Live from CB 10/8/05

[CroozBlooz]

Well, here goes:

 

Left out of FLL on Saturday to overcast skies. We got onboard a bit late as our flight was late, but still well settled by 3 p.m. Grabbed a quick bite to eat in the Horizon Court as we had not had a chance to have breakfast or lunch during our flights. Having sailed many times before on Princess, the food up top was predictable. We know what we like and what we don't. As always, the salad was very fresh and the ingredients were plentiful. I like that alot.

 

Having sailed most recently on the Inaugural of the Diamond and a few months later on the Sapphire, I really didn't notice anything other than sheer beauty on those ships. Everything was new and sparkling. I am somewhat surprised that the CB, being only a year old, is beginning to show signs of wear. For example in our mini-suite there are quite a few scuff marks on the walls and the carpet is showing signs of wear. I've really never noticed this before on other Princess ships, but then again I am trying to look critically at all aspects of the ship in order to give a full report. The bathtub is nice and clean; the bathroom itself smells slightly must. I must admit, however, I have a very sensitive sense of smell, so others may not notice it. My wife said it didn't bother her. As previously reported, the grout in the tile is such that it shows dirt and I suspect Princess should consider some other type of floor covering.

 

We've selected personal choice dining and ate dinner on Saturday in the Palm restaurant. We like it and it is conveniently located aft. As our cabin is slightly aft of midships, we like that location. We got a table for two and our waiter was Daniel. He was nice and friendly, and he specifically requested that we come back for service from him. I selected the Zander (a mild whitefish that I have had previously on Princess) and enjoyed it. My wife had the always available steak, and she said it was very good. On our way out of the dining room, we requested a set reservation at a table with Daniel as the waiter.

 

After dinner we went back to our cabin to do some reading, as we were not interested in any of the after dinner activities.

 

On Sunday, the skies had worsened and it was even more overcast. After a bit of fruit for breakfast at the Horizon Court, we walked three miles on the track and returned to our cabin to do some more reading. You may see a common thread here...since we have been on about 30 cruises and been to lots of ports, we generally just use the cruise experience to unwind and read. We love being on the water and watching people. We grabbed a quick salad in the Horizon Court and then went out by the pool to watch MUTS. By this time it was raining quite hard, and we got lounges in the back under the deck overhang. I don't know if it was because of the rain, where we were situated, or the screaming kids playing in the pool, but we (and everyone else) had a difficult time hearing the audio. The video quality was excellent, and the show was Wedding Date. Interesting note: at a critical point in the movie the cruise director came on the p.a. and made a 5 minute announcement that cut out the audio on MUTS entirely. I would recommend that they modify there systems so that only emergency announcements from the captain cut out MUTS. Alternatively, don't make non-essential announcements during MUTS presentations. Everyone up top was saying....gee, I'll have to watch this in-cabin to figure out what happened.

 

After MUTS we went to the spinning class in the gym. Steiner now operates the spa and the gym. More on that in a moment. Spinning is $30 for three classes. Typical pricing, but now you can't buy individual classes. The classes are during the sea days; Sunday, Monday and Thursday. A basic 45 minute class, and you can make what you want of it. I think they have 19 spinning bikes available; none of which are the Johnny G variety I am used to at home, but sufficient nonetheless.

 

I used the dressing/toilet/shower facilities in the spa (now available only to spa and gym patrons). Several observations. There were no towels available in the gym, and no attendant available to ask about them. The spa desk was busy and not interested in helping out. I grabbed a towel from the shower room. The toilet area in the spa was surprising to me. The faucets in the sinks were set up so that water went everywhere all over the top and back of the counter. Somebody had placed two large blue towels at the rear of the counter to soak up the water. Seemed strange to me. One of the two sink basins had three large cracks from rim to drain. They had been sealed with a yellowing silicone caulk. Tacky in my opinion--the sink should be replaced.

Did a few weights after spinning and back to the stateroom to prepare for dinner.

