CROWN PRINCESS remembered in photos and video

[Bimmer09]

Great stuff. But now I have to wait to get home to watch the youtube videos, as they are blocked at work.

 

Jimmy-welcome aboard. Um, I remember that I owe you a cyber-Guinness (shaken not stirred) but as you are at work that will have to wait.

 

Wait until you get home before reading anymore as the videos really help the time line and continuity of the narration ( ramble), plus a picture's worth a thousand words and that saves me an awful lot of typing!

 

Coming up in the weeks ahead....Curacao, Aruba, submarines, crashing waves,Pop Choir (Carol), surprise UBD, UST and much much more!

Order now and get 2 for the price of 1, AND a free set of steak knives!!

 

As you will see they have real balconies on the Crown...

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

We got a free upgrade to the aft suite, from our original mini-suite D513 so we did not accrue extra Captain's Circle points that voyage. I think at one point Carol said to me" you realize there is no going back to mini-suites now?" and yes I did realize that as we (1) love our space and (b) love the aft location.

A suite in any other area of the ship would be of no interest and we would take a balcony aft over such an option.

 

We had a raft of suite perks to enjoy and the first of these for me was a Scotch and Coke from the mini-bar as I joined Carol to sit out on the expansive deck.

This voyage was the last where one could smoke on the balcony which is why you see my cigarettes on the table in the video.

 

Here are some stills I took when not holding the camcorder...

 

 



 



 



 

[Bimmer09]

One of the first things I did, once in the cabin, was dial the Dine line and book dinner at Sabatini's for our first night (a tradition on each cruise since) and arranged an Ultimate Balcony Dinner (UBD) as a surprise for the unsuspecting Carol. I was told that a room service leader would come to my cabin at 5.30 pm to discuss the menu and arrangements. Hush-hush. I swore myself to secrecy...

 

Hungry we decided to hit the Horizon Court for lunch. We ended up in a very busy Cafe Caribe at the rear of the HC and although the buffet offerings were hot and tasty we didn't enjoy the crowds and noise. Lesson learned and not since repeated.

 

With full tums we strolled the Promenade deck from stern to bow where we were very close to the bow of the beautiful Poesia (remember what they say about beauty....) and had a view of the many ships in port with us on that sunny Saturday. We heard that it was snowing in Chicago....hooray!!!

 

 

 

I saw in the distance Celebrity Constellation which is a ship I like the look of and probably the first Celebrity ship I will sail in the future...

There was also the sad Grand Princess, shorn of it's overweight Skywalkers which is a feature I like on Princess Ships having seen it first hand on the Golden , docked behind the Coral in Skagway.

 

 

It would soon be muster drill time. For us it would take place in Club Fusion.

As we had been waiting to board the ship we heard people talking about a cruise ship having "run aground" the night before (January 13 2012) and I had imagined they had run onto a soft sandbar or such. On the way to the drill I heard that it was the Costa Concordia and that it was a much worse grounding than I could have imagined. During the drill the Captain's voice alluded to it and assured the passengers that Princess take safety very seriously. As do I.

I could get myself into a lifejacket in the dark with a swarm of bees attacking me-no problem and even more importantly I could help anyone who was struggling to figure out how to put it on. I don't know if RCI passengers who stand in hordes on sweltering decks without their life-jackets could save themselves or their fellows.

 

Once that drill is over the heart beats faster...engines spring to life and mooring teams stand-by to cast-off.

 

We had been watching a Pavarotti concert (we are opera buffs) on MUTS (Movies under the Stars/Sun) before the drill interrupted and now that was over (hey-great scheduling Einstein) there was an appointment to keep up on deck under the Crown Princess sign, starboard. I had arranged via e mail a close-up from the great guys at PE webcam. Carol took the elevator while I charged up some flights of stairs. I was already in position with a fruity drink of the day when she joined me...

 

Next up....sailaway video.

[melody hounddog]

Thank you Bimmer! I am really enjoying this so far. Love all the photos!

[Bimmer09]

Melody- there is an avalanche of photos and video yet to come....

 

Thanks for coming aboard!

