Just Off the Golden to Alaska, RT Seattle 6/7-14/2014. Buckle Up!

[caribill]

I'm afraid that the CDC doesn't exactly agree with you:

http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/preventing-infection.html

"Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be used in addition to hand washing. But, they should not be used as a substitute for washing with soap and water."

 

And that is the key. Most people skip that step and assume the hand sanitizer will do the job.

 

How many people do you think (on the Royal and Regal) use the available sink in the buffet area to first wash their hands for 20-30 seconds before then getting the hand sanitizer spritz?

[Paula_MacFan]

I wonder about the low opinions on the buffet... Do those of you who consider it "slops" and "inedible" ever eat at a buffet line out in the real world? The food in the HC was comparable to the better buffet restaurants I've been to. No, it was not fine dining or gourmet, but really people - "slops"?!?!?!?!?!?!? For fine dining, go to the MDR or the specialty restaurants. For decent, filling food any time, use the buffet. Sheesh!

 

No, I don't have an opinion on whether the food was better back in some long-ago better age, since this was our first cruise. But seriously - it was fine...

 

 

Jim

 

I know! We were just on the Golden 2 weeks ago. Several nights they offered many things in the buffet that were on the MDR menu. So if it's served in the MDR it's 'fine dining', but if it's served in the buffet it's 'slops'? Makes no sense.

 

For instance one night I wanted the fried chicken as posted on the MDR menu. But it was served with french fries which I didn't want, and also I didn't want to get dressed up after a long port day. So in the buffet was the same fried chicken, and I was able to make a plate of side dishes to my liking, and not fries. Seriously.....french fries are 'fine dining' anyway??

 

They also had the flourless chocolate cake on the buffet that is served in the MDR and people consistently rave about here.

[caribill]

 

For instance one night I wanted the fried chicken as posted on the MDR menu. But it was served with french fries which I didn't want....

 

In a case like that, you can ask your waiter to have it brought without the fries or with a different side.

[Paula_MacFan]

In a case like that, you can ask your waiter to have it brought without the fries or with a different side.

 

Obviously......I was simply making the point that the same items are sometimes served in both the MDR and buffet. And the rest of the quote you cut off said I didn't want to get dressed for the MDR that night, but wanted to enjoy some of the same items and by going to the buffet I was able to get whatever I wanted myself.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Paula_MacFan

[shredie]

And that is the key. Most people skip that step and assume the hand sanitizer will do the job.

 

 

Which is why I feel better about it when those who don't wash do use the sanitizer. My motto is "better than nothing." Maybe it will kill a few of those nasty germs, but doing nothing kills none of them. I think the OP was objecting to the strong-arm tactics of the staff at the sanitizer dispensers rather than the goop itself.

[critterchick]

I have chosen to respond to this particular post because it graphically displays a certain attitude that rears its head on this forum from time to time: "Kill the messenger!"

 

I was on the Golden, just as I said. I told you of my experiences. If you want to mock what I have to say, that's fine. I was on three (3) prior cruises with Princess with my family and had a great time each and every time. That's why I chose Princess to Alaska, plus the fact that it went to Glacier Bay. If you want to discount and trivialize what I have to say, so be it.

 

I posted my review because I thought others might benefit from it. I also posted it because I believe that Princess representatives read this Board. It is my feeling that by pointing out what I believe to be areas for improvement, they may read it, investigate what I said, and make corrections where deemed appropriate for the good of all. However, some such as this poster, don't see it that way. They choose to act like taunting little children on a playground.

 

I received the follow up e-mail survey from Princess and filled it out truthfully. I told them of all of these issues and gave them my name and phone number, inviting them to call me. if they have an interest in addressing what I feel to be some issues that should be addressed, they will call me. If not, that's fine too.

 

I'm sorry if the truth offends some, but as I have said, my review is just my personal opinion. Take it or leave it. Happy Cruising!

 

I appreciate your review. it's nice to see an objective statement on what was good and what wasn't. The music (DH and I are trained musicians and musical entertainment is high on our list of activities) has indeed gone downhill since we first sailed on Star Princess in 2002, but we enjoyed the nights when the Princess Orchestra set up in the Wheelhouse Bar. We would usually speed up when passing by Explorer lounge because the singer made our ears hurt - I don't know if it was the same band. RCI wins that category, but at least be glad that you weren't on Carnival, where in 5 years the house orchestra has shrunk from a full set of winds, rhythm and keyboard to a singer with blown vocal chords (we could tell that she once had a fine, now ruined, voice:() and a 3-piece combo backing her up.

