We went on a 7-day Pacific Coastal cruise on the Royal Princess ship on November 9, 2019. It was round-trip from Los Angeles, CA with port stops in San Francisco, Monterey, San Diego, and Ensenada, Mexico. The entire sailing was very smooth, the waters were generally calm during the entire 7-day cruise. The food in the anytime dining room Sabatini and the buffet food court Horizons tasted average to slightly above average. Nothing to rave about but definitely the Horizon buffet food kept us stuffed and you can easily over indulge yourself with its numerous food items. The ship is beautiful, hi-tech (with the Medallion feature), and large in size but at numerous times it seems the ship was overcrowded as we saw many times the elevators were stuffed with people and motorized wheelchairs and it took one to three elevator door openings before we can step into one of them that had enough room for us. Also sometimes the Horizon dining tables are mostly filled and it took us some walking around or some waiting to find an empty dining table to sit down to eat at. At the anytime dining room Sabatini, we encountered waits of up to an hour to get a table. The entertainment at the Princess Theater was very good and those performances were some of our better experiences. Although our experience with overcrowding was also encountered there. We usually got into the Princess theater an hour earlier to get a choice seat otherwise we would be left with either less desirable seats or no seats remaining if we go in 30 minutes or less before the show. The port stops were good in general and we booked most of our shore excursions through Princess. But in our last port of Ensenada, we originally didn't booked any shore excursion but when we got there, we found a local tour company that offered a tour to La Brufadora for around 68% cheaper than Princess, so we booked that. Overall the entire cruise was good, except for the almost constant reminders of overcrowding on the ship with the elevators, dining rooms, and theater seating. Read Less

For context, I usually cruise Disney so I can’t help but make it my point of reference. I took my 10YO son on a 3 day cruise from Vancouver to LA. Our main objective of the trip was to spend time together, enjoy the food and enjoy being at sea. I splurged on a club class mini suite. I. Not sure the ‘club class’ was worth the extra $$, but we loved the mini suite. So much space for just the two of us - very luxurious. We especially loved the robes and the extra large balcony. The ship is looking (and smelling) a little dated. It was nice to have a shower/tub combo but the tile was looking super old. Also, there were odd smells noticed in our room. The hall and especially up on the sports deck. I am mixed on the food. I was not impressed with the buffet but had great meals at Portofinos dining room. The wait staff were exceptional. I was impressed with the pools! Lots of options for kids and adults. And super fun to have the big screen showing movies out by the pool. I was told the ship was full and yet it never seemed that busy. The buffet was occasionally lined up. Overall, great cruise. Service was up to par with Disney, restaurant food was excellent and our room very comfy. Read Less

Picked Princess because of good food reputation. Below expectations. Dining room: 70% good. Stay away from steak and veal. Fish entrees and chicken ok. Some Food had little flavor. Buffett: limited selections. Nothing really tasty. No sushi which was a disappointment. Salty Dog good. Liked the street tacos. Free coffee is made with syrup. Bought a coffee package for fresh bean cappuccinos. Cocktails weak but reasonable. Brought 4 bottles of wine onboard. Never paid a corkage fee. Never checked our wine in. Staff: great. Worked so hard. Cabin: Dated, great bed, large TV, nice balcony. Entertainment predictable. Just ok. Ship overall dated except new piazza which was very nice. Some areas of ship were in need of deep cleaning. Sea days a little boring. Typical events not of interest. Getting on and off ship an A. Mainly older folks. Not for Kids or millennials. I would not sail on the Grand again but would consider a newer ship. Read Less

Our large group of travel friends booked this trip a year ago. We are SF natives who love the ease of leaving from SF. The cruise was a California Southern Coastal Cruise with stops in Santa Barbara, LA, San Diego and Encinada. Most of us booked the Club Level for a few dollars more which has it's perks.They have a special bar, the Club 15 where we had our nightly cocktails, a bottle of wine upon arrival in our room, extra thick bath robes and Club Dining (anytime) in a special area of the dining room. We had a mini suite midship which is a fantastic location for ease of getting places on board. The service was wonderful but the smoking in the Casino was a detriment. We hope that Princess will make some changes with that in the very near future! Our experience was otherwise smooth, friendly and easy. Read Less

