Just Back from Caribbean Princess June 26 Sailing! (Part 1)

Just got back in from the Eastern Caribbean Sailing on the Caribbean Princess (June 26-July 3). In brief, a great week on a great ship with great weather and great service overall. That was in brief. Now, here comes the long version, and I do mean long. Get comfy. I am 43 and the Wife is 41. The son is 10. Here we go:

1. Embarkation: We arrived at Port Everglades by our own car since we live in the Tampa/St. Pete area. We got to the parking garage which is right next to the CP. We pulled up right next to the CP where we dropped off the baggage to the porters. We then proceeded into the garage and parked our car there for the week. The cost was $84.00 for the entire week. Steep, but very convenient.

By the time we got there, the line to check in stretched out of the Princess building. It was very long, but moved extremely fast, not like an infamous “Disney line.” I would say that from the time we arrived (12:30PM), got checked in at the desk and got through the metal detectors was about 30 minutes. Take along some bottled water to drink on the line because it can get hot outside. The inside is air conditioned.

We went up the gangway, stepped onto the CP, got our picture taken instantly and were done with check in. Given the incredible number of people there, I think it went as quickly as one could hope. A word to the wise. There are two type of people on trips to anywhere; those who packed “light” and those who wish they had. It’s a long way from the start of the waiting line to your cabin, so bring those rolling suitcases if you’ve got ‘em. If you don’t, check everything you can except for a small suitcase holding what you want to wear for the first few hours on board since you will have to wait to have your luggage delivered. Remember, the CP has a laundromat on just about every floor. Use it and cut your packing by 50%-75%.

2. The Ship. The CP is absolutely beautiful. It is what I would consider “understated elegance.” They use a lot of wood paneling, frosted glass scones and beautiful art all over the ship, including the rugs on the landing of each stairway that often signifies what is on that floor. (Promenade Deck 7-pictures of musical instruments signifying that the Princess Theatre, Explorer’s, etc. are located on that deck.)

A. The Cabin. Penthouse Suite, R405. We were fortunate enough to have one of the Penthouse Suites on the Riviera Deck 14. Cabin R405. Absolutely beautiful! Marble tile floors in the entry way and bathrooms. Corian countertops, wet bar, fridge (it does keep things cold, just give it one day), walk in closet, 2 TV’s (Panasonic 19 inch with Audio and Video inputs on front of each TV), couch that opens into a bed, and storage, loads and loads of storage, under the beds, in closet, end tables, under TV’s in drawers, on and on. Two sliding glass doors leading onto double sized balcony. The balcony is not very wide, mind you, but very long, the length of the suite. I would say it is about 4 feet from the sliding door to the guard rail. There was a teak table with 2 chairs, 2 teak loungers with pad and one little coffee table between the two loungers. Extremely private. Complimentary bar set up with the little bottles of spirits (Gin, Corvoissier, etc.).

In reading the message boards, I have seen different posting about which decks on the CP have exposed balconies. For the record, here it is. Lido (15) which only runs part of the ship, Riviera (14), Aloha (12) and Baha (10) are NOT exposed. In other words, those above you cannot see you. However, Caribe (10) and Dolphin (9) are just about entirely exposed. From my balcony on Riviera, I could look down and see everyone on Caribe and Dolphin.

B. The Pools. There are 2 Adult pools on the CP. They are the Aft pool and the Lotus Spa pool. The Aft pool is my favorite. Just like others have already reported, the Aft pool area is a dream. The Café Caribe opens up right onto it and you can walk right down to it from the decks above via outside stairs. The view from back there is awesome. Skywalkers is above and affords shade during certain times of the day. The actual pool also doubles as a stage when they set up a steel stage right over it for Deep Blue to perform on Wednesday night for a type of sail away party leaving St. Thomas. Deep Blue is very good, playing your typical Bob Marley type set. Outriggers Bar is right there with waiters walking around. Not pushy at all, but there if you need them. The Strawberry Daquiris are top notch! We had our 10 year old son with us, so we could not swim back there, but it looked inviting.

