Caribbean Princess Sept 3-10 Review

[D4]

Background on us: My family has previously cruised 10 times on different lines (Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival). This was our first Princess cruise.

 

We live in Illinois and always fly in 1 or 2 days before the cruise. This time we flew in the day before. (This is a good practice as evidenced by the family of 4 in the cabin next door -- they were flying in that day, missed the ship and had to join the cruise in St. Thomas. So they missed the first 2 days at sea!)

 

We stayed in Amerisuites in Ft. Lauderdale before the cruise. We got it on Priceline and were very happy with the hotel.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed this cruise. We had traditional dinner and loved the food and the service. The entire crew was very friendly. Although the ship had over 3,000 passengers, it never felt crowded.

 

I only had two criticisms:

 

1) We booked an inside quad on Aloha deck 12 seven months ago. After the final payment was due, balcony prices were only $350 more than we paid for the inside. I had my travel agent contact Princess and see if I could pay an addtional $350 to get a balcony. (Other cruise lines let you do that.) Princess said I'd have to pay $800 which was the cost difference when I booked the inside. I'm not sure why Princess doesn't want to take care of their early bookers like other cruise lines do.

 

2) The Princess Patter (the daily list of activities) was very poorly designed IMO. All 4 of the other cruise lines we've been on had very well organized daily papers.

 

Luckily, we have very little interest in scheduled activities. We're not interested in the shows, attending any of the contests, or stuff like that. We don't even hang out by the pools. We just like being out on the ocean. I guess we spend most of our time just walking around or finding a spot in the shade to read, and of course EATING!!! (Outside on Promenade deck 7 bacame our favorite spot to sit outside and read or take a nap.)

 

I wasn't sure if I would be interested in MUTS or not. I thought it was an unusual concept. I have to say, that became my favorite evening activity. There were a series of concert movies a few nights that I wasn't interested in, but I did watch movies the other nights -- Miss Congeniality 2, Sahara, The Longest Yard. I also watched The Wedding Date one afternoon in the shade.

 

Also, we've "been there, done that" many times, so this cruise we decided in advance not to do anything in the ports, basically giving us 7 sea days and allowing us to enjoy a fairly empty ship on port days. I did get off the ship at St. Thomas and St. Martin just to use an internet cafe to check on our dogs. (They were available in a very short walk from the ship. I paid $4 for 30 minutes in St. Thomas and $5 for 15 minutes in St. Martin. Both had a fast DSL connection.)

 

We also loved the fact that food was available 24 hours a day in the Horizon Court or Cafe Caribe (deck 15). There always seems to be a time on other ships when I want something to eat and my choices are limited to pizza or room service.

 

We put our deposit down towards a future cruise.

 

Our favorite cruise line is still Celebrity, but Princess and Royal Caribbean are tied for #2, NCL #3, and Carnival #4.

 

Feel free to ask me any questions, but keep in mind I didn't do the shows or the ports.

[vmom]

Thanks for the review. Sounded like a great vacation for you.

 

I've used Priceline just a few times before. Is there a way to increase the possiblility of getting a suite or larger room such as the Amerisuites? There are 5 of us, and one regular size hotel room just isn't big enough. I find that using a suite type hotel works well, but not sure how to do that on Priceline.

 

 

 

We're also from IL. On our last cruise we flew in the morning of the cruise (due to a scheduling conflict) and sweated the whole time our flight would be delayed. It just wasn't worth all the sweat, plus we were exhausted the first evening after having to get up at 4:30 the morning of our cruise. Wouln't do that again.

[Kellie in Texas]

Thanks, D4, for the review; we'll be on the CB on 10/22/05 and I can't believe it's finally almost here. We booked over a year ago. We are also staying one night pre-cruise at the Amerisuites (Priceline again for $50!!). From these boards, I've learned that at the airport (we arrive in FLL about 7:00 in the evening or so), we should go to the kiosk or desk where the hotel shuttles can be called and take the shuttle that evening from the airport to the hotel. Then on Saturday morning, what time did the first shuttle go to the port? I'm thinking we may want to take a taxi instead of waiting so late in the morning. I'd rather stand in line at the port instead of waiting around nervously at the hotel. What was your experience with getting from place to place? Thanks. Kellie in Texas

[Cruisin4eva]

You mentioned booking a quad originally, did you sail with a 3rd or 4th passenger?? Maybe they we accounting for that with the price of the balcony? Just a thought. Did you find your inside cabin to be comfortable?

