Last fall I used to be invited by Princess Cruises to attend the christening of their latest ship, the Regal Princess. To sweeten the deal, they invited the whole forged of The Love Boat to take part within the occasion, together with greater than 20 former visitor begins of the long-lasting present of the 70s and 80s. Captain Stubing, Florence Henderson and Charo? There was completely no approach I might say no. I used to be additionally truthfully desirous to expertise Princess Cruises for the primary time. I’ve been on a number of cruises, however by no means with Princess and appeared ahead to seeing what crusing with them is like. Sadly, the expertise wasn’t the whole lot I hoped it will be and so I really feel compelled to supply an sincere evaluate of the Regal Princess and Princess Cruises normally.
The Ship
If I hadn’t been on the christening, I might be shocked to seek out out that the Regal Princess was model new. I don’t imply it doesn’t look good and glossy – it definitely does. But the format of the ship is so antiquated and complicated, it’s arduous to consider it was designed and constructed within the 21st century. The ship is cut up between decks in order that once I wished to eat dinner on the restaurant on the 5th deck, I must go as much as 7 after which stroll down to five. When it involves recreation areas, they’re pitiful. None of the lounge chairs have any form of shade or umbrellas, so in case you are truthful skinned you’ll bake. Wait, I stand corrected. They do have a gorgeous and stress-free space with loads of shade and umbrellas, however you need to pay further to entry it. That nickel and diming was rampant and I used to be shocked to see that little was free and as an alternative Princess associates a price with the whole lot. Even once we anchored within the Bahamas, the seashore umbrellas had been $29 for the day. It’s outrageous and I’ve by no means skilled that insane degree of nickel and diming on a cruise earlier than.
There was additionally little to do onboard the ship. There had been just a few swimming pools, a rec heart and a on line casino, however nothing enjoyable, modern or thrilling. No sky diving or bumper automobiles on this ship no, as an alternative your decisions are trivia night time with the crew or bingo. I think about retirement houses have higher choices.
Service
This is the place Princess actually misplaced me and I’m nonetheless reeling from the spectacularly dangerous service I skilled onboard the Regal Princess. At first once I observed small moments of poor service, I chalked it as much as new employees simply getting used to issues. Then I discovered that the Regal Princess had been servicing visitors for six months and I immediately misplaced quite a lot of respect for the individuals who labored onboard the ship.
Rather than one obvious instance of dangerous service, my expertise was as an alternative a dying by a thousand cuts. When I sat all the way down to get a tender drink, the waiter promptly started telling me how a lot he hated his job. I listened as I went on to inform everybody else the identical factor whereas pouring their drinks. I noticed a number of servers get actually impolite and sarcastic with visitors, one senior employees member truly yelling at a passenger. In the gymnasium I made an appointment with the employees they usually by no means confirmed up. It goes on and on. Like I mentioned, there was nobody horrible encounter, as an alternative nothing went the way in which it ought to have. In hospitality the visitor is ALWAYS proper. Even if it means gritting your tooth and saying “Yes ma’am” or “Sir,” however open battle ought to by no means occur. Of course this doesn’t happen in a vacuum and finally factors in the direction of what’s the bigger company tradition.
I noticed this lack of respect on show whereas ready to board the tender (small boat) to take us again to the cruise ship after spending the day within the Bahamas, our port of name. There was a 45-minute line for the tenders and it was not a fast paced line. As I bought nearer, I noticed one of many cruise ship employees members ask the parents in line to not board the empty tender and as an alternative, his coworkers spent 20 minutes loading beer and wine onto the boat. Meanwhile, visitors waited within the intense warmth watching as they had been proven by the actions of the crew simply how unimportant they had been. It was surprising and I assumed a riot was going to interrupt out amongst the visitors round me. But it goes to indicate how little the crew thinks about customer support.
Food and the whole lot else
Wow, it actually appears that I hated my expertise onboard the Regal Princess, however that’s removed from the reality. We had a good time, however there are important issues that should be addressed. Food is one other one. All visitors are entitled to eat within the basic buffet restaurant in addition to at just a few different eating rooms with out reservations. Here’s the kicker. I chosen anytime eating, which suggests there was no set time and theoretically I might go and eat at any time when I wished to. Except that’s not technically doable. My accomplice and I confirmed up on the anytime eating restaurant and had been promptly requested if we had reservations. Dumbfounded I mentioned no, this was anytime seating. Turns out anytime seating requires reservations upfront! While sure, theoretically you possibly can present up and eat apparently demand was too excessive in order that they switched to an impromptu reservations system. It’s absurd and was only one extra disconnect on a ship stuffed with them. I won’t have minded as a lot had the meals truly been good, nevertheless it wasn’t. It was as unimpressive, unimaginative as something I’ve ever seen and I doubt the menu has modified a lot up to now couple of a long time.
Having cruised many instances up to now, I used to be shocked at my expertise onboard the Regal Princess. The issues had been many and by the top of the brief three-day journey, my accomplice and I had been greater than prepared to go away. We weren’t alone both. I chatted with quite a lot of visitors who paid for the cruise, who had been there to take pleasure in just a few days away from house and to an individual nobody was pleased with their expertise. One gents I met instructed me that he’s sailed 20 instances with Norwegian and dozens extra instances with different cruise traces and that three-day cruise onboard the Regal Princess was one of many worst he’s ever skilled. That says one thing.
But it additionally wasn’t the worst expertise I’ve ever had and if it’s your first cruise you then’ll in all probability prefer it. But you probably have something in any respect with which to check it to, put together for some critical disappointment.
Have you sailed with Princess Cruises earlier than? What did you suppose?