The pool at the Lotus Spa was absolutely beautiful, complete with a statue of an oriental Goddess sitting at one end (sorry, I don’t know the name). Again, adult only, so couldn’t swim there with the 10 year old. This is a current pool, so you can swim against the current for a good work out. Lotus Spa looked absolutely beautiful, but we did not take advantage of any of their offerings.

The other pools were the Neptune’s Reef and Calypso pools. The pools are very nice, but I must say the following and please, don’t shoot the messenger here. There were just too darn many people! I am originally from New York City, born and raised, and am not afraid of crowds, but at the popular times of day, we are talking packed to the gills folks. A few times, I could have walked across the heads in the pools and easily made it to the other side without getting a drop of water on me. I strongly suggest getting up a bit early or going a bit later in the day if you want to have a more pleasant pool experience. During the months leading up to this cruise, I read reviews from people who had already gone on the CP asking, “Where are all the people? I know they added another deck to the CP over the other ships like the Grand Princess (Riviera Deck) and didn’t add any common areas to this new ship, but where are all of those 500 people?” Well, I don’t know about their cruises, but on mine, they were at Neptune’s Reef and the Calypso Pools. Don’t get the wrong idea. The cruise was great! This was a minor inconvenience. Let’s move on.

C. Pizza at Prego’s. Out by the Neptune’s Reef pool is Prego’s Pizza. This is some of the best pizza I’ve every had and I am from NYC! They make pizza throughout the day until late. Several varieties whenever you want! Regular Neopolitan with just cheese and sauce; Pepperoni, Special (Artichoke hearts, mushrooms, etc.); Quattro formaggio (4 cheeses). Absolutely excellent! So good, it should be illegal! Just walk right up, tell them what kind you want, they put it on a plate and off you go! No extra cost. You don’t even have to show your cruise card. If you are on a low carb diet, you had better look out! Better yet, forget the diet and eat some of that pizza. Delicious!

D. Trident Grill. Directly across the deck is Trident Grill. They serve burgers, fries, brats, and jumbo hot dogs. Someone commented that whatever they pay those guys to work at those grill is not enough. I second that! The heat must be unreal. The burgers are OK for kids, but I found them wanting. I guess I’m too used to those fancy ones in the restaurants. The jumbo hot dogs and brats are good and so are the fries. Again, all you want whenever you want at no additional charge.

E. Scoops Ice Cream. In between the Calypso Pool and Neptune’s Reef is Scoops Ice Cream. Scoops was great. Yes, there is a charge. I spoke to one of the girls who works there and joked with her about the charge. I asked her if she was sick of hearing people complaining as to why they had to pay for ice cream. She was very sweet about it, but admitted that yes, it had gotten old. After all, she said, she didn’t make the rules. Of course, dessert is included every night in the dining rooms. It’s also included in the Horizon Court and the Café Caribe. As many as you want without additional charge. To complain about paying for ice cream seems to me a little ridiculous. Yes, I know they didn’t used to charge for it and that they don’t charge for it on the other lines, but that’s just the way it is. If you want it, you have to pay for it. By the way, it was delicious. Had the waffle cones with both soft serve and the scoop type. Also had a hot fudge sundae (or two!). All excellent. Cost was $1.50 for soft serve in the waffle cone. $3.75 for a root beer float.

Look for Part 2

The Monk

F. Horizon Court/Café Caribe. The Horizon Court is on the Lido Deck 15. It’s a very good buffet. To the rear of the Horizon Court bordering on the rear of the vessel is the Café Caribe. Here are their hours for the record:

4AM til 10AM Breakfast buffet with pastries in Café Caribe

6AM til 11:30AM Traditional Breakfast Buffet in Horizon Court

11:30AM til 4:30 Lunch buffet in Horizon Court

4:30 PM til 6:30PM Light snacks and buffet in Horizon Court

5:30PM til 11PM Dinner buffet in Café Caribe

11PM til 4 AM Bistro dining in Café Caribe with tablecloths and table service for drinks

The first night we ate in Horizon Court was on Saturday, June 26 for the Sailaway Buffet which was billed as a “Chilled Seafood Extravaganza including Lobster Claws, Shrimp Cocktail, King Crab Legs, Smoked Salmon and many more.” The problem was that the Lobster Claws and tails were very chewy and just weren’t any good. The shrimp were limp. The fact that the lobster was served chilled got me to thinking. I wondered if they were left over from the last cruise. As it turns out, on Thursday night of our cruise we had, you guessed it, Lobster Claws and Grilled Rock Lobsters served hot with drawn butter which were absolutely wonderful. Not chewy at all. Hmmm. Are those sailing away tonight going to get our left over lobster claws and tails from Thursday night? What do you think? Yes, that was a disappointment, but things got much better very quickly.

