We just returned from back to back Western/Eastern Caribbean cruises on the Caribbean Princess. With the snow at home forecasted to increase, like in much of the country, we decided to fly into Florida a couple of days early as not to miss the ship. We had sailed on the Caribbean Princess in 2007, and looked forward to boarding her again.

Pre-Cruise

We checked in at the Marriott Residence Inn at about 5:30 pm. When we got to the hotel, they recommended Rendezvous Bar and Grill as an “upscale” steakhouse. We took a shuttle to the restaurant with several other hotel guests. When we got there we were asked to wait a few minutes for a table. We ordered a drink at the bar and were promptly seated. When we looked at the menu, we realized it was not an “upscale” steakhouse, but a “lowerescale” bar and grill. Food was not bad, but certainly not what was expected. The total bar and food bill including tip was less than $30. Food was worth it, but certainly not an “upscale” steakhouse. We had the hotel van driver take us to Publix, a local grocery store, for bottled water and a couple of bottles of wine to take on the ship. After waiting about an hour to be picked up, we went to the hotel for the night until pick up the following morning. The accommodations were great and we slept well. Read more