A Perfect Cruise - Western Caribbean - Houston

[cruiseidaho]

We booked this cruise of the Western Caribbean several months ago. After cruises began out of Houston in Nov., we heard one report after another of some problem - weather, delayed sailings, missed ports, rough seas, rain, noro outbreaks, cruise cut short, fog delays, missed planes, etc., so many negatives that we considered cancelling this one. Fortunately, this turned out to be one of the best Caribbean cruises we have taken.

 

We stayed one night pre-cruise in the Princess hotel (Marriott) that has its own stop on the terminal train, one of the cheapest rates ever for a Princess pre-cruise hotel. Bags were picked up from our room at 9:30 Sat. morning and appeared in our cabin at 3:00. Transfer to the ship was smooth and took about 50 minutes. Embarkation went quickly with minimum waits and we were having lunch with our group by 1:30. The temperature was in the high 30s to low 40s in Houston, but the skies were mostly sunny with no fog and the ship left on time.

 

The weather for the entire week couldn't have been better. After the first day at sea, temperatures were in the high 70s or low 80s. It was mostly sunny with occasional clouds, welcomed for their shade. I did not see one drop of rain. Of course it was humid, but we were in a jungle much of the time. The seas were the calmest I have ever experienced. On the video screen by the passenger services desk that reports facts about weather, position, etc., I saw for the first time a category on seas that said "smooth wavelets, 0.0 to 1.0 ft." Most days at sea it felt like we were docked. Upon return to Houston, there was no sign of fog.

 

The ports were very enjoyable. There was only one tender port and the ride was rather long, but it was handled by local tenders that held huge numbers and it went smoothly with minimum waits. We usually book private tours, but opted for Princess tours this time. Princess offers a nice variety of tours on this itinerary, something for everyone. Although we live by one of the best beaches in the world, we enjoyed the clean powder sands of Roatan, which has several beautiful beaches. The America's Cup race in Cozumel was great, and the tour to Lamani Mayan Ruins in Belize was fantastic. The tour guides were very informative and enjoyable. Our river boat had some engine trouble so we arrived back in port after the ship's scheduled sailing time. Of course, the ship waited for us and made our decision to book Princess excursions look good.

The entertainment was excellent on this cruise, including two candidates for Princess "Entertainer of the Year" award, Zach Winningham, and Hawley Magic, plus former Entertainer of the Year, Bert Stratton in Crooners most nights. There was also a night with comedian Rollin' Jay Moore. The lounge bands were excellent and they actually played music that was from the eras of most of the passengers. For the most part, it was music that one could dance to, but quiet enough that one could carry on a conversation with others. There were no screaming singers, no ear-splitting noise masquerading as music, and no steel drums. Of course, there were the old tried and true production shows, "Do You Wanna Dance" and "Born to be Wild" for those who have not seen them more than once.

 

The service in all areas was A-1. All of the staff in the dining rooms seemed upbeat and energetic. Perhaps it was because of such a positive cruise after so many problem cruises. The cruise director, Marahscalh Stanton was everywhere leaving smiles on the faces of all he encountered. The passengers, for the most part, were exceptionally courteous and friendly. There was hardly ever any problem finding a seat in the Piazza or the Buffet. On this cruise, there was no "Most Travelled Luncheon", rather a cocktail party with the captain and senior officers. However, the hors d'oeuvres were great and the conversations enjoyable.

 

Disembarkation back in Houston was problem free. We walked off at 7:30, met our shuttle at 7:45 and were at the airport at 8:30. Despite all the weather related problems in much of the eastern half of the country that caused airline delays and cancellations, all of our group made it home on time with no problem. Here's hoping that the following cruises on this itinerary go reasonably well and experience some of the same kind of luck that we had. Houston cruise port at this time, is a well-run operation and this itinerary is a welcome change from the tired old St. Thomas/St. Maarten/Princess Cay Caribbean cruises.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thanks for the review!

[Colo Cruiser]

Excellent! Glad you had a smooth cruise!

Thanks for the review. :)

[wineforhealth]

Great report Thank You

 

Glad you had a smooth embarkation / debarkation

[andreakul]

Thanks so much Cruiseidaho for you great review! We are sailing on CB in a few weeks and hope that our cruise is as wonderful as yours. So nice to hear positives amongst all of of the negatives that have impacted prior sailings. Let's hope this upward trend continues into March sail dates! We for sure are optimistic at this point!

[MTdreaming]

I agree we were on this cruise, did different excursions but ours were great as well. Very good experience.

[HRPro]

Great review--glad you had a wonderful cruise and that the weather cooperated. Love those ports too.

