Just Back Today from CB-Eastern

[Julia & David]

sunluva7,

 

Thanks for the info on horseback riding. Do you remember how much it was? Did you book on your own or through Princess?

 

 

So glad you had a wonderful cruise. We thoroughly enjoyed ours.

[mdmomof7]

Sunluva, thanks for the compliment! :) Yours was terrific too and helped me think of what I should mention. ;)

 

For Bahia Mar, bid downtown and beach 3 star. $47 got it for me on the first bid. You do have to pay for a taxi to the hotel from FLL and that is $15 w/ tip. Then from the hotel to Port Everglades was $8. There is no continental breakfast so add that cost in as well. So, really, you are paying $70/night plus breakfast cost as compared to a hotel such as Holiday Inn Express which offers free continental breakfast and shuttles to/from FLL and Port Everglades. We met people who stayed there and they really liked it, but it's right on 17th w/ no ambience. Though there is a Walgreen's right there. Oh, the HIE has mostly suites and the Bahia Mar just a large, nice room.

 

I forgot to mention that they gave us a complimentary upgrade to an oceanfront room because we had called ahead to confirm the Priceline reservation validity and they asked if there was anything else they could do for us. I said we'd prefer a King room. When we arrived for check in they had no Kings and they immediately offered to upgrade us to an oceanfront double. it was terrific!!! The pool area was very nice too. Down the road a bit is a 7Eleven, good eating at the Bahia Caribe on the harbor next door, a healthy walk to Marriott's Beach Place for eating/entertainment and, ta da, it's a stop on the fun Water taxi. Great option for an oceanfront hotel.

 

Yes, that chocolate banana was more like a dessert! Yummmmm!!!! The Mai tai was tasty too. ;)

 

Fun, fun, fun! :D

[Ashclan]

We just booked last week for April, and your reviews were a wonderful introduction to all the fun things we have to look forward to!

 

Quick, silly question: My 11 yr old son (a big chess fan) heard about a "life sized" chess board on the Caribbean Princess. Did anyone see anything like that? He's all excited about it, and since he won't have a video arcade to look forward to, I'm hoping this really does exist.

 

Thanks!

Susan

[bethcollins]

Yes, there is a huge chess board near the sport court. Hopefully they replace the missing pieces before then!

[sunluva7]

sunluva7,

 

Thanks for the info on horseback riding. Do you remember how much it was? Did you book on your own or through Princess?

 

 

So glad you had a wonderful cruise. We thoroughly enjoyed ours.

Julia & David: Here is the website for Bayside Riding Club.

 

http://www.baysideridingclub.com/

 

We booked this on our own. It costs $40 per person and was well worth it. I called them about a month ahead and arranged a one-hour ride ahead of time. They confirmed it by e-mail. Then I panicked because a couple of days before we left for the cruise, they called and said they made a mistake and were all booked for 11:00 (my guess is a ship excursion). They were very apologetic and arranged a special 9:30 a.m. ride for us. The guy at Best Deal car rental gave us a map and it was very easy to find, though the road to the stable is full of potholes.

[mdmomof7]

There was also one on Princess Cays.

 

Another thing I should mention that I wish I had known beforehand was that on Princess Cays there are vendor huts which will not take your cruise card. The shops will, but not the huts. And the hut vendor prices were a bit less on some things such as shell necklaces and wind chimes were only available at the huts. The hair braiding at the huts was reasonable at $2 a strand or $25 a head and I wanted to do a few on my locks, but couldn't because of not knowing to bring cash.

 

Oh, and don't buy bottled water as you go into the Princess Theater to tender to Princess Cays. Their sales pitch is that the water might run out on Princess Cays. It didn't and it was a scorching day and a full ship. Some water stations ran low on cups, but there were plenty of other water stations where you could still find some at 1:30PM. The water tasted fine and was stored in huge brown rubbermaid type containers. I've seen these in conference rooms at hotels like Marriott and Hilton and if you've seen those they are the same.

 

Another thing I wish I had known was that on Thursday they left a flier in your inbox outside your room door, where they leave all the info for the next day the night before. There was a flier on Wed. night announcing a 3 hour 9-Noon special inventory clearance sale for the boutiques the next AM. It was nothing more than them lugging all their sale merchandise down to the dining room and a gazillion people lining up to buy the stuff that they could have bought at the same sale price anytime that week. Ugh! I fell for the "good deal" mentality and realized it later that day when I checked on it. I missed the first 30 minutes of Hitch because of that! Grrr.... lol!! :cool:

 

Be sure to pack your own snorkel equipment if that is something you enjoy. At the least, bring a good pair of goggles as the rental for snorkel equipment was $20. The float rental was only $8 for the day and that seemed worth it to me. Forget the cabanas, they are unnecessary. There were plenty of shady spots even on a hot, sunny day. They have covered areas and large trees enough to find a shady spot if you like, even later in the day when more people tender over. The crows nest wasn't that tall so if you're hot and tired, don't worry about trying to climb the three sets of stairs to the top. The Pelican Perch youngster play area was very nice and there was a kiddie pool in there as well as a nice play climber and slide. Very nicely done.

