After cruising the Baltic on the Emerald, I could not help but wonder what has happened to Princess. What used to be an innovator and absolute industry leader has no doubt been shaken by the current economic situation. Princess, however has taken completely the wrong approach to try and weather the storm. Slashing prices also means slashing quality of product and experience. 

Our June sailing was completely full. So full, we had difficulty changing staterooms after our travel agent booked us into a room at the back of the ship. DO NOT BOOK A ROOM NEAR THE AFT! We lasted one long, sleepless night as the roar of the engines and very strong vibration throughout the cabin rattled our nerves. Thankfully (for us), someone missed the boat and we were told after almost nine hours of 'negotiations' with Passenger Services that there happened to be only one other cabin available. This was located mid-ship on Aloha deck. We could still feel a strong vibration (as everywhere on the ship), but it overall was a better located cabin. The Balcony Staterooms, are, however, poorly designed and extremely uninspired in design. The bathroom is the smallest we've ever seen. The beds were not great but the foam-chip pillows were even worse. The only thing you'll have enough room for is your clothing, as there is a spacious open closet area adjacent to the bathroom. Balconies are also tiny. Do yourself a favor and book at least a Mini Suite if you want any level of comfort in your room. Ours was so tight, we had to sit facing opposite directions to eat breakfast.

We had major problems with the food. The nicest thing I can say is that most of it is edible. The assigned-time Dining Room is perhaps a bit better than the "anytime Dining" option, which we heard many complaints about. Food throughout is of very low quality. Especially awful were both the Specialty restaurants, both of which charge a cover fee. Sabatini's is just okay, and we were both very ill the day after dining here. The affair drags on and on, with tiny portions of so-so food coming to your table much too slowly. Crown Grill is a complete joke. Our very odd waiter went on describing how each delicious course would be carefully prepared just for us....how innovative for a steak house!!! Our meal was indescribably ordinary.....the kitchen cannot even bake a potato properly, let alone grill a decent steak. When servers asked how the meal was, I told them it was average and their jaws dropped in amazement. To make up for it, they brought over huge martini glasses filled to the brim with the cheapest Limoncello possible. Desserts were dreadful, here and everywhere. The safest bet is to stick with the buffet, where at least you can pick and choose and are bound to find something you like (menus are the same throughout the entire ship except for the Specialty places). Read more