Just Back From The Caribbean Princess 12/26

[MiamiNicole]

Well, we are back from a great week on the CB.

Here is the makeup of our group:

Mom and Dad (late 50's)-12th cruise

My sister and myself (21, 24) (9th cruise) and our boyfriends (23, 26) (1st cruise).

We are from Miami and Mexico City.

We had a wonderful cruise and I will break down the cruise by categories:

 

1) Disembarkation: We arrived at the port via taxi from my parents home in Hollywood. We arrived in 10 minutes at the Port Everglades around 1100, we were on board by 1145. Very smooth and organized, even with non-US citizens and green card holders.

2) Staterooms and Suites: We ("the kids") had inside staterooms on the Baja Deck 11 and they were fine. Plenty of closet space and the room stewards were more than efficient (one room's steward a bit more attentive than the other with robes, etc.). The bathroom was not as small as people described here and had great lotions etc. Also, the room was very conveniently located.

 

My parents had a mini-suite on the Dophin Deck right next to the large elevators and had no noise problems and their suite was quite nice. 2 tv's, large uncovered balcony (we had fun waving to people from above!!). No complaints from us here!

 

3) Public Rooms: The atrium was nice, we especially enjoyed the coffee bar on deck 5. They have some great coffee and one very NASTY server and a woman that is extremely nice and friendly (avoid the Romanian man that works there we joked about him all week, a very mean man!!). The elevators were quite fast considering the amount of people on our ship. The pool areas were not that crowded because we had some bad weather on our sea days, but the chair hogs were out nevertheless. We spent most of our time by the Neptune pool where the band was. The pizza and hamburgers were also served there and they were quite tasty!! (more on that later). We used Crooners (martini bar) and the Wheelhouse as pre-dinner meeting spaces. Drink service was a bit slow, but there were a lot of young cruisers on our ship so it was pretty busy. The casino was PACKED every night after dinner and the Blackjack payed off well for my BF. Skywalkers was packed as well after 11:30. My BF and I go out a lot on land, but we didn't use Skywalkers as much as we thought due the amount of loud and pushy drunk young people we found up there!! I got a great pedicure in the spa and I was talking with the girl that did my nails and she said it was the crews toughest cruise they ever had. There were A LOT of pushy New Yorkers on this boat and a LOT of young people (between like 16-35). Although it didn't ruin our trip it was hard not to notice the how much complaining was going on by these people. On a different note, Horizon and Cafe Caribe were not always full and we found it easy to navigate these areas. The photo area was a mess, but that is to be expected!!

3) Food: We all gained about 3-5 lbs, my sister's BF's shirt didn't button on the last evening!! So I guess we enjoyed the food. Sometimes it was great and other nights just OK, but no complaints here. We reserved the same table in the Palm every night at 8pm. We had the BEST service we have ever had!!! Our waitress was Romana from Romania. She was fabulous!

The best selections in the Dining Room were: Beef Wellington, Lobster, Prawns, MahiMahi, Filet of Zander, and the Rack of Lamb. There were some great appetizers as well. We all loved Sterlings and booked that for Caribbean Night b/c the menu was strange in the dining room. I ordered room service twice, but the menu is very small and limited. We never ate at the Cafe Caribe Cafe at night, but I went to check it out and some evenings it looked good (one night they had big grilled shrimp and scallop skewers) and other nights not so hot. The pizza by the pool was very yummy and we also had some pretty good cheeseburgers. The Chocolate Banana drink was great and I think that is what made me gain 3 lbs!!! The buffet food was much better than Celebrity and RCL! We were all pleasantly surprised by the food!!

4) Entertainment: Well, hate to say it but we didn't see one show!!! Bert Stratton was supposed to be excellent, and I think my parents caught about 30 minutes of his show. My BF and I went to Skywalkers and danced 3 or 4 nights and had a nice time, but otherwise we just listened to the pool band or sat in Crooners and talked.

5) Ports: St. Thomas-we chartered a boat for 6 to St. John and had an amazing time!!! The lunch they served was the best we had all week and if you want more info on the tour email me!! St. Marteen: we had all been to the French side so we stayed on the Dutch side after water taxiing over there and walked around and shopped. We bought some great stuff and ate a wonderful little restaurant there on the beach. In Nassau we went to Senor Frogs and got a bit crazy. I have sang a few tune for the bar and got a standing ovation!!

