Unexpected Service Issues on the Crown Princess & where we found them - Photo Review

[scottygirl]

Mr. Winks you crack me up!!:')

[jagoffee]

Winkscruises,

 

Nice picture of your toes with the ships in the background at Grand Turks. Do not try to convince us that Mrs. Winks took that picture.

[Britcruzer15]

Love this review, we are on CP in the summer and very much looking forward to the med (will avoid any massages, and crown grille, but looking forward to Salty Dog and Sabatinis

[WinksCruises]

After our morning of cheap thrills, spent tooling around the Grand Turk Cruise Center and poking fun at our country’s early Space Program, the dark cloud of millennials that had descended over the island, courtesy of the Carnival Glory, became too much for us to ignore. Wary of the clear-and-present cultural appropriation risk, we decided to play it safe and head back to the ship for the homey comfort of being amongst our own kind. The old.

 

We took a late lunch at Horizon Court, and indulged in the galleys’ attempt at quasi-healthy options, like steamed sugar pumpkin slices and a baked cauliflower gratin. Unfortunately, the pumpkin was dry and overcooked and the cauliflower was very cheesy and salty. Nice try, though. I ended up reverting to the fried chicken, which I couldn’t resist on this trip, for some reason.

 

We took our plates out to sit at the tables that border the adults-only aft pool, just off the Outrigger Bar. Here, Mrs. Winks devised a strategy for securing the best possible sunbathing spot that she’d secure after lunch and before the masses re-boarded. She had just settled on her plan of attack, when what to our wondering eyes should appear but a small group of about five children, who began running about and horse-playing in the aft pool. The aft ADULTS-ONLY, pool.

 

Knowing our Snapchat followers would eat this rules violation up, I whipped out my cell phone and went through the motions of trying to check my emails, while I was actually surreptitiously documenting this breach of aft pool protocol. (You can view a still from this footage a few pictures down in this post). It’s true, I felt a little guilty about uploading the ill-gained footage, until I noticed someone a table away doing the exact same thing. And my pangs of guilt soon flipped to envy, as I noticed that this guy panning his shot from the Adults-Only pool sign smoothly over to the offenders - in a seamless tracking shot! Darn it! Upstaged again!

 

 

Mrs. Winks spent the rest of the afternoon, protecting her lounger from advancing forces while trying, unsuccessfully, to ignore they youthful violators who remained at the aft pool. I ran off to explore other parts of the ship, pick out our pictures in the photo gallery, evaluate the main dining room’s posted dinner menu and walk the outside promenade deck, in a futile attempt to burn off some of that fried chicken.

 

That evening, we caught one of the most painful acts we’ve ever seen at sea, an old-school ventriloquist - who somehow managed to secure a booking at the Princess Theater. I thought I was watching an hokey entertainer from the original Love Boat TV series. The material was very corny and dated – Once the fellow had the dummies sing "Old Porch Swing", rows of audience members bee-lined for the exits. We were right behind them.

 

Not wanting to undergo the commitment associated with a main dining room dinner, Mrs. Winks and I bolted from the theater and headed up to Horizon Court - where we supplemented our salad fixin’s with a couple of hot pizza slices from the pool area. The buffet itself was surprisingly busy. I guess we weren’t the only ones jaded by the food quality and slow service in the MDR.

 

We ended up sitting next to a table of Amish women! They were speaking in Pennsylvania Dutch, with occasional English vernacular, using words like Walmart and Facebook. They appeared to be having a good time. I soon noticed that one of the girls was toying with a cell phone. This, and the fact that they were on a ship at all, made me wonder if they weren’t more accurately Mennonites, the religion’s less orthodox sect, at least when it comes to the use of technology. We’d never seen this before at sea, either!

 

That night, I dreamed I was being pulled up, off the earth, by John Glenn who wanted to show me that people can pass through the Van Allen radiation belt and land on the moon. But at the same time, the Amish family was grabbing me by my feet and pulling me back to earth, warning me man was not meant to fly. Up and down, and up and down, and up and down.

 

When we woke the next morning, we found our aft cabin flying 20 feet up and then 20 feet down, as the Crown pitched through a rhythmic pulse of rolling wave after wave. It only took a few minutes of standing to understand that the movement was very disorientating. And queasiness began to build. Oh no! Sea sickness!!

 

 

 

Mrs. Winks and I have been sea sick a couple of times before. Usually some ginger root or a small red pill slipped to us by an empathetic Concierge does the trick. This time, we were both caught off guard, and had to pop the dreaded Dramamine, which generally helps with the motion sickness… but also knocks us out. Mrs. Winks tried to make it down to the 9:00 am Zumba class, but realized there was no way she could do it. She found that a majority of the passengers were staying in their cabins, and that barf bags had been strategically placed around the stairwells for those who ventured out.

