Caribbean Princess Nov 30, 2013: My Thoughts.

[Cruzin-K]

I just returned from a fabulous cruise on the Caribbean Princess. The ports were Houston, Cozumel, Roatan, and Belize.

 

We managed to make it out of Houston on time and made it to all the ports on schedule. We arrived back in Houston a few hours early to avoid some inclement weather, but disembarkation stayed on the same schedule.

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation: Probably ranks up there with the easiest ever. I got to the port rather early, around 10 a.m. After waiting at the parking lot entrance for about 10 minutes while they located my pre-paid reservation, I dropped off my checked bags, parked, and then chit-chatted with a few people getting off the prior cruise and before getting in line to go through security. I was through the line and in a chair, with a "Group 1" card in my hand by 11:00. There were a lot of suites, platinum and elite cruisers so after they all boarded, my group was called and I boarded just after 12:30.

 

Getting off the ship was even easier. I had selected early independent arrangements on the disembarkation questionnaire. My meeting location/time was the Island dining room at 8:35. We actually got called around 8:20 and I was at my car, freezing, and loading my luggage by 8:35.

 

Excursions: I did snorkeling and/or beach excursions at each port.

 

The catamaran sail/snorkel/beach in Cozumel was just OK. They took us to snorkel at a place with not a whole lot to look at although the visibility was fantastic. The beach was very nice though. The catamaran was a huge thing, with no nets up front like I'm used to, just a couple benches. There was also an upstairs deck, with no seating.

 

After I got back from the morning's excursion, I cleaned up and then took a taxi to the Hard Rock Cafe to buy a pin. I was NOT happy that they didn't have any. Grrrr. I bought an overpriced magnet instead and then walked the four miles or so back to the ship. It was an easy walk for me and I enjoyed the exercise.

 

I went to Maya Key in Roatan. It was a great day. There was plenty of seating for two cruise ships' groups but I think it would get a bit crowded if a third was there. The Norwegian Dawn was in port with us, but they docked at Coxen Hole, while we were at Mahogany Bay. The snorkeling at Maya Key was off the end of the pier; very easy to get in and out of the water, down a ladder. The visibility was good and there was a lot of pretty coral, quite a few fish although I guess I missed the area where I could see huge schools of fish - maybe next time.

 

At Belize I did the excursion to Water Cay. Unfortunately, rain earlier in the week had really screwed up the visibility and it was easily the worst snorkeling I've ever done. I think it would be great if the sediment hadn't been so stirred up. The island of Water Cay was nice, but very hot and there wasn't really that much shade on the beach. There was a bar area, and a restaurant area that were shaded though.

 

The ship itself was beautiful. It was my second time on this ship and I enjoyed myself much more than the first time. The Cruise Director, Brett Siborne, was very visible and personable. He ran a lot of the activities himself, rather than just using his staff. He apparently likes trivia, because there was a lot scheduled on this cruise and he was there for most of it.

 

One HUGE disappointment for me, although I understand why they did it this way (because there were over 1700 Captain's Circle members on board), was that there was no cocktail party for Gold and Ruby members. We got a half hour gathering in the theater where we watched a couple videos (one on why we should continue to sail on Princess, and the other about the new Royal/Regal Princess) and then had a raffle where one person won elite benefits for the week, and two people won bottles of champagne. We each got one voucher for a free drink. That was it.

 

So, like any good little lowly Ruby member, I snuck into the Platinum/Elite party later in the week. :D I had no intention of taking a seat from anyone, or even having a drink (although when someone handed me one, I wasn't going to say no). I wanted to get my photo taken with the Captain, because I've done that on every cruise I've been on thus far. I didn't want to break my streak. Besides, if you want to get technical about it, I hit platinum level at the halfway point of the cruise even though it doesn't count until the cruise is over. I now have six points and can legally attend the platinum gatherings on future cruises :p

 

Food: A very subjective topic so I won't comment too much about it. I ate dinner in the MDR three times and the food was good. The first night, I ate at the Crown Grill and that was a whole other level - just amazing. I found myself at the International Cafe for lunch a few times because their chicken sandwiches are really yummy. Dinner in the Horizon Court was just so/so, but what can you expect from a buffet? Overall, the food was good and because I took the stairs as much as I could, and did active excursions, I didn't gain any weight on the cruise. Yay!

 

We had a fantastic roll call group for this cruise. Rick (sminfiddle) did a great job putting together the meet & greet, which was held in Skywalkers on the first sea day. Jeanie and Harry (jigger_b) organized a great cabin crawl/poker run for that afternoon, and a slot pull later in the week (I heard the group didn't win millions, but still had fun). A huge thanks to our hard working organizers!

 

The reason I missed the slot pull, was that it was held at the same time as the Ultimate Ship's Tour which I participated in. It was fantastic, and well worth the $150.

