Live from the Sun - Jan. 19-29, 2007

[craftsrdkc]

Hi PescadoAmarillo,

 

Glad to hear you are having a good time on the Sun. I will be sailing in 34 days (and counting)! We will be sailing with our 2 daughters (aged 9 and 10). We were told by Princess that there are only 11 children registered between the ages of 3 and 11 for our cruise. Here is my question (if you have time to answer it)...

 

On the website the "Fun Zone" is listed with a splash pool and looks like it has computers in the room for the kids to play games on. Just wondering if you have been able to see if there is a program for the kids happening and if so, what does the room look like and if there is somekind of pool or other amenities for the kids. It looks like the Fun Zone is on the Riviera Deck right beside the Cyberspace and just around the corner from the Pools.

 

Also, how many pools are there and how deep would you say they are? My girls went last time to the Fun Zone on the Star, but I think they found it overwhelming because there were 800 kids onboard. This time, they should have the place almost to themselves and I hope they will try to enjoy it more, if in fact they run it due to the lack of kids.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post and have a "happy cruise"!

 

Dolores

[CruisinChris]

There's a little toddler pool in the kids area. The Splash Pool is a lounging pool all the way forward above the Horizon Court. It's about 1 foot deep and may actually be adult only. This is a very quiet (and windy) locale. In the main pool area the lower pool is 6' deep it's entire length and the upper pool here is designated adults only and is 4.5 feet. The lower pool has a nice tile overflow area (where water splashes out of the pool). The aft pool is the spa plunge pool and is about 4 feet deep. It's also usually designated adults only, too.

 

We're on this cruise too! Yeah! Can't wait to be back on board our friend the Sun...

[Julia’s Journey’s]

There's a little toddler pool in the kids area. The Splash Pool is a lounging pool all the way forward above the Horizon Court. It's about 1 foot deep and may actually be adult only. This is a very quiet (and windy) locale. In the main pool area the lower pool is 6' deep it's entire length and the upper pool here is designated adults only and is 4.5 feet. The lower pool has a nice tile overflow area (where water splashes out of the pool). The aft pool is the spa plunge pool and is about 4 feet deep. It's also usually designated adults only' date=' too.

 

We're on this cruise too! Yeah! Can't wait to be back on board our friend the Sun...[/quote']

 

So is only one pool not adults only:eek: :confused:

Princess said there were only 7 kids on our cruise of which 4 are in our party but they will still run the kids Zone for them, probably not all the activities but hopefully enough to keep them busy for a few hours and then hopefully:D they will have a pool to use!!

[CruisinChris]

Julia -

 

Honestly - I've seen them vary it cruise to cruise (including having it one way on one cruise and the following week on a back-to-back having it slightly different). They tend to adjust based on circumstances. If your information is correct and they're only 7 kids total on board (no offense but I'm thrilled if that's true!) they probably won't really have any restrictions (meaning signs posted). Just remind the kiddies about running and jumping around the pool and it's all cool.

 

I guess it will be easy to figure out who you are!;) Looking forward to seeing you on board.

[Liz54]

I took my son, then aged 10 on a Princess Panama Canal cruise. There were only a hadful of kids, one boy his age. They had a great time, but did not spend all their time in the kids zone. It was running, but often they prefered to go to the pool and they shot baskets by the hour. They also spent a remarkable amount of time eating!!! Anyway, they were well behaved and had a fantastic cruise. Kids are pretty socially adaptable...

[lake5298]

So is only one pool not adults only:eek: :confused:

 

There is also a pool forward of the main pool area.... on top of the buffet restaurant. Its surrounded by a nice sunbathing area and it's nice and shallow..... and I'm sure that children are welcome in that pool too.

 

Sun Princess does pretty well, having four swimming pools..... some larger RC ships only have two!

 

We're on the next cruise too- just starting to pack!

[Julia’s Journey’s]

Julia -

 

Honestly - I've seen them vary it cruise to cruise (including having it one way on one cruise and the following week on a back-to-back having it slightly different). They tend to adjust based on circumstances. If your information is correct and they're only 7 kids total on board (no offense but I'm thrilled if that's true!) they probably won't really have any restrictions (meaning signs posted). Just remind the kiddies about running and jumping around the pool and it's all cool.

