Crown Princess Review 14 Days February 23, 2008 to March 8, 2008 This is a review of our 14 day cruise aboard the Crown Princess. My goal of the review is to convey our thoughts/experiences throughout the trip, and to assist future cruisers who may cruise The Crown Princess, or travel to some of the islands we visited. Some background information; my wife and I are 46 and 52 years old respectively and this was our fifth cruise with Princess, and our 14th cruise overall. We live in a town near Bangor Maine, and chose to fly out of Logan Airport in Boston. We departed on Maine on February 19th where the temperature was a whopping 4 degrees. We headed to the Massachusetts/Rhode Island area to visit family and friends and to drop our dog off at a friends house who dog-sat for us during the vacation. We departed for San Juan on 2/21 taking a bus to Logan airport from Providence Rhode Island. What a convenient form of transportation. Within an hour we were being dropped us off at our airlines at Logan airport. Round trip fare $40.00 pp. The weather was fine, and we departed with no delays at 9.30am arriving in San Juan around 2.30pm their time. We had a direct flight that takes about 4 hours. I choose to book our own flight arrangements as opposed to going through Princess. I find that I have more control over the flight times that I prefer, and can usually get a better price of the fare. We had hotel reservations at the Holiday Inn in Isla Verde, which I purchased months prior to the trip through Priceline. We enjoy staying in the Isla Verde area due to the beautiful beaches. The hotel was beautiful. It certainly met our expectations. I requested a pool side room, and they assigned us to a first floor pool side room which had two chairs outside our room overlooking the pool area. The pool was very nice with a waterfall and beautifully landscaped. They had a very nice water park area for children off of the pool area, which the children seemed to enjoy. The hotel had 3 restaurants, a coffee shop, and was conveniently located near a grocery store. The Embassy Suites hotel was nearby which had a casino and an Outback Steak House. The hotel was very clean and the service was excellent. The beach is only 1 block away, and there are plenty of restaurants in the area. I took a bus to Old San Juan which cost 75 cents. The price was right and the trip took an hour to get to OSJ. I did not think it would take an hour to get there, but I enjoyed the local experience of traveling through town and speaking to the people on the bus. The bus that goes from Isla Verde to OSJ is the A-5 bus. The bus stops at the bus station in OSJ where you can pick up the free trolley which travels around OSJ. We purchased some Alto Grande Coffee which is a must if you are a coffee connoisseur. OSJ has certainly been developing since our last visit. There are new condo buildings being built, and all the ports have new buildings which are very nice. www.kodakgallery.com/AlbumMenu.jsp?view=1&sort_order=1&ownerid=0&page=1&navfolderid=&displayallyears=&albumsperpage=%20& Saturday February 23, 2008 We woke up to a beautiful morning and had a leisurely breakfast poolside at the hotel. The weather was great. We left the hotel around noon , and taxi fare to the port was around $20.00. When we arrived at the port there were plenty of porters to assist you with your bags. We gave them our bags and proceeded to embark the ship. At first sight the ship looked beautiful and was definitely the largest ship we have ever cruised on. As we proceeded with check-in, there were no lines and we easily went right through the embarkation process in 15 minutes. After receiving our keys we proceeded to board. I was surprised that the liquor store at the port encouraged passengers to purchase liquor and put it in their carry-on stating they will be able to go through. Well.... that was exactly the case. Security did not confiscate any liquor brought onboard. Not only did they let you bring liquor onboard in San Juan , they allowed it in all the other ports as well. On our past Princess cruises, they were very strict about taking liquor that was brought onboard and returning it to you on your last night of the cruise. A lot of folks purchased bottles of liquor and then purchased a Coke Card and had unlimited mixers throughout the cruise. Being just a beer drinker, I felt a little left out of this opportunity to save money. I have been known to enjoy my beer, especially on a 14 day cruise. So after check-in, I proceeded to get off the ship and purchased some beer to put in our refrigerator in the room, and continued to do this at every port during the cruise. Although security let you bring liquor and beer onboard in a carry-on, they still had an employee at a table at the gangway that was responsible to confiscate liquor. I joked with him that he was not very busy. Our cabin was Caribe 216. Not bad for a Category L guarantee. We remained in the cabin for 2 weeks, as other folks who did the 2 week option had to change cabins after the first week. We were adamant, that I wanted to remain in the same cabin. I think Princess attempts to keep a passenger in the same cabin who do back to backs, but occasionally it is not possible. Our cabin steward was Franco from Mexico . He was very accommodating throughout the cruise. Great service and a very nice gentleman. The layout of our cabin was a little bit different than the other Princess ships we were on, and I think it felt very roomy and comfortable. The cabin was towards the front of the ship, and at times was a little bit rocky, but overall was not a big deal. The ship overall was very