Quick Review--Crown 11/28/2015

[floridalover5623]

[quote name='sanmarcosman']I was on this cruise and the OP is correct, we were instructed in writing to vacate our cabins by 9:00am. I admit that 9:00am surprised me but that IS what was stated in the written debark flyers placed in the cabins.[/quote]

On the Royal they still print 8 AM but [I]some people[/I] just disregard it & stay in their cabins till 9 AM just because they can get away with it. The steward will never say a word.

[Linerguy]

[quote name='gregjm']Because the bed had been stripped and remade sometime between the time we left for breakfast and when we returned around 7:45.. Our few personal items left to pack were moved to off the desk and to the counter above the refrigerator.

Disembarkation instructions said to be out of the cabin by 9:00. We returned from breakfast at 7:45 and found the "privacy please" tag still in place. Simply not acceptable, IMHO.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, unless you specifically found your steward and told him it was okay to enter the room, he should have stayed out. In September, on the NOORDAM, my steward would tap on the door, open it up, walk right in and say, "hello". I finally had to tell him to stop. After that he was cool.

[CalLuvsCrusingToo]

skai, I notice you don't have Your Location listed. Just sayin.

Good reason for Not going to Mazatlan. Nuff said.

I travel alot air/hotel wise, and its a bad move by housekeeping to
enter a persons room when DND still on door. I report this Immed.

When you're IN your room, you can Lock deadbolt.

When you're Out of your room, you Can't.

On ship, its easy to Report when it happens During your cruise.

But when you're getting off the ship? Thats just wrong.
Your stuff is still in the room, RS obviously knows you haven't
vacated. He Shouldn't be moving your things.:mad:
And should have started AFTER 8Am.

[sanmarcosman]

[quote name='floridalover5623']On the Royal they still print 8 AM but [I]some people[/I] just disregard it & stay in their cabins till 9 AM just because they can get away with it. The steward will never say a word.[/QUOTE]
The printed debark instructions notice placed in our room stated 9am on the Crown the cruise of 11/28-12/5. I wish I had saved it but I didn't think I would need it here ;)
I don't know if this sailing was a one-off of the usual procedure for vacating the cabins or not. 8am seems reasonable to us. Edited December 15, 2015 by sanmarcosman

[gregjm]

[quote name='sanmarcosman']The printed debark instructions notice placed in our room stated 9am on the Crown the cruise of 11/28-12/5. I wish I had saved it but I didn't think I would need it here ;)
I don't know if this sailing was a one-off of the usual procedure for vacating the cabins or not. 8am seems reasonable to us.[/QUOTE]

I still have mine. From the disembarkation instruction sheet:
[B]
Taking care of business on the day of disembarkation:

Clear your stateroom safe deposit box and leave it open.

Check that you have no personal belongings left in your
stateroom.

Please vacate your stateroom by 9:00am.
This will allow your stateroom steward to have the rooms ready for the incoming passengers.[/B]

[Skai]

[quote name='CalLuvsCrusingToo']skai, I notice you don't have Your Location listed. Just sayin.

Good reason for Not going to Mazatlan. Nuff said.[/QUOTE]

My point was that some American cities may be just as dangerous (if not more) for tourists as some of the popular tourist destinations in Mexico -- Which have gotten an unfair rap in recent times (due to drug violence that is plaguing other parts of the country). One ought to consider that U.S. embarkation cruise ports such as New Orleans, Baltimore, Miami etc. may not exactly be the safest when leaving the designated tourist areas.

Neither are the popular cruise ports of call such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for that matter as well...

By all means, if one is concerned about their safety, avoid said ports of call. That's one's personal choice. One ought to always have their wits about them when travelling aboad. However, unless one can provide any examples of cruise tourists being direct victims of major crime recently in Mazatlan, I'm not buying exaggerated concerns. Edited December 16, 2015 by Skai

[Dunk]

Reviews are so subjective. I was on the sailing after the OP, and I found it to be one of the best Princess experiences I've had. I've been on twenty-something Princess sailings, and for the most part I've had a great time. However--my last trip on the Crown a couple of years ago was one of the worst--so I was pleasantly surprised on this sailing.

