Trip Report - Caribbean Princess Canada/New England May 17-26 (Long)

Below is our trip report of our May 17-26 Canada/New England 9 day itinerary. We do not attend the shows or participate in the CD's activities. Hopefully it may help those who take this cruise plan some of their shore activities.

 

Prologue:

 

This Princess 9 day Canada/New England cruise attracted us because there were two added Canadian ports of call and one dropped from the itinerary of our cruise last September. Additionally, this cruise is in early Spring, while last year’s was in the Fall. It gave us an opportunity to choose different sights at our ports of call this time around in a wholly different weather environment. Since the itinerary was attractive and Princess offered truly exceptional rates for certain full suites with all the attendant perks, it made for a deal we just could not turndown.

 

Departure:

 

Early on a Tuesday morning we took a quick cab ride to Union Station in downtown D.C. where we caught a Princess charter bus directly to the pier in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York. The bus began in Washington at 8 am and picked up additional cruise passengers in Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, and Academy, NJ.

 

It was a comfortable ride in a very nice bus that had WiFi so we could use our computer and iPhone along the way. It rained continuously, along the way, sometimes only a drizzle and other times a full downpour. However, we arrived at the dock at 1:30 to a short respite from the rain, were quickly in the terminal, processed, and in our cabin by 2 PM having our complimentary welcome glass of chilled champagne.

 

The rest of the afternoon was taken up with a short meeting with the Maitre‘d to set up our table reservation for the cruise, unpacking, safety drill, and then nice leisurely cocktails way up on the 19th deck in Skywalker’s Lounge as we sailed out of New York Harbor with Lady Liberty smiling upon us though the mist and fog.

 

After a first night buffet dinner since our reserved table began on day 2, we made a short stop in the casino and were fading fast from the long day, so we went back to the cabin to relax, have a nightcap, and called it a full day.

 

Day at sea:

 

After a fitful night’s sleep caused by the noise of the stabilizers working hard and groaning loudly in the slightly rough seas, we awoke to a relatively nice day sailing northward to Canada in a pea soup fog.

 

The ship’s fog horn blew all day. We could not hear its throaty bleats in our cabin, but it was easily heard up in Skywalker’s on deck 19 when we were up there for evening cocktails. It was so foggy all day that the Captain had to miss his welcome on board ceremony and champagne waterfall this evening since the ship’s safety required he stay on the bridge.

 

Since Princess offered a superb deal for this cruise, we are in a full suite at/below the price of a mini-suite and have all of the extra perks that go with that level. This morning we were off for special breakfast in Sabatini’s restaurant that began with a mimosa (Peggy’s without orange juice!). We have enjoyed this perk on three other cruises and a leisurely one hour breakfast with champagne is absolutely NOT a bad way to start a day.

 

After breakfast we stopped to chat with the Captain’s Circle host who is that rare staff member - he is from the USA. We learned that he had worked in the Princess headquarters in Santa Clarita, California for 5 years and only joined the ship yesterday for his second at-sea job. He seems really right for the job.

 

When we returned to our cabin we took the opportunity to check all our email, relax, and read our Kindles before tackling a very, very light lunch in the cabin.

 

The afternoon activity was our CruiseCritic.Com meet and greet. Somewhat over 80 folks showed up and we were lucky to be able to sit and chat with some very interesting and pleasant folks and share cruising experiences.

 

Since we made arrangements with the Maitre‘d, to have the same table for two throughout the cruise Mar will be our waiter and Claudio our Head Waiter. He will arrange any special evening meals for us. Claudio was our Head Waiter in Sabatini’s during our last cruise to Alaska on the Golden Princess so we know that he will take good care of us again. We also were able to chat with two waiters who had served us on previous cruises and that was a great reunion.

 

All in all, this was another super day for us.

 

Sydney, Nova Scotia

 

We got a super night’s sleep as Caribbean Princess continued steaming north through the thick fog all night, but in much calmer seas. We went to a relatively late breakfast in Sabatini’s enjoying a very leisurely one-hour morning repast of our special version of Eggs Benedict – poached eggs with Hollandaise sauce on the side, roasted breakfast potatoes, crispy bacon for one, and toasted English muffins – of course accompanied by champagne/mimosa.

 

During breakfast the Captain announced that due to the rough seas on the first night, head winds, and the fog, our Sydney arrival/departure would be delayed and all ;princess tour times adjusted accordingly. Although he said we would be only one hour late, all tours were delayed by two hours so we met for our tour at 3:20 and return at 7:20 – about our usual time for dinner.

 

With time to spare this morning, we got in half of our regular 2 mile walk then returned to watch the news and read our Kindles. A little before noon, lo and behold the fog finally lifted and we could see the world around us for the first time since we sailed out of New York harbor. In the distance we could see the Nova Scotia shore line silhouetted against some clouds with a hint of blue sky.

 

Arrival in Sydney actually was about 1.5 hours late and everyone attempted to debark at the same time. We lucked out and made it off relatively unscathed and surprisingly quickly. We had time to walk through the local craft sellers before loading our bus for our tour which was a bit disappointing. Fortunately, the weather was exceptional for this time of the year here – sunny, relatively warm, and dry.

 

Our tour of the Alexander Graham Bell museum was a delight and we would recommend it highly. However the highly touted Cape Breton scenery was less than impressive and the tour guide left no time to see the little town of Baddeck where we would have liked to have had time explore a bit.

 

After Bell invented the telephone and became rich and famous, he continued to invent – but always defined himself as a teacher of the deaf. His mother and his wife were deaf and he taught Helen Keller. This truly amazing man developed the first airplane to fly in Canada and built a hydroplane that sped at speeds of over 75 miles per hour on the Bras d’Or lakes (which, by the way are NOT lakes at all, but are navigable salt water inlets from the ocean and seem to make up about a quarter of the Cape Breton Island).

 

Interestingly, Bell’s wife came from a moneyed family and he passed on to her all of his invention riches as they accrued. Apparently she was a wise handler of funds and he was smart enough to turn the money over to someone who knew how to handle it.

 

Bell was a Scottish immigrant to the U.S. and lived equally in Washington D.C. and at his country “cottage” of about 40 rooms near Baddeck. We could not understand how Bell could so easily travel to and from central Cape Breton Island to Washington D.C. Our Canadian Parks docent explained that it probably was easier to do in 1910 than it is now. He just hopped on a steamer in Baddeck and sailed to Halifax and from there took the train to Washington, D.C. (you can’t do that now).

