Emerald Princess was an epic disappointment. Never again on Princess

[cr8tiv1]

I was waiting for JP’s name to show up.  

[SCX22]

12 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

no, but they are not calling themselves or others TOP anything, do they? When I provide my opinions on CC, I definitely preface them - I am a glutton and will eat just about anything, so beware.

 

like I said - does it look like someone likes to exaggerate?

I mean - aside from the itinerary and lido pizza, EVERYTHING WAS HORRIBLE?

 

The food overall was awful, even putrid, but the food at the buffet was just horrific.

a major communication problem between the crew and the guests

The language barrier is really frustrating to overcome.

everything else was just so awful

 I did an up-charge steak one night and it was terrible. 

Entertainment sucked. It was pathetic.

Mechanics. Everything is broken on that ship. 

 

 

 

I mean -  I was just on MSC in steerage class, and some things were just awful and some were frustrating, but, surely, not ALL of them.

 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  Up to you about how much of a grain of salt others opinions are.  What's important to me in this day in age is that it's not a paid review or a review that involves a quid pro quo situation.  There are enough old cruisers at the moment who will keep Princess afloat.  

 

11 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

we loved using it.

 

It seems thought the backend is a cluster and in turmoil.  Recent example is the delayed release of the new App and the problems with the new App.  Again, not all have the same experience.  I have to remember to never use Global Experience Innovators as an app developer.  The My Disney Experience App and all the airline apps work seamlessly and are all travel related.

Edited January 3 by SCX22

[Ken the cruiser]

46 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

I have always enjoyed your posts, Ken. They are succinct, sensible and to-the-point. Even negative reviews and comments are done with class and respect. Until now, all on the Celebrity forum and I have noticed that you are no longer as smitten with X as you once were. Obviously, over the last several years, similar threads have appeared on the X site with the same huffin' and puffin' and blowin' the house down. We all know that these tirades are not unique to any one forum. Rather, they seem to be a seasonal thing...cruising season, across the industry.

 

I do not believe that any cruise line is targeting any specific age group at the expense of losing another. One would think that disposable dollars are coveted by all no matter from where they come. Also, is not the age cycle continuous? What was young is old and vice-versa. It is difficult to balance the enticements of what cruising offers in order to please everyone. It boils down to the proverbial, 'throw it against the wall and see what sticks', which is especially pertinent when speaking about food.

 

Over the years, despite the occasional letdown, disappointment, or huffin' and pufin', Celebrity remains our cruise line of choice. X marks the spot where we still prefer to spend our cruising $$$. In no way does that imply that others should not take their money elsewhere. Like you said, "getting the most quality for our $$$" is what it's all about.

 

As I mentioned in my previous post, when the occasion arises where we can enjoy our first Princess cruise, we will certainly avail ourselves of that opportunity.  

I do not believe that any cruise line is targeting any specific age group at the expense of losing another. One would think that disposable dollars are coveted by all no matter from where they come.

 

I agree. But I do believe each cruise line traditionally has their entertainment strategy focused on a certain demographic range, and Princess and HAL have always been known to lean towards the older crowd. Celebrity has always leaned more towards the 45-65 crowd.

 

When we were cruising with HAL from 2012-2019, Frank Sinatra-era music was always their go to theater music (which we could not stand) until they started to implement their Music Walk strategy (which included eliminating production shows) in 2018, to hopefully attract the younger crowd. OTOH Princess used to have ballroom dancing 30 minutes every night in the theater before their early evening show. However, I haven't seen that for quite some time. On their cruises they have always offered a variety of silly game shows, from bouncing ping pong balls into a cup to some with a little more class, but all designed to make the young at heart laugh. For us that focus on making people laugh has always been a big plus in the Princess column.

 

Also, is not the age cycle continuous? What was young is old and vice-versa. It is difficult to balance the enticements of what cruising offers in order to please everyone.

 

This is also true. When we were in our early 60s, we got so sick of hearing Sinatra and the Big Band sound on HAL cruises, we eventually jumped ship over to Celebrity where they played music we actually recognized! It was a dream come true! I mean they were actually playing songs by Queen, Elton John, Billy Joel and the like! 

