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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: mark s. miller
Email: marksharon@netzero.net
Age: 32
Occupation: attorney
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Dolphin-Seabreeze
SailingDate: June 9, 2000
Itinerary: 2 Day Cruise to Nowhere
Cabin: F102
FoodDiningRoom: 87
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 75
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 75
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Jun 2000
Time: 10:00:10
Remote Name: 146.243.218.243
Remote User:
Comments
This was my wife's and my fourth trip on a cruise ship. The previous three had taken place on NCL's SS
Norway. We received an offer that was too good a price to pass up on a 2 day weekend cruise to nowhere
on Premier Cruise Lines. We're Boston people and the ship sailed right out of the port of Boston so we
could catch the ship right from work without losing any time from work.
At the outset, the embarkation process was both positive and negative. The negative feature was that the
Boston based Premier staff didn't know how the on-board credit system worked. They explained that if you
choose to record all purchases on board on a credit card (which is what we've always done on the Norway)
then the cabin steward, busboy, maitre d', and waiter's gratuities would have to be prepaid on the credit
card as well. I still don't know if that's true or not because the Boston based staff was never clear about
anything. The positive point of embarkation is that we were taken to our cabin by a Premier luggage porter.
On the Norway, it was every man for himself.
As for the Cabin, we got a good price on a "Deluxe" Inside Stateroom. Let me tell you, if there are lower level
cabins (which there are - 3 more categories lower do exist), I would have to see them to believe them. We
had the smallest cabin I had ever seen at sea. The double bed was tucked against the wall so the inside
sleeper would have to climb over the outside sleeper to go to the bathroom. The room had no television -
which is a good idea on inside staterooms so that you can see what the weather is like outside, but did have
a radio that played some pretty good "mood" music. The carpeting was a bit frayed at places and the
bathroom plumbing sounded like it might burst at any time, but it held up fine. Also, the room didn't have a
Ving card to open it..you had to lock it like with a key...it really seemed as if the room hadn't been
refurbished since 1958.
This all relates to the ship - she is old. Old isn't necessarily bad. The Norway is old. It had its maiden voyage
as the SS France in 1962. The Seabreeze is old. It had its maiden voyage in about 1958 as the Fidelio C.
The difference is that the Norway is about 3 1/2 times the size (in tonnage) of the Seabreeze and offers
about 3 times the activities, services, and other amenities on board. The Norway was formerly the
representation of the hopes and dreams of post-war France while the Seabreeze is just an old Costa Cruise
line ship. The Seabreeze does have some very limited charm (actually good outdoor promenade decks -
better than the Norway), but it is by no means a "classic" in any sense of the word. For those SS France/SS
Norway veterans, you know what I mean..the elegance of the Windward Dining Room (Chambard) and of
Club Internationale (1st Class Smoking Lounge) ... are rooms that are without any sort of parallel on the
Seabreeze.
One other old/new distinction. The Norway numbers it staircases so that you can know which staircase will
take you to which deck (because it used to have 1st, tourist, etc. class passengers - all stairways don't lead
to all decks). The Seabreeze formerly had distinct classes, but the stairways are not numbered so I often felt
like a mouse going through a maze to get somewhere.
Everything about the Seabreeze is small. The public rooms (except for the Carmen Lounge), the casino, the
gift shops, the pool, the staterooms, the single restaurant, and the outside deckspace are small. Our ship
was only 1/2 full so it never seemed crowded. This was a good thing - a large crowd might really be
abominable on the ship.
The food was surprisingly good - almost excellent. The outdoor lido deck food at the Pastorale Cafe was
always fresh and hot. The Seabreeze has a nice feature of serving on embarkation day a hot outdoor lunch
until 6PM. The Pastorale Cafe was far better than the SS Norway's Great Outdoor Cafe in both food quality
and variety.
The dining room is very bland as a room....no particular personality to the room and perhaps the lousiest
dining chairs at sea. The breakfast food was warm, but not hot, but nicely presented and prepared. The
waitstaff service was very good. The single lunch that we had on our 2 day getaway was not good at all - so
we went outside to the Pastorale Cafe and had some very good food. The dining room dinner meals were
very good - although smallish portions. The dining room dinner desserts were nicely presented - although
the Baked Alaska on the second night tasted like it came from Carvel. It is crucial to note that the dining
room dinner food was better than average because there is NO alternative restaurant.
