crown review - mar 29 - apr 5

[sanjay]

crown princess

March 29, 2008

This was our first cruise on Princess. As Princess is famed to be a higher-end cruise line, we were quite excited - especially after having enjoyed Royal Caribbean’s glamorous Freedom of the Seas just three months ago.

 

OVERALL SHIP

Immediately after embarking on the ship in San Juan, both my wife and I had sinking feelings in our stomachs. The Crown Princess has a 3-floor promenade, which pales in comparison to Freedom's ten plus storey atrium.

 

Overall, the ship felt small and claustrophobic. We noticed that several rooms had dropped ceilings (which were already low), contributing to a boxed-in feeling. The elevators were the worst, as they were small and cramped with dim lighting.

 

In terms of facilities on board, Crown Princess had everything covered (minus Freedom's signature flow rider and ice skating rink). However, because of the design and layout of the ship, areas were inaccessible (since decks were often closed due to high winds/unknown factors) or impossible to find. The layout was non-sensible, and you even had to walk along a corridor of staterooms to get to the sundeck/lunch area!

 

one thing we loved on Crown was the movies under the stars ("muts"). muts was great; however, there are 5 movies a day! the screen is hard to see in the daytime and if you are interested in lounging and sunning, the noise is very distracting. however, the movies at night were great, and there was even rock band for the teenagers to play on the big screen. and, not to foreshadow the rest of the review, but the popcorn was just about as good as food gets on the ship.

 

another interesting thing crown has is an area called 'the sanctuary'. this made no sense to me - it was always empty...probably because you have to pay $10 for a 4 hour pass. (note: RC has relaxation adult-only zones for free!) the sanctuary was largely unattended and my wife & I snuck in and used the hot tub sans pass twice (at night). the sanctuary occupies one of our favourite areas on the ship, looking out into the horizon - it was such a shame that this space was inaccessible to 95% of the passengers. even if you were inside, there were walls to indicate privacy - so you couldn't see out anyways.

 

OVERALL SERVICE

 

service was absolutely fabulous, minus two small points: 1. 'yummy yummy drinks y'all!' every 3 minutes (no exaggeration) as you are on the deck. you're asked several times by several different people. this happens on all cruise lines I’ sure - but I’m feel badgered. ill get a drink when I want one.

 

2. my wife is a yoga fanatic, and being away from class for a whole week was hard for her. naturally, she enrolled in the 'yoga program' - 2 classes for $20. after the first class, she came back amazed - not only was the instructor not trained in yoga, but he actually told the class to do hurtful moves (for example, locking knees, which can cause hyper extension). to top it all off, he asked for tips! for a yoga class! I’ve never heard of such a thing. needless to say, she did not go to class 2.

 

OVERALL FOOD

 

not much to say here, except - bring granola bars. lunch is like a venture into ponderosa. breakfast is okay.

 

dinner was hit or miss. some days my wife didn’t touch her entree, other days the food was great. we booked one evening at the steakhouse- fabulous. we regretted not eating there every night. finally, there is a small cafe on deck 5. it has free snacks and small sandwiches until 4 or 5,at which point it serves tapas for a small charge. it also serves ice cream for a small fee. the food here was great, until we realized - it is exactly the same snacks and sandwiches all 7 days. no variety. who knows if it was fresh or not?

 

I’d also like to point out that RC's cafes had a far wider selection and was free, all the time.

 

i'd also like to point out that it's so menial to charge $3 for a plate of food, or $1.50 for ice cream. charge me $25 more for the 7 days and let me eat without swiping my card. it just promotes a much nicer, classier atmosphere.

 

it was also very confusing when it was free time and when it wasn't, so people were hesitant to ask for food in the event they had to pay.

 

OVERALL PORTS

 

the itinerary on this ship made up for all of its shortcomings. thankfully,

there was only one day at sea. the ports were beautiful and spectacular in every way imaginable.

 

OVERALL OPINIION

 

Cruise princess again? no. we're already planning booking our next cruise for this fall- on royal Caribbean or celebrity.

[Pam in CA]

Thanks for the review and your perspective. While you love the mall-like atrium on the RCI ships, that's one thing I didn't like. I would much rather have better use made of that space.

