Crown Princess Review

7 days of pure relaxation!

Review for the Southern Caribbean Cruise on Crown Princess
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Allston29
First Time Cruiser • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Mar 2008

Southern Caribbean Cruise - March 22nd 2008 - Crown Princess. So after a stressful week trying to get done with work and find time to pack I eventually put my head on the pillow at midnight the night before I left. When the alarm went off at 4.30am I was nowhere near as exhausted as I thought I would be.....amazing the vacation switch that occurs! I live 10 min from Logan airport in Boston so getting to the airport was fast and check in a breeze. When I reached the gate the flight was boarding already. Pretty smooth start! Tried to get the Dunkin Donuts coffee to fully wake up however the line was not moving so defected to Starbucks which I have to say is not coffee I prefer. It always tastes too strong or has been brewed for too long, .....maybe that's why there was no line, however did do the trick. While seated I watched the fellow passengers come on board the full flight and couldn't help notice how stressful this process is for some people. I enjoy people watching and being the solo traveler it's a great pass time and gives lots of free entertainment. So, on this stress, for many it's clearly a personal space issue as they wince as somebody passing accidently or not as the case may be hits off them or just gets "elevator close". I am also intrigued by the people who just hurry to stand still. Traveling a lot with my job I have it down to a fine art of stepping out of the aisle, getting my stuff out that I need for the flight and loading the overhead bin in a few quick moves. Most that travel often have this down and have no patience for the people who travel once a year or, particularly people who are older and need more time. I will grant that on a delta shuttle to La Guardia at 7am I too can get irked but I am pretty sure 90% of the flight was on vacation. Really does take time to switch off......some unfortunately don't even by the end of vacation. The flight has all types of people on board young to old, family's with teenagers that would almost rather be in school than be on vacation with their parents, Spring Breakers "Wahoo!" and couples that are happy and excited and also ones that probably should have never gotten married and do nothing but nip pick and disagree for the sake of disagreeing. One of the more reaffirming reasons for traveling solo and the people I tend to get the best kick out of as an observer! Flight arrives in San Juan at 10am so I decide to kill time there before heading to the port (don't fancy standing in line waiting for the gate to open). I have my laptop with me, hence the detail musings of the travel experience. This is my third cruise in as many years , the first I tried as something different and really enjoyed it, all have been solo. I really enjoy a week away alone once a year to recharge the battery and do as little as possible! I am late 30's relaxed (at least on vacation? ) and go on the cruise just to chill out, enjoy the sunshine and hopefully meet some nice people along the way. So on to the Taxi and to the ship. $20 from the airport easy trip takes about 20 min. There was a line outside for embarkation but it was moving and entire embarkation took about half hour including duty free stop. For anybody who has been on the crown before you still can't help but notice the classy style dEcor, it's just what you would expect if it were your first cruise. I have an inside cabin on the Aloha deck (was upgraded from an M to an L two weeks ago). Having done the ocean view and balcony before I was hoping being in an inside would not disappoint. Sure it's no balcony but that was an extra $900 so did not fit in the budget. However it's by no means claustrophobic and perfect for 1. I will give props for the lighting choices; they do make the room seem bigger with all the mirrors so this also helps. My room steward is Ramon from the Philippines and he does a wonderful job and asks only that I place the please service sign in the door key when I leave in the morning and evening. This is great as it means no knocking early in the morning. Once settled I ate and headed off the ship to wander around old San Juan. It really is a nice place with narrow streets, some still cobbled and an air about the place the is very welcoming. I visited the Castillo San Cristobal historic site, which provides good history of San Juan along with wonderful views. Upon returning to the ship I relaxed on deck with a book watched all the people wandering round the ship getting their baring and mostly getting lost. After a nap it was time to Muster which was handled well as always, I did get a sense of how full the ship was as the drill room was packed at least twice as many than the last time on the Crown a year ago. I ate in Cafe Caribe as was planning to attend the opening show at the theatre but met a very nice couple on their honeymoon who were first time to the Caribbean and first time to cruise. On Dining, I am not as driven by it as much as others so probably won't be a lot of comments. So long as it fits the description of what I ordered in the way I ordered it and tastes good, I liked it! To me it's kind of like wine. I get the difference between $5 and $15 a bottle but once you go over $25 I don't see the difference as much for there to $50. Hope that makes sense. I will comment on any meals I found outstanding though . Cafe Caribe is a good standard buffet for breakfast and lunch which is