Just off CB 10/29 - 11/05

[sopo1953]

Just off the CB yesyerday and will write a quick review as a thank you to all who have provided me with valuable information. My DH and I are both 53 and this was our 19th cruise, fifth on Princess and 1st on the CB. We booked a BE guarantee and ended up with a BD midships on the Baja deck. Not much of an upgrade but a great location. We have always had a balcony on our Princess cruises and this one was pretty much the same except for the bathroom. We have always laughed along when the comedian made fun of the size of the shower but now we really get the joke. I am barely 5'2" and when I tried to wash my feet I hit my head bending over. Another time I dropped the shampoo and believe I may be having the love child of the water temperature knob.:eek: Other than the shower the cabin had plenty of room for all our equipment. We don't travel lightly as we need the coffee maker, blender, snorkle equipment and orange juicer but we found room for everything. The refrigerator was empty when we arrived and actually worked pretty well. This was fortunate since our cabin steward who spoke perfect English could not grasp the concept of ice for our cooler. He wasn't the best cabin steward we ever had but kept the room picked up. My DH spilled a pina colada on the balcony the second day which remained trapped in the blue plastic that sits on the balcony floor for the rest of the cruise.:confused:

 

We drove to Ft. Lauderdale and arrived at the dock at about 10:30. It was a good thing we were early because it was the last day of the Boat Show and there was a long line to get into the Port and to get into the parking garage. My DH dropped me and the luggage with the porter and found a space on the 5th floor of the garage. He came back and found me and we went into the terminal where we were given #2 and waited in the lounge until about 12:15 when the first group of passengers were called. From that time until we were in our cabin was only about 15 minutes. We dropped off our bags and had lunch in the Horizon Court. We went back to our cabin changed into bathing suits and went up to the hot tub. We love to watch the people as they come on board. We went back to the room and unpacked some of our luggage before the muster drill. When we came back from the drill we unpacked the rest of the bags which had arrived and then went to investigate. We have only sailed Grand Class ships so except for the extra deck and Club Fusion the ship was very familiar.

 

We noticed that the Explorer's Lounge on the CB is completely non-smoking. This is a good thing for us but won't be for everyone. Club Fusion has a smoking and non-smoking side as do the open decks. The only exception to this is the MUTS area which is also non-smoking during the night time movies. The casino was pretty smoky but other than that smoking didn't seem to be much of an issue. The casino was always half empty. We donated our 20 dollars but the slots seemed to be tight so we saved the rest of our gambling money for our next cruise.

 

One thing that surprised me was the CB has no Splenda available. Every other Princess cruise we have been on did so I am mentioning this for those who use it. Bring your own. Also there was no hot chocolate available in the Horizon Court at any time. I can't reccomend the coffee because I brought my own. I have never had a good cup of free coffee on a cruise ship regardless of the cruise line so I come prepared.

 

Thanks to everyone who reccomended using the Palm Dining Room for a table for two. The Palm is all the way aft and can only be reached from the aft elevators or stairwell. The old people couldn't find it and we never waited, not even on formal night, for a table for two. We ate anytime between 6:30 and 8:00. The dining room was always half empty. I must say the food was good but not great. They have changed the menu from the ones I saw online. They have replaced the always popular Filet of Zander with Salmon on the first night and now offer Baramundi one night.

There was lobster one night but for a girl who grew up in New England I wasn't impressed. Probably the best meal I had was Rack of Lamb. I had souffle 3 nights and they were good. There was a Caribbean night and Italian night as well as the Captain's Gala, Welcome Aboard and what I affectionately call the Get Off Dinner. We went to the seafood buffet the first night. The shrimp were very good, the crab was good but when they split the legs little bits of shell get into the meat and it is hard to be using your best cruise ship table manners when you are spitting pieces of shell into your napkin. The lobster claws were cracked but not completely and it was hard to open some of them. Also some of the claws weren't cooked completely. I didn't think any of it was salty but for what it is worth the next time I would have a huge shrimp cocktail and then go to the dining room.

We ate breakfast every morning in the Horizon Court. There is a place to order omelettes but you have to search for it. They make a mexican omelette with sausage and veggies that we had every morning. You can not get omelettes in Cafe Caribe only in Horizon Court. They had great fresh fruit including huge bowls of fresh strawberries and lots of pineapple. Anyone walking by our cabin would have heard the blender turning out the best strawberry coladas ever. We ate lunch in the dining room one time and the rest of the days it was Horizon Court or Cafe Caribe. They have a great salad bar with many choices and about 8 different dressing including many good low fat choices. Also Cafe Caribe does themed lunches such as Oriental and Mexican. They had some of the best spring rolls land or sea and the very best guacamole ever. If you do the buffet and don't see something you want keep looking. Different lines have different offerings.

