Just Off the Crown 11/2-11/9/2008

[LadyPandora407]

Wow, what a week. The Crown is absolutely beautiful. We had an inside state room on the Lido deck and it was extremely nice and had adequate space for 2 people. The shower was a little on the snug size and anyone over 230 lbs would probably have real issues with it. The only problem we had with the bathroom, ( and all of our group had this problem) was that the exhaust fan did not work in the bathroom. Our Cabin Stewart was Ernesto and he was awesome. Very friendly and very efficient. We did not experience any issues with noise in our room, and if when we cruise again we will get a ocean view or balcony, honestly it is hard to tell when it is daylight in an inside stateroom.

 

We had the 8:15 seating in the Botticelli Dining Room and had the best Waiter Jose' and his Junior Waiter Delfino. They were both very friendly and attentive. And I would highly recommend them.

 

The only draw back with the late seating is that you miss the shows.

 

We did have breakfast and lunch in the buffets, while we did not like everything offered, there was enough variety to please everyone. We also were able to try some new dishes that we would not have tried otherwise.

 

We did have the Pizza and it was very good, we did not try the hamburgers, but did hear they were very good as well.

 

We only have a couple complaints:

 

1. There were approximately 200 kids on board of varying ages. There was a teen area, but the teens used the main hot tubs on the Lido deck instead of the ones designated for them. We never were able to use the hot tubs as there was always teens and kids using them. Also the parents never seemed to be watching their kids.

 

Also for parents of younger children they used strollers which took up a lot of room.

 

2. Wheel chairs ( please read before bashing) the Crown does not have adequate room to hold all the events they want to hold, and to accommendate those who utilize wheel chairs. The Crown holds sales in the halls and places tables with merchandise up, this restricts access to wheel chair users. We found this to be true to all areas. On the other hand there were a few wheel chair users who had horns and constantly used them, those folks we found to be rude and annoying. There is no need to blow the horn and to run your electric wheel chair into people to push your way through the crowd.

 

3. Some people on board does not understand what a vacation is, when on vacation you have all the time in the world, why hurry and rush?

 

St Martin has the cheapest prices on ciggerettes, there are a few stores and I would suggest comparing prices before purchasing. It rained while we were in St. martin, we went to the Blue Bitch Bar and had a wonderful lunch, I had the Conch Fritters and my DH had the Philipsburger. They were very good and resonably priced.

 

St Thomas was very nice, we enjoyed the Sky Tram to Paradise Point and we shared a bushwhacker drink.

 

Grand Turk was our favorite island and we did not get to spend enough time there. We love snorkeling and playing with the stingrays.

 

Princess Cays was nice and we were able to snorkel there as well.

 

Over all it was a wonderful trip. We learned a lot (1st timers) and even though we purged our clothing before we left we found we ended up taking to much, we did laundry mid week and there were a few outfits we did not wear.

 

Most of the employees on the Crown were great, some were rude. The folks at the Pursers desk are less than helpful and will treat you like you are trying to screw the cruise line if you have a disputed charge. We had proof we were over charged and it still took them from 11/3 to 11/8 to get it rectified, and it was only $7.50. It was not much, but it was the principle of the thing. I will pay for what I purchased but I will not pay for an error. Even though I had my receipt I was told that they must find their receipts to prove I was overcharged, they would not accept mine. I was highly insulted and trust me they did not care.

 

I would have thought there would have been more stores on the ship, and felt they could use another store or two.

 

What we did learn was The Islands are mostly tourist traps, I would suggested getting out of the shopping districts and going to the beaches. There are very few bargains on jewelery. I did find the Double Dutch Dolls I wanted in St. Martin at Lulu's.

 

When we take our next cruise it will be after a major holiday so we can be assured there will be less kids on board. I never took my kids out of school for a vacation, I believe their education was more important, we took our vacations when school was out for the summer.

 

Check your ship board account daily for errors.

 

The Free Coffee on board is more than adequate, we found no need for the coffee card.

