Review: Crown Princess Nov 20-27 (Long)

[JerryinBWB]

A view prefacing remarks: I am convinced that on every cruise there is someone who loved the cruise, and someone else who hated it. Folks have differing views about food, entertainment, etc, and I do not want to seem critical of anyone else's point of view. I do want to try to provide some useful info for future cruisers because Cruise Critic has been so helpful to me through the years. This was our 12th cruise and they have all been good. Sometimes the food is a little better, sometimes a little worse; sometimes I like the ship's decor more, sometimes less, etc, etc. My DW and I think that a positive attitude goes a long way toward making a cruise great, plus we think we try to have reasonable expectations. Yes, we encountered some rude folks, some loud folks, some inebriated folks; but also some courteous folks, some friendly folks, some fun to be around folks. We took this cruise primarily to relax and we were able to do that very well. Overall, a great cruise.

 

We were on the Crown Princess Thanksgiving Cruise, November 20 to 27.

 

EMBARKATION: As has been the case on most of our cruises, embarkation was a snap. We arrived at the terminal at 11:00 AM. By the time I dropped off my wife with the luggage and parked the car, then walked to the terminal (short walk) they were opening the doors. We waited just a few minutes, then moved in for processing, processed quickly (we were second in line at our kiosk), and were in our cabin before noon. We were the second party to book our reservations for Crown Grill, then made our Spa reservations, then had lunch; all before 1:00 PM.

 

FIRST DAY (At Sea): Our routine was generally to go to the fitness center, follow with some time in the Thermal Suite, have some breakfast, then pool side to relax. This day was also the first Formal Night.

 

Some observations: 1) There are still lots of lounges around the pools that are occupied only by towels for a long while. This "saving" of lounges seemed to annoy some. We were fortunate enough to find a spot each day - - some days required a lot of searching.

2) Attire in DR. Quite a few examples of formal attire on formal nights. It seems to me that tuxedos for men and really formal gowns for ladies have been declining in number the past few cruises, but there were a lot of folks in suits and nice dresses. I did see a man turned away from the dining room on formal night because he had on a short sleeve shirt. He said his long sleeved shirt was even more casual, but they persisted and did not allow him to enter. They seemed to be stopping folks on other nights from entering the DR with shorts, but also seemed to apply this standard more strictly to men than women. There were some pretty casually dressed folks in the DR some nights, but we did not let that detract from our experience.

 

SECOND DAY: Grand Cayman. We had been there several times before so did not take an excursion; just went ashore for a bit of shopping and returned to poolside.

 

Some observations: 1) MUTS. We tried MUTS several evenings on this cruise (some NFL games as well as a movie). Overall, we enjoyed the experience; ate some popcorn, were appreciative of the blankets provided, and think MUTS is a good addition to the Princess ships.

 

THIRD DAY: Roatan. We booked a full day excursion through Victor Bodden Tours (actually all the hard work was done by a fellow passenger), had a group of six folks who explored the island, to include a stop at the monkey zoo, a beach resort for lunch, and another spot for shopping. There were some other stops along the way and the driver was willing to go wherever we asked. He was young, seemed to have memorized the basic info about the island, lacked a depth of knowledge on most subjects and was not great at conversational skills, but overall was quite satisfactory. The $25 per person cost was reasonable.

 

FOURTH DAY: Cozumel. Again we had been to this island before, so just spent some time at the "Backyard" just off the ship enjoying guacamole, a sampler platter, and some Margaritas. The drinks faciliated a long afternoon nap poolside on the ship.

 

FIFTH DAY: Sea Day (Thanksgiving and 2d Formal night).

 

Some observations. 1) Food. By now we had eaten in the Main DR, Horizon Court, Caribe Cafe, Crown Grill, International Cafe, Vines, and had tried the pizza and the ice cream stops. We heard several folks mentioned that they thought the food was very good. We also heard some folks say they were disappointed in the food. I usually assume that preparing food for 3000 folks precludes gourmet, but doesn't preclude good quality. We enjoyed the food in all venues.

Main DR: We enjoyed most everything we ordered; some a bit more, some a bit less, but overall very good.

Horizon Court: Some folks still grumble about the "traffic flow" issues in the HC, but if you avoid impatience you won't have a problem. The food was buffet food; certainly satisfactory, not super.