 

Oh, the coffee wasn't the best ever but not the worst either, just the normal coffee served at any restaurant. That is except for the last day and a half when it noticeably changed for the worse! :( Dh said they must be at the bottom of the barrel!

 

Friends we met on the cruise said that scooter riding in St. Maarten was a blast. They asked the security guards in the dock area where to find one and they were a bit unhelpful but later wanted a kickback from the scooter rental guy. Our friend told the rental guy to absolutely NOT give the security guard their cut because they didn't help them to find his place. Our friend was able to get the scooters for about $12 a person w/ an $8 fee of some sort. They motored all over the island and later when his girlfriend got back from her scuba dive., she told him that she heard about their island adventure through the locals. Seems they don't often see a group of 5 people, 2 guys, 1 w/ long blond hair, and 3 attractive young ladies motoring around St. Maarten! It was a cute anecdote. :)

[sunluva7]

mdmomof7: I feel better now that you say the 3-hour sale was a bust. I was planning to go but couldn't tear myself away from the book I was reading out by the Aft pool. :)

[mdmomof7]

Sunluva7 - That's what I get for having that bargain mentality! lol!!

 

I also should mention how much I liked the small library. The windows there are very large and you are just above the water. It's a comfy, air conditioned, non windy spot to view the water up close. I loved the view! :)

 

The wine tasting ($9.50 per person on Monday afternoon at 3PM) was lots of fun and you get a $5 discount coupon, for each ticket you purchase, off your next purchase of wine in the dining rooms. We realized we don't like any red wine except for the burgundy and marsala we use only to cook with at home. We found our own favorite Princess wine having visited Germany a few years back. It is light bodied and a bit fruity. It's the first one on the bottom right under white wines German on the wine list and is $20 a bottle, available only as a bottle. The wine steward will store it for the next night if you don't finish it. :D

 

Which reminds me that we brought on 2 6 packs of bottled water and a 12 pack of Diet Coke purchased at the 7 Eleven near Bahia Mar in FL. We used a luggage tag for the box of DC and put the two water packs in our suitcase. We carried on a bottle of Sangria and never drank it! :rolleyes:

[Ashclan]

Sunluva, Mdmom and BethCollins,

 

Thanks so much for all the great info! Keep it coming as you think of more. I'm enjoying all these stories and helpful hints!

 

Susan

[Lillykat]

I just wanted to check in and say how great it was to meet you and your family. We were sorry we didn't see more of you! We ran into Harry and Ann all week long. We didn't get home until very late last night with the storms we were supposed to land at 745 but after delays sitting on the plane but not being allowed off the flight we didn't get off the plane until well after 9.

 

I will also post a review in a few days - but unfortunately we returned home to find out that Rob's grandfather has been in the hospital since Tuesday and we are not sure what his prognosis is - as he has congestive heart failure and pneumonia, and they are not hopeful that he will leave the hospital.

 

Please keep in touch.

[sunluva7]

I just wanted to check in and say how great it was to meet you and your family. We were sorry we didn't see more of you! We ran into Harry and Ann all week long. We didn't get home until very late last night with the storms we were supposed to land at 745 but after delays sitting on the plane but not being allowed off the flight we didn't get off the plane until well after 9.

 

I will also post a review in a few days - but unfortunately we returned home to find out that Rob's grandfather has been in the hospital since Tuesday and we are not sure what his prognosis is - as he has congestive heart failure and pneumonia, and they are not hopeful that he will leave the hospital.

 

Please keep in touch.

Welcome home - glad to see you made it home safely. We're so sorry to hear about Rob's grandfather - we'll say a prayer.

 

I've posted a link to my first round of photos. We have a lot more located in our various other cameras - hopefully, I can find more interior shots of the ship.

[RM]

mdmomof7 Which wine did you like??? Sounds like something I"d like to try.

 

Thanks for the mini reviews and all the tips sunluva and mdmom.

[dolfinmusic]

Great reviews!!! Thank you!!!

[Coolcruise02]

What time did the "MUTS" movie start in the morning? I would like to swim some in the early AM before the movie. Thanks :)

[sunluva7]

MUTS movies generally start at 9:00 a.m., plenty of time for you to get an early morning swim and a soak in the jacuzzi! :)

[mdmomof7]

Glad to help and this is also helping me compile my thoughts and summarize our trip. I'm cutting and pasting all of these replies into my Word program to print out for posterity!

