9/3 Crown Princess---first time cruisers

[soccer seth]

My fiance and I took the 9/3 sailing of the Crown Princess to celebrate her graduation from grad school. We are both first time cruisers and weren't sure what to expect, but I have to say that we were both disappointed. I'm a new member here, and wanted to post so I can find out if the problems were just contained to the ship, or is it the cruise line in general? I will share some of my experiences.

 

Before the cruise, I ordered flowers to be delivered to our room for my fiance, as well as a nice bottle of wine for our first formal night. Neither arrived but we were charged on our bill. No problem. I went to the Desk to rectify this and was told I could have them delivered again, so I chose to do this on our second formal night. No problem again, I was fine with it. That night came and went, no wine and flowers. When I tried to get the items removed from our cards, they told me that it was non-refundable and this took nearly an hour to get resolved. It wasted a lot of time and those at the desk kept giving me the runaround. I was very polite and understanding through the whole ordeal, but the woman at the desk was very rude and standoffish. I didn't appreciate that.

 

The entertainment was great at the beginning of the cruise, but slowly died out toward the last few days. We ended up sneaking out of 2 shows and going to gamble. The Cruise Director wasn't very great, in my opinion. I have heard wonderful things about him by reading these boards, so maybe he was having an off week. Who knows?

 

The rooms were nice, we stayed on the Caribe Deck in the front. They weren't very big, and the shower was so small that the curtain would stick to you the whole time. There's no option for saving time and water by 2 people showering at a time, it was way too small.;) The batteries in our safe kept falling out, but other than that it was relatively convenient. The balconies on the Caribe are so big! I never expected to have one that big.

 

The food in the dining rooms was spectacular and the service was good. I don't understand some of these people who expect the wait staff to sing and dance to make them enjoy their meal more. I'm more focused on them being cordial and efficent. The food in the buffet was just OK. It could have been better. The pizza was delicious.

 

I was disappointed that the sports deck was so small and the running track left much to be desired. Looking at pictures of other ships, the sports decks and running tracks are much bigger and nicer.

 

The pools were CROWDED and it was really hard to find a lounge chair or a seat in the buffet. It seems that they pack way too many people on the ship than it can handle. One afternoon, my fiance and I waited for someone to get up from eating as our food got cold. A husband and wife then got up, and a woman from the table next to them, who saw we were waiting, grabbed all of the chairs from that table before it was wiped and put them around her table to accomodate her family--there would be 8 of them around 1 table. I politely informed her that we wanted just two chairs out of the 4, and she made a rude remark about us going somewhere else. The crew member who then began to wipe the table saw what was going on, and told us that although we were standing right there waiting for about 15 minutes, she was entitled to those chairs. Very rude of the both of them, I thought. Does this happen often on cruise ships?

 

We also found that most of the dance clubs were either empty or filled with 18 year olds every night. Doesn't seem that Princess has much of a party atmosphere, but I guess I can't complain about that. That's what Carnival is for.

 

OK, I'm sorry for rambling but I just wanted some feedback on this stuff--are the negatives here normal on cruise ships?

 

Overall, we had a good vacation and I would give the cruise a B, but next time I think we will try Royal Caribbean.

[rebeccalouise]

I can't give an educated opinion of the Crown since I haven't sailed it. From what I have read, I don't really think that this ship is typical of other cruise ships.

Don't give up on cruising. If you are looking for more nightlife- you might want to try NCL or Royal Caribbean. I like Celebrity the best but I am not a night owl.

Don't give up on cruising. If you hear the words "no vacation is ever perfect"- that's bad. I have been on lots of cruises where I can say that everything was perfect. In fact I have only been on one that wasn't and that was the Sapphire Princess- lackluster service, poor front desk relations, weird buffet layout, horrible embarkation and disembarkation, etc. I still had fun on that cruise but that was because of the people I was with and it was in Alaska- which I'd take a tug boat to Alaska if I had to- beautiful scenery.

