Caribbean Princess Review
Our Grand Adventure to the British Isles, Norway and Iceland
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose this cruise for the itinerary - we wanted to see Scotland and Iceland, and we enjoy the Transatlantic crossing. We stayed in London for 3 days prior to the cruise. Since we've been there many times, we decided to visit the Warner Bros. Harry Potter studio tour on one day, and took a bus tour to Stonehenge, Bath and Avebury on another day.
We booked most of our shore excursions privately on-line, using Viator as our primary source. Almost all the tours picked us up at the ship, and most were small-group (8-16 people). Some tours we booked directly with tour companies, eg. WOW Scotland and Wildwest Fjords tours in Iceland. One of our favorites was the scenic Fjord cruise we took in Bergen, Norway. We loved Bergen for its walkability, its quaint neighborhoods, like Bryggen, and for the delicious meal we enjoyed at a Thai-Japanese restaurant along the quay.
The food aboard ship was very good, although there are not a lot of choices for sugar-free desserts. One thing that surprised us was that on the Everyday Menu, the steak that had always been offered on past trips had been downgraded to a hamburger! We loved the Alfredo's pizza days at Sabatini's, though, as well as the sandwich choices at the International Cafe, and the variety of dishes at Cafe Caribe.
Cabin Review
Interior
Love the location on Plaza deck - close to Atrium, International Cafe, Island Dining room, and elevators/staircase to Princess theater. Most days, shore excursions also embarked from this deck.
Re decor, everything is looking its age. However, the bed was very comfortable, and there was plenty of storage.
Port Reviews
St. Peter Port (Guernsey)
We walked along the waterfront and then up to Candie Gardens, which was a beautiful spot for photos.
Cobh (Cork)
We did a private excursion to Blarney Castle and Kinsdale. Returning to Cobh, we visited their lovely museum.
Dublin
Our privately booked tour took us to Glendalough, and then through Dublin, where we had time to walk around, have lunch, and explore on our own..
Liverpool
We pre-booked tickets for the Beatles Experience at Albert Docks. We were very glad that there was a shuttle from the ship up to the information center. Albert Docks was a lovely place to spend some time exploring.
Belfast
We pre-booked tickets for the Titanic Experience, which was wonderful. We then walked across the Langan River to take a 1-hour cruise on the river, before taking a taxi back to the ship.
Greenock (Glasgow)
Through Cruise Critic's Roll Call, we joined a small group tour which picked us up at the pier and took us up to the Trossachs and across the moors to Loch Lomand. We also visited Brodie Castle, and then went back into Glasgow for a tour of the city, before returning to the ship.
Invergordon (Inverness)
Through WOW Scotland Tours, we enjoyed a very cold and windy day exploring the Highlands, stopping at Doune Castle, where "Outlander" was filmed in part, and stopping at Clava Cairns, the Standing Stones that were another inspiration for "Outlander." Our tour guide, dressed in his traditional kilt, took us though the back roads from there to Loch Ness, promising to swim in the Loch if we saw another tour bus. Of course we did, and when we got to the lake, he not only went for a swim, but he planted "Nessie" near the shore for us to photograph.
From there, we drove to Culloden Moor, where Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Highlanders were defeated by the British in 1746. This too was a major part of the "Outlander" series (both the books and the Starz series). A wonderful day.
Le Havre
We took the ship's shuttle into the city, at a reasonable cost. There, we boarded a Hop-on-Hop-Off bus for a tour around Edinburgh. We got off at the top of the Royal Mile, close to Edinburgh Castle. We purchased a fast-pass from the HOHO company and spent quite some time exploring the castle, stopping in one of their pubs for lunch, and then visiting the Scottish War Museum. When we left the castle, we walked down the Royal Mile and re-boarded the HOHO for the rest of the circuit. We returned to the ship with the shuttle bus.
Rotterdam
To get into Rotterdam, the ship had to make a 180-degree turn and come into the waterway stern first. The approach to the city was beautiful, and the ship docked just before the bridge.
The Hop-On-Hop-Off buses were available just as we left the cruise terminal. The bus also offered a boat cruise around the area. Rotterdam has many very beautiful buildings, some old, but mostly post- WWII, and the architecture is stunning.
Bergen
Our favorite port. We booked a 3-1/2 hour fjord cruise that left from the quay about a 15-minute walk from the ship. The cruise was beautiful, taking us past mountains, waterfalls, and wildlife. We stopped to feed goats, and then later watched the ship's hand fill a bucket with crystal clear water from a waterfall, which he poured out for everyone to taste.
When we left the boat, we happened upon a wonderful Thai-Japanese restaurant on the quay, where we had a great meal. We then walked back through the fish market, to Bryggen, the old town. We then returned to the ship through the park.
Flam
Flaam is a very small town, consisting of a few commercial buildings, a railway station, a railway museum, and the ship's pier. We had booked the Flaam Railway round-trip (2 hours), which took us through many tunnels and past waterfalls. We stopped at the largest waterfall for a photo stop, and were greeted there with a "Lorelei" who sang and danced to lure visitors under the falls and into the mountain. Unfortunately, it was difficult to take pictures on the rest of the ride, as the windows were fixed and the tunnels blocked out many of the views.
When we returned to the town, we walked around and explored their food kiosks and stores. Their "mall" was a one-stop shopping experience for souvenirs.
The sail-away back through the fjord was absolutely stunning.