EMERALD PRINCESS: CRUISE REVIEWBy NDJollyMon
Date: February 8, 2009 (10 nights)
Ports: Ft. Lauderdale, Antigua, Dominica, Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, Princess Cays.
Total Distance Traveled: 2987 Nautical Miles (3,437 statute miles)
About the Travelers:
This was our 3rd Princess cruise, and our 6th cruise overall. We have also sailed Carnival, & Royal Caribbean. We traveled with 2 other couples, all in 40-50 age bracket.
The Booking:
We booked this cruise with Jeanie Beck, and received a competitive price, and great customer service. I highly recommend this agency... if you don't use ME! :-)
Pre-Cruise Hotel:
We flew down to Ft. Lauderdale, FL one night prior to the cruise. We stayed at the Fort Lauderdale Hyatt Regency Pier 66 hotel right on the edge of the port. It’s only 2 miles from FLL, and you can see the ships right from the property. There is a courtesy shuttle to the beach, but not to the port or airport. Cab fare is around $15 from FLL to the hotel. We took a shuttle van from the hotel to Port Everglades for $6 per person the next morning.
This hotel is older, but very nice. I would be hesitant to book it at full price, but we got a great rate and decided to stay here. Our room was clean, but the bathroom needed some serious upgrading.
This hotel is located right on the Sun Trolley route ($1 exact change per person, per ride) and it brings you to local shopping/restaurants .The Sun Trolley, taxis, water taxi, and buses all stop outside this hotel.
We had dinner at Chucks Steakhouse (a short Trolley ride inland) which was very good, and reasonably priced. The Outback Steakhouse & the Bimini Boatyard are also nearby. There are large pharmacies, liquor stores, and a Publix Grocery Store on the trolley route as well.
The hotel grounds are very nice….especially the pool area. The property is located right on the canals and marina, where some very high end yachts are docked. We stayed in one of the Lanai Buildings, and not the tower itself. These rooms are nice, but are on ground level near the canals. Each room had a small patio with furniture. There are restaurants and bars located on the premises.
Tip: Ride the hotel elevator to the top for some scenic views.
Tip: There is a gas station directly across the street, which sells beer. ;-)
Embarkation/Debarkation:
We arrived at the port before noon, and had to wait a bit in line to go through security. Once the lines started moving, it was quick and easy. Debark was done very smoothly, and we were off in a taxi very quickly. Two thumbs up!
The Ship:
The Emerald Princess is in great condition, and is very nice. For a large ship, it seems to have a lot of movement, or seems less stable than other ships we’ve been on. The seas are moderate at up to 7.5’…and I’m having a hard time typing this. The side to side movement seems rough at times. (But I like it)
The ships layout is tricky to get around until you get used to it. The three dining rooms are divided up, with the galley between them. This means if you are on one of the lower decks forward, you will have to travel up a deck or two, then proceed aft past the galley to the aft stairs/elevators, then drop down to get to the rear dining rooms. This confused everyone at first…but it’s very similar to Carnival Valor’s design… and we learned quickly. Overall, I like this ship…but think they are almost too large for my tastes. There were still areas I hadn’t gone to after 10 days onboard!
Stateroom:
Our stateroom was port side, Aloha deck 12 near the back. (Aft) (A726) One drawback to this area…it’s a very long walk to the front of the ship. In addition, from the balcony, you cannot see straight down to the water. The Dolphin and Caribe decks stick out some. The balconies can get very windy while the ship is under way.
Princess beds are pretty firm. You can feel the fact that they are two separate beds, when put together. It’s not terribly uncomfortable, but annoying. (High centered)
TIP: Slide all your closet hangers/clothes together and shut the bathroom and cabinet doors in your stateroom before you turn in for the night. The ships movement will bang them around at night and keep you awake.
TIP: Ask your room steward for an egg crate mattress pad quickly. They go fast.
TIP: Be careful if you open your stateroom door, and your balcony door simultaneously. The suction created could cause the stateroom door to suddenly and forcefully slam shut, and hurting you.
International Café:
The food here was free during the hours of 11am – 5pm. There was a nominal charge thereafter. Brewed coffee was pretty descent. You get it for $1.15 per cup, or free with a coffee card. (Extra fee)
TIP: There are really good chocolate frosted donuts there in the morning!
