Review of Caribbean Princess 7/30-8/6

What do I miss most now that I'm home? I miss having beds made, and turned down, and towels picked up and replaced with fresh ones twice a day, and so many different choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and fun waiters, and drinks brought to you by the pool. I miss being waited on!!

We flew to Ft. Lauderdale on the morning of the cruise. I did wonder if I was doing the right thing not going down the night before, but I thought our chances of having bad weather delay the flight were small and there were also many flights after ours that would still get us to the ship in time. We had no problems. I was traveling with my 20 year old daughter. My girlfriend was traveling with her 18 yr. old daughter from another state. She had a direct flight and they lost her luggage! It did show up on another flight a couple hours later.

We took a taxi to the terminal. It was $12 including a tip for the four of us (compared to $10 per person one way for the Princess transfer). It took about 10 minutes to get to the terminal. We got to the terminal at 11:40 am. There was a line outside moved pretty quickly. We were inside in the air conditioning in less than 10 minutes. Inside the line snaked around...there were probably 200 or more people in front of us. They handed us a norovirus form to fill out and also the customs form that most people had filled out ahead of time. When we got to the front of the "snaking" line, we went to the shortest line to speak with a customs agent (there were only 2 people in front of us) who looked at our documents. Our customs agent asked if I had the form from my daughter's father giving permission to travel outside the country (she didn't realize my daughter was 20), but the agent who waited on my friend didn't even ask for the form for her 18 yr. old. I read on this forum that you can take your own bags on the ship, so we did that, but my friend, half-way thru the "snaking" line, was sent back outside to deposit her bags because they wouldn't fit thru the xray machine. So if your luggage is too big to carry on the plane, you can't walk it on the ship yourself.

We were in our room in about 40 minutes. We were in Emerald 504 and 506, obstructed view, but the way the tenders were situated (we were kind of between two), the view was great. We went to Horizon Court for lunch and my friend's bags were at the room when we returned.

We had a wonderful week of pampered bliss. It only rained one day for about 30 minutes. This was my third cruise (first on Celebrity, 2nd on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas). I thought that Celebrity's food was a little higher quality than Royal Caribbean, and I had heard that Princess' food was a cut above Celebrity, but I personally did not find that to be true. There were some wonderful and delicious choices for dinner (lobster and pheasant on the second formal night), but there were several nights when the choices were disappointing. On the last night 3 people at our table ordered prime rib. One guy thought it was fine, the 2 women said it was dry and tough even though it was rare. One of them sent it back, the other asked for gravy. That night I had turkey, which was okay, not as good as home cooked. One night I had pot roast and it was very fatty. The chicken kiev was pretty good. The tenderloin was just okay, not delicious. I thought most of the appetizers, soups, and salads were great, it was the entrees which were very average. Some of the really good appetizers: fettucine alfredo, shrimp cocktail, asparagus w/holandaise. Most desserts were very good. My daughter would know...she had two every night. Definitely go to Cafe Caribe the first night, even if you also go to your regular dinner time. The lobster claws, Alaskan crab legs, and shrimp (all cold) were VERY good.

I thought the lunch choices in the Horizon & Cafe Caribe were really good and a great variety. I could always find several things I liked and I enjoyed all the fresh fruit. I sampled the pizza by the pool and it was pretty good. If you want free ice cream, it's only available between 3:30 and 4:30 in Horizon. We never made it to the afternoon tea. I did not buy the coke card. It was $31 with gratuity. I usually had two cans a day ($1.50 ea.) I did get the drink of the day sticker. The first time you ask for a drink of the day, it's $5.00. After that, it's $3.25 or $3.50. I shouldn't have gotten it though, because once I tasted a strawberry daquiri and then another drink (forget the name) made with blue curacao, rum, and cocoanut that was all I wanted...boy, were they good.

Every employee on the ship that we passed or sat by (cabin stewards, bus boys, waitstaff, bartenders) were all very friendly and happy. Our waiter, Jose, was fabulous. He joked with us, sat at our table after dinner, had puzzles with straws and cups of water, etc. We all thought we had the best table.

