Cruz4Sun

Thanks so much for this! Especially appreciated the info your port stops.

Did you go the SeaView Bar?

LuLu

Thanks. I hope my port reviews will come in handy to someone.

I walked by the SeaView Bar a number of times in the evening and there was always lots of seats available. I did stop and applaud once when the bartenders were practicing their bottle tossing skills.

Thank you for your review and God Bless your grandaughter! Glad everyone had a good time.:D

Thanks for thinking of my granddaughter. She is our own little miracle and a blessing to us each day.

Thank you for the review. A few quick questions:

 

(1) Do you remember which dining room was open during embarkation day?

 

(2) Any other movies do you remember playing besides what you watched i the stateroom?

 

(3) Were the chocolate anniversary promo present on your cruise?

 

(4) Do you recall which fresh fruits were on the ship besides pineapple, honeydew melon, and cantelope? Any berries?

Lunch was at the Concerto dining room.

Way too many movies to list. There were at least 6-10 each in the categories of comedy, family, drama and documentary I believe.

I didn't notice anything about a chocolate anniversary promo.

I saw fresh pears, watermelon and apples. I don't recall seeing any berries.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for the review. I will be sailing her in a few months.

 

Any reason you skipped the MDR?

 

Sue

My husband is happier skipping long dinners at the MDR. I am flexible, as long as I get to cruise from time to time.

Disney World & Royal Princess - Nov 14-24, 2014 Southern Caribbean

Our wonderful daughters got together and planned a family trip to Disney World to celebrate granddaughter Ella’s 5th birthday. Our sweet Ella is a 2-1/2 year brain tumor survivor, so we wanted her to have a very special day. Our whirlwind 5 day trip included two grandmothers, one grandfather, two sets of parents and four children aged 2 ½, 5, 7 and 11. We had non-stop activity and fun staying at Fort Wilderness and using our 5 day park hopper. Everyone took turns pushing grandpa (my DH) around in his wheelchair as he can walk but not for long periods. The week culminated in Ella getting a complete makeover as her favorite character Ariel and having a birthday party with many Disney Princesses in Cinderella’s Castle. It was a magical end to the trip and the next morning my DH and I drove to Port Everglades to board the Royal Princess for 10 days of rest and relaxation. We usually only cruise on smaller ships, but this was the only 10 day Ft. Lauderdale trip that had the perfect timing we were looking for.

Before our vacation I had researched the Royal using Cruisecritic, you-tube and the Princess web site. I was concerned because the Royal had a lot of negative comments and we had thought the Emerald Princess was way too crowded when we sailed her a few years ago. I can say although not perfect, we would not hesitate to book another cruise on the Royal.

We arrived at the Port at 12:15 and boarding went fairly quickly. After embarking we dropped off our carry on's in room C532 and went to the dining room for a delicious beef tenderloin lunch. There were only a few tables filled as most passengers went to the Horizon Court.

That afternoon we met Marife our room steward who explained due to the number of elite passengers we may not get our mini-bar right away. Our request for wine glasses and a top sheet on the bed were completed that afternoon. During unpacking we found our safe was not working. A call to passenger services resulted in a battery replacement within the hour. The next day we found our stateroom door wouldn't open. Marife tried her key and then called her supervisor and the door battery was replaced. That same day I bought a watch in the boutique and discovered later it wasn't working. You guessed it, dead battery. What is it with me and batteries? A quick trip to the boutique and the watch was swapped for a working one.

At noon the next day the mini-bar arrived and I called room service and requested that the sodas be swapped out for diet cokes and the mini liquors be switched from a variety to just vodka and gin. This request was promptly handled.

Each night of the cruise I left a bag of dirty laundry on the bed which was returned to me about 1 ½ days later. In the price area of the form I simply wrote “elite”.

