Caribbean Princess 6/4-11/05 Journal

[tjatczak]

We sailed the Caribbean Princess in March and are booked again for October - can you tell we loved it?

 

:) :)

Thank you for the most entertaining (and interesting) thread that I have EVER had the opportunity to read on Cruise Critic - I look forward (eagerly) to your next entry...

 

A bloody mary martini??????

 

Have a "kiss on the lips" the best fruity drink on board!

 

Thanks again for your 'story',

 

Ted

[rambill]

This is a great read! Can't wait for the next installment. Sorry to hear of your Lenscrafters troubles. Fortunately, my family has had nothing but good experiences with them. My son goes through eyeglasses like Rex goes through crab legs and we've never experienced a problem with them. He's a tough and forgetful 10 yr old! He either breaks them or loses them. Goes to show you how much service and craftsmanship can vary in a national chain.

 

Lysol wipes - never thought about that! Do you guys use purell as well? BTW, Bag Balm is da bomb! Us New Englanders get dry, cracked skin all the time in the winter and that stuff works wonders!

[ronjj66611]

Dear Pamwin,

 

You crack my up! Sounds as though you guys are having a blast. Thanks for the tip on the cabanas, we've booked one for each week, but I think I'll take your advice and go early enough so that I can snag a lounger like you suggest. Please let us know if you get an invite to the bridge, it'll be our 10 yr anniv. and I would love to do this. Hope your having a GREAT TIME:D

 

Happy Sailings,

Ron

[britsbest]

Some of my photos http://community.webshots.com/user/britsbest show the bridge on Golden Princess. Look how young the officer of the watch was !

Our bridge visit was part of the celebration package I purchased for "her indoors'" birthday. Feel free to copy any pics you want just leave me a message in guest book. If you want full size drop me an email and I'll send which ones you want.

 

Bob

[pamwinn]

6/5 Post Script

 

We are in Crooners waiting to see who the Piano Man is. I know we could have read the patters, but we like a surprise. I just posted the journal up to this point and was very surprised at the speed of the connection. We must be in the Bahama triangle. The port t-shirt sale is going on and Rex has gone downstairs to purchase the eyeglass repair kit.

 

Pawel Pokora is the musician on the Piano in Crooners. He plays very familiar melodies in a sleepy sort of way. We listened to him for awhile and they returned to our cabin and the balcony to enjoy the sound and smell of the ocean before going to bed.

 

I promised myself I would sleep late so I would feel like partaking in more of the night life.

 

6/6/05 Sea Day

 

So much for sleeping late, we were awake at 6AM. I received a letter from the Captain (or his ambassador) nixing the Bridge Tour. What follows is the contents of the letter:

_____________________________________________________________________

Dear Mr. & Mrs. YouKnowWho,

 

Thank you for your card and request to visit the bridge.

 

I thank you for your interest in this part of our operations, but unfortunately given the current world situation and its effect on our Security arrangements, I regret that I cannot extend an invitation for you to make this visit.

 

May I draw your attention to the video “Behind the Scenes on ‘Caribbean Princess’” which is shown at regular intervals on our TV network. This includes footage taken on the bridge and a full explanation of the equipment.

Once again my apologies for being unable to grant your request.

 

Yours Sincerely,

 

Alan Wilson

Captain

 

Oh well. It was worth a shot. I know some of you have been successful at this so next time, please post the contents of your persuasive letter.

 

We are going to attend the wine tasting today at 3 o’clock. We also received an invitation to the Captains Luncheon to be held on Friday, 6/10. We will be there! Tammy Preast is the Captain’s Circle Hostess.

 

According to the patter, another seafood extravaganza featuring “Grilled Caribbean Lobster” will occur in the Café Caribe. Tonight is the first formal night and while I did pack my formal wear at the last minute, Rex did not. He could probably find something in the shops, or rent a tux, the shoes would be a problem. He would never put a pair of rental shoes on his feet and did not bring his “wing tips”. That’s the excuse he uses for not taking me bowling. Though the real reason is avoidance of humiliation. Bowling is my forte and before settling down I had many a first and last date to a bowling alley. Mom used to say, “let this one win, Pam”. But I never did.

