New to Princess - Caribbean Princess Questions

[skatie]

Hi - we have sailed on Royal Caribbean and NCL and this is our first time on Princess.  We are both in our early 50s and looking forward to a relaxing Eastern Caribbean cruise in March.  I've read through a lot of the content here, but still looking for some additional information if you don't mind!   

• I've read a lot about not being able to attend the theatre shows unless  you line up 45-60 minutes before the start.  Does this apply to all entertainment in the Theatre (broadway, comedy, dance)? 
• Does anyone know what productions are now showing on CB so I can find details in advance to know whether or not we feel its worth lining up for us?   
• We found the late night entertainment like Love and Marriage on the other ships a lot of fun - does Princess do these?
• Where is the best location to find a seat for the Movies Under the Stars - have heard that certain locations you can't hear very well?  
• Last time i took a cruise out of Port Everglades, we missed our return flight (which was at 12 noon) - we are Canadians and the line for non-US was extremely slow and not a lot of manpower working.  We now have NEXUS cards - is there a special line for Nexus holders that we would be able to go through?
• We don't have drink packages - i have ordered my husband the buy 5 for price of 4 beer bucket - will that just show up in our room?  Are there mini fridges in the rooms (we have oceanview on Emerald)?  I have also ordered a small bottle of vodka in advance for the room - .Will we be able to have our attendant bring us daily ice or is it easy to refill an ice bucket?
• Any additional advice for Princess Newbies welcomed!  Thanks

[chrysalis]

Special line at the airport for Nexus and when going thru US authorities in the port after picking up your bag at the end of the cruise....all pretty fast and effiecient.

 

There are minifridges in every cabin, and your room steward should/will fill your ice bucket each day (it is in the fridge)

 

The beer will not likely be in your cabin, but there will be a card which you will exchange it for from a bar or room service.

[JEH]

Yes early arrival to shows is a must ,I would recommend  the show Bravo  as a must see.

[Loverofdogs]

Yes early arrival to the shows,but there is no line.  You go into Princess theater and go ahead and get your seats. Recommend Bravo also!

[chef Brian]

Hello skatie, and welcome to princess!! As others have said you do need to arrive at least 30-40 minutes before a show to guarantee a seat, but the shows are shown twice in an evening so you have a couple shots at it! Movies under the stars I personally have never had a problem seeing or hearing, from almost any spot! If you go to a Evening movie they even give you a blanket and popcorn to go with the movie. One thing that we enjoy on princess is the service and the relaxed atmosphere, not sure when in March you are traveling we are on the match 2nd-9th this will be our 14th princess cruise and 20th overall. We are also in our early 50’s and feel right at home on princess. If you were on our ship we would be more than happy to show you around or answer any questions you might have. Btw my name is Brian and my wife is candi... if you want to know anything else please just ask... enjoy your cruise, and I hope you feel at home on princess!! 

[donswife]

We were on the Caribbean Princess in October and had a wonderful time. Some of the shows were packed, and others had plenty of room. If I really wanted to see one, I would go early and bring something to read, or talk to the people near me.

 

If you enjoy room service, you will be pleased to know that there is no charge on Princess, except for whole pizzas.

The shampoo is a combo with conditioner in a dispenser, and separate body wash. Many prefer to bring their own.

 

For MUTS, just try different locations until you find what appeals to you. Good sound to me might be too loud or soft for you. There were usually plenty of loungers available.

 

Nexus is fabulous. We got through so fast, especially because we had our luggage sent straight to the airport, but I don't think you can do that for Canada.

[skatie]

14 hours ago, chef Brian said:

Hello skatie, and welcome to princess!! As others have said you do need to arrive at least 30-40 minutes before a show to guarantee a seat, but the shows are shown twice in an evening so you have a couple shots at it! Movies under the stars I personally have never had a problem seeing or hearing, from almost any spot! If you go to a Evening movie they even give you a blanket and popcorn to go with the movie. One thing that we enjoy on princess is the service and the relaxed atmosphere, not sure when in March you are traveling we are on the match 2nd-9th this will be our 14th princess cruise and 20th overall. We are also in our early 50’s and feel right at home on princess. If you were on our ship we would be more than happy to show you around or answer any questions you might have. Btw my name is Brian and my wife is candi... if you want to know anything else please just ask... enjoy your cruise, and I hope you feel at home on princess!! 

Hi Brian - we are on the March 23 cruise so unfortunately won't be cruising together!  I love these boards for all the info and helpfulness.  Thanks Everyone!

[Mud_Shark]

 

We haven't been on the CB since its 2017 refurb, so my info may be dated, but imo:

 

The production shows are all great.  I can't recall the name of it, but if they do the one based on travelling in a car on route 66 - it is filled with good songs from the 60s -80s.  

