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Note -this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Dale Emmert
Email: ddkzl@prodigy.net
Age: 41
Occupation: retail furn. store owner
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: 2-06-99
Itinerary: eartern carrib
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Apr 1999
Time: 21:51:46
Remote Name: slip-32-101-21-100.ia.us.ibm.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise on Princess and we were delighted. Service was top notch and
food better than expected. Of the
lines we've cruised this was our Favorite.
We had a verranda room and the balcony was really worth it. Not only for the views but for
the extra room it affords you in
the cabin. If you book real early (we were one year ahead) it doesn't cost that much more
than an outside cabin.
The large entertainment lounges were the only dissapointment. They were comfortable but
the entertainment was weak and
repetitive.
The islands were good, not great. St. Maarten and of course St. Thomas were our favorite.
St. Lucia and St. Kitts are more
native and beautiful but not as easy to get around. Barbados is OK but we've been there 3
times and never loved it.
The dining staff was top notch and the Head Waiter was our best ever. Often times you
never meet these men. But not on
this ship. He was around always! Great trip and we'll do Princess AGAIN!!!
Name: Linda and Ernie Sigler
Email: lsigler@achs.lake.k12.il.us
Age: 54 and 64
Occupation: Executive Assistant and Railroad Retired
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: 3-27-99
Itinerary: Southern Explorer
FoodDiningRoom: 88
CruiseDirector: 89
CabinComfort: 89
FoodRoomService: 89
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 89
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 89
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 89
FoodVariety: 89
DeckService: 89
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 87
LoungeService: 89
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 98
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 89
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 88
CruiseActivities: 88
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 15
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Apr 1999
Time: 16:00:23
Remote Name: 209.7.6.205
Remote User:
Comments
Our long awaited cruise was wonderful. I had researched cruise lines, ships and
itinerariers on this web-site for several
months. The information I received was invaluable especially as this was our first cruise.
Now I hope to be as helpful to
others who are planning their cruise. First, I do want to stress the one thing that made
such a big difference, although a
negative one, for us. We had Princess arrange air schedules. Big mistake! I should have
paid the air deviation fee, and
would have (what is another $35 per person when going on a cruise?). But my travel agent
said that since we were
departing from a major gateway city (Chicago-O'Hare) we would most likely have a direct
flight. I checked with a friend who
had taken 4 southern caribbean cruises out of San Juan and always had a direct flight.
Wrongly, I assumed we would have a
direct flight, or maybe a layover in Atlanta or Miami. When we received our schedule I was
very upset. We were to fly from
Chicago-O'Hare at 8:45 a.m.on Saturday morning toNewark, NJ for a 4 1/2 hr. layover, then
to San Juan for a scheduled
arrival time of 9:00 p.m. The Dawn Princess sails at 11:00 p.m. I called Princess several
times, explaining that this was a very
long day and asked if there wasn't something that could be done to change these
arrangements. I pointed out that if the
flight from NJ was late, we could miss the sailing time. The air/sea department at
Princess was not at all helpful and did not
try to change these flights. The highest level person I was put through to was one of the
air/sea department managers.
Finally, I accepted the fact that these arrangements could not be changed and decided not
to let this ruin our cruise. As it
turned out, two days before sailing my husband's leg went out (we think leftover from back
surgery) and he had a very
difficult time walking. I also was right in worrying about our connecting flight to San
Juan being late - it was. 43 of us arrived
in San Juan at 10:30 p.m., were taken all over the San Juan airport by a young
representative from Princess who seemed
not to know where to take us, and finally put on buses to the harbor. The ship was held
for us as it should have been,
considering Princess made these arrangements. The Dawn Princess sailed at 12:30 a.m. on
Sunday morning. Sunday
afternoon we were talking to a very nice young couple from the Chicago area who told me
that two weeks before the sailing
date they found that they were to fly to Newark (sounds like the same schedule we had) and
they called Princess and
Princess changed their flights, putting them on a direct flight from Midway Airport in
Chicago to San Juan! They arrived on
the ship at 2:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon. I was so upset and angry with Princess. I tried,
begged and pleaded, 3 weeks prior
to sailing, to have our flight schedule changed and Princess did not even try, yet 2 weeks
prior to sailing another couple had
their schedule changed! I still feel lied to and betrayed and am having a hard time
getting over feeling like this. The cruise
was wonderful but I am not sure we'll go on Princess again (and we will cruise again!) due
to being treated so unfairly by the
air/sea department.
