Emerald tips and suggestions

[mrsgthatsme]

DH and I will be leaving in two months for our 10 yr anniversary cruise on the Emerald. It is our first Princess cruise, and as it gets closer, I had a few questions for the experts on this board. :)

1) Do you suggest booking the Sanctuary at all? We have a balcony cabin, so will be spending a lot of time out there, but wondering if the Sanctuary would be worth it for a day. We are not drinkers (unless soda counts!) so having drinks brought to us is not something that is important to us.

 

2)How early do we need to be at MUTS and the shows to get a seat? We don't need front row seats by any means, but want to make sure we can find a chair!

 

3) Is The Crown Grille really that much better than the MDR? We took a cruise on RCI 7 years ago and never ate at any of the specialty restaurants and were perfectly happy in the MDR. Is the Crown Grille a must in your opinion?

 

4) Any tips on what to plan on at Princess Cays or Grand Turk? Those are our ports, and we are wondering if they are good places to skip an excursion and just spend time on the beach. DH loves to snorkel and I love to read, and some of what Ive read sounds like you would be able to do those things and enjoy the islands on your own without any organized excursions. But if there is any not to be missed at either of those places, we are openminded about it.

 

5)DH wants to know about the fitness center. Is it free? What equipment is offered there? Is it often full?

 

6) Where do you suggest eating breakfast? If you do room service, can you get hot items like eggs and bacon, or is it more continental?

 

7)Any not to be missed areas on the ship?

 

Thanks so much for humoring me and my long list of questions! It will probably be 10 more years before we get away for another "real" vacation together, so we want to make sure we do everything we can to have a great time!

[GradUT]

We were on the Emerald last year for a Christmas cruise and I love that ship!

 

1) We felt no need to book the Sanctuary. You can have privacy on your balcony. Also, we had no problem finding loungers around the pool(s).

 

2) We only went to MUTS a couple of times and were able to find seats shortly before the movie began.

 

3) We never do specialty restaurants on ships. We thought the food in the MDR on the Emerald was very good--lots of choice and well-prepared.

 

4) Can't help--haven't been there

 

5) The use of the equipment in the fitness center is free. Some classes cost extra. I found that the fitness center was fairly full in the mornings, especially at the beginning of the cruise. As the cruise progressed, the number of folks at the gym decreased.

 

6) We ate almost all of our breakfasts from the buffet. There's quiet and scenic seating on the Horizon Terrace on the aft of the Lido Deck. We have found that having room service for breakfast on the final day is a relaxing way to end the cruise. You can get a hot breakfast if that's what you want.

 

7) The Terrace Pool (aft on the Riviera Deck) is the best place to hang out. It's an adult only pool, so it's generally pretty quiet. Also, the Promenade Deck is nice for walking, but it's on 2 levels, so you have to climb some stairs to do a complete loop.

[IECalCruiser]

6) We ate almost all of our breakfasts from the buffet. There's quiet and scenic seating on the Horizon Terrace on the aft of the Lido Deck. We have found that having room service for breakfast on the final day is a relaxing way to end the cruise. You can get a hot breakfast if that's what you want.

You must have been in a full suite because no other cabins can order room service on the last morning and the only hot food on the standard room service menu is a egg mcmuffin style sandwich and it is usually soggy by the time you get it [emoji45]

 

On most ships the buffet has an omelette station and fresh Belgian waffles. We no longer eat in the DR for breakfast.

Edited January 1, 2016 by IECalCruiser

[IECalCruiser]

The fitness center has a good assortment of treadmills, ellipticals and stationary bikes, various exercise machines and free weights.

 

With a balcony I don't believe that you need to book the Sanctuary. We only did it on one cruise when we had an ocean view cabin.

 

IMHO, the quality of the DR food is good enough that you don't need to eat at the Crown Grill but you might want to go there to celebrate you 10th. The Emerald now has a new restaurant called SHARE where Sabatini's was. Do a search. If you are foodies it might be worth the $39/person charge. We have not been on a ship with SHARE yet and are reserving judgement. For a light meal, the International Cafe on Plaza deck 5 has pastries and a few other items for breakfast and sandwiches, salads and a soup most of the rest of the day and there is no charge for the food except $1.50 for three scoops of gelato.

Edited January 1, 2016 by IECalCruiser

[princess-mommy]

We have done Crown Grill on each of our 3 cruises. It is definitely worth it. In my opinion where can you go to a five star steakhouse for $25. Sabatini's was amazing as well.

