Just off/done with Caribbean Princess

[renman22]

My Spousal Unit (SU) are elite level on four lines and cruise several times a year which makes everything said here I hope a well informed opinion; but still in the end it is just one person's opinion. We just completed a 10 day repositioning from New York to Houston. I have never posted a review of a cruise but because of our experience this time I thought I might give it a try. Last year we gave up some 30+ years with Royal Caribbean. I am realistic about the economics of the leisure industry and have no sentimentality about the good old days or how things used to be. Times change and some things get better and some get worse. It is simply a personal qualitative judgement. RCCL seems to have moved toward a Carnival experience in which I choose not to participate. Now I have never been on Carnival ship but after my SU went on a girls cruise she came back and asked that Carnival never contact her again. Once again it is only personal preference and I know folks who really enjoy Carnival.

Now to the cruise at hand......Caribbean Princess

The Good: The staff for the most part really knocked themselves out to give great service. The room steward was super, the MDR waiters were great, and the young man who runs the Captains Circle (or whatever it is called) was first class. The ship was in ship shape. I had read some reviews that called this into question, but to me the CP is in terrific condition and well cared for. The food in the Crown Grill bordered on great. We ate there twice and thought it was worth every penny; great food and service. The nightly buffet was pretty good and at least showed some effort.

The Bad: Where do I start? The ship was not quite full (2700) and it seemed crowded at all times. This ship just should not accommodate this many passengers. The space is to my liking very strange. There is the Piazza which is simply too small. Also the shops are quite small and not especially well stocked while there seemed to be a large amount of lounge space that was seldom in use. Also what public space there was contained zero over sized or comfortable chairs. I am a most average sized guy and never found a chair that was good for more than 30 minutes. The theater was always crowded (do you see a trend here?) and with the exception of Steve Moris, the shows were all several years old and have not aged especially well. We had two of the shortest stops (half a day each) I have ever had on a cruise. I have been on a dozen or so repostionings of all types (10 to 23 days) and have never experienced this.

The Ugly: The food in the MDR was simply OK at best with limited menus. On the other hand the fare in the horizon court was close to inedible (which is a comment I have never made about any other eating establishment). To make matters worse, the layout of the HC could comfortably serve less than half the number of passengers. Seating in anytime dining was a disaster for those who wanted to have a table for two. I was told by the Maitre d that there were only 15 tables for two and that the only time without a wait was 5:00. After trying twice we gave up. The large ships need to give their preoccupation with hand sanitizer! Having borderline OCD (and also a graduate of the 3rd grade) I can assure you that my hands are always well washed before meals. Also without going into great detail, a recent Yale/Emory Medical School study found that sanitizers only kill bacteria and are essentially useless in fighting a virus. The study further stated that hand washing with soap and water was infinitely more effective, but that the spread of Norovirus etc. had little to do with hand contact by diners. I got very weary of being TOLD to sanitize my hands. It was a good thing the Horizon Court food was so bad since I quit going after a couple of days. Lunch became a hotdog which was pretty good.

I could go on and on, but enough is enough. Remembering this is just one person's opinion, I appreciate that there are lots of folks who really like the product that Princess offers. I guess I simply am no longer a part of this group. That is why it is so great that we have so many cruising choices. We really, really, like Aqua Class on Celebrity with its BLU dining offering. This year we have gone on our 3rd Paul Gauguin cruise and are about to do Southeast Asia on the Azamara Journey. We like this genre for many reasons including the smart casual dress code.

Princess was once our favorite line. This however, may say more about us than it does about Princess. The reality of life is simply that we usually get what we pay for. Given the tenor of this review, it might then surprise some that we actually had a pretty good time on our Caribbean Princess cruise. With the exception of some of the food, we got what we paid for and therefore have no real complaints. I just thought I would share some of my/our very personal observations.

[MarkSeattle]

I think the hand sanitation brigade is on other lines too. On a prior non-Princess cruise I was blocked from even walking through the buffet area without using it, even though I wasn't going to eat or touch anything. Just checking it out the first day aboard.

 

The number of tables for two is disappointing though, for such a large ship. RC seems better outfitted in that regard. I'll see how it goes in 3 weeks...