 

You will see it all on a ship, there was a group of international folks who were insulted when the 70 year old male in the group was asked to put on a shirt in the buffet. #1 he was old and nasty looking, #2 it was a dining room and he had no business showing up in his swim trunks.

 

Well I am tired, but I will try and answer any questions you may have. I am off to bed for now. :)

[penlanspice]

Glad you had a great time, this time in 2 weeks we'll be on the Crown and can't wait. We've also got a cabin on the Lido deck and we're looking forward to the location. How was the movement? was there much noise?

 

Any idea what the films were on MUTS during the evenings? sad I know, we travel half way around the world and we're looking forward to watching films!!

 

Sam

[pedropuppy]

Off the top of my head, some of the movies in the evening were:

 

Sex in the City, Mamma Mia, Batman the Dark Knight, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull

[penlanspice]

Excellent thanks, am I right in thinking the movies stay the same all month?

 

Sam

[LadyPandora407]

Glad you had a great time, this time in 2 weeks we'll be on the Crown and can't wait. We've also got a cabin on the Lido deck and we're looking forward to the location. How was the movement? was there much noise?

 

Any idea what the films were on MUTS during the evenings? sad I know, we travel half way around the world and we're looking forward to watching films!!

 

Sam

 

We had quite a bit of movement day 2-4 and off and on after that. It was due to the rain in St Martin, then the Hurricane that was coming through the Western Caribbean and Cuba. It never got bad enough for the Captain to put out the stabilizers, although there were a quite a few people who wish he would have, including my husband, we were quite surprized that he had to use the motion sickness pills and ginger tablets we brought.

 

A few of the shows were Pirates of the Caribbean, Momma Mia, and Walle. They also showed Christine Aqulera's concert and the football games.

[penlanspice]

We had quite a bit of movement day 2-4 and off and on after that. It was due to the rain in St Martin, then the Hurricane that was coming through the Western Caribbean and Cuba. It never got bad enough for the Captain to put out the stabilizers, although there were a quite a few people who wish he would have, including my husband, we were quite surprized that he had to use the motion sickness pills and ginger tablets we brought.

 

I've got my motion sickness tablets at the ready but I'm really hoping note to use them!! LOL Last time we sailed we were mid ship and hardly had any movement all week. It's my sisters first cruise and this is the one thing she's dreading, she even gets car sick... at least they are mid ship which should help a little.

 

I just noticed your cabin was right by ours we have L255

[jennifers490]

Excellent thanks, am I right in thinking the movies stay the same all month?

 

Sam

 

 

you guys should join our rollcall for that sailing!

 

who was the captain?

[poolcc56]

Hi, we were on this cruise too and had a wonderful time. Other then the little bit of rain in Sint Maarten, the weather was great. Maybe it was me but I don't remember any rough seas, other than a little bumpy the first day, the seas were flat, no chop and very little swell. We were on riveria deck R510 and yes there was alot of noise from the pool area above, if you get a cabin on this deck make it in the 600's or 700's their under the buffet and it's carpeted. The only complaint that we had was with the service in the Crown Grill it was down right bad. We did make note of this with the maitre'd and with the questionaire cards.

[poolcc56]

you guys should join our rollcall for that sailing!

 

who was the captain?

 

The captain is Tony Draper. Have a wonderful cruise.

[eetonaee]

Just back from the Crown as well.

 

We were also in Boticelli second seating. You don't have to miss the shows - on certain nights the show for the late diners was at 7:00pm.

 

Having said that I wasn't overly impressed with the entertainment on this cruise. The acapella group I had been reading about and looking forward to wasn't on this cruise.

 

I agree with the problems about the congestion by the stores but I think some of the congestion caused by the multiple sites for formal photos on Tuesday and Thursday is as bad.

 

Generally it was a very good cruise. I think the quality of the food was excellent. There is lots of choice and most people should be satisfied. Our waiters were always making sure we were happy with our selections and offering seconds.

 

Lots of lobster and crab available on Friday night.