 

I ended up sleeping most of the morning, thanks to the Dramamine, and by noon, the seas had calmed enough that I could maneuver about the cabin and start the process of packing. It was not the day at sea either of us was expecting, and our 5-day cruise actually became a 4-day one - considering how little we got to enjoy on this final sea day.

 

We packed up our belongings and put our multiple bags out into the hallway before dinner (no way we were self-disembarking on this cruise!) We had our final cocktail in the Wheelhouse Bar and a Tom Turkey dinner in the Main Dining Room for dinner. Mrs. Winks played a little in the casino, where she managed to hit a couple of 4-of-a-kinds at video poker – so if you discount the case of emphysema, she actually came out ahead on this trip!

 

The next morning, we woke in the shadow of a giant neighbor, blocking our aft view of Fort Lauderdale. We were docked perpendicular to the Harmony of the Seas, one of Royal Caribbean’s newest Oasis class ships.

 

 

We collected our last minute odds and ends, took a few final pictures and then vacated our stateroom at 8 am, seeking refuge at the breakfast buffet. From the upper decks, we could see a steady stream of passengers already making their way down the gangplanks. Disembarkation was well under way.

 

Since our flight was until 2:30 in the afternoon, we spent an hour or so bumming around the top decks, taking in the bright sunshine that we wished we’d been able to enjoy on that final sea day - the day that motion sickness decided to best us.

 

By 10 am, the time we were supposed to gather at our departure lounge, we were informed by the officer there that our group color had just been called. As we handed over our key cards to disembark, a buzzer sounded in their hand-held scanner. The security guard told us we needed to go back to guest services! Oh boy, I knew the Captain wasn’t going to let that whole underwear dance thing go so easily!

 

Fortunately, when we got to guest services (and were still able to line-cut as Suite guests) it turned out the credit card we had booked the cruise with months ago was no longer valid, it having been replaced after being compromised a while ago. They ran the new card, and we were soon deposited into the mayhem that is the baggage pick-up and Customs/Immigration fiasco.

 

 

It took about 40 minutes to get through the line, where the customs official simply nodded his head and let us pass. Next to muster drill, this is the other antiquated cruise procedure that most needs an update. During our time in line, there were plenty of opportunities to read about the new mobile-app that allegedly makes getting through customs a breeze. But we figure it won’t be long before everyone’s using that app - and it will become like TSA pre-check at the airport… where the line is often longer than the regular passenger’s line! (at least in busy airports like those in NY).

 

Mrs. Winks and I both regret that, considering the brevity of the cruise, we still failed to take enough pictures. My focus was on the Snapchatting, but with Internet minutes and slow speeds on the ship coming at a premium, I failed to save/download many of those snaps.

 

This is a shame, because just as I had secretly videoed those kids at the adult pool, I had also snuck a Snap of one of the Amish/Mennonite woman, in full garb, hanging out by the main pool on the first sea day. (Either she or I, or both of us, are going to go to Hell for that one!) What a sight it was! And I was certain I had saved this great Snap to my phone, but it must have failed finishing the download (Thanks, Princess Internet), so the footage is lost to the ages.

 

 

So that’s it. Our flight back to New York was uneventful and came all too quickly.

 

Overall, it was an okay cruise, but we were surprised by the number of service issues we encountered, especially since we've really come to expect something more from the Princess brand.

 

Thank you for your readership and kind comments. It’s good to know somebody enjoys wading through this drivel. And if you haven’t done so yet, be sure to check out our other high sea adventures photo reviews - which you can find links to in the expanded signature below.

 

Our next voyage is scheduled for late October. A 10-day itinerary! Whoot! Whoot! With at least 4 sea days! Heaven! So stand by for that. And if you have a Twitter account, be sure to follow @WinksCruises. If we decide to do take another cruise before Fall, that’s where you’ll hear about it first.

 

Until then, from me and Mrs. Winks, smooth sailing and no cruises under 7 days. For life!

 

 

Edited April 7, 2017 by WinksCruises

[WinksCruises]

Nice picture of your toes with the ships in the background at Grand Turks. Do not try to convince us that Mrs. Winks took that picture.

Good eyes! You got me there! See, it's one thing to turn down their cornrow hairdo, but quite another to turn down a beachside mani / pedi! At least for this metro!

[Mediterranean honeymooner]

Really enjoyed reading this thread. The reviews of the ship, the dining and excursions interesting and funny. My fiance and I are booked on the crown princess this summer on the med so found this review really helpful and very entertaining 😄

[cr8tiv1]

Will our paths finally cross?

