7/24 Caribbean - Our first cruise

[jeffkirsh]

WOW!!!

 

First of all, I'd like to thank all of the Cruise Critic members, especially Chris, Sydney, Sue, Bill, and Rob. I've been reading all of your posts and reviews, and I've never felt more prepared for a vacation.

 

Since this was our first cruise, I won't review everything since that's already been done so well. I'll just give some of my impressions along the way.

 

We flew in on Friday to avoid any problems with travel delays and had a great room at the Marriott Marina overlooking the port. Spent most of the evening staring out at where our ship would be docked in a few short hours. The anticipation from hearing construction news/rumors, seeing the ship come out of dry dock, seeing the wedding and christening, reading Spongerob's first reviews from the inaugural, and finally Chris and Sydney's reviews a few weeks ago had me feeling like a little kid on Christmas Eve. I have no idea how I fell asleep that night.

 

Woke up early Saturday morning, and saw the presents had already been placed under the tree. What a beautiful sight! But it wasn't time to open them yet. I ran down to the Publix for a few last minute things before we headed over to the port. We walked there from the hotel, and since our luggage has rollers, it couldn't have been easier. There's a new gate almost directly across from the hotel's parking lot, so it probably took us 10 minutes tops.

 

At this point the anticipation was killing us. We were in line around 11:30, and the doors opened sometime before noon, but I have no idea what the exact time was. Everything just went so fast. But some of the things I hope I never forget... the thrill when the doors opened to the terminal, getting our first cruise cards, passing through security and knowing we were almost there, the walk across the gangway, and seeing our room(C327) for the first time. For the past 7 months my wife thought we had an inside cabin. I'll never forget the look on her face when she opened the door and saw our balcony. Priceless.

 

This was our 10th anniversary so I immediately called and scheduled the Ultimate Balcony Dinner for Tuesday night's sail away from St. Thomas(it was incredible, I'll get to that later). I also reserved our tickets for Movies Under the Stars. Headed up to Horizon Ct for lunch then went to the spa to schedule our couples Rasul(again, incredible, not sure how much I can write about that one though :) To tie us over we both did the 5 minute back massage and it was a perfect way to start the cruise. I think it was only $5 a piece, so it was definately worth it.

 

I have to get to a block party now, so I'll try to post the rest of my review later tonight. I'll probably spend most of the time at the party talking about how great our cruise was. Maybe I'll get a couple referral credits out of it... :)

[CruiseFever]

You're bringing back wonderful memories.

 

You are pretty much totally awesome for keeping that balcony a secret.

 

While every cruise is great, the first one will always hold a special place in our hearts...good for you for making it extra special

[tom-n-jules]

Headed up to Horizon Ct for lunch then went to the spa to schedule our couples Rasul(again, incredible, not sure how much I can write about that one though :)

Hey -- how about some details?? What does it include? The on-line brochure probably doesn't do it justice!!

 

The "self-application body mud" sounds dirty!!! :eek: :D

[melissa_bel]

Welcome back, Jeff...

Yes, the first cruise is pretty much unforgettable. All you described... that reminded me of my first cruise, same feelings of excitement and anticipation.

Did you do an open booking while aboard?

[sue d. miller]

Jeff, you are a wonderful husband to keep the secret of the balcony!! :) I am so happy, you had a wonderful first cruise!! Now you are hooked!! :D

[jeffkirsh]

Part 2

 

On the first day, my wife entered a drawing for a free make over. She said, "Oh look, guys can enter it too." I tend to enter just about every drawing I see, so I said why not. And wouldn't you know it, I'm the one that won. Turns out, the make over is part of one of their shows, If They Could Sea Me Now. They filmed the whole thing. One male(me) and one woman got their hair and nails done, and then the female winner gets to get their make up done as well. Then you come back the next day, they redo and touch up everything, and then throw you into Club Fusion to show the video and do some interviews. It was then shown in the staterooms later in the week on a continuos loop. I've never seen my wife laugh so hard in my life. Moral of the story, read the fine print. Everything was explained on the sign up form and I didn't see it. I bet my wife did...

 

The couples Rasul was awesome. There were 4 different kinds of mud that are to be applied to different areas of the body. This is done in a steam room with seating for two. I think the steam portion lasts half an hour. Then your room has a private shower, which was just as fun getting all the mud off. After that, they give you some water, and let you lay on the thermal beds, which was very relaxing. We did it on a sea day, so I think it was about $65 a person, but given it was our anniversary and 1st cruise, it was well worth it.

