princess-dawn10

Note -this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Lawrence Ackerman
Email: Repeatagain@msn.com
Age: 42
Occupation: CPA
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: February 27, 2000
Itinerary: Carribean
Cabin: A737
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 97
CabinAmenities: 97
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: na
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 92
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: na
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: na
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: na
BeautySalonStaff: na
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess: na
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: na
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: na
MedicalFacilities: na
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Mar 2000
Time: 16:42:56
Remote Name: 1cust219.tnt1.port-chester.ny.da.uu.net
Remote User:

Comments

This was our first seven day cruise. The first on the Princess Line. My wife and myself were accompanied
by our two children aged 12 and 9. We had taken the Dawn Princess through the following ports of call;
Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maartin, and St. Thomas. We found the ship spacious and extremely
clean, even though it was fully booked.

The cruise started on Sunday night out of San Juan, PR at 11:00PM. We were allowed to board at
approximately 1:00 PM. This was terrific since it allowed us to explore the ship and have our kids
comfortable before we left for the evening. One suggestion - we carried our own luggage to our
stateroom which allowed us to unpack without waiting the time it would have taken for the stewards to
bring our luggage to our door. Our steward, Florin, greeted us immediately, knew our names and
explained all the general information that we should know immediatly, in regard to dining, cashless credit
cards, room service, etc.

We dined in the Florentine Dining Room for dinner only at second seating. Second suggestion - second
seating is the more requested of dining times 8:30PM versus first seating at 6:30PM and if that is your
preference reserve it before you start your cruise, since there was a waiting list once on board. We found
all meals offered a large choice of entrees. All meals were presented well and tasted delicious. We also
found it an extremly relaxing experience never feeling that we were being rushed. Our server and bus
boy were from Eastern European descent, and spoke English extremely well and attended to all our
needs. For example, they remembered that we had capuccino instead of coffee, the first night and
served it to us from that night forward without us requesting. Maybe not a big deal, however as we found
thoughout the cruise little things tend to add up and create a much better vacation. Breakfast and lunch
were open seating at one of their other sitdown restaurants, The Venetian Dining Room. You also had a
choice of continental room service or a full buffet at the Horizon Dining complex. For breakfast and lunch,
we did both, and enjoyed each.

Except for St. Kitts, which had hurricane damage and there was not alot to see, all other Ports were
enjoyable. We took a cave trip with the kids in Barbados, and a sugar plantation and tour of the island of
St. Lucia. We enjoyed them however both our kids were falling a sleep and were made uncomfortable by
vendors pushing their different merchandise on us. In fact, the kids pretty much were having such a great
time on the ship they didn't want to tour the islands. We compromised with them going forward, with just
my wife and myself touring the towns in the morning, and after lunch we all went to the beach which our
kids enjoyed. In St Martin, French side we went to Orient Beach with two other couples. Just a note, this
was a clothing optional beach. The people who dressed "au natural" were supposed to stay in one area.
They didn't, and our kids gained a little extra education maybe a few years to soon. However, the beach
was very pretty and plenty of stands to eat and drink. The kids within 15 minutes were playing with other
kids and did not notice the enviornment around them.

Suggestion for first time cruisers or others who are subject to motion sickness, our stateroom was high in
the Aft section of the ship. Leaving San Juan the first night seas were 8 - 12 feet. We definitely felt the
movement which made my daughter extremely uncomfortable. Lower and more to the center of the ship
would reduce alot of this movement. Side note after the first night the rest of the days on sea were much
calmer.

In summarizing, we do alot of traveling to all parts of the world. We found that the cruise was one of the
most relaxing enjoyable vacations for the whole family. We enjoyed our time together as a family and at
times the kids disappeared to a kid friendly area where we didn't see them for hours at a time. We would
recommend this cruise to anyone.

