Live from Caribbean Princess, May 28 to June 11th

[nreeder]

Captain said in todays noon report he expects to be able to dock on time. We are full speed ahead today and tomorrow. He will slow down as we approach Fy Lauderdale. He knows predicted wind speeds and rain forecast. So hopefully all will be well. I don’t envy passengers traveling tomorrow or boarding on Saturday. We are doing back to back cruise so we have to get off at 9:30 and go through Customs. We will reboard as soon as they give clearance. The ship has to empty of all passengers before getting clearance to board new passengers and returning passengers. Norm 

[GonzoWCS]

12 minutes ago, nreeder said:

Captain said in todays noon report he expects to be able to dock on time. We are full speed ahead today and tomorrow. He will slow down as we approach Fy Lauderdale. He knows predicted wind speeds and rain forecast. So hopefully all will be well. I don’t envy passengers traveling tomorrow or boarding on Saturday. We are doing back to back cruise so we have to get off at 9:30 and go through Customs. We will reboard as soon as they give clearance. The ship has to empty of all passengers before getting clearance to board new passengers and returning passengers. Norm 

Be safe and aware.

 

Cheers

[Ken the cruiser]

On 6/1/2022 at 9:01 PM, nreeder said:

Ok I’ve discovered that photos load perfectly on FB and fail constantly on CruiseCritic. So I will still post text here but Patters and menu’s and foodie pictures I will post to Princess FB page. There’s a problem with CruiseCritic uploading. So we had a great day at St Kitts and an outstanding dinner at Sabbatini’s. On FB. Norm 

I know when we were on the CB a few legs ago going through the PC, sometimes when I was posting, especially pictures where I temporarily “left” the thread to maybe edit some of them in my iPad’s photo gallery, then went back to the CC post I was working on, it would just disappear when I hit Submit, or so I thought.

 

What I had to do to get my illusive post back was to recycle the page, while staying on my CC thread. I would then go down to the now blank Input section and tap my finger on it, like I was going to retype what had disappeared. Magically, the disappeared text and any uploaded pictures reappeared, like it was sitting in a temporary buffer area on CC waiting to be relinked to the Input section. However, on occasion if that didn’t work, I would get completely out of CC and then relaunch it and go to my thread. I’d tap my finger again on the blank Input area and most times my disappeared text would finally reappear. 
 

So, lesson learned, at least from my recent experience. When you’re creating a new post, make sure you do all of your photo gallery or temporarily jumping around to other open apps on your device until you complete your CC post. 

Edited June 3, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[suzyed]

On 5/31/2022 at 1:22 PM, chamima said:

 

I'm confused.

You say that your husband tested positive the day after you got home and that you were negative but had spent the last six days in quarantine  on the ship - so one of you had it on the cruise. Why did you test when you got home - you had supposedly just recovered. ?????

Yes, you sound confused....sorry. This was at the beginning of Covid.  March/April 2020.  There was no testing...no we did not have it on the ship that we were aware of. We were ALL confined to our cabins....we for last 6 of the 32 days until we got off the ship, others confined until Princess could get them home (those passengers from the West coast US, UK, S. Amer, etc.)
On the way home in the Princess provided van with 3 other couples he started to feel ill.  We didn't just recover....we just started with Covid when we got home!
 

Edited June 3, 2022 by suzyed

[suzyed]

On 5/30/2022 at 11:41 AM, tetleytea said:

 

In your opinion, is MDR on Princess Cay day the best idea?   My first time to Princess Cay--I understand Princess serves food to the passengers off the ship--although it might be more the burgers-and-pizza type than the MDR.   But you're out on the beach, so....picnic food out on the beach might be better than waiting in line on the ship.

Burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chicken, salads, various veggies, fruit and desserts.

[richstowe]

On 5/29/2022 at 9:34 PM, nreeder said:

The lines were out the door for both Club Class and regular dining

Hoping CP will be fully staffed when we cruise next month assuming this is the issue.

On 6/1/2022 at 9:25 AM, nreeder said:

We have not had any smell it toilet issues. We are on Riviera Deck. The top passenger deck under the Lido deck. Norm 

Good to hear . I'm sure you are aware of others having toilet issues .

