Princess Cruise Lines - Reviews and experiences

I hesitated before booking because Princess felt very American and I worried UK customers might get the short end. A friend had recommended Sky Princess and I also saw a promo online, so I went ahead. Onboard was solid — service, cleanliness and the public spaces were all very good. Cabins are on the small side, but tidy and well kept. Staff handled a few rowdy passengers quickly, which impressed me. My frustration is with the UK office before and after the cruise. Promo issues were brushed off, and when I escalated it felt like a standard canned reply. Lots of references to US-only policies that didn’t apply here. So my doubts mostly vanished about the ship itself, but not about the shore-side support. I’d sail again, just not book through the UK desk next time.

the light that shows a door is unlocked can stay lit even after you step away, so someone could follow you in without you noticing — not cool. Small annoyances too: the in-cabin motion light blasts the whole room if you get up at night and you can’t dim it; buffet tables sometimes got plates and napkins left behind; and the entertainment/menu felt recycled after a few days. It wasn’t a total disaster — staff were polite enough — but I’d recommend double-checking locks, not leaving valuables out, and the company should sort the sensors and training.

our big glacier-and-iceberg outing got cancelled without much of an explanation, and the Victoria visit was swapped for some tiny town we honestly can’t even name now. They gave $200 USD per person as compensation, but only to spend onboard, which felt stingy. Water was oddly annoying — cabins around decks 6–14 (we were on 8) but self-serve was up on deck 15, so hauling a thermos up elevators (that sometimes took forever) got old fast. Bottled water at the bar was priced steeply and there were a couple of billing mistakes (charged for extra bottles twice), but when we pushed at the front desk they did refund us — slowly, but they did. The surprise: some crew members were genuinely lovely, sharing tips and even bringing an extra blanket when my kid was cold at night. So yeah, imperfect, but with moments that made it worthwhile.

the on-ship staff eventually fixed individual charges but the crew’s processes are unclear, and the company didn’t follow up after we left. All that time at guest relations felt like three work days lost, not the most relaxing holiday. If you’re thinking about booking, keep a tight record of every charge and push for the printed package terms early. Small emotional aside: it left me annoyed, not furious, but definitely disappointed.

hang on, something’s off. Turned out there really were two different cruise offers running at once — who knew. Folks from the US were saying they paid a small extra for the second cruise and were happy as clams. We, however, shelled out way more — long story short, I ended up effectively paying over two grand for what boiled down to one drink a day. Ridiculous, really.
My husband and I are pushing 80, so the idea of “extra fitness classes” or “premium desserts” didn’t exactly sell themselves. Two desserts a day? No thanks — we’d be queasy and wired on sugar, not relaxing. The package rules meant if one of us took it, the other had to too, and that’s how I wound up paying for something we mostly didn’t use. I’m not about to change my one-drink-a-day habit at this age, no way.
Phones barely worked, which was annoying but manageable — we sneaked a couple emails in at the computer lounge, old-school style. My husband’s a veteran and we expected the usual courtesy; we only saw one veterans’ payment applied even though the billing made it look like two trips. We had to sort out the casino bill ourselves because of the split-cruise situation — awkward.
On the upside, the crew were lovely, really. Friendly, helpful — big kudos there. That’s partly what kept me from writing them off completely. We’ve sailed with this line before and honestly, pre-Covid trips felt more generous; no freebies, no upgrade, nothing — that stung. Also, no church services on Sundays when we had hoped to drop in, which was a small disappointment.
So yeah — sceptical at first, mildly irritated through most of it, but warmed up by the staff. Still waiting on the promised follow-up from the company, fingers crossed they actually read this. Overall mixed feelings.

roughly 20 stations but most serving the identical plate (bacon, sausage, beans, eggs — always the same cooked style). No poached eggs, no eggs Florentine, nothing for someone trying to avoid heavy meat every day. It’s odd how a place can present variety on paper and still push one narrow menu in practice.

I wasn’t sure how to start this — maybe with the ports that never happened, or with the nice little things that actually worked. Anyway, we boarded thinking "relax, see a few places," and things got... bumpy. First, one of the Orkney stops changed ages before we even left, which was disappointing but okay, you roll with it. Then Edinburgh — they tried to anchor for like 45 minutes and finally gave up, saying the water was too rough. Thing is, the cruise before us missed it too, so I kept wondering if it was truly the weather or something else. That was the port I was most excited about and we lost an excursion (not even through the line) so, yeah, money down the drain. Frustrating.
La Havre was another headache — drawbridges up because of a tall ship exhibit meant buses to Paris weren’t running until much later. We missed our bus and again, another booked outing gone. It felt like the ship could’ve warned us sooner; a heads-up would’ve helped.
On the day-to-day side, the buffet was hit-and-miss. Repetitive choices, kind of bland at times, and twice I found hair in my food — gross, of course. They did send chocolate-covered strawberries to the cabin as an apology, which was thoughtful, but it didn’t exactly fix the buffet vibe. Drinks at the buffet were mostly self-serve; that’s fine if you’re okay with it, I guess.
Service overall? Not consistently friendly except for our room steward, Jose — he genuinely saved a lot of the trip. He was attentive, quick, and just nice, which mattered. Some entertainment was pretty weak (hypnotist, a few singers), but a handful of shows were actually great — the Whitney Houston tribute was a highlight, and a couple of the dance numbers were fun. I liked starting mornings with an iced coffee from the International Café and lounging on deck 7; the beds were comfy enough to sleep well after busy days.
Tone-wise I went in skeptical and left kind of glad for the good bits but annoyed about the big misses. For the price we paid, there wasn’t enough to fully justify it, sadly.

