Live from Crown: Carolyn’s Crown Princess Blog

[CaroleLee]

Thanks Carolyn for all the details about the Crown.

 

Is it worth going to the Speicality Rest. on board?

Fill us in on the Casual dining areas - Vines, Cafe Caribe, International Cafe, Horizon Court.

 

With the $15 per half day per person charge to lounge at the Sanctuary do you make reservations in advance?

Hi Carolyn,

Menus & $ for the above would be helpful in decision making. Also WiFi/internet. Charges for same- can blocks of minutes be purchased? How does it work outside of the internet cafe-bringing own laptop.

Thanks

Carole

[erntrish]

it seems it is hard to find a liqour store open on Sunday in NY!

 

It will be near impossible to find one. Actually, until this year, liquor stores were required by law to remain closed on Sunday. IN NYC, of all places! When they changed the law, many of the small percentage of stores that chose to open reversed their decision, since the new law forced them to close another day of the week to compensate...and NYers were used to being unable to buy booze on Sunday.

 

So, to make a long story short, you should probably look to get your alcohol on Saturday or earlier. (Also, grocery stores may not sell wines/liquors in NY state, as they do in most other parts of the country)

[dobie]

Carolyn, how about covered chairs by the Lotus pool? Are there some and are they free? Also, how about covered sheltered areaas by the aft terrace pool (adults only, I read?). Thank you so much for posting!

[LunaMoon]

Apparently a lot of folks don't know that you're supposed to (tip). (Carolyn)

*****************************************************************

Dear Carolyn,

Thank you for taking the time to post.

I have a question about your above comment. Of course I know I'm suppose to tip for spa treatments; I do so very generously at spas here at home and in accordance with the service I receive.

However, when I booked my spa treatments online for my upcoming Crown cruise, it clearly states below the price that "a 15% gratuity will automatically be added to the cost of all spa treatments."

In that case, it seems reasonable that folks believe that they have given a gratuity because the price they actually pay is already 15% more than the printed cost of the treatment.

If Princess did not automatically impose this 15% gratuity, I and others might not be hesitant or reluctant to tip additionally.

It is not that folks are not aware that they should tip, it is that they probably realize that they have already tipped, regardless of their level of satisfaction with the services rendered.

[dobie]

Lunamoon, I agree with you completely. I was TOTALLY turned off on the Coral in April when the gal who did my pedicure kept talking about how I NEEDED this, that, and the other thing, for my feet. I ended up tipping her 20 % anyway, just cause I thought I should have. I will NEVER have a treatment in the spa again....but when people on the board started telling me that I had tipped upfront I started to wonder....at least in my case it wasn't so, there was a tip space where you filled in the tip.

[tvaud]

Hi Carolyn,

My group is dying to see a new Sabatini's Menu. Would you be so kind as to scan one for us or transcribe it here. Thank you in advance.

Cindra

[Love Boat Dream]

I just posted some of Sabatinis menu in another thread. I just put in the titles mostly though. hope that helps!

 

:D

[CruiseKing]

Carolyn,

Thanks for your reports. They are wonderful. DW & I love The Wheelhouse. What are your impressions of it on the new Crown? Also on a personal note when you stop in and Elua are on would you please take a moment to stop by the stage and pass along a BIG Boston Hello from Sharon & Bruce.

Thanks a million!!!

[Nliedel]

The WiFi information is invaluable to me. Thanks for posting it!

[CaroleLee]

Hi, Jane, thought I'd tackle this question straightaway as I'm on wi-fi now. It works okay -- the system is fine but the process is a little bit ridiculous. You have to buy tickets at the desk -- they're good for 30 minutes -- and then create an account and .....

But it ultimately works. The price for everyone is 35 cents a minute and that's completely fair.

Wi-Fi only works in atrium area, not in staterooms. The Internet cafe is lovely -- there are two of 'em. I'm sitting here in Vines, typing away, sipping a lovely Chateau Montelena chardonnay! Life is good and Bermuda, by the way, was just fabulous (we had lunch at the Frog and Onion, bought a beautiful watercolor at the Dockyards Art Centre, and took a short boat excursion around the island -- one of those wicked fast boats where they make you wear seatbelts! It was fun.

Thanks for the question (I'm not in a full suite so don't know about free access)....

Best,

Carolyn

thanks carolyn!

 

hope you're having a wonderful time in bermuda today! Looks like a beauty day from the webcam...been raining in NY for the past 2 days!

