What's happening to Princess???

[racepoint]

I found CC several years ago and have found myself checking in pretty much daily. I've cruised on several lines and I've looked here for advice and tips and information and have never been let down. Since I booked my April '07 cruise, I've come here looking for information that is specific to Princess. Lately. I'm coming away with a real apprehension for my upcoming CB cruise. We're not talking about postings from people that are new to Princess. The negative reviews and comments are from people with many postings under their belt and could be perceived as "Princess-friendly". I just informed my boss today of my future (April' 07) cruise booking. He asked me what line I booked with and when I responded, he asked "WHY?" That got me thinking. My first cruise was with Carnival (A blast!). Several cruises in between were with RCI and NCL (also great experiences.). I'm now coming up on my second Princess cruise and I'm just not liking what I'm reading. Why did I pick Princess and what is it that (supposedly) makes the line stand out from Carnival and RCI?? Don't flame me for stating what, I'm sure, other people with fututre booked cruises are thinking. I've seen it posted that Princess monitors these boards. I can only hope that they're reading this thread.

[Colo Cruiser]

I have many Princess Cruises under my belt with 4 in 2006 alone and I don't have any problem with booking possibly 4 more with Princess in 2007.

 

I take these comments with a grain of salt and look at the big picture, it is a cruise!!! :D

[Toto2Kansas]

Gosh, I have no idea. Just came off a Princess cruise and had a great time. Not perfect by any means, but we don't knit pick about little things. Enjoyed every minute of it just as we have for the last 15 years.

[JLC@SD]

I found CC several years ago and have found myself checking in pretty much daily. I've cruised on several lines and I've looked here for advice and tips and information and have never been let down. Since I booked my April '07 cruise, I've come here looking for information that is specific to Princess. Lately. I'm coming away with a real apprehension for my upcoming CB cruise. We're not talking about postings from people that are new to Princess. The negative reviews and comments are from people with many postings under their belt and could be perceived as "Princess-friendly". I just informed my boss today of my future (April' 07) cruise booking. He asked me what line I booked with and when I responded, he asked "WHY?" That got me thinking. My first cruise was with Carnival (A blast!). Several cruises in between were with RCI and NCL (also great experiences.). I'm now coming up on my second Princess cruise and I'm just not liking what I'm reading. Why did I pick Princess and what is it that (supposedly) makes the line stand out from Carnival and RCI?? Don't flame me for stating what, I'm sure, other people with fututre booked cruises are thinking. I've seen it posted that Princess monitors these boards. I can only hope that they're reading this thread.

We have been cruising Princess since 1984.....and will continue to. We feel we get the best value for our cruise dollars. Yes there has been a decrease in some areas and added costs in others......but overall it still beats any other form of vacation.......(except camping)....:)

[cruiserjanet]

I'm not an experienced cruiser but I'd rather go on Princess than any other line except when we go on a luxury cruise for our anniversary. I might be missing out on great experiences on other lines but I'm okay with that. There are lots of reasons why DH and I prefer Princess. My first cruise with Celebrity was fantastic. Our two cruises with Princess were even better especially my last one. Granted, I can have an opposite experience as someone else who was on the same cruise but a lot of the cruise experience is what you make it. Am I complaining that we spent two hours in the line at embarkation before our last cruise? Not really because we met some very nice people in line that we got to spend time with on the ship. I'm so excited for our next Princess cruise that I can hardly stand it. We've had it booked since May and it's not until October. Poor DH.;) We have our cruises planned out (not booked) until 2016, all on Princess except for the luxury cruise.

[cruiserjanet]

I'm not an experienced cruiser but I'd rather go on Princess than any other line except when we go on a luxury cruise for our anniversary. I might be missing out on great experiences on other lines but I'm okay with that. There are lots of reasons why DH and I prefer Princess. My first cruise with Celebrity was fantastic. Our two cruises with Princess were even better especially my last one. Granted, I can have an opposite experience as someone else who was on the same cruise but a lot of the cruise experience is what you make it. Am I complaining that we spent two hours in the line at embarkation before our last cruise? Not really because we met some very nice people in line that we got to spend time with on the ship. I'm so excited for our next Princess cruise that I can hardly stand it. We've had it booked since May and it's not until October. Poor DH.;) We have our cruises planned out (not booked) until 2016, all on Princess except for the luxury cruise.

