Review Crown Princess Jan. 23-30

[sadiea]

This was our 6th Princess cruise and we enjoyed this one just as much as the previous 5! I had read a lot of negative reviews about this voyage, so I was a little worried that we would have problems--but the worrying was unfounded! The ship, the crew and the ports were all fantastic!

 

We flew in the day before and stayed at the La Quinta Inn for $85. A free shuttle from the airport and another free shuttle to the cruise terminal along with a free continental breakfast made this a bargain hotel. Our king bed was comfy, the room was nicely decorated and the staff was pleasant and helpful concerning all the shuttles. Plus, there were a ton of restaurants within walking distance--even a Kmart and a Home Depot!

 

The free shuttle from the hotel to the pier picked us up along with a few other passengers who were leaving on other cruise lines. We left the hotel at 11:45am and were eating lunch in the dining room on the ship at 12:45pm. Soooo easy! The Princess staff at the terminal were so cheerful and happy--such a difference from our cruise last year on the Caribbean Princess out of San Juan right after dry dock. There were absolutely no lines and we were on the ship fast!

 

We were booked in an outside obstructed view cabin on the Emerald deck e701--my favorite cabin because it isn't obstructed at all! We happened upon this cabin a few years ago on the Crown and I was so happy to get it again! Our room steward was great and he kept our room in tip top shape and was great about replacing our beach towels regularly.

 

We ate lunch in the dining room right after boarding and I ordered the Ultimate Kids Package from the waiter for unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, sodas, milkshakes and mocktails. My husband and I don't drink alcohol and this was a fun upgrade from the regular soda sticker. We thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon chocolate malt everyday along with experimenting with other non-alcoholic drinks.

 

We had early traditional dining and Omar from Jamaica was our server and he was fantastic. Each night in the dining room a diet coke with lime was waiting for me without me having to ask. We sat with 2 other couples that we were traveling with. We really enjoyed all the meals in the dining room except that I am a little tired of the menu. This was the 3rd Princess cruise in a row (one per year) where the menu didn't seem to change. I'm ready for a menu overhaul! Sauteed Barrundi is great, but I am tired of seeing it on the menu year after year! On Monday night which was Italian night we at at the Crown Grill and it was divine! I'd been reading some sketchy reports of the Crown Grill on this board, but I was not disappointed at all. My filet mignon was as good, if not better, than any I've eaten at upscale steak houses and I'm still dreaming about the black and blue onion soup. We all thought that the Crown Grill was a nice change from the dining room and worth the upcharge. Some friends of ours ate the next night at the Crown Grill and one of their steaks was not great, so she sent it back and it was replaced with a fabulous piece of meat which she then thoroughly enjoyed. Just like in any restaurant on land, if something isn't right, you need to bring it to the waiter's attention so that the problem can be remedied.

 

The first day at sea my husband and I got up early and paid for our day in the Sanctuary ($20 per person). I loved having a soft lounger that was mine for the entire day and I didn't have to worry about someone stealing it or leaving my stuff. The attendants kept my orange/lemon/lime infused ice water filled all day and I didn't have to listen to the distraction of the MUTS movies around the pool. We reserved 2 loungers in the sun and loved every minute of it!

 

On that first sea day we ate the English Pub lunch in the Wheelhouse bar. My husband lived in England for 2 years, so he was thrilled with the authentic menu. We both ate fish and chips with malt vinegar and it was excellent. The fish was crispy and fresh and then for dessert we ate the bread and butter pudding which was also tasty.

 

At Grand Cayman we took the public bus ($2.50) each way north to Cemetery Beach. The weather was beautiful, but the ocean was not very cooperative for snorkeling. The water was churned up from big waves so we weren't able to see much. The waves were great fun to play around in, though, and we had a great day. A couple of locals told us that the big waves were unusual. I'll have to try the snorkeling again some other time.

 

In Roatan, we booked a day at the Sante Wellness center. Talk about a piece of heaven! Only 10 people are accomodated each day and the setting is so peaceful. You can book massages and treatments, but we just booked a "day pass". A taxi took us to the Parrot Tree Plantation and from a boat dock there a small ferry picked us up and took us to a private island where the wellness center is. We lounged in the hot tub, read on the beach, fell asleep in the hammocks and enjoyed a scrumptious grilled shrimp lunch. There is an awesome coral reef just in front of the beach and we snorkeled for quite a while. This reef was amazing--probably because so few people swim to it so it doesn't get damaged. We could have used the sea kayaks also, but we were feeling too lazy after the snorkeling. It rained quite heavily in the late afternoon, but we just relaxed on the covered veranda--no problems and no stress. Truly a wonderful day. I would immediately go back there again if I ever make it back to Roatan.