where I ate these meals most days, I like something quick for these meals and then rush back to relaxing in the sunshine ? I did eat there on this first night for dinner and had not done so before as I have done traditional dining up to now. It was fine but would not do it again; the choice was not there for me. Day 2: At Sea: First thing to remember about inside cabins, there is no light and you have no idea on time unless you have a clock. I headed to bed about midnight with 4 hours sleep from the previous night and slept right through to almost 1pm. (Which is the reason for missing the Cruise Critic meeting at 11, apologies to all), I was bummed as had been looking forward to it. Alarm clock was set from then on! I chilled on the sundeck for a few hours and then took a spin class with Paul from SA who worked us harder than I was expecting for vacation, you could practically see everybody thinking about 2 appetizers and dessert at dinner that night! Not sure on the schedule for each week , They did it twice Sun and Tue but have a whole host of classes you can sign up for on the first day for the entire week. The spin had a $10 fee and to me was well worth it. Formal night and suit on I headed for the first dining experience. I chose Da Vinci's as the line was shorter than Michael Angelo's. I had been used to traditional dining so was not sure what anytime would bring but went with it for a change. Good call...! Most people in 2's and 3's request to share so it made it very interesting to meet different people every night. This evening I sat with 2 family's who were . Given people are wearing suits I would suggest a little cooler temp than normal as it was very warm in the restaurant (apologies to the strapless dressed ladies but us gents were sweating). One family from Montana has not had a great experience getting to the ship and I will preface that if you had any gripes be glad you were not in their predicament. Due to snow they had to drive across state to a different airport and then connect in Miami and arrive in San Juan on time for the ship but with no luggage. On top of that two of their party coming from a different state also had to connect and did not make it in time. So they had to wait until Barbados for the rest of their party and clean clothes. They had not purchased the flights through Princess but were looked after and with rented attire for the formal night their spirit was up, enjoying themselves and not letting it bother them. I had such admiration for them! Please consider this type of story when being disappointed with having to wait for 5 min to be seated at dinner. After dinner I went to the show in the Princess theatre. Motown.....now I am not a professional by any stretch but Direct a lot of community theatre so production shows I enjoy and look forward to. This one was not great. I know it must be tough for the troupes performing the same shows twice a night each week for a year (yes some of their contracts are 12 months) and I take that into account the same way I would with a professional touring production. I found the dancers very committed and all numbers that they were in had a much stronger impact. The soloists had some tough staging to work with which was cheesy and it showed. Motown is also difficult to sing and while I would have said they were good for a cabaret environment, however if you add the strong production elements of light, costumes, sound and sets the overall expectations are higher on the performers. Just didn't hit for me. After this show I headed on down to the Hypnotist who was very entertaining, and though I had seen all the skits he chose before many times it was still very funny to watch different people go through it. Lot of laughs! I recommend it if you like that kind of entertainment. Day 3: Barbados I was excited to see Barbados and visit Bridgetown and a beach. I was not going on any tours on this trip so beach and town was the extent for me. Unfortunately due to the Easter holiday Bridgetown was more like Ghost Town. Nothing was open and gave it a very eerier feel. The beach I went to just past the town (can't recall the name) was really nice and after a couple of hours relaxing I headed back to the ship. I have to give a lot of props to Princess for the ships design in regards to the different types of travelers. I always sat either in the Lotus area, the area just above and behind it or up on the highest level above the Trade Winds bar. The lotus pool is an adult area and with the earthy music was so relaxing, as was the area just above it and never too crowded. The design props go for how well they control sound in each section. Less than 100ft away are a Caribbean style band belting out the tunes and just behind them is the MUTS with classic surround sound and you can hardly hear one when in another. It makes Princess more attractive as they cater to all but you can be completely separate based on your choice. There were children and especially teenagers everywhere but I did not once feel overcrowded as somebody looking for a relaxing vacation. I went to Michael Angelo's for dinner and dined with three couples, one from the UK, Indiana & Nebraska. As a native of Ireland now living in Boston it was great to have such different worlds talk about everyday life that is so dissimilar and yet the same. I think you might be getting the sense that during all that lying in the sun I gave a lot of time and thought to things like this which normally would never cross anybody's mind. After dinner I went to see the comedian Gary Delena. He had some funny stuff, worked hard but had a tough crowd who didn't always