Crown Bay ... Love It Or Not?

[roe2ship]

I hope Crown Bay is not ready for two large ships on July 19th. This day is when I will be in St. Thomas along with the Crown Princess. I hope the Crown docks at Crown Bay and the CB is forced to dock at Havensight. Probably wishful thinking.

[djandnic]

[quote name='roe2ship']I hope Crown Bay is not ready for two large ships on July 19th. This day is when I will be in St. Thomas along with the Crown Princess. I hope the Crown docks at Crown Bay and the CB is forced to dock at Havensight. Probably wishful thinking.[/quote]


Call the Navy and ask if they could park a sub or two at Crown Bay on July 19th just to be sure!:D

[roe2ship]

[quote name='djandnic']Call the Navy and ask if they could park a sub or two at Crown Bay on July 19th just to be sure!:D[/quote]
LOL, great idea!

I once worked on a Navy Base so I have some sources.:D

[Skitter]

We docked at Crown Bay twice and did not like it at all. I think if Princess docks their passengers at a isolated location, they should provide free shuttles to Havensight or downtown.
Skitter

[kendon]

Skitter, good idea at least until the port becomes something. I suggested that also. Everyone wins.

[cruisencarol]

[quote name='Skitter']We docked at Crown Bay twice and did not like it at all. I think if Princess docks their passengers at a isolated location, they should provide free shuttles to Havensight or downtown.
Skitter[/quote]

Princess went to crown bay to save money and have a place to dock. Free shuttles would not save them money!

I do not like crown bay either. But, if that is the most annoying thing on a 1 week cruise it must have been an excellent cruise. Cruising keeps expanding someone had to start using crown bay.

If it bothers you that much cruise with someone else. Princess can't change their contract now.

[m steve]

they wouldn't use that syrup to make the swill they call coffee. All their decisions are bottom line oriented. I love Havensite as we can get off ship, order our liquor to be delivered to the ship, pick up a car and head east to Secret Harbour for the day and avoid the crowds and traffic in CA.
We docked at Crown Bay a year ago and it was quite inconvenient and wasted a hour having to drive to get the car, fight traffic cross town and end up at Havensite to shop.

[peterv]

I can just imagine what the marketing survey would have looked like. :D

Please select one:

I would like to dock at an old grungy rundown pier.

I would like to dock a beautiful new "State of the Art" docking facility dedicated to serving you in the best possible way. No expense has been spared to make this facility the "Best of the Best".

But seriously, I can see that this pier would have a use when there are many ships in port, or the more massive ones such as QM2 or Freedom/Liberty of the seas.

But not if there are only 3 ships in port, why not all dock at Havensight.

Cheers,
Peter

[Spender Nui]

[quote name='peterv']I can just imagine what the marketing survey would have looked like. :D

Please select one:

I would like to dock at an old grungy rundown pier.

I would like to dock a beautiful new "State of the Art" docking facility dedicated to serving you in the best possible way. No expense has been spared to make this facility the "Best of the Best".

But seriously, I can see that this pier would have a use when there are many ships in port, or the more massive ones such as QM2 or Freedom/Liberty of the seas.

But not if there are only 3 ships in port, why not all dock at Havensight.

Cheers,
Peter[/QUOTE]



Crown bay is not new to accepting cruise ships, although it hasn't been on a continuing basis. Over the years we've docked there several times...and didn't like it then either.

[CruiseNut7]

[quote name='crissyp']So I'm alittle confused....we're sailing the crown in July and will be in St. thomas on July 10th... do you think we'll be docking in Havensight???
This is our first princess cruise and my first time to St. Thomas...After reading many many posts about these two piers, it seems that everyone prefers Havensight. Does anyone know where we might be docking???:confused:
Thanks, Crissy[/quote]

[B]Crissy[/B] - please don't let where you dock influence your FIRST visit to St. Thomas or your FIRST Princess cruise. We were on the Caribbean Princess and docked at Crown Bay less than two weeks ago on April 5th. We've docked at Havensight many times as well and took a taxi into town on those occasions. It did not make a big difference to us personally - there were jitneys and shuttles to take you to town. I do NOT like tendering into any port.

Livin4Real wrote a terrific review of the Caribbean Princess and it includes a picture of Crown Bay - the photo with the red roofs. Here is the link if you haven't seen the review already (great job, Brian & Carrie):
[URL]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=536096[/URL]

Have a great cruise and enjoy St. Thomas! :)

[Clarkk W Griswald]

[quote name='CruiseNut7'] there were jitneys and shuttles to take you to town. I do NOT like tendering into any port.[/quote]

Tenders are free, it will cost 1 person $8 roundtrip to town and back. Family of 4 = $32 just to go to town.

[quote name='CruiseNut7']Livin4Real wrote a terrific review of the Caribbean Princess and it includes a picture of Crown Bay - the photo with the red roofs.[/quote]

Yes, those red roofs sure are pretty, but, too bad they are all covering empty buildings!

[m steve]

So their prices are a little higher than St. Martin your duty free allowance is so much greater. Unless you are a real smuggler who want to gamble that US Customs won't find out what they are bringing back you can do very well in St. T. And customs is much more lenient if you go over your quota in STT. Lying to customs could bring on a big fine or even jail time.
And I trust the established shops there more than the Indian negotiators who overprice everything in STM and bargain until it gets to the real selling price.

[pablo222]

[quote name='djandnic']That makes two of us!!!!!!;)

pablo222

I didn't count the WWII subs as cruise ship docking, but that's the only way I'll go back to Crown Bay is if I'm drafted and stationed on a sub!:D[/quote]

You wrote:
"...a port that has only been used since October of 2006"

As I said, we docked there in November 2003 on Sun Princess.

...and several other times on various ships.

Your assertion that crown bay has only been used for cruise
ships since October 2006 is completely false.

[m steve]

Definately not Princess. They only care for their profits and you come last.
Crown Bay is years away from being a reasonable docking facility unless you are taking a ship to go to the airport. Really a lousy location. Was a great place to get a 25c rum in 1961 when it was called the sub basin.