From the sail away on we were focused on a relaxing and casual cruise. Here are my comments on our experience on the Royal Princess:

Ship: I was aware of the lack of mid-ship stairs, so most of the time I simply used the aft or forward stairs or elevators. On the few occasions I did use the mid-ship elevators the wait was not too long. The ship is more confusing than the smaller ships, but not enough to bother me. I thought both the SeaWalk and the Watercolor Fantasy fountain were interesting for the first 10 minutes you saw them. They were certainly not features that would draw me to booking a ship twice. I was pleasantly surprised by the many activities at the piazza throughout the day and evening and the large number of other evening entertainment options. My DH enjoyed reading in the morning at Vines or outdoors near the Vista lounge. I missed having a true promenade deck to walk totally around the ship, but the walking track with the training circuit was quite nice when it wasn't too windy to use.

Food: We started each morning having our breakfast delivered so we could enjoy the ocean breeze on our balcony. For lunch and dinner each day we would go to the Horizon Court, International Café or Terrace Grille. We could always find something to suit our taste whether soup, salad, carved meats, fish, fruits and vegetables. When using the buffet, we always took our plates and headed out to the Horizon terrace for a quiet outdoors setting. One day we went to the Wheelhouse for the complimentary British-Style Pub Lunch and enjoyed the fish and chips and ploughman’s plate. Another day we tried Alfredo’s for delicious pizza.

We also did two specialty dining options. One was “Crab Shack” which was held during dinner in a section of the Horizon Court. We loved the steamer pot, shrimp appetizer and clam chowder. The cost was $20 per person and although we enjoyed the meal, we thought it would have been more appealing if it was in a nicer setting. Our other experience was at the Crown Grille. The setting was like a fine dining restaurant. We both ordered the filet minion which was incredible. The side dishes and desert were quite special too. The cost was $25 per person and it seemed well worth the price.

Daytime: Most mornings I attended Zumba class held in the Center Court. The class was a real workout and was heavily attended. My DH and I also went to the fitness center a number of times in the afternoon when the crowds had died down.

Each day we found time to go for a brief swim in the retreat pool or to soak in a hot tub on the Sun Deck. There were always plenty of pool chairs available in both of these areas. The coffee card we purchased on day one gave us many hours of pleasure sipping special hot and iced coffees at the International café. Reading and doing puzzles found in the Princess library were our other favorite pastimes.

Evening Entertainment: Several nights we made new friends by joining in at trivia type game shows at Princess Live. We went to a Motown and Soul show one night at the Princess theatre. Another really nice show was the International Music event held in the piazza. We love football and were thrilled when NFL games were shown at Movies Under the Stars on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights. The stateroom television now has movies on demand with a nice variety. We watched Jersey Boys, The Book Thief, Lance Armstrong Lies and Begin Again.

Ports:

Aruba: We took a five minute walk to the Crystal Casio which you enter from an escalator inside the mall. We lost a total of $8, had a free drink and had 45 minutes of fun. Then we purchased an Aruba sweatshirt and headed back to the ship.

Curacao: Taking the Princess excursion National Park, Museum and Scenic Country Drive was a good choice for our first visit to this island. The guide did a great job of making each stop interesting.

Grenada: We took the Princess excursion Harbor Cruise, Grand Anse & Morne Rouge Beach. This is on the double deck Rum Runner and having arrived at the check in location at the stated time resulted in us being stuck on the uncovered top deck. Enroute to the beach the skies opened up and we were absolutely drenched. The stairs were much too slippery for my DH to safely make his way to the lower deck to escape the rain. Once we got to the beach we did enjoy the warm sea water and rum punch.

Dominca: The ship sponsored excursion Trolley Train Scenic Ride-Roseau sounded like a good idea for our first trip to this island. Roseau and the trip were underwhelming.

St. Thomas: I've always wanted to go to an ice bar, so we signed up for the Caribbean Magic Ice Bar excursion. The ice bar was really cool (literally) and after about 45 minutes we left and wandered a little through Charlotte Amalie. We stopped at an outdoor restaurant and bought a Blackbeard Ale which hit the spot. After 1 ½ hours we returned to Magic Ice and took their shuttle back to the ship.

