Caribbean Princess Review 7/19

[Kathy130]

I just returned from this cruise and posted a mini-quick review earlier. It was a fantastic cruise. Being that everyone has their own opinions, I can only state that my family, even IF one of them were a fussier eater, had MANY choices EVERY night, dining room or buffet. Can't imagine not being able to pick anything......however......you'll always see differences among people.

 

Anyone else sailing on the CB. REST ASSURED.......you will like the choices!!!

[ifiteverstopsraining]

I agree with most of these posts. I was on the 7/19 cruise with 15 other family members ranging in age from 3 to 60. The air conditioning was a non-issue. The dining rooms, casino, and lounges were freezing! The weather was perfect. I thought the captain did a great job of diverting around the storms in the Atlantic. If you love the beach and swim-up bars, you will love Grand Turk (we did!). Less time would have been fine in San Juan and we were dissappointed to miss out on snorkeling in Bermuda (although we did have time to take a ferry over to Hamilton). Magen's Bay in St. Thomas was gorgeous (again, we beach people loved it!)

 

I enjoyed the entertainment, including Sarge and Wavelength, much more than the food and service in the Coral dining room. After 2 consecutive Royal Caribbean cruises, I was extremely dissapointed at the service during dinner. We had traditional dining however the waitstaff did not go out of their way to get to know us at all. We had to ask for lemons and sodas every night! On RC after the first night the waitstaff picks up on your preferences. Except on formal nights, the dress code was not enforeced at all. We saw jeans, sneakers, and shorts regularly in the Coral Dining Room (late seating). The buffet, pizza, and grill were great! The $1.75 per ice cream stinks, but we got some anyway a few times during the week.

 

Also, those new to Princess should read up on the tipping policy. They will charge you $10.50 - $11.00 per person per day automatically. Obviously the 3 year old in our group should not be tipping the same as an older member that frequents bars, so a special trip was made to the front desk to lower this charge. Keep in mind you can have the automatic charge taken off and tip in cash at the end if you like.

[Colo Cruiser]

My fiance and I were on the cruise. While we had a great time, I do have some complaints...

 

1. I thought many of the women's public restrooms were disguisting. I tried to avoid them as much as possible but the few times I used them, something was always clogged or overflowing.

2. Unlike past Princess cruises I have been on, I found that there were a lot less pictures taken on this cruise. I ate in both specialty restaurants and no photographers ever came around. We also had to request our photo to be taken on Bermuda.

3. I was so upset about our limited time on Bermuda. I am getting married there next summer and it was a struggle to get to the hotel to meet my wedding planner. 3 1/2 hours was not enough time. 13 hours on Puerto Rico was a waste. For those of you that only went to Snorkel Park...that is not what Bermuda really is like. In my opinion, the Royal Naval dockyard is the worst part on the island. Please do not judge Bermuda by this. Get a scooter and go to one of the South Shore Beaches. We still did this even though we had just 3 hours and the island is truly beautiful.

 

Despite my complaints, we still enjoyed this cruise. The pizza was very good, Sarge was excellent (we had seen him on a previous cruise and were very glad that he was back), the weather was gorgeous, and our room steward, Larry was fantastic.

 

 

 

Thanks for the mini review.

Probably not a good idea to meet your wedding planner on a cruise during a port stop. This is a grand occasion and one that I think should merit a seperate trip there to plan if you need to see the facilities first.

Seems to me Princess should probably cancel Bermuda altogether as 3-5 hours in port, and due to the approch into the harbor area, it is one of the most hazardous for a ship that size and does not seem worth the risk for such a short visit.

 

As far as Puerto Rico being a waste, guess I will disagree with you there too. Getting out of San Juan and seeing some sites outside the city is best. It is a very beautiful island. :)

[SandG]

Same cruise: 7/19. Regarding service, we did anytime dining and bounced between the two dining rooms, Palm and Coral. We found big differences between servers, some were terrific, others were so-so. Our favorite two worked in the Palm but that could have been a coincidence.

 

If you do anytime and find a waiter you particularly like, you can request him/her when making a reservation. We did that once, but usually didn't bother making reservations because we were eating fairly early anyway. You can also reserve a specific table for the rest of the cruise if you'd like.

 

Sue

[Kathy130]

Again.....same cruise 7/19........Truly had no problem with the wait staff. The last night we ate in the coral dining room. The waiter was a bit harried, but it never detracted from the overall lovely dinner.

 

I, too, wish we had not done 11 hours in San Juan. Once you've done the tours, and shopping, it wasn't AS INTERESTING as other ports.

