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Just off the CB - did the UST, crab shack and AI beverage package...any questions?


YehWereCrusing
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Ultimate Ship Tour- So worth the splurge at least once. We so enjoyed the galley and bridge but saw other interesting areas such as the print shop, photo lab, mooring area, engineering, princess theater, etc. "Presents" at the end were just a bonus.

Crab Shack - Very good and well worth the price. They served King crab legs not Snow and they were very slightly over cooked but still delicious, fried appetizer basket was yummy, clams were well cooked, husband says peel and eat shrimp were very good.

AI Beverage Package - For us personally it was well worth it and we are not "partiers" - we are young people who appreciate a good time but not ones to lay out by the pool and drink all day. Sea days are a given, almost anyone would get their moneys worth. Port days, if you are like me and enjoy a pre-dinner glass of wine at Vines, maybe 1-2 glasses of wine with dinner, a coffee with Baileys and then a few cocktails at the end of the night, then yes the package is for you.

 

Overall, amazing cruise, I took many pictures so let me know if there is something you specifically want to know or see a picture of!

 

Melody

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Thanks for your good report. We are contemplating the September 6 Western Caribbean sailing which has plenty of cabins left (if anyone else is interested).

 

First question re: Crab Shack. Were they taking reservations on embarkation day? I have heard that they sometimes don't decide which day to offer it until the evening before. Or did you just walk in?

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Thanks for your good report.

First question re: Crab Shack. Were they taking reservations on embarkation day? I have heard that they sometimes don't decide which day to offer it until the evening before. Or did you just walk in?

 

They did the Crab Shack twice on our cruise. They did not take reservations right away but within the first couple days they knew they would be doing it. We went on a Tuesday and they offered it again on Thursday. We made reservations but they were made that morning. It was held in the Caribe Cafe and while there were people there it was not packed. They only advertised it once in the Patter.

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Sounds like you had a good time, which is great to hear because we sail in 45 days. How does the ship look? The only time we sailed on the CP was in 2009 on a Canada/New England cruise and we hit a Nor'easter that did a lot of damage to the upper decks (Yes, I am sure 5-years later it's all been repaired, but just wondering how the old girl was holding up).

 

Do you have any information on the other PAX? Were there a lot of first time cruisers or first time on Princess? Or did it seem there were a lot of Elites and Platinum's on board? Were there lots of kids? And if so, for the most part well-behaved?

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Sounds like you had a good time, which is great to hear because we sail in 45 days. How does the ship look? The only time we sailed on the CP was in 2009 on a Canada/New England cruise and we hit a Nor'easter that did a lot of damage to the upper decks (Yes, I am sure 5-years later it's all been repaired, but just wondering how the old girl was holding up).

 

Do you have any information on the other PAX? Were there a lot of first time cruisers or first time on Princess? Or did it seem there were a lot of Elites and Platinum's on board? Were there lots of kids? And if so, for the most part well-behaved?

 

Ship looked comparable to the Ruby we sailed on last year. So very nice but we are not ones to notice slight wear and tear. The panoramic lifts were out of service the whole sailing. The crowd was much younger than our previous sailing which was during spring break 2013. Lots of first time cruisers but also a lot of frequent cruisers, a good mix. I would say the newbies hang out on lido by the pool all day and enjoy those bars and the frequent cruisers enjoyed crooners and explorers more. Of course this is subjective. We ourselves are younger cruisers (late 20s) and felt Skywalkers and the lido deck were too busy for our tastes but loved Crooners. Hope this gives you a good idea.

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Ship looked comparable to the Ruby we sailed on last year. So very nice but we are not ones to notice slight wear and tear. The panoramic lifts were out of service the whole sailing. The crowd was much younger than our previous sailing which was during spring break 2013. Lots of first time cruisers but also a lot of frequent cruisers, a good mix. I would say the newbies hang out on lido by the pool all day and enjoy those bars and the frequent cruisers enjoyed crooners and explorers more. Of course this is subjective. We ourselves are younger cruisers (late 20s) and felt Skywalkers and the lido deck were too busy for our tastes but loved Crooners. Hope this gives you a good idea.

 

Thank you for the info. DH & I are mid 50's (Well, I'm not quite mid 50's yet, but soon enough). Our last Princess Cruise this past Feb/Mar was a 10-day, and while I expected an older crowd we were babies compared to most of our fellow PAX. I will expect a slightly younger crowd. I do think that with a lot of kids already back in school the last week in August (At least on the east coast), or just about to go back there may not be too many kids. It's probably the reason there are still a large number of cabins available for this sailing.

