lynwar

Hello,

My name is Lynne and I'm a friend of CGTNORMANDIE. He recently told me to check into this fun and interesting thread along with some others.

My husband and I sailed with him and his family in 2005 as part of a group that met on CC.  I will add, sticking to the initial theme of this thread, that we sailed on the HAL Zeiderdam (sp) in 2003 out of Ft. Lauderdale. The crew was still mostly Indonesian, and we observed constant crew training on the ship, especially in the buffet area. A resident where I worked from late 1998-2011, really enjoyed the Princedam? I believe she was in port with us in Barbados during one of our cruises.

The last time we were in St. Maarten, that block where  the courthouse faced  the pier was still there, but it was more full of cafes and boutique stores. In 2001, it still had a casino there. We walked the length of the main street in Phillipsburg in the early days. Last time, it was a long walk from where we docked (we discovered) and there were many stores and a wide boardwalk by the beach/ water, with several kiosks full of souvenir merchandise. We decided to take a cab back to the ship when we were finished for the afternoon.

Some relatives of mine in Canada worked for the Cunard line. Do I remember correctly that the Queen E and Queen Mary were part of that line? I think that many ships sailing from NYC now depart from Pier 88. We've had the opportunity to sightsee in the City because my son works there and took us on a personal tour. So, I can say that I've seen the Statue of Liberty up close now, too.

I've enjoyed reading your earlier stories, but cut to the last page to check in.  My husband's first cruise was on the Flavia, as well. 

Take care, and I don't think you have trouble with your memories of your cruise adventures, lol.

Lynne

Hi, Everyone,

I'm so happy that CGTNORMANDIE started this thread. He has so many great stories to tell. We are friends of his who sailed with him and his wife in 2005, and plan to have a reunion cruise with him and other friends from the same sailing in September. I'm enjoying reading about all of your memories, as they make the cruise come to life. It is great that many of you have kept your souvenirs over the years, too. I have kept many of mine, including the pin CGTNORMANDIE presented to our group at the start of that 2005 voyage. Trevor and I are way behind all of you in our cruising experiences, only starting in 1998 (although, he was on the Flavia in 1974), never getting out of the Caribbean islands. LOL. However, I believe that we are all in the same cruising "club".

The ships today have their own personalities, as well, but none compare to the ships of old. The special attention given to each passenger is no longer there and so many traditions have ceased to exist.

Take care for now, and let the memories continue. Lynne

Thank you, Chris!

I followed Dave's "Live" report from the Royal, like many others. HI DAVE! He gave us great insight into that beauty. I'm looking forward to following your cruise, as well.

I found your link on our Regal Princess January 24, 2016 roll call. Your photos were right there, but then something changed and all i get are the links.... I had to log in, as well. They go into downloads, one at a time.

Ft. Lauderdale is our home away from home, and whenever we visit, we go across from the Princess terminal, under the bridge, to see the ships. The Pier 66 is "right there". LOL. Thanks for the photos. Your views are wonderful.

Here's hoping your burn is healing well by now and you are enjoying your cruise. Our Regal cruise is the 7 day itinerary, to St. Maarten and St. Thomas.

Take care. Lynne

I wish I could twitch my nose and all the CB problems would go away. It's a shame that she's apparently aging the way she's been reported.

We must have been totally oblivious to many of the bad things because our cruise was fine. Or, I should say that we didn't encounter anything similar to the conditions noted.

Best of luck to you, and I hope you will go back (come back?) to the Caribbean Princess at a later time. Happy Cruising. :)

Lynne

Hi,

Thanks for posting. I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise for the most part. There are always a couple of things that aren't overly perfect, like water up on the floor on Lido Deck after a rain, lol.

I hope you got to see Bert Stratton in Crooners during your week. He got off the ship on 4/18 for a well deserved break before he changes to another ship for the Summer. He is really a great guy.

So, now the ship is on her transatlantic cruise to the Baltics. I saw her leave Port Everglades, unaware that it was her TA so it was kind of bittersweet. She'll be returning to Houston, I believe. We were on her in Sept. 2014, and before that in Sept. 2004. She's a special ship.

Take care for now and enjoy your upcoming cruises.