The gift shop is very small and very pedestrian. On the Norway, you can seek out Cartier Watches,
Diamonds and other precious stones on board as well as the famous cruise $10/inch of gold. On the
Seabreeze, $10/inch is about it. The Seabreeze memorabilia was ordinary at best and the liquor prices were
nothing to write home about. Also, the gift shop was quite dark and dreary.
The public rooms consist of a few small bar areas - pretty nice - the Prelude Lounge has a nice intimate look
about it. The Carmen Lounge hosts any larger gathering - shows, bingo, etc. The room is almost exactly like
the North Cape Lounge on the Norway - although mustier in odor and needs some freshening of the fabric
on the chairs/couches.
The Royal Fireworks Lounge is a small intimate setting with a backdrop showing the image of the
Seabreeze. With some minimal freshening of the decor, it could become the nicest and most special public
room on board. The lounge act, Phoenix, was good, but they played the same set each night...I was
surprised at the narrowness of their catalog of tunes.
The other entertainment was o.k. The comedian was one of the writers from the Benny Hill Show. He did a
fine job and has a nice feauture of doing a discussion on the morning of disembarking...it was a nice way to
kill that time before you clear customs. The musical entertainment was an Elvis and Tina Tuner
impersonator from the Legends Show at Las Vegas. If anyone reads our January 1999 Norway review, they
will find that we were on an Elvis Presley theme cruise (of which we had no knowledge when we booked it
and it turned out to be a truly great time) - well Seabreeze's Elvis was up-to-par with the 2nd level
impersonators that were on the Norway. He worked the audience and did a nice job. Tina had lots of energy,
a good voice, but was not much of an "impersonator."
The art auction was a personal disappointment. They did hold one auction but we had heard of only a few
artists on their list (unlike the Norway, we didn't get a color catalog listing the artists, retail prices and
showing examples of their works). We initially purchased an item that was marketed to us by the auctioneer
as a limited edition signed lithograph by a world famous artist (who we had heard on and have one of his
works) only to find out after we returned home and did some research that it was an unlimited edition signed
poster worth less than what we had bid (despite her telling us an alleged retail price of 3 to 4 times what we
had spent). We promptly called the Art Agency and have been told that our order will be cancelled. And
even if not so, we will not pay for it or take delivery of it. Either Premier needs to get better and more
informed auctioneers or perhaps get a new art agency. The SS Norway art auctions at sea (different
company than Premier's) were always open, honest and upfront about their merchandise - no surprises and
very good values of which I am glad that I had participated in. Also, the Norway's auctioneers (a plug for
John Beery) know their stuff...we weren't particularly impressed as to whether our auctioneer was all that
knowledgeable. I would be reluctant to trust Premier again unless they marketed a new agency and a new
approach to art sales.
My wife and I aren't big bingo fans but we participate now and then. On the Norway, the Bingo balls are
chosen from one of those professional "air machines" and the numbers are posted on a big electronic
board. On the Seabreeze (and this is no lie), the balls are chosen from a child's set that my sister-in-law
purchased for my 6 year old nephew - the exact same set. And there is no board posting the numbers, so if
you snooze, you lose. Finally based on the crowd size, the jackpots were tiny for a cruise ship.
The casino was crowded, well staffed, but had no charm or class to it. They do have nickel slots which is a
nice plus for cheapies like me who just play to see how long I last before my $5 is gone.
To read all of this you might think that we didn't like the Seabreeze. On the contrary, for 2 days - really a
day and a quarter/half - the Seabreeze was a fun way to spend a couple of days away on the cheap. We
met some nice people and enjoyed ourselves. At first, we felt a little like Niles and Frasier Crane poo pooing
the riff raff ship versus our past experiences on the Norway, but we soon realized that she's a fine old ship
for a voyage such as the one we were taking.
If you're from Boston or the surrounding area, it's an easy ride over and not much needs to be packed. Just
don't expect a very grand, modern classic voyage. And I could never imagine spending 5 days to a week
onboard - based on the limited size of all amenities. Would I go again for 2 days at the same price? The final
answer, despite the Seabreeze's many shortcomings, would be unequivocally "yes."