Lotus Spa:
Spa personnel were very friendly. We took the Spa Tour upon boarding, and purchased two Thermal Suite Passes for the 10 day trip. It was $130 for unlimited use of hot beds, saunas, steam rooms, fog shower and other items. A couple’s massage was $267 for 50 minutes.
TIP: Kim offered us an ‘early riser’s special’ on a couples massage. She offered us an 8am couple’s massage at full price, with an additional 30 minute couples massage to be booked at our choice of day and time later in the cruise. It was Valentine’s Day Week….who was I to say no???
Our massages were expertly done, right in The Sanctuary under a canvas cabana. The sound of the ocean was very relaxing. We never used The Sanctuary other than for the massages. I did have the chance to look around. The fee is $10 for a half day, and $20 full day. One thing I noticed…this area is on a high forward deck. When the ship is underway, it’s quite windy up there. The chairs look very comfortable, and the gym, spa pool (swim against the current), hot tubs, and SPA are nearby. There is only one way into this Sanctuary, and it’s guarded until it closes in the evening.
WI-FI:
Internet packages are sold at the Internet Center. Wi-Fi works in the public areas of the ships, and in the staterooms. The package deals run between 50 – 60 cents per minute…or pay as you go at 75 cents per minute. I was only disconnected one time…and the speed wasn’t bad. I found it very nice to sit on the balcony of our stateroom and connect up to chat with the FREEKS!
TIP: If you sign up for an internet package the first night, you can get 30 minutes free added to your package.
The Coffee:
The coffee is terrible…period. It tastes like instant coffee whether you are in the dining rooms, or buffet…it’s all the same. If you love good coffee, do yourself a favor and make arrangements to buy a coffee card ($24 for 15 specialty coffees + unlimited brewed coffee) You can get these coffees in the International Café. I also find the tea in the dining room to be very weak as well. What did I do? I brought a coffee maker and supplies…because I knew the coffee would be bad. At least I had good coffee in our stateroom! (I also have a coffee card) The brewed coffee at the International Café was pretty good
TIP: If you have the coffee card, and use it for specialty coffees…save the last punch in the card. The card transfers between Princess ships…and you can use it get unlimited brewed coffee at the International Café in the Piazza.
The Crew:
The Captain was Giorgio Pomata. The Cruise Director was Paul O’Loughlin. I think I saw him once the whole cruise. Mostly, you only see him on the morning TV show. He did come on deck on Valentine’s Day, at sunset to renew our wedding vows. The Deputy Cruise Director (Marahscalh) was pretty good at his job, but was a little cocky for my likes.
Botticelli Dining Room:
Our dining room service was outstanding for the most part. Our waiter, Nick, was from Romania. He has worked for Princess for 10 years, and his wife is also a waitress onboard. We loved his personal service, wit, and his recommendations on menu choices. The food was overall….very good. I ate seafood nearly every night, from Salmon, Scallops, Lobster, King Crab, Mussels, Caviar, Perch, Prawns, Squid, Sea Bass, and Rockfish, to shrimp. They were all well prepared, and very delicious. I also had Veal, Lamb, and a great steak. Desserts were usually very good, but I would have liked more chocolate choices. I only ordered the new, Home-style Selection one night…and it was Fajitas. They were very good. I didn’t hear too many food complaints in the dining room. I still think they should have someone other than our waiters serving wine at dinner. It slows down the entire dinner for everyone without a dedicated Sommelier.
Da Vinci Dining Room:
We had breakfast nearly every day in this dining room. Service was very good, and we sometimes had the same waiters. I had the bagel, smoked salmon and cream cheese every day. There was always a delicious breakfast special, such as a Farmers Special, Eggs Benedict, or some other egg dish.
Horizon Court Buffet/Café Caribe:
Let me start by saying….I never like buffets. Something about people contaminating food, dishes, and utensils that I don’t like. Food was mediocre at best, and selections very limited. I could always find something to eat when I needed to. We never used the place for dinner. I like the dining rooms too much for that.
Pizza / Ice Cream / Burgers:
The pizza and service at the pizza place on deck was great. Burgers and fries were adequate as well. The ice cream shop sells extra fee soft serve as well. The day I used it, the ice cream came out so soft…..it wouldn’t stay in my cone. They tore up the charge ticket and gave it to me.
TIP: During the afternoon, you can get served hand scooped ice cream in the Horizon Court.
TIP: There is a seafood buffet the evening of boarding, and one night there were sushi selections in Horizon Court.