 

I guess it will be easy to figure out who you are!;) Looking forward to seeing you on board.

 

We will only be on the transpacific in Sept.

My kids are not around to run around a pool, they are 13 and 9 so know what behaviour is acceptable and what's not - they are not angels but have a mother with a very low tolorance of noise and mis-behaviour:D :D

[Julia’s Journey’s]

There is also a pool forward of the main pool area.... on top of the buffet restaurant. Its surrounded by a nice sunbathing area and it's nice and shallow..... and I'm sure that children are welcome in that pool too.

 

Sun Princess does pretty well, having four swimming pools..... some larger RC ships only have two!

 

We're on the next cruise too- just starting to pack!

 

My kids will be happy as long as there is a pool for them, we plan on doing a lot of snorkeling and beach days too.

I cannot wait for my cruise but don't want it to be here and over too quickly:eek: :eek:

 

Have fun on your cruise and let us know what is going on on the SUN:D

[Julia’s Journey’s]

What's up on the sun ???

[cricket03]

Haven't read anything in a few days from those on her now -- we board her this Monday and were wondering if everything is still okay --

[PescadoAmarillo]

All is well on the Sun...I just have been too busy to post (all those ports days, you know;) ), and since I posted a lot about the ship on the last cruise, I thought I'd stick more to the ports this time around.

 

As for the pools...I've only been in the aft pool (by the spa)...it is about 4 feet deep, and a bit cool, but it has felt heavenly after the hot, sunny days in port. Of the two center pools, the back one is adults only. There are few kids on board, and they have stayed in the front of those two pools. There is a shallow pool at the very front of the ship...it would be perfect, I think, for sitting and reading in, but I haven't needed that much sun, so I have stayed away from it. The kids area has a very very small, shallow pool that has never had water in it the entire time we've been on board. It is good, really, only for toddlers, but since one can't be in the pool in swim diapers, I'm not sure it would be of much use.

 

The Sun continues to satisfy (although there have been plenty of complaints...aren't there always). The sewer line in our end of the ship seems much better this cruise...only one issue this time around, and no one that we're aware of has had to be moved. No noro at all...what a joy. We did sit with a couple this morning from Caribe deck (a balcony cabin) that was NOT happy, with anything, but most recently they have had noxious fumes in their cabin for 3 days, and were sleeping with both the balcony door and hallway door open for cross ventilation to be able to breathe. Finally they were moved last night (at midnight) as someone had to be disembarked due to health issues and a cabin opened up. They were promised help, didn't get it, finally a cart was delivered at midnight and they were moving their cabin then. When they went up to the buffet to eat dinner (after midnight, as they had waited in their cabin all evening for the moving notice), it was abysmal, if there is a BISTRO, no one has seen any sign of it, only tiny sandwiches and sad fruit. Ironically, I had noticed the same thing the night before, the only time I've been up there after 11pm...the buffet really has been the only major disappointment for us on the cruise. We know how nice they can be (Celebrity and Royal Caribbean) and even Princess does the buffet much better on the larger ships, but this buffet has very little to offer, and except for breakfast, we've only eaten a couple of lunches and one dinner there.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Ironically, we've found the dining room food to be much improved from our 2003 cruise on the Sun, and the executive chef (Ulrich) is one we recognise from a former cruise on either Celebrity or Royal Caribbean. He's made good changes, but needs to step up the buffet a lot. Honestly, when I think of the wonderful dessert table and the exotic cheeses available every night in the Diamond buffet last spring, I realize just how sad the Sun buffet is. This is the general consensus BTW...while opinions differ on the quality of the dining room, we've found nobody enjoying the buffet. I've eaten at least 4 cheeseburges on the cruise, which is about 3 more than I normally do. When we reboard the ship at 3pm after not eating since breakfast, it's the best option available (aside from Verdis, which is very nice, but we like to be outside dining while we're in port).

