Report on Canada-New England cruise aboard the Caribbean Princess
For a first-time visit to New York, I think I did it just about perfectly.
1. I chose a hotel in a Times Square location (the Hilton Garden Inn at 48th Street and 8th Avenue). It was perfect for getting information from the Gray Line office across the street and picking up the tour buses nearby. It was very close to the restaurant we chose for a special meal, Le Bernadin, and to the Shubert Theater where we saw the musical Memphis. “Restaurant Row” is just a couple of streets over, and the heart of Times Square a couple of blocks the other way.
2. The Gray Line tours are excellent for an overview of the city. We did the Uptown Tour, the Downtown Tour, and the Night Tour. A couple of times we were also able to take advantage of our 2-day pass and use the bus for transportation, saving taxi fare. The “hop-on-hop-off” feature is perfect for destinations like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Empire State Building.
3. Don’t worry about being a “tourist” in New York. Sure, those experienced folks are looking tres chic scouring the garment district and the jewelry area for bargains, and exploring the tony neighborhood shops and restaurants, but you want to see the sights! Times Square is a blast, the shows are fabulous, and the Empire State Building is a magnificent wonder to behold — so what if it’s a tourist attraction? And while I didn’t make it to the Statue of Liberty (hey, you can’t do it all in 2-1/2 days) I couldn’t keep my camera off it and will definitely plan to go there and to Ellis Island next time. Also, I simply MUST get a closer look at the Chrysler Building — a radiant jewel amidst the stone and steel. And maybe I’ll walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, too. Anyway, now I know where all of those things are, how to get there, and how much time they’ll take to experience.
And if I didn’t take the tours, how would I ever find the Ghostbusters building, or the Apollo Theater, or the apartments of Manhattan’s rich and famous, or the nest of Pale Male the city falcon, or the historic cemeteries and landmarks of Old New York, or a hundred other things the guides pointed out from the top of the double-decker? Just go ahead and take the tours — you’ll love them.
4. I’m glad I put my foot down about only seeing ONE museum. We went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, spent about 4 1/2 hours there, and STILL did not see everything there is to see there. Which is too bad, because it’s kind of expensive, but we’ll have to go again because of all the amazing wonders it houses. If you go, wear sturdy, comfortable shoes!
5. Unless you’ve been to New York many times and don’t mind spending half a day doing it, don’t bother with “half-price tickets” for the Broadway shows. People say “the line moves fast” but oh, what a line it is! And what if you can’t get tickets for the show you want on that particular day? Too iffy for me, but if you have the time, and aren’t particular about what you go see, then it’s available and possibly worthwhile.
The Caribbean Princess
First, I have to say that the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is great. The taxis pull right up, and the boarding process is very smooth. I do recommend the cruise line shuttle at the end of the cruise going back to the airport, however, because getting off the ship and getting a taxi early enough could be a problem. If you have a later departure or are going to stay over, then you can have a more leisurely last morning and not worry about it.
The ship is very nice, and very big. She seemed a bit quirkier as far as figuring out where everything was and how to get around (and I kept getting confused about which way was “forward” and which way was “aft”), but I liked the Caribbean Princess a lot. Here is everything my husband and I enjoyed:
1. Dining. The food was very good, with plenty of variety, in the main dining room. The specialty restaurants were outstanding! I had the best lobster I had ever eaten in the Crown Grill restaurant, and Sabatini’s was as delightful as ever. The wine tastings were excellent — we were especially “wowed” to be served a pouring of Opus One at the connoisseur’s tasting. For $9.95, even the casual wine event was worthwhile as the wines were good and we got to keep a souvenir glass. The Horizon Court buffet was so much better than the buffet on my last cruise (the Carnival Splendor) that I couldn’t keep from gushing about it. Usually I don’t really like buffets and choose to have lunch in the main dining room, but this time we ate lunch or breakfast in the buffet every day and had great meals. There was plenty of fresh fruit, choices of entrees and side dishes, and snacks and dessert items (especially nice for late in the day when coming back from the ports). The “flow” of the stations worked really well and the servers were friendly and prompt with refills and cleaning tables.
2. Entertainment. We saw 2 comedians and one stage production. I wish the timing would have been right for seeing the other show, too, because the “Caribbean Caliente” production was outstanding — one of the best I’ve seen on a cruise ship. The comedians were pretty funny and seemed appropriate for all demographics. The other bands and performers were really good, too. One thing I love about Princess is that there is always a great variety of musical entertainment going on around the ship. Movies Under the Stars is fun when the weather isn’t too cool! Princess kept something on the screen all day and nearly all night — combinations of children’s movies, dramas and comedies, and concerts.
3. The cabin. We had a balcony room and really loved it! Most evenings at sail-away it was pleasant enough to sit out for a while and watch the ship move away from port, and in the mornings it was nice to see where we were and check the weather. The room had a refrigerator, plenty of storage space, and enough chairs and “moving around space” to be comfortable. They could use an upgrade to mattresses and pillows, however. Still, the cabin was clean and bright, and our steward provided excellent service in tending to us (laundry service, bringing ice, keeping up with our “late” schedule).
It was either my brilliance at picking cabins or sheer luck, but we definitely had the “right” side of the ship — we had marvelous views of the Statue of Liberty as we sailed from New York, an evening horn serenade to the Queen Victoria as we sailed past her in Boston’s harbor, a musical serenade by the Jewel of the Seas before the sail-away from Halifax, and we watched the peninsula of Nova Scotia float by as we headed back toward New York.
4. The itinerary. The Canada-New England 7-night itinerary round-trip from New York is perfect! We made stops at Newport, Rhode Island; Boston, Massachusetts; Bar Harbor, Maine; St. John, New Brunswick, Canada; and Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We were a bit early for Fall color in New York and Newport, but Boston and St. John were beginning to show, and Bar Harbor and Halifax were magnificent! Of course, we got out into the countryside in Bar Harbor (rented a car) and Halifax (took a wine tour) so that made a big difference.
I highly recommend this itinerary, and think it would be enjoyable even in the summer, and even with kids (there were hardly any on this cruise). There are plenty of interesting and family-friendly sights and activities — the Freedom Trail in Boston, a nice drive and walks in Acadia National Park at Bar Harbor, a tour to the Bay of Fundy at St. John, and kicking around Peggy’s Cove or maybe going whale-watching in Halifax. A smattering of museums and shopping opportunities are of note, as well.
I’m not going to go into tremendous detail about the activities because there are so many to choose from and everyone can customize their own experience, but I can offer suggestions and practical advice on things like the subway system in Boston, car rental in Bar Harbor, and local bus tours in Newport and St. John. In Halifax, you definitely want to take a tour of some kind — Peggy’s Cove is the most popular. We did wineries, but we saw a lot of other people who seemed to have really enjoyed the local brewery crawl!
This is the type of cruise you want to book early. If you wait until next summer, the rates will have gone up and the good cabins will have been long snapped-up. Put down your deposit early, then if the rate goes down sometime between then and when the ship really starts to fill up, I’ll get your price taken down accordingly for you. So no worries.