Name: David Leavoy
Email: dleavoy@mnsi.net
Age: 42
Occupation: Pipefitter
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: Feb 27 to March 5 2000
Itinerary: Classic Southern Caribbean
Cabin: Caribe 414
FoodDiningRoom: 96
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 96
FoodMidnightBuffets: 88
CabinSteward: 88
ShoreExcVariety: 97
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService: 70
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 92
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 70
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 96
EmbarkDisembark: 94
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 92
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Mar 2000
Time: 20:59:15
Remote Name: dyn208-6-78-47.win.mnsi.net
Remote User:

Comments

This being a first time cruise, I am writing to maybe help you in some areas that my wife and I
experienced. My parents being seniors at the age of 77 and brother and sister in law at the age of 47
travelled with us. The Dawn Princess is a beautiful and very elegant ship. The grand plaza was a real
attraction on formal evenings. I was glad I brought a tux to fit in the well dressed crowd. There were many
photos taken you have available to buy under no obligation in the surrounding of the ship. The food was
excellent in the main dining for dinners. We enjoyed the top floor buffet for breakfast and lunch to see the
new surrounding each day of a new island. Our inside room on the carribe floor C414 was quiet and
convenient on the 9th floor. My parents stayed in a balcony room and enjoyed it more than I would have,
them spending more time in it. Stopping at 5 islands in a week is a busy vacation when you book an
excursion at every port. The inside room being $900.00 U.S cheaper, my wife said she already had
$900.00 to spend elsewhere.

You can only spend so much time in the sun so I enjoyed the busy shedule.
First stop in Barbados and the six of us took the Island Safari by land rover tour. I had read comments on
the cruise critic data base of this tour before hand. We had a great time with our guide by the name of
Junior. He was very informative and a fun guy to be with. The off road tour going through the forest was a
sight to see. My parents, the seniors, got through it fine and also enjoyed it very much. The land rover
was comfortable enough for the bumpy roads of the large amount of the island you tour in four hours. I
enjoyed the rum punch served at a couple photo stops, you should bring a camera. Second stop, St
Lucia. The 4 hour Northern Island and Beach tour was a fun time in an air conditioned bus. The guide
was friendly and informative. St Lucia I think was the most pretty of all the islands. Tour stopped a couple
times for photos , gift shopping, and a swim. Third island stop was at St. Kitts. We booked the Nevis Sail
Away, a snorkel and lunch on the beach catamaran tour.

All six of us would say this was the highlight of
our week vacation. I could not say enough of how well the guys on this boat by the name of EAGLE
treated us. I want to mention that the princess brochure on this excursion does not say that they supply
snorkel equipment on board. I inquired on the Dawn Princess to rent some before hand and the guy at
the dog locker on board said not to waste my money. It was not a good snorkel tour. I think maybe it had
something to do with the Nevis not being a certified New Waves program. I'm glad I didn't because there
was plenty of equipment on board of the Eagle to use for free. We saw schools and schools of fish which
were awesome for a first timer and heard nothing but complaints from passengers on the Dawn princess
from other snorkel tours not seeing a fish.

While passengers were in the water the captain of the Eagle
was hoisted to the top of the mast and stayed there in the heat 25 feet or better watching over us. After
snorkling was done the bar opened. Bob Marley was turned up a little louder and headed for the island of
Nevis for lunch that was already prepared on arrival by others in a speed boat. The three mates on the
catamaran lifted mom and dad into a life raft to get them ashore without getting wet and would not let
myself or brother help in any way. I truely thought I was on Gilligans Island, the decor that was set up for
a bar and serving area to feed about 30 that was aboard.We collected shells on the beach and had a
very good lunch. I enjoyed the boat's special Rum drinks served by a gentleman, Elvis, who became a
friend quickly. Fourth island stop was St. Maarten. We did the Everything Cool and shopping day
excursion. It was on a nice beach in the middle of all shopping. Drinks and lunch were very good. We did
most of all our shopping here. It had good prices,was clean,people were friendly and enjoyable to shop.

