We were Dazzled on our Crown Princess Scandinavian Cruise
Written: Jun 22 '08 (Updated Aug 21 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Exquisite, new ship with all the amenities, pleasant staff, very good food, amazing sights
Cons: a few minor quibbles but nothing which would cause me to choose a different ship
The Bottom Line: My opinion of my Princess cruise? It's a luxury vacation for a luxury price. Nearly everything was top notch...You'll want to capture every exotic sight at these historic ports!
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| jenniferkateab's Full Review: Crown Princess |
Ready for adventure? Planning an exotic cruise? Grab your passport and take this quick quiz for anyone contemplating a Scandinavian cruise. Which currency will not be required for souvenir shopping in port?
a) Kroner
b) Zloty
c) Kroon
d) Euro
e) US Dollar
f) Ruble
If you said "E" you're correct! Of course, everything on the ship is priced in US Dollars, so bring some cash and a credit card anyway :))
If you're up for an adventure of a lifetime, a Scandinavian cruise along the Baltic Sea will entice you with seven exotic and historic Scandinavian ports: Copenhagen (Denmark), Stockholm (Sweden), Helsinki (Finland), St. Petersburg (Russia), Talinn (Estonia), Gdynia/Gdansk (Poland), and Oslo (Norway). I'll discuss our itinerary after I review my awesome cruise ship, the Crown Princess. Although this was only my second cruise, our recent 10 day excursion on the Crown Princess is by far my family's most memorable vacation yet!
Built in 2006, the Crown Princess is a standout vessel. If you're seeking a ship with all the modern amenities, a great layout, exquisite interiors and comfortable accommodations, the Crown Princess is a top contender. First of all, it's practically brand new. You won't find tired carpets, sagging furniture or scuffed paneling. We marveled at all the artistry found throughout the Crown Princess ~ marble inlay floors, gorgeous wood paneling, tile mosaics, woven tapestries and diverse artworks decorate every square inch aboard. The midship sparkles with a three story galleria area sporting boutiques, panoramic elevators and curved marble staircases. It's a beautiful lobby where you'll be serenaded by a string quartet, or see acrobatic dancers and even a seven foot high champagne pour.
Here are some basic facts about the Crown Princess:
Christened in June 2006
Ship's Registry -- Bermuda
Passenger capacity -- 3,080 double occupancy
Crew members -- 1,200
Length -- 951 feet
Passenger Decks -- 15
Total Cabins -- 1,557
Outside View Cabins -- 1,105
Interior Cabins -- 452
Wheelchair accessible Cabins -- 25
Despite the ship's imposing dimensions, my family and I quickly found our way around to the most important locations. Breakfast is buffet-style on Deck 15 Aft. Our dinner seating was in the Botticelli dining room, Deck 7 mid ship. The theatre is on Deck 7 forward (just a few steps from the four-course dinner you just ate). Our cabin was located on an upper deck. Finally, the outdoor pool area sprawls magnificently on Deck 15. Two sparkling pools, four hot tubs, ample deck chairs, a hamburger/hotdog grill, pizza stand AND giant movie screen are all conveniently arranged around the swimming pools. A third pool is tucked away at the ship's back end.
Highlights of our 10-Day Scandinavian Crown Princess Cruise
Our Stateroom ~ we lucked out big time when we checked in. We were surprised to find that the cabin we booked on one of the lowest decks (an outer room with only a porthole) was upgraded, free of charge, to an upper deck room with a balcony. This made our 10 day stay even more roomy, comfortable and accessible to all the action on the ship. Our two kids, ages 9 & 11, slept well on the two single beds that lower from the ceiling. My husband and I slept in two beds made up like a queen. The ladders to reach the kids beds were attached at the foot of each bed. Our room was suitable for this arrangement because it's a handicap accessible room. I don't know if the smaller rooms are able to fit the twin beds pushed together, if trying to fit four people in a room.
Our bed's mattress was firm enough and perfectly adequate, and I never once woke up with a backache or stiff neck. Plenty of fluffy pillows are available. We also requested a topsheet to go under the comforter. Most of our ports were still fairly cool during our mid-June cruise, and we didn't need the air conditioner very often. The bathroom was huge, perhaps because it can accommodate a wheelchair. The corner sink had a long-handled faucet that was easy to regulate. Also, the shower had good water pressure and was easy to regulate as it has a separate temperature control marked with degrees. Soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion and body wash are stocked daily. Don't forget to request a bathrobe!
The balcony was an unexpected treasure. The fresh air and view from the balcony gave a wonderful perspective on each port. Oslo was especially picturesque, with our balcony directly overlooking Akershus Castle. Leaving Oslo, and sailing past the many fjords, afforded us a memorable panorama from the balcony.
Dining ~ Our family enjoyed many wonderful meals during our cruise. We love the traditional seating for dinners, and found the dress code easy to manage. You can choose any-time dining instead, or pay a cover charge for the several "elite" restaurants on board.
There were only two formal nights on the cruise (both on at-sea days), and the smart casual ranges from blue jeans to slacks (no shorts though). Waiters were courteous and pleasant, but not overly so. The food is about 4-star quality with many unique dishes presented artistically. We had lobster tail one night, and there is a great variety of soups, entrees and desserts, including vegetarian.
Breakfasts are hearty and well rounded ~ with abundant fresh fruit, pastries, eggs, sausage, grits, hash browns, and even some Oriental and Mexican choices. You'll not find anything too exotic, but with all the walking you're likely to do, you need to tank up in the mornings. It was sometimes challenging finding a table for breakfast ~ we ended up looking for the table first and getting our food in shifts. That way, we weren't all looking around for each other AND a table while holding our plate of food.