 

Back to the lobster, I’ll let you know how Rex fares.

 

The chair hogs are unbelievable and this is coming from a person who has never even noticed it before because lying in the sun is not my thing. They are putting their towels on the tables and chairs so there is nowhere to sit should you choose to have a burger or a slice of pizza. This is not a problem for me. I am a high school teacher and not lacking in assertiveness. Be forewarned Chair Hogs, I will take your chair.

 

I’ll also mention the children in the aft adult pool. Young children, 6-7 years old, were swimming in that pool at sail away. That surprised me a bit, but once again not a problem for me as I won’t get my cracked heal anywhere near a public pool. I am mentioning these things as they are so passionately discussed on the Cruise Critic boards.

 

You might think I put a lot of time into typing something this lengthy but that isn’t the case. There was a shortage of computer applications teachers the past school year and I was the lucky lottery winner. I taught one class of Computer Applications. This is mostly Microsoft applications: word, PowerPoint, access, and excel. The first semester is keyboarding using MicroType Pro. I went in at approximately 28 wpm and came out with an average speed of 78 wpm. I completed all the exercises with the kids and then repeated them throughout the second semester. There were a couple of little girls and one boy who key over 90 wpm. That is my goal, though I may never reach it, as I won’t be needed as a fill in computer apps teacher next year. I am grateful for that, as I don’t find the business applications overly interesting. Give me Photoshop, Illustrator, and Final Cut Pro any day.

 

People Watching 8^)

 

There is a guy on this cruise that looks like the pictures I’ve seen of Chris. I hope it isn’t because I am going to describe his bathing suit. This guy is a 40 something with a six-pack stomach that didn’t come from exercise if you know what I mean. He has spiked blond-tipped hair. He wears a very small green Speedo-like bikini made out of stretch fabric that shows everything. There isn’t that much to see, ladies, but it’s hard not to look anyway. There is also a gorgeous man, probably 27 or so, that has the perfect physique. He is tall and has a handsome face, dark curly hair, beautiful skin, a small waist, huge chest, beautiful legs…..he’s absolutely physical perfection. The only thing that ruins it for me is the way he wears his swimsuit. He wears his trunks, drawstring dangling, and unzipped exposing a very low-cut black bikini. Someone should tell him he doesn’t need to do that to attract the young ladies. In fact, it speaks of his intellect in a most unflattering way. I’ll keep looking though.

 

For those interested in cabins E730 and E731, our cabin is fantastic and I will always try to book one of these. We are not bothered by noise bleed from Club Fusion. You can hear it just a little on occasion but it is not unpleasant or bothersome in the least. The balcony is fantastic and I love the location on the ship. It forces us to get some exercise. I would not book a forward or aft cabin if I had mobility issues, but if that is not an issue with you or a family member, I say go for it. I love not having a neighbor on one side and the field of vision is spectacular.

 

We finally were pushed out of our cabin by our one set of neighbors who decided to do the wild thing on their balcony in broad daylight. I have to hand it to them; they were being very, very quiet. If it were not for the fact that the balcony glass is like a mirror allowing one to easily see a reflection of whatever is occurring on their neighbor’s balcony, we would never have known. I will post the video when we return.

 

We intended to have lunch in the dining room but the only seafood available was fried flounder, which Rex is allergic to. We went upstairs to the horizon court and I was very reasonable with my selections. Though definitely more than I usually have for lunch, not bad for a cruise. Then Rex wanted seconds and since we had seated ourselves in the less crowded Café Caribe, he went to that line while I waited at the table. He returned with a platter full of Asian food. None of this was available in the horizon court. I couldn’t resist so I reasonably made selections from that buffet. Add that to my first plate of food, I had a ridiculously huge lunch and now I’m stuffed and sleepy. It’s just like Thanksgiving. Rex went for thirds.

