The Emerald Princess is a beautiful ship! Despite the fact that there were about 3,500 people on board, it never seemed crowded.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The breakfast buffet got a bit boring after a few days. There were lots of different options for lunch on the buffet, though keeping things hot seemed to be a challenge. The pizza bar was great - yummy New York style pizza. And the ice cream bar was also a hit! This was our first experience with anytime dining, and I can't say I'm sold on it. I miss getting to know the waiters and some of the special activities done with traditional dining. We met a lot of nice people, but seemed to have the same conversation over and over. The food at dinner had some hits, some misses, and some real disappointments. The ambiance is nice, and the wait staff was attentive.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment. The ventriloquist, Ronn Lucas, the hypnotists, Tim Triplett, and the two comedians were all really terrific. We went to one production show and didn't really enjoy it, but we're just not fans of these shows anyway. The Halloween party was a lot of fun, and passengers were very creative in their costumes.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I can't think of a single example where staff wasn't attentive, friendly, and willing to meet our needs/requests.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The layout of the ship was easy to maneuver. All indoor activities were centered on decks 5 through 7. The ship is lovely - beautiful decor, warm woods, wonderful art on each of the stair landings. Although I don't typically like larger ships, the Emerald Princess was so well layed out and activities so well planned that it was relaxing and never felt crowded.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We had an outside cabin with an obstructed view. I love the layout of the room - best I've seen on any ship (this was my 20th cruise). The bathroom and storage areas are separate from the room, and it just felt like there was more room to move around. It was nicely appointed, and the bed was really comfortable.
We loved this top. The beaches in the Bahamas are always beautiful, and this one was no exception. You can snorkel right off the beach and see some colorful fish. The sand is perfect. The bbq provided by Princess was ok, nothing great.
I love Aruba, but we had a rainy day, so we missed out on the beach. We'd already toured the island on other visits, and had enough shopping. Visitors should take the bus by the cruise port to the Hyatt - Palm Beach is beautiful, as is the hotel.
I want to go back there to snorkel - we weren't able to this time due to weather. You could actually see the beautiful fish just be standing on the shore. The island tour was a waste of time, and there's very little shopping.
I always love St. Thomas. This time, we took a really fun catamaran cruise on the Dancing Dolphin for snorkeling and a bbq on Honeymoon Beach. This was one of the highlights of our trip. On other visits, we've gone to Trunk Bay on St. John, which in my opinion is one of the prettiest beaches in the world.
We went to Grand Anse beach - pretty to look out, but we couldn't believe how much junk there was in the water - old clothes, broken bottles, etc. The downtown area where the ship docks is not very nice.
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