Lynne

I loved Marigot! Sadly, we were on a bus tour so didn't get to scout around much. However, I got my shot by the Vin En Rose Restaurant, just for the sake that it was for a now deceased French resident of the retirement center where I worked. That was his favorite song. He'd even had a cassette tape of French songs made for me (before CDs). I could just hear his voice in my ear and was happy to silently say, "I made it" with a big smile. Our quest for the stop was to find a Cuban cigar for our next door neighbor that was down another side street. I hope to get close to the marina in January when I'm there again with a friend. I'll have to schedule the trip again for an excursion.Thanks for the photos.

Phillipsburg was all different from the first time we visited there. Way back when, it was all open by the Courthouse and one would turn left to the beach and there was a casino on the corner. (where I waited outside for quite awhile while hubby attempted to get lucky). We walked all the way to the end of the main street, where a church was located. This last time, we walked in from the ship and discovered that if we turned left we ended up at a little restaurant on the corner by the boardwalk! In fact, it was a spot where there was sand around it before the broader sidewalk took over. We must have walked up and down that boardwalk for two hours looking for "something". LOL. We did break down and take a taxi back to town.

I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Your daughter's hat is "cool". Also, glad that you got to see Bert with an E in full performance mode on formal night. He really needs those "therapy" days. Have you gone into Bert Withdrawal yet? Ha Ha.

Your review, report, travelogue, etc. Is terrific.

Lynne

Hi,

LOVE the video. It made me so homesick for the ship. Thanks for the shot of Crooners, one of my favorite places.

I saw the CB depart Pt. Everglades last Saturday not realizing it was the start of her TA voyage. Wow..... she'll return to Houston, I think. Bittersweet. I hope to be able to sail on her again some day; it was 10 years between cruises this last time.

Thanks, again, for the good memories.

Lynne

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!! We were on the Caribbean Princess Sept. 20-29, 2014 for the second time. The first time was Sept. 18-25, 2004!!! So it was a reunion for us and I felt right at home.

We aren't snorkelers or go to the specialty restaurants so I'm enjoying your experiences with them. Hubby would undoubtedly choose Sabatini's for Italian food, while my choice would be the Crown Grille for steak!! Most of the week we hang out in the Horizon Court/Cafe Caribe areas, and Aft Terrace pool space to eat. I think we went to the MDR once, on the first formal night. As for the water, he'd like to go in one of the hot tubs or pool but I'm not a water person, except for 15 decks above it. :D

Per Princess Cays-we've gone over most of the time and walked around and eaten the buffet food, but then head to the Lido deck once back at the ship. One time, there was some entertainment in the tiki hut bar area that we enjoyed while rocking in one of the rocking chairs. On our CB cruise, they were all taken so ended up at a picnic bench which was OK, too.

I'm glad that you saw Bert with an E ! We missed him in 2004 because of Hurricane Jeanne (yes, that was our week) when most regular staff was on a break and finally caught up with him in Sept. I was certainly "Bertified" and became a groupie. I totally agree that he is a fine musician that many people don't appreciate because all they see is his more manic performance. Did you know that he's co-authored church anthems? Our choir sang one of his pieces during Holy Week. I will be taking a friend on his Bert Cruise on the Regal during the week of January 24-31, 2016. So good!

Anyway, thanks for your wonderful review. I just wanted to get in my two cents now, and then will continue reading.

Lynne

Hi,

Bert calls Crooners his "living room". :) From what I understand, he's in the Explorer's Lounge on longer cruises. We were on board for 9 days and he was in the Lounge once. It was a combination of a 5 and 4 day B2B cruise. I'm glad you enjoyed him. And, I was one of those who stayed until the end....his second set was very mellow after the first show, and was primarily him playing the piano unless he had a request that just "had" to be sung to do it justice. LOL. So, it was close to 1:00 before we left. I stood at the post the first time, then found seats inside by going early-and ran into the same "groupies" every night. One night, I was in the corner to his left-but front row. He is now off the ship and will be performing on the Star Princess on the Alaska itinerary for the Summer.

Your carpet situations were something else!! Wow. Thankfully, we haven't had something like that happen to us. Glad it was resolved to some degree.

