Trinity's Crown Princess Review 10/5 - 10/12

[PrincessMelody]

Crown Princess 10/05/08 to 10/12/08

Eastern Caribbean

 

I've cruised Princess a total of four times...twice on the Crown and twice on the CB. BF's first cruise. We are in our late 30's.

We had our pre-cruise stay at the Hampton Inn. It was nice, and offered a port shuttle.

 

Embarkation was slower than usual, we arrived at about noon, and didn't make it to our cabin until 1:25. The check-in took quite a while...we were told that the computers were down for a bit. No big deal though. BF's card key didn't work to open the cabin door, but passenger services made him a new card right away.

We were in an aft mini-suite on the Dolphin deck. It was nice, and the balcony was great. Our steward was Amando. He was efficient, and kept the cabin clean. Only a few minor issues...first, we didn't get the sailaway glass of champagne, or the nice little plate of cookies that always awaits us in the minisuite. We mentioned it, and he seemed confused, but showed up later on that evening with the champagne.

 

The ports were fine...I had been to all of them before. Princess Cay was awesome as usual!! We just chilled on the beach, had some drinks and had a wonderful day. Grand Turk we just relaxed on the beach for a while, and picked up some liqour from the shops. Got a great deal on Grey Goose!! St. Maarten we hit the shops and jewelry stores of course! St. Thomas we made a beeline for Bernard Passman, where I picked up my engagement ring!! I had it sized and engraved and it is so beautiful! It's the Quadrillion ring in platinum for those in the know.:p We bought liquor at every port, and only once did they take it. Go figure...

 

The food was good overall. I wasn't wowed, but I did find plenty that I liked. We had anytime dining, and mostly ate in the Michaelangelo. The service was varied...but we had fun with the wait staff anyway...HELLO NEWMAN!! One of our waiters was Newman, and we gave him the whole Seinfeld business...it was hilarious. I missed having some of the menu items from previous cruises, such as escargot, Lobster Thermidor, the avacado boat with tiny shrimp and salsa...not sure what they are called, but they were awesome and I missed them. King Crab was served on the second formal night, Thursday, and Friday was Lobster night. Both were delicious and plentiful. Earlier in the week they served a lamb shank that was to die for!! The souffles were yummy as always. We did the Caribe a couple of nights as well and were pleased. Not a ton of choices, but what we had was good. We usually did Horizon Court for breakfast, and it was just okay. Nothing much thrilled me there. It was always crowded too. I wish I could tell everyone that you don't have to form one giant line!! If one station is busy, go to another one!!

But anyhow, the pizza rocks!!! The burgers and fries rock too!! Yum. Ordered room service a few times, and it was surprisingly good too, even though it was just sandwiches and snacks. We loved the International Cafe too!! The cookies, the little sammies, the pastries...oh my!!! Oh, and those mushrooms!!!

 

The ship was as lovely as before. I don't see her showing much wear yet. The crew was courteous, but not overly friendly. They sort of seemed a bit distracted...not quite as attentive as usual. We did enjoy meeting Gerardo the bartender...he was super nice and attentive. He made me his special concoction when I was feeling a little queasy during that one rough night. It worked like a charm! Also Isabella in the International Cafe was so sweet, and made a mean Americano. My BF got the Coke card, which was $34.21 with gratuity. My coffee card with insulated mug was $34.50 with gratuity. It is good for 15 coffee drinks. Well worth it since I love my coffee. You can also get unlimited cups of the good brewed coffee at the atrium bar. You show your coffee card, but they don't punch it for brewed coffee.

 

We didn't go to any of the shows this time...because I spent so much time in the casino!:eek: I did pretty good though, and won about $1000 over the week. Not too bad for a cruise ship!! We did see the doowop group Spank in the atrium several times, and they were really good!!

 

I visited the spa for a swedish massage, and it was wonderful! No hard sell on products either. I won a $50 coupon so didn't have to pay full price. Also had my hair done at the salon, and Stevie did an awesome job on my hair.