P.S: I don't expect my waiters to sing (nobody does!)- they do expect them to be friendly, engaging and helpful.

[soccer seth]

I can't give an educated opinion of the Crown since I haven't sailed it. From what I have read, I don't really think that this ship is typical of other cruise ships.

Don't give up on cruising. If you are looking for more nightlife- you might want to try NCL or Royal Caribbean. I like Celebrity the best but I am not a night owl.

Don't give up on cruising. If you hear the words "no vacation is ever perfect"- that's bad. I have been on lots of cruises where I can say that everything was perfect. In fact I have only been on one that wasn't and that was the Sapphire Princess- lackluster service, poor front desk relations, weird buffet layout, horrible embarkation and disembarkation, etc. I still had fun on that cruise but that was because of the people I was with and it was in Alaska- which I'd take a tug boat to Alaska if I had to- beautiful scenery.

P.S: I don't expect my waiters to sing (nobody does!)- they do expect them to be friendly, engaging and helpful.

 

So I am guessing that this is an isolated incident?

[Clutterlady]

NCL does not have much of a nightlife!! Saw very few people out and about after 10:30 pm on most nights.

[woodofpine]

It sounds like the "aggravator" was the slip ups plural with the flowers and wine. That was unfortunate and unusual; it is atypical of Princess. The attitude of the purser's desk was VERY unusual and inexcusable. A polite letter to the CEO-bosses explaining that and your situation as first timers etc. might even be rewarded (no certainty - sort of a try it and see situation).

 

You liked a lot of the cruise and you seem fair in your comments. A weakness of Princess is the phone booth sized showers. Princess sports decks are fairly typical of the industry, it pools are superior (most lines are salt water). Cruise ship photos are always optically enhanced as to size so don't expect much better on other line's ships. Ditto in terms of crowd density. You might want to check out Douglas Ward's Berlitz book "Ocean Cruising & Cruise Ships"; it's a great resource and provides some helpful deck space to passenger load ratios that are useful as well as a wealth of other unbiased info. Curiously, smaller ships often seem less crowded - and are... although the big ship bells and whistles are missing (this impacts the sports decks more).

 

Age demographics varies itinerary to itinerary and line to line with a fair amount of commonality overall with RC slightly younger in age demographic very generally speaking.

 

Anyways, happy vacationing and cruising...

[rebeccalouise]

So I am guessing that this is an isolated incident?

 

Yes, I do think this was no typical. Most first time cruisers love their first cruise. If you would like to try a different line, I highly recommend the Celebrity Constellation. It was a lovely ship and has a nice walking/jogging track on the top deck. It runs pretty much the circumference of the entire ship. There is an indoor heated pool for adults only and great spa cuisine served at the the indoor. There is a good mixture of passengers and the staff and food are excellent. This was my favorite of 18 cruises.

[ForEternity]

I was on the Crown in July...so I'll add my observations!

 

As for the flowes and wine...can happen on any cruise. We've had the same experience on other lines. Same problem with the purser's desk being rude. Unfortunately!

 

Entertainment, I only made it to one show. Was one of the production ones which I rarely enjoy anyway. We went to Club Fusion most night. Almost always good stuff going on there. It can vary a lot cruise to cruise too, just based on the type of passengers and how much like they like to get involved. We had a ton of people who liked to dance and do karaoke!

 

The showers....ya, vast majority of ships are the same. Way too small, curtain sticks to you.

 

I was a little surprised about how small the running track was. That is unusual. As for the rest of the sports deck, it seemed as normal, if not bigger than a lot of ships I've seen.

 

You'll find the same problem with crowded pools and buffets areas on every ship. Always very hard to find a seat during peak hours. One of those things you just get used to if you cruise a lot. Still a pain though!

 

And rude passengers are always around! From my experience, most crew on any ship never intervene in those types of situations for some reason. Although they sometimes should.

