Caribbean princess March 11 - 18 review

[shaunster12]

Caribbean princess review, March 11 – 25 March 11 – 18th from a UK cruiser. There were 3 of us cruising for the first time on princess aged 49, 48 and 22 staying in E728 minisuite on emerald. The package including flights was booked with princess. We had booked a 14 night cruise but it was cut short as you will all know by now.

 

Day 1 – Sunday 11th march, 07:20 (GMT) flight from London with Iberia via Madrid to San Juan. Flight times and planes were good, service from Iberia was fine, nothing like as bad as you read on some websites. Arrival into San Juan 4:30PM, off the plane and into a massive queue for customs, bearing in mind the flight had come from Madrid and the majority of us were NON-US people they only had 3 officers at the desks getting people through (and about a further 20 stood around..) so it took about an hour to clear customs, not what you want after a long flight. Transfer to ship was good, coach was well air conditioned, getting onto ship and into cabin was simple, our room steward Jowie met us almost immediately, he was pleasant and did all we asked. Muster at 8pm was quite long but a necessity by law so cant complain. We got a quick hot dog at the trident grill and went to bed.

 

Day 2 – Monday 12th March St Maarten. We were due to arrive at 10am into St Maarten but around 9am the captain spoke to us informing us of the problems encountered and that we would be 4 hours late into port so that morning the ships pools and the gym were very busy, no free sunbeds or space to workout in the gym area. We finally arrived into St Maarten 5 hours late and went ashore, we got 3 sunbeds, 2 umbrellas and 5 beers for $20, cant complain at those prices. We had selected traditional dining at 6pm and since tonight was formal night we attended dressed as we should be we noticed most people were dressed very well adhering to the dress code, we only saw one person who thought it was appropriate to wear a polo shirt and trousers, they looked very out of place in the restaurant. The food was delicious, no complaints there… our servers, Joseph and Jaime were also pleasant and had a good way of working together, service was perhaps a little fast at times but it never felt rushed.

 

 

Here is a panoramic photo I made from St Maarten beach on our second day in port, in the middle the Grand princess is anchored off shore because there is no space at the piers, it was taken between heavy rain showers, if you have problems viewing please tell me.

 

More review coming soon.

 

 

[shaunster12]

Day 3 Tuesday- St Maarten again! Not a bad place to be stuck really, I can think of worse islands. Due to us being in St Maarten Princess provided us with free water taxis to the main town meaning we could come and go as we pleased, we had an uneventful if nice day ashore on the beach. At dinner that evening the ship started moving and we left St Maarten, this led to cheers from people in the dining room obviously thinking we were on the way to St Lucia or another island. However after we left port the captain spoke to us and informed us we were heading back to San Juan, there was dismay among most people in the dining room. I felt the captain should have told us before we left port that we were returning to San Juan and not continuing with our cruise.

 

Day 4 Wednesday - Arrival into San Juan. Despite a broken engine or similar we arrived earlier than expected, we were greeted by 3 tugs to assist us into port if we needed them. After we were alongside we couldnt get off the ship, the US customs people didnt clear the ship until it was quite late and passenger services informed the passengers that on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nobody could go ashore until 10:30 because of the local authorities, why this was the case I dont know. We were also informed the casino/bingo and other services would not be running because we were in port.

 

Day 5 Thursday - We went to Condado beach in San Juan, its a tiny beach but is actually a little gem, its a lagoon type setting with a protected reef with seagrass beds. The place was alive with all sorts of marine life, if you like snorkeling then this is a great place to visit its better than many of the tours on other islands, we saw pipefish, tangs, urchins coral, crabs and much more, it really is a thriving reef which is quite rare in the Caribbean these days. Taxi fare was $20 each way from the ship. Princess was also laying on free shuttles to old San Juan from the pier. When we got back to our cabin we had a letter waiting for us, the news was that next weeks cruise had been canceled and princess had provided us new flight times home for Sunday 18th, very disappointing, it seemed everytime we got back to the cabin a bad news letter was waiting for us.