 

The deck party on island night was a blast!! The CD Kelvin was a hoot. They had chocolate dipped bananas and they were to die for!!

 

So overall, the food was good but not great (with a few exceptions). The service and crew was good but not great...also with some exceptions. The ship was great. The weather was quite good. International Cafe was awesome. The shops onboard were pretty much the same as always...it would be nice if there were some more variety. The ports were very nice...although for St. Thomas I would MUCH rather dock in Havensight than Crown Bay. They had some good movies on the MUTS including Sex and the City and the new Indiana Jones movie. Plus football on Sunday and Monday too which was cool. This was not the best Princess experience, but it was still very good overall.

 

That's all I can think of right now. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I'll do my best to answer for you.

 

[sultan_sfo]

Thanks for the nice detailed review.

Princess appears to have discontinued those cookies -- not had them on the last 3 or 4 cruises. Hence the confusion.

 

Crown Princess 10/05/08 to 10/12/08

Eastern Caribbean

...

Only a few minor issues...first, we didn't get the sailaway glass of champagne, or the nice little plate of cookies that always awaits us in the minisuite. We mentioned it, and he seemed confused, but showed up later on that evening with the champagne.

...

[PrincessMelody]

Thanks for the nice detailed review.

Princess appears to have discontinued those cookies -- not had them on the last 3 or 4 cruises. Hence the confusion.

 

You're welcome!:)

 

Thanks for the info about the cookies...that's too bad. They were really tasty!

[JWJs]

Nice review. Enjoyed reading all of the detail you provided. Your engagement ring sounds fabulous.:) :) :) What fun. Thanks for posting. We will be on the 12/20 Emerald and it's going to be the 1st time our Princess ship docks at Crown Bay instead of Havensight. I think that's going to be a bummer...will have to figure it out when we get there. I've always loved sailing into and out of St. Thomas and docking at Havensight. It's just going to be different now.

[PrincessMelody]

Nice review. Enjoyed reading all of the detail you provided. Your engagement ring sounds fabulous.:) :) :) What fun. Thanks for posting. We will be on the 12/20 Emerald and it's going to be the 1st time our Princess ship docks at Crown Bay instead of Havensight. I think that's going to be a bummer...will have to figure it out when we get there. I've always loved sailing into and out of St. Thomas and docking at Havensight. It's just going to be different now.

 

Thanks! It's not too bad docking in Crown Bay I guess...just not much there, and not nearly as picturesque as Havensight. If I recall correctly it's $4 for the cab ride to Havensight.

 

Hope you have a great time on the Emerald!! I hope you'll tell us all about it when you return.

[Colo Cruiser]

Glad to hear your cruise was great, thanks for the review. :)

[hightownCO]

Melody, thanks for your review. Will be boarding Crown 10 weeks from today!

 

That's great that you did so well in the casino. Any particular machine???

 

Congratulations on your engagement and getting your ring!!

[tinkerbell_2]

Nice review and accurate. We too loved Spank, they were fun and very good! We walked away with $800 at the casino - not too bad either.

 

Congrats on your engagement!

[Oh2Travel]

Thanks for the review trinity1. We'll soon be boarding the Crown and also staying at the Hampton pre cruise. What restaurants are in the immediate (walking vicinity) of the Hampton? Did the shuttle to port run smoothly? Did you sign up for a time to shuttle at check in or was it first come first serve?

 

What themes were offered at the evening buffet (if you recall)?

 

What shops are there at the Crown docking area? I'm really disappointed at not docking at the scenic bay area near Havensight. :(

[Web]

Trinity, I enjoyed your review & agree with it. We were on the same sailing. It was good, but not great. . . . I think that for us, the ship was just too big with too many people. THe lines were pretty bad- especially for embarkation & then the key card snafu directly afterwards. Neither of ours worked.

 

I did not like docking in Crown Bay- unattractive, compared to Havensight & then the line to get in the 'open air shuttle" and THEN the wait for Dude to actually take us downtown.- St Maarten was a little better with some shops available, but the wait for the water taxi was a real buzzkill.