 

Now we're in our early 70s and still like that type of music but are also focused on making every cruise day count, especially when it comes to going to cool places around the world and getting the most bang for our cruising $$$ along the way.

 

All I know is that we have always have fun on all of the Celebrity cruises we've been on. But something has changed as of late (for us) when it comes to booking their cruises. I don't know if it's the continual personal annoyance of the 20% penalty for booking with a refundable deposit, or more specifically when they chopped our March 2025 13-day Constellation cruise, which included stopping at Key West, 3 days in New Orleans over Mardi Gras, and then down to the ABC islands, to an 8-day cruise with 3 days in NO and a stop in Progresso that caused us to step back and look at other cruising options. We also had a July 2024 B2B Norway cruise booked on the Apex in an AQ cabin. But when we found we could book a Vista Suite on the Sky Princess at the same time that went to similar ports in Norway and also cruised to various Baltic ports for roughly the same price, we switched.

 

But I also have to add being fully retired we do enjoy 3-5 week cruises with nonrepetitive itineraries, and Celebrity just doesn't offer that many whereas Princess and on occasion HAL and NCL do. That 38-day NCL Jade cruise we went on last year from Athens to Cape Town by way of Dubai was totally awesome, and HAL has recently introduced a 28-day Alaska cruise that includes going to Nome as well as all of the glaciers and remote ports along the way!

 

Right now, we're getting ready to go on a 30-day B2B Antarctica cruise on the Sapphire Princess, a 22-day Alaska B3B on the Grand Princess in May, the 21-day B2B Norway-Baltic cruise I mentioned earlier, and a 30-day B3B on the NCL Getaway starting in late October that goes to Egypt to see the pyramids, Turkey and Greece to see the ancient ruins, some Adriatic ports to include Venice (Trieste), and then winding up in Rome (Civitavecchia).

 

On the Princess cruises we're in vista suites and on the NCL we are in a Club Balcony mini suite with their FAS Plus perk package at very fair prices with refundable deposits. All at prices much cheaper that Celebrity offered on similar itineraries in an AQ cabin, when they had a similar itinerary to compare to, which was not that often.

 

Don't get me wrong, we will still cruise with Celebrity when the price and itinerary is right, like maybe in a sunset veranda on an Apex transatlantic in 2026. 🤞 

 

 

 

[Iamcruzin]

4 hours ago, suzyed said:

We were on Caribbean a year and a half ago and it was fine! Great itinerary and crew.

Fine is how I would describe it as well. 

[Spif Barwunkel]

Too much IT about nothin'. Unwittingly, the OP's thread has shown the inability of many to comfortably exist without gadgetry. Does your electronic device not allow you to improvise or compromise? Got to be an app for that, somewhere.

[nini]

22 hours ago, SaltyDoggg said:

The way I look at it is that the executive board are probably so antiquated that they can’t break out of their legacy way of thinking that’s why when I look at what Celebrity is doing, I’m blown away that they were actually able to evolve to what they have currently become because they actually want to evolve. Their food is consistent across every ship, their entertainment might be somewhat inconsistent, but what you consider to be the earmarks of the Celebrity brand are there on every ship. Princess just seems to wing it. I spoke with one of their top IT guys when I was on board and he said the food on Emerald Princess was actually better than most of their fleet . Their corporate is investing money into carnival and letting princess flounder. There are so many things wrong with that ship, but it begins with entertainment and food which they failed miserably on. 

 

Experiences are varied and fascinating. I was in a party of 3 adults on the Celebrity Reflection in 2018; PRE- COVID! Your experience and opinions were the same as ours for the Reflection- NEVER AGAIN!!! You would have been appalled.

[Spif Barwunkel]

12 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We also had a July 2024 B2B Norway cruise booked on the Apex in an AQ cabin. But when we found we could book a Vista Suite on the Sky Princess at the same time that went to similar ports in Norway and also cruised to various Baltic ports for roughly the same price, we switched.

