Just Back From B2B on the CB

[Cruisin' Grandma]

Sorry, not the Sergio who manages Sabatini's.

 

Regards,

 

Chef

 

 

Oh well, it was worth a try and I learned how to post a photo so all is not lost. Thanks for having a look.

[Berliner]

I'm enjoying your review. We will be on the CB for Christmas and we are getting very excited. I was wondering if you ate at the Caribe cafe for the Bavarian night. I absolutely love german food and we don't ever get it here in the Philly area. Is it worth missing the sit down dinner for???

 

hi there,

 

just fillin' in, yes it s outstanding food all the goodies you can imagin.

 

Leberkaes,Brats from all corners in Germany,Pig stuffed and unstuffed,Knoedel Sauerkraut ,great Lunchmeats etc. etc. :) and i know what i'm talking about.

[chefim]

On to Wednesday Night Dinner. This is Italian night, and one of my favorite.

 

I started with the Eggplant Parm. I thought the cheese was great as was the sauce. I thought that eggplant could have been a little firmer. Overall, it was a great dish. I also decided to try the Fettuccine Alfredo, as everyone seems to rave about it. You guys have obviously never tasted mine. The Fettuccine was very good, but not mine:D

 

The DW had the Pasta E Fagioli, which was made with Red Beans, and the Mixed Greens with Baby Spinach Salad.

 

For main courses the DW had the Turbot Saltimboca without the Prosciutto, as we do not eat pork. They were very accommodating with all special requests. I had the Veal Chop, which was out of this world. I had two of these the second week.

 

We stopped in the Casino to try our luck, and hit for $80 on the dollar slots with only the 3rd dollar, and the DW dragged me out.

 

Thursday in St. Thomas:

 

The announcements started early this morning, as we had to clear customs in St. Thomas. International passengers were required to appear at the Churchill's Lounge, which is on deck 6 forward on the port side of the ship near the Casino. All US citizens are required to head to Club Fusion on Deck 7.Aft where there will be Immigration Officers lined up to check ID/Passports. This process is to be completed by 9:30AM. This does not delay anyone from getting off the ship. The process is quick, even if there is a line. There are of course the few who somehow must have been up too late the night before, who are still having their names announced to appear before immigration well past the 9:30AM deadline.

 

We had prearranged a booking with Godfrey on St. Thomas. We decided to do the 3hrs shopping, Island tour, and the 2 hours at either Meagan's Bay, Coki, or Sapphire Beach.

 

We were to meet outside the security gate at 9AM. There was a small group waiting, but no sign of Godfrey. I was later told that he is very reliable, but often his Island time differs from ours. A nice way of saying, he is often late. Another gentlemen, who ended up being our driver gathered us together, and said he would call Godfrey. Within 5 minutes he was there, and we were loaded on to one of the open Safari vehicles for our tour. The downtown area is a short drive from the pier. I know that many people have been unhappy that Princess docks at Crown Bay, but it is just a short drive to shopping. This really did not bother us at all. I do think that the 3 hours of shopping was way too much for us. We had done our main purchases in St. Maarten, so we were ready to go by 10:30AM, and had to keep ourselves busy for 1 1/2 hrs until the pickup at Noon. I will take this time to tell you that without a doubt, St Maarten has the better prices on almost everything we saw. Liquor was about $1-$2 less per bottle in St. Maarten. I decided to check on some watches so I could get a feel for the difference in prices. I found that in almost all cases St. Thomas was about $50 higher on what I looked for.

 

We were picked up at Noon by the main square, and this began the tour of the Island. We were taken to the top of the mountain to the very commercial shops and bar, which claims to have the world famous Banana Daiquiri. The views were quite spectacular, but we were not interested in walking through the gauntlet of more shops. The tour was very informative, but I felt a little rushed. I would have like to actually visit Blackbeard's Castle, but we had to view it from a distance. After the tour, we were asked where we wanted to be dropped off, and we chose Coki Beach. I had done some research, and thought this would be the best place for some snorkeling.

 

Our driver had told us that most people go to Meagan's Bay, but that since there had been some significant rains the weeks before, that there is often a problem with mosquito's, and it would be best avoided. There were about 8 of us who decided on Coki, and we were brought to one of the shack owner's on the beach. It is evident that Godfrey had a deal with this guy to bring his people there. I am not complaining, as David took very good care of us. He let us use the back of the shack to change into bathing suits, so we did not have to walk up to the bathrooms. He set us up with whatever we wanted. Lounges at $5, snorkel equipment, food and drink. As I have stated earlier, there is a lot of competition on these Islands, from rental cars, to taxis. and now to who was going to get us drinks and food.

