Live From The Crown !!

[moonmom]

Ugh :)

Home now, had some internet difficulties for the remainder of the trip (laptop stuffs), but I have all patters and lots of commentary.

Unfortunately, I have a wedding to attend this evening but will be making a large post tomorrow :)

Happy Friday to all!!!!!!!!!!

-A very relaxed and pampered Matt&Heather

 

welcome back you guys! hope you had a great trip....will look forward to your post!

jane

[cruisesusie]

Just wanted to let everyone know that we had trouble with the internet for several days - we weren't able to post. When I recover, I'll write a review. Fantastic trip - beautiful ship. Sad to be home.

 

Susan

[HotJet]

Welcome back....glad to hear you had such a great cruise. Looking forward to your review.

 

...but I have all patters and lots of commentary.

 

Would you consider contributing the scanned patters to http://www.CruiseDailies.com. A new website that is collecting and archiving the daily newletters from all cruise lines. Should be a great resource. See this thread, http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=367661

[Chris]

Thank you all that posted live! Looking forward to the reviews and photos. Sailing Feb 2007.

chris

[Hve2cruise]

So glad you all had a great cruise and welcome home.

 

Looking forward to your reviews and patters.

 

 

Thanks again!

 

Helane

[peteinsonj]

Off the Crown today -- tired this afternoon -- up early, up late!

 

Wonderful ship -- can be highly recommended. On board, the crew does a great job overall. I found disembarking and embarking at ports a pain, slow, consistently unorganized. I think hotels and restaurants are doing a good job on board, but security -- well, either not so or not enough resources.

 

MUTS -- I don't think its too loud -- that said, the sound is pretty directional -- on the upper 2 tiers around the pool, we had great seats for viewing one night -- couldn't hear a thing! (that said, on at least 2 occasions on the ship the entire sound system software crashed, so maybe this is still growing pains).

 

Sanctuary -- day 1 of the cruise I was told, for Spa users only. This was reconfirmed for me on day 3 (when I used the Spa). When using the spa on day 8, there was some uncertainty. Can't tell you if there was a change in policy -- I found a number of sanctuary crew members/attendants really did not seem to know. All in all, pretty nice area.

 

Pete

[RM]

Can't wait to read the reviews! Get some rest and then tell all please!!!!

[cien750hp]

we just returned from the maiden voyage today. as we just got home.. i have not read through this entire thread. and so if things are repeated.. sorry. :]]. anyways. first we spent four days in times square. which was fun. saw some shows. ate pizza. [which might not be the greatest ideas., more later.] on the 14th we got an early limo to the ship.. as from everything princess told us, we could see the christening. us and several other groups were left waiting in the terminal until the christening was all over. this was really disappointing for us.

 

having stayed in new york. and had the pizza and entertainment there, the first production show "Destination Anywhere" seemed pretty bad. as did the pizza. but as the cruise went on. the pizza got better. and the second production show "Motor City" was pretty good.

 

There were many many guest entertainers onboard. Jon Pinnette [hillarious. former star of Hairspray on broadway.] along with others like this hillarious vintriloquiest [spelling?] Fernandez the hypnotist, and some others that were just really funny. the entertainment was the best we've ever experienced on a cruise.

 

Food:

The dining room food was good for the most part. not the best. service was fast or slow. depended on the day. The menues have changed. as there are now only two sections [small and large plates] along with the always available. you choose how many courses. [not sure if this is new as havnt been on princess for over a year..]. There was also not enough selection. There was way to much seafood. and as we are not seafood eaters.. it was alot of nights on the always available menu for beef tornedous.

 

The international cafe was great. theres charges for some items. like chocolate fondu was 5 bucks a pot. gelato was $1.50. many items were free though. like the hot cookies always out. sandwiches. chicken salad. hot chocolate chip cookies at night were a HUGE hit. also, it being in the atrium was nice. which really added to the street feel of it. they had street magicians and such in there all the time too.

 

The buffet.... well. everything said it was a 24 hour buffet. but it closed before 11. i think around 1030. we never got to eat late there. and cafe caribe wasnt too impressive. so it was always pizza or room serivice late at night.

 

Also, pools now have hours. 6am to Midnight i believe...