We always cruise for itinerary and sail multiple lines. Only our third Princess Cruise. I will start with the negatives and they are few. Star is old and will be sold off to P and O next year. Our cabin had some plumbing issues. Intermittent lack of toilet flushing and water backing up in the shower at night with loud gurgling sounds. Princess did their best to address issues and after several visits shower issue was resolved. Toilet problem never fixed, but if we waited the toilet eventually flushed on its own. Princess did give us OBC and champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. As I said it is an older ship and we have heard similar issues on other ships across all lines. Positives are many and I may forget a few, but we were very pleased. Staff could not have been better both in performance and attitude. Buffet was much maligned before cruise, but was fine. A lot of repetition, but that is what most people eat. They did have salmon three times at breakfast buffet which is becoming rare. I enjoy the muesli cereal and you can get soy milk as an alternative if you ask. Add extra fruit and nuts to cereal and you have a great, healthy alternative, omelettes can be ordered and delivered to your table. At lunch always great salad options with greens and plenty of beans and veggies to add to it. Deserts were varied and good. There were other options if you looked. In addition to daily soup choices, often there was a separate miso soup startion .One day there were delicious samosas at the start of buffet line. We preferred buffet because we ate almost all meals outside to enjoy the view and marine life. All you needed was a sweatshirt. Two dining room meals were good with great service. As one Princess cruiser once told me, he expects wedding food, but good wedding food. There were three excellent comedians. We always look forward to comedy shows when sailing. Did not see other acts. Lounge entertainers were typical and game shows were great. I normally don’t care about cruise directors, but Micca was the best I have encountered. He took time to speak to me while hustling through explorer lounge after I greeted him. I am also a Meeka. My grandson gave me that name and it stuck, so we exchanged stories about our name. It was less than a minute, but he was warm,sincere and genuine. Others who interacted with him said the same thing. He is also very talented. His assistant directors were excellent, a strong team We did most of our own excursions, except for Santa Barbara wine country which was pricey, but we enjoyed it. Our Muir Woods and Sausalito tour was cancelled due to power cut offs caused by fires. There was smoke and haze on the horizon in California. We stayed two nights at the Fairmont waterfront great hotel and super location. You can walk to ship with your bags as we did or even have them delivered. Embarkation was typical, but we walked off immediately with our luggage for disembarkation and still had a short wait for cab. This seems to be an issue in Vancouver and if you have early flight, get off quickly Read Less

I was looking forward to this cruise. We chose it because the departure and arrival port (Vancouver) was convenient for us as we live in the city; the itinerary was good; and because our previous experience with Princess, in particular the Star Princess, had been good. This time we were disappointed. There were fewer events, as shown by a comparison of the Princess Patter list of events from last year's Pacific Coastal voyage on the Star Princess with this year's. An example is that this year there were no dance classes or Zumba classes other than line dance classes which were offered half way through the cruise because people told me that they complained about the lack of activities. The activities that were offered, such as silly childish games led by the cruise staff, were not a satisfactory substitute. The food had variety but in too many cases was mediocre. We sent back dishes recommended by the wait staff because they were inedible (tough, tasteless fish, pork ribs that had more fat than meat, tough duck breast which appeared to have seen a better day, tasteless lobster on a bed of unappetizing greasy risotto during the second formal dinner, etc.). I would suggest dropping the formal nights because there was nothing special about them. They are not worth the effort of packing extra clothes. The sea days were boring because there was nothing to do compared with other years. Our impression was that Princess had made cuts to the budget of this ship. The entertainment was for the most part mediocre. There were too many performances by comedians. The Star Princess Singers and Dancers performed only twice rather than three times, compared with other years. We were told that they had just joined the ship which means that they should have spent more time in rehearsal before being unleashed on us. Their unpolished performances, in particular the dancing, showed their lack of practice. Why was this cruise used as a practice occasion for them? Another example, is that in previous years, there were several first-run movies in the theatres each day. This cruise, for the most part, offered movies outside (Under the Stars) and they were not first run. On top of all of this, we did not receive the invitation to the Captain's Circle event and found that several others had not although they were qualified to attend. Our overall impression was that either Princess is making cuts to its offerings (but not cuts to its prices) or that Princess does not care about the Star Princess because it has sold the ship. Either way, this cruise did not measure up to last year's cruise. This is disappointing because Princess is not a budget cruise line. On the positive side, embarkation and disembarkation were smooth, the ports and excursions were very satisfactory and the wait staff in the dining room were excellent. The cabin was comfortable and clean. The plumbing worked well in our room. I am hoping that Princess, which my friends had recommended previously, listens to concerns. I know that many people voiced the same concerns on the cruise. Read Less