Take care for now. Lynne

Hi

Thanks for your continuous descriptive review. I'm sorry the Crab Shack didn't work out for you. We didn't even try to book it. And, I wouldn't have been able to eat the Manhattan Clam Chowder because it's tomato based. My hubby is pretty particular about his food, but probably would have booked the steak house because I really like steak!! :)

The resort sounded nice. I'm glad you had a good day there.

We have sailed on the Emerald out of Port Everglades twice already so it sounds as if she getting rotated back over there. She is a favorite of ours.

You sound like you've kept yourselves busy on your cruise. I've not gone into a hot tub yet, and probably wouldn't alone, so probably would have felt a bit nervous if the younger folks had come to join me, too. But, like you, would have been happy to talk with them if they engaged in conversation.

Take care for now. I'll check in again, soon. Lynne

Hello,

We were on at Grand Turk on one of our recent cruises. Just arriving at the pier and seeing that beautiful white beach was a thrill. We took a sightseeing tour and went into "town". The bus stopped at a small store where we could buy drinks and souvenirs and get a photo op. The house colors were in in blues and pinks, maybe gray, as I recall. I think we stopped by Margaritaville, too, but didn't stay long.

I don't know if the Regal Princess will stop there next January if she is going on the Eastern Itinerary, but I'm sure we'll be back there at some point.

Yes the Caribbean Princess is a "good ole gal" and I will sail on her whenever I get the chance.

I look forward to your continuing reports. :) Lynne

BTW-my dad and stepmother lived in Toronto for many years-up north,around Yonge and Eglington. I remember driving up Mt. Pleasant....he's passed on and she now lives in Burlington. Toronto holds many good memories for me.

Thank you, northerndynasty, :)

When I really get desperate, I actually read through the brochures we continually get just to look at the pictures. :D

Many times my husband has told me that we won't be cruising that year and I'll say, "OK". Then it will be HE who starts shopping around for deals. That's how we found the 9 day Caribbean Princess in 2014. And, it turned out to be a terrific cruise. for me, especially. We became friends with the entertainer in Crooners, and stay in contact with him along with many of his other friends. And, he does personally checks in from time to time which is nice.

I won't start getting overly excited about this upcoming Regal cruise until around Christmas. LOL. By then, the final payment will have been made, my cabin mate will have her passport, and we'll be talking about what we'll be taking to wear, etc. She is more of a planner than I am... so it will start to get interesting.

Having been on the Royal Princess after Dave's tremendous review and insights, I will be looking forward to the tweaks and upgrades to the Regal. But, aside from that, will be on this ship, which I didn't expect i'd be because Hubby thought it was too big for him. He's not going, unless my friend has an unexpected calamity.

So, bye for now. it's time for a walk so I can begin to think about fitting into some cruise clothes again. :rolleyes".

Lynne

The star-gazing class sounds neat. We have so many stars in the sky outside our house in Florida some nights. On one of my son's visit, we were driving home from somewhere and he pulled over and said, "Mom, look at all those stars up there"....he loves them, too. Now whenever I go out and look up at them, I think of him. He lives in NJ, about 40 minutes from NYC, so I'm not sure if he gets to have a good view of them either. I know that that class will always be special to you.

That Mardi Gras party looked like fun. It's a good enough reason to have one.:D

Til next time..... Lynne

We've not had much trouble with our cabins, but haven't been on a really short cruise, either. Our Royal Princess cabin was OK. I will be on the Regal with a group in January 2016 so will pay attention. I know my first time cruiser cabin mate will be paying attention to everything. :) She'll be observing (as a retired police officer) all that she can since it will be a new experience for her. It should be interesting.

I'm happy that your experience was mostly positive. Nothing is perfect, as we've all learned. We've never come across a cruise that was completely bad. :)

We live 2 1/2 hours from the port so usually go down the day of the cruise. We've had our "fun" with the lines, too. Hubby usually tries to find the "preferred" line as soon as he gets to me after parking the car. We've also had staff give conflicting directions as to where to go or give the health form to--"over there'. This last time, we were held in a line while other preferred folks went ahead. We are Platinum, I will add.

I rely on the webcam to see the ships come and go, but the season will be over soon, so I will have the PCD, too. I've been treading water since our last cruise in Sept. 2014.

Anyway, thank you for your good reviews. They are appreciated very much.

Hi, Dave!!

