Live from Royal Princess February 7-17…Nat & Ro’s 3rd Excellent Adventure-Royal Style

[mrrobby]

We did a Spencer Ambrose tour called Jalousie beach break in St. Lucia. You have to go online to book it. Just google Spencer and it will come up. It was a great tour, not cheap but worth every penny with drinks and food and a great beach and tour.

Also an amazing beach in Antigua is Valley Church Beach. Take a cab or the bus and rent chairs and an umbrella there. It is really, really nice. If I remember correctly the beach bar there is called the Nest, but I could be wrong, but it is the only beach bar there so don't worry about that.

I have a bunch of friends on this cruise and Natalie, you are my type of person and please research what I said above. I would not steer you wrong. I know you don't know me, but I love Princess and now NCL too. Just check out what I said and I guarantee you will be happy to say the least.

I also have been to Carombola in St.Kitts and I totally agree with everything you said about it. I also told my friends everything I just mentioned. I also go to Lobster Alive in Barbados when on the cruise there. I just had to mention this stuff. I know you will like what I said.

 

Enjoy,

Rob

[canadarocks]

Does Lobsters Alive also include your return taxi like the Boatyard does?

 

They're right next to each other, so I figure we'll see how busy The Boatyard is and decide whether to head there instead. Neville and his snorkel boat goes to both places. :)

[TwoCruisers]

Today we arrived in Barbados. Announcement came shortly after 9:00 that we could get off. I'm not exaggerating when I say it took us 45 minutes to get from our cabin to where we picked up a cab!!!

 

First off...we couldn't get an elevator down. I wanted to walk to the forward section and just walk down to 4 (we were only on 8) but Ro said she couldn't. We finally got an elevator down and when we got off the ship the lines for the buses were huge. Ro couldn't do the 5-7 minute walk to the port terminal so we had to wait. Because of the sea of people walking the buses couldn't get through. Not properly managed at all. Know if you have mobility issues you will wait!!!

 

Once out we quickly caught a taxi van that held 10. . . .

 

Will post more later...let me know if you have any more questions!!!

 

Natalie

 

I will be on this cruise in two weeks. I was wondering what was the hang up in Barbados. The ship is scheduled to arrive in Barbados at 7:00am and you said that shortly after 9:00am the announcement came that you could start getting off. Was this a one-time delay, or something they are experiencing regularly. I’m not sure if you know the answer or not, but I thought I’d ask.

 

Thanks

Edited February 12, 2015 by TwoCruisers

[FraudBroad]

Barbados by far is one of my favorite islands. I don't think the beaches get anymore beautiful than what that lovely island has to offer!

 

After two free rum punches I was pretty well done in for the day. Ro had the lobster for lunch ($60) and said it was some of the best she'd ever had. We headed back to the ship around 2:30.

 

After stopping in a couple of jewelry stores I thought I'd better stop shopping. Heaven only knows what I may have bought at that stage...no lunch and rum pulsing through my veins...back to the ship we went!

 

I showered and went straight to bed. Those two rum punches pretty much knocked me out. Next thing I knew it was 5:30...once again I'd miss dinner!!!!

 

I ran into some CC friends who invited me to join them in Club 6 for the Platinum/Elite happy hour...it's always nice to see how the other half lives. That will be me on my next cruise :) enjoyed great company and we made arrangements to meet the next morning for the tour we were taking together in Saint Lucia.

 

I spent the next two hour at Princess Live...first for "Minute to Win it." Of course I signed up...who better to make a fool out of themselves...ended up having a Pringles potato chip placed on my forehead and without the use of my hand had to get it into my mouth in less than 60 seconds. Took me 12 seconds to get that sucker in. And before you ask...no, I have no idea what that says about me and I'm flabbergasted at my talent!!!!

 

Stayed on for the TV theme trivia contest and my team won. I obviously need something better to do with my time...I just counted and as of tonight we have 6 Princess water bottles, 2 lanyards and 4 flashlights. Guess I don't need to pick up any gifts for my kids this trip!!!

