Tak8

I grabbed a taxi at the pier and went to Isla Verde beach $21 one way, then my favorite restaurant in San Juan - Metropol. They serve great Mojitos. A little rain today. Taxis only accepted cash at the pier. Tip of the day: You must have your photo ID. Both Princess and Carnival passengers were waiting to get back to the ship and the security guard kept telling people to have their ID and cruise card in hand. Lots of people asking why do I need my photo? I'm not sure about the trolley. Elton John tribute last night. It was a fun show. The entertainer mentioned this week is his last for a while. I will try to get some of the patters loaded tonight or tomorrow. \ Forgot to mention the first day, there was a paper in the cabin listing whether each port allowed Princess, Port sponsored, and/or private excursions. I know it doesn't help the planners, but it was nice to verify before leaving ship. All ports allowed all 3 on this itinerary. Looking forward to seeing Amber Cove. New for me.

I'm hoping this thread doesn't turn into the next great attire debate, but after reading so many do they or don't they wear formal attire, I thought I would give my fresh eyes perspective. I'd say 85% in the dining room wore formal attire - small percentage a tux, vast majority a suit (some with, some without a tie) and some just dress shirt and pants. The rest were more causal. Formal dinner was great. I recommend the duck a l'orange if you are a duck person. It was very moist. The show was suppose to be singers and dancers, but they made the announcement before dinner that there was a technical issue and they switched to a Tina Turner tribute by Breanna Faust, a GA native who was on American Idol. She put on an energetic show. Today we are in San Juan.

I'll try and answer some of the latest questions and concerns. I was able to go right to my cabin and drop off my bag. I was in the first group and on board by 11:15. Buffet: They have many individual items that you can get yourself, but almost everything else is self serve. They give you a tray and napkin with utensils. I haven't noticed a drop in service, but I'm in CC. I did notice a slight drop in CG. My section had only 1 waiter and no assistant. Hard to get superior service with that. More later, time to get ready for formal dinner.

It's nice to be able to walk in and get a table. The extra dish is nice. Service is excellent. Worth it, depends.

azbirdman: if I remember right happy hour was 5 to 630. The bar area was very small and at times a long line to get a drink. Princess Cays was a nice start to the trip. Weather was great all day. Comedian last night was Tom Briscoe. Pretty funny. Today is a sea day and also the first formal night. Time to get ready for Sabatini's breakfast.

I will try to update on the trip. A little background: I'm elite on Princess, but have sailed several lines. Pre-cruise: stayed at Embassy Suites. Fitness center was available and breakfast was served so no guest touched anything. Uber driver took me to Royal ship first, then Queen Elizabeth before he finally got me to the Caribbean Princess. Check in was quick, but the Medallion wouldn't allow me to do health survey before. Waiting to board now.

I enjoy CC, but 400 extra per person per week is a lot. For that amount, you could do as many specialty restaurants as you want.

I received mine last week for a cruise next week. It came via USPS with a short delay. I only know this from requesting tracking after I got the email it had shipped.

A talk on chocolate, I'm in.

I prefer the old tasting menu to the current one.