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Caribbean Princess Cruise Review to Canada, New England, New York
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 56
16 Night Greenland & Canada (New York Roundtrip)
Sail date: August 19, 2019
Ship: Caribbean Princess
Cabin type: Oceanview
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
I love sailing on Princess. I always feel so special. Everyone complains about the food, but at least I did not have to cook it or wash the dishes. I am looking for another cruise to enjoy already.Embarkation
We arrived at the NY port around 11:00am. It was fast and easy with new medallion. Our cabin was ready when we got on the ship. Dropped off our carry on luggage and headed for lunch.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
I give the buffet a three star really. I did not think the food was quite as good as I have had on other ships. The wait staff was very slim. They seemed more interested in clearing away dirty dishes that making sure passengers got water or coffee. Some of the self service drinks were out of order the whole time we were on the cruise (16 days). Steamers was good and reasonable. Dining room food was excellent and service was great. Of course the International cafe is always a great place to catch a coffee or snack.
Onboard Activities
There were not to many activities I was interested in. Some trivia, played bingo some, but they have started with tablets to play bingo with and they cost $60. each time you play. It also seemed like the people with tablets won bingo most often. It was very cool on this trip so the pool was not considered. We did watch a couple of movies under the starts and wrapped up in blankets and ate popcorn.
Entertainment
We did not find it easy to watch shows etc. The place is not big enough to hold everyone on the ship, even with 2 settings. If you did not get there at least an hour early you could not get a seat. Not wanting to waste that amt of time we did not attend the shows. They had some in the Explorer's lounge which is even smaller, we ended up sitting on the floor one night. Not an easy task for 83 and 70 year old. But we survived.
Service and Staff
Room steward Gomis was the best. He was so attentive, always making sure I had ice, which I use a lot, our room was cleaned fast and was always in order. Waiters as I state earlier the wait staff in buffet was not attentive, but all other dining staff was great.
Ship Quality
I found the ship to be clean at all times. No complaints. Caribbean Princess is laid out just like most of the ships,, so easy to get around.
Cabin / Stateroom
Our cabin was E706 an obstructed view. But it was not bad, as there was just a ladder and some barrels, so we could see out fine. The only complaint I had was early one morning, before 8am they were pounding outside our window. It was loud and not very pleasant for so early. I called guest services, they sent someone up and he talked with the maintenance supervisor and they stopped immediately. The other days they did not start work until after 11:00 am. We were also given a free dinner at Steamers for our inconvenience. Which is just why we love to sail Princess. They take such good care of their passengers.
Ports of call
First time in NY. Loved it. 3 days before sailing. It was very crowded and very expensive, but I had a great time.
Thumbs Up
10
We did a tour called Sip and Taste. It was a group of 12 and we tasted food and drinks at different restaurants and pubs on the tour. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys food and drinks.
This was a ok. Did not take a tour, just got off the ship and looked around the port shops. Nothing special.
It was an okay visit. Did own walking tour. Lots of shops and restaurants. The museum was good. The people were very nice. Prices were very high. 8.00 for small tube of super glue.
There was not much to see here. Did self walking tour to museum and church. Lots of locals along the way selling their wares. The tender situation was ridiculous. Not really Princess fault, Greenland would only allow 1 tender to dock at a time. So there were like 4 to 5 tenders waiting in line with passengers waiting to get on land. The wait to get back on the ship was even worse. We stood in a line for about 1 1/2 hours to get back to ship. Princess did come around and serve hot chocolate to those who wanted it. I probably would never visit Greenland again.
We did a McCarthy's Party tour. Had a great guide, inexpensive and very informative. We were ahead of all the crowds, so it was nice. The only downside, was lunch. We paid 54.00 for 1 piece of fish and chips, and a pint of beer. I thought that was a little stiff. But is was good, nothing spectacular, but good. We ate at the Duke of Duckworth Pub.
Disembarkation
It was not very pleasant. There was not enough room in the waiting areas for people to be seated comfortably while waiting for 1-2 hours. We were told there was a problem with off loading the luggage. When we finally got off the ship, customs was a nightmare. Maybe because it was NY, I am not sure. But out of 15 stations, there were only about 5 officers checking passengers through. They do not allow global entry in NY, so 3000 people had to stand in line. It took over 1 1/2 hours to get through customs, people were not happy for sure. Our transfer from port to airport was good. No complaints.
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