Crown Princess ABC islands Jan 12 to 20, 2018

[Jimorel]

Hi- alas I am not on Celebrity Silhouette right now as we pushed that cruise off exactly a year to September 1 2019. It's a 5 figure spend and with Cuba coming up in January it seemed too much , so now we have almost 8 months between sailings. We kept the same aft S1 suite.

So the next review will be January 25th when we return from Azamara Journey 9 day to Cuba.

Our longest cruise so far. Final payment is 120 days out-September 17, 2018

Having only been to Bonaire once and Aruba 3 times I would side with Aruba if I had to choose. I think there would be more to do-excursions, shopping certainly, more restaurants and bars and plenty of taxis. I loved our last visit to Aruba from morning to night. If I was to scuba dive then Bonaire but I haven't done that in almost 30 years.

Thanks for asking!

Norris

Thank You very much!! I appreciate the rapid reply and will wholeheartedly give your advice and opinion heavy consideration.

Although I did discover a very tempting Panama Canal Cruise, unfortunately it is not ocean to ocean, but still is tempting. Decisions, Decisions, so little time so little money. I may have to actually ask my wife for help.

[MisterMet]

Hi- alas I am not on Celebrity Silhouette right now as we pushed that cruise off exactly a year to September 1 2019. It's a 5 figure spend and with Cuba coming up in January it seemed too much , so now we have almost 8 months between sailings. We kept the same aft S1 suite.

So the next review will be January 25th when we return from Azamara Journey 9 day to Cuba.

Our longest cruise so far. Final payment is 120 days out-September 17, 2018

Having only been to Bonaire once and Aruba 3 times I would side with Aruba if I had to choose. I think there would be more to do-excursions, shopping certainly, more restaurants and bars and plenty of taxis. I loved our last visit to Aruba from morning to night. If I was to scuba dive then Bonaire but I haven't done that in almost 30 years.

Thanks for asking!

Norris

 

Norris,

 

Good to see you back on the boards. It's been a while since I've seen you in any threads we subscribe to mutually. Pam and I leave on 9/14 for our 10 night ABC on the Equinox. Been following a thread this morning that said the Equinox lost power on the way to St. Thomas today.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2675972

 

Power seems to have been restored, but I'm definitely not going to show that thread to Pam. :eek::eek: She's already a nervous wreck that the storms coming off Africa are going to effect or cancel our trip. I can't say I blame her as we do have some experience with hurricanes blowing right over our house while we are at sea. It'll be one year ago on 9/10 when we were leaving Southampton on the Caribbean Princess as Irma was working her way north from Cuba to whack the heck out of Naples. Luckily, we didn't get hit as hard as we could have.

 

Hope you and Carol are well and enjoying your summer whether it be in Chicago or Michigan. I can't believe we have to wait 8 months for another of your wonderful reviews. Can't you and Carol squeeze in even a little 3-5 dayer? LOL

 

Trip

[MisterMet]

Hi- alas I am not on Celebrity Silhouette right now as we pushed that cruise off exactly a year to September 1 2019. It's a 5 figure spend and with Cuba coming up in January it seemed too much , so now we have almost 8 months between sailings. We kept the same aft S1 suite.

So the next review will be January 25th when we return from Azamara Journey 9 day to Cuba.

Our longest cruise so far. Final payment is 120 days out-September 17, 2018

Having only been to Bonaire once and Aruba 3 times I would side with Aruba if I had to choose. I think there would be more to do-excursions, shopping certainly, more restaurants and bars and plenty of taxis. I loved our last visit to Aruba from morning to night. If I was to scuba dive then Bonaire but I haven't done that in almost 30 years.

Thanks for asking!

Norris

 

Norris,

 

Good News for Us Avid Readers of your reviews! I misread the post and we only have to wait 4 months for another review from you! (You could still try to sneak in another cruise between now and then)

 

Trip (along with many, many others eagerly awaiting your review)

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

 

Good News for Us Avid Readers of your reviews! I misread the post and we only have to wait 4 months for another review from you! (You could still try to sneak in another cruise between now and then)

 

Trip (along with many, many others eagerly awaiting your review)

 

Trip, thanks for the enthusiasm!

Yes, 132 days before we set sail and I am psyched for a number of reasons ;

having a day in Miami before sailing-crabs and architecture await!

Sailing on a Tuesday with a line I have been eyeing for a few years, since I saw Azamara Journey in the Bay of Sorrento while sailing on the Ocean Princess.

