Emerald Princess things not to miss?

[littlesteelo]

Hello all,

I'm about to embark on my first Princess cruise on the 12th, on Emerald Princess. Cruising is very much a once a year thing for me due to timing, and so I want to really make sure I get the most out of my first on Princess. I have been on Ventura, also a Grand class, so I know the layout like the back of my hand. What I would like to know about is the Princess experience. So I am asking the following:

 

Are there any planned activities which are a must-do?

 

Are there any little secret things which few people know about? (service not ship layout :))

 

Food. What are some favourite menu items, what cocktails are good to get, and are there any secret hints about eating onboard?

 

What are the best shows, and which ones are worth skipping?

 

Finally, what is your favourite thing about a Princess cruise? What should I get excited about and look out for?

 

Sorry for a bit of a generic post, but I am very excited about this cruise, and since it is so long between cruises for me, I really do want to get the most out of it. Thanks all in advance :D

[Colo Cruiser]

Check out the Adagio lounge next to Sabatinis.

Quiet place along with Skywalkers.

Also try and make it to a dinner at the Crown Grill/Sabatinis.

Escargot in the dining room, Check with the head waiter to order 24 hrs in advance.

Chefs Table, Ultimate Balcony diiner if you have one.

 

She is a great ship!

Edited July 6, 2014 by Colo Cruiser

[ggprincess2004]

I think you have a very port intensive itinerary! So, if you have a long, tiring day on shore, and don't feel like dinner in the formal dining room, International Café has a nice selection of goodies, and the pizza by slice and grill are open late in the evenings.

 

Room service breakfast - write in the time you want breakfast served and it will appear within a few minutes either way. Very nice if you have an early port and early tour.

 

I don't know which shows will be playing while you are on board, but there are a few things we really enjoy. One is Liar's Club, which takes about 30 - 45 minutes and is played one evening on the cruise. It is usually quite entertaining.

 

Sea day - try the Pub Lunch when it is offered, and any day you are back on board afternoon tea in the mid-ship formal dining room is very pleasant. I happen to really enjoy the scones.

 

The suggestions Colo Cruiser makes for dining are great - Chef's Table, specialty restaurants - in addition I am particularly fond of the Twice Baked Goat Cheese Souffle appetizer, the Eggplant Parm appetizer, and the ice creams offered in the dining rooms. And if there is ever an evening where none of the desserts really appeal to you, order a Volcano. It's a more vertical version of a banana split, always available (kid's menu item) and big enough to share. Oh and if your order Fettucini Alfredo make sure to request the Parmesan cheese bowl that it is usually served in.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[littlesteelo]

Thanks for your suggestions so far! I'm not sure i'll be trying the speciality restaurants since I like to try all the menus in the main dining room. I will consider it though.

 

Another question - what bars are open late? I know my son stays out late and on Ventura he had difficulty finding somewhere late to get a cold drink and a snack since they had no 24 hour cafe. On IOTS they had Cafe Promenade which was 24/7. The International Cafe is open 24 hours yes? Do they have a bar there?

[shredie]

Check out the Adagio lounge next to Sabatinis.

 

Do not miss it!

[Elkhorn20fan]

I think skywalkers bar is opened the latest. international cafe open 27/7, but do not know about the bar. In the princess patters from last January, the bars are listed from 9:30 onward. so i think if people are around, they will stay open

 

Be sure and do a sail a way from one of the islands from outrigger bar, aft, great view. Outrigger is also a great bar at night, not many people, and the pool and hot tub at night is great.

[IECalCruiser]

Another idea if you want to eat in your cabin after a long port day is to order pizza from room service. There is a $3.00 per order delivery charge and you only get the same cheese, pepperoni and pizza of the day as offer at the Lido deck Prego Pizzaria but I think it tastes better and is fresher.

 

 

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[PescadoAmarillo]

There are four production shows. Our favorite is 'I Got the Music' because the Emerald Princess band accompanies it (and we like the music they got. ;))

[Grammyluvs]

Chef’s table.....one of my best memories.

[skynight]

 

Another question - what bars are open late? I know my son stays out late and on Ventura he had difficulty finding somewhere late to get a cold drink and a snack since they had no 24 hour cafe. On IOTS they had Cafe Promenade which was 24/7. The International Cafe is open 24 hours yes? Do they have a bar there?

Skywalker's Night Club, opens at 9:30/10pm, no food there but they may have bar snacks. Horizon Ct. Buffet is open until 11pm maybe midnight. Pizza and Grill should be open until around 10pm/maybe 11pm. They stay open during Movies Under the Stars (MUTS). Poolside bars normally close once the movies are over. International Cafe is open 24hours. Late night they no longer have sandwiches, just desserts, cheese, fruit and items like that. There is a bar next to the International Cafe, but not certain if it is open all night. The Casino bar should be open after midnight. Crooner's Bar has a piano entertainer until midnight, and the bar closes sometime after that, maybe 1am.

