Itchy&Scratchy

Day 4 St Thomas dinner desserts I forgot to include with my previous post: Each dinner dessert menu had about 3 different items (at the top) and then Princess Favorites. Princess Favorites are supposed to stay the same, but didn't. Princess Love Boat Dream showed up every day, but the Cheesecake flavor changed. Also, Brie and Fruits stayed the same, but the middle of the dessert menu changed every day - sometimes a cobbler and a creme brulee, sometimes a bananas foster and something else, etc. Sorbet flavor changed every day - I remember lemon, blueberry, raspberry, cranberry, mango... I had the Traditional cheesecake that day and it was very good, but I had to ask for extra berries (not sure this qualifies as extra - in my book what's below is just regular): DH ordered a chocolate and caramel tart, but wasn't too impressed by it.

Back to the day by day review. 🙂 Dominica was our next port. It rained all day. We didn't get off the ship.... 😞 It was our first time in Dominica and we were really looking forward to it, but it literally rained, stopped, rained, stopped, rained, stopped every 10 minutes, and we really don't like rain. A gorgeous island which we hope to see again some day. By the time the ship was ready to leave, it finally cleared up and we took some beautiful photos: We were in some industrial part of the port and that part looked unattractive. There was nowhere to walk around and maybe shop. There was another cruise ship all the way to the right a mile or two away, and other passengers mentioned that that's where they "parked" before and it was much better.

I am so happy you all like my review!!! It means a lot to me! So, let's take a break from food for just a moment and talk about entertainment (major theater productions). Prior to this cruise, we had seen the same old and tired Princess shows many times and weren't ever too impressed or excited about them. We've always cruised with Princess for food and sometimes the itinerary instead. Well, it all changed on this cruise. My guess is Princess is really trying to appeal more to the whole family (and not just the older demographic) and somewhat younger cruisers like us (mid 40s). We didn't see the first night's comedian or the Celine Dion and Elton John tributes, and we have also opted to skip "Heart of Music" with Solomon Jaye. He may have been very good, but we were afraid that it would be the same old style singing with songs from a generation or two before us, and I have a difficult time already with dragging DH and DS to the entertainment venues as it is. We absolutely loved the Rock Opera! Even my DH loved it. It was great, the song variety was great, some from Queen and Freddie Mercury, some from the Greatest Showman musical, etc., it was energetic, visually great, and all that. We showed up around 9 pm and the theater was full, so we had to sit all the way to the left and front - not at all good seats, but that didn't preclude us from enjoying the show. 5 Skies was quite interesting - a musical set in a video game. I thought it would appeal to my 11 yo who is addicted to video games, but he was just meh about it. I loved it, though. DH was ok with it. Much better and more modern dancing and choreography was definitely a way to my heart. And the concept was new. DH chose not to see the Spotlight Bar show, and he regretted it. It was wonderful! Fast paced, lots of dancing and singing, and not from a previous era, but not ultra modern either. It was a good mix of different genres and styles. So, these three shows were much more in line with offerings from RCI and NCL, and I for one was very impressed with the effort and the result. We also went to see "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" with the guest tenor Isaac Matthews, because I was under the impression that he was going to do a lot of Freddie Mercury/Queen songs, like he did during the Rock Opera show. He would have been very good at it and we would have loved it. But I was wrong. He had one Ed Sheeran song and a bunch of other stuff that was mostly unknown to me. We could have skipped it... Our guest magician's luggage was lost, so Jay Mattioli had to scramble some entertaining stuff up from his carry on luggage. I would say he definitely succeeded - we liked his show, even though it was very short on equipment. It was fun and entertaining. We didn't see Jeff Burghart's comedy show - we were tired after a day in Bonaire, and DH and DS thought that they may not be impressed with the impressions if they don't recognize the subjects. I am pretty sure the smaller musical venues had wonderful shows and other people enjoyed them very much, but we opted not to go. We didn't want to be crammed into small spaces after getting covid on our last cruise. All in all, we were very happy with the new direction and contents of the entertainment offered on Enchanted Princess.

