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Review summary
Princess Cruises has room for improvement based on customer feedback. Customers particularly appreciate service and professional, though some mention concerns about customer service and expensive.
Realice 3 cruceros con Princess, el primero en 2023, a Islas Britanicas en el Regal, 15 dias. el segundo en 2024, trasatlantico en el Sun Princess 17 dias, el ultimo en junio 2025, fiordos, en el Emerald, 17 dias.
En el ultimo note una baja muy importante en calidad de espectaculos y comida.
Estos 2 itens para los cruceristas son importantes.
Los espectaculos con excepcion de una cantante, creo que se llamaba Lynda Evans, mediocres. Un hipnotizador que se veia claramente el engaño y encima lo repitieron. Un coro y musical de los propios tripulantes, imaginense.
Y otros por el estilo.
La comida. Mucha comida de olla y aspecto regular para abajo, los primeros dias habia salmon, despues lo remplazaron por otros pescados de regular preparacion. Carne poco. Fruta siempre verde. Postres repetitivos.
Un dia nos ofrecian croisants del dia anterior. Y varios dias faltaron.
Entre los puertos, habia 3, de pequeños pueblitos con muy poco interes.
Hubiera sido ideal, sacar por lo menos 2 e incluir 2 dias en Oslo.
He viajado en MSC, Norwegian, Celebrity y pense que en Princess habia encontrado mi naviera Premium.
No es mas una compañia premium.
We booked the Princess Premier Package and for 2 days now they've blocked my stepsons medallion insisting he can only buy non alcoholic drinks. He's 28 years old!! The ship is tired and a lot smaller cabins than other cruiselines we've used. Spent more time at guest services than enjoying the actual cruise
The cruise experience itself was actually pretty good. The problem I have with them is a policy issue. My fiancee works for an airline and is able to get travel discounts, which she used to book the cruise. After booking I was looking at the Princess website and realized they offer a military/veterans onboard credit. As a vet I thought this was great. I went through the verification process and waited for my credit to be applied. And waited, and waited. I decided to call customer service to see why the credit hadn't been applied. I was told because my fiancee booked with her discount that I wasn't entitled to the veteran's credit. I'm not sure what one has to do with the other, but I hope Princess addresses this in the future.
I'm so surprised to a company like princess has so many issues with customer safety, with insecure rooms, witnessed customers being attacked infront of staff, two other incidents that almost led to attacks in front of staff who in the staff words "didn't want to involve security as the head gets angry" which i can 100% relate to with his dismissive and confrontational attitude when we tried to reported our concerns with not locking rooms, the green unlocked light stays on even when you are out of sight of your cabin, allowing anyone behind you to enter your room without your knowledge, apparently not a problem from the head of ship security (you won't be covered on insurance) repeated entertainment and menu if on for over a week, dirty plates and napkins left on buffet tables, not to mention the movement sensor light in the cabin that comes on if you go to the bathroom at night and lights the whole room without being able to turn it off.
Just got back from our very first and last cruise on Sky Princess. A very beautiful well maintained ship no doubt, but an appalling experience from the minute we arrived at the ultra slow unorganized check in which took exactly an hour, to the minute we dissembarked. This ship has far too many badly trained impolite staff including one patronising man on customer services who was obviously in the wrong job.
Hygene is non existent. I was horrified to find on entering Marketplace to eat , that almost everybody was walking in without sanitizing or washing their hands. I was prezuming that this would be enforced as on Royal Caribbean, but no. Surely there should be a staff member pushing this as you enter. Also I didn't see one person wiping handrails in 14 days, day or night. It's a Norovirus outbreak waiting to happen.
So called entertainment throughout the ship wasn't even second rate , it was actually third.
If you are happy to watch grown adults on a kids golf putting game as your main entertainment throughout the week in the central atrium then all well and good , but it is not the type of thing I would expect,for adults paying a couple of thousand £ each who are tring to relax and chat with a cocktail or beer. More like a kids game that should be in a seperate area. The racket from the compares and music was way too loud and ruined the main atrium and was impossible to escape, as it extended another two levels.
The music was terrible and very poor in variety. This has been mentioned before by other cruisers. Whoever chose these artists I don't know, but they obviously wouldn't know a bum note if it punched them on the nose. The shows were great and Dan is very talented ,he stands out a mile on this ship and is actually too good to work on this ship. A great compare and singer.