Breakfast in the Horizon Court and Café Caribe was very good every day. They put out a tremendous assortment of breakfast cereals, fresh fruit, scrambled egg mixtures, Eggs Benedict, and cooked to order eggs. They have an Omelette Station on each buffet line. Just look for the small sign on the wall. I had a Western Omelette on several days while my son had a cheese omelette. Very good. They had cut up potatoes some days, bacon and sausage every day, and on and on and on. If you can’t find enough things for a good breakfast in there, hang it up.

Lunch was plentiful again. All kinds of foods to choose from. Rolls, cold cuts, cheeses, fresh salads, fish, rice dishes, etc. If you don’t find something you want, just go out to the Neptune’s Reef Pool area and grab a slice or two at Prego or a burger, hot dog, brat and fries from Trident. If you want to dress up a bit, just go to a dining room. Loads to eat whenever you want.

Dinner in the Horizon Court/Café Caribe was extremely good most nights. We ate there about 3 times for dinner. One night (Thursday) was the unlimited Lobster and King Crab I spoke about together with the freshly cooked shrimp. Absolutely awesome! If you love Lobster, you will feel like you died and went to the good place. Since I love the Aft pool area, I just waited out there for the buffet line to open, got a HUGE plate of Lobster and shrimp, got a Strawberry Daquiri ($5.75 plus 15% grat) and feasted on it all at a poolside table watching the Ocean go by. Now that’s a vacation!!!!!! Again, that was Thursday night. Wow, I almost forgot to mention the Beef Wellington that night. My God, was that good! I literally cut it with a knife. Cooked to perfection with a hot pink center.

Last night, they had “Creole Cookery” in the Café Caribe. Man, was that good. Red beans and rice, Jambalaya, and a Pork Stew with carrots and potatoes that was just wonderful and spicey. One dessert choice was a freshly baked Apple Strudel with vanilla sauce that was to die for! I guess you can tell that I like, no love to eat. It was really fine.

On Tuesday night, they had what they call Rijstafel “Rice Table” buffet which was just tremendous, if you love rice and are the least bit adventurous in the culinary area. At least two types of rice to which you added these Caribbean dishes that were cooked in these very large cast iron type skillet pots. All types of meat, chicken, etc. Very flavorful and delicious, but not too hot!

One last tip. Whenever you want to eat in the Horizon Court or the Café Caribe, do yourself a favor and sit back in the Café Caribe section. It is much cooler and less crowded back there. The reason is that the Horizon Court’s huge doors open onto the Calypso Pool. The heat comes pouring in every time those huge doors open. Not so back in the Café Caribe.

G. Coral Dining Room. We had Anytime Dining and ate in the Coral Dining Room twice. The service was top notch. The ambience reminds me of a classic, elegant old steamship liner, with its wood paneling and frosted sconces. It also had a beautiful ceiling, complete with twinkling lights. Absolutely lovely. One night, I had the French Onion Soup. While it was good, it hardly had any broth. I could have complained and sent it back, but it was still very good and saw no reason to “rock the boat” (Ha Ha!). The salad was excellent. My main course was the rack of lamb. Absolutely succulent! My Wife had this pasta dish which was almost like pesto. She loved it. My 10 year old loves Salmon filet. It’s on the Always Available menu. He had it twice and devoured every morsel. Yes, I had the Love Boat Chocolate Dream Cake. I am still spaced out on a chocolate sugar high. Wow, is that thing rich for a small heart shaped cake! My Wife had a Souflette (sp?) with Vanilla sauce. She loved it, and so did I (you didn’t think I wasn’t going to get a bite, did you?). The other time we ate there, my Wife had scallops and I had the Filet. Very good.