 

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

 

The Captain made up the lost time and we docked right on schedule in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. We took a really nice morning tour around this beautiful island and it truly is a delightful place. P.E.I. is the smallest of Canada’s provinces, but it is lush and green, full of friendly folks. It is especially known to many as the home of Anne of Green Gables. However, it also has 30 fantastic golf courses (for an island of only 132,000 population), rocky shores, great scenery, and an amazingly interesting history.

 

Up until about 1970, P.E.I was divided into 2 completely separate cultures each representing their immigrant history. The Catholic Irish were totally separate from the Protestant Scotch. They had a type of apartheid! The schools, hospitals, and virtually every part of life on the island was divided into Catholic and Protestant (plus a very small French speaking element). Fortuitously, that has all been solved and P.E.I. is now totally integrated – one hospital system, one educational system etc.

 

Our tour left the pier at 0930 and drove through Charlottetown out into the verdant countryside with a stop at a local shop on the banks of the beautiful Clyde River. The local entrepreneur has developed distribution of his P.E.I. produced jams, jellies, and preserves into a world-wide business found at stores like Harrods, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom’s – and he is a hoot in his kilts meeting every tour bus personally.

 

Our next stop was the Anne of Green Gables site, a restoration of her grandparent’s cousin’s farm set on the lands where she lived about one-half her life. This Cavendish area had great influence on the life of author Lucy Maud Montgomery and is the setting for her famous Anne of Green Gables book. An interesting bit of trivia we picked up along the way was that Anne of Green Gables is a particular favorite of Asians and many venture from Japan, China, and elsewhere in the East all the way to P.E.I. just to visit this site to pick up Anne memorabilia.

 

Just a short drive from the Green Gables restoration and we were on the North Shore of P.E.I. where we stopped to view the ocean seascapes, lobster boats, cliffs, and beaches at a national park. On the return, we drove through one of the few remaining French speaking fishing communities. Virtually all the French settlers were driven out of the Maritime Provinces when the British defeated the French in the 1750s. Many of these Acadians became the Louisiana Cajuns.

 

The setting of lush verdant hills, rivers, and valleys (plus more great looking golf courses) is breath taking. Throughout this day we had fantastic weather. It was sunny with the temperature in the mid-60s with a light breeze and that is exceptional for this far north in mid-May.

 

Once we were deposited back at the pier, we took the big Pink Hop-on/Hop-off bus for a tour through pretty town of Charlottetown where the official confederation of Canada occurred in 1864. It is the principal town of P.E.I. and has about one-third of the island’s population. It is a picturesque town (it really can not be called a city). It is shiny clean with neatly kept homes. We enjoyed the one-hour tour before re-boarding the ship and eating a late lunch.

 

Skywalker’s made a super setting to see the sunset as we sailed away from P.E.I. Then we had a wonderful vegetarian Indian curry dinner. After a short stop at the Casino to splurge on the penny slots we called it a day (and a half).

 

Sailing South

 

Since this was a travel day on our way to Halifax, we had an unhurried morning before finally going to Sabatini’s for a leisurely breakfast (with champagne/mimosa) a bit after 9:00. After a very nice morning meal, checking the internet and email plus reading our Kindles took up most of the rest of the morning, until time to start our early walk.

 

Before starting our walk we decided to pop into the “big” Princess sale that is held once each cruise. We have seldom found anything we wanted to buy there but today we found some of their collared Caribbean Princess shirts that we like and bought several for the up-coming summer.

 

As usual we had a light lunch in the cabin with fruit and wine – except we blew the diet and gorged on left over canapés from last night’s delivery -- NOT a well-balanced meal by far! With the cool windy weather out on deck we walked inside and found on the Caribbean Princess that our sheltered inside route is giving us close to the outside distance – a little over 3 laps to the mile on the Promenade Deck.

 

Tonight we attended the Captain’s Circle cocktail party before dinner, and then had a very nice meal that head waiter Claudio had ordered for us. . We sailed through calm seas toward Halifax to spend our Sunday.

 

Halifax, Nova Scotia

 

T’was a cold and windy morning in Halifax Nova Scotia when we debarked after a leisurely breakfast since we were not in a hurry to get off the ship this morning. We caught a cab outside the terminal for the short ride up the hill to the Fortress Citadel whose history can be traced to the founding of the city in the mid 1700s. It is the major fortification that has protected the city from attack throughout history.

 

The natural ice free, deep water port made Halifax the key British naval and army defense point following the defeat of the French. It remained a key Canadian defense site throughout history up to WW II. The harbor was the point from which most major U.S. and Canadian ship convoys crossed the Atlantic during both world wars. It also was, and is, economically strategic as a major focal point for Canadian imports and exports as well as a center for commercial fishing.

 

Halifax also gained renown of a sort for a giant explosion that occurred on December 6, 1917. The city was devastated by the huge detonation of the SS Mont Blanc, a French cargo ship fully loaded with wartime explosives when it accidentally collided with another ship in "The Narrows" section of the harbor. About 2,000 people were killed by debris, fires, or collapsed buildings and it is estimated that over 9,000 people were injured. The Halifax Explosion remains the world’s largest man-made accidental explosion.

 

As the cab was driving us up to the Citadel, we learned that this was Bluenose marathon day in Halifax and 3500 runners plus untold spectators lined the blocked off streets so our cab could not get us near to the Citadel entrance. Therefore we had to trudge up long stairs and steep hill to the highest point in the city. Once we made it, we were pleased we had chosen to visit this popular site, despite the very raw weather.

 

While awaiting the guided tour, we had time to explore the Canadian Army museum, one of the best we have seen. Although small, it has superb displays of the history of the Canadian army from the 1700s to today. It has a fine display of some weapons one seldom sees except in photos.

 

The re-enactors posted throughout the fort were in period uniforms of the Royal Highlanders, who were posted here from 1869-71. They included some outstanding Scottish kilt clad pipers who piped us on our way as our guided tour began. We visited a barracks room, a powder storage room, and the school room where both soldiers and children were educated – together. As illiteracy was very high among recruits and advancement required education a significant number of soldiers sought learning to read and write. The families of the military lived nearby, but not within the Citadel walls and all learned in the same classroom.

 

We also had the opportunity to watch a rifle fire demonstration with the authentic old Enfield rifles that had been converted from muzzle loaders to breech loaders with cartridges. Finally, we walked the defensive dry moat, and otherwise saw it all in about 2 hours. This is a great spot for history buffs.

 

Exiting the Citadel and began our downward hike from the heights back down to the port through the city’s historic area past old buildings, churches, and graveyards toward the docks. On our last visit, we stopped at a large supermarket to shop for Canadian goodies before returning to the ship – our challenge now was could we find it again?

