Emerald Princess, North America
2
16 day round trip from Los Angeles to Hawaiian Islands then back to Los Angeles.
Initial embarkation went well.
We found our inside cabins and settled in. The cabin was very small, just a desk (no drawers) and beds. It did have a large open closet but very limited number of shelves. The shower was very small and did not have a hand held shower head to rinse with.
There are three restaurants to choose from for dinner, all with the same menu. We found the smaller one quieter and a more enjoyable atmosphere. However the food throughout the cruise, every meal, left a lot to be desired. It was bland and food that was supposed to be hot was never more than luke-warm. This held true in the restaurants, the buffet and room service. The buffet was very small with few dishes to choose from. You served yourself to everything but the carved meat.
The entertainment included named celebrities who had outlived their talent.
We were not able to disembark on Maui. A tender/life boat broke down and floated around in rough water for a few hours. When they were finally on the way back from floating, the second engine blew. Throughout this ordeal, the crew did not communicate with the passengers. The process to disembark was not only interrupted by the lame tender, but the system used for disembarking was slow and tedious. We received our tender tickets and waited two hours for our color to be called. When it was finally called there were only 3.5 hours left before sailing. Transport time to/from the ship, plus waiting in a 2 hour line to get back on the ship, did not allow enough time for us to go ashore.
While on board my grandson tested positive for COVID. I tested positive 5 days later, and my daughter that was sharing a room with me tested positive on day 14. We were told we were in lockdown for 6 days but my grandson was released after 4.5 days, I was told I could go out after 4 days, however even when asked for a retest at the end, we were not given the option to make sure the COVID had passed. Both of us still had symptoms. My daugher was only 2 days along with the positive test so we were instructed to wait in our room until someone came to get us to disembark. We were taken to one of the dining rooms with about 80 other people suffering with COVID. I was appalled that we went to a dining area that had table cloths and people would be eating dinner in there within a few hours.
As a side note, the communication from the captain, to the informational correspondence, and processes was minimal, late, inconsistent, or non-existent.
I have cruised on Princess many times in the past and always thought of them as above the norm. However, after this cruise, I doubt if I will sail on Princess again. And, I was not the only passenger that was highly disappointed with the food, the communication, the entertainment, and the overall experience.
Donna
Post Date: 14/06/2023