H. Sabatini’s. Everything you’ve heard is true. A very enjoyable, very filling meal for any normal human being. You select the type of soup and entree you want. They do the rest. They bring you very small portions of a great many things. Here we go. Garlic bread, mussels, langostinos, melon with proscutto (Italian ham thinly sliced), Sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts in a sauce, a little pasta, etc. They served us some Gnocchi. They were the absolute best I have ever had in my life and I am Italian from NYC! Tender, cheesy, melt in your mouth Gnocchi. Give me those Gnocchi or give me death! I ordered the Seafood Cioppino Soup which is shellfish, tomato, garlic and chickpeas in a tomato based sauce. Tremendous. Since I could not decide on which of the choices for Entre I wanted, the waiter suggested their combination seafood which was Langostinos, Scallops, Cold Water Lobster Tail and Chilean Sea Bass. Folks, it was absolutely delicious. Perfectly cooked as seafood should be. Just cooked, but not overcooked. For dessert, my Wife and I both had this type of Spongecake with berries in it. I know, it doesn’t sound so good, spongecake, but that is my own feeble attempt at describing it. It had layers of cream and berries. Oh, Man, was that good!!!!!!!!

Warning: Do not go to Sabatini’s on a night when you are in a rush to see a show. This meal will take two hours minimum. We got there at 6:30 and left at 8:30 and that was even pushing it. Yes, it costs an extra $20 per person. So what? You’re on vacation and you’re going to be dead a long time. Enjoy yourself, why don’t you!!!!

I. Sterling Steak House. We had reservations, but never made it, so I can’t comment.

J. Lobby Bar. The Lobby Bar (Plaza Level-Deck 6) is a nice spot to sit in the Atrium of the ship. They have a Cappuccino machine there and offer free cookies (Chocolate Chip, etc.).

Unfortunately, all of what you coffee drinkers out there have heard about this ship is true. The coffee is absolutely horrible. I think they use the industrial type coffee that comes in a “coffee concentrate.” We have it at work in the large plant break room. It mixes with very hot water at a set rate in a dispenser. It is just aweful. I told my Wife about this in advance. She went out and got a coffee press for about $15. It’s a small glass cylinder. You pour the coffee grounds into it, add the hot water, stir for a while and then insert a press into the cylinder that covers it entirely and pushes the coffee grounds to the bottom. We simply got the hot water from Horizon Court every day since they have a boiling water dispenser for tea drinkers right next to the Ice Tea dispenser. I wrote on my comment card that they should install small coffee makers in every Stateroom. After all, if even cheap hotels can do it, why can’t Princess?

K. Explorers Lounge. (Promenade-Deck 7). I love this lounge. Very comfortable and welcoming. The sight lines are excellent since the levels are terraced slightly. All kinds of events are held here. Live bands, art auctions, Comedians, Magic Acts, etc. Warning: Get here at least 30 minutes early if you really want to see a show like a good comic. It is not that large and fills up fast.

L. Wheelhouse Bar. Never went in there.

M. Internet Café. (Promenade Deck 7 right next to Sterling Steak House and Princess Theatre.). Excellent computer equipment and plenty of it. You swipe your Cruise Card into the card reader and away you go. I think it was $0.35 minute. It can add up, so watch your time. It’s a bit slower than dial up since you are going through a satellite link. You can easily check your e-mail and surf the web. They have 14 workstations in the main room plus the Instructor’s at the front and 5 more as you walk in to the Right around the corner. I used it every day.

N. Skywalkers Nightclub. Never made it there except during the day to see the view.

O. Club Fusion. Nice looking lounge, but poor sight lines. State of the art monitors all around the club. Never attended any functions there.

P. Princess Theatre. (Promenade-Deck 7). Saw some live shows as well as movies. Very comfortable chairs. Excellent sight lines. Good sound system. A nice way to spend a couple of hours. Movies shown: Big Fish, Mystic River and Something’s Gotta Give.