Crown Grill: We had done Sabatinnis before and enjoyed it, although the quantity can be a bit overwhelming. This was our first Crown experience. It is also well worth the added $25 and the time. The food was excellent and was served differently than Sabatinnis where you order the entree and they bring LOTS of other courses so you can try many things. In the Crown Grill they bring only what you order (everything on the menu is OK with them) and so you can order reasonable numbers and kinds of dishes. Everything we tried was somewhere between OK and really, really good. The pace of the meal was great.

Vines: We went to Vines on multiple occasions. Yes, you need to order something to drink in order to get the sushi, however, once you have ordered something to drink it appears the sushi is limitless. And why would you not want something to drink with your sushi? I enjoyed the Vines experience, but did think they were less busy than some other venues.

International Cafe: As always, lots of great choices for food and drink.

Caribe Cafe: A good alternative to the Horizon Court, and their "specialty" nights are good.

2) Traditional Dining versus Anytime Dining. We have tried them all, early, late, anytime, etc; this time we did Anytime. Those who went to Anytime MDR early were seated quickly. If you wanted to eat around 7 PM then you probably were going to have some stand around with a buzzer in your hand time. Later diners seemed to have little wait. This topic has been discussed at length on the boards so I will not dwell on it except to say that the addition of an additional Traditional dining time and the concomitant closing of a dining room to Anytime diners does seem problematic. A meaningful fix may very well be to ensure that if you have selected Traditional dining as your option, that you not be allowed to eat in the Anytime dining room.

 

SIXTH DAY: Princess Cays. The area has continually been upgraded through the years, and now is much nicer than on our first visit years ago. More concrete or paver walk-ways, more cabanas, etc. In keeping with the "somebody is always unhappy" view, we had one man tell us a dinner on the ship that night that he would never return to Princess Cays until they got all the rocks out of the water. It was "disgraceful" he said. For our part, we enjoyed our stay and believe that if you are looking for a "day at the beach" it offers plenty to do and overall pretty nice facilities.

 

SEVENTH DAY: Return to FLL. Disembarkation - - We were asked to be at our meeting spot at 8:00 AM, based on our desired departure time. By 8:40 we had disembarked, cleared customs, loaded all luggage in our car, and were on I-95 headed home. I think that is pretty good, but I must say that not all passengers are skilled at standing in line, "merging" into customs lines, being courteous to fellow passengers, and you did need to have some patience and be alert so you did not get run over by those who seemed to believe the process was really a contest to see who could get through first. No criticism of Princess, but some criticism of my fellow passengers. I am sure someone else will have a different point of view and will comment, but for us disembarkation was well organized.

 

OVERALL OBSERVATIONS: The Crown is a nice ship, in good shape. The crew seemed to be VERY friendly. Our cabin steward was superb. We had some good MDR waiters with only one night being somewhat slow service. The waiters in Horizon Court and Caribe Cafe were super helpful. Entertainment varied from not so hot to very, very good. We like the magician/mentalist; others did not. We thought the comedians were pretty good, not great. Some liked the Hula Hoop lady; we were really not that impressed.

 

We met, perhaps exceeded, our expectations. We went to relax and we did just that. Overall, a great time. I will try to answer any questions you may have. Yes, we did Internet Cafe, Future Cruise Desk, and lots of other things I have not touched on above so might have an answer to some questions.

[Pam in CA]

Jerry, thanks for the excellent, objective review. I agree with you on many of your observations.

[geoherb]

Thanks for posting your review. We did the same ship/itinerary in March and also had a great time.

[5:00_Somewhere]

Thank you very much for your very thorough and balanced review. Sounds like we're similar in our cruising attitudes and expectations, etc. We'll be boarding the Crown in a couple of weeks so it was nice to hear your thoughts. Welcome home.

[CrusinAgain]

Thanks for your review. Sounds like as usual there are different viewings of this anytime dining being affected by the 3rd traditional dining time. Another review stated that both dining rooms were opened for anytime dining on your cruise but you and another poster have said differently. It also sounds like you had the opposite affect that we had the early birds on our repositioning cruise on the Crown and you had the folks that liked to eat in the 7 pm timeframe which was always the timeframe that they never allowed you to make reservations for in the past. Were you allowed to make reservations each day for anytime?

[JerryinBWB]

Thanks for your review. Sounds like as usual there are different viewings of this anytime dining being affected by the 3rd traditional dining time. Another review stated that both dining rooms were opened for anytime dining on your cruise but you and another poster have said differently. It also sounds like you had the opposite affect that we had the early birds on our repositioning cruise on the Crown and you had the folks that liked to eat in the 7 pm timeframe which was always the timeframe that they never allowed you to make reservations for in the past. Were you allowed to make reservations each day for anytime?

