Crown princess july 1-8 norway

We booked this cruise because Norway was right on top of our travel list, and we got a great price for an itinerary that suited us. Plus generous OBC from the cruiseline which proved to be like sweet chocolate sauce..

Having cruised earlier, but never with Princess we were unsure what to expect. But we are travelers with the right spirit and enthu so weren't too worried.

The Crown Princess met all of our great expectations (bad literary pun i know!) and exceeded some.

our group had 3 regular balconies and one inside, We loved the wardrobe/storage area, really made for an uncluttered cabin, The inside ( our first time booking one separately for the offspring) was surprisingly spacious, With the same wardrobe/walk in closet area. which I was surprised about - and pleased too with two 20ish modish daughters! major points for me there for booking it!

The ship was beautiful. Yes its not new or very flashy. But we like classy and understated and we enjoyed its ambience and its overall tenor. Grace and comfort with a sprinkling of glamour.

The food has to be the kingpin. After 6 odd cruises we are quite blase about the orgy of excess that defines cruise dining. But Crown Princess just killed the competition here. Best food and best prep ever. Except in one place- more on that later.

Their Head of Dining Neville..and his staff are just fantastic, so is their food.Their main buffet was the best in all our cruises. For the sheer taste of the food. And in our two dinners at the Da Vinci we wre not disappointed either. Was happy to note that he and so many of the team are Indian! Though i did find Princess'' layout a bit confining and cloistered. They should think about opening that up.

The coffees , teas, ice water etc etc was exactly as it should be.The burger and fries joint near the pool was disappointing- HAL does this way way better. and the much touted pizza was just ok we all thought.

The evening entertainment was definitely a weak area. and the dancing later was all too sedate! Nothing like frenetic Bollywood numbers he he!

And we had a free paid dinner option courtesy Princess.. this is the place i alluded to earlier...we made the mistake of booking Sabatinis. Awful. Boring food. Thats the worst thing.Seriously, they should shut down the place and start an edgy Asian fusion restaurant like othetr cruise lines have.

We did miss our first major stop (and one of the reasons we chose this itinerary !) Stavanger. A medical emergency one heard. No recompense. not even one measly drink or coffee. And Princess gave us more than enough grief for even sending a cancellation email to shore excursions booked months in advance.We were asked to pay for those few minutes of internet too- A bit of battle ensued naturally, till they realised just how ridiculous they were being.

All in all we had a lovely time on a great ship with attentive staff.

Ohh and about the OBC.. we all have our own thing to blow up money on.. And it really was nice to order wines with dinner knowing they were paid for..but this is the first cruise.. we got lots of family photos clicked in our formal wear,, and their photographers were exceptional. Its the kind of thing you might think about but almost never do at home. So we used some of that OBC to buy these really beautiful photos. Seriously dont dismiss the idea.

And lastly their onboard shopping is pathetic. Except the alcohol prices toward the end of the cruise. You cant drink it but still a steal!

Princess will be right on top of my search engine options next time i am booking a cruise.

I'm happy you had a wonderful time on one of my ships. :D I'll speak to them about that internet compensation.

Glad you enjoyed your sailing on the Crown!

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Thanks for the review. FYI, there never is compensation for a missed port, on any cruise line. Medical emergencies do happen frequently on cruises. It isn't the cruise line's fault or mistake, so why look for compensation at all?

By the way, I hope that the person who was evacuated is OK...

Thanks for the review. FYI, there never is compensation for a missed port, on any cruise line. Medical emergencies do happen frequently on cruises. It isn't the cruise line's fault or mistake, so why look for compensation at all?

 

By the way, I hope that the person who was evacuated is OK...

They usually will credit you for port fees and taxes for missed port.

We did the two week Baltic that followed on the Crown and loved it and the ship.

Thanks for taking the time to review. It's nice to be finally hearing some positive reviews about the Crown!

:)

Thanks for the review. FYI, there never is compensation for a missed port, on any cruise line. Medical emergencies do happen frequently on cruises. It isn't the cruise line's fault or mistake, so why look for compensation at all?

 

By the way, I hope that the person who was evacuated is OK...

That's not necessarily true. Besides the port charges being refunded, sometimes you are also given a compensation OBC. Case in point: the Pacific Princess just missed Jersey and all onboard were offered $150 OBC yesterday.

Thanks 'cleo30' for the review & we're eagerly anticipating our 14-day Norway cruise on the Sapphire next summer & experiencing all new ports of call.

We've enjoyed Maître d' Neville on several cruises & he was personable & seemed to be everywhere with his highly efficient dining staff.