Fifth island stop at St. Thomas we just took a bus into town to shop and after I wish we would have
booked a beach tour instead. Only thing to buy here is liquor and jewelry. I found Charlotte Amalie the
main shopping in town was nothing but a dump even it being historical. On our final day our plane did not
leave until 5:00pm. You have to be off of ship no later than 11:00am. So rather than sit in the airport we
went to the GRAND San Juan Beach Hotel Resort excursion where Princess Cruises still looked after us
for the day. It gave us another day vacation and was a nice resort on the beach. This has got lengthy
enough so in ending I will say that we proved sea worthy and that you do feel movement in a ship this
size in calm waters. I was surprised at the quality of shows in the princess theatre. I would recommend 1st
seating for dinners so you can see the shows early. On a busy shedule as this you may be too tired and
miss the entertainment.

Name: Francine Fitting
Email: francine@execpc.com
Age: 49
Occupation: property management
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: Mar. 11, 2000
Itinerary: southern carribean
Cabin: C333
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 0
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 20
FoodVariety: 25
DeckService: 50
ShoreExcValue: 0
GoodForHoneymoon: 0
CasinoStaff: 25
PrivateIsland: 0
GoodForFamilies: 50
LoungeService: 50
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff: 0
EntertainmentLounges: 65
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 75
BeautySalon: 0
EntertainmentPoolside: 0
CruiseActivities: 0
Casino: 50
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities: 0
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 45
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 50
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Mar 2000
Time: 13:51:43
Remote Name: minbar-1-5.mdm.mke.execpc.com
Remote User:

Comments

Ship: Ocean Princess Sailing Date: March 11, 2000 Itinerary: Southern Caribbean Number in our group:
9 Two couples aged approx. 50 Five 20 year olds Number of cruises taken: One couple: 6 One couple: 2
One 20 year old: 6 One 20 year old: 2 Three 20 year old: 1st one Embarkation: This was smooth. We
arrived at San Juan at 8:25 p.m. (if you can arrange it, try to arrive early in the day, otherwise you lose
an entire day of your vacation) and were met by a Princess representative who directed us to a waiting
area. Our vouchers were collected and we boarded a bus that took us to the ship. We DID NOT have to
claim our luggage. It was picked up and delivered to the ship shortly after we arrived.

Luggage: Be sure that you put your tags on your bags securely and that all luggage tags attached to
your bags are correctly identifying each bag. We had 9 in our group and one of the tags was put on the
wrong piece of luggage. It was still one of our groups and wouldn’t have been a problem except that it
went missing. When it was reported who lost the bag, the wrong name was given to the purser and he
had some difficulty finding it. Jones lost a bag, but Brown was the name on the airport luggage tag. So
there was some confusion. The bag finally caught up with us on the 2nd day into the cruise so it wasn’t
too bad.

Check-in: After arriving at the dock, we were escorted to the check-in area. This was very fast and
efficiently done. We received our room cards that also acted as our I.D. and charge card while on board.

Cabin: After the obligatory photo op before boarding, we found our way to our cabins. We had two cabins
w/verandas and two inside cabins directly opposite the others. The cabins are not the most spacious but
they are very well laid out and pleasantly decorated. There is plenty of storage room for two people and
the closet has lots of wooden hangers. There is a safe provided for passenger’s use in every cabin. The
veranda was a bit of a disappointment. It was smaller than those on other ships we have sailed and there
was not as much viewing space. While other verandas have had Plexiglas as the bottom half of the
veranda, this ship had steel. Still it was a pleasant place to sit and watch the water or have breakfast. I
did notice that the room steward was a little chintzy when it came to towels and toiletries. If you need more
than one set of towels for each person during the day, you need to ask for more.

Food: We ate all evening meals in our restaurant: the Sardinian. This is a large room with what appeared
to be low ceilings. I felt they could have done a better job designing this room to make it look more
spacious.

The food at dinner was good. There were very few items that I would term as excellent. Having taken
several cruises on different lines I have some basis for comparison. I felt that the choices were limited
and the quality, especially of the steaks, was not what I have expected. The members of our party who
had never sailed before had no complaints except for what you might expect from 20 year olds;
'sweetbreads are WHAT?' 'Are you really going to eat those SNAILS?' 'What’s that paste stuff that is on
top of the beef Wellington?' etc. You get the picture.