 

We took a nap. I am not a napper so I can’t do the 15 minute thing. We napped through the wine tasting. Now I am feeling a little grumpy and very sleepy. Naps make me more tired than no nap. Our canapés should be arriving soon so I better seek out some caffeine.

[Dreamer333]

We finally were pushed out of our cabin by our one set of neighbors who decided to do the wild thing on their balcony in broad daylight. I have to hand it to them; they were being very, very quiet. If it were not for the fact that the balcony glass is like a mirror allowing one to easily see a reflection of whatever is occurring on their neighbor’s balcony, we would never have known. I will post the video when we return.

 

Lol! Looking forward to the video!! ;)

 

That's interesting that the dividers are more like a see-thru mirror, than an actual wall... I've never heard that before!!!

 

Keep up the great review, Pamwinn!! I'm gonna pop some popcorn and then come back for more!!

[madelinerose]

Keep it up and thanks for this fabulous read! I laugh every time I read more.

 

Thanks also for the E730 info. I've seen pics of the wake and port side from the balcony and your description is excellent. ;)

[CruiseYVR]

What a great read thus far !

 

 

+)

[celebrity]

Keep it going, I feel as if I am there!

[zachnlucy]

I'm enjoying the exploits of Pam and Rex so much that I had to find Pam's Sapphire review last year. It's just as much fun.

[luv2travel2beaches]

I hope you post pictures of both of the guys, as well as the video. I need a good laugh! I'm already laughing from your descriptions, but I am looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip and having visual aids as well.

[Ecruiser]

As a fellow teacher who will be on the CP in July, you have missed your calling. I think you need to think about writing a book about all of your teaching experiences....you know what I mean.

[newfimom]

Ahoy,

 

I can't tell you how much I am enjoying your review. We have booked E728 and E730 for the 7/16/05 cruise. I can hardly wait. I only wish you were on our cruise. Enjoy the rest of your vacation.

 

P.S. Take pics of the room, please.

 

Thanks,

Fran

Newfimom

[pamwinn]

6/6/05 Post Script

 

I am totally impressed by the wireless network. I have had no problem logging on and the connection is very fast. I copy my journal, then log on to the network. I click my mail client icon, I click the bookmark to the journal thread, click Post Reply, paste and I am done. I log off the network and read my email offline. It takes less than a minute. I will have minutes to spare at this rate. The biggest hassle is going down to the atrium to do it. That’s not real bad since it’s only one fight of stairs down and a small hike forward.

 

Gee I think they forgot our canapés. It’s 5:20 and they are typically incredibly prompt. It’s not that I am remotely hungry; I just wanted a little “fancy” as we Southerners call it. I am not going to call and whine about it. It is probably our fault anyway. It is very tricky to open and hang something on your cabin door if you have your balcony door open. The cabin becomes a wind tunnel and what is not secured goes flying.

 

I am going to look for bag balm tomorrow in Jamaica. My crack is better but it still hurts. I’ve never really had a deep foot crack before and to all northerners, I feel your pain. I can’t imagine having this happen on a regular basis.

 

I like the way little tidbits are delivered to your cabin one at a time-the wine tasting invitation (slept through it), the captains luncheon, the future booking acknowledgement, the Captains Circle Cocktail Party. There is always a little surprise waiting in your mailbox.

 

We are celebrating our 22nd anniversary on this cruise even though the actual date is July 4th, Independence Day. 8^) Noel put 6 balloons on our door. It’s very pretty and I smile each time I duck around them to enter or exit the cabin.

 

After our bird-like lunch (we ate our weight in food) we are delaying dinner as much as possible by sitting on the balcony enjoying each other’s company. Rex fears he will not be able to repeat Saturday’s feeding frenzy. I’m thinking he will.

 

We were civilized at dinner. I ate lightly, 1 lobster tail, 2 small crab legs, a small portion of Paella, 1 clam, and a small piece of stuffed yellow fin snapper. Rex was more reserved than he was Sunday but still will make you men proud. He had 4 lobster tails and perhaps 10 crab legs, some mussels and clams, a little tenderloin that he gave me a bite of, and that was it. We both had 2 pastries for dessert though.

