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Star Princess Western Caribbean Cruise Trip Report

Star Princess Western Caribbean Cruise Trip Report

Old May 1st, 2007, 04:09 PM
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KVR
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Star Princess Western Caribbean Cruise Trip Report

I know this isn't the cruise board, but it does pertain to the Caribbean and I frequent this board more than the others, so thought some might find it interesting and/or helpful. It's very long.

Star Princes Western Caribbean Cruise
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Mexico, and Princess Cays, Bahamas - April 21 - 28, 2007



Background: DH (51) and myself (38, turned 39 on the cruise). This is his 2nd cruise and my 3rd. The others were on Carnival and we were disappointed with each of them enough to stop cruising. We've been to several Caribbean Islands/Mexico on land vacations, Hawaii and Las Vegas. We had FF tickets on Southwest and wanted to cruise to Alaska. We have booked an Alaska cruise 4 years in a row and decided it was too expensive and ended up somewhere else instead. Even with the FF tickets this time, an Alaska cruise was still out of our budget. So, decided to use the tickets to a port of embarkation We specifically picked this itinerary due to the ports of call and Princess due to the anytime dining option.

Pre-cruise stay: We got a lousy flight schedule with our FF tickets. We arrived in Ft.Lauderdale the day before the cruise at 9:30pm. Since we have not been there before, I researched high and low for info on a good hotel and found that the best area was probably on 17th Street. However, considering how late we were arriving, it didn't justify the price for those particular hotels for just a place to sleep. So, went to Hotwire and purchased a 3* in that general area. Was assigned the Holiday Inn, 999 Ft. Lauderdale Beach for $94.00. Sounded great. We are Holiday Inn preferred members and the hotel is located directly across the street from the beach. We arrived at the HI at 10:30pm. Cab ride from the airport was $22. Check-in was quick and easy. We were starving since it was a 4 hour flight and Southwest offering snacks during the dinner hour is not their top priority. The HI restaurant was closed, but the front desk staff recommended a seafood restaurant just behind the hotel that stayed opened until 2am. The Blue something. Can't remember. We asked if it was safe to walk around this area at night. She laughed and said "why so people keep asking us that, yes it's safe." Once we got onto the street, we could understand why people keep asking her that question. The restaurant is located on a back street and contained 2 tattoo parlors, a lingerie/sex shop, and XXX movie rental store. There were also about 20 bikers hanging out on the street as well as a few other people, 2 manned patrol cars and 3 police officers walking around. So we very much questioned the "safety"of the area at night. We went to the restaurant anyway. DH had a hamburger was was OK and I ordered lobster bisque. Which in hindsight was not a great choice as it was very "fishy" tasting, even though there was no lobster in it, and probably had been sitting out all day. I was afraid I would end up with food poisoning. They were kind enough to take it off the bill. By the time we were through eating, all the shops had closed, the people disbursed and the police gone. No problem walking back to the HI.

The room at the HI was terribly run down and in need of updating. There was black marks on the wall, carpet very worn, and only a sheet on the bed. No bedspread or blanket. The shower in bath had mold. Not just a little mold like you'll see in some bathrooms close to the beach, but actually caked on and a lot of it. There was a electronic safe that didn't work and a small frig we didn't use. The next morning we ate at the breakfast buffet at the HI. Small with limited choices, didn't taste all that great and the cost was $37.00 for the two of us. Not worth it. On the front side of the hotel there were a few T-shirt/souvenir shops and a convenience type store. We looked around the shops and then crossed the street to the beach. It was very windy and the waves were rough. We purchased a case of beer and 2 bottles of champagne at the convenience store and packed in our carry on luggage. Went right through to our cabin with no questions. When we were leaving the convenience store, a man that looked to be in his early 20's approached us and asked us to give him some of our beer or some money to buy his own. He already looked 3 sheets to the wind and we told him "no". He harassed us all the way back to the hotel lobby. I work in corrections and in drug rehabilitation, so my only thought was "what if he didn't take "no" for an answer. I didn't want to end up on the news. I would definitely not recommend this HI for a pre-cruise stay.