 

Never did see Rosie after we got back to the ship...she's asleep already so I'll have to hear about her escapades in the morning. We dock in Saint Lucia at 7 and have an all day tour scheduled with Cosol. Should be a great day!

 

Thanks for sailing with us!!!

 

PS...wifi is crawling tonight...promise to get all of your answers to you tomorrow!

 

Natalie

[caribill]

I will be on this cruise in two weeks. I was wondering what was the hang up in Barbados. The ship is scheduled to arrive in Barbados at 7:00am and you said that shortly after 9:00am the announcement came that you could start getting off. Was this a one-time delay, or something they are experiencing regularly.

 

We were on the Royal in early January with an arrival time of 7:00 AM.

 

We had a 7:30 Princess shore excursion that met on shore and we had no problem being there in time for the excursion.

[kyjoe]

Hi Natalie! We're platinum & I've never heard of Club 6. Do they have happy hour every night & if so, what hours?

[TwoCruisers]

We were on the Royal in early January with an arrival time of 7:00 AM.

 

We had a 7:30 Princess shore excursion that met on shore and we had no problem being there in time for the excursion.

 

Thanks, it sounds like it must have been a onetime delay.

[san diego sue]

Club 6 only on Royal and I think the Regal as well.On Deck 6 .

No skywalkers on these ships and no Explorers lounge.

First time we were on the Royal they used Club 6 for Elite Plat lounge, 5-7 PM. Then next time on the ship, the Vista Lounge was used.

[RNGALNG]

I will be on this cruise in two weeks. I was wondering what was the hang up in Barbados. The ship is scheduled to arrive in Barbados at 7:00am and you said that shortly after 9:00am the announcement came that you could start getting off. Was this a one-time delay, or something they are experiencing regularly. I’m not sure if you know the answer or not, but I thought I’d ask.

 

Thanks

 

I'm thinking that ports times are determined by both how many other ships will be there and the tides. So, we will be ok. Also, they seem to be doing this cruise backwards from our trip. Did you notice that?

[desiro]

Hi - love your live thread! Is there any way you can tell us which nights are the formal nights? Are there just 2?? Thanks!

[GolfMom321]

Loving reading your posts. We were on the Royal in July and had a blast.

 

Please tell David and Toby that "the Sisters" send their love. We had such a great time with them and the rest of the CD staff. it sounds like you are having the same experience. We each ended up with more water bottles than we could carry home, plus lanyards, magnetic clips, etc. etc. etc.

 

Leaving tomorrow to head south for a trip on the Regal, but I'll follow your posts til we board and lose the speedy internet.

[FraudBroad]

Greetings from the high seas! Spent the day today in beautiful Saint Lucia.

 

We docked pretty much on time today at 7:00 and passengers were allowed to get off shortly thereafter. We met our CC group in the IC at 8 and pretty much everyone was on time. We then headed off together to meet our tour guide from Cosol.

 

Bumpy was our driver and the van held 12...it was a tight fit. As we drove through town he pointed out all of the different buildings, churches and schools. We quickly found our way out of town and Bumpy continued to point out the highlights and stop at a scenic overlook to take pictures out the window. He then stopped at a banana farm and explained in detail how they grow bananas. We the. Each got a banana to try. Better than anything we ever get in the States!!!

 

Onward we went and our first stop was for breakfast. There were at least 6 other vans full of Cosol tour folks. Where we stopped they had a huge variety of local food set out (you could take as much or as little as you wanted) and it includes complimentary rum punch, water, beer and soft drinks.

 

We left there and headed to the beach. Now this is where I started to get a bit irritated. The tour originally stated two hours of beach time. When we arrived at the dock to get on the water taxi we were told we'd only be there for an hour. By the time the water taxi got us to the beach we were told they'd be back in 45 minutes. We were dropped off at the Sugar Beach Resort. We were told the areas where we could swim and also told that if we wanted to sit in one of the really nice loungers that it would cost us $75.

