mkazmer

From a cruiser of 30 years - wear at least a collard button front shirt and a nice pair of pants - they won't turn you away in jeans and a t shirt but they should.

Ship Crown Princess

Class Oceanview OC

Deck Plaza

Stateroom # P314

Category OC

Port/Starboard/Bow/Stern Port Midship

Connects With Cabin #

Accessible NOT a Handicapped but could accommodate a scooter

Quiet Yes

Balcony Size N/A

View Window

Privacy Issues None

Wind N/A

Soot N/A

Problems None

Comments In a great location to access the Piazza and the forward and mid-ship elevators. Lives well especially for persons like my husband who have mobility issues

We have sailed the Royal class on the Regal 3 times after sailing multiple times on the Grand class ships - they both have things to offer that we like - but they all have the Piazza with the International Café which we love and we love the proximity to the dining rooms on these ships from there. On the Grand class ships I love to walk the Promenade deck and climbing the steps forward just adds to the walk. We like the location of the spa and gym on the Grand class ships and the wave pool there as well as the adult aft pool. The Royal class ships have neither of these features.

All that said, after cruising many times on many lines, we stick to Princess and the Millenium class Celebrity ships - my husband has mobility issues and these "live" well for us so that we can continue to cruise multiple times a year.

We have done several 5 night cruises on Celebrity in the past few years. Time of year is very important - as long as it isn't during any school break or over holidays it will be an older crowd.

Had to read this thread when I saw the title as we are sailing on the Crown in November for a 5 day get-away and really looking forward to it as we were on the Crown in 2009. We began cruising in the mid 80's together when we married - both of us had cruised a bit in the 70's - a different cruising world then for sure. No balconies, assigned tables, formal nights where everyone pretty much dressed or they weren't allowed in the dining room and very few children sailing. We have cruised with many different lines and enjoyed them all (except Carnival - only one cruise - Paradise - was terrible). Over the years Princess and Celebrity have stood out for us and we are Elite on both lines. We love the layout of the Grand class ships and the Regal as well - my husband's mobility has now been impacted so the Grand class Princess ships "live" the best for the way we like to cruise. The Piazza is our center inside the ship and the dining rooms are easy to access from there - we don't eat in the buffet since he really can't stand in lines like that. We enjoy the fact that on the Grand class ships the Promenade deck runs all the way around the ship and there are chairs out there as well. The Regal does not have this feature but we have cruised on her 3 times and enjoyed the experience. We don't fly anymore and we live 90 minutes from the ports so we cruise the Caribbean and even though we have been to the islands many times we still enjoy the experience - we don't sail during school break vacation times or the summer - and yes, we love kids - have 10 grandchildren - but don't enjoy ships overrun with them during vacation time. We used to book guarantee cabins - today location is more important and we like an outside cabin now. Again on the Regal there are no "outside" cabins - you jump from inside to balconies which for us are a waste of money. On Celebrity we prefer the Millennium class ships - do not like the S class at all - we loved the Century class when they were sailing. We take full advantage of the "perks" we receive with Elite status and appreciate them. For us now, a cruise is a great get away from everyday life - we enjoy meeting new people, eating good food and just being on the ship and at sea. We will continue to sail Princess as long as we are able.

For children with families it seems to me that RCCL and Disney are good choices - the last NCL ship we sailed was the Norway - a grand old ship in her day. We like to go 3-4 times a year so not willing to pay for Oceania or other premium lines - to us cruising is a time to be "unplugged" from the world, enjoy good books and conversation and food and visit the islands. We have always had superior service with both Celebrity and Princess - and we firmly believe that a cruise is what one makes of it - we have had "glitches" over the years and they have always been resolved. We hope to continue to cruise for a good long time.

BEST cruise ever!!! We were off the ship by 7:30am and home by 9:30am. Bags are all unpacked and laundry done -

Our second time on the Regal - 16th cruise on Princess and probably 52 overall. Loved the ship, will write a comprehensive review in a day or two. Every box was ticked and it exceeded our expectations for sure. First time as Elite as well. Nice perks for sure. :)

Melinda, I edited down your great response as it is so close to this reply the others will just have read it.

