Emerald Princess Review

4.5 / 5.0
1,873 reviews

Princess Misses the Mark

Review for Transatlantic Cruise on Emerald Princess
User Avatar
Kevin G
10+ Cruises • Age 60s

Rating by category

Cabin
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation

Additional details

Sail Date: Apr 2022
Cabin: Balcony

I booked my lifetime dream Transatlantic 23 day cruise aboard Emerald Princess, which would be my first cruise on Princess. I've been on many, many cruises before, and am not one to complain, nor to have unrealistic expectations of what a cruise line can deliver. For a line that is supposed to compete with Celebrity (which I have sailed several times), Princess fell short in several ways.

First off, I found it impossible to use their app to schedule an embarkation time. No matter what I did, it would not reserve my time slot. Predictably, I showed up to a mob waiting to board. I waited in line about 45 minutes or so, but once I got through the line, I was able to breeze right on.

I was traveling solo, and wanted to meet up with other solo travelers for dinner. For some reason, this seemed very difficult for Princess to arrange. Eventually, they were able to reserve a couple tables for solo travelers to eat together, but why there was so much commotion in the dining room the first couple nights is a mystery. Once we settled in, the service was really good, even outstanding. The problem in the dining room was the food quality and temperature at dinner. Virtually every food item was lukewarm by the time it was served to us. This was not the case at lunch time, when I got hot and tasty food, but at dinner, they seemed overwhelmed. After a few days, many of our group switched to eating dinner at the buffet, where the food was consistently hot and tasty. The problem with the buffet was that it was usually difficult to find a seat. The ship wasn't full, so this had to do with half the buffet being frequently closed. It ruins your meal to worry about not finding a seat, and if you don't leave something on the table, the staff whisks your dishes away and someone else grabs your table while you are at the buffet. The staff was fine in the buffet, friendly and helpful They just seemed overwhelmed because half the venue was closed so much.

Cabin Review

Balcony

11 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find an Emerald Princess Cruise from $578

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.