 

The beach had course, rough sand but the water was warm. Just not the beautiful turquoise blue we'd seen yesterday in Barbados. We spent the majority of the time in the water before the came and told us we had to leave.

 

Now..to make a long story short what then happened was we really didn't have the quality time we expected at the volcano and the way Bumpy put it was "and you really don't want to go to the mud baths." The waterfall was a super quick "get out and take a quick picture."

 

Now, here's my issue. When I book do this tour I told them the hours we'd be there. They were well aware of the ships schedule. At the time of the booking had they once said "hey, we will need to cut this a bit short" I would have been like "no problem." Instead, I was really ticked off. I paid $75 for what I felt was a $40 tour. Bumpy was excellent and I don't blame him for any of it. One of the CC folks in our group has been using Cosol for years. She said this would be the last time she used them.

 

All in all Saint Lucia is one of my favorite island. Both the island and the people are incredibly beautiful. I'd love to come back some day and spend quality time.

 

We arrived back at the port at 3:20. All aboard was 3:30. I was not happy cutting it that close!!!!

 

A quick shower and up on deck I went for sail away...just love when the ships horn plays the "Love Boat" theme. Makes all of my troubles disappear...LOL!!! It actually cracks me up!!!! Still love that song!!!

 

Dinner tonight was uneventful although my table mates were glad to see that I was once again amongst the living and they told me to stay away from rum punch. I quietly nodded my head in agreement and sheepishly apologized for having not made it to dinner again last night. All the while knowing that there's no chance in heck I'd ever turn down rum punch...I know I know...I'm evil :)

 

Tonight we had a light schedule. Geography/World Flags trivia followed by a show put on by the production cast and cruise directors staff. It was very cute (I think it was the "Ye Old Pub" show) and I've got to say I really love the cruise directors staff on this ship. They are all amazing!!!

 

Tomorrow is Antigua and I'm actually taking a tour through the ship...Catamaran sail with lobster lunch. It was recommended by one of the couples I met at Carambola the other day and I can't wait to try it out!!!

 

More tomorrow!!

Natalie

[FraudBroad]

We are on this same trip in two weeks and am enjoying your posts. Quick question, How are the water temps, keeping in mind that I am a wimp about cool water? Thanks in advance. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

 

To me they always feel a bit chilly until I get fully immersed. Then they are perfect :)

[FraudBroad]

Loving reading your posts. We were on the Royal in July and had a blast.

 

Please tell David and Toby that "the Sisters" send their love. We had such a great time with them and the rest of the CD staff. it sounds like you are having the same experience. We each ended up with more water bottles than we could carry home, plus lanyards, magnetic clips, etc. etc. etc.

 

Leaving tomorrow to head south for a trip on the Regal, but I'll follow your posts til we board and lose the speedy internet.

 

Of course I will! They are both awesome!!!

[FraudBroad]

Does Lobsters Alive have a beach or is it just a restaurant? I had a look at their menu. It is priced in Bajan $$$. When I convert the cost of the medium lobster to USD it is $66! Is that possible? If so, I think they price in Bajan so people won't realize how expensive it is!

And, if I remember, Caribbean lobsters only have one big claw! I think I'll stick to East coast lobsters!

 

It's actually a restaurant right on the beach. They have umbrellas and chairs to rent. You can go into the restaurant to order food or just walk right up to the bar. They don't offer food/drink service on the beach.

 

As far as prices are concerned I wouldn't expect the website to list in USD as it's located in a country that uses a different currency. The menus at the restaurant did have USD prices. To paid $60 for her lobster and was very happy with it!

[FraudBroad]

Does Lobsters Alive also include your return taxi like the Boatyard does?

 

 

No they do not. But for me I much prefer the atmosphere over Boatyard. Cab back was $5 each!

