Crown Princess ABC islands Jan 12 to 20, 2018

[Bimmer09]

Wonderful review, thank you!

 

heffy2- a new name to me, after so many reviews on CC. Welcome! and thanks for the comment.

I'm glad you enjoyed.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Sabatini's is a vast and stylish room but there is a new "trattoria" design and menu being introduced and of course that's maybe not a bad thing, although I haven't seen one or dined in one in the flesh. Princess has to keep their Specialty offerings fresh as some of us sail the line frequently or maybe exclusively and are perhaps not excited by the same old same old. I see us cruising Princess once a year until retirement so it's no real hardship for us to see those dishes and that decor once a year.

 

 

 

 

Kudos on the evocative art



 

 



 

 

Something I always look forward to seeing is the meat slicer!



 

While I am up on deck 16 it is a no brainer to walk forward to Tradewinds for more coffee and a smoke. One by one my table buddies of the week have to say sayonara, even though none were Japanese as they are getting off earlier than us. Some are going golfing for the day and have hired a limo bus for that purpose. I salute anyone who isn't dashing to the airport and staying behind to milk Florida for a day, even though it doesn't look like another postcard weather day here. Cool and overcast. While sitting there Neville the MD comes up and I get to say a goodbye and thanks. He is soon off to join the Sea Princess in New Zealand and Australia. What a great way to see the world.

I have more photos to take while waiting to go...

[Bimmer09]

Thanks Norris for days to reading pleasure! Please tell us again what, where and when you are sailing again. Karen

 

Karen, glad you have enjoyed reading along!

Right now we have two cruises booked;

Celebrity Silhouette Norwegian Fjords Sept 1-8 from Southampton.

Azamara Journey, Cuba Jan 15, 2019 from Miami.

The Cuba one is 100% for sure as I just re-fared and got a better price. The X one is under debate as we may want to push it off a year as this year has a lot going on for us and Norway and Cuba are very close to each other time-wise and both are very pricey. I'd love to do both of course as the sea is calling (24/7 LOL!)

I will always link to any new review from my previous one-which will be this Crown one as we have no Princess cruises planned.

I hope to see you again when the next review appears on the Celebrity board (which is also where the Cuba review will go.)

Cheers!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

As I said- cool and overcast today in Ft. Lauderdale

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

The upper decks are empty as there is a steady stream of people leaving the ship. It's about 9.30 so I have about 45 minutes left to wander . The past 8 days have flown by. I still have some places to visit.

[Bimmer09]

 

I only have the photos as a gingerbread trail to show me now, 8 weeks later (gasp!) where I was and when.

 

 

I check a map to find out where I am. I am now on deck 5 it says.

 

 

Future Cruise Sales office



 

 

Vines Wine Bar which I never visited until now



 

 



 

I dread to think how long the list of unvisited rooms might be if we sailed on an Oasis class ship!

[Bimmer09]

I love love the Bimmer09 reviews. Such fun to read and wonderful pictures!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Judie, thanks for being a part of this and for the nice things you say!

I hope to see you in the next one on the Celebrity board.

Norris

[musicalianne]

We are heading back to the marina

 



 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

and we approach our berth

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norris, I, too, have read and thoroughly enjoyed your other cruise reviews. I found this review yesterday and I am now on my second day of reading and enjoying this cruise review. I love all of the photos and the witty narrative too. Thank you for taking the time to post and share. I know you and Carol had a wonderful cruise in the midst of your cold winter. Maybe we’ll have the opportunity to cruise together some day and meet in person. Thanks again for the enjoyable read!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Lido deck main]

Hi Norris,

I just finished your review, Thank You Very Much, great commentary and outstanding pictures.

Regards, Mary

[Bimmer09]

"The last thing I want to see on a Princess ship is that Park West art!" is something I have said and yet I always take a walk through the art gallery on the last day. How often do I get to visit an art gallery? Actually maybe once every two years I spend part of an afternoon at the Art Institute of Chicago in the French Impressionist halls. No tiger heads or velvet Elvises there.

 

I am making my way there...

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

[Bimmer09]

There will of course be art that I like but have nowhere to hang it at home

 

 



 

 

There's always a tiger!!



 

 

Times Square, NY



 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

More New York

 

 



 

 

Fanciful and cool



 

That's it for art and there are only a couple more pics from the Crown to come and then we are off the ship.