Once finally on board the Dawn (my husband was the last passenger on) we were so impressed
with the size and beauty of
this ship. All crew members we encountered were very nice and helpful. Our balcony cabin
on the Caribbe Deck (deck 9)
was wonderful - it had all the room and storage space we needed. Having the balcony was
one of our favorite parts of the
cruise, especially since my husband's leg bothered him alot and we were unable to attend
shows or visit the casino. After
our late seating dinner he was in alot of pain so we just went to our cabin. But how
lovely it was sitting out there at night! I
know we will want a balcony again when we take our next cruise.
The food was very good. We enjoyed the Horizon Court - the selection of foods was good,
the service fine, and sitting by the
window and looking out at sea was great. The food in the Venetian Dining room was also
very good. Our waiter, Luca, and
assistant waiter, Adrian, both from Romania, provided excellent service and were very
friendly and professional. We really
enjoyed talking with them. Luca's recommendations were always excellent. Another area in
which Princess dropped the ball
was our dinner table accommodations. I had requested a table for 6 or 8. Instead we were
seated at a table for 4 and the
other 2 people never showed up! So there we sat every night by ourselves (good thing we
enjoy each other's company!).
But one of the things we had looked forward to was meeting people.
I booked this cruise ten months in advance so I don't understand how our table request
would have been difficult to provide
(as I also don't understand the air arrangements). Needless to say these two things really
disappointed us.
Our cabin stewardess, Maria, was very efficient, provided anything we requested, and kept
our cabin in perfect condition..
We had beautiful weather every day, enjoyed the ports of call, with Aruba and St. Thomas
being our favorites. We rented a
jeep in Aruba and explored on our own. In St. Thomas we took a taxi into town and did some
shopping. Again, my husband's
leg hurting him alot limited our activities considerably, although we really enjoyed the
things we did.
The Dawn Princess far exceed our expectations and I cannot say enough about this lovely
vessel. I am not sure where we
will go on our next cruise but we have decided that it doesn't really matter. We enjoyed
the ship more than anything so our
next cruise will be selected on the ship more than the itinerary. Since we are sure we
want a balcony again and Princess
offers ships that have the most balcony cabins we may end up on Princess again. The
service, food, ship, crew, tender
service, and disembarkation were all great. the only thing that may keep us from returning
to Princess would be my feelings
about how the air/sea department did not try to help us and yet helped someone else a week
later. By arriving so late on the
Dawn Princess I feel we were gyped out of at least half a day's vacation. There was no
photographer when we boarded the
ship (it was so late!) and no bon voyage party (again, it was past midnight). We were also
the first group off the ship on
disembarkation day.
I would recommend cruising to everyone - we will cruise again - and we loved the ship.
However, please, please pay the air
deviation fee of $35 per person to avoid the long miserable day we had. Oh yes, our return
to Chicago was also via Newark,
NJ. This time we only had to wait an hour and a half. Next time I will make my own air
arrangements or pay the air deviation
fee.
Happy cruising!
Name: M. Warden
Email: Boookwerm@aol.com
Age: 16
Occupation: student
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: 4-10-99--4-17-99
Itinerary: southern explorer carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 99
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 20 Apr 1999
Time: 21:23:19
Remote Name: spider-to064.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
Hello! I'm 16 and this was my first cruise. My parents had sailed twice with Princess
prior to this trip, so I heard all about
cruising before going. I must say, though, that the Dawn easily exceeded my expectations
in almost every area.
The ship itself was very roomy and accomadating for all 1800 guests and 900 staff. The
deck space was covered with
lounge chairs for the majority of each day for the hard-core sunbathers, but there was
sufficient walking space.