[skynight]

DH and I will be leaving in two months for our 10 yr anniversary cruise on the Emerald. It is our first Princess cruise, and as it gets closer, I had a few questions for the experts on this board. :)

1) Do you suggest booking the Sanctuary at all? We have a balcony cabin, so will be spending a lot of time out there, but wondering if the Sanctuary would be worth it for a day. We are not drinkers (unless soda counts!) so having drinks brought to us is not something that is important to us.

This is a tough one to answer. In the Sanctuary you get a reserved luxury lounge. It is a quiet area for those that like to just lounge and maybe listen to music or read. There is a pool nearby, but it isn't actually in the Sanctuary. Cost is $20/pp/half day, $40/pp/full day and $30/pp/full day if you book the entire cruise, sea and port days. if you wish to use the Sanctuary go there right after you board to select your lounge chairs.

 

2)How early do we need to be at MUTS and the shows to get a seat? We don't need front row seats by any means, but want to make sure we can find a chair!

Unless there is a really great movie, you can find a seat almost anytime. There really isn't any bad seating areas. The only time I ever saw an issue was a few years ago when they showed Skyfall about six months after it was in the theater.

 

3) Is The Crown Grille really that much better than the MDR? We took a cruise on RCI 7 years ago and never ate at any of the specialty restaurants and were perfectly happy in the MDR. Is the Crown Grille a must in your opinion?

The MDR's are fine, but the Crown Grill does provide a nice steak experience and a $25/pp it isn't overpriced. The Emerald Princess now has SHARE @ $39/pp a new upscale dining experience by Chef Curtis Stone. Worth a try?

 

4) Any tips on what to plan on at Princess Cays or Grand Turk? Those are our ports, and we are wondering if they are good places to skip an excursion and just spend time on the beach. DH loves to snorkel and I love to read, and some of what Ive read sounds like you would be able to do those things and enjoy the islands on your own without any organized excursions. But if there is any not to be missed at either of those places, we are openminded about it.

Princess Cays is a private beach and a tender port. Tender tickets are issued normally in a DR. Both of you have to be present to get your tender tickets, one person can not get tickets for two. Be sure to get there early to get a full day at the beach. There are lots of lounge chairs available in both the sun and shade. The shore line can be a little rocky at times so swim shoes are a good thing to have. There is a snorkel area as well some water toyswhich can be reserved. Lunch is served (free) in two locations, and there is a beach bar and a small gift shop. Use your cruise card just like on the ship. In the back of Princess Cays there is a gate to exit and there are some local vendors there. They don't take the cruise card, but welcome US$.

 

Grand Turk is a little different, not Princess owned. There is a beach, a small shopping mall area and a Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville restaurant and pool. Not mush else. You dock there so you can walk off and on the ship.

5)DH wants to know about the fitness center. Is it free? What equipment is offered there? Is it often full?

The fitness area is free. Most crowded in the morning. Take a look when you board.

 

6) Where do you suggest eating breakfast? If you do room service, can you get hot items like eggs and bacon, or is it more continental?

You have a choices. Room service is mostly continental. The DR is open each morning for Breakfast and serves menu and off menu items. The James Beard French toast is one of my favorites, it only shows up on the menu once or twice, but you can order it every day.

The buffet has a large selection of breakfast items including made to order omelets and fried eggs. For omelets when you order you will get a slip. Get you meats, hash browns or whatever and get a seat. Give your slip to the waiter and they will bring the omelet. There is some nice seating outdoors on the Horizon Terrace.

For a quick continental breakfast try the International Cafe. You can also get fresh brewed coffee and espresso drinks there.

7)Any not to be missed areas on the ship?

International Cafe, Soft Ice Cream and Pizza on the Lido Deck, Skywalker's nightclub late night and also nice views during the day, Wheelhouse Bar for dancing, Explorer's Lounge & Club Fusion for activities and dancing, Deck Party

 

Thanks so much for humoring me and my long list of questions! It will probably be 10 more years before we get away for another "real" vacation together, so we want to make sure we do everything we can to have a great time!

See above, hope this is helpful

[kurgan]

G Turk- We took a taxi to beautiful Pillory beach to avoid crowd , for whole beach were there 20-30 people.The same taxi driver later took us back to Margaritavile

[rob2102]

DH and I will be leaving in two months for our 10 yr anniversary cruise on the Emerald. It is our first Princess cruise, and as it gets closer, I had a few questions for the experts on this board. :)

1) Do you suggest booking the Sanctuary at all? We have a balcony cabin, so will be spending a lot of time out there, but wondering if the Sanctuary would be worth it for a day. We are not drinkers (unless soda counts!) so having drinks brought to us is not something that is important to us.

