lynwar

We've been on the Ruby and Emerald Princess ships twice. Each was good for us. In fact, we ran into an entertainer on one who we hadn't seen since 1998 on the Sun Princess, and this was 2012. We all aged in those years but it was a great reunion.

 

The Sun Princess was terrific, our first cruise. We were hosted by our next door neighbors who treated us to a cruise. As stated, I was overcome by the newness of it all and the "wow" factors for me, including turning around in port to head out and watching the anchors come up upon departure. It was a brand new experience for us and we will always appreciate our friends' generosity. The Sail A Way was special. The music was either "The Love Boat" theme or "Time To Say Goodbye" by Andre Boccelli. (I know his song was sung on at least one-time fades the memory.)

 

We were just aboard the Caribbean Princess in September after 10 years. The first thing that hit me was the smallness of the atrium/piazza area after being on the Royal Princess last year. However, I settled in by the first or second day (of 9) and it was like old home week. It became comfortable, once more. The entertainer was Bert Stratton, who I'd heard a lot about and am now a fan. His show was much different than my favorite entertainer from 1998, Barrington Brown, (where IS he now?) but just as enjoyable.

 

What makes every cruise perfect for me is getting up early on arrival day after the cruise and going up top to the highest deck I can find and watching the ship move into port. I see the flags hoisted and last minute maintenance being done, with coffee in hand, waiting for the pilot boat to greet us, and then head back into reality. It is SO quiet out there. The only sense of return are the early morning flights taking off from the airport-it's about 5:30 to 6:00 AM. I can't feel incomplete if I miss this last "excursion" of mine.

 

My point is that each cruise will be perfect in its own way, as many have said. We have graduated from a smaller ship-Sun Princess to the Royal Princess-very large, and are on our way back down to the Grand Class/ Emerald Class ones.

 

Enjoy each of your cruises to the fullest!! What can beat life on the sea?

 

Lynne

Hello

We live in Central Florida and the weather forecast per last night was reporting that the disturbance probably would be breaking up over the Yucatan, with very little effect on our state, at least up in the Tampa area.

Also, we were on the Caribbean Princess in September but, were on her 10 years ago, in September, during Hurricane Jeanne week. Most of the week was fantastic, but we "met" her as we were sailing toward our final port of Nassau. We awoke to high swells and some rocking and rolling, green passengers on their first cruise, overflowing pools, and even some staff sickness. The ship turned around by late afternoon to escape back into calmer waters. The Captain tried to make a run for it the following day, a Friday, but Jeanne had sped up and by 5:30 PM, the ports had been closed. Our ship, along with a few others, spent the next two days cruising back and forth down by Cuba-all arriving back in port on the Monday.

So, the point is, the Captain will do what it takes to keep the passengers safe, while still enjoying their cruising experiences. The things "sacrificed" were shore excursions. And, we got more creative meals that included stews and casseroles. LOL.

From what I understand, several ships, including the Caribbean Princess and another that had my friend on board, were diverted West during Gonzales. All had a great time.

 

Enjoy yourselves!! It will be an adventure!

Lynne

Hi Dave,

It was so nice seeing your post today. I still have your photo of the Royal Princess sailing into the sunset as my desktop picture. Yes, you got credit for it!! :)

 

We were recently on the Caribbean Princess, 9/20-29. It was a 10 year reunion sailing for us since we were last aboard her the week of Sept. 18-25, 2004--Hurricane Jeanne week!! It was another great cruise this time, although, we didn't have as tight knit roll call as the 2004 voyage. That was OK, as we some of the folks around the ship. I really enjoyed Bert Stratton, the entertainer in Crooners. He put on quite a show but I learned that he also does sacred choral work and has his name is on many church anthems. That was an added bonus for me. He's a lyricist.

 

I hope to get back this ship in the future. Trevor found that the Royal was a bit too large for him. But, the scheme of all the ships is about the same so I got adjusted quickly.

 

Take care for now. I hope you don't get too much snow up your way this winter. We are in a "cold" spell right now: lower humidity, sun, and temps in the low 80's !

 

Happy Sailing. Lynne

Hi,

I enjoyed myself in Crooners with Bert Stratton playing. He is a very serious and talented musician beneath the sing a long show.

 

The one smell I did detect was up on the 16th deck in the wee hours as we were pulling into port. I'm usually up there to see the ship arrive. It was a combination of diesel and trash compactor, I think, and wasn't very appealing.