 

In Cozumel, we woke up to cloudy skies and rain. Kind of a bummer. We had planned to go to Chankanaab, but on a lark decided to try Palancar Beach and reef. There were 4 couples and a taxi/van took us there and back for $10 each. It was raining when we got to the beach so we decided to have a boat take us to the Palancar Reef for a drift snorkel ($30 each). If we were going to get wet, we might as well be snorkeling. Plus, the water temperature was warmer than the air temperature and it felt great! We saw a nurse shark, several HUGE manta rays (the highlight of the snorkel trip) along with lots of colorful fish and sting rays. After our 2 hour snorkel was done, the sun came out and we spent the rest of the day lounging on the beach. We ate some great chips, holy hot salsa!! and guacemole. A great beach day...I would head back here in an instant.

 

The next day was a sea day and it was on the chilly side. We decided against the Sanctuary because of the mild temperatures. We found a warm spot, shielded from the wind right below the smoke stacks. When the sun was out, it was warm and pleasant, but when the sun went behind the clouds, you felt chilled. Not a bad day, though. No rain, no kids, no laundry or cooking or cleaning to do...how could I complain?

 

Last day was Princess Cays and I had never been there before--hard to believe that on 5 previous Princess cruises I never made a stop to their signature beach. I was pleasantly surprised. The weather was superb which definitely helped. Sunny and very warm. The beach was gorgeous, the water was nice and it was a great last day of the cruise.

 

I really appreciated the fact that most of the shows and the comedians did the same show for at least 2 nights. This made it so much easier to find a time to see the shows you wanted without having to fight people in the theaters. I loved Troy Thirdgill--what a funny guy. The other comedian Rollin Jay Moore did the exact same routine from 2 previous cruises. He's funny, but not that funny the 2nd time and 3rd time around. I wish he'd get some new material!

 

We did express self-disembarkation and got off at our leisure. No problems at all. We had friends that caught a 9:45am flight that morning out of FLL. Our flight was at 12:30pm.

 

Another great cruise! Too bad I can't figure out a way to do this twice a year!

[Clutterlady]

Thank you for a great review! Seems like the Crown is alive and well despite some opposite reviews:)

[SF]

Glad to hear you had a great cruise. We were recently on the Crown for 15 days and are returning again in April.

 

Was wondering if you mind answering some questions about your day at the spa in Roatan?

 

1. How much per person was just the day pass at the spa in Roatan?

 

2. How much was the taxi ride to and from the pier where they picked you up?

 

3. How long was travel time and how long did you get at the spa itself?

 

4. Did you book it online at their website....did you have to pre-pay?

 

Any information would be appreciated, thanks.:)

[sadiea]

Glad to hear you had a great cruise. We were recently on the Crown for 15 days and are returning again in April.

 

Was wondering if you mind answering some questions about your day at the spa in Roatan?

 

1. How much per person was just the day pass at the spa in Roatan?

 

2. How much was the taxi ride to and from the pier where they picked you up?

 

3. How long was travel time and how long did you get at the spa itself?

 

4. Did you book it online at their website....did you have to pre-pay?

 

Any information would be appreciated, thanks.:)

 

For the day pass at the Sante Wellness Center it was $40 per person. I emailed Angela (the proprieter) at santedayspa@yahoo.com to make reservations. I was required to make a 20% deposit via paypal to secure my spot. This was refundable if weather conditions made it impossible for the ship to arrive. I had the choice of paying the remaining balance in cash upon arrival or beforehand via paypal again. I chose to pay the balance with paypal. We picked up the taxi in the "taxi area" at the top of the hill at Mahogany Bay. I told the taxi dispatcher where I wanted to go and how much I was willing to pay. He found a taxi driver quickly--there were 4 of us and we were willing to pay $15 dollars roundtrip per person. The wellness center is about 20 minutes away. We might have been able to negotiate a cheaper fare, but I had heard that most taxis were charging $20 per person, so I thought $15 was OK. The taxi driver called the day spa so that the ferry would be there waiting for us at the dock at Parrot Tree Plantation. It was easy and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! This place was so peaceful and comfortable...words cannot describe the tranquility felt there. Two friends went with us had massages and they were very pleased with the services.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the review.

