Review - Caribbean Princess – July 14, 2018 to July 21, 2018

culvercitycruiser · July 29, 2018

Hello,

I submitted this review of my Caribbean Princess Cruise on July 14, 2018 to July 21, 2018.

I will follow up with some photos if I can get them to upload.

Caribbean Princess – July 14, 2018 to July 21, 2018 – FourGirl Friends and a Cruise

Apologies for the long review. It is hard for me to cut back on detail.

We were four girls traveling, three from Los Angeles to FortLauderdale and one from Atlanta the day prior. We had two cabins, a mini-suite D619 which had three and a CaribeBalcony C731 for me.

We flew from LA and stayed at the Courtyard by MarriottCruise and Airport Hotel. This hotel hasan airport shuttle included along with breakfast buffet and shuttle to thecruise port included as well. The hotelwas under construction so the lobby was moved along with the buffet. The room was good. The hotel is close to both the airport andhotel which made it very convenient for this trip. My friends are late risers while I amearly. They did not want to get to theship early; three of us are Platinum and could have enjoyed the PlatinumLounge. The hotel has four times for thedepartures: 10am, 11am, Noon and1pm. We left for the ship on the 1:00shuttle which left closer to 1:30pm. There is a sign-up sheet. Be sureto sign up as soon as possible since the good times fill up quickly.

We arrived at around 1:45pm at the port. Embarkation was a breeze. I had an extension cord in my carry-on whichwas found and confiscated. It was just aplain $2 power strip, no surge protection what so ever but they placed my nameon a form so that I could collect it after the cruise. A photo was taken after the security checkand we were on the ship. Since we got tothe ship so late, we missed the dining room lunch and the rooms were available. We dropped off our carry-ons and headeddownstairs. We had a light snack in theInternational Café. We enjoyed theChicken Salad and a very nice Beet Salad. I signed up for the Ultimate Ship Tour at Passenger Services Desk. Soon after the muster drill began. We headed down to our Muster locations. After the drill I headed for sail away to myfriends’ mini-suite. We sat on theirbalcony even though it was very hot and humid. It was great fun to celebrate together. We were celebrating our friend being cancer free along with herbirthday. She had breast cancer lastfall. One of the girls ordered the cabinbirthday decorations. They wereexpensive but very fun and festive.

We had made reservations for the Crown Grill to celebrateher birthday. The Grill wasamazing. We had steak and lobster. The service was spot on. I would recommend it to everyone. The food was so great!

I had breakfast, lunch and dinner in the dining room formost every meal. I highly recommendit. I am a foodie and the food wasreally good. I was worried aftereverything I had read. I love high teabut was only able to do it once. I atedinner in the buffet once and it was surprisingly good. I did have little snacks here and theremostly fruit and a bit of desert. I ateat Planks with my Meet and Mingle neighbors. Planks was ok. Most likely wouldnot eat there again but always want to experience everything I can so that Ican make my own opinions. TheInternational Café is always good. Ireally like their Muesli for breakfast along with a cup of fresh brewed coffeeearly in the morning. I then take it toa window seat and watch the ocean from the window nearby.

The ship does have some rust in areas. They were always painting and scrapingsomewhere. They changed the carpets inthe hallways. I am used to some sort of colorchange but both sides were identical with gold/yellow background with white,black and gold swirls. The ship appearsto be clean and fairly well maintained. I was worried due to the reviews. Most all of the crew were friendly, some were very friendly.

Day 2, Sunday morning was our Meet and Mingle sorted out byBugsy43 at 10:00am in the Wheelhouse Bar. We were supposed to be in Skywalkers but somehow there was a doublebooking. We had about 21 people showup. It was too early for my threefriends since the time change; it was 7am for us. We all introduced ourselves and talked aboutwhere we were from and how many cruises. We had about six people participate in a gift exchange. It was fun. People brought something that was from where they were from or somethingthey thought another cruiser would like. There were two of the Ships Officers that spoke to us as well. One of the officers spoke of the changes theyhad made to the buffet in the last two weeks for the better. It appears that they must read Cruise Criticcomments. I am not a buffet fan but atethere a couple of times. It was quitegood (for a buffet). Normally I just getsome fruit.

