At last, the review you've all been waiting for
(I was going to list all the reasons for the delay but now that it's here, there's not much point - they were all brilliantly believable though 😉😜)
(I was going to list all the reasons for the delay but now that it's here, there's not much point - they were all brilliantly believable though 😉😜)
Our Caribbean Princess Review
Embarkation
Quick and hassle free - our luggage arrived outside our room about 1½ hours after we'd set foot on the ship so it gave us chance to start unpacking early
Cabin (appearance)
Lovely.
Spotlessly clean, bright and airy and nothing about the decor looked jaded or in need of replacement.
Cabin (facilities)
The bed was a problem - sagging on both sides - I have never slept on a more uncomfortable mattress in my life......it was rock hard. T actually prefers a firmer mattress but even he couldn't get comfy.
L and C had asked for a topper as they were having the same problem & advised me to request one too - we did but I can't say it helped much and when I saw it the morning of departure*, I'm not surprised.......I've had thicker bacon butties!!!
I did notice that a few of the beds on the cabin crawl looked as worn as ours - the new mattresses can't come quick enough for me.
(*As we forgot to put a "don't disturb" sign on the door, our steward nipped in to change the bed for the new occupant while we were out saying hello to Lady Liberty and he left the topper in the wardrobe area along with all the dirty linen!
I took a picture but - wouldn't you know it - it was one of those that didn't write to the SD card.)
I took a picture but - wouldn't you know it - it was one of those that didn't write to the SD card.)
The pillows were another problem. They look lovely all plumped up but there is nothing in them, they flatten to nothing the minute you put your head on them. We both struggled and because they gave hardly any support, T ended up with a sore neck.
We didn't use the balcony very much at all but even though it was small, it's certainly big enough for 2 - we even managed to have an Ultimate Balcony Dinner out there with no problems whatsoever.
(I don't think I'd get a balcony room on a T/A again, the weather isn't really good enough to justify the cost.)
We did have 2 issues with the toilet not flushing - it wasn't blocked, it just wasn't whooshing!
(oh, that rhymes, I promise it wasn't intentional, I didn't realise I'd turned into Robert Browning until I read this back.......... I'm laughing my head off here).
I rang guest services and they had it fixed in a jiffy and I'm really glad cos it could have been iffy
(ok, ok......that was intentional.......I'll stop now)
Despite the bed, the loo and my dreadful poetry, everything else cabin-wise was fine.
Food & Drink (a subjective view!)
From the blog, you'll know that we weren't always that impressed with the food, specifically the food in the MDR. We did have some nice meals there but others were pretty bad and those bad meals outweighed the good (I still haven't eaten eggs of any kind after that huevos rancheros debacle.....honestly 😌).
Pastries, muffins and sandwiches from the IC were wonderful.
The pub lunch - terrific fish 'n chips but the peas need work (memo to Princess... they should always be marrowfat)
The pepperoni pizza from Prego's (while not as good as on the Island Princess) was still very tasty and T loved the burgers & fries from the Trident Grill.
The Horizon Court & Caribe Cafe both had some lovely food (the fish stew & Mexican lunch both get 5 stars from me) but the goodies on offer didn't always "marry up" e.g. a beef casserole needs some spuds (boiled or mashed) but during one lunch service, there weren't any (and yes, I asked).
We quite often went up to the HC and left without eating because there was nothing to 'go' with the main part of the main courses (admittedly, that could be a British thing).
The 'made to order' tapas, cheeseboard and sushi in Vines were all delicious - I'm just sorry it took us over a week to try them out.
We had some issues with drink and, as we'd bought the All Inclusive Beverage Package, we found it to be a bit of a pain, quite frankly.
The first day on board we were told they'd already run out of Coors Lite (really!!!). Miller Lite was the alternative but within 3 days, they'd ran out of that too (they did eventually get some Coors..... while we were in Flam, I think).
Merlot 🍷 stocks were hit & miss - Vines had none at one point and it was very rare to be served it when we were in the MDR. The Horizon Court gets a brownie point or 3 though because they always seemed to have some (just a pity we had to drink it from those horrible plastic glasses).
The biggest issue with eating & drinking in the buffets and atrium was seating..... or lack of it.
The notices on the tables in the HC and Caribe Cafe asking people to leave when they'd finished their food were a waste of time - nobody took any notice and nobody from the crew did anything about it 😠.
