Caribbean Princess

[Kenswing]

When is the CB due for her next refurb?

[shredie]

My 30 day TA and British Isles is a year away. If these reviews continue to be as bad, I will look into something else. I would have preferred a newer ship but this is all they have for my itinerary. This is upsetting.

 

I think you probably should look elsewhere. I think you may have convinced yourself that the ship is a bucket of bolts with a bad smell. :rolleyes: There are also good reviews. Did you read any of those? Maybe all those people are lying. Only the writers with bad things to say are telling the truth. Yep, you need to book something else. Maybe Cunard.

[DebbieMacG]

This is a little worrying. I've just cancelled a Baltic's cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette to do an North Cape cruise on Caribbean Princess, my first princess cruise. I booked and paid in full yesterday and I'm on deck 10 the one mentioned.

 

I've done 8 cruises with Celebrity 7 on the newer ships and one on Infinity, that ship is older and also was criticized for looking shabby, I found nothing wrong with it and couldn't fault it, infact it was our best cruise.

 

I can put up with most stuff but mouldy musty smells I cant and they actually trigger my asthma! :(

[Griller]

I think you probably should look elsewhere. I think you may have convinced yourself that the ship is a bucket of bolts with a bad smell. :rolleyes: There are also good reviews. Did you read any of those? Maybe all those people are lying. Only the writers with bad things to say are telling the truth. Yep, you need to book something else. Maybe Cunard.

 

if you don't like bad plumbing leaks then don't cruise on Cunard's QM2. Way worse for that than CB. And worse food and service unless you pay for the Grills, I cruised plenty on both lines and all I can say is give me Princess anytime. Nicer, friendlier, better value, more fun.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Great point. I read some posts about the very cruise we took (late January 2015) how individuals were very upset that the butter pads at dinner were frozen. Ummmmm?

They were. Hard as a rock at 5:30pm dining. To the point of being almost unusable. So was the blueberry roulade for dessert at lunch in the dining room. Couldn't even get my fork into it. Whether or not this ruins someone's cruise is up to them, but facts are facts.

[TrulyBlonde]

I think you probably should look elsewhere. I think you may have convinced yourself that the ship is a bucket of bolts with a bad smell. :rolleyes: There are also good reviews. Did you read any of those? Maybe all those people are lying. Only the writers with bad things to say are telling the truth. Yep, you need to book something else. Maybe Cunard.

 

I am not interested in Cunard..but thank you for the suggestion :(..I have enjoyed all of my Princess cruises and was extremely excited about this one. I also prefer a larger ship for a TA. But...this cruise is over $30,000 not including return airfare, cruise tours etc. etc. There seems to be more negatives than positives and I cannot imagine anyone lying about their experiences whether good or bad? I have almost a year to decide, and hope it works in Princess's favor and anticipate it will. No need to get snippy for someone doing their due dilegence.

[Griller]

Call me frugal if you like but I like value for money and I cannot countenance spending $30k on a Princess cruise, if I was spending that much it would be on a more upmarket line where the suite was lovely, the service impeccable, and also everything in the public areas was better and nicer and generally better value for what I was spending.

 

I like Princess for what it is to me, a good value massmarket line for less than $100 a day and great OBC.

[shredie]

I am not interested in Cunard..but thank you for the suggestion :(..I have enjoyed all of my Princess cruises and was extremely excited about this one. I also prefer a larger ship for a TA. But...this cruise is over $30,000 not including return airfare, cruise tours etc. etc. There seems to be more negatives than positives and I cannot imagine anyone lying about their experiences whether good or bad? I have almost a year to decide, and hope it works in Princess's favor and anticipate it will. No need to get snippy for someone doing their due dilegence.