[Casshew]

I'm now coming up on my second Princess cruise and I'm just not liking what I'm reading.

 

Every cruiseline has negative posts on CC, don't worry about it.

[Palmist]

We cruised on CB Dec. 2005 and Crown 2006. There is no other line for us. We have tried RCI & NCL but this is our choice. None of them are perfect but the feel of a Princess ship offers what we want in a vacation.

Myrna

[Cruisin' Chick]

I'm not seeing any extraordinary increase in negative reviews from Princess vets lately. There have been some people who had problems on the Sun the last month or so. But other than that, the negative comments I've seen have been from one British passenger who didn't like going through immigration (not Princess' fault) or the lack of British drinks, etc., etc., etc. Another CCer keeps trying people to avoid going on Princess. Don't know if this person has ever been on a Princess cruise.

 

I'm not a Princess cheerleader by some standards (save the cheerleader, save the cruiseline:D ) but I would definitely take some comments, especially when they tend to run to the vague: "the service was horrible," "the cabin was tiny," etc., with a grain of sand (or salt). If backed up with examples, read, but remember "trust, but verify."

[negc]

I'm not sure that anything has happened to Princess. All of the boards have their share of posts which are critical of something or other about each line or ship. Sometimes, even though we have a wonderful cruise experience, we do encounter things which are irritants (sort of like a pebble in our shoe) and sometimes those small irritants become the subject of our complaints. Sometimes, the more cruise experience we have, the more likely we are to think that things aren't like they were in the "good old days of cruising". Times change, and sometimes our memories of the good things eclipse the bad. Almost every generation is nostalgic about their good old times and the present rarely measures up to our remembered past. Don't take the negative posts any more seriously than you do the overly positive ones, and don't let someone else's opinion determine your own.:)

[cruznliz]

We're Elite with Princess and have honestly only sailed on one other line. Though we had fun, IMHO it was a definite step down from Princess.

 

I have been monitoring Cruise Critics for 4 years or more and I must say that the quality of the discussions has declined. I still check in once a week or so but I rarely post anymore. The roll calls can be exciting but the grumpy/crabby people and the flamers on the regular boards are just too boring and repetitious. :o

[japester]

Having tried Carnival, RCI, NCL, and Princess (plus several others), I'd say Princess just hits the right tone for my tastes. Others may prefer the vibe of one of the other lines more. It's not necessarily a "better" or "worse" thing, just different.

 

I like a little elegance while I cruise (without breaking the bank). That rules out the high-end lines and Carnival (way too many loud, chain-smoking drunks). RCI is midway between Carnival and Princess in terms of atmosphere, so it is a good compromise when I travel in a larger group that wants different things from their cruise. NCL....is nice but a bit boring for me. They have some pretty ships, but I found the food and entertainment to be slightly lacking.

 

But honestly, all the lines are kind of moving towards an average to attract the largest customer base. As time goes on, I expect the differences between them to become smaller and smaller....

 

Jape

[spongerob]

I honestly don't think there is much difference between the major lines when it comes to 7-day Caribbean cruises. Okay, one ship has movies outside and another has a rock climbing wall, but when you get down to it they're all playing in a highly competitive market that is saturated with so many ships that some islands don't even have places to allow them all to dock (viz. comments about St. Thomas' Crown Bay), they're all fighting for passengers, and will do what it takes to fill their ships.

 

You can still have a great time on one of these cruises. Depending on your own experiences, your comparisons and impressions might vary. We've had some great 7-day Caribbean cruises, some average, and one really disappointing one.

 

Remember that we are all individuals just stating our impressions and opinions. What we post is based on our own personalities, desires, and expectations. Your mileage may vary.