With all the fancy cuisine available, it's strange but true that my favorite lunch was the pizza, available from the pool deck pizzeria. Slices slid regularly from the pizza oven during lunch and dinner hours, and rival the best pizza I've ever eaten. On early port days, when we came back to the ship around lunch time, I would enjoy a slice or two of pizza and add a salad from their bountiful salad bar ~ that kind of simple meal really hit the spot for me!
Entertainment ~ The Princess Theatre is home to typical cruise ship acts. Our favorites were the magic show, the Russian Singers and Dancers, and the final song & dance review. The comedian and musician were not my cup of tea, but my husband enjoyed the Motown review. The Theatre sound system is a little too powerful, in my opinion, and I looked for seats as far away from the speaker as possible. Don't sit in the front row if you can help it ~ the noise blew me away. Also, get to the theatre at least 1/2 hour before showtime ~ it really does fill up quickly.
Movies Under the Stars were a fun diversion on at-sea days. We saw "The Last Mimsy" and a few other recent flicks. The deck chairs are moderately comfortable, and the blankets which were provided were definitely a requirement. I give MUTS two thumbs up!
Activities ~ We loved the pools. Although the Scandinavian climate hovered in the 50's and 60's (F), the pools were pleasantly warm (I'm guessing they are heated). I enjoyed the hot tub, but it's not as hot as some others I have experienced. There are more than enough deck chairs that we never felt the need to save one. We enjoyed a round of mini-golf, but it wasn't a very interesting course so one round was plenty. At-Sea days provided a wide variety of diversions such as napkin folding, Bingo and a cooking demo/galley tour. Also, board games are freely available at the library any time ~ take advantage of them to fill your spare moments.
Itinerary ~ the Scandinavian ports were truly the highlight of our Crown Princess Cruise. Starting with the charming city of Copenhagen, we loved the architecture, languages and diverse histories that each port had to offer. Scandinavian ports are diverse and picturesque. With the inclusion of Estonia and Poland you learn a lot about how these formerly communist countries have changed over the last two decades ~ indeed, over the last 500 years. St Petersburg, with its onion domed cathedrals, gold leafed treasures and "white nights" was our overall favorite destination and not to be missed! The remarkable variety of languages, currencies and local customs kept us on our toes.
With so many fascinating castles, Viking ships (like the Vasa in Stockholm), cathedrals, canals and museums to visit, get ready to get moving! If you don't choose a tour, you can walk from the port to the town in Helsinki, Stockholm and Norway. You'll log quite a few miles on foot, though, so bring comfortable walking shoes and a can-do attitude. In those three ports, we planned our sight seeing stops in advance and even found out which bus routes were available. You'll need to get local currency from the ship's machines to buy bus tickets and souvenirs, and we found this fairly straightforward ($3.50 transaction charge).
The Princess tours were all well-organized and pleasant, and I highly recommend them for St Petersburg, Talinn and Gdansk. If you don't get a ship tour in St Petersburg, you will need to obtain a visa from Russia before you leave for the cruise. Our two-day grand tour of St Petersburg included the Hermitage and Peterhof Castle, as well as lunch, entertainment, and quite a few additional stops. We booked a bike/walk tour in Estonia and it was a fun excursion. Make sure you request kids bikes in advance if you need them ~ there weren't enough smaller bikes for all the kids on our tour. Finally, our tour of Gdansk was equally enjoyable, and the highlight was Malbork Castle.
Cruise TV ~ yes, I'm recommending that you watch some TV in your stateroom! There are plenty of good movies and Discovery channel programs. I found the Cruise programs about the ship, ports and shopping to be most helpful. You could learn lots of touring details about each port by watching the informative show about it the day before. Also, we learned about souvenirs like Matryushka dolls before we bought them in Russia. My husband attended a few lectures about the upcoming Ports and learned useful tips about bus routes and other details for getting around by ourselves.
It's Excellent, but not quite perfect...
Here are a few details I think could be improved on the Crown Princess. Overall, the experience exceeded our expectation, so these are really minor quibbles.
* Coffee is weak and has little taste
* Shows are a notch too LOUD
* Breakfast area gets very crowded, especially on mornings where port tours start early. It was very difficult to find a table even when we got there by 6:15 AM.
* Not many drink choices are available without an extra charge. It would be nice if there were other choices besides tea, coffee, orange and apple juice, all of which tasted fair to average.
*Photos available for sale are ridiculously overpriced. The single photo we bought was $19.99 for an 8 x 11 print. There are so many wasted prints which must cost a lot to produce, it seems they could devise a system where you could view your photos on a screen before choosing what to purchase.
Packing Tips ~ A raincoat or slicker that you can fit in your daypack is essential in the Baltic climate. Also, bring several long-sleeved shirts and maybe a fleece jacket or jeans jacket for a change of pace. We brought too many summery clothes for the June climate, and I got tired of wearing the same jacket each day.
The laundry machines on our floor were a blessing. You might remember to bring dryer sheets and soap powder, though, because the cost adds up for a load.
Any Questions?? I could write many more paragraphs addressing our wonderful cruise vacation on the Crown Princess, but I would like to keep my review from turning into a novel. If you have any questions about our trip which didn't address, please leave me a comment and I'll see if I can answer your question! Overall, my family is overjoyed to have taken this trip and experienced the many exotic and charming locations in Scandinavia. We truly felt pampered and lucky to have experienced this trip of a lifetime!
Related Cruise Review:
Our Alaska Cruise on NCL Norwegian Pearl
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
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jenniferkateab
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Member: Jennifer
Location: Rocky Mtns.
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Happiness is when your thoughts, your words, and your actions are in harmony.~M_Ghandi
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