We began this cruise as coronavirus was making its way to the United States. We believe everyone was healthy and felt safely cocooned from the rest of the world. Great weather, friendly people, lots of activities and time with my best friend made it an awesome trip!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We had our medallions sent to home so the embarkation was easy for us.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We ate most breakfasts in the buffet. Lunches were either Horizon Court, Salty Dog Grill or Slice. Most dinners were Anytime Dining - a great option for us and we'd do this again in a heartbeat. We also dined in Crown Grill twice. I got my coffee fix in the International Cafe (as well as some tasty treats). Ice cream at Swirl was also good.
Crown Grill
5 out of 5
Service and steaks were excellent! We ate here two times on this cruise and once on a prior cruise.
International Café
5 out of 5
I need good coffee and got it here.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We enjoyed Zumba twice but felt it was held a little too late in the morning.
Meridian Bay
3 out of 5
Much is a bit pricey; sale items quality is questionable. For the first time in 6-7 cruises I felt seasick (it was particularly rough a couple of days) and there was no Dramamine. They did not get any more when we were in ports.
Neptune's Reef and Pool
4 out of 5
A nice area to chill and read. I was on Crown Princess last year and there seemed to be more live and recorded music than this year.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Both comedians were very good and appropriate for all cruisers. We saw two nights of Voice of the Ocean but had to miss the finale since it conflicted with dining and a comedian.
Princess Theater
4 out of 5
Small for the number of shows but seating is good.
Children's Programs
I didn't travel with children.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
I'm really mixed here. Most everyone was really good. But - the bathroom had not been cleaned when we arrived. This would be disconcerting at any time but particularly when there was a global pandemic ramping up.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
We could see cleaning occurring on a non-stop basis. There was obviously a focus on cleanliness.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
It's just what you'd expect in an interior cabin. It is probably a little larger than cabins I've had on Carnival. The closet area is more than sufficient.
Ship tip
I'd definitely recommend Anytime Dining. I shared tables with nicer, more interesting people than I ever have on cruises with assigned tables. We were fortunate but if you get a "clunker" of a group you only have to join them once!
Unfortunately it rained this year but we've been there twice. We shopped in Haversham Mall and used a local taxi to explore Bluebeard's Castle, Mountain Top and get a view of the island.
The area near the port did not impress us. We took a taxi to Valley Church Beach. It's advertised as being 20 minutes away but took longer than 30 minutes to get there. The beach is on the Caribbean side so a little rough in March but much calmer than the Atlantic. Chairs and umbrellas are available for a small fee.
Incredibly nice and welcoming people here! We went to Brandons Beach where we rented chairs and shopped a little in the shops by the ship. Our itinerary changed so we were not in port in the morning. We're really beach people and would have loved to have enjoyed the beautiful beach for more time. There's also a small restaurant on the beach where we had lunch.
We took a ship's excursion and traveled to see Marigot Bay, stopped at a black sand beach, and cruised to the Pitons. It was a very nice morning. There are some nice shops near the ship.
My favorite port! I think St. Kitts is incredibly beautiful. We took a taxi to Cockleshell Bay and settled at Reggae Beach. The chair rental is a little more expensive than the adjoining beach but the facilities are much better. It's lovely there, there's a restaurant/bar and beach shop. After returning to the port we spent some time shopping in Port Zante. It's a little pricier than some ports but the quality is so much better.
Update!
Just was informed that there was a guest who tested positive for COVID19.
I hope the person is recovering.
I’ve been self-isolating since I returned home. I’ve already “served “ 10 of the 14 recommended days.
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