Crown Princess ABC islands Jan 12 to 20, 2018

[Bimmer09]

Money can't buy me love...

 

 

but it sure could buy me the Tatoosh!!



 

At 303 feet she is only the 43rd largest motor yacht in the World so although there would be some embarrassment in owning a boat that small I would take it on the chin if everyone chipped in on a Kickstarter campaign to help me get her. I'll start it with my own money-$100 to show I mean business.

 

 



 

 



 

I am on an even bigger and more expensive ship as we leave Bonaire behind.

 

Coming up- sunset and our last MDR dinner of the cruise

[Bimmer09]

That graceful bow is exactly where we stood (hanging on for dear life, mind you) as we rounded Cape Horn last January. It was a sight to behold!!! It was VERY cold and VERY VERY windy...in fact I was scared to walk up the stairs to the bow, but my husband "helped" me, and I will always be grateful!! For that reason, the Crown will always be special to me.

 

Looking forward to our Royal cruise later this year, but will miss the bow experience!

 

Cheers,

Tracy

 

Tracy, I hope to retrace your footsteps around the Horn someday as a cruise starting in Buenos Aires (I smell steak and a bottle of Malbec!) and going around the H to Valparaiso is Numero Uno on my Bucket List. It can't be any colder or windier than Chicago, for Pete's sake! Bring it on, when we retire and have the time.

The Grand Class bow was a stroke of genius-covered all the way to the tip.

Cheers!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

 

Mom was a school teacher and cut me no slack in those areas. I am prepared to take my punishment! We recently turned the future cruise credit we dropped down when we were on the CB to book a Western Caribbean 7 nighter on the CB again in July 2019. Booked an aft facing balcony. We are trying it for the first time in a Sky Suite on the Equinox this September for the 10 night ABC Islands. If we don't find it to our liking (I have no idea why that would happen) we can always rebook in a mid ship/mid deck balcony.

 

I'd love to do a Cunard Transatlantic too. The Edge also intrigues us. We are lucky in that we live within driving distance to Port Everglades and Port Miami so there might be an Edge cruise in the future. Pam and some of her friends have also talked about a Hawaiian Islands cruise on the Pride of America in the summer 2020 which is gaining some attention.

 

As always, I've been very entertained all the way around in this great review. Have a good weekend.

 

Trip

 

Trip- you have an S1 on the stern of the Equinox? Oh happy day if that is the case. We love aft cabins as you know and don't consider anything else. 10 night ABC? Where else does she stop?

Thanks for the weekend wishes. There is some opera in the mix plus a visit to our home in Michigan. Have a good one yourself and thanks for the comment!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

BONAIRE PATTER

 

 



 

 



 

 

[Bimmer09]

Sunset after leaving Bonaire

Leaving Bonaire at 5 p.m meant that there were still many people up at Tradewinds enjoying the last hour of daylight

 

 

As they left one by one to get ready for dinner etc I stayed behind hoping that there would be a sunset that was worthy of the name.

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

[Bimmer09]

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

Night was upon us

[Bimmer09]

 

 

Tonight's feature movie was Wonder starring Julia Roberts at 7 p.m

 

 

The special seat covers were in place ready for the show



 

 

I walked on towards the aft elevators to go to our cabin

[rdsqrl]

Norris, a very belated but heartfelt Happy Birthday to you!!!

 

[Bimmer09]

We left Bonaire at 5 p.m with 1300 miles to sail before we'd reach land again so there are two sea days coming up soon where I had time to photograph the ship. I said earlier that tonight would be our last MDR dinner of the cruise. I had to lobby hard with Carol to make this the case as she was perfectly happy with the MDR experience. In my case knowing that it will likely be two years before sailing Princess again, I wanted to enjoy the Sabatini's and Crown Grill experience to break up the routine. I booked Sabatini's after leaving Bonaire by going there in person.

We never had the same wait staff team in Da Vinci but it didn't really matter as they were all friendly and efficient. They all brought the same worthy, tasty food from the same galley where there was obviously a well-drilled and well-led team.

