CB Review 8/4-8/13 VERY LONG!

[BalconyGal]

***Sorry in advance for any typo's my netbook has a keyboard the size of postage stamp, please forgive me***

 

Caribbean Princess NY R/T Bermuda & Eastern Caribbean 8/4-8/13

On this sailing me (Heather) & my partner both 32, we have sailed princess 6 times. I am an unabashed Princess cheerleader however I will try my best to present things in a fair light.

 

 

I wrote this review on a daily basis so it may almost read like a live from..also it is very long.

 

 

and for Colo-

 

 

Karl Austin Staff Captain

Francesco Colofato Chief Technical Officer

Peter Hollinson Passenger Services Director

Dan Styne Cruise Director

Carol Lewis Senior Doctor

Tim Ellis First Purser F&B

Anthony Pollendine First Purser Admin.

Robert Williams Environmental Officer

Andres Garcia Executive Housekeeper

Antonio Cereda Executive Chef

Guiseppe Franchina Maitre d'Hotel

Sam Deputy Cruise Director

 

 

Embarkation in Brooklyn was a breeze, helped a lot by the fact that we are platinum and were able to embark first. Embarkation began at about 11:45, first stop the sanctuary. It was like a scene from the amazing race, three couples racing up the stairs from deck 16 to get to the sanctuary. We arrived second. The sanctuary is beautiful to be sure, however it is the sanctuary stewards who really make this a special place. I had read about Ari & Mark and they are amazing! They are very attentive, friendly and accommodating. I am not sure how early the sanctuary sold out however I do know that friends of ours who were in the third group to embark snagged the next to last pair of seats.

 

 

The first night everyone seemed tired and the ship was quite quiet. There were the usual Welcome aboard shows, Dinner included Prime Rib, Veal and a home-style selection of chili.

It was early to bed for us because we did not sleep too well the night before (too excited!)

 

 

Wed. Day 2 At sea After breakfast and a quick trip the international cafe for some coffee it was sanctuary time. We were greeted by name (!) and we walked to our chairs which were covered in towels The sun was strong however the breeze kept us feeling very comfortable. Lunch was a slice of pizza which is very good. Crisp, crunchy yet chewy crust Trust me as a New Yorker, and further as a Brooklyn girl I know good pizza and this pizza is good. The water was slightly rough, it was no issue to us however the lotus pool was closed because the water was sloshing round the pool and splashing as high as the next deck up. We spent the entire day in the sanctuary then headed to the cabin to get ready for dinner. we ate at the Crown Grill. The black and blue soup was delicious. I am not a blue cheese fan but I tried it anyway and man am I glad I did. I also tried the goat cheese spinach salad it was very good too For my entree I had the porterhouse, it was tender and delicious. My partner had the lamb and she said it was delicious as well. All the sides come as family style and you can order as many as you like. we ordered the scalloped potatoes ( too salty for our tastes), the corn casserole ( delicious),and the sauteed mushrooms (good). Dessert was for me the chocolate obsession and for DP the Crown dessert sampler. We were stuffed heading out of there, we headed back to the cabin to change out of our formal attire and got up to muts just in time to see the opening credits for Duplicity.

 

 

Day 3 Bermuda we have been to Bermuda before on the original Pacific Princess NY-Bermuda so we stayed in our sanctuary chairs and enjoyed the quiet. The ship was a ghost town until about 3 when everyone started to head back to the ship...and more specifically to the buffet. I am sitting in my sanctuary chair right now typing this as we are getting ready to set sail for San Juan.

 

 

A few things, the buffet is a madhouse with people entering from both sides, cutting into line, and just general madness I cannot tell you how many times in 48 hours I have almost been knocked over with a full plate.