 

Everything else has been wonderful. The service in the dining room gets better and better, as we asked to be directed to certain waiters' tables (Rui and Petkov are our favorites). We generally dine before 6:30...we do see people waiting when we come out at 7:30 or so, so be prepared. We also have discovered the joy of dining alone at a table for 2...after so many nights of conversation, it is a welcome respite after a busy day in port.

 

The entertainment on the Sun, which I was prepared to say was the best we've ever had on a Princess cruise, has fallen apart a bit in the past couple of days, and CD Janet Edwards has really had her hands full rearranging things. First, on the new production show team, at least one dancer (we have heard two) is on the injury list and unable to practice or perform. We were promised a third production show, the first time it would be shown on a Princess ship, called Last Dance (or something similar), but it appears it isn't going to happen. We met a choreographer and new dancer getting on yesterday in St. Thomas, so there are some issues. However, every production show we've been to has received a standing ovation...these folks are GOOD, it's just that they're so new and facing such issues that it's taking a toll. In addition, the ventriloquist has lost his voice, and his shows have been cancelled for 2 evenings straight, the magician's tricks are lost somewhere in the Caribbean, and so for the past two nights we've had the choice of one show or a movie...kind of sad. I am not one who goes on a cruise to watch a movie I can rent at home. The juggler last night was very good, but you can imagine that you have to arrive 45 minutes early to get a seat, since it is the only show in town.

[PescadoAmarillo]

This, of course, is the nature of entertainment at sea, and we accept that. In fact, we found ourselves in a "Shogun" kind of evening last night, walking on the Promenade Deck late, a gentle warm breeze blowing, the stars out in full force and the lights of Puerto Rico in the distant. It was much better than any show could be.

 

As for the ports:

 

In Curacao, there is a company that rents dune buggys and scooters right at the Mega Pier, we took a 2 hour escorted dune buggy ride (just us and the guide in a dune buggy in front) all over the island for $55. We have several times rented a car on Curacao, and so have been all over the island, but we were able to go places you can't go with a car, and it was a blast. Contact: advhunt@onenet.an

 

In Isla Margarita, we simply walked to the third beach over (out of the stench of the swamp) and sunned for the day and watch the kite surfers from the kite surfing school located right there. Our mini boat trip was cancelled by Princess (a bit irritating, as you don't find out until the afternoon before), so that was our backup and it was fine. I am always happy on a beach, even that one.

 

In Barbados, we took a taxi ($4) over to the Boatyard. For the third day in a row, they had huge waves, and we loved playing in them. $15 for a beach chair, drink and a taxi back to the ship. A relaxing day. That is one island you've got to see, but we've been there at least 5 times and never done the beach before. The Boatyard is a good beach to park yourself on.

 

In Dominica, we did the Champagne Reef snorkel trip through the ship (using Dive Dominica)...well worth it. We are divers, and this trip was really well run...they pointed out the first aid kit and oxygen right away, and we like to see that attention to safety. We have dived and snorkeled all over the world, and Champagne Reef is something special...you must do it. You can also take a taxi for $15 per person (he will wait for you) and enter from a walkway on the side of the water, but we like the boat ride. Also, we were thrilled to race a school of dolphins on the boat...a rare treat, they told us. The boat turned circles while the dolphins surfed all around us. Incredible. And don't even get me started on the beauty of encountering dolphins that way vs. the swim with dolphins thing...

 

We did not go back out for an island tour in Dominica, but spent the time walking around town and getting our Cingular cell phone unlocked and buying a Digicell sim card for our future trips to the Caribbean. Sailaway was magnicent, with a rainbow in the distance (as there also was in that morning...a double, in fact.)

 

In St. Thomas we scrapped our plans for Coki Beach (one of us, not me, is well done), and instead took an island tour. AC van, just us, $65 for 2 hours, went to MountainTop, Drakes Seat, etc., contact Gus, TP 1048 for a good driver (no phone number or email). We've been to St. Thomas at least 7 times and never seen the island, so it was fun. For a great time, walk over to the Crown Bay Marina and gaze at the mega yachts, and go into the grocery emporioum and check at the caviars, pates and wines. Fun stuff, to see how the other half lives.

