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Wordy Review of Crown Princess 2/20-2/27

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It has taken us a week to get our lives back to normal, but I am up very early this morning to write what will no doubt be a very wordy and long review of our cruise on the Crown Princess to the Western Caribbean from February 20th to the 27th. This is the 18th cruise for "The One Who Must Be Obeyed" and me, although only our second on Princess. We both agree that it was our best cruise yet!

 

Flight to Fort Lauderdale/transportation to Port Everglades

Due to job requirements, it is usually impossible for us to fly in a day early. We live in New Hampshire and I know many suggest that due to fickle weather in the northeast flying in a day early is a must, but in reality the only time that we had a near miss was when we were scheduled to fly in a day early and Baltimore, where we had a connecting flight, was closed. It was only due to the extraordinary efforts of a ticket agent from Southwest who worked tirelessly to get us on another flight to save our cruise. Thus we are loyal fans of Southwest Airlines. Our flight left Manchester, New Hampshire at 8:15 a.m. with a stop in Baltimore and landed in Fort Lauderdale at about 12:30. We gathered our luggage and had no problem getting a cab. With tips for the driver and the porter at Port Everglades, it cost us $20--still cheaper and faster than the Princess transfers.

 

Embarkation

Princess has this down to a science. We have never moved along so quickly. We were even able to side step the photographers! We were in our cabin before 1:30, less than one hour after our plane landed.

 

Our Cabin

We were in a balcony cabin #434 on the Baja Deck (11). We found that our cabin not only looked clean, but smelled clean. This was no stale odor of second hand smoke. The cabin was roomier than some we have been on, but we were not in a suite. There was plenty of closet space with hangers. We liked the set-up of the closet with no doors. There was more than enough room to store our luggage under the queen sized bed. There was a desk and chair along with a small easy chair. We did miss the love seat or couch, but it gave us more room to get around. There was a small refrigerator with an ice bucket inside. Our steward ( who was excellent) kept it filled each day. There was a flat screened televison with a variety of channels. We were somewhat disappointed that there was no Olympic coverage, but I guess that Princess did not want to pay the royalties to NBC! Our balcony was covered, those on the decks below were not. For some this may create a privacy issue. We really enjoyed our balcony each day, just sitting and relaxing. I got through three novels during the week, most of which were read on the balcony. With the exception of the first night when there was a very loud party a few doors down, our neighbors were very considerate. Folks need to recognize that voices carry and thus we also tried to keep our conversations low.

 

Overall Impressions of the Ship

The Crown Princess is now four years old and based upon some of the comments on this board, we did not know what to expect. We did not see any signs of aging and wear and tear that others mentioned. I am an early riser and was impressed with the number of crew members that are out and about cleaning, scrubbing, sanding, and painting at that time. Although it is a large ship, at no time did we feel crowded or overwhelmed. At the risk of mentioning a touchy issue (smoking), we found that this ship seemed to have fewer smokers than any of our other 18 cruises. We were not bothered by second hand smoke in our cabin, on our balcony or in any other venues. Most lounges are now non-smoking and from what we could see, smokers were abiding by it. There was a smoking section on the Lido deck, but we just did not go there. We stayed out of the casino along with the Sky Walker and Wheelhouse Lounges which were smoking areas.

 

Smooth vs. Rough Seas

As we all know, this has been a difficult winter across the country. Those who have sailed on the Crown Princess this season have been faced with some rough seas and this cruise was no exception. I would have to say that 85% of the time was smooth sailing. It was a rough sail when we left Cozumel along with one day at sea, but it sometimes happens. It did tend to put a damper on some of the outside activities, but you have to make the best of it. I am sure to some folks, it caused some discomfort, but we sort of enjoy the rocking and rolling and we sleep well as a result.

 

 