 

Glad you had a nice cruise... thanks for posting!! :)

[D4]

Kellie: I called Amerisuites from my cell phone after we got our baggage. They arrived in about 15 minutes. On Saturday, it seemed the whole hotel emptied into the lobby between 10:45 and 11:15 to go on a cruise or go to the airport. Their first shuttle left about 11:15. The shuttle doesn't have a reservation system like some hotels have. I felt the same as you - I preferred to wait at the port rather than in line at the hotel so I had the front desk call us a taxi. I knew the port was nearby and we paid $8 including the tip. We also paid $50 on Priceline and it was quite a deal with the free transportation from the airport and to the port (although we only used it from the airport) and the delicious free breakfast. It was very clean and comfortable. I'd definitely stay there again.

 

Cruisin4eva: We had our 4 in our quad. After I tried to pay the additional amount for the balcony, I posted what happened on this board and got the response from others that yes, that's how Princess does it. I don't know why Princess wants to irritate their early bookers. Other cruise lines will let you pay the difference to be upgraded even after the final payment.

 

But the cruise was wonderful. I'm sure you'll all enjoy it.

[Iamthesea]

(This is a good practice as evidenced by the family of 4 in the cabin next door -- they were flying in that day, missed the ship and had to join the cruise in St. Thomas. So they missed the first 2 days at sea!)

Just so sad when this happens. :(

[Cruisin4eva]

Hmmm, I don't undestand it either... I am glad it didn't stop you from having a great time :) Were you happy with the inside cabin??

[D4]

Cruisin4eva: I forgot to respond about the inside quad. Yes, it was very comfortable and well designed. (One exception: they should have made the shower a little bigger and I'm not a big person!)

 

The back wall was almost all mirrors, the desk area on the opposite side was all mirrors, and there were lots of lights on different switches. So it didn't seem small or confining. There were 2 drawers in each nightstand, 3 more in the desk area, and a small closet with shelves. Then there was a huge open hanging closet area - it was probably 6 feet wide. It was a great spot for storing the luggage because ours is to deep to go under the bed. It's design was great for a quad, because when you walked in there was the bathroom and this huge open closet area which really provided sort of a dressing room area. So you could have one in the bathroom, one in this closet area, and the others in the sleeping area. I was impressed with the design. It's very useful when you have more than 2 in the cabin.

 

Sometimes we have insides, sometimes outsides, sometimes quads, and sometimes two cabins. We're very flexible.

[Cruisin4eva]

Thanks so much much for that info-!! We booked an inside (Aloha). Reason being is, we are taking friends with us as a "retirement gift". Being we are "treating" our good fiends we just figured we'd all go with an inside. We really couldn't afford to book 2 Balconies... I guess we could have swung for a outside... but we all agreed that an inside would be fine. So we have rooms right next door to each other. They are just so thrilled to be going (it's their first cruise) My husband and I have sailed many times and we have had an inside before, but as you know they differ ship to ship.

I have heard conflicting reports on the hair dryers in the room... any comments?

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions :)

[D4]

Cruisin4eva:

 

That's a very generous gift to your friends. We were in a similar situation. We usually prefer outside cabins, but we were treating my parents to a cruise for their 50th anniversary and insides are much more affordable. Plus we have airfare, insurance, tips, hotel, ...

 

In the past, I've always brought my own hair dryer. But this time I decided not to bring it to packing lighter.

 

The one in the bathroom was adequate for my short hair. But I wouldn't want to use it for long hair -- it wasn't too powerful. Also it is mounted in the bathroom which means you tie up the bathroom longer. With 2 in a cabin, that's probably not a big deal.

 

I should have mentioned in my review that it is critical to have an extension cord with. I always bring one and it's a good thing. The outlets were side by side just barely above the desk. And the polarized plugs seemed to be the opposite of the way they are at home. So even my night light wouldn't plug into it, because the desk was just below the plug and the night light would have had to go in upside down. You'll understand what I mean when you see it. I needed a night light plugged in and at different times various battery rechargers . NONE of the items I have would have worked with out an extension cord or a power strip.

[Cruisin4eva]

Great advice about the cord.. and I know what you mean about the plugs.

 

Well, that was great of you to treat your parents!! Did they enjoy themselves?? I really can't wait to get our friends on that ship and see their faces!! :D

 

I have short hair also, so i think I will stick with the bathroom dryer.

 

Who was your Cruise Director?? Do you think he will be on board in Oct?? Just wondering:)

Again, Thanks!!:)

[D4]

Cruisin4eva: Yes, my parents had a fantastic time. They've gone on as many cruises as we have, so cruising wasn't new to them, but it was fun to go together and to give them a great gift. We were all new to Princess and loved it.

