CROWN PRINCESS remembered in photos and video

[Twinsfan5]

I hate to interrupt the flow...I'm really enjoying this as I'm going on the Crown in a few months...but since you mentioned propellers vs azipods, I'm wondering if there is a noticeable difference? I believe I have only been on ships with azipods so far. Thanks!

[Bimmer09]

I hate to interrupt the flow...I'm really enjoying this as I'm going on the Crown in a few months...but since you mentioned propellers vs azipods, I'm wondering if there is a noticeable difference? I believe I have only been on ships with azipods so far. Thanks!

 

I haven't been on an Azipod ship but I believe they are more high-maintenance and prone to failure than the century-old propellor/shaft design. I don't have any hard evidence at my fingertips but with a Google search could learn more.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Here is the link to my walk on deck as the ship approached Princess Cays.

 

 

It starts off on our cabin balcony and then continues 3 decks below on Promenade deck 7, accessing the bow via stairs up to Emerald deck 8.

 

Norris

[mafig]

Really loving your review so far.

You mentioned you had Anytime. Did you have any long waits? You also said you ate late..... about what time? We have Anytime and like you prefer a table for two and, to tell the truth, have been a little frightened about the stories of long lines.

[simok99]

Really loving your review so far.

You mentioned you had Anytime. Did you have any long waits? You also said you ate late..... about what time? We have Anytime and like you prefer a table for two and, to tell the truth, have been a little frightened about the stories of long lines.

 

Don't worry, if there is a little wait they give you a great flashing pager, we then retreat to the bar and get a well earned drink, as soon as your lips touch the glass the pager hoots and whistles and flashes away, you then walk to the front of the queue ( line to all our American friends) getting grimaces and looks as if you have VIP treatment, we love it, can't wait for 16 November for our 14 day cruise on the Crown.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[FoghornLeghorn]

Norris,

Your review is wonderful. Love your observations and the way you present your review.

I'll be going on the Crown for 28 days next year and this is really helping with the wait.

 

Maybe someday our paths will cross on a Princess ship, and I can meet you and Carol....would love to hear more about your adventures.

 

Thanks for sharing and anxiously awaiting more :)

[mafig]

can't wait for 16 November for our 14 day cruise on the Crown.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

 

Darn. We miss you by a week. We go on the 9th.:)

[RNGALNG]

Thank you for taking us along, even if belatedly! Your humor is wonderful! Love looking forward to seeing more!

 

I love the videos with pictures too. Great idea. And thank you for not getting us sea sick on them and doing them smoothly! You seem to have a very steady hand too.

 

We too will winter for a week aboard the Crown for the second time this winter. We always take a week mid winter to defrost from the snow belt weather of the Cleveland area. It is so wonderful to feel your toes again! Makes it so much more easy to get through the second half!

 

Is there a way to get the two videos that are blocked up and running? I too can't seem to view them.

[enidcruiser]

Been reading all of your reviews and this is the best so far with the videos. Feel like I'm on the ship with you, love the sounds.

We have not experienced Princess but may in the future.

Thanks again.

[Bimmer09]

Is there a way to get the two videos that are blocked up and running? I too can't seem to view them.

 

Yikes! I just popped next door to Youtube and found the Maasdam/Noordam video locked-so I unlocked it. Which other one isn't visible? Let me know and I'll fix that. My fault for not checking as Youtube defaults to my privacy setting.

 

Thanks for mentioning this and for the compliments.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Been reading all of your reviews and this is the best so far with the videos. Feel like I'm on the ship with you, love the sounds.

We have not experienced Princess but may in the future.

Thanks again.

 

Julia and Carl- up until August 2011 I hadn't experienced Princess either...I hope by the end of this review (next May probably) you'll decide to Escape Completely. I need to show you more and tell you more and I am home from work and about to do that....stay tuned.

 

The videos by the way were made for home use- I wasn't thinking of Youtube or CC for a moment. It's something that was made easier for me when I got a Mac computer last Christmas- a wonderful gift from Carol and I am eternally grateful to have thrown off the shackles of a PC.

 

I have been making videos since 1994 and have maybe 100 trips on DVD now, but only 4 of them are cruises. Most are driving holidays in Germany where I can tear up the Autobahn without the Police trailing me and many American holidays-15 alone in Marco Island, 8 or so in Las Vegas, 7 in Santa Fe and many in LA and San Francisco plus about a dozen in New York.

 

Thanks to Carol and Youtube I can now share my videos with the good people on CC and my sisters back home in Northern Ireland.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

more please :)

 

We will be on the Crown again in Jan.....can't come fast enough!

 

Oh- there is plenty more to come!

