Princess Cruise: Sail to the Caribbean (November 17-24)

I just came back from a much-needed break, traveling to the Caribbean on a 7-day cruise! I wanted to share my experience with you as we visit these beautiful islands in the Caribbean. My family and I booked this trip through Princess Cruise's which we've found to have been a great experience beforehand on our trips to Mexico and Alaska. I decided to do a daily post throughout this week for some content and a push for me to post something daily. x)

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The Royal Princess

Just to give a bit more insight on the cruise, every day you're given a 'Princess Patter' that explains the different events that would be hosted on the cruise, giving a brief explanation and the location of said events. After 3 cruises on Princess, I can say that the events are relatively the same depending on how many sea days you'll have. The Royal Princess boasts 19 floors in all.

The cruise itself holds quite a few different outlets onboard, all claiming to be 30% off retail prices. One that actually has their own store on land is Effy, a brand-name jewelry store. Effy holds a lot of raffles during your time on the cruise where you have a chance to get a free gift, all three of us had won one thing or another from these raffles. Some prizes hold valuable jewelry while others hold not as valuable, but still as attractive, jewelry. Another shop sells Princess merchandise, over-the-counter medicine, and clothes that you may fancy. And there's also a place that you're able to buy makeup or perfume if you're ever in a pickle. It's also connected to a watch store for those men who don't want to be waiting for their S.O. when they're choosing makeup.

The Royal Princess is quite large, having a section for its own casino, and has the largest spa that I've ever seen on the Princess cruise line. The spa is known as the Lotus Spa, another business you can find on land, and when you enter you'll find a small hair salon, a section for massage, and even a hot tub. Once again, I was surprised that the ship could even hold such weight.

(Note: There is a doctor on board in case anything goes wrong)

On the Royal Princess, there are two large pools on both the aft and forward of the ship, separated by a large movie screen for 'Movies Under the Stars' where they display a scheduled movie in the evening for those who want to watch. There are a couple of bars, which I obviously didn't visit since I'm underage, but I had listened to a pianist who played for those who dined. There is a medium-sized theatre where dancers and singers perform musicals, and I will tell you now. While it's better than the local theatres, it's not Broadway material. However, the reason being is that the dancers and singers need to be able to perform in many different styles and have a great memory to remember the routine for each musical that's hosted. There's a show on most days, all different styles of music and dance, and I applaud them for their skill in retaining their routines.

A gym is located on the floor above the pools and there's a basketball court and (small) golf course for those who wish to stay fit or be physical over their vacation. A buffet is on the same floor as the pools and the food there is a little above average but nothing to write home about. It tends to be a bit crowded at times and quite frankly I wonder why anyone would choose the buffet over the main dining other than needing a quick bite to eat. There are so many different options besides the buffet including traditional dining, an option for any time dining (offered at most but not all princess cruises), bars, and cafes. We try to always eat at traditional because it's higher quality than the buffet and the servers there are great. The only downfall (for some, but not me) is that you need to wear smart-casual clothes and for two nights you need to have formal wear. So no shorts for men!

Another thing to note is the option for Afternoon Tea, held in a dining room around 3:30. You're able to get a light snack with different sandwiches and desserts, my personal favorite is the scones with jelly and cream, topped off with a nice cup of tea. My family would eat here if we were hungry and couldn't wait until dinner and it's a great way to meet companions on the cruise.

Things to Know When Cruising with Princess

(P.S. Cost may vary in the future)

There are many purchases that you're able to buy while onboard, but there are a few deals that are so much cheaper if you buy it prior to boarding. Here are a few!

• Photo Package:

  • $199 USD for unlimited photographs of you and your family. Throughout the cruise, the ship will have 2-6 backdrops where photographers are stationed to take your pictures. If you choose to buy the package, keep in mind that if you choose to take pictures with the backdrops you will end up with A LOT of pictures. Also, remember to bring the USB everytime you'd like to pick up photos so they can scan them into the USB.
  • Without the package, it would be $20 USD per picture (Less than $20 USD for port pictures), which isn't that bad if you're not too big on photographs. To buy the package once you're already onboard would be $249 USD.
  • This cruise we ended up with ~200 photographs, printed out neatly for us and they include a USB drive that holds all of the photos if you don't want to carry the film. (Note: The photographs are printed and put on display even if you don't buy them, they're taken off once the cruise is over ((A waste of paper if you asked me... But it's nice if you're buying them))
    (P.S. Costs may vary depending on the length of cruise, all prices above are based on a week-long cruise)

• Beverage Packages:

  • Premier Beverage Package: This package includes alcoholic drinks such as cocktails, wine, and beer. It also includes fountain soda, specialty coffees, bottled water, teas and other individual beverages up to $12 USD each. However, if you plan on drinking at least 5 drinks a day then you're able to buy the $59.99 USD package which is per person, per day. It all depends on how much you plan on drinking!
  • Unlimited Soda & More Package: With this, you're able to get sodas, juices, hot chocolate, and mocktails (free of alcohol) for $8.05 USD per person, per day.

• Booking Excursions w/ Princess:

  • It's better to book your excursions with Princess if you have a knack for being late because the cruise will wait for you to return. However, if you disembark and journey your way without Princess and you end up being late then it's too bad so sad. Although, if the excursion brings you back on time and you wander around and find yourself lost then that's also on you.
  • You're able to book excursions 180 days in advance and up to 5 days before departure.

• Specialty Dining Reservations:

  • I've heard from other family's that they've tried to reserve a specialty dining spot at the restaurants on board, they're different depending on the cruise, and it's recommended to make those reservations prior to boarding.

• Youth Clubs:

  • Sort of like a daycare for your children when you're out and about on the boat.
    • The Treehouse (Ages 3-7)
    • The Lodge (Ages 8-12)
    • The Beach House (Ages 13-17)

• Package of Water:

  • You have the option of buying a package of water before you get on the cruise, I suggest buying at least 1 package, especially if you're going to a place with a poor septic system.

• Laundry tokens

  • Bought on the cruise with your cruise card for $3. You need a token for both washing and drying, a little expensive, but it's there if you need it.

I know, I know, this post turned out to be infinitely long, part of why I had so much trouble getting it posted right after my cruise. I'll continue with my excursions later so I hope you've gained a bit of information about the Princess Cruiseline!

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