Caribbean Princess- Family Review 11-12-05

[Brianinidaho]

Part 1

FAMILY REVIEW- Just got back with our 4 boys 11, 10, 5, and 4 years old. Instead of a long review, I will just put in a few observations and things I wish I would have known. (This was cruise #12, for the kids #4).

Overall, it was a great ship and a good time. Was hit with terrible weather half the time and Princess Cays was rained out, but no one (at least on the ship) could control that. This ship is elegant. To us it seemed Princess had put their money into the ship and skimped slightly in other areas (like the food selection and layout of the horizon court!)

We had Cabin A 431. AVOID this room. In rough seas, something in the ceiling creeks constantly and loudly. I had to get earplugs. Others in our extended group had no noise. Also, there are several marks, scuffs, and stains on the wall I pointed out to the cabin steward the first day and he just kind of smiled by never did anything. (I wrote it up on my comment card.) The balcony idea is a must do, especially with 4 in a cabin (my oldest two stayed with my parents in a different cabin). The room had 2 outlets at the desk, 1 in the bathroom, so our power strip was unneeded. The balcony door slides instead of opens, so no need for a bungy cord to keep the door open like on other ships. The cabin had a hairdryer, the safe uses a 4 digit code of your choice (no need for swiping cards), and they meet in public rooms for the muster drill. Come early for a seat (we came late and had to stand in the explorers lounge… coming late works great if they assemble outside because you are not squeezed in the back. Here, come early). On the life jacket is a light and a cord that dangles. My 4 year old put the cord in his mouth and the light came on. There are 2 contacts at the end of the wire that when they get wet the light comes on. Just FYI… we should not do it … the batteries would run down, but it kept a 4 year old entertained for a few minutes!

In some cabins the beds run perpendicular to the hall, meaning when you open the door you see the bed pointing toward you. It also means that when you have a cabin of 4 (with 2 pulldown singles) all can lay in bed and see the tv. This was the case in parents room (inside D508). But in A431, another 4 person room, the beds run parallel to the hall, which gives a weird configuration when the two pull down beds are set up. When the two pull down beds are set up, they come down from the ceiling and have this panel that blocks the view of the TV. Not a huge deal (you don’t go to watch TV) but it bummed our kids out because they could not watch a show while in their upper beds before they went to sleep. The hanging beds also blocked the view from the main bed of the tv. In contrast, we were on the Miracle last year and the 2 extra beds were next to the main bed, giving a sofa during the day and extra room for the family… and everyone could watch tv from bed. Not a huge deal, but I had never heard that the 3 and 4 bed blocked the tv view from most of the room. The TV also has the "phono plug" inputs on the front.. your kids can bring a game system and plug it in! (not that they came to do this, but it is possible). The room phones are easy to use and if you are traveling in a group they can save a lot of steps. The floor number plus the room number. The ship has an Ericcson PBX, which has voice mail. It also has a speed dial button for "time" which is nice as you change time zones. The room phones also has a display showing the time also. Phones all over the ship allow you to phone back to the room if needed (we checked on our older kids when they wanted to stay and watch a movie and we wanted to go dancing one night… put the younger kids in with grandparents that night).

Kids club. They ran a great program and our kids, especially our 4 and 5 year olds, could not wait to go. They operate on sea days from 9-12, 2-5, 7-10. Well worth tipping the staff. When you check in the younger group they give you a pager so you can have some piece of mind knowing if your kid needs you that you can be found. They need a picture every time you check your child out, so we went and got our passports copied at guest services, then they just kept the copy on file so we did not have to carry photos with us. The staff had a variety of activities and when you register they arrange for their printed schedule to be brought to your room.

[Brianinidaho]

Part 2St. Thomas. There were 6 ships in port and it was fun to watch us pulling in and other ships doing the same (around 6-7 am). A great island (had been there several times). Decided to go to St. Johns to Trunk bay to snorkel. The rough seas we had the last 2 days was hitting that area and when we got there was told they had closed the underwater park due to rough seas. We played on the beach.. stunning.. for a few hours. Would have gone elsewhere if we had known the snorkeling was closed.