 

My recollection is that you could make reservations a day at a time but only for seatings after 7 PM. The nights we did MDR we always arrived earlier so did not use the reservation system, but we did receive a note in our stateroom that explained the process and possibilities. I think that when folks go to dinner varies with itinerary, too. In Alaska, few folks wanted early dinner because they were still out watching scenery (did not get dark until midnight) while on this cruise it was dark a bit after 6 and everyone had to be back on the ship by about 3:30 or 4 at most stops.

[patperry]

Jerry... wonderful review...it was fun meeting you both. Since I was on the same sailing and I agree with you comments, I now don't have to do my own review. ;)

 

We didn't do Vines or the Crown Grill (saving the Crown Grill for the next cruise)

 

The only thing we did that you didn't mention was Chef's Table. It was extraordinary (this was our 2nd experience) and is well worth the time and the $.

 

Pat

[sunsetbeachgal]

Enjoyed your review and your attitude/approach which sounds like ours-we enjoy the cruise experience, are thankful for the health/resources in this day and age to be able to travel and we don't sweat the small stuff. I did the Crown last March with a friend-sounds like our cruise agenda was like yours including a similar day on Roatan with Victor Bodden tours. Glad you had a great trip! ;)

[Sanibel*Gal]

Enjoyed your review very much - we sail on the Crown Princess for our 1st time in 12 Days!:D I also think we sailed with you on the Emerald Princess for a 10 Day in 2008??? We had a great roll-call that cruise!;)

 

Andrea

~~~~~~

[Colo Cruiser]

Contrary to the 2 other negative (review) postings about dining time issues sounds like you had a great time.

Thanks for taking the time to write a review. :)

[kywildcatfanone]

My recollection is that you could make reservations a day at a time but only for seatings after 7 PM. The nights we did MDR we always arrived earlier so did not use the reservation system, but we did receive a note in our stateroom that explained the process and possibilities. I think that when folks go to dinner varies with itinerary, too. In Alaska, few folks wanted early dinner because they were still out watching scenery (did not get dark until midnight) while on this cruise it was dark a bit after 6 and everyone had to be back on the ship by about 3:30 or 4 at most stops.

 

Jerry,

 

We were on this cruise as well, and had dinner reservations in Michaelangelo each night at 5:30pm, except formal nights, as we wanted the same table/staff. I did have to call each day and make the reservation. Never got questioned about the time request. Each night when we left the dining room (around 7:30), we never saw a line or anyone with pagers, but I might just not have noticed that part.

 

Glad you had a good time. Loved your review.

 

Mike

[many cruises]

Thanks for your detailed review. We loved the Crown when we sailed on her and we are sailing on her again in a few weeks. Would you mind sharing some of the "best" dishes you had in the MDR and at the Crown Grill? :)

[phabric]

Enjoyed your review. We will be on the Crown in April.

[balconyfriends]

I cant wait,We will be on the Crown at the end of April!!!!

[Guest arowe6]

We were on the Crown a week before and also had a great time. Thanks for your review.

 

-Andrew :)

[srpilo]

Good work Jerry, thanks for posting it..

 

 

 

 

Srpilo

[JerryinBWB]

Enjoyed your review very much - we sail on the Crown Princess for our 1st time in 12 Days!:D I also think we sailed with you on the Emerald Princess for a 10 Day in 2008??? We had a great roll-call that cruise!;)

 

Andrea

~~~~~~

 

Yes, I remember you from the Emerald Princess; glad to hear from you. It appears you are still cruising regularly. Come join us on the Ruby TA next year.

[NeurosurgeryNP]

Thanks for posting yoru review. We are headed for the Crown in a couple of weeks.

 

Were there any theme nights for the cruise staff activities - i.e. 70's night, Rock and roll night, etc???

[JerryinBWB]

Thanks for your detailed review. We loved the Crown when we sailed on her and we are sailing on her again in a few weeks. Would you mind sharing some of the "best" dishes you had in the MDR and at the Crown Grill? :)

 

The filet was the best steak in the Crown Grill although we tried the Beef Chop and the Lamb as well and they were OK. The thinly (very thinly) sliced Lamb appetizer was really great. Order two; they are small.

 

In the MDR, I always love the foie gras and the pate as well as the seafood appetizers. The main courses were generally just pretty good, but the small steaks (they seem to go by different names on different nights) were excellent. Lots of folks asked the chef to make various kinds of fettucini, both for appetizers, main courses, and side dishes; sometimes with chicken, sometimes with shrimp, sometimes just with cheese.

