Interactive Preview/Review of Emerald Princess Eastern Caribbean May 2 to 9, 2010

[7x5090g]

Looking forward to the cruise comparisons and news about the photo competition.

 

Looking at the previous entries I don't think mine is really all that good.

http://content.princess.com/princess/?jlJkWPejbYRWORNaN9sYUtMT5g25mIANj#photo

 

I also saw that they did not mention anything about 2010. Wondering if the contest is still on.

[Hollybelle]

Andy, your pros/cons comparison post is extremely well put. I agree with so much of it and I appreciate it when a comparison is honest and doesn't straight up bash a cruise line for whatever preconceived reasons. It's so sad to see your review come to a close. Stellar first review, my friend! I can see that you're hooked now. :D

 

Looking at the previous entries I don't think mine is really all that good.

http://content.princess.com/princess/?jlJkWPejbYRWORNaN9sYUtMT5g25mIANj#photo

 

I also saw that they did not mention anything about 2010. Wondering if the contest is still on.

 

Don't be so sure!! Photo contests are completely subjective... I still say it's all about the story and you should definitely submit the one you feel most strongly about (if they're still having the contest).

[u2cruiser]

Looking at the previous entries I don't think mine is really all that good.

http://content.princess.com/princess/?jlJkWPejbYRWORNaN9sYUtMT5g25mIANj#photo

 

I also saw that they did not mention anything about 2010. Wondering if the contest is still on.

 

They are all fabulous pictures in that competition.

Think the competition is annual as it suggests that you are invited to enter, then goes on to show you 2009 winner and entries, so it must be fairly recently updated.

You need a title and a story to go with whichever you choose. Why don't you choose your favourite and go with that? Nothing to lose.

 

About the Princess Cays one: have you noticed how beautifully framed the ship is? Looks exactly like it's been set up for a photo shoot! The colours are so sunshiney. It would look great blown up on canvas. :)

[u2cruiser]

A very fair, useful and comprehensive comparison of your cruises Andy. Thank you very much.

Did you have inside cabins on your other cruises?

[BalconyGal]

They are all fabulous pictures in that competition.

Think the competition is annual as it suggests that you are invited to enter, then goes on to show you 2009 winner and entries, so it must be fairly recently updated.

You need a title and a story to go with whichever you choose. Why don't you choose your favourite and go with that? Nothing to lose.

 

About the Princess Cays one: have you noticed how beautifully framed the ship is? Looks exactly like it's been set up for a photo shoot! The colours are so sunshiney. It would look great blown up on canvas. :)

I agree the Princess Cays photo is brochure worthy! :D

[7x5090g]

A very fair, useful and comprehensive comparison of your cruises Andy. Thank you very much.

Did you have inside cabins on your other cruises?

 

I had a balcony on the Noordam. An ocean view with Carnival and all the rest were inside.

[pcrum]

Looking at the previous entries I don't think mine is really all that good.

http://content.princess.com/princess/?jlJkWPejbYRWORNaN9sYUtMT5g25mIANj#photo

 

I also saw that they did not mention anything about 2010. Wondering if the contest is still on.

 

We just received our Captain's Circle magazine in the mail today and the photo contest is shown on the back cover. The winner for this edition is not all that great, IMHO. It is a photo of two Princess ships docked side by side in Costa Rica. They say they are giving away 4 cruises this year, so you don't have anything to lose from entering the contest!!

[pcrum]

Loved the wrap up commentary. A truly great review! Just curious as to which Carnival ship you will be sailing on. We leave 6/13 on the Freedom. I think you have inspired me to try write another review. I really appreciate all the work you did with this one!!!

 

If you like, I can scan the winning photo from the Summer 2010 edition of the Captain's Circle Magazine and post it. I did check Princess' online link for the photo competition and the photo from the Summer, 2010 edition is not shown.

[Whoo]

Thanks for your intensive review, and all the wonderful photos. You should submit some of those photos for the quarterly contest!

[lorenzod]

How do you get Captain's Circle Magazine? We have cruise Princess once before but have never received one.

Marsha

[pcrum]

How do you get Captain's Circle Magazine? We have cruise Princess once before but have never received one.

Marsha

 

I assume it is mailed to all past Princess cruisers. We just took our first Princess cruise in March and have already received several mailings and the Captain's Circle Magazine from Princess.

 

On our last night of the cruise we received an envelope with a Capt's Circle gold card and brochure listing the benefits of Princess' rewards program. After one cruise, one of the benefits listed is receipt of the quarterly Capt's Circle magazine.

[7x5090g]

Points to ponder

• I don’t know when the practice stopped but they did not require passengers to go through US immigration and customs prior to disembarking at St Thomas (with the immediate previous port outside of the US). I remember our last cruise on the Noordam; we hit Tortola, St Thomas, Dominca, St Maarten, Barbados, San Juan. So I remembered having to line up on board to go through US immigration before arrival in St Thomas and once again in San Juan. However, since San Juan was the last port before arriving back in New York, we walked right off the ship.

Anyone have any insight in the above? I am really curious now.

[7x5090g]

I assume it is mailed to all past Princess cruisers. We just took our first Princess cruise in March and have already received several mailings and the Captain's Circle Magazine from Princess.

 

My in laws cruised with Princess a couple of times already but I just asked them and they never received any magazines. Just letters showing members savings a nd specials,etc>

[u2cruiser]

Anyone have any insight in the above? I am really curious now.

