CARIBBEAN PRINCESS Jan 11 2014-Photo and video review

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

I was thinking about you posting your German trip on CC.

Toward the bottom of the main Cruise Critic Message Board Forms page is a section called Friends of Cruise Critic.

 

Trainman-2 has a section that he has put on there about his home and all the things going on in their life while not cruising.

That would be a perfect place to tell us about your non-cruise adventures. Look at his and you might get the right idea.

Just an idea. Would love to see your trips posted there.

 

Really? I will definitely look into this in the morning as I have a wealth of photos and videos and lots to say about my visits to Europe. They have enriched my life no end and I have done more European (and USA and Canada) trips than cruises.

 

Thanks so much for giving me this information!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

I was thinking about you posting your German trip on CC.

Toward the bottom of the main Cruise Critic Message Board Forms page is a section called Friends of Cruise Critic.

 

Trainman-2 has a section that he has put on there about his home and all the things going on in their life while not cruising.

That would be a perfect place to tell us about your non-cruise adventures. Look at his and you might get the right idea.

Just an idea. Would love to see your trips posted there.

 

Really? I will definitely look into this in the morning as I have a wealth of photos and videos and lots to say about my visits to Europe. They have enriched my life no end and I have done more European (and USA and Canada) trips than cruises.

 

Thanks so much for giving me this information!

 

Norris

Edited February 6, 2014 by Bimmer09

[Bimmer09]

That's 80% of the Dreamboats actually. In that video they're missing Judith who'd normally be singing the backup vocals - Jessica is singing lead and backup, which shows the talent and versatility that endeared this young band to us.

 

This photo shows Judith... but the dude in the middle isn't a Dreamboat.

They let me play Bass for two songs! Talk about unforgettable memories.

 

That is way beyond cool !! You look like you were having fun! How did that come about?? It's a testament to how big the ship is that I only stumbled upon the band once during the week and then I caught just the last song in their set.

 

Norris

[sminfiddle]

That is way beyond cool !! You look like you were having fun! How did that come about??

 

It's an unadvertised Suite Perk. ;)

 

Two of the band members are fresh out of music school in Illinois. Our cruise was their first two weeks on the job, they impressed us by nailing songs by Patsy Cline, Katy Perry and Daft Punk in the same set...

 

 

 

 

~sent using Cruise Critic app~

[Bimmer09]

Back to the story...

 

The sub tender dropped us back to the dock near the CB. Carol went back to the ship as there was a Sanctuary in her future while I took the opportunity to go downtown and see what had become of Cozumel after all these years.

 

To be honest even "back in the day" I didn't go downtown very often as the preferred means of relaxation there was to go to a nice hotel away from the town-Presidente was favorite and enjoy their pool and their bar mixed in with an ocean swim or some snorkeling. Having been there 44 times and knowing I would be there every Thursday meant that I wasn't trying to cram it all in the way a one-visit passenger might.

 

Back in the day a busy port might have 4 vessels...Song of Norway and Starwind (NCL) between them would have had only 2,000 passengers. Then there was perhaps the Amsterdam and Carnival Holiday adding another 3000, so maybe 5,000 passengers in port. Today there would have been maybe 14,000 plus crew members.

 

The memories didn't come flooding back as it was now much bigger (stretching back away from the sea where once there was just trees and scrub) and had things like Shopping Malls and more Diamond stores than any one town needs.

Each of these had open fronts with a security guard and an employee greeting all who passed with exhortations to come in and see the diamonds.

 

Armed policemen were directing traffic as it crawled along the narrow streets-I was in a taxi to get downtown. $8 from the ship and maybe 3 miles to the end of the shopping street. There were a few soldiers with machine guns getting into the back of a pickup truck when I was photographing the HAL ship.

 

There were a lot of people sauntering along, like me, with little purpose while many sat down for a drink or a bite in sidewalk cafes a block or two inland.

I did stop at one to refresh myself with a Corona or two, watching tourists meander about. Shopkeepers were on their doorsteps asking one to come in and look at their blankets or wrestling masks. I stocked up on wrestling masks as it's always good to have some around incase you find yourself needing to wrestle someone and keep your privacy intact at the same time.