We actually saw one couple get 4 glasses of water, sit at a table for 4 and put a glass by each seat making it look like there were no spaces available - they proceeded to play cards and weren't challenged at all.
If people aren't eating or drinking or have nursed the same drink for hours just so they can play card games or mahjong then they should be asked to leave. That's fair.
It was very difficult to find a seat in the atrium too - if you wanted a snack from the International Cafe for lunch, you stood little or no chance of eating it anywhere near the IC because there were no seats/tables available as people were sitting in them to read or watch the world go by.
Obviously, passengers should be allowed to sit in the atrium to read or play cards etc....I'm not saying it should be outlawed but there should be a few chairs and tables reserved for people who only want to eat & drink. That's fair.
Entertainment (another subjective view)
Main Shows
We saw three. The first wasn't to our taste, the second was terribly amateurish and although the third (the crew show) was actually amateur night, it put #2 to shame......it was magnificent.
Xcite
The resident band - they were good. They covered a wide variety of decades and genres and (loud drummer aside) we both quite enjoyed listening to them.
Fun/games and quizzes
All a good laugh and a round of applause should go to every one of the passengers who joined in and made them so much fun for the rest of us watching from the sidelines.
There was certainly enough going on for a 'sunny' cruise where people can also laze by the pool, have a swim, play golf or just go for a walk but for a cruise like this, when the weather is so bad that passengers are stuck inside 24/7, I think more entertainment could have been laid on.
Casino
We aren't big gamblers but I did enjoy playing (and losing) on the slot machines.
I don't know if they allowed smoking in there all the time or just on specific days but sometimes it smelled very strongly of cigarette smoke.
In room TV
Repeats, repeats, repeats....mainly of Downton Abbey & The Love Boat.
I'm surprised that Princess doesn't have some 'on demand' system in place yet. Maybe something will be installed during the CB's drydock?!
The Staff (and passengers)
Some MDR staff lacked a bit of oomph and service could be very slow (or when they went missing, non existant) but they mostly did a good job.
Buffet - again, sometimes a bit slow but the thing I really noticed was a lack of interaction - apart from having a laugh with one of the waiters during our first afternoon on board, no-one spoke to us unless it was to answer a good morning greeting or to ask about what drink we wanted.
The bar staff were all excellent (particularly Kelvin & Don in Crooners)
Main entertainment team - superb
Generally, all members of the crew were very friendly, always willing to help and gave the impression that nothing was too much trouble. Sometimes, they were treated very shabbily by the people they were serving or trying to help and I found it quite embarrassing to watch.
Here's a message to those few people who feel entitled to treat people who work in the hospitality/cruise industry like they are some kind of sub-species.......
A please or a thank you goes a long way, clicking fingers to get attention isn't very nice and barking orders at someone standing 6 inches away from you is just plain boorish.
Get your act together folks, the crews help to turn our cruises into wonderful experiences and treating them poorly, despite being looked after so phenomenally well by them, just makes you look stupid & ignorant.
That said, 99.99% of the passengers were fab 😁- it was lovely to get in the lift of a morning (or anytime, really) and be greeted with a chorus of hellos, "have a nice day" and "enjoy your trip" or whatever. It really put a smile on my face.
Chatting like long lost friends to people at the bars, lounges and dining rooms was wonderful - we heard such incredible life stories. People were more than happy to give advice (even if we didn't want it, ha ha) and, with us still being relative cruise newbies, some of it was invaluable.
To those (roughly) 3,168 people - thank you xxxx
and finally............
The Ship (public areas)
We saw nothing of the "tired and worn" appearance so many people had mentioned prior to our cruise.
I can't even bring myself to spin the standard "well for a 12 year old ship, she's in good condition" blurb - it would imply that we forgave a few 'issues' because she's getting on a bit..........well, we just didn't see any 'issues'. There was nothing that alarmed us or made us think "oh dear, that needs sorting out"
If we got back on her tomorrow and she was in the exact same condition, I'd not only be happy because I was taking another cruise, I'd be happy because I was back on the Caribbean Princess.
If you'd like to read about what we got up to in Orlando, check out the tabs at the top of the page (starting with "And so to Orlando").
I may combine them with the blog at a later date but for now, I'm keeping them separate.
I may combine them with the blog at a later date but for now, I'm keeping them separate.