Look for Part 3

3. Entertainment:

A. Scott Wyler, Comedian. I want to thank Larry and Amy for recommending Scott Wyler in their excellent review which I used as a guideline during my cruise. I could not agree with them more about Scott Wyler. A little about me. I’m a lawyer who managed bands for years. I have absolutely no musical or acting talent myself, but I know it when I see it. Run, do not walk, to see Scott Wyler if he is on your cruise. This comic is about to break big time. He does not belong on a cruise ship. He’s already way too big for it. (Scott, if you read this, dump your agent. You should be getting far better gigs for much more money.) He is strictly headliner material and should be making the rounds on Leterman and Leno, and no doubt will be doing so in the very , very near future. He is hysterical! I brought my son to see his show. He still hasn’t stopped talking about him.

B. Kimika. I caught about 5 minutes of their show and left. It just wasn’t my type of stuff. I didn’t see enough to render an opinion.

C. James “The Kid” Michael. Only saw a small section of his show, but he was very entertaining.

D. Jonathan Stamp. Comedy in Motion. Brought my son to this one. What can you say about a guy who juggles a Stihl Chain Saw while it runs full throttle? Yes, it was real. The smell of the exhaust from that gas engine proved it. He also juggled pins while balancing a full size surfboard on his chin. The man is good.

E. Hal Spear. Did not catch his show.

F. Adam James in Crooners, Promenade, Deck 7 Midships. He’s there nightly playing the old Standards. Enjoy a drink and sit back and unwind.

G. Deep Blue. What can I say that hasn’t already been said about Deep Blue? Much respect and props to these hard working guys. They just churn out that Bob Marley type Island groove every afternoon and evening by the pool while we chill out, sipping our Daquiri’s. They are the “musical backbone” of the Caribbean Princess. They are very good and enjoyable. Check them out by all means with a frozen drink of your choice.

H. For the Kids. I have to give one serious criticism which I wrote on the Comment Card when I left. This ship needs a Gaming Arcade for the kids. I spoke to two members of the crew about this. They told me that the kids destroyed the Gaming Arcade machines on the Grand and the other ships. A decision was made to install Playstations in the official kid’s clubs on board. It was felt that these devices would take the place of a full Gaming Arcade. Well, they don’t. Come on, Princess. You built a huge ship like the CP that holds 3,100 passengers. You are looking to entice families with kids. Your kid’s clubs are nice, but they are not enough to hold the attention of the kids of today. Would it kill you to set aside some room on that massive ship and put in some “Crazy Taxi” and “Gran Tourismo” driving games, some air hockey tables, etc.? Think of the revenue at 3 or 4 Quarters a pop. Kids need more to do on this ship. I heard that from several other parents. Make the necessary changes or lose the customers to Royal Caribbean and the others.

I. Grand Casino. Not a gambler, so no comment.

J. Marriage Game Show. Did not attend, but heard it was good.

K. Caribbean Caliente and Let’s Rock. Did not attend.

L. Movies Under the Stars. I love the setup. The screen is awesome. The sound system is state of the art. They installed the JBL concert series array that is used by the biggest touring acts in the World. Believe me, they spared no expense. The loungers are very nice and have comfortable padding on them that is put out only when the movies are shown. The only problem on our cruise was that the movies were, well, weak. They showed “Calendar Girls” and “Starsky and Hutch.” These choices really perplexed me. They showed awesome movies like “Mystic River” and “Big Fish” in the Princess Theatre. They showed “Cold Mountain” on the in room movies, but they showed these “light weights” at the “Movies Under the Stars.” Why? I think Movies Under the Stars is great. The Tina Turner in Concert that they played on the first day of the cruise was awesome. I loved it! The Wizard of Oz sing along was very well attended and enjoyed. Oh, well. If they show a good movie out there on your cruise, I would definitely advise attending. It’s nice out there at night with the ocean breeze and some popcorn.

4. Ports of Call.

A. St. Thomas. Did you ever go on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disney before they took it down? Then you have some idea what a “taxi” is like in St. Thomas. Simply said, these guys are nuts! I have felt safer in NYC in a cab hurtling down Broadway being driven by some guy who just landed at JFK the day before than with these guys. These “cabs” are basically trucks that had their backs ripped out and had some type of frame welded onto the back that holds 4 rows of bench type seats. They then seek to pack every human in them that they can fit and then careen down the street and up the mountain, yes, I said the mountains. Hold on ‘cause you’re in for the ride of your life! I wanted to take a real cab, but there are none to be had. My only advice is to select a very late model one. I saw many Red ones that were late model Dodge Ram type trucks with plenty of power. Unfortunately, I was on one coming back from Magen’s Bay Beach that had seen better days. The hills are steep, I mean STEEP! If you’ve every driven in the mountains of North Carolina, you know what I mean. You might try a private tour operator like Godfrey’s Tours. He’s got a web site at http://www.godfreytoursvi.com. He’s a local with a late model vehicle who drives responsibly. You can make reservations with him over his web site.