We had an outside double cabin for the four of us. No balcony, but a huge window. There
were two twin beds and two beds
that pulled down from the ceiling (the pull-downs were locked into the ceiling for safety
reasons and were taken down by our
room steward every night while we were at dinner). The closets were plenty big for hanging
dresses and pants for all four of
us. The bathroom could have been much bigger; the shower was standing room only (with VERY
little water pressure), the
toilet took up half the bathroom, and the sink was miniature. It is worth mentioning that
there are excellent showers in the spa
open for use (there is also a steam room and sauna). Our room steward was excellent, it
was nice coming back to a clean
room after being in port all day. Our cabin was directly below the Promenade deck and
during light hours we heard the faint
thundering of runners above us, not too bad, though.
I personally went on this cruise for the food, and I was not disappointed. The 24-hour
Horizon Court had excellent selections,
although it was slightly lacking in service. The first word we learned in the dining room
was 'excelente', and it stuck, for our
waiter, busboy, head waiter, and maitre d'. Our head waiter even moved his cooking station
when our table (mainly me)
expressed a desire to watch him prepare the night's specialty. That's what I call service!
And the food was great, with a large
selection.
Surprisingly, when compared with the rest of the boat, we found the entertainment lacking.
The comedian, although funny,
made inaproppriate jokes knowing there were young children in the room (although, he was a
guest entertainer and only
there for the week). The juggler was moderately talented, and the vocal group was
talented, but performed bad musical
pieces. The exception was 'London Pub Night', a show put on by the cruise director (who
was the funniest person I've ever
met) and staff. It was hilarious, but not for the shy, light-hearted, or children.
Our ports of call were also less than great. We started in San Juan, then on to Aruba, La
Guaria (Caracas), Grenada,
Dominica, and St. Thomas. Aruba is a desert island, but the beaches are beautiful. Don't
bother with the 'rock formations'.
La Guaria, as the comedian joked means 'don't get off the ship', and we didn't; this port
is only on the itinerary as a gas
refueling stop for the ship. Grenada is a pretty island, but the people are extremely
aggressive. The beaches are nice.
Dominica was beautiful! If you're athletic, the hike to Trafalgar Falls is well worth it.
St. Thomas is great for shopping. I
suggest Coki Beach (the snorkeling there is great) as opposed to the crowded Magen's Bay.
We took the sea plane tour of
the British and U.S. Virgin Islands; it was great. I heard that the snorkeling tour to St.
John was good, too.
Once again, overall, the Dawn Princess exceeded my expectations, and I highly recommend
this beautiful ship and friendly
staff. And, I heard from our dinner companions that the Alaskan cruise is great, too.
Name: Merri Nahas
Email: mnahas@yahoo.com
Age: 41
Occupation: Pharmacy Finance
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: 04-17-99
Itinerary: Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Maarten & St.T
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 89
CabinAmenities: 89
FoodLidoDeck: 79
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 89
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 89
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 79
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 79
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 89
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 79
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 May 1999
Time: 12:07:30
Remote Name: mys19.riconnect.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise, therefore we have nothing else to compare by.This cruise line
was picked because we had heard
that the italian cruises were the best. Our travel agent had suggested the Dawn as one of
the better lines. What she did say
that sounded good was that there were few children. This sounded very attractive due to
the fact that I have two teenagers
and this was to be our get away from parenting. (don't get me wrong I do love my kids) We
booked our all inclusive trusting
that we would be lead by the hand and they would do all the worring about details. We
arrived at the Providence airport at
the said time one hour prior to take off, checked the baggage and proceded to the gate. We
arrived at the gate to find what
seems to be a million people waiting. When it was finally our turn we were told to stand
aside and please wait. We were not
happy when they boarded, closed the door and watched as the plane took off. Without us!
When it was finally our turn, we
were told that there was not fights available to get us to San Juan and what was our first
port (two days into the cruise).