[Bimmer09]

Norris, I, too, have read and thoroughly enjoyed your other cruise reviews. I found this review yesterday and I am now on my second day of reading and enjoying this cruise review. I love all of the photos and the witty narrative too. Thank you for taking the time to post and share. I know you and Carol had a wonderful cruise in the midst of your cold winter. Maybe we’ll have the opportunity to cruise together some day and meet in person. Thanks again for the enjoyable read!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Stan and Anne, I am glad you found the review. Today marks 8 (or 9?) weeks of writing it every day.

Work and life keep me away from the computer. I am glad you have enjoyed it thus far as it is 97% done. If you are into Food Porn stay tuned until we are done with Ft. Lauderdale.

This is the 12th "thing" I have written on the Princess board so feel free to dip into some of the older ones.

I am always looking for CC members when I am on a ship and meeting new people but see few who know of CC's existence. I don't make it to many Meet and Greets, sometimes by accident and sometimes by design.

Thanks for coming forward to say hi!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

The next 4 photos tell me that I went back up to deck 16 for one last cigarette at Tradewinds before going to Club Fusion to rejoin Carol for our disembarkation.

I pass by the Lotus Spa where there is no one sitting in a chair getting a head massage

 

I look out over the parking garage at terminal 2, wondering if I will have an issue with Customs over not having my Green Card with me, as it was stolen 15 months ago and the replacement hasn't yet arrived. I had issues when doing the Star Princess Alaska cruise that were worrisome.

 

 

I leave Tradewinds behind-when will I see you again?

 

 

After this it is time to pack the cameras away



 

At 10.15 we begin the Death March to the gangway on deck 5 and Corey is there to wish us goodbye. He was remembered fondly in my post-cruise survey.

In the luggage hall we found our bags as there weren't many left and a porter offered to schlepp them for us. Looking at the line zig zagging we decided immediately to use his services.

A customs desk opened up and we were "on it". Officer looked at my passport-British-did not ask for Green Card...Hooray!!! "Welcome home Norris". I went to fist-bump him but got a face full of pepper spray. I guess he misunderstood the gesture.



Outside and some of my golfing buddies are getting into their big black limousine bus off to golf in Boca or some such. Gone from my life but it was fun knowing them for a week.

We tipped the porter $20 for saving us dragging the bags around.



Carol "called" a Lyft as we have given up on taxis back in Chicago and within 10 minutes we were out of the terminal and on our way to Marriott Harbor Beach where our story began...

[Bimmer09]

I’m sad that this is drawing to a close :(. I do hope things work out for you two to cruise the fjords this fall! How incredible that would be.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Crystal, we have about 10 weeks to decide on Silhouette to Norway before final payment. Ship is sold out and we have our favorite aft suite and it's Norway for Pete's sake! Eye candy! Princess had a Baltic cities cruise but I think we both prefer the majestic fjords. I have very little interest in St Petersburg and palaces and such. Or a few hours in Helsinki. I like the scenic excursions and mountains and vistas that this X cruise promises-plus it is on my favorite ship.

Plus we get to spend a day or two in London!! Full English breakfasts with spam, sausage, bacon, spam, beans and extra spam! ( a joke for the mature audience who remembers Monty Python- you are too young)

It is pricey but having just saved $2500 on the Cuba cruise that helps offset it somewhat.

Carol would favor cancelling and rebooking for the following year but I am like a dog that has a slipper in it's teeth and won't let go. She'll thank me later! (she will of course read this) If it is 2019 then I will take it like a man, slam some doors and cry myself to sleep.

Cuba is a definite as we can't chance the visiting restrictions going back to the stone age.

I will definitely be getting a new lens for that one. Merry Christmas Norris!

Cheers Crystal!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Hi Norris,

I just finished your review, Thank You Very Much, great commentary and outstanding pictures.

Regards, Mary

 

Mary-from one of my favorite cities! I learned to ski on Grouse Mountain back in 1984.

Thank you for stepping out of the shadows and for the kind compliments!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

We are back in the Marriott Harbor Beach

 

 



 

 



 

 

3030 Ocean is the restaurant we ate in the night before the Crown Embarkation



 

 

If you need to comb your hair or fix your make-up there is a mirror



 

 

It's a big lobby



 

More

[Bimmer09]

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

Those pics were from January 2016 when we came off the Silhouette and are included for those who have expressed an interest in the Hotel.