Embarkation: The HI offered a shuttle for $15 for the both of us. We arrived at the port about 12:30. The security doors had not yet opened and the line was long. As soon as we dropped off our luggage and got in line it started raining. Lasted about 10 minutes. Once the security doors opened it took 30 minutes to reach the checkpoint and then another 30 minutes to get on the ship.
Cabin: We purchased the lowest category balcony cabin and was assigned cabin C202. This is a port cabin very forward. The room was a nice size and the balcony was huge. Plenty of closest space. The bathroom was a little small and the shower really small. We're not terribly obese people, but could stand to lose some weight. However, if we were any bigger, no way would we fit into that shower stall. I had purchased canapés and chocolate covered strawberries as a gift to ourselves. I wrote on the order form to please deliver as soon as people were allowed to embark. We didn't want to deal with the masses at the buffet. A Princess rep called me about a week before the cruise and confirmed our order. Stated it should be waiting in our cabin when we got there, but if not just call room service for delivery. It was not in our cabin when we arrived, so called room service and was told it would be there by 2pm. By 3:30pm it still haven't arrived, so we went to the buffet anyway. Of course, by the time we returned, they had finally delivered it. The beer and champagne fit nicely in the frig. Our cabin steward introduced himself on the first day, did a fine job, and was never intrusive. We're not the type of people that wants to become chummy or best friends with the cabin steward or the wait staff.

We did find that in this cabin we felt lots of movement. Many times it felt like the Captain just slammed on the brakes. We would be lying in bed or walking/standing and we would literally be jerked around. Also, on other areas of the ship we felt lots of movement, but not as bad as in our cabin. We had Dramamine and a bottle of Motion Ease, which a oil based liquid that you place behind the ears. We never got seasick or nauseated, but the movement was aggravating.

Dining: We chose anytime dining and loved it. Would never even consider another cruise line that didn't offer it. We thought all the food was wonderful. Better than any vacation we've taken to date. Was totally impressed. And, this is also the only Caribbean vacation that we've taken that we actually enjoyed the dessert selections. Most places the desserts are blah, bland, and not very sweet. These were great, especially the ice cream.

On the first formal night, the host at the door advised us that we would have to sit with other people to dine or find somewhere else to eat. No choice of waiting for an available table for 2. I asked about the lighted reservation thingy (don't know what there called) and he responded they weren't using them tonight. So we ended up sitting with 3 other couples. We ate breakfast mainly in the dining room and had lunch always in the dining room if we were not in port. They always tried to get us to sit with other passengers, but a firm "no, we will be happy to wait" sufficed. At dinner in the dining room they would do the same thing and we would tell them "no", so they would respond there will be a 40 to 45 minute wait. Fine, I'll be in the bar. Light up that thingy when your ready. Then the wait was only 10 or 20 minutes.

We made reservations for Sabatini's the first night. Really enjoyed it and thought it was worth the time and surcharge. We purchased a bottle of Martin and Rossi champagne/sparking wine and enjoyed the entire experience. Also made reservations for Tequila's for my birthday. It was OK, but the food in the dining room was just as good and not really worth the surcharge. There were only 3 other couples in the dining room. The waiter quietly sang "Happy Birthday" to me. 3 days later I got a notice in our cabin that since we had anytime dining it was difficult for them to determine where I would be on my birthday so to hand the notice to host at the door. I threw it away. Also didn't get the sign or balloons on our door, but didn't think it was a big enough deal to complain about.

We also did the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast and the Ultimate Balcony Dinner. Both were OK. The food served for breakfast could be easily be obtained at the buffet. We did not get the quiche or the crab as advertised. The steak and lobster for dinner was served on selected nights in the dining room without the surcharge. Didn't think either was worth the price.

