“Come back a Princess”

Last weekend i was given the fantastic opportunity to join carnival groups annual 2016 Princess Academy at sea. On Sunday along with 39 other agents including 7 from Cruise.co.uk we travelled up to South Queens ferry in Edinburgh  to meet the Caribbean Princess.

This was the first time I had been to South Queens Ferry and there is no denying too why this port was chosen to be included on Princess’s British Isles Voyage. It was the most beautiful port I have seen over here, a small fishing village and for anyone that remembers the show it reminded me of What’s the story in Balamory ? After taking in the stunning views we quickly moved on to our home for the day via my first ever tender. This was not as scary as i thought it was going to be. Very well organised, quick and quite exciting for a newbie.

So our experience began with a quick freshen up and look round out cabins. Myself and my colleague Nicola had a BE grade Balcony cabin on Caribe deck cabin number C210 in the Forward. Our cabin was a great plenty of storage, two very comfy single beds and a large balcony which was overlooked however personally I didnt mind as this just meant our balcony was bigger. If I had to change just one thing it would be the shower curtain and replace with a glass door.

After a quick lunch in the Horizon buffet restaurant we were given a tour of the ship, which gave us a real taste of what we could expect during our stay.

One of our many stops was at the adult only Sanctuary Spa. For those who are wanting a secluded tranquil  area with the added luxury you can go their for a cover charge of  $20 for half a day or $36 for a whole day.  staff will be  on hand with a chilled face towel and Evian water atomizers, even special mp3 players with a huge music selection.

PLUS Guests can also refresh with a variety of special drinks and snacks created exclusively for The Sanctuary, also   an array of drinks and snacks. Signature Sanctuary beverages include healthy smoothies, energy drinks, iced flavoured waters and Princess’s famous freshly home-made lemonade.

Life on board the Caribbean really does outline their mission this year of “COME BACK NEW” the service staff really cannot do enough for you. Every part of ship was finished to a high standard and focused on guest experience making Princess a brilliant brand and good value.

I love how they utilize their space for example the pool area. By day sunbathing , swimming and general relaxation, however by night the lounger pads are swapped for mattress’s for Movies under the stars. Your chances the latest blockbuster movie whilst enjoying some homemade popcorn, cookies and milk.

Over the weekend our evening entertainment was based around the Skywalkers bar and nightclub high up on deck 18 at the aft of the ship. The atmosphere here was fantastic with beautiful views into the night. We enjoyed pre dinner cocktails here which i found to be very reasonable compared to some of the some of the other American competitors with cocktails starting from $8.95 , however once a day they ran offers for buy one cocktail get a 2nd for $1.

After dinner our evenings mostly ended up back here for dancing and more cocktails, There was a great mixture of music and for the smokers there was a area to enjoy with out having to go out to have a cigarette.

Other than a great night spot  I did notice that during the day there were some people using this Skywalkers for reading, playing cards and just taking in the views.

As well as Skywalkers other venues we tried that we really liked were.

Club Fusion, we spent time there during the day as they had some really good day programmes which we tried line dancing and did an afternoon quiz. Also in the evening this is were we  invited to for the Captains cocktail party and a spot of Karaoke.

Lastly the Explorers bar which hosts an number of different shows, and live performance but for me the best entertainment was Magic Richie  and his friend Anthony behind the bar. He was fantastic fun pouring the drinks but also including some magic tricks and showing just how much he enjoys his job, however their enthusiasm really was mirrored throughout the entertainment staff and they spent all day everyday with the same attitude to their jobs and really are an asset to Princess cruises.

I could go on and on about the fantastic weekend we had , but I dont want to bombard you with too much information all at once. So over the next few week i will be telling you all about our dinning experience in Part 2 and finished off with our behind the scenes tour we were given in part 3 which if you have ever wondered if pre paying your gratuities rather than just the staff you see is worth it, this will surely give you a better perspective.

#princessacademyatsea2016 Thank you Andrea, Rachel and Vickie for a fantastic weekend.

If you have any question about Princess or would like to hear more about their fantastic offer please call me on 0330 303 8260 or email me at [email protected].

Until next time…

Marie x