 

Overall I had a good time myself, DH a little less enthusiastic. He wouldn't agree to booking any of the FCCs. It appears that we will go back to Celebrity for our next cruise.

[kerrytens]

Thanks so much for the review!!! I'll be on the Crown in January for my very first cruise - sooo excited, BTW:D I do hope others will post reviews too as it would be interesting to see if some of the 'just OK' things start to improve with subsequent sailings???

 

I would like to hear more about Grand Turks - we plan on just hanging out too now that the original Carnival volunteer possibility has been changed for a tour of the devastation. I will be saving a good portion of funds to spend there. I've heard about Jack's Shack - was it up and running? I may take a walk down the beach to find it.

 

Anyway, a big congrats on the engagement. I'm happy you were able to get your ring too!!

 

Miriam

PS. Considering the two casino wins that have been announced, I may have to give it a go myself. :)

[mii]

I agree with sultan SFO, we have not had cookies in a mini site for a few years now. We did get the champagne though.

 

Marilyn

[dforeigner]

Thank you for taking time to write a review.

[HRHMadonna]

Trinity1...Thanks so much for your review...I hope you'll also submit it to the CC "Reviews" Board where it would have a permanent home...Maybe you've done that already...You posted a lot of useful info and I'd hate to see it "drop off" this page before more people have a chance to read it. :)

 

PS Kerrytens....Check out "Reviews" at the top of this page....You'll find several already posted on the Crown's E. Caribbean itinerary 2008.

[PrincessMelody]

Melody, thanks for your review. Will be boarding Crown 10 weeks from today!

 

That's great that you did so well in the casino. Any particular machine???

 

Congratulations on your engagement and getting your ring!!

 

Thanks!! You will love the Crown!!

I hit on several quarter machines...here are a couple of shots of the ones I hit on. :) The first one is a 2 coin Big Times Pay, and I hit like $300 on it, and the other one I can't remember the name of the machine, but you can't miss it!! I hit $250 on it.

Hope you have great luck too!!

[desperatewifeandmother]

Thanks for the review! While on board did you here anything about the Ultimate Card?

We are sailing on the Emerald on Jan 9/09 with a stop in St Thomas- Where can I find out where we will be docking? Thanks.

[PrincessMelody]

Here are a couple more...

[PrincessMelody]

Nice review and accurate. We too loved Spank, they were fun and very good! We walked away with $800 at the casino - not too bad either.

 

Congrats on your engagement!

 

Thanks!!

 

Congrats to you too...nice win!!:D

[PrincessMelody]

Thanks for the review trinity1. We'll soon be boarding the Crown and also staying at the Hampton pre cruise. What restaurants are in the immediate (walking vicinity) of the Hampton? Did the shuttle to port run smoothly? Did you sign up for a time to shuttle at check in or was it first come first serve?

 

What themes were offered at the evening buffet (if you recall)?

 

What shops are there at the Crown docking area? I'm really disappointed at not docking at the scenic bay area near Havensight. :(

 

Hi there! McDonalds is right next door. There are also three pizza places that will deliver right up to your room...just ask the front desk for menus. There are several other restaurants close by, just let the front desk know, and the shuttle will deliver you to the restaurant, and pick you up when you're done. Very nice.

 

The port shuttle was perfect. Sign up for it when you check in. We took the noon shuttle, since they don't start boarding until 1.

 

The buffet themes were:

 

Day 1 - No theme...that I noticed...lol

Day 2 - Down Island Buffet

Day 3 - Seafood Extravaganza

Day 4 - Bavarian

Day 5 - Rijstafel Buffet

Day 6 - Island Night

Day 7 - Creole

 

The shops at Crown Bay are...Diamonds International (Of Course), Royal Caribbean Jewelry, A.H. Riise, and Bernard Passman Gallery...along with a few various liquor and souvenir shops.

