ROLL CALL: 2/25/07 Caribbean Princess

[cjswitzerland]

Mike- I looked and you can edit your choice of excursion if you wish. If it's not too early, join us on the 8:15.

 

Tom- Did you book the 8:15 cruise as well? And I am travelling alone as well and would be happy to dine with you at the Steakhouse if you are not wisked away by some eligible bachelor. I am curious of the origins of your aka. Perhaps you can tell me over a drink at Tradewinds upon embarkation.

 

I am struggling with some of the ideas for costumes. I may wait and see what I can scrape together when I do my obligatory Wal-Mart shopping upon my arrival. Have a cool red hat though that I will bring along.

 

Christopher

[RMS Olympic]

Yes, I booked the 8:15 as I am an early riser. Yes...lets sit up front on the catamaran...they usually have the area with a net to sit on......its fabulous if the water jumps up and kisses you on your bottom........smile.

For dinner...you are on. My records with princess says I am on the anytime dinning...so if you find yourself comfortable around me...we can terrorize dinning tables each night.

By the way...I will be asking many questions about your country.....I am always wanting to learn about people, where they come from and what makes them who they are. And I will want to know about those fascinating Swiss Red trains.

I also like to play match maker...so point out what you like on board and let me do the introducing. However, I lay claim to balding (oh baby), buzz cuts (oh my), and shaved heads (snap snap snap snap).

Hope to have my new T shirt on for boarding with RMS Olympic on it.....so you will know who I am.

If we do not meet before boarding, like at the Cubbyhole bar the night before the cruise...I will be at the Tradewinds bar on the ship....Sun deck (2:00-3:00) overlooking the pool....taking in all the sites. Yes I am a people watcher......and if there is a speedo in site........my attention will sway from the conversation. Too much information I know....

But its what taking a vacation/ holiday is all about, laughter, smiles, meeting new people, speedos, good food, bald heads, new friends, eye candy, cocktails, bald headed, speedo wearing eye candy while sipping a drink containing an umbrella......boy do I need a break from work!

Caribbean Princess here I come.

Tom

[RMS Olympic]

The only way I would wear a speedo is to put it on my head as a hat. And Crystal808, if you are reading this.....you know what Im talking about....LOL

[cjswitzerland]

Well Tom, I must admit that I only honorary Swiss as I have only lived here since August 2003. When I visit my family it requires a trip back to.... West Virginia:eek:. Had to get away from there though.

 

Lived the 6 years prior to coming here in Florida but never made it down to Fort Lauderdale. So though I am not Swiss I have my own story of what makes me me and how I ended up here. So I will be glad to share as much as I can about this beautiful country I now call home. But my eyes may wander during our conversations too. I warn you now we may have our eyes on the same guys and I'm not afraid to give you shove off your barstool to increase my odds of catching his eye first.:D Just kidding...actually I tend to be on the very shy side when it comes to introducing myself to guys I find attractive. So you may be just the thing I need to give me that introductory push.:p

 

I am arriving on Saturday the 24th and planning to go the Cuby Hole so hopefully we will meet up there.

 

This trip is getting more and more exciting and it is now getting harder to wait. Just to think I will bein Florida in exactly 4 weeks: Jet lagged but there.

 

Christopher

[MattInFLL]

Mike - I found this link a week ago. You should be able to get taxi info for St Martin: http://www.taxisxm.com/ I hear if you arrange a van, it's $5 or $6/person one way and you can have them pick you up at a certain time. Since we all should be done with our morning excursions by noon, maybe those of us that want to go to Orient Beach should do a van? And don't worry, I will not be nude either :)

 

It's about 30 minutes from downtown Phillipsburg.

 

I hope there are few "night" people here... Ralph is asleep by 11, but I am nocturnal and like to stay up.

[crystal808]

The only way I would wear a speedo is to put it on my head as a hat. And Crystal808, if you are reading this.....you know what Im talking about....LOL

 

Bertha:

 

I know what you're talking about, but you're WAY too modest! ;) Love seeing those Speedos filled up...and well-filled, at that! But, then, I digress...(!):eek:

 

Paul

who has a weakness for hunky ex-Marines...;)

[mikec5426]

Matt-

 

Thanks for the link! :) I am not a morning person, so a taxi/van early afternoon would work!

 

Also, late night person here!!!! Gary normally drops anywhere from 11-Midnight if he pushes it! So we need need to go dump them off and hit the piano bar/club?? Do they have piano players on the chartered ships??

 

There is nothing like singing drunk and belting out show tunes or "Piano Man".

