CARIBBEAN PRINCESS Jan 11 2014-Photo and video review

[eyoreblu]

Does the Sanctuary have loungers in the sun or is it all shade? Loving your review!

[sminfiddle]

One of the best suite perks is exclusive use of Sabatini's for breakfast.

I see "my" table!

That and the wonderful caffeine machine are getting me all sentimental now...

 

 

 

~sent using Cruise Critic app~

[Bimmer09]

Bimmer, I love your reviews!!! Pouring myself a glass of wine....

 

Melody! Welcome aboard. Just getting started and lots of cool stuff on shore to come and of course a lot of ship photos/food too. Good ports for me.

 

Videos of dolphins getting to know me and doing tricks. An airboat ride in a mangrove. A sub dive. I even have 20 mins of the show Born to Be Wild and some karaoke passengers. Bus rides through 3rd World Countries and sunny days at sea. Tell your friends I have set up shop here for the next couple of weeks so we can get the party started.

 

Glass of wine sounds fine to me!

 

Thanks for stopping by-don't be a strangler ...er, stranger.

 

Norris currently shipless

[Bimmer09]

Does the Sanctuary have loungers in the sun or is it all shade? Loving your review!

 

It has both but the majority are shaded and that's where you'll find me. The sunny ones are right by the entrances/exits...i.e both sides.

 

Norris

[lovevacadays]

What a great start to your review. I'm looking forward to more.

[marjack]

Dear Bimmer,

 

Really enjoying your diary of events from arriving in Houston, to your first days at sea. DH and I were on the CB when it first arrived at Bayport beginning of November 2013, repositioning from Brooklyn. Getting off the ship was a breeze. I have read about all the dealays in Bayport, due to the fog and Norovirus, but remembering you are still on vacation, you make it a fun adventure and meet your other shipmates. I love your upbeat writing. We were in a Suite also, and LOVED Sabatinis, the laundry and free bar setup. It is a wonderful splurge. We will be taking the Caribbean cruise end of April and reading your log just makes it all the more exciting for us. The photos are great, and we look forward to your continuing updates on the cruise. We can all cruise vicariously through your reports until we actually cruise.

[bhopal21]

Did any of the staff at Sabatini's go above and beyond?

 

We had a terrific staff onboard the Golden in August.

 

Mike:)

[RocketMan275]

 

 

It was in June of last year that Dave Walker on this board published photos of the backside of the Royal (the aft in nautical terms) which showed the suite (C 737) I had booked to be without shade or privacy from above. I later learned that apart from pillow chocolates at turndown the room steward left one a small shovel to shovel soot (from the funnels) from one's balcony down onto the balcony below where they would take up the relay.

 

So now I'll get on with the review....

 

Which suite on CB did you book? Have been seriously considering a suite for our next cruise and was considering an aft. Would be interested in your comments.

 

Almost booked a Vista for our March cruise but settled for an aft balcony on Baha.

[Bimmer09]

Which suite on CB did you book? Have been seriously considering a suite for our next cruise and was considering an aft. Would be interested in your comments.

 

Almost booked a Vista for our March cruise but settled for an aft balcony on Baha.

 

C749 and it's the 4th time we have chosen that cabin (Crown,Diamond-where it was 757, Ruby where it was 749 again and now the CB.

 

I'll put up photos in the morning.

 

There will come along some aft balcony video so you can hear the noise (which we are fine with).

 

Norris, off to bed.

[Bimmer09]

Dear Bimmer,

 

Really enjoying your diary of events from arriving in Houston, to your first days at sea. DH and I were on the CB when it first arrived at Bayport beginning of November 2013, repositioning from Brooklyn. Getting off the ship was a breeze. I have read about all the dealays in Bayport, due to the fog and Norovirus, but remembering you are still on vacation, you make it a fun adventure and meet your other shipmates. I love your upbeat writing. We were in a Suite also, and LOVED Sabatinis, the laundry and free bar setup. It is a wonderful splurge. We will be taking the Caribbean cruise end of April and reading your log just makes it all the more exciting for us. The photos are great, and we look forward to your continuing updates on the cruise. We can all cruise vicariously through your reports until we actually cruise.

 

Thanks indeed for the kind words. Glad you are reading along as this thing unfolds.

 

Norris

[SeaWolfe]

Thank you so much for taking the time to post such a detailed and amusing review! We are on the CB in March for spring break with our teenage daughter for her first cruise. She was already excited but your pictures are getting her really excited.:D We can't wait for more, and to see what you did on your port visits!

[perfect match]

Norris, I came on over to the Princess board hoping to find you had started your review. I was delighted to find you already had it started! I've got my popcorn ready and I'm waiting for your next installment! :D

[douglinc@msn.com]

Enjoying your review, we will be on this cruise 3-29. As it will be our 1st. Princess cruise, we are especially interested in what you have to say and to see your pictures. Looking forward to the rest.