Living near Vancouver my DH and I like taking these round trips with no flights to worry about. We were sailing the California Coast celebrating our birthdays and our wedding anniversary. Embarkation was smooth and our stateroom was ready before 1 pm. The ship is older and is showing some wear but it was well maintained and our cabin was in good shape Our favourite things on this cruise: the International Cafe, a great place to relax and enjoy a great beverage. Then I would say the 3 comedians were outstanding! Steve Moris, Mike Wilson, and Steve Caouette. One of the theatre shows The British Invasion was simply fantastic. Great singing, dancing, costumes...very well done.Also our dining experience was really excellent. Emil and Rovon, our waiters each night in the Capri DR were among the best we have ever had cruising. Food quality was good and the choices each night were fine. We ate one night at Sabatini's Specialty DR and we loved it. I esp liked the Lamb Skewers and the Orange Zest Arugula Salad for my appetizers. My DH liked his Veal Marsala and we both enjoyed the Zabaione with berries for dessert. Music on the ship was varied, there was a singer guitarist, a string trio, and a singer at the piano each night. All were pretty good but he house band Pinnacle left lots to be desired. Unfortunately the poor Air Quality in the ports of San Francisco, San Diego & Santa Barbara kept us onboard as my DH belongs to a Sensitive Group when it comes to bad air. We visited with my cousin in LA but that was our only time off the ship this sailing. The biggest disappointment was NO ZUMBA this trip. I was told that Princess was not able to find a suitably certified Zumba Instructor, OMG really?? And there was NO DECK PARTY. We had be looking forward to both of these things. Getting off the ship was easy, as we walked off. All in all it was an enjoyable cruise but not the best. Read Less

This cruise was Good value for the money. I enjoyed the entertainment, the food was awesome and the service above and beyond. The crew were attentive at all times and were helpful. The cruise staff was friendly, funny and kept things lively. Great team. I enjoyed the entertainment and games. I was traveling with my mother and father in law and they also enjoyed the variety of entertainment. The dining staff was the finest you will find anywhere. We had five star dining every night from the food selection to the service. The international cafe is a great place to sit and have coffee and a snack. The embankment and disembarkment were handled well and as such getting on and off ship was accomplished with ease. I have traveled on over 10 princess cruises and have never been disappointed. I would recommend this cruise or any other princess cruise to anyone Read Less

Vancouver-round-trip cruises, with no need for air travel, are always a draw for us! This cruise was a terrific 10 day relaxing get-away and we are very glad we went! We were dropped off in Mission in time for the final West Coast Express commuter train to Waterfront Station, had breakfast in the Food Court then walked over to Canada Place for Embarkation. Would do that again if smaller suitcases involved. Anytime Dining was the only option available when we booked and it worked out well. We would choose that option on future cruises as it gave us the freedom to opt-out and head to the International Café or Horizon Court instead without inconveniencing dining room wait staff by our absence. Smaller suitcase requirements (for train and skytrain lugging) can now be met as minimal formal and smart casual outfits would be required! I found out on day 9 that there was a jigsaw puzzle table on deck 14, upstairs in the undercover pool area, by the pingpong tables! Wish I had heard that on day 1! :) Women's public washrooms were often down to one working stall....which made for occasional long lines, especially at disembarkation time after the requested 'vacate your cabin' time had come and gone. Embarkation and Disembarkation went quite smoothly. We took Skytrain to Surrey, where a friend picked us up after our cruise. Read Less

We sailed with Princess before so we knew what to expect. A great experience and an attentive, friendly staff. We hope to sail with them again soon. We went to Astoria, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and Vancouver, BC, Canada. We were supposed to go to Victoria as well, but the weather started acting up and we returned to San Francisco early. Princess concerns itself with passenger safety and it was wise to skip Victoria. The food is very well done. There are three restaurants, a buffet, snack bars and all the pizza you can eat. The bars are well-appointed and they make fabulous margaritas. The staff goes out of its way to make sure passengers are comfortable and have everything they need. They go out of their way to accommodate. They keep everything clean and sanitary. The beds are comfortable and we slept well every night. We look forward to our next excursion to someplace exotic. Read Less

wanted to see something different without flying so chose this cruise. Left our of San Francisco and most of the time the weather made the ship a little rocky so had to be careful walking on the ship. but we were able to dance for the most part which is a lot of what we like to do and I was able to take the Zumba and dance classes but had to be careful of the ships movements. I think maybe it was a little too late in the year to take this cruise but on shore the weather was good and we were able to walk and see quite a lot in Astoria, Seattle and Vancouver BC. We were not able to go to Victoria because of the weather, but I have been to Victoria a number of times and usually we are only in port for a few hours so that was ok with me but for first time cruisers, they didn't get a chance to visit Victoria. The pools were open but the water temperature was just a bit too chilly to enjoy so we went to the hot tubs a couple of time. Also, When I went to Alaska on this same ship a few years back the pool temperature was different and the back pool was open and we were able to enjoy the water. The back pool was closed this time. We tried the Anytime Dining and for the most part enjoyed not having a certain time and table to have to get to. The most we waited for a table for 4 was 30 minutes so not too bad. We went to Anytime dining for dinner 3 times. The rest of the time we ate at the buffet for dinner. The music for dancing was fine. We did not see any of the shows because we were doing other things except for a piano tribute to Elton John which was enjoyable. We did not book any excursions and just maily walked the cities we visited. We did take the Aqua Bus and that was nice but it was a ways to walk in Vancouver from the ship through Gastown Chinatown and then to the Science Museum where we boarded the Aqua Bus and got off at Granville Island to shop at the market and then back on to get off and then taxi to Stanley Park and for a little taxi tour of the Urban Forest. Quite nice with the totems. The ship had to skip Victoria and head back to San Francisco a half day early, which was OK. The customs thing was a bit confusing for some but overall a good trip. Read Less

