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Note -this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Dean Fowls
Email: forrest@columbus.rr.com
Age: 48
Occupation: Educationj
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: August 7, 2000
Itinerary: Alaska Inside mPassage
Cabin: #308 - Minisuite
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 78
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 93
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 96
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 94
ShoreExcVariety: 84
FoodVariety: 96
DeckService: 82
ShoreExcValue: 86
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 97
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 88
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 81
OverallPortsofCall: 96
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 78
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 94
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 97
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 84
SpaceRatio: 96
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Aug 2000
Time: 22:05:51
Remote Name: dhcp9544208.columbus.rr.com
Remote User:
Comments
Two of the best things about our Alaskan cruise on the Princess Dawn were the attentive and
charming waiter (Laurentiu) and his equally charming assistant (Dragos) during the late (8:15 p.m.)
evening meals in the Venetian dining room. Having a table for our party of 4 next to a window was
also a bonus, as was the variety and quality of food. We had the lobster on the final night and
found it to be overcooked. The chocolate desserts also lack the richness I would expect. Other
than those two shortcomings, we found the food to be quite good. I was especially impressed with
the rack of lamb. The food is certainly not equal to a five star restaurant, but then five star
restaurants aren't in the business of serving the masses. I had also read in reviews before
embarking that wine was expensive on board, but found it to be quite comparable with that of a
moderate restaurant.
In contrast, we were not so fond of the breakfast service in the same dining
room. It was obvious that the morning wait staff wasn't expecting any tips. They certainly lacked the
social skills demonstrated by their evening counterparts and often got orders wrong or omitted
parts of orders. I was once served rye toast that was little more than warmed bread. However, most
of the food was good. I especially enjoyed the mushroom omelet. The seating was also at the whim
of the head waiter. Even when numerous window tables were open, we were ushered to a table for
ten in the middle of the dining room. It seemed as if they wanted people to opt for the Horizon Court
Buffet rather than be bothered with serving breakfast in the more formal Venetian room. The
Horizon Court Buffet, while offering a large variety of fruits, cereals, and typical breakfast fare, IS a
breakfast buffet, not a brunch, so don't expect some of the finer things one associates with brunch
offerings.
Our minisuite was absolutely wonderful. It provided space for us and our two travelling
companions to hang out when we were not engaging in other activities offered by the cruise. The
double balcony also provided space for all 4 of us, though a bit cramped with the lounge chairs,
table and two table chairs. The bathroom with shower, separate bathtub, and separate room for
toilet and sink was an enormous plus. The minisuite made the cruise for me. I could while away
hours simply lounging around and gazing at the spectacular scenery as we drifted by. And Ramon,
out cabin steward, was very astute at knowing exactly when to tidy up the suite. We were never
without fresh towels, clean surfaces, and enough shampoo, conditioner and soap for a family of 6.
If you can afford it, definitely opt for the minisuite. The other rooms, while adequate, just don't offer
the space one needs for comfortable lounging, unless one prefers to lounge in or on the bed. The
special onship events that were offered by the Princess Dawn were not really all that interesting to
me.
The "Sounds of the City" broadway-like review was decent. The comedian, however, was pretty
lame and obviously tried real hard to come up with ship-related humor (i.e., making fun of how slow
the elevators were, how small the rooms were, etc.). Our group opted to stroll around the deck or
lose a few bucks in the casino rather than attend the other nightly offerings. Jere, the pianist in the
lounge right off the grand staircase, was a better alternative for us. His humor was more in your
face and very funny at times. The shore excursions were fine. I enjoyed the flight in a 6 passenger
Piper Cub through the fiords surrounding Skagway to a dirt landing field where we hiked to a lake
and canoed up to a glacier. I also enjoyed rafting down the Mendenhall Glacier river in Juneau.