beautiful. This was the nicest cruise ship we have sailed on. Everything from the lounges to the casino, theatre, dining rooms were beautiful and always clean. The International Cafe and the Piazza in the center of the ship was awesome. The entertainment in the Piazza felt like a town square with entertainers. There was a Doo-wop group called Spank. They are a must-see. They sang acapella and their voices resonated throughout the whole piazza. What a talented group of musicians. Near the International Cafe is a bar that you can purchase coffee and premium coffees. The coffee is well worth the additional charge. We did not care much for the coffee served in the Horizon court in the morning. You could buy a coffee card for $25.00 which was good for espresso and lattes. With this card your regular coffee which would normally be around $1.50 became free. We were lucky enough to meet other couples that were on for two weeks and were leaving after our first week, who gave us a partially used coffee card as well as an ice cream sundae card that was only used once. (Like we really needed ice cream sundaes) We had Any-time dining, and loved it. We ate whenever and wherever we chose. Sometimes we joined others at a table which is always fun to meet new people, and other times we chose to have a private table for two. I heard people discussing that once they had a table with wait-staff that they enjoyed, they would book the table at the same time throughout the week. What's the sense of doing this when you have any-time dining? I want to get away from the set schedule dining, and eat at whatever time I feel like that evening. The food was excellent at all the food venues. Horizon Court's food was always fresh and there was a great selection of food every meal. We had lobster claws on two occasions at the Horizon Court . The lobster claws were real Maine lobster claws. Obviously, coming from Maine we prefer Maine lobster over Rock lobster, or Brazilian lobster. We ate at Sabatini's once and the Crown Grill twice. The food was fantastic, and the service was just as great. My wife completed a card that is available everywhere on the ship to recognize staff that provide exceptional service the cards are called "Making a Difference." The cards are then forwarded to their supervisors, and helps them with promotions. She completed this card for an assistant waiter in the Crown Grill dining room... Pizza, burgers, and hot dogs were great by the pool. The French fries were addictive. Entertainment on the ship was very good. The band by the pool Ethix played great reggae music. The comedian Sarge was worth seeing. We did not catch a lot of shows, so I can't comment on that aspect of the cruise. Mark the Asst. Cruise Director is a funny guy, and he appeared to really enjoy his job. The pools on the ship were excellent. There were 4 different pools to choose from. We preferred the Terrace pool in the back of the ship which was adult only and relatively quiet. The views of the ship cruising from the back of the ship was very nice. Cruise Critic Gathering- It was very nice to meet other Cruise Critic's in person that I had been conversing with for months on the internet. A big thanks goes out to Ida who organized the gathering at the Terrace Pool. Sorry I did not make the gathering at the end of the week, I was trying to win the $2000.00 at Bingo. It was very nice speaking with people from all over the world who enjoy cruising. Attached at the end of this review is a link with photos of the Cruise Critic Gathering and even a picture of Bill from New Brunswick making some new friends in the hot tub. Excursions- We had been to most of the island before. We enjoy the Caribbean beaches, so we mainly went to beaches with beach bars and facilities. Attached at the end of this review is a link in order to access the photos we took at each island. Many are of the beaches we visited. Briefly here is a list of the places we visited with taxi fares; Barbados - The Boatyard Beachclub. Admission $15.00pp. Includes a chair and one drink as well as transportation back to the ship. Taxi fare to get there was $3.00pp. Beware, taxi drivers in Barbados can be a bit pushy wanting the day long tours or the farther trips as opposed to a $3.00 fare. They had an argument with the person directing the taxis over fare to the Boatyard. Some wanted to charge more. It is always good to negotiate a price with the taxi driver before you leave and always ask if he has American change if you do not have the exact amount. St. Lucia- We went to Rodney Bay . Nice beach with facilities. Taxi fare was a bit expensive $15.00 to get there and $20.00 to return. Two beach chairs and an umbrella was $25.00. I guess it is still cheaper than a ship excursion. Antigua- We went to Dickenson Bay . Very nice beach that we have been to before. It is near the Sandals resort. There is a nice beach bar/restaurant on the beach. 