August 9 CB with Beverage Package

I just returned from the August 9 CB cruise. We were a group of 10 (8 - 50 + and 2 -23 year olds) It was my 13th cruise (1 - HAL, 3 Celebrity, 6 Royal Carib and third Princess), I was on princess 7 years ago (Crown) and 8 years ago (CB). I loved Princess when I sailed in the past and was looking forward to finally going back. My last 3 cruises were RCL - Serenade, Oasis and most recent Jewel so I will be comparing a lot to Royal.

Embarkation: The lines were long and the system seemed a bit inefficient. The worst part was after boarding pictures were taken the line was extra extra long. They take the picture for the cruise card as you walk on the ship. This seems to create havoc at a time you just want to feel great about boarding. As you cross the threshold on the ship, I felt a feeling of chaos rather than the usual fantastic “YaY” feeling. They clicked the picture and moved you along - no YAY.

Food: I remembered loving Princess food and that hasn’t changed. Probably the Best Ever! I tried many new things and loved everything. Soups were great as was everything I tried. The Love Boat dessert will be in my dreams for a long time. We are Italian and usually are disappointed with Italian night but everything was delicious.

Cabin: I had a Caribe cabin toward the aft. Absolutely loved the balcony. The furniture was comfortable and I spent a lot of time there. I also love that the bathroom and closet are off to the side out of the way. The only problem we had was on day 7 when I came back from the pool, my cabin steward had my furniture stacked and put off to the side (there was sand on the floor from the last cruisers so it wasn’t because he cleaned. I put them where they belonged to relax and when I came back after dinner they were stacked again. This is irritating because I paid for a 7 day cruise and expect to enjoy the entire 7 days.

All 10 of us had the beverage package. The Princess beverage package offers much more than RCL did last year. It included bottled water, sparkling water, canned soda and many choices of wine. All which make it a much better package than RCL. The problem was we were not not treated well with the package. On Jewel, once they saw all 10 of us had the package so sharing would not be an issue, they staff treated us superb. They were amazing. Princess we felt like every time we ordered, we were disturbing someone. The staff seemed like Big Brother was watching them and were afraid to pour a drink. There were of course exceptions and some great people but overall the service was poor.

Vines: Vines was a great place. Manu was a major exception to the other service we experience. He was friendly and happy at all times. The wines offered were great. The atmosphere was wonderful. We always went for sushi and tapas in the afternoon which were a great treat. Unfortunately for future cruise Manu left the ship on Saturday when we did.

Crooners: We tend to like the Champagne bar on other ships and Crooner had the closest menu to this. It was usually crowded at night so our group couldn’t go there. We did stop there in the afternoons after ports and Monika was another friendly server we met. The girl bartender (sorry I don’t know her name) made some great drinks.

Palm dining: We had traditional late dining. We always have this because we like to have the same wait staff every night and they usually have wonderful personalities that add to the experience. Our wait staff this time served us - Period. They didn’t learn our names, they didn’t interact. They seemed overworked and unhappy. The dining room air conditioner wasn’t working the first two nights. This caused great discomfort for some in our group. (I don’t take off my sweater till the temp hits 85 and I never wore a sweater). By the third night it was better. Getting wine with dinner was not easy. On the Jewel, by the second night our table was full of wine when we walked in. Here we were lucky to get a glass in the first 45 minutes. We learned to bring our own in. Manu would make sure we all had a glass to go from vines. On Italian night, I wanted to try a lemoncello shot. It came in a souvenir glass (which isn’t included in the package) so I asked for it in a regular shot glass - they refused. We went to Crown grill one night (we usually try one specialty) and then the next night, for the first time in 13 cruises we decided to skip the dining room and go to Horizon court for dinner. We just weren’t enjoying our dining experience in the dining room. On the last night, we did go back to Palm only to find the air conditioning broke again. This time even I was hot and that takes a lot. I knew when I walked in I would not get my beloved Love Boat for the last night. Our group was not going to make it through dinner in that heat. We did end up leaving and going to the Carib cafe where they put tables together for us and had excellent food and service.

