Caribbean Princess June 1st-13th 2016:we had a wonderful time

Trip round the British Isles June 1st-13th 2016 Caribbean Princess.

I don't usually write trip reviews but thought that would give it a go. We've done several cruises from the UK many years ago and lately from our new home in Sydney Australia. This year our son and his girlfriend were getting married in the UK where they still live so we decided to take a month off work and spend time back "home". We also wanted to have a holiday and this cruise seemed perfect as it went to places we'd never been to despite having lived in England for most of our lives. We discovered that Aussies drive further for a picnic than we would drive for a week's holiday!!

As this cruise is also heavily promoted towards Americans/Canadians who are more active on CruiseCritic Roll Calls this was the first time I've been involved on one and got to "converse" with fellow cruisers beforehand. Even joined a couple of privately organised tours through the group. And this was the largest ship we've sailed on, so all in all a cruise of firsts.

DAY ONE:SOUTHAMPTON

Travelled from Portsmouth, where we were staying with family, to Southampton arriving much earlier than planned and so saw lots of departing passengers at the National Express coach station and also at the terminal as the ship was slightly behind schedule. Couldn't drop off our luggage straight away as port luggage handlers weren't allowed to take it till a certain time!! However once the clock ticked round to the allocated time it all worked quite efficiently. Southampton terminal had plenty of seating, provided free magazines and for us worked seamlessly. We were onboard very soon after checking in and trying to orient ourselves on this ship. We even did the "treasure hunt" which we usually don't do but felt it would be the best way to find the different areas. Being directionally challenged I did wonder how I would cope with the extra decks, and more areas. Being used to Dawn/Sun Princess I was looking forward to the extra spaces but wondered about the increase number of passengers as this has been a source of irritation to some cruisers in the past.

Being the 1st June in England it was a really warm, lovely sunny summers day...NOT. Sadly it was grey and chilly but the pools were hot!! We could see the steam rising from the water and so being on holiday we went swimming!! It was bliss while in the water not quite so much fun getting out.

Our first impressions of the ship were good, several pools and bars, lovely central area with the famed International Cafe!! And as this was such a port intensive cruise we felt that these things would be less important than on a trip with lots of sea days. We'd opted for Anytime Dining as it's not been an option on our previous cruises. But then for the first time ever never got to the dining room! Being busy most days ashore we didn't have the energy to change, line up and wait for a table/be served etc which normally I adore. Instead we used the buffet for our meals and we find the buffet salad bar to be our first choice. Also meant that I could freshen up after day ashore but not worry that I was too casual. I didn't risk The Wedding Outfit as am known for my ability to attract dirt/mess but did practise in the Wedding Shoes as me and high heels are not a great combination. Thank goodness the seas were flat calm!!

I assume that this is the first of many posts. At least I hope so.. And thank you in advance for your report. I am getting tired of the posts that start out with: "I have read so many bad reviews of the Caribbean Princess. Should we book a different ship?" I really enjoy the Caribbean Princess, finding nothing to complain about, and will board her again in November. Looking forward to the rest of your report!

I also am looking forward to reading more of your review and thank you in advance. My husband and I will be taking Caribbean Princess next June 6, 2017 and we are so very excited!

Thanks!

Thanks for the review.

DAY TWO: ST PETER PORT GUERNSEY

No time to ease into this cruise as overnight we'd sailed to Guernsey for our first stop which was St Peter Port, a short day here and a tender port which is often missed due to rough seas. On our visit we did get ashore, seas were a little choppy but the weather was cold and grey..not very Channel Island like at all. The local outdoor wear shop did a roaring trade in warm jackets, hats and scarves to those people who had expected a warm summer's day.

We were up and about early and among the first to get ashore so as Castle Cornet wasn't yet open we went exploring the town which meant going up and down lots of intriguing stairways. I'm sure if the sun had been shining the place would have looked even more picturesque. But in our photos we look as though we are on an Arctic exploration trip! The local supermarket is located in what was once a market hall with the most wonderful glassed roof. A local complained bitterly about the loss of the market and felt that the local council weren't doing enough to promote the island. Who knew? People not happy with their government.