Here is a tip: The taxi business is a huge racket here and st. martin. It is "regulated" which appears to be simply an organized racket. There is a reason why there are hundreds of taxis inside the gated area of the port waiting to give rides. If I lived there I would want to drive a taxi as well because of the rates they charge. When you get off the ship, they want $13 per person to go to Red Hook, $10 per person for a group of 2 or more. We had 7, which would have been $140 round trip (I rented a car here once for $30 per day.. ya, they drive on the other side, but we made it work). So, we walked outside the gate and was offered the same trip for half price by a taxi. Walked 2 blocks toward Kmart and found that the locals were ridding the open air taxis for $2 each. Roundtrip was $28 for our party of 7 versus $140. And the local open air bus and the private expensive taxis all have the same traffic problems. The stops our bus made added less than 4 minutes to the total time. And we felt 100% safe the entire time. My point is that it is easy to see why no locals take the cabs that all the tourists line up to take… way too expensive. So if you are adventurous slightly, save a ton of money. The drivers are helpful. There are little doorbell type buttons on the roof you push to signal the drive you want off.

St. Martin. We pre-booked and pre-paid with ShoreTrips to do the Rhino Riders. This was the highlight of our trip and would highly recommend this ride. We saved a little with shoretrips, but later learned we could have bought as a walk up customer. The advantage would be that if we did not make it at our appointed time for whatever reason (sickness, slow bus, got lost, change of plans, etc.) we would not be out our payment. Would just walk up next time. These machines are fun. Again, we had rough water and it was very choppy going out to the reef we went to for snorkeling. Paid with a sore back for a few days… but would do it again. Had a private guide for our party of 4. Neat thing to do…our 11 and 10 year old loved it. The Rhino Riders place is tricky to find. It is out airport road after you come down this hill and turn right about a half a mile. Look for the domino’s pizza on the right (north). Then the tricky part. Go behind the pizza place and turn right and walk down the pier past the restaurants and they have a store/office. BRING your own sunglasses to keep the salt water spray out of your eyes. They sell sunglasses for $28 each there if you for get.

Again, same taxi situation. Inside a very nicely kept pier and shopping area is the line of taxis. To go from the pier to the Rhino Riders I was quoted $25 each way. Found out this and wish I would have known first. A few "info booths" will ask you to take the water taxi into town then you can find a taxi. It is $5 round trip, and when we walked by there was quite a line. The water taxi takes you just a short distance. We walked about 5 blocks in way less time than paying and waiting for the water taxi. Kind of a scam I felt. Outside the gates of the dock area, we were offered rides to the rhino riders for 16 for four of us. Or, $2 a piece into town (this seemed tariffed, because several taxis and buses all said it was $2 to the pier). We walked downtown and found out the island has a great transportation system at cheap prices. White mini vans, which look like many of the expensive taxis, were labeled "bus". They are $1.50 per person from one end of the island to the other, or $1 per person mid-way. So here is the secret: Look on the license plate or from window for the word "Bus" and a number, and flag the driver. See if he is going your way. We paid $8 round trip to Rhino Riders vs. $50 in a cab (25 each way) for 4 of us. And the return was simple, had a bus within 30 seconds of leaving Rhino riders. The traffic is all the same, so no advantage to a cab over the bus except we did stop twice to pick up people which added less than 2 minutes total to the ride. They do drop you off downtown instead of at the ship (unless you pay $2 more per person)… which was fine because we took our savings and bought 8 shirts for $20 and looked at 3 big beach towels for $10.

Joined some folks on the bus who had just left Sunset Beach. Wow, be sure and do this. At the end of the airport runway there are 2 or 3 bars and restaurants. Between 2 and 3 pm several large planes land and you can stand near the end of the runway as the planes come in overhead. These guys on our bus had video and it was awesome! Wish we would have done Rhinos earlier and then Sunset Beach by 2 pm. Next Time!

Fast forward to the last day. We had a late flight (2 pm) so we actually stayed on board to the very end and was the last ones off. You are asked to exit your stateroom by 8 and they stop serving food at 9. We stayed at the sport court and played ping pong and other games until 10:45.

[Brianinidaho]

And guess what, another taxi story. Got through customs and went out and found a van. I asked about how much should it be to the airport and he said $20 to $25, but I am metered. (we had stayed at Amerisuites coming in with a free shuttle inwards. They have a sign that said their free shuttle after the ship is just for the guests staying there after the cruise). So I said, metered, ok, and we got in. It was $13.70 when we got to the airport. We got out and he looked at me weird when I said what does the meter say… he said we had agreed on $25! I said, you said what the meter said, and he said, no, we agreed on $25. The kids were stressed, so was wife, I paid him and told him I was not happy. Called the cab company and complained. But in hindsight just pay the meter and move on. (Can you tell by now that the cabs were the only real negative for me besides the weather).

