Caribbean Princess 13th June British Isles - review.

Just going to do a reviewand things i think might help others whilst it is still in my memory :) 2 Adults no children by the way (from the UK)

Cabin E625 restricted view outside.

Cabin was nice restricted view was back end of tender but could see sea/horizon through half the window.

Was pretty quiet - Laundry did not cause noise and neither did being opposite the main access point for crew. However Tender operations meant pre 7am wake up (Noise from lowering etc).

I find the rooms a bit warm even set to cold so took a travel fan (that really helped)

Bed - oh gosh so very very hard - got a pillow top mattress cover put on by steward which helped a bit - but RCL and Celebrity mattress so much better.

Sockets - I need loads due to medical equipment and it was tight mainly due to two sockets near the phone being so close together that with a UK socket convertor could only use one on them - there is one behind the TV as well and you can at a push unplug the lamps.

Kettle : UK cruises beware... no kettle (or coffee etc in room). However as on the cruise personaliser one of the PDF documents on the princess website says Non thermastatically controlled kettles are not allowed in room - i took it to mean that thermastically ones are so stuck a travel one in a suitcase - and had no issues with using it or bringing it on. (I know some of you will be horrified by this but i was happy to be told i couldn't use it but seeing i drink loads of tea it was worth trying).

Milk: couldn't find any fresh milk on board only UHT and even then skimmed was only available without asking at breakfast (near the cereal take a cup:) waiters in buffet were happy to help and get it for you though (Skimmed UHT is nearer the take of fresh milk than full cream UHT in my view)

Butter : saying nothing but escargot and olive oil rather than butter is really nasty (or a least i thought so - i love escargot and garlic butter btw)

Food allergy : I can't eat capsicum i'm allergic. Unlike celebrity or RCL they seemed to have passed the message on and the head waiter found me on the first night. Best efforts i've ever had on a cruise food ordering was great and only one night could they not provide my order (Pate) as they couldn't be sure it was okay (it was prepacked) - it didnt say chilli on it but they woudn't take the risk.

My wife wasn't eating wheat (didn't tell the head waiter as it was a choice rather than an allergy so ordered accordingly) but no gluten free cookies (we did ask) and only one cake per day in the buffet we could see so consider taking some prepacked onboard. Bread is available if you ask.

Ports : we try to do our own thing were we can so no excursion information below (they did seem a bit pricey though)

St Peters port : Tender right into town - 45 min wait for tender at about 9.00 am fort is worth a vist.

Cobh : Dock in town : (have been to area around cork before so stayed local as didnt fancy a trip to kiss the stone - but was told a 2 hour queue !). We went to spike island (just had a load of work done) well worth the 18 Euro each (entry and Ferry). Spike island is a former prison and fort. Be aware ferry tickets are not for a set sailing so make sure you get to the boarding point in advance (we got there 20mins early) buying a ticket and coming back doesnt mean you will get on.

Dublin : Took the shuttle ($8 each way) 10min walk from drop off to town. Went to Kilmainham Gaol (book in advance as was sold out on they day - free to english heritage members bookable online). Caught bus from college green - was very easy (asked the bus driver to tell us when to get off) and cost 1.70 euro each way. Visited the Archaeology museum (free) peat means great preservation of metal, gold and bog bodies :)

Belfast : Shuttle bus ($8 each way) right into town. Went to Titanic museum brilliant audio guide worth it. bus from city was £1.50 each way and easy. Bought tickets online for museum for 12:15 entry- missed timed it and got there 1 hour early - was told to go straight in.

Liverpool : Docks in city - visited before. Did beatles story museum (was surpising good) audio guide is a MUST and liverpool museum - also good. Beatles celebration later on the ship was brilliant (went twice).

Greenock : stayed local as we needed a rest :) went on the free local tour of the castle and that was good. (Free but they do ask for a donation to help pay for fuel and coach ) https://www.inverclydetouristgroup.co.uk/content/tours/

Invergorden : Hired a car well in advance (£70 for a small car kensgarage) did a drive and went to falls of shin, Dunrobin castle, the mound, and Durnock) lovely drive and brillant day.

Queensferry : Tender : 10 min wait at 8am ish. comes ashore under forth rail bridge (probably worth being ontop the tender for that). Local (not princess shuttle as none available) £10 return about every 30 mins - runs to charlotte square (10 min walk) to Edingburgh, did gladstone land, toy musuem, people museum and georgian house - all good but not outstanding.

La Harve : Stayed local as we can get to paris in 2 hours from home :) Shuttle into town $8 each way. Church is worth a view, and the Hotel De Ville park with the fountains are good. shops are of course nice, and if you need to eat and can't face french the Mcdonalds in the shopping centre Espace Coty is touch screen ordering - english available on menu (takes cards).

