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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Wyatt Brummett Jr
Email: wybrumme@hotmail.com
Age: 41
Occupation: CMM operator
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Ocean
SailingDate: 04/01/2000
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
Cabin: J710
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: na
PrivateIsland: na
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: na
TenderService: na
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: na
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: na
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: na
EntertainmentPoolside: 50
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: na
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities: na
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 May 2000
Time: 00:33:13
Remote Name: 136.2.1.101
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise and we were extremely pleased with it. We had a charter flight setup by Princess out
of Indy that was great smooth and uneventful. It was certainly a pleasure not to have to claim our baggage in
San Juan. After we left Indy we didn't see our luggage till we got to our room. Embarkation was easy and
smooth.Rooms were about what I expected but were certainly tight. THe shower stall was ridiculously small I
thought. Inside cabin was fairly quiet with little motion for the entire cruise. First stop was Trinidad, we had
weird experience here. I had done alot research before our trip to figure out what to do at each port, so I felt
quite prepared. We had decided that we would do our own excursions.So we got a cab, this guy said he take
us anywhere all day for $60 which sounded to good to be true from the research I had done($20 to $25 and
hour on ave for a cab) and this was a 6 hour trip. Well it was to good to be true. We finally figured out he
didn't know how to get where we wanted to about 30 minutes into the trip when he kept stopping and asking
for directions.
Anyway we did finally find it but it 2 1/2 hours to get there, it was way up in the mountains in a
rain forest with one lane roads and all. The mountains and the beach on the north coast were beautiful and
well worth the trip. But i would just go the Maracas beach next time. Barbados was next we took a private
catamaran snorkeling for 3 hours which was great. We set it up at the tourist desk in mall off the pier after we
got off the ship. Had a great time and saved about $30pp over cruise price. Antigua was next and I loved it
very beautiful harbors and inlets. The dockyard was real cool, but I would take a tour guide nex time I went to
nelson dockyard so I could understand the history better. Shopping was real good here too. Next stop
Martinique since they drive on the smae side of the road as we do, we rented a car there which was a great
deal. We spent $65 for the day for all 4 of us and the ship excursion was almost that much PP.Driving was no
problem Budget has an office right by the pier just at the start of the shopping distict. Easy to find. We drove
to the Mt. Pelee Volcano which unfortunately was covered in clouds on this rainy day. The Balata garden were
beautiful and we stopped at Rum Distillery too which was interesting.
THe drive down the coast of black sand
was cool too. I would highly recommend a rental here if you are at all adventurous well marked roads and
signs didn't evcne come close to getting lost. Next stop St.Thomas It was as advertised good prices on virtually
everything and Magen bay beach was beautiful. We really enjoyed the ports although the Trinidad one was a
bit unique. We toured San Juan after disembarkation which was painless. This brought to light to us how
brilliant we had been not taking ship excursions. There were alot of seniors on this ship and the pace of the
tour was very slow for us(40 somethings) there was a lot of walking adnup hill to the fort was a crawl if you
stayed on the sidewalk. All in all I would highly recommend this cruise food and service were great ports were
good and all arrangements perfect to a tee. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me.
Name: Gene Bourque
Email: genebourque@hotmail.com
Age: 48
Occupation: magazine editor
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Ocean
SailingDate: 4/15/00
Itinerary: S. Caribbean
Cabin: D740
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 89
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 May 2000
Time: 14:21:46
Remote Name: enter012.cape.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was our second cruise so compared to many of the veteran cruisers out there, my views and comments
may be somewhat naive, but they are sincere! Our previous cruise was a little over a year ago on the Grand
Princess, and we were hooked. I am a 48-year-old magazine editor and my wife is a school teacher of the
same age. After the wonderful experience on the Grand we were sure we wanted to stick with Princess and we
were not disappointed, to say the least. We wanted to try one of the Sun/Sea/Dawn class ships after hearing
many positive comments about those ships while on the Grand and the Ocean fit our needs, being of the
same class and virtually brand new. We initially booked an inside cabin about 10 months before the cruise
through an agent and were given an upgrade to an outside cabin about a month before the cruise, toward the
stern of the ship and over the Vista Lounge (more on that later!).