Shopping onboard -
Facets is the fine jewelry boutique and is very nice. Their regular prices are quite reasonable and come w/ a 5 year guarantee. They also do a special 75% off sale starting Wed. evening w/ complimentary champagne. They completely change out the center display cases and the window display to the left of the main entrance. These pieces are special deals they get from lines they represent. I was able to get a very nice 18k yellow gold, oval sapphire and diamond vintage looking ring for a great price. Debbie (still lurking? :)) got two sets of lovely chandelier earrings also for a great price. If you go on CB during the next 6 mos. or so, Marisa from S. Africa is knowledgeable, patient and fun. I certainly put her to the test w/ my indecisiveness. It was just too hard to choose among such lovely things! :rolleyes:

Watch Sale on board - There are some deals to be had, but not all lines are the best deal as compared to Costco here in the states or the islands. Dh's watch was $85 on board and $68 at Royal Caribbean in St. Thomas. The Fossil titanium watch he was considering was $165 on board, $152 on the islands and $110 at Costco here at home. Interesting. The white tank Guess bling bling watch I admired was $110 at home, $104 in St. Maarten, $99 in St. Thomas and $90 on board, so that would have been one to purchase on the ship. I resisted and opted for the sapphire ring instead. ;)

Buying spirits on board - If the brand you like is on board, then it seems worth it to me to buy it on the ship and to not have to worry that the stores on the islands will get it to the ship for you. It didn't seem more than a $1 difference between the cost on board and on the islands. We got a few bottles in St. Maarten that were locally produced and unavailable on the ship. We aren't drinkers, just thought it would be fun to have something from the islands.

Princess Cays-
Banana boats were lots of fun. Those who did this said they went back and signed up again. It was a quick 15 minutes, but it sure looked fun!

In the new cruise critic reviews for our cruise itinerary did anyone check out the "cranky lady" post for CB? I wonder if she's related to the cranky family mentioned in this thread? lol!:eek:

Lillikat-Hope things improve soon.

RM-The wine is a Rhine wine. I checked the Grapevine winelist from the wine tasting and it is called Niersteiner, Gutes Domtal and is number 61 on the Princess Wine List.

Sunluva7-
I love your photos. What a good eye! I bet it was your husband taking some of them!! You know why? We were a few loungers over from you at the Terrace Pool on Thursday! I saw your husband in a royal blue tshirt w/ a middle school logo and a nice looking camera. I'm sure it was you there also -- relaxing, reading your book and catnapping in the early afternoon. A few times we were all splashed by those swimming in the pool and a pretty blonde young lady in a red bikini told them to please stop. Was it you?!

[sunluva7]

[quote name='mdmomof7']
Sunluva7-
I love your photos. What a good eye! I bet it was your husband taking some of them!! You know why? We were a few loungers over from you at the Terrace Pool on Thursday! I saw your husband in a royal blue tshirt w/ a middle school logo and a nice looking camera. I'm sure it was you there also -- relaxing, reading your book and catnapping in the early afternoon. A few times we were all splashed by those swimming in the pool and a pretty blonde young lady in a red bikini told them to please stop. Was it you?![/QUOTE]
LOL!! A young blonde in a red bikini - I wish! ;) Wow - what a memory for detail you have. :) That was indeed my husband making use of his new digital SLR, and the girl who told the kids to stop splashing was directly to the right of me facing the ocean. Where exactly were you sitting? Too bad we didn't have photos of each other beforehand, huh? It was about the same time when I went for a dip in the pool back there and met a woman from RI - probably not a big deal for most people, but here in Little Rhody we're just one big happy family and get a kick out of running into each other in exotic places. :) Thanks for the nice comments about the photos. There are plenty more where those came from. In fact, I have to pick up photos from the film (yes, I still have the prehistoric 35 mm) which I dropped off, so I may add more. I'm hoping to find more photos of interior of the ship.

[mdmomof7]

I remember because it was probably one of the few times I was sitting still relaxing. LOL!! Dh said it was his only decent nap of the entire cruise. Apparently his napping while I dressed for dinner doesn't count. He's still harumphing that I made him WALK everywhere instead of taking the elevator. And all that walking did me no good and him lots of good. He lost 4lbs. and I gained 5! Aaahhhh! LOL!!!

As you were facing the wake, we were to your left. Dh was closest to you and I on the other side. I know exactly who you are now. You had a one piece with a crisscross rust colored floral top and dark bottom. Right? Did you also have a visor on with a book lying across your chest? Dh was the one snoring so loud he woke himself up. I had left to go get dressed for tea and he told me that's what he did. Too funny! It's okay, go ahead and admit you heard him snoring. He raises the roof when he snores! :p

I've got some interior photos. I bought a new camera the day before we left so I don't yet know the ins and outs that well. I might be able to post photos soon. I know I've got the atrium, a nighttime shot of the inclined escalator leading to Skywalkers, the pool and conga line at the Sail Away party, us dancing in Club Fusion, the view of the tenders out our obstructed view window, and some art from the auction, but I'm not sure what others I have.