[RetiredNTraveling]

We booked this cruise of the Western Caribbean several months ago. After cruises began out of Houston in Nov., we heard one report after another of some problem - weather, delayed sailings, missed ports, rough seas, rain, noro outbreaks, cruise cut short, fog delays, missed planes, etc., so many negatives that we considered cancelling this one. Fortunately, this turned out to be one of the best Caribbean cruises we have taken.

~~We usually book private tours, but opted for Princess tours this time. Princess offers a nice variety of tours on this itinerary, something for everyone. PCL's offers cover a wide variety from E's to S's and this is helpful in making decisions.

~~ Our river boat had some engine trouble so we arrived back in port after the ship's scheduled sailing time. Of course, the ship waited for us and made our decision to book Princess excursions look good. We always book PCL for that reason.

~~Here's hoping that the following cruises on this itinerary go reasonably well and experience some of the same kind of luck that we had. Houston cruise port at this time, is a well-run operation and this itinerary is a welcome change from the tired old St. Thomas/St. Maarten/Princess Cay Caribbean cruises.

 

Thank you such an in-depth review! You have covered all of the basics and given us an idea of what a good cruise it was. It sounds like you have a great attitude with regards to cruising! Again, Thank You CruiseIdaho!

[Techie]

We are also flying in the day before our cruise and staying at the Marriott. Can you tell me how pick up at the Marriott was handled. What time did the transfer to the ship leave the hotel?

 

Thanks in advance,

[OCruisers]

Thanks for the great review! Glad you had such a wonderful time! :)

 

Our friends took their family on CB out of Houston last month and they also returned with glowing reports.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[cruiseidaho]

We are also flying in the day before our cruise and staying at the Marriott. Can you tell me how pick up at the Marriott was handled. What time did the transfer to the ship leave the hotel?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

There will be a Princess rep in the lobby the day before and the day of transfer. When you check in, the desk will know that you are a Princess guest and will also give you instructions on what to do the morning of transfer. When you see the Princess rep, give them your room number and the number of bags to be picked up. On the morning of transfer, leave the bags to be transported in your room with the Princess tags on them and have them ready to go by 9:30. They will be picked up by the bellmen and you won't see them again until they show up in your cabin that afternoon. Keep your passports, valuables, medicine, boarding passes, etc. with you. At about 10:00 or whenever the Princess rep shows up in the lobby, see them for a bus pass. Last week, there were two busses and the first bus left at 11:15. It is about a 50 minute ride to the cruise ship port. It goes very smoothly. Have a great cruise!

[Techie]

Thanks for the info. Glad to know you had a good trip

 

I'm sooo looking forward to this cruise. It's been a very long cold winter in Manitoba this year and I'm more than ready for some warmth.

We've never sailed out of Texas before and never been to either Belize or Roatan.

 

Counting the days....

[Paula_MacFan]

Thanks for the review! It's great to hear some positive feedback from the Houston sailings. Glad you had a wonderful time!

[CharlesOK]

Let me second this informative review. We experienced things the same way. Food was good, service was excellent and our Steward Heraldo could not have done a better job. The Caribbean Princess may not be new, but she has been well maintained and the Captain and crew can be proud of how they have maintained things in spite of a run of bad luck with the port. The parking there could not be better, dropping your luggage and then circling round to park was as effortless as possible. I am a Vet and there was special handling for the parking for Vets. Thank You, all concerned for a safe and pleasant experience.

[RocketMan275]

There will be a Princess rep in the lobby the day before and the day of transfer. When you check in, the desk will know that you are a Princess guest and will also give you instructions on what to do the morning of transfer. When you see the Princess rep, give them your room number and the number of bags to be picked up. On the morning of transfer, leave the bags to be transported in your room with the Princess tags on them and have them ready to go by 9:30. They will be picked up by the bellmen and you won't see them again until they show up in your cabin that afternoon. Keep your passports, valuables, medicine, boarding passes, etc. with you. At about 10:00 or whenever the Princess rep shows up in the lobby, see them for a bus pass. Last week, there were two busses and the first bus left at 11:15. It is about a 50 minute ride to the cruise ship port. It goes very smoothly. Have a great cruise!

 

Thank you so much for this information. Wife and I are on CB on 1 March. We booked the Marriott/Transfer as well. Thought we'd have to lug the bags back to the terminal to meet the princess rep.

 

 

Some minor questions. What did you do for breakfast. Does the Marriott do a buffet? Price? Any other options?

[RocketMan275]

One more question. How 'formal' was formal night?

[Colo Cruiser]

One more question. How 'formal' was formal night?

