Coral Princess photo and video review

[Bimmer09]

Fantastic pictures , we will be back in Alaska in Sept. on the Diamond Princess.

 

Did you live in N. Ireland. I was in Trillick in 2003, my ancestors are from there:)

 

Hugh

 

Yes, Hugh. I was born there and lived by the sea in a fishing village (cod and herring trawlers).

 

Hence the love of the sea and boats and ships.

 

Norris

[Psychedout]

Yes, Hugh. I was born there and lived by the sea in a fishing village (cod and herring trawlers).

 

Hence the love of the sea and boats and ships.

 

Norris

 

Love Ireland glad we are stopping there next summer on our 12 day British Isle cruise.

 

Thanks Norris:)

[Bimmer09]

Love Ireland glad we are stopping there next summer on our 12 day British Isle cruise.

 

Thanks Norris:)

 

While I don't want to hi-jack my own thread (LOL) I have to say that a British Isles cruise would be interesting even to me as most of the ports I have never approached from the sea before and some places like Glasgow and Edinburgh I have never set foot in.

 

I used to sail on my father's cargo ship from Belfast to Liverpool in the early 1960's and that was exciting as it was a very busy port-pre container days- and there were ships from all over the world. Plus of course I got to walk the streets of Liverpool at the time of Beatlemania.

 

Princess really has some fine itineraries. I am doing Venice to Rome via Tunisia Sept 2014 on the Ocean and after that have a hankering to do a Baltic Cruise and after that the Far East on the Diamond and after that....you get the picture?

 

You only live once!

 

Norris

in a garden in Michigan, dreaming of the sea.

[Bimmer09]

When the ship is in port it can be very quiet and therefore relaxing. Excursions out of the way I took some photos before my nap. I start off on the uppermost deck above the Horizon Court and the Bridge below it...

 



 



 

This is just a 7 inches deep splash pool on a very quiet deck.

 



 

Tables for smokers on the deck just above Trident Grill.

 

[Bimmer09]

MUTS runs all day long. Picture and sound are superb. A Princess innovation.

 



 



 

I used to be an avid chess player

 



 

 

You can see from the photos that it was really clouding over and the temperature was dropping.

 

The lovely Laura, from Mexico, was one of our Serenity Stewards all week long at the Sanctuary and loved her job. She always had our two loungers prepped and ready whether we showed up or not. She had blankets on standby if a nap was called for. She fetched me my beer with a raise of one eyebrow (and even that was an effort-I really need to do some eyebrow squats to get in shape)

 



 

Carol reading her Patter.

 

[Bimmer09]

We left Ketchikan I believe at 6.15 which was 15 minutes late as a couple of straggling passengers who had difficulty telling the time kept the ship waiting while they sauntered down the pier.

 

We watched them board from our balcony and stayed there for the sail away and enjoyed the leaving of this fine little town. Inside I just knew we would be back as neither of us had our fill of Alaska at this first sitting. We had watched Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers too many times for it not to have a hold on us.

 

Dinner was in the Bordeaux, table for two, Anytime Dining and we never had to wait. Tonight was the night they would introduce the Chef (Swiss) and the Maitre 'D (Indian) and we'd get a chance to applaud our waitstaff which was different every night. Since the Coral we have found some waitstaff teams that we like and ask for them but back then it didn't seem to matter so much

and we just didn't know to ask.

 

The Maitre 'D on this ship was Neville Saldana who we would later meet on our next cruise-the Crown. Funny man and instantly likable to me. I had many good Indian friends from my days in London and they all had fine senses of humor.

 

 

 



 



 



 



 

Another bottle of wine was procured to aid the digestion of this fine food.

[Bimmer09]

After dinner and a stroll on deck my notes tell me we watched the Cruise Show in the Princess Theater but I haven't the foggiest recollection of it apart from "If I were not upon the sea" a hoary old Princess chestnut, good for a few belly laughs when you have had a few drinks. Then to bed, to sleep, perchance to dream.

 

On with the photos....

