Live from the Crown Princess 2-10-15

[caribill]

Thanks for the update. In Ensenada, it probably be dogs sniffing for contraband food brought off the ship, which is forbidden in Mexico.

 

At Progreso, Mexico, they had sample fruit on the pier and would periodically bring the dog over to sniff it to refresh the dog's memory of what he should be sniffing passengers for.

[TERESAh]

Arriving onboard was a painless experience. We breezed through check in and had a short wait in the Elite lounge. We boarded left the luggage and went to the DeVinci dining room for lunch. It was really good, better then we expected. Went back to the Cabin to find one piece of luggage there, but where was the other one? That's a story to tell.

 

We went to the muster drill which for us was in Club Fusion. We planned to go to the unofficial meet and great but now goes back to the luggage story.

 

Went back to the cabin to find the luggage still not there. Dear Hubby called passenger service and they said to come down that there were some pieces missing tags. Hubby went down, alas no luggage.

 

Finally our cabin steward Cyrel went down to check on the missing luggage only to find that it was in security. No notice to us, no call, if he didn't do that who knows how long it would have taken to get . I went all the way down to deck 4 to find that they had it. Never asked me to open it so Cyrel took it back to the cabin. At least now we had our clothes.

 

Have a 7:30 reservation for dinner so will continue tomorrow.

 

Ask away any questions and I will try to answer them as soon as possibel.

 

Carole

 

we'll be on the Crown the end of this month. How are the beds?Should we ask for a topper?

[SoCal Cruiser78]

we'll be on the Crown the end of this month. How are the beds?Should we ask for a topper?

 

A recent report from the Crown (Pam in CA?) said that some cabins do and some don't need a topper. I found this to be true on the Golden last fall. I had an old, thin mattress and a cabin down the hall had a newer, thicker one. They seem to be replacing them on a piecemeal basis.

 

I have never heard of Princess running out of toppers but, if you need a soft mattress, you might want to request one ahead of time. Don't be surprised if it isn't on the bed when you get there. I have found robe requests and beds together/apart requests often ignored. If so, just ask your steward to place one on the bed for you after you board.

Edited February 13, 2015 by Ryndam2002
spelling

[Astro Flyer]

we'll be on the Crown the end of this month. How are the beds?Should we ask for a topper?

 

A recent report from the Crown (Pam in CA?) said that some cabins do and some don't need a topper. I found this to be true on the Golden last fall. I had an old, thin mattress and a cabin down the hall had a newer, thicker one. They seem to be replacing them on a piecemeal basis.

 

I have never heard of Princess running out of toppers but, if you need a soft mattress, you might want to request one ahead of time. Don't be surprised if it isn't on the bed when you get there. I have found robe requests and beds together/apart requests often ignored. If so, just ask your steward to place one on the bed for you after you board.

We sailed on the Crown a few weeks before Pam in January & didn't have a pillowtop mattress but some like Pam had it. Our steward got us a pillowtop topper but the last time I tried to request in advance they only had an eggcrate option. That doesn't provide me with adequate comfort & agree that requesting from the steward has worked best for us. :)

Edited February 13, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[lovevacadays]

we'll be on the Crown the end of this month. How are the beds?Should we ask for a topper?

 

It seems to be hit and miss on the Crown. There have been reports of cabins that have the new mattresses. However, I cruised on the Crown on 1/3/15. Both my bed and the person I was traveling with had beds that were awful! No new mattresses. There were lumps and bumps everywhere. My suggestion would be to request the mattress topper and then see if you are one of the lucky cabins that have the new mattresses. My travel companion and I cruised the Golden 11/14 and had the new mattresses. OMG! They were great!

Edited February 14, 2015 by MichelleinOC

[IECalCruiser]

Thanks for the update. In Ensenada, it probably be dogs sniffing for contraband food brought off the ship, which is forbidden in Mexico.