However, I was very disappointed when I found out we did not get our requested floatplane flight to
the Misty Fiords outside of Ketchikan. We faxed in our request to Princess ahead of time, only to
find out when we boarded that they only had 19 spaces available and we did not get on the tour.
We were 10th on the waiting list. My other regret is that we did not take a helicopter tour up to a
glacier. The people we talked with who did really loved it. Embarking and disembarking the Dawn
Princess was a breeze. They do a good job of catering to those with the direst need and make sure
they get off and to the airport first. We were staying on in Vancouver, so were in no hurry to
disembark. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast (with mediocre service) as others exited the ship, and
only ended up waiting 15 or 20 minutes on deck before being called. Now, the taxi line in Canada
Place was another story and clearly demonstrated the difference between customer service
(Princess Dawn) and the lack of it, as we stood in line for nearly an hour. Overall, I really enjoyed
my first cruise and felt that Princess did a very admirable job of catering to their 2000 or so clients.
I would definitely consider them for a future cruise.
Name: Albert Jones
Email: albertljones@gowebway.com
Age: 50
Occupation: CPA
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: September 4, 2000
Itinerary: Land Tour Kenai Princess Lodge/Cruise
Cabin: BC 410
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 79
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 79
DeckService: 88
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 98
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 98
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 98
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 92
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Sep 2000
Time: 22:19:21
Remote Name: user-33qsf3i.dialup.mindspring.com
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our cruise/tour. As this was our first cruise, comparsions were only
our expectactions. Flying on Alaska Airlines proved to be a great experience, the flight attendants
served food with a smile and readiness to serve. We stayed at Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage, very
nice. The following day did tour of Anchorage and on to Kenai Wilderness Lodge. Two
disappointments here...the tour lasted too long in Anchorage, arrived late afternoon at the Kenai, too
late to do anything. The bus was not confortable (I'm 6'2") my knees were cramped against the seat in
front for the trip. Kenai Wilderness Lodge was fantastic, accomodations were more than expected.
Food was so so. Enjoyed a half day fishing trip the next day, but not quite what was advertised in
brochure. We were to get a drink and snack while out and were told not even water would be supplied.
We requested a bottle of water at least, staff seemed a little put out. Did float trip in the afternoon,
great experience. It worked out to be only one day to do anything at the Kenai Princess Lodge, while
paying for what we thought would be 2 nights and at least 1 1/2 days, very expensive.
The Dawn
Princess is a beautiful ship. Room was great, staff were accomodating, except Pursers Desk and Tour
Desk, seemed too busy to assist. Shows were better than expected. The food was a disappointment,
as we had been told of the fantastic buffets and midnight buffets. Lobster and crab was served only
one night. The only thing available at midnight buffet was desserts that had been sitting there for
several hours. Tour at Juneau to Taku Lodge was cancelled while we waited on the bus, lack of
assistance in trying to schedule another tour. Last but not least, it was certainly the geriatric crowd on
the cruise. I do not say that rudely, as my in-laws, who are 78, traveled with us. Just something to keep
in mind when planning your trip the first of September to Alaska. It would have helped to have a few
younger faces in the crowd. All in all, it was a wonderful trip and we plan to do it again.
Name: Tara Evans
Email: tara5525@yahoo.com
Age: 25
Occupation: Legal Assistant
NumberOfCruises: 12
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: 10/21/00
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
Cabin: D707 inside
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 89
DiningRoomService: 89
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Nov 2000
Time: 10:08:30
Remote Name: 64.58.217.33
Remote User:
Comments
This was our second Princess cruise. We sailed on the Grand in April of this year. Big difference in the
size of the ships, but other than that, they were pretty similar. We had an inside cabin, because we
spend so little time in there, we'd rather spend our money on tours and other things, than the cabin.