 

Thank you for your reports

[nreeder]

Ok I’m not going to try to post pictures because they fail to upload on CruiseCritic. I will however post all of them to Princess FB page as pictures load perfectly. You will see Patters, tonight’s formal night menu and food plus pictures from the production show Bravo. OMG. You have to see Bravo. Production values are first rate. Classic Broadway classics from Le Mis, My Fair Lady etc. but classics from Opera including Carmen, Flower Duet from Lackme (many of you don’t know that opera and we’ve never seen it, but you have heard this duet and it’s gorgeous. It closes with the Andrea Boccelli classic Never say Goodbye. That’s the song every cruise ship plays when leaving Venice and the entire passengers are in tears. SEE THIS SHOW!! Norm 

[nreeder]

First page of today’s Patter  I’ll try for the second    Norm 

[nreeder]

Ok I have news from the Captain. Because of the storm we are going to dock early in Fort Lauderdale at 11 pm tonight. This is the ship can be tied down to the pier safely and endure the brunt of the storm safely. No one witness allowed off on on until regular boarding process begins in the morning as originally scheduled. Captain is expecting buckets of rain and wind. Feel sorry for the incoming passengers struggling with flights and driving today. Norm 

[negn]

We are on 6/4 cruise and we’re scheduled to fly in tonight.   Luckily I switched and came last night.   Just got notified our original flight cancelled.  Flexibility is one benefit when you’re retired.  Wishing everyone else gets here safely 

[rabin1]

1 hour ago, nreeder said:

Ok I have news from the Captain. Because of the storm we are going to dock early in Fort Lauderdale at 11 pm tonight. This is the ship can be tied down to the pier safely and endure the brunt of the storm safely. No one witness allowed off on on until regular boarding process begins in the morning as originally scheduled. Captain is expecting buckets of rain and wind. Feel sorry for the incoming passengers struggling with flights and driving today. Norm 

I live in Ft. Lauderdale. Please don't be frightened or worry. This thing is going to only be a wind and rain maker. Highest winds they are predicting for us in FTL is gusts and squalls of up to 35mph. Going to be worst rain and wind tonight and in the morning gone by Sunday. When Sandy hit Boston a few years ago I was on a RCCL ship. They had tugs holding us against the pier and we were delayed sailing for 2 days.

You are all going to be good. It isn't even raining here now and no wind.......... If anything changes on our news I will post

Kathy

[nreeder]

Ok techie trivia. On sea days I walk the promenade deck for exercise. Usually walk equivalent of two miles which is 6 laps. So my Apple Watch tracks this. But…it also has a built in GPS. So it’s counting steps and miles. Except the ship is moving as well as me. So for my two miles it counts 20!!!  The number of steps is accurate. The joy of technology. Norm 

[nreeder]

We docked last night in Fort Lauderdale to ride out the storm in port. Debarkation is going slow as stevedores have trouble unloading luggage in wind and rain. Our transfer process has been delayed by 45 no. We’ve finished breakfast up in Steamers and waiting up here. Will go down a litlater. Just hope all new passengers made flights yesterday. Pouring down heavy rain overnight and windy. Still raining and windy now. More adventures to come!  Norm 

[suzyed]

21 hours ago, rabin1 said:

I live in Ft. Lauderdale. Please don't be frightened or worry. This thing is going to only be a wind and rain maker. Highest winds they are predicting for us in FTL is gusts and squalls of up to 35mph. Going to be worst rain and wind tonight and in the morning gone by Sunday. When Sandy hit Boston a few years ago I was on a RCCL ship. They had tugs holding us against the pier and we were delayed sailing for 2 days.

You are all going to be good. It isn't even raining here now and no wind.......... If anything changes on our news I will post

Kathy

And we had no rain at all yesterday where we are...in St. Augustine. Crazy!
We just started Hurricane season here in Florida......we usually try to avoid the Caribbean cruises in the summer.

[suzyed]

2 hours ago, nreeder said:

We docked last night in Fort Lauderdale to ride out the storm in port. Debarkation is going slow as stevedores have trouble unloading luggage in wind and rain. Our transfer process has been delayed by 45 no. We’ve finished breakfast up in Steamers and waiting up here. Will go down a litlater. Just hope all new passengers made flights yesterday. Pouring down heavy rain overnight and windy. Still raining and windy now. More adventures to come!  Norm 

Good luck!

 

[nreeder]

The debarkation process was delayed due th trouble getting off luggage in th wind and rain. Scanners at Customs not working either. We were 2 hours late with the returning passengers customs check. Boarding started close to noon. Passengers flowing on now. We will leave 2 hours later but that was announced last night. Nice to be back on board. We both just got massages as they have a 25% discount on embarkation day. Crown Grill tonight. Reminder I’m posting pictures on Princess FB page as they don’t seem to load in CruiseCritic. I’m hoping some of the new passengers will post here too as they will do other tours and dinners than us. Norm 

[Essiesmom]

I see you have sunny skies now.  EM

[nreeder]

ok the Patter for tomorrow loaded. Norm 

[azbirdmom]

18 hours ago, nreeder said:

The debarkation process was delayed due th trouble getting off luggage in th wind and rain. Scanners at Customs not working either. We were 2 hours late with the returning passengers customs check. Boarding started close to noon. Passengers flowing on now. We will leave 2 hours later but that was announced last night. Nice to be back on board. We both just got massages as they have a 25% discount on embarkation day. Crown Grill tonight. Reminder I’m posting pictures on Princess FB page as they don’t seem to load in CruiseCritic. I’m hoping some of the new passengers will post here too as they will do other tours and dinners than us. Norm 

 

I was wondering how you fared, Norm.  We were about 35 minutes delayed getting off as we should have disembarked at 8:55.  There were lines for CBP passport checks but they moved swiftly.  Taxis were plentiful and they moved the taxi queue right next to the terminal, down the ramp just to the left of the terminal exit.  You used to have to walk out to the center to get them at terminal 2 - not sure if this a temporary change due to the weather or permanent.