 

2)How early do we need to be at MUTS and the shows to get a seat? We don't need front row seats by any means, but want to make sure we can find a chair!

 

3) Is The Crown Grille really that much better than the MDR? We took a cruise on RCI 7 years ago and never ate at any of the specialty restaurants and were perfectly happy in the MDR. Is the Crown Grille a must in your opinion?

 

4) Any tips on what to plan on at Princess Cays or Grand Turk? Those are our ports, and we are wondering if they are good places to skip an excursion and just spend time on the beach. DH loves to snorkel and I love to read, and some of what Ive read sounds like you would be able to do those things and enjoy the islands on your own without any organized excursions. But if there is any not to be missed at either of those places, we are openminded about it.

 

5)DH wants to know about the fitness center. Is it free? What equipment is offered there? Is it often full?

 

6) Where do you suggest eating breakfast? If you do room service, can you get hot items like eggs and bacon, or is it more continental?

 

7)Any not to be missed areas on the ship?

 

Thanks so much for humoring me and my long list of questions! It will probably be 10 more years before we get away for another "real" vacation together, so we want to make sure we do everything we can to have a great time!

 

Happy for you to being taking another cruise. Here are my personal opinions,

1. I always have enjoyed the sanctuary especially on sea days. It much less crowded, nice pool great place to hang out. A couple of hours their during our cruise was great.

2. Not really sure what time to get to mutus, We just kinda of show up 10-15 minutes before the show, never have trouble finding a seat.

3. We enjoy the crown grill. Nice place for a celebration or to enjoy a good meal.

4. Think of princess cay as just another nice beach. You tender over. Their are gift shops and things to do. Princess has a lunch set up so its kinda of a nice day. Or if you decide to stay on the ship, its definitely less crowed than a normal day at sea.

5. According to princess the fitness center has all new equipment in it. It was always pretty top notch to my standards, clean, with a wide variety of machines. Yes it is free. It can get crowed I am usually up in the gym around 6 am and it slowly fills up. The fitness is u shaped, with windows facing the sea. You get a great view of the ocean or port as you do your work out.

 

6. Breakfast, oh my. I am old fashion so we usually go the horizon court or the mdr for breakfast. I grab coffee after my work out at the international café, their is a wide offerings of breakfast goodies if you are looking to eat lighter.

7. Places not to miss on the ship- Skywalkers during the day- great for some quiet time and your 19 floors over the ship. I try to keep a couple of port days on the ship. Every one is out doing stuff and you have the ship to your self. I go into town in the afternoons when many are returning from their morning excursions. Hey this is just me. Discovery at sea? - I really enjoyed the star gazing, I liked it a whole lot better on clear nights ( LOL ). Something I really look forward to doing again. One other thought and something I really liked and I am taking my brother with me this time I hope is the ultimate ship tour. You tour the ship stem to stern, engine room to the navigation bridge. You have the opportunity to speak with the officer in charge of each

area you tour On the bridge we had our pictures taken with the captain and toured the bridge with the third officer. Its cost 150 bucks, which seems kinda of steep, but they give you a gift from most of the areas of the ship that you tour in and some goodies to eat and drink. The very best shore excursion I ever taken.

 

Enough with my personal opinions, again have a great cruise how ever you spend it. Safe Travels

 

Cheers

[IECalCruiser]

A couple additional items.

 

sknight mentioned the Wheelhouse Bar for dancing. The Wheelhouse Bar is now being used as the Salty Dog Gastropub in the evening and there is a $19/person charge for selections from a small bites menu. You can go there and just listen to music but it has been posted that most of the comfortable chairs have been replaced by barstools and high pub style tables which has changed the atmosphere. I hope to take a short CA Coastal cruise this Spring to check out the Gastropub and SHARE on the Ruby.

 

The Adagio Bar on Sun deck 16 next to SHARE is a smaller venue that has live music in the evening.

[Orlando Vic]

3) Is The Crown Grille really that much better than the MDR? We took a cruise on RCI 7 years ago and never ate at any of the specialty restaurants and were perfectly happy in the MDR. Is the Crown Grille a must in your opinion?