Your cruising history-yikes!! I'm green with envy. You have seen the evolution of cruising. I noticed a couple of Song of Norway trips but the last one was 1979 six years before I joined her. You couldn't wait?? LOL

 

I'll cover the "central hub" of both lines later but agree that the Princess Piazza is a stunning area and a big long staircase eating up real estate doesn't cut it from a practical standpoint.

 

I consider us very lucky in that we haven't put a foot wrong in choosing our cruises. Princess was the least familiar cruise line to me as I never saw a PCL ship when I sailed out of Miami 44 times on the Song of Norway. It was NCL,HAL, RCCL and Carnival back then as far as I was concerned. We are Elite now on Princess and enjoy our cruises with them. We took a chance on X and are happy with what we found so we now have more choices. We'll take a chance on some other line as time passes but there are some that we will give a wide berth to.

 

Thanks for reading this. I know you say you are not fans of the S Class and am wondering why? Did you read my Silhouette review by any chance?

 

Thanks again for responding Melinda.

 

Norris

Norris - you were with RCCL??? We loved the Song ships and the Nordic Prince and haven't sailed with them since.

We didn't like the S class ships overall because, to us, they just don't seem to know who they are - traditional cruiseships or hip new ships - the various areas of the ship go from one extreme to another. The buffet was like going to a diner in New York City. Very loud and clangy and they kept moving the signs lol. There were so many "gimmicky" things - at least to us. We did like the cabin (we always book an inside as we don't spend much time there and we do get upgraded from time to time). Their inside cabins are some of the best out there on the S class. They held a "brunch" in the MDR one day and it was just pure chaos - just not the Celebrity that we knew and loved.

Your reviews are great and will follow for sure. Seems like you are from Chicago - we are originally from there - my husband was born and raised in the city and we have lived all over the area - we are now confirmed Floridians and have spent 17 years in FL - in Naples and now in Palm City. Being close to the ports is really great!

Looking forward to more of your insights!

Enjoying your observations, review and others' comments. We are Elite on both lines, have cruised on every Celebrity ship class that ever was (Meridian, , Zenith, Century, Mercury, Millenium, Infinity. and Eclipse. Our Princess travels have had us beginning on the Grand, the Golden, Star, Ruby, Crown, Emerald, Regal (some multiple times). Each ship has a personality of its own and each line its own pluses and minuses. Overall we are Princess cruisers from now on.

We have cruised on most major lines - and as time has gone on we cruised pretty much only on Celebrity and Princess . Without going into a lot of detail, we have decided that Princess lives and sails better for us. We started cruising in the late 1980's when cruising was much more formal and relaxed (if that makes sense). There was no internet so one was truly "unplugged" from the world. Formal nights were very formal and dinner hours were set times. As time went on, cruising has become much more informal and plugged in. Ships became larger and larger and there is much more that is optional such as specialty restaurants. Promenade decks on many lines are a thing of the past. When we first started cruising with Celebrity there were NO balcony cabins -only inside and outside and suites of various sizes. The Grand Princess, at the time of our first sailing on her, was the largest ship out there and I was reluctant to try it - preferring smaller ships - but we fell in love with it and have loved all the Grand class ships we have been sailed on. Our favorite Celebrity was and is the Century which is no longer sailing for them - we have enjoyed the M class ships but do not like the S class.

Comparing the M class ships to the Grand class ships of Princess, for us Princess wins hands down. The Piazza is wonderful with the International Cafe and all that goes on there. The M class has nothing like that. We don't eat in the buffet, so the IC is perfect for us for some meals. Anytime dining on Princess is so easy - on Celebrity a chore (and you have to pre-pay gratuties). The flow of the Grand class ships makes us feel that there aren't that many people on board - and the adult pools on Princess (aft and forward) are lovely. I could go on and on, but the bottom line for us is that Princess is now our cruise line of choice.

All you people dissatisfied and jumping ship, Merry Christmas -- hope your grass is greener on the other side.

As a long time fan of Celebrity, we sailed our last cruise on the Infinity and will never book another Celebrity cruise again. Our first cruise with them was on the Meridian, we loved the service and the quality - we have sailed every class ship they have ever had with the Century class being our favorite. Our last three Celebrity ships have been M class ships and there was a huge difference between the Constellation earlier this year and the Infinity this fall. Celebrity has changed and not for the better.