[FraudBroad]

We did a Spencer Ambrose tour called Jalousie beach break in St. Lucia. You have to go online to book it. Just google Spencer and it will come up. It was a great tour, not cheap but worth every penny with drinks and food and a great beach and tour.

Also an amazing beach in Antigua is Valley Church Beach. Take a cab or the bus and rent chairs and an umbrella there. It is really, really nice. If I remember correctly the beach bar there is called the Nest, but I could be wrong, but it is the only beach bar there so don't worry about that.

I have a bunch of friends on this cruise and Natalie, you are my type of person and please research what I said above. I would not steer you wrong. I know you don't know me, but I love Princess and now NCL too. Just check out what I said and I guarantee you will be happy to say the least.

I also have been to Carombola in St.Kitts and I totally agree with everything you said about it. I also told my friends everything I just mentioned. I also go to Lobster Alive in Barbados when on the cruise there. I just had to mention this stuff. I know you will like what I said.

 

Enjoy,

Rob

 

Thanks so much Rob!!! I'm so sorry I wasn't able to take your recommended tour today! I'll remember for next time! Just recommended Valley Church for some folks tonight! Thanks again for everything!!!

[mrrobby]

Hey Natalie, Keep up the good work with the Live from. I can't wait to try one of the new ships on Princess. Everything sounds great about them except the small balcony's and no center staircase. Let me know if your friends went to Valley Church Beach in Antigua. We love it there so much.

 

Have fun

Rob

[kcarrots1]

I love the cro-nuts too. Only 60 more days till on am on board and can get me some. Yum Yum

[FraudBroad]

By 8:00 this morning we were docked in Antigua. Ro will be taking an island tour with "Lawrence of Antigua" and I've booked a catamaran sailing with lobster lunch through the ship.

 

Last time I was here (2011) I took the tour Ro is taking today so this trip I was super excited to finally explore the beaches. My original plan was to just head to Valley Church Beach (see comments above, highly recommended by Ron) but when someone on the ship recommended this one (they've done it three times) I decided to give it a try. The price was steep ($149) but hey, I'll be eating fresh lobster!!!

My whole goal for this vacation was to RELAX. This was just the ticket!!!

 

The meeting place for the tour was right on the pier as we exited the ship. A short walk down the pier and I boarded the catamaran "Mystic". The tour was to include two beaches and lunch. We arrived at the first beach but were unable to get off the boat as the surf was "rolling". The tour now became a beach search...the captain told us that once one beach was rolling that they'd all be rolling!!!

 

Honestly I have NO idea how long it actually took us to find the beach we ended up staying at for the entire time. Okay...I lied...just realized I looked at my phone...we arrived at 11:00. Suffice as to say the water was warm and the sand soft. Not as beautiful as Barbados...but very warm and pretty none the less!!! The offered free run punch and soft drinks along the way...the rum punch may be the reason I don't remember what time we arrived :)

 

We had plenty of time in the water before they called us in for lunch. Let me tell you...lunch was fabulous!!! Tossed salad, potatoes, rice and beans and mixed vegetables. And the crown jewel...lobster tail...a HUGE lobster tail...the lunch was both filling and delicious. The lobster was prepared on an open grill on the back of the boat. Does life get any better????

 

We puttered in the water for quite awhile while everyone finished lunch the started to sail back to port. We arrived back around 3:00. Enough time to hit a couple of shops and then get back onboard. More than enough time as all aboard was at 4:30.

 

Oh...before I forget...the excitement for the day...a car that was parked right behind the bench we'd say on at the beach caught fire...we watched the black smoke billow and heard a few small explosions before the fire department arrived...about 20 minutes after the fire started. When you are on the islands throw the word "urgent" out of your vocabulary...

 

After a quick shower I threw in a load of laundry. The laundry (for those non elite peeps like me) is $3 to wash and $3 to dry. Tokens are available for purchase in the laundromat.

 

On deck now waiting for sail away and they are calling for late passengers...unsure if I'll make it to the dinning room tonight as I'm so full from lunch!!