I chose this cruise to go up the Pacific Northwest coast. Astoria was a delightful town. The tour we took was one to Ft. Stevens and our guide was extremely knowledgeable and a delight in her presentation. The Ft. was interesting because it was where a Japanese sub came right in too Am. waters. The dock in Seattle was perfect as we were able to walk to Pikes Market, Chihuly museum, The Space Needle, and several museums. Weather was perfect to walk - not to hot not to cold and not raining. Vancouver was amazing. We were able to walk everywhere - Gastown, Chinatown, Downtown, Robson Street, and Granville Island. Love the time we spent there. We missed Victoria because of adverse weather and sailed into San Francisco 12 hours early. The ship and immigration worked beautifully to get every one off who wanted off, everyone checked and back on who wanted back on and those who wanted to tour and come back were able to do so as well. Once again Princess shines with its great captain John Henry Smith. Strongly recommend this cruise. Dinning was great with the chef Joel Direcho. As a chef who has to follow the fleet menu, he has made the grade with the food. Meat is cooked to perfection and dishes are flavorful. We didn't participate with the entertainment, but from the conversations heard it was good. Read Less

I chose this cruise since it did not involve a flight for my elderly mother. Prior to the cruise I read many reviews complaining about the ship. I am not sure why the reviews are so negative. The Grand Princess is an older ship but well maintained. I did not notice any major maintenance issues in public areas. During the cruise I ate at both specialty restaurants, the Chef's Table, Pub Lunch and Club Class Dining. I also ate at the buffet. My least favorite experience was the Club Class dining. It was included since I booked a suite. I would have been disappointed if I had paid for the experience. The tables for two were too close together and the special table side item was a pasta dish. I thought the service was better in the other portion of the dining room. The Pub Lunch was a nice free experience and the buffet selection was limited, but good quality. If I had any complaint about the food is that sometimes it was "too fancy". I would have preferred plain food cooked excellently over just good food with garnishes. Where Princess could improve is in entertainment and activities. I would personally like to see less trivia and more enrichment lectures. Also, more production shows instead of comedy/magicians. Since this is an older ship, it does not have some of the spa features like the Enclave. There was a sauna & steam room, but the door to the steam room did not always close properly. Service for the most part was outstanding. The crew went out of their way to assist my mother, who has mobility issues. The assigned room steward was efficient, although not as friendly as some. Everything we asked for in the cabin was done. It is important when booking a suite to know what you are entitled to receive, so that you can fully enjoy the benefits. I had previously visited all the ports. A port visit to Victoria was cancelled due to weather. I will probably do this itinerary again in the future with my mother and in laws and hopefully will get to see Victoria then. Next time I will pick a different time of year. The cruise was a little rocky going up the coast. Read Less

I choice this cruise for the itinerary that included Vancouver and Victoria Canada unfortunately our stop to Victoria was canceled for some nonsense reason about the weather. The weather was rough from the beginning of our cruise. I didn’t see the reason to cancel Victoria’s Port. Astoria, Oregon. Pointless. Not interested at all but didn’t want to stay on the ship. That’s why we booked an excursion. Canceling the visit to Victoria, was enough to ruin my expectations on this cruise. Very disappointed . Boring cruise. Not enough entertainment either. The food throughout the ship, was extremely salted. To me salt is not considered seasoning your food to give it a good taste. Not tasty at all. Coffees were always room temperature in the buffet area. The ship is well kept but it’s very old. Staterooms are very small and bathroom doors hard to close and open. The TV was the only upgrade in the room. Read Less

Got our Medallion at Embarkation Port of Los Angeles. I had already submitted my information online so it only took about 5 minutes and we were onboard. Becareful with the Medallion. Do not hang it behind your cabin door as it will unlock it. We were on Deck 10 with a balcony way in the front Port side and it was good. I usually try for Midship. The dining areas were in the back of the ship. The food was just OK, including the lobster tail. Staff in the dining, guest service and stateroom were excellent. The ship interior and exterior were nice. Guest entertainers were great but production shows were just ok. Disembarking went smooth and ahead of schedule by 15 minutes. We only did a HOP ON- OFF bus in San Diego which was nice. Monterey was beautiful! Ensenada looks so much nicer than the last time we were there a decade ago. Read Less

