HAL fan unimpressed by Princess

[Jemima]

We just returned from a Princess cruise where we were part of a group of about 400 genealogists. The conference was wonderful; the ship was OK.

In the past we've sailed Carnival twice (2002 & 2006) and HAL several times (most recently Maasdam earlier this year).

Some comments and comparisons:

We did not like Princess's anytime dining. We disliked it so much that we ate dinner at the buffet the last two evenings. We've never done that before on any cruise. We would actually rather have traditional seating at a time we didn't like than have "anytime" dining.

Hal simply does the very best breakfast and lunch buffets. They are much better organized, food is better, variety is greater, service is better. Surprisingly Carnival's buffet, while not as good as HAL's,is better than Princess's. Princess's buffet food service is two small identical "corrals" which get very congested. There is no omelet station and no breakfast egg items are made-to order.

Hal's room service has us spoiled. We'd planned on DD getting room service breakfast the 2 mornings I had a small group breakfast. The plan was for hers to come before I headed to my 6:45 breakfast. Princess's earliest time was 7:30 and the menu was limited. (We never do room service except breakfast, but did notice Princess's room menu was limited.)

Vista ships are as big as we want to sail and we prefer the smaller Hal ships. The Rotterdam is our favorite. Diamond Princess at 2600 or more was just too big, things were two far, and there didn't seem to be any more places - just bigger and less cozy. It was a long ways from one location to another.

Hal's cabins are best. Carnival's are better than Princess's. We book either an inside or outside cabin. Our Princess cabin was smaller, had a miniscule shower, less storage, and the only seating was the beds and the desk chair.

HAL's service is definitely best. Overall Carnival comes in a bit ahead of Princess. On this Princess cruise we did have one of our best ever room stewards, some others that were good, but many just seemed poorly trained and either disinterested or trying to avoid any work.

Both tendering and disembarkation is better supervised by Hal's crew than by Princess's. There was so much congestion in the tendering gangway that we chose to stay aboard at one port.

Princess photographers were less pushy, but that may have just been the particular photographers.

 

Other comments:There are no trays on Princess. They have large oval plates in the biffet. These work well except there is no place for beverages or a bowl of something. We had mixed feelings on this method.

We appreciate HAL's lack of intrusive background music and less frequent & less anoying announcements.

 

Groups: Both this year and last year we were part a group of several hundred genealogists on a cruise ship. My impression is that we did not detract from other passengers' enjoyment of the cruise. On both cruises the ships were able to accommodate the group in a single large location that generally wasn't in use at those times. We were probably less intrusive than some groups of a few dozen who take over lounges etc.

[Candy]

Ditto! We sailed the Caribbean Princess in May, only because there were no HAL ships in the Carib. Aside from her being a stunningly beautiful ship, we had the most disappointing cruise in every way. Too big, too many people with not enough public space, showrooms too small, most service stewards had a bad attitude... I could go on and on.

 

The solution for us would be to bite the bullet and go to Alaska... Brrrr!

 

Candy the ZuiderPrincess

[Candy]

Darn that WSoD...

[elmorejj]

Oh I so agree with the OP. We did one cruise on Princess, a holiday cruise on the Ocean Princess which is now sailing with P&O in the UK. It was a beautiful ship in every sense of the word, but oh my, the food, service, everything was awful IMO. In the buffets, where the choices were minimal, the large oval plates were all you could get to put your food on. My husband is disabled and walks with a cane, there was no way he could manage, and there were no stewards avilable to help. In the DR, the Maitre D` came round hawking cordials after dinner in cheezy plastic neon colored glasses. I told him It embarassed me, and he said it also embarassed him. Entertainment was awful. You had to purchase coffee if you wanted anything that vaguely resembled coffee, we had to purchase drinks at the welcome aboard Capts party. All in all, I hated it.

 

This cruise, I had the lowest cabin bill I`ve ever had on any cruise. In fact they owed me money when we disembarked as I had some cabin credit.

 

Never again, I`ll stick with HAL...........jean:cool:

[bobpatj]

This is very interesting to read. We'll be taking our first Princess cruise in January. My expectations have not been too high, as I've figured out the cabin and balcony will be smaller than on HAL. But we're going for the itinerary, which was more interesting than any offered by HAL. So we'll look forward to visiting the ports and hope for the best on the ship. :)

[wingit]

We've been on 1 RCCL, 1 HAL, and most recently a Princess cruise. I agree with OP, HAL is our favorite also. We thought everything was superior on HAL, save our room. We had a suite on both lines and Princess's was a nicer room.

[Nancyquilts]

Of course, if it is the Prinsendam, HAL wins over all other ships. However, we enjoy cruises on most lines, including Princess and RCCL. Nancy

[Grumpy1]

Ditto! We sailed the Caribbean Princess in May, only because there were no HAL ships in the Carib. Aside from her being a stunningly beautiful ship, we had the most disappointing cruise in every way. Too big, too many people with not enough public space, showrooms too small, most service stewards had a bad attitude... I could go on and on.

 

The solution for us would be to bite the bullet and go to Alaska... Brrrr!