 

The staff/crew on this ship was good, but nobody really stood out to me. My cabin steward was polite and fairly efficient (although I did return from my morning Coz excursion at noon to discover my cabin still hadn't been cleaned), and at the end of the week, I just didn't feel that he deserved anything over and above the standard tips, which I left in place. He just didn't measure up to the friendly smiling faces I'm used to when cruising. The staff in the photo gallery (where I spent a lot of time) were a mixed bag of super nice/helpful/friendly staff, and rude/pushy/inconsiderate staff. I'll never understand why people who work with PHOTOGRAPHS aren't trained to not put fingerprints smack in the middle of them, and to not put creases in the photos. I had one reprinted because there was a crease in the picture, and the reprint arrived, you guessed it, creased. :mad: The waiters were great - I have no complaints about service in any dining venue.

 

If you have any questions, I will try to answer them but I didn't participate in much on this cruise, just relaxed and had a nice time.

[ultimatemaniaccruiser]

I was also on this cruise! The service was great and the food was good too I thought. I ate in the MDR every night. In the Coral one of the waiters sang during dinner a couple of nights. I thought the entertainment was really good too, especially the Hawley Magic show. My experience with embarkation was different than the op. I got there around 12:30pm and got on the ship at about 3:30 after a series of long lineups.

[Cruzin-K]

I was also on this cruise! The service was great and the food was good too I thought. I ate in the MDR every night. In the Coral one of the waiters sang during dinner a couple of nights. I thought the entertainment was really good too, especially the Hawley Magic show. My experience with embarkation was different than the op. I got there around 12:30pm and got on the ship at about 3:30 after a series of long lineups.

 

oops, forgot about entertainment. Hawley Magic was amazing - not to be missed. The production show I saw, Do You Wanna Dance, was OK - typical production show songs completely unrelated to each other, no storyline, and average singing/dancing. The comedian who performed one night was also just OK, he took too long telling stories in between punch lines.

 

I guess it does pay to get to the port early. The lines were definitely getting a lot longer when my group was called to board.

[caribill]

I'll never understand why people who work with PHOTOGRAPHS aren't trained to not put fingerprints smack in the middle of them, and to not put creases in the photos. I had one reprinted because there was a crease in the picture, and the reprint arrived, you guessed it, creased.

 

This problem also exists on other cruise lines.

[RickEk]

I'm on the 12/7 cruise and so far it has been great. Very cold yesterday sailing from Houston, but it has warmed up nicely today...:)

[TracieABD]

Welcome home and thanks for the review!

I have heard more and more, they are doing away with the Cocktail Party for gold and ruby.

 

We had two on my last Princess cruise for Gold only.

 

At the Platinum and Elite party, you had to bring your invitation to enter, and they checked it against your room card.

[Cruzin-K]

This problem also exists on other cruise lines.

 

Yes it does, and it's worse on cruise lines that print glossy photos. At least Princess uses a matte finish which hides most fingerprints well. I think some staff members must have had sweaty hands :confused:

[MarkSeattle]

...

Embarkation/Disembarkation: Probably ranks up there with the easiest ever. I got to the port rather early, around 10 a.m. ... I boarded just after 12:30.

I'd estimate the waiting area is 1/2 or 1/3 the size of San Pedro or Ft Lauderdale. There was no room for people arriving at noon to sit until after group 1 was loading. But overall, efficient through security and check in.

 

Getting off the ship was even easier.

agree. Plenty of customs agents, no long waits after getting off the ship.

 

... The Cruise Director, Brett Siborne, was very visible and personable. He ran a lot of the activities himself, rather than just using his staff. He apparently likes trivia, because there was a lot scheduled on this cruise and he was there for most of it.

TONS of trivia... Too much IMO, but I was never bored even though there weren't many scheduled activities I found interesting.

 

Food: A very subjective topic so I won't comment too much about it. I ate dinner in the MDR three times and the food was good. The first night, I ate at the Crown Grill and that was a whole other level - just amazing. I found myself at the International Cafe for lunch a few times because their chicken sandwiches are really yummy. Dinner in the Horizon Court was just so/so, but what can you expect from a buffet?

agree, the food was nothing to write home about. MDR was good, what one would expect from a Chili's sort of price range. I liked the beef and the Pasta Alfredo was quite good. Horizon court so/so, Cafe Caribe was disappointing for dinner.

My last 3 cruises were on RC and Carnival, both of which I'd consider better on my particular sailings.

 

The staff/crew on this ship was good, but nobody really stood out to me...

same here. Decent enough, but nothing special.

Had the usual few bartenders who were annoyed to serve soft drinks on the soda card, same as every other cruise line I've been on, so I just tried to avoid them and go to the happier bar tenders.

 

I think the Captain and bridge staff did a good job with the announcements and schedule updates, better than most.