 

Gotta run now, but I'llcontinue, either from the ship or at home. Bye for now....

[Shogun]

HI PescadoAmarillo,

 

Ah those "Shogun" evenings just can not be matched by any land base holiday, glad you have such a good time, I still think if you go wanting a good time you will OK little things go wrong so what just move on to the next good thing.

 

Maybe we will cruise together on day you are most welcome at my table.

 

Like you I think the boatyard is nice place just to chill out, have you ever gone to the far side of the island with the massive waves to big to go into the sea but great to watch and look at all those odd shaped rocks etc.

 

First time in Dominic so went to see rain forest etc but are back in Dec any thoughts on what to see .

 

In St Thomas we went to Sapphire beech only ones from our ship that did have you been. Or trip to St John was canncelled the night before. Wish Princess would give you more notice about trips being cancelled.

 

Have you hud any Shogun luck in the casino.

 

Thanlks for all the postings.

 

 

yours Shogun

[PescadoAmarillo]

Shogun...definitely recommend Champagne Reef, if you are a water person. That was really all we saw there...it was our first time there also, so next time we'll have to see the island. Heard good things about Trafalgar Falls and Emerald Pool, and we encountered two ladies who did the hike up the volcano. They said it was very strenuous. We've been to Magen's Bay, Coki Beach and Sapphire Beach on St. Thomas. Of those, I definitely recommend Coki for snorkeling. Also, the taxi driver (Gus) showed us a beach just west of Crown Bay yesterday, like a $3 taxi ride away. He said it is where the locals go, right by the airport. It looked empty and we might try that next time we're there. Can't vouch for the water or the amenities...we just saw it from the taxi.

 

Okay, back again, already, as I had planned an afternoon by the pool and it has turned very foggy, possibly rainy, zero visibility. That's okay, as long as it is gone by tomorrow at Princess Cays...I have to have that one last beach day. So much for all the stars we saw last night signaling good weather today.

 

We had a lunch today in the dining room with 14 members of our CC roll call group. They were a great bunch of people, and we had a fun time sailing with them, and hope our wakes cross again on a future cruise.

 

Back to the buffet for a moment...today (the final sea day) is the one memorable day in the buffet. They have an Italian lunch buffet, but what they don't list in the Patter is that there is a dessert extravaganza, with two tables of exotic desserts. I learned last time to go right for what I love, white chocolate mousse, and so I skipped dessert after lunch in the dining room and we went right up there. It was delicious, but be prepared for long, long lines to get to the dessert table. It is very popular. Tonight is the Captain's Circle party, and lobster night, as well as the champagne waterfall, which we have only ever been to once on a cruise and I wasn't too excited about it. We have spent the afternoon trying to drink up all our minibar supplies, and still have a bottle of champagne in our refrigerator, so more champagne holds little allure.

 

My husband had a discussion with the housekeeping supervisor of our area today about how much better the sewage smell was this cruise. He said they replaced the hallway carpet outside the aft starboard Aloha cabins, which makes me glad I never walked in from the hot tub in barefeet!! It does show that, despite the sewage issues on the ship, they do try to stay on top of cleaning and replacement and repairs.

 

We just watched Janet Edwards (the CD) on a repeat on TV of yesterday's morning show, where she goes behind the scenes (Beyond Crew Only she called it). Now, we have seen these "behind the scenes" tours before, but Janet is a treasure, and she had us in stitches. She has announced that she is on a major diet, doing the high protein shake thing, and she kept saying that the cameraman could only film her "above the waist", which is exactly what my husband has been hearing all cruise long from me. I would love to go on her cruises anytime...she is right up there with Alastair Greener in my book as the best CD anywhere.