 

I think 45-60 min before show time is a bit excessive.  Maybe if you want the absolute best seats in the house - ok.  But if you just want a couple seats together, 30 minutes is USUALLY okay.  20 mins is okay for the late showing.   One time some of the Osmonds were on board (was on Emerald, not Caribbean) and they did a show, and it filled up very fast, but that is not the general situation (we missed that one by arriving 30 minutes prior - but that is the only show we have missed due to it being full).  Some other special guest presentations might also fill up early.  We bring our E-readers with us and pass the time waiting, but we show up about 30 min prior to most shows.

 

We are also Canadians, and have had slow progress through customs off the ship some times, and incredibly quick times some times.  This past November we were through customs with zero wait and zero questions asked.  The officer just looked at his screen and told us to proceed.   And at the airport, though we do not have NEXUS, we have had the TSA pre check on our boarding passes for each of the past four years, so has always gone relatively quickly.  We had an 11:30am departure this past November and made it with plenty of time to spare.  (we were at the airport before 8:30am)

 

There are mini fridges in the rooms.  Don't know about delivery of what you have ordered, but if you order a case of water, it just shows up in your room, usually before you get there, and if not, sometime in the afternoon.  Same thing with any excursion tickets you have purchased prior to boarding.  

 

We are movies under the stars people, and you can hear the movie just about anywhere, unless there are other people talking at some of the tables or in some of the hot tubs near where you are seated.  If it is a calm clear night, we prefer the top deck.  If it is drizzly or windy, then we look for a covered location.  If you sit too far up front on either side stick towards the middle or you lose a bit of the screen from  your view (the overhang of the deck above cuts off a corner).  Also, sometimes you need to go seek out the blankets from the little kiosk up front beside the screen.  You also have to get the popcorn yourself most nights from the Trident grill (not sure if it is still called that after the refurb).

 

We are sailing the CB again this coming November and looking forward to seeing the changes.

 

Don

 

[OCruisers]

Hi statie!  Welcome to Princess cruising!   

We were on Caribbean Princess in January and had a wonderful time.

Think most of your questions have been answered ... just adding ....

~ It's a good idea to get to the Princess Theater about 30 minutes early.  We like to use one of the back enterances on Deck 6.  

~ On embarkation day the Coral Dining room (deck 6, midship) is open for lunch from Noon - 1:30 PM.  Crew will tell you the buffet but the main dining room is open for lunch on embarkation day.

~ The International Cafe is open 24/7 with lots of tasty things:  soup, salads, sandwiches (heated if requested), and all sorts of sweets.  The selection depends on the time of day.  

~ While Steamers & Planks have an extra charge in the evenings for their main menues, they are both open for breakfast & lunch basically serving breakfast (omlet station) and lunch types of food at NO Cost. 

If you have any other quesions, please don't hesitate to ask.

LuLu 

[Thrak]

19 minutes ago, OCruisers said:

~ While Steamers & Planks have an extra charge in the evenings for their main menues, they are both open for breakfast & lunch basically serving breakfast (omlet station) and lunch types of food at NO Cost. 

 

Yes! If you want to eat breakfast in the buffet do yourself a favor and go all the way through to the back where Steamers and Planks are located. That's where you can get the made-to-order omelets or cooked-to-order eggs. Much better than the pre-made egg selections in the main portion of the buffet. Also do check them out for lunch as the offerings are very different from what is in the main portion of the buffet. Many folks don't realize they can go on back there which also tends to make seating easier. We did 14 days on CB last March and enjoyed it greatly.

Edited February 16, 2019 by Thrak

[knbcruisers]

Skatie.....We are on the 3/23 cruise also. I am getting excited...come join our roll call, some good info on the ports there.

Edited February 17, 2019 by knbcruisers

[skatie]

3 hours ago, knbcruisers said:

Skatie.....We are on the 3/23 cruise also. I am getting excited...come join our roll call, some good info on the ports there.

Hi Knbcruisers - I have joined the roll call but it seems to be pretty quiet lately!  I see you are doing an ATV excursion in Amber Cove - I think if the weather clear when we arrive, we were going to just catch a taxi to the cable car and then come back and swim in the port pool.  I'm looking to go to Gibbs Cay and swim with Stingrays in Grand Turk, but am on the fence as to whether to book in advance or again, depending on the weather, maybe just book when we get there.  I don't like doing the ship tours as they are usually 2-3 times the price of something I can research and book on our own!  I don't think any mix and mingle being arranged on our cruise, but hope to meet up with some fellow cruisers on board!  JoAnne