 

How was the debarcation in Houston? You are the first cruise to arrive, and the port looks like a potential traffic jam trying to get out based on my drive by last weekend (only one lane for about a mile on the exit).

Edited November 6, 2013 by MarkSeattle

[AlaskaGolden]

...

 

The Good:... The nightly buffet was pretty good and at least showed some effort...

 

The Ugly:...On the other hand the fare in the horizon court was close to inedible (which is a comment I have never made about any other eating establishment). To make matters worse, the layout of the HC could comfortably serve less than half the number of passengers...It was a good thing the Horizon Court food was so bad since I quit going after a couple of days. Lunch became a hot dog which was pretty good...

 

Something seems a bit off here.:confused: Is there another nightly buffet besides the Horizon or Cafe Caribe? Also, I thought for dinner if Cafe Caribe (not mentioned by the OP) was open, then the Horizon was closed.

[mafig]

Thank you for your review. I'm going on Crown this coming week and really looking forward to it, but I am a little worried about anytime dining on Princess. When we last went on Princess it worked very well, but I keep reading reports of long waits, etc. We've had Celebrity's version of Anytime and it was great ... they limit how many people can reserve it ... and I've read here that Princess not only doesn't do this, but allows people who have Tradiitiional to go back and forth. :( We'll see I guess.

 

Thanks again for taking the time for your review.

[eroller]

Interesting review and thanks for sharing. I would say it's quite obvious that you have outgrown the mass-market lines and there is nothing wrong with that. They are just not meeting your needs or expectations anymore. I consider Celebrity mass-market as well, but tend to find the experience a bit elevated over Princess especially if you're in Aqua Class.

 

So perhaps it's time to dish out more $$ to sail on lines that will better meet your expectations. I'm thinking Azamara, Cunard, Oceania, Crystal, Regent, and perhaps the new Viking Ocean Cruises. The service is elevated on these lines and you will never feel crowded.

 

I love the premium and luxury lines, but I also still enjoy my cruises on Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity, NCL, etc. Carnival is simply no longer an option especially after my last cruise on CARNIVAL BREEZE. They have gone just too downhill to even consider anymore. I do set my expectations in line with what I have paid, and that certainly helps with my enjoyment of the experience.

 

Ernie

[SCFCRUISER]

Something seems a bit off here.:confused: Is there another nightly buffet besides the Horizon or Cafe Caribe? Also, I thought for dinner if Cafe Caribe (not mentioned by the OP) was open, then the Horizon was closed.

 

I noticed the good & ugly remarks about the buffett also, sounds like this person just likes to gripe & not sure what they liked!

[SCFCRUISER]

Thank you for your review. I'm going on Crown this coming week and really looking forward to it, but I am a little worried about anytime dining on Princess. When we last went on Princess it worked very well, but I keep reading reports of long waits, etc. We've had Celebrity's version of Anytime and it was great ... they limit how many people can reserve it ... and I've read here that Princess not only doesn't do this, but allows people who have Tradiitiional to go back and forth. :( We'll see I guess.

 

Thanks again for taking the time for your review.

 

 

We did anytime our last 3 cruises. They gave us a beeper thingy each time & we have waited no more than 15 minutes each time. We just got a seat at the lobby bar & had a drink before the thingy went off. We never had any problems!

 

Steve

[Coral]

Interesting review and thanks for sharing. I would say it's quite obvious that you have outgrown the mass-market lines and there is nothing wrong with that. They are just not meeting your needs or expectations anymore. I consider Celebrity mass-market as well, but tend to find the experience a bit elevated over Princess especially if you're in Aqua Class.

 

 

The sad thing is that they probably didn't intentionally outgrow mass-market lines, it is just that the mass-market lines have been reduced down so much that this couple's expectations were probably what they were years ago. I put my self in a similar situation of this person.

 

You are right in recommending the higher end lines to them. One needs to sail them to get the same quality of cruise experience they experienced not too many years ago....

[Coral]

The Bad: Where do I start? The ship was not quite full (2700) and it seemed crowded at all times. This ship just should not accommodate this many passengers. The space is to my liking very strange. There is the Piazza which is simply too small.