 

OK- so are we bad for being fully clothed and gawking? :D

 

haha

 

Mike

 

Mike - I found this link a week ago. You should be able to get taxi info for St Martin: http://www.taxisxm.com/ I hear if you arrange a van, it's $5 or $6/person one way and you can have them pick you up at a certain time. Since we all should be done with our morning excursions by noon, maybe those of us that want to go to Orient Beach should do a van? And don't worry, I will not be nude either :)

 

It's about 30 minutes from downtown Phillipsburg.

 

I hope there are few "night" people here... Ralph is asleep by 11, but I am nocturnal and like to stay up.

[Tim-n-Rick]

Howdy Everyone,

 

Rick wants to do the ATV excursion and I want to be more of a tourist. Is there enough to do in Philipsburg to keep me busy until he is done with the ATV trip? We figure we will taxi over to Orient Beach for a while and then back to the ship. Is it easy enough to get a taxi or van to Orient Beach and then back to the boat in time?:confused:

 

Here I go being a newbie again!

 

Also, we'd love to meet every one for a drink the first day and share a van to Orient if schedules allow. We'll see you in the bar!

 

Oops, almost forgot, do we mail the immigration form for Princess Cays back to RSVP?

[monumax]

Mike-

As Christopher said, you can change your catamaran excursion to the 8:15 one, but if you aren't a morning person then maybe that extra hour is important to you.

 

Tom- Glad you're joining our Catamaran cruise. Can't wait!

 

As far as taxis to Orient Beach, I hear it is VERY easy to get one, and they will even be happy to come back at an appointed time to take you back. The cost if you have a van full is only $6 per person (it is regulated). We plan on going in the morning before it gets too crowded so we can get a lounge chair. There are two bars near the nudist resort...Pedro's and Pirate's Beach Bar. There are coupons online ...buy two lunches and get 2 beers or rum drinks, two chairs, and an umbrella for only $12 more. Lunch prices look very reasonable. Maybe after a couple of drinks you guys will be ready for a nude dip in the ocean. We then plan on having the taxi drop us off in "downtown" Philipsburg for some shopping before returning to the ship. Maybe after you guys have a couple of drinks you will be ready for a nude dip into the ocean.

[MattInFLL]

Tim and Rick.,.. as Max pointed out...taxis are not a problem in either direction. If you want to organize a van, that may take some planning. No matter what, it is good to end up back in Phillipsburg by 3:30 or 4 for a little shopping before heading back to the ship. Phillipsburg is a bustling little town, and there are many ways to amuse yourself while Rick is on the ATV. Maybe you and Ralph can keep each other company while I am on the America's Cup excursion? :) Remember the water taxis are $5 unlimited (at least that is what I have heard). Princess has our departure time as later than on the RSVP web site.

 

Max I feel bad about the catamaran.. but after a few cocktails who knows how I will be on the beach :D

 

Mike, you can count on me for late night "excursions"... the piano bar might shut down earlier, but the ship is usually hopping, nonetheless, till the wee hours.

 

For those considering taking your laptops - FYI - you can only access wi-fi in the atrium. It does not work in cabins, by the pool, etc. I am usually at a loss withou my laptop, but am leaving it at home this trip. The internet cafe is just fine. .75/min, unless you buy a package - which can bring it down to .40/min. Still not cheap and I am trying to find internet cafes in St Thomas :)

[cjswitzerland]

As for me I am one that tends to be up early and late to bed-Especially on a cruise. I don't want to miss anything. As a matter of fact I did not sleep for the first 40 hours on my last gay cruise.

 

Then I settled into a rhythm of up by 7, a full day of activities, dinner and evening entertainment. Then a 30 minutes disco nap gives me the oomph to be up dancing until 2 or 3 in the morning.

 

The only thing that tends to alter the early rise is if I drink to much the night before. That get easy to do if hanging out with cool people which apears to be likely. But I defenitely prefer being up late to getting up early so i will sacrifice the early rise if necessary.

 

Christopher:p

[BucknJeff]

 

For those considering taking your laptops - FYI - you can only access wi-fi in the atrium. It does not work in cabins, by the pool, etc. I am usually at a loss withou my laptop, but am leaving it at home this trip. The internet cafe is just fine. .75/min, unless you buy a package - which can bring it down to .40/min. Still not cheap and I am trying to find internet cafes in St Thomas :)

 

 

Keep us posted on what you find out about this in any of the ports. On the Mexican trip last October, all of the ports had internet cafes proximate to the ship. The little port shop in PV had wifi available, and you could get it in your room if you were on the side of the ship facing the port. That rocked.

[GregFL]

hey Janet and Maria....glad to see you will be onboard...had a great time with you girls last year on the ziplines! Looking forward to seeing you again!