Needless to say I had a bit of a fit and they manged to get us there via a couple of
completely different airports and also
different airlines. I might also add first class. Transfer from airport and embarking was
quite effortless. There is someone
from the ship right there at baggage claims to direct you. We were on the ship in no time
at all. The ship is huge! And truly
beautiful with fresh flower arrangement all about. We had our luggage in our stateroom in
no time at all. Our stateroom
steward was very friendly and always seemed to be cleaning up after us as soon as we left.
(He did forget to bring beach
towels one day) But overall I would say he was very attentive, kind and considerate. Our
first day was at sea, which I felt was
good, this allowed us to explore the ship and rest up from our experience with the
airlines. Each day we had to try the drink
of the day. They were all good and visually appealing.I would suggest to all book any
excursions asap. We thought we were
early to find out that most our picks were already sold out. We then proceded to on to
hear a lecture on what to do and not
to do on the islands. This talk was very informative but clearly a vested interest in some
shopping suggestions. We did stick
to their suggestions for fear of being taken advatage of. The lines do back up their
suggestion, therefore I would suggest
this lecture. Barbados--We took a tour of Harrison's caves, flower forest and island
drive. Most enjoyable. St. Lucia--We took
a land and sea tour of the island. This tour was very informative and fun. This tour took
us through the capital of Castries.
We learned about the history and people and the customs they practice. We ate their
traditional foods (everything has
bananas in it). We than visited a open air market with natives saling their 'stuff'. Then
on to a catamaran to return us back to
our ship after a stop to swim at a cute little beach which was crystal clear. St.
Maarten--We took a short drive tour to see
both sides of island. It was ok at best. The best part was the shopping for gold and
diamonds (far better than St Thomas)
Here they with barter with you and you can get some great buys. I think we cleaned up! St.
Kitts--Beautiful island, must see
the fort. St. Thomas--Again, a tour, sailboat and snorkel, a must do. I have gone on about
the ports because I feel this was
the highlight of the vacation. All the tours we went on were direct from the cruise book
of 'Adventures Ashore' and each was
safe and trouble free. The formal dining was wonderful. Our table mates were two retired
couples from England. They were
a blast. So much personality. Our waiter and assistant waiter were very attentive at all
times. We were never to want for
anything. Once we raised our hand for something and we thought he was going to fall over
himself. They both spoke
multiple languages and were very friendly. The pizzaria was ok, staff fair. The
entertainment was billed as Las Vegas style.
We have been to Vegas many times and can say without questions 'No way'. Perhaps we are
too young to truly enjoy the
entertainment. But, that's ok because we were so tired from the port tours. The service on
deck was a bit slow, but I have to
say who can beat a margarita in jacuzzi with a good band playing near by? The drink of the
day was always good and
refreshing but don't set it down anywhere, it will be gone when you get back. Our
stateroom was on the inside. Small, but
had all that was needed. I did not care for the fact that you had no access to the
outdoors. Hence, never grasping a sense
of time. I would reccommend to anyone to spend the extra money for a cabin with at least a
window. The buffet was good
with fresh fruit. I can't be a fair judge of this beacause we only had breakfast there.
The fruit however was very juicy and
flavorful. They are forever taking your photograph everywhere you go, It became our
evening thing to do, to go check out
pictures. Tender service was fast and friendly, we never had to wait for service.
Dis-embarking was quick and painless, after
getting off the ship you find your luggage under a huge tent. You find you colored tag and
take your luggage to the tent that
is your airline. They check it in and transport it to the airport. The whole process took
maybe half an hour. I would have
perferred that my baggage be verified as my baggage. Overall I would say that we will take
another cruise in the furture and
I would definitely reccommend Princess Cruise Lines. Dis-embarking was a fairly quick and
painless effort
Name: Ann-Marie Racine
Email: keconn@bcn.net
Age: 36
Occupation: office manager
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: 042499
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean Explorer
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 May 1999
Time: 19:05:44
Remote Name: max-2-psf-120.bcn.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our second cruise on the Dawn Princess. It was just as fantastic as the first
when we went to Alaska last August.
Getting to the ship in San Juan went fairly well. The only problem was we were left on a
hot bus for more than forty five
minutes at the airport to wait for more passengers to arrive. I feel they should have
brought us to the ship then came back
for the rest. But all in all it went pretty smooth. Once again the ship was immaculate.