 

I haven't been on the Caribbean Princess but starting with this ship, they added another deck of passengers with out allocating much additional room to these additional passengers. I sailed on the Crown Princess which was filled and couldn't believe how crowded it was.

 

I now see all these reviews of the Royal Princess (which has a better space ratio than Caribbean Princess) and how it is not crowded at all. I wonder what ships they are comparing the space ratio to - I assume the Caribbean, Crown, Ruby and Emerald Princess. I never found a Princess ship crowded until I was on the Crown and have avoided those 4 ships since due to the extra deck and poor space ratio.

[WWCJR]

I am sorry that the Caribbean Princess (CB not CP) did not meet your expectations. We have sailed on her 5 times and have the 6th time booked. We have found that the crowding you mentions is not true on MOST of the cruises we have been on her. I can see where it could and does happen if too many people want to use the same area. But with so many different venues that that should rarely happen.

 

I am a bit on the large size and have not had problems finding comfortable places to sit and lounge. We are not big fans of lounging around the pools with the exception of the Terrace Pool under Skywalkers.

 

Yes, at times they do push the hand sanitizer but I have never had it pushed at me as much as on our one and only never to be repeated RCCL cruise. I make sure that I have washed my hands well before heading in to eat, avoiding touching anything on the way. And since the hand sanitizer is

dispensed without touching anything I have no problem with it.

 

Most of the time we have had no problems with Anytime Dining and usually just walk right in and usually request a table for two. I cannot remember anytime having to wait more that a couple of minutes, but we eat early when it opens.

 

I hope that you had a chance to try the pizza. Most people rave about it and I can't wait to have some more of it...does not matter which Princess ship they all make the best pizza.

 

I am a little confused. If this was your first time on Princess and on the CB then how can you state that the show seem old and worn out, they should have all been new to you. I might state that the different Princess ship have different shows and over time they do change. Also each of the shows have different versions that they perform based on sea conditions. So upon what do you base your statement.

 

If you look you can see that we have cruised on several different cruise lines and for the most part I would sail again on any of them other than RCCL, with Princess being our favorite.

 

Please don't take this post as bashing you as you stated it was your view. I am just providing a different view based on more than one time on the ship.

 

I hope that your next cruise on whatever cruise line is more to your liking and thanks for sharing your feelings and experience with us.

[lor74]

to each their own. I was on the CB in Sept, and I am a big guy with back issues....I had no problem with the seats, and the DW and I never had a problem finding a table for dinner....you just had to walk to the next section and there was always seating....on a full ship.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[CI66774]

Thanks for your review. I don't understand your issue with hand sanitizers - you'll get that on every mass market line. Cunard? I've been on two Cunard cruises and, unless, you're in a Princess Grill Suites, it's mass market all the way. I've cruised on several Regent cruises (six, to be exact) and it's definitely nicer but you PAY thousands more for that experience. I wouldn't hesitate to cruise on Regent or Crystal again but be prepared to pay. I now have a small child and need kid clubs to allow Mommy to have a little time to herself. :D Good luck on your future journeys.

[whataboutport]

I will be on CB this Sat and I will be doing my own review when I return. It will be my first time on Princess. I felt RCCL wasn't "dressy" enough for me, so I am trying Princess. But if I had been on Aqua Class on X or Paul Gauguin I would think Princess was no good either! LOL

[eroller]

The sad thing is that they probably didn't intentionally outgrow mass-market lines, it is just that the mass-market lines have been reduced down so much that this couple's expectations were probably what they were years ago.

 

 

 

Very true statement. Many lines have been dumbed down to appeal the masses. Quantity vs quality. Of course we now have new premium lines like Viking Ocean, Oceania, and Azamara to pick up the slack, but in some cases the cost can be quite prohibited.

 

Ernie

[readytoembark]

Also without going into great detail, a recent Yale/Emory Medical School study found that sanitizers only kill bacteria and are essentially useless in fighting a virus.

 

I don't like hearing this. :( Had always thought it was a convenient way to keep protected from getting the noro virus. Thanks for this information.

[eroller]

Cunard? I've been on two Cunard cruises and, unless, you're in a Princess Grill Suites, it's mass market all the way.