[SF]

Thank you so much for answering my questions. Now all that's left is for us to make our plans.:) Can't wait!

[luv1another4ever]

Thanks for the review.

[Lew's cruise]

Very nice review. We will be on the Crown Feb. 13 and can't wait.

 

Lew

[Love Boat Dream]

Thanks for the review!

[paul bev]

Do you remember if veal or lamb dishes were on the menu in the main dining room ? We really enjoyed them on HAL and Carnival and were hoping they were served on Princess.

Also, was there entertainment in the lounges, in the evenings, for dancing ? I never hear anyone mention anything about that on the Crown, so I'm hoping there are some good bands.

 

One more silly question. Do they have individual flavored coffee creamers in the buffet area? If not, no big deal, because we will bring them.

 

79 days and counting!!

[Colo Cruiser]

Do you remember if veal or lamb dishes were on the menu in the main dining room ? We really enjoyed them on HAL and Carnival and were hoping they were served on Princess.

 

Also, was there entertainment in the lounges, in the evenings, for dancing ? I never hear anyone mention anything about that on the Crown, so I'm hoping there are some good bands.

 

One more silly question. Do they have individual flavored coffee creamers in the buffet area? If not, no big deal, because we will bring them.

 

79 days and counting!!

 

Lamb is served at least 2 times during a 7 day cruise.

[paul bev]

Wonderful, good to hear.

 

We will be going to the Crown Grill, so I guess we will have the veal there.

[Colo Cruiser]

Wonderful, good to hear.

 

We will be going to the Crown Grill, so I guess we will have the veal there.

 

Oh do I love the rack of lamb in the Crown Grill!!! :D

[paul bev]

Maybe I'll have both!! ;)

[Jo and Rob]

Very nice review. We will be on the Crown Feb. 13 and can't wait.

 

Lew

 

We will see you there!

[sadiea]

Do you remember if veal or lamb dishes were on the menu in the main dining room ? We really enjoyed them on HAL and Carnival and were hoping they were served on Princess.

 

Also, was there entertainment in the lounges, in the evenings, for dancing ? I never hear anyone mention anything about that on the Crown, so I'm hoping there are some good bands.

 

One more silly question. Do they have individual flavored coffee creamers in the buffet area? If not, no big deal, because we will bring them.

 

79 days and counting!!

 

I don't care for veal and neither does my husband, so I can't remember if that was served or not. However, I do know that there was a rack of lamb served in the main dining room and a superb rack of lamb served in the Crown Grill. My husband loved the lamb served in the Crown Grill. Yes, there was dancing in the lounges in the evening. Ballroom type dancing was available with a live band several times in the Explorer's lounge, Wheelhouse bar and other locations. The band was Phoenix Rising and they seemed good to me--although I am probably not the one to ask. I'm definitely not a live band conoisseur. Dance lessons were also available at various times during the week. The evening entertainment seemed to be a lot of repeats for us. The same shows, the same comedians from previous trips. The shows in the Princess Theater are very good, but we had seen them before so we skipped them. We really enjoyed Troy Thirdgill, a new comedian for us, and we are still chuckling at some of his jokes. We went on this cruise with several other couples, and in the evenings we found ourselves playing card games late into the evenings rather than going to shows. I heard good things from other passengers about the entertainment offered. The only complaint I heard was that some people felt like the ship falls asleep around 10:30 or 11pm with little to no late night entertainment. I like that people go to bed on the cruise and this is partly why I choose Princess over and over. I went on Royal Caribbean a number of years ago and I felt like the whole ship stayed up partying until the wee hours of the night except for me. Maybe I'm a 36 year old party-pooper, but I appreciate the quiet halls and lack of activity late at night! We don't drink coffee so I can't comment on the flavored coffee creamers. I did notice a ton of people with "coffee cards" and they seemed to be enjoying them, so at least that option is available.

[paul bev]

Thank you so much for the info.

 

We haven't been on Princess in 2 years, so I hope the menu and shows have changed. If not, I'm sure we will have a wonderful time. I've never had a bad cruise!! :)

 

We are in our late 50's, and are not ones to stay up late, but a little exercise after dinner is really needed!!

 

Can't wait to watch MUTS in the evening (if I can stay awake) ;)