:D;p

I'm happy you had a wonderful time on one of my ships. :D I'll speak to them about that internet compensation.

So glad some of you enjoyed the read. Oh and i forgot to add that we booked independent shore excursions in all the ports. The options are not too many so its a good idea to do the homework well in advance. I have posted some reviews on TA (same user id) in case anyone needs inputs. Because i had to do a LOT of research to get to the resources/vendors we used. Norway is just breathtaking and I cant imagine anyone not falling in love!

So glad some of you enjoyed the read. Oh and i forgot to add that we booked independent shore excursions in all the ports. The options are not too many so its a good idea to do the homework well in advance. I have posted some reviews on TA (same user id) in case anyone needs inputs. Because i had to do a LOT of research to get to the resources/vendors we used. Norway is just breathtaking and I cant imagine anyone not falling in love!

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. I totally agree with you about Norway. I am looking to book a Norway cruise withinn the next couple of years as long as I get the okay from the boss.....:):D:)

Bob

Enjoyed your review. I am booked on the Sapphire for the Norwegian Fjords July.

What private excursions did you do?

That's not necessarily true. Besides the port charges being refunded, sometimes you are also given a compensation OBC. Case in point: the Pacific Princess just missed Jersey and all onboard were offered $150 OBC yesterday.

We got $200 for a missed port a couple of years ago. Only port we've missed in 20+ cruises.

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. I totally agree with you about Norway. I am looking to book a Norway cruise withinn the next couple of years as long as I get the okay from the boss.....:):D:)

 

Bob

Enjoyed your review. I am booked on the Sapphire for the Norwegian Fjords July.

 

What private excursions did you do?

Pleased to hear that!

This would July 18?

We did a private guided glacier hike on Nigardsbreen glacier in Skjolden, A customised day in Olden which covered the Loen skylift, Lake Lovatnet and Kjenndalbreen glacier. And in Bergen we took the funicular up and walked down and then enjoyed snacks on the waterfront food market.

Three unforgettable days!!

We got $200 for a missed port a couple of years ago. Only port we've missed in 20+ cruises.

Wish we had been so lucky!

Thanks 'cleo30' for the review & we're eagerly anticipating our 14-day Norway cruise on the Sapphire next summer & experiencing all new ports of call.

 

We've enjoyed Maître d' Neville on several cruises & he was personable & seemed to be everywhere with his highly efficient dining staff.

You are sure to love it if you are nature buffs! The ports on our cruise were tiny by themselves but i had planned reasonably full days exploring the area!

That's not necessarily true. Besides the port charges being refunded, sometimes you are also given a compensation OBC. Case in point: the Pacific Princess just missed Jersey and all onboard were offered $150 OBC yesterday.

Thank you for pointing this out.That was my '' impressionistic knowledge'' too!

We got $200 for a missed port a couple of years ago. Only port we've missed in 20+ cruises.

Nice! :)

Thank you for pointing this out.That was my '' impressionistic knowledge'' too!

You're welcome. It happens, but not for us in our experience. We didn't get any compensation when on the Star this past winter when she missed a port. I'm not really sure what their criteria is for compensating passengers. :confused:

This issue of the cost of cancelling private excursions when a ship is forced to miss a port is just one more point to keep in mind when choosing whether to book a private excursion or a Princess excursion. Another point is the ship not waiting for you if your private excursion is late returning to the ship. These things must be weighed against the lower cost of the private excursions.

All of this is what makes planning a cruise properly so interesting and challenging.

This issue of the cost of cancelling private excursions when a ship is forced to miss a port is just one more point to keep in mind when choosing whether to book a private excursion or a Princess excursion. Another point is the ship not waiting for you if your private excursion is late returning to the ship. These things must be weighed against the lower cost of the private excursions.

All of this is what makes planning a cruise properly so interesting and challenging.

After first few cruises where we purchased excursions thru the ship we started doing the vast majority privately. Find them better, cheaper and less crowded. When the ship misses a port a good touring company will know about it.

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. It's good that "overall" you enjoyed the cruise. I am one of the few here who share your opinion in regard to the pizza. Ships with Alfredo's have great pizza but the stuff on Lido deck does nothing for us at all.

Pleased to hear that!

... And in Bergen we took the funicular up and walked down and then enjoyed snacks on the waterfront food market.

Three unforgettable days!!

Did you have a short port time in Bergen? When we were there, we went up and down the funicular and had wanted to walk down, but weren't sure if we would have time since we left at 2. We did the 7 day but are considering the 14 day. If we get back to Bergen, we would like to do the walk down. Was it a time crunch at all to do so? Thanks.

:confused:

Thanks for your review.

Agree that MD Neville is excellent.