Caribbean Princess Surprises

[PrincessDreams4P&B]

I was wondering if some of the seasoned travelers could give some of us newbies insight as to some of the things we can expect or look for while cruising, you know the little things or surprises that you didn't know about. Things we might miss or we might pass by otherwise.

 

Thanks and look forward to your posts

[chrysalis]

hard to speculate what might be a "surprise", but this is a good place to start.....

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=214933

[cruzinchris]

One of the best-kept secrets on the CB is the tiny swimming pool tucked away beneath Skywalker's. You will find it by going up the stairs from the aft Terrace Pool. This very secluded pool gets virtually no sun, so the water is chilly, but you'll most likely have the pool to yourself. Very romantic!

 

Bon Voyage!

Chris

[Kerry&LuAnn]

We were on the Caribbean Princess last week (March 4-11). Here are our favorites.

 

The two production shows in the Princess Theater ("Piano Man" and "Caribbean Caliente") were outstanding. We thought we werein Las Vegas! Don't miss them.

 

Actually, we attended each of the evening shows in the Princess Theater and enjoyed them thoroughly. Great music. Funny commedians. Kamika (a husband and wife music and comedy team) were musically very talented and very funny. Miguel Washington, in particular, presents "family-friendly" comedy without the vulgar language that is oftentimes the trademark of comedians.

 

For the two major production shows mentioned above, we arrived at the theater 30 minutes before showtime to get the best seats. The other nights we arrived 15 minutes early. We used the "waiting time" to chat or read a book. If you are with a large group that needs to sit together, or if you are particular about where you want to sit, you might want to arrive earlier. But the nice thing about this theater is that there are no obstructions. There's absolutely not a bad seat in the theater!

 

Bert Stratton is a comedy pianist who performs a high energy, audience participation presentation in Crooners lounge and always draws a large crowd.

 

Elua Duo (Dave and Faline) perform a wide variety of music for listening and/or dancing in the Wheelhouse lounge. You can check out their website to get a taste of their style (http://www.eluamusic.com).

 

The Jean Mac Quartet plays great jazz in the Wheelhouse lounge for easy listening and/or dancing.

 

The great thing about the various entertainment venues (Princess Theater, Crooners, Explorers Lounge, Wheelhouse, Club Fusion) is that they are all along the Promenade Deck (7) so you can easily stroll from one great entertainment to another for a wonderful evening!

 

The food was outstanding! We felt like we wanted to eat 24-hours a day, and the Caribbean Princess tempted us to do just that! Whether in the dining room or the Horizon Court buffet, we were never disappointed. If we particularly enjoyed something in the dining room, we could usually find it again later in the evening in the Horizon Court buffet! And the Cafe Caribe usually had a unique theme offering (such as cold seafood extravaganza or caribbean or sushi).

 

We never tried either of the specialty resturants because we felt no need to spend $15 to $20 per person extra when the regular dining rooms offered everything we could possibly want.

 

We were told that the average cruise passenger gains 7 to 10 pounds on a cruise. I gained 4 and my wife gained 7. On past cruises we used the fitness center every day, but we kept too busy this time. Now we're back at the gym to work off those pounds and inches that we so enjoyed putting on!

 

A few other tips. If you would like complimentary waffle-weave bathrobes during your stay, just ask your cabin steward when you arrive. (Just be sure to leave them behind at the end of your voyage so you don't get charged for them!) Your cabin steward can also get you an "egg crate" mattress pad for your bed, but we found the beds suitably comfortable.

 

You can stop by the Passenger Services desk and ask for a deck of playing cards. They are free and make a nice souvenir, too. No charge. This is not advertised anywhere, so not many people are aware they are available.

 

Something that is not advertised is that in the Horizon Court in the afternoon (2:30-3:30 pm) they serve homemade ice cream (different flavors every day) for free!

 

Skywalkers lounge (the highest point of the ship) has dancing at night, but during the day it is a quiet (virtually empty) place to sit and read a book with spectacular views.

 

Because of the superior food and entertainment, and the friendly cruise staff, we will definitely choose Princess again!

[christinelee]

Do not miss a meal in the dining room....also make room for Cafe Carib.....get to meet the staff, they are what makes Princess cruises what they are....the Best. If you are sailing in warmer weather...june -october the pools will be spectacular...(pool water not seas water, and just the right temp...Go see Bert at least once...Sleep in at least one morning....Go see at least one show unders the stars (MUTS)....... Have your coffee brought to your room in the morning- it is a lot better than the Horizon Court swill. If you have any problems let the staff try to fix them right away....do not let a little problem fester into a vacation downer....But above all else do everything or do nothing...the choice is yours....we would not switch if we were given free tickets to another cruise line:D

[Kerry&LuAnn]

One of the nice things we discovered on the Caribbean Princess is how much the Cruise Director and his staff mingled with the passengers. When they weren't directing some activity, you could often find them at one of the bars. Go up to them and talk about your cruise experience; they enjoy hearing from the passengers in person. Also be sure to talk with the lounge performers in between their sets. By the end of the week, they will all seem like old friends!

[Toto2Kansas]

BUT...............if we told you, then it would no longer be a surprise, would it? :p