Breakfast and lunch for our group was in the Horizon Court on the Lido deck. There was plenty of food
and it was good, but the variety of items was limited. They repeated some items daily or every other day
and it did get a bit boring. One complaint I had was the desserts offered. They had cookies, Jell-O or fruit
tarts, every day, every day. Once in a while if you were lucky, there were a few desserts left over from
dinner the night before.

The way that the Horizon Court serving area is set up is kind of …….stupid. They hand you a platter and
silverware wrapped in a napkin. No trays are available. The food stations are all separate from each
other. Fruit and cheese in one area, entrees in three places, drinks in another, bread someplace else,
etc., so if it is even slightly busy, you wait in several lines just to get your plate filled. By the time you are
done at each station, your food could be cold. My advice is to go get your cold items first and then the
hot items, that way, you will only have to wait in the beverage line before you can eat. It makes it awkward
to have to carry your plate and get a beverage too, so they usually have someone there to pour your
coffee or put ice in your glass for tea. It seemed to be inefficient at best. While most of the food was
good, it was also ordinary.

Midnight buffets: There weren’t any. We were not aware that Princess eliminated this about 3 years ago.
While we usually didn’t eat much at the buffets, having just finished a late dinner, it was always something
to do and a spectacle to see. We were disappointed that this was not part of the day.

Casino: Forget it. Those slot machines are so tight that you almost have to use a crowbar to get a coin to
come out of them. I did not play any of the table games.

Bingo: We did not play bingo. Our 20 year olds would have liked to play buy were told that since they
were not 21 they were not allowed to play unless we bought them the cards and yelled “bingo” if they
won. Pretty stupid I thought.

Pools: There are two pools on the main deck with lots of deck chairs and tables nearby. We never had a
problem finding a place to lounge in the sun. I did find one thing to be kind of strange though. On other
cruises when a drink is ordered from the bar to be drunk on the deck, it is of course not served in glass.
Usually the cruise line will use a plastic, disposable glass with their logo or name on it. Princess served
their deck drinks in brown plastic, re-usable glasses, the type you would expect to find in a hospital
cafeteria. This did not make the best presentation of the drink nor did you get a very big serving.

Entertainment: My husband went to every show offered. Most of them were pretty good he said. The
talent show was not anything to write home about.

To our vast disappointment, there was only one event on deck in the evening. This was Caribbean night.
I think everyone on the ship was there! It was a great deal of fun and I wish they offered something out on
the deck each evening. It was certainly something else to do and you got to be outside.

If you did not attend the shows after dinner you could go to the casino, go to the disco, sit in an inside
bar, or go to bed. There was not much to do, which is why we missed the deck events so much that were
offered on other cruises we have taken.

Shore excursions: What a disappointment! We were allowed to sign up for excursions before we boarded
the ship, which we thought was a great idea. We asked for 4 different ones, we were able to book one of
them. We found out later that Princess lets past cruisers have first pick of excursions and the leftovers go
to first timers. The folks at the excursion deck were not very helpful nor were they very nice about it. The
excursion was full, too bad. Having cruised before we knew that we could get off the ship and find a cab
to take us anywhere we wanted to go, so that is what we did.

Itinerary:

