New Crown Discussion

Some people talk about the Crown and the "list" others talk about the "shimmying motion" still others complained about the "fuel problem".

What I want to know is besides the cookies in the International Cafe, what is so different about the Crown versus say the Sapphire?

I have been reading the reviews of the ship and many people call it the "best experience". What makes the Crown so special?

How about a review of the ship minus the previously stated problems.

This might sell more people on going and it seems like many that have sailed the ship love it. Details, please.

Well said ! We are booked for 9/21 on the crown and a few more positive points would be wonderful.

Cheers !

I have seen quite a few positives about the Crown...unfortunately bad news always outways good news...have you ever seen a news broadcast start out with "nobody was killed or injured today!" We sail on her in june...can't wait!

What I want to know is besides the cookies in the International Cafe, what is so different about the Crown versus say the Sapphire?

All-new things exclusive to Crown Princess, from the Princess website...

• The Sanctuary -- An adults-only "pocket of tranquility" on the uppermost forward deck of the ship, The Sanctuary offers a relaxing alternative to the myriad activities available throughout the ship. Solitude seekers will be able to escape completely to this plush, outdoor spa-inspired setting with signature beverages, light meals, massages, relaxing personal entertainment and attentive service from the area's Serenity Stewards.

• La Piazza -- A brand new piazza-style atrium, designed to be the bustling hub of the ship with a street café atmosphere. With Italian-inspired décor, this charming street café environment serves as an inviting venue throughout the day for passengers seeking a more casual dining option. Within this space passengers will find the International Café with a rotating menu throughout the day; Vines, a wine and seafood bar; and an internet café.

• International Café --- Serving up rotating themes throughout the day, the International Café is the place for an ever-changing array of snacks. Passengers might find freshly baked croissants or beignets in the morning, crêpes or bonbons in the afternoon, and chocolate fondue or desserts in the evening. It will also be the perfect spot for pre-dinner tapas or after-dinner petit fours.

• Vines --- A wine and seafood bar to tempt passengers in the evening with an assortment of fine wines by the glass as well as chilled seafood "cocktails" -- appetizers including salmon, caviar, sushi, gravlax or other treats from the sea. Designed to resemble a wine cellar, the venue will also host an extensive menu of wines and food tastings paired for a completely different experience.

• Crown Grill --- A new dining venue, the Crown Grill features a brand new menu offering seafood as well as chops and steakhouse fare. This showplace eatery will entertain passengers with an open, theater-style kitchen where chefs custom-prepare steamed shellfish-- such as lobster, scallops, clams and mussels -- and cooked-to-order steaks and chops. Passengers can choose to sit at the kitchen's eat-up counter and watch the show as they dine. This 160-seat restaurant features rich décor, leather appointments, wine display cabinets and the privacy of booths as well as tables and counter seating.

• Sabatini's -- Princess' famed Sabatini's Italian trattoria now sits in a prime top-deck location to offer fine dining with a view. The expanded space will allow more room for diners to enjoy this intimate, eight-course Italian extravaganza. The stunning new venue offers windows on three sides with dramatic vistas overlooking the wake of the ship. The new adjacent Adagio Lounge offers a cozy venue for Sabatini diners to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail and a New-York jazz club style atmosphere while taking in the breathtaking views.

• The Bee at Sea --- Crown Princess passengers will also have the opportunity to compete in one of the nation's hottest "new" reality competitions: the spelling bee. Princess' new "The Bee at Sea" features a two-day challenge that will test participants' skills and nerve with intense drama, escalating word difficulty, and suspense-filled elimination rounds. Featured in the Princess Theater on each sailing, The Bee at Sea will feature both an adult and kids version, and the winners will receive a special dictionary signed by the ship's captain. Finalists will enjoy a larger audience for their 15 minutes of fame when the final rounds of competition are shown in the ship's dramatic Movies Under the Stars outdoor film venue.

• Entertaining New Stage Shows --- Crown Princess passenger will enjoy three new production shows in the ship's state-of-the-art Princess Theater -- "What a Swell Party," "Destination Anywhere" and "Motor City." With a Great Gatsby-style atmosphere, "What a Swell Party" takes passengers to Millie's mansion as the household prepares for an elegant house party, accompanied by selection of Cole Porter songs and other musical standards of the era. In addition, "Destination Anywhere" takes audiences on a round-the-world journey, while "Motor City" features a lively selection of Motown music.