 

Sunday evening is formal night. We relaxed for a bit (reading, as usual), then showered and dressed for dinner. Went back to the Palm and Daniel as our waiter. This time, service was a bit more curt and less friendly. It was much more crowded, and I could tell that the wait staff was much busier than they were Saturday night. Perhaps more people ate up top on Saturday, I don't know. But there were far fewer empty tables on Sunday night. I had the mahi-mahi, it was very flavorful. My wife had the rock cornish game hen, and she always likes it. My wife loves deserts and got the pear deserts, she said it was very good. I generally don't eat deserts, but I got the pink grapefruit sorbet, and it was very tasty. I know it doesn't sound very good, but Daniel said it was his favorite and it was very good.

 

After dinner we strolled around the ship. We didn't go to any shows, although there was a "comedic-magician" in the Explorer's Lounge that we listened to for a few minutes. We didn't think he was very funny, but others in the show seemed to like him. Can't remember his name, but I'll check and get back to you on that. Went back to the stateroom and read some more before watching Sunday night football.

 

Monday morning, up to do some running and walking. It's overcast outside and a bit windy, but comfortable. Breakfast up top...I tried the made to order veggie egg white omelet, and it was very good. Observing people, particularly in the Horizon Court, I am AMAZED at how much food they can pile on a plate and actually eat. I generally do not like buffets, but I find for breakfast and lunch I can do better than in the dining room because I typically like salad and fruit, and the selection up top is very good.

 

We're having a great time, and relaxing is the key. I do know that some aboard (I see lots of first timers based on the doortags) are disappointed in the weather. What do they expect during hurricane season? (I know, I know, full refunds because Princess didn't deliver a sunny Caribbean :) )

 

All of the staff has been quite friendly and greeted us with genuine smiles and a "good morning, afternoon, evening, as the case may be." I have seen no grumpiness as previous reports have indicated.

 

That's it for now. If you have specific questions, please ask.

[cruise182]

Wow, Great report. Look forward to hearing more!! Enjoy your time because all to soon you will be back home dreaming about your next cruise!!

[TBR]

Crooz

I had two clients who returned sat for the CB,they had nothing but complaints about staff,weather,PC dining and shows.

 

They said after 3 days of waiting over an hour for food in PC they begged for traditional and were a lot happier. Weather well as you stated,what can any cruiesline do about weather.

 

I am sailing saturaday when you return,with a group of about 26 people. If you could recommend a good waiter or table in PC, I would appreciate it. I hope the weather changes for the better for you. I have sailed several princess ships and really have mixed emotions about next week on the CB.

[Isletime]

I feel your pain. We sailed last week on the Caribbean Princess and it rained on us most of the time. ANd the boat rocked the whole trip. Everyone was saying "I can't believe you can feel the boat moving so much." We missed Princess Cays due to thunderstorms and all we got in return was $15 pp. That really sucked. That was 1/3 of our trip. The food was just ok. Nothing to write home about. We all enjoyed the comedians and Kimika was surprisingly good. Bert was good. The other shows were eh ok. We hung out in Skywalkers some and played in the casino. The ship is beautiful. MUTS was ok. Nice to be outside but the sound sucked and the movie selection was poor. Some staff was friendly some weren't. All in all it was an ok trip. We were with 6 other friends of ours so we made the best of it. Hopefully you will see sun soon. Have a safe trip

[cruise182]

Crooz

. I have sailed several princess ships and really have mixed emotions about next week on the CB.

 

What other ships have you sailed? Any other cruise lines? thanks!

[mamamaga]

We were on the ship last week too. I guess I had a different experience than your clients did. I thought the service was excellent. I never met any of the staff that didn't have a smile. We had personal choice and got standing reservations in the Palm dining room every night. Our table was always waiting. It did rain a lot. And we had to miss Princess Cays, but it's nobody's fault when it comes to weather. We enjoyed the shows too. Neither one of us goes to the production shows but the comedy and magic shows were cool. They are just light hearted fun. This was my 40th cruise and to me it was great.

I can understand how some people could have been miserable last week tho. The rain was horrible and was almost constant. If you went to have fun in the sun, you couldn't. A lot of activities had to be cancelled. I'm sorry they didn't have a good time.