6) Weather: The weather was pretty crummy on all sea days and the seas were the roughest anyone had ever seen, with gail winds. It was not a good cruise for those with sea sickness!! It was cool and rainy 3 days, and the temp never got above 80 except in St. Marteen!!

7) Fellow Passengers: Big groups, families etc. I felt like there were no kids on this boat, they were very well behaved. We had a table next to us with 7 and 9 year old girls that we befriended, they did not like the kid's program though. Most of the passengers were upper-middle class Long Island, New York, and New Jersey with some Miami and LA thrown in. We only met 1 person from the midwest! There were a lot of people from Mexico City, London, and few families from Germany as well. Although there were some obnoxious complainers, we met some nice people. Crew said the week before was much friendlier, oh well!!

New Years: We all wanted to spend it in a quieter manner. So we went up to skywalkers and got a table and counted down there with some party favors we picked up on deck 14. They did a big countdown in the Atrium and by Movies Under the Stars, but it was jammed. Heard it was a great party though!

MUTS: We never did it once or did we use that pool, they did play the college games on new years day. We did not like the Movie Selection and wished that they hadn't played so many Christmas movies after Christmas!!!

 

Well, sorry about the grammar, but I have to go get on a plane and go back to Mexico City in about 1 hour so this is very rushed.

 

In conclusion, we had a fabulous time and would sail Princess again. We don't really see the difference between Princess, RCL, and Celebrity. Only a few nuances such as fresh water pools and dining options. Celebrity maybe is a bit more elegant and RCl a bit more geared to kids under 16, other than that I would cruise any 3 of these line.

I hope that this helped some of you and if you have any questions feel free to ask!! Happy Cruising!!

P.S.

Our bar tab was a cruising record this year...we think we drank more b/c of the crummy weather!!!

[beckers]

Thanks for the great review. Sounds like you had a fun time. Can't wait to go in April. 95 days and counting .........

[Rustynail]

I've just run off and packed my dancing shoes......................

 

thanks for sharing your experience with us.

 

Dan

[CruiseFever]

Thanks for checking in...glad to hear you had a good cruise!

[Crazsea]

Thank You Nicole!

That was a lot of fun to read!

[SoFloDeb]

Nicole, so glad to hear you had a good time! You were stressing a little bit at the end there, if I remember correctly. Thanks for sharing your memories with us and I hope you have safe trip home!

 

Happy New Year!

[AliceJ]

Nicole:

 

Thanks for taking time to write your review. Glad to hear you had a great time. Looking forward to being on the CP in April!:)

[taxatty]

Thanks Nicole! Heard so much about complaining OLD people--it's nice to hear that YOUNG people can complain too! :D

 

Les

[Pam in CA]

Nicole... thanks for posting your review. I went to post mine last night and after typing for an hour and then sending, I got the dreaded posting error. I'm so sorry I didn't get to meet you although I know Vicky bumped into you during the cruise.

 

Here is my review of the cruise, which is somewhat similar to yours. Overall, the cruise exceeded my expectations. At no time did we feel that the ship was overcrowded, even during the cloudy, cool and rainy days when everyone was indoors. We never had a problem getting a table at breakfast or lunch in the Horizon Court or Cafe Caribe and after making a reservation the first day in the Palm Dining Room for 8PM, we had to wait only one evening and that was for 15 minutes because the people before us were running late. The rest of the time we pretty much just walked in to "our" table. The one disappointment, and it wasn't a dealbreaker, was that the Sterling Steakhouse was completely booked by Day 2.

 

Getting There: We arrived at the airport on Saturday, 12/25, only to be told by Delta that our flights were cancelled and the first flight out from either Manchester (NH), Boston or Providence would be Tuesday. So, we raced over to Southwest where we were able to buy standby tickets (at full price) leaving in an hour for Tampa. We figured we could get to FLL from there if we could only get on the plane. We did! But only after they boarded the plane and then checked for seats. We made it to Tampa and then got ticketed to FLL, arriving only two hours later than originally scheduled.

