Is Princess becoming the new X?

[El Crucero]

Actually I believe some of the newer production shows do not have a live orchestra. When was your last Celebrity cruise?

 

We cruised on the Solstice last September, Infinity last April. Both had live bands for the production shows.

[UpcountryTravelers]

Sounds like a Celebrity production show....except they only have 4 singers :). But seriously, you are talking about "a year ago" and not about the newer Royal Class ships...which are the one's leading many ratings/reviews. In the world of cruising a year can be a very long time.

 

But Princess still does use pre-recorded sound tracks for most of their production shows...just like Celebrity and HAL.

 

Hank

 

Uh, no. We've been on 19 Princess cruises on 11 different ships and ALWAYS had live band and actual singers in the theater.

[UpcountryTravelers]

Have not sailed Princess but really don't want to because:

 

1) Syrup coffee in the Buffet!!! really? Mgmt decision to force everyone to buy a coffee card.

 

2) Smoking in the Casino:( But I guess they make the stench stay in the Casino.

 

3) Pay to use the "Adult Only" area on the ship What??

 

4) No live music in the Theatre

 

5) Small that re, short shows, and you have to get there a half an hour at least to get a seat.

 

6) Blue plastic on balcony decks. Yuck

 

7) Except for the Royal class, 1980's Florida condo decor

 

8) Royal class has istsy bitsy balconies

 

 

I know Princess followers don't care so much about these points but they are important to us.

 

Hey, syrup coffee is better than Starbucks, at least!

 

Agree with 2 and 3. 4 is simply wrong. Haven't seen 6, but we've only been on 11 ships.

 

We love the decor. Looks like ships at sea, definitely not Florida condo.

[El Crucero]

There you go again spouting things that are currently totally wrong but acting as if you know everything. Celebrity took the shows in house.

 

I know just baiting again. To repeat, I shared a minivan cab with the band members on the Solstice into Hilo last September. There were either 5 or 6 band members, I don't remember exactly. They said they were independent contractors booked through a booking agency. But I am sure you know better than they.

[ChucktownSteve]

I know just baiting again. To repeat, I shared a minivan cab with the band members on the Solstice into Hilo last September. There were either 5 or 6 band members, I don't remember exactly. They said they were independent contractors booked through a booking agency. But I am sure you know better than they.

 

You're correct. (don't worry, I'd never say you were right :rolleyes:) The production Manager and two production performers must have lied to me at that Back Stage Tour this past month. Besides all those threads where people have said Celebrity took all the shows in house. They lied too. But just so you understand as another pointed out in this thread, everyone is a contract employee on the ship.

Edited January 2, 2017 by ChucktownSteve

[Christine Frances]

Hey, syrup coffee is better than Starbucks, at least!

 

Agree with 2 and 3. 4 is simply wrong. Haven't seen 6, but we've only been on 11 ships.

 

We love the decor. Looks like ships at sea, definitely not Florida condo.

 

 

X has Lavazza coffee (I think lol) not sure about the spelling but is is very good and in the buffet is is from whole beans.

 

I will try and load a picture. https://goo.gl/images/xNl9CU

[ChucktownSteve]

X has Lavazza coffee (I think lol) not sure about the spelling but is is very good and in the buffet is is from whole beans.

 

I will try and load a picture. https://goo.gl/images/xNl9CU

 

Looks like the cabin attendant already cleared the coffee from the balcony. lol

 

From the Cafe al Bacio menu.

 

 

And I agree with UpcountryTravelers opinion of Starbuck's coffee. Notice Lavazza says their coffee isn't burnt?

Edited January 2, 2017 by ChucktownSteve

[sippican]

I don't recall reading any negative posts about Michael's Club other than it being a little less exclusive these days and the vast majority of comments relating to Luminae and even Blu are very positive.

