New England/Canada 14 days repositioning to Ft. Lauderdale October 2017

We are a semi-retired couple from Toronto, Canada. This was our 25th cruise, only 3rd on Princess. We chose this based on itinerary, price, and our available time frame. We enjoyed a relaxing cruise, visiting new Canadian and U.S. ports (some for the first time), and the weather was warming up as we made our way southbound.

We opted to travel by train from Toronto to Québec City on the embarkation day. We did not worry about missing the ship, since it stayed overnight in Québec. On the train ride we connected with 3 other couples joining the cruise. Upon arrival we bought wine at the nearby SAQ store and walked about 15 minutes to the terminal, where processing went smoothly. The terminal is modern, with free wi-fi, but the ramps to the gangway were too steep. Perhaps some equipment was not working properly and they had to resort to alternative methods.

We met Alyson, our cabin steward, who was friendly, efficient, and took care of whatever we needed. He didn’t do towel animals, but left two chocolates on our pillow every night. The cabin E312 had obstructed Oceanview in midship. The lifeboat and overhang blocked 50% of the view, but it was not a big issue for us. The shower is tiny with an awkward curtain, the cabinetry is older and scratched up, but the bed and linens were wonderful and the blackout drapes let us sleep in. On occasion we were able to hear muffled conversation from the adjoining cabin or the hallway. The lighting was adequate (no night light in the bathroom) and storage ample and easily accessible.

The ship offered an excellent app for our cell phones called “Princess @ Sea”. You connect with the ship’s wi-fi network for free and can access the daily activities, check account balance and transactions, send messages to other members of your party and more.

All food and beverage services were very good. Service was attentive and anytime dining around 7:00 pm with table sharing worked well for us. We purchased one Coffee Card with onboard credits, and it lasted us for the entire cruise. The food was plentiful, ranging from average to very good. Breakfast at the Lido was more awkward, especially if you order an omelette. You place the order, get a slip with a number, then when you find a table to sit down you give one of the waiters your slip and he goes back to collect your omelette and bring it back to your table. There were many servers around at all times and tables were quickly cleaned up after use.

Princess offered two “Happy Hour” events. 3:00-4:00pm at the Wheelhouse bar, and 10:00-11:00pm at the Skywalkers Lounge. You buy one drink and get a second one for $1.00, plus 15% gratuity. Prices were affordable, with most wines in the $7-$8 range, and most beers at $6.

The nightly entertainment was also very good, as was the music throughout the ship. Production show “Encore” and the soul singer Teacake deserve special recognition. The crew was friendly, polite and did not push hard to spend more on drinks or bingo like on other cruise ships.

On the negative side, we missed an indoor or covered adult pool area especially during the initial cold and rainy days. Also there were two unfortunate events which need to be addressed. Tropical storm Philip forced an overnight stay in Halifax and skip St. John, New Brunswick. And a Norovirus outbreak made it challenging for passengers and crew. Both issues were handled professionally and with transparency by the Captain and his officers.

The daily activities would wind down every evening around 11pm, attesting to the guests demographic sector which was mostly retired people, many in the 70’s and 80’s.

While the Cruise Director was just average, there were enough activities to keep us busy during sea days – movies, wine tasting, shopping, etc. but there was no excitement and exuberance.

Disembarkation in Fort Lauderdale was well organized, and there were ample taxis and vans outside. We shared a metered taxi to the airport ($15 plus tip). In summary, a nice cruise and thankfully we managed to avert any Norovirus symptoms.

About 50% obstruction by lifeboat roof. The shower is tiny with an awkward curtain, the cabinetry is older and scratched up, but the bed and linens were wonderful and the blackout drapes let us sleep in. On occasion we were able to hear muffled conversation from the adjoining cabin or the hallway. The lighting was adequate (no night light in the bathroom) and storage ample and easily accessible. There was a small safe, fridge (empty) and duplicate light switches on the headboard.