 

Also, there was not an absurd amount of pushing the spa, auctions, shopping services, etc on this cruise, which was nice.

...

 

comments above.

 

Overall, a decent cruise, and I'd do it again, although I wish Princess would alternate itineraries out of Houston, and I tend to prefer the atmosphere/crowd on the warmer month Caribbean cruises out of Florida.

[MarkSeattle]

oops, forgot about entertainment. Hawley Magic was amazing - not to be missed. The production show I saw, Do You Wanna Dance, was OK - typical production show songs completely unrelated to each other, no storyline, and average singing/dancing. The comedian who performed one night was also just OK, he took too long telling stories in between punch lines.

 

I guess it does pay to get to the port early. The lines were definitely getting a lot longer when my group was called to board.

 

I forgot too ;). Went to the magic, comedy, and juggling shows. They were all about what I expected, I think the comedian would do better with an adult show. I don't mean raunchy, just not something you'd take elementary school aged kids to. I didn't bother attending the singer or staff production shows. I slightly prefer the longer format acts they did before switching to 3 shows a night.

[jean s]

My dh and I are going on this cruise in February, so glad to hear that people seem to be enjoying it. We are deciding how to handle transportation back to Bush airport. Were there many cabs available? Or can someone suggest a car serv ice they used and were happy with.

[Cruzin-K]

My dh and I are going on this cruise in February, so glad to hear that people seem to be enjoying it. We are deciding how to handle transportation back to Bush airport. Were there many cabs available? Or can someone suggest a car serv ice they used and were happy with.

 

There were cabs lined up outside, however I think most people used the Princess transfers because they were more economical. I'm not sure if anyone used a car service, but I'm sure some did, especially if they had a larger party where paying per person for the Princess transport might not be as good of a deal.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Sometimes the reason why the cabins aren't made up until late in the day one day during the week is because the crew is called away to practice their emergency drill. This sets them back hours in their work and makes for a really long day for them.

 

Thanks for the positive review! :)

Edited December 9, 2013 by DrivesLikeMario

[crackupforlaughs]

Hi. Was that the Palancar Reef/catamaran/Playa Mia excursion you did in Cozumel? We're signed up for that. If so, was Playa Mia good or a circus (we'll have two 12 year olds with us who will enjoy lot of water stuff but not a lot of things that are only for little kids.. although the girls love the little ones to babysit). Shopping time? Anything worth shopping for (have heard mixed reviews of Cozumel). And,thanks to whoever pointed me to the Caribbean boards on CC for more specific port info!

[chrismch]

Is the Platinum members party the standard cocktail party where they have hors d'oerves and drinks you can order individually?

 

Does the IC serve any hot foods?

Edited December 9, 2013 by chrismch

[Cruzin-K]

Hi. Was that the Palancar Reef/catamaran/Playa Mia excursion you did in Cozumel? We're signed up for that. If so, was Playa Mia good or a circus (we'll have two 12 year olds with us who will enjoy lot of water stuff but not a lot of things that are only for little kids.. although the girls love the little ones to babysit). Shopping time? Anything worth shopping for (have heard mixed reviews of Cozumel). And,thanks to whoever pointed me to the Caribbean boards on CC for more specific port info!

 

No, this one was by Fury Catamarans - Deluxe Catamaran Sail, Snorkel & Beach. The beach was uncrowded. We were leaving just as another catamaran was arriving.

 

I was all shopped out after my 2004 cruise, so I don't buy much any more. I did notice that liquor was cheaper in Roatan than it was in Cozumel, at least the Malibu Rum was about $3 cheaper per bottle. :D

 

Is the Platinum members party the standard cocktail party where they have hors d'oerves and drinks you can order individually?

 

Does the IC serve any hot foods?

 

Yes, the Platinum/Elite party did have drinks. I didn't notice any food, but I did sneak in kind of late :D :o

 

The IC has sandwiches that can be served hot or cold, but I'm not sure if there was any other hot food there.

[BridgeMates]

Have friends who sailed on the Nov 9 cruise out of Houston.

She says it was very warm throughout the ship and her cabin the entire trip. They were on Plaza deck (no balcony).

Anyone have a problem with the ship being hot on your sailing? I know there can be a bit of a problem when ship is in a Caribbean port as the heat and humidity can increase when the doors are open but generally once we sail things cool down. \

Also, no mention about the mattresses on the CB. Are they still hard?

[MJC]

I just returned from a fabulous cruise on the Caribbean Princess. The ports were Houston, Cozumel, Roatan, and Belize.

 

 

At Belize I did the excursion to Water Cay. Unfortunately, rain earlier in the week had really screwed up the visibility and it was easily the worst snorkeling I've ever done. I think it would be great if the sediment hadn't been so stirred up. The island of Water Cay was nice, but very hot and there wasn't really that much shade on the beach. There was a bar area, and a restaurant area that were shaded though.