 

We went ahead and booked the Emerald Princess on the (almost) same itineraries B2B for Feb 2008, a double booking, I might add, with the Tahitian Princess B2Bs we have booked. We will decide later which to take, but know that doing B2Bs in the same cabin requires some preplanning. With Princess's onboard booking, we like to have a lot of options lined up. We were very happy with these two itineraries; next year, the Emerald will drop Curacao, Island Margarita and Martinque and pick up Aruba, Bonaire and St. Kitts. No new islands for us, but really the best of our favorites, so we are strongly considering putting off the TP for another year. We are also excited about cruising on the Emerald Princess...we've never been on a ship with that many people (so that part is a bit worrisome), but after the experience with the limited buffet, we are anxious to go back to a Grand Class buffet and also try the Cafe Caribe. I know that many people would be unaware and unaffected by the buffet situation, but, coming after 29 nights on the Diamond, we were absolutely taken aback by it. It did not even begin to compare to Hometown Buffet (and I don't think I'm being too harsh with that). I have only seen Brie cheese once on this cruise, on a tiny piece of bread on an hordoerve...the cheese has been like Kraft (but husband says Velveeta but I won't go quite that far).

 

It may be our imagination, but it seems like the crew has lightened up a bit...I think they were still worn out from the noro thing when we first boarded. Frankly, there is a big difference between the interactions with a crew on a Celebrity cruise and a Princess cruise...on Celebrity they seem to go out of their way to greet you and smile. On a Princess cruise, some do, but many others do not. This is not judgemental...it's just a difference in style between the two cruise lines. Obviously, we are hooked on Princess, but recognize that it does not measure up in some ways to other cruise lines; in other ways it surpasses the others (flexibility being a main point, itineraries another).

 

We have certainly been spoiled by our Elite benefits, and I can see why it will be difficult for us to go even on RC or Celebrity, where we are Diamond and Elite, and almost impossible to go to another mass market cruise line as a first time passenger. The formal night hordoeurves are pretty much a waste on us, but the internet is surpassed only by the free laundry. What a perk!

 

We will cruise again on a Sun Class ship when itinerary demands it; otherwise, I think we are pretty much Grand Class ship people (another reason we're kind of rethinking the TP...is it too small?). We are definitely "back of the ship" type people...that buffet and Terrace Pool on the Grand Class ships are a favorie place to hang out. We also rediscovered our love for Caribbean cruising...a direct flight to/from home is a solid selling point, and we enjoyed being able to restock a few supplies in Fort Lauderdale between cruises. We've learned that, although we've been to an island even 5 times already, there is undoubtedly something we haven't done or seen.

 

It's been a great cruise...keep your fingers crossed for sunny skies tomorrow on Princess Cays. I hear Denver's getting more snow today.

 

:eek:

[Julia’s Journey’s]

PescadoAmarillo; Thank you so much for the updates:D

We love hearing your thoughts and views on the ship, ports and food.

Have you heard how long Janet Edwards is going to be on the ship??

Hopefully we will have a great CD while we are on board and hopefully there is a big improvement on the buffet, we don't often use it when we are cruising without the kids but our 30 nights on the sun will be with the kids and I know a lot of times they will just want to eat there and not hang with us adults for 2 hour dinners:D :D

[Shogun]

Hi PescadoAmarillo,

 

I think we are very much a like we are booked on the Emerald for three weeks in Jan so will give you a live from post if you want.

 

I agree with the Grand Class thing but may be its just that I like the crazy golf.

 

As to the Italian buffet do not tell anyone that way way more sweets etc for us that know about them.

 

The emerald Cruise will have no new stops for us, but I do like about it is our first and last days are a Princess Cays , I can think of no place better to start and end a cruise on.

 

Have a great day on Princess cays.

 

 

yours Shogun

[Lisa1]

Hi PA -

 

Thanks for the (two) great live from's - I've been lurking on both threads and enjoying your reports.

 

Today's snow was not bad - just a couple of inches of the light fluffy stuff. I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but there's snow in the forecast for five of the next seven days. This has been quite an unusual winter for us - wish I was cruising instead of shoveling!