 

Call me boring, call me predictable, call me a taxi, but I chose some dishes from the Always Available side of the menu to get started.

 

Madame had a prosciutto and melon starter followed by an artichoke bisque and ordered a full portion of Fettuccini Alfredo for her main course while I opted for an appetizer-sized portion of the creamy pasta goodness. Heavy on the Parmesan cheese and pepper for me.

 

 

 

Before our main course we enjoyed a raspberry sorbet-a sublime palate cleanser!

 

A trio of veal, chicken and lamb chop with potato croquettes, which I have often ordered, was delivered and consumed in a flurry of flatware.

 

Another satisfying meal! Although Princess has some great desserts on offer, my perfect dessert is a Sambuca and a double espresso (predictable). Carol enjoyed some ice cream.

We had time to sit and relax for a while before our 10 p.m show.

I heard a voice I recognized talking to some diners behind me- it was Neveille Saldanha the Indian Maitre 'd whom I had seen a couple of times in the dining room this week and of course at the Champagne Fountain. He was our MD on our first two cruises on the Coral and the Crown back in 2011 and 2012 and we had had several breezy chats with him at tableside.

When he stopped at our table to ask how everything was at dinner I reminded him of our previous meetings all those years ago and of our now mutual friend CRLess who writes on this board. He recognized Carol from his walks through the Sanctuary this week to check on guests just as he was doing in Da Vinci now. She was napping. No surprise there! I mentioned that CRLess had told me to seek out the famous Carmen in Vines but Neville told me she was now tending the bar in the Crown Grill. I said we'd be booking a table there for our last night. Before he made his way to the next table he asked if there was anything he could do for us? I said we'd love a window table for our Specialty dinners...."Leave it with me" he said.

He still stands as the most personable and visible Maitre d' we have sailed with and so I have mentioned him in many of my reviews, comparing the MD of my cruise to Neville. Some are invisible.Some energize their large teams and it shows in the service and team spirit. None have been more witty and engaging and willing to spend time meeting their guests.

We have a show before bedtime. I make a quick detour to the Crown Grill on deck 7 aft to book a table for our last night. They can take us! (It's been sold out on our last night on a couple of ships, so best to book early). I see a smiling bartender and confirm with the hostess that that is Carmen so go up to introduce myself. I told her a friend had suggested I come see her. Which friend? When I told her it was CRLess she broke into a big beaming smile and reached both hands across the bar to hold mine. She is a sweetheart for sure!

Time was pressing me to continue on to the show where Carol was already seated...

[Bimmer09]

Norris, a very belated but heartfelt Happy Birthday to you!!!

 

Thank you Annie! We enjoyed a fantastic foodie dinner at a renowned restaurant -Girl and the Goat in Chicago. I had asked for the only two seats at the pass so we could watch the food being cooked and we weren't disappointed.

Cheers!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

 

 

The stage is set for another fast-paced song and dance show



 

A larger than life guitar soloist appears on the digital screen as nothing says Disco more than a guitar solo (?)

 

I barely remember this show

 

 

Corey the CD



 

 



 

Another day comes to an end with a bedtime of 11p.m. and a deep sleep. Even though we could hear the bass from Club Fusion....we were tired enough to fall asleep in a few minutes.

Coming next- Horizon Court and just another tequila sunrise....

[metairiegal]

Dh and I agree that Neville is a fantastic Maitre 'd! :D

[Bimmer09]

HORIZON COURT

Each day starts here on deck 8 as I am not taking the stairs up to deck 15



 

 

It drops me off at the back half of the buffet



 

I only ate here once but if I was awake before 6 a.m this was my coffee go-to. From 6 to 9 it would be available up by Tradewinds.

Cafe Caribe is a buffet-overspill, extra capacity room, which can also be used some evenings for the Crab Shack, which we have yet to try. $29 per person if memory serves.