Anyway, we did a bit of shopping downtown in Charlotte Amalie. It was nice and we were not accosted by the vendors like in St. Martin (more on that later). My son and I went to Magen’s Bay Beach which is supposedly one of the top 10 beaches in the World. I now know why. It is simply the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. Strike that. It is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. A strip of pristine white sand surrounded by lush mountains on three sides with the most beautiful bay of Saffire Blue water you have ever seen in your most vivid dream. Looking at this place makes you believe in the Almighty since only the hand of God could have created it. Rented a mat-type float for $7 plus $10 deposit at the boutique. My son and I had one of those days you remember 30 years later. It was very special to me. We went back to the ship and, you guessed it, ate more pizza.

B. St Martin. At the outset, let me state that I saw only a very tiny piece of this island. I wanted to go to Marigot, but that just didn’t happen. I settled for taking a cab ride down to Philipsburg and am very sorry I did. Quite simply, I found Philipsburg to be a dump, pure and simple. My Wife, son and I were all accosted relentlessly by what seemed like every vendor on the planet. There was no letup. You would just get done telling one that you were not interested when another got in your face with their pitch. My Wife then strongly suggested that we go for a walk on the beautiful beach that was there. We agreed. Unfortunately, that only changed the sales pitch. “How about a nice cabana for you and your family?” Drinks? Wave runners? And on and on and on. We gave up, grabbed the water taxi back to the cruise ship dock and escaped to the safety of the CP. That was the time to go in the pool since so many people went on the shore excursions. We had a better time on the ship, believe me. Again, I do not want to disparage this island. I am certain that it had much to offer and that the mistake was mine for going to a place so close to the ships where every local looking to sell something had congregated. I just write about this experience to save some of you out there from the hassle my family and I went through in Philipsburg.

C. Princess Cays. Absolutely beautiful. My son and I took a short ride on one of the CP’s tenders and landed at the dock. The island is really very nice. Princess has again spared no expense. Loads of lounge chairs, rest rooms, huts with nice merchandise, etc. The water is pristine. We rented snorkeling gear and went out just in front of the shack that rents the stuff. We saw all kinds of beautiful tropical fish right away from very small to pretty big. My son loved it. They then started the Bar B Q buffet line. They had hot dogs, burgers, chicken, ribs, every kind of salad imaginable, all kinds of fresh fruit, drinks, etc. Very nice indeed. Very hot out there, so bring the sunscreen and drink plenty of water.

Look for Part 4

The Monk

Excellent review Monk!!!! Penthouse Cabin!! I'm jealous!!! Can't wait for part 2!! Did your son go to the Kid's Club? We'll be bringing 10 & 11 year-old boys in September....and boy are they excited!!

5. Advice.

A. Bring a case or two of Spring water. They sell it on board for $1.95 for .5 liter and $2.95 for 1.5 liter (Dannon). I bought a case of Zephyhills Spring water for $5.00 for 24 of them at the local grocery store. Just tape a luggage tag on it with your Stateroom number on it. My was delivered without any problem.

B. Pack light and bring a roll of quarters. The CP has guest laundromats on many of the floors. They each have 4 washers, 4 dryers and 4 ironing boards with irons. Each washer or dryer takes 4 quarters. They sell little boxes of soap by machine (Tide, Clorox, Downey) for $1 each. We grossly overpacked and regretted it. Do just one load in the middle of your trip and you cut your packing by half. Do two and, well, you get the point.

C. Buy A Coke Thermos. If you drink a lot of Coke, Diet Coke, etc., buy one of the Coke metal thermoses they sell when you board. They cost $22.50, but you can drink all you want. They also place a small Red Coke sticker on your cruise card. You can refill the Coke thermos at any bar throughout the ship. You can also just show your cruise card with the sticker in any lounge or in the Princess Theatre and get Cokes for free.