 

- Lisa

[Kbears]

We will be in C720 and C718 so glad we will be getting lots of excercise walking to the buffet, guess it would help if we wwalked there for 1 item at a time:D :D

 

It was a challenge to decide if we wanted to walk up the stairs and then by the pool, or walk thru the hallway to the front of the ship and then up the stairs. It depended on how windy it was and whether the Wife's hair was done.....

[Kbears]

Hey PA, I thought you were going to check with a Realtor in St. Thomas.

 

What happened?

[cricket03]

Figured you'd been busy on the islands. Thanks for bringing us up to speed. You've done a great job letting us know what's what. Loved all your comments and can't wait to board tomorrow evening. Have a safe trip home.

[PescadoAmarillo]

We're home. What a wonderful cruise. I'm off to bed now, but I'll fill you in tomorrow on Sunday's exciting Princess Cays tender situation and the race from the ship today. We got in a taxi at Port Everglades at 10:40am. We made our 11:17am flight, which pushed away from the gate on time. What happened in between is a blur...:eek:

 

To be continued...

[PescadoAmarillo]

Okay...it's not yet 7am, but we've been wide awake since 3am, so I will finish up this thread...

 

First, the Princess Cays thing: Saturday evening (formal night, before Princess Cays) I commented on how much the ship was moving, and wondered aloud if we would be able to tender into Princess Cays on Sunday morning. We awoke to sun, but winds. It was apparently not enough to stop us from tendering, and we were on the first tender to the island (arriving at 9:22am). It was not a hot day, just comfortably warm in the sun, and the surf was very rough (we witnessed two "rescues" from the snorkeling area). I say "rescues" because they weren't full blown Baywatch type rescues, but more assists, with the lifeguards helping people swim to shore and then up on the beach. In both instances, an incident reporter was right there and paperwork filled out, so I give Princess kudos for doing that right (and, of course, covering their bases too). I never did go in the water, but those who did said that the snorkeling visibility was only 6 feet or so.

 

The buffet was served and we continued to veg on the beach on our final day. The last tender was to leave shore at 3:15pm, but about 2:15pm my husband was watching the tenders and commented that they were having a very rough ride, and maybe we'd want to head that direction and get on one. By the time we got there (2:30ish) there was a long line, so we sat in a chair by the tender area and watched the ship. All of a sudden we noticed the ship, which had been pointed in the same direction all day, begin to spin in a circle (not spin, as a washer would do, but turn on a dime sort of thing). One minute we'd be looking at the back of the ship, the next at the port side, then the front, and so on. We found that strange and commented on it. At about 2:45pm, someone from the ship (the officer in charge of the tender operations) began to walk down the line and announce that, due to the winds, the tender operation was being stopped until about 4pm or so. We overhead this and stayed sitting, but it soon became obvious that we probably needed to get in line, as people were largely staying in line and it continued to grow. We saw a tender come back from the ship full of people; it sat in that little harbor area for a long time, and then finally the people got off of it. Meanwhile, the ship had picked up the tender platform and closed the watertight door and was moving downwind, away from us. Eventually, it moved forward again, and the watertight doors were reopend. At some point, before 4 pm, a tender went out, and then another, but it was very slow going, and they were only using 2 of the 3 tenders in the harbor. We were sure, then, why.

 

The winds really picked up, the horizon sky grew very dark, and my first concern was that it would begin to storm on those of us on the island. We were weighing our alternatives if that happened (go under a metal roofed building? Under a coconut tree?), but, although it was very threatening, it never actually stormed. The the wind was so strong it was like being sandblasted. There was never another update from anyone on from the ship, but a couple of guys walked to the front of the line and got bits of information, the most important one being what would happen if they had to stop the tender operation all together. In that instance, and apparently is has happened in the past), Princess commandeers every taxi and bus on the island, and busses everyone 100 miles down the island. The ship picks up its tenders, sails the 100 miles to the leeward side, puts the tenders back down and transports people back to the ship that way. We knew that, if that happened, we'd be after midnight getting back on the ship, and preferred to stay in line just in case they cut off tender operations after we got back on the ship...the weather looked that questionable. At 5pm, we finally got on a tender ship, and had an exciting tender ride back to the ship, with water pouring in every opening on the roof and sides of the tender. Sea sick bags were passed around; luckily, we are not usually bothered that way, but I have to admit the front and back pitching didn't bother me nearly as much as the side to side rolling. Huge waves, much thrill. I think we were all glad to arrive back on the ship at 5:25...it was a slow tender ride. The tender boat pilot did an exceptional job of keeping us safe at the same time he was getting drenched with water.