 

Hope that helps!! Enjoy your Crown cruise!!:)

[PrincessMelody]

Trinity, I enjoyed your review & agree with it. We were on the same sailing. It was good, but not great. . . . I think that for us, the ship was just too big with too many people. THe lines were pretty bad- especially for embarkation & then the key card snafu directly afterwards. Neither of ours worked.

 

I did not like docking in Crown Bay- unattractive, compared to Havensight & then the line to get in the 'open air shuttle" and THEN the wait for Dude to actually take us downtown.- St Maarten was a little better with some shops available, but the wait for the water taxi was a real buzzkill.

 

Overall I had a good time myself, DH a little less enthusiastic. He wouldn't agree to booking any of the FCCs. It appears that we will go back to Celebrity for our next cruise.

 

Thanks for posting...I agree, some of the lines were kinda long. I totally agree about Crown Bay. I've heard Princess has a contract to dock there for the next few years...:(

 

I've seriously considered trying Celebrity, and I'd love to hear some more info and comparisons that you could give.

[PrincessMelody]

Thanks so much for the review!!! I'll be on the Crown in January for my very first cruise - sooo excited, BTW:D I do hope others will post reviews too as it would be interesting to see if some of the 'just OK' things start to improve with subsequent sailings???

 

I would like to hear more about Grand Turks - we plan on just hanging out too now that the original Carnival volunteer possibility has been changed for a tour of the devastation. I will be saving a good portion of funds to spend there. I've heard about Jack's Shack - was it up and running? I may take a walk down the beach to find it.

 

Anyway, a big congrats on the engagement. I'm happy you were able to get your ring too!!

 

Miriam

PS. Considering the two casino wins that have been announced, I may have to give it a go myself. :)

 

Hi there!

 

I didn't see much of Grand Turk other than Margaritaville, and the beach and shops. All those areas are perfect. I did hear some of the pax that did tours say that the rest of the island was absolutely devastated by Ike.

 

Congrats on your first cruise!! You picked an awesome ship!! Don't worry about a thing, I'm sure it will be wonderful!!:D

[PrincessMelody]

Trinity1...Thanks so much for your review...I hope you'll also submit it to the CC "Reviews" Board where it would have a permanent home...Maybe you've done that already...You posted a lot of useful info and I'd hate to see it "drop off" this page before more people have a chance to read it. :)

 

PS Kerrytens....Check out "Reviews" at the top of this page....You'll find several already posted on the Crown's E. Caribbean itinerary 2008.

 

I will make sure and post it there too! :)

[PrincessMelody]

Thanks for the review! While on board did you here anything about the Ultimate Card?

We are sailing on the Emerald on Jan 9/09 with a stop in St Thomas- Where can I find out where we will be docking? Thanks.

 

 

Hi there!! I did ask several crew about the "Ultimate Card", and none seemed to know what I was talking about...hmm...:confused:

 

I believe that all the Princess ships visiting St. Thomas will now be docking at Crown Bay. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Hope that helps...Enjoy your cruise!!!:D

[kerrytens]

Trinity1...Thanks so much for your review...I hope you'll also submit it to the CC "Reviews" Board where it would have a permanent home...Maybe you've done that already...You posted a lot of useful info and I'd hate to see it "drop off" this page before more people have a chance to read it. :)

 

PS Kerrytens....Check out "Reviews" at the top of this page....You'll find several already posted on the Crown's E. Caribbean itinerary 2008.

 

 

Thanks! I'll check out the review section.

Miriam

[kerrytens]

Hi there!

 

I didn't see much of Grand Turk other than Margaritaville, and the beach and shops. All those areas are perfect. I did hear some of the pax that did tours say that the rest of the island was absolutely devastated by Ike.

 

Congrats on your first cruise!! You picked an awesome ship!! Don't worry about a thing, I'm sure it will be wonderful!!:D

 

I am really looking forward to my first cruise (have to admit, I LOVE my countdown clock - check CC daily :D ). The Crown sounds absolutely spectacular and I have no doubts at all that I will be blown away by everything!

 

Miriam