 

Here's one - although Michael's Club was a nice perk because you could get the free beverages and it was quiet and rarely crowded, we saw little value there. Our preferred wines were not available and the mixed drinks limited. Service was hit or miss unless you were seated right at the bar. The afternoon tea was poorly attended. The MC concierge was basically useless. Out of the three or four simple requests we made of her, she was able to complete only one - a dinner reservation we could have made ourselves. She did not keep her posted hours, and when she was there she just sat at her desk, making no attempts to greet or acknowledge passengers as they walked past. We preferred other venues onboard.

 

By a "little less exclusive" are you referring to the fact that the lowly mini-suites are now granted entrance?

[jagoffee]

Here's one - although Michael's Club was a nice perk because you could get the free beverages and it was quiet and rarely crowded, we saw little value there. Our preferred wines were not available and the mixed drinks limited. Service was hit or miss unless you were seated right at the bar. The afternoon tea was poorly attended. The MC concierge was basically useless. Out of the three or four simple requests we made of her, she was able to complete only one - a dinner reservation we could have made ourselves. She did not keep her posted hours, and when she was there she just sat at her desk, making no attempts to greet or acknowledge passengers as they walked past. We preferred other venues onboard.

 

By a "little less exclusive" are you referring to the fact that the lowly mini-suites are now granted entrance?

 

Our experiences in the Michael's Club have been very different and much more pleasant.

 

Just curious what cocktail did you request that they would not make or obtain for you?

 

I guess you are referencing the Sky Suites?

[Mynki]

Here's one - although Michael's Club was a nice perk because you could get the free beverages and it was quiet and rarely crowded, we saw little value there. Our preferred wines were not available and the mixed drinks limited. Service was hit or miss unless you were seated right at the bar. The afternoon tea was poorly attended. The MC concierge was basically useless. Out of the three or four simple requests we made of her, she was able to complete only one - a dinner reservation we could have made ourselves. She did not keep her posted hours, and when she was there she just sat at her desk, making no attempts to greet or acknowledge passengers as they walked past. We preferred other venues onboard.

 

By a "little less exclusive" are you referring to the fact that the lowly mini-suites are now granted entrance?

 

Yep, that's my first. But added to all the positive comments I've read, should I alter my opinion based on one other persons experience? That's the point I was making to the OP.

 

Yes, it's now less exclusive as more people have access to it since it was made available to those in the "lowly mini suites" as you call them. :)

[Lastdance]

I just think if we could all remember to post the name of the ship we were/are on gives the reader a better idea. Some ships have better service than others, but it really depends on your cabin, ship and how resilient you are IMHO. I also don't believe that you should go by the opinions of others, but collect the information as a reference point. However, if you hear the same specific thing over and over again, and it is something you personally do not like, then act accordingly.

Edited January 2, 2017 by Lastdance

[jagoffee]

We cruised on the Solstice last September, Infinity last April. Both had live bands for the production shows.

I may be mistaken (wrong), but I thought at least one of the production shows on the Reflection Fall TA did not include live music. I will pay more attention on the Eclipse later this month although I am not a big fan of some of the newer shows.

[bigbenboys]

Here's one - although Michael's Club was a nice perk because you could get the free beverages and it was quiet and rarely crowded, we saw little value there. Our preferred wines were not available and the mixed drinks limited. Service was hit or miss unless you were seated right at the bar. The afternoon tea was poorly attended. The MC concierge was basically useless. Out of the three or four simple requests we made of her, she was able to complete only one - a dinner reservation we could have made ourselves. She did not keep her posted hours, and when she was there she just sat at her desk, making no attempts to greet or acknowledge passengers as they walked past. We preferred other venues onboard.

 

By a "little less exclusive" are you referring to the fact that the lowly mini-suites are now granted entrance?

 

We enjoy Michael's Club. As to dinner reservations ours were handled by our butler. He would bring us the menu from the restaurant that we were interested in. We would look it over and the butler made the reservation. It was my understand that you ask the bartender if they have the wine you like. Most of the time they will find it for you.