 

There were another two tenders after ours. We showered, went to dinner, and two of the tender were still down. Eventually (around 7ish) we began moving, and Captain Russell came on and announced that we would be 2 hours late arriving into Fort Lauderdale the next morning. As it turned out, we were bucking a headwind all night long, and no extra time was made up.

[PescadoAmarillo]

At dinner, we pieced together the missing details, from people who closer to the action....

 

The ship's anchor somehow became dislodged...I heard the word "broke" but that wasn't the case...the chain was still there with an anchor attached to it, but somehow it slipped off the ocean floor, as a result of the very high winds. That was when we saw the ship start to turn. People who were on the ship said they definitely felt the movement, and knew something had happened. At that moment, there was a tender boat pulled up next to the ship, and about 8 people had already gotten off. Then the ship started to turn, the tender reared up on the water and came down (and here is where reports differ a bit) either at enough of an angle that the post on the tender platform smashed the side window of the tender, or else something on the platform broke and sent something (a pulley, a harness, I'm not sure) flying through the tender window. At any rate, the tender window (this was tender T1) was smashed, and some people inside were a bit covered with glass (although there were no serious injuries). The tender immediately moved away from the ship and stayed there for awhile (we saw this happen from the shore) as the ship was trying to regain position, and eventually the tender came back to the island, where people sat on it for a while (time estimates were 1:15 spent on the tender). Eventually they were disembarked from the tender, the the ship's senior doctor, who was at the first aid station on the island, treated the minor injuries. And then, once the ship was repositioned, they were reloaded and taken back to the ship, with quite a story to tell.

 

So here's my amateur conclusions:

 

First, I will never hope beyond hope that we get to tender to Princess Cays. Instead I will trust that, if we don't tender over, there's a reason for it and it's for the best.

 

Second, once I am there, I will personally pay closer attention to the weather and the tender operations, and will not simply trust that I will be able to return to the ship as planned. I will also take more than a bathing suit and a coverup just in case I have to be driven 100 miles down Eleuthera to meet up with the ship.

 

And I have just two issues with how Princess handled the situation:

 

After the first communication at 2:45, we were never updated again. Even after 4pm came and went, and it was obvious that there were still serious issues with what was going on, we were never told anything, including what an alternative might be. It was only because people walked to the front of the line and asked that we found out what the backup plan was.

 

And if Princess employees had simply walked around earlier in the afternoon and advised that we might want to start heading back due to weather, we would have, and there wouldn't have been several hundred people left on the island when the weather got quickly worse. They have radar on the ship...certainly they knew that a front was quickly approaching. There might have been a couple of people who had left the beach area and gone off to explore the island, but Princess Cays is one tender port where people largely stay in a small area and are easily regrouped.

 

But, saying that, we were never in any danger. It was an adventure, and I'm sure some people were nervous and sick on the tender, but the mood was more fun, like it was a roller coaster ride. In fact, we were singing songs (Gilligan's Island theme) while waiting in line for over 2 hours, so it was not all bad. We were cold and the sand was blowing, but those were minor discomforts. And I was glad to hear the the ship's doctor was still on the island in case someone had had a medical emergency.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Back on the ship again, and we first ate (it had been 6 hours since we'd eaten!!!!:eek: ), and then went back to our cabin to start packing. We wanted to go the the premiere showing of Save the Last Dance which was at 8:15, but were still in the dining room then, so we squeezed in some packing and instead went to the 10:15 show. We were excited about this...first, we worried that they wouldn't get to do it, so we were glad that we were going to be able to see it, and also, production shows are our very favorite. There were a bunch of people in the audience from the production company, the choreographer (who also coreographs Dancing with the Stars), the costume designer (ditto) and others, all suited up and wearing corsages, versus the passengers who were all in shorts and tshirt and jeans as we were mid-packing.

