Caribbean Princess Review
Enough is Enough - the good, bad and ugly
Rating by category
Additional details
I consider myself a seasoned traveler with 6 million air miles, hundreds of hotel says and 15 cruises on 5 cruise lines. I have never written a review before because things happen on any trip and you just have to deal with it. This year my wife and I celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary and our 70th birthdays. We were looking for something special - a trip that would provide us with a great memory of these events. A lot of choices- family, friends or something just for us. Another couple asked us to consider a Canadian-US cruise on the Caribbean Princess. I looked over the agenda and a few things caught my eye - an excursion on Prince Edwards Island with a known Canadian photographer and a stop in Boston. We had previously taken a photo trip to the Grand Canyon which was exceptional. Even though we had already taken a cruise that docked at 4 of the ports, the opportunity to have a limited group photo excursion with a known photographer coupled with a few spa treatments and a visit to Boston seemed like the experience we were looking for.
The Booking
On past cruises we have stayed in every accommodation from a Penthouse Suite to a porthole cabin. We contacted AmEx Travel who worked with Princess. We were advised Princess had a class of service called "Mini Suite" with suite benefits -smaller than a regular suite with all of the suite benefits (special dining, special seats at events, priority embark and debark, access to the exclusive lounge, etc.) When we attempted to book the Mini Suites were full so AmEx/Princess recommended that we book a full suite and wait for a Mini. We eventually booked the Mini, 2 spa treatments, and 4 excursions and the 10 day high speed internet. We preordered "Medallions" which are digital passkeys that identify and track your exact location on board the ship.
Cabin Review
Mini-Suite with Balcony
The cabin was dated, lacked electrical outlets, and was poorly designed. To call it a mini suite is an overstatement. Basically a three to four person cabin similar to a cheap hotel. The wall mounted hair dryer was old and low heat. The bathroom door opens into the closet. The two 42 inch TV's dominate the room but can't be used on different channels because of audio overlap and they will not stream. There is no divider in the room so using the TV while someone is resting won't work. The balcony walls were stained and the sliding door windows were dirty. .Don't waste your money on a Club Class MiniSuite - unless you want to spend a lot of money for 2 half bottles of cheap wine.
Port Reviews
Boston
Prinecss changed the tour at the last minute so we cancelled and did a private tour - much better thatn what the ship had to offer
Sydney (Nova Scotia)
We took a private tour - a good choice after hearing about the Princess tours.