Caribbean P Jan 9 to Mar 13 live review/updates

[rick160158]

Can anyone find out on the present cruise, by asking the appropriate person, how many are now booked on the March 19th sailing through the Panama Canal. Thank You

 

 

[azbirdmom]

10 hours ago, Norwegian Cruiser 73 said:

I was expecting better food in the Princess MDR. Portions on the small side.

 

Quality has slipped somewhat and the portion sizes reduced since the restart.  After you've eaten your main course, your waitstaff will be more than happy to bring you a second entree on request.  And they generally arrive fairly quick.  A member of our group ordered an extra dish most of the time on the Regal last week.  There's less waste this way.

[PacnGoNow]

2 hours ago, rick160158 said:

Can anyone find out on the present cruise, by asking the appropriate person, how many are now booked on the March 19th sailing through the Panama Canal. Thank You

 

 

Last count was around 1600 guests on March 19th.  This could definitely change as they are still booking passengers.

[cltnccruisers]

At least half the  starboard side wall of the casino is smokers.  Several machines are filthy.  Can't take Princess' word I guess.

[cltnccruisers]

1 hour ago, azbirdmom said:

 

Quality has slipped somewhat and the portion sizes reduced since the restart.  After you've eaten your main course, your waitstaff will be more than happy to bring you a second entree on request.  And they generally arrive fairly quick.  A member of our group ordered an extra dish most of the time on the Regal last week.  There's less waste this way.

Small portions, yes, but the quality in the MDR is head and shoulders over Sky when we were on her in late November.

[Waynetor]

One point of portion size - I agree that on some items the size seems smaller than before, but I have had no issue in having a customized meal.  Eg - For surf and turf, it comes with a filet and 3 shrimp - I usually ask for 6 shrimp.  I ask for extra strawberries on the cheesecake or extra bananas on the Bananas Forster.  You can also ask for extras like a double asparagus if it is part of a meal or if a vegetable is offered on a main item, but you are ordering another main, then ask for the extra item from the other main.  For potatoes you can always ask for mashed, baked or fries. 

 

In St Kitts today we were joined by a smaller RCI ship Seas and Oceania Insignia.  I was shocked to see that ship as it was supposed to be in Asia on a World Cruise.  If left NY in Dec and travelled via Maimi, the Panama Canal to LA and eventually made it as far as Tahiti before the reality of too many cancelled ports in NZ, Aust and Asia made continuing impactable, so it backtracked to LA and then to the Caribbean for a few weeks.  It will head to the Meditrearn adding time there before eventually getting back to its original schedule.   Its total voyage if boarding in NY is 196 days.  I would assume passengers not wanting the heavily revised itinerary were offered options.  We did the 180 world cruise on that ship in 2016 and had been booked on the 2020 voyage but it was cancelled.  Most cruise lines doing world cruises for this winter cancelled well in advance due to ports in NZ and Aust (Princess cancelled back on Aug 26) but some lines kept hoping things would change.  The ship is a sister to the former Ocean Princess and Pacific Princess.

[Norwegian Cruiser 73]

There is no smoking in the Casino on the Caribbean Princess,  at least not on this cruise. There is a digital sign when entering the casino that says no smoking. See the enclosed photo taken tonight. 

 

 

[MissP22]

I've got no problem with them reducing the size of the portions just as long as it doesn't take 15 minutes to bring out another plate. 

[cltnccruisers]

9 hours ago, Norwegian Cruiser 73 said:

There is no smoking in the Casino on the Caribbean Princess,  at least not on this cruise. There is a digital sign when entering the casino that says no smoking. See the enclosed photo taken tonight. 

 

 

I don't care what's posted - It's not being enforced. 

Edited March 10, 2022 by cltnccruisers

[cltnccruisers]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

I've got no problem with them reducing the size of the portions just as long as it doesn't take 15 minutes to bring out another plate. 

One really odd thing I noticed on this cruise and on Sky is that they bring coffee after desert.  I had to ask if we could get it with desert.

[memoak]

6 hours ago, cltnccruisers said:

I don't care what's posted - It's not being enforced. 

Are you on that particular ship right now?  Or are you just listening to others

[ktembwr]

26 minutes ago, cltnccruisers said:

If Princess posts a rule, especially one on which customers make decisions, they should enforce it.  Why would you believe otherwise?

 

Have you asked the casino manager whats going on?

[cltnccruisers]

8 minutes ago, ktembwr said:

Have you asked the casino manager whats going on?

Asked one of the suits last night and just got a blank stare and shrugged shoulders.

[cltnccruisers]

33 minutes ago, memoak said:

Are you on that particular ship right now?  Or are you just listening to others

I am onboard.  It's not just the smoke but also the filth left behind.

Edited March 10, 2022 by cltnccruisers

[RNRcruisers]

The surf and turf was the only dish where the portion was noticeably small - the steak was fine but I literally had 2 shrimp. And I didn't know that ahead of time so didn't think to ask for extra. That being said, I really prefer the smaller portions. With salad, an appetizer and sometimes a bowl of soup before the entree it was plenty of food. 