 

 

I don't agree. I've sailed on Cunard many times, in and out of the Grills, and either way I don't consider it mass-market. The ships are spacious, you don't wait in lines, there are no annoying revenue producing announcements, no bellyflop contests by the pool, no buckets of beer, no wife beaters and flip flops in the dining room, etc. etc. etc. Jackets are required every night in the dining room and the dress code is enforced. There are also no water slides, rock climbing walls, MUTS videos by the pool … well you get the point. Gimmicks that appeal to the masses. Those are all features and attributes of mass-market lines, and Cunard doesn't have any of that. I just returned from two weeks in Europe on QUEEN ELIZABETH and it was anything but mass-market.

 

I've also sailed multiple times on luxury lines like Silversea, niche lines like Windstar, and true premium lines like Azamara. They all have something to offer and are very enjoyable, but the cost is potentially much higher.

 

I still sail on mass-market lines like Princess, Celebrity, HAL, NCL, and Royal Caribbean because I still enjoy the experience and I think there is a lot of value. It amazes me how much you get for so little cost. With the new mega-ships come a lot of choices, features, and amenities (that some of the premium & luxury ships lack) but there is a tradeoff, and that is space and often times a lower level of service and overall quality. If there is one common link between all the new mega-ships being introduced in the past couple years, it's that they are designed as very efficient revenue producing machines that offer a myriad of choices to part with your $$, and in less space per passenger than previous designs. That means more people sharing fewer swimming pools, elevators, deck space, lounges, etc.

 

Ernie

[N00B]

We were also on this same cruise. This was my second cruise ever and my first with Princess. It seems I have also "outgrown" the experience.

 

We went to the buffet a few times, mostly for lunch when the lunch menus in the MDR took a precipitous decline near the end of the cruise. The smell coming out of the buffet was generally enough to turn my stomach and I mostly ended up picking at a few dishes that appeared reasonable. I ate a lot of fruit from the buffet as it generally appeared to be the most appealing item.

 

The ship did seem crowded most times. Around the pools it was near to impossible to get a lounger and around some of the bars at night they brought out folding chairs for people to sit on. Meanwhile a couple of the larger venues (Fusion and Explorers) were near empty most of the time.

 

We only had 4 ports and 2 of them were cut short. Depending on when you booked this cruise that may not have been part of your original itinerary. There were port and time changes that happened well after these things are usually settled.

 

We were not overly impressed with the experience. We frequently got answers like "this is our first time" when asking staff questions about ports or on board experiences. Presumably they expected us to believe Princess had never been to Cozumel before or similarly ridiculous things.

 

I had not intended to post a review because I feel it would be overly negative and as OP said it is only one persons' opinion. However seeing people question every word OP said made me feel inclined to add my voice of support and agreement with the gist of his statements. My experiences were somewhat different (I thought the chairs in the piazza were fine, only too scant for the entertainment they frequently offered there), but in general my experience on this exact same cruise was the same as OPs.

[CI66774]

I don't agree. I've sailed on Cunard many times, in and out of the Grills, and either way I don't consider it mass-market. The ships are spacious, you don't wait in lines, there are no annoying revenue producing announcements, no bellyflop contests by the pool, no buckets of beer, no wife beaters and flip flops in the dining room, etc. etc. etc. Jackets are required every night in the dining room and the dress code is enforced. There are also no water slides, rock climbing walls, MUTS videos by the pool … well you get the point. Gimmicks that appeal to the masses. Those are all features and attributes of mass-market lines, and Cunard doesn't have any of that. I just returned from two weeks in Europe on QUEEN ELIZABETH and it was anything but mass-market.

 

I've also sailed multiple times on luxury lines like Silversea, niche lines like Windstar, and true premium lines like Azamara. They all have something to offer and are very enjoyable, but the cost is potentially much higher.

