Emerald Princess

[lukesgrammie]

What is your favorite (or least favorite) thing about the Emerald?

[tdeyette]

My favorite thing on Emerald is the Aft deck area off the horizon court. There is a pool and nice lounge chairs where you can watch the ship’s wake and contemplate where you have been. The pool is inviting and there is a really nice hot tub a couple decks up. I think this hot tub is for kids but in the times I have sailed I have never seen them using it… only adults. There is also a small pool here to cool off if you get too hot while sitting in the sun. This area is close to the buffet so you really have all you need in this area….

[emmak8]

We enjoyed all the events in Club Fusion, especially Trivia.

[skynight]

What is your favorite (or least favorite) thing about the Emerald?

There is nothing about this ship not to like. It is nicely designed and easily handles the 3,100 passengers. We have been on it a few times and although the crew changes over they have always been professional and efficient.

Enjoy your cruise on the Emerald Princess.

[Sanibel*Gal]

There is nothing about this ship not to like. It is nicely designed and easily handles the 3,100 passengers. We have been on it a few times and although the crew changes over they have always been professional and efficient.

Enjoy your cruise on the Emerald Princess.

 

I agree - she is my favorite Princess ship and looking forward to our two cruises on her later this year.:D

[Colo Cruiser]

Emerald Princess.........

What is your favorite (or least favorite) thing about the Emerald?

 

 

Getting off!! :D

[davekathy]

Favorite...getting on.

[Chunder Worthy]

I just finished a 2-week Med cruise on the Emerald in July, so here are some bonafide items as I/we saw it:

 

FAVORITES (only as they come to me):

 

Baked Alaska!! I'd never had it before (I KNOW....!!!).

 

Happy Hours (second drink is $1) in the WheelHouse Bar.

 

The pool and hot tub by the Sanctuary (not part of the Sanctuary per so completely free; NO loud pounding music; just peaceful relaxation).

 

Crown Grill (and saying, "Oh, and I'll also have the lobster tails" after placing your order for a rare Kansas City steak).

 

Daily (8am or so) ship-wide announcements of the ports, time to be back on board, etc. (we'd always crack the cabin door to hear it).

 

Walking or sitting on the Promenade Deck (while enjoying an adult beverage)

 

Our Balcony at JUST the right time of day and conditions...AHHHHH!

 

Overall Boarding Experience (from the moment our taxi door in Barcelona closed around noon, it took us (eventual "blue-carders") only 25 minutes to get into our cabins. SWEAR!!! SO impressive!!

 

General Operation of the entire ship and staff -- SO slick, organized, convenient; an AMAZING operation overall! I was so gobsmacked that I am now reading several books on the cruise industry.

 

International Cafe -- Open 24 hours; very good snacks and desserts and MUCH underused.

 

LEAST FAVORITES (again, only as they come to me):

 

MISSING Happy Hour (day tours DID take precedence and the second HH at 10-11 was in a foofy disco-like club that was simply obnoxiously loud).

 

Expensive/mandatory shuttle rides to the port gate (can you say "RIPOFF?"). At least it was for Livorno (and I believe one other).

 

Laundry Room malfunctions (coin changers that didn't work, dryers that only partially dried necessitating our hanging our clothes in the room -- thank gawd we brought clotheslines....).

 

ID Cards Demagnetizing (my companion had to get FOUR replacements during the cruise and on the last day, mine quit working).

 

Horizon Court buffet -- the food was only so-so (w/some outstanding exceptions); we tried to avoid it whenever possible.

[OCruisers]

Happily, there is nothing we don't like about Emerald Princess! :D

 

LuLu

[billyg3]

My favorite thing on Emerald is the Aft deck area off the horizon court. There is a pool and nice lounge chairs where you can watch the ship’s wake and contemplate where you have been. The pool is inviting and there is a really nice hot tub a couple decks up. I think this hot tub is for kids but in the times I have sailed I have never seen them using it… only adults. There is also a small pool here to cool off if you get too hot while sitting in the sun. This area is close to the buffet so you really have all you need in this area….