We did the Susan Komen walk for Cancer. It was a 5K. There wasn’t a big turn out but was a nice event for a good cause. My mother had breast cancer a couple years ago and now at 75 years old, she is running 5ks so we did it in her honor. We walked around deck 7 which goes all the way around the ship. Many people chose to run it.

I love the Caribbean Water and the Western Carib ports have some amazing water. We had two tender ports. Both ports, tendering to the island was painless. Princess Cay had very long lines to get back back Grand Cayman was very easy. We were an over an hour late getting to Cozumel and the lines to get off that day were much worse than the tendering ports. We did 4 amazing tours and I couldn’t pick which ones I loved the most.

Princess Cay: We decided to go with Eleutheratours to Light House Beach - Absolutely beautiful. We had the beaches and water to ourselves. amazing views. Great day.

Jamaica: We went to Secret Falls with Liberty tours. We climbed falls, jumped cliffs, climbed thru a cave under the falls, had a water body massage etc. Beautiful place, great guides. Amazing day.

Grand Cayman: We talked our taxi driver into stopping at Hell and waiting for us just so we can see it. Then we went to Cemetery beach. I snorkeled the reef and then we had Cayman Stand up Paddle Company deliver us Paddle boards. This was a lot of fun especially in the beautiful Cayman water.

Cozumel we did the Cozumel Bar Hop. We have done this before but I am addicted to the beauty of the East Side of the Island. The Hop is a great way to enjoy it.

We had a great vacation. I felt the ship is in very good shape. There were some very good experiences but also some bad - over all we had the best food ever and the worst service ever. Most unsmiling crew I have ever encountered but there were exceptions and they made our experience a great one.

We had great weather, calm seas, great company and 10 healthy people. All I need for a great cruise. My biggest complaint about the cruise is that they made me get off on Saturday and sometime during the week my cabin Steward changed the mirror in my room. The new one made me look very wide ( have I mentioned how good the food was).

Thanks for your review.

Its too bad that there are these major issues with the drink package and it basicly just started! :mad:

Not acceptable.

Thank you for that review.

We will be celebrating our 30th anniversary on board the CB, it will be our first cruise.

54 days... can't wait.

Again thanks for the review.

Mark

Thanks for the review. Just one comment about the all-inclusive package. Ok, two comments. One is that it's relatively new so not all staff have become accustomed to it. Two, there's been serious abuse of it at times. We observed that on the Sapphire in March so I'm glad Princess is being vigilant. What the abusers don't realize is that they're ruining it for everyone else because Princess will be more vigilant and people will have an experience like you did, or prices will go up.

Thanks for the report!

We were on the same cruise. We did not experience any bad service. I'm sorry you did. We had exceptional service especially in Crooners. Anna and Wilson at the bar and Monika waiting at the tables. The only time we had trouble getting drinks was in Club Fusion at busy times like trivia or bingo. We did anytime dining and had some duds as waiters. They were very good but not full of personality. We did discover Bozidar in the Coral who we loved and sought him out when possible. The wait staff in both of the specialty restaurants were wonderful. We also noticed some warmth in various areas of the ship. We had a wonderful Cruise Critic meet and greet in Skywalkers with many of the senior officers showing up and spending some time sharing info and stories with us. All in all we felt this was one of our favorite cruises.

There were some very good experiences but also some bad - over all we had the best food ever and the worst service ever. Most unsmiling crew I have ever encountered but there were exceptions and they made our experience a great one.

I hope you filled out the post cruise survey and mentioned the poor service you had at times.

Mark:

Happy Anniversary! We also celebrated our 30th onboard. Make sure you let them know it is your anniversary. The Anniversary dessert is delicious! They also have a couple nice touches that they add to celebrate it.

Our traveling companions bought us an anniversary package. We never received it. My sister showed the confirmation to guest services but we still never received anything.