Embarkation was fast and relatively
painless, considering the heat in the terminal in San Juan. Our cabin was fantastic, certainly not huge but
more than satifactory for the two of us. There was adequate storage. It featured a huge picture window
covering practically the whole back wall of the cabin. To lie in bed and watch the full moon-lit ocean go
by....heaven!! The bathroom was small (expected) and drying off after a shower required a bit of gymnastics,
but it wasn't uncomfortable. Our cabin steward was fine and provided unobtrusive, professional service, and
saved my wife on one of the formal nights by providing not one but two sewing kits to jury rig a dress that had
been ripped by the dry cleaner at home. A word about Princess service in general: I really appreciate the fact
that just about all the Princess employees go out of their way to smile and say hello. Sure, I know they must do
it, but it's a nice touch and makes the passenger feel welcome. The only `attitude' I ran into was from a young
British woman who tended bar during the day at the bar near the stern pool. She made sure that everyone
knew how hard she was working (not!) and that she couldn't wait to get off duty. This is a small compaint
though. Overall the staff was super.
The food ranged from very good to excellent with many options each
night. My wife has food allergies and they bent over backwards trying to accomadate her, just as they did on
the Grand. Our waiter, a young man from Romania, was absolutely top notch, very funny and good at his job.
His assitant tried hard but has a way to go before he'll make waiter. We were blessed with a fantastic table (10
people in all) and dinner each night was spent laughing most of the time. Shipboard activities: As we only had
one sea day we tried to fit in quite a few things early and late on port days. We attended the wine tasting ($5
each, 6 wines, three were throw-aways, two were quite good and one was great - believe me, they don't pour
the Opus One!), a tour of the bridge is not advertised in the notices but must be arranged through the
purser's desk - fantastic, don't miss it! A galley tour, also facinating. We tried to meet some of the people we'd
been communicating with via the internet but things didn't quite work out, although we did hook up later in the
week. The art auction is good for a laugh and of course everyone's taste is different, but it didn't hold our
interest (it's one of the only places to get a free drink, though!). My major complaint about the Grand was the
problem, apparently particularly a Princess problem, of people "reserving" deck chairs. This was not a
problem on the Ocean, probabaly because we did have only the one sea day and occasional light showeres
kept clearing people out.
The word is however that Princess needs to address this system-wide. We enjoyed
each port, some more than others. As we'd heard, Trinidad was somewhere we would avoid in the future. We
took the "Rain Forest Adventure Tour" which was a 1 1/2 hour bus ride, some of it interesting but most of it
through industrial/agricultural areas that got old very quickly, up a mountain road, an interesting experience
when your bus meets a bus going down on what is a paved mule trail, and 45 minutes in the forest with a short
walk, followed by another long bus ride. The highlight of the island was a 30-piece steel drum band on the
dock when we returned to the ship -what a sound! I defy anyone to sit still when that music is playing.
Barbados was beautiful, we took another "Eco-Tour" which featured some spectacular views of the rocky
Atlantic side of the island. On Antigua, after fighting off the very, very aggressive taxi drivers, we went to a
deserted beach about an hour from the ship, again, heaven! On Martinique we took the water taxi across to
some hotel beaches. Not very private, but the young ladies selling bathing suits (right off their bodies!) made
for an interesting couple of hours. Be advised: the water taxis are a long, hot walk from the ship. Find a taxi
driver that speaks English and negotiate a price. It should be about $5 per person and is money well spent!
In
St. Thomas, after not being able to get over to St. John on our last trip, this time we did and it was surely the
highlight of the trip. On a friends advice, we skipped the crowded Trunk Bay and went to Cinnamon Bay,
rented snorkelling equipment and fell in love with the island. Very few people, facilities at hand, fantastic
snorkelling, and a picture perfect beach! As we pulled out of St. Thomas and they played the Andrea
Bocelli/Sarah Brightman duet, I don't think there was a dry eye on the deck! Just a few random thoughts - as
we are not into gambling, I can't recommend the casino on board, but a couple of our table mates did
reasonably well, but they did say it was somewhat lacking in the excitement levels experienced on other ships.
Our cabin was over the Vista Lounge and we could hear the music on occasion, not an unpleasant thing for
us but it could be for others. Be aware that you inevitably run into at least one couple who will tell you ad
nauseum how their last cruise was the best anyone could ever have and their disappointment in the ship.
Don't let these crumudgeons ruin your day or hour or even minute! Makes you wonder why they cruise at all!