get what he was saying. I rounded the night out at "Crooners" bar on deck 7 with Brett Cave on piano. Good guy with a great voice and also really good crowd connection. If you like that Piano bar feel Crooners is good and you will enjoy Brett. Not sure you would want to go every night but it's a nice way to enjoy part of the evening. Movement on the ship was more than I had experienced before for the first few days.....not in the nausea way at all and I am the weakest traveler in that regard so would notice that. I am told it was because the previous week there had been high seas in the Atlantic and that were still causing some ruffles. Like I said more than usual - about 2 on the hanger scale (which I find a good way to measure - it's the rattling of the hangers in the closet where 1 is nothing and 5 is bashing against the wall!) after today it was very light seas for the rest of the week. Day 4: St Lucia Took it very easy and just lay by the pool and wandered into the town. As a port town I found this one the most poverty stricken on the trip. Definitely gave you some pause for thought. I didn't hang about long and was the place I felt the least safe; I also heard that a local told a passenger to be careful of his watch. I saw nothing to back this up but just a sense and something to watch out for when visiting. Next time I would definitely go see more of the island. At 4pm I went to take the second spin class of the week. This one was as good as the first, Paul who runs the class keeps it interesting and you really get a great work out. I spent some time in the sauna and steam room and then add even more lavish by having a massage. I had promised myself 2 during the trip in lieu of excursions and was not disappointed. They are more expensive than you would normally pay but you are treated really well. I had a deep tissue 50 minute today and boy did she work the muscles! I felt great after it. Back to Da Vinci's for dinner and sat with a couple from Baltimore who turned out are part of the roll call group (Amber and Mark.....with my head for names I am so glad I can recall :-) and also two couples from California. A very fun dinner, also will say the Lamb Shank was spectacular, the meat just flaked off the bone and was delicious. After dinner headed to the theatre, for the "What a swell Party" production show, which is a tongue in cheek look at the Cole Porter era. What an improvement on Motown and really an entertaining show. If you like Cole Porter you will enjoy the show, the 20's feel, costumes, choreography and overall pacing work well and it is a step away from the norm with regards to Cruise ship shows and I enjoyed the added Broadway feel. In all the shows there was a lot of "one up man ship" type comedy with pushing and upstaging as light relief, I am not sure it's necessary but can see the appeal to some audiences. Well done here to all.... Right after I headed up to meet some people on deck for the tropical island night. Maybe it was just me but this felt very unattended - maybe St Lucia exhausted everybody but for an event that started at 10.30pm it was fairly clear before midnight which was not the case the last time on the Crown , the party went on late! With the people I had met we continued well past midnight with island drinks many laughs and watching distant islands on the horizon as we sailed late into the night! I do have to mention the band "Derringer" who are on deck everyday playing in the afternoon to entertain and mostly go unnoticed by the crowd. I would like to see more variety to the music they play as after a couple of days the island sounding versions of songs start to fade to the background. This crew work hard and I enjoyed them the first couple of days but found myself reaching for the iPod on day three instead. I think there is scope here for bands to expand and the more people out there enjoying them in the sun is better for atmosphere and bar tab! Speaking of atmosphere gives a nice segue to the overall ship layout and ambience. For me I like Princess for their layout and choice of dEcor. Many people have varied opinions in this regards but I find when I board and look around the piazza and all areas, it is how I like a cruise ship to be designed. Upon first walking in and looking over the piazza you feel like you are in a really nice hotel and are going to be taken care of. Each bar and area hold the common color pallet theme throughout and I find it hard to believe anybody could be nothing but impressed! You really only have to navigate decks 6, 7 and 15. This is where all the restaurants, entertainment and pools are. Get them down and you are all set. Day 5: Antigua On Antigua I did pretty much the same as St Lucia, beach (can't recall the name...), port and ship. I would have liked to have seen more of this island and will go back as I found the people very friendly a relaxed feel and I am sure a lot of beauty to be discovered! The ship docks right at the port so you are in the thick of the town in seconds. While back on deck there is a realization of just 2 days left which kind of puts a downer however there is a lot more to go! I relaxed on deck well past sail away and read a book sipped a cocktail and watched the sun set. Probably my most relaxing day of the vacation. That night I dined at Michael Angelo's with a couple from Milwaukee and Florida. Went to see the comedy, band, cabaret duo type called Kamika. It was difficult to say what they were. However, so different none of the areas were particularly good, the woman's jokes were better than her singing and her husband's guitar playing was better than the jokes. I