The embarkation process took a bit longer than on the Grand, which we were surprised over,
especially since it is a smaller ship. It wasn't that bad though, compared to other experiences with
other cruise lines. We weren't escorted to our cabin, like before, which was different. So it took us a
little while to find our cabin on our own. We were pleased with the cabin, once we found it. Plenty of
storage space, and drawers. Then off to the welcome aboard buffet, which had a wide selection of
food to choose from. We had asked for second seating dining, but when we got our cruise cards,
noticed that we were assigned to first seating, and wait-listed to second seating. So we went the first
night to first seating, and then rec'd notice that we had been switched to second seating. I think next
time we will choose first seating though, because we found that there were more entertainment options
for first seating. We like to go to the shows, and there was only one show for second seating guests.
On other ships, the shows were pre-dinner for second seating, but not with Princess. There is a 10:45
show, and that is it. One night there was a pre-dinner show, but that was only because it was
caribbean night, and everyone was up on deck. If you have early seating, you can go see the 8:30
show, and the 10:45 show.
Princess has the "grand class" cruising motto, where you can choose
which shows you want to go to, in two different show rooms. Anyway, we were a bit disappointed with
that, because we missed out on a couple of the shows, that were only playing one night. The other
thing that we noticed is that everything pretty much shuts down after midnight. The only thing open
was the disco, and that was ok, but we would have liked to have some other options after midnight. My
boyfriend is a night owl, and he likes to stay up late and sleep in, in the morning. Our waiter and
busboy were ok. Nothing to write home about. I think we were one of the only ones that didn't have an
outgoing waiter an bus boy. Other passengers we talked to, were quite entertained by their waiters.
We had to ask to have our iced tea refilled, and even our bottle of wine. The ports of call were really
great, with the exception of Trinidad. Not quite sure why Princess even stops there. What a dump! It
stunk so bad when we walked into town too. We just got off the ship, walked around for about 30
minutes, and got right back on. I would suggest if you do stop at this island to either stay on board, or
do a tour of some kind. We talked to some people that did the bird tour, and said that was interesting.
Next port of call was Barbados: What a beautiful island. We had never been there before, so we did
the 4X4 land rover excursion. I HIGHLY recommend this tour. We had the best time. They take you off
road to sights that you would never be able to see by tour bus or taxi. It was a little bumpy, but nothing
too bad. The tour guides were great. We took the afternoon tour, and I think it lasts a bit longer,
because they aren't rushing back for the next group. Well worth it! Next stop was Antigua: We did the
5 star champagne catamaran cruise. What a fun day! We left about 9 a.m., and didn't get back til
about 4 p.m. They take you out to an out-island, that takes about 2 hours to get to, and then you have
the option of snorkeling, or just swimming there. We didn't snorkel, but some of the other passengers
said they saw some barracuda. Glad I chose to swim nearby! The crew on board bbq'd a great lunch
after everyone was done swimming and snorkeling, and it's an open bar too, so if you're a big drinker,
this one's for you! We aren't big into drinking, so we were one of the few sober ones. Then they
cranked up the tunes, and headed back to the port. Fun tour. Although we didn't get to see the island
of Antigua, so we'll have to do an island tour next time. Then it was off to Tortola, and we just hired a
taxi and he took us around the island, for about 3 hours. Some great views of the other british virgin
islands on top of tortola. We talked to some people who went over to Virgin Gorda for the day, and did
the tour of the baths over there, and said that was awesome.
Then Friday, our last day, was St.