 

I am not a Dancing with the Stars person (only watched it once), so I'm sure I don't have the same appreciation for the whole thing that others will, but I found Last Dance to be a good production show. Not my favorite...it was basically 4 or 5 different dance style themes with some singing. It didn't tell a story, there was no (or limited) narrative, just mostly dancing with some singing. The steps were great, the costumes devine, but it just kind of rolled along at a monotonous tempo, so it frankly wasn't quite as fun as other productions shows Princess does. JMO.

 

I checked the internet for alternative flight options and weather conditions (we were certain we were going to miss our flight the next morning, which, sadly was the only direct flight between FLL and DEN of the day), and we prepared ourselves to arrive home 8 or 9 hours later than planned.

 

The biggest thrill the next morning was coming into Fort Lauderdale (cold, but sunny) during daylight, past all those gorgeous condos and homes. Usually it is dark, or almost dark, when we sail by. We were alongside about 9:45, and then began the whole on board customs/immigration thing. Unfortunately, a few people who had to go through customs did not respond to the pages, holding us all up, and we were getting kind of tense. Some people knew for sure they would miss their flights, but we were kind of borderline. We got off the ship at 10:30 (the first group), and into our taxi at 10:40. The taxi driver got to the airport in just under 5 minutes...he ran 2 stops signs and one red light (that we saw). We were so pressed back in the seat that we couldn't move away from it enough to put on our seat belts...finally, my husband got his on and I wrapped my arm through his. I had those flashing thoughts about certain death, but we made it alive to the airport terminal. Due to the quick action of a skycap, who grabbed our passports and ran inside to check us in (I would normally never let my passport out of my sight, but my brain was still smashed against the back of my head and I wasn't thinking clearly), we made our flight. Of course, the standby folks weren't happy to see us, but that's the way it goes.

 

We arrived home to 25F and feet of snow still on the ground, with more snow and subzero temps forecast for this week. :(

 

Some final thoughts...

 

This was a wonderful cruise. We particularly like the ports, the new linens on the beds (love the duvet), the new, thicker bath towels, the pillows, the mattresses, the plentiful hot water in the shower and the way the shower water temp didn't fluctuate mid shower (as we've had on other ships), Verdi's restaurant, the whole dining room experience (food was very good to excellent, and service was largely very good), the Elite benefits, Captain Peter Russell (the best, a lot of fun), watching sailaways from the front of the ship just above and behind the bridge wings, so we could watch the captain and he would talk to us and wave, the CD Janet Edwards (she really MADE the second cruise for us), our fun CC roll call members, the burger grill and the crew who worked there, all the bar waiters, the aft terraces and pools, the entertainment (very main stream, but the classical pianist was a nice touch), our cabin steward Withun and Shani from the Cruise Staff...what a dear. And all the ship's crew we passed on deck (the ones who don't directly interact with passengers) who almost always greeted us and smiled. Very nice!

 

The not so good...no indoor pool, limited outdoor seating at the buffet, the surliness (really) of some of the boutique staff and a few others, including some of the head waiters in the dining room, who really should be a bit more friendly and welcoming. In fact, we were only "welcomed" to the dining room about half the time, the other half we were simply asked how many and what cabin. Come on now! And a bit too often we got the sense that passengers in general (not us in particular) were being silently ridiculed and tolerated at best. Not good. They can say what they want behind the scenes, but in public ought to be a bit more hospitable. Again, not everyone, and not always. Just a theme recurring enough to be troublesome.

 

The ugly...the toilet situation, sometimes, the wet carpeting outside public restrooms (giving us a new possible noro culprit and encouraging us to wash our hands before and after handling our shoes), the come and go sewage smells in the hallways, the buffet in general (except for breakfasts and the Italian buffet on the last sea day).

 

We loved it, wish we were still there, and can't wait till we return to a Princess ship! Thanks for reading!

 

Jeannie