the docks only fit so many people and the queue didn’t really shrink for what felt like hours. It was frustrating to wait in line, and the crew could’ve paced the loading better. Still, the staff tried to keep people informed, even if the info came in fits and starts.

a couple on Sky Princess (one to Norway for two weeks, another shorter Spain/France run), Royal Princess out to Australia/New Zealand, Sapphire Princess down to South America, and then back-to-back stuff culminating in Diamond Princess to Japan. Different ships, different vibes, and also different lessons learned — most of which are “do your homework” and “bring the right meds” (more on that).
Sky Princess felt modern and pretty lively — long promenades, a big crowd (over 3,600 passengers), lots of energy. It was fun, but also a bit packed, especially on the Spain/France week when the drink-package crowd turned the bars into merry chaos after shows. Tip: avoid the main drinking areas for a bit after the evening show if you like quieter walks back to your cabin. Still, the food was acceptable and, again, that jewellery shop made a lasting impression. If you like browsing high-end pieces while at sea, Sky Princess’s store beat every other ship I’ve seen.
Royal Princess surprised me in the best way: top-notch food and genuinely attentive staff. I have pretty severe allergies, and one chef went out of his way to prepare safe meals for me — special dishes, careful prep, and that kind of personal attention that makes a traveller feel looked after. That touched me more than anything fancy in the ship’s brochure. Food matters when you’re away from home, and when a crew member takes it seriously, it changes the whole trip.
Now, not every cruise was rosy. Sapphire Princess to South America was rough — inside cabin with nearly no ventilation, my partner and I came down with bronchitis and were out of commission for weeks. The dining experience was disappointing too; some areas felt dusty and the simpler steamed dishes we requested were often undercooked. One excursion to Bluff Cove (King penguins!) got cancelled, then we ended up at a private farm viewing for an extra charge, which left a bad taste. We pushed for a refund and got some money back, but it wasn’t the smoothest moment in our cruising career. Still, even that taught us to double-check cabin ventilation details and to consider insurance.
Diamond Princess, however, felt like the sweet spot. Slightly smaller, a bit older (in a grand way), and somehow calmer — fewer passengers, a wonderful crew, and food that genuinely tasted great across venues. We loved Pacific Moon, the Horizon Court, and the nightly greetings from the Director of Beverages, who was witty, warm, and made evenings fun. The ship was especially good for exploring Japan; ports were intensive but beautiful, and shopping there (Daiso, wildly cheap finds) felt like a treat. We’ve already rebooked Diamond Princess for Vietnam and more Japan trips because, honestly, it fit what we want: good service, decent crowds, and lots to do ashore.
A couple of practical notes from someone who’s learned the ropes: don’t do back-to-back cruises unless you want repeated shows (entertainment can be repetitive), pick cabins with good ventilation if you get seasick or have respiratory issues, and if you love shopping — don’t sleep on the jewellery boutiques. Also, Japan is gorgeous and reasonably priced (Yen’s low, which is great), though some local food habits might surprise you — like, they seemingly never skimp on fruit displays (small watermelon that’d cost a fortune back home), but it’s all part of the charm.
Would I cruise Princess again? Definitely. I’ve had highs and lows, but the highs have been memorable enough to keep me booking. If you’re planning a trip, think about what matters to you most — food, staff attentiveness, shopping — and pick the ship that matches that. For me, Diamond and Sky covered the bases (one for calm and service, the other for that unstoppable jewellery shop).

Late afternoon at the terminal, my grandson was already quiet and clinging to his backpack; that was the moment I realised this trip mattered more than a night out. We’d planned the cruise because routine and fresh air help him, and I need seats and easy access because of my mobility issues. After two hours on the road from London, checked in properly and with everything paid, we waited at the gangway like everyone else. Then they said the ship was full and we might have to wait in case someone didn’t show. Three hours later the answer was no — no cabin for us. My grandson shut down and started to cry; there’s a tired, stunned look kids get when plans collapse. A staff member was abrupt, closed a door in our faces, and there wasn’t any real attempt to explain options that would actually work for us. It felt like we were invisible on paper despite having followed every rule.