 

I still sail on mass-market lines like Princess, Celebrity, HAL, NCL, and Royal Caribbean because I still enjoy the experience and I think there is a lot of value. It amazes me how much you get for so little cost. With the new mega-ships come a lot of choices, features, and amenities (that some of the premium & luxury ships lack) but there is a tradeoff, and that is space and often times a lower level of service and overall quality. If there is one common link between all the new mega-ships being introduced in the past couple years, it's that they are designed as very efficient revenue producing machines that offer a myriad of choices to part with your $$, and in less space per passenger than previous designs. That means more people sharing fewer swimming pools, elevators, deck space, lounges, etc.

 

Ernie

 

Ernie,

 

We can agree to disagree. I've sailed the QM2 twice and I found it just fine - nothing amazing, though. The most fun I've had was on the Disney Fantasy - beautiful ship and great customer service. When you have children, Regent and Crystal (Silversea and so on) aren't in the mix - so to speak as they don't have dedicated kids clubs year round. I like the higher end lines - don't get me wrong - I just don't consider Cunard one of them.

[whatcruiseisnext]

We are just off this cruise as well and have a totally different opinion.

 

Many times over the course of the 10 day cruise we commented on how UNCROWDED the ship was. The cruise as stated was not full sailing with 600 less passengers than capacity. There was always somewhere to sit and lounge chairs at the pool were easy to come by. I have never been on a cruise before that you could go out to the pool at 9 or 10 and still find a lounge chair. Most days there were some vacant chairs all day. Food is very subjective but we had no issue with the food in the MDR, The Horizon Court or the Caribe Cafe. There is no way that I would describe the food as inedible!

 

The hand sanitizers that cruise lines use contain benzalkonium chloride and benzethonium chloride which is effective against Norovirus in concentrations of at least .013%.

We never had a problem getting a seat for the shows and most shows still had vacant seats after they started.

Tables for 2 in the main dining room is an issue. The longest that we had to wait was about 15 minutes or less on the nights we chose to dine at a table for 2. This is much less than the time we have to wait at restaurants here at home. We didn't view it as a problem.

This ship had been in Europe and then did Canada/New England. This repo was the first time that many staff were in the Caribbean. So if they said that "this is our first time"....the were probably telling the truth.

We talked to many people on the cruise and almost all had favorable comments. I am sorry that some of you had a poor experience. We are fortuante that our experince was great and although we have been home less than 24 hours we are already looking forward to our next cruise.

 

 

(Not sure why part of this post is in blue and part in black????)

Edited November 7, 2013 by whatcruiseisnext

[Skai]

I had previously looked at this cruise a few months ago, and noticed how incredibly cheap it was being offered (for circle members)-- IIRC something like (starting@) $449 for an inside/$899 a balcony.

 

If the OP was able to get this 10-day cruise for a good price...I'm not sure what they really have to complain about.....

[eroller]

Ernie,

 

We can agree to disagree. I've sailed the QM2 twice and I found it just fine - nothing amazing, though. The most fun I've had was on the Disney Fantasy - beautiful ship and great customer service. When you have children, Regent and Crystal (Silversea and so on) aren't in the mix - so to speak as they don't have dedicated kids clubs year round. I like the higher end lines - don't get me wrong - I just don't consider Cunard one of them.

 

 

I don't consider Cunard a luxury lines by any means, but I also don't place it in the mass-market arena. My sailings on Cunard have very little in common with those on Princess, NCL, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean. Night and day actually. QM2 happens to be one of my all-time favorite vessels and I've sailed on a lot. You have to appreciate her for what she is, a true "ocean liner" and not some production line cruise ship. I place Cunard clearly in the premium category, along with lines like Oceania and Azamara.

 

We can agree on DCL. I have no kids but I adore Disney Cruise Line. Beautiful ships (I've sailed a few times on DISNEY DREAM and DISNEY WONDER) and attention to detail that is second to none. Too bad about all the kids or I would probably cruise on them more often. I often say Disney Cruise Line is wasted on the children! LOL

 

Ernie

[eroller]

 

If the OP was able to get this 10-day cruise for a good price...I'm not sure what they really have to complain about.....

 

 

 

I agree it's important to put expectations in line with the price paid, but regardless of how much I pay I expect certain minimum standards. I'm not saying this is the case with the OP's cruise as I wasn't on it. I have sailed on CARIBBEAN PRINCESS and quite enjoyed the experience, but I also know the ship wasn't full.