 

The dance clubs on our sailing were great! When club fusion had dancing it was almost always full. All ages too. Skywalkers had a few couples here and there that were over 30. Vast majority of people though were 18-25 I'd say. Quite a few that were 21-23 though, so not overrun with 18 year olds (which was nice!). The dj played way too much remix stuff, which not many people danced to...but as soon as he played any hip hop...dance floor was packed. Again, this can very a ton from voyage to voyage, even on the same ship.

 

With all that said, I wouldn't avoid Princess all together if I were you. I'm 21, and it's one of my favorite lines. Just depends on what you enjoy. Ships within the same line vary. And like I said, voyages on the same ship vary too. Depends on the time of year, where the cruise is going, size of the ship. My best advice...stay open to anything! And read up around here for specifics. You can find most everything you'd like to know!

[rebeccalouise]

I disagree with the rude crowds and lines at the buffet statement. The ship I mentioned earlier did not have rude crowds or long lines at the buffet at breakfast or lunch. That is one of the things I really enjoyed about it.

A word to the wise, you get what you pay for. The more expensive ships attract a more sophisticated clientelle.

[Clutterlady]

So rebeccalouise, are you putting yourself in the sophisticated clientelle catagory??

[rebeccalouise]

Rude illmannered people were not present on the cruises where I payed more $$$$$ including Disney and Celebrity. So, I do think these lines attract better clientelle in general- not so many tattos and people who don't dress for dinner. Not so many families with kids and teens, etc.

 

As for me. Yeah, I think as much as I have traveled both on cruises to other destinations in Europe and Asia- I am pretty sophisticated. I am also a bit of a cruise snob but that comes from having been on so really good ones.

[ForEternity]

Generally speaking, yes, you will find more inconsiderate people on the "lower" end cruise lines. But people are people. Even really rich ones can be rude!

 

My point is that there is no way you can avoid all rude people. And fact is, a lot people can't afford the more expensive ships.

 

I've been on several cruise lines and I would consider Carnival to be the worst of them....and the "lowest end" from my experience. However, the VAST majority of people were great. Just a few isolated incidents where you see the rude ones. But i've seen just as many on Celebrity, which is somewhat higher end.

 

I don't think the OP was saying that all people in the buffet were rude, just that one family.

[Cruisin' Chick]

What we do when the Horizon is pretty full, is try to look for a table with a couple of free seats and ask if we can join the people there. Most of the time, people won't hesitate to welcome us there.

[jad7984]

Rude illmannered people were not present on the cruises where I payed more $$$$$ including Disney and Celebrity. So, I do think these lines attract better clientelle in general- not so many tattos and people who don't dress for dinner. Not so many families with kids and teens, etc.

 

As for me. Yeah, I think as much as I have traveled both on cruises to other destinations in Europe and Asia- I am pretty sophisticated. I am also a bit of a cruise snob but that comes from having been on so really good ones.

 

It has everything to do with the time of year you sail. In summer and during school vacations, you attract the families with kids and teens. In winter, you attract an older crowd. During spring break, there are college kids. While there is a big difference between Carnival and Princess' ships, the folks on board aren't all THAT much different. I saw many people on the Crown with :eek: tattoos:eek: . It's all in your head;) But, sure, if you pay more for a cruise, chances are the people on the ship will tend to have a higher income--doesn't mean they aren't rude. There's a big difference between rude and inconsiderate.

 

Any a good number of people were inconsiderate in the buffet areas, so I'd have to agree with the OP.

[SeaBunny]

DH and I were on the same cruise as OP.

 

The issue with the wine and flowers is just the kind of thing that can color your whole vacation -- you're trying to do something nice and it turns into trouble and more trouble. All the surpirse and joy is sucked right out of it. I'm so sorry you had that experience.

 

The crowding at the pools was horrible. And, I didn't see much evidence of chair hogging. People keep bashing Carnival, but when our party of 6 sailed Carnival Miracle last fall, we always could find 6 lounges together by the pool with no problem. I couldn't even find one alone on the Crown unless it was after 4:30, when people started to get ready for dinner.

