Crown Princess Review - January 15 - 22

[xznwfd]

This will be a very long and detailed review, so I suggest a cocktail (or at least a coffee) to fortify you before reading. It was a wonderful trip, and feel free to ask any questions you might have. Here we go!

 

The Crown Princess – January 15 – 22, 2011

Day -1, Ft. Lauderdale

Come January, the only thing I want to do is get out of the freezing Michigan winter. I can overlook it during the excitement of the holidays, but by January 1st I’m done. Even though we have at least 3 more months of it to endure (no matter what the groundhog says) I need a break. So, ever since we were in college, my best friend Joan and I escape to a warmer climate. We go unaccompanied by husbands or boyfriends, and for the last 10 years the vacation of choice has been a cruise. We’ve tried several cruise lines (Celebrity, Holland America, and Princess) but over the last few years have focused in on Princess as our favorite. The pricing is better than Celebrity, the age mix is better than HAL, and we love the beautiful ships, the anytime dining, the mini suites, and the great service.

Last year we took the Crown Princess on its Western Caribbean run. This year, we dilly dallied a bit too long and found ourselves in November with no cruise booked. I was somewhat frantically searching the online cruise sites when I found an unbelievable price for the same cruise we did last year, same week, but $200 less for the same room. I e-mailed it to Joan and I think we were booked in 24 hours. We told ourselves even if we had just done this trip last year we would try and do new things and anyway, we would be both warm and on a ship so it was all good.

In another repeat performance, we booked the Hyatt Place North in Ft. Lauderdale as our pre-cruise hotel. The price was twice what we paid last year but we didn’t care, given its perfect location (walking distance to Total Wine, Publix, and several restaurants), the free shuttle service from the airport, the great rooms (suites) and the amazing staff.

My boyfriend, the Melancholy Italian (MI), drove us to the airport on Friday morning. Our flight (Delta from Detroit Metro) was perfect – we arrived right on time about noon. We called the hotel and they sent the shuttle right over and we were in the hotel in less than 30 minutes. By some miracle they had a room ready for us so we checked in, happily put on capris and sandals, and trotted across the street to the shopping center. We had an awesome lunch at Lakeshore Grill (used to be Grumpy Gators) and then headed to Total Wine for supplies.

I sure wish Michigan had a Total Wine! They have the most amazing selection of wines and liquor and it doesn’t hurt that they offer free samples all over the store. We got 3 bottles of wine, a bottle of champagne and a small bottle of Grey Goose and then walked next door to Publix. We then stocked up on all our sun screens and other essentials and then lugged everything back to the hotel for a little rest. Later that night we headed to Duffy’s, a huge sports bar and restaurant in the same complex and had another good meal. I (who was born without the sports gene) impressed Joan (who has 6 older brothers) with my sports knowledge, identifying 3 of the hundreds of football helmets displayed around the room, 2 of them correctly.

Then we walked back to the hotel where we had an early night, as I was determined we would be one of the first on the ship to try and sign up for the fabled “Chef’s Table”. We had missed out on this treat last year, distracted by signing up for the Sanctuary and then getting waylaid by the chicken salad in the International Café. This year was going to be different!

Day 1 – Embarkation!

We (actually only me) arose early on Saturday and headed downstairs for the lovely free breakfast. Eventually Joan also woke up and dined, and then (since we had missed our window of opportunity for the early shuttles to the port) we called a cab. For the grand total of $5.70 were delivered to the port in style. They had just opened the doors so we got a #6 and sat down for a very brief wait. In about 15 minutes our number was called and we headed inside, got our room keys and were on the ship in 10 more minutes. We scurried to our rooms and I immediately grabbed the phone and started calling the DINE line. When a lovely voice answered I said breathlessly, “We would like to get our names on the list for the Chef’s Table!” She asked if either of us had any allergies and I shouted NO, NO! (even though I don’t eat veal or lamb, likening them to eating baby kittens). She laughed and said we were all set. “Do you mean we are going?” I asked disbelievingly, having read on the boards that usually you don’t find out for a couple of days if you made the cut. “Oh yes madam” she said, “we have just opened the list!” I whooped with delight and we did a little happy dance around the room, and then headed out for a cocktail and some of the World’s Best Chicken Salad in our favorite place – the International Café.