I found the service to be friendly, in both bars and in the dining facilities. I loved Magic to Do--hands down the best cruise ship show I've ever seen. My cabin was in fine shape. As far as the Salty Dog, the service was phenomenal--but I hated the food. It just wasn't for me. I wish they had kept just a little more Wheelhouse "lounge seating"--it was sometimes hard to find a seat, when the Salty Dog was empty (which it mostly was).

BTW--that fountain in the Piazza was fixed halfway through my cruise. :)

[gregjm]

[quote name='Dunk']Reviews are so subjective. I was on the sailing after the OP, and I found it to be one of the best Princess experiences I've had. I've been on twenty-something Princess sailings, and for the most part I've had a great time. However--my last trip on the Crown a couple of years ago was one of the worst--so I was pleasantly surprised on this sailing.

I found the service to be friendly, in both bars and in the dining facilities. I loved Magic to Do--hands down the best cruise ship show I've ever seen. My cabin was in fine shape. As far as the Salty Dog, the service was phenomenal--but I hated the food. It just wasn't for me. I wish they had kept just a little more Wheelhouse "lounge seating"--it was sometimes hard to find a seat, when the Salty Dog was empty (which it mostly was).

BTW--that fountain in the Piazza was fixed halfway through my cruise. :)[/QUOTE]

I agree about the subjective nature of reviews and am pleased to hear that you had a good experience.

[gregjm]

Update: I received a phone call from a Customer Service Representative from Princess in regards to the comments/suggestions on my online survey, as well as the compliant I filed regarding our excursion fiasco in Mazatlan.

After the expected apology for it not being a perfect "Princess Experience" he wanted to know more about the items I mentioned----Food being subpar, staff attitude (especially bartenders) and the excursion issue. I also shared with him that we were pleased with the entertainment and the Cruise Director.

He told me that Jan Swartz (President of Princess) was on this sailing and that "they are already aware" of many of the issues I raised. Too bad she didn't make her presence known----I'm sure she would have gotten some direct feedback.

Bottom Line after a 30 minute conversation: He hopes we will give Princess another change and, in addition to the partial refund for the excursion received on board, gave us a $200 OBC for our next Princess cruise.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Now that's great customer service!

[Coral]

[quote name='gregjm']Update: I received a phone call from a Customer Service Representative from Princess in regards to the comments/suggestions on my online survey, as well as the compliant I filed regarding our excursion fiasco in Mazatlan.

After the expected apology for it not being a perfect "Princess Experience" he wanted to know more about the items I mentioned----Food being subpar, staff attitude (especially bartenders) and the excursion issue. I also shared with him that we were pleased with the entertainment and the Cruise Director.

He told me that Jan Swartz (President of Princess) was on this sailing and that "they are already aware" of many of the issues I raised. Too bad she didn't make her presence known----I'm sure she would have gotten some direct feedback.

Bottom Line after a 30 minute conversation: He hopes we will give Princess another change and, in addition to the partial refund for the excursion received on board, gave us a $200 OBC for our next Princess cruise.[/QUOTE]

You were very constructive in your criticism and they were very classy in responding. Win Win.

[Greyhound3]

[quote name='gregjm']
Disembarkation instructions said to be out of the cabin by 9:00. [/QUOTE]

[quote name='sanmarcosman']I was on this cruise and the OP is correct, we were instructed in writing to vacate our cabins by 9:00am. I admit that 9:00am surprised me but that IS what was stated in the written debark flyers placed in the cabins.[/QUOTE]

I will also confirm that the disembarkation instructions were to vacate the cabin by 9:00 am.