 

We were successful and found some very nice gifts there – some the same as we bought last September. From there it was only a few blocks to the port – which was a good thing as we were toting a very, very heavy bag of goodies. We even stopped for a short walk through the Farmer’s Market, but did not add anything to our load.

 

We were back aboard about 2 pm, after five hours on the move and over 4.5 miles logged on the pedometer in very cold, dank weather. After a light lunch and a small glass of wine – we collapsed for a soak in our large Jacuzzi tub to recover from the chilly outing then and indulged in an afternoon lie down.

 

In the evening we attempted to watch a comedian in the Explorers Lounge, but gave up on him. Instead we went up to Skywalker’s and had a Chairman of the Board (a special martini) and some light snacks before adjourning to dinner which was special. Claudio again assured we had a great meal. It was another full and great day.

 

Bar Harbor, Maine

 

This morning found us back in the USA. We had arranged for a tour with Captain John on Lulu the Lobster Boat and although the very cold, damp weather was not conducive to such outdoor on the water activities, the tour was really great (except for one pushy passenger who made life a bit uneasy for everyone else on board).

 

Captain John is a font of knowledge about Maine, Bar Harbor, natural resources of the sea, and lobstering. He is an avid conservationist, loquacious speaker, and funny to boot. He has been featured on many TV shows and we can certainly see why.

 

Once aboard Lulu, we cruised out to Egg Rock Lighthouse, which sits in a large rocky outcropping and is home to lots of sea life. We were able to see hundreds of seals that had just given birth to pups and mothers and pups were swimming close to the boat as well as resting on the rocks, plus lots of sea birds including gulls, terns, auks, eiders, and a single juvenile Bald Eagle.

 

From the rock we cruised back into the shallows where Captain John pulled two of his lobster traps onto his 42 foot lobster boat. The first trap only held some crabs and he took time to explain about the types of crab native to this area. The second trap held two lobsters. Captain John explained everything that anyone might want to know about the Maine lobster and answered many questions, before returning these two freshly trapped lobsters back to the sea. Through it all he interspersed details of Maine history, native Indian tribal lore, and information on the area today.

 

Following our shivering and freezing sea adventure, we took a short walk down the nature path that runs along the scenic shore adjacent to the famous and huge Bar Harbor Inn. By then we were done in and frozen! We caught the next tender back to the ship for a light lunch, another soak in the warm Jacuzzi to restore our blood circulation.

 

Boston – Cradle of Liberty

 

This was another highlight of our cruise and we were blessed (finally) with absolutely perfect weather – clear skies and temperatures in the 70s, a welcome change from the last few days. Last Fall we concentrated on seeing sites of historic importance to the founding of the United States, including a spectacular tour of the USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides.”

 

Today, we planned to concentrate on more modern American history by visiting the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, our third visit to a U.S. Presidential museum. Since we had visited the Nixon Museum in California, it seemed only fair that under the equal time rule, we had to visit the Kennedy Museum too.

 

We were off the ship at 9 am and had a relatively short cab ride through the interesting, very neat and orderly South Boston residential area to the striking bay side building that is home to the JFK Library and Museum. While Kennedy’s presidency was cut short by his assassination, he served though some of the most momentous times in modern history of the United States.

 

The exhibits were an extraordinarily interesting glimpse of Kennedy’s life and of the times leading up to and during his presidency. After an interesting short introductory movie, JFK’s early family life, his WW II PT boat service, and his marriage to Jackie made up the first exhibits. The exhibits were very interesting and presented the human foundation upon which he based his drive for service. Kennedy’s run for the House, the Senate, and then the Presidency were the next section and reminded us that we tend to forget how close the vote was that made him President over Richard Nixon.

 

There were especially moving TV presentations and exhibits that explained the vital decisions he made in Cuban Missile Crisis, entry into Viet Nam, and his Civil Rights actions. Other sections focused on Jackie, the children, his travels, and Presidential gifts all of which were done very well and certainly held our interest.

 

We could not have chosen a better way to spend our time in Boston this time and it was a very easy do-it-yourself tour.

 

Once back aboard, since the weather was nice, we were able to enjoy the top open decks and complete our 2 mile walk for the day timed with sail-away. The Captain maneuvered the huge ship away from the pier and then slowly backed her clear until there was room to swing the bow around and begin our forward motion out of the harbor and on our way to Newport, R.I..

 

At the Captain’s Gala dinner, the highlight for most passengers was the lobster dinner. For us it was a chance to have another special delicious curry that we enjoyed.

 

Newport R.I – Mansions

 

The weather was absolutely gorgeous in Newport when we arrived. We had sunny skies, light winds, low humidity, and temperatures in the low 70s all day.

 

The famous sociologist, Thorstein Veblen, coined the term “Conspicuous Consumption”. The famous mansions of Newport Rhode Island define that term – in spades!

 

The most noted of these “American Gilded Age” properties now are in possession of the Preservation Society of Newport County and on display for those of us of the more common herd to visit and oh and ah about. On today’s port stop we visited two of the most interesting of the mansions; Rosecliff and The Breakers.

 

After hopping on one of the first tenders ashore, we walked to the Visitor’s Center where we took the excellent advice of one of their experts. He advised us to catch the local city trolley/bus that runs to the entire area of the mansions as well as through town. He also said that The Breakers draws the biggest organized tours early in the day and suggested we visit Rosecliff mansion first.

 

Before describing our tours of Rosecliff and The Breakers, there are some interesting facts about the Newport mansions that put them in perspective. These huge mansions were actually summer cottages of the new class of American multi-millionaires who emerged in the later part of the 19th Century and beginning of the 20th. The mansions were used only during the Newport “social season” and that season was just 2-3 months long.

 

The mansions were patterned on the great chateaus of France and Schlosses of Germany. Having seen both, some of the American mansions even outdo their European counterparts. From the information provided during our tour, the owners lavish entertaining, upkeep, staffing, etc. might have cost them several hundred thousand dollars each year (converted into today’s dollars that would be several million dollars each year).

 

The death of the Newport mansion was a direct result of the initiation of the U.S. income tax. Prior to the income tax the industrial barons fortunes were untaxed and the surpluses were converted to “conspicuous consumption” – what better than a 70 room summer cottage to prove your worth. Once the baron’s earnings began to be taxed, the mansions soon became white elephants. Now the tour:

 

During the drive through town we remembered many of the sights in the historic area from our visit last September when we focused on the historic religious sites and the role they played in the establishing Freedom of Religion as a basic tenet of the Bill of Rights. As we left the historic area, we began passing larger and larger estates and huge mansions that were built during America’s Gilded Age. The first stop on our schedule was Rosecliff. It has an audio self-tour which meant we could go at our own pace and savor the sights.

