My wife and I just returned today from our 10-day Alaska cruise round trip from San Francisco on the Grand Princess. We live near San Francisco and it was really convenient for us to get to the ship. Once through the long line of vehicles trying to drop off passengers at Pier 27 (allow plenty of extra drive time) the embarkation process was smooth and fast. The Princess employees working check in were great.
Once aboard the ship the customer service experience changed. Heads were down and very little eye contact from the crew members. We went directly to our mini suite on the Dolphin deck (Deck 9) which was ready for our arrival. The suite looked worn and tired, with stains on the sofa bed and nicks in the furniture. We were greeted after a few minutes by our cabin steward. He was friendly but just not overly so. He brought us a couple glasses of champagne because we were celebrating our anniversary. Maybe Princess wants their crew to be a bit distant, but it really felt like the ship was understaffed. There were so many times we were passed by a crew member and not even acknowledged.
We requested a table for 2 during late seating dinner. We were surprised to be at a table for 6 in the very back corner of the Botticelli Dining Room. We lucked out and had a very nice group of dining companions, but we weren’t informed of our dining request not being met. The waiter for our table was a fast talker and didn’t really connect with anyone at the table. We only saw our bus boy a couple of times through dinner. The food wasn’t good, from lobster that tasted like rubber to beef Wellington that required a chain saw to cut. One night we went to the Crown Grill and it was probably the worst steaks my wife and I have ever had. The highlight of our meals was the French Onion Soup at the Crown Grill and the cheeseburgers they serve by the pool. Also, take note if you sign up for late seating dining, you won’t have enough time to get to the evening show in the Princess Theater. You may make it to the theater but won’t find a seat. We couldn’t get to any shows at night. A big miss on their scheduling.
Old and tired looking cabin in desperate need of a refresh.