There were two negatives: I called room service 3 times during the week and NEVER got through to them. The first time, all I needed was a bucket of ice (our steward forgot to refill it that day). The phone rang and rang, then I got a recording saying they were busy, please hold. I got that recording 3 times, then hung up and called back 15 minutes later...same deal. I then called the front desk and told them this. They said they would call room service for me and have someone call me back. No one called back. I gave up on the ice that day.

The other negative was the front desk. They were not always that friendly and several times gave out wrong information. On the last night, after the second seating, and after packing, I went to the front desk at midnight. I wanted to pay my bill in cash. There were 16 people in front of me. Some times there were 4 employees behind the desk, sometimes 1 (they would come and go). By 12:30 there were still 14 very frustrated people in front of me, and I left.

Princess Cay was wonderful. We did not get downstairs until 10:30 am to get a tender. There was only a 5 minute wait in the theatre beforehand. When we got to the beach, we went to the left and found chairs under shade near the barbeque area. (There were plenty of chairs and I think everyone who wants shade can find it if you keep walking and looking, or you can rent a cabana). The water was beautiful. We snorkeled there (brought our own mask and snorkel...you don't need fins). There was a variety of fish to see...not tons, but it was nice. There are many water stations on the beach, so you don't have to bring your own water. And there are many waiters to take your drink orders. I hate to say it, but the food was not good. The four of us agreed on that point. The burgers were flat and dry, the corn on the cob was mushy, the grilled chicken was not great. The fruit saved the day. If you have the time and inclination, go back to the ship for lunch.

Our day at sea was relaxing. Watched a movie by the pool. Didn't think I'd enjoy that concept, but it was pretty neat. You have to try the pool at the very back of the ship. It's very shady back there and so the water is much cooler than the other pools. There were only ever 5 or 6 people in it at a time. There's a nice bar too. Lounge chairs are limited, but don't feel bad about removing a towel from a chair if you ask someone if the chair has been empty for a while. You are not allowed to reserve chairs. We did this twice and the people never came back for their chairs. (If they had come back in 10 minutes or so, I would have given it back, but 30 minutes and it's mine.)

Jamaica: It is such a shame that most people don't get to see the beautiful part of Jamaica. Ocho Rios is a slum. I read on this board about tubing in Jamaica, but I didn't have a name of the place. When you dock and leave the ship, you enter a gated area filled with vans and buses. We told a driver that we wanted to go shopping for an hour or so, come back to the ship to eat lunch, then go tubing. He said it would be $4 round trip/person for the shopping transportation and $12 round trip/person for the tubing transportation ($64 total for 4 people). The tubing was $20 per person. Total cost per person for shopping and tubing was $36. The tubing was awesome. It was just the four of us and our tour guide, Dwight (who sang to us), on the White River for about 45 minutes. Crystal clear water with lots of trees lining the river, so the whole way was shady. It had not rained much, so the "rapids" were quite tame. I would definitely recommend this trip. He gave us a brochure. You can check them out at http://www.calypsorafting.com.

The bus picked us up at the end of the ride. Dwight stayed with us until the bus arrived. There may be longer tubing trips available with other companies.

Grand Cayman: Since we did the stingray city tour on a previous cruise, this time we rented a car (thru Avis online $51 including insurance, taxes, everything, for a Honda Civic). Driving on the left is a little hairy...good thing there's not a lot of traffic. We drove all the way up to Rum Point (45 minutes). It was a pretty beach with hammocks and chairs and beautiful water. This is not a place to snorkel, however...there were NO fish to see. We decided to eat lunch there, since they let you use their beach. It was quite expensive though. My daughter and I shared a burger & fries, I had a frozen daiquiri, she a coke and it cost $25. I was glad we got to tour the island...the damage from the hurricane 3 weeks ago was still quite evident. Lots and lots of trees just stripped of leaves and toppled. Many houses with missing roofs or gutted. After our trip to the beach, we drove back thru town and up to the town called Hell. If you go, make sure to go behind the post office to see the black rock formations that give the town it's name.

