Just got back from Greenland and Iceland trip on Emerald Princess which was an eye opener with regard to the itinerary ( positive) Embarkation was smooth, we were on ship by 1200 however cases not delivered to our cabin until 1830 but never mind the bars were open
However an eye opener ( negative) for the food, mostly repetitive limited choice catering for a certain element of passengers.
The buffet food was constantly cold – chowder and carbonara particularly unpleasant when cold! The portion size was good with regard to the roast of the day but the quality at time inedible, tough enough for the server struggling to slice the flank steak, then expecting me to eat it… impossible but I did give it a good try as I was brought up to eat what I was given on my plate! I learned my lesson and the next time it looked rubbish I told the server that I did not want it on my plate as it was disgustingly grisly and fatty.
The plates were cold where the hot food was located, hot where the salads and deserts were on offer.
There was a get to know your officers meeting where the executive chef and the top people were proud of their ship, they took questions from the guests and responded that they were unaware of any issues and would correct it…… they failed right up to the last day, temperatures were wrong and potentially unsafe
On a positive note their selection and quality of seafood was excellent and plentiful
The celebration evening menus were uninspiring but the chefs night ( the night after) was excellent
To be fair the entertainment team were brilliant making sure there was something going on allowing everyone to be involved as much or as little as they wished
The cabin was ok, toilet seat was loose when we arrived but soon sorted out by our steward.
Happy to provide a hair dryer as the fixed one was not working, also provided a kettle when requested
So staff all happy and polite making sure they gave their all to help you to enjoy your cruise
Unfortunately we will not rush back to Princess cruises and will happily continue on P&O as in our view they have surpassed Princess
I know reviews are subjective and others may not share our negativity but I believe facts should be available for cruisers to make informed decisions
