Our Impressions of the Ports
Our itinerary was changed so that we went to Princess Cays first. We weren't in a hurry to leave the ship so we had to walk a bit down the beach to find an open lounge. There is plenty of seating and trees and grass tiki huts for shade. We're actually glad we didn't spend money to reserve a cabana, we didn't need it. We didn't eat the barbecue but it looked and smelled good. When you are leaving the ship, workers will be trying to sell bottled water, implying that there is none on the beach. This is not true. There are water containers all over the place and it's the same water you drink on the ship. One couple reserved the floats with the hole for your face and were disappointed. They were quite heavy, and way too much work. Otherwise, a nice relaxing day at the beach.
St. Thomas - we reserved a parasail adventure through Shoretrips.com and loved it. We also bought tickets on the Skyride and didn't think it was worth $15. Another couple booked a trip to Magan's Bay through Princess and said it was the best beach they have ever seen and not to be missed. Our last couple did the "Bob" adventure and had a great time. We'll have to go again so we can do the things we missed this time around. In the future I'll probably hop in one of the numerous taxis available as you exit the ship. You are in port all day, so there is plenty of time to go almost anywhere and be back to the ship in time.
St. Maarten - This was the only place where we all booked the same tour and it turned into a disaster. We booked the "Under two Flags" bus tour through Princess. The tour highlights the Dutch and the French sides of the Island with a stop (45 minutes) on the French side. The short stop didn't give you much time to do anything except have a drink at one of the numerous cafes. We all headed back to the bus and after traveling about 2 blocks, our bus driver jumped out of the bus, closed the doors and got in a taxi heading the opposite way. Needless to say, passengers started to panic and a few folks went to the front of the bus to get the doors opened. Once the doors were opened some people tried to get police assistance through one of the vendors at a souvenir stand. After about 15 minutes, our bus driver arrives back at the bus and without explanation, and after letting the passengers back on the bus, he continues the tour. He did at one point apologize for the "minor inconvenience." I'm still not sure exactly what happened but after numerous complaints at the tour desk, all money was refunded. I cannot even imagine what the driver was thinking because I am sure the drivers depend on tips and obviously he didn't get any that day. Perhaps this experience ruined our perception, but we didn't see too much on this Island that would call us back.
General Impressions of the Caribbean Princess
We loved this cruise. You can do as little or as much as you want to do. We only attended one show, Piano Man, and I wasn't that impressed. We did enjoy Bert Stratton and stopped to listen a few nights. We won a little money at the roulette table, so we liked the casino, but even though you can't see the smoke, you can smell it as soon as you walk in. We didn't encounter problems with smoke anywhere else on the ship. The no smoking signs seemed to be well observed. We liked the easy listening music in the Wheelhouse Bar and our waiter was fun. Our room was immaculate and the beds were very comfortable. We encountered only good service, and everyone was friendly and happy to help. We had the gratuities added to our shipboard account and gave some extra to our room steward, our waitress and our "wine guy". I would definitely recommend this cruise.