I
readily admit that I'm kind of a snob about entertainment, being a sometime professional musician, but I can
say that the entertainment on this and the other Princess ship we cruised was terrific. Check out the
classical/jazz guitarist in the Apres' Lounge near the casino, he's great. One big complaint, entertainment-
wise though. Just like on the Grand, the alledged comedian Billy Vader was inflicted on us! My wife and I go to
comedy clubs in Boston quite often, and I can say without a doubt that there are hundreds of young
comedians who would appeal to a wide audience that would die for Billy's gig! He is old, stale, and just plain
bad. Ed Sullivan and Dean Martin imitations??? My guess is that half the audience didn't even know who they
were! His act was, word for word, the same lame material he used on the Grand, down to the patter with the
cruise director and band. Come on Princess, put Billy out to pasture and maybe he'll find a third rate lounge
outside of Vegas where he belongs. I must admit though, the majority of the audience thought he was
hilarious. Again, no accounting for taste I guess. This was my only real complaint about the week on the
Ocean. In closing, you can probably guess that we love Princess and the Ocean. In fact, we've booked for
next April, again on the Ocean but with a couple of different ports. I'll be glad to correspond with anyone
wanting more information.
Name: Penni Cooke
Email: dcsetman@bellsouth.net
Age: 42
Occupation: Tech Support Specialist
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Ocean
SailingDate: May 13, 2000
Itinerary: Alaska - northbound:Vancouver to Seward
Cabin: B308 - BA minisuite
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 70
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 May 2000
Time: 06:43:08
Remote Name: falcon01.es.adp.com
Remote User:
Comments
Review for Ocean Princess Dates of Travel – May 13-20, 2000 Alaska – Northbound : Vancouver to Seward
Ocean Princess
By: Penni Cooke; dcsetman@bellsouth.net
My husband and I took our first cruise on the new Ocean Princess to Alaska for our 25th wedding anniversary
gift to one another. It was a wonderful experience and one we will definitely do again (probably to Europe
next).
I had done my homework and studied reviews for over 6 months while preparing for our trip. The tips I
received were very helpful and I will mention those as I go through this review. First, we’ll start with Packing:
Packing We took 2 suitcases each plus carryon for camera equipment. We used red plastic locking ties to
lock our suitcases and found this much easier than keeping up with those little locks. We also used bright
colored pipe cleaners tied around the handles of our luggage (thanks to a review tip) to help identify our
luggage as we departed the ship. I had packed clothes- pins to keep the drapes tightly closed because of the
long daylight hours (another review tip) but found on the Ocean Princess they weren’t really needed. The
drapes were lined and of a heavy weight and stayed closed very nicely. Also, I had read that a back pack with
a see through zippered compartment for passports and boarding passes was essential and I agree. I
purchased a water proof one from Target and used it as a carry on, as my purse. We used it on all shore
excursions to take light weight jackets in, cameras, money – it was great and kept our hands free.
Arrival: We flew from Atlanta, Ga. to Toronto where we had to pick up our own luggage and take through
customs and re-check. Then we flew to Vancouver. Because arriving in Vancouver from Toronto is
considered a domestic flight, Princess does not board your luggage for you. We had to again, find our
luggage, and take to the Princess transport bus waiting for us outside the airport. I had never read of this in
any reviews and as we had quite a bit of luggage, we were very disappointed at how our vacation was
beginning. Princess had made all of our air arrangements, by the way. Probably would be much better to take
an air deviation and do your own air.
Check-In The trip from the airport to the ship took about 30 minutes in heavy traffic. We did not have to touch
our luggage again, thankfully and were informed that it would be in our stateroom by 7:00 p.m. (we arrived
about 3:30p.m.)We walked into the large warehouse building where there were several lines (about 7 people
deep) divided by your deck. We had been upgraded by Princess to a mini suite on the Baja deck and quickly
found a separate check-in for Suite and Mini suite’s with no waiting. They took our boarding passes and
completed documentation ( be sure and have this completed before you get in line), recorded our credit card
information for on-board expenses, and we were set to board with in 5 minutes. Not bad. O.K., so we were
beginning to be impressed. Walking up the gangplank was exciting as we looked at the massive and beautiful
white ship. We were about to take our first cruise. They snapped our picture as we entered ( one of many the
ship photographers would be taking through out the week. They do a really nice job and with no pressure to
buy). Someone took our carryon luggage and escorted us to our room. Ah- here at last. Tired, we took a
moment to catch our breath and since our luggage had not arrived yet, decided to go upstairs to the 14th
floor to the Horizon Court Welcome Aboard Buffet. We had a lifeboat drill at 5:15 p.m., first seating for dinner
at 5:45 p.m. and we set sail at 6:30. ( an hour late due to bad weather in the Chicago area and flight delays)
Food This is a controversial point between my husband and I. Dining is a big part of all of our vacations and I
must say our expectations were high from friends we had talked to who had cruised before and from some of
the reviews. We ate breakfast every morning in the Horizon Court and lunch there all but 2 days. We both
thought breakfast was very institutionalized tasting with no imagination. Basically tired of eating the same
thing 7 mornings in a row. Dennis thought the lunch buffet was great! Good variety and the chicken wings
were excellent. I’m too picky, I suppose and would have opted for Pizza at Fabio’s every day. I thought it was
always fresh and tasty. The one day we ate in the dining room was pretty good. Dining room breakfast and
lunch is open seating but you are seated by the waiters, so your sitting with 8 or 10 other people. That
usually proved interesting however, and the day we ate lunch in the dining room, there were 8 people – all
from the South. On a ship of 1940 passengers, what are the odds on that? Now for dinner. We both agreed
dinner was fabulous. The food was very good (excellent on shrimp and lobster nights) the ambiance and the
service, superb! Our waiter, Darius and his assistant were there to take care of our every want. My husband
had two servings of the shrimp dish and the night we had lobster – both of us had two servings (4 lobster tails
each… yum). There were 8 people at our dinner table ( 3 couples and 2 elderly singles ) and throughout the
week the conversation warmed between us. After the first few days, we all had shore excursions to talk about
and it was fun getting to know others and hear about things we might have missed. We were assigned to the
Tuscan Dining Room.