 

Princess seems to be getting rid of some of their trademark things... i dont think thats the greatest idea though.

 

Theres a big sliding glass door seperating the main pools though.. which keeps the non-MUTS one quiet.

 

Our stateroom was very nice. we had two caribe deck balconies.. but we couldnt get loungers for them. Also, the Duvets on the bed were very comfortable. along with the mattresses.

 

Soda cards are available. for the seven day cruise price. sodas are still very watered down. they seem to be less watery at the wheelhouse bar though.

 

 

 

Anyone have any Questions about the ship??

[tareed]

Can't wait to read the reviews! Get some rest and then tell all please!!!!

 

Embarkation: We arrived at the terminal at 11:00am and were on the ship by 11:45. It was very organized.

 

Cabin: We had two cabins. The balcony room was roomy. All suitcases fit under the bed. The bathroom was small, but adequate. The bed was very comfortable with nice linens. The children had an interior stateroom and it was very nice as well. Our cabin steward, Maria, was wonderful.

 

Pools:

Sanctuary: It's very difficult to get a space here; people were saving chairs a little after 7:00 am, despite the fact that the pool opens at 9:00. You must go through the spa in order to get to it -- it was questionable whether the sanctuary pool was for spa members only or for the general public. I did not get spa treatment, but was able to enjoy a few days at the sanctuary. The bring you cool rags for your head when it's hot; the cushions on the chairs are very comfortable and spaced out so you're not crowded. Also, they have offer free food (with a $3 delivery charge) that they will bring to you. Some of the menu items were fresh fruit, hot dogs, tuna salad, etc. Overall, it was an enjoyable day but somewhat of a hassle. I found the Terrace Pool a lot easier to find an available seat, and also extremely nice.

Terrace Pool: It is an adult pool only at the very back of the ship. It is right off of the Horizon Court Buffet areas. It was very quiet, with soft music in the background.

"Big Screen/Movies" Pool (I can't remember the real name): I really enjoyed watching the movies during the day; most were ones I hadn't seen before or classics (E.T., Back to the Future, etc.) It made sunning for long periods of time much more enjoyable. However, its very difficult to get a bunch of seats together if you don't go there early. Unfortunately, the early movies are geared towards children (Herbie Fully Loaded, Chicken Little, etc.) but if you can bear sitting through these, its worth it. Also, sometimes the movies did not follow the schedule that was given in the itinerary. The Deck Attendants there are very attentive and always around.

Behind this movie pool there was yet another pool where the live band performed. This seemed to be the spot for the "party-ers" during the day.

Finally, there was plenty of deck space not at the pools which were extremely quiet.

 

Dining:

Breakfast: (Da Vinci Dining Room) There are two specials a day, or you could order most any breakfast food separately. Service was excellent. My husband and I went here almost every day and really enjoyed it.

Breakfast: (Horizon Court) The breakfast was plentiful, but some things were not extremely hot. My kids preferred eating in the buffet; They didn't have to wake up early to make the dining room hours, you didn't have to wait for your food (it's a buffet) and there was plenty of fruit, cereal, and bread/pastries, other than just hot foods.

Lunch: (Da Vinci Dining Room) They seat you with others to give you a chance to meet fellow cruisers. It was a limited menu, but everything I ordered was quite good.

Lunch: The Horizon Court buffet has numerous areas/lines, and they switched them from breakfast to lunch and lunch to dinner one at a time so that there was always a buffet open. It has most everything you could imagine. Also, there is a pizza parlor (DELICIOUS!!!) and hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries, etc. that were also very good and available all day (I believe until midnight). The ice cream is right next to the pizza station -- BUT! You must pay for the ice cream. However, although it's almost hidden, every day between 3:30-4:30 they had free ice cream in one of the Horizon Courts, you just have to find it.

