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Grand in design, this magnificent vessel offers a host of delightful diversions as you see the world
Your culinary journey at sea reaches new heights with an abundance of fresh restaurant choices and dining options aboard Emerald Princess. From revitalised top deck venues like Salty Dog Grill, Slice Pizzeria and Coffee & Cones to brand new casual restaurants Steamers Seafood and Planks BBQ there’s something for every palate. Let the kids play, explore, huddle and create at the newly re-imagined Camp Discovery Youth & Teen Centres and unwind at the refreshed Sanctuary, a tranquil haven reserved for adults.
The day prior to our cruise we drove to Ft. Lauderdale and stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on 84th State Road. The location is a 7-minute drive to the port. The room was comfortable and the breakfast as expected. Sunday morning, we drove to the port at 9:30 hoping to get a handicapped spot at the Palm garage and we did. We had been told by Princess that the boarding process would not begin until 11:30 so we sat in the car for 45 minutes before heading to terminal 19. The walkway lead us right past the porters so we dropped off our bag and got into a line for suite and elite guests. They began processing passengers through security at 11:30 and we were on board by 11:50. We dropped off our carry-on bags in our cabin and headed to the Botticelli Dining Room for a tasty lunch of ravioli, beef tenderloin and a souffle. After completing our mandatory safety video and trip to our muster station we spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking and relaxing on our balcony. We were in a handicapped accessible balcony cabin. We had been in R301 on the Emerald prior to the last dry dock. We were very happy with the cabin improvements. The bathroom had been totally redone and it had a much better functioning drain system under the roll in shower and improved layout. The new heavy-duty hooks were very useful. Another improvement was the threshold to get to the balcony was flatter and much easier to navigate. We were disappointed that the cabin only had a desk chair as the small barrel chair had been removed. I love the room location just one deck from the Mix Bar, Coffee and Cones and the buffet. Our room steward Oscar did an excellent job throughout the cruise. The weather was lovely the entire cruise. I went swimming twice at the Wakeview pool and then climbed up two flights of stairs to get to a totally unused hot tub. We spent hours relaxing on the promenade deck, lido deck and our own balcony. Each day we spent time on the Lido deck playing scrabble and cards. We got off the ship at two ports with my husband using his motorized scooter. At Mahogony Bay we walked around the port then stopped at El Hideaway for loaded chicken nachos and beer. At Costa Maya we got to witness the Dance of the Flyers show which was quite impressive. Afterwards we stopped for Strawberry Daiquiri’s at Cantina Latina. Next time we will go there for lunch as we saw lots of yummy looking food. As far as food we keep things pretty simple. For breakfast we like the International Café with many choices including omelet bites, egg muffins, hot ham and cheese sandwiches, fruits and incredible pastries and muffins. At lunch we went to the dining room on the sea days which never disappoints. The other days we would get soup and sandwich at the International Café or go to the buffet to make a big salad. One day we sat in Vines and ordered a burger, fries and coleslaw from the Ocean Now app. It came within 15 minutes and was quite good. One sea day we tried the Afternoon Tea for little sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam and other treats. It was delicious, but just not the time of day we prefer to eat. At 5:00 we would head to the Elite lounge for a cocktail, then would make a meal of the hor devours including veggies and dip, egg rolls, fried shrimp, little dishes of salad, etc. Two evenings we instead utilized our casual dining credits. We had dinner at Planks and found the pork ribs, pulled chicken and beef brisket very tender and delicious. I also really liked the wedge salad. At Vines we ordered the charcutier board that comes with veggie and dip plus chocolate truffles for dessert. Very nice change of pace! For daytime activities we like to read and I went to Zumba and line dancing, and the casino in small doses. All fun, but the smoke in the casino is awful. Each evening was different. We went to hear Rob Terry in O’Malley’s, who sang a variety of songs. As a huge bonus, we found our favorite bar staff member Louise was on the ship. He remembered us from 2 previous cruises and made us feel very welcome. Emerald Tide was an Irish duo in O’Malley’s and they could use another singer or musician to liven things up. In the laugh lounge we saw Dave Burleigh and Frank Townsend. Both were very funny! In the Princess Theatre we saw Stephanie Hodgdon in She Will Rock You! And Trina Johnson Finn in a Whitney Houston tribute. Both shows were high energy! One evening we went to a candlelight concert by Electric Waves in the Adagio Bar. We really loved this performance. Other entertainers that we liked in the Piazza were Grace’s Secret Duo and Golden Moon. We finished our last evening with a glass of wine at Vines and headed to the room to pack. The next morning, we grabbed a quick coffee and ham and cheese sandwich at 5 a.m. By 6:30 we were in the dining room and walk off began at 7:30 as was stated in the disembarkation info. We walked to the garage to begin the 4 ½ hour drive home. With one quick stop we were home shortly after noon. It was a wonderful cruise and we only wish the Emerald would do more cruises from Ft. Lauderdale.