 

We have been booking Aqua and now Sky Suites. We are on Millie this month in a Sky Suite one with the larger deck. I'm not to sure about being on deck six. We like being on a higher decks. We have looked at the Celebrity Suite. Maybe a SC might be better for us on the M Class ships. Time will tell. I'm just not sure if we need that much space. As there is just 2 of us and seeing out on to the balcony from the bed is nice. Why 2 tv's so we can each sit in different rooms and watch different shows. If I need space I can always go down to MC. We have had Alex and Laurence as concierge they have both been great.

[ChucktownSteve]

I may be mistaken (wrong), but I thought at least one of the production shows on the Reflection Fall TA did not include live music. I will pay more attention on the Eclipse later this month although I am not a big fan of some of the newer shows.

 

I thought I noticed the live band set up behind the shows at the back of the stage on the Equinox last month. There was even an enclosure around the drummer which they left set up when not being used. Just covered it with a curtain. I saw it when the stage was empty while attending the back stage tour.

 

I'm not exactly sure about during all the performances though since I didn't pay close attention or didn't attend all the shows. I just remember seeing it set up a couple of times. Like you, I'll check out the Eclipse and we can verify each other. lol

Edited January 2, 2017 by ChucktownSteve

[keithm]

Princess has always been a step up from CCL [and in Carnival Corp's view a small step below HAL, although most Princess cruisers probably don't agree] The stratification of cruise lines is pretty clear and stable, at least if you stick to broad bands. CCL, MSC, NCL and RCL are the bottom tier [with no consensus on how to rank them among themselves]. Celebrity, Princess and HAL are the next tier [and you are seeing the lack of consensus comparing them]. Azamara and Oceania are next; and Crystal, Regent, Silversea and Seabourn are the top. [i left out Cunard because it depends too much on which class you book; Viking Ocean because they are too new; and several really small-ship lines.] It is highly unlikely IMHO that any line will move up or down from those bands, but there is lots of jockeying back and forth within the bands.

Think of cruise lines as car companies: CCL/NCL(basic Ford or Chevy)RCCL(mid level Ford)Princess(Pontiac)HAL(Buick/Oldsmobile)Celebrity(Buick Park Ave.)Cunard(Buick-Mercedes)Crystal/Seaborne/Regent/Sea Dream(mid level to top level Mercedes)Hapog LLoyde's Europa(Rolls Royce)

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Think of cruise lines as car companies: CCL/NCL(basic Ford or Chevy)RCCL(mid level Ford)Princess(Pontiac)HAL(Buick/Oldsmobile)Celebrity(Buick Park Ave.)Cunard(Buick-Mercedes)Crystal/Seaborne/Regent/Sea Dream(mid level to top level Mercedes)Hapog LLoyde's Europa(Rolls Royce)

 

When was the last time you were car shopping :confused:

Pontiac, Oldsmoblie, and Park Ave are long time dead :p

[bigbenboys]

X has Lavazza coffee (I think lol) not sure about the spelling but is is very good and in the buffet is is from whole beans.

 

I will try and load a picture. https://goo.gl/images/xNl9CU

 

When I opened your picture it all came back to me. Blue Plastic. LOL

 

Princess has have 18 cruise ships. I have been on 3 Princess cruises, but only 2 ships. The Blue Plastic must be on Sapphire or Sun Princess ship.

[BosoxI]

For my taste Princess' food has always been better than Celebrity's, though the gap probably has closed. I sure love the small Princess ship but in general, I like the X ships better. Of course my opinions are of no value unless you and I share common tastes, and I don't know you and you don't know me. :)

[klfhngr]

Think of cruise lines as car companies: CCL/NCL(basic Ford or Chevy)RCCL(mid level Ford)Princess(Pontiac)HAL(Buick/Oldsmobile)Celebrity(Buick Park Ave.)Cunard(Buick-Mercedes)Crystal/Seaborne/Regent/Sea Dream(mid level to top level Mercedes)Hapog LLoyde's Europa(Rolls Royce)

 

Wow, I was way off:

 

CCL/NCL/RCCL/Princess (Ford or Chevy) Celebrity/MSC/HAL(Lexus/Infiniti) Cunard(Mercedes) Crystal/Seaborne/Regent/Sea Dream(Lambo/Ferrari)

[Cinerama]

In general, yes, I do agree. But best overall? No freakn' way. RCI's entertainment blows away that of both Celebrity and Princess.

