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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.
Firstly, Princess Cruises turned out to be quite unreliable. We had six shore excursions planned, but the most important one — viewing the glaciers and icebergs — was canceled without adequate explanation. Another excursion, originally meant to take us to the city of Victoria, was substituted with a visit to a much smaller, unremarkable location, the name of which we don’t even remember. For these cancellations and itinerary changes, we were given just $200 USD per person as compensation — and even that had to be spent onboard. This felt insufficient and disappointing.
Secondly, getting access to drinking water onboard was surprisingly inconvenient. Guest cabins were located between decks 6 and 14 (we stayed on deck 8), but the only place with self-serve drinking water was on deck 15. Each time we needed water, we had to carry our own thermos all the way up, and elevator wait times could be long. Alternatively, bottled water (800ml) was available at the bar for over $3 USD each, but the bar staff were not always honest. On three occasions when two bottles were purchased, the family was twice charged for three. Refunds were only issued after complaints were made at the front desk.
Very disappointing.
This is the 8th cruise we’ve been on (including others from the same group - Royal Caribbean & Celebrity).
The ship (Sun Princess) is nice, but unless you are a meat eating American who likes X-factor style singers it isn’t for you.
The breakfast consists of around 20 stations, 17 of which seem to serve variations of exactly the same thing (bacon, sausage, beans, egg - and pretty much in the same format - e.g. there are no poached eggs or eggs Florentine.).
The buffet for dinner and tea is also poor. Same every day, and not great quality. It's also very bland. There are a couple of token Indian dishes, and even those are bland too.
The entertainment is naff singers for the main part. We had 2 dreadful comedians. The only bright spot was the magician (Mike Bones) who was great.
You have to pay for shuttles, the sunbeds get nabbed and left reserved all day without Princess doing anything about it, and even the kids sports area has basketballs but no football! It’s like non-Americans and non-meat eaters are second class citizens. Even the sandwich bar often only has a choice of meat sandwiches half of the time.
On top of that they force you to carry a tracker, and they state on their app that they are capturing your facial recognition data (no idea why, but it surely is unnecessary and seems a breach of privacy). I asked for a normal card rather than the tracker pendant (which is magnetic and emits EMF) but they said I couldn’t have a card.
I was looking forward to better entertainment and much better food, but left disappointed. This is the worse cruise we’ve been on for food, sport, entertainment and privacy.
I’m posting the review here, rather than at the end of the cruise, as if my experience with Celebrity is anything to go by, they tend not to bother listening to genuine feedback.
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
By far the worst cruise line we've ever dealt with. We were taking an Alaskan cruise and during this cruise we were going to be in someone else's wedding. Eight days before our departure date they changed our itinerary to where we will no longer be making the wedding due to their change for maintenance on their engine. So we went to cancel our cruise which was just over 4k with the purchase of the insurance. They decided to keep 4k even and only return around $600. Worst experience with this cruise line and we will never use them EVER again. Sail Royal Caribbean!
Have held on for over anhour today and two hours on Tuesday still no reply. I need to contact them as there are issues with our FCC and as everyone else says the options on their site doesn't answer the issues I have.
Really am at a loss as to what to do as I thiink I am just on a loop and no one will ever answer
We were so ready and looking forward to our first cruise since the dreaded covid pandemic.
We were attracted by the Daily Mail advertisement by ROL for the 12 day all inclusive cruise to the canaries. We duly booked and paid about 4 weeks before departure.
Travelled to Southampton and parked our car. Mini bus took us to the pier and this was when the tone of the forthcoming cruise was determined.
We were informed that some cruisers had that morning received an email from princess informing them to delay their arrival by a few hours as boarding was delayed due to covid on board, the ship had done a transatlantic passage and were later told that a number of the crew had boarded at Fort Lauderdale with covid which spread rapidly.
During our 2 hour standing outside the terminal, with no seating or toilets, we were told absolutely nothing, so in excess of 2000 travellers waited patiently with growing frustration with the lack of information.
We eventually boarded at 15.30 and were given our non operational medallions, a relatively new feature on Princess, which proved a disaster. After a much needed drink we went to our cabin, so called, superior balcony, to find a bijou, very small, facility with the smallest bathroom I have seen on a ship and room that you could hardly swing a cat. We decided to make the best of it and our cabin steward was marvellous.
We had, a few days before boarding, selected our dining options and paid, in advance, for our speciality dining to find that they had all disappeared from the Medallion app and told by guest services that we would have to book daily for each service and venue or dial 138 daily.
Visiting the transport cafe, sorry Market Place buffet, the food, drinks service and ambiance was appalling and certainly not up to a 5 star rating🤣.
That evening we made our way to the dining room, one of three to choose from and asked that we were happy to share met our first of many table companions where once again the very poor standard of food was apparent.
During the rest of the cruise we were shown to different tables every evening as preselection was impossible so the ability to make relationships with fellow cruisers at meal time did not happen.
We had booked a couple of speciality restaurants the first being a so called French style facility. We found it apart from a couple of tables, empty no atmosphere and once again the food well below the standard expected. We had booked a second evening at the Italian option, Sabatini’s, and I will compliment them for what was the only really enjoyable meal during the cruise, although once again very poorly utilised.
