Caribbean Princess
View Ship Itineraries

 113,000 tons
3,100 passengers
1,200 crew and staff
951 feet long
206 feet high
118 feet at beam
14 passenger decks
European officers/International crew
Bermuda registry
Entered service: April, 2004

Best For People Who Want
A very large ship with extensive fitness spa/fitness programs; multiple alternative dining venues; onboard wedding and vow renewal; children's/teens programs; balcony cabins; nightlife choices, golf, snorkeling.

Should Be Avoided By People Who Prefer
A small or mid-size ship; a more personal cruise experience; gourmet dining.

Onboard Experience
The 3,100-passenger Caribbean Princess is an enlarged Grand-class (Grand Princess, Golden Princess, Star Princess) ship. Despite the size of Caribbean Princess, lounges, theaters and dining rooms are small and romantic, so passengers don't feel they are on a megaliner. For those who like endless choices in dining, entertainment, fitness and programs for all age groups, Caribbean Princess is the best there is. This ship has four wonderful alternative restaurants including one open 24 hours per day, and some of the most lavish fitness facilities we've seen. Caribbean Princess has a wedding chapel (the Captain performs the nuptials) complete with a Wedding Cam so friends and family at home can watch the service. She also features an F/X Digital Photo Center, the first complete professional digital photography studio at sea.

True to her name, Caribbean Princess features Caribbean-themed dining and entertainment to give passengers a realistic island experience. Several unique features were introduced aboard Caribbean Princess including "Movies Under the Stars", an outdoor 300-sq. ft. LED movie screen that shows movies, concerts and sporting events. "The Ultimate Balcony Dinner" provides cocktails, fresh flowers, champagne and a deluxe four-course meal served by a member of the Princess dining staff on your private balcony. The Cafe Carib is an alternative restaurant with Caribbean cuisine, island decor and live music nightly. Caribbean Caliente is a new stage show featuring music from Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Miami, Mexico and other Lain American countries.

The downside is that despite this ship's enormous size, you don't gain much in terms of public rooms. There are too few bars and lounges for a ship this size. And Princess' creation of cantilevered balcony cabins means you'll have no privacy: passengers in cabins and on decks above see directly into the balcony.

Decor
A contemporary elegant vessel with $2 million art collection, Caribbean Princess has a refined and sophisticated decor. Dining rooms have hand-painted murals and etched glass partitions and Princess used the finest fabrics, wood and marble available. The overall effect is light and spacious.

Public Rooms
The main gathering spot is the three-deck high atrium paneled in maple; each level holds boutiques, cafes and public rooms, all connected by a glass circular staircase. Sitting in a buttery leather chair near a string quartet, it's the best people-watching spot on the ship. My favorite lounge is the clubby Wheelhouse Bar with maritime memorabilia and paintings and comfy leather wingback chairs. The Explorer's Club, featuring evening cabaret, has an African motif while the Casino is enormous, with 285 slot machines and numerous gaming tables. Live sports games via ESPN are found in the Sports Bar. A beautiful library stocked with hundreds of books has leather reclining chairs with speakers for listening to books on tapes.

Production shows, cabaret, comedians and magicians perform in two theaters, the oval Princess Theater and Club Fusion. During my cruise, the caliber of nightlife was very good, including lounge performers in the smaller lounges. Skywalker's Disco and Observation Lounge is a nightclub perched 18 floors off the ocean, not recommended for those with vertigo. In the Hearts and Mind Wedding Chapel complete with stained glass panels, couples can get married by the captain in a legal ceremony while the wedding cam allows those at home to observe the event.

Cuisine
Overall we have found a high level of cuisine that should please most palates, with continental fare in the main dining rooms and three alternative restaurants offer casual Italian cuisine, Caribbean cuisine and special cuts of Angus beef from the famous Sterling Silver 8 brand. Sabatini's Trattoria is the spot for an authentic Italian culinary experience for lunch or dinner. A selection of Italian antipasti, complemented with garnishes like Sevruga caviar, delicious pizza, homemade pastas, soups and breads are served in true trattoria fashion with courses arriving on platters fresh from the kitchen. Salads are tossed tableside and soup is ladled into fresh bread bowls. The menu specializes in seafood for the main course featuring lobster, langoustines, tiger prawns, Chilean sea bass and scallops, as well as prime meat dishes. Dessert trays feature the best of Italian pastry treats. The atmosphere at Sabatini's is refined yet casual.