 

Rosecliff a Gilded Age mansion, was built between 1898-1902. It was built by Theresa Fair Oelrichs, a silver heiress from Nevada. Her father James Graham Fair was one of the four partners in the Comstock Lode. With little opportunity to channel her considerable energy elsewhere, she threw herself into the Newport social scene with tremendous gusto becoming one of the greatest hostesses of Newport.

 

The principal architect, Stanford White, modeled the mansion after the Grand Trianon of Versailles. The excellent audio presentation led you through each room with descriptions as well as personal stories, some of which were recorded by those who were children growing up in the mansions or servants who worked in them.

 

In addition to the fantastic building, the grounds were spectacular with a huge expanse of lawn that ended at the water’s edge. One can only imagine the outdoor garden parties that were held there.

 

We were really impressed by our audio tour through Rosecliff. While its size and grandeur were awe inspiring, it appeared to be a real place where you could imagine an heiress from out west doing her damnest to entertain the rich of the east. It is quite a place.

 

From Rosecliff we re-boarded a city bus with our all day passes and made our way to The Breakers, the largest and grandest of Newport's summer "cottages" and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family's social and financial preeminence in turn of the century America.

 

Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt established the family fortune in steamships and later in the New York Central Railroad, which was a pivotal development in the industrial growth of the nation during the late 19th century.

 

 

The Commodore's grandson, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, became Chairman and President of the New York Central Railroad system in 1885, and purchased a wooden house called The Breakers in Newport during that same year. In 1893, he commissioned architect Richard Morris Hunt to design a villa to replace the earlier wood-framed house which was destroyed by fire the previous year with the direction it be fireproof. Hunt directed an international team of craftsmen and artisans to create a 70 room Italian Renaissance- style palazzo inspired by the 16th century palaces of Genoa and Turin. Although the mansion is owned by the Society, the original furnishings displayed throughout the house are still owned by the family.

 

The 70-room mansion with 20 bathrooms and 33 servants quarters has approximately 65,000 sq ft of living space. It was built between 1893 and 1895 at a cost of more than $12 million (approximately $260 million in today's dollars adjusted for inflation).

 

While the Breakers is the largest and grandest of the opulent mansions and we enjoyed the tour through its magnificence, it impressed us as a much colder building, rather than a real home. It definitely is a must see, if just to consider the fantastic wealth of the Vanderbuilts, the grande epoch that was the times, and to get a feeling of “Conspicuous Consumption”.

 

Following The Breakers we hopped back on a city bus and returned to the pier area where we boarded a tender back to the ship.

 

The last night of the cruise always is a little bit of a let down because we are packing up to leave the ship and saying our good-byes to the staff members. However, as was the case on this cruise, often we see them again.

 

Return to Reality

 

Following a nice relaxing breakfast in the suite, we made our way to the Fusion Lounge to await our call to debark. There were a very large number of Platinum and Elite on this cruise and the lounge was crowded.

 

We were called and our group escorted to the exit and with no lines were immediately off the ship. We picked up our two bags, cleared customs and immigration and found our way to the confusion that was the bus loading area. Although no one appeared to be in charge or had any information, in a few minutes all was sorted out. The driver loaded our bags, we boarded the bus, but did not leave because we were two passengers short. After a while, the driver pow-wowed with Princess and agreed to wait an additional 10 minutes. At the end of that time and a bit more, they had not appear so we left to repeat the stops we made on the trip to the ship.

 

Other than a short delay to return to one of the stops to pick up some luggage erroneously dropped off, the return trip was uneventful. We arrived about 45 minutes later than scheduled, but relaxed. Never, never would we swap the charter bus for self drive or airline on the route from Washington to the ship in New York.

 

On the cab drive home, we even snapped a photo of the Washington Monument to prove we were still “on vacation” until we reached home.

 

P&J

 

Fair winds, clear skies and following seas to all

Thank you for posting your trip report - I am still unpacking - will try

to get mine posted tonight or tomorrow.

 

I agree with you about the wonderful breakfast each morning in Sabatini's - we didn't miss a breakfast there either ! Once you are in a suite you certainly don't go back....

 

One quick question - how did you make arrangements for the same table for 2 (dinner) each night ? - I tried to - but was turned down - would appreciate knowing the right approach. (for next time !)

Great review!

 

I almost booked some of the last minute specials on this trip as they were exceptional?

 

How full was the ship? It seemed to have a lot of openings when I was looking just 2-4 weeks before the sailing.

 

Glad the weather mostly cooperated for you. That was a concern for me.

We would be happy to discuss our arrangements if you send an email to: thejroses (at) aol (dot) com

 

P&J

We followed the bookings carefully as the time for sailing approached and it appeared that there would be a light load. However, once aboard and from the nightly appearances of the dinning rooms, it appeared to be a full load or very close to it.

 

The coldest day we had was in Bar Harbor. Brrrrrrrrr.

 

P&J

Glad it worked well for you! I was also looking at some of those window suites :)

 

I have done Canada/NE 2x in the fall and both times had iffy/weird weather combined with some great weather. The 9 day itinerary is much better than the 7 night itinerary.

A very enjoyable review. I especially enjoyed the historical aspect. Thank you for posting.

Thanks for the great review and historic perspectives.

Thanks so much for the informative review. You gave us some great ideas for our cruise next month.

thank you so much for your review! We're on this sailing in June so I was really interested in the information about the ports. We've gone back & forth on doing LuLu's so again thanks for all the info

For those of you who have mentioned that you have gotten some ideas for your up coming Canada/New England cruise from our trip report, we also did the 7-day Canada/New England last September. Most of the stops were the same, but we did totally different things so you may desire to read last year's report too.

Have a great Cruise

P&J

 

 

It was a fantastic cruise. While the entire cruise was great, the highlights that certainly will stick with us were the exceptional opportunity during our visit to Newport to re-learn the extraordinary effect on our Constitution and Bill of Rights played by the free thinking leaders of Rhode Island in demanding the inclusion of freedom of religion and separation of church and State and the support they received from George Washington. Another exceptional experience was the guided tour through the USS Constitution, America’s first warship and one still commissioned and manned by active duty USN personnel. To tour “Old Ironsides” was a real treat. Finally, the beauty of the oft painted and photographed Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia was something that will live long in our memories. There are few more beautiful seascapes than the lone lighthouse on the granite bluff and the pristine cove framed by weathered buildings and working lobster boats.