The plan had been to visit Castle Cornet, having watched Time Team episode of there, but after walking for a few hours, sampling a Guernsey cream coffee and cake we called it quits and headed back to the line for the tender back to the ship. We didn't seem to wait long and travelled back on a local ferry, rather than ship's tender, which obviously carried more passengers.

Later that afternoon was our Roll Call Meet and Greet, and Tania had managed to get us the Wheelhouse Bar for this. Many thanks to Tania for that and to Judy for starting the roll call and providing sticky labels for our names. Another first for us as meet and greets have not featured much on our Australian trips. It was lovely to put faces to the names and we had a good turn out despite it being just before early sitting dinner and first formal night etc.

I did get a bit dressed up but then ate in the buffet when saw the line for the dining room. That meant we could go to a show. Even found seats that had slightly more legroom and clear view. Some of seating in the theatre were bit tight on legroom and hubby needed room to stretch bad leg out. Unlike other posters we always found "our" seats available at the early shows. Yes it did fill up but don't think we had to be there hours before the show started.

Hi

Looking forward to your comments,

UK weather just now around 20 degrees at night 35 during the day.

yours Shogun

I assume that this is the first of many posts. At least I hope so.. And thank you in advance for your report. I am getting tired of the posts that start out with: "I have read so many bad reviews of the Caribbean Princess. Should we book a different ship?" I really enjoy the Caribbean Princess, finding nothing to complain about, and will board her again in November. Looking forward to the rest of your report!

Well to be honest we didn't have much choice in ship as this was the itinerary we wanted and thru combination of PO UK, PO AUS, PRINCESS over the past 20 years gives us free laundry/Internet a big plus for our month away. So we approached the ship with the view we'll be off a lot so we'll manage but to be honest we really liked the ship and would happily sail on her again. We had no issues as reported by others, so that helps. Didn't experience unpleasant smells, lack of seating, crowded theatre so we have positive memories of the ship.

Hi

Looking forward to your comments,

 

UK weather just now around 20 degrees at night 35 during the day.

 

yours Shogun

The warmest port was Greenock/Glasgow! But we arrived from Australia late autumn which had been in the high 20s so we noticed the drop in temperature. Envy you the heat now. But at least we had the really long light nights.

Enjoyed your review and looking for more.

I did this cruise in 2013 on the Caribbean Princess.

Following.:)

I'm doing this cruise next May on the Caribbean Princess. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip.

thanks very much for taking the time to share your thoughts...we board in August for 29 days doing the same ports and the transatlantic back to NY...

Your reports/thoughts/ suggestions will be very useful to us and we eagerly await your next one.

Also we can't wait to see Australia next year, starting in Sydney.

DAY TWO: ST PETER PORT GUERNSEY

 

No time to ease into this cruise as overnight we'd sailed to Guernsey for our first stop which was St Peter Port, a short day here and a tender port which is often missed due to rough seas. On our visit we did get ashore, seas were a little choppy but the weather was cold and grey..not very Channel Island like at all. The local outdoor wear shop did a roaring trade in warm jackets, hats and scarves to those people who had expected a warm summer's day.

 

We were up and about early and among the first to get ashore so as Castle Cornet wasn't yet open we went exploring the town which meant going up and down lots of intriguing stairways. I'm sure if the sun had been shining the place would have looked even more picturesque. But in our photos we look as though we are on an Arctic exploration trip! The local supermarket is located in what was once a market hall with the most wonderful glassed roof. A local complained bitterly about the loss of the market and felt that the local council weren't doing enough to promote the island. Who knew? People not happy with their government.

 

The plan had been to visit Castle Cornet, having watched Time Team episode of there, but after walking for a few hours, sampling a Guernsey cream coffee and cake we called it quits and headed back to the line for the tender back to the ship. We didn't seem to wait long and travelled back on a local ferry, rather than ship's tender, which obviously carried more passengers.

 

Later that afternoon was our Roll Call Meet and Greet, and Tania had managed to get us the Wheelhouse Bar for this. Many thanks to Tania for that and to Judy for starting the roll call and providing sticky labels for our names. Another first for us as meet and greets have not featured much on our Australian trips. It was lovely to put faces to the names and we had a good turn out despite it being just before early sitting dinner and first formal night etc.