Dinner: (Traditional Dining) There are many menu items that are offered every day. The Fettucine Alfredo was delicious, and many times my daughter ordered it along with another entree simply because it was so delicious. Some of the best entrees were filet mignon, surf and turf, lobster, beef wellington, alaskan king crab legs, and the rack of lamb. Some nights I didn't find anything on the menu that was extra appealing, but I ordered a steak off of the anytime menu, and it was excellent. Other nights, I found myself ordering two entrees because I couldn't decide. The portions were a little smaller than other cruises we had gone on; however, I preferred this because I could try more things and never felt uncomfortable after the dinner was over. Also, the soups are wonderful and I enjoyed dessert so I was never left hungry after the meal was over. (Warning: The shrimp cocktail was very small and the taste was less than impressive.) We brought our own wine to dinner, and were charged a $10 corking fee. But, if you bring two bottles a night, you only have to pay the corking fee once. Our waiter, Bungthong, took awhile to warm up to us but was always polite, helpful, and kind, and by the end of the cruise, he was someone we knew we would miss.

*Also, this is the first cruise when I noticed that no one was wearing jeans or shorts in the dining room for dinner, and people were more dressed up for formal nights than I had ever seen before. This was a pleasant surprise.

Seafood Buffet: The seafood buffet was available on the first two nights. The first night, it was a cold buffet that was plentiful and delicious. The next day, it was a hot buffet, equally as delicious.

Sabatini's: The cover charge is $20 per person and is well worth it. There are seven courses and you try every single appetizer on the menu. The only selection you have to make is your entree. It takes about three hours to get through the meal. I thought this was good, but not as good as the Carnival Legend's "Golden Fleece" Supper Club. I think the reason is that the Supper Club had dancing in between courses, not simply a restaurant like Sabatini's. Also, I felt the food was better at the Supper Club.

Crown Grill: Our friends went here and thought it was comparable to Ruth Chris or Morten's Steakhouses. The cover charge there is $20 also. They were with us for Sabatini's and felt that the Crown Grill was better.

International Cafe: It's not noticeable, but in the Piazza (5th Deck, Mid-ship.) It's a great gathering place for friends and is constantly putting out fresh baked cookies (outta this world, and always warm!) and panini sandwiches and they were ALL FREE!!!! There were some things that you had to pay for (Carmel apples, etc.).

Coffee: I've read many reviews about how awful the coffee is, and came to realize that if you like STRONG coffee (like myself) you will LOVE the coffee on Princess. (However, the room service coffee is very weak..downright awful, to me.)

*For $33 (gratuity included) you can purchase a "Soda Package" and get free Coke Products at any bar or any restaurant 24/7. You will have a sticker put on your card, which can get you the refills or also included is a Coca Cola Thermos that they will refill for you. This is sold to you on the first day (Don't worry, although you will get asked if you want the Soda Package about ten thousand times the first day, they quit asking by the second.) Otherwise, you are limited to iced tea, hot tea, and coffee, or forced to pay.

 

Entertainment:

There are SEVERAL comedians on this cruise ship. Most all of them were alright, but there was definitely a shining star: We forget his name, but his resume includes an appearance on Seinfeld, a role in The Punisher with John Travolta, and a lead (Edna Turnablad) in the Broadway musical "Hairspray". He was the funniest comedian I had ever heard. (There were other comedians also in the Explorer's Lounge, not just the Princess Theatre. Most were above average, but I would avoid "Huber", the "acrobatic comedian". I was trying to plan an escape route halfway during his show.)

The two dancer shows were okay (Typical cruise "dancing" shows, if you know what I mean.)

DO NOT MISS the Elton John impersonator if you like Elton John's music. Without glasses on, you would feel like you were watching Elton John himself. His singing voice was dead-on, and the only complaint from anyone leaving the theatre was he did not play long enough [i hope Tiny Dancer or Benny and the Jets are not your favorite songs :(]

Movies Under the Stars: The lounge chairs on the deck are all covered with a comfortable slip cover, and each person gets their own personal flannel blanket. Popcorn is also passed out. The movies are mostly pretty recent. Also, concerts may be shown instead of movies, or sporting events (The NBA and Stanley Cup finals occurred during our cruise and were shown on this big screen.) Two movies are shown a night, BUT: For the second movie, they make you vacate the area from the first movie and take away the slip covers and blankets. It's very enjoyable, but on some movies the sound CANNOT BE HEARD. This is frustrating. On two nights we asked the attendant to turn up the volume, but it didn't help. However, other movies were plenty loud enough, and this was a good activity for the late night.

Skywalkers Dance Club: Before 11:00 on most nights was "themed" dancing. 70s, 80s, Country, etc. However, at 11:00 starts regular "Club Music/Top 40". The dance floor is very small, and doesn't get crowded until a little bit later (especially with the younger crowd.)