 

I can remember when I first came to CC, and read a lot of negative things about a ship I had just booked, that I felt the same way you did. We ended up having a really enjoyable cruise - but part of that enjoyment came from having expectations in line with what we were about to experience. I think if we'd gone on Grand Princess expecting Royal Princess (the REAL RP) treatment, we'd have been disappointed. So, maybe even some of the negative nellies helped.

 

I think it's best to be slightly pessimistic going in, because it's such a delight to be pleasantly suprised to discover you were wrong. It's a strange way to look at things, but it beats expecting the moon and stars only to be disappointed.

[loge23]

Remember that we are all individuals just stating our impressions and opinions. What we post is based on our own personalities, desires, and expectations. Your mileage may vary.

 

Good common OK sense right there!

 

IMO, much of what we see on these boards is user-specific: subjective opinions that reflect the users unique interpretation of the cruising experience. Granted, some times things don't go very well - and some cases, folks just don't have a happy life. On the 20 or so cruises I have been on, I can honestly say that I had a great time on each and every one. Yes, some have been better than others - Princess included - but it's all good. Another poster, in a different thread, recently pointed out that cruising is still a great adventure and I completely agree. Enjoy your unique experience and don't believe the hype!

We're not "married" to Princess (although I'm married to one!), but the value equation for me is still very positive. When that changes, so do I.

[willysgrandma]

Did you ever hear the adage that when a client is happy with a service they don't say much, but one unsatisfied customer will tell ten other people, who will keep repeating that?

 

That is how you need to look at what you read here.

 

Some reviews of ships are balanced, some are not.

 

If you go to the individual cruise ships and read the members reviews - the majority of them are fine, there are very few that are negative.

 

I like to think I posted a balanced review of my Crown Princess cruise. I told the good and the not so good, but I would absolutely sail Princess again, and I'd sail the Crown again.

 

I also like Celebrity, but my first Celebrity cruise was good, I didn't enjoy the second. I wouldn't not sail Celebrity again, I just wouldn't sail the Horizon again.

 

No vacation is perfect, I don't care what cruise line you are on.

 

Go on your vacation next year, don't let the small stuff bother you and you'll enjoy your cruise.

[WolfpackFan]

We've been on three Princess cruises, with the last one 3 months ago on the CB. It was one of our best cruises yet. We're hoping to sell next January on the Emerald. You have to take postings here with a grain of salt. Folks with negative opinions usually have an axe to grind, while those with positive experiences usually don't post at all. If you look at all of the message boards here, you'd wonder why anyone would take a cruise. They all are full of negative postings.

[cruiseapril]

Our family travel group has experienced 5 other major cruise lines and find Princess to be the best to date- IOHO only. Opinion is sooooo subjective.

 

We were on the Dawn Princess in 2005 and experienced an excellent cruise- we will be on the Emerald Princess and look forward to the same quality.

 

So much has to do with expectations- we expect high quality, but try to put our cruise experiences in perspective.

[BonnieSte]

Simply put, I think some people get spoiled. The more they get, the more they want. Lke I posted earlier, attitude has a lot to do with how you are treated. Respect the staff and the staff will respect you. If you are rude to them or give the impression you are better then them, well, you get what you deserve. As far as food, everyone has different taste so opinions are just that, opinions. Same with entertainment. Different tastes for different folks.

My hubby and I prefer Princess for many different reasons.

1) Fresh water pools that are open late

2) More of a subdued color scheme rather then flashy/gaudy

3) Classier then Carnival/RCCI/NCL

4) Way more to do on seadays

5) Iteneraries

6) They take better care of kids. ie making sure parents are around, keeping them out of the adult pool etc.

 

I am sure I could go on and on but again, different strokes for different folks. If you like more of a party atmoshpere NCL/Carnival/RCCI is probably more to your liking.

 

Which ever you chose, with the right attitude you can't go wrong! :D

[old manatee]

I think alot of people have very high expectations and when they aren't met, they complain. It is natural and commonplace for people to complain than to compliment.