36 hours in Havana with 6 of that being a guided tour in a 1955 Ford

3 sea days for Carol

Ship's tour in Cienfuegos

Private car tour in Santiago de Cuba and we get to choose where we go from a long list.

And of course more practice with a good camera (6DMkII) and a new lens I haven't used yet (on a cruise).

So new Cruise Line, new destination we have talked about since 1998 and it will have been a year since our last cruise on the Crown. Much to anticipate!

Norris, no Princess until late 2020 at the earliest

[BarbinMich]

Hello Mr. Norris, I just started thinking about another cruise. I am looking at a couple that go to only two of the ABC Islands. Both go to C, so the choice is A and C or B and C. I would like your opinion on which Island you found the better of two. The other ports and the price are basically the same, so it mostly comes down to Aruba or Bonaire.

Also do you have a cruise coming up soon? I seem to recall you were considering one and I would find reading your Seafarers Journal an enjoyable event.

Thanks for any help and advice you can give me.

 

We've have been to the ABC Islands multiple times. While Curacao is my favorite, I enjoy the other two as well. Snorkeling is good at all three, if that's something you enjoy doing as much as I do. There are more excursions to choose from on Aruba than on Bonaire because it's much, much larger. We don't usually do sightseeing excursions in the Caribbean, but did one the last time we were on Aruba because it's a large island and we wanted to see what the northern part of the island was like (far different from the south side where ships dock). We've also done one on both Bonaire and Curacao. Bonaire is known for its pink flamingos and its salt mines and an excursion would show you both (you can see the mounds of salt from your ship while in port). If shopping is important to you, then Aruba would be your best bet as shopping is quite limited on Bonaire. Finally, if you like to have lunch onshore, Aruba would offer many more restaurants to choose from.

[Jimorel]

 

We've have been to the ABC Islands multiple times. While Curacao is my favorite, I enjoy the other two as well. Snorkeling is good at all three, if that's something you enjoy doing as much as I do. There are more excursions to choose from on Aruba than on Bonaire because it's much, much larger. We don't usually do sightseeing excursions in the Caribbean, but did one the last time we were on Aruba because it's a large island and we wanted to see what the northern part of the island was like (far different from the south side where ships dock). We've also done one on both Bonaire and Curacao. Bonaire is known for its pink flamingos and its salt mines and an excursion would show you both (you can see the mounds of salt from your ship while in port). If shopping is important to you, then Aruba would be your best bet as shopping is quite limited on Bonaire. Finally, if you like to have lunch onshore, Aruba would offer many more restaurants to choose from.

Thank you so much for the reply and the information! I am filing it as we got a really wonderful deal on a mini-suite at the end of November and decided to take it. When I read what Norris had posted on his ABC Island cruise I decided it looked great and was planning on it for our next cruise in the spring, but this deal was too good to pass up.

Again thank you BarbinMich!! Are you from Michigan? I spent most of my USAF service time in the UP and we travel there a lot. I love Michigan, just not as much as I love reading when Norris post a Seafarers Journal.

[Jimorel]

Again My thanks to all for the replies to my inquiry! We decided to take a Western Caribbean cruise do to a wonderful the l (for us anyway) price on a mini-suite! I got some useful input to store for a possible future cruise to the Southern Caribbean. Happy cruising to all and to all a good price on your next booking!!

[willrich7]

Norris, just joined CC and loved reading your review of the ABC cruise. I was drawn to it as I sailed the same cruise a few weeks after you! It was like cruising it again! Fellow expat, from Wales here and coincidently in Chicagoland too, so loved the craic and humour!

 

Thanks for taking the time to write and publish all your photos as they were stunning and mine were crap at best! I’ll have to look up your over reviews.

 

Pob hwyl ich di! (All the best to you)

 

willrich7

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[BarbinMich]

. . .Again thank you BarbinMich!! Are you from Michigan? I spent most of my USAF service time in the UP and we travel there a lot. I love Michigan, just not as much as I love reading when Norris post a Seafarers Journal.

 

Yes, indeed I am. Although I grew up in Indiana, I went to MSU. A few years later in DC, I met my future husband who is a "native" of Detroit. He got a job offer from GM he couldn't refuse so we've been in the Detroit area for 47 years! Were you at Sawyer AFB or Kincheloe? We spent a week-long vacation in the UP some years ago and have driven through it several times, to or from Saskatchewan, my mother-in-law's birthplace.