1. Curacoa: This is a pleasant island with lots of shopping. It is a short walk from the pier to the
downtown. They have a bridge, which connects to the downtown shopping area. This is a moving bridge
that is not in operation when a ship needs to get out. There is a ferry, (free) which will take you across in
the event the bridge is unavailable. If you happen to get on the bridge when they sound the horn to start
moving it, get off if you can. If you get stuck on the bridge, you will be there for 45 minutes. 2. Isla
Margerita: A semi-desert island that is somewhat primitive. I did not go on the island having chosen to
spend the day on the ship. The rest of our group took a taxi to a beach and had a most enjoyable day.
They did mention that there were several checkpoints they had to stop at and there were guards at the
checkpoints armed with Uzi’s. Also, on the beach there were many beggars and “in your face” vendors,
so be prepared. 3. St. Vincent: A lush, very pretty island just beginning to get into the tourist thing. We
took a cab to Young Island, which was recommended by the cruise director. Don’t go there. You will have
to pay $2.00 per person to take a dinghy for a short ride to the island and back. Once there, you will be
told that you cannot sit on any of the lounge chairs, nor may you rent them. You are not allowed to go
past a certain point on the beach and the free ferry is for the use of the resort guests. We left after about
an hour and had our taxi driver take us on a little trip around the island. There are banana plantations all
over and the roads are tiny and full of curves. There are junked cars and trucks all over the place and
the people seem to be very poor. This island has a lot to offer and will someday be a jewel once they get
it cleaned up a bit. 4. St. Kitts: After tendering to shore, a short walk will take you downtown. This area is
smelly, dirty and there is not much to see or do, or even shop at. Several of our group took a taxi to
Turtle Bay which they found to be great. There are tons of monkeys there that you can feed peanuts to
(for a price). The monkeys are very friendly and will come right up to you to get the peanuts. It was really
fun. 5. St. Thomas: We docked at Havensight, where you will find about 50 stores all selling the same
things. The evening before we docked, the shore excursion desk called us and asked if we were still
interested in booking a private sailing boat. This was one of the excursions we tried to book originally and
were told was full. Well, we said yes and it seems that they had called ahead to St. Thomas and arranged
for several more private sailboats to take passengers for a ride. We had a marvelous time and would do
this again. There were 6 of us that went and we had our own snorkeling guide and drinks, cheese and
crackers and apples after snorkeling, and all for a total of $264.00 plus tip. A real bargain we felt.

Complaints:

1. Several times during the week, someone in our group was presented with dirty silverware. Not a big
deal, but surprising. 2. Princess seems to be quite; well I guess I have to use the word “anal” when it
comes to a few things. Such as the bingo I mentioned before. They do say in their brochure that the
drinking age is 21 as well as the age to gamble in the casino. All of our guys were just a few months short
of being 21. It was a big deal to them to be able to get a beer or a drink at dinner. We did mention this to
our travel agent and she assured us that as long as parents were there that it would not be a problem.
Wrong. They had signs plastered all over the bar areas saying that they would not serve anyone under
the age of 21 because they would be subject to a fine of $5000 and go to jail for 2 years. We did try to
order for the guys and were lectured at by 20-year-old waiters, which we didn’t appreciate. I kept waiting
for the black helicopters to descend on us and take us away to prison. After all, we were at sea in
international waters, who was going to arrest anyone? It was interesting to note that after two days into
the cruise, no one seemed to be too worried about serving a beer to our guys. 3. Desserts. Yes, I know
I’m being petty. I love desserts and was expecting to be dazzled by the variety and presentation of
fabulous desserts. It was not to be. This isn’t much of a complaint but I did want to mention it in case
anyone else out there is a dessert nut. Disembarkation: This was a breeze. You put your tags on the
bags the night before disembarking and put them out in the hall. In the morning, after breakfast, you wait
for your color tags to be called. Go to the dock, pick out your bags (hint: put bright colored yarn pompons
or ribbon on your bags, there are about a billion there and you can find yours easier this way. Also, pay a
porter to carry your bags through customs and to the luggage truck. This is faster, less work and it
seems to get you through customs without any hassle.)

If you were lucky enough to be traveling with American or Delta, you were able to get your flight tickets
checked in on board the ship, so all you had to do was take your bags to the luggage trucks and see that
the luggage tags were put on them and then you were on your way.

Otherwise, you had to stand in line and get your tickets checked on the dock.

We did sign up for a resort get-away excursion that was offered in the middle of the week. Our flight did
not leave until 4:30 so we paid for a bus to take us to a very nice hotel where we were given several
rooms to use to shower and change in as well as a lunch buffet, use of the grounds and beach and
transportation to the airport. This was a very good way to spend the last day in San Juan. Overall: The
cruise was a great deal of fun and Princess does a good job in many ways. However, the next cruise we
take will be on another cruise line.

