Crown Review - Dec 31 to Jan 7

[Modeen]

After benefiting so much from the advice on this forum, I want to contribute any information I can to pass on to others. Here's a rundown of our experience on the Crown last week.

 

We're a couple in our early 60's and we sailed with our son and his girlfriend (in their 20's). This is our 3rd Princess Cruise, and we've also sailed on Norwegian and Celebrity.

 

Overall:

We had a wonderful time! After reading all the reviews in the weeks leading up to our cruise and hearing all about the Noro issues, we were relieved that we saw no signs of problems (other than the Purell stations and a notice in our cabin to be careful). We did not encounter any grumpy staff members - in fact, I thought most went out of their way to be friendly and helpful. The few shortcomings we experiences along the way were minimal.

 

Arrival in Fort Lauderdale:

We arrived on Friday and stayed at the Hyatt Place Airport North. We felt we had a good price through Hotwire for this hotel, and the location is ideal. However, the hotel is tired, and some of the furnishings were pretty worn. It took several calls for the shuttle to arrive at the airport, but I think it was stuck in traffic somewhere so it wasn't their fault. The breakfast was minimal. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, and we took the shuttle to the pier ($6 per person charge) and it was convenient. Overall, I'd say this is a good place to stay for one night before a cruise. I wouldn't want to spend any more time than that there.

 

Embarkation:

This went as smoothly as possible. We arrived around 11 AM and we were in our cabin about 12:30.

 

Cabin:

We were excited to have another aft balcony on this cruise, and this time even had a corner one. We were in B748 which I highly recommend. The balcony is a nice size, and since it curves slightly, you also have a side view too. And it was so quiet and private at the back on the ship! We even had our own small hallway leading to our cabin. The only problems we encountered there were the vibration and motion. They both seemed to come and go, but we didn't remember them from our last aft balcony. They bothered DH more than me, and I don't know if we'll go with another one. But oh.... that balcony :) We did have smokers next to us and we did have to move inside several times to get away from the smoke, so we happily reminded ourselves that this should not be an issue for future cruises. (Please..... I don't want to start any conversation about smoking here!) Our "kids" were in an inside cabin and were rarely in the room - but it was fine for them.

 

Dining

We had Anytime Dining, and it worked very well for us. We always made a reservation for 4, and were seated quickly after arriving. We found the food in the Dining Rooms to range from wonderful to average. We generally ordered a variety of things, and someone would be hit the jackpot with a great meal and someone might get something not so great. I found that some of the fish was overcooked in my opinion. We really enjoyed the food on the final formal night - everything was terrific.

 

We did eat in Sabatini's and in the Crown Grill. Sabatini's was a bit disappointing. Our waitress wasn't the best, and the food was inconsistent. That artichoke souffle that everyone raves about it worth the raves. And my husband's veal chop was wonderful. But most of the other things were just OK. However, the Crown Grill was heavenly. This was definitely worth it, and I recommend you make a reservation as soon as you board. We were told it was almost booked up for the entire cruise when we called (yet when we arrived there were empty tables?)

 

We also splurged and signed up for the Chef's Table after reading all the wonderful comments on this board. My expectations were high - and the experience exceeded my expectations! We felt so fortunate that we called quickly and got on the list. And that the chef felt he could have the Chef's Table after the virus problems were over. They actually had two Chef's Tables last week. Can't say enough about it - we all felt it was the highlight of the week.

 

Formal Nights

We were surprised that our first night on board was a Formal Night because it was New Year's Eve. This meant that we had 3 formal nights! I did hear a bit of grumbling from some folks about having 3, but almost everyone I saw dressed up and looked beautiful. They had a balloon drop at midnight on NYE and it was a fun evening.

 

Activities and Entertainment

We didn't go to any of the large production numbers. Instead we went to some of the smaller venues, and enjoyed many of them. We loved some of the trivia events (something we never have done before) and I highly recommend the Movie and TV Theme Trivia and also the Music Trivia that Kory Simon does in Crooners. Both ere just lots of fun.