 

Remember, if you get something you don't really care for, just ask for something else. I am sure you will find something that suits your taste.

[JerryinBWB]

Contrary to the 2 other negative (review) postings about dining time issues sounds like you had a great time.

Thanks for taking the time to write a review. :)

 

Jerry,

 

We were on this cruise as well, and had dinner reservations in Michaelangelo each night at 5:30pm, except formal nights, as we wanted the same table/staff. I did have to call each day and make the reservation. Never got questioned about the time request. Each night when we left the dining room (around 7:30), we never saw a line or anyone with pagers, but I might just not have noticed that part.

 

Glad you had a good time. Loved your review.

 

Mike

 

I think that a bit of prior planning, some patience, and a positive attitude make the whole dining experience quite satisfactory. Traditional early will work fine for some; traditional late will work for some; and Anytime will work for some. Best bet is to think through the options and pick what is best for you on each cruise. Those that seemed to be most frustrated were those who wanted immediate access to a MDR (but had not made a reservation) and wanted to eat quickly so they could get to some other venue at a specific time. Of course, the other cruisers you end up eating with on any particular night can have some influence on how enjoyable your experience is. I thought that asking for a table for two allowed you sit next to (and talk with) others if you wanted to, but just enjoy your spouses company if those folks nearby were less compatible with you. I guess I am all about finding a way to make any situation work out as opposed to finding something to complain about.

[Princessmich]

Thanks for the review! We'll be on the Crown Again in March & I think I'll be reading every review on this cruise till then! I may be a bit over excited! We're hoping to do the Chef's table for the first time on this cruise.

I just need more input from first time visitors to these ports. We're pretty sure we'll go to Tulum but for the other ports am un decided..anyway thanks again..glad you had such a good time!

 

Michelle:)

[CrusinAgain]

I think that a bit of prior planning, some patience, and a positive attitude make the whole dining experience quite satisfactory. Traditional early will work fine for some; traditional late will work for some; and Anytime will work for some. Best bet is to think through the options and pick what is best for you on each cruise. Those that seemed to be most frustrated were those who wanted immediate access to a MDR (but had not made a reservation) and wanted to eat quickly so they could get to some other venue at a specific time. Of course, the other cruisers you end up eating with on any particular night can have some influence on how enjoyable your experience is. I thought that asking for a table for two allowed you sit next to (and talk with) others if you wanted to, but just enjoy your spouses company if those folks nearby were less compatible with you. I guess I am all about finding a way to make any situation work out as opposed to finding something to complain about.

 

Gosh, I wished I had known you for our cruise so you could have made our situation worked. It was just too many people all wanting to eat early to make the shows and then go to bed. We had no problems though seeing late shows or doing late night activities since they were all in bed. I think it is also if you prefer a long dining experience or a good qucker one and then make it to the night activities where on a crowded ship you have to get there early to get a seat. Again, I wished you were there to make it work since we ran out of ideas.:)

[Coolmama_1]

Thanks for sharing a great review!

[JerryinBWB]

Gosh, I wished I had known you for our cruise so you could have made our situation worked. It was just too many people all wanting to eat early to make the shows and then go to bed. We had no problems though seeing late shows or doing late night activities since they were all in bed. I think it is also if you prefer a long dining experience or a good qucker one and then make it to the night activities where on a crowded ship you have to get there early to get a seat. Again, I wished you were there to make it work since we ran out of ideas.:)

 

My guess is that the age demographics on your New England cruise were a bit different than those on our Caribbean cruise. I am not "anti" any age group, but think it can be a problem if you have too large a percentage of any age group onboard; young or old or in the middle. Variety of ages is good, and probably helps with the dining room issues as well as makes night life a bit more "robust."

 

We have different expectations on different cruises based on time of year, length of cruise, age and size of ship, cost factors, etc. Our experience in the Med were different from our experiences in Alaska or in the Caribbean. I am pretty sure that Spring break cruises differ from Fall Foliage cruises, etc. Good that we have so many choices.

[rdsqrl]

. . . .I guess I am all about finding a way to make any situation work out as opposed to finding something to complain about.

Well, clearly, with that kind of reasonable attitude, you'll never get anywhere around here! Seriously, thank you for your review; I'm glad to hear the old girl is still shipshape since I saw her last (and only three weeks to go til I see her again -- YAY!).