 

Make sure that one of the waiters or waitresses on the beach come up to you, that you know exactly what you are ordering. We ordered two Jerk Chicken Sandwiches with French Fries. The price stated $8 for the sandwich, but the bill was for $10 each, and we were told that the $8 was only for the sandwich, which did not include French Fries. He told me that it was regularly $12, but he was giving me a deal at $10. I was not angry, as we were on vacation and having a great time, but am giving you this information so you can avoid any misunderstandings. Also, try to give them exact change if you have it. My guy took about 30 minutes to finally come back with my $5, after passing us by many times.

 

The water at Coki is magnificent. It is so clear, that in 5' of water you could still see the bottom. There were an abundance of fish swimming right around our feet that could easily be seen without snorkel equipment. Our driver said that Coki is actually the most clear of the three beached mentioned in this review. We had 2 hours at the beach, and were picked up at about 4PM for our ride back to the ship. The ride back was about 40 minutes with traffic, and the driver continued to point out all the landmarks.

We boarded the ship, and headed back to the cabin for a power nap on the balcony before getting ready for dinner.

[DiTomCruisers]

You're doing a great job Chef! Thanks...

[simkoreb]

Can you tell more about Coki? Was it crowded? Chairs available?

Can you walk from there to the sea aquarium place next door?

[flvol77]

I see you had Siwan? She has been our room steward twice on the CB.

 

We always try to track her down, we love her, she really takes care of us.

 

I think she is going home for a month in Dec and she will back in time for our cruise in late Jan.

[cruiserbryce]

we went on Caribbean Princess for our Honeymoon and had an incredible trip. We are looking at doing a B2B on a cruise in 2009 and may consider doing it on CB since we enjoyed her so much. Thank you for posting the review

[chefim]

Can you tell more about Coki? Was it crowded? Chairs available?

Can you walk from there to the sea aquarium place next door?

 

Coki was not too crowded, and there are plenty of chairs. We went down to the other side from the aquarium, and you can still walk to it.

 

The lounges are $5ea and they will set them up where you like.

 

Regards,

 

Chef

[chefim]

I see you had Siwan? She has been our room steward twice on the CB.

 

We always try to track her down, we love her, she really takes care of us.

 

I think she is going home for a month in Dec and she will back in time for our cruise in late Jan.

 

Siwan was awesome, but she actually went home at the end of our first week. She left on Nov 11th for home. I forgot how long she said she would be gone. We had Kraisorn the second week, also from Thailand, and also a sweetheart.

 

 

Regards,

 

Chef

[Nan-L]

Chief,

Want to live in the north georgia mountains??

My husband worked for the Ritz for 13 + years..and he's still alive!!

He works for a laid back place in Athens, Ga. the Foundry Park Inn & Spa and they are looking for a chief..interested?? My DH is the F&B there, loves it after working at the Ritz for so long!!

 

Also: I'm leaving Sat. for this cruise:

How did you gt a hold of the place you got your rings. I'm trying to get my daughters something for Christmas while in St. Martin..

 

Done this cruise many times..We love it because it is so relaxing and just 2 ports...we sleep, eat and did I say sleep?? I have vacation rentals in Helen, Ga. and DH has the football season (GA. Bulldogs),we both are beat by the time Dec. rolls around. Just to have someone take care of us is a pleasure..instead of the other way around.

I've really enjoyed your review so far. You have given some great info that others leave out....yours really stands out..thanks for your time and trouble

N

[chefim]

Chief,

Want to live in the north georgia mountains??

My husband worked for the Ritz for 13 + years..and he's still alive!!

He works for a laid back place in Athens, Ga. the Foundry Park Inn & Spa and they are looking for a chief..interested?? My DH is the F&B there, loves it after working at the Ritz for so long!!

 

Also: I'm leaving Sat. for this cruise:

How did you gt a hold of the place you got your rings. I'm trying to get my daughters something for Christmas while in St. Martin..

 

Done this cruise many times..We love it because it is so relaxing and just 2 ports...we sleep, eat and did I say sleep?? I have vacation rentals in Helen, Ga. and DH has the football season (GA. Bulldogs),we both are beat by the time Dec. rolls around. Just to have someone take care of us is a pleasure..instead of the other way around.

I've really enjoyed your review so far. You have given some great info that others leave out....yours really stands out..thanks for your time and trouble

N

 

The email for Shiva's in trishiva@sintmaarten.net

 

Address the email to Jay, and you can tell him that Ira who was recommended by Gary sent you.

 

We went to Helen some years ago when we went to Clayton, Ga. for some R&R in the mountains.

 

Hope you have a great time on the cruise, and if you stop at Shiva's ask for Ron or Jay, and tell them that we said hi. See if Ron will let you try on the 20 Carat diamond ring.

 

Regards,

 

Chef

[chefim]

OK, before I start on Friday of the first week, I almost forgot one of the highlights of the cruise on Thursday night.

