NEVER AGAIN on PRINCESS! - Princess Review
Embarkation was a massive cattle call. We were given a number and told to ‘go sit over there (off to the side) until your number is called.’ Seeing other passengers proceeding, I decided it may be better to be turned away than to sit and wait. Sure enough, our number was already going through. Had we sat and waited for a little lady to shout out our number across the terminal, we may still be waiting to board! (In retrospect, that may have been a good-thing!)
I was very disappointed when we entered our “minsuite.” The layout feels confined and the More lighting gives everything a yellow cast. The bathroom is downright repugnant. Tiny green and white floor tile with dirty grout, a full size bath tub with a shower curtain feels old and funky. The showerhead was broken. (see photo) While taking my first shower, the glass shelf broke away from the wall and landed on y foot.(see photo) The shower floor is spongy and flexes underfoot. The shelf gave way because the screw holes were rotten. When the shelf was replaced the rot and crud remained.
On our first day out on our balcony we were sickened by a noxious smell. It seemed to come and go every few minutes, but was definitely coming from the ship. The smell seemed to be burning bathroom garbage, and if we had our balcony door open it filled our cabin.
We reported it to the front desk. They sent a lady to ‘check out the odor.’ She came in sniffed, went out and sniffed, and left. Shortly thereafter we received a curt call informing us that ‘No smell was detected. Call again if you smell it.’ And, ‘No, you cannot be moved to another cabin!’ (Dismissed!)
Our neighbors smelled the same nasty smell. They investigated and said it was the ship’s burning garbage.
As instructed, we called the front desk each day, and each day the lady came to sniff. She maintained that she did not smell anything. A week into our ordeal we encountered our lady talking to a gentleman outside our doorway. Upon complaining to her, she introduced us to “the head of maintenance.” To his credit, he explained that what we smell is indeed burning garbage, and that the ship’s design for the burning of garbage leaves a lot to be desired.’ Long-story-short; we smelled the stench for the entire cruise, making the time we tried to spend on our balcony unpleasant and keeping the door open ill advised.
As the weather warmed, and our duvet cover looked dingy, I removed it intending to ask for a cleaner one. To our horror we discoverd that the comforter inside the duvet was filthy. Not only was it dirty, it had what appeared to be blood stains.(see photo) We received a new comforter and duvet, and I have not looked inside to see if the comforter is clean.
Sleeping the first few nights was challenging due to banging doors on our balcony. They are doors that connect one balcony to another. The plastic receptacles that hold the pin screws were so degraded that the doors were not secure. With the breeze from the ocean they slammed back and forth. Once again, we had maintenance people in our cabin. “Maintenance” did not fix the doors, and they continued to bang.
There is a pull-out couch in our suite. Each time we sit on it, the cushions collapse. I opened it up and discovered 4x4 wooden blocks have been used to shore up the sagging cushions. At wits end with the banging balcony doors, I took the blocks outside and shoved one under each offending door. (see photo) Banging problem solved! (A couple of days later maintenance came in AGAIN! And replaced the degraded hinges. The 4x4s disappeared.
We cannot help but feel this ship is being ‘refurbished’ around us!
We discovered that ‘anytime dining” is anything but. You may not go to the dining room at your leisure unless you want to go to the one main dining room on a lower deck. We were instructed that we could dine ‘anytime after 7:30 pm.’
Some of the food is good. Most of it is deplorable. Breakfast makes me long for McDonald’s. Scrambled eggs look like something foreign. Bacon is fatty, less than paper thin, and covered in grease. The pastries look delicious, but are cold, hard, and dry. If you do not get to the dining room before 9 am, you get to dine at what I have come to call “The Hog Slop Café.” A.k.a, “The Horizon Buffet.” If you want a milkshake, it is $2.50 plus and added gratituty. Want sodas for your kids? You can buy a ‘package” for that. Want okay (not great) coffee? You can purchase a coffee package for $29, or you can drink the coffee flavored hot water for no charge.
Shows are mediocre. Shows are recycled. If you miss an entertainer, not to worry; they will be doing their show more than once.
Want a variety in dining? You get two choices with “cover charges” of $25 per person. We dined at the “Crown Grill” twice, and the cuisine was superb.
Our ship arrives in San Francisco tomorrow morning. We will not be cruising for a while, and will never again, cruise on Princess. Less
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