 

I'm not sure why people would be confused about what food is free or not. It's really kind of easy if you put it into this perspective: the only food on Princess that you pay for is the "Specialty" food; everything in the buffet and dining rooms is free.

 

Thanks for posting your review.

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

Im not sure why you expected a big atrium. Princess simply is not about flash, its more about elegance. RCCL's atriums, to me, look like a shopping mall which the last thing I want to see while im cruising.

That being said, thanks for the review and I am glad you liked a few things.

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

Thanks for the review and your perspective. While you love the mall-like atrium on the RCI ships, that's one thing I didn't like. I would much rather have better use made of that space.

 

I'm not sure why people would be confused about what food is free or not. It's really kind of easy if you put it into this perspective: the only food on Princess that you pay for is the "Specialty" food; everything in the buffet and dining rooms is free.

 

Thanks for posting your review.

 

Thats funny that we both used the mall comparison, I hadn't seen your post because we posted at the same time. :rolleyes:

[CRUISEMANIA99]

 

not much to say here, except - bring granola bars. lunch is like a venture into ponderosa. breakfast is okay.

 

What do you mean by this? Can you elaborate?

[CrusinAgain]

Thanks for the review and sorry you seem to like Royal Caribbean better but you do need to remember that RCI is a heck of alot more expensive than Princess so in fact you are paying for things up front whether or not you use it on RCI.

[friend of Eeyore]

I'm sorry you were disappointed. We've been on the Crown twice, and enjoyed it both times. This is why one should always do their research.

Immediately after embarking on the ship in San Juan, both my wife and I had sinking feelings in our stomachs. The Crown Princess has a 3-floor promenade, which pales in comparison to Freedom's ten plus storey atrium.

 

Overall, the ship felt small and claustrophobic. We noticed that several rooms had dropped ceilings (which were already low), contributing to a boxed-in feeling. The elevators were the worst, as they were small and cramped with dim lighting

Here is one of my big disagreements with your review. I, like other posters, don't think I'd like the big promenades on RCL. I thought the Crown's atrium was beautiful. As for the small places, the Crown was designed this way, so that you wouldn't feel crowded on a big ship. On my cruise the week before yours, I seldom felt like I was on a large ship.

another interesting thing crown has is an area called 'the sanctuary'. this made no sense to me - it was always empty...probably because you have to pay $10 for a 4 hour pass. (note: RC has relaxation adult-only zones for free!) the sanctuary was largely unattended and my wife & I snuck in and used the hot tub sans pass twice (at night). the sanctuary occupies one of our favourite areas on the ship, looking out into the horizon - it was such a shame that this space was inaccessible to 95% of the passengers. even if you were inside, there were walls to indicate privacy - so you couldn't see out anyways.

I do agree with you on the cost of the sanctuary. Knowing it's history though, it's a little more understandable. On the first 2 cruises of this ship, this area was MOBBED with adults, and even a few fights over chairs occurred. They instituted a fee to keep the area more serene. However, when you thought you were "sneaking in", you were actually just finding your way to the FREE spa pool - it is not through the Sanctuary gate (just through the door marked Sanctuary), and is also accessible from the spa. I like the spa pool, and the fact that few adults know it's free.

 

I do agree with you about the service being wonderful. And, on my cruise (before yours), I also found a few meals I didn't want to eat. The wonderful thing about Princess though, I promptly sent for a different entree and ate it instead. And, I often got the fettuccine alfredo for a side dish with my main meal - YUM!

 

I hope you will enjoy your next cruise on RCL, just as I'll enjoy my next cruise on Princess - it's good to have so many choices!

[Cathy p]

Thanks for taking the time to write your review. Sorry your cruise wasn't what you expected. That is why we have so many cruises to choose from, everyone enjoys something different. Nothing like opinions, aren't they great!:D

[tigerlilycruiser12]

I have been on the Crown Princess 2 times when it sailed from NY. I never been on RCCl but will this oct. I hate to fly and like to cruise out of NY. I would give anything if the Crown would come back to NY in the falls. It was a beautiful ship and I thought the food was fantistic. I love their selection.

 

I have no idea what you mean when you said bring granola bars??????

 

Sorry that you did not enjoy the Crown. There are many choices out there. I just wish the crown would come back to NY.