Perfect example of how differences in priorities and preferences can affect one's choices in cruising. We are booked on Apex in Aqua for a 12-night northern Norway cruise in July 2025. All but one port will be new to us. I did not check other cruise lines for comparison purposes because we would not have switched to Princess, or any other cruise line, even if prices were significantly cheaper. We are comfortable with X and the boat and to us, if we are spending more, it is worth the quality we will get for our $$$.   

[TheMichael]

1 hour ago, SCX22 said:

Princess listened the the "expert", John Padgett about the Medallion and we know how much of a cluster that has turned out to be.  The technology he instated at his former employer, Disney, is doing so much better without him.  

 

I've recently noticed that the phrase "we know" is usually a telltale sign that a statement is pure opinion. 😁

 

Having taken Medallion and non-Medallion cruises in the past 6 months, I can tell you that the Medallion system is at times downright (to use the Disney crossover phase) Magical. And on the non-Medallion cruise line (which was a very good line otherwise) I was surprised at my new hatred for having to deal with signing a "check" for every bar purchase, even though I had a drink package.

 

99 times out of 100, technological failures end up being web failures, and I don't think any major cruise line has mastered the art of having online systems. Those systems can and do fail, whether connected to a card, a medallion, or a QR code tattoo. I can't even log in to HAL half the time, and once had to go to Guest Services to have their app reset.

 

The only difference between the Medallion and a "cruise card" is how it's read by the system - it's tracked by RFID points throughout the ship, rather than "swiped" in a machine.

 

Princess, though, uniquely offers features that make use of that fact, which other lines with cards can't. I know where my GF is and can find her. Drinks can be delivered to my pool seat. My stateroom door unlocks without fumbling for something in my pocket. I can order at the bar, and the bartender can then hand me my drink with a simple "I got ya." And 99% of the time (to coin a tech phrase) it just works.

 

Magical.

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Perfect example of how differences in priorities and preferences can affect one's choices in cruising. We are booked on Apex in Aqua for a 12-night northern Norway cruise in July 2025. All but one port will be new to us. I did not check other cruise lines for comparison purposes because we would not have switched to Princess, or any other cruise line, even if prices were significantly cheaper. We are comfortable with X and the boat and to us, if we are spending more, it is worth the quality we will get for our $$$.   

That's probably the 12-night Apex cruise, which is an awesome one BTW, we were booked on in July 2024. The issue was that the second 7-night leg of our Apex B2B was going back to some of the same Norway ports. But, again, you are right. As they say, different strokes for different folks. You're going to have a great time on that cruise and hopefully you will see the Northern Lights when you are cruising those 2 days above the Arctic Circle! 

 

BTW we did have an awesome time on our Galapagos cruise last month on the Flora! If you have never cruised there before, I highly recommend it as it is one of the most awesome places in the world if you enjoy being close to wildlife and the service on the Celebrity Flora are fantastic!! 

 

 

 

Edited January 3 by Ken the cruiser

[MacMadame]

8 hours ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Also, is not the age cycle continuous? What was young is old and vice-versa.

Absolutely. I keep reading that Princess (and other lines) needs to attract a younger demographic because us old farts are going to die off. Sure, are are getting older. But so are the 40-50 year olds. So when the 70-80 year old passengers die off, the 40-50 year olds will be 60-70 and will replace them.

 

That said if a line can attract customers of all ages -- bringing in a younger demographic while not turning off the older demographic -- that is probably better. As long as they can do it without diluting what distinguishes them from the other lines, ofc.

 

8 hours ago, SaltyDoggg said:

also, you don’t need a food critic to know what’s good and what’s not.

Doesn't it depend on their tastes though? I work in IT and some of my colleagues have adventurous tastes when it comes to food while others only eat three things. LOL

 

6 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

So, when someone who's been on one Princess cruise tells us that the TOP IT guy on the ship regarded Emerald Princess' food as the best in the fleet, one can't help but wonder - what is a TOP Princess IT guy doing installing wifi on ships? Maybe, a certain someone likes to exaggerate some things?

Well, their TOP IT guys aren't working on the website or the app, right? 😉  (Kidding, I kid.)

