Just returned from a 12-night cruise aboard the Caribbean Princess, departing June 19 round-trip from Southampton, England visiting Bergen, Flaam, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Honningsvag (North Cape), Tromso, Gravdal, and Stavanger. This was our first trip to Norway and we were eager to compare it to trips to Alaska and southern Chile. For an interval of time, this trip was heavily discounted and we snapped it up. Later during the trip, this required some care in discussing the cost of the trip with fellow passengers, as many of those who booked early ended up paying 2-3 times as much as others. In this case, it did not pay to book early. Since airfare can be half the cost, you might want to look at booking the British Isle cruise beforehand, stay onboard for the Norwegian Fjords cruise, and/or stay onboard for the 7 days Scandinavian Capitals cruise that follows Norway. We had Princess handle our airfare as well and although they took us from San Francisco on a somewhat round about route (via Houston out and then Calgary return), it all went smoothly. The transfer from Heathrow to the ship at Southampton went flawlessly and we were onboard by 10AM. The return when just as well, but I am getting ahead of myself.

The Ship

This was our fourth cruise with Princess and excepting the Regal Princess (no longer with Princess); the Caribbean Princess is our least favorite ship. This is not to say that our experience was not excellent, it was, but it is just that some aspects of the ship's layout were not optimum. The ship usually felt "crowded" - several passengers mentioned this. It may be that the extensive open deck areas, well suited to the Caribbean where this ship usually sails, were not suited to Norway. Even though our weather was excellent, this was Norway after all, and most passengers stayed indoors. It was sometimes difficult to find a spot to sit and read. One aspect that was disappointing was the library. We usually spend a good deal of time here. However, on the Caribbean Princess, it is almost totally given over to the computer stations for people wanting to access email and the web. (Note, that you can send a "Princess postcard" for no charge on the Internet. Ask the attendant how to do it.) The total "library" consisted of four chairs. Princess did try to accommodate the card players, board game players, and readers by opening up the "restaurants" and lounges for day use. At night, one of the two buffet cafe on top was closed for eating, but perfect for reading, card playing, small group conversations, or just plain viewing the scenery. We were upgraded twice to a double interior. Our room was spacious and comfortable, cabin service was excellent as we have come to expect from Princess. Read more