Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Emerald Princess



We recently did a Western Caribbean cruise on the Emerald Princess. This was our first time on Princess so we were not sure what to expect. After checking in, we went to our stateroom and decided to tour the ship. We stayed in an inside stateroom mid-ship on Deck 11. This was also my first time cruising in an inside stateroom. The room had plenty of space and was laid out nicely. I will say, I do not think I will ever cruise again in an inside stateroom. Although the room was good, I did not like the fact that I couldn’t tell the time of day by looking outside. I also found that I slept a lot more and a lot later. Having no natural light, I suppose the darkness kept me sleepy! I like to at least be able to look outside and see the weather, see where we are.

So, on to the ship. I have to say, I was very impressed. The design of the ship and the layout of all the public spaces were very intelligent. We at no time felt like we were travelling with 3,000 passengers. As a matter of fact, there were some times where we seemed to be the only people, which of course was not the case! I do like large open ships, but this intimate experience was quite refreshing.

We decided that the purpose of this trip was to completely relax. Although there were plenty of activities going on, we did not participate in much. We played in the casino quite a bit, played Bingo, caught the comedy show, saw the magician and relaxed in a few of the bars and lounges, which also had some light entertainment. We also saw a cooking demonstration followed by a tour of one of the galleys which was absolutely immaculate and impressive.

Speaking of the galley, there was plenty of food to be found. There are three main dining rooms, one is reserved for traditional dining times, and the other two are reserved for the guests with any time dining. We opted for the any time dining, which we enjoyed. We wanted the flexibility to eat when we wanted to around our schedule. I do have to say that we found the food to be just average in these venues. The only meal that I found really good was the lobster on the second formal night. We did eat in both specialty restaurants. Sabatini's, which has a $20 per person service charge, is the fleet's Northern Italian-themed restaurant based on an eatery in Florence. The dining experience comes with gorgeous views. In terms of the menus, passengers are served small bites of a variety of different tastes, from antipasti to the main course. You only actually select your main course; most offerings are in the seafood category. We did thoroughly enjoy this experience and the food. Crown Grill is another popular venue; it's a seafood/chop house and is elegantly dark. It costs $25 per person to dine at Crown Grill. We loved the atmosphere; however, we found the food to be just slightly above average in this venue. There are also buffets with a wide selection of food, an area by the pool for pizza, and an ice cream bar. You can find a café with desserts and coffees, wine and sushi. We did not partake in the latter.

There was a lot that we didn’t do … Movies Under the Stars, where they show movies and concerts on a big screen TV by the pool; we didn’t swim; didn’t play mini golf or use the golf simulator; we didn’t go to the spa. We did relax, so we accomplished what we came for! The action on board the ship was more laid back than you might find on other cruise lines, but if you are looking for a beautiful ship, good service and a relaxing time while visiting beautiful destinations, this is it. We will have to go again to experience the things we missed.

Interested in a Princess Cruise or any other cruise? Give us a call! Tell us what your interests are and we would be happy to match you with the perfect cruise for your vacation. You can reach us at 321-735-0202, toll free at 888-882-5793, via email at kfreer@cruiseone.com or on the web at www.GetLostAtSea.com.

We look forward to hearing from you and helping you bring your dream vacation to life!

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