 

Well, guess I won't be joining you. Here's hoping you don't end up on a defective ship. (I don't see a cruise at that price for that ship. Maybe you are taking a bunch of people along.) :confused:

Edited March 28, 2015 by shredie

[BRANDEE]

I am not interested in Cunard..but thank you for the suggestion :(..I have enjoyed all of my Princess cruises and was extremely excited about this one. I also prefer a larger ship for a TA. But...this cruise is over $30,000 not including return airfare, cruise tours etc. etc. There seems to be more negatives than positives and I cannot imagine anyone lying about their experiences whether good or bad? I have almost a year to decide, and hope it works in Princess's favor and anticipate it will. No need to get snippy for someone doing their due dilegence.

 

FYI

 

Just got off the Caribbean Princess Saturday. She did have more than the usual plumbing problems in the public area bathrooms. A lot of out of order sinks and toilets. A few overflows, too. We were told that there were not enough plumbers and parts to repair and replace at a quicker pace.

 

Our cabin was flooded due to an overflow in the next cabin. My only complaint in this situation was how poorly the passenger desk supervisors dealt with the situation. When finally a decision was made, our room steward and other crew members worked hard to totally redo (carpet, drapes,bedding) the room. We found the crew on this ship to be very friendly and helpful.

 

I would also like to say that we sailed the new Royal on her third voyage. We had an air conditioning problem for 12 days..old ship/new ship..problems happen. How they are handled is important, but on any cruise line, crews change from month to month..some better than others.

 

Okay..the Caribbean Princess. We had a great cruise. We like the design of the ship. Especially the Caribe deck balconies. There were plenty of venues available for entertainment. She has a nice exterior. Plenty of room for all passengers. A lot of pools and bars. A promenade deck plus plenty of places for front and aft viewing. A nice Atrium for sitting and enjoying whatever!! The ship was 100% full and we really never felt overcrowded, except for ports using the tenders.

 

The Caribbean Princess is not new. There are some signs of wear and tear, but nothing to take away from her sailing pleasure. (Unless all the bathrooms overflow at the same time. :eek: ) She is still elegant, with just a few wrinkles. Are there glitches here and there..yes! Except for a musty smell in our cabin due to 14 hours of a very wet rug..we only once had a sewer smell when sitting at a table on lido deck ,too close to the men's room. (We moved) We did have a tablemate who said a "sewer" smell came out of her cabin toilet, but was immediately corrected.

 

When you pay hard earned money for a vacation, of course, we all want perfection. I read the reviews of the ship before we booked and sailed, but I liked the itinerary and really had no other choice, other than not sail Princess. (Very glad we went.) We love Princess and especially her elegant older ships, even with their wrinkles. I heard the Caribbean was due for a dry dock (heard this while on board) in 2016. I 'm not sure if this is true or not.

[caribill]

 

The Caribbean Princess is not new.

 

It may not be new, but there are a number of ships in the Princess fleet that are older.

 

It they can be maintained, so can the CB.

[TrulyBlonde]

Well, guess I won't be joining you. Here's hoping you don't end up on a defective ship. (I don't see a cruise at that price for that ship. Maybe you are taking a bunch of people along.) :confused:

 

Actually, it is only DH and I and we have an AFT Suite on the Caribe deck. We thought the extra space and large balcony along with a wonderful itinerary with the TA would make it worth while.

We tend to cruise in the Spring and Fall and timing is important when choosing our cruises. I typically would go with O, but their British Isles is in the Summer and we tend to avoid crowds and children.

I can accept a bit of wear and tear, but concerned about all of these plumbing issues. I am going to stay positive and wait until others have all of their 2016 itineraries out and see if something similar on a more upscale line comes out.

Also, the demographic is generally different on longer cruises to Europe vs: the shorter Caribbean. That is something we also factored in when choosing this one.

[Mackenzie1]

Yes, it is upsetting to read all of this, considering I just booked a TA and British Isles for 30 days April 2016 :(( The itinerary was fabulous and we have a suite Aft on Caribe deck. A lot of $$ for a ship not up to par. :(

 

I had a corner, aft balcony cabin on the Caribe deck last month on the Caribbean Princess and loved it. The balconies are huge, and the loungers have very comfortable footrests. The room was very nice, and the carpet looked new. The venues in the interior of the ship were in great shape. I didn't spend any time in the pool area, though, except for MUTS. The pool area is where some have been disappointed, but I found the chairs in the MUTS area to be fine.