 

The Ultimate Balcony Dinner was just that. We scheduled it for 6:30 on the day we were in St. Thomas. It was perfect timing. We had the photographer show up with the cocktails and canapes, and were able to get our picture taken with St. Thomas fading in the background. Then we ate dinner as the sun set over the ocean. What a night. An 8x10 portrait, cocktails, canapes, crab cake appetizer, a great salad with pears, walnuts, and mesculin, a split of Moet & Chandon, incredible surf and turf, and a chocolate mouse assortment for dessert.

You get your own personal waiter, and his assistant. I believe their names were Arturo and Dennis. They were great. They anticipated all of our needs, and we never had to wait any longer than we wanted to. The whole dinner had just the right pace - I think it lasted somewhere around 2 hours. The head of room service(I don't know his official title), Christain, stopped by our room throughout the evening to make sure everything was perfect. They provide all of this great service without ever making you feel like they're intruding on your evening. They do a great job of anticipating your needs without watching you the whole time. If you ever need them for anything, they're waiting in the hallway just for you. Now that's service! And our picture was delivered to us before our dessert arrived. Total cost was $50 a person, and I gave them a $20 tip. Pricey, but when you look at everything you get, and the intangible experience, it's definately worth it. Christain told me they only do 4-8 per cruise, so book it right when you get on. The good thing is, other than the suites, they don't mention it anywhere. Again, I really owe the Cruise Critic members for this one, I never would have known about it otherwise.

 

I'll send part 3, and the conclusion later tonight...

[tom-n-jules]

I'm going to have to put you on my 'Ignore' list if this keeps up!!! If DW ever gets a look at your review, NOTHING short of splurging like this on our next cruise will be good enough for her!!! :p

 

Looking forward to hearing more, Jeff!!

 

p.s. - whereabouts in IL are you?

[beachnative]

Great part 1 and 2 of your reviews. Your waiters were Alfredo and Dennis for the "Ultimate Balcony Dinner".

 

Did you sign up for another cruise while on board...ok, ok, I be patient and wait for part 3.

[CruiseFever]

I don't know what's more romantic; what you're writing about or the way you write it?

 

Awesome!

[sue d. miller]

Chris, are you writing notes for October?? ;)

[CruiseFever]

Chris, are you writing notes for October?? ;)

 

Oh my yes I've had that balcony dinner on my list for a while.....I just don't think they offer that on the Star though do they?

 

Probably have to wait till December for that one!

[sue d. miller]

You really wouldn't let a little thing like that stop you, would you??? :eek: ;)

[jeffkirsh]

Part 3

 

We had a bit of a problem with our dining assignment, and I don't think we were the only ones. We were confirmed for traditional late, but when we got our cruise cards, it had an A for anytime on them. I originally had some concerns about anytime dining after reading some of the earlier reviews, but it looked like they had the kinks worked out in the most recent reviews. So I decided not to fight it, and just went with the flow. I'm glad I did. Anytime worked perfect for us. We generally ate around 7:30, and only had to wait 10 minutes during the 2nd formal night. Other that that, we got right in. Got a table for two one night, and the rest of the time we sat at tables that held between 4-8 people. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people each night. Service was always good. Some were better than others, nothing great, but never had a bad night either. I rented a tux for the formal nights, and while I didn't see a lot of them, I never felt out of place. It was perfect for this cruise, but next time I might consider just bringing a nice dark suit.

 

The pizza was awesome. It reminded me of what I've had in New York. Plus the pizzeria is now open until midnight. Boy I could really go for a slice of their pepperoni right now.

 

Graham Seymore was every bit as good as advertised. Loved his morning shows, and Island night was a blast. He runs the horse races, and everyone that came away from him after placing their bets had a smile on their face. The cruise was great without him, but he just made it that much better. I would probably sail on a ship just because he was on it. I did get a chance to talk to him after Island night, and I thanked him for posting on Cruise Critic from time to time. He said he still has to figure out the new format, but hopes to be on again soon. I hope so too.

 

We didn't do any of the excursions since we spent the money on dinner and massage, but that was fine with both of us. We walked into town in both St. Thomas and St. Martin, and both of them were probably about a mile and half each way. Just enough to get some exercise in, but not enough to get worn out. We liked St. Martin the best. They've really put a lot of money into improving the port and downtown areas. There's a beautiful sidewalk that runs from the dock all the way to downtown and the beach. Don't miss the Belgian Chocolate shop on Old Street. The chocolate is incredible. They make it fresh everyday, and deliver it to the ship for free. Before returning to the ship, we stopped at Sharky's after reading about it in Chris's review. It was a nice end to the day, and it was fun watching the people returning to their ships. We talked to a passenger from Celebrity, and she was telling us how they were all in awe of our ship. Sounds like she leaning towards trying Princess next time.

 

We had a beautiful day at Princess Cays. The sand on the beach was very soft, but the sea bed on the right side was very rocky. Left side was much better if you're planning on doing some swimming.