• Competitive Edge --- Two new fun competition events will also debut on Crown Princess. The first, Ballroom Blitz, offers participants the opportunity to learn a variety of basic ballroom dances at lessons throughout the cruise and can then show off their moves in a series of evening competitions inspired by the recent popularity of ballroom dancing on television. In Princess Peer Factor (Friends, Family or Foe?) two teams of peers square off in fun events where they can try out their skills at a variety of interesting shipboard tasks, such as pizza making, casino dealing, ice carving, cocktail mixing or trying to keep up with the ship's entertainers.

All-new things exclusive to Crown Princess, from the Princess website...

 

 

• The Sanctuary -- An adults-only "pocket of tranquility" on the uppermost forward deck of the ship, The Sanctuary offers a relaxing alternative to the myriad activities available throughout the ship. Solitude seekers will be able to escape completely to this plush, outdoor spa-inspired setting with signature beverages, light meals, massages, relaxing personal entertainment and attentive service from the area's Serenity Stewards.

 

• La Piazza -- A brand new piazza-style atrium, designed to be the bustling hub of the ship with a street café atmosphere. With Italian-inspired décor, this charming street café environment serves as an inviting venue throughout the day for passengers seeking a more casual dining option. Within this space passengers will find the International Café with a rotating menu throughout the day; Vines, a wine and seafood bar; and an internet café.

 

• International Café --- Serving up rotating themes throughout the day, the International Café is the place for an ever-changing array of snacks. Passengers might find freshly baked croissants or beignets in the morning, crêpes or bonbons in the afternoon, and chocolate fondue or desserts in the evening. It will also be the perfect spot for pre-dinner tapas or after-dinner petit fours.

 

• Vines --- A wine and seafood bar to tempt passengers in the evening with an assortment of fine wines by the glass as well as chilled seafood "cocktails" -- appetizers including salmon, caviar, sushi, gravlax or other treats from the sea. Designed to resemble a wine cellar, the venue will also host an extensive menu of wines and food tastings paired for a completely different experience.

 

• Crown Grill --- A new dining venue, the Crown Grill features a brand new menu offering seafood as well as chops and steakhouse fare. This showplace eatery will entertain passengers with an open, theater-style kitchen where chefs custom-prepare steamed shellfish-- such as lobster, scallops, clams and mussels -- and cooked-to-order steaks and chops. Passengers can choose to sit at the kitchen's eat-up counter and watch the show as they dine. This 160-seat restaurant features rich décor, leather appointments, wine display cabinets and the privacy of booths as well as tables and counter seating.

 

• Sabatini's -- Princess' famed Sabatini's Italian trattoria now sits in a prime top-deck location to offer fine dining with a view. The expanded space will allow more room for diners to enjoy this intimate, eight-course Italian extravaganza. The stunning new venue offers windows on three sides with dramatic vistas overlooking the wake of the ship. The new adjacent Adagio Lounge offers a cozy venue for Sabatini diners to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail and a New-York jazz club style atmosphere while taking in the breathtaking views.

 

• The Bee at Sea --- Crown Princess passengers will also have the opportunity to compete in one of the nation's hottest "new" reality competitions: the spelling bee. Princess' new "The Bee at Sea" features a two-day challenge that will test participants' skills and nerve with intense drama, escalating word difficulty, and suspense-filled elimination rounds. Featured in the Princess Theater on each sailing, The Bee at Sea will feature both an adult and kids version, and the winners will receive a special dictionary signed by the ship's captain. Finalists will enjoy a larger audience for their 15 minutes of fame when the final rounds of competition are shown in the ship's dramatic Movies Under the Stars outdoor film venue.

 

• Entertaining New Stage Shows --- Crown Princess passenger will enjoy three new production shows in the ship's state-of-the-art Princess Theater -- "What a Swell Party," "Destination Anywhere" and "Motor City." With a Great Gatsby-style atmosphere, "What a Swell Party" takes passengers to Millie's mansion as the household prepares for an elegant house party, accompanied by selection of Cole Porter songs and other musical standards of the era. In addition, "Destination Anywhere" takes audiences on a round-the-world journey, while "Motor City" features a lively selection of Motown music.

 

• Competitive Edge --- Two new fun competition events will also debut on Crown Princess. The first, Ballroom Blitz, offers participants the opportunity to learn a variety of basic ballroom dances at lessons throughout the cruise and can then show off their moves in a series of evening competitions inspired by the recent popularity of ballroom dancing on television. In Princess Peer Factor (Friends, Family or Foe?) two teams of peers square off in fun events where they can try out their skills at a variety of interesting shipboard tasks, such as pizza making, casino dealing, ice carving, cocktail mixing or trying to keep up with the ship's entertainers.