 

In reading reviews about the Caribbean Princess, it helps to separate the reviews before the 2014-refurbishment from the reviews after the 2014-refurbishment. I was very happy with the Caribbean Princess, and I'm looking forward to being on the ship again this summer for the Norwegian Summer Solstice cruise.

Edited March 28, 2015 by Mackenzie1

[TrulyBlonde]

I had a corner, aft balcony cabin on the Caribe deck last month on the Caribbean Princess and loved it. The balconies are huge, and the loungers have very comfortable footrests. The room was very nice, and the carpet looked new. The venues in the interior of the ship were in great shape. I didn't spend any time in the pool area, though, except for MUTS. The pool area is where some have been disappointed, but I found the chairs in the MUTS area to be fine.

 

In reading reviews about the Caribbean Princess, it helps to separate the reviews before the 2014 refurbishment from the reviews after the 2014 refurbishment. I was very happy with the Caribbean Princess, and I'm looking forward to being on the ship again this summer for the Norwegian Summer Solstice cruise.

 

Thank you. I look forward to reading your review. I usually only use the adult pool and Sanctuary when on Princess. In May, I think it will be a bit chilly to worry about pool time and thought having the large Aft balcony would be the best part for viewing and privacy. Now, you have me excited!.

[Mackenzie1]

Thank you. I look forward to reading your review. I usually only use the adult pool and Sanctuary when on Princess. In May, I think it will be a bit chilly to worry about pool time and thought having the large Aft balcony would be the best part for viewing and privacy. Now, you have me excited!.

 

You have every reason to be excited, Portofino. I hope Ranier is still the cabin steward for your cruise. He is so kind, and such a wonderful cabin steward. He mentioned that he will be leaving the ship in May, though, and I don't remember whether it was the beginning or the end of May.

Edited March 28, 2015 by Mackenzie1

[pcsunlover]

FYI

 

Just got off the Caribbean Princess Saturday. She did have more than the usual plumbing problems in the public area bathrooms. A lot of out of order sinks and toilets. A few overflows, too. We were told that there were not enough plumbers and parts to repair and replace at a quicker pace.

 

Our cabin was flooded due to an overflow in the next cabin. My only complaint in this situation was how poorly the passenger desk supervisors dealt with the situation. When finally a decision was made, our room steward and other crew members worked hard to totally redo (carpet, drapes,bedding) the room. We found the crew on this ship to be very friendly and helpful.

 

I would also like to say that we sailed the new Royal on her third voyage. We had an air conditioning problem for 12 days..old ship/new ship..problems happen. How they are handled is important, but on any cruise line, crews change from month to month..some better than others.

 

Okay..the Caribbean Princess. We had a great cruise. We like the design of the ship. Especially the Caribe deck balconies. There were plenty of venues available for entertainment. She has a nice exterior. Plenty of room for all passengers. A lot of pools and bars. A promenade deck plus plenty of places for front and aft viewing. A nice Atrium for sitting and enjoying whatever!! The ship was 100% full and we really never felt overcrowded, except for ports using the tenders.

 

The Caribbean Princess is not new. There are some signs of wear and tear, but nothing to take away from her sailing pleasure. (Unless all the bathrooms overflow at the same time. :eek: ) She is still elegant, with just a few wrinkles. Are there glitches here and there..yes! Except for a musty smell in our cabin due to 14 hours of a very wet rug..we only once had a sewer smell when sitting at a table on lido deck ,too close to the men's room. (We moved) We did have a tablemate who said a "sewer" smell came out of her cabin toilet, but was immediately corrected.

