Caribbean Princess- What I wish I knew...

[mjadse]

Just got off the Caribbean Princess 7/23-7/30/05

What I wish I knew before the cruise (maybe it will help you)-

Princess Cruises will make mistakes; the crewmembers are not always as nice as they should be; the service is not always quick; etc, etc. SO- if you cannot handle the stress of this kind of thing, DO NOI cruise. You have to be able to go with the flow.

 

A few examples: when we showed up for our first formal dinner, the Maitre d’ said our reservation had been cancelled! (Not by us!) It took about 45 minutes to get us in and the Maitre d’ was not as polite as we could have hoped. It takes a while to get a drink delivered in most public places. Room service often says the never received the breakfast tag on the door (4 out of 5 times). The bartenders are not quick to get your soda (maybe because they don’t get tipped for those?)

Here are some other things that were not so great-

1. I would not do “Anytime Dining” again - long waits for walk-ins and reservations are often mixed up.

2. Get used to lines- passenger services, tour services, dining check in, tendering, on hold (on the phone) for any service. Get to shows 15-30 minutes early.

2. No matter where your room is, you will always feel the ship vibrating when you lie down.

3. Being 17 is a bad age (especially if all your siblings are older) because you cannot get in to the hot nightclub- Skywalkers. The security guards are very strict not to let anyone in under 18.

4. The desserts do not taste as good as the look (but that could be a good thing.)

5. The basketball court is right above the massage rooms.

6. The ship might not make it to all the ports (we missed Princess Cays because of engine problems). But they made up for it by giving us $100 immediate credit per person.

 

But in spite of the mistakes, I LOVED the cruise and the ship and will definitely cruise with Princess again. The stuff above is easy to get over, so just expect that all won’t be perfect. Here’s some of the stuff that was GREAT:

1. Suites are fantastic (but double the price)! We had R405, Trinidad Suite. We received platinum check in and priority tendering. We had free laundry and dry cleaning. In the room there was personalized stationary, plush towels, bigger shampoo bottles, etc., robe, slippers, fresh flowers, champagne on arrival, Canapés (hors d’oeuvres like sushi or chocolate strawberries) in our room every evening, better breakfast room service menu, larger shower, Jacuzzi tub, and a beautiful, comfortable room.

2. Bert Stratton is the BEST!

3. They do not gouge you on alcoholic drinks. All martinis (and they are great) are $4.95. An excellent bottle of Chilean wine is $22.

4. Sterling Steakhouse is worth the $15 cover price- our steaks were as good as Mortons. Sabatini’s is pretty good but not as good as Sterling (but you get to taste ALL the appetizers at Sabatini’s.)

5. The food in the buffet gets better after you get over the initial shock that it is not very good. You learn to take smaller portions and take only what you like.

6. Michael, the ship’s port shopping advisor, knows his stuff. Go to his seminar if you want any shopping advice.

7. MUTS is a great way to watch a movie, even if you have already seen it- make time to go.

8. All my kids loved it- 16, 18, 21, 21. They all had PLENTY to do. Everyone is friendly so it is easy to make friends.

 

Sorry this is long but I hope this helps someone.

[TICK1946]

A cruise is what you make of it. I have never had a bad one, but they were not all perfect. You always have to go with the flow for any type of travel, but that is so true for any cruise. We were on the CP last May and loved it so much we are going back on 9/24---don't care about the itinerary. When we last May, we found everyone to be pleasant and helpful---never waited more than 15 minutes on one formal night for Personal Choice Dining. The vibration you felt was due to the Engine problems and their being out of sync. Last cruise was the first time my wife did not take dramamine---and we had one storm the first night out---this ship was smooth. I am glad that you will give them another try---I love Princess the best---having been on RCCL, Norwegian(my worst---but not a disaster--because we flowed), and Celebrity.

[spongerob]

Thank you for adding your comments. I'm going to take the liberty to discuss a few of the points, and add what I hope will be some helpful comments.

 

The bartenders are not quick to get your soda (maybe because they don’t get tipped for those?) Try tipping a bartender that you might use repeatedly a dollar or two when getting sodas, they'll remember you. You don't have to tip every time.

1. I would not do “Anytime Dining” again - long waits for walk-ins and reservations are often mixed up. With a group of six, traditional seating might be a better option. Yes, you are tied to a set dining time, but your table is always ready, no waiting.