The bar staff in general are uninterested, bad mannered and inefficient. Customers waiting for ages at the bar only to have someone just walk up in front of them and then get served immediately. Also on two occasions customers who were waiting to be served were told, by a thumb gesture from the barman to go to the end of the bar. No words just the gesture. Shocking. Often there was only one barperson serving , so as soon as cocktails were ordered it slowed service right down and long queues were formed. Hardly any waiters on the floor in any of the bars . On Royal Caribbean it is almost impossible to put your glass down without a bar person asking if you would like a drink. Not the case on Princess.
Medallion was a total waste of time and money. Everone was complaining that their orders were not even arriving and some including myself were getting charged on their accounts for drinks they never received. My account had a $40 charge for a bottle of wine I didn't even order. The Crown Grill was a lovely place . Meal was great and amazing staff, and also Sabotinis italian was fantastic with great food and staff. Marketplace was terrible, repetitive badly cooked food except for the occasional curry which was great. I put the ladle into the scrambled eggs and lifted a scoop out and the whole tray came with it.
Our cabin steward Marlo was fantastic and a credit to the company. He was polite, helpful and very friendly. Room service was excellent and fast. So basically my thoughts are, that one of the directors of this company should go on a cruise on this ship and experience first hand the terrible service and how dreadful this company treats it's customers. So basically if we could have come home early we genuinely would have done but we were meeting friends on the second week. Thank goodness too because they were our saviours. All in all a shambolic company from start to finish. A total waste of hard earned money and an experience we just want to forget. Be warned .
Took hours to get on the boat. No one to help once you get on the boat except to try and upsell you on cruise packages. Our “free” room upgrade was next to a stairwell and crew elevator. Even though we paid for a drink package, they still charged us for drinks. Electronic room lock failed and got locked out. Sliding balcony door got stuck. Worst docks at each port. Food was a 5 out of 10. I was lied to by two different customer service people which means I had to fight on the phone with them after their crappy cruise. When you get on the boat, they already have your money. So they don’t give a crap about you unless you are going to spend more money. It was so bad we may never cruise again.
I want to give a 5 star review as my recent cruise to Norway was excellent, sparkling friendly service, good food and very good quality entertainment. However trying to talk to them post-cruise about my bill with an erroneous entry is not easy, they say they reply in 14 days to email, when it’s a financial issue this isn’t good enough. Their customer service isn’t sparkling at all . What a shame as the joy of the cruise soon fades when having to battle for justice. 😫😫
My family and I have cruised on several ships over the years, and we were excited to take a multigenerational trip—15 of us across six cabins—aboard the Royal Princess to Alaska. Unfortunately, this turned out to be the most disappointing cruise we’ve ever experienced, with issues arising from the very beginning and persisting throughout the trip.
Key Issues That Impacted Our Experience:
1. Poor Communication Around Pre-Arrival Requirements
The requirement for a passport—even for a closed-loop cruise (departing and returning to the U.S.)—was not clearly emphasized. This critical information was buried in small text in a PDF after payment was collected. The lack of clear, prominent communication resulted in a last-minute scramble and a costly same-day passport trip for some of our group.
2. Unclean and Poorly Maintained Rooms
Upon arrival, our sheets were stained, the room was visibly dirty, and the bathroom smelled of urine. It took three requests before the room attendant, John, addressed the issue, stating he was “too busy”—suggesting a possible staffing shortage.
3. Repetitive and Limited Buffet Options
The buffet offered limited variety with the same repetitive dishes each night across Asian, Mexican, Italian, and Middle Eastern cuisines. The overall dining experience lacked excitement and freshness.
4. Lack of Allergy-Friendly Dining
My son, who has a tree nut allergy, experienced a reaction after unknowingly consuming a pastry that contained nuts—there were no allergen labels. I also have an egg allergy and found it extremely difficult to navigate the buffet without clear food labeling, which negatively affected my experience.
5. Inadequate Indoor Dining & Cold Weather Provisions
The ship lacked sufficient indoor seating at the buffet, and with outdoor areas being too cold to use, dining became a challenge. There were no cold-weather amenities like blankets—only pool towels—which felt like poor planning for an Alaskan cruise.
6. Poor Service and Slow Delivery
The OceanNow food and drink service was slow (averaging an hour) and frequently inaccurate. Bartenders had to reference recipe books to make standard drinks, and the cocktails were consistently weak. The drink package was not worth the cost due to slow service, bar closures, and minimal alcohol in drinks.
7. Limited Entertainment and Activities
There were very few activities geared toward a range of age groups, leaving much of the cruise feeling dull. The DJ offered a poor musical selection, ended parties early, and didn’t cater to a diverse crowd.