 

marie

[Colo Cruiser]

OVERALL SHIP

Immediately after embarking on the ship in San Juan, both my wife and I had sinking feelings in our stomachs. The Crown Princess has a 3-floor promenade, which pales in comparison to Freedom's ten plus storey atrium.

 

Overall, the ship felt small and claustrophobic. We noticed that several rooms had dropped ceilings (which were already low), contributing to a boxed-in feeling. The elevators were the worst, as they were small and cramped with dim lighting.

 

 

Thanks for the review, I am most thankful that there is not a mall onboard as well.

I actually thought the elevators were some of the most brightly lit of any ships on the high seas and although I would not like to be in one, they will hold 18 people. :eek:

 

 

Enjoy RCCL

[KKB]

I agree it is wonderful that we can all find lines that please us, but it is understandable we don't all like them all. I don't think Princess is considered higher-end...it is a mid-priced line just like RCCL and Celebrity.

 

Princess is designed to feel intimate even w/ 3000 on the ship...thus why you might have felt claustrophobic. We find it classy & intimate.

 

Food...sure haven't loved EVERYTHING on our trips, but have ALWAYS found very good food for every meal. I could NEVER compare any of Princess' food to Ponderosa. And I hate granola bars.:p As stated by OP, if something isn't to your liking, just tell your server & they will get you something else. I had fetticine alfredo SEVERAL times on the last cruise as nothing else was hitting me....OMG, I know that is why I gained 3 lbs. on this last cruise! And the daily steak, chicken, or salmon were always very good.

 

The layout of the Star is similar, and a tad confusing the first day or 2. But once figured out, no big deal. We did find the elevators slow & crowded. I just always take the stairs (unless in heels), that way I get my exercise, too! I also did not care for movies by the pool during the day on Disney...loud, and difficult to see.

 

I also agree w/ another OP...we had intended to try RCCL for our next cruise, but Princess continues to trump on price. We have paid around $500pp for each 7 day cruise. RCCL is always AT LEAST $150pp more. I'd rather be charged extra for what I WANT than to simply pay more so some feel it is "classier". (and we find Princess to be VERY classy) We have never felt the need to do speciality dining on Princess as we feel the dining room food is very good. (this from me, a foodie, and DH who is not picky at all).

 

To another post, though, there IS extra charges for certain items at certain times at the International Cafe on the Crown. Sounds confusing to me, guess I'll figure it out. (Disney had a similar cafe...I decided to eat their our last sea day, and the items looked a bit weepy by the end of the cruise. Unfortunately, a bit the nature of the beast. I will be sure to try the International Cafe at the BEGINNING of the cruise!)

 

And other than sailaway, I do not EVER remember servers badgering me to buy a drink....frankly, they don't come around often enough for my taste!;)

[BJS]

crown princess

 

OVERALL FOOD

 

not much to say here, except - bring granola bars. lunch is like a venture into ponderosa. breakfast is okay.

 

dinner was hit or miss. some days my wife didn’t touch her entree, other days the food was great.

.

 

Thank you for the review. It is wonderful that there is more than one cruise line to choose from. If we all liked the same one we'd never get a cabin.

 

Would love to hear your explanation as to why bring granola bars and where you ate lunch that it was like a venture into ponderosa. We sail on the Crown in 4 weeks and hope you don't mean in the dining room. :confused:

 

It is to bad your DW went hungry rather than ask for another entree. I'm a very fussy eater and have never not been able to find something I've enjoyed even if it was an always available entree or a special dish that was prepared for us.

 

Hope you will enjoy your next cruise more than you did this one.

 

.

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

I think the OP means bring granola bars to eat in substitute for meals...

I dont cruise to eat granola bars though.

[sanjay]

What do you mean by this? Can you elaborate?

 

a bit of sarcasm of course -- but i found the lunch food especially to be of very inferior quality (honestly...like ponderosa) -- on most days we'd end up eatting burgers or pizza outside so we could skip the caribe cafe.