[Bimmer09]

Norris, just joined CC and loved reading your review of the ABC cruise. I was drawn to it as I sailed the same cruise a few weeks after you! It was like cruising it again! Fellow expat, from Wales here and coincidently in Chicagoland too, so loved the craic and humour!

 

Thanks for taking the time to write and publish all your photos as they were stunning and mine were crap at best! I’ll have to look up your over reviews.

 

Pob hwyl ich di! (All the best to you)

 

willrich7

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Thanks for using your first CC post to comment on my review and for the nice sentiment in Welsh!

Yes there are plenty of previous reviews to browse through during the Autumn and Winter nights ahead and a new one coming on January 25th.

They are all listed in my signature below.

Cheers!

Norris

[Jimorel]

 

Yes, indeed I am. Although I grew up in Indiana, I went to MSU. A few years later in DC, I met my future husband who is a "native" of Detroit. He got a job offer from GM he couldn't refuse so we've been in the Detroit area for 47 years! Were you at Sawyer AFB or Kincheloe? We spent a week-long vacation in the UP some years ago and have driven through it several times, to or from Saskatchewan, my mother-in-law's birthplace.

I was at Sawyer and enjoyed everything there but the weather! Even being from Wisconsin I found the winter to be too harsh and long. I remember a Friday in the 80's nd snow flurries on Saturday! Not my idea of good weather.

[MisterMet]

Barb, better late than never! Thanks for reading it.

This was my 3rd visit to Aruba and Carol's 2nd and it was a delight as always. I am sure we will visit again as we loved that ABC itinerary with it's sea days for Carol.

The sunset sail is something we will do again when in Aruba.

Norris, no Princess Cruises booked for a while...

 

Norris my good man! Just got back from our Equinox ABC cruise and a review thread has been started. It is by a newcomer to CC: GrazieMommy. You might recognize her from pictures in my trip reviews. This will be her first review. Here is the link:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2684661

 

Hope you and Carol are well and enjoying your early fall whether it be up in Michigan or in Chicago.

 

Trip

[Bimmer09]

Norris my good man! Just got back from our Equinox ABC cruise and a review thread has been started. It is by a newcomer to CC: GrazieMommy. You might recognize her from pictures in my trip reviews. This will be her first review. Here is the link:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2684661

 

Hope you and Carol are well and enjoying your early fall whether it be up in Michigan or in Chicago.

 

Trip

 

Trip, thanks for the link. I've already followed it and booked my front row seat.

Early fall will find us in Chicago as we sold the Michigan house in June.

We are 105 days away from our Cuba cruise on January 15.

Thanks for the good wishes!

Norris

[Nee Nee and Biddy]

I enjoyed reading this review so much! We will be on the Regal over Christmas this year, with 12 of my family members (including 4 under the age of 18). I usually just write the highlights of everyday on the "Notes" app on my phone so I can remember the cruise, but you have inspired me to try a full review with pictures. You don't see too many reviews on the Princess board of families traveling with children (my kids prefer Princess over Disney, so maybe we are all old souls?) My grandmother is coming with us and she is 86, so I would like to capture as many memories as I can since we are never guaranteed another trip together. Traveling in a huge group of relatives is always "the best of times and the worst of times", and I look forward to the days when my husband and I can travel alone like you and Carol. For now, I will enjoy traveling with my entourage. I can't wait to read the review of your Cuba trip! I'm sure it will be the trip of a lifetime!

[Bimmer09]

On 10/7/2018 at 1:07 PM, Nee Nee and Biddy said:

I enjoyed reading this review so much! We will be on the Regal over Christmas this year, with 12 of my family members (including 4 under the age of 18). I usually just write the highlights of everyday on the "Notes" app on my phone so I can remember the cruise, but you have inspired me to try a full review with pictures.... I look forward to the days when my husband and I can travel alone like you and Carol. For now, I will enjoy traveling with my entourage. I can't wait to read the review of your Cuba trip! I'm sure it will be the trip of a lifetime!

 

Nee Nee and Biddy, I just found this response to my review a month late but want to thank you for reading it and letting me know you enjoyed it. If it has inspired you to do a photo review that's icing on my cake. My Regal review is in my signature if you need to whet your appetite for that fine ship.
Carol takes notes in the same way that you do and they really help when writing up a report for CC.

