It is our fifth cruise and we decided to try Princess based on the itinenary and the good reviews. We are big fans of Celebrity and were expecting the same or even a better level of customer service. We were wrong...I have never seen a cruise line with so many strict (and stupid) rigid rules and total lack of enpowerement at the working level.
Don't get me wrong. There are lots of good people aboard the Crown, working hard to satisfy the cruisers. But the proportion is much smaller than on the other ships we have been on. Here are a few examples:
1. Kids Club: We were cruising with our 2.5 year old son and visited the Pelican Club a few times. Great toys and equipment. Even if there were no other childrens in the club (there were few of them on board) Our son would be completely ignored by the staff (they start taking care of them at 3). They would set up four chairs for the childrens to watch a movie but would nor bother a fifth one for our son. He did not exist as far as they were concerned (in the case of a female staff I will not name, it was borderline rude) We were told it was policy as they were afraid of liability...Give me a break. Smiling and having a small chat with a little boy does not bring out lawsuits...