Thomas. We have been there numerous times, so we just walked off, looked around the shops for a
bit, and walked back on board. I'm not a big shopper. But some of those women act like they haven't
shopped in years. It gets crazy down there. Get there really early if you want to shop. There were 2
other cruise ships in port, which was actually a light day. Normally there are 3 or 4 others in port. Still
quite hectic there. We had done the bike tour a few cruises ago, which is strenuous, but fun. It ends
up in Magens Bay, for an hour at the beach, if that interests anyone. I think the next time we go there,
we will go to St. John. Everyone speaks highly of that island. Almost every eastern or southern
caribbean cruise stops in St. Thomas, because the cruise ships get their alcohol there, so if you
cruise often, you will likely see alot of St. Thomas. One thing I like about Princess is the laundromats
on board. The washer and dryer are free on Dawn Princess, it cost some change on the Grand, and
they have one on almost every deck. They have an iron and an ironing board, so you won't need to
bring one. Alot of people don't know about the laundromats, so look on the map when you get on
board, and get your ironing done early, so you don't have to wait in line. The Grand had three or four
irons in each laundromat, but the Dawn had only one on each deck. They are towards the front of the
ship. All in all, this was a very memorable cruise, and we were lucky to have great weather. We cruised
this same time last year on Celebrity Cruises, and had horrible weather. Not much sun, and pretty
rough seas. I don't know if it's the difference of being on a southern vs. western, but I think from now
on, if we do cruise in October again, it will be another southern caribbean cruise. We like Princess
cruise lines, and would definitely cruise with them again.
Name: Doug & Andrea Owen
Email: Capndeo@aol.com
Age: 61/47
Occupation: Retired
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: August 21, 2000
Itinerary: 7-day Alaska Southbound
Cabin: C535
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 85
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 60
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Nov 2000
Time: 16:49:57
Remote Name: spider-ta077.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
This seven-day cruise was the latter part of a thirteen-day tour/cruise of Alaska. We spent two days in
Fairbanks, train to Denali National Park for one night, then two days in Anchorage prior to boarding
the ship in Seward. The land portion was interesting and varied, and an excellent introduction to
Alaska. We would not have wanted to make the same voyage northbound, however, as we felt that the
land portion would have been much less enjoyable and anticlimatic to the cruise. The tours in the land
portion were excellent, with a fair amount of free time in each locale; the exception was the Princess
Denali Wilderness Lodge...sort of a Motel 6/Greyhound Bus Terminal combination. Very
dissappointing. The Hilton Hotel in Anchorage was clean but old with a view of a full stucco wall 3' from
our window. This was all part of the Princess package tour.
As for the cruise itself, it was wonderful. The ship is new, immaculate and impressive, and the feeling
of sitting in the hot tub sipping a cocktail and watching the glaciers slipping slowly by is incomparable.
On this particular voyage, the scenery is the highlight of the trip.
Our cabin was beautiful, well appointed and immaculate. The balcony was large, with a table and
chairs. All of our unpacked luggage fit neatly under the bed, and we do not travel light! Our cabin
stewardess, Andrea, was attentive and available by pager when not close at hand. The closed circuit
TV detailed the ship's activities, what we were seeing outside, and current location very well, with
exellent commentary by ship's personnel and naturalists.
There were two formal nights, one semi-formal and four casual, which made for a very nice mix.
Although we had requested a table for six, to insure a nice conversational mix, we were seated at a
table for four. A little dissappointing, but nice people. The dining room service was reserved, with not
much conversation with our waiter, although other waiters at other tables became friendly and intimate
with their guests; this was dissappointing, as we felt there was much to learn from the perspective of
shipboard personnel. The food was excellent, and we had no complaints whatever.
We chose to partake of the breakfast and lunch buffets as opposed to the dining room, and found
them to be excellent and varied. The service at the on-deck areas was almost too attentive, with 3 or 4
waitstaff inquiring if you would like anything within five minutes.
In Skagway, we took the White Pass Scenic Railway, which was a lot of fun, and left the afternoon
open for shopping. In Juneau, we took the Helicopter tour to Mendenhall Glacier, which was facinating;
we spent a half hour walking on the glacier, with excellent well informed guides. In Ketchikan we took
the George Inlet Mountain Bike Tour, which was overpriced and rather boring, consisting of going up
and down one rural dirt road for a distance of less than four miles. Overall, we felt that one tour per
town was enough, and left time for us to explore the area on our own; in retrospect, we were very
happy with our decision.