 

Day 6 - Friday - El Yunque rain forest 'hike'. This was our only princess excursion of the cruise. It was OK, nothing special. 1 hours bus travel each way was quite a lot, the trip visited several sites of el yunque forest inlcuding the hike to the waterfall, it was impressive but not amazing, I have seen better in Scotland. The tour buses that were in use are very old and 3, yes 3 broke down while we were there, we had to change buses because of a wheel problem, it wasnt any hassle and the replacement bus was already on site leading me to think these buses break down a lot. Friday afternoon the ship moved from the pan American pier to pier 4 in old San Juan which made it much easier for passengers to visit the sites of old San Juan.

 

Day 7 - Saturday. When we were finally allowed off the ship at 10:30 (why so late??) we visited el morro fort and took in the sights of old San Juan, it was pleasant but by now the delights of San Juan were grating a little. When we returned the ship we had another letter waiting for us, this time it was disembarkation forms, princess wanted us off the ship at 9am on sunday for a 6pm flight, a joke right?? No..

 

Day 8 - Sunday. Disembarkation day had come a week early for us, suprise suprise though the US customs people actually did us a favor for being so slow today as disembarkation was delayed and we didnt leave the ship until 12noon, when we left the ship we were met by a huge queue, they were holding up the escalators the queues were so long, anyway I was ill (we think a bad sausage at breakfast caused it :() and had to ask for some assistance, the princess lady was very kind and helped me through to the restroom and got me a drink, she then escorted us through customs and offered me a wheelchair, I cant thank her enough. Upon collecting our bags we saw the porters had managed to break the handle on one of them.. We transfered the airport, I checked in online to avoid the queues and we had a 4 and a half hour wait until our flight, princess really needs to sort this out for passengers with late flights, this was the only time on our cruise we felt princess didnt care about us.

 

Entertainment - In a word - OK. Nothing particularly impressive, the shows were very short, the same entertainment was on in the piazza each day, we felt princess really lacked in this department.

 

Food - Generally very good, dining room food was very good as was the buffet breakfasts and dinners.

 

Princess overall - Its clear that the whole ship is designed to get you to spend as much money as possible, I dont like that the front of the ship is taken up by the sanctuary for which you have to pay extra, exercise classes should also be free and not have a charge, the automatic tip $12 a day per passenger is way too much, we removed it and tipped what we felt was reasonable. We would cruise princess again but would avoid American ports (only to avoid customs chaos..) for Caribbean itineraries we would choose P&O in the future.

 

We all felt princess handled the ship situation very well, we have been told we will recieve a full refund, cruise fare + airfare and I will report back when we receive it.

 

Hope the Caribbean Princess is sailing again soon, she is a wonderful ship.

 

[Jasperdo]

Thank you for the review, and for putting such a positive spin on an unfortunate situation.

[MDSue]

Thanks for the review. I'm sorry your vacation was cut short, but I'm glad you were able to make the most of your extra stay in San Juan. I am staying in Condado right by the beach you described and I'm glad to know the snorkelling is good there. I know it is great for swimming as the ocean along the coast can be quite rough there and this cove is very calm.

We are also planning to try and book a private rainforest/beach tour so I apreciate the review. How strenous was the hike? I'm a bit out of shape and hope I'm up for it.

My only thought is that the tips are split between quite a few people- the servers, the room stewards and their helpers. I think $12 a day is fair since it has to be split many ways, but I know it's up from the norm of $10 per day. I usually tip in cash extra on top of the standard charges because I feel the workers really deserve it.

Thanks again, though- I'm hoping to be on the April 1st cruise if she is fixed on time!

[lovevacadays]

Sounds like you made the best out of a not so good situation. Hopefully, you will book another cruise and get to complete it!

[srpilo]

Very positive review considering .. Welcome to Cruise Critic

 

 

 

 

 

Good to hear your upbeat take, and hope you'll be posting more in the future

Srpilo

[golfb4cruzing]

I don't mean to be snarky but why do English find issues with tipping? I have read many threads that detail the removal of the autos. What is the logic behind this practice.

 

Thank You.

