Crown Princess Classic Canada / New England Review (Lengthy)

This review is of our 11 days on the beautiful Crown Princess from 10/4-10/15/2017.

This was our 5th cruise on Princess (YES! Finally now Platinum!). We also have done one cruise on MSC. DH and I are in our early 60s and were on the lower half of the age group demographic present on the ship. Our cruise was wonderful, but like all cruises (and all land trips), there are things that were great and things that were not so great. The not so great things we shrugged off and enjoyed ourselves!

We had anticipated cool, rainy weather due to the time of year. We were very surprised and delighted with very little rain and sunny and warmer than average temperatures for Autumn. We made good use of our balcony.

We flew to Quebec City on 10/3, rented a car at the airport and stayed at the Quebec City Marriott Courtyard. It is a newer hotel outside of the main tourist area of Quebec City so has a cheaper rate and free parking.

On 10/4, shortly after 9 AM we dropped our bags at the cruise port…..well…at least that was the way it was ‘supposed to’ work. This turned out to be a not so great thing…Everything I had read indicated that this was supposed to be easy. Hmmm….we talked to no less than 7 people in 3 different locations before we found the people to take our bags. I’m not sure why no one knew where we were to go, but eventually we found the right people. I think we were the first ones to do it that day. After dropping our bags, we drove to Montmorency Falls. We parked at the Manoir Montmorency, went on the hike across the suspension bridge that goes over the falls and around and down the steps to the base of the falls. We then took the cable car back up to the top. It was a very enjoyable experience. From there we drove to Parc National de La Jacque Cartier. It was a pleasant drive through some autumn colors. We planned to take a short hike, but ran into some rain so decided to just make it a drive through. We dropped off the rental car in Old Quebec (Hertz--44 Cote du Palais). This was within walking distance of the port. We embarked about 2:30 pm—our easiest Embarkation ever due to the overnight in Quebec City spreading out the times passengers were embarking quite a bit. While in our Aft Starboard Balcony, we could sometimes get WiFi from the Quebec port, but it would go in and out. That first evening on the ship after dinner, we walked on the Promenade deck where we could see the lights of the city. It was even nicer than usual, as there was a thunderstorm going on, so we could watch the cracks of lightning over the Chateau Frontenac! The next day we walked off the ship, took the Funicular up the hill and wandered all over in Old Quebec. My step tracker logged almost 23,000 steps for this day, so we certainly got our walking in!

Our Stateroom –Riviera Aft Balcony: Our room steward, Ricky was very prompt in refreshing our room whenever we were out of it. We are pretty ‘low maintenance’, but it is nice that the basics happen. He was always very friendly when we walked past him in the hallway. One of my pet peeves on Princess ships is the tvs and schedules. We don’t watch much t.v., but it is nice to be able to turn it on to catch a bit of news while getting ready in the morning, etc. Both this cruise and the last one, the remote barely worked.Often I just wanted to get it to the ship channel so I could hear announcements and even that was a challenge as the button numbers pushed didn’t reflect what displayed on the screen—very weird. Also, I have never figured out why it is so hard to have a schedule just listing what is on by time instead of by channel.I am hoping that all the tvs will get replaced as they go to Ocean Medallion. Did it ‘ruin’ my cruise? Nope. Just one of those not so great things….I don’t think the beds were the new Princess beds, but they were still comfortable—no complaints there.

Bars andEntertainment: We didn’t go to any of the production shows in the Princess Theater. Since this was a very port-intensive cruise, our time on the ship was spent in the bars or the Piazza enjoying whatever entertainment was going on. For whatever reason, on previous cruises, we had never been to Vines. This trip (especially since we had the AIBP from a Sip and Sail booking), we made up for that and it was our favorite place for a pre-dinner glass of wine. Also interesting, is that the‘old’ AIBP was still in place and the version being sold on this ship – not the new “Premium Beverage Package” as we expected. The other unexpected thing was that apparently the Canadian government only allows one bar per deck to be open while in port. Since we often had late port times, Vines and the Outrigger(another favorite), among others were only open after sail away from Canadian ports. Not a big deal, but it is nice having the Outrigger open for its convenience from our stateroom. We did go to a movie (“Baby Driver”) in the Princess Theater on one of the two sea days and it was entertaining. Our favorite band was “The Main Offenders” which featured a lead singer whose voice reminded us of Cher. Due to the age demographics on this cruise and the many ports, we often found ourselves among only about a dozen people in the bars after 10 P.M. This seemed kind of too bad for the musicians often playing to an empty room. There was also a pianist /entertainer Kory Simon in Crooners several evenings who ‘packed’ the bar as he was very good at getting his audience to participate. There was a BOGO $1 generally twice a day at 3 PM and10 PM., but since we had the AIBP, we avoided those….On Sea Days, we enjoyed the quiet and comfortable chairs in Adagio (the bar wasn’t open), for reading,etc.