 

 

Usually one side of the buffet will be open at breakfast time and you'll be directed forward which is fine for me as I am heading that way once I get my coffee in a melamine mug, rather than in a paper takeaway cup from the I.C. Sometimes there will be maintenance issues.



 

 

The coffee syrup is good enough to get me going in the morning. I don't claim it is good coffee and it certainly doesn't compare to the LaVazza brewed on Celebrity. But I am not on Celebrity. When in Rome....drink the best coffee there is!

[MisterMet]

Trip- you have an S1 on the stern of the Equinox? Oh happy day if that is the case. We love aft cabins as you know and don't consider anything else. 10 night ABC? Where else does she stop?

 

Thanks for the weekend wishes. There is some opera in the mix plus a visit to our home in Michigan. Have a good one yourself and thanks for the comment!

 

Norris

 

 

 

Norris,

 

S2 on the Equinox #1667 Deck 11. Couldn’t get the end suites like you had. Grand Cayman, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Key West. Should be excellent! We too like eating lunch in port. I know you weren’t happy with one of the places you went (I think in Aruba). Could you please remind me of the other two restaurants’ names? Hope your weekend was to your liking.

 

Thanks

 

Trip

 

 

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[Bimmer09]

Princess hit a Home Run with the buffet design on the Royal class-here it's more a foul ball or a swing and a miss as the buffet area is tight and can't offer the choices of the newer ships. Still, no one goes hungry! I had one good basic breakfast here and never tried the omelette station as I am always in and out fast incase there is a sunrise.

 

 

 

No shortage of seating. Napkins and flatware, plus cups and juice glasses already waiting for you. A waiter brings you your drinks. That's a big plus! (I am very early so the tables aren't set yet)

 

Will there be a sunrise today?

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

 

S2 on the Equinox #1667 Deck 11. Couldn’t get the end suites like you had. Grand Cayman, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Key West. Should be excellent! We too like eating lunch in port. I know you weren’t happy with one of the places you went (I think in Aruba). Could you please remind me of the other two restaurants’ names? Hope your weekend was to your liking.

 

Thanks

Trip

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Good itinerary Trip!

Restaurants were;

Gouverneur in Curacao had disappointing food, great view and lovely courtyard.

West Deck in Aruba had fantastic food, service and beach setting.

Le Bistro de Paris in Bonaire had great food, Island-time service and lovely setting.

The last 2 get my seal of approval. On the Norris Scale they were two tummy pats.

Norris

[tunajohn]

going on 3/16 appreciate all the great info. I booked a balcony in the stern 1st time in back, looks cool.

[Bimmer09]

ANOTHER SUNRISE AT SEA

As usual I was at my post waiting for the sun to show up. As usual I used two cameras for tight shots and wide shots. I can't take one shot and think I got the sunrise as it morphs over time into a dazzler or a dud. Fast shutter speed up to 1/1000th of a second to underexpose and get as much color as I could (for the camera geeks)

 

 



 

 



 

 

[Bimmer09]

I always check above the funnel to see if the color is affecting the clouds above the ship-not this time as they are maybe too thin and wispy (technical cloud terms)

 

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

Norris

[MisterMet]

Good itinerary Trip!

 

Restaurants were;

 

Gouverneur in Curacao had disappointing food, great view and lovely courtyard.

 

West Deck in Aruba had fantastic food, service and beach setting.

 

Le Bistro de Paris in Bonaire had great food, Island-time service and lovely setting.

 

The last 2 get my seal of approval. On the Norris Scale they were two tummy pats.

 

 

 

Norris

 

 

Thank you my friend!

 

Trip

 

 

 

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[Marvy Mare]

I am dying to get you onto the ship with us so am pushing the narrative forward although I would love to respond to everyone who has commented. All in good time.

 

After 7 hours sleep I was up at 5.30 without an alarm (Spidey sense). Looking out the window I saw the Crown heading to port. I quickly set up the tripod to get a zoom shot with my weakest lens.