Disembarkation: We signed up for the self-help disembarkation option and exited the ship at 6:30. We flew through customs and got a taxi to Ft. Lauderdale airport. We were at the airport gate by 7:30. We used the time waiting for our 11:30 flight to make some phone calls, catch up on emails and read a USA Today.

All in all, we loved this trip on the Royal and are considering doing it at the same time in 2015.

Congrats to the OP. I'd take a balcony for less than $100 per person more than an inside. In addition to the breakfasts on the balcony, consider doing the Ultimate Balcony Dinner as well. It's a great experience.

Thanks. I'll give that some thought!

My DH and I have had an inside room for our last 8 cruises. We don't really mind and it has saved us a lot of money. Yesterday afternoon we received an email offering us an upsell to a regular balcony for $99 on our upcoming cruise on the Royal. I called and left a message that we were interested within one hour of the email. At noon today our called was returned and we were able to secure a balcony room mid-aft on the Caribe deck. I am so excited and cannot wait to enjoy my balcony breakfast for the first time in a long while.

:)

We received a check for our claim this past Saturday. We are so happy this 3 month process is behind us. Hopefully we will not have to file any future claims, but of course we will continue to insure our trips.

If they don't have the info from 2 of the 4 sources it sounds like a little "gentle" persuasion from you might be in order for those 2 sources. In any event, good luck getting this resolved.

Thanks for the good wishes. I made new calls to both sources last week and was told they will process the requests when they can.

I am surprised as well. We just sent in the form from Berkely that was filled out by the main physician and the names, addresses and phone numbers of the other 3 physicians involved and we had a check within 2 weeks for what Princess didn't reimburse.

Nobody could be more surprised than me, especially after I read that others received reimbursement so quickly. I provided all requested hospital and doctors names, addresses and phone numbers on my initial claim form. Perhaps as someone else suggested my claim was selected for audit. I don't really know anything except that all Berkely will tell me is when they have received everything they have requested from these other sources they will review the claim. Until then......waiting and waiting.

On July 29th I had to cancel our bucket list Alaska cruisetour set to begin August 13th. My husband had an unplanned surgery on July 15th that became more complicated than anticipated and resulted in a second hospitalization the following week. During the follow up with the surgeon on July 29th the doctor told us my DH was not well enough to travel. The refundable portion due from Princess was credited to my credit card the very next day. That same day I called Berkley (Princess travel insurer) for a claim number and forms. I promptly completed the forms and provided the other required backup, then sent the physician's statement form to the surgeon's office. Then the waiting game began.

The surgeon's office completed and sent the form after 2-1/2 weeks. Berkley then reviewed this and decided they also needed further documentation from 4 sources; both hospitals that admitted my DH, his primary care doctor and also the surgeon. Berkley said to speed things along I could get them a contact name and fax # for each source. After numerous phone calls I obtained this info and provided it to Berkley.

We are now 2 months into the process and they have received documentation from 2 of the 4 sources. Berkley did say it can take several days from the time they receive documentation to the time they will post it as received for your claim.

Meanwhile I am waiting, waiting. This has been a discouraging process for what was already an unhappy event for us.

They had it as well when we were on board last summer. I loved the Island!

Great news that the walk off with luggage has been available in the past in Vancouver. Thanks!

Can you tell me what port you disembarked at? I was hoping to on do the walk off with luggage from Vancouver this August in order to make an early flight.

I had friends who did the "Imperial Treasures" cruisetour and they LOVED it. They still talk about it to this day... :) 'Course that cruisetour combines the tour with a Northern Europe cruise instead of a Med cruise.

Thanks for the info. I was considering a land only tour next summer, but this sounds quite interesting!

I'm still wondering if anyone has been on this tour or a similar one to Europe with Princess.

We loved the coffee we purchased. I don't recall the brand, but we bought beans that were grown at the highest elevation the vendor had. It was $15 for a small bag, similar to what we have paid in the past for Jamaican Blue Moutain. I wish I would have bought more.