 

As formal as any other Princess cruise on formal night.

Edited February 17, 2014 by Colo Cruiser

[RocketMan275]

As formal as any other Princess cruise on formal night.

 

Since this will be my first cruise on Princess, something more specific would be appreciated.

[azbirdmom]

Glad to hear that you enjoyed your cruise. We were on over New Year's and our only problem was that embarkation was delayed for a short time due to an alleged "stowaway". Other than that, we really enjoyed the cruise. We also took advantage of the Princess deal at the Marriott and were very glad that we did. It was a good deal, but since we are Gold with Marriott, we did get to have complementary breakfast at the Concierge lounge and it was a full breakfast. Other folks have reported that the breakfast runs $15 to $20 otherwise. We also thought that the baggage pickup and transfer was so easy.

[RocketMan275]

Glad to hear that you enjoyed your cruise. We were on over New Year's and our only problem was that embarkation was delayed for a short time due to an alleged "stowaway". Other than that, we really enjoyed the cruise. We also took advantage of the Princess deal at the Marriott and were very glad that we did. It was a good deal, but since we are Gold with Marriott, we did get to have complementary breakfast at the Concierge lounge and it was a full breakfast. Other folks have reported that the breakfast runs $15 to $20 otherwise. We also thought that the baggage pickup and transfer was so easy.

 

So, how do you get Rewards Credit for this stay? At check-in?

[Colo Cruiser]

Since this will be my first cruise on Princess, something more specific would be appreciated.

 

You might check out the new "formal" thread thats on the first page.

[azbirdmom]

So, how do you get Rewards Credit for this stay? At check-in?

 

I actually did not get any but will need to check on that. I did show them my Marriott Rewards card at check in and got the Concierge level room.

[cruiseidaho]

Thank you so much for this information. Wife and I are on CB on 1 March. We booked the Marriott/Transfer as well. Thought we'd have to lug the bags back to the terminal to meet the princess rep.

 

 

Some minor questions. What did you do for breakfast. Does the Marriott do a buffet? Price? Any other options?

 

They do offer breakfast, but at a price range of $15 to $20 for a basic egg/bacon/toast breakfast, we opted to go with a coffee and muffins from the shop in the lobby. There were several food items and drinks available. We felt that the small snack would hold us over until we reached the buffet on the ship, which is what we did. We were in the buffet by 1:30. I might add that there are no restaurants near the Marriott, but one could take the train back to the airport for the food courts, just a few minutes' ride. We ate dinner the night before in the Marriott grill. Good food and service, but a hamburger and fries will cost you @$15.

[cruiseidaho]

One more question. How 'formal' was formal night?

 

There were two formal nights - one the first sea day and the second on the sea day after Belize. Most men wore suits with ties and there were several sports jackets. I did not see any tuxes. I did see a few men with open neck sport shirts with no coat and even a couple with t-shirts. One man dressed in a US flag shirt with a stars and stripes stovepipe hat - looked a lot like Uncle Sam. I know little about women's fashion, but will say that they all looked very well-dressed, anywhere from long gowns to stylish dinner dresses or pant suits. Lots of jewelry.

[Sailin' Shoes]

We booked this cruise of the Western Caribbean several months ago. After cruises began out of Houston in Nov., we heard one report after another of some problem - weather, delayed sailings, missed ports, rough seas, rain, noro outbreaks, cruise cut short, fog delays, missed planes, etc., so many negatives that we considered cancelling this one. Fortunately, this turned out to be one of the best Caribbean cruises we have taken.

 

We stayed one night pre-cruise in the Princess hotel (Marriott) that has its own stop on the terminal train, one of the cheapest rates ever for a Princess pre-cruise hotel. Bags were picked up from our room at 9:30 Sat. morning and appeared in our cabin at 3:00. Transfer to the ship was smooth and took about 50 minutes. Embarkation went quickly with minimum waits and we were having lunch with our group by 1:30. The temperature was in the high 30s to low 40s in Houston, but the skies were mostly sunny with no fog and the ship left on time.

 

The weather for the entire week couldn't have been better. After the first day at sea, temperatures were in the high 70s or low 80s. It was mostly sunny with occasional clouds, welcomed for their shade. I did not see one drop of rain. Of course it was humid, but we were in a jungle much of the time. The seas were the calmest I have ever experienced. On the video screen by the passenger services desk that reports facts about weather, position, etc., I saw for the first time a category on seas that said "smooth wavelets, 0.0 to 1.0 ft." Most days at sea it felt like we were docked. Upon return to Houston, there was no sign of fog.