Grey

[cvpends]

[quote name='Greyhound3']I will also confirm that the disembarkation instructions were to vacate the cabin by 9:00 am.





Grey[/QUOTE]


When I first read about what happened to our OP, I wondered if anyone had thought to tell the cabin stewards about this deviant cabin vacation time. The steward not knowing could have been the problem.

[sanmarcosman]

[quote name='cvpends']When I first read about what happened to our OP, I wondered if anyone had thought to tell the cabin stewards about this deviant cabin vacation time. The steward not knowing could have been the problem.[/QUOTE]
Regardless, upon entering the steward erred by remaining and moving the property of the occupants who clearly had not vacated as yet. Also, the steward not being made aware of the instructions given to guests as you suggest is the fault of management.

[Coral]

Just as a courtesy - I often tell the Room Steward that he can replace beddings, etc... when we go to breakfast and while our items are still in our room. They do need all the help they can get on turnaround day. Our stuff is usually packed but still in the room when we get breakfast.

[cvpends]

[quote name='Coral']Just as a courtesy - I often tell the Room Steward that he can replace beddings, etc... when we go to breakfast and while our items are still in our room. They do need all the help they can get on turnaround day. Our stuff is usually packed but still in the room when we get breakfast.[/QUOTE]


What a great idea ! I know how stressful turnaround day is for them and I am sure they appreciate you for that,

[floridalover5623]

[quote name='Coral']Just as a courtesy - I often tell the Room Steward that he can replace beddings, etc... when we go to breakfast and while our items are still in our room. They do need all the help they can get on turnaround day. Our stuff is usually packed but still in the room when we get breakfast.[/quote]
....and then there are those people who will just leave quietly & never say a word. It just makes the steward wonder until the last minute if there gone or not & they'll never knock on the door to disturb anyone.

[juicyjuju]

[quote name='cr8tiv1']I was on a California Coastal in October 2015. I wrote a very long evaluation of my cruise and sent it directly to Princess Corp rather than fill out the survey. I did not post it on Cruise Critic.

The good. I had 6 non-frequent passengers with me. They all thought the Crown was marvelous and food was great.

I, on the other hand, complemented individual crew members, but had to expound on the many small events, mishaps, and activities that made this one of my least favorite ships/cruises. There was lots of little somethings really lacking for me on this cruise. By themselves, they would amount to a hill of beans. But...collectively, it really did affect my personal enjoyment.

They did get an earful about the lack of (ballroom) dancing available during the 7 days.

In Princess' defense, I did receive a really nice call back from someone in Customer Service. He "listened", he reassured me (I'm not sure if I really bought this) that Princess heard me, and he said all the right things.

I am giving the Crown Princess another try soon. I hope that the October cruise was an abnormality.[/quote]

Thinking about booking a short cruise.........we love to ballroom dance...is it generally available in the evenings? we have never sailed on Princess before.

[sanmarcosman]

[quote name='floridalover5623']....and then there are those people who will just leave quietly & never say a word. It just makes the steward wonder until the last minute if there gone or not & they'll never knock on the door to disturb anyone.[/QUOTE]
I agree, receiving a smile and a nod from a steward doesn't always equate to their clear understanding of what was said to them. It would be even more confusing for the staff if several guests were to do this thinking they were being helpful.

[kimchee1212]

We just disembarked the Crown this morning and had a wonderful experience. It wasn't the best Princess cruise we've been on, but it was certainly a great time. I think the food was on par with other Princess cruises, as well as the entertainment. Service was slightly below what we've had on other cruises, but there were no major complaints at all.

Interestingly, we were told to vacate our staterooms by 8:00 am, so I wonder if this was a recent change. Edited December 19, 2015 by kimchee1212

[Colo Cruiser]

[quote name='kimchee1212']We just disembarked the Crown this morning and had a wonderful experience. It wasn't the best Princess cruise we've been on, but it was certainly a great time. I think the food was on par with other Princess cruises, as well as the entertainment. Service was slightly below what we've had on other cruises, but there were no major complaints at all.