Thanks for the comprehensive answer! I was looking at the ship floorplans and they look very similar- so just wondered if anyone has been on both and felt a discernable difference.

We were on the July 2 cruise. My wife and daughter loved the International cafe, daily activities, and the spa. We all appreciated the beauty of the atrium/piazza and the quality of the food and service. The crystal and liquor prices in the ship's stores were excellent. The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is a real winner. There was a better variety of entertainment on board than most ships. Princess Theatre lighting and sound systems are excellent. CD and staff were IMHO very good. Overall very nice experience.

I thought my review was quite honest and complimentary, without much takl about the list. Don't know what to say, beyond the good things I wrote.

Posted this earlier; hope it helps!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

We had our first cruise ever on the 7/2 sailing. We loved the Crown, and we just booked three rooms for the 4/14/07 sailing!! First, make sure you eat everything in sight! We ate a light breakfast in the caribe cafe/horizon court (cc/hc), then a real breakfast later and sometimes a delicious pastry from the international cafe before lunch. Then of course lunch in the cc/hc. Then we went down to the international cafe and had either one of their yummy, little sandwiches or a quiche or both (all free). Then of course it was appetizers before our seating in the botticcelli dining room. We highly reccommend having reservations. You can get on a waiting list now. We started at 146 and ended up with a table. For dinner, we ate and ate (one night the wife had THREE appetizers. :rolleyes: They're called avocado boats I think.)! You can order two dinners if you want! The princess love boat dessert IS wonderful also. Also, we usually had an after dinner/before bedtime snack in the cc/hc as well. On seafood night, we took a few crab legs back to the room for breakfast! We are active (and thin) people, but we ate like we had never seen food before!! :p My wife bought all new clothes for the cruise in one size bigger than she usually buys! yes, we both gained ten pounds on this cruise!!!:eek: We worked out in the fitness center ( a wonderful place) almost every day though!!! The weight is not dropping off as quickly as we had expected...

Try the pina coladas! The mediums of any drink are the best deal. The princess pina colada has more rum, but you can ask for just a regular pina colada also. They taste great by the pool. They have a chocolate/banana kahlua drink that is also delicious.

Bring a highlighter and read/highlight your princess patter (cruise newsletter) nightly!

Try to schedule your night so that you eat early. We ate at 6pm and loved it. The explorer's lounge usually has something good going on at around 7:30pm, and you should definitely go see whatever is in the Princess theatre EVERY night. We had awesome entertainment. Get there 20 -30 minutes in advance to get good seats. Sit and have a drink in Crooner's bar and/or the Piazza area before or after dinner. A very cool place to people watch. Also, walk the promenade!!! It's incredible even to just sit out there. Sign up for a future cruise while you are on the ship. You don't have to book a cruise, just pay a small deposit. Just sign up, and you get shipboard credit for your next cruise. Also, if you get someone else to go on the cruise, you can get credit for that and your guests can also.

The lotus pool area is amazing at night! It can get pretty deserted, so be careful. You can go "up and over " to get in if the spa doors are closed.

Take advantage of movies under the stars! It's cool at least once.

If you can get a snorkle excursion to trunk bay in st johns, do it!

Horseshoe bay in Bermuda is wonderful, but be careful about waiting til the last minute to get the bus back to the ship. There could be 100 people waiting for the bus! Also, the $1 trip fee to the top of the hill is worth it.

WATCH the boat leave the ports!! It's incredible how they back that huge ship up and turn it around! I was convinced we weren't going to make the turn around in st. thomas, but we did!!! Amazing!

Even though princess charges $10 a day for tipping, we tipped our waiter and steward $50 each additionally. The waiter is supposed to split this equally with the bus person.) of the $10, the steward only gets 2.80. The laundry people get $.70 and the dining room waiters get 6.50. This can be changed. Just go to the passenger services desk. A 15% gratuity is already added to ANY drink you purchase. If you add $ to your bar bill, it is split with everyone. It doesn't go to your server. There are envelopes that say "gratuity" at the passenger services desk. This money DOES go to YOUR server/steward. Also, They have cards you can fill out that recognize a crew member for outstanding service. The Crew LOVE to get those. It goes into their file and helps with promotions. Be generous with the cards! We were very impressed the crew. My wife loved having a steward tidy up after us. We came home and now SHE is the steward to our two children:o . No gratuity....