To have a rest from a bad year. The last year wently poorly for us. I was diagnosed with tumor that precluded me from traveling . much less cruising. The ship was well decorated but all venues where used for activities all day. There wasn't a quiet spot on board to read or just relax . Lack of promenade was the biggest issue for us. As well as small narrow balconies. Disembarkation was a disaster in San Pedro. There weren,t any facilities after you left the ship in the the terminal. The only facilities were six porta potties set up for the dock up. They were over full , didn't flush , filthy and the doors didn't lock properly . The selection Gluten Free in the Horizon court was very limited . The daily lunch menu was very repetitive every day . The same of the MDR at lunch. The disembarkation was the smoothest we every have had . The Medallion system worked great. Had only one occasion where a charge wrong to my account. Passenger services removed it right away. Unlimited Internet was great Read Less

Six seniors (age 68-71) who have cruised together since 2013 wanted a cruise that involved driving or short air flight thus choosing the 7 day west coast on Princess. The 4 from Arizona drove over from Phoenix, overnight in San Bernardino; 90 minutes drive to the dock next morning. One way, one day Hertz dropping in nearby Hertz office in San Pedro. The Washington cruisers flew down the night before, stayed near LAX at an Embassy Suites. Embarking: we arrived about 10am, waited to enter the ship once our group number was called. Onboard about 11am; went directly to the Concerto dining room—not the Horizon buffet – a nice option on Princess, had a good lunch at our table for 6. After lunch we had cabin access—we were all on deck 12; deluxe balcony for our room. Dining: Had the 5pm traditional seating in the Concerto dining room. Out of the 7 days ate there only twice. Food quality and selection were usually good; no real complaint. Dined once in a specialty restaurant to celebrate the wife’s birthday; The Crown Grille. Though the room was not enclosed we had a great table for the six; service, food quality ambience were all great. Horizon Buffet on Deck 16 – normally ate breakfast and lunch here. Found the quality and selection to be better than the MDR. Tables normally were available, stewards kept the tables cleaned off and practically badgered you with offers of drink refills—very good service here. Nice feature on this cruise: the Horizon opened at 5am partially and fully at 6am; great for early risers like us. Show times were normally at 8pm and 10pm so a 5pm schedule for dinner worked very well to attend the evening show at 8pm. The Evening Shows: we like to catch the 1st show, in this case at 8pm. However, most everyone else did as well. If you did not have your seats by 7:30 you were in trouble. A good seat involved 7 to 715pm arrival in the theatre. A real downside on this ship – way too few seats for the 3700 passengers. I understand seating was no problem at 10pm. Seats were narrow, not very comfortable and the full room got warm. In 7 nights we had the same comic twice, the same impressionist twice and 3 production shows. I would have preferred more variety. The shows were decent. PASSENGERS: Mostly seniors, very few children/minors. Probably the oldest crowd we have ever sailed with – was told they utilized the LA Port because it did not involve an air flight to come and go and this age group was common on these sailings. The passenger make up did aggravate another strong downside to this sailing -- THE ELEVATORS ! There were 3 banks of elevators but they seemed smaller than usual elevators. If the ship was empty they worked well, during sea days and busy times the waits were too long. I admire seniors who travel; cruising is a great option for people who have medical limitations and move slowly – I understand I now am part of that group at my age, but getting on and off elevators is not a quick process. Internet and the Infamous Medallion Program – As usual the internet pricing was outrageous so we did not participate. I did attempt to print an airline boarding pass 1 day prior to disembarking and found I was expected to buy 1 day’s worth of internet (19.99) to do this. No provision to use internet to check in and print a boarding pass. Customer service said they could not help me. This is something that a person should be able to do without paying $19.99. The Medallion Program – as a pacemaker person I noted the medallion is not recommended for me so I used a regular card which worked well. In our group there seemed to be problems with the Medallion program working as advertised at least on this cruise—there appear to be some bugs that need working out. I’m sure they will eventually force this on us as an “improvement” and make this our only option – I see it coming. So my experience is not favorable. The itinerary - Good itinerary – got on Saturday, sea day Sunday (good for the 1st full day) then SFO, Monterey (tender), sea day, then San Diego, then Ensenada and finally off Saturday in LA. Late departures from SFO and San Diego caused some alteration in the evening dining – so we had 2 nights of open seating to go with those late departures. Excursions: Took only 1 ship excursion in Ensenada – was okay – once was enough in Ensenada – would not go ashore next time. Did our own tour in Monterey, renting an Enterprise 6 passenger Dodge Van to tool around this beautiful area and splitting of the cost made this convenient, enjoyable and reasonable, plus it enabled us to lunch at one of our Monterey favorites; Rosines. Casino: On deck 6 – busy place, wife hit a number of decent slot jackpots on this cruise making it our best casino win story of all our cruises. Disembarkation: We were scheduled to dock at 615 on Saturday, which we did. With our flight back to Phoenix at 1110 at LAX we chose the walk off option; were to meet in the dining room at 7:20. We arrived at 655 am to find we were cleared and headed for the gangway. Walked about a mile to reach immigration/customs, very quick and outside by 705am. Took a dedicated Super Shuttle for 4 to LAX (took about 20 minutes) for $54. Arrived early there so a great getting off experience this cruise. Summary: Great time with our good friends (again). 4 out of 5 overall on the ship. Was clean, kept up, ran on time in and out of ports. Good dining selection and variety, good service but this elevator issue and inadequate seating in the theatre were very annoying and took the edge off a great experience. We continue to rate Princess, Celebrity and Royal as our favorites and consider those three when we cruise – this experience reaffirmed our commitment to Princess. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the locations. We traveled from the UK and had three days in Vegas and three days in Los Angeles before joining the ship in San Pedro. Embarkation was very easy and quickly carried out, on board within half an hour, no hassle at all. We had been upgraded to a partial blocked view balcony cabin which we found to be really good. The cabin was spacious with plenty of storage space with the biggest amount of hangers I’ve seen on a cruise ship! Only two outlets for electrical items, both flat pin type for readers from UK? We were booked for anytime dining, but only used the main dining room once as we found the service a bit slow? Other diners around us had finished their meal before our main meal had arrived. We chose to use the Horizon Bistro or Court instead. The food from there was just as good, with plenty of choice. No problem with seating either. Plenty of activities available,gym,basketball,table tennis, shuffleboard etc, I only used the putting green.Also a running / walking track available. The service on board was overall very good, but some of the deck bars could have done with more help? Also in the Princess live ,theatre only one waitress, had to go to the bar outside to get a drink. We didn’t use Princess excursions as along with other cruise lines we find them too expensive, as always you can get them cheaper! Entertainment was ok, have seen better, but the game shows etc were good fun, the comedian was very good in the main theatre. If I had a real complaint it would be that there was a real lack of sanitizer available in the restaurants? Another one was my wife was really ill one night with vomiting, we went back to our suite and then she developed diarrhoea ,as per the info in the Daily Platter we contacted the health centre to inform them about this, the health official then informed me this was not an emergency and if they had to come out to see her they would charge us?? Disembarkation was as easy as embarkation was, least fuss ,done in an orderly timed way and luggage waiting on the dock side unit. We had booked transport to the airport via Princess, which as I have said was a bit more expensive, but we bit the bullet to make sure we got there without mishap? Overall a very good cruise with good ports of call except for Ensenada ,if you are just getting off for a walk around the port area not a very nice place to visit ,dirty and full of tat ? Read Less