I ate in the dining room for most every meal. We had anytime dining which I am not a fan ofbut when traveling with others, you go with the flow or eat by yourself. We never really had to wait long since wenormally ate around 7:30-8pm. The foodwas really good. If it was not to yourtaste, you ordered something else. Weordered several of the items when we could not choose just one. The butter dish was given with four butterballs, but we just asked for more when it was out. I love good bread and butter and was notdisappointed.

Day 2 was a sea day, I had lunch with my new friends fromthe meet and mingle. I saw my neighborsaround the ship more than my travel friends. I met up with travel partners later to lay out in the sun for abit. There were lots of people enjoyingthe pools and was quite crowded.

Day 3, Monday, we were in Grand Cayman. This is a tender port. I sorted a trip at the pier for a van tourfor three hours for $20 USD. My friendsdid a different tour. I realized duringthis trip that I could travel alone and be fine. My tour stopped in Hell where I mailed a postcard to my son. The post card arrivedabout ten days later. We next stopped ata rum cake store with a nice ocean area in the back that was so beautiful. We also stopped at the dolphin swim area (notincluded) for about 20 minutes. Then back to the port. I made friends with a man and his teenage sonand walked a bit near the water with fish that were so amazinglybeautiful. Grand Cayman is clean andfelt very safe to me. The water isbeautiful and sparking blues and greens.

Day 4, Tuesday, we were in Roatan, Honduras. We docked in Mahogany Bay. A port created by Carnival Corp. There was an interesting rusted sunken shipright outside my balcony door. I wouldhave loved to explore it. I took manyphotos. We had booked a private tourwith Victor Bodden to show us the sites. We had to walk quite a way outside of the port area to meet up with ourguide. Since this was a Carnival port,the private tour companies have to pay a lot to get in there… We were shown the sites. We stopped at Mayan Eden Eco Park. One of our friends loves butterflies. They have a great butterfly exhibit, alongwith monkeys, parrots, and other animals. We got to hold and pose for photos with the animals. The guides are knowledgeable and answer allof your questions. We also went toVictor Bodden’s private park with even more animals along with sloths. We got to hold the sloths. They move almost in slow motion. If you have seen the DMV seen in Zootopia,they got it right. The sloths were somuch fun, Highlight of this port. Therewas a medical emergency with someone needing transport to the airporthome. We left about an hour late. We had to wait for the medical staff toreturn to the ship.

Day 5, Wednesday, we were in Belize City, Belize. This is a real tender port. The ships are about five miles from shore andthe tender is about 20-30 minutes. Wewanted to do the Cave Tubing tour. Wefound one at the port for $50 USD. Itwas a van ride of about 45 minutes to get to the tubing location. Once there, you are giving a left vest (whichsmelled of other people’s sweat), helmet (sweat here as well) with miners’ typelight on it and a tube. You then have tocarry all of this for about 15-35 minutes walking along a rain forest path,crossing the river three times. I hadbreakfast with a woman who went on it. Her Fitbit said one mile. Theytell you 15 minutes but it was really closer to 30-35 minutes. Mostly level ground but hot and sticky. The tubing was amazing. There are two guides and pull you along. All of the tubes are connected like atrain. Parts of the cave are shallowwhile the center section of the cave is about 55 feet deep and overhead about20-30 feet. If you plan on doing this,bring a waterproof flash light. It canbe difficult to see in parts. Once youare out of the cave system, you move slowly along the river. The guides are either pulling you throughwhen it is shallow or swimming to move you through. This is a must see adventure. We all said that we would do it again. This port has the fake designer bags, purses,wallets, etc. I needed a carry-on bag toget my treasures home so I purchased a rolling fake Michael Kors bag. It worked to get the stuff home. The quality is not great but it worked.