I found the prime rib and beef tenderloin very tasty and tender.

 

Of course food is subjective and you will never satisfy everyone. Just remember that this is a mass market cruise line and if you want gourmet go to a specialty restaurant or a 6 star ship.

 

My favorite treat on the cruise- believe it or not - the pineapple -it was fresh, sweet and readily available.

 

I spent one afternoon in the sanctuary and if you want some quiet in a peaceful area its well worth the $10 for a half day. You feel like a celebrity as people stare in to the area. One person I saw who walked in through the exit saw an empty chair and decide to throw his towel on it was politely asked to leave after he declined to pay the fee.

 

Non smokers should beware of the smoke fog that hits you as you head toward the Horizon Court on the Lido deck - I think its the Starboard side.

I guess better to have smokers in one area as opposed to throughout the ship.

 

 

We had an obstructed OceanView stateroom on Emerald deck. Even though the lifeboat was completely in front of us we had a good view above and below it and were able to see a lot outside as well as getting natural light. I would have no trouble taking advantage of a price opportunity to get this room again.

 

Finally - I tend to try to get off the beaten path a bit -

 

a couple of suggestions - on Princess Cay, which is a very relaxing or active day depending on your preference- take a few minutes to find the local merchants that set up stands behind the main beach and eating/drinking area. You have a chance to support the locals directly with your T-shirt and craft purchases as opposed to the cruise line stores in the main area.

 

On Grand Turk - with the compound area set up you might as well be on a private beach like Princess Cay or Labadee.

 

The only way most people leave is on one of the ship tours with only the local drivers benefitting.

 

We chose to walk out of the compound and over to a local who rents golf carts for $100 for the half day you are there. We were able to drive around the whole island. There is not a lot of traffic and perople are amazingly patient if they get stuck behind you for a few minutes. People were very friendly - waving and showing appreciation. We got a close hand look at the devastation caused by Hurricane Ike. We stopped at a local bar that just got its power back and visited local merchants who still have no power after 6 weeks. We bought from them - often items we normally wouldn't but we wanted to help them. Unfortunately we saw very few fellow cruise passengers in that area.

 

If you don't want to rent a golf cart you can also take taxis in to town.

 

I enjoy Princess and hope to cruise with them soon. My wife and others I spoke to thought that there was a little more action on Royal Caribbean ships.

[rianvi]

Thank you for posting this review. We will be on the Crown in Feb.

 

Questions....

 

In St. Thomas where did the Crown dock???

 

Anyone that did anytime dining...did things run smoothly? We usually do Traditional but have decided to try anytime this cruise.

 

Just wondering about the dress for formal nights. Did most men wear tuxes/suits?

 

eetonaee...You mentioned the golf carts. Did they seat four or two? Were there enough available? We are thinking of doing this. Are you able to get around easily with the carts and get to the beach, etc.?

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Anna

[kendon]

I just got off the same cruise. Interesting...what you liked I didn't and vice versa. More than enough shops on the ship for us. Any more and you could call it a mall. Grand Turk was our worst stop (taking into consideration the hurricane damage which I am completely sympathetic to). The Carnival cruise center had a captive audience with Margaritaville, shops, and a very so-so beach. There were far fewer teenagers than you mentioned. I brought two of them along. They were all so well behaved. In fact, you rarely saw them at all. Yes, I also believe education is important. Your comment was insulting if you were implying that they should have been at home in a classroom. But I also believe trips such as these are an education in itself. All the world is a classroom. The cost of this family vacation is a fraction of what it could be during school holidays for both airfare and the cruise fare. All in all, I found this cruise to be excellent and would book another on the same ship in a minute.

[poolcc56]

Thank you for posting this review. We will be on the Crown in Feb.

 

Questions....

 

In St. Thomas where did the Crown dock???

 

Anyone that did anytime dining...did things run smoothly? We usually do Traditional but have decided to try anytime this cruise.

 

Just wondering about the dress for formal nights. Did most men wear tuxes/suits?