 

I did get a bit dressed up but then ate in the buffet when saw the line for the dining room. That meant we could go to a show. Even found seats that had slightly more legroom and clear view. Some of seating in the theatre were bit tight on legroom and hubby needed room to stretch bad leg out. Unlike other posters we always found "our" seats available at the early shows. Yes it did fill up but don't think we had to be there hours before the show started.

Hi! I'm following also! How did it work getting off the ship at a tender port? Did you need tickets? was the wait long to disembark?

Terri

Terri: with regards to tenders can only tell you how we went. As we are elite and set off early on tender port days we went to allocated dining room for tender tickets and were told to wait in "elite" area and were taken down with the next tender group. We seemed to arrive quite close to tender being ready to leave so didn't wait long at all. Others probably had totally different experiences. They did use local ferries too which means more passengers can be tendered at the same time. Hope this helps.

DAY THREE: COBH ( Cork)

Have realised that the post on Guernsey wasn't too helpful with regards to tours etc. Hopefully there are other reviews give more info/details on what is available there.

Now onto Cobh (pronounced cove) which is the gateway to Cork or a visit to the Blarney Stone...neither of which we did!! We decided to stay local. Cobh was previously called Queenstown and was the last stop of Titanic before it headed off to its fateful meeting with an iceberg. We had spent some time at home reading up and watching documentaries about the ship, theories as to why the collision was so disastrous. (So we had pre-booked Titanic Trail walk although it wasn't strictly necessary.) The town was also the last resting place for the victims from the sinking of the Lusitania, so there are memorials around town.

We walked off the ship in glorious sunshine and strolled along the seafront just getting a feel for the place, which meant finding place for coffee. We found a lovely place in a square where the staff were very friendly and welcoming. In fact everyone we met was like this. The walk was terrific, the guide knowledgeable and funny. Lots of the town hasn't changed in hundred years. The White Star building is still there as it was in 1912. There is a Titanic museum which we never got into but were told it was quite good too.

Our walking tour took us past St Coleman's Cathedral which is stunning. More on that later. The tour finished in local pub with option of small glass of local stout: Beamish. Yum. The hour tour lasted 90 minutes as we ambled and talked. Well worth the money. After leaving the pub we looked around the cathedral which was well worth the visit, wonderful stained glass windows and it is a huge building. We spent a fair bit of time here. We saw the road train pass by as we photographed the steep street known as The Deck of Cards.

Back in the town centre we found another pub and sampled some local brews, listened to some live music which was so much fun. Then walking back to the ship we treated ourselves to local ice cream! I hope you appreciate that we tried as much of Cobh produce as possible and I can tell you it was all great. The ship docks next to the Heritage Centre which had free wifi apparently.

All in all a beautiful day, the people of Cobh were so friendly and welcoming, the sun shone and its a very interesting port. For even more information see http://www.TomsPortGuides.com which I found to be very helpful.

Sailing from Cobh was glorious and the long light nights were wonderful for most of sailaways. It was a change to eat our evening meal and still be light outside. On the downside it was easy to not notice how late it was getting. And on such a busy itinerary we needed our sleep.

DAY FOUR: DUBLIN

We didn't get off really, most unusual for us as we are early risers, but took the ship organised shuttle into the city. I had spent hours reading all about Dublin and what to see/do many months prior only to be informed that on hubby's wish list was and I quote : " I want to find a real Irish pub near the Liffey and have a pint of Guinness". Short version : we did!!

Long version was that arriving in city I got completely disoriented as map and reality didn't seem to match. And deciding that we couldn't face a bus full of cruise ship passengers, having just got off the shuttle, we'd give the HOHO bus a miss. We could see the stop nearby and there were plenty of young people, mainly charming young men selling tickets and shepherding THEIR customers across the road. So after a near melt down on my part, we headed off on what we hoped was the route to the River Liffey in search of THE PUB. On the way saw sign for Museum of Archeology which amazingly we remembered reading about and headed inside. By now I needed to eat...I find museums much more interesting when I'm not hungry. So we located the rather ornate cafe and had lunch. While it was empty when we arrived we did start a trend and very soon the place was busy. The museum itself was fascinating, the history of ancient Ireland. And discovered there's nothing new with regards to fashion as thousands of years ago people used jewellery in their ears to make huge holes in the ear lobes..so all you young things that fashion has already happened!! But some of the swords, jewellery etc were so beautifully made and given the tools they had quite impressive.