[TBR]

What other ships have you sailed? Any other cruise lines? thanks!

 

I have sailed on all the major cruiselines,Princess,HAL,RCI,CCL,NCL,Premier before they went under and several others some of which are no longer around.

[cruise182]

I have sailed on all the major cruiselines,Princess,HAL,RCI,CCL,NCL,Premier before they went under and several others some of which are no longer around.

How does RCI stack up against Princess in your book? thanks

[TBR]

How does RCI stack up against Princess in your book? thanks

 

IMO CCL RCI and Princess all stack up pretty evenly,some do things better then others. I like the smaller RCI ships,but I have sailed Voyager class ships,they are very nice but I felt the food was not as good as CCL or Princess. With that being said,I am seeing alot of complaints about the CB food and servers,but I will see next week first hand.Good or Bad :rolleyes:

 

I like the radiance class ships and most of the vision class RCI ships. I'm not a fan of the mega ships,but not much choice anymore. Give me the Big Red Boat and I would be happy. :) I have had different clients come back from the same cruise and tell me how good or bad that cruise was. Two different opinions from the same sailing,some people look for the bad in everything,most people are glad to be on vacation.

[ChattTenn]

Hi Croozblooz,

 

Enjoyed your review and will look forward to read more later on.

 

Take good care Caribbean Princess for us. We will on her this Saturday and can't wait.

 

Have a wonderful time.

[steveg]

CroozBlooz:

What do you mean that the shower and toilets being only available to spa and gym patrons? Does that mean that unless you pay, you can't use the steam room and sauna, which on the CB are within the men's and women's dressing room/shower areas? We have been on over 16 Princess cruises and if this is true, this is the first time that access to such facilities would incur an extra charge. What do they charge for this formerly free service? We've been taking the same cruise on the Grand/Golden/Caribbean in February for over 5 years as well a yearly summer cruises and I have to say that I would seriously consider canceling my upcoming cruise on the Caribbean Princess in February and switching to RCL or Celebrity since I like to relax in the steam room each evening before dinner and will resent having to pay for this privilege.

[CroozBlooz]

Steveg,

 

There is signage at the hallway that leads to the changing rooms in the spa (which, as you correctly point out, contain steam and sauna) that says these rooms are for spa and gym patrons only. You are correct that on other ships there was no such signage. It hasn't been a problem for me, as we use the gym daily. Nonetheless, I am sure it is a disappointment to other.

 

Of more interest, at least to me, is the relaxation suite that contains heated chaise lounges and various types of sauna and steam. On our cruise aboard the Diamond early last year, it was available to all passengers. On our cruise on Sapphire last August, that room was only available to spa customers on the day of spa treatment. Now, they are selling a pass for $70 that lets you use that room during the entire cruise. I have a massage scheduled later in the week, and I'll let you know if they let me use it on the day of my spa purchase (although when I scheduled my massage, the woman who took my reservation said that you cannot use the room unless you pay the $70).

 

Let's see...what has happened since my last report. Although the pillow menu and robes were not yet in place in the mini-suites, our steward was kind enough to bring us robes (as they always have in the past) along with therapeutic pillows (similar to the Temperpedic ones we use at home).

 

Monday was overcast and rainy from time to time, although the sun came out for a visit in the late afternoon. Spent most of the day reading and enjoying some music on my iPod. Spinning class at 3 p.m. was even better that the day before...a GREAT workout. Cleaned up and off to dinner...again in the Palm, where we have a standing reservation. Caribbean night is not our particular favorite (we thought about going to Sterling's, but didn't). My wife had the steak again, and enjoyed it. I had the Caribbean seafood sampler, and it was very good. My wife, a desert fiend, loved the Love Boat dream. I generally don't get much in the way of desert, but everyone raves about the souffles. I tried three different souffles on the Sapphire last year, and didn't like any of them as they all were undercooked. I tried the passionfruit souffle last night and it was very good! The dining room does seem to be VERY crowded and I really feel for the dining room staff. They are working their buns off. I think the prior postings about the additional deck of passengers is probably right on the mark--puts a bit too much of a burden on the already overworked staff.