 

When you pay hard earned money for a vacation, of course, we all want perfection. I read the reviews of the ship before we booked and sailed, but I liked the itinerary and really had no other choice, other than not sail Princess. (Very glad we went.) We love Princess and especially her elegant older ships, even with their wrinkles. I heard the Caribbean was due for a dry dock (heard this while on board) in 2016. I 'm not sure if this is true or not.

 

Yes - Brandee and I spoke on this cruise because we were both affected by flooding in our cabins. We also both have stated repeatedly that we had a great time on our cruises. Of course you should be able to plan a vacation expecting everything to be as near to perfect as possible, but unexpected things can happen on any cruise. If the itinerary and price was right, I would book on this ship again. That being said, I also agree that Princess needs to address some concerns with this ship and others. There is no excuse for some of the mattresses to be as bad as they are. And if there are known problems with the plumbing, etc, then at a minimum Princess should make sure they have all of the necessary repair parts on board and should have a few empty cabins available to move people if need be.

 

If I were as worried as the OP, I would most likely find another ship. I would not want to spend all of the months before my cruise worrying rather than enjoying the excitement of planning and anticipating our vacation.

 

I hope whatever you decide, you end up having a memorable cruise for all of the right reasons! :)

[Erinafare]

I shall be sailing on this ship to the Med on the 9th May. My very first cruise my Aunt who will be with me is a veteran cruiser mainly on Cunard her first on

Princess. We are both young at heart seventy something's.

I have been following the reviews with interest and also watching promotion videos.

I shall go with an open mind and be looking at everything in wonderment and probably not notice any imperfections.

Thank you all for the reviews and roll on May can't wait xxx

Ps on Baja deck Caribe fully booked.:mad:

[Azspeed]

I am not interested in Cunard..but thank you for the suggestion :(..I have enjoyed all of my Princess cruises and was extremely excited about this one. I also prefer a larger ship for a TA. But...this cruise is over $30,000 not including return airfare, cruise tours etc. etc. There seems to be more negatives than positives and I cannot imagine anyone lying about their experiences whether good or bad? I have almost a year to decide, and hope it works in Princess's favor and anticipate it will. No need to get snippy for someone doing their due dilegence.

 

You and I are in the same boat (literally) I have a deposit down on the Caribbean Princess for a Grand Adventure August 2016 for 29 days.

This itinerary doesn't exist on any other lines. Never had a poor cruise (58 on various lines) but 29 days is very different both in dollars and time compared to the typical 7 day cruise...every issue is magnified.

[TrulyBlonde]

You and I are in the same boat (literally) I have a deposit down on the Caribbean Princess for a Grand Adventure August 2016 for 29 days.

This itinerary doesn't exist on any other lines. Never had a poor cruise (58 on various lines) but 29 days is very different both in dollars and time compared to the typical 7 day cruise...every issue is magnified.

 

Exactly, this is itinerary driven for us. It provides the full "British Isles" package because it includes Wales. We have been to England and Ireland (Blarney Stone) but this enables us to see Stonehenge, Edinburgh, Versailles, and much more. I think we will do our best and as long as our cabin etc is not flooded with water or sewage, LOL...it will be luxury camping in a suite? ;-)

[Azspeed]

Exactly, this is itinerary driven for us. It provides the full "British Isles" package because it includes Wales. We have been to England and Ireland (Blarney Stone) but this enables us to see Stonehenge, Edinburgh, Versailles, and much more. I think we will do our best and as long as our cabin etc is not flooded with water or sewage, LOL...it will be luxury camping in a suite? ;-)

 

Mine does the British Isles which we previously enjoyed, but the driving force is the Norwegian Fjords plus Iceland...all new to us.

With regards to the ship, we have a mini suite so the hope is that it's well maintained. Most importantly I hope the bedding is fairly new since arthritis is now in play. Enjoy your trip.

[whatcruiseisnext]

Mine does the British Isles which we previously enjoyed, but the driving force is the Norwegian Fjords plus Iceland...all new to us.