The dog was sniffing for food products. Ensenada is very restrictive about what you can bring off the ship. On Monday they stopped a woman just behind us. They found and confiscated some food she had brought off the ship. She was lucky it was Mexico. I think you are in more trouble if you try this in Chile. At least that was what we were told in 2010 when we disembarked there.

[AZbeachboy]

The dog was sniffing for food products. Ensenada is very restrictive about what you can bring off the ship. On Monday they stopped a woman just behind us. They found and confiscated some food she had brought off the ship. She was lucky it was Mexico. I think you are in more trouble if you try this in Chile. At least that was what we were told in 2010 when we disembarked there.

 

Yes, try Hawaii.

[joeyancho]

Thanks for taking us on your cruise with you! :) We will be going on our first cruise on the Crown on March 14th and it seems I just can't get enough information ahead of time. Am so enjoying reading your posts. Thanks!

 

We will be on the Mar 14th sailing also. We were just on the Dec7,2014 sailing. Would be glad to answer any questions.

[rpcv77]

Yes, I agree that the sniffer dogs are there to prevent food from being brought in, but it gave me a chuckle to think of the dogs sniffing for drugs coming in to Mexico !

[dickinson]

We just got off this ship too. We must have had new mattresses because they were soft. THe pillows on the other hand were not the greatest as they were either too thin or in one case too hard. We were in b325.

 

We had a wonderful cruise and found everything to be fine. No big complaints from us. I think the cruise was less than full because we had no problems with crowds in the Horizon Court nor the IC. when we were walking around 9 am to find where we needed to wait to leave (in about an hour) we passed a crew member who told us we could leave then. We were off the ship and through immigration in about 10 minutes.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to go on this ship again.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[DawnisDream]

We will be on the Mar 14th sailing also. We were just on the Dec7,2014 sailing. Would be glad to answer any questions.

 

Thank you, that is so nice! Have you been to the ports we will be visiting on the 3/14 cruise? If you have, in your opinion, which stop do you think would be the best one to sit on the beach in a lounge chair, have a cocktail, people watch and have fun with the vendors? We already have a whale watching tour planned in Cabo for the morning.

[TERESAh]

we'll be on the Crown the end of this month. How are the beds?Should we ask for a topper?

 

Thanks for all your responses to my question regarding the mattresses. I think I will fax a request, but like some of you I have done that in the past and it wasn't there; however my room steward did get us one so I guess I won't worry about it.

[Susie51]

Thank you for the review. I forgot to order the topper. I'm going to call in the morning.

[joeyancho]

Thank you, that is so nice! Have you been to the ports we will be visiting on the 3/14 cruise? If you have, in your opinion, which stop do you think would be the best one to sit on the beach in a lounge chair, have a cocktail, people watch and have fun with the vendors? We already have a whale watching tour planned in Cabo for the morning.

 

Yes, I have been to these ports many times. Each port offers opportunities to go to the beach. In PV there are many beaches. Any taxi driver can take you to a nice beach. I like Mismaloya beach. It is pretty far out of town. In Mazatlan you can go to the Golden Zone. There are resorts that, for a fee, will let you use the facilities. However if you are adventurous you might like to go to Stone Island. It takes a bit of doing but is worth the effort. Here's how. When you get off the ship a shuttle will take you to a shopping area. Walk thru and go out to the street. Make a left. Walk all the way to the end of the street. There you will find boats that will shuttle you to Stone Island. The fee is like two bucks pp. The ride only takes a few minutes. When you get there a guy with a taxi (really a pick up with bench seats) Will transport you to where you want to go. We go to Victors. It is an outdoor restaurant. There you can lay out under a beach umbrella and enjoy adult beverages. If you get hungry Victor makes the best seafood you have ever had. Don't let the rustic appearance fool you, the food is incredible. We usually order a fish combo platter, three kinds of shrimp and wood grilled mahi mahi with all the trimmings. To die for. You will pretty much have the beach all to yourself. There will be vendors if you want to buy stuff. Also if you want to go horseback riding Maria will be there to take you where you want to go. It is very inexpensive. You can ride on the beach and in the coconut groves. It is fun. I think you can find her on line if you Google Maria's Happy Horses. When you are ready to go back to the ship, the taxi guy will take you to the shuttle boat. Even though this all sounds difficult, it is really quite simple.