 

Like a previous poster, we never wait for a table for just us in the buffet area, but ask others if we can join them. We've met some delightful people that way that have added a lot to our cruise experience.

[Giorgi-one]

Is the health club / gym on the Crown as small as the one on the Grand. It was pathetic. It was obviously an afterthought and could accomodate about 15 people comfortably.

[HMSDingy]

Rude illmannered people were not present on the cruises where I payed more $$$$$ including Disney and Celebrity. So, I do think these lines attract better clientelle in general- not so many tattos and people who don't dress for dinner. Not so many families with kids and teens, etc.

 

As for me. Yeah, I think as much as I have traveled both on cruises to other destinations in Europe and Asia- I am pretty sophisticated. I am also a bit of a cruise snob but that comes from having been on so really good ones.

 

Our first cruise was on the Dawn Princess. A cruise both DW and I enjoyed tremendously. We also sailed in October where there were few families and mostly groups and couples. We chose the Crown for our next trip because it was leaving out of New York and Montreal is a 6 hour drive. The prices on the other lines departing for that same time of year is roughly the same as what we paid on the Crown. So there is no price factor here. My sister recently sailed on the Norwegian Spirit out of New York as well. No problems with rude people there.

 

What makes you think that someone with money need not be rude and obnoxius, On the contrary. Money does not give one class or sophistication. And what have you against tatoos? Or families with kids for that matter. Rich people don't travel with their kidsà??!!!!

[yj2cute]

I'd have to disagree with Rebeccalouise about the OP sailing Celebrity. He's stated that he's 21 and looking for a lively nightlife. I don't think he'll find that on Celebrity. Celebrity, on the whole, attracts a much older crowd and they nightlife is not what I'd call lively. My one Celebrity sailing was very relaxing, with good food and service, but it lacked in fun activities and nightlife.

 

The OP would probably prefer RCCL or Carnival. Cruising is a great vacation when you fight the right fit. Give it another try and have fun!

[PhoneGoddess]

rebeccalouiseRude illmannered people were not present on the cruises where I payed more $$$$$ including Disney and Celebrity. So, I do think these lines attract better clientelle in general- not so many tattos and people who don't dress for dinner. Not so many families with kids and teens, etc.

 

Excuse me rebeccalouise, but are you implying that people with tattoos :mad: are rude and illmannered. How ridiculously ignorant! You are a snob!

[PhoneGoddess]

rebeccalouiseRude illmannered people were not present on the cruises where I payed more $$$$$ including Disney and Celebrity. So, I do think these lines attract better clientelle in general- not so many tattos and people who don't dress for dinner. Not so many families with kids and teens, etc.

:mad: Excuse me, rebbecalouise, but are you implying that people with tattoos are rude and illmannered. Could you possibly be more ridiculously ignorant?! What a snob!

On one cruise, we were seated for dinner with a couple that was very friendly, all smiles and very talkative until we came to dinner on formal night. I happened to be wearing a formal gown that exposed one of my tattoos. Well from that moment on, this couple refused to speak to us and kept giving us dirty looks. So, rebeccalouise, who was being rude? Certainly not the people with the tattoos.

You should be ashamed of yourself!

[PhoneGoddess]

I apologize for the double post. My computer was acting up while I was trying to submit my reply.

[barbarah33]

I'm sorry to hear your cruise what not all that you had hoped it would be and I hope this doesn't deter you from cruising again. I have had similar problems at the purser/guest relations desk on every line I have cruised with the exception of NCL. They were incredibly nice there. But that is the only place on a ship where I tend to experience rude personnel. I did write Princess about it last year and their inability to resolve a problem that they had created for me and I got a very nice letter back along with credit for a future cruise which we applied toward the Crown next month.