 

I wanted to expand a bit on what happened yesterday with Cosol. The original tour was to include the volcano, swimming in the waterfall, exploring the mud bath, 2 hours beach time and lunch. When we got out at the volcano Bumpy told us we didn't have time to walk up high and sent a guide over to tell us about it (he told us that the view from up above was the same so we didn't need to do it). At the same time he told us we were expected to give her a tip. Look, I have NO ISSUE whatsoever about tipping anyone but ALL of us had left our bags in the car so we were all a bit irritated. So here we were, ready to hear about the volcano, and someone else calls her name AND SHE WALKED AWAY. Well, for 5 of us that was enough. At this point he's also already made the comment (you really don't want to see the mud baths). So 5 of us just turned around and walked back to the van. One couple stayed and decided on their own to take the walk up top for the view, even though we'd been told we didn't have time. At this point it's getting late and we're all a bit nervous about getting back to the ship! Let me tell you...the entire van was ticked at this couple when they returned, 25 minutes later!!!

 

When we did get to the waterfall it wasn't for a swim, but a five minute photo op.

 

The entire day felt rushed and we all felt it was a severely abbreviated version of what we'd signed up for. The one person from CC who'd booked with them several times in the past was particularly irritated because the owner himself was supposed to be our tour guide and was not. As she stated, she was very happy to see how well his business was doing but it had just gotten too big and had lost the intimate feeling it once had. My only other issue was that we were expected to tip at the place We'd had breakfast as well as at the volcano. If they'd listed this in the tour description we would have been better prepared. Here's my lesson learned. The tour was too big with too much to do in that short a period of time. Our meeting time was at 8:20 and we left at 8:30. The ship docked earlier and the tour should have started earlier. My advice is that if you want to see something in Saint Lucia and you only have a short amount of time, pick a couple of things that you can really enjoy and find a cab driver to take you around!!!! THE END!!!!

 

More later...we will be in St Thomas tomorrow and I'm looking forward to calling home and speaking with my girls!!!

 

Thanks for sailing with us!

 

Natalie

[canadarocks]

You need to buy tokens to do the laundry? I thought on the Royal you just swipe you ship's card. :confused:

 

Sorry Cosol's tour didn't turn out better. We were with Baptiste (another of Cosol's guides) last year and he never brought up tipping anyone (including himself). But he did "discourage" the mud baths....

[DoulaAnn]

If I recall correctly from our trips on the Royal, we used our cruise card in a machine in the laundry room to purchase the tokens, then used the tokens to pay the washer and dryer. The price has obviously gone up, as it was only $2 each for washer and dryer last year.

 

I'm sorry the Cosol tour didn't work out. I totally understand your frustration about the whole deal -- I would have been upset, too.

 

Ann

[canadarocks]

If I recall correctly from our trips on the Royal, we used our cruise card in a machine in the laundry room to purchase the tokens, then used the tokens to pay the washer and dryer.

 

Ann

 

Thanks, I should have realized that. :o

[goofy559]

You need to buy tokens to do the laundry? I thought on the Royal you just swipe you ship's card. :confused:

 

Sorry Cosol's tour didn't turn out better. We were with Baptiste (another of Cosol's guides) last year and he never brought up tipping anyone (including himself). But he did "discourage" the mud baths....

 

You swipe your card in the laundry room and are given tokens for the machines - $3 gives you a token for either the washer or the dryer.

[mrrobby]

Hey Natalie, The catamaran with the Lobster lunch sounded amazing. Glad you enjoyed it so much. Next time Valley Church beach. If you want a close beach in St. Thomas that not that many people go to try Emerald Beach. It's only a $4 or 5 per person from where Princess docks. They have chairs to rent there at the Hotel that is there. Best Western if I am not mistaken. Nice bar and food available if you are hungry. We really like it there too.Perfect for swimming or taking a walk on the beach. My favorite is Sapphire Beach, but supposedly they don't rent chairs there at this point. Don't quote me on that.

 

All the best

Rob