Below is our detailed review of the cruise:

Day 1 -- On our way

We traveled to the “Big Apple” via Princess chartered bus! This is the first time we have had a cruise with the option of bus travel to the ship and it was a great choice. Although it took a total of 6 hours from pick-up to arrival at the pier, it was a relaxing, comfortable, and interesting ride.

Unlike the hassle of the airport check-in, security lines, cramped uncomfortable seating, and lack of scenery on a plane trip; we were treated to spacious seats, none of the hassle, and lots of interesting scenery along the way.

We both are certain that under no circumstances would we opt to drive from home to the pier in Brooklyn ourselves. Thank goodness for a great bus driver who found his way through the hoards of cars, trucks, and busses that funneled from the interstates and toll roads into the narrow tunnels and bridges that provide access to New York. As an example, did you know that there are 12 toll gate lanes to the Holland Tunnel -- however, the tunnel has only 2 lanes. Therefore 12 lanes of traffic squeeze together in a very short distance between the toll gates and the entrance – how?

The bus trip itself kept us so interested that we did not read any books or the Kindle or play with the computer, we just watched raptly as we made our way along the route. We made 4 stops to pick up other Princess passengers along the way: Baltimore, MD: Wilmington, Del; Academy, NJ; and Philadelphia, PA. At the end we had a full bus.

Once at the pier, check in went very quickly and we were escorted to our PH suite where we met our cabin steward, Garry who provided us with a glass of chilled champagne and helped us settle in. Then we went down to meet the Maitre‘d who gave us our table assignment for the cruise.

Soon after, we attended the mandatory safety drill for all passengers and then it was time to meet all the folks who had exchanged information on Cruise Critic, the internet cruisers site. We had a very large group who made it to the Outrigger Bar on Deck 15 aft where Princess had reserved a spot for the group to meet and swap stories. It was hard to get an exact count but some what over 60 of the 80 who signed up seemed to make the gathering.

We flaked out for a while after the long and tiring day, then went down for dinner. The first night is always a bit of a trial and error as we meet our wait staff and establish rapport with the head waiter who will support us.

Following dinner we made a brief stop in the Casino and then turned in for the night as the ship made its way from New York to our first stop, Bar Harbor. Although we were only three days behind the passage of Hurricane Earl, the seas were relatively calm on this leg.

Day 2 – Newport, Rhode Island

We made no effort to be first off the ship when we anchored in NewportHarbor at 7 am. We lolled, then went down to breakfast in Sabatini’s Resaurant, a special perk for full suite guests. Surprisingly, we met Doru, who had served us in Sabatini’s on the Golden Princess in May. He had finished that contract and spent 2 months home in Romania and now was serving in the same job on the Caribbean Princess. We began breakfast with Peggy’s champagne and Jerry’s mimosa and then a little special breakfast goodie followed by eggs benedict prepared to order. The service was, of course, impeccable.

At about 9 am we boarded a tender (one of the ship’s life boats) for the 25 minute ride to Newport’s pier. Once shore we began following the ship’s map to the Visitor’s Center but got carried away and ended up doing nothing we expected. Instead we had a truly excellent experience coupled with a wonderful and enlightening refresher in American history.

So rather than visiting some of the most ornate and posh American mansions of the Astor’s and the Vanderbilt’s that are on show in Newport, we walked to some of the oldest and most interesting houses of worship in the United States.

The most interesting thing about the visit was to learn the role of Rhode Island’s founders in being the most important figures in development of the concept of Freedom of Religion in the United States and the whole hearted support they received from George Washington.

For those that remember, Rhode Island was the first state to declare independence from England, yet it was the last to ratify the Constitution. We Americans forget the lasting impact that Roger Williams had on the development of our separation of church and state.

Rhode Island’s delay was tied to full assurances that freedom of religion would be included before they would ratify the document. With Washington’s support, the First Amendment was included with strong and unambiguous wording – and Rhode Island signed.

In the mid 1600s well before the independence movement, the Baptists of Newport, in contrast to the Puritans of Boston, forced the council of Newport to accept the principle of freedom of religion in the colony and it became a beacon light to others seeking religious freedom to settle. The Quakers/Friends and Jews came to Newport and established congregations whose buildings still stand and are in use today.

We were able to walk by the original Baptist Church and the Quaker Meeting House that formed part of the arc of houses of worship that were built on the hill overlooking Newport Harbor in the pre-Independence Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Colony. The real highlights were being able to tour two of the original buildings; Trinity Episcopal Church and Touro Synagogue.

We took a self guided tour through Trinity Episcopal Church founded in 1726 and still in its original building. This church, with its 150 foot tall spire served as a navigational aid for sailors during the colonial period. The main building, surrounded by its grave yard holding many pre-Independence gravesites, truly is a wonderful site to see.

Rather than the rows of pews one normally sees in today’s churches, it is full of closed “boxed pews”. Their various shapes and sizes reflect the individuality of the members of the congregation, who paid for their own pews as a way of defraying the cost of the building. The interior organization of the church also is unique, in that you can not see the altar from most parts of the congregation since it is blocked by the Wineglass Pulpit, the only center aisled three tiered pulpit remaining in America. While many colonial churches were built this way, the others moved their pulpits to the side of the church later. This seems to make great sense to us.

Some of the chandeliers in the church are original, made in Exeter, England, by Thomas Drew in 1728. They seem to hang a little to the north, but actually it is the building which leans, showing the impact of three hundred years of winds from the sea.

The second remarkable building we visited was Touro Synagogue, the oldest Jewish Synagogue in the United States. It was built in 1728 and it stands in testament to the dedication of our founding President George Washington to the American principle of freedom of religion.

We took a guided tour of the synagogue and had a wonderful narration of the story of the building and its how it has spanned the test of time. The tour was led by a most informed, lively and overall excellent docent who told us the history of Touro Synagogue that spans over 500 years of history.

She related that the first Jewish settlements in North America dated to 1654 in New Amsterdam and 1658 in Newport, as a follow-on to the Spanish Inquisition that forced thousands to seek refuge in the Netherlands, CaribbeanIslands, and South America. When the inquisition followed them, they searched for sanctuary in the America's newly founded colonies.

In 1658, a group of fifteen Jewish families, hearing about Roger William's "Lively Experiment," where the civil government was devoid of power over spiritual matters, sailed into Newport harbor. With the assurance of religious freedom and liberty of conscience, as promised by Governor Roger Williams, the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations offered more than a refuge; it offered unparalleled social and economic opportunities.