 



 

Early morning shots, Friday August 26 2011

 



 

Wheelhouse bar, scene of today's pub lunch and there was a steak and kidney pie and chips with my name on it. Carol was thinking Ploughman's Lunch all the way.

[Bimmer09]

Bayou Cafe entrance

 



 

Sabatini's

 



 

The hub of the ship- the Atrium, which was the first thing we saw upon boarding.

 



 



 

[Bimmer09]

 

This is the lower deck of the International Lounge at the stern of the ship. Movies were shown here. I saw a dance class taking place here too.

 



 

The upper deck of the International during a cooking show with the Head Chef and the Maitre 'D. It's an opportunity for humor and with Neville Saldana it had the crowd in stitches. There are large video screens so you can see close-ups of what's cooking.

 



 

The Princess Theater,decks 6 and 7.

 

[Bimmer09]

 



 

[Bimmer09]

Friday was our last full day on the ship. The week had flown by. After a free galley tour following the Cooking Show we had to go outside and enjoy the Sanctuary and the sun.

 

We had company- the Zuiderdam, heading back to Vancouver.

 



 



 



 

In the distance were the mountains of British Columbia,Canada.

 



 

[Bimmer09]

We would soon be sailing through narrow channels with mountains on either side. While still in the open sea we slowed down and then came to a halt. There was an issue with a ship's pump and the vessel stopped for perhaps an hour to get it fixed. During this time the Zuiderdam sailed on ahead.

 



 



 



 



 

[Bimmer09]

From the Sanctuary I visited Churchill's Cigar lounge and watched BC sailing by the floor-to-ceiling windows. I had the pleasure of the company of this wonderful man again. We had spent many an hour talking over drinks. His name was Jim Wilkinson from Charleston.

 



 

Even out on deck, outside Churchill's I was served a beer by gesturing through the window when I saw one of these two fine fellows who looked after my beer needs all week. They worked in Crooners. Both from India. First up is Ganesh.

 



 

Vinny

 



 

And Rodney, our room steward from the Phillipines.

 



 

Onward we sailed. In the morning we would dock in Vancouver.

 

[Bimmer09]

During the week I had stumbled upon a trio playing in the Piazza and anytime I came across them I would stop to listen. They would come in to Churchill's between sets to relax and would engage in very animated conversation in Hungarian. They spoke decent English and I chatted to the violin player a few times on deck. They were the Josef Band from Budapest.

 

Here's a video link

 

 

Enjoy.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

On to anytime dining in the Bordeaux. We usually ate around 8 with no waiting for a table.

 



 



 

We had different waiters all week and so I don't have any names for you. Since then if we have found a table we like, with a good waitstaff, we note the number and ask for it when reserving or meeting the hostess and are prepared to wait for it: 5 minutes is our longest wait to date.

 



 



 

 

My food photography has gotten better since and I have upgraded my camera. Even on land holidays I tend to photograph our meals to aid the memory. Restaurant staff are used to it in the age of Yelp and Tripadvisor, both of which I check when planning to eat or visit somewhere new. I've written restaurant and hotel reviews which I hope help others make a choice.

 

Following dinner we were off to the International Crew Show where we saw the below-decks talent on the ship and there were some outstanding singers and players including a guy who did a drum solo and a classical pianist. Don't know how and when they practice given the hours they work. We got our first experience of the Princess Theater balloon fun before the show.

 

We had already done our last night packing-a horrible experience seeing your bags out in the hallway.There was a lot of weeping and cries of "Why Lord? Why us?" Realistically we couldn't stay on board for ever as we had to get back to work and to home where there were cats waiting to hear all about our cruise.

 

I set another early alarm call as I wanted to be up before the sun and see us approaching Vancouver.....