On our last day at sea, we were accompanied in the afternoon by a pod of killer whales through
Seymour Narrows in the Inland Passage; it was a magical moment on a wonderful voyage, and we
would go again in a minute!
Name: Don Cadigan
Email: rtdasstchf@aol.com
Age: 62
Occupation: Retired - Fire Department
NumberOfCruises: 17
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: October 21, 2000
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean Adventurer
Cabin: C-734
FoodDiningRoom: 87
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 93
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 87
CabinQuietness: 97
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 72
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 92
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 92
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 87
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 94
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization:
ShopsOnBoard: 92
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Nov 2000
Time: 16:38:08
Remote Name: spider-mtc-tb051.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
BACKGROUND:
I am 62 years old and my wife is 59. We have cruised on Cunnard, Regency, Royal Caribbean and
Princess. This cruise was our seventeenth cruise. When perusing the cruise brochures for a cruise that
stopped at some islands that we haven’t visited before, we found Princess’ 7 Day Southern Caribbean
Adventurer fit our needs. This was our seventh cruise with Princess, and the first since we stopped
cruising with Princess in 1996 due to our disappointment with their food. We booked Princess’ 7 Day
Southern Adventurer cruise for October 21, 2000. The itinerary for this cruise is: San Juan, At Sea,
Trinidad, Barbados, Antigua, Tortola, St. Thomas and San Juan.
PRE-CRUISE:
We booked this cruise in February, 2000. After booking we received our booking number and were able
to use Princess’ web site (www.princesscruises.com) to access our booking and shore excursion
information. Princess allows previous passengers book their shore excursions on line, a great idea - - if it
works. Unfortunately their web site was constantly experiencing problems and we found doing things the
old fashioned way worked best - - we ended up booking our shore excursions through our travel agent.
We provided our own air transportation and booked a room at the Wyndham Old San Juan Hotel, one of
the hotels that Princess uses for it’s pre cruise packages. The hotel is located on the waterfront in Old
San Juan.. Taxi fare from the airport to the hotel was $18.00 - two passengers and six pieces of luggage.
The Wyndham Old San Juan is a modern, Spanish style hotel. The hotel is very strict about their check-in
time, 3 PM, so even though we were awake all night we did have to wait for a room. The hotel is
convenient to the Old Town Trolleys which provide free transportation around the old town area. The
hotel has a restaurant. We found that the waiters all suggested that we eat from their buffets (none of
which we felt were a value) at $12.95 for breakfast, $15.95 for lunch and $29.95 for Sunday brunch
rather than order from their menu. There is a Subway sandwich store one block West of the hotel.
Connected to the hotel are some stores, another restaurant (also expensive), a sundries store and a
e-mail/fax center.
If you purchase Princess’s pre-cruise package transportation to the ship is included in the package.
Since we were on our own we took a taxi from the hotel to the ship, which was docked about three miles
East of the hotel. The taxi fare was $8.00.
EMBARKATION:
We arrived at the dock at 11:55 AM and Princess started the embarkation process at 12:05 PM. The
building used to handle the paperwork was air conditioned and well staffed. Although we arrived before
the busses from the hotel, there were quite a few passengers in line in front of us. The process was very
fast, and we were on board the ship at 12:18 with our Identification/Room Key/Charge Card in hand. Due
to a recent hip replacement my wife was using a cane so we were boarded via a ramp to Fiesta Deck
(Deck 4), the other passengers boarded via a fairly steep gangway to the Plaza Deck (Deck 5). The dock
facilities were not like those in Fort Lauderdale, or other major ports, but like those found in Saint
Thomas or one of the other Caribbean Islands. Our luggage was delivered to the cabin within a very
short period of time. Lunch was immediately available in the Dining Room, Horizon Court, Balcony Grill
and Pizzeria.