Cozumel: CHANKANAAB IS OPEN!! After the hurricane it was reported that the dolphin place at Chankanaab was open, but the park and snorkeling would be closed for a month. This was very disappointing because this is my favorite place in the Western itinerary. So I was thrilled to learn onboard that Chankanaab opened on Monday, August 1 and so we went there Thursday, August 4. The botanical area sustained heavy damage. It is so sad to see so many trees and plants dessimated. We only saw one iguana (there were many 4 years ago) and I couldn't find anyone who could tell me what happened to them. They have done a lot of work clearing the dead trees, but there is still much to be done. The beach looks as it did before, and the snorkeling was WONDERFUL. We must have seen at least 30 different kinds of fish. They are right at your feet as you walk down the steps into the water. One large fish kept brushing by my leg as I was trying to get my mask on...it reminded me of my dog! We walked over to the dolphin center and they were quite busy. Even if you're not doing the dolphin swim you can stand on the docks right above the dophins and watch them being trained. Our trip to Chankanaab just made my week - I just love it there. Our cab fare was $10 each way and entrance to the park was $12 per person. It's only 5 or 10 minutes from where we docked. There are loungers to use and it's easy to find shade. There is a restaurant, but we didn't eat there.

For nightlife on the ship you MUST go to the Crew Talent Show. They only have it one night. There are some really talented people on that ship! I thought I was watching the finals of American Idol. And the comedy skit at the end had people laughing their heads off. My daughter would repeat one of the lines in the elevator days later and I would start laughing. The comedian Adam Ace was also hilarious...what a nut.

So, that was our week. We had a wonderful time and want to go cruising again soon. The ship is beautiful, the crew friendly, and there is more to do than you have time for.

suzan2: wow thanks i really enjoyed reading your review! Sounds like you had a great time...good luck with the adjustment to real life again! ;)

I'll be sailing on CB in Jan. 06 and i do love reading about others experiences...

Jane

Thanks for the review....we board in just over 5 weeks!! Sounds like a great vacation for you and your daughter.

Thanks for the taking the time for such a thorough review. It sounds like you had a great time. I'm so glad to hear that Chankanaab is open. Its a shame about the botanical gardens there. Hopefully it won't take them long to replant.

Thanks so much for your wonderful and detailed review. We really wanted to go to Chankanaab park next week and I thought with the hurricane damage that we would go on a boat snorkel tour instead, but after reading your review, maybe we should go to Chan Park after all.

How are the Mayan replicas there? with the damage to the park is it still worth the visit?

Sounds like the food in the Caribe Cafe and Horizon cafe are worth checking out. Thanks for the tip on the ice cream!

What did you think of the entertainment? Any shows to not miss? Or also, any shows to skip?

Thanks so much for your wonderful and detailed review. We really wanted to go to Chankanaab park next week and I thought with the hurricane damage that we would go on a boat snorkel tour instead, but after reading your review, maybe we should go to Chan Park after all.

 

How are the Mayan replicas there? with the damage to the park is it still worth the visit?

 

Sounds like the food in the Caribe Cafe and Horizon cafe are worth checking out. Thanks for the tip on the ice cream!

What did you think of the entertainment? Any shows to not miss? Or also, any shows to skip?

I wanted to go to Chankanaab for the great snorkeling we experienced four years ago and the nice beach with a lot of shade available and we were not disappointed. It is still my favorite place to go. The only damage you will see is in the botanical gardens behind the beach. Not sure what you mean about Mayan replicas...there are some statues throughout the gardens...they're nice, but not like visiting the ruins.

The only shows I saw were Adam Ace the comedian and the Crew Talent Show and they were AWESOME. We did not go to the other shows because our tablemates had seen them and were not impressed.

Have fun on your cruise...wish I was going again!

Suzan2, thank you so much for your beautiful review! My family will be onboard in just 10 days and a few hours! ;) We are going on the Eastern route though. Thanks again and I hope you can get back to reality quickly! :D