 

Greg

E728

[rhact]

Hey Everyone,

 

This is Bob of Max and Bob. I am finally starting to read these messages that Max has been reading for the last 2 months. Four weeks today we will be waiting to embark the ship. It will be nice to be in warm weather again! :p

 

Anxious to meet all of you.

 

Bob

[RMS Olympic]

Have you noticed the number of views for this thread.....it exceeds the number for the Freedom cruise. Fascinating....

I am surprised there hasn't been more new people posting considering the number of people sailing. Either they don't know about cruise critic, or they are just reading and staying at a distant to be safe.

New questions.....

1.did you sign up for traditional dining or dine when you want?

2. Where will you head for pre dinner beverage or will that depend on the mood, the crowd or how cute the bar staff is?

Me, the first day I check out the staff.....to see who is the most fun, and thats where I roost. How about you?

Another day closer........to be able to say...I am what I sail on....Princess. LOL

Tom

[2cruisinchiks]

(number of views) Is it because I hit refresh every 30 seconds because I am obsessed with this board and going on vacation? If so, I bet a bunch of us are skewing the numbers. We girls appreciate you boys sharing your ship with us.

 

We did anytime dining

[MattInFLL]

Buck - we luck out docking at Crown Bay in St Thomas. One of the places now open is Messages, Mail & More - located right at the dock. Full internet access, and they will let you hook up your laptop to their DSL line. (Maybe I will bring my laptop after all.) If you want to see more go to: http://www.st-thomas.com/ choose "services" from the menu on the left.

 

In St Maarten, I am sure there will be something by the dock, because they always provide such services for crew from the ships. But if not, I found this post on the St Martin board:

If you're looking for an internet cafe in Phillipsburg, I found one. It's on Front Street just east of Majestic Jewelers ( on the north side of the street). There's an alley with an sign that says "Internet." (Duhh!) Go down the alley, up the stairs and into a "store" on the left. (Walking down the alley I felt a little nervous, but it was fine) They have about seven computers (some with webcams) and charge $4 for half and hour, $5 for an hour. My DD was thrilled with even a half hour of such cheap time.

 

This site is also interesting for St. Martin: http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm.html

---

Random info: There's a lot of talk on the Princess board about "egg-crate mattress pads". Apparently if you love a firm mattress, you are right at home on Princess. There are plans to join the rest of the cruise industry in upgrading mattresses to be more like hotels, but it is not fleetwide yet, and not on Caribbean Princess yet (other than the suites). Apparently you can request the mattress pad from your cabin attendant. But supposedly you can also fax your request ahead of time to Princess: (661) 284-4745. Include sailing date, ship name, cabin number, your name(s), booking number, and your request for the egg-crate mattress pad. Supposedly, this usually results in it being there when you arrive. I'm sure sometimes it doesn't work. I would also include your Captain's Circle number if you have one.

----

Tom - we are anytime, but will probably try to eat in the 7:45 to 8:30 range... and I'm like you when it comes to bartenders/bars, find a good one and stick with them though the cruise. It seems the way Princess sets up their bar hours, it will be one of the ones on Deck 6/7 near the central restaurants.

 

We are planning on a later reservation in Sterling Steak House that first night. I hear it's a good time to go and not as crowded.

 

---Welcome Bob - I am very very excited about this cruise (in case anyone couldn't tell :)).

[cjswitzerland]

About 2 weeks ago I realized that I was assigned traditional dining but an email to Nick at RSVP got that switched. I knew that I woud the flexibility to dine with others that I met along the way.

 

Not sure when Tom will want to go to the Steakhouse. I will leave that up to the Princess. Tom, ideas when? And what about Sabotini's? Anyone have any plans to go there?

 

I too look around for a cute someone to talk to behind the bar when choosing where to drink. By mid week I tend to find myself in a pattern for the evenings to include pre dinner aperatif, dinner (with wine especially if they offer a decent wine package for the week), and evening entertainment. The timing is hard for me to say at this point, still waitng to see the typical daily schedule, but I am flexible based upon when others want to dine.

 

QUESTION: Will the pools be open 24 hours? That was the case when I traveled with Atlantis other than cleaning each night. Didn't now if RSVP would try to arrange the same with Princess.

 

I know there has been mention among some of the posters here that we are trying to watch and reduce the waistline pror to the sailing so we fell better and can indulge a bit more with less guilt. Well I am putting a challenge to myself and encourage anyone who wishes to join me.

 

So I am calling it the TENS CHALLENGE: Goal to take off 10 pounds prior to sailing by increasing my exercise to 10 miles a week on the treadmill and 10 sets of 10 crunches a day. You can adapt it how you wish if you want to join but I thought that I would throw it out to anyone who wants encouragement along the way.