 

We went to St Maarten and St. Thomas but Princess Cays had to be missed due to wind and waves. On five Princess cruises we have only made Princess Cays twice. We would have been more disappointed except we had a perfect day in St Thomas swimming and snorkeling at Coki Beach. The water was so warm we didn't want to get out. The snorkeling is always good there and so easy. It was a great day except for the fact we docked at Crown Bay. There is nothing there but empty store fronts. Our cab driver said none of the shopkeepers want to open their stores because there aren't enough ships stop there. He said all the passengers are grumbling about it and he thinks there will have to be some changes. Let's hope so!

 

We just walked around in St Maarten. We knew there would be no shopping in St Thomas so we bought our liquor in St Maarten. The prices are lower in St Maarten but make sure you shop around as prices can be very different. They have built a boardwalk all along the front and a main walkway lined with palm trees. It is really very nice.

 

We watched movies on deck a couple of nights. We were on the Carnival Liberty last year and their screen is bigger and must have more pixels because it was very much clearer. Princess makes it more of an experience with lounger pads and traveling rugs but who needs the blankets in the Caribbean is a mystery to me. They also hand out popcorn which is a nice touch.

 

We spent most of our on deck time at the aft pool. We could always get a chair but there were some chair hogs who grabbed the premiere spots and then never sat in the chairs. I watched one set of chairs that were saved but remained empty for almost two hours. Had I needed a chair they would have been mine. Except for the cancelled Princess Cays day it was warm and wonderful on deck.

 

I brought home all the Patters and would be glad to answer any questions. This was truly a cruise where you could spend all your time in a pair of shorts and a T shirt. It was very relaxing if that is what you are looking for. Less than 30 days until our next cruise. What a life!

[miclane001]

Thanks for the review. I am looking forward to this same cruise on 11/19.:D

[btyko]

Thanks for the great review. I am also going on the November 19 cruise.

 

I asked this question on the rollcall board before I saw your review.

 

Since with the new itinerary, the ship goes to St. Martin, and then to St. Thomas (a U.S. port), is it necessary to go through immigration in St. Thomas? If so, what is the procedure?

[bubbadog]

thank you for the great review,always nice to hear a good review,have fun on your next adventure and let us know how it went:rolleyes:

[DEERINH2O]

Thanks for the review,

 

Kathy

[sopo1953]

Yes we did go through immigration in St Thomas. It was the easiest immigration we ever went through. One thing to keep in mind; they sent a letter to each passenger that you had to bring as proof you attended. What they failed to mention was that you also needed your passport/proof of citizenship. There were many unhappy passengers that had to return to their cabin. Have a great cruise!

[manmtnmike]

Thanks for the review!! Could you tell me the name of the lounge bands and style of music?

 

Lobster what night?

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[robseat]

What night was Rack of Lamb? We plan to eat at Sabatini's one night, but don't want to miss the lamb, which has repeatedly been praised. We are also on the 11/19 cruise.

 

Thanks!

[Connie bee]

Thanks for the review. What nights are formal? Do you remember what nights are Italian and Caribbean? Did they serve the King Crab in the dining room.

[drgouveia]

I also will be on the 11/19 and learned a lot from your review. Thanks.

[cbpanda]

Great review. Thanks for taking the time to post. I love reading about the CB.

[flahagan]

Thanks for the report. We'll be on the Eastern itinerary CB this Sunday, and are really looking forward to just kicking back! Sounds like this is the cruise for it. Can't wait!

[MaureenR]

Thanks for the review..I love reading about everyone's experiences.

We are heading to the CB on 11/19. It is getting very fun to read these posts and hear about the ports.

One question- Is the port you stopped in St. Thomas the normal dock for the cruise ship? I thought they docked in a differenct place than the crown port? Has something change?

you can email me with any info- 6Rumps@bellsouth.net

Thank you!

Maureen Rumping

[SoSueMe]

Thanks for this helpful review. This is my first post after reading these boards for the past 2 weeks. Great info! I am visiting my travel agent later today to book our first cruise -- 10/5/07 Eastern on the CB, for our 25th wedding anniversary. I am already counting the days!

[sea_breaze]

Great review. Had to chuckle about the room steward and the ice. We had the same experience on one of our cruises. I would take our ice bucket out to the hall and help myself off of steward's cart.:D

[sopo1953]

If I remember rack of lamb was the second formal night which would have been Friday. That was also the night crab legs were served in the dining room. The first formal night was on Monday. Maureen we did dock at Crown Bay in St Thomas. Most ships still dock at Havensight where all the shops are. There were only two other ships in St Thomas the day we were there but Carnival has sold out some of their ships including Princess to Crown Bay. Let's all keep complaining at least until the shops open there.

We enjoyed the band in the Explorer's lounge. They were named Domino and played a good variety of music. Their lead singer was very good. They sounded like they were from Eastern Europe somewhere. The deck band was named VIBZ. They played a mix of music, not only caribbean style. Kimika (a couple from England) performed a couple of nights in the Princess theater. The husband plays guitar and is very talented. The wife is a singer and comedian. We have seen them on other ships and having been born in England I enjoyed them. There were two production shows one being Piano Man and the other being Caribbean Caliente. They were both good but the lead singers weren't as good as some we've seen.