I meant - it's not huge. 🙂 But you are right - we never went far left because we thought it was a private resort area. Last time we went to the right (facing the water) under the seagrape trees, but this time the ship had some kind of an engine problem, so we arrived about 2 hours late, and by the time we got to the beach - we had to go to the left (facing the water). I am glad we did, because there is more space and shade that way. We chose a large tree with lots of shade, got our chaises (some people were leaving by then, so other cruisers simply took their chaises for free), and chilled. 🙂 10/10 would recommend. 🙂

absolutely! We travel from Atlanta, so we always start out in at least a sweater and pants (the weather is always different in Atlanta this time a year - ranges from 35F to 75F) and sometimes winter jackets and hats, but by the time we get to FLL or MIA - it's shorts and t-shirt time. And then you go further south. And it only gets warmer. The only place we encountered while cruising that wasn't very warm was Cozumel in December (once). We usually cruise in November and April (school breaks), and it's always lovely. The last two days (sea days) were unbearably hot and humid for me, but DH and DS managed to play ping pong on Lido for a couple of hours straight in that weather. We always bring a sweatshirt/sweater with us for theater and MDR use, and this time we had to use them in the theater as it was a bit chilly. MDR, though, had a pleasant ambient temperature every night. The buffet is very chilly during dinner time in the bistro area, but once you go further down to the end - it's much warmer. During the day on hot days the buffet's AC is working overtime, but barely manages to keep it cool, especially close to both ends when doors to the outdoors keep opening every 10 seconds.

Day 4 continued We had a crab cake which was great, and DH also got a grilled chicken salad appetizer, which he enjoyed very much: The strawberry smoothie was great, but for some odd reason it was served in a bowl instead of a glass: I also had the Tom Kah Gai soup which was lovely and flavorful. DH and I both ordered the rockfish, which was good (not dry), but too spicy for me. I scraped off the cajun seasoning, but it was still more than I could enjoy: sorry for the half eaten state of the dish - sometimes I remembered to use the camera when the food was gone or half eaten... But it shows all the seasoning I scraped off, lol. DH likes spicy food, so he didn't mind. 🙂 DH loved the scallops: and I loved the cauliflower. I also enjoyed the striploin steaks (sans sauce), medium: Garlic fries were very nice, and DH stole some off of my plate. 🙂 DH hated the pork shoulder. Now, this one is very subjective, but DH hates any kind of fat on or in his meat. Texture also plays an important part. He hated it because it had fat (it is a pork shoulder after all) and to him it was also bland and "not good texture": I tried the middle round piece and it was ok, but not something I would order again. At home we use pork shoulder for kebabs and they are great (for me).

Day 4, Tue, St Thomas We love going to Sapphire beach at St Thomas. A lovely, quiet place, not overcrowded. This time, however, we were shocked by the taxi prices - I believe we paid $5 pp last November, and this November the same open air bus is $15 pp to Sapphire beach. Still love the beach, though. We lounge and swim, and then we walk over to the right for photo op. 🙂 and this time we met the cutest little doggo who looks just like our doggo, but about a quarter of our dog's size: Isn't she the cutest dog you've ever seen? Photos don't do her justice. She was beyond adorable. She was adopted from a local shelter. She literally bent over backwards and gave our son sweet kisses. We all squealed with delight!

Monday night, day 3 Mango Mimosa soup was amazing, and DS and I enjoyed the bacon potato soup very much. DH and I had the pate - it was good. I know that I had the quiche and it was great, but I must have forgotten to take any appetizer pics. DS ordered the herbed chicken tagliatelle, but didn't like it. DH ate it for him, but found it just ok or decent. Nothing special. DH and I had the shrimp - wonderful, and I also had the beef tenderloin. It was really wonderful! However, I get all the beef dishes without the sauce, au jus, gravy, etc. I really hate all of them. I love the way beef tastes on its own or just with a bit of spice. I am almost never disappointed. And here is a picture of the crepe station at the back of the buffet: it is an amazing place where the magic happens: you may come over disappointed or underwhelmed by something on the ship, but you will leave a happy person: and all it takes is a little Nutella on your crepe. Don't overdo it. Don't get a ton of different stuff piled on your crepe - the magic is only good when it's simple. 🙂 by the way, the buffet dessert in the background was amazing! but nothing compares to a nutella crepe.