 

And we've written off Crown Grill (mis-cooked entrees and crappy service when I went in solo) in favor of Sabatini's, which we adore. The Horizon Court is actually decent in the evenings - we had dinner up there a couple of times and the food was well-prepared, fresh and varied.

 

I thought you presented a balanced review, with many highlights to go along with your IMO valid issues. Welcome back to RCI.:)

[avalon1025]

I wonder about the low opinions on the buffet... Do those of you who consider it "slops" and "inedible" ever eat at a buffet line out in the real world? The food in the HC was comparable to the better buffet restaurants I've been to. No, it was not fine dining or gourmet, but really people - "slops"?!?!?!?!?!?!? For fine dining, go to the MDR or the specialty restaurants. For decent, filling food any time, use the buffet. Sheesh!

 

No, I don't have an opinion on whether the food was better back in some long-ago better age, since this was our first cruise. But seriously - it was fine...

 

 

Jim

 

The buffets on HAL and Celebrity (Solstice class) are far superior in function and food then on Princess. There are buffet only restaurants?

[caribill]

There are buffet only restaurants?

 

 

In your area try Souplantation or Vegas Seafood Buffet

[RoxnDox]

The buffets on HAL and Celebrity (Solstice class) are far superior in function and food then on Princess. There are buffet only restaurants?

 

Since, as mentioned, this was our first cruise, no opinion on how it compares to other ships or lines... Just that it was good.

 

And yes, there are *many* buffet-only restaurants. I'm sure even Hollywood has them.

 

Jim

[bhopal21]

I have never understood how passengers can be so negative about the food on a cruise. I think their expectations are too high to begin with.

 

When you have a galley preparing 3 full meals a day for over 3000 passengers plus other meals and snacks what could you expect? Of course it's not gourmet food even with the fancy names.

 

I can only assume none of you folks were ever in the military.:rolleyes:

 

Mike:)

[KarateMan]

I have never understood how passengers can be so negative about the food on a cruise. I think their expectations are too high to begin with.

 

When you have a galley preparing 3 full meals a day for over 3000 passengers plus other meals and snacks what could you expect? Of course it's not gourmet food even with the fancy names.

 

I can only assume none of you folks were ever in the military.:rolleyes:

 

Mike:)

 

I was in the military. The Royal Australian Navy to be precise. Nowhere did I say I expected Princess food to be gourmet.

 

I previously said I found their pizzas outstanding. I also love their deck grill and will get endless burgers, hot dogs, fries throughout the trip.

 

I just found the buffet so sloppy and inedible that I have had better meals at places like KFC, McDonalds and all other world famous fast food joints. I am not lying when I am saying this. I find a quaterpounder meal from McDonalds better food than what Princess has on offer in their buffet.

[bhopal21]

I was in the military. The Royal Australian Navy to be precise. Nowhere did I say I expected Princess food to be gourmet.

 

 

And nowhere in my post did I reference anything you posted.

 

People have complained about the food for years and will for years to come.

 

And nothing will change.

 

Mike:)

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your review, sorry the cruise did not work out for you.

[avalon1025]

The pinnacle of my experience on the Crowns horizon court was the communal bowl of strawberry jelly with people just sticking their utensils into it. Absolutely disgusting having been contaminated by other items people had on their knives. Gross, and one wonders how noro spreads

Edited June 18, 2014 by avalon1025

[Foamer]

I can say that in about 4 days I will enter the Horizon Court with trepidation. I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

 

And I've been in the Army. Still am, actually. Chow hall food can be... variable.

 

I've been to buffets in Vegas and a few other casinos here and there. Is it too much to hope that a cruise ship buffet might be comparable to them, without too much disfavor?

 

I wasn't all that much of a fan of the buffet on the Norwegian Jewel, but I always knew I could find fresh fruit and some baked goods that were good for breakfast.

[VirtualRain]

I wonder about the low opinions on the buffet... Do those of you who consider it "slops" and "inedible" ever eat at a buffet line out in the real world? The food in the HC was comparable to the better buffet restaurants I've been to. No, it was not fine dining or gourmet, but really people - "slops"?!?!?!?!?!?!? For fine dining, go to the MDR or the specialty restaurants. For decent, filling food any time, use the buffet. Sheesh!

 

No, I don't have an opinion on whether the food was better back in some long-ago better age, since this was our first cruise. But seriously - it was fine...