 

Could you tell me more about this excursion? Did the excursion leave from the ship, or did you have to tender ashore? Were you on the Ocean Runner, and if so did it have any shade? How long was the ride to Water Caye? How long did you actually have to snorkel there, or rather what is the longest time we could expect to snorkel (if conditions are good, we would want to stay in the water all day)? How many people were on the excursion, did you feel crowded in the water, were they divided by skill? How rustic is it, were there chairs or umbrellas on the beach? Anything you can tell us will be helpful.

[trabeler]

Have friends who sailed on the Nov 9 cruise out of Houston.

She says it was very warm throughout the ship and her cabin the entire trip. They were on Plaza deck (no balcony).

Anyone have a problem with the ship being hot on your sailing? I know there can be a bit of a problem when ship is in a Caribbean port as the heat and humidity can increase when the doors are open but generally once we sail things cool down.

Also, no mention about the mattresses on the CB. Are they still hard?

I was on the 23 Nov sailing and didn't find the ship hot at all. Our cabin was on the plaza deck and we were comfortable with the thermostat set mid-way between neutral and full cold.

 

I'd say the mattress was firm... which is what I like anyways. Some might call it hard.

[Cruzin-K]

Have friends who sailed on the Nov 9 cruise out of Houston.

She says it was very warm throughout the ship and her cabin the entire trip. They were on Plaza deck (no balcony).

Anyone have a problem with the ship being hot on your sailing? I know there can be a bit of a problem when ship is in a Caribbean port as the heat and humidity can increase when the doors are open but generally once we sail things cool down. \

Also, no mention about the mattresses on the CB. Are they still hard?

 

hard as a rock. I asked for an egg crate which helped a bit

 

Could you tell me more about this excursion? Did the excursion leave from the ship, or did you have to tender ashore? Were you on the Ocean Runner, and if so did it have any shade? How long was the ride to Water Caye? How long did you actually have to snorkel there, or rather what is the longest time we could expect to snorkel (if conditions are good, we would want to stay in the water all day)? How many people were on the excursion, did you feel crowded in the water, were they divided by skill? How rustic is it, were there chairs or umbrellas on the beach? Anything you can tell us will be helpful.

 

The excursion left from the ship. I'll answer the rest later. Can't do much on my phone

[Keith1010]

Thanks for taking the time to write and to share your review.

 

Keith

[pablo222]

So, like any good little lowly Ruby member, I snuck into the Platinum/Elite party later in the week. :D I had no intention of taking a seat from anyone, or even having a drink (although when someone handed me one, I wasn't going to say no). I wanted to get my photo taken with the Captain, because I've done that on every cruise I've been on thus far.

Very classy. Did you also take the 'free' picture? Edited December 9, 2013 by pablo222

[Cruzin-K]

Very classy. Did you also take the 'free' picture?

 

What free picture :confused:

 

I purchased my photo from the party the next day at the photo gallery.

[matj2000]

Hey Cruzin-K, thanks for the recent posts about your cruise on the CB Princess.

After the fiasco they had last week, I was getting worried and started looking at alternative cruises for Spring Break but your update helped smooth things out...

[pablo222]

What free picture :confused:

 

I purchased my photo from the party the next day at the photo gallery.

You crashed the wrong party.

[Cruzin-K]

Could you tell me more about this excursion? Did the excursion leave from the ship, or did you have to tender ashore? Were you on the Ocean Runner, and if so did it have any shade? How long was the ride to Water Caye? How long did you actually have to snorkel there, or rather what is the longest time we could expect to snorkel (if conditions are good, we would want to stay in the water all day)? How many people were on the excursion, did you feel crowded in the water, were they divided by skill? How rustic is it, were there chairs or umbrellas on the beach? Anything you can tell us will be helpful.

 

OK. I'm finally home from the longest day at work (that first day back is always the hardest) so I can answer the rest of your questions.

 

The ride to the island took about 25 minutes or so. We went there first so people could pick up snorkel gear, then we got back on the same boat to the snorkel site which was about 8 minutes away.

 

The boat was terrible. It reminded me of a ship's tender where you are crammed inside the boat like sardines, with no way to see out (other than a few spaces at the very back). The first picture shows our boat, it's the one in front.

 

 

There were 55 people on the excursion and we all snorkeled in one big group. There was one guide in the water with us, and two more on Kayaks, to keep an eye on us and help out if someone got into trouble. We had about 45 minutes to snorkel, and that was more than enough because of the poor conditions.

 

There were chairs on the beach, and a few umbrellas and some trees to sit under on one side. We were there with a group from one (or both) of the Carnival ships, but there were enough chairs for everyone. It was very hot out in the sun.

 

Here are a few more pictures