Our traveling companions bought us an anniversary package. We never received it. My sister showed the confirmation to guest services but we still never received anything.

Definitely include this experience when you fill out the post-cruise questionnaire. You can also fill out a Comment form at the PSD. Just ask for a comment card. Include names, dates and times you spoke to them. You are not getting someone in trouble. They've done that to themselves.

Welcome back. Thanks for posting your review. We were on the week before you, which was the eastern Caribbean itinerary. I'm glad the AC worked in the dining room for our cruise.

Thank you for your post. It sounds like the higher ups are nervous about how much the beverage package crowd is drinking. That's so sad because it's hard to believe that anyone can spend $49 a day on drinks. I'm trying to decide whether to get the beverage package for the CB North Cape cruise next June. The beverage package seems very convenient because it eliminates having to keep up with how many bottles of water and glasses of wine I've had at dinner. Since the beverage package is so expensive, however, it may be better to pay as you go and keep up with the bookkeeping if the service is that poor. Does anyone else have any thoughts about the expense of the beverage package versus the level of service on the CB? Thanks.

Thanks for the review. Sorry for the poor service with the All Inclusive Drink Card. We were also on this cruise. We only had the soda sticker for me and the mini bar set up in the room, plus the two bottles of wine we brought onboard, so we did not experience this problem. I found that the bartenders and servers were always happy to honor my request for another diet coke and did not ask to see my soda sticker after the first day or two. I did carry the tumbler given with the sticker, so that eliminated their needing to see my card I suppose.

Our cabin was a balcony on Caribe forward. It was the usual Caribe B class balcony cabin, but had more sun on the balcony for the greater portion of the cruise, and we ended up going up to the rear pool area for shade many days. It was quiet and not crowded usually. I have to say that putting the rear adult pool area near the small kids play area was not a good choice made by Princess, but the kids did not play outdoors for long periods.

This was my first cruise since becoming Elite. We enjoyed the extra perks that come with this. We used this short 7 day get away as a time for relaxation and rejuvenation and did as little as possible at all times. We enjoyed the three production shows (Piano Man, Caribbean Caliente, and Do You Wanna Dance?). Although they did not seem the best we've seen on Princess, we thought Caribbean Caliente was the best of the three. One evening we watched 'Gravity' at MUTS. All in all, it was another great Princess cruise!

We played trivia with siblings who had the unlimited soda and more stickers. They never had any problems getting their mocktails while we were around. They never mentioned having problems at other times either.

Mark:

Happy Anniversary! We also celebrated our 30th onboard. Make sure you let them know it is your anniversary. The Anniversary dessert is delicious! They also have a couple nice touches that they add to celebrate it.

 

Our traveling companions bought us an anniversary package. We never received it. My sister showed the confirmation to guest services but we still never received anything.

Well that stinks about the anniversary package.

Looking forward to the anniversay dessert. Sounds interesting.

Thanks for the well wishes.

We were on this cruise & had Anytime Dining in the Island dining room. Our first night there the maître d' told us very strongly(rude) that there was not any tables available. We both looked at each other like what is wrong with this guy.Within about 1 minute, another man came up to us & took us to a table for two. The waiter we had there was Shane from Jamaica & he was fantastic !! A very friendly person & quick with our food, very personable! BTW, we did mention him on our host comment card & the online survey. Hope we have him on another cruise in the future.

All of other interactions with crew was favorable. We did the Crab Shack on the day we were at Cozumel at 7:30pm. The servings was enough for us. We also did the Crown Grill.

We enjoyed this cruise as we have done with other cruises in the past. Also purchased more Future Cruise Credits while onboard.

The cabin we were in was R708 & heard very,very little noise from the Horizon Court above us. Ideal location to run up & grab something to eat in the morning while she slept & to get to the Lido Deck. We enjoyed the steel drummer Tyrone, with whom we saw during our Ruby Princess cruise in March 2014. The band Passion was good too,they were leaving the ship when this cruise ended.

