Live from Crown: Carolyn’s Crown Princess Blog

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, Iceman. We weren't able to get into cabins cause they were all occupied but typically disabled cabins are shower only. The shower head? Don't know that, but I think we had in our bath/shower arrangement one of those water pik like heads that you can remove....

Carolyn

 

 

 

Any one know if the handicap bathrooms are showers only or if they have a bath or if the shower head is mobile? Thanks

[loving2cruise]

Good Morning,

I am making a final decision today on which cabin to book for the "Crown Princess" for a cruise in April, 07. I like the Oceanview rooms......I have a choice of the Emerald Deck CatDD Unobstructed windows...or the Lido Deck Unobstucted. Both in the front of the ship. The Emerald deck is Aprrox. 5th floor and the Lido deck (L101,102,103 or 104).is the top floor. Has anyone stayed in these rooms. Your response will be greatly appreciated. Thank You.

[loving2cruise]

Hello Again,

I failed to mention that the Cabins I was interested in for the Oceanview unobstructed rooms are E118 or E199 (Approx. 5th floor from ocean). (Or once again the top floor on the Lido Deck 101,102,103or 104. Thanks so much again!!!!!! Any feedback would be great. I have never stayed in a cabin on the lower decks or on the top deck....I usually pick balcony midship on the 8th or 9th deck so this would be a change for us. I would like to try an oceanview room this time.

[SeaMatesNYC]

SeaMatesNYC, enjoyed your feedback -- and I loved Sammy, too.

 

Wondering, which lines do offer (in your experience) FOD meetings automatically?

 

 

Carolyn

 

Sorry for the delayed reply. Got caught up in "real life". Have only been on Princess, so can't really say. But this past Feb. on the Dawn 10-day RT San Fran, the Assist CD organized 4 starting on day two, completely hosted and to which the Captains Circle Host, Future Cruise Rep, and numerous other CD staff and friends came. Had two in lounges, one up top at an outdoor bar at sailaway and a Disco Night. Pretty awesome effort!

[SeaMatesNYC]

Sorry for the delayed reply. Got caught up in "real life". Have only been on Princess, so can't really say. But this past Feb. on the Dawn 10-day RT San Fran, the Assist CD organized 4 starting on day two, completely hosted and to which the Captains Circle Host, Future Cruise Rep, and numerous other CD staff and friends came. Had two in lounges, one up top at an outdoor bar at sailaway and a Disco Night. Pretty awesome effort!

 

The disturbing thing about the 6/23 voyage was that we called Pass. Services and asked for a meeting on day 3, they said they would check with the CD. They then called back the next day and said that the CD said that there was not enough interest. I saw the CD that night and politely explained that many people might be too reticent to call and that the interest would materialize if he were to put something in the Patter. He did and the next evening (Grand Turk sailaway) we had a very nice cocktail hour in Adagio with a dozen or so gents plus our two southern belles (darling girls from Williamsburg who wanted to be our support, and entered saying, "Hi we're Dorothy, you must be our friends!"). The CD staffer stayed under ten minutes then made herself scarce. BIIIG difference from other experiences we have had on Princess as far as the CD's involvement.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Interesting -- the folks who planned the Cruise Critic get-together got some help but the same sort of tepid enthusiasm....

 

Thanks for the input.

 

Carolyn

The disturbing thing about the 6/23 voyage was that we called Pass. Services and asked for a meeting on day 3, they said they would check with the CD. They then called back the next day and said that the CD said that there was not enough interest. I saw the CD that night and politely explained that many people might be too reticent to call and that the interest would materialize if he were to put something in the Patter. He did and the next evening (Grand Turk sailaway) we had a very nice cocktail hour in Adagio with a dozen or so gents plus our two southern belles (darling girls from Williamsburg who wanted to be our support, and entered saying, "Hi we're Dorothy, you must be our friends!"). The CD staffer stayed under ten minutes then made herself scarce. BIIIG difference from other experiences we have had on Princess as far as the CD's involvement.