Princess Theater:
This theater is has very tiny chairs, with very little leg room. This was probably my least favorite theater of all cruise ships I’ve been on. I just didn’t like the design. We only attended one show in this theater. Not bad, but not memorable either. I’m not much of a show person.
Club Fusion:
This is a club in the rear of the ship where they have dances, bingo, and other gatherings. It’s a very nice, comfortable lounge…but site lines are terrible. The built the dividers too high…so you really can’t see over them to the stage area very well from anywhere. In lieu of that…but put up video monitors all over so you can see what is going on via monitors. There are also large pillars all over with seating behind them.
Casino:
The casino is pretty large, but has a huge amount of wasted, empty space. For a ship this size, there aren’t that many slot machines. The machines were VERY tight, and didn’t offer up many bonus rounds at all. I did like the fact you could use your cruise card or cash.
TIP: There is an ATM in the casino you can access cash from.
Tradewinds Bar:
Located on the Sun Deck overlooking Neptune’s Pool is the Tradewinds bar. This became our favorite spot on deck. We got to know the staff very well, and they knew our names, card numbers, and drink orders by day 3. The staff was Angela, Felix and Bo from the Philippines, Andreea from Romania, and Rakesh from Mauritius. They kept us laughing, kept us hydrated, and we traded some stories of life. Good times, good people, I’ll remember them fondly.
Movies Under the Stars (MUTS):
A very nice addition to the cruise experience. The weather can be a little windy or moist on deck…but the concept is really….FUN. We had milk and cookies delivered right to our chair. A pizza tray came around once, and you could get fresh popcorn as well. This is a must-do, and very fun experience.
TIP: Get there a little early for the best seats out of the wind. You can grab some blankets as well.
TIP: Find a chair on the main pool deck, back under the second tier so you can get out of the wind and spray.
THE PORTS:
Antigua:
After 3 nights at sea, we arrived near Antigua. The winds were blowing quite hard on this trip, and they were at Force 8 this day. Do to the fact the ship would be hard to maneuver at slow speed in the narrow channel leading to port, the Captain cancelled this port stop. We slowly passed around the island, and had another sea day. No rebates or perks were given.
Dominica:
We love the island and people of Dominica. (Pronounced ‘Dom-in-eek-a’) We have been there before. Our tour guide said to me on our first visit…you will fall in love with Dominica, and someday return. He was right. I picked this itinerary because it stopped here.
We pre-booked a tour with the highly recommended Reyno, of Reyno Tours. We booked a private van for 6 at a total cost of $300 + entry fees to the parks of $10 per person. We tailored the tour to our liking…which included a stop at a local Fire Dept. My brother and I are Firefighters, and we like to stop at different FD’s to check them out. We also visited the Emerald Pool, Trafalgar Falls, Mr. Nice’s Fruit Stand, and the main sites. We saw some filming locations of the movie, “Pirates of the Caribbean 3” which was cool. It’s a very nice tour, they provided free cold drinks, and our tour guide and driver were both great. We are still in love with Dominica!
Barbados:
On our first visit, we took the ships tour with Tiami Catamaran and had a great time. We decided to do it again, and pre-booked the 5-Star Catamaran & Turtle Encounter with lunch. The Tiami crew is one of a kind. From sailing, to snorkeling, to serving….they really go the extra mile. After 6 cruises…this is still my favorite excursion of them all. Sailing up the Gold Coast of Barbados is very scenic. We swam with sea turtles so close, you could almost touch them. We lunched on flying fish, chicken, pasta, and dessert. After snorkeling, the mixed drinks and beer flow. Barbados’ beautiful golden sand beaches, the sparkling turquoise waters, and the hot sun shining on my smiling face say it all.
St. Kitts:This was our first visit to St. Kitts, and I was surprised. It was much more built up than I expected it would be. There is a lot of stores right at the port area. They are lined up all over…with restaurants and bars as well. The shopping was great. After shopping, we took a water taxi over to Frigate Bay for some beach time. The cost was $10 per person round trip. This is a very nice beach with restaurants and bars. The water was good for snorkeling and swimming. We caught a bite to eat, had a couple beers and hit the sand. We boarded the water taxi for the ride back to Bridgetown. A Carnival ship was in port with us here, and when it left before us the two ships had a battle of the horns! It was cool.
St. Thomas:
We docked early morning at Crown Bay. One other small ship docked there as well. There are some shops and restaurants right off the pier.
St. Thomas was great, as usual. Sunny Liston’s island tour is the best! We had a great day shopping, touring, and hanging out at Sapphire Beach. You can find him at:
http://sunnylistontours.com/ He takes you shopping, provides a fast-paced tour / musical party, and takes you to and from the beach. All for about $25 per person. We visited Mountaintop for the incredible view, and a World Famous Banana Daiquiri.
While snorkeling off Sapphire Beach, we saw a nice big stingray and some coral. The beach and water are absolutely gorgeous, and it’s a great beach offering everything.
~~~From my Cruise Journal:~~~
Near the Turks & Caicos: Sea Day (Monday)
I spotted a whale surface very near the ship from the balcony this morning. It was only about 25 yards away. Another beautiful sea day so far, heading to Princess Cays. Saw the lights of San Juan, Puerto Rico last night as we passed to the North. The Constellation Orion was shining brightly in the night sky. I fell asleep in my balcony chair listening to the sea.
The Captain announced a Norovirus warning. New measures took place because of many sick people. They have removed the bread baskets, salt & pepper shakers, and butter from dining room tables. They are sanitizing the ship areas, and are serving items in the buffet. Not sure how many are sick, but the crew says it’s not very normal that this happens. They are cleaning everything.
Princess Cays:
Princess Cays is very nice. It was our only tender port on this itinerary. They’ve built it up much more than I remember from our last visit. There are nice walkways, and new outbuildings. The Buffet BBQ is much the same with ribs, burgers, dogs, chicken & fish. They had some nice fruit salads and desserts as well. The weather was chilly, but the sun was hot. Snorkeling was very good. There is something for everyone here…and the beaches are great.
Norovirus:
Upon going to a heightened Norovirus state, here are some of the key things we saw happen:
~No more handshaking from the crew. (Parties, Meetings)
~All breadbaskets, salt & pepper shakers, sugar, cream, butter, removed from dining room tables. Waiters will bring each item to you. They serve the food to you in the buffet area as well…as you aren’t allowed to touch anything.
~Crew sprays down handrails, elevators, and wipes down everything in staterooms and common areas.
~Crew applies anti-septic to your hands upon entering dining rooms.
~They are very well trained in helping control the spread of germs.
The BAD: (things I don't like)
~Smoking on balconies and in staterooms. Hate it. It should be abolished completely.
~You can’t hear announcements in staterooms. I like being able to control speaker volume in stateroom.
~The food service staff are the ones that suffer during a Norovirus Alert. They have to serve everyone...virtually EVERYTHING! Wash those paws folks! Easiest way to fight it land or sea! I saw a lot of people pushing elevator buttons with elbows!
~We couldn't even use the nice red Movies Under the Stars chair pads!
~Jeers to those germ spreaders making life miserable for others!
~What’s up with those people that can’t move aside so you can get out of the elevators? Get a clue people!
~Princess dining rooms are very unimpressive. I prefer the multi level ones, such as RCI ships have. Some nights seemed very loud in there as well.
~Balcony tables on Emerald were smaller than those on Island Princess.
~No steel drum band on deck! Why did they do away with them??? I wasn’t the only one whining about this onboard! There were basically 2 bands onboard…and over the course of 10 days…I was sick of them both. They play the same stuff every day, over and over.
The GOOD: (things I like)
~The crew did an OUTSTANDING job, as they are trained to do. They cleaned that place day and night. They were walking up the halls spraying Virox on the handrails. Cheers to those highly trained staff fighting the bug!
~The dining room service!
~The stateroom service!
~The bar service!
~The Lotus Spa service! (Can you tell I liked the service?)
~The Love Boat episodes on the stateroom TV’s!
~Sliding balcony doors!
~The wrap around Promenade deck.
~The better itineraries Princess continues to use.
~The laundry rooms on each passenger deck.
~Love that the hallway carpets have a color code. We always knew which direction was Port/Starboard just by looking toward the hallway entrances. (Same as Island Princess)
~Loved the Lotus Pool area and hot tubs. The aft pool area in front of Sabatini’s is very nice as well.
Conclusion:
Although I may sound critical, I have certain expectations that come with the fact we’ve done a few cruises to have something to compare things too. This cruise lived up to my expectations just fine. I love Princess Service, and will continue to cruise with them in the future. I do, however, like the smaller ships better. I much preferred the size and design of Island Princess to Emerald. Overall, we had a great cruise. Thanks for listening!
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