Szechuan shrimp was very good: DH liked the jerk chicken: Dh found the pork dish to be ok:

The next day (Sunday) we were at Princess Cay, the weather was great, water was warm, it was difficult to find any chaises in the shade, because we got off the ship a little late, but we managed. We must have shade because DS is a redhead, and we don't like baking in the sun in general. 🙂 We usually go to the left - more shade. We lounged around, swam, fed the tropical fish some hot dog buns from the dock (better than snorkeling, because they are right in front of you, but you are not struggling to breathe), and then walked around and took some pics. The island buffet was the exact same thing as in all the previous years. Nothing to write home about, but you won't starve. Then it was time to go back (we returned on some of the last boats), and we talked to a lovely Canadian lady who cruised with her mom while standing in line for the tender boats. Dinner that night: I loved the chorizo appetizer - flavorful, but not spicy - an excellent dish: DH loved the roasted pineapple and caprese salad: and DS enjoyed his Caesar salad:

We stopped by the buffet after MDR dinner every night. Mostly, to enjoy the crepes, but I also took pics of random desserts at the Bistro: a lot of them were better than MDR desserts, and some of them were the same as MDR desserts that night.

My next several posts will be mostly about menu, MDR dinners and the entertainment. 🙂 I took pics of almost all the dishes we ordered and I will be posting them shortly with a commentary on each, 🙂 but in short and in general (and please remember that I am a glutton who hates only three things - onions, feta and blue cheese, and I also somewhat dislike tomato sauce): Fettuccine Alfredo was great as always - DS ordered it for EVERY dinner. Every day a different pasta dish was offered in addition to the Fettuccine - the ones we tried were good. Lemon scented ravioli had a good flavor, but were a bit undercooked. Goat cheese souffle - divine (but DH and DS didn't like it). I loved all the beef tenderloins, prime rib, strip steaks, and shrimp dishes. Fish was hit or miss (sometimes very dry). MDR desserts were not very enticing this time, and on a couple of nights we left without ordering anything. We found that buffet desserts were often better than MDR ones on the same night. MDR cheesecakes were great. Crepes in the back of the buffet during dinner time were fabulous. Get a little bit of nutella on them - heavenly. A lot of people overdid it by piling all sorts of toppings (a plethora of offerings). All the cold soups were great, with the exception of cucumber-melon-mint one. No bueno on that one. We tried a lot of appetizer salads and liked them all, but I forgot to take their pics. DS really liked the Caesar salad and had it a couple of times. Pina Colada soup was great, forgot to take a picture. I also remember having the prawns, but they looked and tasted like regular shrimp. I like shrimp and the dish was good. Cognac Crawfish Stew, very good: Texas beef chili was unexpectedly great: very flavorful and unlike any chili we've ever had Barramundi was good:

now that patters are out of the way, I'll start with the more personal stuff. We usually fly in the day of the cruise, but with all the flight cancellations and shortages, we decided not to risk it and fly in the day before. I chose Crowne Plaza because it was a little more modern than Embassy Suites (as in less dusty and old because my DH can't breathe due to allergies) and had a free shuttle. That backfired when the shuttle didn't show up for 1.5 hours, the hotel staff hung up on us 4 out of the 6 times we called, so it was pretty bad and even though the hotel itself was nice, we won't stay there again. Eventually we took a taxi for $25 (too much), but we were exhausted and just wanted to shower and sleep. The next morning I had a leisurely breakfast which we brought with us from home (hotel food prices were ridiculously high) while the boys (DH and DS11) decided to wait until they are onboard. We took an uber to the port around 10:30-11. Uber arrived within 2 minutes of us placing an order and we were at the port about 5 minutes later. Our medallions were not sent to the majority of our roll call fellow travelers' homes, so we picked ours up at the port. It took an extra 30 seconds. We used lovely silicone bands to hold them (from amazon): DS wore a blue camo, DH chose green camo and I chose purple which matched my phone. The bands worked great, but even though my DH's wrist is narrower than mine, he found the band to be too short for him. Embarkation at 11 took very little time and soon we were headed to the buffet. The buffet had a very nice lunch and it wasn't crowded at all. Cabins were ready by the time we were done with the lunch. To our surprise, our luggage was delivered around 2 pm. We played the "mustard grill" on the TV and then stopped by the muster station to get our medallions scanned. After that we chilled and unpacked. The show that night was a comedian, and we chose not to go. A lot of people didn't like him anyway and left before the show ended.