 

My last cruise on Carnival was very inexpensive and my expectations were low, but even those were not meant. In that case it didn't matter how little I paid, I disembarked feeling disappointed and felt there was little value even with the small amount I paid. It was enough to make me steer of Carnival for the foreseeable future.

 

Ernie

Edited November 7, 2013 by eroller

[CI66774]

I don't consider Cunard a luxury lines by any means, but I also don't place it in the mass-market arena. My sailings on Cunard have very little in common with those on Princess, NCL, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean. Night and day actually. QM2 happens to be one of my all-time favorite vessels and I've sailed on a lot. You have to appreciate her for what she is, a true "ocean liner" and not some production line cruise ship. I place Cunard clearly in the premium category, along with lines like Oceania and Azamara.

 

We can agree on DCL. I have no kids but I adore Disney Cruise Line. Beautiful ships (I've sailed a few times on DISNEY DREAM and DISNEY WONDER) and attention to detail that is second to none. Too bad about all the kids or I would probably cruise on them more often. I often say Disney Cruise Line is wasted on the children! LOL

 

Ernie

 

Even though there were kids all around, I just felt...happy on Disney. Maybe it was the look in my kid's eye every time she saw one of her favorite characters or maybe it was the high quality crew. I just spent the week always smiling in a "little kid" kind of way. I loved the adult venues on the Fantasy, too. It has an amazing martini bar that I frequented. Sure, it was noisy and full of kids, but, somehow, that didn't detract from the experience. My daughter keeps asking me when we go on it again. :)

[KruzPrincess]

Thanks for your thoughts. It's clear that each person can have their own thoughts and it's good to see different opinions. I had one single cruise on HAL and so many things went wrong that my friends and I have never sailed that cruise line again. My friends still won't consider a HAL cruise, but I may try it again someday. I'm positive that other people had a great time on that HAL cruise. We all look for different things. You are right when you say you get what you pay for. It's really not fair to compare a Princess cruise that was probably a bargain to a cruise on a luxury cruise line. I wish I could cruise on some of the luxury cruise lines, but I just choose not to spend my money there. I feel like I get a really good experience with Princess and get what I'm paying for. Is it perfect? No, but it's pretty darn good. Food is so subjective. I may not like everything, but I've rarely gone hungry. I do have to say that I'm not a fan of the ships that have the extra Riviera deck, but I've still had nice times on the Crown and Ruby. I'm glad you had a good time overall, but, as Coral said, it sounds like you've outgrown Princess. Also, you can't be too thin skinned in Cruise Critic world. Take it with a grain of salt.

[chrismch]

Like the OP we've done many cruises. Found some we liked and some we didn't, but can only count one really bad cruise.

 

We started with Carnival. But not being heavy drinkers decided it wasn't for us. However we did enjoy a wonderful 7 day with them out of New Orleans.

 

Then tried 3 RCL - all had issues. One included a really bad sewage smell in the hallway each time we came into port. We decided it was 3 strikes you're out.

 

Had one of the best cruises ever with NCL as a repositioning with a bonus upgrade from an inside to a balcony. Who wouldn't love that! It was the first cruise for the ship in that location and they pulled out all the stops. However, we've never returned to an NCL ship because we found other cruiselines we liked better for their space ratio and ports.

 

Princess - been on short and long cruises and been happy with them for their consistency. Even had one with high seas, but still had a great time - thanks to bonine.

 

Celebrity- our first cruise on them was wonderful and we thought we had "found" our cruiseline, however the 3 that followed were a let down with the 2nd one giving a substantial credit to try it again since our room had some real issues. Had one port on the last ship that had a 1 hour stop - literally. It also had another stop that came in late - with port time 6pm to 10pm. That's when they were having all their pod problems.

 

HAL - love the artwork, ship design and space ratio. Great ports and great prices - especially on extended or B2B cruises.

 

However, if we had our choice with money not a concern -- We would always sail on Crystal. It has excellent space ratios, elegant designs, 5 star dining throughout and wonderful personal service. We've only done this a few times and it is easy to see how it has been ranked #1 in the small luxury cruise line category.