 

Embarkation: We left the hotel at 11:30 by cab ($2.50 + tip) and were checked in and in our cabins by Noon. Couldn't have been quicker or easier.

 

Weather: As Nicole said, all of our sea days were cool (60s to very low 70s), cloudy and rainy. I had a balcony cabin mid-ship on Aloha deck and by the end of the cruise, everything was covered in crusty salt spray -- just like the rim of a Margarita. My balcony was covered and was totally unusable those days. Even being covered didn't help. The ship was rock'n and roll'n all over the place -- the winds were 30 - 40mph -- and the stabilizers were out and making a lot of noise and vibrations. Naturally, people complained about the noise and vibration: a guy near my daughter and SIL's cabin called them trying to put together a group complaint.

 

MUTS: We made a reservation to see the Bourne Supremacy but it was raining and even though we had loungers under cover, we were getting wet and the sound was bouncing around the metal and it was hard to hear so we gave up after about half an hour. I watched Back to the Future later in the week and enjoyed MUTS. I think it's fine for ships with an area that's designed for it but I can't see it on ships with just one pool. I think it would be intrusive on those ships.

 

The Food: The food for breakfast and dinner was excellent but I thought the luncheon food in the Horizon Court/Cafe Caribe was greasy and unappetizing-looking. It was definitely not up to the same standard as I had on the Regal last spring. Not as much variety, light salads, etc. The Cafe Caribe did offer different dishes but even there, there wasn't much variety. We wound up going to the grill for a hamburger or getting pizza.

 

As mentioned, we made a reservation for 8PM in the Palm Dining Room every night. Our waiters were from Romania (table 366) and were very good but with different reservations at different times for their three tables, they were busy racing around and had to adjust to three different schedules. Anytime Dining worked OK for us but it really isn't the same as Traditional. There are times when we'll do Anytime but our preference is still Traditional.

 

Service: The service on the Caribbean Princess was very good. Everyone was friendly and helpful, from the crew polishing the handrails on the stairs to the Pursers Desk. My cabin steward was pretty good: he got me a lounger for my balcony but I was disappointed on one of our port days when we were going to the beach and discovered there were no pool towels. My daughter and SIL's steward was a horror. As she told the Purser, she didn't mind that there was no remote for the TV; she didn't mind that there was leftover trash in the baskets; she didn't mind that there were no laundry slips so she could get something pressed for Formal night. But she DID mind when she and her husband were in bed, taking a nap, the first afternoon and the steward walked in after knocking and being told "NO! Don't come in!" to bring in the TV remote. Not only did he walk in, but even after they told him not to, he STAYED and fooled around with the TV for 10 minutes while Erica and PJ were huddled under the covers. She was so shaken up she was in tears. From then on, they threw the door lock every time they were in the cabin.

 

Our Favorite Places: One of our favorite places was the bar in the Deck 5 Atrium, just outside the Island Dining Room. We went there every evening for a drink and after the first night, the server greeted me by name. It was uncrowded and we wound up meeting and chatting with other people who "found" that spot and went there every night. My other favorite place was on the Promenade Deck. The lounge chairs (they're not full loungers) are very comfortably padded and it was easy to find a seat.

 

Unlike Nicole, my impression of the passengers is that with a few exceptions, they were definitely lower- to middle-class. Money doesn't mean class. We met many from the New England area, even several people who live in the same town or just a few miles away.

 

There were some complainers, from the people wanting their money back because the beach at Trunk Bay was too rough to snorkle to those who went up the deck attendants and demanded that they find them loungers. One group found a great spot to put their loungers -- right in the middle of the space that people were using to walk across the deck. The family group of 11 at the table next to us at dinner every night had 5 teenagers who did nothing but scream at each other and whine when they weren't screaming. Of course, the parents screamed across the table at them so the noise level was horrific and it was clear where the kids got their shouting ability. One night, just the kids showed up so the Maitre D' moved them to another table. Even though they'd been there less than 10 minutes, it took 4 waiters another 10 minutes to clean the chairs and fix the table for another group.

 

Ports: We went to Truck Bay on St. John's and loved it, even if it was very rough and couldn't snorkle. It was a sunny, warm day and we had a great time. On St. Maarten, we did the Golden Eagle catamaran tour and again had a great time. Again, it was a bit rough but also again, it was sunny and warm. In the afternoon, we took the Duck tour which went over to the French side of the island and into the bay there. That was also a great tour with incredible views. I didn't even bother to get off in Nassau.