please know that you can book the same excursions directly and usually much cheaper. So, don't despair! It was much worse last November when we HAD to purchase a cruise excursion if we wanted to go ashore, because we had an unvaxxed kid with us. One of the ports changed literally 72 hours before our sailing, so guess how everyone was scrambling to book literally ANYTHING during that time.

I am a very fluffy American... 😞 But we only get a half a spoon of Nutella on our crepes. 🙂 Pure heaven! My DH and DS aren't fluffy... Must be me. But my grandpa with untreated diabetes lived to 85+ and dad with untreated diabetes is 74... My other side of the family was skinny and only one of them made it to 75. There are worse things than diabetes. At least most people with type 2 can say that they have enjoyed getting there. MDR gelato only came in two flavors last week on Enchanted: vanilla and chocolate. One different flavor of sorbet was also offered during dinner. We liked the raspberry flavor. DS very much enjoyed 2 scoops of chocolate gelato during dessert time. people love to judge. 🙂 when I see an enormous sugary concoction, I usually comment like this: "A diabetic coma coming in 3, 2, 1..." but I always mean it about myself. it didn't even look appetizing, unlike your photo.

the same people who did the same with the crepes last week on Enchanted. They piled ALL the toppings on one poor crepe... Monstrosities, indeed.

the computer won't know anything. I had to go to GS to remove mocktails/soda charges from our folio after our kid with the package ordered them on lido deck. The crew charged them to my husband instead by simply taking the room number instead of actually doing the medallion thing/taking a name with the room number.

there was plenty to watch for all three of us. 🙂 We love the free on demand movies Princess offers.

same on Enchanted last week:

we didn't have a problem with sticking around the airport on Tue, Nov 29. We left the ship around 9:15, go to the airport right away, dropped off our luggage with Spirit for our 1:55 pm departure, and then went through security, and firmly planted ourselves at the gate. I read a book for a bit, the boys were on their phones (DH and DS), then DS and I got him a lunch at Steak and Shake, and then it was time to start boarding at 1:10. It's much worse when the return flight is at 5, like it used to be when Spirit temporarily didn't have any mid-day flights. Ugh, that was painful. But pre-pandemic we weren't worried too much about sitting around at the airport for hours. To be honest, during the holidays Spirit's luggage drop off line lasted at least an hour, so we wanted to make sure we had enough time...

Stayed at the Crowne Plaza two weeks ago. Will not stay again... The hotel itself was good, the room clean and spacious, and it actually had a pod coffee maker (we didn't use). But they greatly soured our experience with a 1.5 hour wait for a free shuttle (after a long day) and by hanging up on us 4 out of 6 times when we called to ask if it was still coming. Eventually we took a taxi for $25... When we complained at the front desk at check-in about the unreasonably long wait (the hotel is like 3 blocks away) and the hang ups, we were told to basically get over it, because a free shuttle is not a guaranteed amenity. They said they were super busy at the hotel. We were the only people there! If they told us they were busy and the shuttle would take over 1-1.5 hours, we would have taken a taxi and saved all the aggravation. We were super tired and it was 10 pm when we finally got there. We landed at 7:30! The lady checking us out in the morning was a lot more apologetic and understanding. We took an uber in the morning - took 3 minutes to arrive and about 5 minute drive to the port.