 

We were on this ship 10 years ago when she was new and I forgot how much standing water there was when it rained or when it was cleaned. But, it was nice to revisit her. We were on the Royal Princess last year and we could certainly see this ship's age, now. It was a thrill to see Skywalkers up on the bar, and the CB was the ship that introduced MUTS. Yea, 6 football games in a week! :)

 

Next time we will get another cabin with a window, at least. While our interior was cozy, I missed seeing the outside when I arose in the middle or see the waves at night.Our steward was very pleasant.

 

Our dining experiences consisted of one time in the dining room on formal night. We encountered two delightful ladies in front of us and we four ate together and had a wonderful time. The food was okay. The rest of the voyage was spent up in the Horizon Court, Caribe Cafe and eating by the Outrigger Bar. We also had some snacks at the International Cafe.

 

We attended one show in the Princess Theater on the final night. We were up too close to appreciate the overall performance that seems better being back further. The one male singer, not the blond, was quite good.

 

The majority of our time was spent in the Casino-bad for us every time we get on a ship. We don't gamble all year and then the sounds of those slots just draw us in. The cost of the cruise was fantastic, but those expenses drove up the cost. Thankfully we came home with a good amount of cash out money. The biggest complaint? The smoke. We'd end up at a machine where smokers would sit down on either side of us. When it was smoke free night-we were doing other things. Nothing against smokers, we've grown up around them, but now that we're older, we can't tolerate the smoke as much.

 

The cruise was fine for us, as it was what it was-a get away. We live in Florida, and Hubby wanted to get out of town for a few days. Our original five day turned into a 9 day 9/20-29. There were no high expectations, we had a great roll call group, met some neat people during the week and admired some fun entertainment. It was tough to leave because of that. I'm ready to go again! (This was our 10th Princess cruise).

 

I'm sorry that some of you had a disappointing time and I trust that your future cruises will be better no matter what line you are on.

 

Take care. Lynne

Hi,

We just came off a 9 day on Caribbean Princess. The first week (5 days) we went to Grand Cayman and Cozumel before returning to Ft. Lauderdale. Those of us staying on, were to report to a dining room at 10:30 to be guided to the terminal by a staff person. The time was moved up to 10:15, as traffic was moving quickly.

We needed our passport, ID like drivers license and the in transit cards. We were escorted through and then to a seating area around the terminal until it was time to get on. WE KEPT OUR SAME CARD, which was also needed during this process. We "clocked out" going off the ship with the group, and then "clocked back in" upon returning to the ship. The entire process took about one hour. Everything was very organized. Thankfully, we didn't have a problem.

Yes, I agree that you will receive instructions and the in transit cards before this event.

 

And, it IS interesting to see the new passengers coming on board after the rest of us have settled in and know our way around on the ship. They have that "lost" look. LOL. I know, we've all had that look ourselves on new ships.

 

Good luck. I love the Eastern itinerary, but this time it was a Western one-we hadn't been that way in awhile.

 

Lynne

Hi

We originally were going to book for the 5 day but when we called about something were told of the 9 day, so we opted for that. It was a great price. 9/20-29/14.

This was our 10th anniversary of sailing on the Caribbean Princess. We were last on her 9/18-25/04-during Hurricane Jeanne week! This time, the weather was great most of the time after leaving during a thunder storm in Ft. Lauderdale. Lots of sun last week outside of a couple of brief morning showers.

This was a getaway for us, too, since we live in Central Florida. We did not program anything to do, but managed to make some trivia groups and spend much time in the Casino with the "Little Devil" slot. We were thankful to leave with some cash. It didn't take long to use up the $400 allowance over the 9 days.

The entertainment seemed good, all around. I did spend the last several evenings in Crooners with Bert Stratton, and became one of his "groupies" up front. He is a magnificent musician beneath his showmanship during his performances.

It would be great to sail on the CB about every month or so, but unfortunately we can only handle once a year. We were very satisfied, but next time I will want a window in the cabin,again. :) These cruises are great for the locals, but there were folks from all over the world on it so good deals are good deals.

We attended the formal dinner in the dining room; I wore a pants suit and hubby wore a collared shirt and tie, no jacket, as word came before sailing that a jacket wasn't necessary.

 

Happy Sailing, Everyone. Lynne

Hi

I haven't been on in awhile and here you're up to the third page on the Regal. I just wanted to say hi, tonight, and now I'll have something to keep me going as I read through this post.

Thanks, Dave.