All in all good cruise - ship is a little worn but nothing major (just little things like our shower tray was repaired, buttons on lifts worn etc). But those beds are way too hard.

Chelsea.

Surprised that you paid for a shuttle bus into Belfast as we have done this cruise 4 times and due to go again on 31/7 and the shuttle bus has always been free into the city centre provided by local tourist authority.

Surprised that you paid for a shuttle bus into Belfast as we have done this cruise 4 times and due to go again on 31/7 and the shuttle bus has always been free into the city centre provided by local tourist authority.

The tourist authority had budget problems and the free shuttle was eliminated this year.

Even the on board port lecturer had not been aware of this change. She checked into it and was the one that told me about the budget problems.

Thanks chelseauk for the information. We will be on the CB for the same cruise the end of August. It is the last cruise around the British Isles before going back to the USA.

Enjoyed your review.

Keith

thanks for your review and thoughts...we'll use some of your ideas on our upcoming cruise on the CP.

Just a quick update with a couple of bus numbers.

Dublin Kilmainham gaol #13 or #40 from College Green (seemed to be every 15-20 mins or so) takes about 25 mins on the buss. Walk from stop is about 5 mins. Think the stop is Inchicore, Emmett Rd - but driver told us when to get off.

Belfast Titantic - bus 26 or 26B from the same stop we got off the shuttle from :) takes about 10 mins - and about a 5 minute walk from the stop. Stop is round the back of the premier inn which you go to just after you see the Tender SS Nomadic ( oddly we got off on the same side of the road that we used to get back into town (going back the stop is the one one the opposite side of the premier inn).

Enjoyed the review!

Thanks for posting. Do you recall who Maitre D' was please?

ne1 done the British Isles cruise recently and any idea what the cost of a taxi from the port to Titanic museum.

We had a private driver for the day in most ports, but specifically in Dublin and did Kilmainham Gaol (bought tickets as we walked up - I guess we were lucky.) I second your opinion on it - it's definitely worth a visit! I'll never forget it.

The goal ticket thing struck me as odd - as they were definately saying sold out - but then seemed to be selling some :confused:

I thought the guide at the goal was particularly good.

That reminds me :) ireland seemed good for Gluten Free (nice cake in the gaol hence it reminding me - i was forced :) to try the wifes cake) the centra store in cobh even had gluten free sandwiches (as did spike island brought across from the shop).

Thanks for posting. Do you recall who Maitre D' was please?

Sorry never spoke to them as didn't really need to.

ne1 done the British Isles cruise recently and any idea what the cost of a taxi from the port to Titanic museum.

Trying to remember if Belfast had really long taxi queues (I know one did) - if so then the shuttle and bus is very easy.

Belfast : Shuttle bus ($8 each way) right into town. Went to Titanic museum brilliant audio guide worth it. bus from city was £1.50 each way and easy.

If you want to go to the Titanic Museum first, it is quicker and cheaper to just take a taxi from the ship to the museum. About 8 British pounds for the taxi.

That would be about $11.50 before the Brexit vote, less than the shuttle bus for two into town ($8 x 2 = $16).

Thanks for taking the time to post your review.....:):):)

Bob

Just returned from this cruise and wanted to correct some info that was posted on a previous review. We did everything Princess: Air, pre-hotel, transfers and all excursions. Everything went perfectly and we really enjoyed the cruise.

A previous reviewer said the laundry was $2 in quarters or tokens; it's only tokens, $3 wash, $3 dry and there is a vending machine in the laundry room to purchase the tokens on your cruise card, so you don't have to go to the customer service desk.

The Patter's forecast for EVERY day was a high of 57 and a low of 50. Previous posters suggested layers. I'm from a warm weather state and it was cold. Should have brought a lot more sweatshirts! When you combine the high of 57 with wind, overcast most days and a little moisture, sweatshirts were more appropriate. The warmest day was the last in Paris. Sun shining and 70.

CP did wait for about a hour one day for one of their tour groups that was late. Our group was late one day because of traffic, but it wasn't past all aboard time.

Thanks for the review.

CP did wait for about a hour one day for one of their tour groups that was late. Our group was late one day because of traffic, but it wasn't past all aboard time.

CP is the Sea Princess.

Sorry, meant Caribbean Princess.

Just returned from the June 25th sailing. We did the hoho bus in Dublin and the driver said that the Kilmainham goal sets aside 100 tickets a day. He said as we drive up the guard outside will give a thumbs up if tickets are still available. They were when we passed by.