Caribbean Princess concerns

[rebeccalouise]

Having just gotten off Independence of the Seas (RC) which was really crowded- I longed to be back on Princess.

 

I just book a Canadian cruise on Caribbean Princess but now I see that they carry 500 more passengers than Sapphire and Grand (which I sailed previously).

 

For those that have cruised Caribbean Princess, would you say that the ship absorbs the extra 500 passengers or should I pick a different Princess ship?

 

I just don't want to feel like a sardine.

[DonnaK]

While we loved our NE/Canada cruise on the Caribbean Princess, the ship did not seem large enough for the number of people aboard. (We are used to RCI's Voyager class ships, which have a greater space-to-passenger ratio). The theater only seats 800 passengers, and there were 3100 on our sailing. There are only 2-3 stalls in each restroom, so there was usually a long line. The wait time for anytime dining was around 1 hour long at earlier times. The buffet was very crowded too, and it was difficult finding a seat. This was a largely geriatric cruise, and they walk slower (crowding up the passageways), eat earlier, use the elevators more regularly (making them very crowded), etc.

 

Having said all this, we are planning another cruise on the CB. We just considered the crowd a part of the cruise experience, and found ways to get arond it, such as getting to the theatre early, and eating at non-prime times.

[zacc]

Just sailed the CB Sept'08 and did not have the same experience as the last poster. I did not find the ship to have a crowded feel despite the fact that we sailed full. Like every ship I have been on there are certainly times and locations were a crowd seems to form or there is a line. With the expanded atrium area since drydock can't wait to sail on her again this March.

[Clutterlady]

Sailed the CB in May, 08. Loved, loved, loved the Caribbean Princess. We sailed with a full ship and with the exception of the theater, never experienced crowding! We had anytime dining and with the exception of 1 formal night, never had a wait and ate dinner between 7:30 and 8:00 pm.

 

Would love to sail on her again......have a wonderful time:)

[sprite]

sorry - double post

[sprite]

I thought the ship/passenger/crew ratio wasn't right. They added an extra deck of cabins without increasing anything else. The bartenders always seemed too busy, the waiters were rushed, and there was always trouble finding a seat in the theater (and I often went there solo).

 

I'm a fan on the RCCL Voyager Class also but am going to give Princess another try on the Ruby next year.

[rebeccalouise]

Thanks for your input. I am glad that I know what to expect. I'll stick with our plan- since we can drive to the ship and it is a good price and the exact week that I am available to travel.

 

I am sure we will have fun. Better to know ahead of time what you are getting yourself into.

[cruiserjanet]

I was concerned about the amount of passengers on the CB too until we got on her. There were a few places you noticed it (like the Buffet) but other than that, it was like being on any other ship. We would definitely go on the CB again. She was beautiful when we were on her in 2007 and now that she's emerged from drydock, I can only imagine how much better she looks.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We sailed the CB in December last year and didn't notice significant over-crowding; the buffet area got the most congested, as it does on many ships. At times it was hard to find a seat.

 

The ship was very full and I was worried about getting a seat in the theater, but we were easily able to get good seats even though we only went 10 minutes or so early. I didn't notice lines in the restrooms either, but our cabin was on Riviera far aft, so it was quicker to head back to the cabin (one deck down from Lido) then hunt up a restroom, normally.

 

We always found lounge chairs when we wanted to; we don't care if we're by the pools or not, though. We did Anytime dining and never waited in line more than 5 minutes or so; we do like to sit at larger tables, though. I've heard tables for two have longer waits.

 

We'd certainly sail the CB again.

[PrincessE]

I sailed the CB in Oct 07 and I'm booked to sail on Feb 8 for a back to back in the Southern Caribbean.

 

I LOVE Princess. I love how they have a great passenger/space ratio. While the CB is huge, I always found plenty of quiet places to read or lay out. The buffet can get a little hectic around popular times, but you find that anywhere.

 

Princess' cabins are the biggest out there which is another reason we sail with them. I didn't feel over crowded on the CB. We're looking forward to our upcoming sailing.

[NJ04SS]

I'm glad to hear that the ship doesn't feel crowded, we are cruising in July so I'm sure it will be packed, but then again, with the Economy I am not sure how busy it will be....I read that this last cruise people felt the movement even in calm waters, I can take movement but did any previous cruisers experience this as well?