 

After dinner we went to see Carl Strong in the Explorer's lounge. Unlike the comedic magician Sunday night, Carl was VERY funny. He does three shows, and is a bit bluer during the latest show. We walked by Crooner's afterwards, and the place was not full although Bert was in full swing. We didn't stop as the song he was singing at the time did not appeal to us. We know that many rave about him, so we'll stop by another evening.

 

We did not go to see Piano Man because we previously have seen it aboard the Sapphire last year. Although it was somewhat entertaining last year, it wasn't outstanding so we didn't feel the need to fight the crowd to find a spot in the showroom. There apparently is a final showing of Piano Man tonight, and if we feel like it we will watch it. Tonight is the hypnotist (Alexander) and we generally enjoy these shows. So we'll probably catch him and report back.

 

Today, Tuesday, in St. Thomas. Very overcast and raining, although it looks like it is clearing up now (1:30 p.m.) and we may get a bit of sun. Most of the shore excursions were cancelled this morning due to weather and I know many were disappointed. We were not as we have been on the Eastern Caribbean route several times. No worries here.

 

I can recommend one shop/gallery in St. Thomas, and they have a location both at Havensight Mall (right off the dock) and also downtown. That is Bernard K. Passman. He is an artist (now about 90 years old) who designs jewelry and sculpture in black coral. His work is fantastic! At his advanced age he now supervises other apprentice artists, but he still designs and signs every piece. Even if you don't want to buy anything, it's a wonderful place to stop and enjoy the beautiful creations.

 

Although we probably will not go to Sabatini's this trip, I encourage everyone to try it at least once. It is so much food, even if you only try a taste of each item! The food is outstanding, as is the service. Definitely worth the $20 cover.

 

Well, that's it for now. If you have any specific questions, please let me know.

[CroozBlooz]

Last night for dinner, my wife had the pot roast and she said it was very moist and flavorful. I had the vegetarian penne pasta. It was good, was well. We went to the hypnotist's (Alexander) show, and it was hysterical. Although ships frequently have a hypnotist act, for some reason we never had attended one before. I volunteered to be one of the participants, but did not go under, so I was returned to my seat to watch the remainder of the show. He brings up about 20 people (half men, half women), and about half don't go under. I won't spoil the show for you, but it is very funny and worth seeing!

 

Today we are in St. Maarten, and the weather is much nicer. Partly cloudy, but still lots of sun. Got into a very interesting political discussion at lunch today with a WWII veteran. Anyway, that's it for now. Need to head to the gym for a workout.

[cruise182]

IMO CCL RCI and Princess all stack up pretty evenly,some do things better then others. I like the smaller RCI ships,but I have sailed Voyager class ships,they are very nice but I felt the food was not as good as CCL or Princess. With that being said,I am seeing alot of complaints about the CB food and servers,but I will see next week first hand.Good or Bad :rolleyes:

 

I like the radiance class ships and most of the vision class RCI ships. I'm not a fan of the mega ships,but not much choice anymore. Give me the Big Red Boat and I would be happy. :) I have had different clients come back from the same cruise and tell me how good or bad that cruise was. Two different opinions from the same sailing,some people look for the bad in everything,most people are glad to be on vacation.

 

Thanks!!

[brahaen]

Well, all I can tell you is that we have been on 20 Princess cruises and never had a bad one. The longest one was for 28 days from LA to Australia on the Star Princess. The food has always been excellent, the service top notch and the entertainment was too. I have 6 Princess cruises booked as of today and the first one will be this Saturday on the Caribbean Princess, and am looking forward to nothing but the best. We have been on a total of 80 some cruises and Princess is on top of our list. We took our children and grandchildren (11 of us) earlier this year and they had a ball and asked to be taken again so we will cruise with them again this Spring.