Gatsby's Casino: This was smaller than any other ship's casino that I had seen, but i was told it had more gaming tables. For the Texas Hold 'Em lovers, there was a Texas Hold 'Em Table.

 

Ports:

Grand Turk: Do not bother with the snorkeling tour at Governor's Beach. It was not worth the money. The beach is within walking distance from the cruise ship, or you can pay to take a trolley. The beach itself is free. My kids snorkeled (if you want to call it that) and, although they enjoyed themselves, they felt as though they were snorkeling in a lake back home, looking at trout. HOWEVER: There is a snorkeling tour that is out in the ocean, and that seemed to be much better. Right off the ship is Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville pool. It plays good music, there's plenty of space, the water is wonderful, there's a swim up bar, there are activities on the deck, and it is FABULOUS (And FREE!!!!!) Plus, since you're only at the port until 1:30, its quick to get to and enjoyable. [My kids were jealous that we spent all day there while they were "trout snorkeling", but you could leave Governor's Beach at any time, and were able to spend some time at this pool as well.]

Jamaica: WE HAD THE TIME OF OUR LIVES! (The best excursion I had ever taken.) We booked with an independent tour guide from Jamaica (Phil Lafayette). He has his own website (with many references) and really took care of us. Many choose to do the Princess Dunn's River Falls tour. It is almost twice as expensive, and with Phil you also get to go River Tubing (which was even more enjoyable than the Dunn's River Falls). It was $55/person and almost 5 hours long. Also, he was a very safe driver and very informative (and funny!) He gave you a tour of his native land and wanted to make each of his passengers informed "Ambassadors to Jamaica".

Grand Cayman: We went to Seven Mile Beach. It's not worth it -- it costs $4.00 to take a cab there. We paid $32 EACH, but did get a chair and umbrella, and one free soft drink. If we were to ever go there again, we would just find our own transportation and save a lot of money. There IS a Sting Ray/Snorkeling excursion. We had done it before, so skipped out this time, but our friends did do it and had a wonderful time and would recommend it.

Port Canaveral: Warning -- This morning is a NIGHTMARE. Because we enter back into the USA, there's an immigration check and EVERYONE must exit the boat regardless if you wanted to get off at this port or not. If you have an early tour, you do get to go through immigration early. After these people are finished, they make an announcement to the entire cruise ship that it's immigration time. You can imagine a 3,500 person line throughout the cruise ship, with an UNBEARABLY slow immigration process. Needless to say, many people were feeling impatient and frustrated. I would suggest either getting there REALLY early and being ready, or just getting breakfast and wait until the line is almost up if you weren't planning on leaving the ship at this port.

 

If you have any questions, we'd be happy to try and answer them. We LOVED our cruise and know you'll have a great time, too! :)

--Tami

[dobie]

Was there a quiet shaded area by a pool where you could relax? The folks who went to the luncheon when you got off showed pics that the charge for the Sanctuary would be $15....for 3 and a half hours...PER PERSON!!!---9 AM to 12:30 Pm....the folks in the afternoon got an extra half hour for their $30 per couple...I just want a covered pool area where I can read a book and not hear MUTS overhead....and just relax...is there such a thing? Thank you so much for answering....

[tareed]

Was there a quiet shaded area by a pool where you could relax? The folks who went to the luncheon when you got off showed pics that the charge for the Sanctuary would be $15....for 3 and a half hours...PER PERSON!!!---9 AM to 12:30 Pm....the folks in the afternoon got an extra half hour for their $30 per couple...I just want a covered pool area where I can read a book and not hear MUTS overhead....and just relax...is there such a thing? Thank you so much for answering....

 

The Terrace Pool has both shade and quiet.

[dobie]

Thank you so much!! Were there jacuzzis back there or just the pool? Do you think that crossing the Atlantic will be chilly? Was there shelter? We booked the Emerald (sister to Crown) Transatlantic for Oct of 07, 17 days from Venice to Ft Lauderdale. I am worried we may have to cancel if no covered adult only areas....thanks again!