[Drews_Cruise]

Your really know how to do a comprehensive review. It was wonderful!:)

[Bimmer09]

The mini suite with balcony, 4 chairs and a full-size table was a comfy place to be for a week. The bath tub shower meant we didn't get attacked by the shower curtain in balcony cabins. We had a look in a balcony cabin bathroom before we left the ship and were wondering how one could relax and enjoy a nice hot shower in there while they were in constant contact with the fiberglass frame and the clinging curtain. I am slim and 5 ft 8 inches and yet it looked too narrow and the showerhead too low for the average strapping male who'd been enjoying 8 square meals a day from the kitchens on the Coral.

 

Firm bed, which is my preference at home. Good, though short by design, night's sleep, even in the rocky seas of the first night out of Whittier.

 

Up early for Vancouver-dark. Deserted HC buffet so I loaded up a plate of cold cuts, cheeses, bread rolls and bacon and potatoes and more bacon. Hot coffee syrup and then after a double espresso from the Patisserie, deck 5. I didn't use all my Coffee Card punches but carried them over to my next cruise on the Crown, which was already hatching in my head and I had even had the genius to buy some FCCs as deposits as we had already agreed that this was just the first cruise of many.

 

On to Promenade deck-one of the wide ones with full length teak recliners.

 

I met another early riser- the violinist from Josef Band and we chatted and shared cigarettes. The sun began to rise...

 



 

 



 

I moved up to the "secret deck" just below the bridge as we came upon a Vancouver landmark- Lion's Gate Bridge.

 

 



 

[Bimmer09]

 

The Five Sails of Canada Place came into view

 



 



 

Looking behind me I saw the Zuiderdam....huh? She had passed us while we (and I mean the ship's crew as I was drinking beer in the sun at the time) were fixing a dodgy pump. We had caught and passed her in the night.

 



 

[Bimmer09]

The Coral treaded water and let the Zuiderdam berth first.

 



 

As well as taking photos I had been using the video camera to record our approach to Vancouver. Here is the link.

 

[Bimmer09]

Just looking through the many photographs I took I realize there isn't one of a particularly pleasing aspect of the Coral in Alaskan waters- the indoor swimming pool just before the funnel. It's in a video clip I took as I would walk through it now and then on my way aft. No Lotus Spa pics either as we didn't use their services. No HC pics even though I ate in there often in the mornings.

 

No mention of kids on board but there were I believe 22 and about 20 of those were from some Asian family groups traveling together. They assembled all the kids wearing their finest duds for a photograph session in the Piazza one day while I was sitting there with a coffee.

 

The Lido pool only appears in some video I shot early on the first morning at sea when the water was sloshing out onto the deck as the ship was rolling.

 

There are no casino shots or shots of the shops on board, even though I shopped in them for fridge magnets and such.

 

There were meals that went un-photographed. I didn't go on the ship with a review in mind (LOL) but I have been more actively recording the trips since then.

 

Prior to the Coral cruise we had been spending our August vacation time renting a house in the mountains of Santa Fe ,New Mexico and attending the opera there. Days were spent driving in the mountains and enjoying the amazing scenery. Fine meals were eaten outdoors in almost perpetual sunshine. We did that six years in a row and it was fantastic.

 

In each of the ten years before the Coral we would have a May or September vacation in Europe....Germany, Austria,France and Switzerland. Driving holidays as I love driving. A couple of days here, then move on to another medieval town or stay in a Rhine castle. All photographed and video taped

for posterity. We could have gone on doing that forever and have in fact canceled a Ruby cruise this September in the Med (including Istanbul, currently in the news) so that we could accept a rare opportunity to return to Germany and Austria again to enjoy some opera performances.

 

The Coral was Plan B that August and we enjoyed it so much that we took 3 more Princess cruises (including a return to Alaska on the Diamond) in the following 17 months and we have traded in our Blue Card for Platinum as a result. Princess has proven to be a great fit for us and we have two more cruises booked out as far as The Ocean in September 2014.

 

The Coral was a wonderful first start to cruising together. She was immaculate, well run and had a friendly crew. We enjoyed the food and the service very much. I met some fine people and whiled away the time talking to them over drinks, or leaning over the railing on Promenade deck.