8. Subpar Customer Service and Potential Bias
Some dining staff were visibly rude—eye-rolling, delayed clearing of tables, and reluctance to serve our group. It felt as though certain ethnicities were treated with more courtesy and priority, leaving members of our group uncomfortable and unwelcome.
Called on 5/27/2025 at 12:29 EST to get information on the land portion of my upcoming cruise to Alaska, as well as my initial stay at the Fairbanks hotel we we will be staying at once we arrive. The customer service representative was very rude when I asked her questions regarding food and beverage packages and ended up hanging up on me.
We also never received our Medallions before we left, even though when I called on two different occasions within 45 days of embarkment ensuring its delivery. My last communication one week prior they stated it was a system issue and I can pick it up on the cruise. 5 days prior to our cruise, I received an email stating medallion was being sent via FedEx, and the arrival date would be after I leave for the cruise.
Absolutely terrible customer service, lacking any compassion. Our 1st and last cruise with Princess.
Very shady company. We booked a cruise and excursions and they ended up needing to change the booking which meant cancelling the excursions and rebooking them. It seems they were unable to transfer Princess excursions. We didn’t think much of it since the prices were the same. When reviewing our credit card summary a few weeks later, however, we noticed they only refunded a part of the original excursions. When we called them, they said all the money had been reimbursed and we politely told them that our bank confirmed that only part had been reimbursed. The customer service agent was impatient with me and treated me like I was scamming them for money when it turns out quite the reverse was true. I filed a dispute with my credit card and only then did Princess send me a check for the remaining amount they owed me. No apologies. Just forced to not steal from their clients and give the money back. I recommend you check the fine print on your Princess receipts and pay only with credit card, since Princess has proven themselves to me to be shady and self-profiting with their accounting practices.
2/5 – Good Experience Marred by Hidden Fees
Cruise Line: Princess Cruise Line
Ship/Route: Vancouver-Alaska-Seattle
Our family cruise had enjoyable moments, but the lack of transparency around mandatory daily fees significantly impacted our experience.
The Issue:
When booking directly on [Cruise Line]’s website, there was no clear disclosure of a
17
−
17−18/day per person "crew appreciation" fee.
The only mention of credit card charges was for onboard purchases—nothing about this automatic daily gratuity.
Since my sisters (experienced cruisers) advised tipping staff directly, we did so every day (room stewards, dining staff, etc.). Only later did I discover we were charged twice—once via this hidden fee and again via our personal tips.
Why This Is Unfair:
Transparency Matters: If this fee is compulsory, it should be prominently displayed during checkout, not buried in fine print.
Double Tipping: Guests who prefer to tip in cash (or adjust amounts based on service) deserve that option.
Budget Impact: For a family of 5 , a couples of hundreds dollars unexpected charges are big burden—a significant oversight.
Suggested Fixes:
Clearly list all mandatory fees before payment.
Allow guests to opt-out or adjust the fee if they tip directly.
Train staff to explain charges upfront (e.g., at check-in).
Final Thoughts:
The crew worked hard and deserved appreciation, but the company’s approach feels misleading. Until this is addressed, I’d hesitate to book again or recommend Princess Cruise to others.
Poor customer service. I've spent most of the day waiting for a call back from Ross Ware. His colleagues Zara, Sam and Dan were unable to deal with the booking problem, which sounds bizarre! Our party of 4 contacted Princess Cruises when we realised our booking had dropped over £200/person within days of booking. Offered an on board credit, but declined. Doesn't customer service mean anything to Princess Cruises? My next phone call will be cancelling the cruise! 7 May 25 updated. I called Princess Customer Services (April Morrell) to cancel the cruise. Over 30 minutes of unbelievably poor service, I was offered 13p refund on one of the £155 deposits. Apparently, my wife needs to cancel the other booking for an additional 13p. I've explained my reasons for cancelling within 14 days of our online booking and it would appear that Princess Cruises are above Consumer Rights and British law. Please read other reviews before booking with this company. I'm absolutely livid!
Everything was perfect on sky princess. Isobel booked everything so that it was seamless getting all the way from Edinburgh to Miami with a fab hotel to start our holiday. The food was incredible especially the buffet. Staff so caring and committed to ensuring we could relax. Entertainment was excellent. The entire cruise could not be faulted. I am always very admiring of the culture and values at Princess cruises which goes from the captain all through the ship.
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