[InternetDiva]

Thanks for your review!! We will be sailing on the Crown on 4/26/08. We cannot wait!!! We sailed on the Caribbean Princess 2 years in a row! Before going on Princess we sailed with strictly Royal Caribbean/Celebrity. We LOVE MUTS!! What a great concept! And Personal Choice Dining too. I was never too hungry, for dinner, on Royal Caribbean...even with late seating. I want to eat when I get hungry.

 

Royal Caribbean used to offer pretty good discounts on their cruises. Now....they don't "discount" their sailings and being a Crown & Anchor Member doesn't seem to offer many discounts for sailings either since they have limited the discounts to certain sailings:mad:

 

Every ship has different options that appeal to different people. I feel so blessed that I can even go on a cruise each year. Many many many people have never been on a cruise! I always enjoy my cruises because cruising is my chance to rest and relax without phones ringing,someone needing my assistance with something etc. Once I was sick on the Navigator of the Seas.....Upper Respiratory Infection. Had to stay in my cabin for 2 days:(:(. Had to visit the ship's hospital twice....but being sick on a cruise ship is waaaay better than being sick at home! LOL!!!

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Kelly

[BJS]

a bit of sarcasm of course -- but i found the lunch food especially to be of very inferior quality (honestly...like ponderosa) -- on most days we'd end up eatting burgers or pizza outside so we could skip the caribe cafe.

Glad to hear it was not in the dining room!

 

.

[CHINESE CAT]

Sanjay, I was on the same cruise and didn't experience anything like you did. I do agree MUTS in the afternoon is kind of distracting.

 

I love the luncheon menus. Not sure what the granola thing was about. As far as dinner, they were so eager to please. Did you try the fettucini served in the parmesan bowl? It is elegant.

 

You failed to mention much about the entertainment. Sarge was great as were the large production shows. Also Brett Cave at Crooners was world class if you got to enjoy him.

 

Sorry you found shortcomings in what I viewed as a fabulous cruise, despite the rocky day on Friday. I found heading north always produces rougher seas.

 

Oh, I forgot, you were right about the Crown Grille. We had dined at Morton's in San Juan and the restaurant on the ship was probably better than Morton's which was exorbitant.

[Host CJSKIDS]

crown princess

March 29, 2008

This was our first cruise on Princess. As Princess is famed to be a higher-end cruise line, we were quite excited - especially after having enjoyed Royal Caribbean’s glamorous Freedom of the Seas just three months ago.

 

OVERALL SHIP

Immediately after embarking on the ship in San Juan, both my wife and I had sinking feelings in our stomachs. The Crown Princess has a 3-floor promenade, which pales in comparison to Freedom's ten plus storey atrium.

 

Overall, the ship felt small and claustrophobic. We noticed that several rooms had dropped ceilings (which were already low), contributing to a boxed-in feeling. The elevators were the worst, as they were small and cramped with dim lighting.

 

In terms of facilities on board, Crown Princess had everything covered (minus Freedom's signature flow rider and ice skating rink). However, because of the design and layout of the ship, areas were inaccessible (since decks were often closed due to high winds/unknown factors) or impossible to find. The layout was non-sensible, and you even had to walk along a corridor of staterooms to get to the sundeck/lunch area!

 

one thing we loved on Crown was the movies under the stars ("muts"). muts was great; however, there are 5 movies a day! the screen is hard to see in the daytime and if you are interested in lounging and sunning, the noise is very distracting. however, the movies at night were great, and there was even rock band for the teenagers to play on the big screen. and, not to foreshadow the rest of the review, but the popcorn was just about as good as food gets on the ship.

 

another interesting thing crown has is an area called 'the sanctuary'. this made no sense to me - it was always empty...probably because you have to pay $10 for a 4 hour pass. (note: RC has relaxation adult-only zones for free!) the sanctuary was largely unattended and my wife & I snuck in and used the hot tub sans pass twice (at night). the sanctuary occupies one of our favourite areas on the ship, looking out into the horizon - it was such a shame that this space was inaccessible to 95% of the passengers. even if you were inside, there were walls to indicate privacy - so you couldn't see out anyways.

 

OVERALL SERVICE

 

service was absolutely fabulous, minus two small points: 1. 'yummy yummy drinks y'all!' every 3 minutes (no exaggeration) as you are on the deck. you're asked several times by several different people. this happens on all cruise lines I’ sure - but I’m feel badgered. ill get a drink when I want one.