 

We saw a couple of the comedians and enjoyed them but..... there was this one guy - Etienne - who was billed as a juggler/comedian who was just dreadful! He performed several time in the Piazza, and he couldn't get any of his tricks to work. So he tried to be funny and none of his jokes worked. It was very comfortable to watch him self-destruct before your eyes. He was also part of the comedy panel for a Liar's Club game one night, and people walked out. We thought he was awful.

 

We absolutely loved Vines! The guys who work there are friendly and very knowledgeable. After the first night, we were welcomed by name each time we walked in, and they made us feel right at home. The tapas and the sushi are incredible. Be sure to go there! We also enjoyed Adagio, but most of the time it was nearly empty. There was a pianist there, but the guy at Crooners was much more fun.

 

Chair Hogs:

I hate to even open up this can of worms, but since I read several questions before we left from people who wondered if they were on the Crown, I will answer that they are alive and thriving there. On sea days, there's a towel thrown on every chair by 9 AM. I think the signage has changed in the pool area too. I think it used to say that items would be removed after a certain amount of time. Now the sign simply states that lounge chairs may not be reserved. To me that means you just plain can't put your stuff down and expect that the chair will be yours when you return. I tried to find a place to sit around 11 AM one sea day. (I only can stay in the sun for about 30 minutes so I didn't need a home for the day - just a few minutes) Anyway, I saw a chair away from the pool area with just a towel on it and asked someone sitting near by if anyone was using it. She said she'd been there for 2 hours and no one had been there, so I claimed it as mine. Of course, as soon as I settled in, a couple came along and were shocked that someone stole their chair! I explained the rule the way I saw it, and then the two of them stood next to me and whined for about 15 minutes before the husband threatened to go back to their cabin. Finally, they just took someone else's chair making sure to glare at me at every opportunity. Overall, a stressful situation. And I saw the same scenario play out several other times. I was glad that our final days at sea, we could sit on our own balcony and have some sunshine with absolutely no arguments from anyone.

 

Port Days:

We stopped at Princess Cays, Curacao, and Aruba. At all three stops, we got off for a couple of hours and then headed back to the ship where we had the place to ourselves. It was wonderful!! We probably should have booked some excursions, but we just didn't. And it turned out fine. We spent our money on other things, I guess.

 

Disembarkation:

We tried the EZCheck, and it worked beautifully!! Just had our bags outside our door before we went to bed, and the next time we saw them was when they came off the conveyor belt at our home airport!! Definitely worth the $40, we think! Our DS and his girlfriend did the Express Walk-Off and they had a very easy time too. We all were in the lounge at 7:15 and were in a cab at 8:00.

 

Summary:

We loved the Crown and the staff, and we had a terrific time. I'm sure I'll think of more things to I could add, but my brain is still adjusting to this time zone and this is all I can do for now.

 

Happy Cruising, All!

 

Mo

[cruzinchris]

Thanks for the review, Mo. DH and I will be embarking on 1/28, so I am reading every post from recent sailings. Glad you got to experience Chef's Table and that you enjoyed Crown Grill. We will treat my sisters to dinner there for one of their birthdays.

 

We've been to Princess Cays, Curacao, and Aruba several times and have planned only one excursion - a dinner tour in Curacao. We might go over to PC for a while and will probably disembark for a short time in Aruba to do a little shopping. We are mostly looking forward to relaxing on our balcony, enjoying the warm Caribbean sun, and soft ocean breezes :)

 

Bon Voyage!

Chris

[kywildcatfanone]

Glad you had a good time. Thanks for taking the time to write a review. Enjoyable reading!

 

Mike

[RickT]

We were on board with you and I thought I'd add a few things.

 

As far as boarding, this was the first time we were Platinum members and I have to say it was wonderful. I think we were less than 30 minutes from when we arrived until we were on board. I did feel a little bad :o passing a number of people who were in the regular lines.

