Terrific Experience

A close friend and I booked this cruise of the Southern Carribbean based on the itinerary and reviews others had posted regarding Princess. We were not disappointed.

We were particularly impressed with both the spacious cabin we had (an unexpected upgrade from an ocean view to balcony) and the theatrical productions. Both being native New Yorkers having seen numerous Broadway shows, we were blown away by the exceptional quality of every production during the course of the cruise. They were all outstanding.

The Crown Princess does not have some of the amenities more current ships might have (climbing walls, go karts, etc) but it provided a great cruising experience. It did not feel crowded, provided enough amenities for us to enjoy and service in every aspect was terrific.

The dining rooms were all lovely. The food was fine, not exceptional. We did have one dinner at the Crown Grill but other than the nice atmosphere didn't feel it worth the additional cost.

My only complaint would be the condition of the fitness center which I used every day of the cruise. There were an adequate number of treadmills and other cardio equipment but the weight machines were old and in poor shape. I realize that many people don't go on cruises to work out but for those that do; this is an area Princess truly needs to address.

There were an impressive number of fitness classes offered. Because the times often conflicted with either excursions or meals, I decided to sign up for personal training. I worked with a personal trainer for one hour sessions 6 out of the 10 days on this cruise and the trainer (Zolthani) was excellent. From South Africa, certified and highly knowledgeable, he was an absolute pleasure to work. The money spent on personal training during this cruise was a far better investment than the excursions were.

Both embarkation and disembarkation were quick and extremely well organized. I would not hesitate to cruise on Princess again.

We had originally booked an ocean view cabin but were automatically upgraded to a balcony on the Caribe deck. We were initially concerned about the cabin's location at the very front of the ship where we thought we might feel the movement and experience sea sickness but the seas were calm and we wore patches just in case. We had no issues.

The cabin had a spacious balcony with chairs, ottomans and a table which we used every day and a separate closet area which enabled us to store our suitcases and hang all of our clothes with space to space. The storage in the cabin was exceptional. The shower is small as others have noted but I didn't find it a problem. The cabin was very quiet and the cabin service we received was also exceptional