 

 

 

 

Now things had been going well for us-flight landed early after leaving Chicago late (just 15 minutes), hotel suite was a huge bonus, great meals. One thing had not gone according to plan and it was this- a FB and CC friend called Chris had suggested we meet on the Crown for lunch and to that end had booked a BVE (Bon Voyage Experience). Last night I got a text from him telling me the ship would be doing a Noro cleaning and the lunch with him and his wife Brenda would alas not happen as the ship wasn't allowing visitors. We were bummed as we were dying to meet them in person. I kept checking my e mail to see if Princess would advise us to delay boarding but it never came so we proceeded as planned. I guess they had the cleaning process in hand by the time passengers were due to board. Hopefully we can meet up with our cyber friends in a future Florida sailing.

 

 

I got dressed and went downstairs at 6 and scored a coffee from the Starbucks in the lobby. There I paid $3.45 for a small cup of coffee which costs $1.89 in the real world.

 

The two young ladies behind the counter may have been standing on a mat coated in a sticky molasses or had some 3 toed sloth bloodline in their ancestry. I need coffee and I need it now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This why I get up early on vacation

 



 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Sunrises and sets are always changing by the minute so I can't look away for long and enjoy my coffee and cigarette. I am up and down out of my wicker chair with the camera.

 



 



 

To be continued...

 

 

 

Love your reviews & photos. You mentioned a tripod. What tripod do you use for travel?

 

 

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[Bimmer09]

going on 3/16 appreciate all the great info. I booked a balcony in the stern 1st time in back, looks cool.

 

Hi, John and thanks for using your first post in this report!

I'm glad you get something from reading this, apart from eyestrain.

Have a great cruise on the 16th!

"You know you're not daft-when you choose to sail aft!"

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Love your reviews & photos. You mentioned a tripod. What tripod do you use for travel?

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The one I use after a lot of research is a Manfrotto called the BeFree which cost $179

https://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-traveler-BeFree-Tripod-Ball/dp/B01N1PW4OT/ref=sr_1_21?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1519604414&sr=1-21&keywords=manfrotto+tripod

 

It replaces a very light and cheap (and short) Sony @ $40 which blew over the first time a gust of wind hit it on the rocks at the mouth of Port Everglades in the wee small hours. The Manfrotto is sturdy (much heavier @ 3 lbs) but takes up no more space in my carry-on (or hanging from the camera bag) than the Sony. It's just a better design and worth the money and doesn't need to stand on a table to shoot over the balcony railing like the Sony. It is a ball and clamp design so I can angle it any which way. I have an attachment from it screwed to the bottom of my best camera so I can slip it on and off in a jiffy. I love it, even though I seldom have used it and try to shoot hand-held if I think I can get away with a very slow shutter speed. I plan to use it to photograph the Chicago skyline at night when the weather allows without having to ramp up the ISO so much.

Hope this helps!

Norris

[Deck Chair Queen]

Carol here: I am appreciating greatly these gorgeous sunrise photos. Better you than me, I say to Norris. In real life my alarm goes off at 6:30 am every weekday morning, soon after which I plunge into a ten-hour day of fairly strenuous brain work, typically writing on a deadline on a topic I have only chosen that morning based on the business news of the day, after which I usually cook us some dinner and/or squeeze in a nap if Norris is working late and comes home at 11 pm so we can dine together and have some social time. So when I'm on vacation I try to eschew the alarm clock unless we have an early excursion. This means no sunrises for me. But as I like to say, everybody has his or her own cruise -- it is the ultimate in customization. I love my sleep and I love to get more of it when I'm on vacation. Norris is gallant enough to have a second breakfast with me when I get up, which is usually about 8. And I am lucky and grateful that he is out there taking these wonderful photos of the scenes I am missing.

 

Deck Chair Queen aka Carol the Sleeper

[Judie]

Carol, we all love your input! I’m sure there are hundreds or more of us who can’t wait for Norris’ witty comments and excellent pictures. I love it when you add a personal note. Thank you both from your legions of CC fans!

 

 

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