 

The funny thing about not going to any shows/activities is that we never know who the cruise director was. From the announcements, all I know is his name was Neil.

 

I should mention that my parents went to the shows and loved them.

 

My mom kept saying all week that the best thing I told her (from this board) is to look at the carpet when you get off the elevator on your floor. The port side (even numbered cabins) had two pink stripes and the starboard side (odd numbers) had all blue carpet.

 

Let me know if you have other questions.

[Cruisin4eva]

You know what?? This will be my 15th cruise and the carpet thing is new to me too!!! I never realized that! That is funny. Glad Mom and Dad had a great time, that in it's self must have been fulfilling:) I don't think I have any other questions just yet... but I am sure I will before 10/15!! Thanks for all your help... and for your review.

[mlbcruiser]

D4, I agree w/your rating order of the various cruiselines, except our first Celebrity cruise will be next June so can't judge that line quite yet. (However, from what I've heard, I'm sure we will like it.) I was happy to read that you liked the MUTS! I enjoy being out on the deck at night (although we do attend a number of shows - many times not staying for the whole thing. I also think the best part of being on the sea is being out on deck.) Last spring we were on the Sun Princess and at one point came close enough to the Carib. P. that we could actually tell that something was showing on the screen! We are booked on her this March.

 

Have you been on any of the Princess ships in the same class as the Sun? (Like Dawn, I think, etc.?) Although we enjoyed our cruise, one complaint we had when on the Sun P. last spring was the liveliness quotient. That ship didn't seem to have very good "updated" venues (like the disco, etc.) for night time activies - esp. for younger adults. Our cruise was 10 days long, so automatically that is going to attract older adults, but even if the ship had been doing a 7 day cruise, it still just didn't have enough "bells and whistles". If you have been on any of RCCL's ships with either the Viking Crown lounges, or the Voyager class ships, you know what I mean. In your opinion, does the Carib. Princess (w/Skywalker's, MUTS, etc.) seem a bit livelier - maybe more like RCCL? (PLEASE ANSWER THIS!)

 

Re: luggage. Usually you can ask your cabin steward to stash your suitcases somewhere if they won't fit under your bunk - or in the case of a quad cabin, you simply have too many to fit in there! At least we've done that twice on RCCL. Once I lost something and had to have the steward bring back my suitcase and let me look inside of it, then take it away again! Poor guy!

 

Anyway, thanks for your review!

[D4]

mlbcruiser: This was our 11th cruise, but the first on Princess, so I don't have any experience with their other ships.

 

I'm probably not the best person to give opinions on comparing the liveliness of the CB with Royal Caribbean ships since I don't take in the venues and activities. For example, I went to Skywalkers and the Viking Crown lounges, but only in the daytime when they were empty. I enjoyed reading in them. I don't know what they're like at night.

 

MUTS was really fun though. I especially liked it because if I'm on a cruise, I like to be outside as much as possible. I think that's why I avoid the shows and things like that.

 

Thanks for the luggage tip. But I find myself getting in and out of luggage all week. After we unpack, I toss all the things I brought with but don't expect to use such as all the just in case medicines, ointments, creams, and things like duck tape. I basically have a mini Walgreens with me and it does come in handy! I also add things to suitcases throughout the week -- souveniers and items we're not going to use or wear again.

[mlbcruiser]

Sorry D4! actually realized after I finished my prior post that you did say it was your first time on Princess but I was having trouble getting back to "edit" so I just left my inquiry as it was. We often do the same re: getting back into our luggage. But sometimes we each often have more than one suitcase (well, my DH usually has a large "gym bag" or dive bag) so I stashed the "extra" stuff in the smaller carryon, under the bed, those times when it was tough fitting luggage under there. And I try hard never to use the expansion feature on my main suitcase, trying to "save" that space for the junk and treasures we come home with! I bring weird things, too (you know - extra hangars; clothespins for shower curtains; and all sorts off odds and ends. That's one reason why I love RCCL's cabins the best. All those cubbies on the side of the mirrors! And I use the space above the mirrored desk to put SHOES, handbags, beachbags, etc. (My DH is tall so he's my "checker" when we leave to make sure nothing got pushed back up there. Gets the shoes out of the way great!) Just read a review of the Carnival Liberty. Didn't know they had a MUTS type thing! But it sounds as though Carnival needs to work on this a bit.