We are Elite on Princess and love their ships and will continue to cruise with them until we just can't cruise anymore. Over the last few years my husband has developed some mobility issues and the Princess Grand and Royal class ships live really well for us. We no longer fly so cruise out of Port Everglades and cruise the Caribbean - we go for the ships and Celebrity just doesn't make the grade with us anymore. We are Elite with them and enjoy the perks - but in many instances, the perks and just the "feel" of the ship are much better on Princess - so YES - the grass is definitely greener for us!!!

How is the internet working for you? Any problems?

I used the internet on the 14th sailing - had no issues with it and found it to be very fast for a ship. Had been on Celebrity's Infinity the end of October and it was the slowest internet ever!!!! This was a joy in comparison so for those of you who have to stay connected - it was great

That's good to hear, however on another thread griller wrote:

 

 

 

Seems like two different views. Any experience with the issues above?[/QUOTW

 

We were on the Dec 14th sailing just out of drydock. Our stateroom was on Plaza deck and we had no issues with the water but there were many who did. According to the Captain, the ship took on some Bahamian water that had minerals in it that were clogging the water system on the ship and they had to flush each cabin with the issue. I did hear many complaining that they either had no hot or no cold - can't speak to the tiles in the Horizon Court as we never used it. We had a wonderful time - the beds, pillows, linens and just the general condition of the ship, IMO, were excellent. We had a lovely time. Didn't hear anyone complaining about no a/c.

I have just submitted my review of the Emerald Princess cruise of Dec 14th. It usually can take up to a week before they make it available. We had a wonderful time and loved the ship, food, service. - just a great time. Our 15th Princess cruise and 49th overall.

We have just returned from a lovely cruise the past 5 nights on the beautiful Emerald Princess. Had a wonderful time - am compiling a complete review and will submit it later this week - but suffice it to say that the ship was beautifully decorated, our cabin was perfect, the service excellent, the food excellent. We did not eat in the buffet at all nor the specialty restaurants. We did enjoy a great Pub lunch one day. All in all an outstanding cruise.

Aft on Sun deck (17) there is the Terrace Pool -

Thanks for the review, we will be leaving in two weeks on a 5 day - just a nice relaxing time before Christmas - we love these cruises! It will be our 15th cruise on Princess - haven't been on the Emerald - so another Grand Class ship to add to our experiences -

We have a lot of experience with both lines. We have sailed every class ship Celebrity has ever had and we have sailed with Princess since the Grand Princess was launched - many of those ships multiple times and we have sailed on the Regal.

We have decided, after our last Celebrity cruise on the Infinity, that we will not sail with Celebrity again. We really do not like the Solstice class ships of Celebrity - the M class is now just OK for us since my husband has some mobility issues and walking from the front to the back of the ship multiple times a day is hard for him.

We love Princess and all that they have to offer and the ships live better for us.The buffet on Princess is easier to navigate and you are helped if you need it and beverages are brought to you. The Pizza on Princess is the best! The International Cafe is open 24/7 and is a great place for a quick lunch or late breakfast or just to hang out. The ships that have Alfredos have a great venue. The coffee bar is excellent - we always get a coffee card since we love coffee. The ships are light and bright inside and there is an adult pool aft. The food, IMO, is better on Princess and Anytime Dining is easier on Princess. The entertainment is also better we think.

We don't get off the ship much anymore and really enjoy it when in port -

Celebrity is not the same cruise line we started sailing with in the 1980's - but then what is - they seemed to be "selling" a lot on our last cruise. The buffet on the Infinity (which we try to stay our of) was always unkept - tables not cleaned - help not offered when obviously needed - those kinds of things. We have had many wonderful cruises with Celebrity in the past - but they will not be part of our future cruising. We sill stick with Princess. We are leaving in two weeks on the Emerald for a nice relaxing 5 day before Christmas!

Thanks - we are on the Dec 14th sailing and looking forward to it.

If you think that Princess' internet is slow, wait until you try Celebrity's - wow - from the dark ages!!!

Have to say we haven't sailed on either NCL or RCCL in years - did one Carnival cruise a long time ago and never went back. We have cruised with Princess, Celebrity and HAL for the past number of years and have just decided that we will limit our cruising these days to Princess.

We are older than you and my husband has mobility issues - so the Princess ships live well for him. All the venues that we use are close the cabin that we usually choose and the food is always good. It always feels like "coming home" to us.

