A Super Cruise Experience
Written: Apr 24 '07 (Updated Apr 29 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cabin, Service Decor
Cons: Very Little
The Bottom Line: Cruising is a great way to go and this is our favorite ship so far.
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| hughdm's Full Review: Crown Princess |
We are a fifty-something couple cruising alone.
Flight and Pre-Cruise
We booked air and transfers through Princess. Our flight through Miami with a 3 hour lay-over was more expensive than if we’d have booked a non-stop from Continental. Live and learn. We, another couple, and a new Princess employee collected at the Princess sign in the San Juan airport. An hour later, I called the 1-800-PRINCESS number to tell them nobody had showed up. Somebody came as a result of that call within 15 minutes or so. We got a song and dance about disrupted flights, etc. Our flight was on time, so it was just an excuse.
We had booked the Sheraton Old San Juan through Princess. The hotel was OK, but VERY convenient. We set our bags outside our room the morning of the cruise, and they were at our cabin when we embarked. We just walked across the street and boarded. Staying in Old San Juan was neat. Met another Cruise Critic couple and went to the Parrot Club for dinner. Highly recommended.
Embarkation
Princess said there was less of a wait if we boarded after 3, so we walked around San Juan until then. Toured Fort Moro and did a little shopping and had a great time. At 3 PM, we had a very smooth embarkation process, only waiting in a short line for 5 minutes or so. We skipped the duty free booze, but Princess didn’t seem to hassle those who didn’t.
The Ship
His ship is very beautiful as others have reported. The most elegant ship of the ones we have been on. All the public rooms were tastefully decorated, lots of art work. This was a full sailing, and it seldom seemed overly crowded. The exception was at evening show-time, when it behooved you to get there 15 minutes or so before the show to get a seat.
The Cabin
We had a mini-suite on Dolphin deck. This was the most spacious well appointed cabin we have had. Tiled bathroom, full tub and shower, large closet, seating area with couch and chair, and a lighted make-up desk were features we liked. The balcony was not covered, but it didn’t bother us. There were two chaises, a small table and a larger table with two upright chairs. There was surprisingly little wind. We spent a lot of time out there. The ship was smooth and quiet, although the weather and seas were very smooth. The bed was very comfortable and we slept like babies. Our steward Eliseo was great. Our pre-requested robes were in our room. He added a top sheet as we requested. Our room was always spotless and prepped.
The Food and Restaurants
We had Anytime Dining. This was a positive experience for us. We found a table and server combination our second night in the dining room and then reserved the same combination at times that suited us depending on our tours and show plans. The food was very good. Great Beef Wellington, lobster, crab legs, etc. Our waiter Panya and his assistant George were efficient and friendly. We only ate in the buffet a couple of times. It was OK. Buffets are just not our thing in general, as we come on a cruise to get waited on! We did the Crown Grill one night. It was good, but not super. The dining room was as good, basically. We did not fit in Sabatini’s. Maybe next time. We did both the balcony breakfast and dinner. We enjoyed the breakfast, but the dinner was not to be missed and worth the extra $100. HUGE lobster tails highlighted a 5 course dinner with a personal server who was great. We also enjoyed the International Café where one could get great pastries in the morning and salads and desserts free the rest of the day. Vines had great cooked sushi. No raw, though.
Shows and Entertainment
The production shows were excellent and the comedians were great, especially Sarge. We also tried Crooner’s Lounge, where there was a great female piano player/singer. There was live classical music in the Piazza every evening.
Ports and Tours
St. Thomas
We had seen the Atlantis Submarine on other cruises but had never done one. This was a great experience. Everyone has a view outside as you cruise in and out of a reef about a 30 minute boat ride away from the ship. We saw two sharks and a sea turtle along with numerous other fish and coral formations. We go to about 80 feet below the surface. We sailed out of St. Thomas in an aft Suite as the guests of the gracious couple we ate at the Parrot Club with. If we thought our mini-suite was nice, you should see a full suite!
St. Kitts
We elected to do the Nevis Sail-away. A catamaran took us to a good snorkeling spot for an hour or so. Then we went on to a beautiful beach where we were served a decent bar-b-que lunch. Then we sailed back to St. Thomas. The rum punch was free-flowing and the crew was entertaining. Everyone was VERY laid back by the time we returned.
Grenada
We had heard the locals could be very overbearing, so we chose this day to try out The Sanctuary on board. For $40 we had our own reserved cushioned chaises at the front of the ship. It was restful, but you had to go hunt up somebody if you wanted any food or drinks, which was more work than I expected.
Bonnaire
We really love snorkeling. We took the water taxi to Kline Bonnaire to some of the clearest water we have experienced. Afterwards, we strolled through the sleepy town and did a little souvenir shopping.
Aruba
We did another party boat/snorkeling thing. Can you tell we like snorkeling? The boat was overcrowded, but things improved as folks finally spread out on the boat. The lunch on Pelican Pier was very good. Aruba is as bustling as Bonnaire was sleepy. Beautiful beaches.
Disembarkation
We had a 12:30 flight. We sat in a lounge until our group was called, and then everything went smoothly and quickly.
Miscellaneous Princess Issues
Coke Card – my wife got one and it was cheerfully and quickly honored at all bars lounges and dining rooms.
Coffee – Dining room coffee seemed OK to me. Not as good as the grind-my-own Columbian I fix at home, but not as bad as I feared from reading some reviews elsewhere. The Caffe Latte at the International Café ($3 for a large) was as good as any Starbucks. I did not get a coffee card.
Service – Cheerful and quick everywhere we went.
Purser’s desk – Lines were short until the last couple of days as folks started analyzing their bills. We had no billing issues at all.
Smoking/odor – The only place this was noticeable was in the Wheelhouse Lounge. It was worse than the Speakeasy Cigar lounge for some reason. We stayed out of there. It was not noticeable anywhere else.
Ship arrangement – Things were not as open as some other ships, but also it did not seem as crowded. We would sail her again in a heartbeat. I had an easier time figuring things out than my wife.
Photographers – Really they were not very good at their jobs, but they also weren’t obnoxious. We only bought one formal night picture. Getting our underwater film developed was cheap and timely.
Summary
All and all, we enjoyed this total ship experience more than any other. The ship was clean and beautiful, the service and food were great for the price point. We will definitely be cruising Princess again.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
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Epinions.com ID:
hughdm
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Location: Humble, Tx, USA
Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 0 members
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