Caribbean Princess/new & improved

[GrammieK]

Hello,

My husband and I are new to Princess (have cruised Oceania, Renaissance, Holland America, etc) and would love to hear about the Caribbean Princess. We are scheduled to leave 7/26 from NY and can't wait. Any info that you would like to share would be appreciated.

Is "Chef's Table" a must do? Is the Sanctuary as great as it sound - and should we reserve for the whole week?

We have read so many reviews that are either ALL positive or ALL negative. Would love some insght from a Princess pro!

Thanx in advance,

Kathie

[Colo Cruiser]

Hello,

My husband and I are new to Princess (have cruised Oceania, Renaissance, Holland America, etc) and would love to hear about the Caribbean Princess. We are scheduled to leave 7/26 from NY and can't wait. Any info that you would like to share would be appreciated.

Is "Chef's Table" a must do? Is the Sanctuary as great as it sound - and should we reserve for the whole week?

We have read so many reviews that are either ALL positive or ALL negative. Would love some insght from a Princess pro!

Thanx in advance,

Kathie

 

Welcome to CC Kathie, I think the Chefs Table is a must do at least once. What an experience!! The UBD ultimate balcony dinner is a must do too.

We don't do the Sanctuary, like to be out where the action is or at the aft pool. I would view the negative reviews with a grain a salt. Sometimes people just look for the negatives and you can ruin a cruise if you go with ridiculous expectations. You could always find things wrong if you really look. :)

[peedee3400]

Hello,

My husband and I are new to Princess (have cruised Oceania, Renaissance, Holland America, etc) and would love to hear about the Caribbean Princess. We are scheduled to leave 7/26 from NY and can't wait. Any info that you would like to share would be appreciated.

Is "Chef's Table" a must do? Is the Sanctuary as great as it sound - and should we reserve for the whole week?

We have read so many reviews that are either ALL positive or ALL negative. Would love some insght from a Princess pro!

Thanx in advance,

Kathie

 

Hi Grammiek - Welcome to CC. Why don't you join our Roll Call for the 7/26 sailing of the CB. Here is a link to get there: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showt...6502&highlight=

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Greg

[CherylsCaribbeanTravel]

I have a reasonably detailed review in my signature line that contains both positive and areas for improvement on the Caribbean Princess. In addition, there are numerous photos to show the CB after drydock.

 

To answer your questions:

 

1) The chefs table wasn't a must-do for me.

2) I didn't book the sanctuary, but would have if we had several sea days. My recommendation is to tour the sanctuary on embarkation day and go from there. Personally, I was 100% content on the teak lounge chairs with 2 inch cushion at the lotus pool on deck below the sanctuary. The chaise lounge chairs weren't as plush as the sanctuaries, but I was comfy enough to take several naps :).

 

Enjoy your time on the CB. She is a lovely ship and I'd choose her again in a heartbeat.

 

 

Cheryl :)

[beachsidecruiser]

Hello,

My husband and I are new to Princess (have cruised Oceania, Renaissance, Holland America, etc) and would love to hear about the Caribbean Princess. We are scheduled to leave 7/26 from NY and can't wait. Any info that you would like to share would be appreciated.

Is "Chef's Table" a must do? Is the Sanctuary as great as it sound - and should we reserve for the whole week?

We have read so many reviews that are either ALL positive or ALL negative. Would love some insght from a Princess pro!

Thanx in advance,

Kathie

 

I did not go to Chef's Table, but I can say that the Crown Grill is delicious and worth the money. This was my first Princess cruise so I spent the week comparing it to Royal Caribbean. My husband and I had an amazing trip. We did not have one complaint. I was also worried based on all the negative comments that I read; however, I did not encounter any of the issues that others had. I was shocked at all the people who complained about the service. I experienced the exact opposite and found that everyone was friendly and super helpful. They spent the week catering to our every need! Attached the link to the review that I posted.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=54560

 

I hope you have a great trip! I wish I was still on the ship!

[chechebean]

This was our first cruise on Princess, 3 adult women!! We felt the mini-suite didn't provide adequate storage for a 9 day cruise. It felt as though we were constantly waiting for a green light to get from one end of the cabin to the other. Our cabin attendant was very sweet and did grant us all of our requests. Our cabin wasn't as tidy as we have previously experienced on other lines. He apparently didn't think the carpet required vacuuming daily!

 

We enjoyed most of the food with the exception of the Creole night in the Cafe Caribe. Room service was very good, ask for what ever was on the desert menu in the dining room and you will receive it. It was very delicious!!

also, we requested a pitcher of ice tea and we got it. A nice treat to keep in the fridge.

 

Beds were hard and you must ask for an egg crate. Keep the curtains closed on very hot days to maintain a cool temp in your cabin. The tvs are high and require a degree to get the remote to work at a certain height. We loved the idea of having two TV's!!

 

The ship is rather confusing to get around and it does not have a friendly flow for anyone injured or challenged. If you jog, walk or run..no deck that completely goes around the ship. The sanctuary is nice but not totally quiet. Chairs are very comfy, service excellent but an additional cost of $ 20 per day!!

 

We appreciated the non-aggressive behavior of the bar staff, sales staff and photographers. We received excellent service from everyone, eye contact and warm greetings were abundant and we had a constant smile from our cabin attendant.

 

We would sail again on Princess but we will check out the deck diagram more carefully and choose a larger cabin.

 

You will have a grand time on a very beautiful ship!!