CABIN:
Our cabin, C734, on the Carib deck was on the port (left) side of the ship. Our ‘mail box’ on the wall next
to our cabin had a slip of paper identifying our names. Our bed was made up, per our original booking
request, as a Queen size bed. Since this cruise was our first in a balcony cabin, the cabin was smaller
than those we experienced in the past. The balcony, which measured three foot six inches by nine feet,
had two plastic chairs and a round plastic table. The opening from the balcony to the sea measured five
foot by five foot. Our cabin steward, Teddy, had placed port guides for each of the ports we would visit in
a folder on the vanity, also on the vanity was an envelope containing the tickets for all the tours we
ordered when booking the cruise. The vanity contained six small drawers. Next to the bed was a night
stand with one small drawer and two small shelves. Sitting in the cabin was limited to a small stool for the
vanity, a small chair and the bed. A counter above the refrigerator provided the location for the remote
controlled television - this counter had two small shelves. Three closets, sixteen inches wide and floor to
ceiling high, provided the storage area for our clothing. One of the closets had one rod to hang dresses,
the other had upper and lower rods which provided hanging room for shirts and pants. The third closet
contained our two life jackets, a safe, five shelves and at the bottom of the closet were two swing out
baskets for shoes. We were able to store our suitcases under the bed. We did note the sheer curtain and
our Princess bathrobes were stained, and that there was a smallhole in our top sheet.
The bathroom was small, with approximately the same floor space in the shower as was usable in the rest
of the bathroom. The bathroom was definitely a one person room. After a shower I found it easier to dry
myself in the hallway rather than in the bathroom. Storage was limited to three small open shelves for
storage of toothpaste, etc. Although we did not experience any rough weather, I imagine anything stored
on the shelves would soon be scattered around the bathroom. No medicine cabinet was provided. When
sitting on the toilet we found that we really had to reach for the toilet paper - I imagine that a shorter
person would have a difficult time reaching the paper. The shower had one small cubbyhole in which a
shampoo bottle or similar container couldbe placed, and a soap dish.
Overall, I would say that the storage in the cabin was adequate for a seven day cruise, but would be tight
for a two week cruise.
DINING:
Per our request we were assigned the late dinner sitting. We were at table 150, a table for eight, which is
at the entrance to the Venetian Dining room. I believe it is hard to comment on food since any comments
are really based upon one’s personal taste, but for what it is worth, in our opinion we felt that the
preparation and quality of the meals was very good. Although we felt the menu items were limited and not
as varied as those on Royal Caribbean the food was as good, if not slightly better than Royal
Caribbean’s. On Tuesday, which was French Night, the menu featured Escargot, French Onion Soup and
Frog Legs. Thursday’s menu featured Shrimp Cocktail, Two Lobster Tails or Beef Wellington. The
following were available every evening: Caesar Salad, Fettuccini Al’Fresco, Grilled Skinless Chicken
Breast, Atlantic Salmon and Grilled Dry Aged Sirloin Steak.
Our food service was good, but at times we felt rushed. The Assistant Waiter also served as wine steward
which took away time which in the past was used to assist the waiter. The table was set with a simple
place setting, unlike Royal Caribbean’s formal place setting. The waiter was constantly changing knives,
forks and spoons. We did encounter quite a few chipped plates and glasses during the cruise.
Although we were at a table for eight, there was only one evening that we had all eight at the table. On
the second evening we ate for the first and last time with a couple from England who were on their
honeymoon. If the honeymoon couple went through the formality of changing their seating arrangements
it would have been nice to have our table modified to a table for six for the rest of the cruise which would
have made conversation much easier.
CLOTHING:
The welcoming Princess Platter detailed the ‘dress’ for each of the evenings aboard ship. Saturday,
casual; Sunday, formal; Monday, casual; Tuesday, semi-formal; Wednesday, casual; Thursday, formal
and Friday, casual. On the first Formal Night, the Captain’s cocktail party was held in the atrium. About
75% of the men were in Tuxedos and many of the women were in long dresses. On Tuesday, the
semi-formal night, about 50% of the men wore suits and most of the others wore sport coats.
