensuring all guests reported for the drill and no long lines. Life floatation vests were not put on until coordinator requested it and were taken off before returning to cabins. Excellent.

Bringing Liquor, spirits on board:

This policy needs attention. Guests were limited to one bottle of wine each for cabin use. Any liquor/other spirits were confiscated. Understand Holland America permits liquor/spirits brought on board and purchases from onboard stores for consumption in cabin. Policy should be similar to all “family” of Princess ships. Needs some attention.

Drink Packages on board:

In view of charging for most sodas, water, coffee, this policy was somewhat restrictive as is money earned for Princess. Water and pop could be brought on board and checked directly to our cabin. We attached a copy of our boarding ticket to a case of water and it was delivered with our luggage to the cabin.

As for coffee, Princess has a coffee card package well worth the small price. This allows the holder to 15 specialty coffees on our cruise and the card is punched for each use. There is no limit on regular drip coffee which is available with the card. We both like good coffee and enjoyed this with our one card each time. This coffee is much better than restaurant coffee onboard. Well worth the little extra cost, i.e. in our case, for 14 day cruise, $30.00 US. Best to purchase by phone or online prior to cruise as it will then be in your cabin on arrival and you avoid lines for purchasing on board. On the reverse of our card, advises that at end of cruise with specialty coffees yet to be used, the card can be used on your next Princess cruise. A bonus!

Cleanliness:

Overall, the ship was in excellent condition throughout. Very clean and always had staff working to ensure this was the case.

Lecturers and evening shows:

We attended a few presentations which were very well done. There was sufficient room in the Princess Theater for seating. Evening shows were acceptable and a treat to attend. Lectures were held in the Universal Lounge, which was acceptable.

Dress Code:

Basically casual dress was acceptable. On formal nights, some had evening dresses and tuxedos although it was acceptable to have dress slacks and dress shirt for men without suits and ties. This was a treat and good policy. The introduction of Country club casual dress code would clear up any concerns about dress code. Travelling with extra clothes for formal evenings is somewhat onerous with restrictions imposed by airlines and soaring costs for additional luggage.

Service in Restaurants and Self Serve:

We went to the Horizon Court for breakfast and lunches. The food there was fully acceptable and service was wonderful. Staff were attentive and willing to help at any time.

For evening Dinner, we went to the Bordeaux Dining Room and were very pleased with the attention by the Head Waiter and servicing staff. They went out of their way to ensure my spouse was well looked after in view of a severe food allergy. This was a very professional experience. The food was excellent.

Specialty Restaurants:

We did not visit the specialty restaurants. The food served in Bordeaux was excellent so no need to spend extra money in these restaurants. Would be nice if Princess could include one or more specialty restaurant seatings in the cruise price as there are some cruise lines which do this. Having to pay extra for this service and sodas and wine etc. becomes a sore point - like airlines.

TV Reception:

Like most cruises, TV reception was poor. This was on Alaska cruise and satellite positioning for TV was not great. Believe however, it would have been nice to have the Patter expanded to include some news items from around the world including US and Canada. Some cruise lines provide a review in their paper distribution which is very well received. Princess may wish to look at this option.

On Board Laundry:

Many floors have full self serve laundry service. Sufficient machines were there for self service laundry at a cost of $2.00 per load. Laundry rooms are located at the stern of the ship; providing some seating in the laundry room would be a benefit, especially since a TV is provided.

Ship Tours at Ports:

We joined a couple of ship’s tours and enjoyed them very well. Boarding of buses and trains was very well organized. Tours were pricy however, we were provided with value for the cost. Sometimes it is worth participating in ship’s tours due to port locations and departure times.

Price of Cruise:

While this is our first Princess cruise, we found the pricing was very reasonable.

On Board Bookings for Future Cruises:

Process went well although difficult to reach the booking agent on board. There was only one agent and she had to service a passenger load of 1900+. No real price reduction was offered however had favourable terms for deposit and two years to decide on a cruise. The deposit was $100.00 per person, fully refundable. Also onboard booking came with a ship board credit now and on future cruise. We did a booking under these terms.

While we have maintained our loyalty to another cruise line having taken 13 cruises with them, this experience has certainly opened our minds to exploring the world with other options. We would consider Princess in all of our future planning."

Elwin

[chrismch]

You made some excellent points, although I doubt any changes will be made about bringing on alcohol. That and excursions are the prime money makers for ships.

[English Tim]

Thank you for an excellent, informative and easy to read review.

