Caribbean Princess Review

Farewell to Princess

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Caribbean Princess
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Sirdar
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Jul 2008

This marked our return to sailing Princess after a hiatus of 5 years. It was our 10th cruise and our 4th aboard Princess Line. We had previously sailed on the old Pacific Princess, a tiny ship by today's standards completely lacking in amenities but much more customer friendly than it's successors.

I came away with an overall lukewarm impression of the ship and of Princess Cruise line. Part of this is a reaction to the ever expanding size of ships and the number of passengers aboard. I am of the opinion that less is more. The logistics of transporting thousands of people at one time while entertaining them with land based activities(golf, tennis, basketball, gambling and endless shopping), moving them on and off the ship for transient native experiences (a tedious process at times--we saw one very bad example of gangway rage)simply detracts from an ocean voyage experience and any sense that the passenger is valued as an individual customer. Ships like the Caribbean Princess and the even larger ones simply lack the graceful lines of their predecessors and resemble nothing so much as large floating hotels or shopping malls. Any sense of being on the sea is being eliminated. I guess this suits the tastes of most cruisers but anyone wanting a more genteel or sophisticated experience had better look elsewhere.

The POSITIVES of the cruise included an excellent embarkation from the Brooklyn, NY terminal. We were travelling with my mother in law who needs wheelchair assistance and Princess could not have done better. Our cabin stewardess and dining room staff were also very good as were some of the cruise director's staff with whom we interacted. The ship was well maintained and clean.

Cabin Review

Absurdly small bathroom. Balcony too small for lounge chairs.

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