[chrystine]

Also, those new to Princess should read up on the tipping policy. They will charge you $10.50 - $11.00 per person per day automatically. Obviously the 3 year old in our group should not be tipping the same as an older member that frequents bars, so a special trip was made to the front desk to lower this charge. Keep in mind you can have the automatic charge taken off and tip in cash at the end if you like.

 

I don't understand this comment. What would the automatic gratuity amount have to do with the number of bar visits? The suggested gratuity guidelines are for your cabin steward, waiter, asst waiter and other dining personnel. It has nothing to do with bar service. An automatic 15% gratuity is added to bar purchases and has nothing to do with the automatic daily gratiuty amount Princess adds to your shipboard account.

 

As for the 3 year old, he/she still is served food in the restaurants and/or buffets. The cabin steward makes up his/her bed just like that of an adult. If anything, I think the staff work harder for the children- trying to entertain them, bring them special treats, cleaning up their messes, etc... I know because I have an 8 year old who has been cruising since he was 2 and I have found that most staff go above and beyond for the children. I think the same gratuity (if not more) should apply for children too.

 

Clearly, if one does not agree, they can adjust the tips accordingly. However, there should be no correlation between the amount of standard gratuities and the frequency of bar visits.

[MoonPet]

Also, those new to Princess should read up on the tipping policy. They will charge you $10.50 - $11.00 per person per day automatically. Obviously the 3 year old in our group should not be tipping the same as an older member that frequents bars, so a special trip was made to the front desk to lower this charge. Keep in mind you can have the automatic charge taken off and tip in cash at the end if you like.

 

Bar gratuitity is not included in the per diem charge. That's why a 15% charge is added to bar/beverage bills. I think Princess was careful to only include the departments that everyone uses in the per diem amount.

[MoonPet]

Thanks for the mini review.

Probably not a good idea to meet your wedding planner on a cruise during a port stop. This is a grand occasion and one that I think should merit a seperate trip there to plan if you need to see the facilities first.

Seems to me Princess should probably cancel Bermuda altogether as 3-5 hours in port, and due to the approch into the harbor area, it is one of the most hazardous for a ship that size and does not seem worth the risk for such a short visit.

 

As far as Puerto Rico being a waste, guess I will disagree with you there too. Getting out of San Juan and seeing some sites outside the city is best. It is a very beautiful island. :)

 

ColoCruiser - I agree on all counts.

Personally, if I were planning a wedding in Bermuda (or anywhere) I would travel there often and independently to take care of the arrangements and not count on a cruise port stop.

 

We were in Puerto Rico from 8:00 am until 11:00 pm on the previous sailing and did not think it a waste at all. We spent the entire day at the Ritz Carlton and were thankful that we had so much time to enjoy ourselves.

[beckcab]

I agree about the gratuity for children! Have you ever cleaned up from them after a meal! I think the service people deserve larger tips when there are kids involved!

[Sandytoes]

nvrendingluvv

Dining: We had anytime dining and it was okay. The Palm Dining Room had better table waiters and the meal seemed to move more smoothly. However, we ate in the Coral Dining Room more, as the Maitre D, Franco was awesome. The food was just okay in the dining rooms. We had dinner at Sabatini's twice and it was worth the cover charge. Much better than the regular dining room food. At Sabatini’s, make sure your make reservations and have at least 2 hours to eat. At the restaurant, it is about a 12 course meal. Pace yourselves, because if you eat all the courses early in the meal, you will not be able to finish the meal. We did not have a chance to eat at Sterlings.)

The food served in the main dining rooms aren't as good as it use to be.

Cruise lines know how to make a profit. They would rather serve top quality meals in the restaurants that carry a surcharge.

[Starz723]

I was on the July 10 sailing. The AC was spotty as already mentioned. My stateroom was not cool. B755 Aft. I brought a fan and it helped. My friends stateroom was very cool B740. So its a hit and miss around the ship. Im sure its due to the down generator. I had a fabulous cruise and I have no complaints.

 

I saw everyone appropriately dressed in the dining rooms. There was a passenger that was taking a tally with people entering the dining room in shorts.:rolleyes: I received a bottle of wine as a gift from my TA and it was given to me at dinner. I didnt open it and left it behind on my table. When I got back to my stateroom and changed into my shorts, I realized I left it behind. I went back to the dining room and asked the Maitre'D about my wine that I left behind. Late seating had begun. He directed me to go back to my table and ask my waiter. As I entered the dining room, the man that was tallying people spoke outloud "oh look, shorts!" (can you imagine) I saw my waiter & retrieved my wine. I walked out and smiled at the passenger and held up my bottle of wine. He put his head down. Now I ask you, could that person find a better thing to do on his cruise than to tally how many people entered the dining room with shorts on and make his opinion known? I guess he wanted to have a statistic of some sort for himself to make a complaint about. I dont think he did well..they were enforcing the dress code.