Over the next 100 years the Jewish population of Newport flourished. In 1758, a Dutch Jew named Isaac Touro, became the congregation's first spiritual leader. A year later the congregation purchased land and hired Peter Harrison, the preeminent architect of the colonial era, to design Touro Synagogue. Harrison, of course, had never seen a synagogue so the building may not be what you expect. The synagogue was completed and dedicated in 1763.

In 1776 the British captured Newport. A once vital and thriving commercial seaport, much of Newport was destroyed. Supporting the American cause, most Jews left. Until the French liberated Newport, the synagogue was used as a hospital for the British troops and was spared.

After the war Touro Synagogue served as a meeting place for the Rhode Island General Assembly, Rhode Island Supreme Court and the town of Newport. During George Washington's visit to Newport in 1781, to meet with Generals Lafayette and Rochambeau to plan the final battles of the Revolution, a town meeting was held at the synagogue.

Touro Synagogue took on a special significance in 1790 when President George Washington, in his letter "To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport," declared that the new nation would "… give to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance”. These few words affirmed the founding fathers' commitment to the principals of religious freedom as a cornerstone of democracy in America.

The orthodox synagogue continues to serve an active Jewish congregation. It is not only the oldest Synagogue in America but also one of the oldest symbols of liberty. As President John F. Kennedy said, “No better tradition exists than the history of Touro Synagogue's great contribution to the goals of freedom and justice for all."

Once our exploration of religion and history were completed we made our way back to the tender dock and back to the ship in a sort of bumpy sea. Then we brought some light lunch back to the cabin to eat on the teak table that graces our balcony.

Tonight was the first formal night so togged out in our finery we ate a specially prepared vegetarian pasta meal, drank some wine, visited the Casino, and completed the evening with a sip or two of brandy – and then to bed. Tomorrow Boston.

Day 3 – Boston, Massachusetts (Cradle of Liberty)

After another great breakfast in Sabatini’s, we debarked and walked to the nearby Hop-on/Hop-off (HoHo) bus stop and proceeded to downtown Boston to begin our tour of the city. We remained on the “Trolley” for the complete 2-hour circuit with a narration of all the highlights of the city of Boston, including a great deal of the role played by the city and its people in the years leading up to, during, and following the Revolutionary War. From the Boston Tea Party (no association with Sarah Palin), Boston Massacre, Battle of Bunker Hill, Paul Revere’s Ride, and the Steeple of the North Church from which the “Two if by Sea” lantern hung – this was the place and we saw it all. In addition all of the fantastic history spots, the tour took us by Fenway Statium, the home of the Boston Red Sox, the original “Cheers, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston Common, and many other highlights of Boston.

Following the narrated tour we picked out the one special place to which we wanted to return and visit in detail – the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) the oldest commissioned warship in the world. Although HMS Victory is a few years older, it is in permanent dry dock while Constitution is still a full functional ship manned by active duty USN sailors, and still actively sailing the sea.

USS Constitution was first launched in 1797 as one of six ships ordered for construction by George Washington to protect America's growing maritime interests. Her greatest glory came during the war of 1812 when she defeated four British frigates which earned her the nickname "Old Ironsides," because cannon balls glanced off her thick hull. The ship was restored in 1927 with contributions from the nation's school children.

We received a full guided tour of the ship led by a comely young USN sailor on active duty. She is doing a regular two-year tour as one of the regular crew of officers and sailors who currently operate the USS Constitution. We toured the upper deck from which she was sailed and maneuvered. Then we went down to the gun deck to see the rows of guns on each side of the ship. She was categorized as a 48 gun frigate, but carried more guns into battle. In addition she carried a company of US Marines.

Lastly we went down to the crew deck that held the sleeping and eating quarters for the men, the officers, and the Captain’s quarters. In 1797 the ship had a crew of 450, including 55 marines and a contingent of boys ranging from age 8 to 16. The men slept in hammocks that hung from the deck above and they were in very, very close proximity to each other. The higher ranking sailors were assigned hammocks on the side of the ship where there was more air circulating. The officers had it much better with a ward room and private quarters while the Captain’s area was palatial in comparison, with a small bedroom, office, and dining area.

The ship is a wonder. She is a sailing frigate a bit over 200 feet long and fought in three active wars from when she was built in 1797 as the first US Navy ship. Old Ironsides never lost a sea battle and was never boarded by a hostile force although she often was out gunned and out manned by her opposition. She sailed around the world and was an active U.S. Navy ship for over 100 years before her first retirement in 1881.,

Boston is a wonderful city to visit and is home to a very significant part of early American history. The HoHo tour was a great way to get an overview and then the USS Constitution tour is definitely a must see for anyone visiting this area.

We had a great birthday dinner for Jerry. Carlos our head waiter arranged a special Indian curry for each of us. Peggy’s was vegetarian and Jerry had both shrimp and lamb curry with freshly made naan. We finished with a cooling lemoncello sorbet and a birthday cake. Wow!

Day 4 – Bar Harbor

Today was a change of pace to just plain old sight-seeing. We pre-booked a tour with Oli’s Trolleys to go through Bar Harbor, to AcadiaNational Park, CadillacMountain, and Thunder hole.

The day began with our usual breakfast in Sabatini’s, then a tender ride ashore from our anchorage. We queued up at the office staring at a sign that indicated the 10 am long tour was sold-out. Luckily, they had our reservation and we were all set.

The loading point was only about a half block from the office so we waited there to load the trolley replica and to meet our driver guide. The trolley held 36 passengers and all seats were filled – so off we went initially through the town to see the mansions built by America’s wealthiest during the last two generations. Virtually all of the mansions have been converted into hotels now.

Next we entered AcadiaNational Park, the nation’s smallest – but heaviest attended per size with over 3 million visitors per year. Our first stop was at the “peak of Cadillac Mountain”, the highest peak directly on the Atlantic coast from Canada to Rio. However, it only is a little over 1500 feet high – really a hill. Yet it is impressive since it is totally of pink granite and it affords splendid views of the surrounding vistas of ocean and islands.

We next made a short visit to the small gardens at CrystalSpring that were interesting. The little creek of spring water was absolutely “crystal clear”.

Our final stop was a Thunder Hole. Unfortunately, there was no thunder since the tide was high and the waves low. It is a very scenic spot of granite rock with a narrow inlet that when the conditions are right creates thunderous crashing waves – but not today.

Once we were back in town we took a short walk up the main street that was mainly lined with the very usual tourist shops selling tee shirts and the like. It did not hold our interest so we caught an early tender back to the ship to rest and sip some wine and eat some fruit.

