Princess Ships Libraries

[DonnaK]

Do Princess Ship's libraries have a good selection of books? Is there an attendant, or is it an open, honor system?

 

I am a bookcrosser (see www.bookcrossing.com for more info) and I'm especially interested in whether or not there is an area of the library where we can leave books we've finished reading for someone else to pick up?

 

On RCI ships, there was a shelf or two dedicated for this purpose. But on the Carnival ship we were on, all the library's bookshelves were locked and there was an attendant with whom you had to check out the books, and the attendant did not allow you to leave behind any of your own books for someone else to pick up.

[hubble]

All the Princess ships I've been on have nice libraries that are open 24 hours a day and on the honor system. There is usually an employee working there a few hours a day, but there is just a sign in/out sheet for the books.

 

Lots of passengers leave their books to be recycled so another passenger can enjoy them. I usually leave at least one each cruise and have always found a nice assortment that other fellow passengers have also passed along. I rarely pack more than one or two books with me now a days because I have always found such a nice selection on board.

[BigGuy25]

The libraries are very good with specified hours when the bookshelves are unlocked. There is sometimes an attendant but other times it's totally the "honor system."

[WeRockChalkKU]

We are just off the Dawn and suprised that it had such a small selection. It had open hours and locked cases. It had a VERY small selection of leave a book/take a book. We're going to the Tahiatian in June and hope it has a nice selection since it's a 14 day cruise...but with only 670 pax, I'm not holding my breath.

[paul929207]

The libraries on Princess ships have a nice selection. We always find lots to read.

They do have a section where passengers can donate books and take others.

[Spikesgirl]

Donna - I am usually leave a couple in the library, but also some in the cabin so that the crew can have access to them as well. I've spent some pretty happy hours perusing the various books in Princess's libraries.

 

Charlie

[caribill]

We're going to the Tahiatian in June and hope it has a nice selection since it's a 14 day cruise...but with only 670 pax, I'm not holding my breath.

 

 

One of the nicest libraries afloat.

 

See the attached pictures of part of the library.

[jgnova]

A friend of mine is currently on Pacific Princess (World Cruise). She is a constant reader. I asked how the library was and she said she was very disappointed in it. Fortunately, she had taken with her enough used paperbacks relevant to the locations (e.g., Moby Dick for yet another read -- I know, not for me, but she likes it and it was appropriate for the itinerary -- and several others). She said there's a group of people who are exchanging books they brought with them. It sounded as though they were keeping a list of who gets what next. :) She will be abandoning her paperbacks en route.

 

Given her comment and because we tend to have specific reading interests, we are planning to take with us whatever we want to read for our CB cruise in May/June. At least we don't have to plan for the amount of time she did -- or for packing for airplane limitations, as she also did. We still might pick up used paperbacks to leave on board, if we find what we want.

 

S

[DonnaK]

Thanks for the info! One of the pleasures of bookcrossing is leaving books behind, and I've always found ship's libraries to be an excellent place to do this!

 

All you avid readersl should check out the bookcrossing website, because the book is assigned a tracking number, and then future readers periodically log in and let you know where the book was found. I left a book in the Mariner of the Sea library, and it was picked up by a European passenger who then left it somewhere in her hometown, and it's gone on to travel to several other European cities since.

 

Those pictures are beautiful. I can only hope that the library on the Caribbean Princess is equally as lovely.

[FritzG]

On the Diamond in January I was able to find several good books to read. One was a Baldacci novel that I had been on my library's waiting list for few weeks so I was happy to find it. The library cabinets were locked unless there was an attendant present. However, the cabinet where you could leave or take a book was always open. I took a big stack of paperbacks which I donated as I finished them.

[WeRockChalkKU]

Those photos are great - I had heard how beautiful the library was. Now, let's just hope there's books that I like. Hubby will read most things put anywhere near him...I'm a bit pickier.

 

Thanks again.

[Genessa]

When we sailed on her in 2003, I thought the library on the Dawn was on the small side, but was thrilled with the paperback exchange bookcase.

 

I'm usually an avid reader, and taking out the books I had enjoyed, but knew I wasn't reading again left me with significantly lighter suitcases.

 

BUT, on our recent Grand cruise, the library was much, much smaller, and had many less books. Maybe I picked a bad time to go, but all the shelves were locked and there was no exchange shelf. I left 3 books that I had finished and wasn't planning to re-read, anyway.