D. Reserve Sabatini’s as soon as you get on the ship. You can only make the reservation in person at Sabatini’s. They open at 1PM for reservations on Saturday. Be there or miss out.

E. Reserve Movies Under the Stars as soon as you get there by calling the Concierge.

F. Reserve a standing reservation in the Dining Room of your choice each night as a backup if you are on Personal Choice dining and cancel if you choose to do a different option that night such as Sabatinis, Sterling, Café Caribe.

G. If you have a kid, and they have a Playstation or XBox, BRING IT! I cannot imagine what this last week would have been like without my son having that thing to entertain himself. Bring a typical extension cord. Pull out the TV’s power cord, plug in the extension into the power outlet, then plug the TV and the Playstation power cords into the extension. Plug the Yellow plug from the Playstation into the “Video In” jack on the front of the TV and the Red plug from the Playstation into the “Audio In” jack. You don’t need to plug the White plug from the Playstation into anything. It works fine without it.

H. Look for Flying Fish on Thursday Morning. Yes, you heard me right. On Thursday morning, we were on the Promenade Deck 7 on the Starboard side of the ship, just behind where the waves were breaking as they came off the bow. I suddenly saw a small fish jump out of the water to evade the ship and stood in amazement as he proceeded to fly, yes, fly for about 50 feet and then re-enter the water. I had read about flying fish before, but never thought I’d see one. I told my family where to look. More started to jump out of the water and fly. My Wife and son were also amazed. This was really special. (I know, I’m easily amused.)

As an alternative to the above, forget everything I’ve said and take it as it comes. You’ll still have a great time. We did! Enjoy your vacation. You’ve certainly earned it!!!!

The Monk

laginog,

Yes, my 10 year old son went into the club for 10's to 12. He is standing right here. He felt it wasn't quite on his level. It had 6 Playstation 2's with some good games. He says there were activities that he really didn't want to participate in. He's standing right next to me now. He says he just wanted to play the Playstation 2 and not be bothered. They had "Burnout 2-Point of Impact" that he didn't have. He says he felt it would have appealed more to 7 and 8 year olds than to 10 and 12's. Any other questions, let me know.

I wonder if Pam will know what ship you are talking about. I wiill give you a full review of the lounges you missed when I go in August. Great review, Thanks, Davehaj.

Thanks for a great review, we are about to book the same week for 2005 and your review sold me--you should get a comission!

Monk, Thanks for the fine review. We look foward to sailing the CP.

Smiles and thanks once again :) :p

Wallygator, Flacrusrs, Davehaj,

You are all very welcome. I learned a great deal from the reviews before I went, so I wanted to try to give something back upon my return. One thing I failed to mention was getting off the ship this AM. It went without a hitch. They started calling the colors you are assigned by Stateroom at about 8AM. They got to us about 8:20. We were in our car with the trunk packed by 8:40, heading to the Interstate. They did a great job sorting the luggage which is all grouped by color in the Terminal building. If you have a Passport, bring it, since the line for Passports at the very end moves about 3 times as fast as the one for birth certificates. Have a great cruise and let me know if anyone out there has any questions I can answer.

The Monk

Monk

Thanks so much for the wonderful review.

We'll be on the Caribbean Princess, in 3 wks.

Minette

Monk:

Thanks for the awsome review. We will be on this ship on Sept 25th. Your review confirmed previous reviews about the aft pool being a great place to hang out. Hopefully not to many people discover this secret before we sail!

Thanks for taking to time to post the review.