Day 6, Thursday, we were in Cozumel, Mexico. The ships dock here. There were two other ships in port with us,both Carnival. I had booked the DolphinRoyal Swim. I walked around the port forabout two hours since the early Dolphin tour was at 11:15am. I did not purchase anything until after mytour, I did not want to carry anything around with me since it was so hot andhumid. The dolphin tour sorted us intogroups of 8 and we took taxis to the park about 10 minutes down the road. My tour included the fancy better food at therestaurant and included drinks and adult beverages. I also purchased the photo package for $100purchased from the park (not included). You put your stuff in the lockers which has everyone both male andfemale and has dressing rooms in the back with open air showers. The toilets are separate. The dolphins were great. We each got to do two rides. First, where you grab onto two dolphins dorsalor top fin and hold on for your life. They are very powerful, fast and were such fun. The second is where the dolphins push yourfeet until you are out of the water. Youare in the water with them for about 30-45 minutes. The pens are in the ocean not a tank. The waves from the ocean are there and cansometimes move you about a bit. Once youare done, they have taxis sorted for your return at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. Once I returned to the port, I purchased mytreasures and returned to the ship. The Carnivalship next to us was leaving before us. Their captain honked the ship’s horn trying to get his passengers backon board. It was so funny to watch thelate ones run for the ship. The captaineven honked the horn for us as our passengers we remaking the horn signal withtheir arms. It was lots of entertainmentfor us on our balconies.

Day 7 was a sea day. I had signed up for the Ultimate Ship Tour which began at 8:15am. This is the second time I have done this tourand loved it even more the second time. We met in the piazza and left with one of the cruise director’s staffand a security officer and then went to the theatre and had a photo on thestage. The production manager, from theUSA, spoke about how the stage moves etc. Also, that the performers can only see the first two rows where mostpeople do not sit so it looks like no one is coming to their show. I made my friends sit in the second row,there were not happy but I explained why. We then went to the dressing rooms and one of the performers spoke ofprocess of changing clothes. And howother crew like the electricians etc help them change into their next costume. Next was the medical center. There are two doctors, one for the passengersand other for the crew along with four nurses all trained to handleanything. We then went down to thelowest part of the ship below the waterline to the ship’s laundry. The supervisor showed us the many pieces ofmachinery used to wash and dry the towels, sheets, and passenger and crewlaundry. There is a giant machine thatdries, and folds the sheets. Sheets arefeed into one side wet and come out the other dry and folded ready for thecabin steward to change your bedding. Wethen went to the Control Room. Therewere many computers and monitors with video of the areas of the engine room,and deck areas, etc. One of the Officerstalked about the workings of the ship, the fuel consumption, the two differenttypes of fuel used and where. A photowas taken with him and our group. Wewent to the galley to see how the food is prepared. One of the chefs gave us the tour andanswered questions. There werenon-alcoholic drinks and goodies for us. We went to the photography shop, and then the print shop where they havetwo presses to print up the Patters and other printed materials we receive inour cabins. Each area’s representative speaksand answers questions. It appears thatthey really love having passengers. Youget to walk down the center of the ship down I-95 or M1 depending on the ship. There were many crew members who this wastheir last day. They were lined up forthe HR office to get their last pay check etc. We went to the bridge. We met theCaptain, had a photo taken with him. Heleft and one of the Officers showed us around. We spent about 20 minutes up there. We then went to Skywalkers for some Champagne and chocolate coveredstrawberries. The cruise director staffmember answered more questions. Anotheramazing tour behind the curtain. Ibrought my iPhone this time. They didallow photos in certain areas; you just needed to ask the person in charge ofthat area. Toward the end of the day, Ireceived the “gifts” including five group photos taken in certain areas, aPrincess waffle robe, princess apron, 8x10 photo frame, note pad with CaribbeanPrincess with my name (spelled wrong and never sorted)

Disembarkation was quick. We had a 10:55am flight back to LA so we were one of the first groupsoff of the ship handling our own luggage at 7am even though it said 7:30 in thepaperwork. We flew off the ship. Customswas a quick look at my passport and I was done. There was a table setup for the confiscated items. I let them keep $2 power strip. We used the same shuttle company that wasincluded with our hotel for $10 per person. We all had quite a bit of luggage so Lyft/Uber would not have work. I pack from zombie apocalypse to meeting thequeen and all things in between. Threeof us did the same with two large bags plus carr-on while one only had a smallcarry-on piece of luggage. Not sure howshe did it. It was a quick trip to theairport and back home.