Check your bill a couple times during your cruise. We were double billed for drinks one night. The waiter seemed confused when I asked him to credit our account, but the passenger services desk corrected it the next day.

The rooms are wonderful, the closet is amazing and you can put your luggage UNDER the bed. We were on the lido deck. Easy walking to the food. LOVED IT.

There is so much to do and see. Have a great time!!! Hope this was helpful!

:D Ten LONG months till our 2nd cruise!

Thanks Soundwaves for your pleasant review. It sounded like you and your family had an unique and awesome experience.

Some people talk about the Crown and the "list" others talk about the "shimmying motion" still others complained about the "fuel problem".

 

What I want to know is besides the cookies in the International Cafe, what is so different about the Crown versus say the Sapphire?

 

I have been reading the reviews of the ship and many people call it the "best experience". What makes the Crown so special?

 

How about a review of the ship minus the previously stated problems.

This might sell more people on going and it seems like many that have sailed the ship love it. Details, please.

*disclaimer - this is just a curious question - there is nothing more to it - please don't take this wrong*

But, if you've already cancelled your Crown cruise as you stated in one of your other posts, why do you keep obcessing (my spelling leaves a lot to be desired) about this??? Why not just let it alone? You've made your opinions abundently clear about the Crown and all of her "problems" so I just don't understand all the questions. Again, just curious.

I've not sailed on the Crown, but in spite of the issues that have arisen, I choose to sail on her next summer. I've also gone to cruisejunkie.com and done comparisons of other ships . . . and you know what? They all have had "issues" -- most not publicized quite like this. There are so many positive, upbeat, reviews of the Crown including reviews from the July 11 sailing that had a lot of positive things in it, along with the mishaps and the list.

So, my question is, why do you keep posting about this when you've made your decision and you've already cancelled your cruise?

*disclaimer - this is just a curious question - there is nothing more to it - please don't take this wrong*

 

But, if you've already cancelled your Crown cruise as you stated in one of your other posts, why do you keep obcessing (my spelling leaves a lot to be desired) about this??? Why not just let it alone? You've made your opinions abundently clear about the Crown and all of her "problems" so I just don't understand all the questions. Again, just curious.

 

I've not sailed on the Crown, but in spite of the issues that have arisen, I choose to sail on her next summer. I've also gone to cruisejunkie.com and done comparisons of other ships . . . and you know what? They all have had "issues" -- most not publicized quite like this. There are so many positive, upbeat, reviews of the Crown including reviews from the July 11 sailing that had a lot of positive things in it, along with the mishaps and the list.

 

So, my question is, why do you keep posting about this when you've made your decision and you've already cancelled your cruise?

Because I sailed on the Sapphire last year and since I am not going this year- just curious to hear how they compare. Just curious no other reason. I really hope that everyone is and does have a great time on the Crown. It just wasn't for me because of the recent list. I am sure it is a beautiful ship and after I posted this someone sent a very nice thread with pictures.

Do they bake any other cookies besides Chocolate Chip????

Do they bake any other cookies besides Chocolate Chip????

YES!! White chocolate macadamia, oatmeal raisin, and sugar. If I recall, it is only one kind each day, though.

I never had one of the cookies and I am sorry I didn't. Carol, who wandered the ship after, "the thing," said they had cookies baking pretty soon after. They smelled amazing.

I have to say that in all my years of cruising I have never had better dining room service then I did most nights on the Crown. The waiters we came to know and love were beyond good. I did not expect this with anytime dining and would not hesitate to use it again. Our TA got us early seating, but we turned it down in favor of anytime. I suspect our beloved waiters will have moved on to a new contract again, but I hope we will see at least one of them.

YES!! White chocolate macadamia, oatmeal raisin, and sugar. If I recall, it is only one kind each day, though.

Good thing I already have a cruise booked on Crown!

The smell that permeates the Piazza during the baking cycle should be ILLEGAL. :D

the crown was a very pretty ship. When we first entered on at the atrium entrance, it immediately struck me as a high class elegant vessal. The Piazza atmosphere was very nice. Food was overall very good although oneday in Cafe Caribe, i thought the food was just really bad, but it was only that one day.

I liked the fact that you could walk in certain areas that some cruise ships block off, like the very front of the ship and on top of the bridge. Standing ontop of the bridge was interesting, especially when you walk out over the bridge wings.