 

New Year's Eve: Princess put on a great party for New Year's Eve. They gave out hats and horns and had a band up on the balcony directly below the MUTS screen that played from 11PM until whenever. The music was what I would call "sing-along rock" and they played Celebrate! just before midnight. Everyone was having a good time, dancing or singing. The only negative is that on the Nordic Empress last year, RCI provided the champagne and poured it freely. On Princess, you had to buy the champagne but their party was better.

 

Disembarkation: Disembarkation was pretty good but could have been better-organized in my opinion. A few people pulled their luggage out into the small pathways between the rows and just stayed there, holding up everyone else. It wasn't bad -- I've just had better. Leaving FLL was horrific. There were something like 11 cruise ships in port and FLL was using only one runway for both incoming and outgoing flights. Our flight was held on the tarmac for almost an hour and a half in 8th position to take off because of the private flights coming in for a bowl game. After a long day, to add insult to injury on top of the cancelled flights to the cruise, Delta lost my luggage. I was at work when they tried to deliver it and wanted to leave it outside my garage. Since it's a roadway, I said, "No way. You can come another three miles and deliver here to work." They did, surprisingly enough.

 

Thank You, Vicky! It was a delight to meet you, Dick, Hannah and Shannon. You really helped make this cruise memorable and I hope we stay in touch.

[MiamiNicole]

Sorry we didn't get to meet up PAM. I am glad you guys had a great cruise as well!

[msiowa]

Thanks Nicole and Pam for your reviews. They were fun to read.

 

I was also on this cruise and I have to admit that my impressions were a bit different. (There were more than 3000 people on this cruise and there are probably 3000 different opinions!!)

 

A little background: This was my 4th Princess cruise but my first since Carnival took over. I think Carnival has made a big difference, none of it positive.

 

I was part of a family group of 11 - my parents, my 2 brothers and their wives and children (4 kids - ages 5 to 13), and me.

 

We were all in mini-suites on Dolphin deck. (I shared with my 13 year old niece which on one hand was fun but I've forgotten what slobs 13 year girls can be!!) The rooms were wonderful. Lots of space. Well designed. Spacious balcony (I didn't mind that they were uncovered and even though the weathr wasn't great, I spent considerable time out there.) I loved having a bath tub (a first for me).

 

We had a great cabin steward - Rene. He worked hard and kept the rooms in beautiful condition. He brought 2 extra beach towels each day that I requested when we first boarded.

 

Overall, I found this cruise did not meet my expectations. And was a great disappointment from my previous, wonderful Princess cruises.

 

First, I found the ship to be far too crowded. I can't say I was surprised - you add a deck of rooms and no additional public space . . .people have to go somewhere!

 

Even though our weather wasn't great, to pool decks were crowded - especially with chair hogs. I'm an early riser. I go to the gym by 7 (the gym was great in the mornings but my brothers said it was very crowded in the afternoon) and am at the pool by 8:30 or 9. I could not find a lounge chair on the pool deck or the deck above most days. All the lounges were "reserved" with towels, books, shoes, etc. Needless to say, many of these lounges never saw a body until lunchtime, if then.

 

The situation is aggravated by MUTS because they play movies ALL DAY LONG with the sound blasting. That means the MUTS pool is unusable by anyone who wants to sit and relax and read. That's a lot of "lost" lounging space.

 

During peak times, the Horizon Cafe was crowded but you could usually find a table by going into the Caribe Cafe (behind the Horizon) - it took me a couple of days to discover this. They also have better lunch food in the Caribe Cafe (breakfast food is the same).

 

The shows were crowded. Club Fusion was crowded during events (like Bingo) but otherwise underutilized.

 

Second, I found the food to be mediocre at best. The dining room menu was ok (although I found myself ordering the "always available" items far more often than usual) and the food itself was also just ok. There were some highlights - the lobster tails on New Year's Eve were suberb - the best I've ever had on a cruise ship. The food in the Horizon Cafe was horrible. Breakfast was ok but lunch was horrifying. As Pam said above - very greasy, not a good selection, and much of what looked good tasted bad. This was not the food I've had previously on Princess.

