Just off Emerald Princess - my (not happy) review

[debbie311]

We sailed 3/29 - 4/5 out of Houston. This was our first (DH and I) Princess cruise. Previously we have sailed on RCI, Celebrity and Oceania.

 

Princess just didn't live up to our expectations at all. The food was average. We did eat in the two specialty restaurants, Sabatini, which was very nice, and Crowne Grille, which was so-so with VERY slow service. And regarding room service, on the other lines you can order a hot breakfast in the room, but on Princess the only offerings are continental breakfast.

 

There are some very nice bars on the ship, but overall, it just looks shabby. Not sure how old it is, but it seems to be showing its age. And the bathroom in our cabin! We had a balcony cabin and the bathroom was tiny compared to RCI and Celebrity. The toilet seat looked dirty and I tried to wipe it clean and it was just that it was old and scratched! Yuk. We were on the Aloha deck, by the way.

 

On Thursday night, after a port day in Roatan, I woke up around midnight with stomach cramps and diarrhea. It became more severe overnight and the next morning (Friday) my DH called 911. A nurse came to our room (there was no way I could make it down to the med office). I had chills and was running a temp of 100.7 and nauseous. She gave me a shot and meds to take. I have to say, she was super nice and very caring. Of course I was quarantined to the cabin until Saturday at 1 pm. Not that I wanted to leave the room anyway! I was miserable.

 

She asked what I had eaten that day and asked if we had gone on an excursion. We had gone on the snorkel sail and lunch. She asked if it was the "Jolly Roger" and I said yes, it was. I asked if other passengers were ill and she said she could not say but that she had heard "things" about Jolly Roger. We also discussed the possibility of norovirus. I read the paper she gave me and I had all the symptoms, so I guess I will never know if it was food poisoning or norovirus. Cleaners wearing masks came in to sanitize the room twice.

 

I'm sure things like this can happen on any ship, but this combined with the fact that we were disappointed overall, we will just not be sailing on Princess again. I heard in the cruise terminal when we were disembarking that Princess is owned by the same company that owns Carnival. So maybe that explains it ...

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Sorry your first experience on Princess was not a good one, and hope you are feeling better by now. I find that Princess ships, more so than Holland America or Celebrity, vary in condition and service levels from ship to ship. I always check recent online reviews before booking any ship, especially on Princess. With that said, I am booked on the Ruby Princess this summer.

 

Yes, Princess has the same parent owner as Carnival Cruises, but they also own Holland America, Cunard, Seabourn and others last I knew. Whether this is good or bad is a matter of opinion.

 

Hope your next cruise is a better one!

[GradUT]

Sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your cruise, which I am sure was complicated by your illness.

 

While everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, I will say that our December cruise on the Emerald Princess was excellent. Our family found the ship to be in top shape and the staff to be very friendly and accommodating. I find all cruise ship food to be on the bland side, but any meal I don't have to cook is a good one. :) (And FWIW, I have cruised not only on Princess, but also Holland America, Royal Caribbean and Carnival.)

[LucyR.]

First of all, people need to check how old the ship is and when was it refurbished. I like the smell of a n ew ship or refurbished.

 

Yes, the cabins are smaller than other cruise lines. I always check the size of a cabin. So I know the difference.

 

It is a fact that people can sick all of a sudden with stomach problems caused by something they ate or caught a norovirus. All ships have that problem.

 

I have a rule that I never eat in any port. I noticed you ate lunch on a tour. You don't know how long the food was not kept at the correct tem to keep it safe. But there can be 100 persons eating the same food and only one person gets ill. That can happen too.

 

I am in the habit of looking and smelling a food on a ship or restaurant. If it taste not to my expectation I choose not to eat it. I don't care if the chef or waiter says it is okay to eat. If it smells or taste strange I don't eat it.

 

I will only drink bottled water and bottled drinks in ports.

