Coral Princess Trip Report from Princess newbie with lots of photos

[aussielozzie18]

Ok, more photos for you.  
 

International Covid Vaccination certificate that I had to show a physical copy of on boarding.  Obviously I have covered my personal details & a large QR code on the left hand side.

 

 

[aussielozzie18]

Confirming price of Whale Watching Cruise - $129.95pp Depart 11.45am.  Return 2pm

Excursion “Whale Watching in Twofold Bay” at Eden.

[aussielozzie18]

Room service breakfast menu

[aussielozzie18]

Sabatinis - Speciality Restaurant - additional charge ($34pp).  Tried my best to photo from menu display outside restaurant 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[aussielozzie18]

Free pizza above pool deck

[aussielozzie18]

Free ice-cream near pool deck

[aussielozzie18]

Entry to Horizon Court (Buffet).  You must wash your hands & wear a mask.  Photo taken at entrance to Horizon Court.

 

 

[aussielozzie18]

Breakfast at Horizon Court (Buffet)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Made to order omelettes were popular (above photo sign) under the paper is French toast, pikelets 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 11, 2022 by aussielozzie18

[aussielozzie18]

Lunch at Horizon Court

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, a section of hot dishes & plenty of fruit (neither options I photographed)

[aussielozzie18]

Finally cabin info:

 

My guarantee cabin was a BE balcony located on Deck 12 Aloha Deck AFT.  Cabin A632.  

 

This is the only cabin photo I took because of all the mirrors.  Hard to avoid your reflection!

 

Had a Queen bed (very very comfy).  Bedside tables on either side with two small drawers.

 

Storage was 4 small drawers, this wardrobe section & the adjacent cupboard.

 

 

Shower had a curtain and body lotion + combined shampoo & conditioner 

 

 

Hair dryer was next to sliding door going to balcony.

 

 

[aussielozzie18]

The room came with a small bar fridge that actually keep items inside cold.  Four small tumbler glasses in cabin.  Flat screen tv opposite bed with a good choice of free movies/documentaries and tv shows.  Plug for charging phone was on desk.

Room came with desk & chair & nice glass circular glass table but no couch/sofa.

 

 

 

 

[aussielozzie18]

Balcony had a glass sliding door (so much better than a door that opens outwards).  Two chairs & a table

 

Size of balcony would be fine for two per below photo.

 

 It had no roof to protect from sun or rain or provide privacy from walking track above.

 

I could also see into the balconies of the people below me.  Three people standing on their balcony in bathrobes as we sailed into Eden.

[aussielozzie18]

AFT means you do a lot of walking.  I like walking but I probably won’t voluntarily choose an AFT if it’s the first time on that ship. Despite the walking and the lack of balcony cover, I was really happy with my cabin.  
 

Lifts were fast, never had to wait long (except for return from port day which is to be expected), often had lifts to myself but when others were in them everyone was very friendly and wearing masks.  Only time there wasn’t a mask worn was a young girl about 11 and her mother was extremely apologetic saying her daughter had just broken the mask and they were heading back to their cabin to get another one (not that anyone said anything to the mum).

 

 

[aussielozzie18]

Before the cruise ships returned to Australia  I said I wouldn’t do a cruise if I had to wear a mask all the time onboard and I didn’t actually realise before we boarded thatwe had to wear a mask all the time except when physically eating/drinking.  But because I an fortunate not to have tested positive for Covid since the pandemic I ended up being appreciative of the mask requirement and really it was no hassle at all - except for the first afternoon when I exited the second lift and realised I wasn’t wearing my mask and had to walk all the way back to the AFT cabin to retrieve it.  Didn’t do that again!

[aussielozzie18]

Despite the weather on the way down, had a lovely cruise.  3 nights and one port day was a really good first cruise back experience.  I didn’t make full use of the Medallion.  I couldn’t get it to work on my phone.  My dining companions also first time to Princess loved ordering their drinks & room service on it.  I am sure next time I cruise with a family member who is app smarter than me, I will make full use of it.  Certainly it automatically unlocking the cabin door on approach was cool and not having to go to guest services when your room card stopped working was great.

Only time I needed to go to guest services was to hopefully retrieve my jacket that I left behind during the boarding x-ray and thankfully they had it in lost property.

 

I did this cruise after a bad few months of vertigo earlier in the year.  Despite the bad weather, I found the Coral Princess very stable. Only time I noticed movement was at bedtime and  It was a lovely gentle rocking me to sleep feeling during the trip down to Eden.  

Edited October 11, 2022 by aussielozzie18

[aussielozzie18]

Next cruise with be with my young adult daughter on the “new” Carnival Luminosa from Brisbane to the Great Barrier Reef.  I selected an AFT balcony cabin each for us on that one 🤣.  Going to study the floor plan so I don’t get lost so much on that one….

Thanks for following my TR.

 

Hopefully it was been useful for any other Princess newbies out there.

[MicCanberra]

Thank you, you havec done very well.

[lyndarra]

37 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Thank you, you have done very well.

Thank you Mr Grace.😉

[MMDown Under]

Wow what a great job you did!  I've always wanted answers on different types of balconies.  You answered it.  BTW from the wharf the small balconies, on big ships, look to me like battery hen cages. 

From inside to my first balcony on Celebrity Century, I was lucky to be upgraded to a big balcony with chairs, table and liLows.  Spoilt me for life!  

[aussielozzie18]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

Wow what a great job you did!  I've always wanted answers on different types of balconies.  You answered it.  BTW from the wharf the small balconies, on big ships, look to me like battery hen cages. 

From inside to my first balcony on Celebrity Century, I was lucky to be upgraded to a big balcony with chairs, table and liLows.  Spoilt me for life!  

An upgrade to be a big balcony would be wonderful!

 

I know what you mean about the look of the balconies.  Photo of the AFT balconies.  You can see the entire row where my cabin was located had no cover.

 

 

 

 

 

[aussielozzie18]

Didn’t have to go to guest services on the night before disembarkation to pay final bill.  It was charged automatically to card linked to my account.  
 

Woke up to  my emailed account statement this morning  as well as a comprehensive post cruise survey to complete which I have done.

[MMDown Under]

13 minutes ago, aussielozzie18 said:

An upgrade to be a big balcony would be wonderful!

 

I know what you mean about the look of the balconies.  Photo of the AFT balconies.  You can see the entire row where my cabin was located had no cover.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks  You have demonstrated the importance of choosing the correct balcony for your needs.  

[NSWP]

For future reference Caribe deck balconies are big, mine C333 was half the size of the cabin. Half covered too which was handy.

Edited October 12, 2022 by NSWP

[LittleFish1976]

39 minutes ago, NSWP said:

For future reference Caribe deck balconies are big, mine C333 was half the size of the cabin. Half covered too which was handy.

 

That's good to know. I've booked a couple of Princess cruises recently for 2023 and 2024 - trying to work out which balconies are not covered became too confusing. SIze of balcony was something I assumed came with the cabin grade but maybe that's not right? I noticed that there was always availability on Dolphin deck so that's where I booked (the booking system seemed pretty keen for me to be there!). I hope I haven't been sold a pup.

 

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

For future reference Caribe deck balconies are big, mine C333 was half the size of the cabin. Half covered too which was handy.

The Coral Princess deck plans show that some cabins on Caribe deck have big balconies but others don't.