Interestingly, we were told to vacate our staterooms by 8:00 am, so I wonder if this was a recent change.[/QUOTE]


Thanks for checking in. Its always been 8, maybe they have done a few cruises at 9 for some reason. Stewart barely has enough time with people being out by 8. I can't imagine why they would take another hour from them. :(

[gregjm]

[quote name='Greyhound3']I will also confirm that the disembarkation instructions were to vacate the cabin by 9:00 am.


Grey[/QUOTE]

If anyone would like a copy please send a private message with email and I'll send it.

[TessM]

OP, I appreciate your review as I'm thinking about taking the Crown in February. I've had a somewhat similar experience but it was on the Golden to Alaska. What amazed me most was the food - it wasn't horrible but was far below any food I'd had on a Princess ship before or after that cruise.

[quote name='Coral'] The Crown was my least favorite ship. I have yet to return to that ship and probably won't. [/quote]

Coral, what is it about the the Crown that you didn't like? I've never been on her before but I've cruised her sisters, Ruby and Emerald and I LOVE those ships. That's kind of why I want to cruise on the Crown. The only Princess ship I don't care for is the current Royal Princess - so, I also have no interest in the Regal.

[Coral]

[quote name='TessM']
Coral, what is it about the the Crown that you didn't like? I've never been on her before but I've cruised her sisters, Ruby and Emerald and I LOVE those ships. That's kind of why I want to cruise on the Crown. The only Princess ship I don't care for is the current Royal Princess - so, I also have no interest in the Regal.[/QUOTE]

If you like Ruby and Emerald - you will be fine on the Crown! I just found the extra people on this class too crowded for me. I prefer a larger/better space ratio. We just had a ton of waiting on things due to the extra people and just ran into too many crowds doing basic things like walking in the atrium. I have yet to sail on the Royal so I don't have an opinion but based on what I like on ships (promenade deck), I don't think the Royal or Regal would be a ship I would enjoy.

[Sandy R]

We also just disembarked the Crown yesterday. We had a great time. The Crown has been kept up nicely. The common areas look good. Our cabin was clean when we arrived, our stewardess was efficient and friendly, the beds seemed comfortable to us. We had fresh towels twice a day and our bed linen was changed regularly.

We ate twice at the Crown Grill and the food was consistently good. We also ate at Sabatini's and will miss it when it's replaced by Share. We noticed the Salty Dog was practically empty most nights, so I feel it might not be there when we board the Crown again in April.

We ate breakfast every morning at the Horizon Court and found it fine. The made-to-order eggs area was never busy so I'm wondering if passengers just don't know about it. The weather was warm so most days we ate lunch outside around the pool at the Pizza counter or the Grill.

We liked "Magic To Do". It was nice to finally see a new show. But we noted that Explorer's Lounge had very little nightly entertainment except for music and dancing and passenger volunteer shows like the Marriage Game. Due to the lack of evening entertainment, the Princess Theater was filled to capacity at each show. Passengers were arriving 20 to 30 minutes prior to show time to be assured of getting a decent seat. On the other hand, the Piazza had regularly scheduled entertainment throughout the day and evening.

We weren't overjoyed about returning to Mazatlan but we thoroughly enjoyed the city this cruise. There are now a group of volunteer ex-pats that greet cruise passengers just outside the terminal building... a nice touch. I had read about the blue stripe that had been painted along the roadways and sidewalks from the ship terminal to Old Town. Obviously, it isn't for everyone but we enjoy walking so we opted to "follow the blue line". There were 4 ships in port, so we had lots of company during our walk. All along the way, more ex-pat volunteers greeted passengers. We stopped to talk to several of them. There was also a police presence via motorcycles. Once in Old Town, more ex-pats were there to greet passengers. We have never felt so safe in Mazatlan as we did this cruise. Edited December 21, 2015 by Sandy R