 

When we first booked we were unable to get assigned a table at late dining and were instead scheduled for anytime. A quick meeting with the Maitre'd and we had a nice table for two at late dining. Guess it never hurts to ask.

 

We found the food similar to other Princess cruises. Only complaint is that we'd like to see them change the menu a little more often.

 

As far as the fist night being a Formal night, we were a little surprised. Glad to see it given it was New Years however DW was a little upset as she didn't bring a 3rd formal outfit and had to repeat. It would have been nice if Princess had let us know. Was nice to see the majority of people following the dress code guidelines throughout the cruise.

 

As far as chair hogs, we usually sat at MUTS and other than the first day we didn't see much of it. Many of the chairs were taken by 9:00 AM however most had people sitting in them on a regular basis. Too bad that you had to move the items on the chairs that were empty for so long. Last summer Princess was very vigilant in removing items that sat for more than 30 minutes. We saw a number of surprised people return to their chair after an hour or so to find everything missing. The pool attendant was always nearby to deal with the fall out.

 

We were surprised when we woke up on the 6th day to find the ship stopped near a small island. In all my years of cruising I've never seen a ship diverted for a medical emergency (the captain came on to explain that a passenger had a medical emergency in the middle of the night and the island was often used for a medical transport plane to take the person to a hospital in Miami). We were there for approx 2 hrs requiring the ship to make good time in order to be back to Ft Lauderdale in time for us to depart. There were no real updates on the sick passenger other than one stating they had been safely transferred to a hospital. I hope he/she is OK. Awful way to start the New Year.

 

All in all a good cruise. We met some nice people and enjoyed a relaxing (mostly) trip away from the cold and snow.

 

Glad you enjoyed it.

[Modeen]

We were some of the folks you passed on your way onto the ship! We saw the Platinum people boarding, and we were jealous. Someday we'll be among you :)

 

Glad you had fun too!

[Woobstr112G]

OP;

 

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. Sounds like you had one heck of a cruise.....:):):)

 

Bob

[cruzinchris]

RickT: Thanks for your additional comments and glad to hear that you had a great cruise. DH and I watched a helicopter medical evacuation at sea on our Ruby Princess cruise a couple of years ago. The Captain made an announcement at 6:00AM in case passengers noticed that we had veered off course during the night. The ship had to anchor close enough to Nassau for the helicopter to be able to make it to the ship and back without refueling. It was fascinating to watch, and I was relieved when the Captain announced later that day that the patient had been stabilized and would make a complete recovery.

Chris

[Brig273]

Thank you so much for your review. Glad you had a great cruise and were able to experience Chef's Table. I plan on calling as soon as i get on board!!! We did Chef's Table 3 years ago on Emerald. Off the charts!

 

We will be boarding on 2/4 and i have been reading every review on this site :) I think I will try to write a review about my cruise.

[zacc]

Wanted to thank both of you for your reviews. It is so refreshing to have people touch on what could be considered negatives and instead dwell on the positives. Will be on the Crown in 33 days and am more than ready!! Glad you had a great time!!

[preschool teacher]

Was there Zumba on the crown.....thanks for the review..I'm on in march....

[Modeen]

Yes, I saw the Zumba class. They met by the pool, and it looked like a lot of fun.

[Cupcrazy]

Great review Mo. Sorry about your encounter at the pool with a chair hog. Some people are just really inconsiderate.

[lovevacadays]

Thanks for the review. Nice to hear that they have the noro situation under control.