We just got off Celebrity's Infinity and were disappointed - we have loved their M class for the size and it just didn't do it this time. The food wasn't that good and they keep changing the things that we have liked in the past. We do NOT like their S class ships at all - too gimmicky with the lawn and glass blowing and things like that - the decor doesn't seem to know what it wants to be - traditional or contemporary - we missed the feeling of the ship, service and food being a cut above.

We have enjoyed HAL - but like the Princess ships better - so..... try them all see what you like - definitely, in my opinion, a step above NCL, RCCL and Carnival.

So sorry to hear that - I just wrote about the same thing about our not cruising Celebrity any more. We have bounced back and forth between Celebrity and Princess for the past few years - however we will stay with Princess.

We began cruising in 1987 and, of course, things were different then. Never thought I would love a ship with 2600 people - but the Grand was it - we have been on a good many Grand class ships and love the new Regal - they suit the way we have to live on a ship these days. My husband has mobility problems and having to walk front to back of the ship a number of times a day just can't be done - he cannot fly - and we live in FL - so we cruise the Caribbean a number of times a year just to "get away" from real life so to speak.

Our last cruise a few weeks ago on Celebrity's Infinity will be our last one on Celebrity. We are booked on the Emerald in December and we enjoy the 5 day cruises these days - as we have gotten older, we go more frequently and shorter cruises. Everything changes and there is a cruise out there for everyone - I hope you find what you are looking for and really want to hear about your HAL cruise - we have enjoyed our cruises with them too.

They take a few days before they actually publish it. It will be available soon.

Celebrity has just ceased to exist for us after this last cruise on the Infinity. We have cruised with Celebrity since 1987 and have loved the line in the past. However, it is not the same and we will not sail it again. The ships do not live well for us at all anymore. The service is not up to their standard. We do not like the S class ships at all - the old feel of being a cut above just isn't there.

We will continue to cruise with Princess and we love their Grand class and the Royal class ships on that line. Those ships suite the way we like to live on a cruise. We may try Oceania and cruise fewer times a year.

The Elite cocktail hours are 5 to7 held in the Constellation Lounge on Deck 11. It was not held on Embarcation Day, Welcome Back

Party or Sr,. Officers Party. The Welcome back and Sr. Officers party was from 7:45 to 8:30. Nice drinks and appetizers. There still is the Elite Breakfast in the Dining Room. You can get Bloody Marys but all the breakfast is Continental. We never went to that.

We ate at the Elite breakfast most days. You were offered a plate of Danish and/or a Smoked Salmon Platter with bagel and cream cheese, and/or a fruit plate that was huge and very good, and/or a meat and cheese platter, and/or the ultimate platter which was a combination of everything. You could get quite a variety of specialty coffees and Bloody Mary's, Mimosa, and the one with Peach and Champange. The orange and grapefruit juices were hand squeezed. there were four kinds of smoothies - all very good - you could have as much or as little as you liked. It wasn't crowded ever - it was held on the starboard side of deck 4 in the Trellis restaurant. The service was good. It was also the place where we waited for debarkation and that was not so good - there was nothing set up or organized when people started coming in - very lax not well done there.

On the Constellation, they held the Elite breakfast in the dining room comparable to the SS United States. Sad that they feel they have to do away with these restaurants.

I just submitted my review of the Infinity 29 Oct sailing - the first one out of dry dock. Be aware it is from the perspective of long time Celebrity cruisers and seniors now. We did enjoy the cruise. We will not be returning to Celebrity. It doesn't suit us anymore.

Bistro on Five is still there - the cost is now $10 pp. When they introduced this venue - the cost was $5.00. On the 29th of Oct sailing, it was the only option open other than the buffet or grill for lunch on port days - the main dining room was closed on those days - we were not pleased.

Living in FL fairly close to the ports, we usually book within 30 days of a sailing - we pick those we would be interested in and just watch the pricing. That is harder for those who have to fly to get to the port. However, this year we booked the Infinity Oct 29 sailing early. The initial price went down before final payment and I called and got the price difference and a better cabin. This particular cruise sold out quickly and whatever was left after final payment date went up a lot. So it all turned out well.

You do have to be careful when you try to get a better rate and/or upgrade though - credits and promos change so be aware of that.