 

We are definately hooked on cruising, but I think I was hooked before we left. The reviews on here are written so well that you can almost imagine being on the ship. But still there's nothing that matches the thrill when you first pull away from the dock, and then sail past the condo crazies as the captain blasts the horn.

 

We didn't do a future booking, but it wasn't because we don't want to go on another one. If we could go on the next cruise on Saturday, I would do it. We played bingo on the last day, and there were two games. One was for $2500, and the other was for a free cruise for 2. We played for the free cruise like our lives depended on it. We got down to 3 numbers, but couldn't do it. I guess that gives us extra incentive go back to work Monday and make some money.

 

We've spent the last couple days thinking about what we were doing last week at this time, and the people that are in OUR cabin right now. It hurts. I've even checked the webcam a couple times already. But we've got a lot of great memories, and I'm sure it won't be long before we're on another cruise. We've got two kids, ages 7 and 4, and we've never spent more than a day or two away from them. Being able to Escape Completely :), no cell phones, no tv, and knowing that the kids were safe with their grandparents, really made for a pefect vacation. Again, I can't thank you guys enough for helping make our cruise so special. I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow...

 

-Jeff

[sue d. miller]

Jeff, It sounds wonderful. i am so glad it was such a great time for both of you. Great review!!! :D

[CruiseFever]

I haven't read a review that touched and brought back such memories and emotion as this one in a long, long time.

 

You REALLY had me back on board.

 

I hate you

[TinaLee]

I haven't read a review that touched and brought back such memories and emotion as this one in a long, long time.

 

You REALLY had me back on board.

 

I hate you

Okay, Chris... I just spit coffee all over my keyboard! Lovely compliment BTW!! and I agree with you with all of my heart! Can't wait to sail away on this ship in 61 days... or 1473 hours... or 88434 minutes... or 5630377 seconds... not that I'm counting or anything!

 

Jeff - Thanks so much for the WONDERFUL review. Nice to know there are other romantic men out there who go out of their way to do nice things for their wives. I lucked out and married one for myself (to the envy of friends and family far and wide). You've been bitten by the cruise bug and I predict you'll be back at sea soon. What a wonderful anniversary for you both! Thanks again for sharing your story/review.

 

TinaLee

[crusingchicks]

First time at new boards. How does everyone like it.

[crusingchicks]

test

[Deloresgardella]

What a wonderful review. I can still remember my first cruise it was on Sitmar's Fairsea in '81 with my 14 years old daughter. We got on that ship and it seemed so big I knew we were going to get lost. But we didn't and had a wonderful time. I didn't know anything about cruising just from watching The Love Boat every week. Since then I have been on about 10 cruising, including a river cruise in Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg, we were on the boat almost 3 weeks, That was an awaking experience very interesting though. Have another one booked for April throught the Panama Canal. It is the only way to vacation.

[mary07054]

jeff - great review; we are also staying at the Mariott Marina (17th avenue) and i also thought it was just across from the Port. but when i called again they said it was 10 minutes away by car and that you could NOT see the ships from the hotel. by your review it seemed you walked to the hotel and you saw the ship from your hotel.

[Aquarian]

Your review made me remember my first cruise. How wonderful for you that you were on the new Caribbean Princess for your first cruise, although it will be a hard act to follow! Kudos to you for making it special for your wife with all the extras.

[HOLLYW]

Hi Jeff-

Can you tell me what nights were the formal nights (I have heard Sun & Thurs)? Do you recall what the theme for dinner was on Monday night?

 

Thanks!!

[bombero]

Hi Jeff.. I knew a Jeff Kirsh, He worked for me at M&R in Sarasota Fl. Are you by chance him? Bombero

[jeffkirsh]

I haven't read a review that touched and brought back such memories and emotion as this one in a long, long time.

 

You REALLY had me back on board.

 

I hate you

 

This from the guy who has already been on two cruises this year, has two more planned for this year, and 3 for next year. The feeling's mutual buddy :)

 

Tom-n-Jules, we're from Bloomington. It's in central Illinois. Where is Sandwich located?

 

mary07054, if you're staying at the Marriott Marina, you couldn't be any closer to the Princess Terminal. Basically, the only thing that separates you from it is the bridge. I think I've got a picture of it from the sail away :( . I'll see if I can get the pictures posted later this afternoon.

 

Hollyw, the formal nights for the Eastern itinerary were Sunday and Thursday.

 

Bombero, sorry, that's not me. Kirsh is actually short for Kirshenbaum, and we haven't been fortunate enough to live south of Illinois.

[moonmullins]

Thanks for the review.

 

The anticipation for our 1st cruise and 20th Anniversary on this ship later this month is killing me! I hope we have as great as time as you did!!