We stopped in to the Princess theater to catch a ventriloquist/comedian who was only mediocre so we left to have a great dinner and then Peggy slaughtered the penny slot machine for enough cents to easily complete our gambling for the remainder of the voyage.

Day 5 – Saint John, New Brunswick (Not on the new Itinerary)

Last night we set back the clocks by one hour, lost an hour’s sleep and we are arrived in Saint John on Canadian Atlantic time. We pre-booked the local HoHo Bus and boarded it right outside the pier gate for a one hour tour of the city.

Saint John is the major city of New Brunswick and was one of the earliest cities on the East Coast of North America because of its natural harbor and nearness to Europe. Both England and France settled the area and fought for domination. During the American Revolution, many English loyalists fled the colonies to resettle here in New Brunswick.

When we returned to the dock area we then boarded their second route bus and got off to visit the Saint John City Market, the oldest in Canada and even bought us a food sample to take home. Rather than wait for the bus to return, we walked back to the pier and then boarded the for third HoHo route to visit the “ReversingFalls” the most famous site in Saint Johns. Because of its location on the Bay of Fundy, the site of the highest tidal changes on earth, the St. John’sRiver actually reverses flow at high tide. We timed our visit to see the phenomena at high tide.

It is a big impressive river and the ocean tide does force the river back. However, we had expected giant somethings (we do not know what) that did not appear. As tourists, we did see the reversing river and the rapids. So, we hopped back on the Hop-on/Hop-off bus and returned to town where we did have the opportunity to walk around some more and shop a bit before re-boarding the ship for some lunch and a cool glass of wine.

While we were on our balcony observing the final passengers returning to the ship, lo and behold in the midst of the light drizzle what should appear, tiny white flakes of snow. It still is early September, but we have seen our first snow. WOW

All the people of Saint John that we met were extremely friendly and helpful – good Canadians, eh!

Tonight was the Captain’s Circle party but because of the very thick fog the Captain was not in attendance – he was on the bridge. It also was our second and last formal night and our head waiter Carlos prepared each of us a special “off-menu” dinner again. Peggy had wok fried vegetables with a spicy oriental sauce and Jerry had a plate of huge tiger prawns that were as large a small lobster tails with the same spicy sauce – both were terrific.

Then we were good to the casino, giving back a smidgen of our winnings before turning in for the night. Throughout the night we were treated to the ship’s foghorn as we sailed through the thick fog. Surprisingly, even though we are on the 14th deck sound attenuation is so good that the noise of the deep throated blasts were not at all bothersome. If we opened the balcony sliding door however, it was very loud.

Day 6 – Halifax, Nova Scotia

We had thought we would arrive late in Halifax because of the fog. However, we were right on time and, in fact started disembarking about 10 minutes early. Although there was still some morning fog when we got off the ship, it dissipated and we were treated to an absolutely spectacular day for our trip out to famed Peggy’s Cove.

Our pre-booked Princess tour for today included a narrated bus ride to Peggy’s Cove, a walking tour there as well as some free time, return to Halifax and a HoHo bus in the city.

While we were a bit disappointed with the reversing river in Saint John, we were very happy we had the opportunity to visit Peggy’s Cove, one of the most photographed sites in Nova Scotia. It is truly a beautiful setting and well worth the visit. There are many tales of ship wrecks and one of those wrecks (so the story goes) gave this picturesque fishing village its name). Margaret (Peggy) was a sole survivor of a ship wreck who fell in love with a local fisherman and married him (way back when). Visitors would tell friends they were going to visit Peggy at her cove. Tah Dah, Peggy’s Cove.

The area has been painted and photographed by many famous artists and most of us have seen some of those portrayals of the lighthouse on the granite rocks or the fishing boats, houses and lobster pots in the cove. The site is every bit as beautiful as portrayed and a delightful place to visit.

Our bus took us to the cove by one route and we returned by another so the hour’s ride each way was interesting and diverse. Once we returned to Pier 21, we transferred to the “C” route HoHo to see the Citadel fort that sits on the highest Halifax hill and was built by the British to protect against the French. On the way down from the hill we had the opportunity to stop by a very large super market and shop a bit before re-boarding the HoHo and returning to the ship – done for the day. We had a spot of late lunch on our covered balcony – but settled for fruit from the fruit bowl and a glass of wine for that lunch.

Before dinner we went to Skywalker’s lounge for some hot raclette Swiss cheese and special 20 year-old port. It was a perfect accompaniment for watching sail-away from Pier 21 and proceeding out of HalifaxHarbor and again into thick fog in the North Atlantic.

Day 7 – At Sea

Today is a day to relax and pack for departure, but not before having a great breakfast in Sabatini’s and to say farewell to the great staff there that supported us during this cruise.

We did do a bit of walking around the ship and tied up a few loose ends such as confirming our deposit for another cruise and by doing this we assure an additional on board credit to spend next time.

After a nice lunch of fresh fruit, wine, and cookies (a balanced diet), we did begin to organize for packing. We dropped into the Casino, not to play but for Peggy to cash in her slot machine win – it is pretty good to hit a $22 jack pot on a one-cent machine. Once we complete final packing the bags go outside the cabin for pick up by the staff and we get them tomorrow morning on the dock.

We splurged with an afternoon nap and then each took a luxurious soak in the bubbles of the huge Jacuzzi tub of our suite before getting ready to go down to dinner. Wow did it feel good, so good we passed on going up to Skywalker’s for cocktails and drinks. Instead we opted to have a final glass of our wine in the cabin before dinner.

After our last great dinner and farewells to Arnold and Carlos, we went back to the room for final checking of the bags and put them out for collection. Then we made one last stop in the Casino where Peggy hit for another small collection and we called it a night to come back to the room for a nice brandy and to bed for sleep before arrival in New York tomorrow morning.

Debarkation Day

We arranged to have breakfast delivered to the cabin in the morning one of the perks of having a suite. While it was not Sabatini’s, it was a great hot breakfast of freshly made omelet and everything to go with it and really hit the spot. Since we have a long bus trip we felt we needed to eat a hearty meal and fighting the crowds at the buffet was the other alternative – no thanks.

With a later debarking time we had plenty of time to relax in the cabin and watch TV before gathering our belongings and making our way down to the Fusion Lounge, the place set aside for frequent cruisers to wait in comfort for their allotted time.