 

 

Stateroom, we have what a fellow CC'er said is the holy grail of cabins....C753. It is a regular balcony cabin with a wake-view and extra large covered balcony. We are having a real problem enjoying it however because of the couple in the suite next door who have spent every waking minute on the balcony chain smoking. It is only a problem because it has exacerbated my asthma. Disclaimer: I am not judging, or trying to turn this into a smoking thread just sharing our experience. So the balcony has been practically unusable to us. It is very large though, with 2 “loungers” and 2 regular chairs. It also has a small table. Our room steward “Stewart” is named Raymundo and he is excellent! The cabin is very quiet, and the wake is beautiful and peaceful. The Air conditioning has not been an issue at all except for the hallway midship on caribe deck it was warm. Also the aft end of the ship where our stateroom is shudders and shakes sometimes quite violently especially when docking.

 

 

 

 

We signed up for the UST and the Chef's table upon embarkation. Tomorrow is the UST and we still haven't heard anything yet however I am still holding out some hope. No word on the Chef's table either. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Well we are about to leave and I am roasting so off to jump into the lotus pool and cool off for a bit before the nights festivities.

 

 

 

 

Right after I wrote then upon returning to the cabin we had the letters for the UST and later the chef's table. Upon arrival at the Island Dining Room we saw the first chef's table in progress. There were things on fire, and food hanging from hooks all along the table and everyone looked tipsy and happy.

 

Day 4 At sea. We had the chef's table meeting at 11:30 the Maitre d'Hotel just asked if we were ok with the guidelines -closed toe shoes, clean clothing etc- and asked if anyone had any allergies or food issues. We have one person allergic to shellfish, which is fine.

We then had the UST at 1:45 pm. The tour started at the Princess theatre then took us to the galley, the food storage areas, the engine control room, the print shop, the photo lab, the laundry,the medical center, the funnel and the bridge. The tour was wonderful, everyone is so excited to show you their workspace and what they do. The view from the bridge has to be seen to be believed. It is amazing. The captain was friendly, and very funny It was a lovely tour and a nice opportunity to see things you would never get to see.

Tonight was Italian night in the dining room. The menu included chicken in marsala wine, and pot roast.

 

 

On thing abut the dining room-the Island in particular-twice now out of 4 nights we have been seated at tables that have not been fully set. which is not a big deal by itself however no one came by for a 10-15 minutes and when they did they didn't notice the missing place settings. Once I can understand but twice is a bit strange to me. I just pointed it out and it was quickly made right. No big deal at all, but in fairness I thought I should included the good and not so good.

 

 

Later that night we saw the hypnotist who did a late night adults only show and it was hilarious and amazing.

 

 

Day 5 We are about to dock in San Juan and head off to the ATV safari excursion.

 

 

 

 

We are back and a 3 hour tour turned into 5 ½ hours. We were told that the ride to the ATV and back would be 30-45 mins each way. It was 3 hours total! Without traffic! The ATV ride was great fun, not a fast thrill ride by any means, just a bumpy meandering however iwe knew we would be stuck on a stuffy bus so long we would have reconsidered. After returning to the ship we made our way to the sanctuary where we tried to enjoy an hour or so of relaxation. We were greeted with icy towels and a cool evian spray for our face. After a while we decided to get ready and head out to Old San Juan, we spent a couple of hours walking around we were docked at pier 4 in front of the Sheraton hotel. We returned after 9:30 and decided to just head to Cafe Caribe for dinner. They had a nice selection of pastas, chicken, and salads.

 

 

Day 6 We arrived in St. Thomas today however we have decided to stay onboard since we have already been here and are not much for shopping. We spent the entire day lazing around the sanctuary and lotus pool. Not much to report during the day. we headed back to the cabin around 5 to get ready for the Chef's Table.

 

 

We met everyone around 7 p.m. in the piazza and donned our white lab coats. We marched through the dining room to everyone's curious stares, and after a brief orientation of the galley we were gathered around a table set up for us with place settings. Champagne was poured all around and the food began pouring out. The captain also joined us and he was enjoying the special food as much as we were. And I have to say the Chef was wonderful too. Ok, to the food. We have 7 (!) appetizers in the galley. Only about 5 of them were on the menu the other 2 were specials that the Chef threw in. I will try to remember all of them, and I did take a picture of everything for the review as well. I will post them as soon as I can.

