CROWN PRINCESS remembered in photos and video

[Bimmer09]

I saw this island when I stood up from my Sanctuary lounger on the sea day (Monday).

 



 

Anyone recognize the profile?

 

 

The first Pub Lunch was today -in the Wheelhouse Bar. Carol resisted as she was saving space for High Tea later in da Vinci dining room. I had the fish and chips which comes to the table within maybe 3 minutes of ordering. A can of draught Guinness was the perfect accompaniment as was the view of the sea out the window. I had waited until an hour after it opened and the lines had died down so immediately got a choice seat.

 

Carol had the Pop Choir rehearsal with Lisa Ball and a lot of people showed up in Club Fusion to join in. I walked past while they were rehearsing 'We are the Champions" and it was a big rich sound. They would perform in the Piazza on the last sea day, Friday, as we sailed back to Port Everglades.

 

I spent some time on our balcony with a beer from the mini bar which I had changed out to all beers (for me) and club soda for Carol. I may have napped after lunch.

 

High Tea in da Vinci was a very elegant and refined affair: delicious small sandwiches, fresh baked cookies and scones with cream and strawberry jam washed down with a nice strong tea. I believe the waiters were using white gloves and immaculate all black uniforms but I may have still had my sunglasses on...

 

More naps on the balcony. No wind back there, complete privacy and the white noise of the wake made for ideal napping conditions. We were Escaping Completely even though our stomachs were working overtime.

 

It was formal night tonight and we hadn't brought our fancy duds so were dining country-club casual in Sabatini's which was $20 a head back then.

 

Before that we had to visit Skywalkers for the nightly 5 to 7pm cocktails and munchies. I love the view from up there even though the Crown's isn't as dramatic and well-placed as the daddy of them all on the Caribbean Princess which I am sailing on in 2 months 13 days...

 

Skywalkers

 

 

 

We had an out-of-focus corner to ourselves....there is smoking allowed by the starboard window seats.

 

 

From Skywalkers we walked to the Piazza where there was a crowd to witness the odd tradition of the champagne fountain where some passengers wait their turn to have their photo taken holding a bottle of champagne in tandem with the maitre 'd or a head waiter as it pours down a pyramid of glasses. It's certainly colorful and a reminder that you are on a cruise where fun and spectacle is the order of the day. Waiters on the surrounding decks where walking around with trays of champagne to hand out.

 

 

 

 

Then it was off to Sabatini's for yet another bite to eat!

[mafig]

What time is the champagne waterfall? We have AT and wonder if we should skip it or scoot out early to beat the crowds in the dining room.:confused:

[Bimmer09]

What time is the champagne waterfall? We have AT and wonder if we should skip it or scoot out early to beat the crowds in the dining room.:confused:

 

At a guess I'd say 7.30 ish as we had come from Skywalkers which stopped serving at 7 and were on our way to an 8 pm in Sabatini's. If I can unearth Carol's Patters I'll check when I get home late tonight.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Here is the video of our dinner in Sabatini's where as you can see from the oil and vinegar shot the ship is moving around quite a bit...

 

 

Norris

[RNGALNG]

We too dined at Sabatini's the night the ship rocked on our cruise. We also had a window view and loved watching the water in the fountain go sloshing over the sides! Made for a fun meal!

[melody hounddog]

Here is the video of our dinner in Sabatini's where as you can see from the oil and vinegar shot the ship is moving around quite a bit...

 

 

Norris

 

I really enjoyed that video! Thanks.

[Whimsy]

Oh, those seas were rough that night! It was my actual 50th birthday that night, I joked that the whole shipped dressed and celebrated. Many in our group, including my daughter were ill. They tried their best to be at dinner but slowly they dropped like flies. I told my daughter she didn't need to come to dinner but she felt bad (besides the seasickness) that is was my birthday so she came to dinner, only to leave for a while then return for the cake. A few others left during dinner, then we lost a few more after dinner on our way to the show. By the time we left the show to go to the casino there was just myself and one of my dear friends left to finish the night in the casino. Over a year later we are still laughing about that night, even those that were under the weather.

[LovesCruising]

We have done many cruises - mostly on Royal - doing our first Princess cruise next year - on Crown to Alaska - especially enjoying your review - thank you!:)

[CRLess]

I saw this island when I stood up from my Sanctuary lounger on the sea day (Monday).

 

 

 

Anyone recognize the profile?