Cabin C731 Category BD – cabin was great for one person eventwo but not for more. I like things on the cold side. My cabin was a comfortable 68 degrees whenset on the lowest setting. The cabin is9 feet across by about 20+ feet deep. The balcony is 9ft by 9ft, half covered half open. There are two deck chairs, two foot stoolsand a regular table on the balcony so you could actually eat food at the tableif you wanted. You can see the cabinsabove and below and they can see you when you are in the uncovered area. But no one can see you in the coveredarea. The bathroom is small. The shower has a curtain that can stick toyou. Bring some clips to help weigh itdown. There are two pumps in the showerattached to the wall with shampoo and body wash. I bring my own. The steward was not the best. I had to ask him to vacuum the cabin andlater vacuum the balcony. I had torequest the robe after not receiving it and ask for fresh ice several times. There were bits of paper or something on thefloor of the cabin and the balcony. Ihave a bit of OCD and like things clean and tidy. The TVs are a VERY nice 42 inch flat panelwith on demand movies, TV shows and even live TV channels for the news. There is a vacant HDMI port if you want toplug in your own device. There is oneUSA electrical outlet behind the TV to plug in your power strip, etc. There are two USA plugs in the deskarea. The beds are verycomfortable. These are the new Princessbeds people have been talking about. Thecarpet was in good condition, not stained and no holes or wear patterns.

Cabin D619 – Mini-Suite Category MD – I did not stay in thisroom but can say that the temperature in this cabin was hot. It never really got below 78 degrees. My friends finally got a noisy fan in the cabinafter many days of complaining. Youcould feel the temperature going up as you walked closer to the center of theship in their hallway. The cabin itselfwas wonderful. Nice bathtub, couch andtwo TVs. Not sure how it would have workedwith the sound since the TVs were right next to each other. The balcony is about 9 feet by 8 feetuncovered. No shade. It rained and the clothes drying on thechairs were wet instead of dry in the morning. I loved the size of the room but the temperature issues are a dealbreaker for me. There were two chairs,two foot stools and a full table on the balcony. Since there were three people staying in thecabin, it made it difficult to access the balcony with the couch open into abed.

riclop · July 29, 2018

Thanks for the review.

treasures · July 29, 2018

Thank you for your wonderful ship review. I enjoyed it, and now - am really looking forward to our cruise in October.

satxdiver · July 29, 2018

Thanks for the review. You are not the first to report that they are taking power strips. This is the first I have heard of any Princess ships doing this. We have carried a power strip on every cruise but appears we will not be when we board the CB this fall.

gardenbunny · July 29, 2018

I have been one of the passengers complaining about the new buffet concept on the ship. I never complain about anything, but I found that new idea really bad. Had read in other posts Princess is not bringing that idea fleet wide, and glad to hear they are making changes to the current buffet. Interesting about the dryer for the sheets. I have always thought one of the most unpleasant jobs on a cruise ship is the laundry, and by far the least recognized and appreciated.

63 Super Sport · July 30, 2018

Thanks for the reveiw. Great to hear about the buffet. We enjoy the CB. The staff was great in June. We are booked for a Dec 2018 cruise had concerns about the buffet and the some of the plumbing issues.

Great to hear your cruise was a good one.

monakayk · July 30, 2018

Thanks for the review......looking forward to seeing some photos. By chance do you have photos of the menus?

culvercitycruiser · July 30, 2018

Thanks for the review......looking forward to seeing some photos. By chance do you have photos of the menus?

I took photos with my iPhone and regular camera. These are from my iPhone in the cloud

breakfast day 2

Breakfast day three