 

Many people have gotten sick on Celebrity and RCL. So that is not accurate reasoning. I am truly sorry that you got ill because for whatever reason because I know it ruined your cruise trip after paying so much money and expecting to have a wonderful time. I can see that you will never cruise on a Princess ship again and I don't blame you because once you have a bad experience on any ship you will not return to it.

 

I love Carnival and I like their food too. Carnival has some larger cabins than

Princess I have noticed. I also love Princess too.

 

My attitude is that I never know what can cause me to get seriously ill on any ship because I ate something spoiled or I caught a virus. If that should ever happen to me and I hope it never happens to me.... I plan to see the doctor and just stay in my cabin and try to get better as fast as I can. We can't control what can happen to us. We can just try to stay safe from getting ill.

[flamomo]

I have cruised a total of over 30 times with Princess, on all except 3 of Princess' ships, over the past 11 years, and have had very enjoyable cruises to many parts of the world on beautiful ships and have been provided with excellent service every single time.

 

I am sorry for OP, that their cruise did not meet their expectations, and that they had the misfortune to 'catch" whatever it was that made them ill. Hopefully some other cruise line will better meet their needs and expectations.

[happy cruzer]

Thank you for the review. I think princess may lack a little wow compared to the rci and celebrity ships especially with the one story dining rooms. Cabins put a little more space in the closets and storage area. So yep, it's different. Overall square footage is very close.

 

One way to tell noro from food poisoning is length of illness. Noro symptoms last close to 24 hour exactly, you can feel dehydrated longer, food poisoning is longer. Also not a lot of fever with noro typically, the cdc website has some details.

 

Hope you have a better vacation next time.

Edited April 6, 2015 by happy cruzer

[schlot]

Sorry it didn't go so well for you.

 

I have to say after reading your description of how seriously your sickness and recovery was handled it was reassuring.

Edited April 6, 2015 by schlot

[kruisey]

I was on Emerald Princess October and November last year.My inside cabin was clean and spotless no damage just like new.

Other areas of the ship did not look shabby in any way. I cannot understand that in 4 months it could change so much from my experience of the condition of this ship.:confused:

I must admit the food is not the quality it used to be .Princess does go out of their way to correct this if a dish is not to your liking and will replace with another.All the employees were wonderful and considerate towards me.I am elderly and use a cane.

Regarding your illness this can happen to anyone.I always clean hotels and cabins with Lysol Clean wipes before I unpack..Always take bottled water with me on excursions .Plus do not eat the food on shore in certain countries or if i feel the hygiene level looks bad in other areas.

[Luvmyrotti]

We just got off the same cruise and couldn't disagree more.

 

We remarked a number of times how great the ship looked, very fresh and clean. One day I watched the crew cleaning the brass footings on the Promenade doors that go out into the vestibule that goes out onto the open deck. I saw varnishing of the railings going on several days. The public bathrooms were all clean. Our suite was very clean and we were well taken care of by our steward.

 

We had a number of very good meals in the MDR, Sabatini's and the Crown Grill. We found the service to be excellent throughout the ship.

 

We saw no evidence of noro on board. Sorry that the OP became ill, but it sounds like it was dealt with in a thorough and caring manner.

[DebJ14]

Sorry you had a bad cruise, but I have to disagree about the condition of the ship. We were on her in January 2015 and she was definitely not shabby.

 

Since you ate on a Roatan excursion, I would think that was more likely the source of your illness than from the ship.

[Colo Cruiser]

Sorry your cruise was not up to snuff.

The Emerald came into service in 2007. We have sailed her 9 times, the last being last month.

We had a fantastic cruise, our cabin was in great shape, as stated above the crew were polishing, painting and cleaning at all hours of the day and night. The food was fantastic. Ate in the DR every night and filled in with the buffet/pub lunch.

I feel that your experience was diminished by your bout with Noro. I know I would be down for the count. :(

[Susie51]

Sorry you became so ill while on your cruise. I hope your next cruise will be much better.

[jeffdal]

We just got off the same cruise and couldn't disagree more.