Name: Judy Winchell
Email: TomandJusyOShea@CS.COM
Age: 34
Occupation: Payroll
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Dolphin-Seabreeze
SailingDate: July 7, 2000
Itinerary: Cruise to Nowhere
Cabin: B8
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 70
FoodLidoDeck: 100
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 100
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 50
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 25
LoungeService: 85
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess: 50
ExerciseFacilities: 65
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 50
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 60
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Jul 2000
Time: 17:04:03
Remote Name: spider-tf064.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was the first cruise that we have taken and we are definately hooked. We opted for the 2 day
cruise to nowhere out of Boston. Since we are from the area it was a very affordable way to see if
cruising was for us. The embarkation process went very smoothly, it took us 5 minutes and we had
our Premier Card and were ready to board the ship. We past a lot of people sitting down filling out
the paperwork in the hallway. We had everything filled out at home so the whole process went very
quickly.
We were greeted at the entry to the ship and our bag was immediately carried to our room. We did
not know what to expect, since we had heard about how small the cabins were on this ship. We had a
brochure of all the rooms and according to the color coded map it looked like we had the smallest
cabin on the ship. The room was small but not unbearable. The double bed was in a corner so the
inside person would have trouble in the middle of the night if they needed to go to the bathroom,
because you would have to climb over the other person. There was plenty of standing room in the
cabin, and we had a good size closet and lots of hooks on the wall. There was no television and the
radio had 1 station. We had a good sized bathroom, so I could not figure out why they made the
shower so small. The room was relatively quiet, the only time we heard any noise was if someone
walked past the door, we could not hear anything through the walls.
Once we had checked out the room we went to the welcome aboard luncheon at the Pastorale Cafe.
There were cold cuts and several types of salads and several hot dishes, hamburgers, hot dogs and
fries. The desert selection was great. We had the early seating for dinner so we did not sample to
much at the luncheon. Dinner was at 6:00 the late seating starts at 8:30 and that was a little late for
us. We had a wonderful waiter, Lattif and a bus boy named Prince. The service that we received from
them was fantastic. the food in the dining room was good, I think that a little more of a variety would
have been nice. For the 2 dinners that we had in the dining room there were 3 choices of appetizers,
3 soups, 2 salads, and 5 entree's. Out of the 2 appetizer's one was ok and the other was awful. We
had mozzerella sticks, which were your average frozen mozzerella sticks with very little sauce for
dipping. The other was a vegetable terrain which was awful. Three people at our table got it and we
all had the same concensus, yuck. The Soups were very tasty, we opted for the Minestone and the
Chicken Gumbo. The salads were ok, but we never got a choice of dressing. The Entree's were all
good, everything was fresh and cooked to specification. There was a choice of 3 desserts each
night. The first night everyone at our table opted for ice cream. The vanilla and chocolate were very
good, the strawberry was artificial tasting. The Seabreeze has awesome cheesecake and it is served
at all buffet's on deck and at dinner. The Mid-Night buffets were very good. One night was a mexican
theme and there was a huge selection and everything was very good.
What made our trip, was the staff and the entertainment. The comedian Lenny Windsor was
hysterical. If you are the type that does not like attention then do not sit up front and definately do
not walk out during his show, or for that fact walk in late. We played bingo, at $2 per game it
seemend reasonable. Of course I won the first game which has the smallest jackpot, $16. Bingo on
the second night had much higher jackpots, about 75 -120. There is a coverall progressive game at
$10 per card, someone had just one so our jackpot was only around 150. On the second day there
are several shows put on by the cruise staff, all were very entertaining. The first was What's my line,
based on the old game show where you guess the occupation. We had some interesting occupations
on board. The next show was Liar Liar, where you try to tell which panel member is telling the truth.
They come up with words that I have never heard of before and you have to figure out which one is
giving the correct defination. The 3rd and by far the best was Premier Staff Comedy Show. It starts
off as a scavenger hunt, they ask for some pretty interesting things, put it this way people end up
standing around in there underware. The second part of the game is a beauty pagent, 10 men have
to dress up as women and do the intervue portion and a run way walk. My husband was one of the
fortunate contestants and looked very lovely in his black lace dress and nylons. They get to go to
another members room and get dress up, so if you are bashful or the jealous type you may not want
to let your husband go off to some womens cabin and have her dress him.
Disembakation went very smoothly, you are called by deck and procede to the lower deck and leave.
We were in B so if was very quick for us. The only hold up to this process was waiting for everyone
that was paying cash to settle there accounts. Noone is allowed to disembark until all accounts are
settled. unfortunatley we had quite a few of those on our cruise.
Overall this was a very good time, the staff is excellent and the food is very good. It was our first
cruise and we will definately be cruising again.
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