Lynne

Hi,

Bert was still on the ship, all right. :D He departed today after being on for 7 weeks, I believe. He goes for that long, then takes a break for a few weeks before returning. He will be on a different ship and itinerary during the summer, with the same set up before returning to the Caribbean Islands in the fall. I don't think the Caribbean Princess will be returning to Ft. Lauderdale after it goes on its transatlantic cruise.

Yes, most contracts are for 6 months, I think, but performers constantly come and go from what I've seen. Like they'll get on at an island, perform for a few nights or set time and then leave. Someone can correct me who is more knowledgeable about such things. :)

It was interesting timing in that I went to a Princess forum somewhere after I saw that you were going to the Piano Man, and someone wrote in and asked if Mark was still around doing it!!!

Take care for now. Lynne

That was the same overview excursion we took. I think Bluebeard's or some pirate's castle was next door to the Megens Bay stop. We were in an open air bus and our driver's name was Andrew. He was really neat. And, when one couple was late getting back to the bus, he made them do a little dance in the view of all of us before he'd let them on. :D It was all in good fun.

I knew my friend was going to be on the ship. The photo shot I got was of the Epic going across the opening of the Crown Point docking area from Havensight, It was too far away and the ship looked like a large ant. Ha Ha.

It's always nice to run into friends on future cruises, and crew members, too.

That's part of why we all continue to cruise. It's like one big family.

Lynne

I really enjoy St. Thomas when we go. We don't do much but it seems so welcoming to me. When we sail away after our day there, all those buildings and homes have lights twinkling. It's like a lot of stars shining to send us on our way. Your pictures are amazing.

St. Maarten, at night, is about the same way. Magical.

On our first cruise on our own, in 2001, we sailed to St. Thomas and took a sightseeing trip around the island. I enjoyed that. We seldom spend the money on excursions. I've always enjoyed going through the stores at Havensight. We tried to walk into town once but found it was way too far for us. LOL. We've been at Crown Bay a couple of times now, which is like an outlet area. While on a cruise a couple of years ago, I waved at the Epic as she was leaving...who had a friend from church on her!! She was on her singles cruise. it was fun to know I had someone from home aboard her. We could swap stories.

Thanks for the memories. I know I will remember your photos when I'm there in January.

Lynne

Hi, again,

I just caught up with the part I missed before I posted. We went on the ship tour to the turtle farm, Hell, etc. We had another couple with us who were our hosts for the cruise in 1998 and got us forever interested in cruising, so the experience was a bit different, I guess. I don't remember Tortuga, but we did go to the Turtle Farm and walked around the "pools" of turtles and held one, and saw a big iguana in a cage. We went through a building, I think, that had some sort of food. We weren't about to eat turtle soup. :eek: Our friend, Jorge, also had his picture taken next to the standup devil in hell. The picture of him is still in our collage of pictures. And, there was the deck with the ruins behind it. And, we had stop at the 7 Mile Beach and walked around there. I don't remember a promised beach stop at the end. But, it sounds like you made the best of it. Our first try at buying a meal at a restaurant, at the Hard Rock Cafe, I think, sure opened our eyes to the prices there. We just order a drink-beer and diet coke (that came in a can. lol).

Who was the Piano Man? Was he different than Bert Stratton in Crooners? I don't remember him doing Elton and Billy and Barry. His signature is "Sweet Caroline"-audience participation to start...

I am thoroughly enjoying how you write. :)

Hi There,

Welcome! You are hearing from many cruisers who post regularly about this ship and others. Now you are part of the group. In fact, I believe that Paul929207 was part of an Emerald Princess cruise we were going to be on in 2007. :)

Anyway, thank you for the kind words about the Caribbean Princess. We were on her during her inaugural season in September 2004, then, because of a great offer for 9 days, were aboard her exactly 10 years later in September 2014. It was like returning home. I just thoroughly enjoyed being on her.

I got to "know" the guy who served the brats/french fries, etc.. next to where the pizza was served. Let's just say that he recognized me after a couple of times at the counter. Hubby eats pizza, but I do not, so I'd wander over to the brats area. That's what's great about the staff; they get to know you after awhile and then you feel like a million bucks after that. We frequented the Horizon Court often (mostly) and enjoyed sitting out by the Terrace Pool, aft, to eat. It was also a great hideout during the afternoon-and ooh, the sunsets back there.