Candi

WOW!!! Terrific review!! Tanks for putting in so much time to give so much info. Great job!! :)

I too, was on this cruise...the ship is BEAUTIFUL! I have much to add, but by now, as you all know, you're in for a wonderful cruise..so ask should you have questions! DH and I both booked Lotus Spa...sigh....and you booze hounds...wait for St Maarten to buy!!! (i.e litre of Absolut Vodka on board= $9.99, on St Thomas - $7.99 but on St Maarten - $5.95!) If anyone is interested in the "Special Breakfast" on your balcony that costs extra $, be advised, it is only offered on the second day at sea. Dive-In-Movies very cute concept - we saw "Calendar Girls" ....did not do balcony dinner, but may do so in the future ...did PC dining - got a table for two in the Coral the first night, liked it, and booked it for the rest of the week,with exception of one nite due to long day in St Thomas - called early to advise they could give up our table, dined in Caribe Cafe..very nice, and our table in the Coral was ready for us the next night. Didn't do any of the shows...DH had luck on craps in the casino, but I found the slots to be horribly tight. Don't go there. Sea days had everyone around the pools, however we always found a premium spot, if not around the crowded pools, to sun ourselves. The pool games, as always, are a hoot! Lots of lounge chairs for all. As prev CC's have commented, you just don't know where the other 3000 people are! Bottom line...would go back in a NY minute!

Monk, Wonderful review! Just one question: You mentioned the internet rate of .35/min., since you had a suite, wasn't this complimentary?

Thanks, Debbi

Monk, I think Sue said it all "WOW". The day I return from a cruise I am so zapped and depressed, I wouldn't even get on these boards. How were you able to spend so much thought and time describing your vacation? You are an excellent writer and I thoroughly enjoyed your outstanding review. We are on the Caribbea Princess in September and like someone above said your description just reinforces the anticipation to sail this beautiful ship. Our cabin is right next to the aft pool and I have only heard great things about this area beginning with Sue who was one of the first to respond to me when I inquired about this area.

I am taking my 80 year old mom and an elderly neighbor with us and another couple. They don't have access to a computer so when I see an outstanding review like yours, I print it out and let them read it. Yours is a definite "print".

Thank you again.

Kellyann

what a nice review and so detailed. we are going 8/14 and am getting so excited with all the good reviews. only thing is the 'kid boredom thing'. my son is 16 and gets bored quickly. if the pools are so crowded during the day i'm wondering what the heck is he going to do all day? my daughter is 19 and will probably stay up half the night dancing and will sleep half the day. i'm thinking it might be a good idea to bring his playstation with us with a few new games. i hope i made the right decision with this boat for them. i know i will be fine on any ship.

Wow! I am going to print out this post - thank you for all the wonderful info...we look forward to cruising her shortly. ;)

Monk -

What a great review......really appreciate all the time you put into it. Looking forward to our October cruise even more now. Thanks! :D

Dee

We sail the CP on July 31. Now I am more excited than ever. Thank you both for the reviews. Fantastic!!!!

Thank you for the splendid review, Monk.

Two items:

1. There are 2 adults only pools which, obviously, children cannot swim in. However, both myself and my daughter (age almost 12) want nothing more than to sit in lounge chairs in the quiet shade and read. I cannot go out in the sun due to skin cancer and she cannot due to prescription medicine reactions with the sun, so--is it possible to sit the adult pool area? Or is there another outdoor area that is quiet and shady? I am assuming most people on the ship are out tanning in the sun and near/in the pools getting wet.

2. Would you ask your son if most of the children's activities for the 10-12 year-olds were "lame" (my daughter's word). She was hoping to do a few things that were on a more mature level, such as karaoke shows and disco/dance parties (she likes boys--sort of) ...not any duck, duck, goose kinds of activities.

Monk, great detailed review. And thanks for the tip about the xbox. We will bring it on board with us to keep our 9 yr. old (and the new friends he is sure to make) happy.

An unbelievable review, I learned so much from it! Leave on the CP 7/10.

Monk, did you meet Chris (Cruising Is Life)? Your post reminds me of him, all the attention to detail, and well-written. Thanks for sharing!

Wow, thanks for your great review and for your wonderful suggestions, especially for the Horizon Cafe/Cafe Caribe areas. DH likes omelletts so we'll just look for the sign. Also, thanks for the information about the adult pools. Sounds like a great spot to relax. I have a question, did you use Godfrey's Tours in St. Thomas.

When we were on CP last month, our friends daughter was 12, but we signed her up for the teen zone anyway because her brother(15) and our son(15) and daughter(17) were going in there and she didn't want to be "alone" in another room. There were alot of parents that fudged on the teen room ages. But all the kids got along and no one seemed to mind that there were a some 12yr olds there.