[atlcple2]

We were on this cruise as well. It was our first Princess Cruise. Our last 2 cruises were on the Carnival Pride and Spirit (sister ships). So we were comparing the ships throughout the cruise. We loved the CB in every way, especially how pretty it was. When comparing the ships, we gave the edge to Carnival on the food. We ate at Sterlings and it doesn't come close to comparing to the Dinner Club on the Spirit and Pride. It was good, but nothing really special. The dining room food was good as well...again, nothing that really made us say "Wow!". Having said that, we LOVED the Personal Choice dining!!! It worked out great for us! We never waited to be seated and sat at a table for 2 half the time, and shared a table the rest of the time which was nice. We met a lot of nice people and would highly recommend the Personal Choice dining. If you are flexible and don't like to eat at the same time with the same people every night, this is an excellent choice! We are booked on the Glory to take the kids in February. Before we went on the CB, we had decided if we liked it better, we would cancel the Glory cruise and book on the CB. If it was just DH and I, we would definitely change to the CB. I think Princess really caters to couples offering champagne balcony breakfast (which was wonderful and well worth $25) as well as other things. We didn't see a lot of kids on this ship and I think that Carnival caters to families and kids more. We were going to go ahead and book a nother cruise on board as it is a great deal! $100 deposit and a room credit on your next cruise. For a balcony room for 2, the room credit was $100.00. Unfortunately, we didn't make it down there to do it. This was the most relaxing cruise for us. I would recommend it to everyone! Enjoy!

[foxinde]

D4,

 

CruizenSuzen posted that Tuesday was Italian Night for your 9/3-10 Eastern Itinerary. Is this a new arrangement? Many other posts for the Eastern Itinerary have stated that Monday was Italian Night.

 

Thanks.

[waterrats]

For someone who mentioned suit cases not fitting under the bed. I don't think you will have any problems. We have a HUGE piece of luggage we took with us last year and had no problems stowing it out of sight in the cabin.

 

I have only cruise on Voyager of the Seas and CB. One thing I missed greatly on CB was the Royal Promenade that RCCL has on their ships. Its a great shopping and people watching location. Wish all ships had one. It also gives them the oppotunity to put all their shops, some bars, on one level. Makes it easier to find friends at night as well. We used the outside promenade much more on RCCL because we were already on that deck. We didn't seem to spend too much time on the shops levels on CB.

[phaelon56]

I've used Priceline just a few times before. Is there a way to increase the possiblility of getting a suite or larger room such as the Amerisuites?

 

No. There's no specific way nor is there any assurance that you'll even get two beds. PL states uncategorically that you are bidding for a room that will accomdate two adults. In some major cities (e.g. NYC) this may mean only one bed (full size or larger) but even in other cities, if a hotel is close to sold out you may not get a room with two beds.

 

Best bet is to either bid for two rooms or just find your best deal through other means and book direct. You might consider Hotwire as they will indicate whether a property is suites style or not but even that only assures you of a regular bed (queen or king) and a sofa bed. Check the web site http://betterbidding.com for some tips on how to figure out in advance which hotel the one you see listed on Hotwire is likley to be.

 

But even then it's no assurance. I used HW to book my pre-cruise hotel (which is on boat show weekend) and it turned out to be one that had not previously shown up on the posted bidding histories for that area. It's at the very edge of the so-called airport zone and far enough away that I'll likely pay at least $10 plus tip to get a cab there and another $15 or more to get formt he hotel to the port on saturday. My HW price was only $55 plus the taxes and fees but with a total of $68.95 and the cab fare I'd have been better off to search through conventional means for a hotel that was closer and offered shuttle service on at least one leg of the transfer or both.

 

By the way - I'm a very experienced PL bidder and tried repeatedly using every trick in the book to get a hotel through PL for this date (October 28 2006) but with no success.

[D4]

Foxinde: CruizeSuzen was correct about Italian night being Tuesday. It must be something new because even our waiter on Sunday night as we left dinner said the next night would be Italian. We were surprised he had that wrong.

 

Atclple2:

- I'm glad you enjoyed the cruise. This was my most relaxing cruise too since we basically skipped the ports.

- We were happy with the Princess food, but if you want awesome food, I highly recommend Celebrity.

- It's too bad you didn't turn in your future cruise deposit form. You didn't have to wait in line unless you had questions -- you could just fill out the form and deposit it in the locked box anytime before 6pm Friday. I did it the second day of the cruise and received my confirmation later that day. I'm sure looking forward to using it!!!

- I think the CB didn't have many kids because schools are in session. If you would have cruised CB a few weeks earlier, I'm sure you would have seen hundreds of kids on it.

- I loved the outside promenade. I like to walk a lot on cruises, but not in the sun so it was perfect for me.