 

 

 

I am guessing the "island" was the Western tip of Hispaniola (Haiti). I remember we passed close to it when we did the same cruise on the Caribbean Princess earlier this year.

[Bimmer09]

I am guessing the "island" was the Western tip of Hispaniola (Haiti). I remember we passed close to it when we did the same cruise on the Caribbean Princess earlier this year.

 

Chris-thanks for this. I think I heard someone on deck give it the same name.

Hispaniola has nice ring to it. I have been to Haiti (Labadee 32 times) when RCCL first developed it as a port stop. The locals, from outside the compound used to swim out to the ship and gather US dollars that passengers would drop over the side. Took me aback quite a bit.

 

Chris I am cruising on the Caribbean Princess in January...do you give it TWO thumbs up??

 

Norris

[CRLess]

Chris-thanks for this. I think I heard someone on deck give it the same name.

Hispaniola has nice ring to it. I have been to Haiti (Labadee 32 times) when RCCL first developed it as a port stop. The locals, from outside the compound used to swim out to the ship and gather US dollars that passengers would drop over the side. Took me aback quite a bit.

 

Chris I am cruising on the Caribbean Princess in January...do you give it TWO thumbs up??

 

Norris

 

I give all cruises two thumbs up :D As you see in my signature, we have been on the CB 4 times now, so we obviously like her!

 

By the way...great review so far!

Edited October 29, 2013 by CRLess

[Bimmer09]

Land ahoy!

 

 

My kind of island-not flat!

 



 

The sky looked good for our four hour excursion

 



 



 

An oil tanker nearby. Scanning the horizon I counted 8 oil tankers sailing or anchored, waiting to off-load at the refineries, probably originating in Venezuela.

 

[Bimmer09]

 

There was a steel band playing on deck (it was about noon) which greatly enhanced the atmosphere of anticipation as people gathered near the rail for a better look at the beautiful island coming closer thanks to Captain Nash at the helm.

 



 

The dock is getting closer as we approach the capital Willemstad....

 



 



 

 

[Bimmer09]

We were booked on an excursion that was heading out of town (thumbs up) to the Tula Slave Museum and after that to the coast to watch some waves pounding the rocky shore.We don't include shopping in our plans-we had done our shopping on the ship and had bagged a fridge magnet version of the ship for our collection.

 

Tour groups organized on the dock just off the ship and then were lead to waiting busses just outside the security gate. We crawled our way through downtown on narrow streets. The Crown was the only cruise ship in port that day.

 

Soon we climbed away from the sea and onto country roads. I noticed that many of the houses' yards contained everything the residents had discarded over the years. Trash pick-up, anyone? Land-fill? Every square inch visible from the road was filled with wild tangly bushes and tall straight cacti. The bus stopped at a beach for some leg stretching and admiration of the natural beauty of the coastline...

 

 

 

A whimsically painted Citroen in the parking lot at the beach made me smile

 

 

[Bimmer09]

Up in the hills with a distant view of the sparkling blue sea was the Tula Slave Museum. We parked the bus (and when I say we I mean the driver who was earning his paycheck on the narrow twisting roads) and Carol and several other ladies who had obviously been studying up in advance made a bee-line for the one ladies rest room in one of the outhouses in the courtyard. I held back and took some photos while waiting for her.

 

There was some more examples of the colorful local art

 



 

I stopped to pet a goat, something I like to do in every port

 



 



 

 

The bus

 

There was already a docent guiding people through the rooms, telling of the history of the place but I wanted to just go at my own pace away from the group and take some photos.

[Bimmer09]

I wonder how many souls stared through this window and longed to be free...

 



 



 



 



 

 

The fossilized remains of one of the former residents

 

[Ren1216]

Love it! Anxiously awaiting more :)

[Bruinboy]

Wow, glad I found this thread today. My wife and I will be on the Crown in 11 months, doing a California Coastal. Loved the info on the sanctuary. I wonder if it will be a little too cold for that cruise? We begin in Vancouver and end up in LA.

 

Thanks for doing this. What a gift as we plan and look forward to our ship.

[Bimmer09]

Wow, glad I found this thread today. My wife and I will be on the Crown in 11 months, doing a California Coastal. Loved the info on the sanctuary. I wonder if it will be a little too cold for that cruise? We begin in Vancouver and end up in LA.