 

We like having Sabatini's and Adagio in the aft area also.

 

We have been on Emerald twice and really enjoyed it.

 

The only negative is not having Alfredo's.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Love the Emerald, we consider it to be our second home. Highlights have been-

-the crew (which can and does change, but that ship seemed to have a consistently happy crew

-the Terrace Pool area

-the location of Skywalkers and Sabatinis

-the Adagio Bar

-the walkable Promenade Deck

-the entrance from Deck 6 to the Princess Theater

-Explorers Lounge

-free steam room and sauna in the fitness center locker rooms

-there are tables for 2 by the windows in the mid-ship dining rooms

 

But even though I love the ship, I can be honest about its drawbacks

-MUTS blares long and loud every day, ruining the Calypso Pool for me

-the passenger load feels maxed for a ship of this size

-Horizon Court food has not been inspiring...ever. It was just tolerable the last time we were on the ship (March 2014)

-I wish the entertainment venues offered more seating

[MisterMet]

Liked it all:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/v-3/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=507037

[Jac199]

Love Adagio and the serene area right outside Adagio.

 

I also like that two of the three times we sailed her my favorite bartender, Yothin was a member of her crew. My mother yells "Tom Cruise" and he yells "MOMMY!" when they see each other. :)

[Elkhorn20fan]

Outriggers bar and the aft pool, try it at night when everyone else is downstairs. If we have a good bartender, great place to spend time on the cruise. You we find me there most of the time.

[mjrTom]

Everything is great on the Emerald. I hope they do not change it very much in dry dock like the Island.

For short cruises in the winter we like the Plaza deck inside cabins behind the art galley. A great location to walk through at the end of the day along with the Piazza of course. We only use the cabin to change and rest at night.

Maybe we will see you folks on the Emerald in Jan. or the Regal in Feb.

[Steelers36]

I'm holding off for a definite statement until we cruise Regal this November, but I suspect our faves are going to be Emerald / Ruby / Crown. To me, the three are all the same (even though have yet to sail Crown). Haven't been on them enough to note any real subtle differences. What would make difference to me would be condition of my cabin (and that might vary on the same ship), the staff and the food. I encounter new and different staff on every cruise - even when return to the same ship. That's normal, but still we expect a great cruise each time.

 

I do like the placement of things on those ships over kissing cousin Caribbean Princess.

[caribbean2000]

Agree with everything PescadoAmarillo noted, especially Adagio (go up on one of the nights some of the members of the show band go there for jazz jams, some great music!!) and the stern pool is just wonderful although you'd better be there early on sea days if you hope to get a chair.

[susancruzs]

I love the Emerald Princess! I'm sailing in April on the Regal to Copenhagen, then a Baltic cruise and I hope I like the Regal just as much. I was onboard the Emerald last Fall for 25 days and had absolutely no complaints, everything was great! :)

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes Adagio! :)

[SCHappilyRetired]

Terrace Pool area. Love sipping a drink, watching the wake. Love our inside cabin steps away from it on Riveria deck. Close to Horizon for DH 😊 Sailing her again in February.

[MustangGT]

Love:

Adagio's (missed it on CB)

Explorer's Lounge

Skywalker's

Walkable Promenade

 

Emerald is a close second to my all-time favorite - Island Princess

but now that they have changed the Island, Emerald might have taken

the top spot.

[MJC]

The aft view from Sabatini's

Likewise the aft Terrace Pool area early in the morning

Zumba classes!

The Lotus pool for peace and quiet

the Promenade

 

It is our favorite Princess ship so far. Any "meh" moments we had were CD issues (lack of good dancing anywhere after dinner was our biggest complaint). Liked that we could carve out a small ship experience on a large ship. Would definitely choose her again over the new ones.