We never eat lunch in the buffet, preferring the peace and quiet of the beautiful IC. We got plates of chicken salad and a quiche or sandwich, and ordered our first cocktail – a delicious Long Island Iced Tea (or, as the MI who is from Long Island says, Tea). Our waitress was the lovely Tanit, and we enjoyed her cheerful personality and excellent service all week. So far, this was shaping up to be our best cruise ever!

After lunch we booked dinner at Sabatini’s and the Crown, and then headed back to our room. Shortly thereafter we met our wonderful room steward Marlon, who could not have been more perfect. We rarely saw him, but every time we came back to our room it was immaculate and we always had ice and fresh towels. Soon our luggage arrived and we unpacked (tons of space in a mini-suite and loads of hangers) and now we were ready to relax!

We opened our champagne and took seats on our balcony. The weather was perfect – mid 70’s and sunny, and we felt our frozen Michigan bones start to thaw. About 5:30 we pulled out of our docking space and waited while the Oasis of the Seas (beyond huge) and a couple of other ships headed out. Then it was our turn, and we waived merrily at the condo residents on shore as we pulled out into the Atlantic. The trip had officially begun!

For dinner we intended to go to the dining room, but stopped by the buffet to see if they had the usual lobster claws and shrimp as an appetizer. There were there, with the claws nicely cracked, and they even had prime rib for Joan (the carnivore) so we skipped the DR and had a great meal in the buffet. We then went up to the Adiago bar for our first martini – I’m a big fan of the 007’s and we downed our drinks and ate cheesy bread sticks and olives for dessert. We are (especially me) Big Dullards when it comes to late night activity and didn’t see any of the shows or do any dancing, but were happy to retreat to our lovely room to lounge around and watch TV. Soon I was ready for bed, so I turned in while Joan watched TV a bit longer. The mini suites have 2 beautiful flat screens so one person can be in the living area watching TV while the other one sleeps merrily. And so our first perfect day on the Crown came to a happy close.

[xznwfd]

Day 2 – Sea Day!

We had used our hang tag for the continental breakfast and requested an 8:30 am delivery. I woke up about 8 (which was a HUGE sleep in for me, as I often have to be at work at 6:00 am) and I headed up to the buffet to get some hot oatmeal and bacon to go with our coffee and pastries. When the room service waitress came in she saw my plates and was most distressed. “You don’t need to go up there!” she said worriedly, “just write in whatever you want on the hang tag and I will bring it!” Sure enough for the rest of the week we wrote in things like oatmeal, bacon, and French toast for Joan and every day it appeared like clockwork. All our orders were perfectly filled and right on time – she was amazing. We always tipped everyone we met generously believing that if we can afford the cruise, we can afford to tip the wonderful Princess staff members who make it such an awesome experience. We had nothing but excellent service everywhere on the ship so considered all the tip money very well spent.

After breakfast, we showered and headed out to the ship. We took a quick walk around the promenade deck and I decided I would skip the gym this year and get my exercise walking around the beautiful deck. Soon it was time for lunch so we visited our beloved IC again for more chicken salad and little nibbles for dessert. Tanit took good care of us and we did a little more wandering before returning to our room.

We had been very excited to have a special note in our mailbox that morning, asking us to meet with the Matre d’Hotel between 10:30 and 11 in the dining room. We showed up right on time and found him at a table, where he asked us again if we had any allergies (another resounding NO, in spite of the baby kitten factor). He told us we would receive another letter telling us when and where to meet and we wandered back out in a happy daze of anticipation.

We did a little lounging around and I eventually went to do a few laps on the promenade deck, getting in 2 miles. Then we gussied up for the first formal night and headed to the dining room for dinner.