 

Third, and most importantly, the service has gone far downhill. Our waiter and assistant waiter were good. Pleasant and accomodating but didn't seem as professional and polished as waiters in the past.

 

But service elsewhere was sloppy and sometimes rude. I've NEVER seen that on Princess before. In the Horizon Cafe the wait staff (circulating for drinks) acted like they were doing you a favor by getting you a drink (when they broke away from the conversations they were having with their friends.) In some of the other areas around ship, the crew members were brusk and at times downright nasty to passengers. Again, this is not what I expect on a cruise. (In case you're thinking that I might be a very particular, grumpy, difficult passenger and therefore got what I deserved, let me assure you I'm easy going, always have a smile on my face, always say please and thank you. I had a manicure and pedicure (very nice) and my manicurist said she wished all the passengers were like me. She'd had her fair share of difficult passengers that week and couldn't wait for wet dock this week.)

 

There were things I liked. I thought the cruise staff did a great job. I thought they were the best I've ever seen. I liked Graham a great deal although some passengers thought he was too risque for the family crowd.

 

I did like MUTS. (although as I said above, it might be better if they didn't have movines blaring during the day so that pool would be more usable.) I especially thought it was a great venue for watching the bowl games on Saturday. We also saw The Wizard of Oz which was great fun (but I didn't understand why they didn't have blankets and popcorn for this movie like they had for the others at night.)

 

It's possible that this cruise was an anomaly. It was a VERY busy week and the crew and services were stretched. BUT all the other cruises I've been on have always left me with a special feeling and this one did not.

 

I might try one of the smaller Princess ships in the future to see if this really is the "Carnival effect" but for now I'm glad I've booked my Alaska cruise this summer on Celebrity.

 

I hope all of you future passengers on the Caribbean Princess have a much better time than I did.

 

Happy sailing!

Joanie

[Rustynail]

Hey Pam, what was your balcony like? Did you have two small chairs and a table? Were you on the port side or starboard? We are on the Aloha Deck room 401 in two weeks time.

 

Dan

[Pam in CA]

Hey Pam, what was your balcony like? Did you have two small chairs and a table? Were you on the port side or starboard? We are on the Aloha Deck room 401 in two weeks time.

Rusty... I was in A318, just down the hall from where you'll be but on the port (left) side. The balcony was fine for me as I was a single in the cabin. It had plenty of space for two small chairs and a table. I asked my steward for a lounger and it fit fine but the two chairs were stacked. You could probably have used both of them in addition to the lounger but it would have been very crowded.

 

I took a picture of the balcony and the lounger and when I have a chance, I'll post it. :)

 

Joanie... I'm very surprised at the rude staff that you encountered. We didn't see or have a single one. They were ALL very friendly, smiling and helpful, even when I asked for a soda or coffee in the Cafe Caribe. I have to admit that when I did go to the buffet, I pretty much always went to the Cafe Caribe to sit so perhaps the service there was better.

 

One thing I did notice the few times I was near the pools is that the deck crew were constantly removing towels from chairs. I saw this many times and was amazed at how many they picked up -- they were carting huge bundles of towels off -- and I wanted to cheer.

[19stephanie66]

:D i would like to thank everyone for taking time to post their reviews of their caribbean princess cruise!......i am going this feb 5th with my fiance dan.i have been reading reviews on this site for years now and i am amased at the differences that people can have on the same sailing. just wonder why that is.i am looking forward to this sailing which will be my first on princess..3 past cruises on royal caribbean and 3 on carnival........and only complaint i can remember is having aft balcony cabin on conquest the one with wrap around balcony.....(an incredible balcony at that)came out first morning of cruise to find it covered top to bottom with soot! one call to front desk and there were 5 guys on the balcony scrubbing and hosing :) then there was the night my fiance was out on the balcony and he comes to the door to tell me it is raining out :( i looked out and it was a clear sky....full moon not a cloud in the sky....i pulled him into the cabin.............they were washing the deck 2 decks up and water was spraying over the side! ha ha.......any way a bad day at see is better than anyday back home at work right? :rolleyes:

[Pam in CA]

Stephanie... it is amazing how several different people on the same cruise can have different experiences. I think it's more than attitude, although that helps, but rather expectations and perhaps blind luck. When you cruise on a large ship that's as long as three football fields, including end zones, with hundreds of crew members, you're going to have very different experiences. Even my daughter and SIL with their horrific steward and her nasty cold have a different perspective from mine.