Shows/Activities: I really wanted to see at least 1 production show, but couldn't coordinate our dining times with the show times. Plus DH has health problems and tires very easily, so we don't stay up past 10:00pm anyway. We did see 2 comedians and 1 juggler, which were entertaining. We went to the scrape booking class, (was a waste of time) the culinary show/kitchen tour and saw the fruit carving demonstration. Those were interesting. We went to the main pool area one day, but the water was ice cold and the hot tubs were luke warm. Unsupervised kids took over the hot tubs and even after complaining to the deck staff, they still kept getting in and out of the hot tubs. We didn't find the adult only pool and hot tubs until Wed. Much nicer as the pool is heated and the hot tubs are hot. But there's only a limited number of loungers in the shaded area and the pool is really too small for all the people.

Formal Nights: I was really concerned about what to wear on the formal nights after reading so much heated controversy on the cruise boards. I am not a girly foo-foo girl. I don't wear or even own a dress. I don't wear hose and I don't wear shoes with heels on them. So what to chose for a formal night? I thought about just skipping them, but then I didn't want to get ousted to the buffet and miss all the yummy food in the dining room. So, I choose simple black slacks with beaded tops and simple back shoes, and DH wore a basic dark suit that he couldn't stand putting on, and couldn't wait to get out of and back into shorts. So when the first formal night came around, I found that I fretted over our attire for apparently no good reason, as most of the women were dressed in very simple basic black dresses or slacks or Sunday Church type dresses. Saw a few women who were dressed in what looked liked prom dresses or bridesmaids dresses. Very, very few in an actual evening gown or cocktail dress. I saw maybe a handful of men in an actual tux. They were the ones who looked more out of place than the others. So, the suggested dress listed in the Princess information guide is just that "suggested".

I love pictures and very much into scrape booking, so we did all the backgrounds for both formal nights and the lifestyle pictures and purchased several. They were quite expensive at $21.95 for a 5 x 7, but the bottom price for all we purchased was about along the same lines as formal portraits at our local photo studio.

Ports:

Ocho Rios, Jamaica - The Captain decided the weather was too bad to dock at the port so we skipped it. I was very disappointed as the sole reason we booked this particular cruise was for the ports of call.


Grand Cayman - We booked a Princess sponsored tour for the Aqua Boats and Snorkel tour. We were concerned about tendering (never had to do that on prior cruise) and wanted to get off the ship as soon as possible. Getting on and off the ship just sucks, tendering or not. Lots of standing in line and waiting or missing most of your port time if you wait until it's less crowded. So, if your port time says 7:00 to 5:00, it really means about 9:00 to 4:00. The ocean was quite rough for the aqua boats. A very bumpy ride and I thought the swells would be too high to snorkel, but no problem. We went to a reef just in front of a section of 7 Mile Beach and then to the wreck of "Cali". I still contend that the best snorkeling of all the Islands we've been to is in Grand Cayman. Afterward, we headed to Margaritaville. It was a fun, lively place with a MC doing games with the patrons for free drinks and/or T-shirts. The shops were crowded and very expensive. We had 2 cheeseburgers, 1 Corona and 1 small house Margarita and the bill was $60. We had just enough time after eating to do a little shopping before it was time to get back on the ship. Really, wished we could have had more time. I really would have liked to go to 7 Mile Beach for a couple of hours.

Cozumel - Cozumel is still our very favorite Island. We took a $10 cab ride from the ship's dock to Chankanaab. Very nice area and never got crowded. Snorkeling was OK. However, it was much better on our 2 prior trips pre-hurricane Wilma. They had food and drink service on the beach. We had lunch of shrimp cerviche, pico de gallo, guacamole chips, fish fingers, 2 beers and 1 coke for $32.00. It was very good. Afterward we went to the Marketplace and shopped around then went to Sr. Frogs. Had a couple of beers, but not much going on so we headed next door to Carlos & Charlie's. Much more lively. We shared the chicken tortilla soup and beer battered shrimp in the dining area, which was very good, and then joined the people in the bar area for dancing. Had a great time with all the waiters dancing and drinking.