We love anytime dining, having endured some challenging dinner mates on past cruises. We prefer to eat by ourselves, and were seated at a nice table for 2 right away (arriving about 6:30 pm). I had the halibut which was perfectly done, and Joan the filet which she enjoyed. Service was excellent, and we were out in about an hour.

We called it an early night in anticipation of Grand Cayman on the morrow.

Day 3 – Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman is a tender port. We both care less for tender ports, and loitered around the ship until 10:30 is to let the frantic rush to shore taper down. By that time, we had breakfasted in our room, showered, packed beach bags and there was no need for tender tickets or waiting any longer.

We did find our Invitation to the Chef’s Table in our mailbox, instructing us to meet in the International Café at 7:00 that evening. We did another quick happy dance, and then walked down to the tender deck and right on to the tender. The seas were calm and we were on shore in about 15 minutes. We found a cab (actually a van) and headed to Royal Palm beach. It’s only a few minutes’ drive from the port and cost a whole $4. We walked on to the beach, found chairs, and settled in. Normally someone comes right by to collect your $10 for your chair, but the Chair Gods were with us and no one ever demanded payment. I took a lovely walk along the beach while Joan sunned. When I returned, we lounged a bit longer and then found another cab back to the ship as tonight was our big night – The Chef’s Table!

At 7:00 pm sharp, we showed up at the International Café dressed to the nines except for our ugly closed toed shoes (yes, we were told by the Matre d’Hotel that closed toed shoes were required). He took us to the entrance to the kitchens where the chef joined us. His name is Guiseppe Pollara and he was full of Italian charm. After a brief talk, we all donned white lab coats and he led the way into one of the 9 kitchens on board the ship. He gave us a fascinating tour and talk about the different kitchens on board and their functions – we were surprised to hear that two of them (the crew’s kitchen and the bakery) were 24/7 operations. Guiseppe then lead us to a corner where champagne was poured and the first of the unbelievable appetizers were brought out for our nibbling pleasure. We started with a lobster Margarita, which was chunks of lobster, avocado, and other goodies beautifully displayed in a martini glass. Next was a delicious handmade pate on toast with pineapple chutney, followed by a tiny biscuit heaped with a mound of a mix of goat cheese and ricotta. Finally out came a little Bellini with cream fraiche and caviar. Our champagne glasses were filled up any time they emptied, and the Matre d’Hotel did join us for a glass or two (saying the ONLY time we were allowed to eat or drink in the kitchen was at the Chef’s Table!). There were extras of everything if you wanted them, but Joan and I refrained, wisely realizing that there were many more delights to follow. Then we were led out of the kitchen, lab coats were removed, and we were escorted to a large table in the dining room. It was set with a beautiful arrangement of flowers and candles (first candles I have ever seen on a ship). We were introduced to our waiter and waitress – head waiter Dante and his lovely assistant Corina. Both were fabulous, but Corina was unbelievable – so charming, witty and the most professional server I’ve ever had anywhere. (Note: we filled our “You made a difference” cards for Corina, Tanit and Marlon as they were all some of the best we have seen on any of our cruises.)

As soon as we were seated, a delicious white wine was poured and another appetizer came out. It was wafer thin slices of raw beef layered with shaved parmesan cheese. Even I, a very occasional meat eater, gobbled it down.

Next came out a large bowl of unbelievable lobster risotto, with huge chunks of lobster displayed on top. It was amazing and I, already full, would have been happy to have that be my main course. Our wine glasses were kept full and conversation at the table became livelier as the night went on. Next came out a martini glass with Cajun seasoning on the rim holding a bloody mary sorbet, but before we could try it Guiseppe came back out brandishing a bottle of Grey Goose which he proceeded to pour over the sorbet. We were in full sensory overload by now!