One thing that suprised me, the boat deck seemed small. As in they were narrow. Much more narrow then NCL, and RCI ships. Place a lounge chair there and you may have traffic problems, i guess thats why there were non on the boat deck. On RCL you appreciate the power operated doors that go to the boat deck(Promenade Deck) Those doors are so heavy :).

Aside from that, the experience on my 7/2 voyage was pretty good overall. It exceeded my expectations. Entertainment was hit and miss. International Cruise show is a MUST.

Posted this earlier; hope it helps!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

We had our first cruise ever on the 7/2 sailing. We loved the Crown, and we just booked three rooms for the 4/14/07 sailing!! First, make sure you eat everything in sight! We ate a light breakfast in the caribe cafe/horizon court (cc/hc), then a real breakfast later and sometimes a delicious pastry from the international cafe before lunch. Then of course lunch in the cc/hc. Then we went down to the international cafe and had either one of their yummy, little sandwiches or a quiche or both (all free). Then of course it was appetizers before our seating in the botticcelli dining room. We highly reccommend having reservations. .....There is so much to do and see. Have a great time!!! Hope this was helpful!

 

 

:D Ten LONG months till our 2nd cruise!

That's my kinda review: excited and positive. Good for you; may the months fly by until your next sailing!

I never had one of the cookies and I am sorry I didn't. Carol, who wandered the ship after, "the thing," said they had cookies baking pretty soon after. They smelled amazing.

 

I have to say that in all my years of cruising I have never had better dining room service then I did most nights on the Crown. The waiters we came to know and love were beyond good. I did not expect this with anytime dining and would not hesitate to use it again. Our TA got us early seating, but we turned it down in favor of anytime. I suspect our beloved waiters will have moved on to a new contract again, but I hope we will see at least one of them.

How did the anytime dining work for you? I am curious as I have read pros and cons to the anytime dining. We are interested in the Crown for the anytime dining option and the ITN on a different ship other than RCCL.

Thanks,

I was not surprised to hear someone say they never tried or saw the cookies at the international cafe. They are great! It seems this ship is so big and there is so much going on at one time you are going to miss something. I had trouble going to see the comedy acts that were usually scheduled at the same time as a main show act and when you throw in anytime dining you still can't do all three in one evening. I found this to be true with many things on the Crown. Some food is free at the international , some is not yet after 11PM it all becomes free except a few things. I saw one guy that went all week thinking you had to pay for the Pizza because it was next to the ice cream stand that you did have to pay for. But for one hour a day the ice cream was FREE at the Horizon court on one side and that side alternated so if you found the free ice cream one day you found you had to look for it the next day. There were no signs up that said FREE PIZZA or FREE ICE CREAM. First timers tend to not ask when in doubt. This was never posted anywhere in the Platter or at the Cafe , I had to ask if there was a charge or not. As far as the famous new Sanctuary they should rename it the Sanitorium because you would have to be crazy to pay $15 to sit in a cool shaded lounge on a ship for 4 hours! I can appreciate the crowd control issue that would arrise if it were free but $15 for 4 hours? Those loungers aren't that plush! I can only compare the Crown to the Grand and the Ocean and all 3 of these Princess ships were great. As far as the list happening the week after I was on the Crown.... wish it had happened to us. Free cruise plus medical and other expenses paid for. I'll take that deal anytime for a 30 second jolt on a ship. It was an accident and that can happen on any ship at any time not just the Crown. It seems the news media is more quick to respond and put up front major misfortunes today then they did a few years ago as if the public needs more to hear about! You never hear the news media talking about the millions of cruisers that had a great vacation. Five years ago a ship would have list at sea and the only people to know about would have been the people on the ship. I guess the internet has brought events like this quicker to the forefront and the news media loves it. They don't have to search for news, it just falls in their lap.

We had the anytime dining for the first time on a Princess ship. Much like the NCL concept you had a choice of 2 main DR to go to. IF there was a line try the other one. The only time we had a long wait was on the 2nd formal night at 7PM. We waited about 15 min. I don't consider that bad. I've waited 2 hours for an Outback table in my hometown. Any other day we had less than a 2 min. wait. The downfall is you don't get the same wait staff each time unless you make reservations for that wait staff at a certain time and even that was no sure thing. Some were great, some were so, so but isn't that the way it is on land resturants you like? You don't always get the same waiter. Anytime dining works great if you are planning to do excursions. No rushing to get ready for dinner after being out on a late excursion. Eat early and you can eat later before bed or vice versa. Eat a late lunch no problem doing a late dinner or vice versa. It's for the family on the go.