Gluten free travellers dream. I had searched before going and was disappointed with reviews but my experience was 10/10 for food. I ate in the buffet, dining room and pizza place with zero issue at all, didn’t get sick once! The dining room experience felt the safest. Nole was the dedicated supervisor for gf choices. He met me on the first day, brought be the next days menu and had me choose so he could make sure what I wanted was available. He would bring me starter bread if my servers were swamped. The starter bread was toast, not buns but in comparison to other cruises in the past 8 years of being gluten intolerant it was fantastic. Desserts were a highlight, he even pulled off a GF baked Alaska on the last night!! I haven’t had that dessert since going GF and it was amazing. The buffet, was great, lots of choices, good dedicated area for gf desserts and the tall hat chefs would show you what was safe if you needed it. All soups were GF except the obvious noodle ones and the soups were amazing. I was disappointed the spa “grotto” was not as worth it as other ships. Just a few saunas and the heated chaises. I did not waste the money on the experience even though it was priced good. We just used the normal hot tubs and were happy with them. Our room was clean, it was an inside but always clean and the steward was polite. I have had better room stewards but they seem to be solo on this ship- on other ships they work in pairs. Casino was large and good variety of tables/slots. Shopping wasn’t great. There was the standard jewelry, makeup, alcohol, souvenir shops but there was no 10$ sale and the “sales” weren’t overly enticing. Service was top notch everywhere we went. Staff was extremely kind and always made sure we had what we needed. I travelled with my elderly-ish mother and my older brother as part of our mom’s bucket list trip and the ship was good for this. Two ports were cancelled due to weather and the captain was extra communicative and also found make up ports. Some of the crew shared other captains don’t do make up stops so this was amazing as I was disappointed missing the last two Norway stops. We didn’t do any excursions as they were pricy and we are from an area we see whales and ocean. The troll museum in Tromso was cute! Well done little area. The Church in Trondheim (closes at 2pm) we didn’t get in before it closed but the grounds were outstanding. I wish we had gotten to see inside. Alta buses really are as unreliable as the cruise talk lady said. Book an excursion there forsure. Norway ports are very much working ports. If you’re used to the Caribbean or Alaska ports where the town is right off the ship this is not the cruise for you. There was much more walking and exploring to do. Rich war history which was neat. Shows on the ship were disappointing. We only went to a few as the majority of the entertainment was comedians and music acts. The quality of the music acts was phenomenal. The food experience was really the highlight for me. This is the first trip in 8 years I haven’t been glutened. So much so I am looking at taking the emerald again in February.
The service was very good as always. Our cabin was as expected, clean and our room attendant was quick to make up the room and turn down the bed at night. Even our balcony door slid easily and was easy to lock and unlock. I really like the medallion program. It makes it much easier to gain access to your state room and other amenities. Dining was very good. Our wait staff was very good and attentive. I like the International cafe and it was always very good. The breakfast buffet okay. Our disembarkation with Princess was smooth but the transfer to the airport was delayed as they waited for passengers. The driver commented that this was not unusual for Princess. My only dislike was the amount of smoke in the casino an more slot machines would be nice. We didn't go to the theatre often but really enjoy the house band and entertainment in other venues.
NO CIGAR BAR, what happened to Churchill’s? It appears they removed a well used area to put in an arcade that was empty the whole cruise. Nobody was in the arcade. Please bring back Churchills. I understand not everybody smokes cigars, it just doesn’t make sense to put in an arcade that doesn’t get used. The demographic on a princess cruise is a little older. That is why we go on PrincessCruises. We don’t have to deal with too many kids. That’s my rant on the cigar bar. Now to move on to how amazing the staff and crew were. I can’t say enough about how happy we are with the crew and staff on the Emerald princess amazing. Simply amazing. We had the Princess premier package and I do have to say that is an amazing upgrade on the packages unlimited specialty dining was great. We ate in the steakhouse several times and enjoyed it every time getting all of our pictures from the cruise was huge and a big blessing. Thank you, Princess for all you do now bring back Churchill’s
From the moment you step aboard, we want you to feel welcomed and right at home. And with attentive service from a friendly staff that knows what hospitality means, you’ll find your Princess® ship truly is your home away from home.
Photos, floor plan diagrams, amenities, and furnishings represent typical arrangements and may vary by ship and stateroom.
Indulge your appetite whenever you wish on board Princess®. Every hour, our chefs are busy baking, grilling and sautéing great-tasting fare from scratch. Princess offers unparalleled inclusive dining options throughout the ship with a wide range of culinary delights to suit any palate, from endless buffet choice to gourmet pizza, frosty treats, decadent desserts and much more.
Speciality Dining
Dining on board a Princess® cruise ship is a joyful celebration and our speciality restaurants always deliver an extraordinary experience. They are among the best at sea – or anywhere. We serve dishes made with the freshest ingredients, and our menus reflect regional flavours from around the world. You'll find our speciality restaurants are the perfect place to celebrate any occasion.
When is a cruise an opportunity to enrich? When it's a Princess cruise. This ship offers area lectures, art exhibits and classes taught by local experts.
To say the night-life on-board is entertaining is an understatement. Illuminating the stage in captivating productions, Princess Cruises performers are some of the most talented musicians, singers and dancers at sea. Our Princess Signature Shows, lounge performers, movies and casinos are just some of the entertainment our guests enjoy as they escape completely.
The many activities on-board our ships are designed to stimulate, educate, entertain, inspire and sweat - not necessarily in that order. But, guests can be sure crew onboard will do their best to cover all the bases. From art auctions to The Sanctuary Spa, this ship is loaded with fun things to do.
Passengers ages 3 to 17 will enjoy many exciting on-board activities. The Youth Centres and Teen Lounges are staffed by experienced counsellors, who are ready to ensure the youngest cruisers stay happy all day long. There’s everything from art projects, game tables, the latest movies, pizza parties, talent shows, video games, and much more.
Children under the age of 3 are welcome to visit the Youth Centre, if accompanied and supervised by a parent at all times.