But wait. Now the main course was ceremoniously brought out and the whole table gasped. It consisted of 3 large iron stands with 3 layers of spikes on them. The first layer had filets of port, the second filets of veal, and the third, filets of beef (all this on EACH iron stand!). Chef Guiseppe then proceed to make a brandy sauce that he flamed and poured over all the meat, causing quite a stir in the dining room (no worries, he showed us he had also brought his fire extinguisher). He also flamed a huge bowl of lobster tails, just in case the plethora of meat wasn’t enough for us. Dante and Corina professionally offered each of us our choice of the meat (I took a filet of pork and had a total of one bite) allowing us to select as much as we wanted. Then they passed a choice of 5 beautiful sauces, (I chose the peppercorn) and next they disbursed our lobster tails of their shells and garnished them in drawn butter. An array of fresh vegetables and mashed potatoes were also offered. A delicious Cabernet was poured, and then, then we ate.

I managed to finish the lobster and my one bite of (delicious) pork filet. Seriously questioning if I would ever need to eat again, our plate were cleared and the next course came out – potted Stilton cheese with a port wine sauce drizzled over it with rosemary biscotti. We were each given a small ramekin full, and each would have been enough for a table full of people. After eating a few bites of that, a new guest joined us – the pastry chef. He brought out the most amazing spun sugar bowls, filled with a light and lovely Cointreau parfait and garnished with a large wafer thin cookie (also known as a Brandy Snap Tuile). We were nibbling at that with glazed expressions with our beloved Guiseppe came back with a huge bottle of his home made Lemoncello, and everyone downed shots of that with gusto. THEN, a giant platter of beautiful chocolate covered strawberries and handmade chocolates was brought out and Joan and I managed one strawberry each. Next the ship photographer showed up to take photos of each couple with the Chef, the Matre d’Hotel and the pastry Chef, as well as a group shot. Next we were given huge autographed Princess Cookbooks with roses for the ladies and coffee was offered. Before we waddled back to our room our photos were delivered. It was without a doubt the best dinner I’ve ever had anywhere, and a not to be missed occasion. Princess has really outdone themselves with this event, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Needless to say, Joan and I headed to the disco for dancing (not), rushed to the theater for the late show (not), went immediately to bed (the painful truth). Joan says I was asleep before my head hit the pillow but I distinctly remember my cheek meeting my pillow so I know she was exaggerating. What an amazing night!

[xznwfd]

Day 4 – Rotan!

We woke up the following morning still full from the night before. Our breakfast arrived as usual, but we only nibbled at it. We had reservations that night for Sabatini’s and wisely decided to cancel. As much as we love Sabatini’s we couldn’t face another enormous dinner 2 nights in a row. Once that was accomplished, we got ready for our day at Tabyana beach on the west end of Rotan. This was a ship offered tour and we met our group at the fountain at the port at 10:15. We boarded a small bus (air conditioned, thankfully) and headed out for a 45 minute drive. The island is very hilly and beautiful but very poor, even by Caribbean standards. We passed through a couple of small towns and were reminded of how blessed we are to enjoy the wonderful standard of living that we do. We arrived at the beach and were shown around – the facilities included an area for the buffet lunch, some small shops, and the most beautiful beach ever. The water was crystal clear, and you could see fish by just walking around. I took a nice beach walk and Joan settled in for some sun. A young girl came over offering massages for us both - $25 for 40 minutes. We couldn’t resist, and enjoyed very nice massages with the sound of the waves in the background. Then we had a fine lunch – burgers and hot dogs with the fixings. Lemonade, ice tea and water were free, and drinks were available for purchase. It was a glorious day and we enjoyed every minute. About 2 we caught a shuttle back to the ship – stopping on the way at Coxen Hole to let some NCL passengers off. We got back to the ship and stopped by our beloved International Café for a snack and a cocktail, and then headed to our room for a much needed nap.

That night we had dinner in the buffet. Nothing was especially impressive, but we got some pizza and survived. Surprisingly, we had another early night, as the next day was Cozumel and our excursion left at the uncivilized hour of 7:45 am.

Day 5 – Cozumel!