[Loggerhead]

We were on this cruise also and felt that princess treated us very well!

[Karencruiser43]

I was also on this sailing and although it was very disappointing not to visit all these wonderful islands that I had been dreaming about for so long, I felt Princess handled the situation very well. Things happen and you just have to make the best of a difficult situation. I thought Princess was very generous in giving all the passengers a full refund as well as 25% off another cruise. We did spend a day and a half in St. Maarten and was able to stay on the ship for the remainder of the week in San Juan and we were still able to have all our meals as well as enjoy all the entertainemnt the ship had to offer, so overall, I was happy the way we were taken care of and hope to rebook this cruise in the near future. Good luck to everybody who has this cruise booked in the coming weeks. I hope you all get the opportunity to enjoy the ship and its wonderful itinerary.

[shaunster12]

How strenous was the hike? I'm a bit out of shape and hope I'm up for it.

 

It is on a path, but being a rainforest it can be quite wet and slippy, some parts are uphill but not that steep, most people should be able to handle it.

 

I don't mean to be snarky but why do English find issues with tipping? I have read many threads that detail the removal of the autos. What is the logic behind this practice.

 

We aren't used to it over here, we rarely tip (outside London anyway) $12 a day worked out at something like $270 for 3 of us for 7 days, thats very high costs in my view. We tipped separately the waiters and cabin boy a little bit of cash, but not a lot.

[kayelbee]

golfb4cruzing, in reply to your question re tipping, I think it is because in the UK tipping is for providing a service above and beyond what you would expect, not for doing your job. We have a reasonable minimum wage which, although not massive, ensures people get paid a fair wage and should not have to rely upon tipping to make their wages up. Not saying which is wrong or right just my opinion. Having said that I kept my auto tip on as I understand the staff are not paid UK wages.

[Meanmum]

I was also on this sailing and although it was very disappointing not to visit all these wonderful islands that I had been dreaming about for so long, I felt Princess handled the situation very well. Things happen and you just have to make the best of a difficult situation. I thought Princess was very generous in giving all the passengers a full refund as well as 25% off another cruise. We did spend a day and a half in St. Maarten and was able to stay on the ship for the remainder of the week in San Juan and we were still able to have all our meals as well as enjoy all the entertainemnt the ship had to offer, so overall, I was happy the way we were taken care of and hope to rebook this cruise in the near future. Good luck to everybody who has this cruise booked in the coming weeks. I hope you all get the opportunity to enjoy the ship and its wonderful itinerary.

 

It is nice and refreshing to read a post like this, someone who makes the best out of a bad situation and moves on. I am so sick and tired of reading about the whinners, and complainers who post about their cruise and what they have lost. Imagine loosing your house, or a loved one put life in perspective.

 

Hope you have a wonderful time on whatever cruise you rebook on, and I am sure good things will come to you. :)

[fishin' musician]

golfb4cruzing, in reply to your question re tipping, I think it is because in the UK tipping is for providing a service above and beyond what you would expect, not for doing your job. We have a reasonable minimum wage which, although not massive, ensures people get paid a fair wage and should not have to rely upon tipping to make their wages up. Not saying which is wrong or right just my opinion. Having said that I kept my auto tip on as I understand the staff are not paid UK wages.

 

Unfortunately the daily service charge is not a tip, it is the base wage for thes crew members. To retain this is unconsceinable to me. These people work 12 hour days, 7 days a week for 8 months or so without a day off. You rely on them and they also rely on you. Please do not stiff them and their families.

[dr__dawggy]

We probably passed you as we were leaving and you were boarding. My wife and I disembarked on the 11th, following a 14 day cruise. Our cabin was E734 and Jowey was our steward as well.

 

Thanks for remaining as upbeat as possible, even under stressful circumstances. Enjoyed reading your review.

 

I agree with previous posters who note that unlike in the UK Princess service employees do not receive an adequate minimum wage and the auto gratuity goes toward paying them a living wage for the incredible job they do. By flagging their vessels from countries outside of England and the US, Princess avoids both labor and minimum wage requirements.

 

Just consider the auto gratuity part of the cost of the cruise.