 

 

Jim

 

I'm at least one of the folks on this thread that referred to Horizons as slop. ;) of course it's not truly "slop"... that term was used for added effect, but I have experienced the buffet on Norwegian, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean ships and all of them were better than Princess. I've also had buffet dining at weddings and business conferences that all out perform Princess. And any 4-star hotel offers a better breakfast buffet than what you'll get in Horizons. I guess compared to Uncle Willy's (if those still exist) Princess might do ok, but that's not a very high bar. The selection and quality on Grand Class ships in Horizons is mediocre and uninspired and I guess for what Princess charges for a cruise and the number of people they need to feed, it's understandable... But that doesn't make it good. It could be a helluva lot better. But it will never improve if people never complain.

 

Now having said all that, my GF likes Horizons... We argue about it occasionally because neither of us can understand the others position on it... As you can imagine, on sea days, we seldom dine together for lunch. ;)

 

But my dislike for Horizons doesn't stop me from cruising Princess. It's easy to avoid.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...At the end of the day, my review is just my personal opinion of my experience. I have given it here for what it's worth to others, trying to remain factual. While I am not a "hard core cruiser" like many who cruise several times each year, I have been on enough cruises now to feel that my opinion may have some limited value to others, having been on several different cruise lines.

 

I wish everyone a great cruise, wherever they may go, and on whatever line they choose.

 

Thanks for your review. It has the "ring of truth" to it, and it doesn't sound as though you are one of those who is impossible to please. I am booked for my first Princess cruise this fall on the Golden (a Baja 4-nighter), so was interested in what you had to say.

 

I have wanted to try Princess for awhile now, but mainly booked for the dates and itinerary. My last cruise was 9 years ago on Celebrity, and I understand things have gone downhill since then on most or all of the mainstream lines. So I will sail with reduced expectations. My hope is that I will be pleasantly surprised.

 

Best wishes on your future cruises as well!

Edited June 18, 2014 by Ryndam2002

[shredie]

I have been trying to figure out what "slops" is. I know it's what they feed pigs, so does that include the lettuce at the salad bar? All those chopped and sliced vegetables? The dinner rolls? How about those little pieces of cake? Where do those condiments fit in? A-One sauce, Tabasco, oh, and those pats of butter? I guess we add the fresh fruit to that, too. I guess dumped together in a big trough, this might add up to slops, but I wonder if it is at least possible to consume some of these items in a more civilized way.

[Hotdog 52]

I've been on 28 cruises and haven't had a bad meal yet, except for NCL.:)

[Marieze]

I just read on another post someone had trouble finding seats in the H.C.......apparently there are many who enjoy the food!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[bdjam]

Interesting thread. I was on the June 1 sailing on Grand Princess - ironically in cabin D509 on the starboard side - and it was a darn good cruise.

 

I flew in to Seattle the morning of the cruise and had Princess transfers from the airport - it was a seamless transfer and one of the things I appreciate about using Princess is the fact that they take care of my luggage and I don't have to hunt down a porter or deal with it myself. I arrived at the pier at noon and yes, the line to register was incredibly long. I was happy that I had preferred boarding because it would have been an hour wait if I was in the regular line.

 

My room steward was excellent and never said 'no.' He was taking care of things before I even thought of them.

 

I had dinner in Crown Grille with four other people and we were all overly satisfied (and filled) with our food and service there. I also had dinner at Sabatini and agree with you that the food and service there was excellent...I made a bad choice for dessert (the Napoleon thing) but that was my fault. Food in the main dining room was good to excellent, although I found service in Anytime Dining to be uneven depending on where you were seated.

 

I used Horizon Court for breakfast and sometimes for an evening snack - I didn't find it to be slop, inedible or anything else besides good basic food. Of course my favorite person there is the made to order omelet man who I visited every morning and who presented me with a fresh, hot and delicious omelet.

 

And yes, please use the sanitizer - whether or not it kills Norovirus, it kills germs that you have and I don't want. even if you've washed your hands in your cabin, if you've touched an elevator button or a stairway railing, you're contaminated.

 

Entertainment on board was good too - the band in Explorer's was excellent and yes, the lead could sing and could sing well. Production Shows were very good - the female leads excellent, the males not so much - but too short with the abbreviated running time.

 

And you can't go wrong with Alaska - I find it puts things into perspective.

 

I have cruised steadily on Princess since the late 90s and while I do appreciate that things aren't what they used to be, I don't think the cruise line is sailing over the waterfall. I still find a consistent product and I'm not ready to abandon Princess yet. I still come home totally happy that I chose a cruise vacation with Princess.