 

10 days

Late October

Caribbean Princess?

 

This would be a hoot!

 

Looking forward to being a part of your journey, if the gods are shining upon us.

[Bemidji Ty]

Thanks again. I always enjoy your reports.

 

Cheers

[nanabananna]

This is the first Winks Reviews I have read..so enjoyable. I plan to read the others. Thank you for the fun experiences you have shared with us.

Sandra

[shukapaw]

Great trip report! Thanks.

 

~Brian

[cdngrl]

my first winks review as well. how could i have missed the others? what fun!

[WinksCruises]

Here are some bonus pics:

 

Lately, we've been bringing homemade door art to help dress up and personalize our stateroom - and make it easier to find the cabin on those nights we've had too many at the Wheelhouse Bar! This slap-on vinyl piece adhered nicely to the cabin door's little alcove, but since our aft cabin was located at the very end of the hallway, and tucked around a corner, chances are, only our room steward and room service staff ever got to see it...

 

 

 

In an earlier post, we reported that the maintenance staff forcefully relocated an entire area of sunbathers so they could install new deck carpeting, presumably for the European itineraries coming up in a few weeks. Here's a shot comparing the weathered and stained old carpet to the new section they just laid down.

 

 

 

 

Very much like the port in Grand Turk, Amber Cove's pier is essentially a cruise center. There are shops, pools, sunning areas with lounge chairs and a small zip line ride. For a pretty penny, you can reserve your own cabana. Some are situated on land, and several are out on over the water. The shore itself is rocky, so there's no real beach action per- se, which is why Mrs. Winks had us run off to the Lifestyles VIP Resort on an excursion instead.

 

 

 

 

Here's another look at the Lifestyles VIP Resort. There was usually a long line for drinks at the all-inclusive beach bar. The beach itself was a little dingy and all along the waterfront there were little shops selling the usual authentic Caribbean doo-dads (that are really made in China).

 

 

 

 

The nicer Grand Turk cruise center (if only for its John Glenn statue), features beaches on both sides of the pier. The one to the left, with a direct view of the ships, is sandy and overcrowded. To the right of the pier, there's a beachfront with rock and coral at the water's edge, so it' a little less popular. Also on the right side is a bar/restaurant with free Wi-Fi, these clam shell shelters, lounge chairs and even a basketball court.

 

 

Let us know if there's any interest in seeing the Daily Patters. We didn't post them here since this Caribbean itinerary is essentially wrapped up, now that the Crown is preparing for her summer in Europe. But in my files, I just discovered some old Patters from our first Crown Princess cruise almost 10 years ago. It might be fun to compare the two.

 

So until next time!

 

[upwarduk]

Glad to see that the deck floor has been renovated- we sail on Crown 13.05.17- 5 weeks today.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[LaraTiara]

Great review! I haven't been on CC in ages, maybe 4 cruises back, but just thought I'd jump on today to see if any cruisers wrote a review of our recent little cruise, and clearly I hit a jackpot with the giggles and grins from your thread. Thanks for sharing, M/M Winks.

 

Was also on this short cruise with y'all. I reunited with childhood friends, persuaded them to cruise on PCL as they're also loyal Royals.. Have fuzzy alcohol-induced memories of Princess Theatre, Vines and Crooners as we utilized the AIBP. I went easy comparatively, and was never toes-down, but still....!!

 

Weather didn't cooperate much for us that week, did it? Yet any day at sea beats a day off from work!! Even a faux port..! A terrific time on board, I did think the Princess dancers' 2 shows were brilliant.

 

Happy cruising - hope to sea y'all around. ⚓️

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[rocklinmom]

Can't wait for your next cruise review!

[Bimmer09]

Winks, thanks for yet another witty review and some great photo-storytelling!

Looking forward to your next cruise review!

Cheers!

Norris

[myfuzzy]

Following your review.

Am now on the Crown.

We also had dinner at the Crown Grille. Unlike before where you can order any steak and lobster, there is now a limit of only one main course, and any additional has a charge of $10.

 

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Forums mobile app

 

When I got home last week I emailed Princess TWICE about the Crown Grill issues. I just got off the phone with customer service and I specifically asked her about the ONE entree per person, and she said, as far as they knew it hasn't changed. BTW, she's sorry about our experience in the Crown Grill and offered us a "free" bottle of wine on our next cruise ..big deal. I also told her to tell the powers that be to check these threads on the Crown Grill to get their act together.

[ScottChez]

I have read a lot of cruise reviews here. A lot.

 

This by far would be my vote for First Place if we could vote or rank them.

Great detail and quality, Interesting read. Makes you want read more. Keep it up.

[RocketMan275]

Did you say you were "Okies"?

So am I. Where from?