Crown Princess ABC islands Jan 12 to 20, 2018

[Bimmer09]

My short rib ravioli is a bowl-licker dish

 

 

Carol's spinach and ricotta ravioli

(blank space!)

It seems I didn't take a photo of that dish. Carol passes her plate over to me to have its photo taken so I may have been too busy eating

So here is my beef filet with garlic mash and veggies

 

 

" I couldn't find anything I liked to eat" said Norris (NOT!)

 

Carol finished with a fruit plate (melon slices and not worth the shot) while I asked for that yummy Orange Souffle. The waiter came back to apologize as they had run out of it but could have one ready for me in 15 minutes. Not wanting to wait I had an apple tart dish.

 

 

Off to a great start with the cooking!

[Bimmer09]

WOW WOW & DOUBLE WOW...just yesterday I finally got around to starting to read your "Comparing Princess & Celebrity" thread...and now this! That one is close to 50 pages long and I only made it to page 20 (right around to comparing "festive events")...hoping I get caught up before my upcoming Caribbean Princess cruise. I was keeping an eye on your progress last week on the webcam and knew I'd have this amazing review to look forward to.

Can't wait for the rest.....

Susan

 

Susan, welcome back and thanks for pushing the boat out on the Celebrity/Princess comparison. Glad to have you aboard!

Norris

[lola2013]

Susan, welcome back and thanks for pushing the boat out on the Celebrity/Princess comparison. Glad to have you aboard!

Norris

 

My friend and I just booked one of the Edge preview cruises...that will likely be an apples to oranges comparison with Princess.

[Bimmer09]

Hello Norris,

So happy to have found this review as we are going on our first Princess cruise on the Crown in March. We've done several cruises on Celebrity and Royal so am off to find your comparison thread.

Looking forward to more!

Angela

 

Welcome Angela, I haven't seen you before so double-welcome and thanks for taking the plunge. You know this will be LONG I hope.

Yes, read the comparison thread when you have time.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

My lack of photographs between lunch (1pm and we left at 2 pm) and Muster Drill (or safety meeting) in Club Fusion one deck below, means that I must have been at Tradewinds Bar on deck 16 (Sun Deck, just above Lido and the Neptune Pool). There I sit at a smoking table and wait for a waiter to swing by. If they are good-i.e can take a joke then they become my go-to.

Alas after 5 thirsty minutes I had to walk to the bar which must have been 15 feet away and there purchased a Guinness. No receipts or signing required. When it came time for #2 I did catch a waiter's eye (left eye if memory serves) and she was Sherilyn from Philippines. I told her that from now on a raised eyebrow (either one) meant I wanted an Emergency Guinness.

It was overcast but way warmer than Chicago. Looked like rain was possible.

Muster was at 3.30 and this time no lifejackets were required to be brought along. After the 7 short and 1 long blast on the alarm system we trooped down the crew stairwell at the port corner of the ship to Promenade deck, being blasted by someone singing about safety to the Love Boat theme. No voice of the Captain from the bridge at this one, just someone from the crew staff talking into a mic. Then the Muster team members put on their lifejackets while we watched.

I hope all the first time cruisers on board have total recall when the ship is listing in the dark on fire. The process took about 20 minutes which meant I could get back up to our balcony where I already had 4 cameras and 2 tripods set up for the most exciting Escaping Completely moment of any cruise for me-Completely Escaping the dock we are tied to.

I should say that there was no sail away bubbly (Korbel) in our cabin and I met our steward Meilani in the hallway and asked her if we qualified for some. No-suites only Sir but...give me a couple of minutes. Voila-2 glasses of bubbly!

[Bimmer09]

Oh, it seems I did take a couple of pics while up at Tradewinds...

 

 

 

 

and now I am on our balcony after Muster

 

 

Port Everglades is the home to many fine yachts, motor and sail

 

 

 

 

The Harbor Sheriff is ready to escort us out

[Bimmer09]

Norris!!! I am so thrilled that I stumbled upon your review! We are visiting the ABC's for the first time in March on our Celebrity Eclipse cruise so I can't wait to read your review and see your wonderful photos! :D

 

Welcome back and I believe you are in for a treat visiting these islands! I know from your stellar reviews-Paul Gauguin being the latest for those not familiar with deladane (check it out!) that you will do your research and come up with an action/relaxation packed personal itinerary.

Cheers!

Norris

[A Pisces]

The pictures are beautiful, and I am really excited to read your review! We are doing this cruise in 4 weeks!:D

[Jimorel]

I have to commend you on the wonderful photos! I am an aspiring photographer (and have been for over 35 years). I couldn't help but notice that you mentioned four cameras, if you don't mind my asking, which do you use most? I only have a Canon EOS Rebel with two lenses. The telephoto is 75-300, and serves me well. Our second cruise will be on the Regal in Feb. going to the Western Caribbean. I only hope to get pictures relatively close to yours. It wasn't mama that took away my Kodachrome, but switching to DSL did.

I may be forced to find some more of your well worded descriptions of other cruises. Thank you for the review last fall and this one as well!

[eyecantwait]

Welcome Angela, I haven't seen you before so double-welcome and thanks for taking the plunge. Thanks for the welcome. I generally don't lurk around here until we have a cruise in the offing which isn't often enough.

You know this will be LONG I hope. Yes! Will help me while away the countdown to March 3.

Yes, read the comparison thread when you have time.

Norris

 

Also loving all the photos!

[G&T Cruisers]

Hi Norris we are enjoying this review as well as your videos on Youtube.Thank you for all the hard work.:)

Just watched you guys on PTZTV sail away video:D

[RNGALNG]

Norris, Can I be a 'pushy broad?' Sail away is a week from tomorrow. Can we hurry this up so I can get all the scoop before I board her and sail into the warm air?? ;p (Just kidding)

 

I'm once again enjoying your photos and review. We've been on the Crown a few times and are looking forward to our return. Carry on. . . .