 

Candy the ZuiderPrincess

Widen your horizons, Candy... HAL has ships in the Mediterannean in the summer:D

[Candy]

Widen your horizons, Candy... HAL has ships in the Mediterannean in the summer:D

 

It's not ME! I can't get Sir James to cross the country, let alone cross an OCEAN!

 

Candy the ZuiderPrincess

[DFD1]

Thank you for this review. We are sailing on the Star Princess in January. Now I know better what to expect....or not expect.

[rinshin]

I did my frist Princess - Golden Princess transatlantic/Med last May and I had great time. I thought Princess did the best pasta/risotto out of Celebrity/Hal/RCCL/Carnival. The service was fabulous, my inside cabin was big, very, very clean and truly enjoyed our cruise. Only negative was some of the passgengers. There were some pushy people.

[Brad1185]

Funny how people come away with opinions of what they like and dont like.

 

I really think Princess buffet has of all the major cruise lines. The setup is not the best and has a crowded feel, but think the quality and varity is great. Princess has HAL, RCI, Celebrity, Carnival, and NCL beat. We thought the buffet on the Masdam was poor at best, with an accectable salad bar.

 

We dont like the anytime dining either but give a edge to Princess on meals in the dining room.

 

HAL has gone overboard with the "comfort food" macaroni and cheese, meat loaf, as entres, you have got to be kidding, yuk

[Old As Dirt Mom]

......

 

HAL has gone overboard with the "comfort food" macaroni and cheese, meat loaf, as entres, you have got to be kidding, yuk

 

Brad:

 

You might be relieved to hear that on our recent HAL cruise, the only macaroni and cheese offering was on the children's menu, and meat loaf never made a single appearance on the dining room menu. Pot roast and pot pie, yes, but meat loaf, no.;)

 

To each his own.

 

Karin

[Tinknock50]

I think I would rate HAL better than Princess....but then I have only done one Princess cruise. Things I liked better on HAL were room service and trays in the lido....other than that I would be happy to cruise either line.

[Pam in CA]

Well, I haven't cruised on HAL -- yet -- but as a frequent Princess cruiser, I feel I should clear up some misconceptions left by the OP.

 

1. Anytime dining. I agree in that I dislike Anytime dining and choose Traditional dining for my cruises. However, you do have the choice -- you're not stuck in Anytime dining nor is it the default dining choice. Families cruising with kids find that Anytime dining meets their needs better by allowing them to eat when they want. Some people enjoy Anytime dining because they want to be flexible and go to shows or entertainment that's more convenient. Others like Anytime because 6PM is too early and 8:30 too late for them. On Princess, you have choices.

 

2. I can't comment on HAL buffets since my HAL cruise isn't until this summer. :) The Princess buffets are set up as "stations" so that you can enter and go to the type of food you want and move around the area. I've been on RCI where there were long lines and god forbid you wanted to go back and get something you'd walked past but decided to get it. I have rarely experienced congestion since the flow is usually pretty good. I've also had egg "stations" on every ship where you could get anything from made-to-order omelets to scrambled or fried eggs any way you want them. Perhaps the OP missed or didn't see it? At lunch on some Princess ships, they also have made-to-order pasta stations with the best pasta you've ever had. :)

 

3. You're right about the room service. Most Princess passengers use the buffet which is open 24/7 with a wide variety of food offerings.

 

4. You're right -- I much prefer small ships but Princess does have a few smaller ships -- Regal (1500), Tahitian/Pacific/Royal Princesses (780) -- and they offer itineraries similar to those offered on HAL. These ships' cabins are larger than the Grand-class (such as the Diamond); the Regal has a tub-sized shower in every bathroom and the Tahitian/Pacific/Royal Princess standard cabins have a sitting area with a couch, not just a chair. One trend I've seen on Princess that I don't like is the use of large ships doing small-ship itineraries, such as the North Cape. The Grand Princess is cruising the Sea Princess' route this summer which is why we booked on HAL instead.

 

Elmorejj, I'm sorry you had a bad experience in the Princess buffet. I've been on many cruises with disabled/challenged passengers and there has always been staff jumping in to get a plate, another to get a table, etc. Once, I saw a very elderly couple (must have been in their late 80s) where she was in a wheelchair and he used the wheelchair for a walker. They were delightful and the Princess staff was fabulous, taking care of them and making sure they were comfortable and happy.

 

Cruising is very much based on personal experience. There's no such thing as a "perfect" cruise line but I hope those of you considering Princess look at it with a grain of salt and form your own opinions. It's helpful to get other's experiences but no two people will have the same experience on the same ship at the same time. There are too many variables.

[Jemima]

Well, I haven't cruised on HAL -- yet -- but as a frequent Princess cruiser, I feel I should clear up some misconceptions left by the OP.

----

2. I can't comment on HAL buffets since my HAL cruise isn't until this summer. :) The Princess buffets are set up as "stations" so that you can enter and go to the type of food you want and move around the area. I've been on RCI where there were long lines and god forbid you wanted to go back and get something you'd walked past but decided to get it. I have rarely experienced congestion since the flow is usually pretty good. I've also had egg "stations" on every ship where you could get anything from made-to-order omelets to scrambled or fried eggs any way you want them. Perhaps the OP missed or didn't see it? At lunch on some Princess ships, they also have made-to-order pasta stations with the best pasta you've ever had. :)

 

3. You're right about the room service. Most Princess passengers use the buffet which is open 24/7 with a wide variety of food offerings.

---

QUOTE]

 

Most or all HAL ships now have at least some stations. The Diamond Princess. a fairly new ship, does not have stations in the buffet. I don't consider stacks of omelets or a tray of fried eggs as made-to-order.

 

Room service breakfast with a variety of choices and times started as early as six is one of the many things we like about Hal. On days with early shore excursions, we often have breakfast delivered before we dress. Princess is mostly limited to cereal, pastries, beverages. Hal's includes those plus eggs, breakfast meats etc.

[Brad1185]

Thanks for the info on the disappearing "comfort foods". Hopefully we wont see many on the Oosterdam.

[E91]

We have done almost every major lline. We did the Carib Princess in April of 06. It was without a doubt the worst cruise experience we have ever had. Horrible sans the nice aft suite. Also the most expensive cruise. We are back on HAL in a few weeks. People indicated these lines are comparable. They are not. In any sense. Trying Celebrity in April (the only major line we have not tried). I'll be interested in how it compares and will post regards our experience.

[CBCit]

Friends of mine just returned from there first HAL cruise(Zuiderdam),having sailed previously on Carnival twice and RCCL many times. They were incredibly dissappointed in HAL and will never sail with them again. They said the food was mediocre and the service horrible all over the ship including room steward, dining room staff and bar staff. They felt they had been promised a five star cruise experience and got a two!

[bardgal]

The Diamond Princess. a fairly new ship, does not have stations in the buffet. I don't consider stacks of omelets or a tray of fried eggs as made-to-order.

I'm sorry, but you are incorrect.

 

There are many stations in the buffet on the Diamond Princess, as well as all of the Grand class ships (Grand, Golden, Caribbean, Sapphire, and Star.) They ALL have made to order egg/omelet stations for breakfast (I've never been on a Princess ship that didn't), as well as what Pam stated, made to order pasta stations at lunch and dinner. In fact, they have one on each side of the Horizon Court buffet.

 

I'm sorry you did not enjoy your cruise, but I don't think it's necessary to give false information.

 

Perhaps you just missed them.

[Jemima]

No I did not miss the stations on the Diamond. There weren't any stations in the Horizon Court buffet. The total food service areas are inside two identical "fenced" areas with identical food. Each has only one entrance and one exit. You go around in a circle rather than a line. At no time was there any indication of made-to-orderness. It is true that pasta was a different place in the circle than dessert, but that's also true of a line buffet.

 

Enough. I'm ready to start looking for our next HAL cruise.

[Jemima]

No I did not miss the stations on the Diamond. There weren't any stations in the Horizon Court buffet. The total food service areas are inside two identical "fenced" areas with identical food. Each has only one entrance and one exit. You go around in a circle rather than a line. At no time was there any indication of made-to-orderness. It is true that pasta was a different place in the circle than dessert, but that's also true of a line buffet.

 

 

Enough. I'm ready to start looking for our next HAL cruise.

[bardgal]

There are many stations within the area - there are no lines - you simply walk to the station you wish to get food from. You can see them clearly in the deck plan. In fact, there are two sides to every station within each side of the area other than the ones against the partition.

 

[Tinknock50]

When I was on my one and only Princess cruise, the station thing seemed really bad at first and I didn't like it. But then I got used to it and appreciated that if I wanted to grab just a couple of things I didn't have to get in line or feel as if I was cutting in front of someone.

I did miss having the trays.... especially since I have to get my moms dinner too because she can't herself.

A tray would also be better to take food back to the cabin.

The 24 hr lido is a plus for Princess.

[ASue]

I have been on serveral cruises on HAL the latest being on a 11 day on the Zaandam. I have done the Dawn Princess twice, and Celebrity once. I for one enjoyed the Personnel Choice dining. Everything is the same as the Main dining room you can just choose when you want to eat and who you want to eat with. When we were on the Dawn we had trays in the Lido so I wonder if that is something new. I really didn't care for the food there either. We had breakfast there as we aren't really morning people.

 

Every cruise ship is different. Some better than others. If you go with no high hopes then you aren't so disappointed IMO. There were several things on the HAL cruise this last time that I had to wonder what happened to the HAL I used to cruise on. The food in the dinning room was not as good as it used to be and we ate most of our meals in the Lido. You used to be able to order a steak, salmon or chicken if there was nothing on the menu you wanted. Well that isn't the case anymore. One night there was not one thing on the menu I would eat. I asked for a steak and told "we don't do that anymore" so I had two salads and two desserts LOL

 

I don't like the new tipping system on HAL either. I would rather tip the amount and the way I want to. I don't care about the size or the room as I only use it to sleep and take a shower. To me a cruise is a cruise and I'll go on which ever on I can get the best deal on. Just to be sailing and relaxing is what is important to me :)