 

So I guess my point is not to judge the whole line based on a couple of bad experiences on one ship...it's pretty obvious that the product is a good one, abnormal situations are bound to happen given the size of the company. But, I also agree with voting with your dollar and frankly if you've had a bad experience and have already made up your mind that the product is inferior, trying it again is only going to lead to disaster.

[MauiLvrs]

... there is only one way to go In and one way to go Out. If you try to go In the Out, you get a lecture and are re-directed to the "proper" way In.

It is nice of the staff to point you in the right direction if you can't figure it out on your self that OUT is OUT and IN is IN :p

 

... Then, when you go In, you MUST stop and use their hand sanitizer before entering. Even if you just washed your hands in scalding water in your cabin, you MUST stop and use their hand sanitizer. They have someone standing right there to stop you and give you a lecture if you don't use the sanitizer. Yes, a lecture. (Princess, don't lecture me! I spent $5,400 on this one week cruise for three people in my cabin. I don't need you to force your employees to lecture me on cleanliness. I'll use the sanitizing machine if I want to. Get out of my face!!!)

And exactly what is wrong with that?

IF you don't what to clean your hands, THEN you can always order room service.

They do have the health of 5000 some folks onboard to think about

 

4. The Horizon Court...Just Say NO! Inedible. Absolutely inedible!

Absolutely Inedible??? Really? What, it like made you actually vomit or what :eek:

 

I just read on another post someone had trouble finding seats in the H.C.......apparently there are many who enjoy the food!

 

 

 

Now, in this context, that really is funny! ;)

Edited June 18, 2014 by MauiLvrs

[KarateMan]

I just read on another post someone had trouble finding seats in the H.C.......apparently there are many who enjoy the food!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Its because people go up there to roost. They reserve seats all day, play cards, drink non stop coffee and keep the same table the entire cruise. There is always one member of a group sitting reserving a table for the rest of the group. They take it on shifts.

 

I kid you not that I have noticed people reserving seats in the Piazza near the international café from 4am onwards. Often the male will get up and reserve a seat, fall asleep and wait till his wife arrives at a more godly hour then he goes and cleans up and they both have their breakfast in the piazza together and stay seated as long as possible.

 

I noticed this because I am into interior photography and wanted to get photos of the ship when no one was around and sure enough each day people were actually taking seats in the entire atrium from 4am onwards.

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

I have chosen to respond to this particular post because it graphically displays a certain attitude that rears its head on this forum from time to time: "Kill the messenger!"

 

I was on the Golden, just as I said. I told you of my experiences. If you want to mock what I have to say, that's fine. I was on three (3) prior cruises with Princess with my family and had a great time each and every time. That's why I chose Princess to Alaska, plus the fact that it went to Glacier Bay. If you want to discount and trivialize what I have to say, so be it.

 

I posted my review because I thought others might benefit from it. I also posted it because I believe that Princess representatives read this Board. It is my feeling that by pointing out what I believe to be areas for improvement, they may read it, investigate what I said, and make corrections where deemed appropriate for the good of all. However, some such as this poster, don't see it that way. They choose to act like taunting little children on a playground.

 

I received the follow up e-mail survey from Princess and filled it out truthfully. I told them of all of these issues and gave them my name and phone number, inviting them to call me. if they have an interest in addressing what I feel to be some issues that should be addressed, they will call me. If not, that's fine too.

 

I'm sorry if the truth offends some, but as I have said, my review is just my personal opinion. Take it or leave it. Happy Cruising!

 

 

 

I read your review like I do all others....with a grain of salt. However to notice and bring it to Princess's attention about an area on the hull that needs to painted is either being way too critical or going out of your way to find something wrong.

 

The truth is your truth and no one else's.

[JF - retired RRT]

I can say that in about 4 days I will enter the Horizon Court with trepidation. I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

 

And I've been in the Army. Still am, actually. Chow hall food can be... variable.

 

I've been to buffets in Vegas and a few other casinos here and there. Is it too much to hope that a cruise ship buffet might be comparable to them, without too much disfavor?

 

I wasn't all that much of a fan of the buffet on the Norwegian Jewel, but I always knew I could find fresh fruit and some baked goods that were good for breakfast.

Don't worry, it isn't as bad as some are saying. IMHO - the food is OK depending on what you get. There is almost always some form of pasta, fish or shrimp, chops (pork, beef,etc) and a carving station. Lots of veggies plus the salads, fruit, desserts. The only complaint I have about the buffet is the food is never warm enough for my taste. By the time I get to the table my food is tepid at best. Oh well.