Dublin had laid on a really warm sunny day and it was a Saturday so lots of people were about. We made it to Temple Bar area which has a lot of pubs and bars but also very "touristy". Pressing on we arrived at the banks of the Liffey and by The Halfpenny Bridge which I'd also read about. And there was THE PUB, an unpretentious place called...surprise surprise The Halfpenny Bridge Inn. But it was a pub for locals not full of "cool young things" so we fitted right in. Two pints of Guinness ordered and brought to our table as Guinness takes time to pour and our afternoon was perfect. And all the hype seemed to be true Guinness in Dublin does taste better, and it took tremendous self control to only have one each, we did think having anymore might have led to us finding ourselves still in the pub when the ship sailed.

We walked alongside the Liffey, had another beer in a place that brewed on site but not as smooth as Guinness, discovered a chocolate cafe where we could have tried Guinness flavoured hot chocolate but refrained. Saw the statues in memory of the terrible famine caused by the potato blight which led to mass emigration. And even managed to find ourselves back at the right spot to catch the shuttle back to the ship. So a very successful day despite the rocky start. Would love to return to Southern Ireland one day and spend more time in Dublin and Cobh areas.

thanks very much for taking the time to share your thoughts...we board in August for 29 days doing the same ports and the transatlantic back to NY...

 

Your reports/thoughts/ suggestions will be very useful to us and we eagerly await your next one.

 

Also we can't wait to see Australia next year, starting in Sydney.

We're on the same sailing (Aug 23-Sept 22; flying to Heathrow on Aug 21 staying at the Hampton by Hilton London Waterloo; taking Megatrain to Southampton on Aug 24. We live in Lexington, NC).

We also want to hear all about your thoughts, tips, and suggestions. This will be our first Princess sailing.

Lynn

Thanks for your review and comments thus far. I'll probably have several questions for you along the way.

You mentioned a walking tour with a guide in Cobh. Did you book this walking tour before the cruise or did you book it after you got off the ship? What was the cost of the tour or was it one of the "free" tours offered in many cities by volunteers and you give them a donation?

What was the cost of the shuttle in Dublin? I'm assuming you have to take some type of transportation into the city because it's not doable to walk.

Looking forward to reading more about your cruise.

Thanks for your review and comments thus far. I'll probably have several questions for you along the way.

 

You mentioned a walking tour with a guide in Cobh. Did you book this walking tour before the cruise or did you book it after you got off the ship? What was the cost of the tour or was it one of the "free" tours offered in many cities by volunteers and you give them a donation?

 

What was the cost of the shuttle in Dublin? I'm assuming you have to take some type of transportation into the city because it's not doable to walk.

 

Looking forward to reading more about your cruise.

The walking tour in Cobh is called Titanic Trail and we prebooked but on the day there was room for a few walk up extras. Cost was €9.50 each which includes drink at the end which doesn't have to be beer. If you google it should be easy to find or on TripAdvisor.

Ship shuttle to Dublin was $8US per person each way. Can be put onto shipboard account via cruise card. We had OBC which helped. If group of you may be cheaper in taxi.

Thanks for answering my questions. We're anxiously waiting to read your continuing daily and anxiously waiting to read more!

DAY FIVE : BELFAST

In Belfast on a Sunday and at the last minute we decided to visit the Titanic Exhibition which was a shortish taxi ride away. Bit taken aback by the driver saying "we can't get there" but set off anyway. We arrived at junction and he said "it's just over that way" took our cash and left us by the side of the road!!! We headed off in the direction indicated, deserted streets and no signs. Then it was a bit of flash back moment as we saw two police and an armoured vehicle...I lived in the UK during the "troubles" so really wondered what was going on. Talked to the police, who gave us directions and explained that there was huge cycle race taking place and lots of roads were closed to other traffic!! That's why the taxi couldn't get us to the door. We'd arrived fairly early and went through the exhibition which is much more than Titanic, there is a lot of social history about Belfast, the linen manufacture etc. we spent hours and finished around lunch time. We then had a you only live once moment where we asked about the high tea, and there were two spots available in the next few minutes! YES. High tea is served in a replica of the Titanic restaurant and the Grand Staircase and on replica Titanic china. The food was delicious and we even had to ask for a " doggy bag" as we couldn't eat it all.