We wanted a short relaxing get away that was round trip from a west coast city. We were r/t Los Angeles. The ports were places we had visited many times before so we did not do tours and got off when we wanted to or just stayed on board. We had done the Ruby in the British Isles and it was a nightmare. Too many things to mention here but my review echoed many others for that cruise. I was reluctant to go again on a Princess but I am glad we did! MUCH better experience! We had the free beverage package which I found didn’t not add to the he basic fare and we really enjoyed that. The wheelhouse bar (Rosalee, Raffy,Dennis, etc) was the best and we basically closed it nightly. The clientele is much older and the ship was full of wheelchairs, walkers, and canes but this ship managed them much better so we were not put off by that. The food is not great, the entertainment not so great, the games were rather silly but we did what we wanted and it worked for us. We normally go Disney, Cunard, Holland America and I like them a great deal more but for a short, inexpensive break, the Royal was just fine! If they were to offer the beverage package again, I would grab it in a second!!! Read Less

All 6 of us are experienced cruisers and picked this one for the newer ship and close to home itinerary as 4 hail from the Phoenix area and 2 from the Pacific NW. Embarkation went smoothly and disembarkation may have been one of the smoothest ever. We chose to have our inaugural lunch in the dining room that was open and food, company and the atmosphere were lovely. Cabins were ready as we finished lunch. Public bathrooms are very tight on space. Quiet places to read require a bit of searching. Overall, I thought the food was done quite well. Booked traditional dining but two late port nights were open seating, one was a specialty restaurant and we had one or two dinners in the buffet. The main dining room offered various meals of very good shrimp, scallops, veal, lobster and beef wellington which we enjoyed. Sides and desserts were appropriate and tasty. We participated in the pub lunch and thought their fish and chips very good. Hitting Alfredo's for a pizza lunch one day was also a nice venue and tasty food with yummy tiramisu for dessert. On the last day, my husband and I had hamburgers/hot dogs and fries by the pool and the fries were even hot! Our special dinner at the Crown Grill was excellent. Steaks and sides were done as ordered and delicious with very timely service. Breakfast at the buffet had lots of choices. Nobody has a side of smoked salmon as good as Princess. Eggs Benedict came from the omelette station and are brought to your table. Pastries on Princess as usual are excellent. There were no children in our group but I thought it was cute that they had a kids section on the buffet. Coffee/juice servers were very prompt in refilling your cup and clearing tables. The only missed note in my book was toast that is prepped ahead of time under lights--mine tasted more like hardtack! We participated in several trivia sessions. Thought "Goldilocks" questions were not too easy, not too hard but just right. Staff did a good job. Having questions projected on screens is very helpful in avoiding language barrier problems. Evening entertainment was very good--production shows were some of the best I have seen but you had to arrive very early, seats were already limited a half hour before the early show. I am sure the 10:00 show is too late for an older crowd. I went to the Chef's presentation which was cute and funny. Seats in the theater are tight and rows very close to each other. Two shows by the comedian--A J Jamal--had everyone laughing. Mostly minor issues we experienced were outweighed by the good and we would definitely sail Princess again. Read Less