In Cabo, when you get to the dock there will be tour guys who can take you to a beach. They will shuttle you there in their ponga boats. You can go to a resort and enjoy all their amenities. Just tell the guide what you want. However if you already have a tour for Cabo I don't think you will have time to go to the beach. The ship leaves Cabo pretty early. Hope this helps. If you have any questions, just ask.

Edited February 15, 2015 by joeyancho

[ssawjo]

We are also just off the Crown and had a great cruise. Went to the zoo in San Diego. Obtained tickets from AAA at a discount and took a cab ($16). We were the first ones into the zoo and went immediately to the panda exhibit. There were two of them and one was very active, the newest one, and mom was in a tree asleep. We stayed for a few hours. Lunch at the zoo is very expensive, so plan ahead. Took a cab back and it was $15. Not sure why. Did not get off at Ensenada. Been there recently twice. The crew was great, food good to excellent, entertainment ok. Great get away. Embarkation was IMO slow but disembarkation was very quick. I have no complaints about the mattress. I think I can sleep on almost anything but the pillows need changing.

 

Visited Crown Grill and Sabatini's. Both very good but Crown is our favor. Sabatini's was not very busy. It is sort of a hassle to get there.

 

Any questions, let me know.

 

Bill and Kathi

[DawnisDream]

Yes, I have been to these ports many times. Each port offers opportunities to go to the beach. In PV there are many beaches. Any taxi driver can take you to a nice beach. I like Mismaloya beach. It is pretty far out of town. In Mazatlan you can go to the Golden Zone. There are resorts that, for a fee, will let you use the facilities. However if you are adventurous you might like to go to Stone Island. It takes a bit of doing but is worth the effort. Here's how. When you get off the ship a shuttle will take you to a shopping area. Walk thru and go out to the street. Make a left. Walk all the way to the end of the street. There you will find boats that will shuttle you to Stone Island. The fee is like two bucks pp. The ride only takes a few minutes. When you get there a guy with a taxi (really a pick up with bench seats) Will transport you to where you want to go. We go to Victors. It is an outdoor restaurant. There you can lay out under a beach umbrella and enjoy adult beverages. If you get hungry Victor makes the best seafood you have ever had. Don't let the rustic appearance fool you, the food is incredible. We usually order a fish combo platter, three kinds of shrimp and wood grilled mahi mahi with all the trimmings. To die for. You will pretty much have the beach all to yourself. There will be vendors if you want to buy stuff. Also if you want to go horseback riding Maria will be there to take you where you want to go. It is very inexpensive. You can ride on the beach and in the coconut groves. It is fun. I think you can find her on line if you Google Maria's Happy Horses. When you are ready to go back to the ship, the taxi guy will take you to the shuttle boat. Even though this all sounds difficult, it is really quite simple.

In Cabo, when you get to the dock there will be tour guys who can take you to a beach. They will shuttle you there in their ponga boats. You can go to a resort and enjoy all their amenities. Just tell the guide what you want. However if you already have a tour for Cabo I don't think you will have time to go to the beach. The ship leaves Cabo pretty early. Hope this helps. If you have any questions, just ask.

Wow! Thanks for such detailed suggestions. :) Had already been looking into the Golden Zone. I love the sound of Stone Island, but I'm not in great shape and would probably have a difficult time climbing into the back of the pick-up, otherwise, that sounds like the perfect experience. As far as Cabo goes, we might have time for lunch after the whale watching tour. Oh, that brings to mind another question. It says the ship leaves Cabo at 2:00, so what time does that mean you should be back at the dock? Oh yep, one more, :D Are you allowed to go night swimming on the ship? Ok, I think I am done now, LOL! Hope I haven't bugged you too much! Thanks again!

[Working 2 Cruise]

You Must be back at the dock no later than 1:15... I would make it 1:00. It would be terrible to miss the ship!