Name: David Henderson
Email: danddhenderson@home.com
Age: 30
Occupation: Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: June 5, 2000
Itinerary: Alaska: Vancouver to Seward
Cabin: BA A420
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 93
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 93
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 89
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 75
AirSeaProgram: 75
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 94
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Jun 2000
Time: 23:59:58
Remote Name: proxy1-external.pueblo1.co.home.com
Remote User:

Comments

The voyage my wife and I took aboard the beautiful Dawn Princess was our first vacation in our four years of
marriage, and it was well worth the wait. Neither of us had ever been on a cruise before, but we had heard
stories from family members of wonderful trips, great food, etc. and thus, we had high expectations. We
were also apprehensive, however, about fitting in with other passengers (for example, dressing
appropriately or stylishly enough) since we still did not know what to expect in this area.

We booked our cruise in February 2000. Originally, we planned to go in July or August, but Princess offered
us such a good deal that we could not refuse a June 5 sailing. Even though they were offering the Love
Boat Savers and category upgrades, we were still able to get two categories higher than we had expected
even with the LBS Plan, but at a savings of about $700 per person over and above the LBS Plan. People
considering a cruise should keep that in mind--sometimes there are even better deals than you would think
possible! The final thing that sold me was that the date available for this deal was June 5 aboard the Dawn
Princess, fate as I like to believe, since my beautiful wife's name is Dawn.

In the nearly four months that preceded the cruise, Princess always delivered the documents, shore
excursion options, and tickets exactly on time or earlier than promised. We never had any problems in this
area.

Princess's Seabird Air Program and Ground Transfers had its good points and bad points. For most people,
especially first time passengers, the program is very good in that it is pre-set, coordinated well with Princess
scheduled departures (so that there is little or no reason to fear missing the ship), and run very well by the
Princess staff. We flew Delta from Denver to Salt Lake City, and then SkyWest (Delta Conection) to
Vancouver. The only negative about this program as far as I was concerned was the seating on the
airplane. When Princess booked with the air carrier, their only concern was getting passengers from their
home to Vancouver. What was not properly coordinated was that my wife and I were split up on the plane.
Luckily, in Denver, Delta was able to change seating assignments to keep us together from Denver to Salt
Lake City; however, we were split up on the flight to Vancouver. We did not really appreciate this, and
thought that this was one detail that could have been cleared up in advance given proper attention. There
were also two other couples that were in a similar predicament. In fairness, I do think that this is a problem
not exclusive to Princess. The woman seated next to me was split up from her husband and was sailing
Holland America. The cruise lines must just schedule all together since their departures are similar. The
same thing arose flying home from Anchorage, but luckily, United made the necessary changes. The
transfer from the airport to the Dawn Princess was flawless, timely, and informative.

Embarkation was a breeze. Princess has it down to a science, and we were in our staterooms rapidly.
Luggage was delivered in a timely manner, and the tuxedo that I had ordered was delivered within minutes
of our arrival.

Our stateroom was excellent, and not too crowded considering the inherent space limitations on any ship.
About the only area space was a problem was the shower. It is tiny, and the design and shape of the corner
shower combined with a flimsy shower curtain does not work well in keeping the water inside the shower
area--the bathroom floor did get fairly wet at times even with efforts to avoid it. Closet space was adequate,
and a programmable safe provided security. We had a balcony, which I advise very strongly on an Alaskan
cruise. Hey, it may not matter on an itinerary that is mostly clear out at sea, but you go to Alaska to see the
scenery, and there is plenty of scenery every day on both sides of the ship. You can follow the progress of
the ship on the TV in the room if you are the type like me who enjoys knowing exactly where you are.

Our stewardess, Marianna, was Romanian. She was a cute little doll who was very friendly and easy to talk
with. She kept our stateroom spotless, met every special request promptly and with a smile, and exceeded
all expectations we had. In talking with other passengers, she was just as good with them.