 

eetonaee...You mentioned the golf carts. Did they seat four or two? Were there enough available? We are thinking of doing this. Are you able to get around easily with the carts and get to the beach, etc.?

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Anna

 

The ship docked at Crown Bay. We did anytime dining and had no problem getting a table for 4 just by walking up without reservations, usally around 6:30. never saw a big line waiting either. Most that I saw wore suits, there were quite a few tuxs as well. Did see one couple get turned away that were wearing shorts. {wasn't a formal night}. I do agree about Grand Turk being a Carnival tourist trap.

[LibbyEcho]

Just off as well. Anyone know what that announcement was all about at 4 a.m. the day of disembarkation?:confused:

[brian72]

Just off the Crown also. There were alot of kids. mine included and did not see any problems with them. In fact i did note on 3 different days that the hot tubs allocated for "teens only" were occupied by adults. Maybe thats what drove the teens to the main hot tubs on lido deck. You should have gone to the sanctuary pool and tub if you wanted "adults only".. or better yet if you do not want kids around, skip the cruise and go to Sandals.

 

btw, quick review

food has gone a little down hill compared to my other two cruises with princess

breakfast, lunch and dinner in the dining room is alot better than buffet

ship and crew were excellent

cabin was great (D733) has a larger balcony than the other mini suites

embark/disembark has improved greatly

princess cays was great

grand turk was excellent, Margaritaville was great for adults and kids..after the beach a few drinks and nice pool was refreshing.

 

I will post patters with all activities shortly.

[KKB]

We found the food to be the best of our 4 cruises...

 

We loved Margaritaville at Grand Turk...

 

I find the coffee barely palatable...

 

I have no need with any of the shops on board barring the one with incidentals...

 

Princess Cays is OK...

 

We find Princess to be so full of activities that we can never do them all! And we go morning, noon & night...type A personality!

 

And my husband & I are both teachers...and while we prefer to vacation when the children are not in school, cost is a big factor. If your children are held accountable for missed work, it is not a big deal.

 

We find if you do anytime dining, show up before 6 for no wait. DH does dress shirt/pants/tie only for formal night. Jacket is too warm & cumbersome. He has never been turned away.

 

I agree w/ the comment on smoke...with all restaurants/bars being smokefree, I have gotten remarkably sensitive to smoke! (I grew up w/ 2 parents who smoked!) And boy I could tell when we had parked ourselves near the smoking section! BUT the good news is that I ONLY noticed this when we were within 3 feet of a smoking section...

[Oh2Travel]

Embarkation fair--no advantage to being platinum members. Cabin service excellent. Cabin was on aloha mid ship--typical Princess digs. May have been somewhat smaller than other cabins we've had. Dining room service was poor/adequate/excellent depending on which DR and which night. Food adequate but we were disappointed in the selection, especially if going to evening buffet. They really must think about eliminating the nightly "themes" at Caribe Cafe--if you want traditional fare and don't feel like going to the DR, you're out of luck if you don't care for particular type of food. The food just did not wow us. Enjoyed the shows (3 production shows--impressive in a one week cruise) and the guest entertainers were enjoyable. Need to shake it up w/ entertainers though--if you are a regular repeat Princess cruiser, you see the same things over and over. Main show room seats about a third of the passengers so plan to arrive at last 30-45 minutes early,esp on formal nights. Art auctions fun--our friend is now hooked on art (we didn't buy this time). The guys enjoyed the wii activities and sports events.

Princess Cays and St Thomas excellent, though the Crown docking area was disappointing as was the 4pm departure time. Curtailed our activity to town beach and shopping on St Martin d/t recent hurricane damage reports. Grand Turk was our least favorite stop. Beach was in bad condition and cruise center was very crowded d/t hurricane damage. There's really nothing to do there now except shop and drink good (but overpriced) margaritas at Margaritaville. Many tours canceled on GT as well as St Martin. They really need to add a sea day or pick another island until GT is up and operating. Enjoyed my coffee card and would recommend it if the taste of your coffee is important to you. We didn't notice a large number of children--typical # for this time of year. Seas relatively calm the entire week. Disembarkation smooth and efficient. Had a good time w/ our friends but not our favorite Princess ship or sailing.