I wish I could remember which nights were which in the dining room. I would just be guessing but you can always check out the menu outside the dining room after lunch.

 

One thing I didn't mention in my review was debarkation . Princess now has the Express Walk-off Program which alows you to hand carry your luggage off the ship. Since we had to drive back to Jacksonville that morning we decided to try it and get an early start. You will get a notice about it in the Patters. You have to sign up for it at the puser's desk. The earlier you sign the better because what they do is give you a numbered ticket and then you are called by that number. We were in our car and on the road by 7:45. We had ticket #1 and it was a smooth process. Anyone with an early flight should pack so that you can handle your own luggage and you will be on your way to the airport very early. Thanks for all your kind remarks about the review but after all my years of reading other reviews I figured I owed something. Happy sailing to everyone and get out there and vote today. We are all so lucky to have that chance and while we were on our cruise our son who is in the Navy left for the Middle East. John Kerry was wrong about which of our children end up serving our country. Shame on him!

[Christapie]

I know this is not a political venue, but, I totally agree with you. Bless your son out there in the Middle East and we thank him and all the others!!!!!

[FireBadge1]

I also agree with everyone.......a very nice review. We will be on the CB on the 19th as well. I know that you are busy ....just returning etc., but could you give us the rundown off the Patters on the Dinner nights. Example...........which night is French, which is Italian, etc. Thank you very much. I then can figure on which nights to reserve the alternative restaurants.;)

[serene56]

I also agree with everyone.......a very nice review. We will be on the CB on the 19th as well. I know that you are busy ....just returning etc., but could you give us the rundown off the Patters on the Dinner nights. Example...........which night is French, which is Italian, etc. Thank you very much. I then can figure on which nights to reserve the alternative restaurants.;)

 

that would help a great deal - for me.

 

I have the menus but they are from the other saturday to saturday sailings. I am hoping they just moved it one day..

[lindanick]

I don't remember reading in the patters what the theme was for dinning. ie:italian, caribbean,

 

You can see it on the menu outside the dinning room.

 

Linda

:)

[sails]

Anyone who has Personal Choice Dining and is planning on dining in the Palm Dining room, there is a waiter named Rommel who is, by far the best we have seen and his Assistant, Jun is also fantastic! Service is that dining room and interaction with the passengers has improved over 76% from previous cruises on the CB!!! Ask for that team and I think you will be very pleased.

We are currently looking at another return trip on the CB for Oct. 2007 (that will make the 4th year in a row!). If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will try to answer them. Happy Cruising to all.

[sea_breaze]

Really happy to hear about how early you were off the ship using self disembarkation.

 

I am living on the edge with our flight time home. Booked the flight long before the cruise and later decided we really wanted to try out CB. So we're taking the chance.

 

When during the cruise did you sign up for self disembarkation? Was thinking of doing it a soon as we board but would expect that to be a very busy time @ the purser's desk. Thanks for your help.

[Taryn and Sarah]

Thanks for the great review! I am looking forward to seeing the pictures of your love child with the hot water knob :)

 

And don't let the rediculous things that come out of John Kerry's mouth bother you. God bless your son. Kerry is just proving that like other Democrats who lose presidenal elections (ah hem... Al Gore) you really do lose your mind!

[PrincessCruisesLover]

Anyone who has Personal Choice Dining and is planning on dining in the Palm Dining room, there is a waiter named Rommel who is, by far the best we have seen and his Assistant, Jun is also fantastic! Service is that dining room and interaction with the passengers has improved over 76% from previous cruises on the CB!!! Ask for that team and I think you will be very pleased.

We are currently looking at another return trip on the CB for Oct. 2007 (that will make the 4th year in a row!). If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will try to answer them. Happy Cruising to all.

 

Sails,

 

I have a few questions if you don't mind. :) I noticed that you are from Kissimmee, FL. I will be going on the CB 3/25/06-4/1/06. I will start my trip to FL with a business convention at the Gaylord Palms (3/22-3/25) which I understand is located in Kissimmee. I there any place that you recommend that I should not miss while I'm there? I will have limited time, but possibly places for dinner? (I'll be in conferences until about 5pm every day). The hotel will provide a shuttle to the parks. One thing I already have planned is the Friday night La Nouba show.

 

Also, we will be driving a rental car from Kissimmee to Port Everglades on Sunday for the cruise. What type of traffic should we plan for on a Sunday, late morning?

 

You can email me at babybrielle87@yahoo.com if you get the chance.

 

Thank you!!

[sopo1953]

I can't remember exactly when the first notice came out about express check out but it was early in the cruise. They keep announcing it throughout the week. The earlier you sign up determines the number you get. We had number 1 and the biggest number I saw anyone with was 4. It seemed pretty crowded in the lobby but then again with all the luggage and everything I guess it wasn't that bad. Once you get down the gangway there is an escalator or an elevator. If you have a free hand they will let you use the escalator otherwise you have to use the elevator. I thought the whole experience was painless. Last year on the Carnival Liberty it was a free for all and having the number system seemed to work pretty well. Good luck and enjoy your cruise.