A few miscellaneous observations: 1.The wrap around upper promenade deck to the front of the ship closes at dark each night. 2. So does the "private" area through the 2 doors on deck 15 all the way forward. 3. Chocolate covered strawberries were put on in the Horizon Court at 10 pm for 30 minutes on sea days. Very good. 4. Leaving FLL was awesome… the sun going down, the city lights, airplanes taking off, live music, warm weather… be sure to be out on deck for all the fun. 5.Got asked over 20 times the first 2 hours if we wanted a pop card (must be the 4 kids in tow that attracted so much attention)… then thankfully, the solicitations stopped after the first day. 6. Here is the low down on MUTS. There are several movies playing on the MUTS screen through out the day. These are movies like Finding Nemo, Grease, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, etc… appeals to a wide audience and families. Open seating and they are listed in the patters. At night, MUTS officially opens. They put out soft red chair covers, put blankets out, and fire up the popcorn machine. Open seating here as well. So if you are looking for the popcorn and blankets, it is at the night movies and events (Monday night football started at 10 pm and had a nice crowd). 7.It seems that 70% of the activities occur on board after 7 pm. A friend went on this ship last year and did not like it, his first cruise. He is a early riser and missed all the fun! Sleep in and play at night. The music and shows were really good. 8. Bert Stratton is more Jim Carey than I had heard. Worth seeing, but by the 3rd night of many of the same songs and phrases, it was time to move on. Again, worth seeing for a while. 9.By the pirates view bar, there is an excellent small kids pool. This is under the walkway to Skywalkers. Very low use, the pool is shallow and has a little slide. It is not heated, but there is a hot tub nearby. Great for 4-5 year olds! 10. Surprisingly, this new of a ship was showing some wear already! Those darn low bidders during construction. 11.Internet Café was easy to use. No cards, blocks of time, etc. Just swipe your room key and the little timer at the bottom of the screen keeps your time. When you log off it shows your charges. Just 35 cents a minute. 12 The staff was very friendly. This new CRUISE program is working well. Best we have seen.

In summary, I would say we had a good time and enjoyed the boat, food, shows, and especially the kids club! Rhino riders are a must do (again, you feel it on the back later). Watch out for the taxis and pray for good weather. Hope my opinions and views might be helpful to someone later on. Brian

[jeff f]

Brian,

Enjoyed your review very much and appreciate your suggestions.

I'll be on the CP in less than 2 weeks. Have been to St. Thomas and St. Marteen before and will be making a 2nd trip to Maho Beach on St. Marteen to watch the planes landing at Julianna Airport. I agree, this is a must see.

 

Thank you again.

[trvlhorse]

Brian,

Thanks for the great review. We sail on the CP this Saturday, and are staying at the Amerisuites beforehand as well.

 

The taxi information was pretty informative. I'll be sure to pass that information on to my group, and will definitely try to check out Sunset Beach / Maho Beach to see the planes fly in!

 

Can't wait!

[MaryPoppinz]

I totally agree about using the locals' cabs in those two ports. Really easy to do, and at least in my experience, safe. The people we've met have been really friendly about telling us how to get around in them and where to catch them to get back to the ship, etc.

 

Glad you had a good time!

[CariBear]

Thanks for the review and the tips! I will make sure to check out the Horizon Court for the chocolate covered strawberries....yum! And I think my 3 year old will love the little shallow pool and slide. We plan on spending the day in St. Martin at Mullet Bay and then onto Maho Beach to see the planes land around 2pm.

[jdwutzke]

When you return to Red Hook are there taxis or the buses there? Nobody has mentioned the availability of these upon your return that I have seen.

[CruiseFever]

When you return to Red Hook are there taxis or the buses there? Nobody has mentioned the availability of these upon your return that I have seen.

 

Yep. plenty of them

 

OP- thanks for the review!

[spongerob]

The hanging beds also blocked the view from the main bed of the tv. In contrast, we were on the Miracle last year and the 2 extra beds were next to the main bed, giving a sofa during the day and extra room for the family

 

It sounds like your cabin on Miracle was more like a Princess minisuite. With that many kids, you might want to look into a minisuite next time. There are two TV's in a mini, plus a larger bathroom. The extra beds are separate from the two main beds entirely. One is in the love seat, the other drops down from the ceiling. You can sometimes find minisuites for not a whole lot more than a balcony cabin - and it sounds like the extra room would really work well for you.

[Brianinidaho]

A couple more things...