 

We were on the Emerald this past winter. It is a nice ship.

[littlesteelo]

Late night they no longer have sandwiches, just desserts, cheese, fruit and items like that.

 

What a shame, it seems only RCI are capable of providing a late night sandwich.

[majortom10]

Thanks for your suggestions so far! I'm not sure i'll be trying the speciality restaurants since I like to try all the menus in the main dining room. I will consider it though.

 

Another question - what bars are open late? I know my son stays out late and on Ventura he had difficulty finding somewhere late to get a cold drink and a snack since they had no 24 hour cafe. On IOTS they had Cafe Promenade which was 24/7. The International Cafe is open 24 hours yes? Do they have a bar there?

 

You say there was no 24hr cafe on Ventura but they serve snacks and tea and coffee in the buffet restaurant all night.

[OCruisers]

If you like banana splits, order the Princess Volcano Love Boat Dream off the Kids dessert menu. ;)

LuLu

[Thrak]

If you like banana splits, order the Princess Volcano Love Boat Dream off the Kids dessert menu. ;)

LuLu

 

I tried that on our last cruise. Our tablemates were amazed and had never heard of such a thing. It was a bit on the large side compared to my usual creme brulee but it was great and I ate it all.

[rdsqrl]

What a shame, it seems only RCI are capable of providing a late night sandwich.

Courage, Camille. Room service has sandwiches and they're open 24 hours.

[OCruisers]

I tried that on our last cruise. Our tablemates were amazed and had never heard of such a thing. It was a bit on the large side compared to my usual creme brulee but it was great and I ate it all.

 

You're right! It always amazes tablemates when you order it. Gosh, it's huge. :D

LuLu

[englishbird]

Skywalkers or casino are the best bars for a late night drink.

 

Theres no closing time as such for Skywalkers, it will stay open as long as it is busy. I have been on cruises where it is dead quiet by 11pm and others where I have still been drinking at 2am.:eek:

[MJC]

If you like fish, I have always found that the fish dishes are really good. I have to restrain myself from having shrimp cocktail every day. :)

 

If you are celebrating a birthday or anniversary within 40 days of your cruise, you can ask for a cake (small) and choose the night it will be served. They will also put balloons and a sign on your door.

 

Another place to go for great sailaway views is the monkey bridge (all the way forward on the Lido deck), though it can be windy. You can also get interesting pictures down the length of the ship from up there.

 

We have been lucky with our tablemates on each of our Princess cruises, so I would say one of my favorite things is the other passengers we've had the pleasure of conversing with.

 

The International Café has a delicious chicken salad. And I second both the MDR ice cream and the fettucine in the parmesan bowl.

 

Princess doesn't allow you to bring liquor aboard, but we always send ourselves a gift of a bottle of scotch (or two) to our cabin. You can do that from their website.

[CCFC]

Skywalkers or casino are the best bars for a late night drink.

 

Theres no closing time as such for Skywalkers, it will stay open as long as it is busy. I have been on cruises where it is dead quiet by 11pm and others where I have still been drinking at 2am.:eek:

 

On our recent cruise on the Emerald we were kicked out of Skywalkers a few times at gone 3am :D

[janecambridge]

When we were last in Skywalker we were told that once there are less then 6 people in there,they will close!

[OCruisers]

Skywalkers or casino are the best bars for a late night drink.

 

Theres no closing time as such for Skywalkers, it will stay open as long as it is busy. I have been on cruises where it is dead quiet by 11pm and others where I have still been drinking at 2am.:eek:

 

Very True! It varies depending. Some sailings it's very busy 'til quite late every night. Some sailings it's totally dead by midnight. :rolleyes:

LuLu

[thepie]

I heard from several folks the crown grill was awesome. we had the ultimate balcony experience it was very nice. you could also do there ultimate ship tour. go to guest services when u first board to sign up for it. did that on the Caribbean princess it was awesome and the gave each person a plush robe, stationary, chefs outfit and other cool souvenirs. just got to make sure u have room in ur luggage.

[littlesteelo]

You say there was no 24hr cafe on Ventura but they serve snacks and tea and coffee in the buffet restaurant all night.

 

True, but the selection was terrible and wasn't really worth bothering with. It's not a big issue at all, it's just a nice option to have which I have got used to having on RCI.

 

Thanks again all for the suggestions, I will try my best to do them all! :D

[OCruisers]

If you are in a mini-suite on Emerald, remember there are TWO thermostats ... one in the bedroom area and another in sitting area. ;)

LuLu

[PescadoAmarillo]

Very True! It varies depending. Some sailings it's very busy 'til quite late every night. Some sailings it's totally dead by midnight. :rolleyes:

LuLu

 

On the New Year's Eve cruise (not just New Year's Eve) the bar supervisor is chasing them out at 5am. So I've been told. :D