 

We'd been on the Grand Princess and had a really bad experience with a nasty Maitre D' and some other less-than-fun times and I swore I'd never go back on the Grand. However, I was willing to give the Caribbean Princess a chance although my expectations were set pretty low based on the Grand. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect the same experience I'd had on the Royal, Regal, Coral or Sun-class ships. I still would never go on the Grand but under certain circumstances, I'd go back on the Caribbean Princess.

 

We were so thankful to even be on the cruise after our shaky airline start that we valued every day, whether it was sunny or rainy. We met some great people and had a good time. I think because of that, we were smiling all the time and maybe people respond differently to that.

[cruzinchris]

Hello, Caribbean Princess passengers - past, present, and future.

This is a fabulous thread, and I've enjoyed reading the reviews. I'm looking forward to sailing on the CP January 22: I'm sure that I'll have my own experiences and perceptions to report here upon my return.

 

DH and I have cruised often, on several lines/ships, and we always enjoy ourselves even though things may not be as perfect as we might wish them to be. This will be our 4th Princess cruise in as many years because we have found that our expectations are met with this line more than any other on which we've sailed. Princess isn't perfect, but neither were the other lines. In fact, I've read reviews about some of the luxury lines - costing twice as much, if not more, than Princess - and those passengers complain about the same issues that are mentioned with regard to Caribbean Princess! The earlier comment about "expectations" is a point well-taken.

 

I appreciated the remarks about MUTS, and I must confess that I am not thrilled about this feature. DH and I rarely go to movies any more because the "sound" level has become bothersome to me. If I tell you that I also avoid most concerts for the same reason, you'll understand what I mean. I suspected that I might find MUTS a distraction, and I'm grateful for the heads up on this.

 

Thanks for the fine previews to what I expect will be a wonderful seafaring adventure for DH and I in less than 3 weeks.

Chris

[tom-n-jules]

5) Ports: St. Thomas-we chartered a boat for 6 to St. John and had an amazing time!!! The lunch they served was the best we had all week and if you want more info on the tour email me!!

Nicole - tried to e-mail on your listing and got a bounce-back. Can you give details on your charter?

 

Thanks!

[MiamiNicole]

Tom n Jules-

The ship was a 53' ocean-gion ketch named "Alaunt". The sail was from 9:30 to 3:30 and included breakfast, lunch, open bar, and snorkel gear and instruction. It was $110/person (if you pay in cash) and you must have a group of 6 and under. The lunch was FABULOUS, roster chicken with fresh cesar salad with homemade dressing, side of plantains, rice and beans. It was an amazing lunch and we are tough food critics!!

 

The info is: http://www.alauntcharters.com

Toll Free: 1-888-DAYSAIL

Captain Ron Aren and his Mate Carol King are nice as can be!

[tom-n-jules]

Thanks Nicole!!

 

And thanks to you and everyone else who gave their impressions of their cruise!!

[bdjam]

A little background: This was my 4th Princess cruise but my first since Carnival took over. I think Carnival has made a big difference, none of it positive.

 

I might try one of the smaller Princess ships in the future to see if this really is the "Carnival effect" but for now I'm glad I've booked my Alaska cruise this summer on Celebrity.

Caribbean Princess was on the boards before Princess and Carnival merged…Carnival’s money made it easier for the ship to be built however…but the concept of a mass-market, high density ship was already working. Such a difference from the direction Princess was going with all its other ships, it’s no wonder there are service issues...I don't think Princess knew what they were getting into.

[melindda]

I along with around 25 of my friends and relatives would have to say that this cruise was a very disappointing experience. I had been on the Grand Princess two years ago and thought it was really a wonderful cruise, not so on this ship.

 

Highlights:

 

Embarkation was an absolute breeze, many of us were in our cabins before noon

 

Caribe Cafe when they served shrimp cocktail and crab legs

 

Hamburgers and Pizza by the pool

 

New Year's Eve lobster dinner

 

Graham Seymour!

