Crown Princess Iceland, Norway & Ireland Review

[Atomica]

Crown Princess July 31-August 12th - Iceland, Norway & British Isles

 

After 12 days of delicious food, fantastic ports, tremendous service and all-around great fun, reality came back in a big way yesterday as we flew from Heathrow to Calgary when the flight attendant announced our meal choices as "Chicken or Fish, but I'd choose the fish if I were you." Ah yes. Life can't be all sunshine and roses, can it?

 

But on this 12-day cruise departing for Norway, Iceland and Ireland, all roundtrip from Southampton, it was exactly that - wonderful in every respect.

 

We've been on Princess three times now, and this was our second time on the Crown, the first being in 2007. The ship was in just as fantastic condition as I remember her, and the crew (some of whom we knew from the Crown & Golden) were helpful and friendly as always. My parents also joined us on this cruise, and this was their third cruise but first on Princess. All of us have been to Europe previously, except for my girlfriend, but none of us had been to these countries before.

 

The ship was wonderful, the crew were wonderful, and the food, particularly in the buffet, was great with an excellent variety.

 

Favorite places onboard: Vines, the International Cafe, and Adagio.

 

Ports:

 

We generally did our own thing here. We heard positive and negative things about the shore excursions offered by Princess, and I think it really is personal preference as to whether Princess or independent tours offer better value.

 

BERGEN:

A free shuttle from the port to the center of Bergen was offered, and was fantastic, dropping passengers within easy walking distance of all major attractions, including historic Bryggen, which is a must-see in Bergen.

 

OLDEN:

Post-card beautiful. Heard a lot of grumbling that there's not a lot here, and that's true - there isn't. But there is a fantastic church, and more beautiful trails/roads/hills than you can shake a stick at. We took a small 'train' shuttle that took us farther inland and really enjoyed it. One interesting note: there are a TON of wasps here. I don't know what it is, but they are EVERYWHERE. I hate wasps. I can do spiders, but not wasps, so I spent a lot of my day on 'high alert' here!

 

GEIRANGER:

The fjord alone would be worth it, but the town has a lot of neat little tourist shops and fantastic cafes. It's worth a hike up the highway to the church at the top of the hill. It's a trek, but you'll be glad you did it.

 

ALESUND:

Very pretty town. We generally contented ourselves with walking all over the town and soaking in the history. My dad did hike to the lookout perched high above the town, and said it was very worthwhile. Walking from the ship to the lookout and back only took about two and a half hours.

 

AKUREYRI:

Again, did our own thing. Walked all around the town and up to the amazing botanical gardens. The port time here was 7am to 2pm, and I would have loved to have seen a full-day call here.

 

REYKJAVIK:

There's so much to do here they could probably make this a full-day or an overnight call. My mom opted to go whale watching with Princess, and she said the excursion wasn't bad, but only one whale was sighted. She wasn't terribly impressed when I saw five off the stern of the ship as we sailed for Belfast the next day.

 

My dad, girlfriend and I booked an independent horseback ride with Ishestar (http://www.ishestar.is/). We did the Lava Tour, and enjoyed ourselves very much. The landscape in Iceland is incredible, and this horseback ride on traditional Icelandic horses was a great way to take it in. It poured rain in the morning here, but by the time we made it to the riding center, the rain had stopped.

 

BELFAST:

A strong contender for my favorite port. We arranged a private tour that took the four of us to the Giants Causeway, Dunlunce Castle, Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, the Glens of Antrim, the Vanishing Lake, and more little towns and villages than I can possibly remember. It was a nine-hour tour and every minute was fantastic.

 

SOUTHAMPTON:

Pre-cruise stayed at the DeVere Grand Harbour. It was a nice hotel - service in the bar/lounge was amazingly slow - but the staff were friendly and the beds/rooms very comfortable and large, particularly for the UK. Every Brit I talked to seems to hate the place with unrestrained passion, but we enjoyed ourselves and would stay there again.

 

We used Woodford Chauffeur Cars both pre-and-post cruise and can't say enough good things about them. They took the stress out of wondering how to get from Heathrow to Southampton and vice-versa. Both times drivers were waiting for us, whisked us and our luggage off, and we were on our way. After a nine-hour flight from Canada, I didn't want to be crammed into a motorcoach or have to deal with trains. Post cruise we also worked in a tour of Winchester before heading off to Heathrow.

 

http://www.woodfordchauffeurcars.co.uk/

 

The only thing I want to say about this voyage is this: if you have been to Europe a hundred times, you will find this voyage unique and interesting. If you have never been, as was the case with my girlfriend, it will amaze and frequently overwhelm you. I can't fathom going to the Caribbean or the Mexican Riviera after this cruise. Both of those are nice, but they cannot hold a candle to hiking in the Norwegian Fjords, exploring the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland, or seeing the Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik. Suffice it to say this was one of our best cruises ever.

