Caribbean Princess Review: March 16-23 Sailing

[AriesLV]

I promised myself that I would post a review of my first cruise, mostly because of all the enjoyment I got reading everyone else’s during the 135 days between purchasing our cruise and stepping on board. I decided to post here, in case anyone had questions. This cruise was the Eastern Caribbean route from March 16-23. I'll post and then check back as I get the chance. So, without further ado, here it is.

THE SHORT VERSION: Had a fantastic time, can't wait to do it again, was treated by the staff like I was the first person to ever board the ship and boy were they happy about it. Couldn't have asked for a better vacation.

THE MUCH LONGER VERSION:

THE TRAVELLERS: I turned 41 on the last day of the cruise, and my partner is 37. Neither of us have ever cruised before, and even after reading reviews and everything else posted on cruise critic, had no idea what to expect exactly. We travel during the peak spring break times because I’m an English professor, and it’s a good time for us to travel. Last year we went to London, the year before a week-long jaunt along the Oregon coast, and the year before that was a week in San Diego. I suppose all of this information could be relevant, but I’m not quite sure how at this point.

We got to Ft. Lauderdale on March 15th (really, really late) and stayed at the Hampton Inn City Center, which I would highly recommend. It’s not as close as a lot of the more popular hotels near the cruise port, but I got it for $116/night. In case you are wondering, it was a 15 minute cab ride which cost us $20, but only because we’re generous tippers (the fare was actually $15.16). The ride to the ship in the morning was another $20, including tip. The hotel was very clean, we were greeted warmly by the night staff, and there was no one in the hot tub when we got there. This was especially pleasing after a long flight.

DAY 1: EMBARKATION: We got to the ship at 1:30pm, gave our luggage to the porters (with a $3 tip to ensure our bags weren’t lost – and yes, that was a joke / I did it because they were really working hard), and started the process. We walked into the embarkation building, got registered, got our key card, and walked onto the ship. It was that easy. We were in our room 21 minutes after we stepped foot out of the shuttle bus (and yes, I timed it). There was staff posted all over to direct us to where we needed to go, which I thought was nice. Our bags arrived in the room within the hour.

DOLPHIN 606: This was our stateroom (look at me with the nautical terms!). It was a mini-suite, and we loved it. In addition to the bed, the mini-suite has a “sitting area” with a couch, a table, a chair, and a second television. For us, that extra room was invaluable. We would have been cramped to death without that extra space. We’re like to “decompress” in our rooms occasionally, and I doubt we could have done that in a smaller room. I believe we also had larger bathrooms. We met our cabin steward, Arturo, before we even got into the room. He brought us champagne. We immediately liked him. For the entire cruise, he greeted us by name, kept our room clean, and always met us with a smile. We couldn’t have asked for more.

After that, we went exploring. It’s a big ship. Really big. And yet, as others have noted, there were many, many “intimate” spaces throughout the ship where you could sit and chat, have a drink, whatever. We rarely felt that we were on a ship with over 4,000 people on it (I’m including passengers and crew here). I found the condition of the ship to be excellent. Everything was clean, was kept clean throughout the cruise, and I didn’t see any signs of wear and tear. We saw them doing work here and there throughout the cruise, like varnishing wood and such. It never got in our way

MUSTER DRILL: at 4:15 we were required to meet for the safety drill. Our group met in Sabatini’s; it was pretty crowded, and a lot hot, but it was over in 15 minutes. I heard a lot of complaining about it, but I’ve seen Titanic and read A Night To Remember, so how could I complain? Have we learned nothing from history?! After that, it was time to get ready for dinner. As newbies to the cruising cult, we decided to do traditional dining. However, there was a problem. We really wanted to watch the ship leave the harbor, with all the hoopla that entails, and we (the ship) were late leaving. We skipped dinner to watch. As it turned out, we only went to traditional dining twice, on formal nights. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve come to realize how rude that was. We didn’t plan to keep skipping, but ‘things’ kept happening. I eat every day, but how often can I watch the ship leave St. Thomas or St. Maarten? I feel even worse about it because our traditional dining tablemates were so nice. We met John and Terri from Dayton, Terry and Gloria from Knoxville, and Wes and …oh crap, I can not remember Wes’ girlfriend’s name (from Chicago). Oh honey, I’m really sorry if you are reading this. My point here is that we really enjoyed their company and the wonderful conversation we had on those nights we did show up. I think we would choose Anytime Dining the next time or perhaps the later traditional dining seating, if only to avoid my guilt of being rude.