[alicam]

We were on the same cruise and can fully attest to the large quantity of chair hogs onboard the Crown...there were hordes of them. The cruise in itself was fairly good (not spectacular), and I must say some of the food was lacking...I had pheasant on the first night and pretty much got what you would get off a canary...very little meat, mostly bone...disappointing indeed...also on the first night, when the dessert menu came out, nothing really stood out for me so I ordered ice cream and butterscotch sauce (both on the menu)...when our waiter came back with the ice cream, he said they were out of butterscotch sauce (this was first seating at 5:30 on first night...how could that happen?)...another thing that really irked me about Princess was their little boutique....we ordered 4 beach towels shortly after we booked last July for gifts for our family at home...when we got to our cabin, there were 4 pieces of paper saying we could pick them up...when I went down to do that, they said they only had one but would have to get the others from down below so I would have to come back later...so...I came back later just to be told I would have to wait for a phone call when to show up...when the phone call came, I was told they didn't have any, but I could buy something else and they would settle up the difference later...I said that wouldn't be acceptable as how could a large company screw up an order like that...needless to say, Princess and the Crown have left a sour taste in my mouth and it is highly probable that we won't cruise with them again

[6pack]

Thank you for the great review. Overall, definitely sounds like you enjoyed yourselves! If you have any photo's of your aft cabin it would be great if you could share them! We'll be in the same cabin (B748) in 3 weeks! :)

[Modeen]

6-pack, I'm sorry but I didn't take any pictures of the cabin. But I think I saw some other pictures on this website so you might want to search for the cabin number and see if they come up. I know you'll love it.

 

Mo

[6pack]

6-pack, I'm sorry but I didn't take any pictures of the cabin. But I think I saw some other pictures on this website so you might want to search for the cabin number and see if they come up. I know you'll love it.

 

Mo

 

We're looking forward to our first aft cabin. We'll definetely take and post pictures of our cabin. Did you find the wake noise bothersome while sitting outside or was it relaxing?

[Modeen]

We liked the wake noise. We never had a problem sitting out on the balcony and talking. It's kind of relaxing - hope you feel the same way.

 

I don't know if the cabin stewards stay in the same area or if they move, but if you have Ray, he's delightful. And such a hard worker.

 

Hope you have a wonderful time!!

[vie lee]

Thanks to both of of you for the review and input. We will be on the crown in 8 weeks - Doing both Chef Table (if we get picked) and the Crown. Its so great to hear good things and now the holidays are over we are getting so excited.............:D

[missymerv]

Was there Zumba on the crown.....thanks for the review..I'm on in march....

 

 

I was on the Crown 12/3 and got to Zumba with Miko 5 times. It was a fun way to start the day. Usually 9am by the pool. Routines were pretty easy to follow. I was so happy I got to Zumba and then enjoy the rest of the day.

[spingal]

Your review brought me back to my two wonderful weeks on the Crown.

 

I am sorry to hear about the chair situation. I also found that the chair hogs were out in force on our cruise. But I was always lucky to find a chair relatively soon.

 

I am surprised that there were 3 formal nights. I understand New Year's Eve being a formal night but why not just have one more??? Strange.

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise! :D:D

[Whimsy]

Thank you both for taking the time to post about the Crown. I am glad to hear the Noro is no longer a problem. I hope our cruise has a lack of chair hogs too!

[Modeen]

For those of you hoping to attend the Chef's Table, be sure to call early. We were told that over 50 people called and tried to sign up. They only have 10 people at each table, and it was unusual for them to do 2 tables in our week. So most of the people who tried to attend were not able to do so.

 

Good luck - and I hope you have the chance to experience it.

 

Mo

[alicam]

Your review brought me back to my two wonderful weeks on the Crown.

 

I am sorry to hear about the chair situation. I also found that the chair hogs were out in force on our cruise. But I was always lucky to find a chair relatively soon.

 

I am surprised that there were 3 formal nights. I understand New Year's Eve being a formal night but why not just have one more??? Strange.

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise! :D:D

 

I don't know why New Year's Eve was made a formal night...we had a 5:30 first seating and didn't have our bags in our room by the time we had to leave for the dining room

[1 HappyCruiser]

We've also experiences the motion & vibration in cabins located aft. It's a great location but after a while it does get annoying.

It's unfortunate about the smoke but at least in another week or so the smoking problems on balconies will be gone. ;)