Dining: Since we had decided on this cruise we just wanted to eat at tables for 2 in Anytime Dining and that seemed almost impossible on our last cruise, I decided to try the reservation route. It worked great! I called each morning at about 8 when the Dine Line opened…which wasn’t always promptly and sometimes I was On Hold for 5 minutes or so. It seemed like the people letting us into the dining room each night were trying to convince people they preferred people to make reservations. It just turned out that we found 7 PM to be our ideal dining time this cruise. This was mainly due to busy port days, enjoying sail aways from ports and enjoying Vines before dinner. I was always able to make a reservation around that time. When we went to the Dining Room, we only waited a couple of minutes to be seated. Only one time did they give us a beeper and even then, I think we waited about 10 minutes. Dining service started out being quite slow, but seemed to get more efficient the farther into the cruise we got. I don’t know if that was due to different wait staff or really late port times causing the dining room to not even seem full some nights. It also seemed like the tables for 2 that were sometimes very close got farther apart as the cruise went on…kind of interesting? We found the food to be good in the Dining Room, Buffet and International Café. Another thing we had never tried before on any of our cruises was the Afternoon Tea. We finally tried it and decided we could check that off the list as one and done… Nothing really ‘bad’ about it, but not really memorable either. I am guessing it used to be a bigger deal before the International Café existed? Pub Lunch was offered on one SeaDay and we enjoyed it as usual. The one thing that surprised me was the scheduling of the Formal Nights. The first one was the first Sea Day (no surprise), but the second one was the Bar Harbor day when we left port at 7 PM. It didn’t matter to me, but it seemed a little different than the ‘normal’ Princess pattern.

Ports:

When we cruise, we like to DIY the ports when possible. However, we have also been on some wonderful Princess excursions and sometimes they are easier since you know they will get you back to the ship on time. Since our ports this time were all in Canada and the U.S., it made it easier for us to DIY most of them.

Saguenay, Quebec- This is a fun port on arrival. I think half of the town turns out to welcome ships. We were able to watch from our balcony as the people sang and danced and were dressed in period costumes, sawing logs and shouting to people to come down and join them.They were also giving out blueberry pie. Our excursion wasn’t until later in the morning and they were done with all their festivities by the time we left the ship. If we would have known this, we would have gone down there prior to our excursion time. This was the only port that we took a Princess excursion.We had decided to do this because (until the port times changed), this was going to be a pretty short port time and I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to get a rental car in this very small town. The excursion we took was a Hike in SaguenayFjord National Park. We took a school bus about an hour’s drive to the Park.The tour guide on the bus had grown up in Saguenay so he told us quite a bit about the town. Once we got to the Park, there were restrooms that could be used before the hike. Unfortunately, there were so few restrooms, that this took much of our very precious time for the hike. There were about 40 people on the bus and they split us into 2 groups of 20 for the hike. The verbiage of the hike indicated that it was an “Intermediate” hike though it was marked as“Strenuous” by the markings Princess uses for its excursions. Our guide was a younger man who had been doing the hike all summer. (I think it is the same hike regardless of the cruise line.) He went quite quickly, which was too much for many people in our group, so many ended up just stopping and waiting for everyone to come back down. The views we did see were nice, but we needed to move so quickly it seemed like our focus was on the hike and not the views. We didn’t get as far as the highest point where we would be able to view the Notre-Dame-du-Saguenay statue, as indicated in the description. In fact, according to our guide, ‘everything’ has to go really well and they have to go really fast to make it to that point! What? So…why is the description written as it is? I am glad we went on the hike, but I think there needs to be more time allowed to do it since this cruise has a lot of older people, many of whom would be able to do the hike if there was more time available (and more restrooms so time isn’t wasted). It was a good hike….but could use some improvements….At sail away, DH and I did watch until too dark to see much more from our balcony. Quite a ways down from Port Saguenay, we finally saw the Notre-Dame-du-Saguenay statue! It was just barely light enoughto see it, but it was quite white so it stood out.

Charlottetown, PEI- Unfortunately, this port was a Sunday and the only car rental agencies open are at the airport. It was easy to get a cab from the port (though the cab driver would have preferred we just book him for the day) and about a 15 minute ride. We would have had to call for a cab when we returned the car as they normally aren’t just sitting at the airport. However, we got lucky and one was there dropping off someone, so we got to take it. We had a longer port time of 9 AM to 7 PM which was nice so we didn’t have to rush to get back. I am not a big Anne of Green Gables fan and DH had never heard of her, so our focus was really PEI National Park and the Central Coast drive. We didn’t drive the whole thing, we headed north from the airport and around to the middle of the island where we looped back to Charlottetown. We enjoyed getting out and doing a little walking on the beaches at several points.