[rianvi]

Thank you for answering my questions. We can't wait to cruise in Feb. on the Crown.

 

KKB...Thank you for the info about anytime dining. My DH does the same but usually has a coat with him but will probably leave it home this time, with all of the luggage costs now. We have never been to a Margaritaville before. Can you tell me a bit about it? Is there a cost, activities, etc.?

 

Thank you

Anna

[brian72]

Margaritaville was great. The pool was a refreshing break from the salt water and the crowded beach. Food and drinks are a little expensive but after spending several thousand dollars for the cruise, airfare, etc i wasn't going to complain about a few extra bucks for drinks. I had no interest in shopping in Grand Turk except for a few souvenirs. I do know that the bigger shopping areas were on St Thomas and St Maarten and from past cruises, the better deals on jewelry, liquor, wine and cigars was on these two stops.

[pjs9876]

At Margaritaville can you use your ship account or must you use cash/credit cards?

[brian72]

No shipboard account accepted at any port except Princess Cays. Margaritaville is not connected with Princess, bring cash.

Also, some of the shops are still unable to accept credit dur to communication problems from the hurricane damage so bring extra cash to this port.

[Oh2Travel]

We used cash and cc at the shops( in the cruise center) and at Jimmy Buffett's bar.

[pjs9876]

Thanks-just needed to check to be sure:) Yhanks for the quick reply.

[eetonaee]

Thank you for posting this review. We will be on the Crown in Feb.

 

Questions....

 

In St. Thomas where did the Crown dock???

 

Anyone that did anytime dining...did things run smoothly? We usually do Traditional but have decided to try anytime this cruise.

 

Just wondering about the dress for formal nights. Did most men wear tuxes/suits?

 

eetonaee...You mentioned the golf carts. Did they seat four or two? Were there enough available? We are thinking of doing this. Are you able to get around easily with the carts and get to the beach, etc.?

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Anna

 

There were only about 8-10 golf carts available so I would suggest gettting off the ship as soon as you can and walking through the "theme park" and out past the taxis to the road. Cash only by the way.

 

They seat two comfortably. Two more could sit in the back but you are facing backwards. I'm sure it would also slow down the vehicle.

 

You can get around very easily. We only found a small beach near the shopping area. We didn't have a map so there may have been other beaches we missed. You should have no problem with access.

 

 

For those who don't like long lines at embarkation I can tell you that we spent time with friends in Florida for lunch and did some shopping. We were dropped off at the ship just after 2pm. Our bags were taken by the porters, we walked right up to the registration area and were on the ship and walking to our room in under 10 minutes.

[KKB]

Princess Cays doesn't do much for me...

 

We LOVED Grand Turk...the shopping area was nice, if not cheap. But it was higher quality merchandise (Fresh Produce tees last like iron, even if $25; beats the 4/$10 tees at St. Martin). Margaritavilles are always expensive...TIP: do NOT buy the frozen margaritas. They come out of a machine & I really question the amount of alcohol in them. Order the ULTIMATE marg for about the same price...I watched that guy pour in about 80% alcohol. It tasted remarkably great, and a couple of those & I was good to go! ;)Pretty good value if you ask me!:p

 

We just planted ourselves in a few beach chairs along the pool, swam, listened to the DJ, drank (of course!), watched the DJ games (OK, PARTICIPATED in Mrs. Margaritaville...I was coersed (sp?)...I'm sure the margs had nothing to do w/ that...but I did shake my booty to LOW:eek:)

 

Embarkation...long lines early; the 2 cruises we have rolled in about 3:30 due to flying in that day we just walked right on w/ NO lines...just another tip! Find a nice spot on port to relax with lunch, maybe a few cocktails (for a bit less than on the ship!) and roll in a bit later.