 

We were loyal to Princess for several years, achieved Platinum, then swapped to Carnival, have tried premium lines, which we love, but are trying the apparently much improved Princess next month.

[JimmyVWine]

Thanks for the thorough and useful comments. Note, however, that there are a few inaccuracies with this:

 

Bringing Liquor, spirits on board:

This policy needs attention. Guests were limited to one bottle of wine each for cabin use. Any liquor/other spirits were confiscated. Understand Holland America permits liquor/spirits brought on board and purchases from onboard stores for consumption in cabin. Policy should be similar to all “family” of Princess ships. Needs some attention.

The wine allowance is one "free" bottle per person, not one per cabin. And after that one bottle per person, you can still bring on additional bottles of wine and pay a corkage fee upon boarding. This is the most lenient policy among the Princess "family" of ships until you get to the much higher priced lines like Cunard or Seabourn. Holland American recently changed its wine policy and now severely limits wine and prohibits alcohol. The current Princess policy blows HA out of the water and many folks are jumping ship to Princess because of it.

[newport dave]

Princess used to do a daily newsletter for the UK, USA & Canada. I noticed it's been missing on our last two cruises, most probably due to cost cutting. I think most people just leave their laundry running and come back at a later time to collect' so no need for chairs. As to luggage and formal gear, I don't know why people have so much trouble fitting it in the usual 20KG luggage allowance, we're from the UK and have cruised in different parts of the world and always managed to fit everything in. With bringing alcohol onboard, the implementation of their policy is still a bit hit and miss. Our last two cruises, Western Med in May and Alaska in August nobody checked for alcohol as we brought it on in numerous ports including embarkation in Southampton and Vancouver.

 

Glad you had a great cruise and hope you're back on Princess soon.

[English Tim]

Thanks for the thorough and useful comments. Note, however, that there are a few inaccuracies with this:

 

 

The wine allowance is one "free" bottle per person, not one per cabin. And after that one bottle per person, you can still bring on additional bottles of wine and pay a corkage fee upon boarding. This is the most lenient policy among the Princess "family" of ships until you get to the much higher priced lines like Cunard or Seabourn. Holland American recently changed its wine policy and now severely limits wine and prohibits alcohol. The current Princess policy blows HA out of the water and many folks are jumping ship to Princess because of it.

 

The OP stated 1 bottle each for cabin use, NOT 1 per cabin!

 

Clearly liquor isn't allowed, but presumably they would have been able to bring additional wine, with the corkage fee.

[dorisis]

Very nice review. I hope Princess is paying attention to what you have said.

[Muscleshop]

On Board Bookings for Future Cruises:

Process went well although difficult to reach the booking agent on board. There was only one agent and she had to service a passenger load of 1900+. No real price reduction was offered however had favourable terms for deposit and two years to decide on a cruise. The deposit was $100.00 per person, fully refundable. Also onboard booking came with a ship board credit now and on future cruise. We did a booking under these terms.

Elwin

 

Elwin (or anyone else knowledgeable on this)....

 

We were considering putting down a deposit on a future cruise, while onboard our Panama trip over Christmas. As someone who has never done this before but have read many threads on CC about it.... we were looking forward to the additional OBC (future cruise credit) on the future cruise. However, from your post....you state that you also received an OBC for the cruise you were on??? This is the first time I've seen this mentioned. maybe I missed it in all the other threads referencing the onboard booking? Can someone elaborate and/or confirm this, please.....

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info .....

[Molliem]

For booking an open cruise while on board, we were provided with 2 year guarantee which included a schedule of ship board credits, depending on length of cruise. If not transferred to a specific cruise and date, then the full deposit, $200.00 is returned, no strings attached.

 

However, for taking advantage of low deposit for future cruise, we were provided with $100.00 ship board credit to use now while on the existing cruise. That's a bonus.

 

Today we booked a future cruise from this deposit and received a ship board credit as well for $100.00 on new booking with our deposit of $200.00 being applied to our cost of cruise. We'll look for this deal on future Princess cruises.

 

Elwin

 

Elwin (or anyone else knowledgeable on this)....

 

We were considering putting down a deposit on a future cruise, while onboard our Panama trip over Christmas. As someone who has never done this before but have read many threads on CC about it.... we were looking forward to the additional OBC (future cruise credit) on the future cruise. However, from your post....you state that you also received an OBC for the cruise you were on??? This is the first time I've seen this mentioned. maybe I missed it in all the other threads referencing the onboard booking? Can someone elaborate and/or confirm this, please.....