 

The ports were very enjoyable. There was only one tender port and the ride was rather long, but it was handled by local tenders that held huge numbers and it went smoothly with minimum waits. We usually book private tours, but opted for Princess tours this time. Princess offers a nice variety of tours on this itinerary, something for everyone. Although we live by one of the best beaches in the world, we enjoyed the clean powder sands of Roatan, which has several beautiful beaches. The America's Cup race in Cozumel was great, and the tour to Lamani Mayan Ruins in Belize was fantastic. The tour guides were very informative and enjoyable. Our river boat had some engine trouble so we arrived back in port after the ship's scheduled sailing time. Of course, the ship waited for us and made our decision to book Princess excursions look good.

The entertainment was excellent on this cruise, including two candidates for Princess "Entertainer of the Year" award, Zach Winningham, and Hawley Magic, plus former Entertainer of the Year, Bert Stratton in Crooners most nights. There was also a night with comedian Rollin' Jay Moore. The lounge bands were excellent and they actually played music that was from the eras of most of the passengers. For the most part, it was music that one could dance to, but quiet enough that one could carry on a conversation with others. There were no screaming singers, no ear-splitting noise masquerading as music, and no steel drums. Of course, there were the old tried and true production shows, "Do You Wanna Dance" and "Born to be Wild" for those who have not seen them more than once.

 

The service in all areas was A-1. All of the staff in the dining rooms seemed upbeat and energetic. Perhaps it was because of such a positive cruise after so many problem cruises. The cruise director, Marahscalh Stanton was everywhere leaving smiles on the faces of all he encountered. The passengers, for the most part, were exceptionally courteous and friendly. There was hardly ever any problem finding a seat in the Piazza or the Buffet. On this cruise, there was no "Most Travelled Luncheon", rather a cocktail party with the captain and senior officers. However, the hors d'oeuvres were great and the conversations enjoyable.

 

Disembarkation back in Houston was problem free. We walked off at 7:30, met our shuttle at 7:45 and were at the airport at 8:30. Despite all the weather related problems in much of the eastern half of the country that caused airline delays and cancellations, all of our group made it home on time with no problem. Here's hoping that the following cruises on this itinerary go reasonably well and experience some of the same kind of luck that we had. Houston cruise port at this time, is a well-run operation and this itinerary is a welcome change from the tired old St. Thomas/St. Maarten/Princess Cay Caribbean cruises.

 

i was on the same cruise and i wish i could agree with your review but as a first and last Princess cruiser I was disappointed.

 

the embarkation and debarkation processes were the best i have ever seen. kudos to Princess on that.

 

the weather was great the entire cruise with moderate seas on a couple sea days.

 

the ports meant nothing to us but the shore excursion in belize was above average. we were on this cruise just to try out Princess.

 

the entertainment was quantity over quality. i don't expect much on ships and Princess did not surprise. holiday inn lounges in mid size cities are just as good. the big shows would not make it anywhere but a ship. the cd said the entertainers could work west end, broadway, or vegas but chose Princess...sure.

 

loved our cabin and the steward could not have been better.

 

food was generally pretty good, as was bar service. never encountered so many unhappy employees though. several told us how much they were looking forward to ending their contracts and not coming back. almost all were just doing their jobs. a downer as we are used to happier ships.

 

buffet was a charlie foxtrot on day one. made no sense, entrees and salads and deserts on one stand then different combos on the next. never went back.

 

specialty restaraunts were ok but not worth the extra. crown grill in particular you can get a better steak wherever you live.

 

we only went to the specialty joints to avoid prom nights.

 

international cafe in the piazza is the best thing on the ship. loved the pastries.

 

main dining rooms dark and claustrophobic with low ceilings. the whole ship was dark except the piazza.

 

pool areas were strangely dark and congested, like some motel.

 

although the ship is dated it was well maintained in areas passengers can see.

 

the whole ship was much too crowded for my taste. i also don't care for passengers walking around in muscle shirts, tank tops, tats, cut offs, yelling "whoo" at every opportunity. these clowns were in the minority.

 

best place to escape was the Wheelhouse lounge. classy furnishings, good service, and rarely crowded.

 

and the smoking. i cannot believe in this day and age that Princess has such a smoking tolerance. i guess they figure they have to accept smokers to fit their target demographic market but the casino is useless as a result as is deck 6 forward.

 

officers non existent publicly. never saw a one. i am used to visible officers. when we debarked no one said thanks for cruising with us at the gangway. even discount airlines do that. felt like i was stepping off in a bus terminal.

 

to each his own and i know from reading these boards the Princess loyalists will brandish their swords. but if my only cruise experience was this, i would never cruise again.