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We were on this sailing as well. Ship looked good and they were constantly working on her as well....mostly painting the outside areas and doing elevator maintenance...only one elevator at a time though...we were on the panoramic lifts several times. Lots of new carpet and bedding and curtains etc. in good condition in staterooms.

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We were on this sailing as well. Ship looked good and they were constantly working on her as well....mostly painting the outside areas and doing elevator maintenance...only one elevator at a time though...we were on the panoramic lifts several times. Lots of new carpet and bedding and curtains etc. in good condition in staterooms.

Sounds like the standard maintenace projects being done. I hope my room has been done by the time I get onto her, I would love a new fresh cabin.:D

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Ultimate Ship Tour- So worth the splurge at least once. We so enjoyed the galley and bridge but saw other interesting areas such as the print shop, photo lab, mooring area, engineering, princess theater, etc. "Presents" at the end were just a bonus.

Crab Shack - Very good and well worth the price. They served King crab legs not Snow and they were very slightly over cooked but still delicious, fried appetizer basket was yummy, clams were well cooked, husband says peel and eat shrimp were very good.

AI Beverage Package - For us personally it was well worth it and we are not "partiers" - we are young people who appreciate a good time but not ones to lay out by the pool and drink all day. Sea days are a given, almost anyone would get their moneys worth. Port days, if you are like me and enjoy a pre-dinner glass of wine at Vines, maybe 1-2 glasses of wine with dinner, a coffee with Baileys and then a few cocktails at the end of the night, then yes the package is for you.

 

Overall, amazing cruise, I took many pictures so let me know if there is something you specifically want to know or see a picture of!

 

Melody

Thank you so very much. Fingers crossed the Crab Shack will be available on the Med. trip next May. First time on the CB and looking forward to this trip. Glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise.

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It seems like frequent complaints lately on the CB are the lack of servers around the pools taking drink orders. Did you experience this? I was surprised that this is happening as its been the opposite experience on

all my previous cruises with princess.

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It seems like frequent complaints lately on the CB are the lack of servers around the pools taking drink orders. Did you experience this? I was surprised that this is happening as its been the opposite experience on

all my previous cruises with princess.

 

We are not ones to sit by the pool so I can't comment directlyl but I did see plenty of servers taking orders. I can imagine service is slower than normal since the drink package was introduced because the pool bars were packed and the bartenders were very backed up I noticed on a few occasions.

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We spent two afternoons by the pool....calypso....and service was excellent...servers were by frequently and returned every 30 minutes or so to collect dishes and check on us even though we weren't drinking very much.

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Sounds like you had a good time, which is great to hear because we sail in 45 days. How does the ship look? The only time we sailed on the CP was in 2009 on a Canada/New England cruise and we hit a Nor'easter that did a lot of damage to the upper decks (Yes, I am sure 5-years later it's all been repaired, but just wondering how the old girl was holding up).

 

Do you have any information on the other PAX? Were there a lot of first time cruisers or first time on Princess? Or did it seem there were a lot of Elites and Platinum's on board? Were there lots of kids? And if so, for the most part well-behaved?

 

FYI,CP is the Sea Princess,CB is the Caribbean Princess.

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We did the crab shack last April on the Star during our Hawaii cruise. I was very disappointed....

 

My husband ordered the Caribbean Mixed Steamer and I ordered the Steamed Alaskan King Crab legs. I had to order separate since I have some food allergies and could not get the same thing.

 

My dinner came with ONE CRAB LEG only and several shrimp! My husband's dinner came with a few crab legs. I did not complain since by the time my dinner came, I was getting full anyway.

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How about the Pub Lunch ..... was it offered?

 

I want to try the Crab Shack, but am really fond of the fish & chips at the Pub Lunch.

 

Maybe I will get to do both on my upcoming CB cruise, if I am lucky!

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we are going to be on the crown for Christmas. Have thought about doing the UST but can't find any info on it do they do this on the crown and how much does it cost? Thanks for any help you can give me. Sandy

Ultimate Ship Tour- So worth the splurge at least once. We so enjoyed the galley and bridge but saw other interesting areas such as the print shop, photo lab, mooring area, engineering, princess theater, etc. "Presents" at the end were just a bonus.

Crab Shack - Very good and well worth the price. They served King crab legs not Snow and they were very slightly over cooked but still delicious, fried appetizer basket was yummy, clams were well cooked, husband says peel and eat shrimp were very good.

AI Beverage Package - For us personally it was well worth it and we are not "partiers" - we are young people who appreciate a good time but not ones to lay out by the pool and drink all day. Sea days are a given, almost anyone would get their moneys worth. Port days, if you are like me and enjoy a pre-dinner glass of wine at Vines, maybe 1-2 glasses of wine with dinner, a coffee with Baileys and then a few cocktails at the end of the night, then yes the package is for you.