[ifiteverstopsraining]

Sorry but I stand by my opinion. It didn't take nearly as much effort for the waitstaff to serve 1 or 2 courses plus 1 glass of water to our 3 year old when most of the adults were getting 4 or 5 courses plus numerous rounds of non-alcoholic drinks. Plus, the kids in our group were not making a bigger mess than the adults surrounding us.

 

I do agree about the quality of food in the dining room. Don't bother getting a steak unless you are going to Sterling.

[manny500]

Wow, I think I was on a different cruise than Imkras. I have been on about 15 cruises, RCCL and Norwegian, and the food on this ship was by far the best. The sauces are clearly made from homemade stock, the veggies were fresh and cooked perfectly, not to mush. The meat came out as ordered every time. I have worked many years as a banquet chef and can tell you that for food prepared for 3000 passengers, it was quite good. As for the strawberries- do you think they have a garden where they pick fresh produce every day? They get them delivered when they are in NY. Strawberries do not have a long shelf life- I am sure you know that.

[Clutterlady]

I was on the July 10 sailing. The AC was spotty as already mentioned. My stateroom was not cool. B755 Aft. I brought a fan and it helped. My friends stateroom was very cool B740. So its a hit and miss around the ship. Im sure its due to the down generator. I had a fabulous cruise and I have no complaints.

 

I saw everyone appropriately dressed in the dining rooms. There was a passenger that was taking a tally with people entering the dining room in shorts.:rolleyes: I received a bottle of wine as a gift from my TA and it was given to me at dinner. I didnt open it and left it behind on my table. When I got back to my stateroom and changed into my shorts, I realized I left it behind. I went back to the dining room and asked the Maitre'D about my wine that I left behind. Late seating had begun. He directed me to go back to my table and ask my waiter. As I entered the dining room, the man that was tallying people spoke outloud "oh look, shorts!" (can you imagine) I saw my waiter & retrieved my wine. I walked out and smiled at the passenger and held up my bottle of wine. He put his head down. Now I ask you, could that person find a better thing to do on his cruise than to tally how many people entered the dining room with shorts on and make his opinion known? I guess he wanted to have a statistic of some sort for himself to make a complaint about. I dont think he did well..they were enforcing the dress code.

 

Isn't it sad, when someone is on a beautiful cruise and all they have to do is take a tally of shorts:eek: Talk about someone needing a life:D

[superdxa]

I find it ridiculous when someone says they cannot find anything to eat at all. There is so many options WHat do you expect them to give you? Ramen Noodles

 

unbelievable

[Philip217]

I also love it when a cruise line serves you free ice cream for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Room Service, and in the middle of the afternoon in the Lido.

 

But if you have to pay for ice cream in the middle of the night - BIG PROBLEM.

[noobiecruiser]

Wow! What a variety of comments for the same ship, same sailing.

[07BMWRT]

We're taking our teens on the 15th Aug. sailing, they eat chicken fingers, pizza ice cream and more pizza. I'm not going to split a vein over them not eating more than that but it is a shame when you don't like or won't try anything when a cruise is the time to try something new. I had been on a cruise where a woman at our table ate nothing but shrimp cocktail and steak every night for a meal. I thought it was none of my concern but she did enjoy the fuss they made over trying to get her food first to pamper her a bit. Such is life what a wonderful thing cruising is and many oppertunities to expand our horizon's whether it a meal we never ate or some new friends.

I know I'm going to have my yearly escargot's and lobster if it's available and how I love fish every day as a matter of fact. I live in the north east and we don't get gropuer or any of the other good stuff you get on a cruise.

[nvrendingluvv]

Was this during dinner? On a formal night?

 

Yes, those people wore shorts and jeans during dinner.

[nvrendingluvv]

For those of you who just came home from your vacation, welcome home & thanks for the updates. MY wife & I are leaving on the next cruise Wednesday Aug 6th. We have heard NUMEROUS complaints about the air conditioners not working. Can someone tell me their opinion. We are bringing his & her fans just in case but still curious. We know about the blown engine causing a slow down & to be honest we have prepared for the worse case scenario of having fun on a ship for 9 days. Yes we have excursions planned, Bermuda .. Jet skis,

PR. Old San Juan New San Juan, St Thomas ... Screamin Eagle & Grand Turk is BEACH DAY. If we were to miss any of those excursions we would be a bit upset but we do understand that SHIP HAPPENS :D

 

Frank aka Shineycoach

 

We only got 4 hours in Bermuda. Therefore, our Segway excursion got cancelled. If you were to miss any time in the ports, it would probably only be a problem in Bermuda.