Anyway, after watching this hoopla, we had missed our 6pm seating, so we went to the Anytime dining room. We were seated, ordered dinner, and then started chatting with the couple next to us: Samantha and Mark, who, as it turned out, were getting married on Tuesday. We had such a good chat that they invited us to their wedding! We went, of course, and it was a beautiful ceremony performed by the Commodore. [by the way Sam and Mark, if you are reading this, we need your email address: we have pictures!]

OTHER PASSENGERS: The people we saw on the ship ranged from under 5 to one older lady who had to be 108. I thought it was a really nice mix of ages, socio-economic levels, and ethnic backgrounds. We heard a lot of British and Spanish accents around the ship too (with the dollar being so weak, cruising is a tremendous bargain for them –or so they told us). My biggest “worry” about this cruise was that the ship would be overrun with spring breakers, out of control teens, screaming kids, and drunk frat boys. This was not the case. There were a LOT of kids (defined as under 21 –by me); in fact, I heard the number 800 from one of the crew. It wasn’t a problem for us. They were kept busy, apparently, in places where I was not. We saw youth security everywhere the kids were hanging out (couldn’t miss them – bright yellow “youth security” shirts). If they were near the adult pools, I didn’t see them. I was, however, accosted by about 40 tiny pirates one evening (no kidding – they had little pirate hats and little pirate face tattoos). They came streaming past me with the youth staff along for the ride. To be honest, it was about the cutest and funniest thing I’ve seen in awhile. I even got a few “aarghs” from them.

PRINCESS CAYS: Hello, and welcome to paradise. It was fantastic! We tendered over, found two lounge chairs in the shade, rented snorkeling equipment, and had a perfect day. It was my first time A) swimming in an ocean, and B) snorkeling. I loved them both. I’m sure it was not a good snorkeling spot for those of you who have done it before, but for a first timer, it was perfect.

Not being sure what to expect, we wore shorts and t-shirts to the island, and had our bathing suits in a bag. Not necessary –don’t bother. Just wear your bathing suit and be done with it. Rookie error on our part, I suppose. One of my best memories of the cruise was sitting on a lounger and drinking a Coco Loco out of a carved coconut in the shape of a monkey’s head. Pure bliss. After reading through other reviews, we both bought water shoes before leaving home. We found them to be essential, as the water was full of little stones, bits of coral, big stones, sea life, etc…

This review is getting a little long, so I’m going to be less detailed. It’s not like you need to know my every waking thought anyway J

ST MARTIN: We had intentions of going to the beach (Orient), but as it turned out, most (possibly all) of the beaches were closed. The ocean didn’t look all that rough (I pictured ‘rough’ as lots of white caps), but the swells (more nautical terms!) were pretty heavy. The seas were so rough, in fact, that the Costa Fortuna, which was docked next to us, had three mooring cables snap (think rope cables as thick as your arm – well, my arm at least; you may be thinner). We also watched as the ramp off the ship bobbed up and down as much as 3 feet in each direction. One guy told us there were 8 foot waves crashing into the beach where he was. Instead of beach time, we went shopping. By the way, I would highly recommend the Guavaberry Emporium. Get a Guavaberry Colada – they were fantastic ($6 each, and well worth it on a hot day!).

ST. THOMAS: We took cruise critic advice and headed right for Magen’s Bay first thing. Clearly, a lot of people shop first and beach second. When we got to Magen’s Bay (9am-ish), there were maybe 100 people there. When we left at 12:30, there were probably 1,000. It’s a beautiful beach, and it was a wonderful place to spend several hours. For the record, you can rent lounge chairs and snorkel equipment, there was a place to eat, bathrooms were relatively clean, and there were showers (but they were saltwater showers, so be warned). They were perfect for getting the sand out of your swim suit and butt (and let’s face it, getting the sand out of your butt is really the key here). The taxis on St. Thomas are regulated, as far as I could tell, with pre-set prices to most of the places you are likely to go. We were docked at Crown Bay, and it was $4/person to Charlotte Amalie. I believe the price to Magen’s Bay was $8/person, but I wouldn’t swear to it. I seem to remember just giving our cab driver a $20 for the two of us. You also will need $4/person to get into the Magen’s Bay area. I’m sure that $4 goes for lifeguards and keeping it clean. It was worth it to me for a very clean beach and restroom. A note of caution: I’m sure the water conditions change daily, but the swells were pretty high the day we were there, and the undertow was strong. I am 6’ and weigh 250 lbs, and the pull was considerable. I would not have let a child of mine near the water that day. We spent the rest of the day shopping.

