Crown Princess Review
Rating by category
Additional details
The Crown was scheduled to leave Southampton, England on Saturday, October 26 for an overnight hop to Le Havre, France. Our cab driver from the train was the first to tell us this wasn't to happen, and that, the Crown would not leave port for two days.
After an uneventful embarkation taking perhaps an hour, we were able to go to our cabin, Caribe 309, classed as a deluxe balcony. We were met almost at once by one of our bags, the other would take a few hours to find its way to us.
We were also met almost at once by Jeal, our steward for the voyage. The stewards on all our Princess cruises have been excellent, and Jeal was no exception.
Cabin Review
Our balcony cabin, Caribe 309, is classed as a deluxe balcony. We had always been in mini-suites, but they were sold out when we booked, so we were concerned about the size of the cabin.We found the closet to be the same generous size as a mini, with most of the same amenities. The safe, refrigerator, desk, bed, and chairs were the same as in the mini. The climate control system is the same. Our balcony was as large, but was partially covered, giving us more access in bad weather. It had the same furniture as a mini. Lighting is good, with two ceiling lights, two over-desk lights, and two end-table lamps.The main features lacking were the sofa, a bathtub/shower, a bit larger sink, one tv (the minis have 2), some under-counter storage, and a small shelf in the entry hall. The minis also have a wlecome glass of champagne on embarkation.Overall, the cabin was adaquate in size, very comfortable, and the savings were substantial, about $1,000 for our party of two on this cruise, plus a smaller daily tip allowance. We will have to think very carefully before we pay a large premium for a mini in the future.