Caribbean Princess Review
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About Us Jim (64) and I (59) have been cruising for about 10 years. This is our 18th cruise; Seawind Crown, HAL (6 on Zuiderdam, 7 on others), Celebrity Century, NCL Norway, RCI (Enchantment, Brilliance, Majesty), and this Caribbean Princess. We have been spoiled by HAL, and have come to expect certain amenities that Princess could have, but did not offer. We went into this cruise with the notion that this bigger, newer ship would offer at least as much as HAL does, and perhaps that was our mistake. The only reason we booked this ship is because our favorite HAL Zuiderdam is in Alaska, and we do not care to go there. Period.
Overview As expected, the Caribbean Princess is a beautiful ship. The color scheme, art work and furnishings in general were lovely, and flowed beautifully. The physical layout is somewhat clumsy, as there are two spots where 'you can't get there from here', if you know what I mean. Some elevators only went to certain floors, and you have to navigate to the other end of the ship to get the right elevator. Even the convenient pocket-sized ship map didn't help much. We still had to go to the Atrium to see where we were. With the exception of Ernie, our cabin steward, Raj, the waiter, and the entire Casino staff, the level of service was way below par. I believe 'Anytime Dining' impairs the bonding necessary to attain that 'homey' feeling.
Embarkation Travel to Port Everglades was uneventful, and we arrived at the Pier at around 11:30. We waited outside in a looooooong line for the terminal doors to open at noon. Crying children, complaining passengers, rap music and constant ear-shattering fork-lift noises did not make this wait any easier. Once inside, we waited another 20 minutes in line for check-in, and stood in the boarding line for 10 minutes when the I-Pass computer system went down, stopping the boarding process. Another 20 minutes later we were allowed to board, and were directed (not escorted) to our cabin location by attendants in the elevator lobbies. Somewhat disappointed by our Jr. Suite and the dingy balcony, we went to the Horizon Court for a bite and had a very hard time finding a table. We ended up outside in the heat and humidity for our first uncomfortable taste of CB.