Our cabin was near the casino and
never did we hear any noise at all. We had four people in the cabin and there was plenty
of room for all of us to move
around. Our steward was Victor. He was very good. Every night when we, my sister and two
daughters age 15 and 11, came
back from dinner Victor had the beds pulled down and my daughter's stuffed animal tucked
in bed. She thought that was so
neat. Our cabin was kept very clean and it was very quiet. We had first seating dinner in
the Venetian dining room. Our
waiter, Gabor was very good as was the assistant waiter Peter. They were both Hungarians.
The head waiter was Antonio.
He was very good but at times he was quite annoying. The maitre'de was Generoso. He was
kind of uppity. The food was
always delicious with a wide variety to choose from. We sat with an older couple from CT
who have now become like our
grandparents. They were wonderful!! We had tons of fun on our excursions!!!! In Aruba we
were supposed to go snorkeling
but somehow things got mixed up and we ended up on the See and Sea tour. Actually I was
kind of glad it worked out that
way because the girls had too much sun the day before at sea. The tour wasn't bad. We
toured the island and went on a
sub ride around the wreck of the Antilles. Now alot of reviews that I had read said not to
get off the ship in LaGuiara. Well we
decided to go on the Four Wheel Drive Adventure. What a BLAST!!!!! We had a spanish
speaking driver, Willy , who was
great and we met two wonderful and funny people from England who became our friends for
the rest of the cruise. We four
wheeled fifty miles along the coast of Venezuela. We stopped at a deserted beach and at a
waterfall to swim. Then we went
to a farm and ate chicken and rice. I highly recommend this excursion and make sure you
book it early as only seventy
seven passengers get to go. We took a tour of Grenada which was alot of fun and quite
interesting and we also did a tour of
Dominica and went to Trafalgar Falls which is very beautiful. I suggest not stopping at
the viewing platform but if your guide
will take you, continue down the path to get closer to the falls. I even went swimming. It
was great. The path is a little
dangerous with big rocks to climb. Well worth it. In St.Thomas we went shopping. My
daughters loved the store called
Players. Then we went to Meghan's Bay to swim and snorkel. That was very nice and
relaxing. The only problem there was
our truck broke down on the way back to the ship. Thank God we had one hour to get back as
the driver had to replace the
water hose. I suggest taking the excursions offered by the ship since they will wait for
you if anything happens like that. A few
passengers who went out on their own were left behind since they were not back in time
when the ship was leaving port.
Disembarktion went rather well except that we were all very sad that it was all over with.
A great time was had by all!!
Name: Rita Gallagher
Email: rmgallagher@statestreet.com
Age: 55
Occupation: Business Service Manager
NumberOfCruises: 20
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: May 30, 1999
Itinerary: Alaska
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 75
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 70
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 80
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 Jun 1999
Time: 09:48:48
Remote Name: svwebw02.statestreet.com
Remote User:
Comments
We started our Alaskan adventure with a pre-cruise tour offered by Princess Cruises. We
arrived in
Anchorage at 9:40 p.m. and were promptly met by a Princess representative who led us to
the baggage
area to claim our luggage. We met 2 other couples and we all claimed our luggage. The
Princess rep then
tagged our bags with the correct hotel names, and she called the bus to deliver us to our
hotel. We were
staying at the Captain Cook in downtown Anchorage. When we arrived at the hotel a Princess
rep was
there to meet us and hand us our room keys and an information packet. This packet contains
luggage
tags to send bags directly to the ship, luggage tags for Fairbanks and information
regarding the tour. I am
most impressed by the handling of arrangements by Princess tours. In all cases we were
given hotel keys
when we boarded the bus for the ride to the hotel. Information packets were provided, and
each hotel had
a Princess desk that was staffed for long hours and would answer questions and offer
suggestions (i.e.,
restaurants, rental car offices, etc.). These reps were pleasant and efficient, and took
all the hassle out of
touring. We toured Anchorage by a bus tour and then rented a car and explored on our own.