SHOPPING ST. MARTIN AND ST. THOMAS: Here are my thoughts of the shopping meccas. If you are looking for jewelry, perfume, some electronics, and/or watches, you are going to love shopping these islands. We bought a lens thingy (sorry if my technobabble confuses you) for my partner’s Cannon Rebel Xi for about $150 less than Best Buy at home (that’s his story at least – I have no idea). If you are a smoker (and I am), cigarettes are pretty darn cheap too. However, most of the rest of it is crap. Don’t get me wrong, I love shopping crap stores (you know the type; they are found everywhere tourists go: t-shirts, tacky souvenirs, etc). If I did it again, I’d just go into the first t-shirt shop, get my obligatory “I Heart St. Thomas T-shirt,” and go to the beach. And I should know - we came home with 11 new t-shirts. We found plenty of 4 for $10 t-shirts, if you need gifts for people you really don’t like that much. The quality t-shirts seemed to be pretty much the same price everyone (within a dollar or two, at least). Back to the smokes: if you don’t smoke, just skip to the next paragraph. St. Martin had MUCH better prices on cigarettes: we found $12.95 cartoons the average, with one store selling them for $10.95. The average price on St. Thomas was $18.95. Since my partner pays $31.95 a carton for Marlboro Lights here in Las Vegas, those $12.95 cartoons were amazing. I smoke Salem Ultra-Lights (regular), but couldn’t find them anywhere, only the 100s. Salem Lights were plentiful though, and they cost $37 in Vegas. I know that there are customs regulations about only buying a certain number of cigarettes, but we were never checked. We also bought rum on St. Martin, which should have been confiscated on the ship, but it wasn’t. Just saying. I imagine it depends on who is manning the re-boarding stations on the ship.

SEA DAYS: There is so much to do on the ship – it boggles the mind. We are not “joiners,” meaning you will never find us at the Sexy Legs Contest. I kind of regret not joining the SailAway Party though. We generally slept late, had breakfast (or in one case, lunch), and spent several hours at the adult pool at the back of the ship reading. It was relaxing in a way I would have never understood until I experienced it. It was great because the Caribe Café is right there at the back of the boat, so every hour or two one of us would run in, get a plate of snacks, and go back to reading. I think the white noise of the water at the back just lulled me into a trance state on most days. I kept finding myself staring out into the ocean for 10-15 minutes at a time, having forgotten to read. In short, loved 'em, and never felt bored.

ENTERTAINMENT: I’m not sure how, but we managed to miss most of the shows. It wasn’t intentional, but we kept finding ourselves occupied (wink wink nudge nudge). Anyway, we did see the hypnotist, and it was worth every minute. We heard a lot of people talking positively about Beatles Mania, but we didn’t go. Everyone seemed to like Sarge, from what we heard, but we missed him too. MUTS is not to be missed. I could not believe how clearly you could see the screen (even in the bright sun) and how clear the sound was. To be honest, the whole concept of MUTS sounded really dorky to me, but I’m a believer now.

We also did two “Scholarship at Sea” lectures. The first was a lecture from the navigator about…well, what do you think? I don’t doubt that he was a first-class navigator; he was not, however, a first-class public speaker. He showed us maps and made astounding pronouncements like, “this is where we started,” and “this is where we will be tomorrow.” After ten minutes, we left (although mostly because I could not stop laughing). The other program was a demonstration by the head chef. He prepared four dishes, and then we got a tour of the kitchens. The tour was really interesting, but the presentation part was painful to watch. Our cruise director, Dan, would not shut up. I would have liked to see the chef talk about the dishes he was making, but oh well.

The casino was fine, but TIGHT! I didn't see anyone winning anything, although I certainly wasn't in there much after the first 24 hours. I won nothing, not a cent, after $100, so that was it.