 

The town square was a pleasant spot to stop

 



 



 

Good spot for a cold beer

 



 

It's clean.

 

[Bimmer09]

Back down by the waterfront there was the Nieuw Amsterdam which is a Holland American ship whose name may be a typo.

 

 



 



 

[Bimmer09]

 



 



 

These are some of the Ferry Boats that will take you to Cancun and the Mainland, about 12 miles West.

 



 



 

 

I found a bathroom in a big shopping mall

and set about on the journey back to the ship, which I took by taxi for the same $8 fee.

 

Shopping mall exit

 

 

Coming up in the story- Born to be Wild video, maybe some more Hector singing, the Pop Choir with a few new songs! (gasp!) and over 100 photos of parts of the ship I haven't shown you yet....

 

Norris

[douglinc@msn.com]

Since we are going on the CB for the 1st. time in March, we are really interested in seeing the photo's from around the ship. Great review!

 

Thanks,

Doug

[whataboutport]

i stocked up on wrestling masks as it's always good to have some around incase you find yourself needing to wrestle someone and keep your privacy intact at the same time.

 

:D lololol

Edited February 7, 2014 by whataboutport

[Bimmer09]

Once the taxi dropped me off at the cruise terminal I joined the line of people making their way through the security check and was soon in the Duty Free shop to get my sunglasses and cigarettes. The glasses took a while to choose and as the store was very busy and there were only two cashiers I was there for 45 minutes.

 

Once back outside I made my way down the pier to return to the ship.

 



 

Our cabin is right of center, 3 decks down with no cabins beneath us. Cindy's suite was the extreme bottom right with the beam splitting the deck. We had no beam.

 



 

 

 

Brilliance of the Seas and Caribbean Princess

 

 

I love the design of Brilliance

 

 

Up the gangway for the very last time. Through the security check, back to the cabin to drop off the smokes and then up to the Sanctuary to catch up with Carol.

While up there for ten minutes we had a cup of tea and an Afternoon Tea sandwich. Then it was down to the Trident Grill for a knackwurst, sauerkraut and fries washed down by a beer.

 

We wanted to take a closer look at Brilliance and walked the length of her from the lido deck on the CB. I found that I didn't have my sunglasses and went back to the table to look for them-but they were gone! I had owned them for about 30 minutes which is my new World Record!

 

I went back to Passenger Services a few times over the next 24 hours but they weren't turned in.

 

Ok so I am back on the ship and ready to sail away from Cozumel...

[Bimmer09]

We said goodbye to Carnival Triumph, the first ship to cast-off.

 



 

and Brilliance

 



 

and Carnival Breeze

 



 

We watched the sunset from our balcony

 



 



 

[Bimmer09]

It's an unadvertised Suite Perk. ;)

 

Two of the band members are fresh out of music school in Illinois. Our cruise was their first two weeks on the job, they impressed us by nailing songs by Patsy Cline, Katy Perry and Daft Punk in the same set...

~sent using Cruise Critic app~

 

Well Rick, now I regret not catching them earlier. I think my Note to Self on future Grand Class ships where there is a lot happening at once is to look at the Patters and make a point of hearing and taping each band, so I don't miss anything.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Unlike other Princess ships I have sailed on the Casino on the CB is on deck 7 and you have to walk through it to get to the Princess Theater or forward elevators which I would take up to Tradewinds (you come out of the elevator at the Lotus Spa). On other ships the casino has been on deck 6, Fiesta Deck.

 

I don't take casino shots when there are people playing as a rule. I don't want them to feel uncomfortable. So I take them early in the morning.

 

 

 



 



 



 

 

The casino has it's own bar

 

 

When I walked through the Casino during open hours it was always busy. It's closed in port of course. There were a couple of no-smoking nights but when I walked through on one there was a woman puffing away at a slot machine.

 

One of my Tradewinds bar friends won over $3,000 on the slots-enough to pay for a jewelry shopping spree at Diamonds International.

[Bimmer09]

 

I don't gamble, not even in Las Vegas.

 

I am uploading to youtube a 19 minute clip from Born to be Wild in the Princess Theater. Could take a while so meantime talk amongst yourselves.