Dining

  • We have sailed several cruise lines and we must admit that for the most part, we find Princess to have the best food. Is it five star? Most certainly not, but it is a cut above some of the other lines. Does that mean that we enjoyed every dish? No, but we most certainly did not let it ruin our cruise!
  • The International Cafe on deck five is a hidden gem. Some people over look this as they think there is a charge, but most everthing comes without addtional charges. We found this to be a great spot for lunch on embarkation day when the Horizon Buffet is a zoo. Don't miss the chicken salad and the shrimp! There are a variety of treats for breakfast along with sandwiches and salads which are great for light meals later in the day. The desserts are the highlight. The only cost item is the gelato, $1.50 for three large scoops. We were somewhat disappointed in the fact that it was a little icey and not really creamy, but it was a matter of taste.
  • The Horizon Buffet and Cafe Caribe on the Lido deck sometimes get a bum rap. We found the selection to be excellent and the presentation to be much better than other cruise lines. We had only one dinner there, the much heralded seafood buffet on sailaway night. The lobster and shrimp were awesome! Thanks to these boards, we brought our own lobster cracker. We never had problems finding a seat at either breakfast or lunch. If one area is crowded, simply go to the other, there are plenty of seats even if you can't find one along the windows.
  • The Main Dining Rooms were the scene of most of our dinners and two of our breakfasts. We were on the "Any Time Dining" program and contrary to what has been posted on these boards we never had more than a couple minutes wait for a table. We arrived between 6:30 and 8 each night. They will try to seat you with others, but we always requested a table for two and were accomodated. We found the service to be exceptional for all but one night when our wait staff seemed to be doting on another table of loud and demanding folks. The fact that the head waiter appeared to be barking at the wait staff did not do much to help the situation. We enjoyed a more laid back breakfast there twice, especially on the last day, when the Horizon Court can be a madhouse. Again, we were more than happy with all of our meals.
  • The Crown Grill was the scene of our most memorable meal on the first formal night. Words simply can not describe the quality of the the food or the service. We were so impressed with the attentiveness of Jovy, our server, that we filled out a special comment card and left it at passenger services.
  • Room Service was probably only the disappointing aspect of the dining options. We like to have a platter of appetizers before dinner while watching the sunset from our balcony, but the menu just doesn't allow it unless you want to pay an upcharge.
  • Coffee Card "The One Who Must Be Obeyed" loves her coffee and was unhappy with the syrup coffee on our past Princess Cruise. Thus we purchased the coffee card on deck five and used it daily for brewed coffee and a few times in the evenings for specialty coffees.

Dress on the Ship

The ongoing debates on these boards about formal night dress rival discussions about religion and politics! We used to feel somewhat intimidated about this issue, but no longer let it bother us. We are not into the formal scene and do not care for the whole aura of the so-called formal nights. That being said, we do dress neatly. I wear a navy blue jacket and tie with dark pants and "The One Who Must Be Obeyed" always looks lovely (did you think I would say otherwise?). I would estimate that 25% of the men wear tuxes, 25% a dark suit, 25% sports coat and tie or a long sleeved shirt and tie, and maybe 25% were more casual. Did anyone seem to mind? Not that I could see. We stayed out of the way of those who were getting formal pictures taken and avoided the Captain's Cocktail Party and the champage waterfall. We have no problems with those who are into this and hope that they would accept the rest of us and not try to relegate us to room service or the buffet.

 

Ship Activities and Services

We tend to be more a little more mellow than others and are content to spend time relaxing on our cruises. We read a great deal and enjoyed the selection of books from the library. We only used the internet cafe on the next to last day to print our boarding passes. I do miss The New York Times via fax, but Princess is not the only line to discontinue this. We do enjoy the on board trivia and were part of a team that won some Princess hats. "The One Who Must Be Obeyed" was somewhat disappointed in the on board shopping especially the $10 sale where they just dumped boxes of merchandise on the tables of one of the dining rooms. She said that other lines at least have the decency to display it other than what looks like a flea market of unwanted and broken items. I am an early riser and try to walk two miles each morning. My walk on the Promenade deck ended after a half hour when the crew broke out the fire hoses to wash down the deck which is understandable. Unfortunately the walking track which is aft on the top deck causes one to have to suck in the exhaust fumes of the smoke stack which might defeat some of the health purposes of walking. The gym has a great variety of workout equipment, but does not open until shortly before seven in the morning. As I said, I am an early riser, even on vacation!

 

Entertainment was somewhat of a mixed bag on the ship. The song and dance production shows have not changed since our last Princess cruise, thus we avoided them. The ship had two comedians, one who was not so funny (Troy Thirdgill) and another (Rollin Jay Moore) who a least gave us a few laughs. We love classical music and enjoyed the music of The Rubin Cafe Quintet from Hungary. They played in the Explorers Lounge on Tuesday and Friday. Unfortunately Friday's performance was exactly the same as Tuesday's! Fellow passengers did not share our love of this kind of music as both nights were sparsely attended. We did spend some time watching the Movies Under the Stars, but sometimes the weather just would not cooperate.

 

 

