Royal Princess Dinner Cruise: Bangkok Chao Phraya River

I really wanted to love this experience. I actually had high hopes for the dinner cruise and was excited to finally do it. I had to reschedule my original reservation because the timing didn’t work with my flights, and I have to give credit where it’s due—the customer service team was wonderful and made the reservation change very easy. Then came cruise day… First, be prepared for VERY long lines. Boarding begins around 7:30 PM, which means you don’t really get the full two hours advertised. Once onboard, you’re greeted with a welcome blue syrup shot and water at your table, which was a nice touch. Then the cruise starts and everyone makes a mad dash for the buffet. And when I say mad dash, I mean practically a stampede. 😂 The buffet lines were extremely long, so I decided to wait a little while for the crowd to die down. Eventually, I got my food and returned to my table, 12B. Unfortunately, the view from 12B was already nearly obstructed by two large mechanical fixtures outside the window. At that point, I decided to make the best of it. I was determined to enjoy my evening regardless. And THEN… The unwanted guests arrived. ROACHES. Not one. Not two. ROACH AFTER ROACH AFTER ROACH. I am not exaggerating. They were coming out of the wall, crawling across the table, and one even made its way onto my plate. I actually recorded videos and killed three of them with a paper towel. THREE. 😩 At that point, I called the waitress over, showed her the videos and the paper towel evidence, and explained what was happening. She immediately removed my plates and went to get a manager. The manager came over, saw the situation for himself, and they offered to move me to another area. So where did I go? UPSTAIRS. In the rain. Yes. You read that correctly. 😂🤣 I left my roach-infested table for a “roach-free” table… outside… while it was raining. At this point, I could only laugh because what else could I do? The waitress then brought me a beverage menu and offered me a complimentary glass of white wine, which I appreciated. But at this point, I was wet, hungry, and completely in disbelief that this was how my dinner cruise experience had turned out. I boarded excited to enjoy Thai cuisine, the river views, and the traditional entertainment. Instead, I spent the evening dealing with extremely long lines, an obstructed view, a buffet experience that felt chaotic, and—most importantly—multiple live roaches crawling around my dining area and onto my food. I genuinely tried to make the best of the situation. I gave them the opportunity to correct it, accepted the relocation, and even tried to laugh about the whole thing. But unfortunately, this is not an experience I can recommend. I’m currently in my Grab heading back to my hotel—hungry, upset, wet, and still in disbelief. 😮‍💨 I really wanted to love this experience. I just wish the experience had loved me back. At this point, I believe a refund or significant compensation is appropriate given the circumstances. Rating: ⭐️⭐️ out of 5 The customer service team was kind and responsive, but the overall dining experience—especially the roach infestation—was completely unacceptable.

The Royal Princess Dinner Cruise on the Chao Phraya was a disappointment. The cruise seems vastly overbooked. Just too many people on board. Lines are long for the dinner buffet. Lots of cattle car moments getting on and off. If you can find a similar cruise at a higher price with fewer people, take it. Paying more, even a lot more for a dinner cruise that is a higher quality experience would be entirely worth it.

The check in process was very slow. When we reached the front of the line they wanted paper tickets yet we already had digital tickets. The check in lady was very rude and asked us how she was supposed verify our tickets and told us to step aside. She said they didn’t have scanners.

Absolutely waste of money - the food was nothing to rave about , no steaks but workers were seen eating them - the music was the same songs on repeat - they then couldn’t go the full way due to low water level - The asiatique mall is very nice outside and had lots of lovely food at reasonable prices Should have just stayed outside

Hmm, the organization was a tad shambles. I don’t think laying the food out then telling everyone to go for it was professional. The staff were very good and assisted when required, but a bit of tweaking would make it a memorable night.

We had a ball. What a magical evening. The scenery is amazing. The food was good, although not the best. Entertainment was great. The performer even did a special song for the South African group and we even enjoyed dancing to our favorite song. A special night. Reccomended.

Run! The organizer was terrible!! People were like animals here. The food was awful worst experience in Thailand. Definitely the worst dinner cruise I’ve ever been on in my life. Hahaha!

I have to say being a professional chef for 40 years (now retired) I was a little disappointed in the area of the food. Let me explain the rule of food is you eat with your eyes first. on this you got a 19 out of 10 score it looked good. taste of the food was good, except the steamed prawns which were very bland not to my taste. And this is the part that disappointed me the food that was cold wasn't and the food that was supposed to be hot wasn't either. Lukewarm at best. Now I totally understand there were a lot of people on this boat who needed to be fed quickly so dishes had to put out quickly, but I did not notice any little pot of liquid fuel under the food that was supposed to be hot. This meant that people waiting were not getting their food hot it was cooling off quickly. And I do not know how long the cold food had been sitting out but again it was not up to scratch Other people may look at it differently but my guests (4) all agreed it could have been better. We were all a little disappointed, as for the scenery it was spectacular could not fault it. would I go again, probably not but that is me speaking as someone who has done this work for 40 years, I personally think they need to improve greatly for me to come back

This trip was ok, there's only a few things worth seeing in Bangkok. It doesn't really last that long, and feels a bit rushed. You're piled into the boat, quickly fed, then the boat speeds rapidly past the good bits, returns, and you're quickly ejected

Cruise is a standard one but very clean and organized. The lines are long to embark but very efficient. We sat on the 3rd level which is where everyone else is seated and you have the best views. There was entertainment (music and some cultural dances) which kept the mood festive. Views and pace of the boat were good - expect a minimum two-hour roundtrip journey plus waiting time to board. Regarding food, it is a buffet style but there is more than enough choices if you're not picky and the food is constantly being replenished. They accommodated our dietary restrictions by placing the main dishes at our table prior to boarding - we were still allowed to hit the buffet. All drinks, including soft drinks, are chargeable but reasonable. No matter which company you choose, the river cruise is a must do if you have a short time in Bangkok - relaxing beautiful winter evening after a long day of sightseeing.