THE CRUISE:
Day 1 - Saturday. San Juan, Puerto Rico. We boarded ship around noon. Tuxedo rentals could be
arranged at the Purser’s Desk. Passenger muster exercise was held at 8 PM. The ship departed San
Juan at mid-night with a Bon Voyage Sailaway party on the Riviera and Lido decks. We sat on our
balcony watching the city fade into the sea. This first night, and all the other nights, we slept with the patio
door slightly open and fell asleep, and awoke in the morning, with the sound of the sea.
Day 2 - Sunday. At Sea. Our first, and only, day at sea. The seas were calm. The Dawn Princess is the
first ship we have been on that offered the opportunity to send and read e-mails. The Business Center
was open, every day, from 9 to Noon and 3 to 6 PM. There is a charge of $7.50 per 15 minutes to use
the computer facilities and the time started with the connection to your internet service provider. The
Casino opened, shopping talks were given, bingo was offered in the morning and afternoon, and the
shipboard routine began.
Day 2 - Monday. Port of Spain, Trinidad. Since our cabin was on the water side we did not hear any
noises from the docking procedure. The bridge was open for viewing from 9:30 to 10:30 AM and 1:30 to
2:30 PM. We took the Port of Spain Highlights and Cultural Show tour which provided us with a look at
Port of Spain and a cultural show which featured a steel drum band and limbo dancers. Jackpot bingo
started at 5 PM, and we sailed from Trinidad at 6PM. This evening was Formal night. Shows were offered
in the Princess Theater and Vista Lounge, music was available in various areas around the ship.
Day 3 - Tuesday. Bridgetown, Barbados. Once again, we were on the water side and were not awakened
by any of the docking activities. We took the Barbados In Focus Photography Tour which provided us
with a good look at the island. Our tour guide, Ronnie Carrington a professional photographer, was very
informative and provided quite a few photography hints. Although the description in the tour guide
stresses photography, it was an excellent tour for a non-photographer such as myself. Bingo was offered
at 4:15 PM and the ship sailed for Antigua at 5 PM. The dress for the evening was Semi-Formal.
Day 4 - Wednesday. St. Johns, Antigua. Unfortunately we booked the Best of Antigua tour which cost
$52.00 each. We would have been better off if we just took a taxi, fare $25.00 for up to four people, to
Nelson’s Dockyard. Since we returned from the tour around 2:00 PM we opted to try room service for
lunch. Our order for a Cheeseburger, Roast Beef Sandwich, Iced Tea, Milk, Chips and cookies was
promptly delivered; the burger hot, and the food delicious. Bingo was at 5 PM and the ship sailed at 6
PM. This evenings dress was Casual/Tropical. Along with the evening shows, a Tropical Island deck party
was held on the Riviera Deck.
Day 5 - Thursday. Roadtown, Tortola. In Tortola we left the ship via one gangway from the Plaza Deck
which was very steep. Upon our return to the ship we boarded the gangway leading to the Fiesta Deck
(Deck 4). There was only one elevator available for everyone to go up to the other decks. Unlike the
other islands, there were no vendors at the dock nor dockside shopping. A few shops were within easy
walking distance of the ship. The final jackpot bingo was offered at 5 PM with a Jackpot of $1,600. The
jackpot was low since someone (my wife!) won the cover all jackpot for $1,200 at the second bingo
session. Evening dress was Formal.
Day 6 - Friday. Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. We docked at St. Thomas around 7 AM. St. Thomas which
is known for its shopping opportunities, has more than 400 stores downtown. Fifty stores are located in
Havensite Mall which is at the dock. Since we had been to St. Thomas in the past, we opted to stay
aboard the ship and enjoy the many facilities available to us. This evenings dress was casual.