 

My previous cruising experiences (46 voyages) had been in the 80's when ships had no balconies, multiple pools, on-deck movies, in-room television, aft balconies, Internet access, satellite navigation, professional lighting and sound, hot tubs, watermarks,zip-lines and I am sure other things I am forgetting. However they were exciting as they took you to far-off places, fed you from breakfast right up until the midnight buffet, brought you fruity cocktails as you lay toasting by the pool, entertained you and kept a big smile on your face at all times. They made repeat cruisers of many of us and allowed the industry to grow to what it is today.

 

We had late disembarkation in Vancouver on that Saturday morning , August 27 th 2011 as we only had to walk 100 yards to our hotel after Customs.

We had a leisurely full breakfast in the Provence before leaving with our hand luggage and a million memories. I took one last photo as we walked through the Piazza area.....

 

[Bimmer09]

Next up, Vancouver and Victoria/Butchart gardens (photo-heavy!)

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Within 20 minutes of being forced down the gangway with a cattle prod we were through customs and wheeling our bags the short distance to the Pan Pacific Hotel to check in as we were staying in Vancouver for the day. We needed decompression time after the cruise and couldn't face an airport.

 

We had a dinner reservation there in their Five Sails restaurant for some fancy eats, but that was many hours away. Nine in fact.

 

We went up to our room in this massive, cavernous hotel and looking out the window I saw a familiar face- the Zuiderdam.

 



 

 



 

Not a ship design to get my pulse racing. I think the inspiration was a shoe box with a couple of funnels. Pretty flat upper deck.

 

This is the grass roofed building next door. We had lunch in a laughable chain eatery with an Italian name and some Italian umbrellas shading us from the searing sun. Service not up to the Princess standards and bland unseasoned food which we had come to expect from our many visits to Canada. Canadians are so nice- I love them- but too nice to send back a meal and ask to see the Chef's cooking license. If you have eaten in Sault St Marie, Ontario as many times as I have you may be saying "amen , Brother" right now.

 

We would find-one year later-that there is good food to be had in Canada but it's cooked by a foreigner. He was in the Five Sails restaurant and we had a reservation when we stepped off the Coral...but genius Norris wanted to eat by the water-right by it, not looking down at it from a window- and cancelled the restaurant in the hotel in favor of some place called the Dockside on Granville Island. That was later in the day, 9 hours away.

 



 



 



 

Once unpacked and lunched (after a fashion) we went back to the hotel lobby where Carol wanted to "ask about something".....

[Bimmer09]

Pan Pacific Hotel

 

 

Carol was at the Concierge desk in the hotel seeking information while I waited some distance away.

 

She came back with the news that there were floatplanes flying to Victoria and that we could be there and visit Butchart gardens for a couple of hours and be back in time for dinner. It was wildly expensive but her argument was-"we're here and the gardens are only an hour or so away and we don't know when we'll be back in Vancouver-if ever" so that was that. She has green thumbs and a love of gardens and you'll need the latter if you follow along for the next few pages for there will be flowers!

 

She had the Concierge call and book a couple of seats on a floatplane.

Here is the plane.

 

 



 



 

In 35 minutes we were landing in the harbor at Victoria-a place so beautiful we hope to see it again some day and not for just a couple of hours.

 



 



 

We found a nice taxi driver by the harbor who agreed to take us to Butchart and wait for us for $100. Nice clean minivan and he was a safe driver and good talker. He was Canadian therefore instantly likable, salt of the Earth.

I think it took 25 minutes to get there. There were buses but we wanted flexibility as time was tight. We would have about 90 minutes there and needed every one of them. The weather was perfect as was the experience.

 

So if you don't like beautiful gardens I'll say bye for now. If you do then stick around.

 

But first I have to drive 80 miles to get to our own garden in Michigan.

[Bimmer09]

There follows a deluge of garden photos from a justifiably famous garden. Some cruise ships stop in Victoria in the evening and run excursions to the gardens which are lit at night. I think flowers look their best in daylight but I wouldn't rule out going at night if it was the only option on a cruise.

 



 



 



 



 

[Bimmer09]