 

i'm interested in whatever info you are kind enough to post about really...but just curious about the internet service...are you using the internet center on the ship? i understand that it is one of the full suite perks; can you tell me the hours there? also, is the ship wi-fi ready? only certain areas? if so, do you recall the cost of any packages that might be available?

 

thanks in advance...looking forward to your posts!

 

jane

THanks for the info on the WiFi- question @WHAT desk do you purchase tickets @ Purser? Internet cafe? Gather no internet usage packages available. Once you have est. an acct do you have to re-establish each time you sign on?

Spa- 15% tip is automatically added. I believe in direct tipping- good service gets good tips poor service get lower tip and really bad service gets a letter to mgt. If I want to tip Spa personnel directly can the 15% tip be deducted when I settle my account? For everyone else out there I usually tip maids, stewards, waiters directly & then d/c the autotip on my final bill. Also I usually introduce myself to cabin personnel on first day and tip $20.00 each

finds this works out well & service is usually good.

Carole

[wuzupnyc]

What days are formal? And maybe a wierd question, but did you notice Cherrios at the breakfast buffet? I have a 10month old daughter who snacks on those!

 

Thanks.

 

Monique

[editor@cruisecritic]

Princess has introduced a new MUTS possibility on this ship: Engagement Under the Stars. You pay $605 and the guy (or gal, who knows?) actually is taped by the Princess television crew making the proposal. It sounds like a lot of cash but the couple also gets flowers, champagne at the time of proposal, dinner at Sabatini’s, photos, etc.

So we saw one last night! They broadcast the proposal just before the 7 p.m. MUTS movie (we’d been tipped off). They were already there when we got there at 6:30 p.m. They were in their mid-20s and the funny thing was they were sitting there in the (still hot) sun and you can tell she’s getting hot and cranky and saying “why are we here so early” (we’re women what can I say). And finally the Princess folks get ready (one staffer carrying champagne, another a red rose) – and the young woman still doesn’t know what’s up. Meanwhile people are pouring in for the regular showing, not knowing they’re getting a special performance as well.

So the boyfriend’s face comes up on the MUTS screen and he starts to say “You probably know where this is going…” and she buries her face in his leg, both embarrassed and I have to think moved. We certainly were (I was weeping – sentimental, I admit). And he talked about how many crazy adventures they’d had since they’d met (in the 4th grade, mind you) and “will you take another crazy adventure with me? Will you marry me?” I get chills just writing this!

She of course said yes, the Love Boat theme came on loud and clear, and he presented her with a 1.5 – 2 carat ring in a platinum setting. She was shaking like a leaf…but calmed down when they were presented with champagne and Captain Andy Proctor was congratulating them. Very cool moment for about 100 folks who just happened to be there.

Carolyn

[LonghornKJK]

Wow, you made me cry just reading this. I can imagine what I would have done if I had been there! Thanks for sharing! What a moving story! :)

[Hve2cruise]

I've got goosebumps all over. What a beautiful, sentimental thing to do. I do hope they get to keep the tape. Thanks for sharing.

 

Helane

[mindykatz]

....printing this out right now to put somewhere where I know my boyfriend will read it!....LOL!

[editor@cruisecritic]

Sun Princess asked about Sabatini’s. It works beautifully – loved our dinner up there. Can’t remember if I said this but the menu, while still plentiful and still offering a lot of “tastes”, has been scaled back in quantity (not quality). So we actually had room this time for the main course and dessert, which we took in Adagio. The only thing not operational just now is the outdoor dining – something about the floor not being ready at Fincantieri. But there’s nice furniture out there and two lovely pond-like pools; nice atmosphere. So dining will be available at some point.

Carolyn

[peteinsonj]

Engagement under the stars! OK -- so the next one for me has to love cruising so I can do that! (me= male, 48, divorced, custody of my 10 year old, live in NJ. ;-)

 

A note about wifi access -- at the pursers desk you buy the cards -- 30 minutes, $10.50. BUT -- the screen after you log on is misleading -- it says "purchase or add minutes" -- however you can ADD minutes, but you can't actually purchase more minutes online... so be sure and get a couple of those cards at once!

 

In terms of Cape Canaveral -- the time is WAY too short for a decent tour of the Kennedy Space Center. We got to see the Imax movie about Apollo, went to the Apollo section of the space center (great building with the Saturn rocket and control room inside). Also a bus tour around the place and over to the launch pads. BUT -- we saw nothing of the shuttle program, future program, Mercury, Gemini, etc -- literally went right past those for lack of time. A couple of folks who were from the UK were pretty upset about that. My take -- although we've been to Florida many times, never made it to the "Space Coast". What we saw was great -- and worth it. Clearly, next non-cruise trip to Florida will try to spend a whole day there.

