Just returned from a week long cruise to the Western Caribbean on Princess Cruise Lines. I went with a group of 12 friends and we sailed on the Caribbean Princess from Ft. Lauderdale. Our first port was Princess Cays (which is the cruise line's private island in the Bahamas). I should have stayed on the ship. It was like a tourist trap. Their island and they charged you just like you were on the ship. Had to tender in from the ship as there is no dock to port.
Next stop was Ocho Rios, Jamaica. If you ever get there you MUST go to Dunn's River Falls. It is BEAUTIFUL! Its $15 to get in, but it's worth it. They have guided tours from the bottom of the falls all the way to the top, just make sure you pack an old pair of tennis shoes, or you can rent some water shoes on-site. It was fantastic. DON'T go to Mahogany Beach unless you want to get approached a hundred times for pot, shrooms and coke (not the kind you drink, LOL). Visit the Forum Shops and have a drink at Margaritaville... it has a waterslide in the middle of the bar!
We moved on to Georgetown on the island of Grand Cayman next. Be prepared that $1 Cayman is equal to $.80 US. We found this out at the first bar we stopped at. Although it clearly stated at the bottom of the menu about the currency difference, there was one lady who was screaming bloody murder at her server. They show both amounts due on the bill and she couldn't understand that. You have to have a Stingray beer while in the Caymans. It's a delicious brew! We asked about a local bar we could go to off the waterfront and wound up at a place called The Office Lounge. I swear when I walked in they were playing a Conway Twitty's Greatest Hits CD. Not exactly what you think you are going to hear in the middle of the Caribbean! On this trip this was the best place to buy booze, and I brought back a few bottles of Big Black Dick Coconut Rum. No kidding!
Our final port of call was Cozumel, Mexico. It was by far the most fun stop on the cruise. The devastation from Hurricane Wilma could still be seen clearly though. They say the hurricane stalled out over Cozumel for 56 straight hours. All of the palm trees had their leaves/fronds sucked right off of them. We were driving down the coastline and you could see where some houses had just been deserted. Very sad. This stop was where I bought several Cohiba Cuban cigars.. very nice indeed. DO NOT buy your cigars from a place that sells leather goods and jewelry... there are several cigar only shops on the waterfront.
Overall, the cruise was fun... it's hard not to have fun when you are in the Caribbean with 12 good friends. The ship was beautiful... only 1.5 years old. But it was too big for me and the staff on board was HORRIBLE. Long story short, I would not recommend Princess Cruise lines to anyone. If you are interested in why I feel that way, I will be happy to fill you in, just leave me a note. Our next cruise is planned for late December 2007. We hope to sail with Celebrity Cruise Lines at that time. I've sailed with them before and they are without a doubt the best in the industry.
Next stop was Ocho Rios, Jamaica. If you ever get there you MUST go to Dunn's River Falls. It is BEAUTIFUL! Its $15 to get in, but it's worth it. They have guided tours from the bottom of the falls all the way to the top, just make sure you pack an old pair of tennis shoes, or you can rent some water shoes on-site. It was fantastic. DON'T go to Mahogany Beach unless you want to get approached a hundred times for pot, shrooms and coke (not the kind you drink, LOL). Visit the Forum Shops and have a drink at Margaritaville... it has a waterslide in the middle of the bar!
We moved on to Georgetown on the island of Grand Cayman next. Be prepared that $1 Cayman is equal to $.80 US. We found this out at the first bar we stopped at. Although it clearly stated at the bottom of the menu about the currency difference, there was one lady who was screaming bloody murder at her server. They show both amounts due on the bill and she couldn't understand that. You have to have a Stingray beer while in the Caymans. It's a delicious brew! We asked about a local bar we could go to off the waterfront and wound up at a place called The Office Lounge. I swear when I walked in they were playing a Conway Twitty's Greatest Hits CD. Not exactly what you think you are going to hear in the middle of the Caribbean! On this trip this was the best place to buy booze, and I brought back a few bottles of Big Black Dick Coconut Rum. No kidding!
Our final port of call was Cozumel, Mexico. It was by far the most fun stop on the cruise. The devastation from Hurricane Wilma could still be seen clearly though. They say the hurricane stalled out over Cozumel for 56 straight hours. All of the palm trees had their leaves/fronds sucked right off of them. We were driving down the coastline and you could see where some houses had just been deserted. Very sad. This stop was where I bought several Cohiba Cuban cigars.. very nice indeed. DO NOT buy your cigars from a place that sells leather goods and jewelry... there are several cigar only shops on the waterfront.
Overall, the cruise was fun... it's hard not to have fun when you are in the Caribbean with 12 good friends. The ship was beautiful... only 1.5 years old. But it was too big for me and the staff on board was HORRIBLE. Long story short, I would not recommend Princess Cruise lines to anyone. If you are interested in why I feel that way, I will be happy to fill you in, just leave me a note. Our next cruise is planned for late December 2007. We hope to sail with Celebrity Cruise Lines at that time. I've sailed with them before and they are without a doubt the best in the industry.
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