 

It turned out that the flight changes that United made a couple months ago to route us back to Phoenix via Washington DC instead of Houston was a good one.  Our flight didn't leave until 1:30 after the storm had passed through and we actually made it home early.  Earlier alternatives were either cancelled or delayed so we consider ourselves fortunate.

 

I sure hope that everyone on the current cruise made it to the ship.

 

We had a wonderful time onboard and it was hard to leave.  It was definitely better than we expected based on everything we had read.  Hope your week is fantastic and that you continue celebrating your anniversary.

[nreeder]

Like the investment commercial says “change in plans”!  An hour before we approached Princess Cays, the Captain came on and said he was apprehensive about conditions there.  We rocked all night and have 45-50 knot winds and white caps where the wind blows the spray up in the air.  He was hoping as we would get to Princess Cays things might calm down a little.  These are the remnants of the tropical storm that came through Fort Lauderdale on turnaround day.  When we got to Princess Cays offshore he talked the the land crew.  Princess now uses large double decked shuttle boats housed at Princess Cays, not on the ship, to deliver passengers to the shore.  The land crew indicated they had 6 foot swells coming into the little harbor where you dock and it wasn’t safe to try to get the shuttles out.  So we had to skip the island beach day, and begin the long journey south to Puerto Rico.  We now have two sea days in a row.  We don’t mind those.  I did my 2 miles around the Promenade Deck (almost around, the front stairs were closed so I did a grand loop back round and around).  

 

Princess trivia

To our surprise we have a new room Steward who started to take care of us yesterday.  His name is Kishore, and he’s from India.  He said Sydney, who was taking care of us, rotated to the other side of the ship.  So I went over this morning and found Sydney and gave him his tip for last week.  We had expected to give him a tip at the end of the cruise this week.  Sydney did tell me he was glad with the rotation as they received more crew so they now have 24 cabins each (sounds like a lot to me, but he is in a balcony cabin area and those aren’t as big as suites or mini suites.

 

Our dining room waiters and busboy will also rotate in the dining room and we will follow them 20 feet beyond their old section.  They told us they would make sure to make room for us each night.

 

Our favorite guy is coming back to Crooners tonight, Paul.  Last week was split between Duo Diva whose singer is a little loud for us, and Paul.  Paul is just the perfect piano bar singer, with great voice and wonderful repertoire.

 

That’s all for now.  I hope you all can relax as much as we are!

Norm

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

@nreeder, I apologize if you mentioned this earlier. Since you’re on a B2B, did you have to pass a C19 test the day before yesterday’s transition day?

[nreeder]

No testing was required or offered.

Norm

[azbirdmom]

3 hours ago, nreeder said:

Sydney did tell me he was glad with the rotation as they received more crew so they now have 24 cabins each (sounds like a lot to me, but he is in a balcony cabin area and those aren’t as big as suites or mini suites.

 

Interesting that he has that many balcony cabins to take care of.  Our room steward last week told me that he had been taking care of 23 mini suites up until two weeks ago when more staff was added.  He now has 16 which is the usual workload for mini suites.  He said he's much happier now as he didn't have much time to talk to guests and it's much better now.  I actually heard from others around the ship that they were relieved that more crew has been added.  Hoping that will take some of the stress out of their very busy lives.

[nreeder]

So the weather from the tropical storm affected us today at Princess Cays. The wind and waves prevented Caribbean Princess from using the tender  boats permanently docked at Princess Cays. They no longer use the ships tenders as they are too small. So we had a sea day as well as tomorrow. No problem. We like sea days. I did a two mile walk on the promenade deck but the front stairs were blocked off due to weather. So I did giant back and forth walk. Enjoyed our balcony and caught up on news. Tonight we went back to Club Class dinner. Same waiters as last week as they know us. I’m not going to post menus as I did that last week. But know this is prime rib night. However since we had that last week we ordered different entrees. We had the pate, pea soup but not green kind and Caesar salad. Maureen had seafood bowl with bok choi. I had Coq au Vin, ie braised chicken in red wine. Both excellent. We plan to order different entrees this week as menus are the same as last week. Not a problem fo us. Norm

[granny49]

Is the ship sailing fully booked. Just wondering we sail on June25th.