Sydney, Nova Scotia-It was CanadaThanksgiving Day---which proved to be a bigger issue than anticipated. There were very few cab drivers at the port willing to take people to the airport.They all wanted people who would book them for the day. We finally got a cab driver willing to take a group, so we shared a cab with another couple and one single person. When we returned the car and tried to get back to the port, it was even worse, calling the cab company 3 times and finally sharing with another couple who had been waiting for 45 minutes. One might want to consider this if porting on Thanksgiving…. We drove to Baddeck, stopping at a couple of beautiful scenic overlooks on the way. We made a brief visit to the Alexander Graham Bell Historic Site (though one could spend hours there). Most of our time was spent on a hike to Uisge Ban Falls. It was located about 15 km from Baddeck. It was a nice hike, not a lot of elevation, but the trail had lots of rocks and tree roots in it. At the end, to see the falls, you had to scramble up some rocks. The falls were nice, though there wasn’t a lot of water going over them at the time.

Halifax, Nova Scotia-Finally, a port where we could walk for 10 minutes to get to our rental car. There were rental cars really close to the port, but we rented from Budget which was a bit longer walk, but I got a better rate. We drove to Peggy’s Cove which was a pleasant drive and a nice place to visit. Our port time was only until 5, so we then drove back to Halifax and walked on the Harbor walk after dropping off the car.

Saint John, NewBrunswick-It was a 15 minute walk to our rental car. The port time matched nicely with low tide in St. Martin where we drove to see the Sea Caves. There was a small ‘stream’ we had to walk across to get to the caves. Fortunately, we had worn our waterproof hiking shoes. We then drove on to the Fundy Parkway which turned out to be our favorite DIY excursion. Technically, it closed after Thanksgiving, but I had read online that it might be open due to the cruise ships in port. I contacted them via email from their website and fortunately they were going to be open! There were very nice views and one could take as many hikes as time allowed. It was also very quiet. Often, we were the only car at many of the parking spots.

Bar Harbor, Maine-The 2 cruises prior to ours had missed this port due to rough waters since it is a tender port. We had a lovely sunny day. We had to go to Club Fusion prior to getting off the ship for an “Immigration Inspection”. Basically, they just checked our passports and it went very quickly. However, you were assigned a time from 6:50am to 10:00 am based on whether you were on a tour or what deck you were on. Since we were on Riviera Deck, we had an 8:50 am meeting time, so we took our time going to breakfast. They actually got ahead of schedule, so they made an announcement about 8:30 am that we were welcome to proceed to Club Fusion.(They put a sticker on your cruise card once you had gone through immigration.) After that, we got on the tender and didn’t wait much time at all, as the immigration spread people out a bit. Our port time coincided well with the tides, so we were able to walk out to Bar Island (only accessible by foot at low tide). Once on Bar Island, we hiked up the hill to the wonderful view of Bar Harbor. Once back from there, we followed the path along the waterfront which got us to a nice view of our ship. We then wandered around town a while and then went back to the ship.

Boston,Massachusetts-Our port times were 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM which is nice to allow people to do what they want without feeling rushed. We decided to avoid the rush and slept in a bit, getting off the ship a little after 9. We walked to the “Design Center’ bus stop for Silver Line 2 to South Center. We paid our bus fare of $2.75 on the bus to the driver. It was a little more confusing coming back (though we managed) as we had to use the machines in the station to get the Charlie ticket in order to pass through the turnstile. We had a great bus driver who asked if we (us and one other couple) were all going to the ship. When we told him yes, he let us off closer than the stop we had used in the morning. We spent our day walking on the Freedom Trail, starting near Boston Commons and going as far as the North Church. We shopped and had a bite to eat in Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market.

New York City- We were up on the pool deck early (around 5 AM) with a bunch of people to watch as we passed the Statue of Liberty on the Port side. It was still dark, but she was lighted. The ship turned around when docking, so we could also see her (a bit farther away) from our balcony once docked. Note that you do have to go through Immigration again once you get your bags. I wasn’t sure if this would happen since we had shown our passports in Bar Harbor. It was a quick process. We were flying out of LGA and since I had read there was a mess with the construction going on there, we took the Princess Transfer bus. There were many people pointing out to us which bus to take. One little problem was that we were taken to a different terminal than our flight was leaving from. As I understand it, this was due to the construction at LGA as I overheard someone talking that their bus was not able to stop at the other terminal. There was an LGA bus shuttle to get to the other terminal once we went through security. We had to wait for it a little while,so I was glad we had plenty of time before our flight.