 

MUTS was showing the Rocky Horror Picture Show at 12:15AM. What a blast laying out on the deck under the stars, with blankets and popcorn watching a movie. Unfortunately, we did not have our toast, newspaper, lighters, or other necessary props. I know I am dating myself, and others who remember those late Saturday nights at the theater will get a chuckle.

 

TGIF, and another Sea Day. I love those. Remember, I came to relax, so it was up to breakfast and up to the Sun Deck for some rays.

 

For those who are foodies, Friday is the "Cooking Show" in the Princess Theater at 10:15AM with the Chef, and CD Tim Donovan, and then right after is the Tour of the Galley. I have had many prearranged private tours of the galley on other ships, that I was not interested. However, if you have never done it, it is rather spectacular to see the kitchens that produce all that food for in excess of 3,000 people ever day.

 

They also have Ice Carving by the Pool at 12:15PM.

 

Now, while I am on the subject of food, and in case I forget this, on the second week of the cruise in the Patter for Friday, they actually had a "Chef's Table" available at $75 per person. This included Hors d'oeuvre's in one of the "hot spots" in the kitchen as they prepare for dinner, as well as a Chef's tasting menu. They did not do this the first week. I know that they have already rolled this out on the Emerald, so it looks like they are testing the waters, and ready to start expanding this offering. We did not do it, but I heard it was great.

 

This is the second formal night, and I wore my Tux again and DW wore an incredible gown that I had picked out and bought her as a gift for this cruise.

 

We both had the Zucchini and William Pear Soup with Poppy Seeds, the Belgian Endive and Boston Lettuce Salad, and we both had the Beef Wellington.

 

Oh, I forgot one other dish. For me, this is the "STAND OUT" dish of the cruise. It is on the Princess Signature Favorites section of the menu.

 

Veal Ravioli in Creamy Porcini Mushroom Sauce, Veal Jus

 

This dish for me, was to die for. I had it special ordered at least 3 more times during our cruise. The DW, who has refused to eat veal, because she still thinks they are treated cruelly, tasted it, and then ordered again the following week, so she could have her own.

 

We went back to the room and changed after dinner, and decided to go check out the Champagne Waterfall. It was pretty cool, but gets crowded in the atrium, so we watched for awhile and then retreated. This is a good photo op for the ladies, as they let you ascend the stairs and help Maitre D Angelo Balbiani pour the champagne.

 

We decided to head over to Club Fusion for London Pub Night. We love English Pubs, and had our Rehearsal Dinner at one 10yrs ago. This was a hoot. I would have loved for there to have been more selections of English Beers like Fuller's, but oh well. I almost fell off my chair from laughter with some of the games they got people into. You should definitely check this out, but it is a little raunchy. Not dirty, but raunchy.

 

Also on this night in Explorer's there was a comedian named Troy Thirdgill. We saw him the second week, and he was really funny. He did a 45 minute clean set, not one curse word.

 

It was late by the time we finished Pub Night, so we headed back to our cabin.

 

The other thing we found out on Friday, was that we were not going to Princess Cays. It seems that they had suffered some damage from Tropical Storm Noel. I later found out that it was mostly cleanup from all the sand that got blown around. We instead were going to Nassau. I am not a big fan, and the DW was just there last month on a 4 day cruise with her mom. We just got off the ship, and picked up supplies. I did, however, want to price some jewelry for comparison sake. I can tell you that there is no comparison. St Maarten still has the best prices I have seen for Jewelry, Liquor, Cigars, and other essentials.

 

More later.

 

Regards,

 

Chef

[DiTomCruisers]

Oh, I forgot one other dish. For me, this is the "STAND OUT" dish of the cruise. It is on the Princess Signature Favorites section of the menu.

 

Veal Ravioli in Creamy Porcini Mushroom Sauce, Veal Jus

 

 

Chef - Was this offered each night as an app?

[Cruisin' Grandma]

Oh, I forgot one other dish. For me, this is the "STAND OUT" dish of the cruise. It is on the Princess Signature Favorites section of the menu.

 

Veal Ravioli in Creamy Porcini Mushroom Sauce, Veal Jus

 

 

Chef - Was this offered each night as an app?

 

Oh, I so glad to hear they have this dish. It's my absolute favourite!!

[chefim]

Oh, I forgot one other dish. For me, this is the "STAND OUT" dish of the cruise. It is on the Princess Signature Favorites section of the menu.

 

Veal Ravioli in Creamy Porcini Mushroom Sauce, Veal Jus

 

 

Chef - Was this offered each night as an app?

 

No, it was offered at the Gala Dinner on Friday, the second formal night, but remember I was on a B2B. So, I had ordered the head waiter put an order in for the kitchen to have it for me a few nights the second week.