 

 

Here is the menu:

 

 

Blue Crab Margarita with Avocado & Mango

Alaska Salmon Tartare with Wasai and Pickled Ginger

Bistro Mini Quiche with Fontina Cheese and Black Truffle

Red liss Potatoes ith Sour Cream and Sevruga Caviar

Braised Escargot, Vol-au-Vent

Lobster Claw with Herbed Tartar Sauce

Sushi Bites

We then were served Billini's and haded out of the galley trough the dining room. We took off our lab coats, then were brought downstairs to the Island Dining Room to our table. The table was set beautifully with flowers and candles. We were served Gratinated Dumplings Parisienne and a wonderful white wine. They were not shy about refilling your wine glass either. After the dumplings we had a Raspberry Ginger Sherbet that the chef generously drowned in Grey Goose Vodka.

The chef then brought out three Medieval Spikes dripping with Beef, Veal and Pork with baby corn and tomatoes. The chef then proceeded to repeatedly set the whole spike on fire. It was a spectacular sight. You were then served the meat or meats of your choice. The waiters came around with a Merlot and the vegetables, and to help you choose a sauce for your meat. The sauces included Au Jus with salsa Verde, Bearnaise Sauce, and Green Peppercorn sauce.

 

 

This was followed by Baked Brie with Pine nuts in Port Wine Reduction and Walnut Bread.

 

 

And last but not least was an amazing dessert. The entire table was wowed by this creation. It was Iced Amaretto Strawberry Parfait, Fresh berries with Marsala Scented Sabayon Foam. It tasted very good but the thing that really wowed the whole table was the fact that the entire plate, contents and cover was edible It looked like a beautiful bird cage with a swan on top, a pink scalloped edge plate, and the parfait inside. The plate and cover was all made from sugar You should have seen 12 adults breaking their plates apart and eating them! We were also served a dessert wine with our parfaits.

The chef then handed a rose to each of the ladies and a signed cookbook to each of the couples with a copy of menu. It was a wonderful night and we were in no rush to leave however the Island deck party was starting and so we headed upstairs for that. It was fun the typical island night party if you have been to one before you know, it was crowded, there were streamers everywhere and line dances. We then headed to Skywalkers as it was 90's night and met a few cruise critic friends up there.

 

 

Day 7 Grand Turk, we headed out to the Horseback Ride & Swim. Our driver gave us an excellent tour as we drove to the beach, the island is beautiful and has been so devastated by Hurricane Ike last year. The ride was so fun, and the horses actually galloped through the water. We then headed to Margarittaville so we could hit the swim-up bar it was pretty crowded and the water was so hot it was like bathwater. We then headed to the sanctuary to watch the sailaway. Our chairs were already covered up so we sat on the small green chairs and enjoyed the scenery. The serenity stewards kept offering to set up our chairs for us but we didn't want to make more work for them.

 

 

Day 8 & Day 9 were identical....At Sea enjoying the sanctuary and Lotus pool. On day 9 we took advantage of the last minute spa special and got massages. We saw the comedian and the magician 3 times including a late night adult show on day 8.

 

 

We used the express walk off to disembark. We were off the ship and after a 15 minutes cab ride home at 8:15 in the morning.

 

 

A few other points, the casino was impossible to use for someone with asthma issues. We simply walked through and our clothing and hair smelled of smoke for the whole night. There were 3 occasions that the casino was smoke free for a few hours at a time however I didn't go in at those times so I cannot say how it was.

 

 

Also the embarkation dining room lunch was an issue. It was listed in the patter, when you go they claim there is no such lunch that day, when pressed they said it's a private function. They then say maybe they can accommodate you and after insisting they will seat you. It is a very frustrating way to start your cruise. They should just not list the option if they don't want anyone to use it.

 

 

The wi-fi was excellent shipwide, we used our laptop in the sanctuary, on our aft balcony, and everywhere else.

 

 

MUTS was a disappointment to us, they didn't show any movies that we were interested in. we went to one movie and left after about 20 mins.

 

 

We brought champagne onboard and at a few ports were able to bring on an additional bottle each. Just show that it is champagne (or wine) and they let you take it onboard.

 

 

All in all we had a wonderful cruise, we don't let little things ruin our fun and relaxation. We met some very nice people from our roll-call and had a nice time with them. We have booked the CB next year as well Can't wait!