 

Yes it is!

 

We were on the Emerald in October and went to the Crown Grill specifically for our lobster fix. We received six (6) four ounce lobster tails perfectly cooked. We were stuffed but completely satisfied. Oh yes, if you want more of anything, you can have it.

[rob2102]

We were on the Emerald last year for a Christmas cruise and I love that ship!

 

1) We felt no need to book the Sanctuary. You can have privacy on your balcony. Also, we had no problem finding loungers around the pool(s).

 

2) We only went to MUTS a couple of times and were able to find seats shortly before the movie began.

 

3) We never do specialty restaurants on ships. We thought the food in the MDR on the Emerald was very good--lots of choice and well-prepared.

 

4) Can't help--haven't been there

 

5) The use of the equipment in the fitness center is free. Some classes cost extra. I found that the fitness center was fairly full in the mornings, especially at the beginning of the cruise. As the cruise progressed, the number of folks at the gym decreased.

 

6) We ate almost all of our breakfasts from the buffet. There's quiet and scenic seating on the Horizon Terrace on the aft of the Lido Deck. We have found that having room service for breakfast on the final day is a relaxing way to end the cruise. You can get a hot breakfast if that's what you want.

 

7) The Terrace Pool (aft on the Riviera Deck) is the best place to hang out. It's an adult only pool, so it's generally pretty quiet. Also, the Promenade Deck is nice for walking, but it's on 2 levels, so you have to climb some stairs to do a complete loop.

 

We generally book a mini or a balcony, but still find the sanctuary a good destination on some mornings. no way to compare your own balcony to the sanctuary experience.. but that's just me.

As far as the crown, another poster wisely pointed out that you can as many lobster tails as you want, the 25 bucks is worth it. And you correctly pointed out that the mdr food is good, but the crown is a good alternative destination. We are planning to go to s h a r e as well despite all the negativity about it. If you read the reviews of his own restaurant and reviews from the land down under you find his restaurants and cooking is quite good. I personally cant believe that princess would stake their own brand reputation on a bad deal. Perhaps its more contemporary for the old line cruisers on princess. You have to read some of princess cruise critic reviews about share.. I am not trying to be mean, but I cant take a dining review seriously from a guy who is a self proclaimed red neck. To each his own though.

You will also find that cruise critics here are very critical of any thing you have to pay extra for. You can see it the complaints and they are lines to line not only princess cruises.

 

any ways

 

Cheers

[Happy2cruise]

We use room service for breakfast frequently as we like to enjoy it on the balcony. We have asked for items such as eggs, bacon, sausage etc. that are not on the menu and have always gotten what we wanted. You can write it on the breakfast card left in your room nightly or just call room service when you wake up.

[Colo Cruiser]

I agree, Adagio is excellent. :)

[cb at sea]

Princess Cays IS a BEACH DAY...pure and simple..no need for excursions...just hit the beach and relax!

[mrsgthatsme]

Thank you, all, for taking the time to share such helpful responses to my questions! I appreciate it very much and know it will be so helpful in planning for our upcoming trip!

[Jasperdo]

2)How early do we need to be at MUTS and the shows to get a seat? We don't need front row seats by any means, but want to make sure we can find a chair!

MUTS uses the poolside deck chairs, configured to face the outdoor screen. I've never seen it full, but I'm sure on certain sailings with popular movies it might fill up. Here are a few photos to show what the MUTS setup looks like:

(BTW, the production shows in the Princess Theater almost always fill up, since the shows are popular, and the theater is on the small side. To get a decent seat you usually need to get there 15 to 30 minutes before. The last show is usually less crowded that the earlier ones.)

 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2016 by Jasperdo

[cruisequeen4ever]

We just returned from the Emerald and absolutely loved it!

1) DH and I don't find the need to do the Sanctuary because there are so many other places to lounge, and we love being on our own private balcony.

2) We arrived right after the movie began, and there were no seats at all. I'd get there maybe 15 min before.

3) Yes, the Crown Grill is VERY worth the $25 upcharge! I don't recommend spending $39 pp on the new SHARE restaurant, though or the $19 for the Salty Dog. Both are good, but if you're wanting to save some money, you'll be plenty happy with the free food.

4) Grand Turk and Princess Cays are fantastic beach days! We did a private Horseback Beach/Ocean tour through Sunset, and it was amazing!! Margaritaville is a blast, too!

5) Yes, the fitness center is free. All typical machines should be available.

