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. Read more