As it turned out, our fears of being underdressed were unfounded. I wore a tux on both formal nights, and
my wife wore gowns. On semi-formal night, I felt we both fit right in. The rest of the time was very casual.
Many people even wore jeans (clean and nice, of course). I could have easily cut down on my luggage had I
not been so concerned about appearances, and next time I'll know it. Every effort is made to make sure the
passengers feel at home and comfortable.

We had the second seating (8:15) in the Venetian Dining Room. When we first booked, we knew nothing of
the two seatings, and so, when we discovered we were eating that late, we weren't too thrilled. It was a
blessing, however, and given a choice, I will choose second seating on any future cruise. If you go on later
shore excursions, you have time to clean up, nap, etc. You can enjoy lunch, a snack at the Horizon Court
buffet, other goodies, and still be hungry at dinner. The food on our cruise was excellent, the selection
wonderful. Our waiter, Hector (Mexico), and his assistant, Branislav (Slovak Republic), were 100% prompt,
polite, entertaining, and attentive. After our first night, Branislav knew exactly what everyone at our table
wanted for an after dinner drink. I can't say enough about the excellent service there.

I found the Horizon Food Court to be somewhat of a disappointment. Although beautifully decorated with ice
sculptures and vegetable and fruit displays, the food was very average for the most part. The selection
often seemed limited, repeated, or uninspiring. The food was good, but not outstanding. I readily ate at the
Horizon Food Court quite a bit, but after hearing stories of the buffets and midnight buffets, etc. on cruises, I
was a little disappointed. The best meal here was the breakfast buffet.

Breakfast and lunch in the dining room were excellent, and the service was once again of a high quality.

The only place I saw any problems with service was the long waits for a drink on deck or at one of the bars
(even if it was not busy).

The ship itself is well-designed and beautiful. The atrium area is elegant and beautifully ornamented. Both
dining room are very nice, and the Vista Lounge and Princess Theater are well-suited for entertainment.
About the only problem is the long wait for the elevators--taking the stairs was much faster.

I strongly advise people to take the Alaska cruise northbound, as we did. Make no mistake, British Columbia
is beautiful as you sail through the Inside Passage. It cannot, however, compete with Alaska. Thus, by
sailing north, the best is always yet to come. Every time we thought that we would not see more beautiful
scenery, the Dawn Princess navigated a new area to reveal even more splendor. Make sure you take a
good camera and, if possible, video camera.

All the ports of call were interesting, although we stayed SO busy that we had little time to just tour the
towns. In Ketchikan we went sportfishing and had no luck. Juneau has many good shore excursions, so pick
wisely. Everyone we talked to raved about the tour of Mendenhall Glacier by helicopter. We did not have
time to partake, but we will next time. The Wildlife Sightseeing Cruise is excellent. We saw many bald eagles,
several humpback whales, numerous sea lions and porpoises, Sitka deer, and a coastal brown bear. All
along the way, the scenery was gorgeous. The Salmon Bake is a must, especially if you enjoy smoked
salmon. It is set in a beautiful setting on the banks of a stream with all-you-can-eat salmon, ribs, chicken,
etc. Last, we enjoyed sea kayaking on Auke Bay and Fritz Cove. In Skagway, we opted for the raft trip down
the Tsirku River in the Eagle Preserve. It was fun, although we didn't see much wildlife other than bald
eagles.

Glacier Bay and College Fjord were beautiful. The water is so pristine and the area so unmarked by human
activity that it nears perfection. We saw Margerie Glacier calving--a remarkable experience.

Disembarkation was smooth. We took the three hour bus ride from Seward to Anchorage through one of the
more beautiful areas I've seen, the Kenai Peninsula. In Anchorage, we went to the hospitality center, where
our bags were easily found and quickly organized. We were able to check in with United Airlines right there,
giving us about two hours to stroll through that part of Anchorage and shop for souvenirs. Then, it was on to
the airport, and back home, carrying with us fond memories that will not fade and a love for Alaska that I
believe will lure us there again in the future. And when we go again, we will likely go Princess, and possibly
on the beautiful Dawn Princess.

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