sea princess-caribbean= what do we need to know???

[maryhill1]

Hi Im sailing on the Sea princess 2011- my 1st cruise with princess.:)

 

Has anyone else who has sailed on her- give me any info/ useful tips on what to expect-- we have only done "freestyle" cruising (western Med)before and not sure what to expect this time!!

 

I would also be grateful for any tips on tour/trips etc--- should we use ship tours or arrange our own when we get there (or before we go).

I would appreciate the contact details for safe, reliable companies we I can contact for the destinations or is it ok to just go sight seeing on my own?

I know this might seem silly but Im from Sotland - the other side of the world !!!!!:eek:

I would appriciate any opinions/advice---

 

1. scarborough(tobago)

2. grenada

3. Bonaire

4. Aruba

5. Grand Caymen.

6. Ocho Rios

7. Tortola

8. Antigua

9. St. Kitts

10 Dominica

 

Any help gratefully received-- thanks in advance Elaine.:)

[YoPhilly]

Maryhill, we did a 14-day Caribbean cruise on Sea Princess just over a year ago. You may want to see my pictures - click the link in my signature.

 

You'll feel right at home - almost the entire ship was from the UK. There were only 55 Americans onboard. I enjoyed the interaction, and I really got into the spirit of afternoon tea. One British woman told me the tea we drink in America is "tea dust"!! :D Ever since then, I've been buying PG Tips tea. (You learn something new every day!)

 

I think Sea Princess is an excellent size - not too small, not too large. It has Movies Under The Stars, which I love. You mention "freestyle" cruising - I think you are referring to dining whenever you wish. Yes, Princess does that as well. Ask your agent to request Anytime Dining. We never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a table. Very efficient maitre d' and waitstaff.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions. It was a great cruise!

[YoPhilly]

1. scarborough(tobago)

2. grenada

3. Bonaire

4. Aruba

5. Grand Caymen.

6. Ocho Rios

7. Tortola

8. Antigua

9. St. Kitts

10 Dominica

 

Our itinerary differed slightly. Instead of Ocho Rios, we docked at Montego Bay. Instead of Tobago, we anchored off Dominican Republic.

 

• Grenada - take one of the wonderful nature tours on this lush island.
  
• Bonaire - get in the water and snorkel!! You can snorkel right from shore all over the island. Check out this site for more info:
  http://www.bonairetalk.com/cgi-local/bbs/discus.cgi?pg=topics
  
• Aruba - this is a good island for relaxing - grab a bit of beach and get in the water.
  
• Grand Cayman - my husband took a tour to an unusual place called Hell. Truly. Some people like to swim among the stingrays here. Personally, I prefer to leave them alone. This is another island with really great beaches.
  
• Ocho Rios - Jamaica is a gorgeous island. You could hike up Dunn's River Falls, which used to fun until it got to be over-run. You might also enjoy tubing down the river.
  
• Tortola - Whenever I visit Tortola, my favorite things to do are going to Brewer's Bay for a swim and snorkel, then a stop at Pusser's Pub in town for a Painkiller - a wonderful drink.
  
• Antigua - this is a tough call since I don't know you. If you're into nautical themes, you'd enjoy a tour of Nelson's Dockyard and English Harbor - a glimpse into colonial times. Beaches here are my favorite of all the Caribbean. It doesn't get any better than this.
  
• St. Kitts - we took a catamaran sail to Nevis and Cockleshell Beach. Very enjoyable.
  
• Dominica - another lush, eco-tourism island. I highly recommend a tour to Titou Gorge. It's a spectacular experience.
  

Enjoy!!

[Pam in CA]

I enjoy the Sea Princess. As she sailed for P&O for a couple of years a few years ago and is marketed in the U.K., she has amenities for U.K. passengers that none of the other Princess ships have. There are many dishes that appeal to Brits (marmite, anyone?), much of the comedian humor is geared towards British humor, and there are 220v outlets in every cabin.

 

My favorite spot on the ship is the open, public deck at the back of Aloha deck with loungers either in the sun or under cover. Great spot to relax and watch the waves; it's also rarely crowded as it's far from the pool and many people don't find it.

[caber]

Hi maryhill1,

 

Most of the Caribbean islands are easy to do on your own in a local taxi, as long as you negotiate the price beforehand.

 

In Tortola there are open sided buses in the quayside you can to take a tour or go to Cane Garden Beach at a reasonable price.

 

I would recommend a swim with the stingrays in Grand Cayman. It is not to be missed. We did a ship`s tour but others will give you local tour companies.

 

We were supposed to climb Dunns River Falls in Ocho Rios a few years ago but because of the wind the tenders didn`t get in. I still have the shoes unworn that we bought for the climb.:(

 

Sea Princess is a lovely ship. It is a very British experience compared to other Princess cruises.

 

I am sure you will have a great time whatever you do. :)

[lake5298]

.....and there are 220v outlets in every cabin.....

 

A small detail, maybe, but essential.

 

I was on Emerald Princess last week, and although my laptop charger says 100-240 volts, it simply would not charge the laptop on the ship's 110 volt supply.

 

I managed to charge a mobile phone off the 220 volt shaver socket in the bathroom (because a phone charger uses less power than a shaver) but as a laptop power supply consumes far more power it wouldn't have been a good idea.......

 

I know there are computers in the internet cafe... I was using them... but it's not the same as using your own laptop where the pages are bookmarked and the passwords are already in the memory.

 

I just can't fathom why the laptop would not charge off the ship's 110 volts - when the laptop psu said 100-240. Funny enough, I'd bought a new laptop at duty free on my flight out - so I tried that too - same problem.

 

Has anyone else had this problem?

[danacline]

The Sea Princess was our first cruise, ten years ago. We liked her size - big enough but not too big. I've been to a few ports on your list, but not all. Take a look at my Sea Princess and port reviews on my web site - the Sea Princess writeup is stale but the port info is more current.

[maryhill1]

Hi everyone.

 

Just to say a big thank you to everyone who took the time to respond- im really grateful for all the information/advice and useful links. I will have a great time going through all the info etc, - while trying to decide what to do in each port.

I really appreciate all the help as i like to have a plan of action for trips before we set off.

I know it still quite a while until we head off on this trip (still 2 trips to enjoy before then) but half the fun is in the planning.

 

Thanks again-- you've all been briliant.

Elaine (maryhill1)

[maryhill1]

Maryhill, we did a 14-day Caribbean cruise on Sea Princess just over a year ago. You may want to see my pictures - click the link in my signature.

 

You'll feel right at home - almost the entire ship was from the UK. There were only 55 Americans onboard. I enjoyed the interaction, and I really got into the spirit of afternoon tea. One British woman told me the tea we drink in America is "tea dust"!! :D Ever since then, I've been buying PG Tips tea. (You learn something new every day!)

 

I think Sea Princess is an excellent size - not too small, not too large. It has Movies Under The Stars, which I love. You mention "freestyle" cruising - I think you are referring to dining whenever you wish. Yes, Princess does that as well. Ask your agent to request Anytime Dining. We never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a table. Very efficient maitre d' and waitstaff.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions. It was a great cruise!

 

:) thanks for the photos we really enjoyed looking at them-- looking forward to our trip even more now.

 

DH is just imaging himself as "Commander of the Fleet" after seeing the snaps of the bridge etc. He'll be brushing off his old naval cap any day now!!

(He was in the navy for all of 2 years in his youth.):D

 

Thanks Again Elaine