 

Norris

[Cruiseagain2012]

Bimmer,

 

Not to sound like a stalker...but I would seriously pay to read these! Love them....my favorite posts on cruise critic EVER!

 

And I have read a lot of them. :)

 

Can't wait for more!

Edited October 22, 2013 by Cruiseagain2012

[melody hounddog]

Melody- there is an avalanche of photos and video yet to come....

 

Thanks for coming aboard!

 

Norris

 

:):):):):)

[mom2bcr]

Leaving on the Crown in just over two weeks!!! Love your posts/videos! they are making me sooooo excited!!! :)

[Bimmer09]

So we are up on deck, under the letter P of the word Princess as the ship leaves the quay and follows the Grand Princess out of the channel. Windy up there which causes havoc on the tiny camcorder microphone. When we returned home a week or so later we saw that the good men of the PE webcam zoomed in as requested and captured our waving for posterity.

 

Once out of the sheltered channel it was time to head to the wind-free balcony and celebrate with champagne and canapés, fetched by our steward Christopher from the Philipines.

 

Sail away video...

 

[Bimmer09]

Leaving on the Crown in just over two weeks!!! Love your posts/videos! they are making me sooooo excited!!! :)

 

Two weeks?

 

I'd better get a move on!

 

Thanks for joining us on this cruise down memory lane on the Crown.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

As PE receded into the distance and we sipped champagne and ate shrimp and ham canapés brought by Christopher, our steward from the Philipines, I had to be mindful of the time as I was expecting someone from room service at 5.30 to discuss the UBD (Ultimate Balcony Dinner) which was a surprise treat I had in store for Carol.

 

I stealthily drew the curtains in the living room and bedroom to help cover my clandestine meeting and left the room door to the hallway ajar with a note on it for room service, saying "come on in".

 

So at 5.30 there appeared the dazzling, vivacious Leticia from Mexico. She may be the girl that the phrase "Va-Va Voom" was created for. She brought menus and I opted for the filet mignons and lobster tails. I suggested serving upon leaving Princess Cays next day but she said it would be very windy then. I countered with Aruba at 6 pm as we were sailing away and she agreed it was a wiser choice. Just then Carol entered the room and I had to shoo her out brusquely.

 

With that out of the way I could now relax as my ducks were all in a row.

I had booked dinners in Sabatini and the Crown Grill for formal nights, the UST and the UBD. Coffee cards and soda cards (UKP) had been purchased during our time up on deck after lunch.

 

Next up was dinner in the MDR (not Sabatini's as I had earlier reported-I had booked that for Sunday the first formal night) at 8pm.

 

Freedom follows us out of port..

 



 



 



 



 

Freedom turns south, heading for Key West

 

[Bimmer09]

QUOTE <<We had been watching a Pavarotti concert (we are opera buffs) on MUTS (Movies under the Stars/Sun) before the drill interrupted and now that was over (hey-great scheduling Einstein) there was an appointment to keep up on deck under the Crown Princess sign, starboard. I had arranged via e mail a close-up from the great guys at PE webcam. Carol took the elevator while I charged up some flights of stairs. I was already in position with a fruity drink of the day when she joined me...QUOTE>>

 

The Crown Princess sign was on the PORT side (facing the PE camera) not STARBOARD.

 

Norris

[mafig]

Since we will have the same itinerary as you did, can you tell me if the first formal night will be Princess Cays or the At Sea day/night following?:confused::)

[Bimmer09]

Since we will have the same itinerary as you did, can you tell me if the first formal night will be Princess Cays or the At Sea day/night following?:confused::)

 

It was Monday night, the first sea day. Carol kept daily notes which have just come into my possession via an un-named source (Carol).

 

Now I have the notes I no longer have to rely on my memory, which is good as I am having a hell of a time finding my slippers right now...

 

Norris

not the Mentalist

[mafig]

Thanks. That makes it easier to make our reservations at the Crown Grille!:)

[sminfiddle]

I suggested serving upon leaving Princess Cays next day but she said it would be very windy then. I countered with Aruba at 6 pm as we were sailing away and she agreed it was a wiser choice.