FOOD: I have to admit to being surprised at how bad the food was. I read so many reviews about how great the food is on cruises, and my parents raved about the food they had on the Island Princess a few years ago. To be absolutely frank, it was, in my opinion, mediocre-quality buffet food, regardless of where you were eating. I have some experience with buffet food, since I live in Las Vegas (land of the buffet). We ate at every food venue on the ship: the Island Dining Room, the Coral dining room, Sabbatini’s, Sterling, Caribe Café (just a mini buffet really), the pizza place, and the Trident Grill (burgers, hot dogs, fries), and even Scoops, the ice cream place. There were certainly a few good bits here and there, like the tortellini and spinach soup starter one evening, but it was pretty nasty otherwise. Honestly, the list of the food I actually thought was above average contains about 10 things. I didn’t starve, however, and let’s be practical: no matter how good you are, cooking no less than three meals a day for 4,000 people is a monumental task, and there’s just no way you are going to please everyone. I would have liked to be pleased at least once though. Princess has, in my opinion, done a fantastic job on service and presentation of that food though. I just found everything lacked seasoning (bland) and was never quite at the right temperature. I should note that I am allergic to shellfish and just don’t like most other kinds of seafood, so perhaps that’s where they shined. I would not pay again for either Sabbatini’s or Sterling, but am glad I tried them. The service in each was outstanding, but again, I didn’t find the food any better than anywhere else on the ship. The pizza was reasonably good though at the pizza place. I think that was the most consistently good food I found. I would recommend avoiding the Bavarian Night Buffet at all costs. In fact, it became a joke to us: “well, it’s not the best thing I’ve ever eaten, but at least it wasn’t the Bavarian buffet!”

One special angry note about Scoops: what the f?! You read on the menu that you are going to get three enormous scoops of premium ice cream, with an obscene quantity of toppings and so forth. I am being quite literal when I say that my “sundae” was three itty-bitty scoops (as if they used a melon baller, no joke!!) of absolutely taste-free ice cream with a quantity of whipped cream (fake) that would not have filled up a shot glass. On top of that was a sad little cherry, which looked a little embarrassed to be there. They were also the only surly crew members I ever encountered. And for this I paid $3.75? I was actually offended by the whole thing. Offended by ice cream – can you believe it? I’m a little embarrassed actually, but there it is.

DEBARKATION: Sunday was a sad, sad day. I woke up, went out to smoke on the balcony, and saw that we were entering the harbor at Ft. Lauderdale. It was almost painful getting showered, dressed, and going to breakfast. We really didn’t want to leave the ship. Our debarkation group was the second to last at 9:15. It was the easiest process ever: no lines, no fuss, and our luggage was waiting for us in very clearly marked areas defined by our color group (brown, in our case). I have to admit that we did feel a little abandoned on that last day. The crew was really focused on getting us off and preparing for the next group, which was ok. We were left hanging a bit while waiting for our turn to leave, with only the tv on (I’m not sure of the channel they had on, but at one point I sat there watching a killer whale eat an entire sea lion. This was probably not the most appropriate parting memory for us. Some of the children seemed a little unhappy about seeing Shamu with just a tail hanging out of his mouth. Was there no CNN?).

ODD THOUGHTS:

· On port days (all day, not just while you are docked), the spa has specials. We both did the 20-20-20 special: Three 20-minute massages from a list of 6. For example, I did the 20-minute head/scalp massage, the 20-minute hot stone back and neck massage, and the 20-minute foot massage. The price was $99 (the hot rocks are $10 extra, so if you don’t do them, it’s only $89). It was well worth the price (and not particularly expensive, based on Las Vegas massage prices)

· We found the coolest spot on the ship, where we never found more than about 4 other people. If you have seen the ship, you probably know where the ship’s bridge is. We call in the Geordi LaForge, which is only funny if you are a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Anyway, it’s at the front of the ship, and it’s that part that sticks out on both sides. On top of that sticky-out part, there’s an observation deck. Passengers are allowed up there, but it doesn’t seem to be listed anywhere. One of the crew members showed us (thanks Callie!). You go to the bank of elevators at the front of the ship. Go to Deck 15, go to the port side, and walk all the way forward. You’ll find an unmarked door, which takes you outside. It’s an incredible view, especially as you leave port.