[windsor26]

Incidentally the future cruise letter which can be purchased on board at $100 per letter and gives obc for the next cruise booked (except world cruise segments) is live for 2 years BUT CAN BE EXTENDED for a further 2 years on request. Or money refunded.

[lovevacadays]

Thank you for your review. Nice to hear you enjoyed your cruise.:)

[OCruisers]

Thanks! Very nice review of our favorite Princess ship! :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[DMRick]

I'd never heard that either. So if we actually book while on Princess we would get an extra $100 obc on the current cruise? Gosh, that would be a no brainer. Pay $100 and get $100 right back! Then get the obc on the next cruise too! I'll be Looking into that next cruise. Is this new?

j

For booking an open cruise while on board, we were provided with 2 year guarantee which included a schedule of ship board credits, depending on length of cruise. If not transferred to a specific cruise and date, then the full deposit, $200.00 is returned, no strings attached.

 

However, for taking advantage of low deposit for future cruise, we were provided with $100.00 ship board credit to use now while on the existing cruise. That's a bonus.

 

Today we booked a future cruise from this deposit and received a ship board credit as well for $100.00 on new booking with our deposit of $200.00 being applied to our cost of cruise. We'll look for this deal on future Princess cruises.

 

Elwin

Edited November 9, 2013 by DMRick

[caribill]

I'd never heard that either. So if we actually book while on Princess we would get an extra $100 obc on the current cruise? Gosh, that would be a no brainer. Pay $100 and get $100 right back! Then get the obc on the next cruise too! I'll be Looking into that next cruise. Is this new?

 

Probably a special promotion to increase bookings. I would not count on it being around for long.

Edited November 9, 2013 by caribill

[jrstarheel]

absolutely no need to have waited for the agent as there is a form and a box to put it in. takes 30 seconds

[Ren1216]

Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts with us. Good information in there. Glad you enjoyed your first cruise with Princess :)

[TracieABD]

Thank you for your detailed and balanced review. I am glad you had a good first experience with Princess.:)

[Kinkacruiser]

"On formal nights, some had evening dresses and tuxedos although it was acceptable to have dress slacks and dress shirt for men without suits and ties. This was a treat and good policy. "

Perhaps Princess should dispense with formal nights for all cruises 7 days or less. I think everyone would feel more 'comfortable' in the MDR's.

 

A good /objective review from a seasoned cruiser.

Edited November 9, 2013 by Kinkacruiser

[Julia’s Journey’s]

I'd never heard that either. So if we actually book while on Princess we would get an extra $100 obc on the current cruise? Gosh, that would be a no brainer. Pay $100 and get $100 right back! Then get the obc on the next cruise too! I'll be Looking into that next cruise. Is this new?

 

Hubby and I each bought 2 new FCC's on the Royal TA and never received any OBC on that cruise - never have any time we buy, it's always for the cruise booked using the OBC. First time I have heard it.

[cmst220]

thankyou for a honest and positive review of your cruise with princess .

[Dorset Cruiser]

Thanks for the thorough and useful comments. Note, however, that there are a few inaccuracies with this:

 

 

The wine allowance is one "free" bottle per person, not one per cabin. And after that one bottle per person, you can still bring on additional bottles of wine and pay a corkage fee upon boarding. This is the most lenient policy among the Princess "family" of ships until you get to the much higher priced lines like Cunard or Seabourn. Holland American recently changed its wine policy and now severely limits wine and prohibits alcohol. The current Princess policy blows HA out of the water and many folks are jumping ship to Princess because of it.

 

OP said ''one bottle of wine each' not one bottle per cabin! Sorry - just seen English Tim's prior response :(

Edited November 10, 2013 by Dorset Cruiser

[Times Prince]

Molliem - make sure you post this against the ship reviews (see Reviews box at top of page). The CC forum does not count individual threads when determining "best of..." awards.

 

Thanks.

Bob

 

 

We have completed our first Princess cruise on Island Princess, to Alaska and return from Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Our review and comments are as follows:

 

" Embarkation:

Very well organized and went smoothly. Onboard cards were provided with ease. Cabins were available shortly after boarding.

Disembarkation:

Very well organized system without any lineups. Their scanning of boarding cards provided a very quick exit. By scanning cards while held in our hands, this avoided unnecessary delays. Excellent.

Cabin:

Very clean and spacious. Well laid out and quiet.

Cabin Attendant:

Courteous and polite, followed through on all requests. Always smiling and making us feel welcome.