 

8 hours ago, cltnccruisers said:

One really odd thing I noticed on this cruise and on Sky is that they bring coffee after desert.  I had to ask if we could get it with desert.

 

I don't know if this is a ship thing so much as a server thing, it has been inconsistent for me. I have learned to always ask my server for coffee as soon as I start thinking about dessert and then they will arrive at about the same time. Even better, if I have the same table and server over the course of the cruise they know to bring my coffee with dessert without asking.

 

[cltnccruisers]

7 minutes ago, RNRcruisers said:

The surf and turf was the only dish where the portion was noticeably small - the steak was fine but I literally had 2 shrimp. And I didn't know that ahead of time so didn't think to ask for extra. That being said, I really prefer the smaller portions. With salad, an appetizer and sometimes a bowl of soup before the entree it was plenty of food. 

 

 

I don't know if this is a ship thing so much as a server thing, it has been inconsistent for me. I have learned to always ask my server for coffee as soon as I start thinking about dessert and then they will arrive at about the same time. Even better, if I have the same table and server over the course of the cruise they know to bring my coffee with dessert without asking.

 

That is what I have started doing with coffee as of last night.  As far as same table, same servers goes I thought we were getting there but last night they stuck us on the other side of the MDR with a different crew.  It doesn't hurt us so much but we tip everyone at the end of the cruise.  I think a lot of folks do.  In this scenario the staff will lose out.

[cltnccruisers]

11 minutes ago, RNRcruisers said:

The surf and turf was the only dish where the portion was noticeably small - the steak was fine but I literally had 2 shrimp. And I didn't know that ahead of time so didn't think to ask for extra. That being said, I really prefer the smaller portions. With salad, an appetizer and sometimes a bowl of soup before the entree it was plenty of food. 

 

 

I don't know if this is a ship thing so much as a server thing, it has been inconsistent for me. I have learned to always ask my server for coffee as soon as I start thinking about dessert and then they will arrive at about the same time. Even better, if I have the same table and server over the course of the cruise they know to bring my coffee with dessert without asking.

 

Tonight is 2nd formal night.  My daughter heard it's lobster night.  Never had lobster on Princess but from other lines they tend to be pretty small.  Might order 2 but I don't want to deprive anyone on the second seating.  Maybe 2 shrimp cocktails instead.

[GonzoWCS]

3 minutes ago, cltnccruisers said:

Tonight is 2nd formal night.  My daughter heard it's lobster night.  Never had lobster on Princess but from other lines they tend to be pretty small.  Might order 2 but I don't want to deprive anyone on the second seating.  Maybe 2 shrimp cocktails instead.

They have plenty, got for it!!

 

Cheers

[RNRcruisers]

5 minutes ago, cltnccruisers said:

Tonight is 2nd formal night.  My daughter heard it's lobster night.  Never had lobster on Princess but from other lines they tend to be pretty small.  Might order 2 but I don't want to deprive anyone on the second seating.  Maybe 2 shrimp cocktails instead.

 

Ooh love the shrimp cocktail! I got it most nights.

[cltnccruisers]

1 minute ago, GonzoWCS said:

They have plenty, got for it!!

 

Cheers

What sticks in my mind is being 2nd seating on an RCL cruise years ago and they ran out.  Then again, DD's BF can't eat seafood so I can rationalize that I''m only saving him.  🤧😃

[PacnGoNow]

3 minutes ago, cltnccruisers said:

Tonight is 2nd formal night.  My daughter heard it's lobster night.  Never had lobster on Princess but from other lines they tend to be pretty small.  Might order 2 but I don't want to deprive anyone on the second seating.  Maybe 2 shrimp cocktails instead.

They are on the small side.  I order 2

up front and it doesn’t take long.

Tmrw night is Italian night, which we love the eggplant parmigiana and veal scallopini and Sat night is our fave…

petite filet mignon and baked alaska for dessert.  Yum

 

[cltnccruisers]

Just now, RNRcruisers said:

 

Ooh love the shrimp cocktail! I got it most nights.

Always a safe choice,

[KLM3164]

13 minutes ago, cltnccruisers said:

Tonight is 2nd formal night.  My daughter heard it's lobster night.  Never had lobster on Princess but from other lines they tend to be pretty small.  Might order 2 but I don't want to deprive anyone on the second seating.  Maybe 2 shrimp cocktails instead.

They are small on Princess. DH always orders 2 (mine and his) since I don’t eat it. If he’s still hungry he’s been known to order a 3rd.

[ktembwr]

Has anyone heard or asked why the Caribbean Princess is heading for dry dock on March 19th?  Leaving Florida heading to the west coast for .  There's nothing online.

[PacnGoNow]

10 minutes ago, ktembwr said:

Has anyone heard or asked why the Caribbean Princess is heading for dry dock on March 19th?  Leaving Florida heading to the west coast for .  There's nothing online.

It’s time.  It’s going FLL to via the Panama Canal, SFO then Vancouver and on to Portland for dry dock.  This was shown on the dry dock schedule since last year.