I am thoroughly enjoying your review. We live 2 1/2 hours north of the port-Central Florida, right in the middle of the state and that ride is long enough. :D If we stay down in Ft. Lauderdale for a weekend, we try to stay at the Beach Patio Resort, or the Ocean Sea Resort, that has The Deck restaurant attached to it--north of the port. It sounds like you found a great deal for your needs, though, with breakfast provided.

Take care for now. Hello to all fellow posters!

Lynne

golfb4cruzing,

I'm sorry. However there are other venues on line where you can find him and say hello. ;) He likes to hear from his fans. I watched the sail away again today. Many of us who have been on the CB feel as if she's OUR ship. :)

I hope you enjoy your cruise. Lots of laughs, good food.. happy times. :)

Lynne (moved here from Dayton)

Hi

I'm still here enjoying your review. We don't snorkel or get out in the small boats so it's neat to see your experiences. I'll be down there with a group next January so I'll envision your adventure!

Thank you for your continued reporting.

Lynne

I'm glad that you enjoyed Bert. He will be leaving the ship on April 18 for a break and then going on the Star for the Summer. I'd heard about him for years and finally caught up with him last Sept. Yes, I'm "Bertified". LOL. He is a very serious musician behind his shows. In fact, our choir just sang one of the church anthems he co-wrote.

As for the ships, we've been on Princess cruises since the Sun Princess in 1998, up to the Royal in 2013. We were on the Caribbean Princess, Emerald and Ruby Princess twice. I liked them all; the Royal Princess had the same basic layout but on a much larger scale. We've only been on 3 other lines, once, but always go back to Princess. And, yes, I would gladly sail on the Caribbean Princess again. It was a special cruise for us in 2004 and we continue to have good friends from it, and this last time we met Bert. The ship is very "comfortable".

Happy cruising!! Lynne

Bert Stratton is normally in Crooners on the Caribbean Princess. He usually draws a good crowd and has a loyal following. i read recently that a guitar player was in there, but maybe it was early or Bert was put in another lounge if it was a longer cruise. He's leaving the ship next week for a break and will be on another one during the summer.

My husband and I don't frequent the other venues so I can't comment on the music in them, except to say, that I'd enjoy listening to a little trio or jazz ensemble sometime. We're usually in the casino and miss a lot of the evening's entertainment.

If the entertainment is good in Crooner's on any ship, that's generally where I will sit for the evening. I've made many good acquaintances that way. :)

Lynne

Thank you, Shredie, that was probably was the case. We just didn't notice. I just noticed the smoke more this cruise, but I've gotten older, too. :eek: :) For our first cruise we were among the rows of poker machine players who had active ashtrays. Our slots this time were the ones with the little devils with the furnace bonus rounds. But, we've come down from the 25 cent ones to the penny ones. :D There were no major problems for us overall. We just adjusted our location.

We enjoyed our cruise and the smoke didn't keep us out of the casino. My favorite place was in Crooners and enjoying the entertainment of Bert Stratton.

Lynne

Hi,

We were on her last September 2014 and had a nice time. This was 10 years after we originally sailed on her during her inaugural season.

My husband enjoyed her more than the Royal Princess the year before because the CB was smaller and not as glitzy. I found her to be very comfortable. Fortunately, we didn't encounter any negative issues that some others have had, so found it to be a pleasurable time. And, we're more "meat and potatoes" type cruisers, so are not looking for the perks, etc.

I will say, that I was more overcome by the smoke in the casino this time. I think there were some smoke free nights, but the smokers seemed to be on one specific side of the casino. It might just be that the machines we wanted to use were on that side. ;) It didn't stop us from going in there- (home away from home), but we tried to distance ourselves from the smoke. Nothing against the people.

We had to re-acclimate ourselves to the smaller spaces after the Royal Princess-like in the buffet. Many times we would eat outside by the Terrace Pool at the Aft of the ship and had good service there, but overall, didn't have a bad time.

Enjoy your cruise. I don't know where you are sailing from..but the CB will be leaving from a variety of ports other than Ft. Lauderdale in the coming months.

Unless you have a MAJOR issue, don't sweat the small stuff and have a great time. :)

Lynne