2 Chairs and an umbrella was $20.00. Way too many vendors bothering you with jewelry rental of jet skis etc. However, once you said "no thanks" they left you alone. St. Thomas- Since we were doing the 14 day cruise, we visited St. Thomas twice. On this day we chose to just walk around downtown and stop wherever for drinks/lunch/shopping. I was able to get out of St. Thomas unscathed by my wife's shopping, because she told me she did not want any jewelry. I wondered if she was feeling well or perhaps she had been in the sun to long. We had an enjoyable day walking around and my wife did some shopping, but thank god it wasn't jewelry. Tortola- One of my favorite islands. We took a taxi to Brewers Bay Beach , and went to Nicole's Beach Bar. Awesome snorkeling. There were pelicans that would dive in the water to catch fish. What a sight. Beach chairs were $5.00 each. We split the taxi with another couple and the fare was $6.00pp. The views from the high roads on the island is breathtaking. Check out the photo link at the end of this review. San Juan - Back to San Juan to end week one. It was very easy for passengers doing another week to exit the ship with the "in transit" card they provided you. We were able to walk past all the lines of the people disembarking. We chose to tour San Juan on the free trolley and get off wherever we wanted. We heard this great Spanish guitar player in a plaza. The plaza was really nice with vendors and artists. After purchasing more beer we headed back to the ship. St. Thomas- Round Two. We chose to go to Megan's Bay. We arrived early around 9.00am . Almost everyday we arrived at the beaches early, and it certainly pays off with. This beach really filled up by noon . We had our beach chairs near a picnic table under a tree. What a beautiful beach. We split the taxi fare with another couple and the fare was $9.00pp and entry fee to the beach was $4.00pp. After the beach we did some shopping at the Crown Bay stores where the ship docked. All the shops at the dock are new, and a local told me they plan to really develop the Crown Bay shops. St. Kitts- This was our first time to St. Kitts. We decided to do a tour of the island on our own with this very lovely couple we met from Vancouver Canada . We wanted to do a tour and then stop at the beach. Recommendation to everyone: pass by the tour operators that are in the building you enter/exit from, and go to the street area to speak with a taxi driver. Inside the tour operators wanted $40.00 pp for a 4 hour tour, and we chose to speak to an elderly gentleman taxi driver who provided us a 4 hour tour for $25.00 pp. This gentleman's name was Mr. Edmond Johnson. He was the nicest man, and was full of historical information about the island. I promised him I would share how pleased we were with him as a tour guide with other cruisers. If anyone would like his contact information, please let me know. He toured us all around the island, and to a botanical garden. He graciously stopped at all lookout points for photos. When it was time to go to the beach he brought us to Frigate Bay , but it was very crowded. We chose not to stay and returned to the pier where there were plenty of shops/bars Overall, a great day. Grenada- This was our first visit to Grenada . We took the water taxi to Grande Anse Beach for $4.00 pp. 2 beach chairs and an umbrella was $20.00 the business of renting beach chairs on this beach was very competitive. Some of the people renting chairs would get into arguments over stealing customers. Vendors were plentiful and always there selling everything from spices to straw hats. It appeared to be an impoverished island that the locals really need the money. The beach was beautiful and there were facilities as well as a restaurant/bar. Bonaire- We went to Bongo Beach at the Eden Resort. Sometimes this beach is referred to as Eden Beach , but the locals know it as Bongo Beach . Taxi fare was $2.00 pp and beach chairs were $3.00 each. A great place for snorkeling. However, if you're looking for a sandy beach with no rocks, this is not the place. Most of the beaches in Bonaire have coral reefs and small pieces of coral when you first enter. Out of all the islands I have been to, the snorkeling in Bonaire is one of the best. There is a beach bar with facilities right on the beach. After the beach we walked around downtown and stopped at a local pub right by the ship. Aruba- One of our favorite islands. I think Eagle Beach near the low rise hotels is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean . We took the L-10 bus to the beach for $2.30 pp roundtrip. The beach is about 20 min by bus. We got off at the Amsterdam Resort which is near La Cabana. Beach chair rental was $20.00 for 2 chairs, and we were able to put the chairs under a thatch roof right near a beach bar. I was set for the day. It was very hot in Aruba , so use sunscreen. After the beach we returned to downtown for some shopping. What a beautiful island to end our cruise. Days at Sea had plenty of entertainment such as ice carving by the pool, music and games which were all fun. Overall, this was probably one of the best cruises we have taken due to the ship which was beautiful, the service and mostly the itinerary, which was excellent. One concern I had with the cruise was the lack of hand gel at times, and the lack of use by some passengers at the buffet. Working in a hospital, I can't stress how important it is to sanitize hands. That is the main cause of bacteria. On more than one occasion the hand gel dispenser was empty at the buffet line, and I felt they should have a staff person encouraging use of the hand gel at the beginning of the buffet line. I'm happy we made it through with no illness. I hope this review is helpful to some folks. Sorry if it ended up a bit wordy but it is hard to condense a 16 day vacation to mere paragraphs. Below is a link to some photos of our vacation sorted by the islands and some of the ship. Please let me know what you think. Next year we have plans to cruise on the Carnival Miracle out of Miami with our 5 year old granddaughter. We are bringing her on a cruise and felt she would have a better time on Carnival with the spiral slide and probably more children. www.kodakgallery.com/AlbumMenu.jsp?view=1&sort_order=1&ownerid=0&page=1&navfolderid=&displayallyears=&albumsperpage=%20& Roger the Mainer