Can you believe I didn't get our room steward or even our room in any photo? Oh well, next time! ;)

[mick1234]

[quote name='sunluva7']Welcome home - glad to see you made it home safely. We're so sorry to hear about Rob's grandfather - we'll say a prayer.

I've posted a link to my first round of photos. We have a lot more located in our various other cameras - hopefully, I can find more interior shots of the ship.[/QUOTE]

sunluva7, love the photos! what kind of camera do you have?

[sunluva7]

Mdmomof7

You are very observant - right down to the swimsuit detail. I'm truly amazed! I have a hazy picture of people sitting to my left, but sorry to say my eyes were either glued to my book or, more likely, glued shut. :) I remember dozing and waking up to find my book open across my chest. I'm happy to say I heard no one snoring, either! :D I do remember a woman asking me if the chair was saved to my immediate left, and then a guy removing the same chair, probably to a shady spot. There was a guy sitting at the end to my left and I remember having to be careful not to bump his feet as I went around him to go up for lunch. So I guess you must be the hazy spot in my brain between me and the guy with the protruding feet. :)

I'd love to see more photos. We had early dining reservations, so we missed sail-away. I don't know how, with all the snoozing I did, but we crashed early and missed both tropical night and the champagne waterfall. What party poopers we are!

[cruzinchris]

Sunluva7,
Thank you (and others who have contributed) for the wonderful review and information about your [i]Caribbean Princess[/i] cruise. DH and I sailed on the[i] CB[/i] in January and will return in January, 2006 for an encore voyage. We loved the ship and simply didn't have time to enjoy all the activities - even with three days at sea.

[i]Caribbean Night[/i] menu: DH and I, too, were going to eat elsewhere to avoid this dinner. To my surprise, the Pork Tenderloin turned out to be one of the best entrees available on [i]Princess![/i]

[i]Anytime Dining: [/i]I think you have the same take on "anytime dining" that DH and I do. We usually go to dinner right after sailaway on opening night and ask for "a secluded table for two with a personable and professional waitstaff." If we are pleased with the table and service, we book this table for 6:30 for the remainder of the cruise. We think this offers the best of both worlds: You dine when and with whom you choose, and you have the benefit of waitstaff who get to know you as well as with traditional dining.

One of your cruising colleagues - soxfan4ever - was in the stateroom that we'll be in next January (B710). We were in L306 this year.

I noticed some discussion about [i]Princess[/i] wine selections on this thread. Have to add my $.02 on this one. DH and I "discovered" two very fine wines while sailing with Princess: [i]Cuvaison [/i]Chardonnay and [i]Kenwood Jack London[/i] Cabernet are both excellent. We were introduced to them at the Maitre d's Wine Tasting on our first [i]Princess[/i] cruise ([i]Star,[/i] 2002) and have been hooked on them ever since. We enjoy a couple bottles of each whenever we sail with [i]Princess.[/i]

Counting the days until I sail again on the magnificent [i]CB[/i].
Bon Voyage!
[i]Chris[/i]

[shonandsuzie]

Sunlova-
the pictures were fun to see! What deck was the balcony? Was ti one that is fully exposed?

[mdmomof7]

People watching I find very enjoyable. I think they are fascinating! I guess I should have been a detective or something! lol!!!

Cruzinchris, I found the cabernet on the Princess Wine List they gave us at the wine tasting, but I don't see any Cuvaison Chardonnay?? Though they only have a category for American Chardonnay and your recommendation sounds French. I'm going to add those wines to my cruise file! :)

I'll have to figure out how to post our photos. I'd like to see them somewhere other than on our camera! ;)

[cruzinchris]

mdmomof7,
I have two [i]Princess Grapevine[/i] pamphlets from wine tastings, but I don't know what years they're from. We've been to at least one wine tasting event on each of our[i] Princess[/i] cruises - four to date, with fifth booked.

According to both leaflets, [i]Cuvaison[/i] Chardonnay is #29, American Chardonnay, Napa Valley. We had at least two bottles on our cruise this past January, so it was still available then. We get it at Costco when we're not at sea.

Sunluva7: Since my earlier post, I've looked at your photos. Thanks so much for sharing all the great pictures.
[i]Chris[/i]

[mdmomof7]

Hmmmm...the wine list I have doesn't have a number 29 under American Chardonnay. Maybe it's incomplete since it's specifically for the Princess Grapevine wine tasting? I checked the Princess Cellars online and can't find it either. Thought that also doesn't look complete. You can let us know for sure when you cruise in January! :)