would give this a miss. Wandered about on deck for a bit and then retired early. Day 6: St Thomas Headed out to a beach today over at Meghan's Bay. This is a beautiful spot apparently rated as one of the top 10 beaches in the world by National Geographic. I am not sure I would go that far but it was a really nice beach with still that untouched feel to it. The water is clear and always a good sign of being clean when the pelicans are flying high and then swooping down full force into the water to catch the unsuspecting fish off guard. It's also worth commenting on the roads and the skillful taxi drivers who maneuver those steep inclines with many twists and turns with not really enough room for two way traffic at most points. Not always for the faint hearted. They did stop at a scenic spot where you could take pictures of the surrounding Virgin Islands. Beautiful views! After a day at the beach I headed right back to the ship as I had been to St Thomas before and not a big shopper. Tonight is second formal night and I once again go to DeVinci's as Michelangelo's did not have the sharing option at the time I went. I ate with a couple from Cleveland who had been on the Grand last year where the couple had fallen overboard. It still remains a very interesting story and hearing it from somebody first hand was intriguing. Also with us was a young couple from Utah. This was quite the educational meal where I learned a lot about fly fishing and how the bait is actually a delicacy in Japan and there was also much discussion about Alaska. After dinner I went to see the final production show in the Princess theatre. "Destination Anywhere" is a great trip, there are excellent production values and the songs suit the singers backed up by great dancing and costumes. It's a strong show with the London scene being really outstanding. After the show I went down to the Champagne waterfall which is always a lively event. The music blares out the tunes and people dance while others have their photograph taken with the Maitre D pouring the champagne. The line was actually not that long to have the photo taken on this occasion. The fun part of this is the difference between the people laughing, dancing the drinking on the Piazza and the people on the stairs who seem completely non involved. If you are in the thick of the dancing look up at the stairs and you will see what I mean. For those who may find themselves on the stairs......yes we can see you ? and don't be afraid to move to the beat and enjoy yourself! As the party ventured up to the Skywalkers club I headed off to bed. Day 7: Tortola I have to admit before booking this cruise I had never heard of Tortola, kind of the same way last year I had not heard of Bonaire. And like Bonaire, Tortola turned out to be my favorite of the trip. It has the same feel of St Thomas however not as commercialized. I went to a beach on the north of the island at Cane Garden (actually steeper roads than St Thomas on the way). The beach is excellent. There is a reef out in the bay which affects the wave pattern and do they come in high and hard. It was fun to watch people wipe out on the breakers and laughed as much at myself when I was the one of those caught in surf as I did at others. The bay has private yachts and looks out to the many Virgin Islands that are close by. A chair was $5 and many small bars along the beach all with very reasonably priced drinks. Upon returning to the ship I had my second massage as a way to round off a relaxing week and it did just that! Once done changed and headed to the Sarge comedy show. If you don't mind some un PC humor you will enjoy Sarge, I found him hilarious and not only just a comedian he is also a skilled piano player who does not read music and vocal impressionist. It took him a while to get going at the early show and the crowd were tough however after a few minutes he won me over and I laughed loud a lot! For final dinner I want to Michael Angelos and dined for the second time with the couple from the UK (Roes and Terry...I get better with names if I meet people twice) and we were joined by a couple from New York and an Aunt and Niece traveling together from California. We laughed at how our conversation went from air and sea disasters to wars, politics and then back to the usual cruise stories! After dinner I stopped by the Princess Pop Star and watched the 5 people get up the guts to perform. They all had a great time up there and the crowd was fun. I rounded off my night at the piano bar and then headed off to bed! Disembarkation was a breeze. I was scheduled for 9am, called at 8.55am and was off the ship, in a taxi, checked in at the airport and through security by 10.15am. Very slick.....shame my flight was not until 1.30pm. Left on time and smooth trip back. This was my third cruise, 2nd with Crown Princess and all solo. This one was my favorite and most relaxing. If you are thinking of a solo cruise I highly recommend it and also recommend Princess for it. The staff, the ship and the passengers were all wonderful and not once did I ever feel uncomfortable or self conscious about being on my own. I look forward to the next one and may well do a back to back next time! I would finally like to thank all of the tablemates I was lucky to have dinner with over the week! I learned a lot about places I have not been too that are now on the list, cultures, people and cruising! However mostly, how genuine everybody was, and also the amount of people that envied me as a solo traveler. I thank all of you making the trip even more enjoyable. END!

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