 

We remarked a number of times how great the ship looked, very fresh and clean. One day I watched the crew cleaning the brass footings on the Promenade doors that go out into the vestibule that goes out onto the open deck. I saw varnishing of the railings going on several days. The public bathrooms were all clean. Our suite was very clean and we were well taken care of by our steward.

 

We had a number of very good meals in the MDR, Sabatini's and the Crown Grill. We found the service to be excellent throughout the ship.

 

We saw no evidence of noro on board. Sorry that the OP became ill, but it sounds like it was dealt with in a thorough and caring manner.

 

Got off the same cruise as well. Sorry to hear your trip was disappointing and that you got ill.

 

I thought the ship looked great and had lots of nice touches. Our cabin (balcony on Riveria) was very nice too and did not show any wear and tear.

 

My only complaint was that there were lots of children that were not on their best behavior.

[shredie]

We sailed 3/29 - 4/5 out of Houston. This was our first (DH and I) Princes

I'm sure things like this can happen on any ship, but this combined with the fact that we were disappointed overall, we will just not be sailing on Princess again. I heard in the cruise terminal when we were disembarking that Princess is owned by the same company that owns Carnival. So maybe that explains it ...

 

Carnival Corporation owns several lines, so I don't think you can blame Princess for this one. Sorry you got sick. That stinks.

[chris2597]

We were on the Emerald in Feb and loved it. The food in the anytime dining was great. We ate at the Crown Grill which was ok, not great and very very slow service. There were only a very few diners and ample waitstaff but it took too long. Our cabin was a bit worn and that was disappointing. I didn't think the cabin steward was very good. He left sponges on the dressing table, cleaners and brushes on the floor a few days.

I agree with other posters about food off the ship. I don't care to eat while on excursions. I have eaten lunch at an all inclusive resort excursion and was fine, but scrutinized my choices.

Did you get over your illness by the next day. If so, it was probably the food.

Edited April 6, 2015 by chris2597

[drgrinch]

We just came the Emerald Princess as well. I am am sorry you had the enteritis problem - nothing takes the fun out of life like a bad case of "stomach flu" (whatever it was). DW and both came down with conjunctivitis (pink eye) and, when we went to the medical center, we found out it was really going around the ship (crew members were coming down with it as well). Dr. Schneider (who is fantastic by the way) and his crew fixed us up in short order.

 

We found the bar service very mediocre in that they were very unenthusiastic and slow about their jobs. The drinks were honest and well concocted to their credit. The MDR staff let some things slip between the cracks but, given how understaffed they are, I'm impressed that they do as well as they do. We found the service (and food) in Sabatini's and the Crown Grill excellent every night we dined there.

 

The food quality in the MDR is, and was, rather average to my taste. I'm not sure if this is due to any failing on their part or if it is the result of catering to a more Midwestern palate that prefers less spicy fare.

 

In any event, DW and I really enjoyed the cruise despite the few hiccups we experienced. Hopefully your next cruise (whoever it is with) will be better.

[Crowsie]

We sailed this itinerary on 3/15 and had a fabulous time!

 

We found the ship in excellent condition and the staff uber friendly...especially our waiters in Boticelli.

 

While we were underwhelmed with the menu options during dinner...the food we had was very good.

 

Our cabin was in excellent condition, as well.

 

All in all one of our favorite experiences aboard Princess.

 

Sorry to hear an illness spoiled your trip...that's never any fun.

[UpcountryTravelers]

...... And regarding room service, on the other lines you can order a hot breakfast in the room, but on Princess the only offerings are continental breakfast.......

 

This is not correct. On my last several Princess cruises, I have enjoyed scrambled eggs and bacon, hot oatmeal, a delicious jalapeno omelet, ham and cheese omelet, and other treats (different days, of course). All simply written on the breakfast card and left on the stateroom door the night before. You are definitely NOT limited to the continental breakfast! :)

[TomCruises]

We sailed 3/29 - 4/5 out of Houston. This was our first (DH and I) Princess cruise. Previously we have sailed on RCI, Celebrity and Oceania.