 

2. my wife is a yoga fanatic, and being away from class for a whole week was hard for her. naturally, she enrolled in the 'yoga program' - 2 classes for $20. after the first class, she came back amazed - not only was the instructor not trained in yoga, but he actually told the class to do hurtful moves (for example, locking knees, which can cause hyper extension). to top it all off, he asked for tips! for a yoga class! I’ve never heard of such a thing. needless to say, she did not go to class 2.

 

OVERALL FOOD

 

not much to say here, except - bring granola bars. lunch is like a venture into ponderosa. breakfast is okay.

 

dinner was hit or miss. some days my wife didn’t touch her entree, other days the food was great. we booked one evening at the steakhouse- fabulous. we regretted not eating there every night. finally, there is a small cafe on deck 5. it has free snacks and small sandwiches until 4 or 5,at which point it serves tapas for a small charge. it also serves ice cream for a small fee. the food here was great, until we realized - it is exactly the same snacks and sandwiches all 7 days. no variety. who knows if it was fresh or not?

 

I’d also like to point out that RC's cafes had a far wider selection and was free, all the time.

 

i'd also like to point out that it's so menial to charge $3 for a plate of food, or $1.50 for ice cream. charge me $25 more for the 7 days and let me eat without swiping my card. it just promotes a much nicer, classier atmosphere.

 

it was also very confusing when it was free time and when it wasn't, so people were hesitant to ask for food in the event they had to pay.

 

OVERALL PORTS

 

the itinerary on this ship made up for all of its shortcomings. thankfully,

there was only one day at sea. the ports were beautiful and spectacular in every way imaginable.

 

OVERALL OPINIION

 

Cruise princess again? no. we're already planning booking our next cruise for this fall- on royal Caribbean or celebrity.

 

Sorry you didn't enjoy the cruise, I know that I certainly did. It was our 3rd time on the Crown and just loved it.

I loved the Sanctuary, stayed there all day on the last day and thought it was heaven. Next time I plan on being there every day at sea.

Just to let you know, you didn't sneak into any area of the Sanctuary, you were using the pool and the hot tubs that are part of the spa and they were open for your use even during the day. The Sanctuary was the area above that where they kept the door closed and you saw the very deep lounge chairs.

[Pam in CA]

a bit of sarcasm of course -- but i found the lunch food especially to be of very inferior quality (honestly...like ponderosa) -- on most days we'd end up eatting burgers or pizza outside so we could skip the caribe cafe.

Did you try the dining room for breakfast or lunch? Many cruisers prefer these venues and IMHO, the food is better and there are no crowds there. The nice thing about Princess is that if you don't like one spot for lunch, there are so many others to choose from. There's no need to reach for the granola bar.

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

Did you try the dining room for breakfast or lunch? Many cruisers prefer these venues and IMHO, the food is better and there are no crowds there. The nice thing about Princess is that if you don't like one spot for lunch, there are so many others to choose from. There's no need to reach for the granola bar.

 

I love lunch in the dining room, it is much more relaxed! Ill eat a granola bar on a cruise, if Princess makes it.

[tekdiva]

Wow! It is interesting how different people's preceptions are. However, I think you would have had a better time not expecting Princess to be like Royal Caribbean and just enjoyed it for what it was.

 

Question...why would anyone want to go ice skating on a cruise ship?

[Pam in CA]

Question...why would anyone want to go ice skating on a cruise ship?

You're right to question why anyone would want to go ice skating on a cruise ship but having seen a couple of ice skating shows on RCI, it's very nice entertainment and you have to really respect the skaters for performing the tricks they do while the ship is rocking and rolling. Plus, the rink is very small compared to standard ice shows.

[tapdancer_pm]

crown princess

March 29, 2008

This was our first cruise on Princess. As Princess is famed to be a higher-end cruise line, we were quite excited - especially after having enjoyed Royal Caribbean’s glamorous Freedom of the Seas just three months ago.

 

OVERALL SHIP

Immediately after embarking on the ship in San Juan, both my wife and I had sinking feelings in our stomachs. The Crown Princess has a 3-floor promenade, which pales in comparison to Freedom's ten plus storey atrium.