 

 

:confused: Hmmm... in an Aft Suite? Did you ever find it windy on the balcony while the Crown was under way?

 

Our experience: while docked, sure. But I always found aft balcony a very "calm zone" when moving.

[Whimsy]

We were on the same cruise with a group of 19 people for my 50th birthday. Nice to see your review, photos and video and relive the fabulous week over again!

[Bimmer09]

:confused: Hmmm... in an Aft Suite? Did you ever find it windy on the balcony while the Crown was under way?

 

Our experience: while docked, sure. But I always found aft balcony a very "calm zone" when moving.

 

Sminfiddle- while underway one of the benefits of the vertical aft design and full overhanging deck above would seem to be a lack of wind. A nice bonus.

The ship is kind of like a pointy brick in shape, unlike say the Celebrity Soltice design where it is tiered and sloped like the back of a sports car...eye-catching design but I imagine the air (wind) flows over the decks and hugs those aft cabins on it's way to meet the sea again. I haven't had practical experience to test my supposition. With the vertical aft there is nothing to hinder the wind on it's swift passage around the hull. Plus it really is private back there unlike the tiered decks.

 

Leticia was right about the wind though after leaving PCays as the wind whipped the sea into waves. We were fine on our balcony but the ship was rolling somewhat. Aruba was calm wind and sea so I am glad we waited for perfection. The next night-sea day- we ate in Sabatini's and it felt like the ship was sailing down a flight of stairs. I think my dinner video shows the oil and vinegar sloshing around my plate....

 

As you will hear in my next video (Promenade deck walk) the wake is pretty loud and I know some folks are put off aft cabins for that reason but we don't mind it as we like to feel we are on a big powerful ship at all times and the fewer the barriers between us and that experience the better.

 

Thanks for your well-founded comments. You are an aft-lover I take it?

 

Norris

back in Chicago

[Bimmer09]

We were on the same cruise with a group of 19 people for my 50th birthday. Nice to see your review, photos and video and relive the fabulous week over again!

 

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

[lovevacadays]

Thanks for your wonderful review. It's fantastic.

[Bimmer09]

Thanks for your wonderful review. It's fantastic.

 

Thanks for the kind words, Michelle. Just getting started as the memories come flooding back thanks to Carol's bullet-point notes, unearthed when I was in Michigan for the last couple of days.

 

There's a video of my early morning Promenade deck walk baking in the Youtube ovens as we speak and many photos taken indoors before the ship was awake on P Cays day.

 

I usually take photos of the rooms in the wee hours-without people but going forward on the CB and the Ocean I mean to take more shots of people escaping completely.

 

These photos in this review were taken on a small Canon S880 but I have since moved upwards to an Eos Rebel Digital SLR so CB photos will benefit from that and on the Ocean- Venice to Rome via Tunisia- I hope to capture some real eye candy!

 

But that's all in the future....

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Bimmer,

 

Not to sound like a stalker...but I would seriously pay to read these! Love them....my favorite posts on cruise critic EVER!

 

And I have read a lot of them. :)

 

Can't wait for more!

 

Laura- thanks for the enthusiasm. Keep on stalking-there's no law against it.

Oh? There is? Yikes. I won't press charges.

 

Thanks for joining us on this adventure. I see you are from Illinois. Kinda chilly here right now so get yourself booked an a Caribbean Cruise ASAP! Join us on the CB, January 11th as she sails from Houston!

 

Norris

in Chicago

which is in Illinois.

[lor74]

more please :)

 

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

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[Bimmer09]

There's that moment...for us I think it was relaxing on the balcony watching the wake leave Port Everglades behind. The luggage had been packed, the cat-sitter arranged, the taxi prompt, the airport calm, the flight smooth. All of our luggage had come with us, intact. Princess were welcoming. We had eaten lunch, got the Muster Drill out of the way. Enjoyed the warmth of Florida and the sea breeze. We'd booked all the things we needed-UST, UBD, Coffee Card, Soda Card, Sanctuary, Sabatini's and Crown Grill. We were unpacked and NOW had nothing to do for the next 7 days but sit back, relax and Escape Completely into a world of smiling , helpful staff, copious entertainment, delicious hot food on demand, no dishwashing or peeling vegetables, loading up the dishwasher etc. Wearing clean clothes, money in the pocket, excursion tickets laying on the desk waiting to be enjoyed in ways that we couldn't experience in snowy Chicago in January. Comfortable cabin, clean towels, hot water. No driving to a restaurant and paying for parking. Dinner tonight in Da Vinci dining room was "on the house" (paid in advance as part of the ticket price but still a steal for what you get).