 

Princess just didn't live up to our expectations at all. The food was average. We did eat in the two specialty restaurants, Sabatini, which was very nice, and Crowne Grille, which was so-so with VERY slow service. And regarding room service, on the other lines you can order a hot breakfast in the room, but on Princess the only offerings are continental breakfast.

 

There are some very nice bars on the ship, but overall, it just looks shabby. Not sure how old it is, but it seems to be showing its age. And the bathroom in our cabin! We had a balcony cabin and the bathroom was tiny compared to RCI and Celebrity. The toilet seat looked dirty and I tried to wipe it clean and it was just that it was old and scratched! Yuk. We were on the Aloha deck, by the way.

 

On Thursday night, after a port day in Roatan, I woke up around midnight with stomach cramps and diarrhea. It became more severe overnight and the next morning (Friday) my DH called 911. A nurse came to our room (there was no way I could make it down to the med office). I had chills and was running a temp of 100.7 and nauseous. She gave me a shot and meds to take. I have to say, she was super nice and very caring. Of course I was quarantined to the cabin until Saturday at 1 pm. Not that I wanted to leave the room anyway! I was miserable.

 

She asked what I had eaten that day and asked if we had gone on an excursion. We had gone on the snorkel sail and lunch. She asked if it was the "Jolly Roger" and I said yes, it was. I asked if other passengers were ill and she said she could not say but that she had heard "things" about Jolly Roger. We also discussed the possibility of norovirus. I read the paper she gave me and I had all the symptoms, so I guess I will never know if it was food poisoning or norovirus. Cleaners wearing masks came in to sanitize the room twice.

 

I'm sure things like this can happen on any ship, but this combined with the fact that we were disappointed overall, we will just not be sailing on Princess again. I heard in the cruise terminal when we were disembarking that Princess is owned by the same company that owns Carnival. So maybe that explains it ...

 

I recall this same tone before in a previous post which I believe established by you. Same/similar references and vocabulary! It appears to me that Princess was extremely responsive in your request for medical attention as provided to you. Apparently, your symptoms were directly related to your unfortunate interaction with an excursion of your choosing not while aboard engaging in a meal provided by Princess.

 

So sorry that your unfortunate situation caused you to have an interruption during your vacation, however, I find that you will be at a definite loss in the future should you opt out to sail with Princess again because of matters beyond/out of their control.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

This is not correct. On my last several Princess cruises, I have enjoyed scrambled eggs and bacon, hot oatmeal, a delicious jalapeno omelet, ham and cheese omelet, and other treats (different days, of course). All simply written on the breakfast card and left on the stateroom door the night before. You are definitely NOT limited to the continental breakfast! :)

 

The ability to do this seems to vary from ship to ship, like many things on Princess. It doesn't hurt to ask, though :).

[shredie]

I recall this same tone before in a previous post which I believe established by you. Same/similar references and vocabulary!

 

If you visit a poster's profile, you can search for all the posts made by that person. I think you are wrong in this case about the OP.

[TomCruises]

The ability to do this seems to vary from ship to ship, like many things on Princess. It doesn't hurt to ask, though :).

 

All you need to do is simply place your request in writing on the door hangar and place it on your stateroom door prior to turning in! that's ALL THERE IS TO IT....EGGS BENEDICT,OMLETS ETC.

Bon Appetite!

[TomCruises]

If you visit a poster's profile, you can search for all the posts made by that person. I think you are wrong in this case about the OP.

 

Maybe so, but tone and references where very similar if not exact. Perhaps, you can help me by locating that previous post.:D

[Cruisin' Chick]

Here's a link to the OP's previous posts (look at the dates too):

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=69907686

 

To find someone's last 250 posts, you click on their screen name, and then select "previous posts."

[shredie]

All you need to do is simply place your request in writing on the door hangar and place it on your stateroom door prior to turning in! that's ALL THERE IS TO IT....EGGS BENEDICT,OMLETS ETC.

Bon Appetite!

 

I really does vary from ship to ship. I've had success sometimes and others not so much. The only thing to do is try.