[Bimmer09]

I have to commend you on the wonderful photos! I am an aspiring photographer (and have been for over 35 years). I couldn't help but notice that you mentioned four cameras, if you don't mind my asking, which do you use most? I only have a Canon EOS Rebel with two lenses. The telephoto is 75-300, and serves me well. Our second cruise will be on the Regal in Feb. going to the Western Caribbean. I only hope to get pictures relatively close to yours. It wasn't mama that took away my Kodachrome, but switching to DSL did.

I may be forced to find some more of your well worded descriptions of other cruises. Thank you for the review last fall and this one as well!

 

Hi, and thanks for the kind comments on the photos!

The four cameras I was referring to are shown below....

 

 

The one on the Manfrotto tripod at left is my main camera-a new Canon 6D MkII released end of July 2017. I had been hankering for a Full Frame camera for almost a year and rented a Canon 6D for my Celebrity Reflection cruise January 2017. I wanted one after that but was in no hurry, then in March there was a rumor that an upgraded 6D was in development and I waited and read as much as I could (a lot of it negative from people who didn't own the camera) but the price was right and lenses are where it's best to spend the money, so I have two L Lenses which cost 4 figures each. The camera I use for zooms (55 to 250 mm but on a crop body giving me 88 to 400mm effectively) is the Canon T3i, shown on the table. It is not Full Frame but gets a good result with the L Lenses. The 55 to 250 lens shown is not an L Lens so is weak in comparison to the other two lenses. When I can afford a 70 to 400mm L Lens I will leave this camera at home or trade it and the 3 lenses I have for it in via Amazon.

The two video cameras I used at sail away were a GoPro Hero 3 attached to the balcony railing. I use it as a back-up while I am working the other 3 cameras and shot some underwater stuff in Bonaire with it-which I haven't seen yet. For the sailaway video which is coming up soon after the photos I used the Sony camcorder hand-held. My other two cameras are a pocket Canon and an iPhone 5.

I bought a really good camera to get better photos, especially in the dark as I love night time photos and the challenge they bring and I can never blame the camera for a crappy photo- I am learning to take better photos but it's not an overnight thing. I don't use auto as I want to use my brain, not the camera's. I am at an age where I want to use my brain and that is why I try to learn new languages when I go abroad to Europe. I have taken photography lessons on the web (not free in some cases) from a wonderful teacher called Mike Browne on Youtube. He's a jolly, witty, self-effacing,down to Earth Brit which strikes a chord with me-and he knows his stuff. Check him out. I use Lightroom on every photo as I always shoot in RAW, not JPEGS.

I hope this helps you in some way.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Hi Norris we are enjoying this review as well as your videos on Youtube.Thank you for all the hard work.:)

Just watched you guys on PTZTV sail away video:D

 

Hello again! I tried to watch that video when I got home but it said it was unavailable so I wrote to PTZ and they fixed a typo in the URL which fixed the problem. I am trying to buy it but am waiting to hear if it is OK to upload it to this review before I do.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Still waiting for the mooring ropes to be dropped in the water and hauled aboard. It's already 4 pm and I'm itching to get moving.

 

I call the bridge and ask to speak to the Captain. "Wassup?" he says. "Dude, let's go!" say I.

"OK, I'm on it!" and the last rope drops.

 

 

 

Another fine yacht rushes to get ahead of us

 

 

Ships in adjacent docks

 

 

More....

[Bimmer09]

We've made the turn into the exit channel

 

 

 

 

a tug follows but we don't need him

 

 

and another. They are going out to meet a cargo ship waiting to come in

 

 

More...

[Bimmer09]

We have passed the P.E. Webcam location and have completed our waving for the camera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Marriott is the 2nd structure from the left

 

 

Carol's gone to sea and she loves to do that! It's her 13th cruise since August 2011

[Bimmer09]

SAILING AWAY

Here is the video I shot

 

 

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

SUNSET OVER MIAMI

 

After another exhilarating sail away Carol stayed put while I went up to deck 16 to make sure the Tradewinds bar was still there and hopefully to video the Deck Party which must be in full swing by now. Alas it had drizzled up there and the band equipment had been dismantled. I don't know where the party was moved to, if anywhere.

 

 

Tradewinds Bar

 

I was up here, enjoying a soothing Guinness and decided I should hang out incase there would be a sunset worth shooting. There weren't many people around as first sitting was happening in the MDRs and the buffet was also calling. There was nothing much to see up here anyway...

 

13 minutes later

 

 

later still

 

 

More....

[Bimmer09]

I have both cameras around my neck to take these pictures and am standing at the rail starboard side deck 16.

 

 

 

 

(I took 3 shots to stitch into a panorama to make the first picture on the previous post as the camera doesn't have a panorama setting)

 

Bartender's view

 

 

Even though it means the end of daylight I love it when the ship's deck lights are on

 

 

 

 

Next up is dinner in Michelangelo MDR and the Welcome Aboard show

[Sadebud]

Fabulous pictures, as always, Norris!!! You sure know how to make a review come alive!!! Thank you for all your hard work. Can't wait for more!!

 

Cheers,

Tracy

[Cancruizer]

Incredible sunset photos!

[Little Sister]

Will be sailing the old girl in March! Thanks for teasing me with your review!

[voljeep]

We're also sailing in March ( and also sailed in November, '17)

 

Question to OP - what is the early morning bar open for bloody marys, mimosas ?:cool:

[Jasperdo]

Wonderful Sunset Over Miami photos. I took a similar shot a few years ago on the Coral Princess, but the sun was still high in the sky. Yours are waaay better: