This was the second cruise on the Emerald Princess in 2023 (cruised on her to Hawaii in July). Because we booked the cruise only 3 months in advance of departure, our AAA Travel Agent reserved a “Guaranteed” level stateroom to be assigned by Princess. Surprisingly they assigned us to our requested stateroom area.
Flight reservations and transfers were made through Princess EZair. All Check in, Dining and easy excursions were completed in advance.
This cruise on the Emerald Princess was every bit as outstanding as the July experience. The extra sea days were appreciated since this was a vacation.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Completed all cruise and personal check-in information ahead of time. Our Medallions were mailed to us (Highly Recommend). Check in was simple and quick. Because Princess transfer staff had us at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal early, we waited to board in the Elite Lounge with juice and coffee available.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Set up our 5pm dining reservations in “Dine My Way” in advance. Preference was for a private window table and that was where we were assigned.
The dining staff (Glenn and Alexander) in the Da Vinci dining room were very attentive and learned our food and drink favorites quickly. Most starters and main dishes were exceptionally good.
We ventured off to Steamers one night ($14.99 cover charge). We had the Black & Blue Mussels Steamer and added the Lobster Tail & Snow Crab (extra $10). An outstanding meal.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There was a wide variety of activities every sea day and the evening on port days. I really enjoyed Gary Shahan enrichment overviews and possible activities at each of island we were visiting. Gary also did a session each sea day on “Crossing The Atlantic”. Provided an overview of explorers and the history of ships, planes, and the integration of nations in the Caribbean.
For gamers there were plenty of Bingo, Deal or No Deal, and trivia games available.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The Princess production shows, “Sweet Soul Music” (replaced “Magic To Do” at the last minute), “Disco, Blame It On The Boogie” and “Rock Opera” were outstanding.
Comedian George Casey’s two show of Irish humor were hilarious. Performers Erik Bryan and Rechell Sears were also outstanding.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our Stateroom Attendant (Michael) was exceptional. The stateroom was kept clean and made up. He provided extra services like retrieving laundry, and making sure all the forms were completed and turned it.
Staff throughout the ship were friendly, always smiling, and eager to help in any way they could.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The Emerald Princess is older but very well maintained by staff. We had no issues.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Traveling with my daughter, we booked a guaranteed balcony stateroom. We had great views, and the warm evening temperature of the Caribbean was pleasant sitting out on the balcony.
Ship tip
Monitor your booking for changes. Set up preferences well ahead of the cruise. Order your cruise packages in advance as the cost increases the closer to the cruise date.
No excursion. Flew in from SoCal the day before. Stayed at the LaGuardia Plaza. Very nice hotel and close to the airport to catch the Princess transfer shuttle to the ship.
Scheduled “Under Two Flags Island Drive” excursion. Long walk from the ship to the tour buses. The island of Saint Maarten is the smallest island divided into two nations, the Dutch and the French. The excursion provided a scenic view of both sides. Many areas are still trying to recover from hurricane damage, especially the French area. From Lookout Point you can see several neighboring islands. An easy activity excursion.
We scheduled the “Local Connections.: Romney Manor, Caribelle Batik & Timothy Hill Lookout” excursion. Another long walk to the tour bus. One scary note, this island is a former British colony, they drive on the wrong side. Additionally, they honk their horn at every cross street, intersection, and pedestrian near the road. The excursion provided a scenic overview on the way to Romney/Caribelle Batik, where they demonstrated the art of making Batik cloth designs. At Timothy Hill Lookout (a cut out by the highway on a hill) you can see where the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea meet.
The “Scenic Drive, Distillery & Aloe Vera Farm” was our scheduled excursion. Despite the walk to the bus, it was by far the best and easiest excursion. Interesting point is that while the island is Dutch, student must learn at lease four (4) languages in school (Dutch, French, Spanish and English) plus their own native language. The tour guide provides lots of history of the island and the drive is very scenic. At the Aloe Vera farm a demonstration was given on how the Aloe leaves are processed. The next stop was the Chichi Doll factory for a demonstration of creating and painting the dolls, and the symbolism behind each doll. Finally, we stopped at the Chobolobo factory where Blue Curacao Liqueur is produced. Yes, there were samples. The tour guide on the bus was extremely informative. A very informative and easy tour.
Utilized Princess EzCheck and ship transfer. Flight boarding passes and luggage tags were provided the day before debarkation. The luggage was picked up the night before and sent to the airport. Nice that we did not have to lug it around, our luggage arrived at LAX with us. Well worth the $25 pp fee. Getting on the bus to the airport was not handled well. Would suggest Princess have separate lines for passengers with luggage and those utilizing EzCheck.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