It is our first Holland America cruise. We knew it is more for mature passengers but we didn't care as we just wanted to try the Mexico Riviera cruise and the timing was right. We embarked from Vancouver and our check-in was a breeze. Our oceanview stateroom with a large square window was very spacious but it was on deck one where most of their oceanview staterooms are located. The location of our stateroom was problematic as it was below Billboard Onboard. We could hear music until midnight or 1:00 am and noise from moving chairs as the place has hardwood floors. Thanks to Guest Services, they were quick to help and had us relocated to another stateroom. Main Dining Room: There were pros and cons to open seating, we liked the flexibility of no fixed dining time but the wait for a table was around 15 minutes. The main dining room service was great but slow. Food was good generally but they were exceptional on Gala nights. Lido Market: food options at this buffet restaurant were not bad but waitstaff's service was average. Trying to find a table was always a challenge, perhaps it's the set up of the restaurant. Their dinner closing hours of the restaurant was too early as many guests were still coming in for dinner passed 8:30 p.m. not realizing the restaurant was already closed. The strangest thing was that they reopen at 10:30 p.m. for an hour for late night snacks. So between 9:00 p.m. (main dining room closes) and 10:30 p.m. guests can only get room service at that point. Specialty Dining: Pinnacle Grill (Steakhouse), Tamarind (Asia) and Canaletto (Italian). They were nice but it would have been better if there were more choices, perhaps French or Spanish. Ports: Cabo San Lucas was most fun as we took the boat trip around the Arch and spent some time on Medano Beach. We did the hop-on hop-off in Mazatlan and we were able to cover a lot of grounds in a short time but it is probably cheaper to hire a car to take you around as well. Puerto Vallerta would be great for scuba diving but we didn't go this time. Activities: I enjoyed America's Test Kitchen where I got to see demonstrations of tried and true tested recipes by amazing chefs. I was lucky to see Andy Matsuda demoing his masterful skills of sushi making. Other workshops such as Microsoft and photography were pretty good too. There were some other for-fee activities such as wine tasting and martini sampling but we didn't participate. HAL ships fell short on its entertainment options and its operating hours were limited. Billboard Onboard's music was mediocre; Lincoln Center Stage performance was good but it seemed out of place; BB King's Blues Club is probably the only one that is noteworthy with good performance. Their main stage shows were disappointing and lackluster. Navigator App: convenient for checking the daily schedule, account balance, chat with fellow passengers. I suggest that more details be provided for each event that's happening onboard instead of just the title. HAL really needs to plan more activities during at-sea days or theme events on the Lido Deck: improve their entertainment options and have a look at the gaps in their dining hours. Read Less

We have done a number of cruises with Holland America and always enjoy them. embarkation was smooth. Cabin crew were very good as was food. One of the staff in Tamarind remembered up from a cruise in 2017 which surprised and pleased us. Did not care for a couple of entertainers but not a big issue. Cruise director who we had sailed with twice before (Nick) is great and hope to see him again. Already have another cruise booked with Holland and one with Princess. Ship is well maintained and crew very friendly. We will likely not do this cruise again but won't hesitate to sail with Holland America again. Daily trivia was like always fun and a great way to meet people. Not a big fan of changes made to Crows Nest I prefer when it was a bar. Dined at both Pinnacle and Tamarind and enjoyed both but Tamarind wins first place in my mind. Read Less