Hubby wanted to see the dry dock where Titanic was before sailing. He'd been in the Merchant Navy many years ago so that side really interested him. Only down side it was fair hike from the main museum. Normally that wouldn't bother us but he's waiting for a total knee reconstruction which couldn't be sorted prior to this trip so we had to be sensible about the amount of walking we did to manage the pain levels. It was very interesting there too and worth the walk, with an excellent coffee shop where we finished off our lunch with one of the best espresso coffees we had while in the UK.

Then it was the walk back in the sunshine and the cyclists were still arriving at the finish line which was not far from the museum. I think there had been thousands taking part. We moved on to the Nomadic which had been a tender taking passengers out to Titanic, and it had been restored to this after a long and varied career.Quite spartan given this was for first class passengers. By now it was time to head back to the ship as it was late afternoon and although the roads were starting to re-open taxis were few and far between. Suffice to say we got back before all aboard, having walked from the museum to a nearby hotel and booked a taxi from there.

I believe that normally the HOHO bus stops here and getting there is much simpler when there isn't a cycle race on with the finishing area close by. It is a marvellous exhibition and much more than a "fairground/movie set" experience. Really glad we chose to go.

DAY FIVE : BELFAST

We moved on to the Nomadic which had been a tender taking passengers out to Titanic, and it had been restored to this after a long and varied career.Quite spartan given this was for first class passengers.

We did not find it spartan for first class passengers:

o First class had a bar and bartender. Second class had a water fountain.

o First class had special plates, cups and saucers for the food and beverages served during the 30 minute tender ride.

o First class had a special conversation room for women who wanted to talk with other women.

o First class men's room had two sinks separate from the finest toilet that Thomas Crapper & Company manufactured. Second class had a plain toilet right next to the plain white single sink.

Section of first class area:

plates, cups, saucers for 1st class passengers:

Bar in first class area:

Ladies conversation room:

Sink area in first class men's room:

All of the above on a tender for bringing passengers to the ship.

Well I felt it was more functional than comfortable, especially when you compare with the Titanic and consider what they were paying. Plus they were on there for quite some time waiting.

DAY SIX: GREENOCK/GLASGOW

A beautiful weather day. Here on a Monday and a couple of the places we'd thought of seeing in Glasgow are closed on Mondays. So we made the decision ahead of time not to go into Glasgow. There is a fairly frequent train service to Glasgow from Greenock and the journey takes about 45 minutes. And the station is within walking distance of the ship or so I am told.

We however stayed local and had pre-booked a free tour with The Inverclyde Tourist Group, who we had found online. They run 3 different trips and other than the first of each one which can be pre booked its first come first served. All they ask is for a donation towards their coach costs. I highly recommend this group if you are not going into Glasgow. They also produce several walking trail maps of the local area which we would have walked had hubby not been in lot of pain from his damaged knee.

We chose the trip to Newark Castle, a little gem hidden among what was the ship building sites along the waters edge. But I believe the other two trips were also good. We also visited a local church which had the most wonderful stained glass windows, the old West Kirk was painstakingly dismantled and then rebuilt on a new site as Harland & Wolf wanted the church site. Nearby we sampled the wonderful ice cream and of course a haggis and cheese panini. The promenade was bathed in sunshine and we walked viewing some of the historic houses as listed in the guide we'd picked up at the terminal. As I read about the houses and their occupants I saw that one of the houses mentioned was the early childhood home of Birdie Bowers, one of the men who died along with Scott in Antarctica. Why should this be if so much interest; well a couple of years ago we'd done an Antarctic expedition ship cruise. So prior to going we'd read The Worst Journey in the World written by someone who was part of the party who survived but that led us to read the biographies of various people who went on that fateful expedition. I was intrigued by a couple of them, an Irish man Tom Crean who also survived, and Birdie Bowers. So I had to see his early home, complete with its plaque.

We didn't make into the town centre and it would have nice to have made it to Gourock but just a touch too far to walk on knee that is in need of replacing. However if you need supplies then Aldi is a few minutes walk from where the ship docks!! And in the terminal there are several people who are genealogy experts to help you discover if your family name has any Scottish links. And when we left there was a local high school band to pipe us off. But then I am a fan of the bagpipes.

Scotland really laid on the sun on our visit. Another great day.