We were woken up by our room service waitress right on time as usual. We gobbled our breakfast (back to eating normally, I’m happy to say) and packed up again for another beach day. This time we went to Playa Mya. We boarded a large air conditioned bus for the short ride, and arrived to find a very nice set up with a large dining area, a lovely beach with dozens of chairs and shade available, and lots of water toys to enjoy. We chose seats conveniently near the bar (drinks were included) and by 8:30 had our first cocktail. I took my usual walk and then we took out one of the 2 person paddle boats for a spin. Our navigation skills were not what they could have been (there was a lot of yelling “Reverse! Reverse!”) but we had fun and got a nice work out at the same time. The buffet was open and we had a good lunch with chicken, burgers and hot dogs, fruit, chips and salsa, and lots of other things that I forget (likely due to the first cocktail at 8:30 am). At about 1:30 our bus took us back to the port and we did some shopping at the port area. Prices and selection were not as good as downtown Cozumel but we still found some vanilla and t-shirts for gifts and I found an exotic bottle of tequila for the MI. Satisfied with our shopping we got back on our lovely ship (going home, as we like to say) and then did our usual routine of stopping at the IC for chicken salad and a cocktail. Then a brief nap, followed by our night at the Crown Grill.

We always enjoy the Crown – the service is wonderful and the food more so. Joan had surf and turf (not on menu, but no problem when she asked) and I had fish and we were both very happy with our choices. She tried the berry cobbler for dessert and I had the sampler plate and we once again couldn’t finish everything. We managed to waddle back to our room for another restful night.

Day 6 – Sea Day!

We do love sea days. We slept in, had room service breakfast, and then I did 2 miles around the decks to try and counteract (in vain, I might add) the millions of calories we had consumed so far. That afternoon we had the Master’s Wine Tasting which was very nice, although the samples were a bit skimpy. They were very good and expensive wines though, so I suppose it was understandable. The appetizers served with the wines were also very good, and included a little caviar (although certainly not the same quality as what we enjoyed at the Chef’s Table). It was formal night that night so we dressed up (luckily our dresses were loose fitting) and enjoyed surf and turf for dinner in the dining room (just surf for me – lobster with shrimp). We did wait a few minutes for dinner but it was just long enough to order a drink in a nearby bar before our beeper lit up and we were quickly seated. Again the service was excellent and we were very happy with our meal. We visited the casino for a bit, happily losing our money but having fun in the process. Then we retired so as to be rested for our last day – Princess Cay.

Day 7 – Princess Cay!

The day dawned sunny and warm, but the surf was up a bit. We saw the tenders bobbing up and down on their way to the beach so we decided to treat the day as a sea day and spent it walking, shopping, and sadly dragging out the suitcases for packing. It’s always a melancholy kind of day (the MI would be proud) as we know we will soon be sent back to our real lives, but still a day on a ship, so we enjoyed it. We hadn’t tried Vines last year so we finally went in there for a wine flight and some tapas. They were very nice, but the service there was quite slow and not up to par with the rest of the ship. We then finished packing and put our large cases out for pickup. They were whisked away in no time, and we settled in for our last night on board.

Day 8 – Ft. Lauderdale!

We were awakened fairly early by the noise of docking and the announcements. We finished packing and ran up to the buffet for a full hot breakfast – a nice feature on Princess who lets you eat in the buffet until 9:00 am. Then we got our suitcases and headed to the dining room to wait for our number to be called. In a few minutes we were off the ship, collected our luggage and caught a cab to the airport. Our flight didn’t leave until 7:30 that night, so we had reserved a car through Hotwire and headed to Sawgrass Mall for some power shopping. We had done this last year and loved it – sure made the last day more bearable and put the waiting time to good use. We had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (fabulous as always) and then sadly headed back to the airport for our flight home.

Our good luck held, and our flight was both on time and only had 45 people on it, so we could spread out and relax. We got in a few minutes early, collected our bags, and went out into the freezing cold to be picked up by Joan’s excellent brother and nephew. Soon we were home – sad to have the trip over, but having enjoyed every minute. Thanks to Princess for another fabulous cruise!