Penthouse Suite Celebrity Eclipse October 2019 Beautiful suite, friendly crew! We missed the tea time “delights” delivered by the butler. Also fresh flowers, fresh fruit basket and towel animals. When we asked what happened to them we were told it is the new corporate policy. The crew then delivered the most beautiful arrangement of red roses to the suite. Then came a few days of “delectables”, a fruit basket and a couple of towel animals. The crew wants to please and they certainly did. Guess if you want or miss an amenity, you just need to ask. Delicious food! ( but had a couple of “prime” steaks that were so tough they were pretty much inedible. One was fantastic, 3 inferior even if they had not been Prime). The crew was fabulous with offering assistance with my friend’s gluten free diet. Making her gluten free bread and sausages. Even going through the menu explaining what had gluten and if they could substitute. Embarkation at Vancouver was confusing. No priority line for suite passengers. Cruise check in sent us to three different lines and one agent told us to go on to the ship to get our sea passes. Disembarkation equally confusing. Not Celebrity’s fault. Read Less

Favorite cruise line. However here are worth wile notes Coastal Grand Princess 10/13/19 Safety Drill: Safety Drill should include importance of silence by passengers and STAFF specially during an incident as we had on this voyage. #1. Public announcements should only be made by well spoken English speaking staff. 1st announcement made was totally unintelligible and most passengers commented same. #2. When captain came on afterwards passengers & mostly bar staff continued their loud voice making drinks on a port day where only one bar open on deck 7. End result Captains comments very difficult to hear. Dining Service: Consider senior portions. Passenger mostly over 50 years old Or method for smaller portions Point: Less waste & smaller waist “White Coats” (Head waiter) what do they do but stand around. Regular staff seems to know what their jobs are and do it very well. Beverage Service. Bartenders:: Geo & Jenny exemplary service in attitude, graciousness, and entertaining. Wines available at “Vines” deck 5 Should be available through out the ship. $$$ in fact all brands and styles of alcohol should be available wherever provided. As gain $$$ A limit of 15 per day should roll over of unused drinks. Already paid for. If not used by end of cruise should be listed as unrefundable. Elevators Dings announcing arrivals need to be louder. Noticed many didn’t go to lift because they never heard dings Dress Code Inconsistency’s Dress codes published & posted not enforced. Passengers plan accordingly only to see others enter in Levi’s & Camp (Hawaiian) shirts, tennis shoes and hats on formal nights. And Shorts on normal dinner nights. Why have a rule that is not global. Not withstanding other eating venues, some passengers could have used less luggage if formal wear on formal night was optional. Disembarktion Initially all went well given the printed disembarkation instructions provided by Grand Princess we were told the only thing we needed to disembark was our cruise card. However, upon entering the terminal at custom they required passports. Therein was a delay in moving out as passengers scrambled to find their passports. On the positive side all princess staff direction at exit points were very efficient Read Less

There were several problems with this cruise but there was a lot of great things too. I will start with the problems, when I got to check-in, the clerk couldn't find my reservation, so we had to get a supervisor who finally found it but it had the wrong cabin, I upgraded to a Concierge Class about 3 months before the cruise. Finally, he got the right information and I got my key. My credit card wouldn't go through and the supervisor explained it was a Celebrity problem and Guest Services would let me know what I needed to do. This didn't make me feel very confident. The first evening I had a reservation at the Tuscan Grille, I ordered a steak and it was terrible. I couldn't cut it with my knife, not kidding, I ordered Medium/Well Ribeye and it was tough as could be. I contacted the restaurant manager who offered me $15 towards another meal and I told him I wasn't interested, since it was $45 to eat there. American Airlines lost my luggage. It finally arrived at the ship on the second day while in Victoria. The delivery service called me and asked where they needed to deliver it and to whom. I was in downtown Victoria so I had to go back to the ship to get this information. The lady at Guest Services refused to call the delivery service, spending time writing all of the information down for me so I could call. It made no sense and was a waste of time, when she could have called while I was standing there and given them all of the information. Wheelchair debarkation was a huge mess. I arrived right when they opened at Sushi on 5 and there were already many people waiting. A Celebrity rep was there to assist us. While waiting Celebrity crew members would radio the rep and ask for a wheelchair to be brought to Celebrity Central on Deck 4. There were 5 chairs and 5 attendants, they called 6 times and there were no chairs left for us, the passengers that had been waiting for an hour. I asked the rep why this was happening and why these people took precedent over us and he didn't know. He finally told a crew member he couldn't send any more chairs down to 4. I waited over 90 minutes to get off of the ship because there weren't any chairs. This needs to be addressed and fix. Celebrity needs to stress to passengers if you want a wheelchair you have to go to Sushi on 5. My cabin was lovely. Room Attendant, Waiter, Assistant Waiter were wonderful and helpful. The main dining room food was good, not great but good. The Buffet, which I rarely eat at was delicious. The staff was very helpful. The ship is easy to navigate, I found everything without a problem. Elevator waits were very short, which is unusual on a ship. The shows were exceptional, singers, dancers and aerialist were amazing. The tender crew was very helpful. Every place I went was clean, spotless. The art work on this ship was fabulous, I took several photos of it. All in all, it was a great cruise with a few problems. Read Less