 

I cannot understand how someone could find fault with the meal we just enjoyed. I honestly do not see how they manage to prepare that volume of food so well. The seafood and beef were perfectly prepared and very fresh. The entire meal was absolutely delicious.

 

We came back to our cabin and found a note on the pillow informing us that as part of the on-going maintenance program, they need to access our balcony tomorrow at 8AM. We are usually sitting on our balcony in underwear at 8AM. Do you think this will cause any problems? Our railing was varnished on embarkation day, the paint is flawless, I really don’t know what they can possibly do out there, it’s immaculate.

 

Maybe they are trying to figure out if we are the glass people. This morning our balcony had broken glass on it. It was only part of a glass. We wondered how it got there since the balcony is covered. Rex looked under the balcony divider and could see where it came from. It’s those wild neighbors of ours. They know how to have fun without making a single sound. I think that is very considerate of them, don’t you? Since the other “incident” this morning, I informed Rex that looking under the divider was no longer an option.

 

So, you might wonder what the people who don’t go to the shows do at night. We intended to donate a little to the casino but when we returned to the cabin there was a fireworks display outside. At home my computer is always with me. If a thought pops in my head and there is some information I can’t recall, I just look it up on the Internet. I wish I had the luxury to do that here. I can’t remember all the different kinds of lightning. It was 4th grade science after all and there really isn’t any great lightning variety in Georgia. The display going on tonight is best described as a light show within the clouds. It is incredibly beautiful. There isn’t a show downstairs to compete with this.

 

I have some great music on my iPod that goes perfectly with the gently rolling whitecaps and the pulsing lights in the clouds. It’s heaven I tell you. I love the sea.

 

6/07/05 Jamaica- Montego Bay

 

It’s approximately 7:30AM. The CB is in the process of docking. The sky is currently overcast and it is toasty outside. This is a beautiful island.

 

We are getting ready to go to breakfast and the plan is to return and post this before disembarking. We have not booked any shore excursions. We’ll stroll around awhile and the return and own the ship for a few hours.

 

Rex is still wearing the same shirt he wore to fly to FLL even though I asked him politely, and yet with subtle firmness, to wear something else. He says he’s just going to wear it to breakfast and then he’ll change. We have free laundry for heaven’s sake. I’ve used it everyday. The only dirty clothes I have are things I’d rather wash myself. They would make fun of my underwear sown in laundry. Of course, that has to be a hot and exhausting job. They certainly could use a laugh now and then. Perhaps I’ll reconsider. We definitely have enough clothes for a 30-day cruise. I don’t know why he does this hoarding thing.

[Dreamer333]

Thanks for some more laughs!! Keep those journal entries coming... we love them!

 

I do have a question... Where were the fireworks being launched from?

[jeepwomen]

I think that might be God launching them (lighting)

[Dreamer333]

I think that might be God launching them (lighting)

 

Oh, duh!!!

You are right... I just went back and read her description! I was thinking that they were crazy to be launching fireworks off the ship... so I though it must've been from a port or something!!

 

(Laughing at self!) :D

[luv2go2510]

Oh my heck, I can't get anything done at work because I have to keep checking to see if there is an update! I have been laughing for days. I love your review! Keep em' coming!:D

[dolfinmusic]

I love your postings!!!! Can't wait to read more!!!!! Thank you! :D

[marly]

pamwinn: I can't believe how funny you are!!! You should be writing a column in a magazine or newspaper! I do hope you see Bert Stratton at least one night. He was the highlight of our cruise.

I'm looking forward to you next post!

