Switching from Princess Cays to Amber Cove?

[cruisefoodie]

I was looking at the Caribbean 2017 itineraries, and noticed that there are not many sailings that stop at Princess Cays. It looks like it has been replaced with Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic (whose reviews do not look good from what I have found).

 

My family loves Princess Cays! Does anyone know why they seem to be switching to Amber Cove? I sure hope they at least keep a few itineraries stopping at Princess Cays!

[fishywood]

I share your affinity for Princess Cays. But the choices for winter 2016-17 are not as bad as they initially appear:

 

Of the ten-night Eastern or Southern Caribbean sailings on Royal Princess, ten out of sixteen stop at Princess Cays.

 

Regal Princess has eight seven-night Western Caribbean sailings that call at Princess Cays. But all but one of the seven-night Eastern Caribbean have switched to Amber Cove. And three call at St Kitts instead of St Maarten, two at Antigua.

 

The new wrinkle for next winter is Caribbean Princess alternating six night and eight night cruises over a two week cycle, none of which have a Bahamian or Atlantic port call.

 

So yes Princess is making it more difficult for those who want to take the exact same itinerary on the exact same ship at the exact same time year after year after year. But a lot more people will appreciate the wider choices--and the lack of duplicate ports when booking a back-to-back.

[Lucky TGO]

We stopped at Princess Cays so many times I don't get off the ship anymore.

I don't remember stoping at Amber Cove. Myself and a lot of my friends like stopping at Turks and Caicos. Some people call it Jimmy Buffet's Island??

The Royal Princess is stoping there in January 2017 on the 29th to Feb.8, cruise.

Tony

[cruisefoodie]

I share your affinity for Princess Cays. But the choices for winter 2016-17 are not as bad as they initially appear:

 

Of the ten-night Eastern or Southern Caribbean sailings on Royal Princess, ten out of sixteen stop at Princess Cays.

 

Regal Princess has eight seven-night Western Caribbean sailings that call at Princess Cays. But all but one of the seven-night Eastern Caribbean have switched to Amber Cove. And three call at St Kitts instead of St Maarten, two at Antigua.

 

The new wrinkle for next winter is Caribbean Princess alternating six night and eight night cruises over a two week cycle, none of which have a Bahamian or Atlantic port call.

 

So yes Princess is making it more difficult for those who want to take the exact same itinerary on the exact same ship at the exact same time year after year after year. But a lot more people will appreciate the wider choices--and the lack of duplicate ports when booking a back-to-back.

 

I love St. Maarten but have heard great things about St. Kitts and Nevis too, and am excited that there are more opportunities to go there.

 

I am just wary of Amber Cove over Princess Cays - have read that Amber Cove is nothing special and that the area around it feels unsafe (I know, a lot of places may feel this way). I hope that what I have read is incorrect, or that at least they will smooth things out soon. Princess' website doesn't even have any info on Amber Cove!

[easyboy]

I have not been to Amber Cove so I may consider a sailing with it. But I think PCL will not drop their island in all sailings. So there can still be a choice.