7-Night Murraylands and Wildlife Cruise on the Murray Princess

Excellent experience all round

Our 7 nights cruise on the Murray Princess was an excellent experience. We, a couple, had a three bed cabin ( having paid extra for the third bed) so we had ample space inside the cabin. And since the cabin was right opposite the Paddlewheel Lounge, we used the lounge very frequently, specially the 24/7 coffee/hot chocolate/ cookies counter. The staff were very courteous and helpful. Daily housekeeping was great. Plenty of fresh towels. And the food was of superb quality. They had sit down meals for lunch and dinner which was served course wise, people having made their choices beforehand. The musicians provided excellent entertainment during meal times. The overnight stops were well thought out and we had ample chances of roaming on the riverbanks. The experience of gliding along the Murray river was surreal. The paddlewheel steamer was a unique experience for us. Loved the flora and fauna of the wetlands. Thousands of birds. Couple of suggestions though, the day tours and excursions should be more precise and interesting. There was hardly any Wildlife experience though it’s called a wildlife cruise. No good guides either. And secondly, lots of time was wasted during the sit-down meals. The lunch can be a buffet with light food like soups/salads/ sandwiches. The amount of time taken for dinner and the meal hours made us miss the gorgeous sunsets on the Murray river, every evening, which was sad.

Response from the operator: Hello Oli, Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We are very pleased to hear that your 7-night Murray Princess cruise was such an enjoyable and memorable experience and that you appreciated the comfort of your cabin, onboard hospitality, dining and entertainment. We also value your constructive observations regarding the excursion program and meal service timing. Feedback such as yours is essential in helping us refine and enhance our onboard experience. We are grateful that you enjoyed so many aspects of your journey and appreciate you highlighting both your positive experience and suggestions for improvement. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you aboard again in the future. Kind Regards, Pratima from Adelaide Sightseeing.

via Tripadvisor

Expensive and poor quality

We enjoyed it but it is high on price and low on quality. A 7 day trip up and down the river exploring and watching the vista pass by was very relaxing. The on shore excursions to the Barossa Valley ,entailed long time spent on a coach and a short time at the wineries ,which ,although they ( the booking agents ) said there where tastings of the product ,it was meagre at best ,but sell ,sell sell . The food on board was one level above average ,with the staff walking around serving with one hand behind their back was beyond ridiculous. The meals took a long time to come out and when they did they were cold . A woman bar attendant ,was rude and hostile ,loading our bar tab the bottles of wine we never ordered ,lucky we checked. Over all ,the experience was great ,not so the bank accounts,value for money was certainly not there .

Response from the operator: Thank you for your feedback, Hendrik, and for sharing both the positive and less satisfying aspects of your experience. We're delighted you found the journey along the Murray River relaxing and enjoyed the scenic vistas. We’re sorry to hear that some elements, such as the onshore Barossa excursion and onboard dining, fell short of your expectations. Regarding the bar tab issue, we sincerely apologise for the oversight but are glad it was promptly rectified. We encourage all guests to review their accounts before settling payments to ensure accuracy. Your comments about the food quality, service, and excursion timing have been noted and will be reviewed as we continuously strive to improve our guest experience. We appreciate your feedback and hope to have the opportunity to exceed your expectations in the future. Kind Regards, Blaire from Murray Princess

via Tripadvisor

Highly recommend a 7 night cruise on the Murray Princess discovering this amazing river while being spoilt with great food and s

Can highly recommend this trip on the mighty Murray River. I thought I'd be bored, but not at all. Great on shore excursions learning about the history of the river and paddle steamers. Staff were amazing, nothing was a problem. Food was fantastic, buffet brekkies, 2 course lunches or ploughman's lunch, 3 course dinners. Alcohol at very reasonable prices with happy hour daily 20% off 5-6pm, wine/beer specials every lunch time with 20% off. Cabins a bit small but you don't spend much time in them. Great hot water showers. And of course, the spectacular scenery as you cruise along this enormous river.

Response from the operator: Thank you for taking the time to write us this wonderful review, Vicki. We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed your time on board the 7-night Murraylands and Wildlife Cruise, and that you were well looked after by our lovely crew - they all really are amazing! We hope to welcome you back on our beloved Murray Princess again soon! Kind regards, Blaire from Murray Princess

via Tripadvisor

Loved every minute of our stay.

My wife and I just completed our 7 night Murray River cruise on the Murray Princess and could not be happier with our experience. The crew were fantastic as were the meals and on board entertainment. A young 80 yr old livewire entertained for the whole journey with endless songs and jokes galore. For a man of his age he did everything from handling luggage to calling bingo, a very talented man. Thank you Bobby. I would highly recommend this trip for anyone wanting a carefree and laid back holiday.

Response from the operator: Thank you for taking the time to write us this wonderful review mcrowell2. We are delighted to hear you loved every minute of your 7-night cruise with us aboard the Murray Princess. Your kind words are truly appreciated and we will be sure to share them with our crew, and pass along your thanks to Bobby. :) Kind Regards, Blaire from Murray Princess.

via Tripadvisor

Will not recommend the 7 night Murray Princess

We were on the same trip as Sue who wrote "A nightmare 7 night trip on Murray Princess" and Greg W who wrote "Australian Amateurism and Gouging at it's worst" so well done Sue and Greg for these excellent reviews. I would also point out that I would defintely not like to be on the PaddleSteamer when it was booked out because there is no way you could go up to the front of the boat for happy hour or any other time of day to read etc. There were only about 60 of us on this trip and you had to go up there early to get a seat, so where would all the other travellers sit for happy hour etc and it would also take having meals so much longer. Each time the boat broke down we were not kept informed as to how long it would be before we would be sailing again. The food was ok but as for the seafood buffet I was not impressed and I think the prawns were old or overcooked as I have never taken so long to peel a prawn, should have gone for the alternate ham and turkey. Also where was the fish. After the girl got us lost on the walk, and we returned on the tender we were given a free coffee !!! wow. On the days we were sailing we were not informed of the names of the places/villages we were passing which was another disappointment. As we were in Mannum three times, I asked each time if we could spend a half hour or so wandering along the main street perhaps to spend a little money which would assist them after the floods, but was informed each time that it would not be possible - why would you travel all that way and not be able to spend some time in Mannum. When we disembarked in Mannum the poor staff had to carry the luggage down the stairs as the lift was still not working - I don't think they were too happy. Overall I was more than disappointed and would not recommend this trip to anyone. Also I would have thought we would be entitled to some compensation for the places and activities we missed out on for the days our itinerary was changed. As for being cold well we were more than cold and we were so disappointed with the lack of heating not to mention having to go up and down the stairs when the life was broken.

via Tripadvisor