 

To the OP: You said this:
The food overall was awful, even putrid, but the food at the buffet was just horrific.

 

But then you said that you ate most of your meals at the buffet. Um, wasn't that a bit masochistic of you?

[dockman]

Generally good advice:

 

Never say never.

Never say always.

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

So sad to hear of the OP experience.

 

I have to agree with some of the criticism from my experiences and disagree with others.

 

Princess really have to up their game regarding entertainment IMO. People expect more now and Rock Opera is good but not great and once you have seen it you don't need to see it again. Comedians are rubbish to mediocre, singers can be OK but no better than that IMO.

 

Never felt that MDR food was tasteless... always considered it pretty good if not the best on the seas.

 

The bear... it is good to have some entertainment for younger cruises IMO. I see no problem with that.

 

I think that your criticism might be considered a bit harsh tbh. But that is just my opinion.

[BDevilCruiser]

@SaltyDoggg  Thanks for your review.  I thought it was fair and balanced, and sorry for the apologists/loyalists who have virtually attacked you for not being a Princess fan.

 

My last two cruises were on the Regal Princess (April 23) and Celebrity Edge (August 21).  I enjoyed both very much, but there were some issues with both (nothing's perfect.)  Each has its advantages/disadvantages compared to the other.  Personal taste will decide.

 

Based on the Regal (a newer Princess ship) I decided I would sail next on Princess.  However, comments about some of the older ships make me wary of sailing on them.  And, I was completely spoiled by sailing on the Edge, which was just restarting and was about 1/3 full.  (Won't see that anytime soon, I'd guess.)  That said, my personal taste, with a very picky palate, favored the Regal's food over Celebrity (and definitely better than RCCL, which I sailed in 2018.)  It did get repetitive over seven days in the buffet, but I was OK with that.  (I ate in the MDR most of the evenings.)

 

I am also a solo cruiser, and would like to ask you how you deal with the Celebrity website.  You cannot do a search for 1 guest, and the last cruise I dug into deeper, when I changed from 2 to 1 guest, the price tripled.  (While not typically 300%, it's often over 200%, or says it's not available.)  I like that Princess (and NCL) allow searches for one guest, and often the cost is not 200%.  I know I could use a travel agent, but I like being in control and not having to call somebody to make changes.  Any tips?

 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

11 minutes ago, BDevilCruiser said:

I am also a solo cruiser, and would like to ask you how you deal with the Celebrity website.  You cannot do a search for 1 guest, and the last cruise I dug into deeper, when I changed from 2 to 1 guest, the price tripled.  (While not typically 300%, it's often over 200%, or says it's not available.)

it's actually being discussed on Celebrity board right now:

 

[BDevilCruiser]

2 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

it's actually being discussed on Celebrity board right now:

 

Thanks for the link.  Seems I'm not the only one that has issues with their pricing.  In addition, while some mentioned the Edge class solo balconies, there's no easy way to search for those; you have to go cruise by cruise, change the number of guests, and then select balcony, and you might get lucky that there's one available.  Same on parent line RCCL.  When I sailed them in a solo balcony (last one - obstructed view), I was able to search by 1 guest, but they've since changed that ability.

 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

I would love to solo cruise but simply cannot justify the cost but I can see the business case to charge more than double for a single person. There is only one person to buy speciality dining, to buy excursions, to buy drinks (if not on package), to spend in casino. A single person occupying a 2 berth cabin will mean they are not just losing the fare for one person but they also lose the revenue that would have been generated by the missing person.

[Ken the cruiser]

3 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

I would love to solo cruise but simply cannot justify the cost but I can see the business case to charge more than double for a single person. There is only one person to buy speciality dining, to buy excursions, to buy drinks (if not on package), to spend in casino. A single person occupying a 2 berth cabin will mean they are not just losing the fare for one person but they also lose the revenue that would have been generated by the missing person.

You can always check out a Crystal cruise. They usually have pretty reasonable solo fares.

[SaltyDoggg]

11 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I would love to solo cruise but simply cannot justify the cost

I think Celebrity has more single cabins these days... I can usually get a pretty good price, but even so, I'm willing to pay double occupancy if it's the right itinerary!