 

Overall, amazing cruise, I took many pictures so let me know if there is something you specifically want to know or see a picture of!

 

Melody

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we are going to be on the crown for Christmas. Have thought about doing the UST but can't find any info on it do they do this on the crown and how much does it cost? Thanks for any help you can give me. Sandy

 

Its on the Princess website, just put in Ultimate ship tour in the main page search box.....

 

Princess Cruises Offers Rare Behind-the-Scenes Access to Ship Operations with "Ultimate Ship Tour"

 

 

Most cruise ship guests enjoying a relaxing cruise vacation know there’s a bustle of activity behind the scenes, but few have gotten an up-close look at these inner workings. However, with Princess Cruises’ Ultimate Ship Tour, guests have an exclusive opportunity to experience an array of “back of house” areas that are key to a ship’s daily operations.

This pioneering concept gives guests the unique opportunity to explore beyond the public areas with visits to the ship’s engine control room, medical center, incinerator room, print shop, laundry, photo lab, bridge and other spaces for a rare insider’s view of many areas typically seen only by the ship’s crew. Participants also receive a variety of themed mementos at many of the stops along the route.

The Ultimate Ship Tour lasts approximately three hours, and is offered once or twice per cruise on a sea day. Space is limited for the tour, which is available for $150 per person, and can be reserved onboard at the Passenger Services Desk. The tour is available on most Princess ships.

 

 

 

The innovative tour features:

  • Back Stage Area – Guests start the tour with a glimpse behind the glitz in the Princess Theater, home to Princess’ sparkling stage productions. They’ll meet the cast and production staff, who will show them all that goes into making sure the show goes on night after night – including costumes and dressing areas, scenery and technical operations such as lighting and sound.
  • Galley and Food Production Areas – In the galley, guests will meet the executive chef, learn about the process of providing thousands of guests meals each day, and see the inner workings of the ship’s kitchen areas while enjoying a glass of French champagne and canapés. In addition, guests will get a peek into some of the ship’s vast food storage and production areas, each specially equipped and temperature-controlled for a specific type of food. Each guest will also be presented with an official chef’s jacket.
  • Engine Control Room – At the center of the vessel’s mechanical and electrical systems, the engine control room is where the ship’s technical team monitors everything from the operation of the ship’s propellers to the water supply in each stateroom. Participants will meet the chief technical offer and his staff who will explain the numerous functions overseen by the control room, including the vast amount of power generated to operate the ship.
  • Incinerator Room – The ship’s environmental officer will show guests just what happens to the waste discarded during the cruise. Participants will see first-hand how all garbage is sorted onboard and how waste streams are processed for recycling or proper shore side disposal.

  • Print Shop – Guests will see where their daily Princess Patter, among other things, is produced. The ship’s printer will meet the group and demonstrate the printing equipment and explain which materials guests see each day are printed right onboard. To mark their visit, each guest will receive their own set of personalized stationery printed on board.
  • Photo Laboratory – Princess was the first cruise line to go completely digital, and each ship operates a full photo lab with the latest in digital printing equipment. The group will meet the ship’s photo staff and learn how they manage the thousands of pictures taken and printed each day. Participants might even see their own smiling faces print out during their visit.
  • Medical Center – The ship’s doctor will meet the group to show them the state-of-the-art medical facilities, including treatment rooms, laboratory facilities, critical care unit, and x-ray room. Participants will learn how the ship’s doctors and nurses – all full-time maritime medicine specialists – keep both guests and crew healthy and handle medical emergencies. They’ll also learn about the most common reasons guests visit the medical center.
  • Main Laundry – The ship’s onboard laundries operate 24 hours a day to wash tons of guest and crew linens, towels, and clothing – including more than 20,000 towels a day alone. Here visitors will meet the laundry master and will see this impressive operation in action. Participants will also receive a luxurious bath robe usually reserved for suite guests.
  • Funnel – The group will then travel to the upper most deck of the ship to join the staff captain for the opportunity to peek inside the ship’s funnel area high atop the vessel, where they will be treated to spectacular views of the ship and the surrounding ocean.
  • Bridge – The tour concludes at the ship’s command center, where guests will meet the captain and his bridge team and learn about the state-of-the-art navigational equipment and safety systems on board. Guests will also take in the dramatic front-of-ship views from the bridge’s wraparound windows, while they enjoy special refreshments and pose with the captain at the ship’s wheel for a complimentary photo. The framed photo and a tour completion certificate signed by the captain will later be delivered to each participant’s stateroom.

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