 

Overall, the ship felt small and claustrophobic. We noticed that several rooms had dropped ceilings (which were already low), contributing to a boxed-in feeling. The elevators were the worst, as they were small and cramped with dim lighting.

 

In terms of facilities on board, Crown Princess had everything covered (minus Freedom's signature flow rider and ice skating rink). However, because of the design and layout of the ship, areas were inaccessible (since decks were often closed due to high winds/unknown factors) or impossible to find. The layout was non-sensible, and you even had to walk along a corridor of staterooms to get to the sundeck/lunch area!

 

one thing we loved on Crown was the movies under the stars ("muts"). muts was great; however, there are 5 movies a day! the screen is hard to see in the daytime and if you are interested in lounging and sunning, the noise is very distracting. however, the movies at night were great, and there was even rock band for the teenagers to play on the big screen. and, not to foreshadow the rest of the review, but the popcorn was just about as good as food gets on the ship.

 

another interesting thing crown has is an area called 'the sanctuary'. this made no sense to me - it was always empty...probably because you have to pay $10 for a 4 hour pass. (note: RC has relaxation adult-only zones for free!) the sanctuary was largely unattended and my wife & I snuck in and used the hot tub sans pass twice (at night). the sanctuary occupies one of our favourite areas on the ship, looking out into the horizon - it was such a shame that this space was inaccessible to 95% of the passengers. even if you were inside, there were walls to indicate privacy - so you couldn't see out anyways.

 

OVERALL SERVICE

 

service was absolutely fabulous, minus two small points: 1. 'yummy yummy drinks y'all!' every 3 minutes (no exaggeration) as you are on the deck. you're asked several times by several different people. this happens on all cruise lines I’ sure - but I’m feel badgered. ill get a drink when I want one.

 

2. my wife is a yoga fanatic, and being away from class for a whole week was hard for her. naturally, she enrolled in the 'yoga program' - 2 classes for $20. after the first class, she came back amazed - not only was the instructor not trained in yoga, but he actually told the class to do hurtful moves (for example, locking knees, which can cause hyper extension). to top it all off, he asked for tips! for a yoga class! I’ve never heard of such a thing. needless to say, she did not go to class 2.

 

OVERALL FOOD

 

not much to say here, except - bring granola bars. lunch is like a venture into ponderosa. breakfast is okay.

 

dinner was hit or miss. some days my wife didn’t touch her entree, other days the food was great. we booked one evening at the steakhouse- fabulous. we regretted not eating there every night. finally, there is a small cafe on deck 5. it has free snacks and small sandwiches until 4 or 5,at which point it serves tapas for a small charge. it also serves ice cream for a small fee. the food here was great, until we realized - it is exactly the same snacks and sandwiches all 7 days. no variety. who knows if it was fresh or not?

 

I’d also like to point out that RC's cafes had a far wider selection and was free, all the time.

 

i'd also like to point out that it's so menial to charge $3 for a plate of food, or $1.50 for ice cream. charge me $25 more for the 7 days and let me eat without swiping my card. it just promotes a much nicer, classier atmosphere.

 

it was also very confusing when it was free time and when it wasn't, so people were hesitant to ask for food in the event they had to pay.

 

OVERALL PORTS

 

the itinerary on this ship made up for all of its shortcomings. thankfully,

there was only one day at sea. the ports were beautiful and spectacular in every way imaginable.

 

OVERALL OPINIION

 

Cruise princess again? no. we're already planning booking our next cruise for this fall- on royal Caribbean or celebrity.

 

I guess your wife never went to yoga on the Freedom. Their instructors arent trained either, at least not in yoga or pilates. The transformer classes were not pilates at all. And they too had their hand out for tips.

[YoPhilly]

Thanks for taking the time to write such a thorough review. The good news is that you at least tried another line, even though it wasn't what you were used to.

 

I think you'll find that Princess afficionados LIKE the smaller atrium instead of the massive "ten story" atriums on other lines. It gives a much more intimate feel to the ships. Thankfully, we have so many ships to choose from, there's a perfect fit for everyone.

[dforeigner]

Thank you for taking time to write a review. Although I find it amusing that you feel the Crown is a small ship. Yes, you are entitled to your opinion.