Service
In a ship this size, don't expect a personal level of service. Cabin stewards and waiters were efficient and friendly and Princess does a terrific job of getting passengers on and off this behemoth.

Restaurants
The three main restaurants, seating only 486 or 504 passengers, are small and elegant with hand-painted murals and etched-glass partitions. There are three alternative restaurants including the 100-seat Sabatini's Trattoria offering an authentic Italian dining experience, Cafe Carib featuring Caribbean cuisine, island decor and live music nightly and the Sterling Steakhouse. The Horizon Court is open 24 hours per day, with menu service at night, plus casual breakfast and luncheon buffet. The pizzeria is festive, with several options.

Personal Choice Dining offers passengers the choice of two dining styles; traditional cruise dining with a set dining time (6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.) and the same waiter and tablemates each evening or new restaurant style seating allowing passengers to dine when and with whom they like. With restaurant style dining, each party will be seated at their own table rather than with other passengers, as they would at a restaurant on land. Restaurant style seating is offered in the dining rooms between 5:30 p.m. and midnight. (Regardless of which dining style is chosen, a gratuity of $10.00 per person per day is automatically applied to shipboard accounts for dining and cabin staff. Passengers may add or reduce this amount at any time, if they so choose.)

Entertainment
With a dozen or so venues for nightlife, you're assured of finding nightlife that suits your tastes. Large production shows were lavish and featured the latest special effects while cabaret performers were above average. Club Fusion is a new concept combining a nightclub, bar, gambling and cabaret all in one spot.

Cabins
Cabins are built out from the ship's structure, adding interior space to the stateroom. Caribbean Princess has nearly 900 cabins with balconies, the largest number of any ship afloat, although they're really not private.  Those on decks above can see into the balconies below and there is a lack of privacy due to the terraced design of cabins. Standard inside staterooms are 163 sq. ft. and outside cabins range from 158 to 182 sq. feet. Balcony staterooms range from 233 to 285 sq. ft. Mini suites with private veranda are 324 sq. feet and feature a separate sitting area, walk-in closet, tub and shower and balcony. You'll find larger mini-suites on Sun and Dawn Princess at a lower fare. Suites range from 461 to 689 with Grand suites measuring 1,279 sq. feet. All categories of staterooms have spacious bathrooms with storage space and hair dryers, color TV with CNN and movies, radio and small refrigerator. In all staterooms but suites, closet space is miniscule, so pack light.

Fitness/Spa
The four pools, including a "swim-against-the-current" lap pool, are beautiful, with colorful mosaics and palm trees creating a tropical effect. The separate jogging track is located above the spa, and the pounding of feet overhead does disrupt massages. Surprisingly, the gym had a small amount of exercise equipment available, which created lines during popular hours. There's also a golf simulator and 9-hole putting green and a sports court for basketball, volleyball or tennis.

Caribbean Princess was the first ship in the fleet with a spa operated by Princess Cruises, instead of Steiner of London. However, the venture was short-lived and Steiner once again operates the spa onboard. The Asian-inspired Lotus Spa features new marine-based treatments using products by Phytomer from France for facial masks, body wraps and massages. Most treatments include an aromatherapy component and do not use electronic equipment.

Attire
During a one week Caribbean cruise, there are two formal nights, although most men wear dark suits instead of tuxedos; casual attire during the day is the norm.

Tipping
A charge of $10 per person per day (including children) is automatically added to your stateroom account for dining and stateroom personnel. This applies to all passengers, whether or not they choose traditional or personal choice dining. The amount may be increased or lowered at the Purser's Reception desk during the cruise.

A 15 percent gratuity is automatically added to all beverage tabs. Gratuities for spa, casino and other staff are at your discretion.

Copyright Anne Campbell, 2008.  All rights reserved.