[momthecruisedirector]

John Pinette (the comedian) was in the last Seinfeld episode - he was the guy who was carjacked. I had to look him up on IMDB, curiousity was killing me. Thanks for the heads up so I can highlight that act on my Princess Patters!!

[SusieCruisie]

Hi Everyone,

 

We're in Grand Turk today - its hot !! Nothing much there unless you like to snorkel and dive. We walked to the "town" and took a taxi back.

 

The mini suite balcony furniture consists of a round table, two small chairs, two larger chairs that recline and a small low table. They're not the usual white resin - they're gray mesh plastic.

 

None of the food in the International Cafe is free - same with Vines. Pizza, Buffets, Dining room and hamburger/hot dog stand are all included in the price of the cruise. We at in the Caribe Cafe last night - it was just OK. The selection in Horizon Court was much larger.

 

Susan

 

Is there an extra charge for the Caribe Cafe & Horizon Court?

[bstrauss3]

Is there an extra charge for the Caribe Cafe & Horizon Court?

 

No.

 

Both are open during breakfast/lunch hours, but they split the dinner shift. HC is open early for a 'light snack', while they setup CC with linens and silver. CC opens at 5:30 (IIRC) and runs until 11 (that I'm CERTAIN of).

 

Each night CC has a different theme - provencal, carribean, etc.

 

-----Burton

[bstrauss3]

One question I didn't see -- forgive if I missed it. But does anyone know if the minisuites have DVD players?

 

No

 

-----Burton

[Joedog]

John Pinette is hilarious. I have seen him on TV a few times and listened to him on XM Radios Adult Comedy channel. He is certainly not to be missed.

 

7 days and a wake up.......

[Larry502]

Well hello everyone. We are aboard the Crown THe biggist news is now the Sancutary is now $15 for 4 hours. You can use it form 8:30 until 12 and then 12:30 to I think 5. I was shocked to see the sign. The passangers from last weeks cruise had a nightmare getting home yesterday. Long lines to get cabs and lots of traffic. Passanger were still getting off the ship at 11:00am. I hoep nobody had a flight before 2PM. We were confirmed for first sitting but when we got our cursise cards it saind anytime. I don unerstand how this could happen. I went down and tried to get it changed but they just take your name and request and they say they will get back to you in a day. We have not heard back as of yet. Looks like this may be a problem. will kept you posted. The internet connection is very slow. I ran a speed test and the speed came back at 36k. I could write a note and put it in a bottle and it would get there faster if I dropped it into the sea. Larry

[cynbar]

Hi, Larry, thanks for taking time out of your vacation to post. I will be on the Crown in August, also Eastern itinerary and also leaving on a Friday. My family has two requests. First, could you look around tomorrow and give us some indication what Sunday will be like in Bermuda ?? We are interested in availability and prices for taxis (I hear the rates are higher on Sundays), schedules and feedbacks from the bus and ferry system (I hear the schedules are greatly reduced on Sundays), and also how many of the stores are open. Seond, we would love to have the themes for the different nights in both the DRs and Cafe Caribe. Many thanks in advance for your help!

[dobie]

Larry, thanks for posting. I personally hope nobody shells out $15 for the Sanctuary for 3 and a half hours....when you get a chance can you check out the "covered" chair situation by the pools? I'm in Tucson, you're from Scottsdale, I'm sure you don't do the sun either!! Have fun!!!!

[sbharr]

I personally hope nobody shells out $15 for the Sanctuary for 3 and a half hours....

 

Me either - if no-one bites, maybe they can come up with a more reasonable answer to crowding in this area - I just want peace, quiet, and adults-only. And $15 for a half day seems unreasonable for that to me. Don't care about cool towels as long as there is a pool and I can get my own food/drinks. Guess I am heading to the Terrace pool!:)

[dobie]

I'm with you...

[RM]

Thanks for the reviews.

 

cien750hp why couldn't you get lounge chairs on the Caribe Balconies????

[PACruisnfamily]

Netnurse, We were in a Vista Suite on the June 14th cruise - what would you like to know?

[mindykatz]

I'm not going to shell out $15 for a few hours of laying in a chair...how boring!

 

The Sanctuary sounded cool...but only for maybe 45 minutes or an hour...I get stir crazy just laying around...I feel like I'm wasting my vacation!

 

I'll be in the bars instead....lol!