We drove to
Portage Glacier, which was still closed due to ice on the lake (this was supposed to open
by May 15th),
but the ride to the Glacier bay along Turnagain Arm is spectacular. If you have time, try
to do this. You will
take this ride again if you are sailing from Anchorage (actually you will sail from Seward
- a 2 and a half
hour ride from Anchorage), but when we took the ride to Seward on Saturday to meet the
ship it was
raining and foggy, so the scenery wasn't very impressive (or even very visible). The train
ride to Denali is
luxurious and fun. There is a Princess staff on board to entertain and make drinks, a
Princess chef on
board for meals, and a gift shop. The train itself has a glass dome, and the viewing area
is unlimited.
Denali Princess is rather austere, but it serves its purpose. The cafeteria style
restaurant offers many
choices at reasonable prices (for Alaska). Denali is a national park, and the tour is done
on school buses
which have been reconfigured to fit adults. They are not the most comfortable in the
world, but they're OK.
Fairbanks Princess is more luxurious than the Denali Wilderness Lodge, but it is a hotel
and not a lodge,
so it should be. The Riverboat trip on the Cheena and Tanana Rivers is a great trip, and
the stop at the
Indian Village is a learning experience. We then flew by jet prop to Anchorage for a bus
ride to Seward to
board the Dawn Princess. The Princess buses are very comfortable (good thing because on
tour you
spend a lot of time on the bus)but we were very glad to see the Dawn Princess. Since we
arrived at the
pier at about 5:45, embarkation was accomplished in about 10 minutes. After the photo
opportunity, we
had to climb a long gangway to reach the ship - this is not a problem for me or my
husband, but there was
an elderly lady who was using a cane, and she had quite a time climbing the gangway. At
this point there
was no one at the bottom of the gangway to assist her. This is a problem I noticed a
number of times on
this cruise. At a number of the Alaskan ports the gangway was quite a distance from the
dock, and the
handicapped people had a lot of trouble. I did see some staff members carrying a
wheelchair up the
gangway, but I also saw some elderly people having quite a time negotiating this gangway!
The weather was typical of Alaska in late May and early June - very cool - definitely
needed a sweatshirt
and a jacket on most days. An umbrella also came in very handy! The day we spent in
Glacier Bay was
beautiful - sunny and mid 60's, so that was all that mattered!!
Now, about the Dawn Princess. Our travel agent had suggested we try Princess (we are
Diamond
members of Royal Caribbean's cruiser club) and she said we would be very impressed. Well,
we were
impressed with the food in the Horizon Court Dining Room - the selection and quality was
definitely better
than the Windjammer Cafe of RCI. The dining room food was about the same as RCI (I like
RCI better, my
husband preferred Princess). There is no wine steward on Princess, and the waiter will
bring you wine
from a wine list - no wine steward to direct your choices or offer suggestions. The soft
drinks are not free
in the dining room, unlike RCI. Our room was a category BA (the next category up was a
mini suite) - we
had a verandah on deck 11. Our room steward Elmer was excellent. Our room was always made
up
quickly, even though we never saw him do it! The room was smaller than a comparable room
on Royal
Caribbean. We had sailed in April on Royal Caribbean in a verandah cabin, so it was very
fresh in our
mind. Princess is definitely smaller! Even more disappointing was the bathroom. The room
was so small
one had to open the bathroom door to dry yourself after a shower. The shower was very
small and the
shower head was fixed in position. It could not be hand-held or adjusted (for height), and
the controls were
difficult to adjust. The storage space was just about adequate in the bathroom, but
storage space in the
room was adequate. The bar waiters were difficult to find - one day we waited 40 minutes
for cokes in the
Horizon Court - most of the staff(in the Horizon Court) seemed to be more interested in
talking to one
another rather than serving drinks. The layout of the ship also leaves something to be
desired. The
forward and aft elevators go to all decks, but the middle elevators only go between decks
5 and 8. We had
a mid-ship cabin on Deck 11 and had to always take the front or aft elevators to our room.
