Caribbean Princess 8/12/07

[oh_cruiser88]

We are planning on booking this last minute cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. This will be our (wife, two teens) 1st cruise on Princess. We had cruised on Carnival Miracle before and it was great. I have been reading the reviews on Caribbean Princess and there are a few negative comments that i have found in each one. According to the reviews, the food is not good and the service is horrible. Should I book this cruise?

 

thanks

[g35]

well, that depends on how important food is to your family. i've not cruised on princess before but booked a cruise for my family based on the ship, ports of call and value.

 

some of the negative comments i read about food IMHO were from apparently gourmet chefs who expected high-end gourmet meals for 3100 people! comments like "eggs were too dry" "sausage too peppery" etc is a matter of opinion - personally i like my eggs dry :) [/font][/color].

 

i sincerely don't think that food is so horrible that it is inedible - it just may not be up to food critic expectations. the bottom line is i believe my family will be well fed and be very happy with food, as my they are not accustomed to 5 star resturants.

personally, i wouldn't let the food be the deciding factor if the ship, timing and itinerary is right.

[suzyaz]

I take other's views with a grain of salt. I go for the iternary. And the ship. Price helps a lot too.

I'm going on this same ship in September. It's our 1st time on Princess, but 4th crusies.

We are traveling with our neighbors, it's our 3rd cruise with our neighbors. And that is a lot of fun going with great friends.

Our motto is: """The worst day of cruising is better than a day at work"""

 

So go and enjoy.

[tennisobo]

We have sailed on the Caribbean Princess and are booked again for January. We have found the food on all Princess cruises about the same. There's something for everyone unless your expectations are unreasonable. We had very good food and very good service the last time we were on the CB. We're going back, aren't we? :D

 

I think you can find negative comments on just about everything on every mainstream cruiseline.

[Colo Cruiser]

Here is the current roll call for that cruise.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=500623

[Whimsy]

We sailed on CB last year and the food was fine. Some dishes we liked better then others but I find that everywhere I eat. BUT, what other restaurant can you send something back because it isn't to your liking and try another dish? Or for that matter, go to the buffet after dinner if you absolutely couldn't eat anything and are still hungry? :rolleyes:

 

I think some people just can't be pleased.

[cruzkitty]

We sailed the Caribbean Princess last Sept, and I have booked again for this Sept. I love this ship! The food was fine, some being great, some I passed on. But there's always enough variety to please just about anybody! My Advice:

 

BOOK HIM, DANIEL!!!!;)

[Whimsy]

I forgot to add:

 

Our service was wonderful too!

 

I think there is truth in the saying:

 

Everywhere you go, there you are.

[nailsmhc79]

We did this cruise in January and we were very happy with the food and the service provided. We had 2nd seating for dinner and the food was normal Princess fare. Wait staff was very attentive and after the 2nd night had our ice teas wating for our arrival every night.:) My only disappointment was that most of the evening activities started while we were still at dinner, so we missed some of the kareoke and theme night shows. Were able to make the 2nd stage show though on any evening we wished. Did a catamaran & snorkel sail in St. Martin which was very nice, but did not get off the ship in St. Thomas or Princess Cays as it was very nice to have most of the ship to ourselves on those days.

 

If the pricing, time, and itinerary fit your plans I say give it a shot.

[CruiseNut7]

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

 

You will always find positive and negative reviews about any ship. We've sailed on the Caribbean Princess twice and she is my favorite out of 20 sailings thus far.

 

The deal-breaker for us is Personal Choice Dining ..... we enjoy eating at a time of our choosing! There are lots of options - the dining room, buffet, the very good Cafe Caribe and specialty restaurants. With teens this may be a plus for you as you're not locked into a dining schedule.

 

Our service has always been very good to excellent with the best cabin steward ever on our last cruise in April. My 24 year old DS felt there was more of a party atmosphere on Carnival - Princess is a bit more subdued, but you can alway have a great time.

 

Best of luck on your decision!

[oh_cruiser88]

Thanks everyone for their input. I called my TA and booked the cruise!:) I booked a balcony(on the caribe deck) and an interior for the kids. Now I just need to figure out excursions to do at each port. We are stopping in St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Princess Cays. any ideas?

 

thanks!

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks everyone for their input. I called my TA and booked the cruise!:) I booked a balcony(on the caribe deck) and an interior for the kids. Now I just need to figure out excursions to do at each port. We are stopping in St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Princess Cays. any ideas?

 

thanks!

 

 

Congrats on the booking, enjoy!! :)

 

I would try to go to St John while in St Thomas.

[bubbadog]

the ports of call boards will have alot of info for you,just look up wich ports you are going to see,and have a great cruise:))):p

[Romy40]

You are going to have the BEST time!! We sooooooo enjoyed this ship and the islands. You can read my review from October 2006 if you wish.

ENJOY!

Wish I was going again!!!!!

We just finished a Carnival cruise, and Princess is BETTER.