 

Thank you for reading.

 

 

-Heather

[RickEk]

Thanks for the great review.

 

Who was the Captain? You missed him in your list. :p We were on the 6/29 voyage and enjoyed ourselves too... The only point where we differ was on the embarkation lunch. We had no problems at all. It was business as usual and we had a great lunch.

[jbrambach]

Wow! Excellent review, very detailed. Thank you for the info on the Chef's Table (hope I get picked:D) and bringing champange onboard. Glad you had a great cruise. Thanks again:)

[sunsetbeachgal]

Great review...thanks! Whenever we splurge on a balcony, seems as if we are always downwind from heavy smokers too...

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks Heather!!

 

Great review!!

[BalconyGal]

How silly of me...the captain was Atillio Guerrini and he was wonderful. We met him several times, the UST, the Chef's Table and the cocktail party and he was always very nice.

[Luv2escape]

Heather:

Thanks for the great review. We are sailing on CB 8/22-8/29. We are also Platinum as this is our seventh cruise with Princess. We have two questions for you: 1. WiFi for platinum: Is it free or at a reduced rate. Was it very slooooow? I have a HP Netbook and will be checking e-mail...

2. What is the cost for the UST?

Thanks

Dot&Paul ;):)

[BalconyGal]

We got a $100 credit each for our internet so we each bought the 250 minute package. I think the platinum internet credit for a voyage less than 8 days might be $75.00. I would ask the manager at the internet cafe.

 

we never had any issues connecting with our laptop in any location in the ship and the service was much faster than I thought it was going to be. It wasn't high speed but it wasn't slow. We never even came close to using our 500 mins.

 

The UST is $150. per person.

 

have a great time.

[montgomeryfamily]

Heather, I have a question about the Sanctuary. Are there steps to climb up to get there? One of our party is in a wheelchair and cannot climb up steps. Thanks.

[BalconyGal]

Yes the only way to get up to the sanctuary is to take a flight of stairs. Perhaps you can try the aft pool for an adults only area. It seemed very nice and peaceful and the wake is beautiful.

[caribill]

Some people have posted that there is an elevator for those whose mobility is impaired, but it is not located in an obvious way. Check with the Spa people once onboard.

[rcacace]

I hope you commented on the smoke situation on your balcony so they might consider a future change in policy.

[kendon]

Just as important to many is the fact that you have to walk through the smokey casino to get to the Princess theater. We were told that they will be relocating the casino to that area to many other ships during their next drydocks to improve casino activity.

[LunaMoon]

I believe there are other routes to the Princess Theater besides walking through the casino.

 

DH and I were on the CB last week, and we took two alternate routes: we walked passed the Crown Grill to a hallway to the Princess Theater; or we walked in the new corridor next to the Art Gallery to the Theater.

 

I too am troubled by cigarette smoke; but there were other choices rather than walking through the casino.

 

Also, I recall that there were some days and nights that the casino was designed a "smoke free area." If I remember correctly, these smoke free times were posted in the Patter.

[Colo Cruiser]

You can enter through deck 6 coming in at the front of the theater.

[LunaMoon]

Yes, Colo Cruiser is right.

 

Deck 6 is the deck I referred to with the new corridor next to the art gallery (starborard, right).

 

And the same Deck 6 (port side, left) is the route passed the Crown Grill.

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/cb/deck_plans/index.html

 

Deck 6, Fiesta - (2 alternate routes that merge into one)

Deck 7, Promenade - (through the casino)

[kendon]

The new corridor you are referring to is between the new window suites and the new Crown Grill/Tour desk area. It does not run along side the the art gallery, which is on deck 5 (Plaza). Sure you can get to the Princess Theater without going through the casino, but you have to go up and then back down a flight of stairs....or down and then up. However, the most direct route without stairs or elevator is through the casino. We were told it brings more people in to the casino (naturally). I found it annoying along with many others.

[RickEk]

If you want to avoid the casino, just go outside to the Promenade. There are doors leading back in right at the entrance to the Princess Theater.