 

If anyone has any specific questions about the ship, itinerary, or cruise in general I'll do my best to answer!

[Punchie]

It sounds like a wonderful trip! Someday....

 

Who did you do the tour with in Belfast? Would you recommend them?

[SeaTheWorldBySea]

Aaron, thanks for your review! We're going next year.:D

 

I too would love to know who you used for your private tour in Belfast.

[sunsetbeachgal]

AAron,

 

What a great sounding trip...we have been ot Bergen on a Princess cruise and absolutely loved it (everything except the prices that is-Norway is Expensive!!), and I think we will have to explore this itinerary for a future cruise!

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the review.

[LegalEagle2012]

Hi all

 

I have to echo much of what has been said above by the OP and have just a few points to add.

 

This was our first Princess cruise and we were not disappointed. We were lucky enough to get a late visit from the upgrade fairy and we moved to Dolphin 203 in a Mini suite which was just fab. We had no problems with the uncovered balcony and, in fact, on this sort of itinerary I certainly would prefer it.

 

We were blessed with fairly good weather and similar seas. Although the move from a midships balcony to a forward mini seemed to upset my daughters on one evening - the transit from Norway to Iceland which was our roughest night.

 

My husband and I enjoyed the Chef's Table - not quite fine dining - but a pleasant experience with food a plenty - a little more wine would have been good though LOL!

 

We did ships tours in Olden, Akureyri and Gerainger and, unfortunately, would not recommend the Hiking The Westeras tour at all - the guide did not guide, left at least one third of the party behind as he raced up the mountain and then omitted to check on them when we all finally met up. I made a written complain on board and am taking this up further with Princess.

 

We did our own think with NCTom in Rekyavik and had a great day with David from Iceland Horizon beating all the tour buses to the best places and giving an incite into life in Iceland as well. I would not hesitate to recommend him.

 

We took our own taxi in Belfast and managed to get to places that others did not. We went to the Giant's Causeway, Ballymoney, Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge, had a viewing of some of the Tall Ships in another small seaside town and also had a good insite in to the "Troubles" during a visit to the Falls and Shankill Roads in Central Belfast. We saw the Glens of Antrim too and made some other stops at small towns along the way with points of interest to note.

 

The Ship - a beautiful vessel with a dedicated crew and many thanks to the Captain, Nick Nash, Cruise Director James Ibrahim, and the four other senior officers and Maitre' D's who graced us with their presence at our Meet and Greet on our first sea day - this was truly appreciated by the 30 CCers that attended. Our Gift Exchange was well supported with about 14 gifts.

 

We managed to get a mention for our Second Meet and Greet on the Morning Show with James and he mentioned what a dedicated lot we were on this website. The Captain also said that comments - good and bad - from this site concerning the Crown are emailed out to him from Head Office regularly too!

 

The productions shows were good with some of the best costuming and scenery we have seen in crusing with several different lines. Activities were good too although my family would have preferred some that were a little more active.

 

The majority of cruisers on this trip were British and there were also many elderly and disabled cruisers using mobility scooters - but this did not upset the balance and everyone seemed to mix well. At times the Horizon Court was very busy and it was hard to find tables. We had no issues with Anytime Dining and used both the Michaelangelo and Da Vinci Dining Rooms without ever having to wait for a table for four.

 

We did find some waiters that we liked and ate at their table on a few nights. On other nights the service did seem very slow and so we made reservations for Table 285 in Michaelangelo with Won and Frederick and entered a comment card for them as they were superb at their job.

 

I would also add that I spoke to several people on the ship, both from the US and the UK, and was interested to note that they said they had enquired at the Passenger Services Desk with regard to adjusting - up or down I do not know - their discretionary Hotel Charge. When enquiring they were given a sheet of paper that said that this could not be handled at the desk but that they would have to attend an interview with a member of the admin staff at at appointed time. I spoke to someone who had attended and he said that some of the staff were "grilling" people as to why they wished to make an adjustment. Others, he said, just seemed to get what they want! This person said that he always tips in person, had traditional dining, and on his past Princess cruises had been able to tip in person after making his wishes known at the desk! He was not happy at being interviewed in this way and said that he heard several people say how unhappy they were.

 

If I can think of anything more to add I will post again

 

Karen

[Shogun]

Nice to see Crown is up to its normal high standards.