 

Thanks for doing this. What a gift as we plan and look forward to our ship.

 

Thank you. I only wish it wasn't be written half an hour here, an hour there but this life on land takes up valuable time. I have to cook meals and serve them myself and then load the dishwasher. No room steward-you call this living??!

 

Some more photos and video coming up this evening (that's the plan anyway)

 

Norris

leaf-peeping in Michigan

[Working 2 Cruise]

Wow, glad I found this thread today. My wife and I will be on the Crown in 11 months, doing a California Coastal. Loved the info on the sanctuary. I wonder if it will be a little too cold for that cruise? We begin in Vancouver and end up in LA.

 

Thanks for doing this. What a gift as we plan and look forward to our ship.

 

I can almost guarantee it will be a cool to chilly cruise!

[Bimmer09]

As you can see my visit to the Museum was spent mainly outside rather than be led by the passionate docent ( I could hear through the open windows). It was just so nice outside. Carol took a photo inside the museum...it was a little bit spartan so I don't feel that I missed anything relevant to my life or understanding-but this is coming from someone (me) who delights in reading Julius Caesar tell how his 100,000 men dug a 28 mile trench around a town in one day-that information really helps me in my everyday life, no end.

 

Here's Carol's photo

 



 

The view

 

 

There was the sound of an old instrument-somewhat like a pianola machine where Caribbean music was played for the slaves, wafting through the open windows. The sun was shining the sea sparkling....just a nice place to relax before moving on to our drive to the coast.

 

 

We stopped to look at another beach on our way to the rocky coast you will see later. There was no time built-in for swimming.

 



 

 

This was the site of our next adventure but facing away from the sea to look at what was behind us

 

 

[Bimmer09]

The highlight of the tour was the last stop. The only thing standing in our way was this giant iguana which I soon wrestled into submission by opening up a can of "Whup Ass" which I had bought in Calypso Cove, one of the Crown's many gift shops.

 

 

There was a lengthy walk down to the edge of the shallow cliffs. A warm but brisk wind was blowing.

 



 

There was a viewing platform

 

[Bimmer09]

 



 



 

I shot HD video of the waves crashing, bracing myself against the bracing wind.

I am not you-tubing it as one wave pretty much looks like the next-wet and splashy. There is a cool video coming soon though-Crown Princess at night and the famous (well I've heard of it if you haven't) Curacao swing bridge plus ships that pass in the night for the ship-nerds out there (count me as one)

 

[Bimmer09]

On the bus journey back to the ship the guide, next to the driver, told us the story of "Nitzy" a local legend about a spider, which was far-fetched and going nowhere as a narrative. Legends I usually discount anyway as apocryphal. It was at this point I tried to summon up one of my all-time heroes- Caesar, Julius and hope that his army would somehow rise up to dig a trench at least 28 miles in circumference so that the bus might be swallowed whole and the narrative be brought to an end. The greatest General in antiquity heard not my pleas.

 

The bus driver laid into the gas pedal as the poor man had heard the story of Nitzy even more times than I and soon we were back "home" as I call the ship I am on.

 

 

I became a Grand Class groupie on this voyage. Stunning design (IMHO)

 

From the dolphin-beak bow to the vertical stern- with it's 4 main swimming pools and a Skywalkers and tiered-seating MUTS it offers many seemingly private areas any of which can become your favorite. For me it was the pool area with the Tradewinds bar, segregated from MUTS (which in principal-at night- I am all for).

Movies under the Sun I am less keen on. In the sun I am all about a steel band and drifting in and out of a nap or hearing myself talking to a new friend over a cocktail or beer. I love music. I earned my living at it. I go hear it and see it (opera and symphony) at any chance I get but sometimes it's just nice to engage in conversation accompanied only by the sound of the sea and the clink of some ice cubes in a glass. A movie on the other hand requires that you screen out your neighbors and the sea and focus on yourself.

 

[Bimmer09]

Sorry about the double-photgraph of yours truly. I am writing this on my lap (it is a laptop) while watching a TV show called "The Voice" and it is raining up a storm outside and I have a pizza in the oven and I have to be up at 3 a.m so have a lot going on here!

 

Carol took a shot of me with the ship in the background, before we took a walk into town. We were back from our excursion but the ship wouldn't sail for another 4 hours (at 9.30).

 

 

We were within a 15 minute walk of the other side of the estuary-the famous colored houses that are a Curacao trademark