 

We were on the RCI Oasis and agree. All previous were Princess.

[ChucktownSteve]

Wow, I was way off:

 

CCL/NCL/RCCL/Princess (Ford or Chevy) Celebrity/MSC/HAL(Lexus/Infiniti) Cunard(Mercedes) Crystal/Seaborne/Regent/Sea Dream(Lambo/Ferrari)

 

OMG so was I.

CCL - Ford Pinto

NCL/RCCL/Princess - PT Cruiser

Celebrity/MSC/HAL - Lincoln Continental

Azamara/Oceania -Mercedes-Benz

Cunard -Rolls-Royce

Crystal/Seaborn/Regent -Bentley

Edited January 3, 2017 by ChucktownSteve

[kelmac]

Maybe I should give Princess an other try? -- to this point, we are not impressed. The food is so so and the alternative restaurants are very weak.

 

Celebrity is still our go to line, with great food and wonderful service.

We have rediscovered NCL as of late -- with the UDP + the UBP, it is better than RCL, Princess and HAL. We eat all our evening meals in one of NCL's great alternative restaurants; MDR for breakfast/Lunch; avoid the buffet all together.

 

NCL has the best entertainment compared to X, HAL, and Princess.

 

Cunard has a wonderful MDR; Oceania and Azamara are the best; Going to give MSC Yacht Club a try next year.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

Edited January 3, 2017 by kelmac

[sippican]

Our experiences in the Michael's Club have been very different and much more pleasant.

 

Just curious what cocktail did you request that they would not make or obtain for you?

 

I guess you are referencing the Sky Suites?

 

Moscow mule - no ginger beer or copper mugs, they got the ginger beer - but no mugs. Mojito - no mint, Chocolate Martini - suggested we go to the martini bar. There were two or threee wines that we had elsewhere onboard or in Luminae, but no attempt to offer to get them for us. This was really not a big problem, as I said, we liked the atmosphere of other venues onboard better and we had purchased the drink package so the freebies were unimportant.

 

Yep, that's my first. But added to all the positive comments I've read, should I alter my opinion based on one other persons experience? That's the point I was making to the OP.

 

Yes, it's now less exclusive as more people have access to it since it was made available to those in the "lowly mini suites" as you call them. :)

 

My comment was solely in reply to your statement that you have not heard any complaints about MC (and neither had I). I was not implying that one should alter their opinion based on our experience, and I am in complete agreement that everyone needs to take both the negative and the glowing cheerleading with a grain of salt.

 

My comment about the lowly suites (and yes I meant Sky Suites) was a tongue in cheek reference to all of the tedious discussions regarding the inclusion of the Sky Suites and the dire predictions that is was going to be the downfall of MC. :)

[Mynki]

OMG so was I.

CCL - Ford Pinto

NCL/RCCL/Princess - PT Cruiser

Celebrity/MSC/HAL - Lincoln Continental

Azamara/Oceania -Mercedes-Benz

Cunard -Rolls-Royce

Crystal/Seaborn/Regent -Bentley

 

But are we talking Mercedes Benz A class or Mercedes Benz S class? Or even the AMG S65?

 

Not sure car manufacturers works too well? However at least you've acknowledged that us Europeans build far superior motor cars than they do in the US. :p :p :p

[ChucktownSteve]

But are we talking Mercedes Benz A class or Mercedes Benz S class? Or even the AMG S65?

 

Not sure car manufacturers works too well? However at least you've acknowledged that us Europeans build far superior motor cars than they do in the US. :p :p :p

 

You getz what youz paz for sometimes. :) And with those vehicles comes a heftyyyy price tag not counting the repairz!