2. No matter where your room is, you will always feel the ship vibrating when you lie down. Well, it IS just a great big machine with lots of moving parts, placed in a medium that is rarely at rest. A little motion is enjoyable, and reminds you that you are sailing, not just laying about in a Motel 6 somewhere.

6. The ship might not make it to all the ports (we missed Princess Cays because of engine problems). But they made up for it by giving us $100 immediate credit per person. Don't ever choose a cruise is you just absolutely have to be in a specific place at a specific time. There's too much that can happen, from mechanical problems to weather difficulties to medical evacuations.

 

But in spite of the mistakes, I LOVED the cruise and the ship and will definitely cruise with Princess again. The stuff above is easy to get over, so just expect that all won’t be perfect. Here’s some of the stuff that was GREAT:

1. Suites are fantastic (but double the price)! We had R405, Trinidad Suite. We received platinum check in and priority tendering. We had free laundry and dry cleaning. In the room there was personalized stationary, plush towels, bigger shampoo bottles, etc., robe, slippers, fresh flowers, champagne on arrival, Canapés (hors d’oeuvres like sushi or chocolate strawberries) in our room every evening, better breakfast room service menu, larger shower, Jacuzzi tub, and a beautiful, comfortable room. Makes you wonder how you ever got along without all that, doesn't it? :)

4. Sterling Steakhouse is worth the $15 cover price- our steaks were as good as Mortons. I've had steaks at Sterling that are among the best I've ever had, other times not so fantastic, but still good. I can say the same about Ruth's Chris.

6. Michael, the ship’s port shopping advisor, knows his stuff. Go to his seminar if you want any shopping advice. The shopping "consultants" are paid by the businesses they promote. Their comments aren't exactly objective. In other words, they are paid to say what they say.

 

I'm guessing this was your first cruise, or at least first cruise with Princess. I'm glad you enjoyed it. There were a few things I had to get over during our first cruise, but that was mostly because all I knew about cruising came from Love Boat re-runs. The worst thing was disembarking.

 

I hope you get to enjoy many more cruises!

[CruiseFever]

Just got off the Caribbean Princess 7/23-7/30/05

What I wish I knew before the cruise .....Sorry this is long but I hope this helps someone.

 

Great, accurate comments. Thanks for sharing.

 

It is interesting the things we observe. Reading these boards it is easy to forget some of the items on your list.

 

Take the vibration of the ship for example. I knew that but have become so accustomed to it that I don't think twice about it. Actually I think I forgot about it.

 

I remember being so surprised, on our first cruise (with Carnival) that the pools were filled with filtered salt water. I'm sure those who had cruised before knew that but just didn't think anything about it.

 

I wish I'd known about this board and been able to read posts just like yours before my first cruise!

 

Thanks for taking the time to relay your observations

[dec]

We returned a week ago from our b2b cruise aboard the CB. We found the service to be superb. Room service was always very prompt, the Maitre D in Coral was always extremely curteous and helpful and the longest we ever had to wait to get to our table was 5 minutes. The waiters were fabulous especially Nicolas who was a laugh a minute. Our room steward, Eddie was marvellous. My kids think that this was by far the best holiday they have ever been on there was loads for them to do and they made lots of friends. My husband and I loved every single minute on board and we would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Nicole721]

We're booked in a suite for January. Can anyone tell me a little about the expanded version of the room service menu?

[monk888]

mjadse,

 

We were in R405 on the CB back in June of 2004. We loved it too. Great room. This June, we downgraded to a mini-suite and actually got two of them for the price of R405. Mini-suites are excellent and had plenty of room for just the 3 of us. Had Mom and my Mother in Law in the next cabin over. Here are some photos of R405 and some other shots we took last year just to bring back some memories for you.

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/163544676IXfbis

[mjadse]

The breakfast room service menu for regular rooms is a continental breakfast only. If you have a suite, they have more choices including eggs, pancakes, bacon, etc.

[mjadse]

R405 was great, but yes, expensive! Now they call it the Trinidad suite. Thanks for the nice photos.

[redrobin]

We're booked in a suite for January. Can anyone tell me a little about the expanded version of the room service menu?

 

For breakfast - each day our room steward left a form on the bed when making up the room (to hang outside the door each night listing expanded choices, both hot/cold and preferred delivery time) along with a card listing the next mornings breakfast specialties in the dining room that you could also write in on the form.

 

For lunch and dinner - each morning our room steward left in our mailbox menus for that day and we could call room service and order anything on them.