6) We have done the dining room but find it slow and too difficult to get "just the right crispy piece of bacon", the very limited room service menu, and the pastry oriented Intl Cafe, but we really prefer the Horizon Court buffet. You get exactly what you want, and the food is scrumptious! Servers deliver coffee and juice to your table whether you choose to sit inside or outside. Just this morning, we were longing for our Horizon Court breakfast!

7) The aft is gorgeous! There's a pool, tables to eat, and lounge chairs.

I don't know your preference in activities, but there will be enough to keep you as busy or relaxed as you wish. Soak up every minute; it's over in a flash!

[colonialinnkeeper]

DH and I will be leaving in two months for our 10 yr anniversary cruise on the Emerald. It is our first Princess cruise, and as it gets closer, I had a few questions for the experts on this board. :)

1) Do you suggest booking the Sanctuary at all? We have a balcony cabin, so will be spending a lot of time out there, but wondering if the Sanctuary would be worth it for a day. We are not drinkers (unless soda counts!) so having drinks brought to us is not something that is important to us.

 

2)How early do we need to be at MUTS and the shows to get a seat? We don't need front row seats by any means, but want to make sure we can find a chair!

 

3) Is The Crown Grille really that much better than the MDR? We took a cruise on RCI 7 years ago and never ate at any of the specialty restaurants and were perfectly happy in the MDR. Is the Crown Grille a must in your opinion?

 

4) Any tips on what to plan on at Princess Cays or Grand Turk? Those are our ports, and we are wondering if they are good places to skip an excursion and just spend time on the beach. DH loves to snorkel and I love to read, and some of what Ive read sounds like you would be able to do those things and enjoy the islands on your own without any organized excursions. But if there is any not to be missed at either of those places, we are openminded about it.

 

5)DH wants to know about the fitness center. Is it free? What equipment is offered there? Is it often full?

 

6) Where do you suggest eating breakfast? If you do room service, can you get hot items like eggs and bacon, or is it more continental?

 

7)Any not to be missed areas on the ship?

 

Thanks so much for humoring me and my long list of questions! It will probably be 10 more years before we get away for another "real" vacation together, so we want to make sure we do everything we can to have a great time!

 

Happy 10th Anniversary (almost),

 

We spent our 50th on the Veendam in Quebec. It was a wonderful way to celebrate and we made reservations in the Pinnacle Grill for dinner that evening which happened to be a Formal night. It was a very special day and I hope you will have the same experience.

 

If you are sun sensitive you may want to rent a clam shell for your day at Princess Cay.

 

There are many places to snorkel on Grand Turk. Read reviews on Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor to get a sense of what each has to offer.

[GradUT]

You must have been in a full suite because no other cabins can order room service on the last morning and the only hot food on the standard room service menu is a egg mcmuffin style sandwich and it is usually soggy by the time you get it [emoji45]

 

You are right. I was confusing the room service we got on our Christmas cruise on the Emerald with the summer cruise we took on the HAL Eurodam. (That's where we had the great room service breakfast on our final day.)

 

But the rest of my comments are definitely about the Emerald.

[Wellybeth]

Adding my two cents regarding breakfast - on our last cruise we had an aft balcony just a few decks below HC, so we'd just pop up, make up a plate, grab a coffee and nip back to our cabin to enjoy breakfast on our balcony. So depending on where your cabin is, gives you another option.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Florry]

Loved reading this thread, thanks to the contributors [emoji4]

[mammajamma2013]

We'll be on Emerald this coming March to the Eastern Caribbean. All the comments have helped with my compilation of things to see/do. This will be our third Princess cruise and our first time on Emerald.

 

Now that final payment has been paid, the excitement is starting to build!

 

On to more research...

[Cabogirl13]

We are also first time to Princess and sailing the Emerald in March ( with same ports), so I appreciated all the answers and took lots of notes. Thank you all and happy anniversary Mrsgthatsme

Edited January 8, 2016 by Cabogirl13

[mrsgthatsme]

Thank you so much to everyone for taking the time to share all of your expertise! It is so very helpful!!!! Sounds like a few of you that are taking the Eastern Caribbean in March will be sailing with us!:)

[Colo Cruiser]

Thank you so much to everyone for taking the time to share all of your expertise! It is so very helpful!!!! Sounds like a few of you that are taking the Eastern Caribbean in March will be sailing with us!:)

 

 

Have you joined the roll call for your cruise? :)