42-Day Cruise Around Northern Europe and the Norwegian Fjords on the CARIBBEAN PRINCESS

The ship is very disappointing, our room corridor smelled of broccoli or sewage, even after a few complaints. No one came to try and clear it up. Only a few staff were very friendly. The food was almost the same menu in buffet every morning and not much change for lunch, Dinner always had stale rolls and the menu was not impressive. probably worse overall food experience we have had.

The entire ship needs to be fully remodeled, the gym was very limited on weight equipment and very small. We went to gym the day we started in the Panama Canal and they let all these people just stand on treadmills so they could see out the windows, so we had to wait for them to leave, staff did nothing about it. Will definitely look at all our cruise options before we book with Princess unless it’s a new ship.

Started out with priced dropped after I paid in full and Princess said sorry but can't help you.

The ship was nice and the staff was great, Food in Crown grill and Sabatini's was very good.

Now the negatives

The buffet was very boring day after day, Drinks were measured with a microscope and super light pours, if I didn't have a drink package and had to pay 15 dollars for 2 tablespoons of bourbon i would me pissed. We had premier pkg and was told unlimited dining and special seating in theater. Had to fight to get dining and only 2 nights out of 12 had reserved seating so we missed a couple of shows which was OK because entertainment was pretty bad .The gym was small and spa way overpriced. A lot of little things on top of this made it a terrible cruise. The ship has a great lounge on top of ship call Skywalkers with the best views but not open till 10PM so no views at night such a joke. I will be running back to Celebrity.

Ship: Caribbean Princess

Sailing: October 18-30, 2026, round trip from Port Canaveral to Fort Lauderdale

Cabin: Reserve Class Mini Suite

Overall

Overall this was a really good trip, and I’d recommend it. The itinerary is the draw: Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire, plus Amber Cove, Grand Turk and Nassau on the way back. The ship was comfortable, the naturalist talks were excellent, and the trivia and entertainment schedule kept two of us busy all day. The weak spots were the Sabatini’s menu, one tour, and the logistics of getting off the ship and to the airport.

Embarkation

We took the GoPort shuttle from our Orlando hotel to Port Canaveral. It was quick and smooth. We forgot to order our medallions, so we were in the blue lane, but we were still checked in and aboard in about an hour.

Cabin and Service

We had Reserve Class Mini Suite. Our steward, Manard, kept everything in order. The Reserve dining room team was the highlight of the trip:

Carlos (Maître d’): Fixed the one issue we had quickly and efficiently.

Alex (head waiter): Awesome. Ask him about his mother's cow.

Richard (junior waiter): Excellent and kept us well hydrated.

Kaytel (hostess): Always greeted us with the biggest smile.

Dining

Reserve dining room: Our favorite. Standouts were the beef Wellington, lobster Thermidor, beef tenderloin, scallops, salmon poke and pot roast.

Crown Grill: The first visit was just ok, and the porterhouse wasn’t as good as past experiences. The second was much better, with lobster bisque (though I would get the French onion soup next time), a perfectly cooked NY strip and a perfectly cooked filet.

Sabatini’s: Disappointing. The menu is now a single entrée rather than primi and secondi. The carbonara portion was small, and the osso buco was good but less tender than on other ships. It’s fine if it’s included in your package, but I wouldn’t pay $55 for it. Another cruiser says asking for a pasta course plus the entrée has worked for them on several ships.

Buffet: Fine for breakfast and lunch. One sea-day dinner had only one side open and limited choices.

Entertainment and Activities

Trivia is huge on this ship, with several sessions a day, and the progressive trivia was our favorite. Highlights were Nathan Phan’s musical theater show, comedy juggler Pete Matthews, the Liars Club and big band night. The naturalist, Paul, gave excellent talks on ABC island birds, sea birds and sea turtles, so don’t miss them. One complaint: the Princess app’s schedule was wrong one evening, so rely on the printed Patter.

Ports and Excursions

Aruba: The island tour covered the rock formations, the collapsed natural bridge, Alto Vista Chapel and the lighthouse. It was a good overview.

Curaçao: Excellent tour. We saw the museum and the Hato Caves, then visited the Curaçao liqueur factory for samples. In the afternoon we walked over the pontoon bridge into town.

Bonaire: Bonaire is getting harder to visit because the island has sharply cut the number of ships it allows, so grab it if you get the chance. The salt lagoons were fascinating. But our van held 12, the guide focused on the front seats and moved on as soon as they were satisfied. I would have liked to get out at Goto Lake for photos. Sit up front if you can.

Amber Cove: The Ocean World capybara encounter was a highlight and the park felt uncrowded. The port itself was fine, but having been twice, I don’t feel the need to return. Bring a rain jacket.

Grand Turk: The two-hour tram tour was fine, but the lighthouse stop (about 10 minutes) felt rushed. An osprey nest on a pier piling by the ship is a treat for birders.

Nassau: If you’ve been once, there isn’t much to do unless you’re a beach club person. We wandered town and I went birding.

Disembarkation

Our group was called at the published time and customs went quickly. The airport transfer was the problem. The bus stopped at each terminal and the driver had to unload lots of luggage to reach each airline’s bags, and then we were told check-in wouldn’t open for 90 minutes. That’s more about airport logistics than the cruise.

Bottom line: Great itinerary, a lively ship and a standout dining room team. I’d go again.

Ratings: Overall 4.5/5, Dining 4.5, Entertainment 4.5, Service 4.5, Itinerary/Ports 4.5, Embarkation/Disembarkation 4.