[sunviking82]

Was on the Star in October and about to take the Diamond later this month. 8 Princess cruises and frankly they continue to meet or exceed my expectations. The service is still very good, amoung the best afloat and the food has improved since the Carinval takeover especially in the Horizon Court areas. Ships are always in excellent shape and the services offered (shore excursions, shipboard activities) are amoung the best run at sea. Only negitive is some of the entertainment (production shows and lounge acts) could be more professional.

 

Boards like this are great for reviews and comments, but you never know who is at the other end of the key board. We've all seen unhappy passengers on board the ship and can't believe how they act, just image what they write. You can't please all of the people all of the time, but Princess pleases a lot of them.

 

Can't wait for the Diamond this year and looking forward to Northern Europe or the Med next!

[cruiseapril]

Our philosophy, when traveling, is to be most concerned about important issues- like safety or health.

 

On other issues, there seem to be genuine critiques of the cruises, and then just plain "cruise complaining."

 

We enjoy the critiques- we want to know if the disembarkation was awful etc.- but find it a bit funny when folks fuss about every other thing. Sure they do it on land too!

[WeBeGone]

You can read negative things about anything. Do your homework, make your best decision, then be happy with the decision. Same philosophy for cruises and in life.

[2boyzmom]

Last year I went on the NCL Jewel. I read these boards for almost a year and was very apprehensive with negative reviews left and right. Turned out to be our best cruise to date!

Moral of the story - every trip is different for every person.

[huskerdan25]

I found CC several years ago and have found myself checking in pretty much daily. I've cruised on several lines and I've looked here for advice and tips and information and have never been let down. Since I booked my April '07 cruise, I've come here looking for information that is specific to Princess. Lately. I'm coming away with a real apprehension for my upcoming CB cruise. We're not talking about postings from people that are new to Princess. The negative reviews and comments are from people with many postings under their belt and could be perceived as "Princess-friendly". I just informed my boss today of my future (April' 07) cruise booking. He asked me what line I booked with and when I responded, he asked "WHY?" That got me thinking. My first cruise was with Carnival (A blast!). Several cruises in between were with RCI and NCL (also great experiences.). I'm now coming up on my second Princess cruise and I'm just not liking what I'm reading. Why did I pick Princess and what is it that (supposedly) makes the line stand out from Carnival and RCI?? Don't flame me for stating what, I'm sure, other people with fututre booked cruises are thinking. I've seen it posted that Princess monitors these boards. I can only hope that they're reading this thread.

 

I read some of the other cruise line message boards like RCI and NCL and I see as many if not more negative reviews than on this Princess board so I don't understand your concern. I think what I come away with from some posts from veterans of Princess is that the service has definitely gone down over the years, but it sounds like this is basically true of a lot of the mass market cruise lines. But, I don't interpret this to mean that the other cruise lines are seen more favorably than Princess by the veterans on this board. So, I think it is just a matter of interpretation. I think you are reading much more into what you are reading than is really being said.

 

I am on the CB in less than 3 weeks and I am very excited. I have read mostly positive reviews of the CB recently so I have no concerns or hesitation on taking my cruise vacation with Princess on the CB. And I already have plans to book more cruises with Princess afterwards, once I purchase some FCC's onboard.

 

Dan

[normstoy]

I'm actually glad to read other experiences from cruisers.

This is only my 2nd posting. The first was responded to by arrogance by one member on CC.

We are set to sail on the Sun Princess January 29th for 10 days and have been very excited. This is only our 3rd cruise in 28 years.

We were quite concerned and perhaps still are to some extent about the things we have heard regarding the 'Sun Princess'. Engine trouble, Norovirus, bed bugs, bad food and the list seems to go on. Anyone reading this stuff would naturally become concerned.

Having now read many of the comments from you, have put my mind at ease to some extent but I would still like to confirm that the above concerns have been dealt with to some extent.

As a property manager I realize that many things are beyond control, however the things that are able to be fixed should be fixed on a timely basis. Who the heck wants to sleep with bed bugs, (if this is true).

I don't pretend to know the difference between one line and their ships to the next. However, I do expect the best possible experience. I strongly believe that what you put into it is what you get out of it. We are not picky people.

Thanks for the opportunity to express my opinions.

Happy New Year to all.:)