[nvrendingluvv]

Were there taxis waiting at the port when you returned.

 

Yes, there were taxis waiting when we returned.

[nvrendingluvv]

Unlike neverending we did see them turn people away who were not dressed properly for dinner and also at lunch if they were wearing only bathing suits with cover ups.

 

The difference maybe that we ate most often in the Coral where she ate in the Palm.

 

As far as formal night they required a jacket and tie on the men and "dresses" for the ladies not everyone got very dressed but most did.

 

There was only one incident I saw when people were not dressed properly and received service. I ate in the Palm once, and the Coral many times.

[nvrendingluvv]

I've never cruised Princess, so this is the first I've heard mention of the 'coffee' card. Please explain. Is regular coffee served with meals? Does it cost extra? I'm thinking this refers to specialty coffees maybe? thanks!

 

The coffee card is about $25 dollars total. It includes specialty coffees and freshly brewed coffee, as well as some brewed teas. The coffee served in the dining room for free is like syrup in my opinion. Yuck! It has 15 crown that are punched each time you get a coffee. Double shots or a large coffee are two punches, while small and single shots are one punch.

[nvrendingluvv]

Hi, I just got back today and checking the board every so often because I don't want to let go of the cruise. I am really not looking forward to going to work tomorrow. :mad:

 

Shineycoach: I heard a few people on the cruise complaining about the A/C but our room was just fine. In fact, I was usually too cold and had to turn it way down! Maybe it depended on what side of the ship or what deck you were on. We were between mid-ship and aft on the starboard side of Baja. Our balcony was covered so perhaps less sun came in to heat up the room? I read in one of the patters that they recommend that you keep at least the semi-sheer curtain closed when you are not in the room.

 

Holleygirl: Were there taxis when we got back to New York? Sorry, I never noticed (we parked in the lot right there at the dock). There were certainly tons of taxis at all of the island ports!! :)

 

Neverending luvv: Hi Elizabeth, it sounds like you had a good time, I think I saw you and your girlfriend a few times during the cruise. Did you go to Remix? My daughter went on the first night to meet the other teens and then only occasionally to play Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but spent most of the time in other areas of the ship. We liked most of the food in the restaurants (especially the desserts!) and only snacked from the buffet. We went to Sterling's and it was awesome. (I'm so happy I "only" gained 5 lbs. thanks to the gym and daily laps on the promenade.) We got off the ship pretty early in Grand Turk so we had lots of time at the beach and Margaritaville. We enjoyed Grand Turk, but agree that Bermuda was much nicer (what little we saw of it).

 

Pixelator: My daughter is almost 17 and she had an absolute blast this week. There were lots of teens on board and she found a few kids that she really liked. She came home and chatted with them on facebook and then crashed this afternoon and is still sleeping because they were up until 1:00-2:00 AM every night. I'm sure your daughter will have a great time.

 

Sue

 

Yes, Sue, my friend Ruby and I went to remix quite a few times.

[nvrendingluvv]

My fiance and I were on the cruise. While we had a great time, I do have some complaints...

 

1. I thought many of the women's public restrooms were disguisting. I tried to avoid them as much as possible but the few times I used them, something was always clogged or overflowing.

2. Unlike past Princess cruises I have been on, I found that there were a lot less pictures taken on this cruise. I ate in both specialty restaurants and no photographers ever came around. We also had to request our photo to be taken on Bermuda.

3. I was so upset about our limited time on Bermuda. I am getting married there next summer and it was a struggle to get to the hotel to meet my wedding planner. 3 1/2 hours was not enough time. 13 hours on Puerto Rico was a waste. For those of you that only went to Snorkel Park...that is not what Bermuda really is like. In my opinion, the Royal Naval dockyard is the worst part on the island. Please do not judge Bermuda by this. Get a scooter and go to one of the South Shore Beaches. We still did this even though we had just 3 hours and the island is truly beautiful.

 

Despite my complaints, we still enjoyed this cruise. The pizza was very good, Sarge was excellent (we had seen him on a previous cruise and were very glad that he was back), the weather was gorgeous, and our room steward, Larry was fantastic.

 

I agree with all of your complaints. Many of the bathrooms were out of order and not working. Yes, there were less pictures being taken. On the last couple nights, they seemed to only have the contemporary white background pictures, not a variety to choose from. I so wish we had more time in Bermuda. I only had a little over an hour at Horseshoe Bay. Yes, we had too much time in Puerto Rico. After 6-7 hours, we were ready to get back on the boat. Those 5 extra hours could have been taken to head to Bermuda.