This meant
quite a long walk from the elevators to our cabin, but considering the food we ate, we
needed the
exercise! My concern would again be for any handicapped person. The Atrim area of the ship
only goes
up to Deck 8, so there was no feeling of light or spaciousness as there is on RCI.
This sounds like a lot of complaints, but we truly had a wonderful time and these little
things are only for
comparison. There is a self-service laundry on board - no charge for the machines, $.50
for soap - but
they are frequently in use. If you get there, stand in line, because if you wait for the
line to go down, it only
gets longer. There is also an iron and ironing board in the laundry area, so don't bother
packing your
travel iron.
Our wait Lorenz and our assistant waiter were excellent. Our head waiter Francesco was
very attentive to
detail, and very entertaining. The dining room is very pretty, and we had a table of 6 - a
couple from New
York and a couple from North Carolina. We had a great time at dinner with these folks,
they made the
dinner experience truly enjoyable.
The entertainment was typical - the Las Vegas type revues were pretty good - the specialty
acts only
so-so. The cruise staff was great - Billy Hygate, Stu, and the luscious Trish were very
friendly and
down-to-earth.
The pizzeria was a great place for lunch or snacks. The pizzas were great, and the servers
in the pizzeria
were friendly and efficient - no waiting for drinks here! The casino was dead by 11 at
night. Slot machines
were never busy ( except the nickel ones), and they didn't seem to be paying out much
(even though I did
OK).
We had a wonderful cruise and yes, I would cruise Princess again. It would not be my first
choice, but I
wouldn't hesitate to cruise with them again. (Perhaps my travel agent's recommendations
made me expect
something truly spectacular and far above Royal Caribbean, but it is just a matter of
opinion.)
Name: Mel and Judy Buckert
Email: pasteit@aol.com
Age: 48 and 46
Occupation: self employed and school director
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Dawn
SailingDate: July 10,1999
Itinerary: alaska
Cabin: C-415 caribe
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 85
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 50
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Jul 1999
Time: 00:02:42
Remote Name: 152.163.205.33
Remote User:
Comments
Our cruise was a celebration of my wifes parents 50th anniversary and there was around 15
of us and it was
absolutely the most wonderful time we ever had once we got to the boat. The airline
connections we had with
United was horrible. We were late geting out of town due to mechanical trouble and that
messed up the rest of the
day traveling. We had to catch a different carrier out of Denver because of the troubles
and then it was just by a
narrow margin we made it to the boat only 30 minutes before we sailed. We didn't get our
picture at the entrance
because of the lateness of arrival. We didn't get our luggage till the next day. It was a
mess. I suggest that you
travel the day before and stay overnight at a hotel so that you will have plenty of time
to get to the boat on time
the next day. The excursions were great. We went kayaking,took the helicopter trip to the
glacier (excellent) took a
train ride to Canada. We took an independent fishing excursion (Choctaw Charters) at
Skagway and he was great
and we caught more fish than any of the other boats that went out that day. Our head
waiter Francesco was a real
delight, our waiter Hamit was really good and his assistant Simon was really good also.
Our room steward Noel
was always there it seemed like and he kept the room imaculate and if we did need any
thing he was a page away
and was there in about 37 seconds and always called me by name (i.e. Mr. Buckert) he was
just great. The
restroom was a little tight though, but we did survive and made it just fine. It was just
about the same for the rest of
those in our group. The food every where was really great and as much as you wanted too.
My son and nephew
were always ordering about 3 pizzas a night from the pizzaria and have it delivered to
their room around midnight. I
thought the casino was adequate. The slots were not very generous but the blackjack table
treated me well. Stu
the asst. cruise dirctor made everyone feel welcome even dancing with my 2 daughters at
Jammers which they
thought was cool. Bill Hygate was good. The entertainment was mostly ok, but they do need
to realize that there
were children in the lounges and theaters and some of the stuff was certainly not for
younger children. They need
to work on that. Will we cruise again? Absolutely. On Princess? I'm allready looking at
their other cruises they
offer(it will probably be a couple of years yet though). We want to do Alaska again. It
was beautiful and exciting!!!!
Do go and enjoy.
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