[golfb4cruzing]

golfb4cruzing, in reply to your question re tipping, I think it is because in the UK tipping is for providing a service above and beyond what you would expect, not for doing your job. We have a reasonable minimum wage which, although not massive, ensures people get paid a fair wage and should not have to rely upon tipping to make their wages up. Not saying which is wrong or right just my opinion. Having said that I kept my auto tip on as I understand the staff are not paid UK wages.

 

Thank you for sharing. Always like to understand non US perspectives.

[Happy girl2]

I don't mean to be snarky but why do English find issues with tipping? I have read many threads that detail the removal of the autos. What is the logic behind this practice.

 

Thank You.

 

It is not just the English who remove the Auto tip there are Americans who do it also as i noticed on my trips to the passanger service desk this time when i was on CB.

I always tip but i do think it should be up to me how much.

Perhaps more people would leave the auto tip on if we got treated fairley with price drops:(:(

[fishin' musician]

 

Just consider the auto gratuity part of the cost of the cruise.

 

 

This is where the confusion lies. It is not a "gratuity", it is a "service charge"; A charge for the service.

[shaunster12]

Its called a gratuity on the statement we got from princess. Wether you choose to pay it or not is your own personal choice. We already paid out in the cost of the cruise for the services of a 'first class hotel' so we dont see why we should then pay extra again. Perhaps its just different cultures.

[fishin' musician]

Its called a gratuity on the statement we got from princess. Wether you choose to pay it or not is your own personal choice. We already paid out in the cost of the cruise for the services of a 'first class hotel' so we dont see why we should then pay extra again. Perhaps its just different cultures.

 

Ha ha, yeah, diifferent culture. 200+ years ago it was decided we'd had enough of it. :D ... But I do thank you for your comments and review.

[dr__dawggy]

Its called a gratuity on the statement we got from princess. Wether you choose to pay it or not is your own personal choice. We already paid out in the cost of the cruise for the services of a 'first class hotel' so we dont see why we should then pay extra again. Perhaps its just different cultures.

 

I would appreciate knowing where I might find a first class hotel in London for USD200 per couple, VAT, meals and entertainment included. I am having a difficult time finding this kind of deal for our post-cruise stay. :)

[shaunster12]

Im not even going to rise to that challenge, just read the review for what it is. The whole area of tipping on cruise ships is quite murky, and this just proves it.

[dr__dawggy]

Im not even going to rise to that challenge, just read the review for what it is. The whole area of tipping on cruise ships is quite murky, and this just proves it.

 

 

Guess this means I am on my own to find a first class hotel room in London for a decent price?

 

I have been a little shocked as I have searched. I knew London was expensive but prices in London seem out of proportion with Barcelona and other parts of Europe right now, probably because the pound is strong vs the Euro and dollar.

[shaunster12]

Im not a London expert, ive only been twice to central London and yes the prices are very high, much higher than most other cities. I actually live in Portsmouth about 30minutes away from Southampton cruise terminals ;)

 

For now I look forward to my next cruise in December, 10 nights around Europe on P&O Oriana for a Christmas markets cruise, cant wait.

[DeloreanGirl]

Hurray, a Caribbean Princess post that doesnt make me want to gauge my eyes out after reading it! :D :rolleyes:

 

I'm so glad you had a fairly pleasant experience with the time you had onboard and made the best of a tricky situation. Customs can be a real downer regardless where you go through them, but it sounds like this one was particularly bad. Please visit the U.S. again and go through a different customs area -- I promise our country can be lovely!

 

And I totally respect and agree with your tipping procedures (in the UK). We will be sailing on the Caribbean Princess around the UK in May and I'm excited to a.) have the boat be working, and b.) to visit your fantastic country.

 

Thanks again for the review. It was actually a breath of fresh air compared to what's been posted lately. :o

[Cupcrazy]

I am happy that despite.missing some ports and staying in St. Maarten over night you were able to find the silver lining. You were still on a cruise in the Caribbean and you had a great time. Thanks for the review. I think its the first positive one I've seen from this sailing.