Marly

[zachnlucy]

Hey Pam! You're late for my morning fix. WAKE UP!:)

[laurashelby]

Hey Pam! You're late for my morning fix. WAKE UP!:)

 

LOL! Can't wait to hear more! :D

[kulekhatt]

Thank you Pamwin!!! This is fun!! My DH and I will be on the CP Saturday. Keep up the entertainment...this while I learn! LOL Kim :)

[pamwinn]

QUOTE That's interesting that the dividers are more like a clearer mirror, than an actual wall... I've never heard that before!!! END QUOTE

 

It’s not the dividers, they are opaque, you can see silhouettes if the light is just right. The refection is from the glass on the front of the balconies. There is a small space between the divider and the balcony glass and it is there that the reflection can be seen….quite well. 8^) I am going to attempt to post a picture of our neighbors (We call them the Faukers) as you can see them through the balcony divider with the light behind them. This is not part of the x-rated video I mentioned earlier. This photo was taken during sailaway from Jamaica.

 

We are back on the ship after our brief venture into Jamaica. My suggestion is to stay on the ship or book an excursion that you are really interested in. The views from the ship are lovely and enjoyable to us.

 

We were hassled a little. It wasn’t as bad as I expected, but it was constant and that gets tiring. We were offered ganja within minutes. We stayed long enough to look for a few souvenirs and to have a Red Stripe and then returned to the ship.

 

We went to the Calypso bar to get a diet coke for me, and a margarita for Rex. Texans have their own ideas as to what a margarita should be and this wasn’t it for Rex. It was way sweet and Rex told the bartender he could not drink it. The bartender said, “Yes, this mixer is not good. It is much better if you have a large and it should be frozen and not on the rocks so the ice dilutes the sweetness”. Rex said okay, while glancing skeptically at me, so the bartender proceeded to pour the small drink into a larger glass, add a couple of “light” shots to it and blend it. Rex told the bartender it was better, but mumbled to me, still not good. The bartender took the bill and added a medium margarita to it. That meant we paid 3.95 for a small, 5.95 for a medium, plus gratuities bringing the total to over 10 bucks for a 7-dollar large margarita. I pointed this out to the bartender who suddenly did not speak English and kept avoiding answering my question regarding the price. So I repeated it over and over again, politely and without raising my voice (school teacher technique) until he voided the whole thing. I would have been more than happy to pay for what we received but I guess we got the whole thing free. We forgot the margaritas on Princess are not very good. They should try another brand of mixer. The martinis however are excellent. In the real world, I don’t drink martinis, but on a cruise ship I love them.

 

I’d like to insert here a request for all readers to overlook my typo’s. I see many as I look back through this. I made claim to 78 wpm but make no claim regarding accuracy. If you see any misspelled words, they are typo’s and in no way reflect upon my ability, or lack thereof, to spell or cast a spell.

 

By the way, if you go for the wireless access, be sure to read the directions and log-off properly. I failed to do that. I simply turned of wireless access on my computer and the clock kept ticking. I should have had 25 or more of my 30 minutes left but when I checked my remaining time this AM, I discovered I only had 8 minutes remaining. I came back to the cabin and reread the directions provided, this time more carefully, and sho ‘nuff, my fault.

 

I decided to go ahead have my underwear laundered. I told Rex the guys down in laundry would never know they were mine anyway. He said, “ they can probably figure it out by process of elimination”. I wonder what he meant by that?

 

Before dinner, we cruised the sales in the atrium….rings, watches and tropical wear, then we stopped in Crooners to listen to the music and cash in one of our 2 for one martini coupons. Hazel, from Jamaica, made a really good Bloody Martini for me. I think this is the best bar on the ship, though the Patisserie bar is a close second.

 

We checked out the menu in the dining room and opted once again for Café Caribe where they were serving Asian and Middle Eastern food that included shrimp and scallop kabobs. We over-indulged as has become our pattern.

We brought a huge platter of assorted desserts back to the cabin…it’s truly embarrassing to indulge in gluttony to this extent and we are ashamed but totally out of control. There is too much good food on this ship.

 

06/08/05 Grand Cayman

 

Uh oh, Rex doesn’t feel good. I hope this goes away and is not the dreaded “illness whose name can’t be mentioned”. He was up most of the night.