[ldubs]

On 1/3/2024 at 3:57 AM, SargassoPirate said:

Good thing they don't do that with the MDR meals!

 

Can't imagine cooking one burger at a time with a line.  I think I would seek out a supervisor.

 

Yup, I found it very curious why they were doing that.   Guy with a tall white chef's hat came out and had some discussion with the cook, but didn't address this particular issue.   Fact it is encountered on more than on Princess ship is also curious.    

 

Since I was on a cruise ship and not in any particular hurry, I was able to sit back and enjoy the scenery while waiting.   But still, very odd.   

[cruisequeen4ever]

OP, though I am Elite with Princess, and it is my favorite brand, we have noticed a decline onboard. I still adore Princess, but I do recognize some of what you shared. Many years ago, crew were not allowed to speak anything other than English in front of guests. They had a much stronger command of the English language back then. Now, I hear them talking amongst themselves in their own language in front of guests. I agree that training is not as effective as it should be these days. We have witnessed that numerous times the past 5 or so years. Trick for the eggs…get them cooked to order. They don’t have to be in omelette form to be cooked to order. I have had an auto door close on me 3 times the past 2 cruises as well as witnessed others having them close on them; it’s inexcusable as these can be reprogrammed to stay open longer. 
 

As for Celebrity, we had our worst culinary experience at sea aboard the Constellation…pink burgers, flavorless cakes, and generally mediocre food. I did notice that Celebrity’s crew was better trained and more consistent, though, on my most recent Celebrity cruise. The food was better on the Solstice but still a whole step below Princess, based on my experiences. 
 

Yes, Princess and Celebrity are put on par with one another, and many sail both. 
 

We all get to choose our niche line, and it sounds like you have 2 you like. Happy cruising, and thank you for sharing your experience!

[Ken the cruiser]

41 minutes ago, SaltyDoggg said:

I think Celebrity has more single cabins these days... I can usually get a pretty good price, but even so, I'm willing to pay double occupancy if it's the right itinerary!

If I might ask, what are the right itineraries for you? 1-2 weeks in the Caribbean or maybe Alaska? Or to more exotic places like Rome, Egypt and/or the ancient ruins found in the Med, or possibly visiting the Middle East or South Africa? Or maybe cruising to Longyearbyen or Antarctica? Or maybe through the Panama Canal or maybe even going to see Easter Island?

 

The reason I ask is because if you limit yourself to one or two cruise lines, such as Celebrity and Disney, you will also be limiting yourself as to where you can cruise to at a reasonable price. 

 

BTW if the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Alaska are your target itineraries, Celebrity or Disney have quite a few to choose from. But if you desire to cruise on more exotic itineraries in the future, their offerings may become less abundant than some of the other "mainstream" cruise lines such as PCL, NCL, and HAL to name a few. And you may also want to check out Crystal's solo fares, as they usually run around 125-150% of their double occupancy rates.

Edited January 4 by Ken the cruiser

[SaltyDoggg]

6 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

If I might ask, what are the right itineraries for you? 1-2 weeks in the Caribbean or maybe Alaska? Or to more exotic places like Rome, Egypt and/or the ancient ruins found in the Med, or possibly visiting the Middle East or South Africa? Or maybe cruising to Longyearbyen or Antarctica? Or maybe through the Panama Canal or maybe even going to see Easter Island?

 

The reason I ask is because if you limit yourself to one or two cruise lines, such as Celebrity and Disney, you will also be limiting yourself as to where you can cruise to at a reasonable price. 

 

@Ken the cruiser I live in Florida, and because I am fairly new to cruising, I have been focusing on the Caribbean.  That being said, I am looking at a one way Hawaiian cruise from Vancouver on Celebrity in the Fall.   I am also very open to doing Alaska... probably not going anywhere to Europe, gonna stick primarily in the Caribbean and possibly California coast.  I like the idea of being U.S. based.

