Thread: Crowds on Caribbean Princess?

I am convinced that there are as many opinions on this issue as there are cruise critics!

Too crowded; forget the elevators; additional deck added; wait for tables; git along little dawgies; moooooo.....

OR...

small ship feel; so many places to hang out you'll never feel crowded;spacious; diverse; etc.etc. etc...

So, what's YOUR experience? Are ships sailing half empty due to the poor economic conditions? Are there places (or times) to avoid? Special nooks and crannies where one can find a bit of romantic privacy?

Spill, people...

Well, the extra deck of 500 people and no extra public space created 2 problems I am aware of, If you are doing the anytime dining, go early or late, otherwise long lines and also in the theater for shows, go early. With the new refurb that problem may be solved.There are lots of nooks and crannies for quiet time on Princess. Best time for Romantic privacy is the aft terrace at night. Normally very quiet, everyone else is shopping, at the shows or lounges, or eating. Buffet is open 24/7

I love the CB but I agree 100% with what Sue said. I only had issues with crowds in the theater and with anytime dining.

thanks for the info, will be on her 4wks from today. have evey intention of heading to the terrace pool, even during the day. know this cruise is booked full so expect crowds, you got 3100 people on board, how can you not? but will take your advice here.

Hi,

Was on the Caribbean Princess for the June 2 - June 11, 2009 sailing. Ship is very large, so most times crowding is not a problem. Dine as early as possible to beat the crowds.

Overall, I was very satisfied with the staff, service, entertainment and food. My 9-year old daughter loved the Shockwave kid's program.

Embarkation was smooth and organized. The same for debarkation, except for the part where we were waiting at the sidewalk to be picked-up. It was extremely disorganized and crowded, however, that is the fault of the Brooklyn Terminal, not the cruise line.

I would certainly recommend Caribbean Princess for a relaxing vacation.

One final note: to all those who constantly complain, whine, knit-pick and expect to be catered to (like royalty) every single second on a cruise, remember that cruise staff members generally work very hard to make your cruise experience as pleasant as possible. Constant whining and knit-picking comes across as spoiled children with unreasonable demands. Treat people the same way you expect to be treated. Respect goes a long way. Service staff are human, not slaves.

Hey travel428! Welcome to our friendly cruise community!

Thanks for the first hand info. It's good to hear that Princess provided you with a good cruise experience! And I couldn't agree with you more! ..... the staff work very hard and should be given respect and not looked down on.

My experience with the Caribbean Princess is the elevators aren't programmed to communicate with each other, with the result is they are very slow. They either show up together to pick you up at your floor or to empty floors because people gave up of them. It was amazing how times our elevators stopped at empty floors. All these stops just soaks up elevator time.

Hi Charlene,

Thank you for your friendly welcome.

Sincerely,
Lester (Travel428)

We loved the Caribbean Princess!! Never found it crowded and one of the things we loved the most was that the aft pool is under the nightclub. This provided shade most of the day, so all the 'sun worshipers' were at the other pools, leaving this pool less crowded. On the Crown Princess, the nightclub was pushed forward and thereby the aft pool is in the sun, causing a more crowded environment. But with 4 main pools, one being for adults only, there were plenty of places to lay around.

But the food was great, the service was wonderful, and the ship is one of our favorites.

Pete