[editor@cruisecritic]

RLM77 raised a great – and tricky – question. Early on in our voyage, I had noted on the thread that if all stayed stable, Crown Princess might get a five star review. RLM77’s question was this: what sets it apart from other Princess ships? And what sets it apart from large ships that have been well received by other travel professionals, such as Celebrity’s Millennium class?”

I’m not going to divulge the Crown Princess rating until we publish its review (we’re planning on a July 25 launch) but I’ll try to explain how we make our decisions.

First a caveat: Cruise Critic editorial reviews, as opposed to member reviews, are hampered by a two-narrow rating system that evaluates only dining, entertainment, rates and family (members are permitted to judge cruises based on 11 criteria, including my favorite, which is “value”). We’re working to create an editorial ratings system that mirrors that of the community.

Since reviews are by nature subjective, each of our correspondents brings a different series of preferences to the table. But all of them are trained, by profession, to look beyond their own likes and dislikes (which you wouldn’t do if you were writing about your own vacation). For instance, if I were traveling on vacation I’d definitely go with a ship in the Oceania range – or smaller. My preference. But I can appreciate the big ship experience when it’s done well.

As an example, let’s take Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas. It’s the only big ship in our database (will it stay only for long? LOL) to garner a five star rating and a lot of what went into that decision isn’t reflected in our stark four-point (plus overall) system. But the rationale is addressed more specifically in the ship’s overview. I’ll put out a section:

As a result, for the first time in a long time at Cruise Critic, a ship that's firmly planted in the mass-market category receives an overall rating of five -- which places it in the lofty firmament of only a handful of luxury ships (such scores have heretofore only been bestowed upon small, luxury-oriented ships whose lines charge a heftier price tag). Jewel earned the rating particularly for its top-notch entertainment, family facilities, and better-than-usual cuisine and service -- and for offering exceptional value for money.

 

We do offer a caveat, however: Our Jewel of the Seas trip was an exceptional experience but it still should not be measured against luxury lines. That's because it is a big ship. Which means you may have to fight for a deck chair on a sunny sea day and pay out of pocket for a myriad of expenses, from fancy coffees to soda. In tender ports you'll have to line up for a ticket. Standard staterooms (with or without balconies) are pretty small and bathrooms offer fairly basic amenities. And on embarkation day passengers are expected to vacate cabins by 8 a.m. -- and wait in public areas for color tags to be called.

 

Even so, there were times when I had to remind myself, when listening to the elegant Rosario Strings in the Champagne Bar or dining sumptuously at Portofino (Jewel's alternative, Italian-themed restaurant), that I was traveling on a ship where a cabin could cost as little as $100 per person, per night.

My advice is that by all means do look at a ship review’s ratings. Look at them especially carefully when we unveil our more detailed new system this fall. But, whether reading a member review or editorial review, the real flavor and opinions, objective or subjective, will be more evident in the stories themselves. To judge on ratings alone will not guarantee the ship you choose is right for you.

And, ultimately getting to the point of RLM77’s question about what sets a five star experience apart from one that merits just four, is the intangibles that go beyond décor, beyond dining, beyond entertainment. Service is the second biggest factor that can push a ship over the edge. What makes a ship a winner, ultimately, is its performance on this one scale: Does the trip offer you value for your money. That’s why a ship like Jewel of the Seas can achieve the same score – or better (luxury operator Silversea’s Silver Wind merited just 4.5 stars, for instance) than those in a higher-priced category.

You should always be asking yourself that question. Will I get what I paid for? And what about this: Will I get more than I paid for? And those cruises that fall in the latter category – they are, in my mind, the five star superstars, whatever the price point.

Carolyn

[editor@cruisecritic]

Stay tuned for our final analysis of life-on-the-blog-on-the-thread. It'll be posted here: www.cruisecritic.com/news (or check the home page's Today on Cruise Critic feature) -- sometime later this afternoon.

And thank you. It's been great.

Carolyn