 

Doug

[Bimmer09]

Did any of the staff at Sabatini's go above and beyond?

 

We had a terrific staff onboard the Golden in August.

 

Mike:)

 

Mike I can't say if any went "above and beyond" but to a man (all male staff) they were on their game as a team. Florin was the one who would engage us in conversation each day and also served us when we ate in Crown Grill one evening. He worked each table and there was usually some laughter involved.

 

You'll notice in my bacon and eggs photo that there were salt and pepper shakers on our table.

 

Norris

[pcl_cruiser]

OMG I am hoping what you experienced getting on the ship was unusual, if not i am dreading it already.

[CruiserToo]

You'll notice in my bacon and eggs photo that there were salt and pepper shakers on our table.

 

Norris

 

Lucky you! We were on this cruise and had to ask for salt, pepper, sugar, cream, ketchup, etc. lol

I think I met you on the cruise..........we were the couple with the 8 year old daughter who doesn't look like us!

Enjoying your review and LOVE the photos.

[sminfiddle]

OMG I am hoping what you experienced getting on the ship was unusual, if not i am dreading it already.

 

The sailing after Bimmer's, on January 18th, did not have the fog delay. But they did have a 2-hour delay for deep-cleaning. Boarding began at 1:55.

 

Our two cruises on 11/30 and 12/07 boarded on time at 12 noon. The one before ours did not (not due to fog, but unusually strong winds).

[2Ccruisers]

Loving your review! DH and I were on the CB the week before you and I am enjoying reminiscing :D

[Bimmer09]

Lucky you! We were on this cruise and had to ask for salt, pepper, sugar, cream, ketchup, etc. lol

I think I met you on the cruise..........we were the couple with the 8 year old daughter who doesn't look like us!

Enjoying your review and LOVE the photos.

 

Elsewhere on the ship ( I ate a lot at the Trident Grill) we were given salt and pepper packets.

 

You think you met me? Can you elaborate?

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I've spent 4 long hours this morning trying to upload video on iMovie and am having difficulties. Worst case scenario is that when I come to write about something beyond the norm- Reversing into Roatan and the Dolphin Encounter I had there for instance, that the video might have to follow later.

 

Still working on it....

 

Norris, next step calling Apple Help Line (but short on time today)

[Bimmer09]

A reader had asked about the suite we were in so here are a few photos.....

 



 

The hallway as seen from the couch area. Bathroom door on left, partially hidden.

 



 

 

 

 

Bedroom with curtain drawn aside

 

The couch as seen from the bedroom

 

The free mini-bar had 10 bottles of spirits but I had them changed out for 10 bottles of Beck's beer. The face on the TV screen is Brett Siborne the cruise Director.

[Bimmer09]

Desk area of bedroom

 



 

Bathroom door #2 and mirrored closet door

 



 

Balcony, sheltered from the wind

 



 

 

I haven't shown bathroom shots here and unless someone wants to see them I'll move on with the story.

[Bimmer09]

So we are still on our first sea day and have had breakfast after which Carol likes to take a mile walk around the Promenade Deck (2.7 laps). She gets me to walk one lap with her but we have to be careful not to get trampled by Mr Serious Walker who is wearing a shirt that says he took part in a Marathon or at least bought a Marathon tee shirt. He has no brakes it seems.

 

The Prom deck has stairs up to Emerald Deck which is where the open bow is-one of the unique features on Grand Class ships. Very windy up there as the ship is dashing along. Leaving a port it is an excellent place to be. You won't see the bow wave there as the water contact takes place maybe 30 feet behind this point.

 

Carol, the Queen of highlighting Patters, the ship's daily newspaper/event listing

is set on seeing some fruit and veg carving in the Piazza, the social hub of the ship. I taped that on the Ruby and will pass in favor of relaxing in the sun/shade by the Tradewinds Bar where I met Vlada, the perky blonde deck waiter from Ukraine who became my personal drink-fetcher. She always remembered what I drank even if I couldn't and a raised eyebrow was all that was needed to have her fetch me a Beck's beer. So I taped one of my eyebrows in the raised position with some Scotch tape for the rest of the cruise.

[clutchcurrier]

Norris,

Just love your reviews. DH and I are on the Emerald March 9th for 10 days to the Caribbean. We haven't tried a full suite yet. However, we always get a balcony cabin and love to sit on it in the mornings and evenings. The view of the hallway makes me anxious to be on board as it is about 10 degrees here in Michigan at the moment.:(

[monakayk]

Enjoying your review with the photos. I will be going with a friend of mine on the Caribbean Princess in April and can't wait. Gonna leave the DHs at home. LOL :D

 

Thanks for taking the time for this thread and I am looking forward to hearing more about your cruise.