Lynne

That repo cruise sounds good, as my son lives in NJ. However, if we drove up there for a few days, oh, what do we do with the car. :eek: ? Since we live here in Florida, we save on air fare.

Glad you had such a good time. We sailed in November,2013, too.

 

Take care. TorontoTL. My dad and step-mother lived in Toronto for many years. I'm originally from Montreal.

 

Lynne

Hi

We dare not complain down here, as we've had temps in the 80's with some sun this week. They are to "dip" down to low 70's by tomorrow. Don't take me wrong, I'm not gloating, as we have several relatives up in Ohio, New Jersey, New York State and even Nova Scotia!

I continue to keep myself in cruise mode by reading the reviews. We've been getting some offers due to my casino winnings but can't find a ship with sale prices so far. Meanwhile, we are putting our house on the market to test the waters so will be busy with that for awhile. We will be staying in the area, just not the gated community.

 

Whenever I need some "Royal Treatment", I look at your pictures, Dave. :)

 

Lynne

Hi TorontoTL,

I just came across your review. I'm not sure how I missed it. I know you've been looking forward to this cruise so much. Also, per the others, I'm sorry that your friends couldn't join you.

 

It's so great that you are enjoying yourselves. I've been following the "Live Froms" since Dave- and the reviews just to keep myself sailing on our Royal. It seems like November is so far behind us since we sailed. I also check the webcam departures of her almost every week.

 

As for the bedding, my hubby ordered pillows for our bed that are about exact replicas of those on the ship. We each have two, and our heads just sink right into them. :) It's our way of trying to recreate the cabin. :D

 

We're all excited to read more about your cruise experience.

 

Lynne

Thank you for your review!

We are not avid walkers, more like strollers, ;), so enjoyed strolling around the promenade deck on our cruises. It was also a good way to get from one side of the ship to the other. That said, we did discover the nice "promenade" spot outside of Crooners one night, and it was great. And, we were able to look out over the rail into the distance like we used to do before turning in at night. It was also nice to go out to that spot, and the one more aft for a few minutes. As for fresh air, we had a balcony, too, so sat and stood out there at different times.

We were up on the jogging track a couple of times to try the machines positioned up there and see the sports complex activities, and it wasn't that bad for wind up there. This was usually in late morning, so perhaps the wind was up real early. I do know that when being up top to see the ships arriving in port a few times, I had to stand back and get shelter because it was so strong-that was at 5:00AM.

 

But, I am happy that you had a good time. The Royal Princess is definitely a beautiful ship, with a fine crew. The crews on the Princess ships are one reason why we keep returning to this line.

 

Lynne

own,

I completely agree with your comment!!! SHHHHHHHH.

I didn't want to say it out loud.

 

Lynne

Hi

nurse@sea-I did read it in your paragraph form and didn't have a problem. I have relatives who write in that style. :) That said, I did write something in one paragraph, once, and was given suggestions on to improve it with paragraphs. ;)The important thing is that you wrote a review of your experiences.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your week on the Royal Princess. We were aboard her the week before Thanksgiving. We never took the opportunity to go to the Sanctuary or Enclave, or even the pools, so it was nice to hear all about it.

 

We used the aft elevators most of the time, too. It seemed more convenient, unless, we forgot where we were and went up on the forward ones, for a longer walk. :)

 

Thanks again, for your input, nurse@sea.

 

Lynne

Hello,

I saw some great pictures posted today by Gambee of the Royal Princess leaving the port. And, I saw it on the Web Cam, as well, before that, and heard the horn. :)

 

Ahhhhhhh.

 

It was a little cool on the decks and balconies, but I'm sure they will be in warmer climes, soon.

 

Take care. Lynne

I'm continuing to enjoy your Disney World Adventure!!

 

My mind is still on the Royal Princess, a bit. I saw her sail away today and heard the horn. :)

 

Your review is keeping me "grounded". ;)

 

Lynne

Thanks!

I saw the Royal Princess on the Webcam today and heard the horn then. :D She followed the Eurodam. We were on the Royal in November.

 

Also, thanks for the pictures of the Coral Princess. We might have been docked next to her a few years ago, but didn't see her ever while moving.

 

Also, it was interesting to see the shots from the other side from the white building. I didn't know there was a sidewalk on that jetty. We were always looking on the other side.

 

Lynne

Victoria,

Thank you so much for your quick reply. We will look into WDW further.