Highlights

Perfect flights

The International Café

Great service throughout the ship

The Chef’s Table (5 Star – a must do!)

Our beach excursions – both through Princess

Room service breakfast with the ability to write in items

Not So Highlights

Buffet food – especially the selection

Vines service

As you can see, there were almost no negatives to this trip, in spite of doing the exact same ship and route last year. We love Princess, we love the Crown, and we just love cruising in general.

To quote our cruise mentors, the famous Tom and Mary Milano:

“May your next cruise be your best!”

Cathy and Joan

 

[kywildcatfanone]

Wonderful, thorough review. Thanks for taking the time to write. You mentioned taking this cruise a 2nd time, in March we will be on her for the 4th time in a row, and are looking forward to it!

 

Mike

[Mary Ellen]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

[Mist_ynight]

Thanks for the review, I'm on the crown in 23 days and I can't wait!

[molme]

Very good review. Looking forward to our sailing on the Crown next week.

[Rockymountainsparky]

Wow! What a review. Thank you.

[jean s]

Really enjoyed your review. We will be doing the same cruise two weeks from Saturday.

[ldog]

thanks for the review. we are sailing at the end of April.

[gsmiles4u]

Loved your detailed review! [and your humor!] Especially interesting, since we are taking the same cruise in April. Chef's table sounds amazing. You temporarily succeeded in helping me forget the blizzard we had yesterday!

[RickEk]

Thanks for the great review! We had a similar experience on our recent cruise on the Crown Princess. It's interesting to see that they've changed up the Chef's Table. Our experience was also fabulous, but different.

[kelkel2]

Thank you for your review. We will be on this cruise in April. A few questions for you.

1. What time did you get to the port? We want to be one of the first ones on the ship also. We are staying at the Hilton.

2. Did you see any good places in Honduras to purchase coffee?

[EAGLESLOVER]

Great review. We board Saturday.:):):)

[michigan tim]

Thanks for a great diversion ... Just a few more loooong weeks.

[DawgTagz]

This is far once of the best reviews I have read so far. Thank You.

[phabric]

Thanks for the review, we will be on the Crown April 16.

 

Good to hear about the lobster claws being served in the buffet on the first night.

[Pam in CA]

Great review. Thank you so much. Love the details and commentary.

[xznwfd]

Thank you for all the lovely comments! I'm jealous of those of you with upcoming trips on the Crown, especially after digging out from the blizzard today.

 

Kelkel2, we got to the port between 11 and 11:30 - no line outside at all. There a lots of shops at the pier in Rotan, so I'm sure you can find coffee there. They had a nice selection of things, and the prices weren't bad at all.

 

Cathy

[macbest]

We too are going to be on the crown for the first time in April (23). Great review; was hanging on every word; especially liked the detailed write up on the Chef's table and the beach events; pretty much what we are planning also: eating and hanging out on the beach.

[texaridian]

I know it's already been said many times, but I just have to add my 2 cents worth:

Thanks for the fantastic review!!!

I will be on the Crown this summer, so I particularly enjoyed your comments about the ship. I will definitely have to find out where the International Cafe is! Also, it's great to know about the crab claws on the first night.

 

Carol

[coops]

Loved, loved , loved your review. We are also going at the end of April and am so excited.

I do have to say when you started talking about Princess Cay day I got a little sad as I know it was about to end for you, and for all of us reading it. Very detailed. Thanks again.

Dawn

[srpilo]

You nailed it !!

 

 

 

Great review

Srpilo

[clarkspond75]

Great review, we were on the Crown last year. Going again in April, can't wait. We did the Chef's Table and it was all you said it was and more. It's the best $75.00 you will ever spend, anywhere.....

[wrongwaywatson]

Great review! We will be on the Crown in April, and did the same cruise last April. We really don't care where we go, just as long as we are on a ship and it is warm! We laughed about the "waddling" away, because that is exactly how we described our dinners at the Crown Grill!