[Stimack]

I agree with mamamaga

 

We where also on the boat last week and yeah the weather was a little crappy but over all we had a great experience. I felt that the service was excellent on the boat, everyone seemed to be very nice, cordial and there to help you. Did feel that getting of the boat was a bit of a hassle, some of the people that work for Princess once you get off the boat where real jerks.

 

We had no issues with the dinning experience, granted we did have to wait about 15 minutes on the first formal night but we also went at the same time that the second seating was going on. Sterling’s was excellent, by far the best dinner we had and I would recommend it to anyone that likes steaks. The comedy shows where very good and Bert’s shows where great.

 

Thought that the pool area near the spa was the best, adult only and when some people did bring children there they seemed to be on top of it asking them to go to one of the other family pools. Only thing that I wish that they would change is have more of the waiters come around for drink orders. They would come around but not nearly as frequent as at the other pools.

 

One thing that I did notice is that the weather sure seemed to make a number of people upset. I did hear a lot of complaining from people about things that I thought where quite petty and wonder if it stemmed from the rain and lack of sun. Our mentality was, hey you just have to roll with it. Hey, it is a time to relax, away from the office. Once thing we where saying is that even a bad day cruising beats the pants off a day in the office!

[cruzinchris]

I am somewhat surprised that the CB, being only a year old, is beginning to show signs of wear. For example in our mini-suite there are quite a few scuff marks on the walls and the carpet is showing signs of wear. quote]

 

CroozBlooz,

The Caribbean Princess set sail on April 3, 2004, so she is actually 18 months old. DH and I were on the ship in January of this year and will do an encore voyage 1/28/06.

 

DH and I were on the maiden voyage of the Star (Mexican Riviera, 3/16/02). There were already several cigarette burns in the bedspread in our stateroom. The only passengers at that time had been those who sailed on the brand new vessel from its Italian shipyard!

 

I'm enjoying your onboard postings; thanks for taking the time to share your cruise experience with us.

 

Bon Voyage!

Chris

[CroozBlooz]

Last night we went to dinner, and my wife had the pesto pasta dish. She enjoyed it. I had the tilapia, and it was very good. Our waiter recommended the chicken, but I've had the best luck over time on Princess with the fish, so I generally stick with it.

 

After dinner we went to the comedic juggler's show (sorry, I can't remember his name). He was very good.

 

Today, again, the weather is quite overcast as we enjoy our day at sea. There is quite a bit of rocking and rolling as I write this, so it will be interesting to see how people react to this tonight as we move toward formal night.

 

I forgot to mention anything about the cruise director. James is the cruise director, and we previously had him on the Diamond last year. Since he got the Inaugural on the Diamond and now is here, he must be considered one of the line's best. Personally, we don't care for him. I do know, that many passengers seem to like him.

 

Well, that's it for now.

[BuzzA]

Hi CroozBlooz. Thanks for posting! I have a question... what was on MUTs on Monday night? Was it football or the baseball playoffs?

 

Thanks!

[laurashelby]

I forgot to mention anything about the cruise director. James is the cruise director, and we previously had him on the Diamond last year. Since he got the Inaugural on the Diamond and now is here, he must be considered one of the line's best. Personally, we don't care for him. I do know, that many passengers seem to like him.

 

CroozBlooz...what is it you don't like about James? Is he not around much...not very funny?

thanks! Hope you're still having a great time!

[tpear3]

CroozBlooz--thank you for writing, as I am enjoying your live review! I will be on the CB 1/14/06 with my parents and 10 yr old son. We have chosen traditional late seating (mom and dad booked the cruise--I found out and could NOT be left out :D !) and will allow my son to come or order room service depending how tired he is. That said, I would like to try Sabatini's on Caribbean night; however, will they charge for my son if he decides that is an evening he would rather stay in the cabin for some extra sleep? In other words, do they charge when you make the reservation? Enjoy the rest of your cruise--I look forward to reading more.

[Lindamalocup]

Anyone live on the CB this week? 10-15- 10/22? Hows it going this week any problems with the newest hurricane coming in to Florida this weekend? I am going on her in Feb 25- March 4th. I have a balcony cabin 722. I wanted to know any info on it. Thanks Hows the ship too?