· Tanning: I suppose this is going to be a controversial observation, but here goes. I am really fair skinned, and I very easily get burned and sunsick. I live in the Mohave Desert, and I’m still pale, so that should tell you something. On the advice of a few people, I tanned for a month before we left. Articles I read on the internet said it wouldn’t help, but it did. I bought a 30-day tanning package, went every three days for the first two weeks, and every other day for the second two weeks. I only used the heavily filtered tanning beds. Naturally, I also used sunscreen (Bullfrog brand, 45 –highly recommended, by the way). I was face down in the water for 90 minutes at Princess Cays, and no burning. I was in the ocean at Magen’s Bay for two full hours – and no burn. This is a minor miracle, as I burn while walking to the mailbox and back.

· If you have the spare room in your suitcase, consider taking a pair of binoculars. I had fun scanning the many islands and other cruise ships we passed.

· When you sail by the Dominican Republic (if you do), watch the waters around the ship. We saw hundreds of flying fish, and they were pretty cool to watch.

· Pictures: they are stupidly expensive, but fun. I think they’d sell 80% of their pictures if they just dropped the price to something less offensive. That said, we bought a lot of them. You can’t put a price on memories. Wait, you can, and it’s about $20 a shot.

FINAL THOUGHTS: No offense, but I was wondering if a lot of you weren’t just a little nuts when it came to cruising. I even started to refer to it as “the cruising cult.” I now understand why. I played on beaches, and wore my suit twice. I parked my butt on a lounger and read an entire book one afternoon, and spent the previous day visiting an island paradise. My room was cleaned three times a day, and I met a whole lot of really nice people. What’s not to love?! Sure, I was disappointed in the food, but it really doesn’t seem all that important when I look back at all the fun I had. I felt that I got good value for the money, and the memories (and 1200 pictures between the two of us – thank god for digital photography) will last and last. I would cruise again in a second, and I would definitely consider going with Princess again. We may try another cruise line, if only for comparison purposes, but I would not hesitate to sail with Princess again. In short (too late, I know), I would recommend the ship and line to my friends, and if you are going on the CB soon, have a Coco Loco for me.

[dforeigner]

Thank you for taking time to write a review.

[Guest arowe6]

Thank you both for a very funny and honest review. Glad you both had a good time. Are you going to be posting any more photos? If so, please let us "crusing cult" know. I'd love to see more pics.

 

-Andrew :)

[teripp]

Thanks for the review. I love the long ones. The details were great. And I too Smoke Salem Ultra lights ( 6 bucks a pack in CT) so ST Martin is the place to go. Tell me were they stale? A lot of times they are......

[chasinraynbowz]

Thanks for the GREAT review! I enjoyed reading!

[Trannynanny]

AriesLV, thanks for your review! I loved reading it. You're a very good writer. You must do it for a living! We're going on 5-11 so I really appreciate your honesty about the food...I guess we'll find out for ourselves.

 

Thanks again:)

 

P.S. Your doggies are cute!

[Clutterlady]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the great and honest review. After reading another review on the CB, I feel so much better with my cruise on the CB coming up in May:)

[nevis92]

AriesLV,

 

Thanks for your detailed and well written review. I was on the same cruise as you with my wife and kids. In fact, I think we were on the Thrifty shuttle with you after the cruise. I'm glad you enjoyed your first cruise.

[Kaye from Chicagoland]

Thanks for a great review. Sounds like you had a terrific time. Sorry you didn't enjoy the food selections, but glad you are open minded about it. Next time, do ask the waiter for his/her recommendations - they usually know what is best. Where to next?

[Desert star]

LOVED your review! You sound like such a happy person.

[dewats784]

My husband and I are going on the Caribbean Princess in May. Thank you for such a wonderful review. I don't like spicey food and thought the food on the Grand Princess was wonderful. I am looking forward to the "bland food" on the Caribbean Princess. I am so looking forward to snorkeling on Princess Cays. We missed doing it in January and am anxious for my husband to try it. He doesn't think he will enjoy cruising, so I am hopeful that this short little jaunt will convince him that I am not crazy when I tell him how wonderful it is!! Thanks again for your review!

[genevieve7000]

Loved your review! Food tip...stay away from the buffets except for poolside snacks....it's glorified dorm food. The seafood, without exception, in the dining room was fantastic....we didn't try any meat.