 

More much later.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Well I missed the first ten minutes of the show as I was elsewhere, but managed to find Carol in the dark and take my seat and turn the camcorder on.

 

They did 3 shows that night after we left Cozumel. We opted for the 7 pm show as we had dinner coming up at 8 in the Coral Dining Room. The menus had been dropped off that morning by Miguel our Indian steward. They had other shows at 8.30 and 10.00 p.m.

 

We had seen the show before but like a good (short) singing and dancing show before heading off to karaoke.

 

You can see there is movement in the ship if you watch the stage lights at the top of the screen. I held the camera steady, trust me, but these dancers have to work on an undulating stage. Stage props can be dropped and raised as the over-stage area occupies 3 decks above. Dressing rooms are on the deck below. The live band is hidden.

 

Here's the video.

 

[I want to cruise]

Didn't work.Says video is private

[Bimmer09]

Try it again-I just clicked on it and it opened. I had set it to public once I was sure I had a video and not a blank screen. When I went back it was Private as you said so I set it again.

 

Thanks for the head's up!

 

Norris

[TubT]

Well I missed the first ten minutes of the show as I was elsewhere, but managed to find Carol in the dark and take my seat and turn the camcorder on.

 

I wonder where they keep the '59 Cadillac? ;)

[TubT]

Back down by the waterfront there was the Nieuw Amsterdam which is a Holland American ship whose name may be a typo.

 

 

 

Of course, that would be the new Nieuw Amsterdam.

[JF - retired RRT]

I wonder where they keep the '59 Cadillac? ;)

Take the backstage tour when you get a chance...it is amazing what they do with the props. They probably fold it up into a little tiny box.;)

[Bimmer09]

At the end of the show Brett ran down a list of some of the coming attractions this evening and tomorrow, our last day on the ship. We didn't hear "International Crew Show" among the offerings.

 

Earlier in the week I had met Paul from the Cruise Staff and chatted as we had met when he led the UST (Ultimate Ship Tour) on the Ruby. He was standing outside the door of the Princess Theater and I asked him why no Crew Show.

He said there weren't enough good entertainers on board to put the show on.

Pity as we like those shows and have seen many good performers on other vessels. The show usually starts with hundreds of balloons being batted around among the passengers-good, cheap, silly fun and the show always ends with the song "If I were not upon the Sea" which is also good, cheap, silly fun.

 

On the way to dinner we passed through the Piazza and looking down from deck 7 to deck 5 we noticed Cindy, Alice and Daniel below talking to a juggler who had just come on the ship as part of a duo called Rootberry. The juggler passed three balls to Daniel and he kept all three in the air. It turns out he likes juggling apart from his skills as a classical pianist. Who knew?

 

Here is the group in the Piazza. The balloons above are for a "balloon drop" later.

 

 

 

On to dinner as the menus that Miguel had brought us that morning spoke of two of our favorite Princess dishes....

 

Beef Wellington

 



 

And Kingklip, a whitefish with delicate flavor

 

 

I still had two partial bottles of wine at my disposal-a red and a white. A Malbec and an Estancia Pinot Grigio. Life was good.

 

After another great dinner and a good night of Karaoke in the packed Club Fusion, hosted by the Aussie Dynamo-Simone it was time to head out to the Promenade deck to take the air (we put it back afterwards so don't worry). On the way we passed Crooners where Cindy and co had pulled up extra chairs to hear the very popular Seth Gibson sing and play piano. He drew a crowd each night.

[Bimmer09]

 



 

 

And so to bed. Alarm set for 5 a.m as I intended to take some ship photos in the morning....

[Bimmer09]

 

Sights like this are my reward for cutting short my sleep when cruising...

 



 



 



 

The view from Tradewinds, looking aft

 

[Bimmer09]

 



 

[Bimmer09]

I started my indoor tour at the Lotus Spa as it is on the same deck as Tradewinds

where I took coffee cup one each morning. Number two was always at the terrace pool, aft outside Cafe Caribe, the rear part of the buffet.

 

Lotus Spa collection

 



 

 



 

 



 

It opens to the gym at one part