Princess Cays - Nice beach area. We pre-purchased a blue cabana cover, which was great since we can't sit in the open sun for long periods. The entry into the water from the beach and the shallow area is very rocky. Defiantly wear water shoes. The snorkeling was OK. There is a gift shop that takes cruise cards only, but behind that area is the craft market. You have to show your cruise card to get in and out of the area to security personnel. And the craft vendors only take cash. The bar-b-cue lunch was good. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

Ft. Lauderdale - Our return flight was at 3:00pm, so instead of sitting in the airport, we booked a Princess sponsored tour to the Everglades Holiday Park for an airboat ride and Flamingo Gardens. The greyhound tour bus had 44 people for this tour and it always amazes me that a group this size there is someone who can't listen and follow directions from the tour guide as to what time to be back on the bus. Both tours were very nice and better than sitting in the airport.

Disembarkation - Since we had a booked tour, we were given special luggage tags and a notice to vacate our cabin by 8am. We went to the breakfast buffet and than sat in the Explorer's's lounge until our luggage tag was called. We were off the ship by 8am.

Overall impression: Very nice cruise and good vacation. However, we really didn't care for the formal nights, since were not big into dressing up, the crowded public areas, standing in lines for the buffet, getting on and off the ship and our very high bar bill. Really enjoyed the pomagrante martinis and the mojitos. Apparently a little too much. We got tired of the ship rocking and rolling and being jerked around in our cabin. By the end of the week we were getting a little claustrophobic and was ready to get off and get home. We had a 4 1/2 hour lay over in Houston. We about died sitting in the airport and didn't get home until 11:30pm. Also, very upset we missed Jamaica. If, the food hadn't been so good, we would have really been disappointed. So, no more cruises. We'll stick to AI land based vacations. The people who say that you get "stuck" on the resort at a land based AI vacation has either never been on a cruise ship or just doesn't have a clue.

I posted 319 pictures on our site at http://community.webshots.com.user/kvrlvn
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Old May 1st, 2007, 05:20 PM
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Great, thorough trip repot!!! Thanks for posting. Although I've never taken a cruise before, it helped confirm for me that cruising is probably not for me.

pomegranate martinis sound yummy!
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Old May 2nd, 2007, 07:43 AM
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That was a great trip report!I really enjoyed reading about all the aspects of your cruise.We have never been on a cruise before because we thought we might feel 'trapped on a ship'.Your review brought alot of things to light and now I'm sure we would not be good cruise people either.
We just got back from a wonderful trip to Jamaica.Staying on land for us is definitely the way to go.You get to see more and are not restricted to a time frame.There's certainly more options for eating,drinking and entertainment.
Thanks for the review of your cruise!
Debbie
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Old May 2nd, 2007, 03:35 PM
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KVR
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I just noticed that I typed the incorrect link for our picture site.

http://community.webshots.com/user/kvrlvn
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Old May 3rd, 2007, 09:11 AM
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I also enjoyed reading your report and looking at your pictures. I went on a cruise years ago with my family and probably wouldn't do it again. I just prefer waking up and sleeping on the island I want to visit. After reading your report, makes me realize I don't want to go on another - thank you again for the report - Susan
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Old May 3rd, 2007, 03:23 PM
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Thanks for the detailed trip report. We've never done a cruise. It just doesn't appeal to us. We do like to try things at least once though, so maybe one day...
I'll take a look at your pics while at work tomorrow as I've been having computer issues at home.
Welcome back. When and where is your next Caribbean adventure?
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Old May 4th, 2007, 03:22 AM
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We are going back to Playa del Carmen the first week of September. Staying at the Royal Playa del Carmen. Of all the places we've been, we really like Mexico.

Since we didn't get to Ocho Rios on the cruise like we should have, we're looking at going there the first week of December. My TA is working on it now.

My BIG 4-0 is next April. We're looking at Curacao. Staying at Breezes. I eventually want to get back to Cancun. They have put in so many nice new resorts since we've been there last.
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Old May 5th, 2007, 07:31 AM
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For my own selfish reasons, I hope you go to Ocho Rios. Would love to see those pics! My husband and I talked about going there for this year's anniversary trip (October), but I don't know that we'll do it after all. We're already taking a trip next month without our son. We don't really want to go away a 2nd time without him. We'll see.
Have fun planning your next trips.
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