[timsbabe]

Thanks everyone for their input. I called my TA and booked the cruise!:) I booked a balcony(on the caribe deck) and an interior for the kids. Now I just need to figure out excursions to do at each port. We are stopping in St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Princess Cays. any ideas?

 

thanks!

 

Good decision! We will also be on the same sailing...my husband, daughter (19) and my parents. How old are your teens? After reading many threads on this board it sounds like there will be plenty to do for the kids, especially if yours are under 18. The only tour we booked thus far is the bungalow at Princess Cays. We've been to St. Marrten and St. Thomas before, but still not sure what we're doing.

 

Well, happy planning...it will be here before you know it!! We booked in February so it seems like forever, but only 9 weeks away now!

[g35]

Congrats on the booking, enjoy!! :)

 

I would try to go to St John while in St Thomas.

 

 

congrats on booking the cruise! enjoy!

 

btw...if you do go to st. john, catch the ferry from red hook. while waiting for the ferry you can grab the best inexpensive meal in red hook at burrito bay - they have the most unique and best tasting burritos anywhere.

[Jeal]

Good for you for booking the CB. We have sailed both the Miracle and the Caribbean Princess. I have to say that in our opinion the food especially the desserts were much better on the CB.

We had great service on each of the cruises. Truthfully, we have never had a problem with service on any cruise we have been on.

You are going to love the CB. Make sure you make time for MUTS.

[janetz]

We just cruised Carnival last September and the food is not nearly as good as Princess. We tried Carnival :rolleyes: and we are back to Princess. The service is excellent and the food, as I have said, was very good. The anytime dinning is a plus for us as we like to be flexible and eat when we want. There is an adults only pool aft which is very nice. The kids will have a ball and so will you. There is so much going on. The pools are fresh water and open late. Post when you return. I would love to hear your thoughts. Enjoy! :)

[kendon]

I'll be on this cruise with my husband and two teenage boys. We've been on this ship twice before and honestly it's my least favorite (but still good) -- too big, more casual than I prefer, and the staff is stretched too much and service suffers. We are on it because we like Princess and go to the Caribbean twice a year for the guys to dive. Generally a good cruise. Try it. Hop on over to the roll calls (there are currently two which may merge at some point).

[SUN TURNIP]

I Have Sailed Her 2 Times And Would Do It Again... My Husband And I Are Mid 20's We Had A Great Time On Both Trips.. I Must Add That We Do Not Nitpick Every Little Thing....if You Do Then You Will Have A Horrible Time!

 

Good Luck!!

[oh_cruiser88]

Good decision! We will also be on the same sailing...my husband, daughter (19) and my parents. How old are your teens? After reading many threads on this board it sounds like there will be plenty to do for the kids, especially if yours are under 18. The only tour we booked thus far is the bungalow at Princess Cays. We've been to St. Marrten and St. Thomas before, but still not sure what we're doing.

 

Well, happy planning...it will be here before you know it!! We booked in February so it seems like forever, but only 9 weeks away now!

 

My daughter is 17 and son is 13. We have not booked anything for our ports. I'm still reading on there is to do at each stop. What did you enjoy the most at St. Marrten and St. Thomas?

[oh_cruiser88]

Good for you for booking the CB. We have sailed both the Miracle and the Caribbean Princess. I have to say that in our opinion the food especially the desserts were much better on the CB.

We had great service on each of the cruises. Truthfully, we have never had a problem with service on any cruise we have been on.

You are going to love the CB. Make sure you make time for MUTS.

 

I'm glad to hear that. The family all thought the Miracle had great food and service so I'm glad that the CB is going to be just as good. We are looking forward to MUTS. That was one of the many reason why we choose to go with CB.

[janetz]

Last time we visited St.Marten, we took a taxi from port to www.Divilittlebay.com It is less than 10 minutes from port. There you can use their facilities, and they rent wave runners, etc. It was alot of fun. :D

[g35]

Last time we visited St.Marten, we took a taxi from port to www.Divilittlebay.com It is less than 10 minutes from port. There you can use their facilities, and they rent wave runners, etc. It was alot of fun. :D

 

 

looks fabulous, however can non-resort guests use the facilities? i didn't see anything mentioned about this on their site.

[timsbabe]

My daughter is 17 and son is 13. We have not booked anything for our ports. I'm still reading on there is to do at each stop. What did you enjoy the most at St. Marrten and St. Thomas?

 

Last time in St. Thomas we just really enjoyed the shopping and sightseeing. If you're in the market for jewelry (and who isn't!) this is the place. We also took the ferry to St. John which is an absolutely beautiful island. This time we are thinking of either a daysail to St. John or just taking the ferry over and relaxing all day at one of their beautiful beaches. In St. Marteen we actually rented a car and drove around the island ourselves. We ended up at Orient Beach (there is a clothing optional section there, so might not be the best place with kids!) It was very interesting. A friend of mine was a cruise director at the time and she told us exactly where to go and what to do. I hear that the America's cup race is a great thing to do there. We may try that this time...not really sure about St. Marteen.

 

Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll have a great time. Happy planning and maybe we'll see each other in August!