 

Service just a phone call away. More pillows? Sure. Christopher would take care of that, no problem. He was a quiet hardworking, smiling young fellow.

 

I called Room Service to change out the spirits in the mini-bar to Beck's Beer as it seemed more appropriate for a hot climate. The smiling Russell from the Philippines was there in a jiffy (odd British expression)

 

It grew darker as we sat on the deck listening to the rush of water being churned up my the mighty propellors (no Azipods here!) and soon it was time for dinner in Da Vinci. We had Anytime dining which is good for us as we like to eat late and at home often sit down to a fancy dinner at 11 pm- I am European after all. That's forced upon me some nights by work. We seldom get "early bird specials" as a result.

 

We asked for a table for two as we like to eat quietly without feeling we need to chat. There was a row of two-tops and they are just far enough apart from each other for someone slim like me (150 lbs, no belly) to slide through to the banquette. You can hear the next table's conversation and (obviously ) vice-versa. So I saw the lady at the next table chuckle at some of my banter. I like to keep things light. Especially at great times like this-enjoying a fine simple meal (we have our foodie-side too) in elegant surroundings. Looking out the window we could see the sea whipping by at 20 knots.

 

I apparently ordered the " out-of-focus Fettucini Alfredo" which was my first tasting of this Princess staple. I attacked it like a band of wolves. I washed it down with a bottle of Pinot Grigio (Santa Margherita @ $41) and this bottle would follow me around the ship for a day or two until drained. Luckily they had more than one bottle. So here is I think (hope) the only out of focus food shot of the cruise, just to keep the narrative honest...

 

Carol's notes (but not my camera) tell me that we dined on the following;

 

Him-shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, Fettucini, Beef medallions and a chaser of Sambuca and double espresso. Her-lobster pate, watercress radish iceberg salad, pasta shells with marinara sauce and then this dessert who's name I don't know..

 

I'm guessing Carrot Cake...

 

 

Good heavens- I have just made myself hungry here.

 

After dinner I am assured we went to the stern, to the pool area where lies the Outrigger bar and did some star-gazing. We had the deck to ourselves.

 

Then the notes (but not my memory alas) tell me we went to the "Welcome Aboard Show" in the Princess Theater, hosted by Lucille Ball (yay!). No- oops, sorry- Lisa Ball.There was also a Mentalist (which I am obviously not) called Wayne Hoffman but I think I was outside on the Promenade Deck with a cigarette when he was Mentalising. Carol sang his praises later when we were resting on our balcony prior to a Sleep of the Gods, which in my case would be interrupted at 4 am by a Princess alarm call...

 

I always get up early on vacation so I can see the world come alive again after the darkness. It often bites me in the ass many hours later when I try to stay awake through the shows...but I love the world with very few people in it and the focus is on the Natural, the things that have been going on for millions of years without me...the sunrise and the sound of seagulls...takes me back home to the sea I lived by in Northern Ireland....

 

My head hit the pillow-and hit it hard.Firm bed, sea air, wake sound, rolling ship motion.

 

I Escaped Completely for 4 hours....

 

Norris

[MGnut]

I'm loving this! And your great writing style. And your Irish accent, though mild now, is still wonderful.

 

Haven't been on the Crown, but have been on the Ruby and Emerald, and have another Emerald cruise to the Caribbean in Jan/Feb '14 (20 days, B2B.) Hope to pick up some pointers on the ship (since it's a sister to the Emerald) and the Caribbean.

 

Looking forward to your commentary and pics/videos.

Edited October 24, 2013 by MGnut