 

Crown in Jan is a good combination!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I haven't been on an Azipod ship but I believe they are more high-maintenance and prone to failure than the century-old propellor/shaft design. I don't have any hard evidence at my fingertips but with a Google search could learn more.

 

Norris

 

I did search Google immediately afterwards and saw the troubled history of the design in the 2000-2010 decade culminating in Carnival Corp winning a $24 million lawsuit against Rolls Royce for the Azipods installed on the Queen Mary 2 ( Azipods called the Mermaid and not made by the originators the Swiss company ABB)

 

They save about 8% on fuel costs apparently.

 

If I board a ship and find out they use Azipods I march straight down to passenger services and demand they install propellors before we sail. I think I may have a recoding of them laughing at me...I'll check later.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Really loving your review so far.

You mentioned you had Anytime. Did you have any long waits? You also said you ate late..... about what time? We have Anytime and like you prefer a table for two and, to tell the truth, have been a little frightened about the stories of long lines.

 

We have always had Anytime Dining and so far( 4 cruises) have been given a pager twice when trying to dine between 8 and 9.30. The pager went off before we had a chance to order a drink at a bar. Under 5 minutes then would be my answer but I may be lucky. In land restaurants I have waited up to 40 minutes without a reservation. We always ask for and get a table for two. We also ask for a window seat and get one 70% of the time. If you are willing to share a table there will be no waiting.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

Your review is wonderful. Love your observations and the way you present your review.

I'll be going on the Crown for 28 days next year and this is really helping with the wait.

 

Maybe someday our paths will cross on a Princess ship, and I can meet you and Carol....would love to hear more about your adventures.

 

Thanks for sharing and anxiously awaiting more :)

 

Reba- thank you. At best we will only do 2 cruises a year until we retire in 10 years but We (well me particularly) are always up for meeting great new people and have even signed up for the CB roll call in January as there are some good people on board. Carol is less gregarious than I but likes to join the pop choir as she has a good voice.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

As you can see from the clock on the Promenade deck I was up early as we approached Princess Cays.

 

 

I visited the Horizon Court for my first breakfast of the day. Just me and the servers and a good helping of crusty bread rolls (great bakery on board), cold cuts of ham, mortadella, salami, hash browns and enough bacon to make subsequent diners cry "where's the bacon?" etc. washed down with the coffee syrup served at the table by a perky waitress. I cleaned my plate as I am not a buffet person who overloads and wastes food. I shy away from the buffet except for that first high calorie breakfast.

 

HORIZON COURT

 



 



 

Now I can roam the ship. Here and there are the hotel staff vacuuming carpets ,polishing brass and doing whatever it takes to make this fine ship shine. Shine she does.

 

Here is the sight that greets me all the way aft each time I step out of the door to go somewhere....yes there is lots of walking but I like walking (within reason-to get from A to B not as exercise which I get enough of from working and living).



 

 

I stop in to visit Churchill's Cigar bar to have a cigarette with my coffee before going out on deck.

 



 

[Bimmer09]

 



 



 



 

One of my favorite areas of the ship....

 

[Bimmer09]

 



 



 

I went back inside on my way back to the room. Here is the beautiful Crooners bar one of my favorite designs on the Princess Ships (thanks to Teresa Anderson).

 



 

And the hub of the ship- the Piazza!

 

[TracieABD]

Thank you for the fine review. I really like the reviews where I feel as though I have travelled with you.

 

This is most interesting!

Thank you!

[JimmyVWine]

Yikes! I just popped next door to Youtube and found the Maasdam/Noordam video locked-so I unlocked it. Which other one isn't visible? Let me know and I'll fix that. My fault for not checking as Youtube defaults to my privacy setting.

 

Thanks for mentioning this and for the compliments.

 

Norris

 

Norris: the video in post #17 is the one that is still locked.

 

We are kindred spirits. In my "real life" I am not an early riser. But on vacation, I often beat the sun to enjoy the world's sights and sounds without people. Best way to take photos (or videos). Drives my wife nuts when I sneak out early, and as a result, I have slept through many mentalist shows!

[RNGALNG]

Yikes! I just popped next door to Youtube and found the Maasdam/Noordam video locked-so I unlocked it. Which other one isn't visible? Let me know and I'll fix that. My fault for not checking as Youtube defaults to my privacy setting.

 

Thanks for mentioning this and for the compliments.

 

Norris

 

Thank you for unlocking! The other one that is still locked is your first night in town - dinner.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! It snowed here this evening. Gotta love lake effect! Watching the ships go out to sea in warm water really helped get through the first snows!

[Bimmer09]

Norris: the video in post #17 is the one that is still locked.