[AriesLV]

AriesLV,

 

Thanks for your detailed and well written review. I was on the same cruise as you with my wife and kids. In fact, I think we were on the Thrifty shuttle with you after the cruise. I'm glad you enjoyed your first cruise.

 

Did you guys have a good time? It's hard to tell after debarkation - we all looked so depressed ;)

[nevis92]

Did you guys have a good time? It's hard to tell after debarkation - we all looked so depressed ;)

 

We had a good time. Princess didn't quite live up to my expectations but we had a great week with beautiful weather.

 

It normally takes me five days to really get my "cruise-groove" so I normally am ready for another 7 days at the end of the week. I think 10 days would be ideal but who can take off that much time? I need to work harder so I can retire early.

[AriesLV]

My husband and I are going on the Caribbean Princess in May. Thank you for such a wonderful review. I don't like spicey food and thought the food on the Grand Princess was wonderful. I am looking forward to the "bland food" on the Caribbean Princess. I am so looking forward to snorkeling on Princess Cays. We missed doing it in January and am anxious for my husband to try it. He doesn't think he will enjoy cruising, so I am hopeful that this short little jaunt will convince him that I am not crazy when I tell him how wonderful it is!! Thanks again for your review!

 

I can't believe I waited nearly 41 years to try the whole snorkeling experience - it was awesome! I've attached two of my underwater photos. I'm not sure if you'll be able to see the fishies, but they are there. Had I known how cool it is, I would have booked the Turtle Bay excursion!

[dewats784]

I can't believe I waited nearly 41 years to try the whole snorkeling experience - it was awesome! I've attached two of my underwater photos. I'm not sure if you'll be able to see the fishies, but they are there. Had I known how cool it is, I would have booked the Turtle Bay excursion!

 

What type of camera did you use to take the pictures? On my last cruise we just bought an underwater camera, but of course it didn't take pictures like yours. Had thought about one of the plastic things to go over my digital camera, but have read they don't really work very well and you are taking a chance with your camera. Thought your pictures were great!! I can see the fish!!!

[AriesLV]

Thank you both for a very funny and honest review. Glad you both had a good time. Are you going to be posting any more photos? If so, please let us "crusing cult" know. I'd love to see more pics.

 

-Andrew :)

 

 

I think I just added a link to Flickr with a few pictures. It wouldn't let me download many photos though, but you get the idea.

[Ripley's Lady]

Thanks for the full review!

I've always been curious about Princess.:cool:

[AriesLV]

What type of camera did you use to take the pictures? On my last cruise we just bought an underwater camera, but of course it didn't take pictures like yours. Had thought about one of the plastic things to go over my digital camera, but have read they don't really work very well and you are taking a chance with your camera. Thought your pictures were great!! I can see the fish!!!

 

I just bought a Kodak underwater camera from Walgreens. I think it was "Kodak Sport" or something like that. It's pretty cool - comes with a big rubber band, so you can strap it to your wrist and it won't float away. I had the film developed on the ship. It was a little more expensive than I would have paid at Walgreens, but I couldn't wait an entire week to see the results :o

[djhsolara]

Thank you so much for your review. My partner and I are going on our third sailing (first on Princess) in May. Our other two sailings were on HAL, which we loved.

 

Your review was very honest and fun to read. Thanks again!!

[Guest arowe6]

Thank you. Your pics bring back wonderful memories. :p

 

-Andrew

[MichTraveler]

Thanks for taking the time to write a detailed (and funny) review. If you do Princess again, be sure to look into the Future Cruise Credits. Having an FCC gives me something to hope for between bookings!

[dfishner]

Loved your review it was detailed, funny and it was like being there. We are going on the CB the first week in May first time for us on Princess so am looking forward to it.

[nashgirl]

Wow thanks for the honest review.. the good the bad the ugly it helps us who are yet to know...!

Do you remember any specials regarding excurisions? and what about spa deals? I am hesitant to book lotus spa just yet as on the carnival cruise the offered 'one time daily' deals.. every day but they were discounted.

My best friend of about 25 yrs and I are doing the Single Cruise thing but very interested in mingling with all the cruisers!

Thanks

Tam

[Crusin Karen]

Thanks for the review. We were just assigned cabin D615. Across the ship and down a little way from you.