The Cuba review will appear on the Celebrity board even though we are sailing with Azamara.

Title will be "X cruiser sails Azamara to Cuba January 15 to 24" and I will drop a link to it into the Princess board once it is started on January 25th.
I'd love to see you pop in and say Hi!

Enjoy the Regal!

Norris

[cruisequeen4ever]

Another great one, and since I was so delayed at reading this one, I won’t have to wait long for your next one! You have me considering the Marriott next time; I adore the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina for its view of the ships and short distance to the port, but you had a pretty fun view of the ships coming and going, too, and a beautiful beach location. 

[yoshi]

 

Hi Norris, when you make it back to Fort Rif in Curacao, this is a WONDERFUL cheese shop/restaurant to grab a bite.

They import great dutch cheese. I picked up some of our favorite Reypenear VSOP aged gouda and had a nice lunch out with my son.

I made it to this review after your Azmara-Cuba review. Thanks again for all of your reviews! 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

On 3/16/2019 at 11:35 AM, yoshi said:

 

Hi Norris, when you make it back to Fort Rif in Curacao, this is a WONDERFUL cheese shop/restaurant to grab a bite.

They import great dutch cheese. I picked up some of our favorite Reypenear VSOP aged gouda and had a nice lunch out with my son.

I made it to this review after your Azmara-Cuba review. Thanks again for all of your reviews! 

 

 

 

Yoshi, thanks for the pic and the recommendation. We do like our cheese!

I'm glad you popped over to the Princess board after my Azamara review and hope to see you in each of my next 3 reviews. We have half of our Norway excursions booked and debating a few more. 

Cheers!

Norris

 

[MisterMet]

Norris,

 

Forgot to tell you how much we enjoyed the West Deck in Aruba.  The four of us love the food, waterside dining and friendly service.  It also provided one of the best sunset photos we’ve ever taken.  Thanks for the tip.

 

Happy Almost Spring to you and Carol 

 

Trip

[Bimmer09]

On 3/18/2019 at 5:38 PM, MisterMet said:

Norris,

 

Forgot to tell you how much we enjoyed the West Deck in Aruba.  The four of us love the food, waterside dining and friendly service.  It also provided one of the best sunset photos we’ve ever taken.  Thanks for the tip.

 

Happy Almost Spring to you and Carol 

 

Trip

Trip, I was wondering how your experience would have been and hoped that my raving about it wasn't too far off the mark-it's not Michelin star cuisine but for a beach location I was well pleased with my seafood dishes and the service and I will go back there when next in beautiful Aruba. I would love to eat there at night as you did.

Anything you particularly enjoyed on your plate?

Location can't be beat, I will say that.

Glad you enjoyed!!

Norris

[MisterMet]

13 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

Trip, I was wondering how your experience would have been and hoped that my raving about it wasn't too far off the mark-it's not Michelin star cuisine but for a beach location I was well pleased with my seafood dishes and the service and I will go back there when next in beautiful Aruba. I would love to eat there at night as you did.

Anything you particularly enjoyed on your plate?

Location can't be beat, I will say that.

Glad you enjoyed!!

Norris

Norris,

 

In keeping with Rick Steves’ traveling like a local theme, we enjoyed a plates of the Keeshi Yena ( shredded chicken, prunes, local spice, and cashews wrapped with Dutch Gouda cheese on top of of fresh basil and tomato sauce) and some some West Indian Samosas (curried vegetables stuffed into fried dough with honey and mint dipping sauces for appetizers.  The ladies had blackened Red Snapper and I opted for the whole fried Red Snapper.  As you saw from the picture, we really enjoyed all of it.  Our friends were on the Silhouette Tuesday 3/19 in Aruba and we’re waiting for a report.

 

Trip

Edited March 21, 2019 by MisterMet

[HeyJut]

Hello

I am a first time reader of your reviews. Love, love!! I learned about you from Ideb while reading her review on Carnival site. Due to my DH’s health we haven’t cruised in a year and have never been on Princess, but your review sure points out what we’ve been missing. Your narrative and great pix are wonderful.

 

Thank you for all your hard work.

 I will definitely be looking up your others, as reading well written reviews is the next best thing to being there yourself.

 

 I realize your review is well over a year old, and sometimes it annoys people when comments are made so late, but I couldn’t read and not acknowledge how much I enjoyed it. And please also thank your lovely wife Carol for sharing.

 

Ellen