[teripp]

Donna - I am usually leave a couple in the library, but also some in the cabin so that the crew can have access to them as well. I've spent some pretty happy hours perusing the various books in Princess's libraries.

 

Charlie

 

I always leave my books for the crew or if a land hotel for the staff. Just a little extra something. I leave a note saying if they don't personally want the book(s) than to please pass them along to someone who does as I will not throw a book away and don't want to haul it home. I do the same at home with friends. But I am going to check out the book website mentioned in this post. That sounds like fun!!! Glad to know others leave the books as well. :)

[Pia1913]

On the Diamond in January I was able to find several good books to read. One was a Baldacci novel that I had been on my library's waiting list for few weeks so I was happy to find it. The library cabinets were locked unless there was an attendant present. However, the cabinet where you could leave or take a book was always open. I took a big stack of paperbacks which I donated as I finished them.

 

Agreed. For some reason the Diamond keeps everything locked up unless there's an attendant there. This is the only Princess ship I've experienced with this system.

 

And to the OP re: CB library. No. It will not look like the libraries on the Pacific and the Tahitian.

 

Pia

[Pam in CA]

We are just off the Dawn and suprised that it had such a small selection. It had open hours and locked cases. It had a VERY small selection of leave a book/take a book. We're going to the Tahiatian in June and hope it has a nice selection since it's a 14 day cruise...but with only 670 pax, I'm not holding my breath.

 

One of the nicest libraries afloat.

 

See the attached pictures of part of the library.

The Royal, which is like the Tahitian, had a wonderful library with a wide variety of books that should appeal to all interests. When we were on the Golden, it too had a good library. I've never been disappointed in a Princess library. They've all had an excellent selection and I could always find several books to read. The Dawn, like the Sea Princess, has an especially nice library with great big leather seats where you can sink in and be comfortable for hours. I found the selection on the Sea Princess as good as on all of the other Princess ships although I have to say that the Royal had the best. I bring paperbacks and always leave them on the shelf for others. I wouldn't even think of giving them to the crew because many of them don't have the time to do much reading, they work such long hours and days. Besides, English for most of them is their second language.

[Snowbird]

On our Panama Canal cruise in Oct 07 aboard the Island Princess, we also found the cases locked unless a crew member was present to check books out. And the attended hours were fairly limited each day. What we did discover was that as the 15-day cruise progressed, each day there were fewer and fewer books to interest us. So my suggestion would be to go to the library very early in the cruise and get as many books as you think you may read during the cruise. You can return them as they're read without having to search the shelves for a replacement. I did think the selection was good, at least at the beginning of the cruise.

[windango]

I was on the Grand in November and agree the library was smaller than I expected for a ship that large. The paperback exchange shelves were to the right as you came in the door in a case that was always unlocked. I left several books there when I left and it lightened up my suitcase enough for me to pack all my souvenirs : )

[taxatty]

DW thought the library on the Royal was beautiful and well organized, and she's a librarian!:cool:

 

Les

[seastar2]

Library on the Emerald was well stocked...attentant there both times I went in. Several shelves of books to take that folks left...there were some that were very current as well as some older best sellers. hard and paperbacks.....

[caribill]

I can only hope that the library on the Caribbean Princess is equally as lovely.

 

 

It is smaller and has some internet stations in it. See the attached photo.

[silvercruiser]

I was surprised at how small the library on EMERALD was, for such a very large ship. In comparison, on a 1200 passenger HAL ship their library was about 10x bigger with a wonderful selection and a real library person on duty all day long.

[grape farmer]

I see to remember that the Crown's library books were under lock and key most of the time; the attendant was only there a few hours in the afternoon. Or at least we always seemed to miss them when we'd go looking after being on shore during the day. They had a fairly extensive selection, but I was disappointed in the hours of the attendant.

[jd10367]

DonnaK,

 

I am also a bookcrosser. I have left my "registered" books on Island Princess, Enchantment of the Seas, and on Voyager of the Seas. I've just left them on the the bookshelves with the related topic. On my last Enchantment cruise I went back a few times to see if any of the books were gone and 1 was. Hopefully, i'll get a response that it went somewhere else.

[jonikal]

The Royal was definitely the most impressive library we have seen on Princess. It's in a lovely location and has excellent and large selection of books.