[waltd]

Wow! Thanks for such detailed suggestions. :) Had already been looking into the Golden Zone. I love the sound of Stone Island, but I'm not in great shape and would probably have a difficult time climbing into the back of the pick-up, otherwise, that sounds like the perfect experience. As far as Cabo goes, we might have time for lunch after the whale watching tour. Oh, that brings to mind another question. It says the ship leaves Cabo at 2:00, so what time does that mean you should be back at the dock? Oh yep, one more, :D Are you allowed to go night swimming on the ship? Ok, I think I am done now, LOL! Hope I haven't bugged you too much! Thanks again!

 

I wouldn't wait too long to get back on the ship in Cabo. Last time we were there everyone seemed to have the same idea and wait till the last minute. The line for the tender was rather long and it was hot out.

[DawnisDream]

Well, that's great info. We should be ok then because our tour ends about 10:30 or 11:00. Thanks!

[Coveguy4]

We also were on this sailing and it was our first time on the Crown. This was a fantastic get a way. Ship was spotless, nothing but kudos to the crew maintaining her. Mattress was so plush I was amazed. No complaints with my pillows they were great. Really liked the way Crooners was set up, Adajio is a really nice bar for a cocktail or to just relax. The Sabbitinis location on deck 16 is wonderful with the service perfect. The food I had there was not as good as other Sabbitinis on different ships but was still good, just not the usual great. Looking forward to booking another cruise on her. Great ship, I was VERY impressed.

[IECalCruiser]

I wouldn't wait too long to get back on the ship in Cabo. Last time we were there everyone seemed to have the same idea and wait till the last minute. The line for the tender was rather long and it was hot out.

Last time we were in Cabo a couple of years ago the Sapphire started to slowly sail away but we could see one tender dock still deployed. A couple of minutes later a private tender pulled up to the ship's tender dock and matched the ship's speed. Four people jumped from the tender to the tender dock and got on board :eek: Not what I would want to do but they did make it on board. Wonder how much the private tender charged for that ride :rolleyes:

[Saffir]

Loving all this info! Please keep the updates coming! I'll be on the Crown in less than two months and I'm really excited. :D

 

Quick question on the specialty restaurants -- it looks like there is a cover charge of $25. Does that take care of your food and non-specialty drinks? I'd guess that alcohol and gratuities aren't included in that cover charge.

[Astro Flyer]

Quick question on the specialty restaurants -- it looks like there is a cover charge of $25. Does that take care of your food and non-specialty drinks? I'd guess that alcohol and gratuities aren't included in that cover charge.

 

The $25 fee covers your food, tea & coffee but whether a gratuity is included in the fee is a subject frequently debated. I've never found a definitive answer however our meal & service has always been excellent. Many times we leave a cash tip for our server which they get to keep because we keep the daily auto tip in place; adding tip to bill goes to the tip pool shared with everyone.

Edited February 17, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[atdahop]

The $25 fee covers your food, tea & coffee but whether a gratuity is included in the fee is a subject frequently debated. I've never found a definitive answer however our meal & service has always been excellent. Many times we leave a cash tip for our server which they get to keep because we keep the daily auto tip in place; adding tip to bill goes to the tip pool shared with everyone.

 

 

Yes, I agree. I also leave a separate tip for the servers in the speciality restaurant. We had anytine dining and requested the same servers every night. On the last night I gave the waiter, and the assistant an envelope. I also gave the Maitre D some cash because we asked to have a special main course of scallops on the last night. It was fabulous. You will enjoy the Crown. I found to be much better than average.

[EightFurryPaws]

Although we're elite and have most of our laundry sent out, I always wash a

few loads in the self-serve washers. The last time I was on the Crown, I had

to use quarters.

 

However, when on the Coral a few months ago, the washers only used tokens which were purchase using my cruise card in the laundry room. It was $3.00 for

each wash and each dry.

 

I was wondering if you noticed if the Crown is still using the quarters or the tokens.

 

Thanks for taking the time to respond.