 

Not planning to bring the laptop but I am bringing my pronter for my digital camera. Hopefully by the end of the week, my cabin door can chronicle the cruise dy by day.

 

Matt - Are you aware of any costume shops in Fort Lauderdale that are easy to locate and would be open on that Saturday afternoon? Thought I might be able to find some odds and ends there that I can't get here to make the week more festive.

 

FORMAL ATTIRE - I know there was some discussion earlier about how formal people were going to dress. I really enjoy getting dressed up o the nines but it is only fun to do if others are. I wont bring my tux all the way from Switzerland but if others are interested in doing the full formal evening, I will rent something for the week from the website on the Princess website.

 

OK I will stop the random ranting for now.

 

Christopher

[BucknJeff]

Cross your fingers!

 

I think we have John and Derek talked into this trip.

 

We will know tomorrow for sure if Derek can get the time off.

 

They are off getting passport pictures as we speak.

 

More of the RV family is defecting!

 

Can't wait to see and spend time with you two!

 

We have anytime dining as well.

 

We are traveling with a whole bunch of great people, not to mention all of the great folks here. The Kids (Jared and Marc) are sitting this one out.

 

I JUST CAN'T WAIT!!!!

 

:D

[BucknJeff]

Buck - we luck out docking at Crown Bay in St Thomas. One of the places now open is Messages, Mail & More - located right at the dock. Full internet access, and they will let you hook up your laptop to their DSL line. (Maybe I will bring my laptop after all.) If you want to see more go to: http://www.st-thomas.com/ choose "services" from the menu on the left.

 

In St Maarten, I am sure there will be something by the dock, because they always provide such services for crew from the ships. But if not, I found this post on the St Martin board:

If you're looking for an internet cafe in Phillipsburg, I found one. It's on Front Street just east of Majestic Jewelers ( on the north side of the street). There's an alley with an sign that says "Internet." (Duhh!) Go down the alley, up the stairs and into a "store" on the left. (Walking down the alley I felt a little nervous, but it was fine) They have about seven computers (some with webcams) and charge $4 for half and hour, $5 for an hour. My DD was thrilled with even a half hour of such cheap time.

 

This site is also interesting for St. Martin: http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm.html

 

 

Wow Matt, thanks so much for this!

 

It was so kind of you dig this up and share it. I' sure others will be thankful as well.

 

This is such a nice group, I can't wait to meet you all.

[Tim-n-Rick]

CJ, I could use the encouragement! I've done good so far, but I have to admit it's getting hard the closer we get to the cruise. So, you are on. I'll take the Tens Challenge!

[MattInFLL]

No problem Buck - it's just that these are all questions I have myself - and I tend to research the heck out of my vacations...and I figure others might be interested, too. Although I fear some will think I am some sort of know it all freak :) - I promise, I'm just a research hound who is too excited about the trip. And this far more interesting than my Wills & Trusts reading.

 

Speaking of which - I found this great site today: www.lifeiscruising.com There's a page devoted to the Caribbean Princess with some really great pix.

 

Christopher - I was thinking the same thing today. Because I have no idea what to do about the super hero theme. I'm going to ask around and let you know about costume shops. Although I was cleaning the garage this afternoon and found this great black cape (note to self, ask Ralph what he is doing with a black cape? And why is it in the garage? :)).

 

Ralph and I started weight watchers together this fall. He's down about 40 pounds and is looking studly. I'm down about 30, but I have a loooong way to go...but for us, it's just a new way of eating. He really doesn't have much more to go, but I am sure we both hope to be down another 10. So I'm going to ratchet up the exercise.

 

I hope they leave the pools open. I know normally one pool is open until midnight on a regular cruise on this ship. On Westerdam last year, they were not 24 hours.

 

I'm back to debating formal night...Ralph now thinks he wants to wear a tux... if so, I'm renting on board. After all, I need room for the cape :)

[jimnbillnpa]

and look what happens! Two more pages. We never made it to Las Vegas yesterday, a little medical emergency that put Bill in the hospital, he's in ICU currently but doing very well. Think pancreas and gall bladder. He can tell you all about it on the Sun Deck.

 

Matt-you're right about the pools/tubs on Westerdam last year. That was really disappointing. Everything was netted off by 10 or 11pm. I expect that's an HAL policy. The times we were on Princess I recall you could at least find a couple of jacuzzis open late (up on the Lido deck under skywalker's.)

 

As for check-in, if Princess handles it-it should go well. You check in by what deck you're on. We've never had to wait.

 

And I think the tuxes are coming with us now.

[jimnbillnpa]

been trying to find this pic

[jimnbillnpa]

been trying to find this pic