Up front on Deck 15, through 2 doors you can get to a very private deck area. It is locked at dark though, just like the upper promonade around the nose of the ship is locked at dark.

 

There is no dispensers of soap or shampoo in the showers, little packets (Carnival, the parent company, normally has dispensers in their showers). There were no "sample of products" in the room. We had sailed a Carnival ship the week before and got what seemed to be 40 samples! Gum, razors, mouth rinse, etc. Nothing.. no big deal, but bring your razor!

 

Plenty of room under the bed for all your luggage.

 

In the afternoon several days they had a basketball shoot out. They don't let anyone in under 18 if they have very many people show up. My 10 year old would have competed very well with what showed up but they would not let him play (my otherkids are typical or below average, but my 10 year old is gifted with a great shot.. 40 points a game type player and would have held his own with those that showed up on this cruise). No big deal, but he sat there and watched all the missing knowing he could have competed.

 

Just a few afterthoughts to my review. Brian

[JandD Mom]

Thanks for the great reviews Brian! I am flanked by my 8 yr old daughters as I write this who would like to know the following:

 

1. Was the kids club broken down into 4 age levels (3-6, 7-9, 10-13,teen) or 3 age levels (3-7, 8-12 etc)? THe princess docs we got today say there are only 3 levels, but from what I read from many here, I am hoping CB has 4.

 

2. Was the kids club open for kids activities the first night? On another web site I saw first night patters which showed kids activities (without parents) from 7-10 the night you set sail, plus group babysitting after 10. Is this what happened on your cruise?

 

Thanks so much for the terrific review!

[cruisewmn]

Thanks for the detailed review! How would you say the cruise compared to your trip on the Disney Wonder? We're looking at Princess, but want to make sure it's the same quality as what we're use to (DCL). Thanks!:)

[Brianinidaho]

The first night the kids club was only open for registration from 7-10 pm. This was a little bit of a bummer as we were ready for a little couple time.

 

The kids club was 3 age groups. Our 4 & 5 were togther (I think it was 3-7) and our 10 and 11 were together (8-12). The older kids could sign themselves out if you signed them up for that at registration. You got to choose if you wanted this.

 

The Wonder was a nice ship. But I think you pay a large premium for the word "Disney." I think the CB is as good of an over all experience. But each has their own opinion.

 

Brian

[Italy52]

Thanks for the detailed review. I see you have cruised on a variety of lines. Since the kids have been on a few cruises, I wonder, in your opinion, which line worked best for your little ones. My daughter and son-in-law are thinking about taking their daughter on a cruise either next summer or the one following. She will be 2/3 by the time they make up their minds. Thanks in advance for your opinion.

[Brianinidaho]

Thanks for the detailed review. I see you have cruised on a variety of lines. Since the kids have been on a few cruises, I wonder, in your opinion, which line worked best for your little ones. My daughter and son-in-law are thinking about taking their daughter on a cruise either next summer or the one following. She will be 2/3 by the time they make up their minds. Thanks in advance for your opinion.

 

Most lines now have some sort of kids club. Our experience on the Carnival Miracle with the kids program was very good. It seemed a bit more organized and they took the kids during meal time, where on the CB they closed during meal time. We made the kids club a big deal to the little ones and gave them poor alternatives. Our youngest thought we were having a better time and wanted to be with us last year. We insisted we were just taking naps. But he had fuss a little so we took him out, took him to our room, shut the curtain, made it quite and laid him down and we laid down. After 5 minutes he realized Mom and Dad were boring and he asked to go back to the kids club! and he had a great time!

[serene56]

She will be 2/3 by the time they make up their minds. Thanks in advance for your opinion.

 

for camps for under 3 you want to do your research. Some lines a child MUST be three by date of sailing and MUST be potty trained with zero tolerance for accidents. (Royal)

 

If the child is not potty trained you want a camp that does diapers.etc

[Brianinidaho]

for camps for under 3 you want to do your research. Some lines a child MUST be three by date of sailing and MUST be potty trained with zero tolerance for accidents. (Royal)

 

If the child is not potty trained you want a camp that does diapers.etc

 

To help on this matter, and as mentioned, both Princess and Carnival normally give you some sort of communication device. On the CB, they give you a pager if you have kids left in the youngest group. On the miracle, they give you a cordless phone that works throughout the ship (it has its own extension, like your cabin.. so if you are traveling in a group you can make and receive calls on it anywhere... some might find this a curse, I am a communications guys, so I found it a blessing). Anyway, if you have younger kids left in the camp/clubs, these communication devices can give you some piece of mind. Last year we were actually called when our then 3 year old had an issue similiar to what was just mentioned. For parents like us, a pager or phone is a very nice touch these ships offer.... Brian

[JandD Mom]

Brian,

 

You are a great source of information. Can you answer another question?

