Crown Princess 10 day Itinerary Questions

[escentialssoycandles]

Hello all! I have booked our honeymoon cruise for Dec 7 2018 which also happens to be my birthday. We will be 43 at sailing and second marriage for both of us so we want this trip to be full of adventure. It is our first Princess cruise.

 

A few questions:

• Online I could not make Crown Grill reservations for embarkation night - is it not open?
  
• I know there are two formal nights - do we know which nights? I don't want to book specialty restaurants on those nights
  
• I have searched high and low for MDR menu's to no avail. - can anyone point me in the right direction
  
• Is Chef's Table worth it? We loved it on our Carnival sailings and wondering if we should splurge. $95 a person is a little high and from what I am reading is not as lengthy as Carnival? Any insight?
  

 

We cruise for ports and food so those two are my slight obsessions. I appreciate your feedback!

[JF - retired RRT]

Hello all! I have booked our honeymoon cruise for Dec 7 2018 which also happens to be my birthday. We will be 43 at sailing and second marriage for both of us so we want this trip to be full of adventure. It is our first Princess cruise.

 

A few questions:

• Online I could not make Crown Grill reservations for embarkation night - is it not open? It's open the first night, but you can't make a res ahead of time. Suites have priority the first night. You can go to the CG to make a res after you board.
  
• I know there are two formal nights - do we know which nights? I don't want to book specialty restaurants on those nights Easiest...wait 'til you board, go to cabin, find your Patter (daily newsletter), formal nights and more info is listed.
  
• I have searched high and low for MDR menu's to no avail. - can anyone point me in the right direction The menus vary depending on the ship and the itinerary. Some items always available, some frequently seen, some different. Why not be surprised?
  
• Is Chef's Table worth it? We loved it on our Carnival sailings and wondering if we should splurge. $95 a person is a little high and from what I am reading is not as lengthy as Carnival? Any insight? Do it!! I don't know how long it lasts on Carnival, but when we did the CT, it was at least 3 hours. If you don't drink wine, it costs less. There is more food than you can eat. We were stuffed and pretty much just tasted each dish. If you want to do it, go to the Passenger Services desk immediately after you board to get your name on the list. Pack closed toe shoes. Leave room in your suitcase or carry-on for a large, coffee-table type cook book.
  

We cruise for ports and food so those two are my slight obsessions. I appreciate your feedback!

Have fun!! See above.I saved and exited out and notice a post asking for menus which reminded me...just search through posts and you'll see requests that have been answered.

Also, "bimmer09" puts menus in all of his excellent reviews (as do others). His reviews are lengthy, but you can scan through and find then faster.

[fishywood]

Full Suite passengers dine for free in the specialty restaurants on embarkation night, so reservations for others are not taken in the Cruise Personalizer. You could still likely get a reservation for than night by heading there right after your board.

 

Formal nights for your itinerary will likely be Day 3 (December 9) and Day 9 (December 15) which are the two sea days other than the last day of the cruise.

 

Princess is in the process of rolling out new dinner menus. There is a sample of one of them in this post

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=56003347&postcount=6

but whether they reach Crown by December is to be determined.

 

The Chef's Table gets near-unanimous praise across the fleet. It starts with drinks and hors d'oeuvres in the galley with the chef and Maitre d' followed by a multi-course dinner with wine. I don't know how much more time another line could devote beyond that.

[skynight]

You have to sign up for the chef's table when you board. You will then be informed of the evening and time.

Look for a coupon book in your cabin when you board. If there is one look inside for a specialty restaurant BOGO on boarding day evening.

You can call the dine line or visit the restaurant(s) on the afternoon of boarding day for reservations throughout the cruise. I have never had difficulty getting a reservation on board, and did not have to pay up front, thus using available OBC for payment.

[Emptynesternow]

We did the Chef's Table on the Star Princess years ago....trust me on this....it blows Carnival's CT out of the water! So much more elegant...and it's not held in the library!!

[Emptynesternow]

Part of the dessert