I got an email from the cruise line about a change in our Mediterranean trip on the Sun Princess cruise on May 25th. Instead of going to Kotor, Montenegro, we're going to Bar, Montenegro, a small town. There aren't any tours for this stop, and I couldn't find much to do in the town online. Princess said the change was due to water shuttle problems, but Bar doesn't seem like a great replacement port.

As a customer at Princess Cruise Lines, I recently had to cancel my reservation and was super surprised to find out that it would take a whopping 6 to 8 months to get my refund. This is way too long to wait for my money back, and it really shows how inefficient and lacking in good customer service the company is. I was really frustrated and disappointed by this whole situation because it shouldn't take so long to give someone their money back for a cancelled reservation. It feels like they're purposely holding onto customers' money for way too long, which is not okay and almost feels like they're trying to cheat people.

We had such a great time on our cruise with the Princess Plus package. Everything was well organized, the ports were always on time, and the service was amazing. Dennis, our cabin attendant, and the staff at the Crown Grill were exceptional. The food options were pretty good for the price we paid, and the entertainment, like the production shows and comedy acts, were really fun. We only did one excursion in Panama, the city walking tour, but it gave us some interesting background history.

The cruise ship was pretty nice and had some good stuff, but honestly, I was let down in the end. I bought a package that got all mixed up and changed after I already paid up front. The people at guest services were really mean and didn't help me out when I tried to fix things. Also, they didn't give enough info about the flights we booked through the cruise line before we left. The tours they offered cost way too much, and we didn't get to spend much time at the main sights. It felt like they were trying too hard to get us to buy more stuff and services during the trip. The Medallion App, which was supposed to make things easier, only really worked if the bar staff remembered to put in your drinks. I kept going back to guest services to sort out charges, and it was just so frustrating.

I recently went on a cruise and honestly, it didn't quite meet my expectations. The ship itself was decent, but that's about it. They really didn't have much for kids to do, just a worn-out court and some ping pong tables. Outdoor activities were seriously lacking too, which was a letdown. On the upside, the cabin was clean, all thanks to the friendly stateroom staff who were the best part of the whole trip.<br>Let's chat about the food. Even with the supposedly fancy restaurants, the food was just okay. Eating always took forever, no matter the time, and the service was inconsistent. Some staff were nice, but others not so much. Although, one restaurant did stand out with their amazing customer service.<br>My main problem was the lack of info about what was actually included in our package. It felt like we were being charged for things we thought were part of the deal, and getting answers was difficult. Some staff even gave us wrong info, which was super frustrating.<br>Ultimately, I was let down. There are definitely better cruise options out there, and I wish I had known that beforehand. Lesson learned for next time.

I planned a two-week Caribbean cruise with activities at the beginning of the year. About three weeks before departure, I realized that one of the activities was no longer on my schedule, and the cruise company didn't even tell me! I contacted them online, and the person I talked to couldn't explain what happened. They mentioned it might have been a third-party supplier who canceled the activity. I insisted that it was still the cruise company's job to let me know about any changes because I had a contract with them. I followed their instructions and sent an official complaint by email, asking for a response within a week just to acknowledge the complaint and give a timeline for fixing the issue. It's been 11 days now, and I haven't heard anything back. It's not right, no communication or follow-up like this.

My recent cruise was not the best. The food choices on the ship were quite disappointing; they served the same meals every day and there weren't many options for vegetarians like me. The worst part was when the main dining room was closed for a day, it felt like they were trying to push us towards the fancy restaurants. But even those restaurants didn't impress me much. I've had better food, entertainment, and rooms on other cruises like Carnival and Royal Caribbean. And I noticed some safety issues in the rooms that need to be fixed right away.

I had a terrible time trying to book my cruise with this company. I was on the phone for a long time with someone who never sent me the quote for my booking. I called back the next day, and still nothing. It was so frustrating, especially as a busy parent. Plus, some of the people I talked to didn't speak English well, which made things even harder. It really felt like a waste of my time and energy.

Our cruise was supposed to be amazing, eh, but it was completely ruined by the vibrations and noisy cabin. We tried everything to make it stop, but nothing worked, eh. Customer service tried their best to help, but they couldn't fix the issue, eh. We even paid extra for upgraded rooms, but they were both the same, eh. We would have been better off with a regular cabin and saving the money, eh. If only they had moved us, this cruise would have been a 5-star experience, eh. The ship was clean, the food was good, the staff were helpful, the weather was nice, and the stops were stunning, eh. We've been on cruises with other companies before, but we decided to come back to this cruise line because our first experience was so amazing, eh. Sadly, this time we were let down by the poor accommodation, eh. Even though we had a mini suite, we didn't get much sleep at all, eh!

I am so disappointed with the service I received on my recent cruise. It was just a mess from beginning to end. The staff didn't handle our issues well and didn't seem to care about making things right. It's really too bad that such a well-known company can provide such terrible service. I'll have to really think about booking with them in the future.