 

 

Disappointing:

 

Food was okay at best, there seemed to be a big decline in the food quality since the last time I cruised with Princess

 

Service: We felt that the crew was really not very service oriented. My room steward as well as my kid's room steward were the exception. Usually on most cruises we rave how nice the crew is. Not on this ship.

 

Horizon Court/Caribe: This area always seemed to be crowded and it was always difficult finding seats no matter how far back we went. The waiters in this area seemed always to congregate in the corners talking and were so slow in clearing tables.

 

Photo Shop: Tried to purchase photos two times and the line was sooo long! Friends complained that they waited over an hour. I went back for the third time when there was a short line but they only had one person at the counter, and they had 4 people rearranging the photo shelves. I asked if someone else could help out at the counter, finally a girl did come, she was not very happy about this.

 

TV: The satellite was out for most of the week. I know you must be saying you didn't go on a cruise to watch TV, and I didn't, but it was a very busy week in the news and it we did want to know what was going on. They did not broadcast the ball dropping in Times Square.

 

New Year's Eve: No free champagne! Our group has been on numerous cruise lines during New Year's and we have always received at least a token glass of champagne. We are paying a preminum price to travel during this week, one glass of bubbly wouldn't put a dent in Princess and is what we have always encountered on other cruise lines.

 

Disembarkation: Totally unorganized!

 

Summary:

 

I had been on Princess before and felt that it was a wonderful experience. I really was disappointed with this cruise. My gut tells me that it is this ship, too big, and not enough experience regarding the crew. I have no answer regarding the food quality, but we all felt the same way, it was not very good. I don't think that there is anyone in our group that would be willing to give Princess another try, as there were too many negatives and so few positives.

[lynwar]

Thanks for your reviews. We were on the Caribbean Princess the week of Sept. 18-27-extended because of Hurricane Jeanne. We enjoyed our journey as usual.This was our 4th on Princess out of 5 cruises. However, except for one very rough sea day that week, we've always encountered calm seas. I don't know what I'd do if everyday were rough and rainy.

I agree that some of the menu offerings weren't that great in the Dining Rooms and up in the Caribe Cafe during the later hours some nights, but nothing really to overly complain about. I'm not into a lot of exotic food, so I just chose the most "traditional" offerings and didn't go hungry.

Although some in our roll call group had some issues, we had a good time (except for the fact that our greatest loss was again in the Casino! LOL) We just cruise once a year for my vacation from work, to "get waited on for a change". I work in a retirement facility and cater to folks all day.(Activities, fetching, listening, documenting, smiling.......). I love what I do, but the cruise is my week off to re-energize. I've had no complaints so far with Princess, and had no big problem with the Caribbean Princess. In fact, I get a picture of her each time we're in Ft. Lauderdale and She's in port. Lynne

[bdjam]

MUTS: ... I think it's fine for ships with an area that's designed for it but I can't see it on ships with just one pool. I think it would be intrusive on those ships.

I don’t mean to turn this post into a MUTS debate, but thank you… ;)

[snow 4 sand]

Thanks Nicole for the posting. I read in your review about Caribbean night. I was wondering if that would be the the night to try Sterlings. Do you recall what night it was???? We are not big seafood lovers and think proably the menu that night will feature alot of that.We are wait listed for Traditional Dining but it would seem that over 200 before us and that we will get PC.We do have mixed thoughts on trying it.,but am curious to how that goes for 6-7 nights??? Hope you can help with my questions. Thanks Liz

[MiamiNicole]

Caribbean Night is was Tuesday night on our ship, but I think that it is usually wednesday night (our week was a bit different due to New Years!). The menu is quite strange on Caribbean night, not so much seafood, but if you are not willing to try new things...skip it! Sterlings was fabulous as well as the service. I booked right when we got on (at 12:30) and asked out group to be put at Sterlings on Caribbean night. I heard it was all booked up by the end of the day!!

PC worked fine for us. I booked 8pm reservations for the whole week (except for the night at Sterlings). We had a fabulous waitress name Romana and had table 152 in the Palm. Service was impecable. Maybe we lucked out, but we loved our dining experience!