At the Jewell of Dunn's River did they serve any jerk chicken, or was it just hamburgers and salad? We always try to get some good jerk chicken when we go to Jamaica. How was the beach there?

Yes, the did have jerk chicken at the grill. The beach was nice but if you wanted a beach lounge chair you had to claim it fairly quickly after arriving. The lounge chairs at the closest pool with music also went fast, but there were more chairs available at the farther pool which was the quiet pool.

Thanks for your info about the Jewel of Dunn's River- we were contemplating this for our April 6th cruise. That resort used to be part of Sandals. It is a bit small and cozy. I think we will opt for Margaritaville!!

Glad I could help. Enjoy your cruise and Margaritaville where it's always 5 O'clock!

Thanks for taking the time and summarizing your experience for us. We will be on the same ship in March and can not wait to get away from our awful winter.

I have been looking at the temps in Cartagena and Panama and with the humidex it has been well over 100 F. How was the weather when you were there and if humid how bad was it ?... Dave

It was 84 F in Cartagena and 79 F in Panama. Both places were quite humid but a good hat, sunscreen and bottled water was all we needed to enjoy our time in these locations.

Have a great time on your trip and hopefully spring will be in full swing by the time you get home.:)

This year we needed a winter get-a-way more than usual. Detroit had been experiencing far more snow and below zero weather than normal. An 11 day trip to the south was a welcome respite, even if the high was still only 24 degrees when we returned on March 4th.

Due to work constraints our trip choices were somewhat limited. Last year we did a full transit on the Coral and loved the ship. We decided on a partial transit on the same ship and were not disappointed.

The day prior to the cruise we flew from Detroit to Ft. Lauderdale. We quickly found our baggage and called the Holiday Inn Express on 17th Street for a pickup. After a 20 minute wait we were picked up and transported to the hotel. We walked to Joe’s Café for a grilled mahi-mahi sandwich, and then went to the nearby Publix for two bottles of wine and a six pack of coke zero to take on board. Later that evening we walked to Duffy’s Sports bar for dinner and drinks to celebrate the beginning of our vacation. The next morning at 10:30 a.m. we asked the hotel to call us a taxi. The taxi arrived in 15 minutes and after a very brief ride we paid the driver $10 and entered the terminal via the elite line. We were the first passengers in the elite waiting area and just prior to noon we were passengers #5 and #6 to board. We dropped our carry on's off in our inside cabin room and went to the dining room for a delicious lunch. Only about a dozen people joined us there.

That afternoon I called room service and requested that the sodas in the elite bar set up would be swapped out for diet cokes and the mini liquors be switched from a variety to all vodka. This request was promptly handled. That evening and each night of the cruise I left a bag of dirty laundry on the bed which was returned to me the following evening. In the price area of the form I simply wrote “elite”.

After the muster drill we went to the informal cruise critic sail away party at the Lido bar. It was great getting to know these fellow cruise fans.

The 11 nights flew by. Here are my thoughts on each aspect of our experience:

Food: We usually opted for meals at the Horizon Court. The choices are plentiful and appealing and the setting is bright and clean. Usually servers were present to take and deliver your drink order. We did have lunch a few times at the International café where you can have your sandwich choice grilled and there are several salads to pick from daily. One day we went to the complimentary British-Style Pub Lunch and enjoyed the fish and chips and ploughman’s plate.

We also ate at the Bayou Café and Steakhouse twice. Once was during lunch and was called “Crab Shack”. We loved the steamer pot, shrimp appetizer, clam chowder and blueberry dessert. The cost was $20 per person. Our second visit was for dinner to celebrate my birthday. The filet of beef was delicious as were the various side dishes. For dessert I received an incredibly rich chocolate birthday cake. The cost was $25 per person and it seemed well worth the price.