We wouldn't be spending time on the beach today as it was cool and windy. Overcast with occasional light drizzle. I kept my leather jacket on all day.

No suite for us today but the normal rooms are very nice indeed

 

 

[Bimmer09]

Carol had all she needed for amusement....

 

I, being a smoker, spent time outdoors, close to the hotel, wearing my leather jacket as it was cool and breezy.

 

My mind wistfully returned to places where the sun did shine

 

 



 

 



 

and the only other gift to remember the Crown by, besides what could loosely be described as a brain, full of wonderful memories, was this

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We would certainly sail this itinerary again. Beautiful islands, beyond the reach of the hurricanes.

[Bimmer09]

I assumed that we would once again eat at the hotel tonight-at 3030 Ocean where the food is superb and the noise level off the charts. Carol left alone on our balcony had a different idea. She went fishing for Stone Crab on her phone and found what she was looking for. No hotel dinner for us!

I had to eat something lunchy regardless and went alone to Sea Level for my favorite dish there, only this time I would not be sharing!

 

Yes, crab salsa with the yummy crispy tortilla strips and a glass of Stella Artois lager. Plates were licked of course. I have the computer with me so that I could work on my photos from the cruise. Speaking of which I found last night a couple of pics that were still in a camera. I took them in the harbor as I had the Coral Princess as a captive model. She was our first introduction to Princess cruises and made a great first impression.

 

 

Yes, she's a beauty!

When we (I) come back....ships sailing away in the afternoon.

[Jimorel]

I assumed that we would once again eat at the hotel tonight-at 3030 Ocean where the food is superb and the noise level off the charts. Carol left alone on our balcony had a different idea. She went fishing for Stone Crab on her phone and found what she was looking for. No hotel dinner for us!

I had to eat something lunchy regardless and went alone to Sea Level for my favorite dish there, only this time I would not be sharing!

 

 

Yes, crab salsa with the yummy crispy tortilla strips and a glass of Stella Artois lager. Plates were licked of course. I have the computer with me so that I could work on my photos from the cruise. Speaking of which I found last night a couple of pics that were still in a camera. I took them in the harbor as I had the Coral Princess as a captive model. She was our first introduction to Princess cruises and made a great first impression.

 

 

Yes, she's a beauty!

When we (I) come back....ships sailing away in the afternoon.

Princess should buy these for their advertising.

[Bimmer09]

A zoom lens and a tripod saves me the long sandy walk in the wind with the chance of getting drizzled upon. Normally I would take that trek if the weather were more Floridian but not today.

The weather has kept me off the rocks at the mouth of the harbor for a couple of years now.

So I can stay dry and sheltered on our balcony as the parade of ships begins soon after 4 p.m on this Saturday.

 

Bananas, especially the Foster variety, are one of my favorite foods!

 

Crown Princess!

 

 

Lots of lucky people up on deck

 

No one is on our balcony. (when you look at these photos on Flickr and click on them they zoom to a huge detailed size)

 

The Captain sets his course- "Follow the bananas, lads!"

The bananas are getting away! "Chef, cancel the banana splits tonight!"

[Bimmer09]

 

Carnival Conquest, like the others has "turned around" in 10 hours and is off to do it again

 

 

 

Coral Princess

 

 

 

 

 

[PghCruiseGrrrl]

A zoom lens and a tripod saves me the long sandy walk in the wind with the chance of getting drizzled upon. Normally I would take that trek if the weather were more Floridian but not today.

The weather has kept me off the rocks at the mouth of the harbor for a couple of years now.

So I can stay dry and sheltered on our balcony as the parade of ships begins soon after 4 p.m on this Saturday.

 

 

Bananas, especially the Foster variety, are one of my favorite foods!

 

Crown Princess!

 

 

Lots of lucky people up on deck

 

No one is on our balcony. (when you look at these photos on Flickr and click on them they zoom to a huge detailed size)

 

The Captain sets his course- "Follow the bananas, lads!"

The bananas are getting away! "Chef, cancel the banana splits tonight!"

 

I was one of those people! B426! The cabin is on the side you where photographing right by the midship elevators. I was definitely out on my balcony for sailaway!

[Walt fan]

Enjoying the end of cruise pics. You work hard for this review masterpiece. The hotel in Florida is beautiful. Can't wait to see what Carol found for dinner.

 

I agree, Princess should pay you for advertising.

 

Pictures from Norris of Norway fjords? That would be epic.