Land lubber Anita takes in a trip where the food is full on and you’re never far from land as you circle the British Isles
I loved The Love Boat although my young self didn’t notice the sleaze. So I was first up to try a slice of the Caribbean Princess’ British Isles tour from Southampton to Normandy via Guernsey, Cork and Dublin. The Love Boat was filmed on one of the early Princess Cruises fleet, and staff behaviour has changed somewhat – not only are there loads more international crew, the boats have swollen in size and the lurrrve factor has given way to food cornucopia.
Although there were lots of teenagers and some young families, most passengers are in their 50s upwards. This means it can take a while to get to your destination behind a well-fed group of Americans – Princess Cruises are American and passengers seemed mainly from the States, Japan and Australia – perhaps undertaking subterfuge entries into Britain after Brexit.
And the Love Boat sleaze of yesteryear was pretty invisible. People now seem ordinary – gone are visions of the wealthy, monocled and be-hatted.
You pay a $29 surcharge at one of two speciality restaurants, Crown Grill (steak and seafood) and Sabatini’s (Italian) if you want a treat. The American influence is evident in the choice of food on offer, the top deck hosting ice cream, pizza and hamburger bars. People did seem quite zombified already and queues were forming at the multiple cafes straight after the muster evacuation talk – all that chat about man overboard.
Meals such as breakfast, post-breakfast, pre-lunch, pre-toilet, post anything, are taken in the curvaceous and ambling Horizon Court on the 15th floor where the lido is located – all wood panelling, teardrop jewels studded in the ceiling and wave-themed.
It’s cost-effective, unless you buy a drinks or internet plan which can work out pricey – 12 days of free soda (who cares?) works out at $84 and internet access is £199 for 10 hours.
Our meal at Sabatini’s speciality restaurant was a cut above the rest. A starter of white bean, shaved fennel and marinated shrimp was delicately balanced, although I couldn’t quite taste the declared truffle oil. I also enjoyed a generous serving of lobster done three ways with eccentric plating, plus an easily drinkable “Ancient Peaks” Merlot from California.
Back on board and another night’s restaurant offered food that was a mixed bag – very good bread and butter, a lovely beef chilli with welcome chunks of meat, rather than mince, and with a gentle home-cooked taste. But there was also a slightly soggy red snapper ceviche and a chicken and spinach soup more like a weak stock in which floated three tortellini and a shred of spinach.
You shouldn’t get bored on board. After dinner, there’s plenty of entertainment. If you don’t fancy an off-West End show, talent competition, quiz or crooning, there’s clubbing.
Inside, it’s quiet, most passengers already asleep at 10.30pm. Cheesy pop like Frankie Goes to Hollywood (who’d have thought Relax was once so controversial?) belts out at a sedate volume and some people are dancing.
It was disconcerting when, at 6.30am and still in bed, the ship docked and a series of jerks rippled through the dark cabin – at every moment through the night I was
convinced we were sinking.
However, this feeling dissipated once morning sun hit the bow and the new normal of a never-ending breakfast hit, while watching Liverpool approach over peaked waves. I nipped up to the 16th deck Jacuzzi and watched the passengers troop onto dry land, loathe to leave.
The Caribbean Princess next does its British Isles tour in the spring and summer of 2017. A sample itinerary is below:
Sunday June 18, 2017
12 nights
Southampton | Guernsey (St Peter’s Port) | Cobh | Dublin | Liverpool | Belfast | Glasgow (Greenock) | Orkney Islands (Kirkwall) | Invergordon | Edinburgh | Paris/Normandy (Le Havre)
Prices start from £1,499pp (based on two people sharing an inside stateroom)
For more information visit www.princess.com/goor call 0843 874 2401