Since today is September 11th and we are in New YorkHarbor, the ship commemorated the time the TwinTowers were struck by the tolling of the ship’s bell and a moment of silence. It was quite moving to be here on the commemoration day of the 9th anniversary of the terrorist attack and suppose that each person remembers where they were at that exact moment 9 years ago.

We had a very easy debarking and it was a short walk to the bus. As usual 2 people did not show up and we had to wait almost 30 minutes for them. Once on the road we again enjoyed the relaxing ride back to Washington and even the cab ride to the house with a garrulous cabbie who had lived all over the world and unsurprisingly was ready and eager to share his experiences.

So we end another Princess cruise back home safely and we have experienced another small part of the world.

What a wonderful report! Thank you so much. We leave on same trip June 13th. Now I am even more excited!

After a fitful night’s sleep caused by the noise of the stabilizers working hard and groaning loudly.

Since Princess offered a superb deal for this cruise, we are in a full suite at/below the price of a mini-suite and have all of the extra perks that go with that level.

 

 

Were you in a Window Suite? If so, I have a few questions.

 

1) I've read that sometimes the stabilizers can be loud in those rooms. Did they keep you awake every night?

 

We booked a window suite for our upcoming cruise to Canada/New England in mid-June. We gave up the coveted E731 minisuite to try the suite perks. We also got a fabulous price - less than the minisuite.

 

2) Can you give a detailed description of the room and whether it met your expectations? Also, if you have any pictures of the room, can you post them please?

 

Thanks for any help. We're getting really excited about this cruise and our window suite. :D

Great review! Thanks for taking the time to talk about your tours. It sounds like it was very interesting!

Thanks for the review. We sail on the Caribbean Princess this coming Saturday. Do you recall what movies were playing on MUTS?

 

Tim

Were you in a Window Suite? If so, I have a few questions.

 

1) I've read that sometimes the stabilizers can be loud in those rooms. Did they keep you awake every night?

 

We booked a window suite for our upcoming cruise to Canada/New England in mid-June. We gave up the coveted E731 minisuite to try the suite perks. We also got a fabulous price - less than the minisuite.

 

2) Can you give a detailed description of the room and whether it met your expectations? Also, if you have any pictures of the room, can you post them please?

 

Thanks for any help. We're getting really excited about this cruise and our window suite. :D

 

We were in a WS on this cruise also, stabilizeres were only heard on the first night, after that we did not hear them during the night.

The room was nice, plenty of storage space and desk space. Large bathroom. No noice from hall for us.

Recia is absolutely right. The stabilizer noise was only present on the first night while sailing through some rough weather out of New York. This was our 3rd cruise in a WS and the first time we have heard the stablizer noise.

 

We believe the Captain opted to use the stablizer because it was rough during the first leg so as to accomodate the new passengers. We have been in much rougher weather without the stablizers being deployed. The stablizers were not deployed again during this voyage.

 

We are attaching a couple of photos we took on this cruise (click on photo to expand).

 

There is a nice set of pictures of the WS on the Golden (exactly the same as Caribbean) that we used to get an idea of the cabins before we booked our first WS:

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/291...04998754ZhUdpn

 

P&J

Fair winds, clear skies and following seas to all.

Hi There

 

Thanks for such a detailed review, breakfast at Sabainis is great,

 

question for you about the eggs benedict was it one egg or two,

 

on the Crown it was a normal plate with two, while on the Ruby it was a

 

small dish with one,

 

yours Shogun

Hi,

 

On our previous cruises on the Golden and Caribbean the service of Eggs Benedict included two eggs. As the cruise progressed, we generally ordered the dish with just one egg.

 

They do serve another single poached egg over roasted potato in a bowl. We tried this once on the Golden and did not order it again.

 

On this cruise we found we prefered a plate of 2 poached eggs with Hollandaise on the side, roasted potatoes, optional crisp bacon, and a toasted English muffin. We stuck with this throughout the cruise.

 

Of course, do not forget that Mimosa.

 

P&J

 

Fair winds, clear skies, and following seas to all.

Really enjoyed reading your great review!

 

We will be doing the same 9-day Canada/NE next month. I have never been to a tender port. For Bar Harbor and Newport, how often do the tenders run? I'm planning two things for our family to do in Bar Harbor, Oli's trolley 10am-11am and LuLu lobster boat at 1pm. After the trolley tour, I need to take my mom and 3-year-old son back to the ship, then I would like to come back ashore to join my DH and daughters to take the LuLu tour. Is it doable?

 

Since you have done both the Oli and LuLu tours, could you share your experience: if we can only do one, which one is better?

There is a nice set of pictures of the WS on the Golden (exactly the same as Caribbean) that we used to get an idea of the cabins before we booked our first WS:

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/291...04998754ZhUdpn

 

 

This link doesn't work - says "This page has moved", but thanks for the other pictures.

 

Even though we were in the very back of the ship on our last cruise, we heard the noise of the stabalizers and much other noise too as we had rough seas for virtually all of our 14 days and nights! We also jumped and bumped all over the place all night long (I nearly rolled out of bed on the final night during a horrible thunderstorm). Sure hoping this upcoming cruise will be smoother and that having a room mid-ship will help.

Try this site. It has 12 photos of a WS and all can be expanded to full screen. It is from a 2009 CC posting but I just checked it and it is still valid.

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/NukeTim

 

Fair winds, clear skies and following seas to all

 

P&J

OP;

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to post one great review. I very much enjoyed reading it.....:):):)

 

Bob

A few more questions. :o

 

It appears that the only real electric socket is at the dressing table (like every other Princess cabin I've been in), but there are 2 sets of sockets in the bathroom, by each sink.

 

1) Are there any other sockets in the main room? If so, where?

 

2) Are the sockets in the bathroom only for a shaver? And they each look like they are different shapes; what for?

 

3) Can you see well out of the windows with those bars in front of them??

 

4) Is the hanging clothes space as big as the minisuites?

 

5) What's in the cupboard in the living room? Shelves?

 

Thanks! :D

Yes the only usable electric outlet is on the desk by the telephone. Regardless of our cabin choice, mini or full, we always bring a multi-plug extension plus a pig tail for charging our computer, Kindles, and cameras.

 

No matter how many clothes/other stuff you bring, you will not fill all the drawers and shelves. There is more than twice the space for hanging clothes in a WS than in a mini. The cupboard contains the safe as well as shelves and drawers below.

 

The outlets in the bathrooms are specialized for shavers etc. We plugged our electric tooth brush in with no problems. The bathroom also has two large drawers that help reduce counter clutter there.

 

The two windows are large and provide unobstructed viewing.

 

The only thing missing is the balcony.

 

P&J