 

Sorry Andy, no insight but we didn't have to do anything when we got off in St Thomas either. I had been told that we would. I understood that Princess did it all for us, somehow. :confused:

[umpire30]

...for a wonderful review of the cruise. Wife and I will be cruising on the Emerald in September....really appreciated the copies of menus and the like....Certainly has whet my appetite! Thanks again, Andy (and all others)....what agreat thread you've maintained here.

Jim

[Colo Cruiser]

How do you get Captain's Circle Magazine? We have cruise Princess once before but have never received one.

Marsha

 

 

Its a mystery!!

I get one about every 3 years, along with a sporadic e-mail or snail mailing every blue moon. :rolleyes:

[1 HappyCruiser]

Anyone have any insight in the above? I am really curious now.

 

They discontinued the practice about 1 1/2 years ago.

[u2cruiser]

I had a balcony on the Noordam. An ocean view with Carnival and all the rest were inside.

 

I ask because I have my eye on a med cruise for september (not Princess) as I really like the itinerary, but the cost is £2500 for a balcony and we've already had a big holiday this year.

 

I'm really unsure about taking an oceanview or even an inside in order to get the itinerary we want; take a cheaper cruise with an itinerary we don't like as much or whether to hang on and see if the price drops. We spend a lot of time on our balcony. :confused:

 

I expect you didn't spend much time in the cabin with a 6 year old so it didn't detract from your cruise experience did it?

[flimflubin]

At 07:45, we started our way back down to the cabin to collect our light carry-on luggage and headed down to the casino – our meeting point for light blue 6 coded tags.

 

I took one last shot of our “lightly used” Noah Princess (which we left in the stateroom for Florian to give a proper burial) and one last shot of me:

 

 

 

08:15 we were called to disembark. At 08:30 we found our bags sitting in the very same hall where we were lining up to check in a week ago. Now I was really really depressed. Since there we had 7 bags and other small carry on items we elected to engage a porter. He took us through a shorter line and here he was (this picture was totally illegal as the sign says no camera and cell phone).

 

 

There were no more than 3 immigration officers on duty but we got through in no time.

 

08:45 we were sitting in a taxi heading to Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport. This had been one of the smoothest and most efficient disembarkation I have ever witnessed. I gave Princess a 2 thumbs up on crowd control. Taxi stands outside the terminal were completely full and taxis were still parading in so for those that wondered if getting a taxi would be a problem, no need to worry here.

 

We spent the next 2 and half hours at the airport waiting for our return flight back to Toronto. As the plane was taking off, I took one last shot of the beautiful Port Everglades (regrettably I was sitting on the starboard side of the plane, otherwise I would have had a perfect opportunity to take one last shot at the Emerald Princess again.)

 

 

Well folks that is a wrap. I will be writing a brief summary of my experience with other cruise lines so one can compare Princess to the other lines. This was my first with Princess and guaranteed not to be the last.

 

Thank you so much for your support and your kind words. Future cruisers - remember this table in MADR, you may be luckly to get Wisoot as your server.

 

 

Until we meet again on the high seas, fair wind.

 

 

Andy thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. I will be sailing the emerald soon. Reading your post has me all pumped up for hour 10 day cruise. Thanks for sharing!!

[Shifra]

Thank you for your wonderful review and photos. You put a lot of effort into it and it shows. I sailed on the Emerald last year and I feel like I just finished my 2nd cruise on her. Good job!!!:D

[BalconyGal]

Its a mystery!!

I get one about every 3 years, along with a sporadic e-mail or snail mailing every blue moon. :rolleyes:

Lately I have been receiving the captain's quarterly in email. I will post the next one I get.

[mississauga]

Andy, thank you for a delightful review and for sharing your pictures! Thanks to hollybelle for directing us to the start of your review on page 4. I had clicked on your thread when you first started it and had no idea when your actual review would start so never got back to it until hollybelle steered me in the right direction. Glad she did, for this was a review not to be missed.:)

[umpire30]

Lately I have been receiving the captain's quarterly in email. I will post the next one I get.

 

what do I find, but the "Captain's Circle Magazine" (Summer, 2010)....Cover photo is of the Piazza on the Emerald. All the more excited about my September sailing!

[7x5090g]

I ask because I have my eye on a med cruise for september (not Princess) as I really like the itinerary, but the cost is £2500 for a balcony and we've already had a big holiday this year.

 

I'm really unsure about taking an oceanview or even an inside in order to get the itinerary we want; take a cheaper cruise with an itinerary we don't like as much or whether to hang on and see if the price drops. We spend a lot of time on our balcony. :confused:

 

I expect you didn't spend much time in the cabin with a 6 year old so it didn't detract from your cruise experience did it?

 

So last time I cruised in a balcony stateroom my son was 3 year old. I spent half the time worrying that I forgot to lock the balcony door and that he'd wander out there (than climb onto the deck chair:eek:). Last day of the cruise as we headed back to NYC we hit 30 foot waves. Being 9 decks up the balcony still got pounded pretty bad. That's when DW said forget the balcony until he is older :)

[7x5090g]

what do I find, but the "Captain's Circle Magazine" (Summer, 2010)....Cover photo is of the Piazza on the Emerald. All the more excited about my September sailing!

 

 

Ok so it it a magazine or just a brochure type mail in an envelope. Again my father in law who cruised with Princess twice before said he never got anything.