With regards to the ship, we have a mini suite so the hope is that it's well maintained. Most importantly I hope the bedding is fairly new since arthritis is now in play. Enjoy your trip.

 

We recently disembarked the Caribbean Princess and had no issues at all with the bedding. We are in our 60's and deal with arthritis as well. :)

[TrulyBlonde]

Mine does the British Isles which we previously enjoyed, but the driving force is the Norwegian Fjords plus Iceland...all new to us.

With regards to the ship, we have a mini suite so the hope is that it's well maintained. Most importantly I hope the bedding is fairly new since arthritis is now in play. Enjoy your trip.

 

Your trip itinerary sounds wonderful. We did a TA a few yrs ago on Emerald in a mini suite to the Baltic and it was very nice and enjoyed the extra space. The time of year you are going is also great and one I will look into in the future. We had already booked Oceania for early Sept. Adriatic otherwise we would have taken their British Isles that is at the same time. Let's all think positive and hopefully have a fabulous time on our trips. Good wishes sent your way.

[TrulyBlonde]

Call me frugal if you like but I like value for money and I cannot countenance spending $30k on a Princess cruise, if I was spending that much it would be on a more upmarket line where the suite was lovely, the service impeccable, and also everything in the public areas was better and nicer and generally better value for what I was spending.

 

I like Princess for what it is to me, a good value massmarket line for less than $100 a day and great OBC.

 

My update. I am not frugal but tend to agree with you that the $30K was a bit much for the Princess cruise. I was actually able to find a similar cruise on Oceania and combined it with another for a B2B. I then cancelled the Princess cruise and another one which saved me $20K. Also, air savings because I will not have to make 2 trips to Europe, only 1. And only 684 passengers :)

[takeadip]

We were on CB 2/27 -3/7/15 if you want to search for my review I posted...ship was in decent shape...some of the bent glass windows on the hallway to skywalkers lounge were busted out...there were 2 sets of broken windows that had cardboard in its place...im sure someone on these boards has a picture...

 

lots of luck...enjoy your cruise...

-Mark

[AntiM]

Just came back from a week on the CB. Aft on Caribe deck, nice stateroom and the balcony was excellent.

 

I have asthma and was worried about the moldy smell. Didn't experience it at all. A few of the ladies rooms had sinks or toilets out of order, but that was it. But wow, those showers are tiny.

 

The bed was comfortable and roomy. I slept well, except for one night when something in the ceiling thumped and rattled. Sea was a bit rougher that night, I put in my earplugs and was not bothered after that. Hubby and I both have arthritis, and the bed was fine. Hint: ginger is an anti-inflammatory and may help with minor joint pain as well as with motion sickness.

 

I did see some sad chair cushions. The horror.

 

My butter in the Coral Dining Room was perfect.

 

The head waiter would show us the menu for the next evening and take a pre-order because we have a funky food sensitivity. The junior waiters tried, and one was better than the other, but Simon saved our dinners. Funny story: on lobster night we ended up with four dinners. I ordered lobster, hubby the Beef Wellington. They brought us two plates of lobster, then the beef; I mentioned the pumpkin wraps sounded interesting, I got those too. We didn't mind one bit.

Edited April 30, 2015 by AntiM

[lynwar]

Hi,

Thanks for posting. I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise for the most part. There are always a couple of things that aren't overly perfect, like water up on the floor on Lido Deck after a rain, lol.

 

I hope you got to see Bert Stratton in Crooners during your week. He got off the ship on 4/18 for a well deserved break before he changes to another ship for the Summer. He is really a great guy.

 

So, now the ship is on her transatlantic cruise to the Baltics. I saw her leave Port Everglades, unaware that it was her TA so it was kind of bittersweet. She'll be returning to Houston, I believe. We were on her in Sept. 2014, and before that in Sept. 2004. She's a special ship.

 

Take care for now and enjoy your upcoming cruises.

Lynne