 

Can I ask you Ken, would you consider Princess a competitor to Celebrity or more of a value brand?  I went into my 2 week Emerald Princess cruise under the impression that they are competitors of Celebrity, thats the vibe I was getting with all of the YouTube vids, but after all the comments on my review thread, and of course my personal experience, I'm wondering if they fall more into a value line?  That would explain allot.

 

Also, what cruise lines would you recommend that would fall more in line with Celebrity's style?  

 

Thanks for your help!

 

 

[Cruise Raider]

20 hours ago, nini said:

 

Experiences are varied and fascinating. I was in a party of 3 adults on the Celebrity Reflection in 2018; PRE- COVID! Your experience and opinions were the same as ours for the Reflection- NEVER AGAIN!!! You would have been appalled.

You are absolutely correct!  
Celebrity used to be our absolute favorite cruise line but then, they abandoned us here on the California coast several years ago.  We started jumping more and more on Princess ships.  When the Royal came to our homeport of San Francisco, everything changed in what we valued in cruising!  Princess became our fast favorite. We even had a leftover sailing, paid in full with a lot of OBC from many cancellations due to charters back before CoVid.  Since we wanted to use it, we booked the Solstice down to Mexico from LA.  We also booked a Discovery Princess cruise for the same day we disembarked the Solstice.  It was like day and night and not just because the age of the ship but also because of the activities, the medallion, the ability to order food deliveries almost anywhere on the ship, etc.  We were just kind of bored on Celebrity.  I wouldn’t say we’d never go back but we didn’t purchase a future cruise deposit.  We always buy at least two more whenever we are on Princess.  
 

Getting back to the OP’s point, we cruised on the Emerald several months ago and had the best time!  Ipwe hadn’t cruised on that ship in over 12 years and thought they did a great job in maintaining that particular ship!  She was gorgeous, the food was great and the service was phenomenal.  We’ve also cruised on the Diamond in 2023, as well.  I don’t have very many good things to say about that ship except it had the most phenomenal entertainment.  Suffice it to say, I won’t be booking on her again.  She was in very poor shape IMO!  
 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, Snaxmuppet said:

I can see the business case to charge more than double for a single person. There is only one person to buy speciality dining, to buy excursions, to buy drinks (if not on package), to spend in casino

considering that we always sail as 3 or 5 people, and none of us ever purchase specialty dining, excursions and/or alcohol packages, spend any time in a casino, it doesn't make any sense to me to charge a poor solo traveler for 3 people.

Edited January 4 by Itchy&Scratchy

[BDevilCruiser]

34 minutes ago, SaltyDoggg said:

...

Question for you... do you consider Princess a competitor to Celebrity or more of a value brand?  I've always thought Princess was supposed to be on the same level as Celebrity, but after some of the comments and of course my experience on board, I wonder if they are really more of a value brand?  That would explain allot!

When I first sailed with Celebrity in 2019 (after cancelling an Alaskan cruise due to mono - they'd probably be fine with mono now as long as it wasn't coupled with COVID 😉 ) I thought the Summit was comparable to what I remembered of Princess from 2007.  Similar in style, amenities and food.  I think the availability of food at all hours is better on Princess, and as I mentioned before, I enjoyed the food on Regal more than my other recent cruises (NCL, RCCL, and X.  I thought RCCL was the worst of the four.  Although to be clear, I didn't starve!)

 

The Edge class ships are a level above, but I now think that was due to 1-it was newer and 2-it was only about 1/3 full.  I will want to sail on the newer Princess ships (Sun and soon the Star) to see what amenities have been added.

 

Unfortunately, as a (now retired) solo cruiser, I'm typicallly sailing in steerage, and the Edge (and just about all new ships) have created exclusive areas for higher paying customers that block out areas, and in particular the front of the ship.  I liked sitting in the lounge on Summit (Sky Lounge, I think) and watching where we were going.  (The Eden on Edge, in the rear of the ship, was fantastic for sitting, watching our wake.)  The Regal didn't have that area, as they put cabins in the forward of the Lido deck and the only inside area forward with a view is the Sanctuary.  I know the class structure has always been around, but it's now a lot more restrictive.