 

You can always ask your head waiter about it. Tell him you heard about it, and would love to try it before Friday night.

 

Regards,

 

Chef

[chefim]

OK, so I figure it is about time for me to at least finish up the first week of the cruise.

 

As I stated earlier, we were forced to visit Nassau on Saturday rather than Princess Cays. We only got off the ship to check some prices, and to pick up necessities, and then back for some rest.

 

Now. let me touch on the one issue that we had that was a major negative, and that was the Passengers Services Desk, otherwise known as Purser's Desk. We did not get much satisfaction on any of the issues that were handled by them, and they did not follow up on anything that they promised.

 

We noticed on the second day of our cruise that there was an area in the corner of our balcony that was black and rusty. On further inspection we noticed that under the blue plastic decking that there was standing water due to a low spot. It was not draining and causing the stain. When you would step in this area the water would rise. It dried by the third day, however, due to cleaning of the balconies with water, it was an ongoing problem. So, on Wednesday I reported it to passenger services. They told me they would let accommodations know about it, but I told them it was a maintenance issue and cleaning it would not suffice. By Friday it had still not been addressed, so I went back up and they again put it out to accommodations as well as maintenance. Still nothing, so this cycle started again on Sunday. This is when the frustration began, as I was told that maintenance could only deal with issues while in port, and that it could not be addressed until Wed. in St Maarten. I reminded them that I had brought it to their attention on Wed, and again on Friday, and that we had been in port in Nassau on Saturday, so it should have been handled then. He could only tell me that he would do the best he can.

 

On Monday, our sweetheart of a cabin steward tells us that they asked her to clean it, and that she would be attempting that. While she did an excellent job, the next day it was back to the same thing. It never got resolved.

 

The other issue was wine. We had purchased three bottles of 2000 Bordeaux on St Thomas and I did not feel like carrying it around, so I asked that it be delivered. I expected that the wine would be delivered to my cabin on Saturday afternoon as this was the last day of the first leg, and of course they expected me to settle my account, and start over again with the new cruise cards on Sunday.

 

Well, to my surprise, when I went to the Passenger Services Desk on Saturday evening on our way to dinner, I asked why my wine was not delivered. I was told that since I was on for the next week, that my wine would not be delivered until the end of the second week. I reminded them that wine was allowable onboard. They called the F&B Purser who is in charge of holding all alcohol, and see said wine is alcohol and refused to release it. I returned to my cabin and pulled out the Cruise Contract which I brought with me to double check, and proceeded back to the desk to speak with a supervisor. He called the F&B Purser, and this guy still refused. The supervisor just finally had to demand that he deliver two of the bottles to my cabin.

 

Ultimately, I wanted to test this practice to see if what I had been hearing here was actually true. It does appear that they are beginning the enforcement of one bottle per person. This is not stated in any of the documents, which state that you cannot bring any alcohol, except wine and champagne.

 

Now, on to the positive note. In the same way that Embarkation was great, I believe that Princess also does a great job with disembarkation. You do not see the typical stairways filled with people sitting on stairs. Instead, each color luggage tag is assigned a public area to await disembarkation. I thought this went rather smoothly.

 

Since we were in transit for the next week, we were given instructions in the package that contained our new cruise cards. We were instructed to meet at the Lobby Bar in the Atrium at 9:45AM. We were met by a rep who checked all our names off of our list. There were 5 other people staying onboard besides the DW and I. We were assured that as soon as all the passengers had left the ship, that a rep would walk us off. About 10:15AM the rep came, and we were walked off the ship and through immigration. We were allowed to come back upstairs to the gangway, but were asked to wait a few minutes, so that the could ensure that there was a zero count on the ship. This only took less than 5 minutes, and we were back onboard before 11AM.

 

The DW and I ran to the laundry room to get some wash done. It was great having a laundry room available. We brought our own detergents. Little bottles found in the $1 section of our local Target, where they sell all the travel size items. Both the washer and dryers take $1 in quarters to operate, I also brought a roll of quarters with us, as the change machines are sometimes out or don't work. There are also 4 ironing boards with irons in the laundry room. I would only warn you to put small loads in the dryer, as they took forever to dry a normal load.

 

Well there it is folks the end of the first week. I will try and fill in the second week with areas that I have not yet covered, so it should go much more quickly.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Regards,

 

Chef

[DiTomCruisers]

thanks Chef...

[Richard]

Hi Ira

Looking forward to your second week on the CB. Only wish we could have stayed on also but have to get ready to go to Vegas. How much time do you expect Judy to take off from work anyhow. Glad you enjoyed week one and await week two reading.

 

All the best,

Judy and Richard

[vickie_bernie]

i am really enjoying your review especially the b2b perspective