Before going on this cruise, I had read a bunch of bad reviews about the Crown. I guess everyone has different viewpoints. There seemed to be a lot of regular Celebrity cruisers on this ship who came up with ‘interesting’ reasons why they didn’t like Princess. I would just nod and smile and hope they go back to Celebrity…LOL. I would guess if I was on a Celebrity cruise, there would be odd things that I wouldn’t like also. Each to their own…There were many crew members who were so friendly and seemed to really enjoy their jobs. I don’t know if it was because this cruise was so port-intensive or why, but we almost always felt like it wasn’t crowded at all. We began to wonder if people were either in port or napping when they were on the ship! The Horizon Buffet was one of the few places sometimes crowded, but since we had such nice weather, we generally brought our plates to the tables by the Pool.

We loved the Crown and are really happy that our cruise in the Mediterranean next summer is also on her! She is now my new favorite Princess ship!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will try and answer them.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise. We were also on the Crown for 14days this year and enjoyed it as well. They have an excellent crew. We did not hesitate to book on it again.

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Hi, which specific cabin were you in? We are booked on the Crown in a Rivera Aft balcony cabin also. Any particular comments about the location good or bad? THANKS!! I am so looking forward to our cruise, we have loved every ship we have been on!

Hi, which specific cabin were you in? We are booked on the Crown in a Rivera Aft balcony cabin also. Any particular comments about the location good or bad? THANKS!! I am so looking forward to our cruise, we have loved every ship we have been on!

We were in R723 and LOVED the location. Our cruise next summer is in the same location on the Port side. The Outrigger is our favorite place to 'hang out' in nice weather. It is much quieter than the main pool deck and you get the lovely aft views. It is so convenient from these Aft Riviera cabins! It is also close to Horizon Court, the main pool area and Adagio. It can be a long walk to the Mid-Ship Piazza, but we liked getting those extra steps! Generally we would take the steps down to the Promenade deck and walk outside to mid-ship.

Loved your review! Ready to board Crown in 2 days - am quite sure our weather will not be nearly as nice, but still looking forward to the vacation. Thanks for all the tips!

We were in R723 and LOVED the location. Our cruise next summer is in the same location on the Port side. The Outrigger is our favorite place to 'hang out' in nice weather. It is much quieter than the main pool deck and you get the lovely aft views. It is so convenient from these Aft Riviera cabins! It is also close to Horizon Court, the main pool area and Adagio. It can be a long walk to the Mid-Ship Piazza, but we liked getting those extra steps! Generally we would take the steps down to the Promenade deck and walk outside to mid-ship.

We were in R740 on this cruise - also loved the location.

Question - in booking our cabin, we noted that the cabins forward of us were capable of taking 4 persons. If you were in one of those cabins, were the 3rd and 4th bunks recessed in the ceiling or overhanging on the side walls? It would make a difference in trying to use a queen bed setup.

Loved the location (and price) BTW.

We were in R740 on this cruise - also loved the location.

 

Question - in booking our cabin, we noted that the cabins forward of us were capable of taking 4 persons. If you were in one of those cabins, were the 3rd and 4th bunks recessed in the ceiling or overhanging on the side walls? It would make a difference in trying to use a queen bed setup.

 

Loved the location (and price) BTW.

I don't believe our cabin accommodated 3/4 persons. Unless I just missed the bunks...but I don't think so... :confused:

We did notice the people in the inside across the hall had 4 bunks, but didn't see them closely enough to know whether they came down from the ceiling or were on the wall....

We were sailing along with you too. I'll be posting my review shortly. I agree with most of what you said -- especially about Crown being in great shape for her age.

We had thought about taking the Princess hike in Saguenay but instead opted for the Fjord et Monde group tour. It included more than just the 'hike' but didn't promise to get to the top -- we did have plenty of time to hike to several great viewpoints. Sorry you missed your hoped-for highlight!

Great review thanks.

Tony

Thank you for the great review ! Glad to hear that you enjoyed your time on board the Crown. - EBC

Excellent review.

Thank you.

Keith

Great review. Thank you for taking the time to compose and post it.....:):):)

Bob

Thank you for your review.

We cruised to Canada, September 2016 and were more than impressed with Saguenay, the Captain paused in the fjord so we could take photos.

I was also very impressed by the Canadian welcome in Saguenay.

Even the children dressed up!

Thanks for a very informative review. I’m looking at this cruise perhaps as an option for next season. Much appreciated. :-)

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We were in R723 and LOVED the location. Our cruise next summer is in the same location on the Port side. The Outrigger is our favorite place to 'hang out' in nice weather. It is much quieter than the main pool deck and you get the lovely aft views. It is so convenient from these Aft Riviera cabins! It is also close to Horizon Court, the main pool area and Adagio. It can be a long walk to the Mid-Ship Piazza, but we liked getting those extra steps! Generally we would take the steps down to the Promenade deck and walk outside to mid-ship.

Thank you for the feedback on the cabin location. This is the first time we have been on the top deck, and that far back of the ship, I was concerned there might be more noise or movement or something else. Great to hear and looking forward to checking out everything you mentioned!