 

I think I read on an old Patter or somewhere here that you need to make a reservation if your kids are going to stay in the kids club past 10 pm for late night babysitting. Is this true?

 

On our last cruise, we often picked up the kids by 10, but sometimes did not, depending on what we were doing. It was nice to let them stay an extra half hour or so without having to plan in advance. Thanks!

[Brianinidaho]

Brian,

 

You are a great source of information. Can you answer another question?

 

I think I read on an old Patter or somewhere here that you need to make a reservation if your kids are going to stay in the kids club past 10 pm for late night babysitting. Is this true?

 

On our last cruise, we often picked up the kids by 10, but sometimes did not, depending on what we were doing. It was nice to let them stay an extra half hour or so without having to plan in advance. Thanks!

 

Yes, there is a sign requesting you register for any private, extra (chargeable) babysitting you have done after 10 pm. When we went, they had like 60 kids or something... really light, late night was virtually empty. They told us the following week there was over 300 kids scheduled (closer to Thanksgiving).. I imagine on the cruises with more kids signing up for the after 10 pm sitting becomes more crucial. hope that helps. Brian

[JandD Mom]

Yes, you are a big help, thanks! And thanks for continuing to follow this thread and provide answers so quickly!:)

[CariBear]

JandD Mom,

 

We were on the CB last week with my 3 year old and utilized the late night care. You need to sign up by 8pm the night that you need the extra care. One night they forgot to write down that we were picking our daughter up at 11pm instead of the regular 10pm and we were paged at 10:10pm. Guess they were wondering where we were. There were only 145 kids on our cruise, so there weren't many kids in the clubs. There were usually about 10-15 kids per night. We used the late night kidsitting 3 nights and when we went to pick up our daughter at 11pm there were only 2-4 other kids there. They were watching movies. My little one was always asleep by the time we picked her up. One night we picked her up at 10:20pm and they said there was no charge....she had been alseep since 9:30pm. On another night we picked her up around 10:40 and noticed our charge for that night was $3.75 rather than the $5.00 per hour rate. She had a great time though and still talks about going back to the big ship and playing with her friends! Being the littlest one though, I think my daughter got a lot of attention from the counselors. They were always cuddling her or playing with her. We now have a zillion art projects on the refrigerator!!

[JandD Mom]

JandD Mom,

 

We were on the CB last week with my 3 year old and utilized the late night care. You need to sign up by 8pm the night that you need the extra care. One night they forgot to write down that we were picking our daughter up at 11pm instead of the regular 10pm and we were paged at 10:10pm. Guess they were wondering where we were. There were only 145 kids on our cruise, so there weren't many kids in the clubs. There were usually about 10-15 kids per night. We used the late night kidsitting 3 nights and when we went to pick up our daughter at 11pm there were only 2-4 other kids there. They were watching movies. My little one was always asleep by the time we picked her up. One night we picked her up at 10:20pm and they said there was no charge....she had been alseep since 9:30pm. On another night we picked her up around 10:40 and noticed our charge for that night was $3.75 rather than the $5.00 per hour rate. She had a great time though and still talks about going back to the big ship and playing with her friends! Being the littlest one though, I think my daughter got a lot of attention from the counselors. They were always cuddling her or playing with her. We now have a zillion art projects on the refrigerator!!

 

CariBear,

 

When you sign the kids up for the kids club, do you have to tell the folks how long the kids will be there? Not that it would happen, but what happens if I tell them I will get the kids at 10:30 and I stay out until 12 (again, probably would never happen.). More likely, I would tell them the kids would be there until 11, and I would get them at 10:15. Thanks!

[Brianinidaho]

no.. you can come and pick them up anytime before they close. Brian

[CariBear]

JandD Mom,

 

I believe they page you if you do not pick your child up by the time you originally stated....at least this is what happened with us one night. They paged us at 10:10pm because we had not picked up our daughter yet, but we had told them she would be staying until 11pm. Turns out no one had written down that she would be staying until 11pm, so they paged us. You can always say you will pick them up later than you expect....they do not have you sign the charges until you pick your child up. Either way, they seemed pretty flexible!