The Caribbean Princess first entered service in 2004 making it one of the older ships in the Princess fleet. We last sailed on her in June 2015 when we voyaged to the North Cape in Norway. Although she is showing some signs of wear in places, it has been a very enjoyable cruise once again.
As always on a cruise some of the passengers have moaned about the food but I must say that I have been very pleased with both the variety and the quality. The choice of dining venue varies from the formal main dining rooms to the buffet with what Princess refers to as “Casual Dining‘ in between. On this ship the casual options were Steamers, a fish restaurant or Planks, a barbecue meat restaurant. We tried Steamers and were impressed with the quality of the food but it was far too big for our appetites. Oliver and Victoria went to planks and throughly enjoyed it.
Other dining options included Crown Grill, a steak house and Sabatini’s , an Italian restaurant, both at an extra cost. On this occasion we didn’t try these out but previous experience would suggest they are good value.
One of the nicest places on a Princess ship to eat is the 24hr coffee and sandwich bar called International Cafe. Here you can get your specialist coffees sandwiches and a vast array of cakes and sweet treats. Delicious and all part of the standard package.
The entertainment on board has been of a high quality and with a variety that would suit most tastes. Princess tends to use all of their facilities in an evening and you can traverse along the main deck and move between classical music to broadway hits to jazz and pop music all within a ten minute walk. The main theatre in addition to the production shows has hosted comedians, singers and magicians alongside a classical violinist who serenaded Sylvia.
The production shows were all very well produced with great singing and dancing but in my opinion lacked a sense of togetherness. Mainly they were a collection of songs and dances put together with little thought as to a theme. It was pleasing though that most of them were backed by live musicians and not backing tracks.
Also worth mentioning is the internet access around the ship, which has been for my purposes first class. Princess now uses Starlink for access and even in the wilds of Greenland I was able to upload my blog on a daily basis.
Overall the cruise has been extremely enjoyable, good food, great destinations and family as travelling companions, who could want for more. Back home tomorrow and in less than five weeks we will be off again. See you then.