Embarkation was good for us since we are Platinum & got to the Port early. Getting back to the ship from Princess Cays & getting off the ship in Cozumel was not a usual situation, very long lines in each case.

I know we jumped around giving a mini report, first time I have done one.

Thanks for the review. Just one comment about the all-inclusive package. Ok, two comments. One is that it's relatively new so not all staff have become accustomed to it. Two, there's been serious abuse of it at times. We observed that on the Sapphire in March so I'm glad Princess is being vigilant. What the abusers don't realize is that they're ruining it for everyone else because Princess will be more vigilant and people will have an experience like you did, or prices will go up.

What abuse did you notice?

Thank you for that review.

We will be celebrating our 30th anniversary on board the CB, it will be our first cruise.

54 days... can't wait.

Again thanks for the review.

Mark

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I am so jealous! Really. You only get one first cruise. I hope you enjoy it as much we enjoyed our first cruise. I didn't want to cruise and knew I would hate everything about it. Boy was I wrong!

Some people are envious of the people with the black Elite cards. I tend to envy the people with the blue "newbie" cards. There is nothing quite like the first cruise.

Thank you for your review.

My first cruise was on the CB.. And I am booked for Nov 1st (hope that works out & trying to figure out if I can throw in the Nov. 6th as well). Really looking forward to that great food!

I am considering the beverage package. I was wondering if Princess Cays is included? Have asked but not yet received an answer.

I can only read CC boards when I have a booked cruise. Otherwise I'm just too jealous (and obsessed). But glad I'm stopped by and read this report!

The OP wrote: "Cabin: I had a Caribe cabin toward the aft. Absolutely loved the balcony. The furniture was comfortable and I spent a lot of time there. I also love that the bathroom and closet are off to the side out of the way. The only problem we had was on day 7 when I came back from the pool, my cabin steward had my furniture stacked and put off to the side (there was sand on the floor from the last cruisers so it wasn’t because he cleaned. I put them where they belonged to relax and when I came back after dinner they were stacked again. This is irritating because I paid for a 7 day cruise and expect to enjoy the entire 7 days."

I realize this thread is mostly about the drink package, but I saw this portion and it reminded me of something that happened on my last cruise (which was on Celebrity).

When I arrived back in my cabin in late afternoon on the last day, I went to open the mini fridge but it was locked!! I didn't even know they could be locked. The steward said he had to remove my drinks and ice and replace the minibar bottles that came in the fridge and lock it up so it would be ready for the new passengers who would arrive in my cabin the next day. I told him that I paid for my room until I would leave the next morning, but he refused to unlock the fridge. I had the same frustration as you did - I paid to use the entire cabin until the minute I left and I think the use of the fridge should be a part of that. I didn't want to cause a fuss, but it did bother me and if it happens again, I will take it further.

sorry

I am considering the beverage package. I was wondering if Princess Cays is included? Have asked but not yet received an answer.

No. Pretty sure (?) that I have seen other reviews that the Cays is not included.

No. Pretty sure (?) that I have seen other reviews that the Cays is not included.

Which is completely opposite of everything I've read saying it is included.

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We did a tour from Princess Cays. We got back to the port about and hour before the last tender and all the bars were closed by then so we never were able to try to use it. The way I understood it was that the package is good at Princess Cays but not for souvenir cups. You might have to go to a bar to get your drinks.

The souvenir cup vs non souvenir cup might be causing confusion for cruisers and employees. I did ask for a lemoncello shot at dinner one night and they would not include it in the package because it came in a souvenir glass. I asked for it in a regular shot glass and they said "no"

I know for a fact that the regular soda sticker does not work on Princess Cays. If soda is desired, a canned soda must be purchased. They say because they do not have fountain drinks on the island.

As for mixed drinks with the drink package, I'd be willing to bet it isn't included but have no experience with that. I hope it is included, after all it should be. Good Luck!! Please report back and let us know.

No. Pretty sure (?) that I have seen other reviews that the Cays is not included.

I have personally seen the all-you-can-drink beverage package

used on princess cays.