 

yours Shogun

[Atomica]

I would also add that I spoke to several people on the ship, both from the US and the UK, and was interested to note that they said they had enquired at the Passenger Services Desk with regard to adjusting - up or down I do not know - their discretionary Hotel Charge. When enquiring they were given a sheet of paper that said that this could not be handled at the desk but that they would have to attend an interview with a member of the admin staff at at appointed time. I spoke to someone who had attended and he said that some of the staff were "grilling" people as to why they wished to make an adjustment. Others, he said, just seemed to get what they want! This person said that he always tips in person, had traditional dining, and on his past Princess cruises had been able to tip in person after making his wishes known at the desk! He was not happy at being interviewed in this way and said that he heard several people say how unhappy they were.

 

I also heard this and saw quite a bit of it during my later travels to the Passenger Services Desk, with many people becoming visibly upset. This really surprised me, as it was something I hadn't seen a lot of (except on our 2-day NCL cruise, and that's another story!).

 

This gets into the whole ugly 'tipping' issue that seems to be such a hot-topic here, but as I understand it: the piece of paper was a response intended to curb, as much as possible, people from simply ducking out on their tips. It happens; Princess knows it happens; and this was the solution. The flip side to this, however, is that for everyone who has every intention of tipping but wants to do it on a personal level, the letter comes as an added insult.

 

What's the solution? I'm not sure. This is a tough issue to please 3,100 people on.

 

Thanks to OsmondFan for the additional review!

[Atomica]

Aaron, thanks for your review! We're going next year.:D

 

I too would love to know who you used for your private tour in Belfast.

 

You and me both - it's probably just the jet-lag, but I cannot remember the name of the company for the life of me. I can tell you all the people we worked with, but the company is just not coming. My girlfriend's got the business card & all details on her laptop, so I will post the details as soon as possible, because they really were fantastic and went out of their way for us at every turn.

[Atomica]

Nice to see Crown is up to its normal high standards.

 

yours Shogun

 

And then some!

 

Enjoy your trip in October on the KP!

[SeaTheWorldBySea]

You and me both - it's probably just the jet-lag, but I cannot remember the name of the company for the life of me. I can tell you all the people we worked with, but the company is just not coming. My girlfriend's got the business card & all details on her laptop, so I will post the details as soon as possible, because they really were fantastic and went out of their way for us at every turn.

 

lol - I often can't remember what day it is by the time we get home from our world travels! I'll watch for you to post the info here when you get it. Thanks!

[rdsqrl]

Thanks so much for the review, Atomica (and you, too, OsmondFan). It really sounds like an amazing itinerary. What were the temps like each day?

[thmpsn]

Thanks for a great review. I will be waiting to hear who you used for a tour in Belfast. We will be on the Crown next summer and would like to do a private tour just like the one you took.

Karon

[caribill]

Thanks for a great review. I will be waiting to hear who you used for a tour in Belfast. We will be on the Crown next summer and would like to do a private tour just like the one you took.

Karon

 

Last year we were on a great tour organized by a CC member. The tour was by

Caroline Cooke, Mini-Coach Travel +44 (0) 28 9077 7440 rodneyandcaroline@hotmail.co.uk

 

Description:

We will pick you up from the ship at 8.00am and travel along the breathtaking North Antrim Coast Road. We have a photo stop at the world famous Carric-a-rede Ropebridge, and then the main stop of the day is at Giants Causeway, when we also have time for lunch. We then travel back inland to Belfast, where we have time for a tour of the city before returning to the ship.

[Atomica]

OK! Here is the company we used in Belfast: Ireland Belfast Taxi Tours

 

http://www.irelandbelfast.com/

 

Very highly recommended. They assisted us every step of the way, and asked us what we wanted to see, and also made helpful suggestions. We knew we wanted to take in the Giant's Causeway, but we ended up seeing so much more, including three tall ships docked in Ballycastle. You can't get that sort of flexible tour experience from a bus tour.

[Pam in CA]

I would also add that I spoke to several people on the ship, both from the US and the UK, and was interested to note that they said they had enquired at the Passenger Services Desk with regard to adjusting - up or down I do not know - their discretionary Hotel Charge. When enquiring they were given a sheet of paper that said that this could not be handled at the desk but that they would have to attend an interview with a member of the admin staff at at appointed time. I spoke to someone who had attended and he said that some of the staff were "grilling" people as to why they wished to make an adjustment. Others, he said, just seemed to get what they want! This person said that he always tips in person, had traditional dining, and on his past Princess cruises had been able to tip in person after making his wishes known at the desk! He was not happy at being interviewed in this way and said that he heard several people say how unhappy they were.

Many people who remove the auto-tip and tip individually are unaware that by doing so, the tip goes into the pool anyway. Something else that people aren't aware of is that if people remove the auto-tip, it could affect their cabin steward's or waitstaff's performance review. Unless Princess knows why the person is removing the auto-tip, it's assumed that they are not performing well. I think it's a good thing for Princess to attempt to find out why people are removing the tip, if only so it doesn't affect the performance review of the steward or waitstaff. Those people who were unhappy might be appalled that they were doing harm to the people serving them so I think this is a good thing.