Room Service/Housekeeping:

Very efficient and timely response. Any problem solved quickly.

Life Boat Drill:

Very efficient and moved along quickly. Scanning of cabin cards aided in ensuring all guests reported for the drill and no long lines. Life floatation vests were not put on until coordinator requested it and were taken off before returning to cabins. Excellent.

Bringing Liquor, spirits on board:

This policy needs attention. Guests were limited to one bottle of wine each for cabin use. Any liquor/other spirits were confiscated. Understand Holland America permits liquor/spirits brought on board and purchases from onboard stores for consumption in cabin. Policy should be similar to all “family” of Princess ships. Needs some attention.

Drink Packages on board:

In view of charging for most sodas, water, coffee, this policy was somewhat restrictive as is money earned for Princess. Water and pop could be brought on board and checked directly to our cabin. We attached a copy of our boarding ticket to a case of water and it was delivered with our luggage to the cabin.

As for coffee, Princess has a coffee card package well worth the small price. This allows the holder to 15 specialty coffees on our cruise and the card is punched for each use. There is no limit on regular drip coffee which is available with the card. We both like good coffee and enjoyed this with our one card each time. This coffee is much better than restaurant coffee onboard. Well worth the little extra cost, i.e. in our case, for 14 day cruise, $30.00 US. Best to purchase by phone or online prior to cruise as it will then be in your cabin on arrival and you avoid lines for purchasing on board. On the reverse of our card, advises that at end of cruise with specialty coffees yet to be used, the card can be used on your next Princess cruise. A bonus!

Cleanliness:

Overall, the ship was in excellent condition throughout. Very clean and always had staff working to ensure this was the case.

Lecturers and evening shows:

We attended a few presentations which were very well done. There was sufficient room in the Princess Theater for seating. Evening shows were acceptable and a treat to attend. Lectures were held in the Universal Lounge, which was acceptable.

Dress Code:

Basically casual dress was acceptable. On formal nights, some had evening dresses and tuxedos although it was acceptable to have dress slacks and dress shirt for men without suits and ties. This was a treat and good policy. The introduction of Country club casual dress code would clear up any concerns about dress code. Travelling with extra clothes for formal evenings is somewhat onerous with restrictions imposed by airlines and soaring costs for additional luggage.

Service in Restaurants and Self Serve:

We went to the Horizon Court for breakfast and lunches. The food there was fully acceptable and service was wonderful. Staff were attentive and willing to help at any time.

For evening Dinner, we went to the Bordeaux Dining Room and were very pleased with the attention by the Head Waiter and servicing staff. They went out of their way to ensure my spouse was well looked after in view of a severe food allergy. This was a very professional experience. The food was excellent.

Specialty Restaurants:

We did not visit the specialty restaurants. The food served in Bordeaux was excellent so no need to spend extra money in these restaurants. Would be nice if Princess could include one or more specialty restaurant seatings in the cruise price as there are some cruise lines which do this. Having to pay extra for this service and sodas and wine etc. becomes a sore point - like airlines.

TV Reception:

Like most cruises, TV reception was poor. This was on Alaska cruise and satellite positioning for TV was not great. Believe however, it would have been nice to have the Patter expanded to include some news items from around the world including US and Canada. Some cruise lines provide a review in their paper distribution which is very well received. Princess may wish to look at this option.

On Board Laundry:

Many floors have full self serve laundry service. Sufficient machines were there for self service laundry at a cost of $2.00 per load. Laundry rooms are located at the stern of the ship; providing some seating in the laundry room would be a benefit, especially since a TV is provided.

Ship Tours at Ports:

We joined a couple of ship’s tours and enjoyed them very well. Boarding of buses and trains was very well organized. Tours were pricy however, we were provided with value for the cost. Sometimes it is worth participating in ship’s tours due to port locations and departure times.

Price of Cruise:

While this is our first Princess cruise, we found the pricing was very reasonable.

On Board Bookings for Future Cruises:

Process went well although difficult to reach the booking agent on board. There was only one agent and she had to service a passenger load of 1900+. No real price reduction was offered however had favourable terms for deposit and two years to decide on a cruise. The deposit was $100.00 per person, fully refundable. Also onboard booking came with a ship board credit now and on future cruise. We did a booking under these terms.

While we have maintained our loyalty to another cruise line having taken 13 cruises with them, this experience has certainly opened our minds to exploring the world with other options. We would consider Princess in all of our future planning."

Elwin