You can enjoy late afternoon tea, pizza , sushi, etc. before going to a late dinner. We liked it and would do it again.

the crown was a very pretty ship. When we first entered on at the atrium entrance, it immediately struck me as a high class elegant vessal. The Piazza atmosphere was very nice. Food was overall very good although oneday in Cafe Caribe, i thought the food was just really bad, but it was only that one day.

 

I liked the fact that you could walk in certain areas that some cruise ships block off, like the very front of the ship and on top of the bridge. Standing ontop of the bridge was interesting, especially when you walk out over the bridge wings.

 

One thing that suprised me, the boat deck seemed small. As in they were narrow. Much more narrow then NCL, and RCI ships. Place a lounge chair there and you may have traffic problems, i guess thats why there were non on the boat deck. On RCL you appreciate the power operated doors that go to the boat deck(Promenade Deck) Those doors are so heavy :).

 

Aside from that, the experience on my 7/2 voyage was pretty good overall. It exceeded my expectations. Entertainment was hit and miss. International Cruise show is a MUST.

Beautiful ship, but I found the top deck to be a bit cramped in the afternoon hours with all the lounge chairs. It was a bit irritating, though, when we would try to get a chair and most were saved with towels on them (and with most of them, people didn't show up for hours to use them). This is against the cruise lines policy, as the deck attendents will remove the person's belongings to lost and found, and you are allowed to sit down.

The international crew show is amazing on the crown. One of the best shows. Don't miss it!!!

Did anyone catch the Ballroom competition that is supposed to happen on the crown? Just cruious since that would be somthing my DH and I would be interested in :) did you have to take the calsses to compete? did they restrict moves to those they taught etc?

Heh - B-room dancing is always fun on a moving ship LOL

Thanks for the info on the cookies! Sometimes change is good!

-Seeing for the first time...the Crown at Red Hook- HELLO, WE ARE GOING ON THAT THING...HEART WAS POUNDING, AND I WAS HOPING NO ONE WAS IN THE TERMINAL BUT US. No worries though,

-Embarkation was a breeze.

-Disembarking...on the July 11th cruise...was unique due to the circumstances. Smooth, very smooth.

-Entering the Piazza from the terminal was fantastic and I knew I had made the right decision for our cruise. I like beauty, cleanliness, and great surroundings with lots of options, especially if I've paid for it. There is no doubt, we got that.

-Pool decks were packed on sea days, but there were chairs to be found if you didn't mind being away from the pool.

-Shaded areas sometimes were great due to the heat. You could find those too. Along with sea breezes if you positioned your chair right.

- If you were lucky and sought out the right location, you might even find a spot where you could feel some airconditioning coming from sliding doors or vents. Never was lucky enough to score those seats early, but I know some of you found them.

-Staff was great. From the folks that manned the purser's desk, to the waiters, maitre' des, bartenders, performers, kid zone councilors, grill cooks, pizza cooks...horizon court attendants...get my drift? Good stuff.

-Princess Love Boat dessert....shagadellic...

-Beds/pillows/linens/towels - no complaints here.

-Cabin Steward - Noel - the bomb!

-Coffee really wasn't bad. I've been totally grossed out on some of the cruises I've been on, but I didn't find it to be bad at all. I am a decaf drinker so not sure how the high test is.

-Afternoon Tea....never partook in this festivity before but let me tell you, we had a great time. We just did what the "Engish" do. Sat back and let the waitstaff serve us little sandwiches, cookies, and the best scones (I hate scones usually) I've ever had in my life. Along with the scones, they come along and place jam on your plate with a dollup of whipped cream that you then spread on your warm, freshly baked mini scones. They serve you yummy tea, and it is a nice break in the afternoon.

- Plenty of quiet nooks to rest and relax.

- Prominade deck wind and view...especially scoping out the flying fish.

- Spending time with my family and having a really good time on such a beautiful vessel.

- Listening to the Captain give us information about our location, etc. etc.

- Some of the movies available on TV, and some of the shows that were available. Sometimes just hanging out in our cabins before dinner, and taking a little catnap with the TV on was perfect too.

- The beautiful bouquet that our friends sent us on our ship. The chocolate covered strawberries weren't half bad either.

- Laughing, laughing, laughing at some of our experiences and entertainment, and people that participated in these shows on the ship.

- Seeing some of the same people over and over again on this huge ship, and just wondering, how does that happen? What a coincidence.

- Knowing that others will have the same experiences as we.

- Appreciating that we try and find the good in everything. We found lots of good things on this ship.