Ports of Call

  • We have been on many cruises and have learned that unless the safety of the ports are an issue or there is a major language barrier, you are much better off to skip the ship's overpriced cattle herd excursions and to go it on your own.
  • Cayman Islands This was our 4th visit to the Caymans. We have done the turtle farm, been to Hell and back, and have taken the Atlantis Underwater boat tour. We were going to take the local bus out to the Botanical Garden which we have done before (well worth the time), but "The One Who Must Be Obeyed" had a slight stroke this summer and has some limited mobility problems, thus we passed on it. We were content with some shopping (post cards and shirts for our daughters and granddaughter) and just having a cool drink. The tender ride to the island was fine, but the ride back got a little rough as the winds were picking up. We were fortunate though. From what we understand, the seas were so rough the next day that some ships were forced to cancel their visit.
  • Roatan This was our first visit to this beautiful island off the coast of Honduras. We booked a private tour (check out the ports of call site for recommendations--I don't think I am supposed to give names here) and had a great day. We spent almost six hours visiting such sites as the Iguana Farm, the Botanical Gardens, the West End, ate a great lunch at a spot frequented by locals, and did some shopping in Coxen Hole.
  • Cozumel The weather had to be foul sometime and this was our day. This was our 4th visit here and the first time that rain dampened our day. As we pulled into port, the sun rose and then hid behind the clouds. The walk on the pier takes about ten minutes and that is all that it took for the skies to open up. It poured and became very windy. We sought shelter in the "Three Amigos" bar on the pier for about a half hour until the rain slowed down. We had already placed a non refundable deposit on an all inclusive beach club and debated just cutting our losses and skipping it or giving it a shot. We went out there via cab and did enjoy several drinks and lunch. We went in the hot tub (more like the tepid tub) and spent only about twenty minutes in the ocean due to the high winds. It wasn't the best of days, but temperatures in the sixties certainly beat New Hampsha wintas!
  • Princess Cays Our last cruise with Princess skipped this island due to high winds, but this turned out to be a beautiful day in a beautiful setting. The weather and sun were awesome, but be forewarned, the coral and rocks in the water make it a little rough. Invest in a pair of water shoes. Also we forgot the bug spray. "The One Who Must Be Obeyed" took a nap in the shade under a tree and was pretty chewed up by sandfleas. We enjoyed the barbeque lunch and went outside of the gate to visit the shops set up by the locals who appreciate your business.
  • Fort Lauderdale For the first time in our lives, we scheduled a late afternoon flight home and took advantage of the ship's excursion to have an airboat ride and a visit to see the gators in the Everglades along with some time at the Flamingo Gardens. The disembarkation went very smootly and we were brought to the airport with our luggage after our tour with plenty of time to spare. Having several more hours in the Florida warmth was a great way to end a vacation before returning to the winta of New Hampsha.

When we did get home, we were pleased to see that we had electricity. Over half of our town was still without power from a major storm two days earlier. Talk about a reason to appreciate a vacation. We enjoyed Princess and look foward to sailing with them again!:D

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kmp70

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Great Review! When you book your flights from NH do you do that in advance through SW? I am also from New Hampshire and fly out of Manchester, sometimes flights seem expensive though. Looking to go on the Crown later this year.

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Great Review! When you book your flights from NH do you do that in advance through SW? I am also from New Hampshire and fly out of Manchester, sometimes flights seem expensive though. Looking to go on the Crown later this year.

 

I would never book through the cruiseline as they tend to be quite expensive and sometimes are very inconvenient times. The key to success is to try and book on the Southwest website as soon as they open up the dates which are usually about six months in advance. You may need to be a little flexible with your times in an effort to get the cheapest flight. We booked Southwest for this most recent cruise in late August or possibly on September 1st of last year.

 

Check out their website and it will list the dates for which they are booking.

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sirwired

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Heh... I guess the entertainment is in the eye of the beholder. I wasn't too impressed with the classical music on my cruise (and I really like classical music), but I thought Troy Thirdgill was great! (Didn't see Jay Moore...)

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise!

 

SirWired

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kmp70

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I would never book through the cruiseline as they tend to be quite expensive and sometimes are very inconvenient times. The key to success is to try and book on the Southwest website as soon as they open up the dates which are usually about six months in advance. You may need to be a little flexible with your times in an effort to get the cheapest flight. We booked Southwest for this most recent cruise in late August or possibly on September 1st of last year.

 

Check out their website and it will list the dates for which they are booking.

 

thanks, do you have any pictures from your trip?

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geoherb "Live from...." Rare

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Thanks for posting your review. We're leaving Friday. I've already given up my idea of just taking two checked pieces of luggage since we're also flying on Southwest and won't have to pay for the third one.

 

The only time we had a big problem with our flight was when our plane got stuck in New Hampshire. We were about six hours late leaving Raleigh--where the weather was sunny and in the 60s. We barely made a connecting flight in Orlando, and our luggage did not. That was the one time I was glad we flew down the day before, because our luggage did catch up with us and Southwest delivered it to our hotel during the night.

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Heh... I guess the entertainment is in the eye of the beholder. I wasn't too impressed with the classical music on my cruise (and I really like classical music), but I thought Troy Thirdgill was great! (Didn't see Jay Moore...)

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise!

 

SirWired

 

Well it certainly wasn't a symphony, but we enjoyed it more than the music in the other lounges!;)

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thanks, do you have any pictures from your trip?

 

I guess you can say that I am a graduate from the school for the computer declined! Alhough I know how to post pictures on my e-mail, I have never been able to figure out how to post them on Cruise Critic even though I have been posting messages for years. If anyone cares to give me a tutorial, I would appreciate it!

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