Nice Time - A Few Hiccups

Item: Emerald Princess
Rating: 4.3
Author: kelskazoo22

Emerald Princess Cruise Review

kelskazoo22

Contributor Level: First Mate

111 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Reviews: 22

Helpful Votes: 253

Overall rating:

4.3 out of 5

11 Night Caribbean Islander (New York To Ft. Lauderdale)

Sail date: November 04, 2023

Ship: Emerald Princess

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: B738

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 months ago

Review summary

Loved this cruise and the ports were great! Some hiccups but better than staying home! Can’t wait for my next cruise. St Kitts was the highlight. Aruba I don’t bother to get off the ship (been there, done that).

Embarkation

4 out of 5

Brooklyn is kind of a pain in the bottom. Not as organized as other ports but not horrible. Getting there from JFK via Princess transport is a lesson in patience.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Sabbitini’s was delightful and delicious. MDR just wasn’t very good - think Applebees except hot food is cold and cold food, warm. Casual dining places were fine. Slice and International Cafe were both decent. Buffet had same problem as MDR without the two hour service time. One section of buffet ran out of coffee during the last two days - they made more but planning ahead was not a strong suit on this cruise.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

I found a lot to do and activities were varied though mostly trivia and game type stuff. Pools were okay. Aft pool was closed first couple of days. Chair hogs were aplenty on this cruise and adults should grow up and learn to share! And the lack of pool towels half the days reflected badly on Princess. Fitness center was nice with varied equipment and not crowded both days I worked out.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Comedians were fantastic and Rock Opera was good (male vocalist were much better than the female vocalist). We never attended another show since dinner took so long and theater was small and always full. I was normally busy for the later show.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Excellent! With one tiny exception - always ignored near pool bars so had to use app to order and it was much quicker than standing and being ignored or stepped in front of which happened way to often than it should have. Room steward was the best!

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Good location, near aft elevator and easy access to upper decks.