We didn't go to the Harry Potter side of Universal, but went to the one that has the attractions for the younger children. I really enjoyed it... but my grandson was afraid of the action figure re-enactment and didn't like the loud noise surrounding it. But, he had recently turned 3. He has since been to Disneyland in California on a visit there and had his picture taken with Pluto, Andy, from Toy Story, Mickey, etc. So, a return visit might pay off later, here in Florida.

You and Rachel looked like you were really enjoying yourselves on the teacups!!!

 

Your input has been very valuable. Thanks, again.

Lynne

Hi

Thank you for the photos. Alas, my husband has no interest in the Panama Canal itinerary so this gave me the opportunity to see what I will be missing. We have a friend who is on this trip on another line, who has cleared the locks and is enjoying his last port of call before arriving in Ft. Lauderdale. He flew to LA from Mass, and is enjoying the full two week transit. I now know what he experienced.

Thanks, again.

 

Lynne

Hi

Your review of WDW is really opening my eyes to the many opportunities that are there. We're retired Florida residents who have never visited the grounds, although, as a college student back in the 1960's I toured Disneyland, and took some rides there. The Haunted House was just being built then.

The last time we were at MGM, now Hollywood Studios, my younger son had just graduated from the Navy Boot Camp in Orlando (1989). He now works for NBC/Universal. We visited there with him and his family when my grandson was 3. He'll be turning 6 in June. (Universal). Is there a comparison between it and WDW?

 

My older son will be making his annual visit here from California in the spring. What would you recommend as the most cost efficient option for the three of us? We've been going down to Ft. Lauderdale, but that is getting to be a bit rusty now. One year we might finally get him on a cruise.

 

Thanks again for your reporting. It is my little mini-vacation.

Lynne

Hubby usually books due to price, and with Princess, we've been every new class since the Sun Princess in 1998. When a new ship is introduced, we've tried to be on it for the experience, thus the Golden, Grand, Caribbean, Star, Emerald (2x), Ruby (2x) and now the Royal.

Our sailing date was chosen because of a good sale, and we would be on the new ship-after we followed her progress for several months. And, we saw DMW1959's input, including sending us a photo with an arrow pointing to our cabin. :)

 

Were we disappointed? NO. We had a good cruise for US-no specialty restaurant reservations, or spa or Enclave or pools. The balcony was fine, too, and the chairs weren't overly uncomfortable. We ate in the Horizon Court most of the time.

 

During the last several years, we've tried HAL, Carnival and NCL (with friends) but have always returned to Princess. The Royal Princess was very nice and we would sail on her again. Now, we'll see if we set sail on the Regal. We'll see if there will be a sale during our prime cruising time. And, I will close by saying that we've never had a bad cruise.

 

Bon Voyage. Lynne

The Ruby Princess is a great ship. We've sailed on her twice. I think you will enjoy it. Enjoy your cruise this week. :)

 

Lynne

 

Good review and photos, Justprettynpink. Thank you!

Thank you, Dave. This time I'll be on the lookout for your posts. I must admit that I didn't pay too much attention to the "Everything Royal" because it was at the top and I thought was written by someone at corporate. Little did I know..... ;)

 

I'm not too sure when we will sail on the Regal, but I know that we'll eventually take that opportunity.

 

Lynne

Dave,

So glad you are out of the affected area, as we were concerned, too.

Also, congratulations on your review being chosen. You certainly kept us all with you on your voyage and deserve the recognition for your efforts.

 

Lynne

Thanks for the update. Back problems aren't fun. I will add my wish that hubby can find some relief from his injury pretty quickly.
And, thanks for the reminder that we are vacation and these other folks are paid to take care of our luggage.

Take care. Lynne

I just checked in to ask the same thing about whether you are affected by that chemical spill up in your state. jangor beat me to it.

 

Also, we had a standard balcony room. The bathroom door was angled rather than straight which is different from past ships. There was a desk on the left side by the sliding door, with the mini refrigerator and "counter top" over it on the right side. And, there was a mirror on the desk wall, as well as the fridge wall so you could see into the other from each side. The cabin size was fine for the two of us. Our luggage was stored on the floor under the coat hangers. No problem, and served as extra "shelves" as we needed during the week--for shoes, etc. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to post pictures to this site.

 

I'm still mentally on the Royal Princess, which hasn't happened with a ship in many years. I believe I had a similar experience on the Golden Princess many years ago-the first cruise we could afford. It has been our favorite ship in its class for many years. Now, I like the Royal, and am awaiting the Regal to make her debut.

 

Take care. Lynne