 

We are kindred spirits. In my "real life" I am not an early riser. But on vacation, I often beat the sun to enjoy the world's sights and sounds without people. Best way to take photos (or videos). Drives my wife nuts when I sneak out early, and as a result, I have slept through many mentalist shows!

 

Jimmy- I fixed the "locked" video of the meal by the beach in the Marriott.

Funny thing is that when I first put the link in post 17 a reader commented on it

so it was visible at one time.

 

Here is the link so there is no need to scroll back

 

Alas youtube only lets me upload in 720P definition which steps the camera down from 1080P so the picture is always less thrilling than I see here on the Mac. It's the only way I can share the experience so I am thankful for that. Uploading is easy but it takes a while as youtube gets so much traffic each day.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I mustn't forget these rooms...

 

 

We had unlimited Internet minutes as a suite perk back then (since discontinued and replaced with a complimentary first night dinner in a specialty restaurant) yet we didn't take a computer on the ship. We had iPhones and Kindles so Carol could download her daily newspapers. So we never set foot in this room. I won't be doing any "live-from" reports as a result of my desire to Escape Completely. I don't read the ship's daily Patters as I have Carol to do that with a highlighter, then I glance at the yellow parts. There are always many alternatives to "just relaxing" which is my usual response when Carol asks what my plans are for the sea days. That, plus I usually rattle off the sequence and times of the meals I will enjoy; two breakfasts, Pub lunch if available or knackwurst or burger with fries at the excellent Trident Grill by the pool, afternoon tea, canapés in the room late afternoon, then snacks in Skywalkers during the 5 to 7 Elite/Platinum/Suites cocktail shindig followed

by dinner in the MDR or Sabatini's/Crown Grill.

 

After 4 cruises we are now Platinum card people and so get 150 free Internet minutes each. I certainly won't use mine.

 

Vines Wine Bar

 

 

Great looking room and I always say "we have to go in there at some point" but haven't yet done so. Free sushi and tapas if you order a glass of wine. It is on my to-do list on the CB cruise in January. Don't let me miss it this time!

I think it can be slotted in on the evening of the Captain's Cocktail Party which we don't bother with after doing it on the Crown. On that night there is no service between 5 and 7 in Skywalkers as all the waiters are at the CCP.

 

We did attempt to go to the CCP on the Diamond and the Ruby but the line to get in was huge and a free drink isn't that big of a lure for us. I usually get to meet the Captain on the ship tour but that's in a Mohito-free zone of the ship.

I know the ship is steered by a computer but I still feel better knowing that the officers watching it aren't doing shots or chugging down Yards of Ale.

 

Next up- Princess Cays, so near and yet so far. Sabatini's breakfast and the Sanctuary.

[Whimsy]

Whimsy- that is cool. Were you on the roll call? We may have passed each other many times. Were you up on the top deck for sail away? I still have that video link I believe.

 

There's a great many photos and videos ahead and if they help bring back happy memories then my work is done. I loved the itinerary. Sea days and just a few fine ports.

 

I hope you keep following along. We all have different ways of enjoying our cruise. You certainly had a lot of good company on board with you and a reason to celebrate-where did you dine on your Birthday?

 

Best wishes and hope you pop in again as this long ramble unfolds...

 

Norris

 

Yes, I was on the roll call but didn't do a lot with the roll call, excursions, sail away, etc. I had my own group so they kept me pretty busy. I probably started the roll call as we booked the cruise as soon as it came out.

 

We were on the back of the ship, by Outriggers for sail away if you have any video of that area at sail away I would love to see it.

 

I was at the meet and greet for a little while, the one where the Captain came to speak. My daughter came and drug me away though. Those 25 year olds demand so much of your time! :p

 

Your photos are so nice and I enjoyed your video last night walking the length of the ship. Looking forward to more of your review!

[Bimmer09]

Yes, I was on the roll call but didn't do a lot with the roll call, excursions, sail away, etc. I had my own group so they kept me pretty busy. I probably started the roll call as we booked the cruise as soon as it came out.

 

We were on the back of the ship, by Outriggers for sail away if you have any video of that area at sail away I would love to see it.

 

Whimsy, I went straight from my PE webcam close-up as we left Port Everglades back to the cabin to sip champagne which Christopher had said he would bring us so I didn't hit Outriggers. Was that the Roll Call where people were going to wear Mardi Gras beads for recognition?

 

From PE I think we will always do as we did on the Crown-wave to the camera and then retreat to the balcony out of the wind and watch Florida get smaller.

 

I am looking forward to sailing out of Houston where I hope to see a lot of merchant ships at the docks and then some oil rigs out to sea.

 

The only video I have of Outriggers is late night after it closed and we had that aft deck all to ourselves. I went there during the mornings too to have coffee and watch the wake.

 

Norris