 

(so if you are planning a Florida trip anyway, make the time to go and don't do it while on the cruise. if you've never been -- then go ahead and do it!)

 

On the inaugural cruise, astronaut Walter Cunnigham was on board -- lectured several times. He also went on the Space Center tour. I told my son -- this is a once in a lifetime -- you are sitting with an astronaut watching what he and his colleagues did!

 

Peter

[editor@cruisecritic]

You know who you are, LOL, tumbling out of the most comfortable beds on this ship at lunchtime. One key new addition to the dining room menus is “late riser breakfast” items, so if you’ve slept in you can still get an omelette or whatever’s featured that day.

Speaking of beds, this ship is unusual in that all the bedding is, of course, new, but new to the new standard (on other ships only the minisuites and above will get the extra special mattresses et al). Pillows are comfortable, duvets great, just lovely.

Balcony furniture too is being changed across the fleet to non-combustible furnishings. Lounge chairs (we don't have room on our balcony for full-out chaises) are a blue mesh and the table and chairs is metal. It's just the right size for dining for two -- which fits in with the Balcony dinner and brunch that Princess offers. We haven't tried the balcony dinner yet but are going to.

We also noted that all the balconies are now outfitted with sprinklers -- a move inspired by the Star Princess fire.

Carolyn

[madelinerose]

Thanks, Carolyn....hope the deck is open by September. ;)

 

Sun Princess asked about Sabatini’s. It works beautifully – loved our dinner up there. Can’t remember if I said this but the menu, while still plentiful and still offering a lot of “tastes”, has been scaled back in quantity (not quality). So we actually had room this time for the main course and dessert, which we took in Adagio. The only thing not operational just now is the outdoor dining – something about the floor not being ready at Fincantieri. But there’s nice furniture out there and two lovely pond-like pools; nice atmosphere. So dining will be available at some point.

 

Carolyn

[JackN]

My Wife and I just got off the maiden voyage of the crown.

Anyone on the ship interested in learning how to actually dance for your next wedding or party should at least attend a couple of Jaime and Jackie McVicar's lessons offered on the crown. The two are international champions who have been teaching for 40 years, are passionate about dancing but also a hoot to take a class from.

 

My wife has been pushing me to take lessons for 21 years, I did it on this ship and enjoyed it a great deal.

 

JackN in South Bend

[LonghornKJK]

My Wife and I just got off the maiden voyage of the crown.

Anyone on the ship interested in learning how to actually dance for your next wedding or party should at least attend a couple of Jaime and Jackie McVicar's lessons offered on the crown. The two are international champions who have been teaching for 40 years, are passionate about dancing but also a hoot to take a class from.

 

My wife has been pushing me to take lessons for 21 years, I did it on this ship and enjoyed it a great deal.

 

JackN in South Bend

 

I'd love for my husband and I to learn to dance. Do they charge extra for the lessons? Thanks!

[Down The Shore Guy]

I'm really enjoying your reports! I'm looking forward to the Crown on July 2nd!! I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas!

 

Eddie

[cynt]

Mindy, when I read your post I fell out laughing. You are too funny!!!

[JackN]

I'd love for my husband and I to learn to dance. Do they charge extra for the lessons? Thanks!

They offer complimentary Lessons just about every day on the nine day cruise and also offer private lessons. I know they are on the Crown for the Eastern Carribean Cruise this week.

 

When we talked with them before they left they expect to fly to LA next week to make a video that will be sold on all Princess Cruise Ships.

 

The private lessons (still in a group but smaller) are only $15.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Jack

[pes949]

In NY stores are not allowed to sell liquor prior to noon on Sunday (including wine and Beer). Perhaps this law has changed but it been like this for the past 30 years.

 

Question:

How long does it take to disembark the Crown? Do they advise 24 hours in in advance of planned disembarkation?

 

I have a Limo picking me up and they charge $95/hr to wait for me. I was thinking of telling the Limo to be at the pier by 10:00 which would be sufficient to allow us to get off the ship collect our suitcases and not have to wait 2 hours for the limo to arrive.

 

My other thought was to schedule for 11:00 and tell them I will call if I am early (probably 90 minutes for them to get to the pier).

 

Upon arrival in NY can the crew give an accurate estimate of actual disembarkation schedules?

 

Does 10:00 sound reasonable? I would rather wait 45 minutes for the Limo than pay the waiting fee.