 

If you want lots and lots of nightlife then go to Carnival. They are younger and do have much more to do at night than any of the lines I have sailed on. But be warned: if you want the nightlife you will have to give up something somewhere else along the line.

 

When it comes to the rude lady and the chairs at lunch - it's ugly but so are some people. And you can and will find them on all lines. Some people just don't have any manners at all.

 

I hope you give cruising another try and like it better.

[caviargal]

To the OP, I enjoyed your review.

 

Sorry about the problems with your wine and flowers, more sorry that the problem required so much effort to fix:(. It seems that customer service is an afterthough these days, both on land and at sea.

 

Re the buffet experiences, this is one of the reasons I go to the dining room for breakfast and lunch (or enjoy room service on ships that offer a full menu). I prefer a more civilized experienced and really dislike hunting for a table, standing in lines, etc, just to eat food that has been sitting out there for who knows how long. Some lines offer alternatives to the buffet and dining room as well, like Aqua Spa Cafe on most of the Celebrity ships and Sea View Cafe on RCI.

 

Re nightlife for your age range, I suggest you consider a Voyager class ship on RCI. The nightlife options are extensive and generally hopping, there is a range of ages as well. Fitness centers and activities on these ships are really terrific as well.

 

But finding a chair at the pool is an issue on most ships, especially those the size of Crown Princess. I do not cruise the big ships for that reason (and others). IMO, that size ship is simply not built to handle that number of passengers. Check out the size and passenger capacity next time before you book. It is most definitely more of an issue on the monster ships than those in the 90,000GRT range that hold 2,000 or less folks.

 

Don't give up on cruising, just take what you learned on this one and use it to research the next.

[HMSDingy]

rebeccalouiseRude illmannered people were not present on the cruises where I payed more $$$$$ including Disney and Celebrity. So, I do think these lines attract better clientelle in general- not so many tattos and people who don't dress for dinner. Not so many families with kids and teens, etc.

:mad: Excuse me, rebbecalouise, but are you implying that people with tattoos are rude and illmannered. Could you possibly be more ridiculously ignorant?! What a snob!

On one cruise, we were seated for dinner with a couple that was very friendly, all smiles and very talkative until we came to dinner on formal night. I happened to be wearing a formal gown that exposed one of my tattoos. Well from that moment on, this couple refused to speak to us and kept giving us dirty looks. So, rebeccalouise, who was being rude? Certainly not the people with the tattoos.

You should be ashamed of yourself!

 

One more thing on tatoos. In my college days a buddy and I decided to get tattos on a dare. I chickened out but my buddy got one just the same. Nothing in your face but visible nontheless. Well back to the furture and the present time. I work for a large corporation and my friend went on to be a successful high priced lawyer here in Montreal. He still boasts and proudly shows his tattoo. Does that scare away his clients. No way. In fact it shows them some lawyers are actually human.

[bickee]

You know what I've found? Having not repeated a line yet (not for any reason, just trying all the lines!) but talked to many people at dinners, I think it varies more CRUISE to CRUISE then line to line. On our last Princess cruise we had the TIME of our lives. Our tablemates had been on 20 something cruises and said that was their favorite by far. They had been other not so great Princess, some great and not so great Royal cruises. I think it really depends on your waiter, your tablemates, the weather, etc etc etc! So don't give up on a line based on one cruise. After 2 or 3 times...maybe. You just never know!

[rebeccalouise]

There are people who stay at the Ritz Carlton and they have certain expectations in relation to the price they are paying.

There are others that stay at the Marriot and have another expectation for what they are paying.

There are still others that stay at a Motel 6 and have a certain expectation for what they are paying.

 

I have sailed on really expensive ships and not so expensive ships. My expectation vary depending on the ship. More expensive cruises have fewer children and partiers, etc. That's fine in my book. I have gone on less expensive cruises and have had a good time also but I prefer the more expensive ones- because in my experinence the passengers are more sophisticated and yes, polite.