Daytime: I attended many Zumba and line dancing classes. Zumba was taught by the enthusiastic cruise director Susan Rawlings and it was a 45 minute real workout. My DH and I also went to the fitness center a number of times in the late afternoon when the crowds had died down.

My DH and I swam and soaked at the more secluded indoor Lotus pool while most of the action was at the Lido pool. The coffee card we purchased on day one gave us many hours of pleasure sipping special coffees and teas at the International café. Ping pong, mini-golf, reading and walking the promenade deck were other relaxing activities we enjoyed. I went to the Grapevine Wine Tasting session and to a backstage tour of the Princess Theatre. Both were fun and informative.

Evening Entertainment: Several nights we made new friends by joining in at trivia type game shows. We went to two production shows during this cruise. On the Bayou is a lively and colorful show held in the Universe Lounge. Ye Olde Pub Night was held in Explorers Lounge and featured singing, dancing and a sing-a-long. We made a donation of $20 to the casino but it took us a couple of hours at the penny slots to lose this. We saw four movies, “Jobs”, “Gravity”, “Captain Phillips” and “About Time”. Each night we enjoyed the group Phoenix Rising in the Wheelhouse Bar for a night cap.

Ports:

Aruba: Early in the morning we took the #10 public bus to Palm Beach and rented two lounge chairs and a large umbrella for $35 right near the Radisson. It was a beautiful beach and quite busy. A few hours later we went back to the bus stop and a van taxi picked up 10 of us and returned us to the port for $2 per person. We walked to Iguana Joes for a margarita and jerk chicken before returning to the ship.

Cartagena, Columbia: We went on the ship’s Scenic Drive of Cartagena and La Popa Monastery. This 3 hour tour had several stops including a folkloric show at the Navy Museum which gave us a flavor of Cartagena. The included “refreshing soft drink” per the tour description turned out to be bottled water. While street vendors did actively hawk their wares at each stop, they were not aggressive in any way. I can recommend this tour.

Panama Canal: The locks and the story of the locks are very interesting. We found some great viewing on the lido deck, promenade deck and also inside near the International Café as the water & ship was rising.

Limon, Costa Rica: We have visited this port in the past and decided to try something different. I contacted Your Lucky Tour prior to our trip and at noon they had a driver waiting for us. As planned he drove us to the Red Snapper restaurant where we enjoyed a lunch of rice and beans con pollo with salad and plantains. We washed this down with some local beer and enjoyed the panoramic views and ocean breeze. The driver stayed with us and drove us back to the ship when we were ready. We bought some Costa Rican coffee at the flea market right by the port.

Ocho Rios: Having never tried an all-inclusive resort we decided to sign up for the ships Jewel of Dunn’s River Resort. The price was $109 each and we were disappointed. We had looked forward to using the advertised paddle boats but there weren’t any. The tour description said there were 3 restaurants with gourmet cuisine and an outdoor grill. Only the grill and one buffet style restaurant with quite ordinary food were open. We did enjoy the whirlpool tub and swim up bar. We found a bartender that made the best mud sling I’ve ever had. Our next trip to Ocho Rios we will go to Margarita Ville and get a super lunch for a lot less than $218.

Disembarkation: Alas, all good things must come to an end. We signed up for the self-help disembarkation option and exited the ship at 7:30. We flew through customs and were at the airport gate by 8:30. Unfortunately our 11:21 flight was delayed to 1:00 and when we got to Detroit they had accidentally sent one piece of our luggage to Norfolk, VA. It arrived at our house by the next day.

Thanks for letting me share with you!

We loved the Crab Shack lunch for $20 p.p. on our February cruise on the Coral. The lunch took place in the Bayou Cafe where we had the Mixed Steamer entree which was tasty. The appetizer and dessert were excellent too. We are hoping this is still offered on the Coral during our August cruise to Alaska.

We were in B224 on the Island in 2012 & got to listen to the elevator swoosh each night. I would not book this again.

In 2013 we were on the Coral in room B429 and had no issues.

I hope this may help.