[Clutterlady]

I'm glad to hear that the ship doesn't feel crowded, we are cruising in July so I'm sure it will be packed, but then again, with the Economy I am not sure how busy it will be....I read that this last cruise people felt the movement even in calm waters, I can take movement but did any previous cruisers experience this as well?

 

We sailed out of NY in May. Although you never can predict what the seas will be like, we were fortunate enough to have seas like glass......honestly felt very little movement:)

[PescadoAmarillo]

Princess' cabins are the biggest out there which is another reason we sail with them.

I don't disagree with any of your points, except I'm not sure this one statement is correct, particularly when it comes to balcony cabins. Both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have larger balcony cabins than Princess. As for inside cabins on the Grand class ships, I think the sq. footage is actually lower than on, say, Celebrity, but the Princess storage is way better.

 

To the OP...we were just on the Emerald, not the Caribbean but very similar layout. We didn't sense the additional 500 passengers except in the theater, lounges and atrium after the shows let out. I was actually really pleased and surprised that it didn't seem any more crowded. It will be interesting to compare it to the Voyager class ships in a few weeks with about the same number of passengers but a higher space ratio. We'll see if space ratio accurately represents how the ship feels and how well the space is utilized.

[sherman931]

I have often wonder, where are all the 3,000+ people? :D With the exception of a beautiful sea day when it seems everyone is at the pool, rarely viewed the shop as being crowded.

[seacruise9]

Thanks for these posts. They make me feel better about cruising on the Caribbean Princess this April. Although I had some concern that the ship may be crowded, I couldn't resist the incredible price and great itinerary.

 

Chuck

[obnurse]

I hope you enjoy CB as much as we did! I'd sail her again in a heartbeat! Had a great time, and found ways to deal with the occasional crowded areas.

[Maraprince]

By comparison to the Crown, does the Caribbean Princess have covered balconies or are they tiered like on the Crown with less coverage on the higher decks?

 

Are the cabins larger or smaller than the Crown?

 

 

MARAPRINCE

[Clutterlady]

By comparison to the Crown, does the Caribbean Princess have covered balconies or are they tiered like on the Crown with less coverage on the higher decks?

 

Are the cabins larger or smaller than the Crown?

 

 

MARAPRINCE

 

Although I haven't sailed the Crown, the balconies are tiered on the CB. I believe the cabins are the same:)

[cruisinfever]

Just got off the CB on Sunday. Never felt crowded on this ship. Just found it very difficult to navigate. I was always lost and going the wrong direction to my destination. After sailing Princess for the first time, although we had a great cruise, I still prefer Royal Caribbean.

[go&see]

I think it was harder to get around the CB this past week because of the construction areas that were closed off. The biggest thing that helped me was knowing about the colour-coded carpets. For anyone that hasn't read this helpful tidbit - the carpets in the hallways to the cabins are different for port & starboard. There was red in the port side carpets & the starboard ones were all blue. Helped immensely whenever we got off the stairs or elevators on our floor to find our room. I also liked that because it was slightly tricky to get around that I was still finding new spots on the last day. I'd like to try a 10 day cruise next so I can explore even more!

-Stacey.

ps my fave spot on the CB was way up on deck 17 (I think) by Morgan's Bar & the splash pool/plunge pool/hot tub combo. Not too crowded either. Plus, instead of looking for a seat in the buffet every day I ate my breakfast out on the Horizon Terrace by the pool. Why sit inside when I could be out in the sun?

[herb]

we sailed on sister ship CROWN. You WILL notice the crowds at showtime in the different venues. Always tons of people who can't find a seat. SRO for us each and every show we went to. :(

 

.... but other than that we enjoyed the cruise...

[Sandytoes]

We sailed on the CB twice and doing it again.

 

Never felt crowded, So, don't worry you won't feel like a sardine. ;)

[rebeccalouise]

Not to bash Royal Caribbean- the ship I just got off was clean, the service was great, our cabin was lovely, the ship handled well but the dang crowds really ruined it for me.

 

I didn't care for Radiance either but for other reasons- the ship decor is not my style and I don't like all the green glass.

 

We really didn't like our first RC cruise on Sovereign either.

 

I guess it is just the vibe of each ship and each cruise line. RC bills itself as an active cruise and it is- it is a high energy, vegas type atmosphere.

 

Princess is more my cup of tea and I am sure that we will have fun. I think it is going to be really hard to beat our experience on Grand through the British Isles though!