 

We are anchored off George Town along with the Imagination, Inspiration, and Voyager of the Seas. There may be another ship on the other side of the Caribbean Princess but we haven’t been out of the cabin yet. It’s only 6:30. The Voyager is a pretty ship.

 

We are to meet at 9:30 Am in the Princess Theater for our Atlantis Submarine excursion. It is now 8:03 and Rex is still feeling very bad. I know what you are thinking but this is not a hangover. We only had one Red Stripe each and the 2 martinis before dinner yesterday. I am beginning to fear we will lose our money on the submarine excursion. I’ve been a little worried about that excursion. It’s not the steep ladder that concerns me; it’s the size of the hatch. What if I get wedged in there and they have to get one of those ships with a crane to pull me out?

 

It is a beautiful day so far. It’s overcast and looks like it may rain later but that would not bother me. It’s nice and cool outside which is a welcome relief to me. I am going through the hot time of life and the heat sucks the life out of me.

 

We’re back on the ship. Rex made it. We enjoyed the sub dive but it is not something we would repeat like we will the Float Plane into Misty Fjords. We saw a few large snapper and a menagerie of small tropical fish. We saw a couple of fairly large sea turtles and a huge sponge. I did not realize they look like giant pieces of pottery. One problem with the submarine is the location of the viewing windows. They are below eye level so you have to bend forward to look out. If you are long-legged, you may ram your knees into a little ledge. You can’t slide your rear back to prevent that because you are sitting on a bench with little butt cups that prevent you from sliding backward and define everyone’s space.

 

After the submarine we explored a little. It was very crowded on the narrow streets. I asked Rex if he was ready to return and the gratefully acknowledged that he was. He did not complain but I could tell he wasn’t feeling well. We haven’t eaten anything yet today and it is almost 2PM so I think we’ll actually be hungry enough tonight to enjoy the lobster tails and beef Wellington. I hope Rex is able to eat by then. I think Georgetown is very pretty and it would be very enjoyable with only one or two other ships in port. It’s what I always envisioned a Caribbean port to be before I cruised here. The shops were so crowded that we really only passed through a few of them and we did that very quickly. We lucked out because it started pouring down rain as soon as we stepped on the tender to return to the ship. I forgot how flat the island is. Last years hurricane must have been incredibly terrifying for these people.

 

You didn’t really think we were going to wait until dinner to eat did you? I wouldn’t have anything to write were it not for the food journal. We did well this time. I used a small salad plate instead of one of the huge tray/platters and I did not have seconds. We ate in the horizon court. The dining room was already closed for lunch. I choose vegetables because it seems that in the evening the menu is heavily meat driven, even the vegetables are generally prepared with meat. Those that aren’t are starchy which is what I prefer actually, but I felt the need for green stuff. Great food, all well prepared, as we have come to expect from Princess.

 

We walked around the upper deck a little. We went to the Calypso bar so I could get a diet coke and the bartender wouldn’t make eye contact. Fortunately, there was a nice young lady also tending bar there so I was able to get my drink.

 

We are in the cabin so Rex can get a little rest and be near the bathroom, just in case. I don’t think he has the “illness” but we’ve never seen anyone with it before so we don’t know. We take all precautions using the hand sanitizers before entering a dining venue and once again, before eating. Of course, Rex has taken care of any germs that may have survived Noels excellent cleaning skills. We even bring dish detergent and wash the glasses that are left in our cabin.

 

We are booked to go see “Meet the Faukers” tonight at MUTS. We booked that before we knew the neighbors so intimately. Coincidence? It is raining hard and doesn’t look like it is going to ease up anytime soon. Sail away is in a half hour and we can just barely see the Island it is so foggy. This is why covered balconies are so important. I hope MUTS isn’t rained out. There is so much to do on this ship that I suggest you go ahead and book a back to back so you don’t leave with regrets of what you couldn’t squeeze in.

 

More later….

[pamwinn]

I tried to upload a couple of pictures but a I received an error message. I'll try again later.