Entertainment generally was ok but once again not up to standards we have experienced with the likes of Celebrity.
Now let’s examine the non existent Wi-Fi on board, which we had prepaid at $240 for the cruise period.
I had reported to guest services the poor service via the medallion app to be told that this was due to severe problems with the digital system, Wi-Fi, and that this was an ongoing situation from when the ship left the US.
The only time we and all the cruisers could use our devices was in port via 4g and at sea the system was inoperable and totally unreliable. I reported this to the digital team on many occasions to be given many very poor excuses. Eventually I spoke to them about a refund and after discussion accepted a 50% refund, which I would add I am still waiting to receive dispute numerous promises from senior officers that this would be credited to my Amex card. If I have to fight Princess on this issue then I will insist on a 100% refund as I was sold a service that I did not receive
We will never use or recommend Princess to anybody on the contrary if asked I will advise strongly against anybody booking a cruise with them.
I guess it’s back to our trusted Celebrity and I am regretful that this time we did not choose them!
Got last minute deal last October 2021, via agent, not correct details of ports, understand due to COVID, but no booking of drinks package. Advertised as £30 per day, booked direct with Princess on line, charged 56 per day, assumed $ but was £... serve small glasses and limit t o 15 a day, result 2.5 bottles of wine at £56!!
No help despite night manager on ship, reception and head office fobbed me off... NEVER USE THIS COMPANY AGAIN!!
Before we've even got on board.
My wife and I are going on a 21 day med cruise with Princess. We have been with Princess once before but based on experience to date, this will be our last time.
First on a positive note, thank goodness I have a contact in the office to help because without them, this would be unbearable.
It seems the crux of the problem is what Princess expects its customers to do, just to book anything.
The app is a complete joke. Goodness knows what is going to happen on board if it goes down.
I went on the website to try and book into a couple of the restaurants only to be told I have to do this through the app. I then discovered I can't make any reservations until I had paid the balance of the fare. Once I had done that, it was far from straightforward. I also wanted to check out the Chef's table. Apparently this is only once every 7 days but there is nowhere to find out which day other than going through every day ... unless Princess can tell me different.
On top of this, we had booked an excursion. One day I was checking my credit card and found 2 refunds. I emailed my contact who informed me that our excursion had been cancelled. About a week later I got an email from Princess informing me and saying I would get a refund in 15 days.
I'm not going to go on except to say Princess seem to have gone technology mad - trying to be super modern. Instead of a slick operation, they have an app that seems to be designed by someone who doesn't have a clue, and they have made the whole pre-cruise experience tedious and tiresome for customers and leaving me feeling like I need a week long training course in how to do anything.
Sorry Princess, there are a lot of cruise companies out there and after this cruise, it will be goodbye from me. I will take my custom to a company that makes me feel like a valued customer rather than an unpaid employee!
This has to be the worst company I have ever had to deal with , We went on The Ruby Princess in January 2022 San Francisco to Hawaii 15 day cruise to say this was 15 days held captive is being polite.
The food in board was mostly unedible information was not forthcoming entertainment nonexistent 15 nights of the same band ( not that the band were bad )
But the same artist for 15 nights is more than enough for anyone
I have sent emails to Princess and have been trying to contact them since returning at the beginning of February No response at all I have been on hold many times for over an hour and a half on many of my attempts to speak to someone
We are now in April and still no one responds to either phone calls or emails Princess make Ryanair look like superstars 😡
Customer support is non existent. I guess I am referring to the Australian arm of the company in particular as that is where I live. Attempts to reach them on the phone are met with the automated message about extremely high volumes of calls and please call back later, hangs up, not even a queueing system.
They have a live chat option which puts you in a waiting queue for about 10 minutes and then dumps you unanswered.
There is an online enquiry form which sends an automated email response thanking me for my enquiry and once again apologising for any delays. Now 2 days and still waiting. An email enquiry has now gone 7 days unanswered.
I sympathise with the company as it is re-emerging from a long Covid induced hibernation and needs to rebuild but it is a customer focused service oriented business and they should have been planning for the resumption of cruising. They have plenty of support options but they are all dead ends.
This is no way to treat loyal customers who are trying to help Princess get back up and running. I’m now wondering what our onboard experience will be like.
Have been trying unsuccessfully to speak to customer service member for the last 10 days for up to 1hour.No one answers, do they actually use phones. Have a cruise booked for September, and have issues with a FCC from a previous booking that have still not been attached to current booking.That and the sheer frustration of THE APP, I'm beginning to feel that I should cut my losses and cancel, and find a more customer orientated cruise line.
Asked agent how to get to LA port for pier93..San Pedro from LA Airport. Was there a shuttle run by Princess? No..he said..yes there was! $34 ea one way ..Princess desk at airport.!! Instead he booked us limo return £156... On ship people booked shuttle back to airport..$34 ea again. Also if your flight later than 7pm then book Princess trip San Diego..take you & luggage off ship in morning..then to airport for flight..much better.
2 ships in dock = 2000 people thru exit..can't go back inside for loos..no food or drink..like Glastonbury!! No one can find their taxis/pick ups..bedlam!
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