Passengers were encouraged to have the majority of their packing done and the bulk of their luggage out
for pickup in the passageway around 6 PM.
Day 7 - Saturday San Juan, Puerto Rico. We docked in San Juan sometime during the early morning
hours. Disembarkation was a smooth, orderly process. Once on the dock we were met by a porter who
followed us to the luggage holding area. Each porter wore a blue tee shirt with a distinctive number on
the back. This ‘numbering system’ made it easy to follow your porter.
GENERAL COMMENTS:
We found the location of our cabin at the stern of the ship made it difficult to get to the dinning room and
other areas of the ship. In order to go to the Venetian Dining Room located on the Emerald Deck, we had
to walk to the forward elevator bank, take the elevator down to the Emerald Deck and then walk back
through the atrium to the dining room. Our alternate route was to take the elevator at the stern of the ship
to the Promenade Deck, walk forward to an atrium glass elevator and take it down one deck to the dining
room.
My wife constantly encountered up and down slopes to the decks in the public areas - slight up and down
slopes to the atrium elevators and in the dining rooms and an up slope from the pizzeria to the cabin level
on the Dolphin Deck. Although these slopes are not difficult to traverse, they were very noticeable to
Carol, who had to walk with the aide of a cane.
The ship is tastefully decorated but we found the art work for the shipboard auction, which was present in
all public areas, very distracting. There is a large sculpture just outside Magnums on the Promenade
Deck which was always obscured by the auction art work. As I’m writing this I cannot tell you what the
sculpture is since we never had an unobstructed view. The Marble half wall in front of Magnums and the
entry to the atrium also served as a convenient spot to place the auction art work on the floor and lean it
against the wall - I’m sure the designers of this portion of the ship did not intend it to be used as a prop
for art work. At times there were so many auction items in the area that it felt like walking through a flea
market.
Since we live in the desert we are accustomed to light and wide open spaces - we really noticed that you
cannot see the ocean, or outside, from any of the atrium areas.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to drop us an e-mail.
Name: Dianne Kaplan
Email: deekay516@aol.com
Age: 50
Occupation: Administrative Assistant
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: 2/6/00
Itinerary: Aruba, Domenica, Grenada, Margarita Is, St. Thomas
Cabin: Category II
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 100
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 50
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 25
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: 75
PrivateIsland: 0
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService:
TenderService: 50
GoodForSeniors: 50
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess: 75
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 75
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 50
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Nov 2000
Time: 13:08:44
Remote Name: 147.4.185.226
Remote User:
Comments
This was my husband's and my first cruise. Not knowing what to expect, I was in awe when I took my first
step onto the ship. It was absolutely incredible. I felt as if I entered 'Oz'. We got to the ship early (around
11:00 am) and were boarded in a very orderly fashion. Our bags arrived within a few hours and we were
poolside by early afternoon. I was concerned about the first day at sea, but with my motion sickness
medicine in hand and wristbands in place, I ventured out of the cabin and into the sun. I really enjoyed
the day at sea. The games by the pool were alot of fun and the day flew by. Our itinerary consisted of
Aruba, Domenica, Grenada, Isla Margarita and St. Thomas. All of the islands were very enjoyable. We
toured and beached on each one. I would definitely recommend the 'rum runner' tour in Grenada. I think
the cruise line could do away with Isla Margarita. The tour was costly, the ride to the beach was lengthy
and the beach was Grade C. Many of the tours offered on the ship are available from local tourguides at
each port. And at a much more reasonable price. The dining on the ship was great. We were a table of
10 so we spent alot of time in the dining room being served. Our waiter, Valentin (from Roumania), was
more than accommodating and we really had alot of fun with him. Thus, we missed the nightly show. All in
all, the cruise was well worth the money. Despite the fact that you had to PAY for Haagen Das on board.
Our group of 20 last year has escalated to 32. We are sailing on the Ocean Princess 2/4/01!!
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