[Okiguy]

We've used the automatic tips since they were initiated. However, I've heard that tipping is not common in Europe and Great Britain, and that British cruisers particularly object to tipping anyone. If this is true, it might be the source of the 'Drop the tip" movement.

 

Can anyone from Canada or Britain confirm this? Or is it just a cruise ship rumor?

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

[maiseric]

We've used the automatic tips since they were initiated. However, I've heard that tipping is not common in Europe and Great Britain, and that British cruisers particularly object to tipping anyone. If this is true, it might be the source of the 'Drop the tip" movement.

 

Can anyone from Canada or Britain confirm this? Or is it just a cruise ship rumor?

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

We always use the automatic tipping but in general us Brits do object to tipping, bet I get shot down in flames now!

Liz

[Woobstr112G]

Aaron;

 

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. We had a similiar itinerary planned for next month on the Emerald. Getting the time off at work was a problem however and we had to change our plans to cruising in October. This one is definetely on our radar for a future cruise.....:):):)

 

Bob

[LegalEagle2012]

In response to some of the questions above -

 

Belfast - we used taxitours - they take you around in authentic black or grey cabs and we got to see all that Atomica did plus we went over and back on the ropebridge and stopped in Ballycastle for chips and to see the tall ships and also in Cairnlough on the way back to see a hotel built for Winston Churchill's Mother. I have the email if anyone wants it and we were charged by the hour.

 

Temperatures were fine on this trip - we had some quite warm days especially in Geiranger and Olden. The pools and decks were in use most days by many people and we only had choppy seas on the transit from Norway to Iceland. I would say, however, that I felt decidedly more vibration and movement on the Crown than on any other ship I have been on - and in in higher seas too! The vibration at the rear of the ship - particularly in the Teen and Kids Clubs - even when the ship was in port - was enough to make my children not want to attend!

 

Aside from that we had a fantastic time and took out the Future Cruise Credit option too!

 

Also - the info sheet given out regarding alteration of the hotel charges, provided not just for lowering or removal of the sum but also increasing the sum - so I do not think it was intended just for those who wanted to remove the tips and do so individually. The people I spoke with were more upset that they were made to stand in line for over 30 minutes on the final sea day, at an appointed time, and made to feel like they were being "grilled" simply when all they wanted was some clarification on the matter!!

 

Karen

[Atomica]

We've used the automatic tips since they were initiated. However, I've heard that tipping is not common in Europe and Great Britain, and that British cruisers particularly object to tipping anyone. If this is true, it might be the source of the 'Drop the tip" movement.

 

Can anyone from Canada or Britain confirm this? Or is it just a cruise ship rumor?

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

 

Not just a cruise ship rumor - there is quite a bit of truth to that.

 

Tipping is a personal and often cultural matter; I know I was shocked at how frequently people are expected to tip in New York City - I couldn't even use a restroom without having to tip someone in order to get paper towels and soap!

 

On a cruise, we like the auto-tip and have never felt the need to adjust it. Depending on your cultural background, you might wish to dole the tips out as you see fit, and frankly, whether people here want to admit it or not, some people DO try to remove the tips with the intention of stiffing the staff - and it's not just Europeans doing that either, hence the letters they've began sending out. I never saw the sheet though, so I would imagine it was only sent out after passengers requested the tips be removed.

[Atomica]

Temperatures were fine on this trip - we had some quite warm days especially in Geiranger and Olden. The pools and decks were in use most days by many people and we only had choppy seas on the transit from Norway to Iceland. I would say, however, that I felt decidedly more vibration and movement on the Crown than on any other ship I have been on - and in in higher seas too! The vibration at the rear of the ship - particularly in the Teen and Kids Clubs - even when the ship was in port - was enough to make my children not want to attend!

 

That's very interesting - we never really noticed the vibration in the aft of the ship until we were up past Deck 16 (but it was there).

 

In general, I thought the Crown handled the slightly choppy seas we had very well. Holland America's Vista-class ships roll all over the place in even the slightest seas, so we were impressed how well the Crown rode it out. I've been in 35-foot seas once, though, so maybe I can't feel it anymore!

[Woobstr112G]

Little late, but thanks for taking the time to post the review.....:):):)

 

Bob

[18wanderer63]

My family and I also used Ireland Belfast Taxi Tours during our port call on the Crown Princess and we had an exceptional experience! This was the 17th day of our vacation and we were starting to feel it but Sean, our guide and driver, perked us right up with his humor, knowledge of the area, and friendliness. He had asked about our interests beforehand and took us to places to match them, especially a small beach with caves for our 10-year-old who was tired of spectacular scenery and needed some "kid time". I would recommend them highly.:)