Our Disaster Our first night at dinner, you are escorted to your assigned table by head waiters. Your
assigned table number is listed on your cruise card (which doubles as your room key and on board charge
card). We were assigned to table 002, but the head waiter who seated us took us to table 022. It was a table
for 4 and when the other couple arrived, we hit it off immediately. We had a lot in common with Peggy and
Mike, had lived in the same area, our children were about the same ages and lived in the same vicinity now
that they were all married. Just had a wonderful time getting to know them. About halfway though our meal,
the same head waiter that seated us came over to our table inquiring our names. He was looking for another
couple. He left for a moment, realizing something was wrong and then proceeded to come back with an
attitude. He very rudely stated we were at the wrong table and tomorrow night we had better sit at our
assigned table. When we quietly stated that all we had done was sit where he had brought us – he kept
insinuating that we had done something wrong and that it was our fault. He was very rude and the situation
was rather embarrassing. Dennis called the Hotel Manager, Generoso, who apologized for the rudeness and
said if there was anything we needed to please let him know and he would take care of it. We decided to sit
where we were actually assigned because it seemed a big deal to ask to change. Generoso kept insisting he
was doing us a favor by sitting us at a larger table… we just let it ride and were ok with it in the end. While we
were grateful the mistake happened, because we became good friends with Mike and Peggy and saw them all
week, the rudeness that we experienced from the head waiter was totally unacceptable and we are writing
Princess about this matter.
Our room Surprised by how much room we actually had. The furnishings were elegant with a marble bath and
shower. Plenty of room under the beds for all of our luggage. (and we brought a lot!) The walk in closet had 2
separate hanging areas and a 4 drawer dresser (deep drawers). There was another standing type closet with
4 drawers and a safe on the top shelf. 2 night stands by the bed with drawers, and a large mirror and make
up table beside the bed. Plenty of room for our clothes, toiletries, etc. There were shelves in the bathroom
and a large ledge beside the tub area for storing soap, razors, shave cream, etc. The balcony stretched
between the living room area and the bedroom. A small round table with 2 chairs by living room side and two
lounge chairs by the bedroom. We had Mike and Peggy up to visit on several days and spent as much time
as we could on the balcony while in Glacier Bay and College Fjord. It was bitterly cold so the balcony off of
our room was nice to be able to run in and thaw occasionally.
Ship This ship is gorgeous. Teak deck chairs, gold trim on all doors and entrance ways, marble floors and
restrooms. The promenade deck runs the entire length of the ship – 3 times around = 1 mile. Nice for morning
exercise outside. Although we didn’t use the salon, spa or the exercise equipment but their areas looked very
inviting. The treadmills are placed in front of large windows overlooking the ocean. What a way to exercise.
The pool temperature on the Rivera deck was usually 82 degrees and there were often a few people braving
the icy wind for a plunge into the pools. We found a wonderful little deck all the way forward (pointy end of the
ship) and through an unmarked exit door. It led outside to a deck and was never very crowded. There was a
small overhang also so you could get out of the misty rain. No chairs, but it afforded some great pictures from
the front of the ship while in College Fjord. Too bad we didn’t find it the day we were in Glacier Bay.
Entertain The 50’s party put on by the Cruise Staff was great. Peter Tredgett (thecruise director) has a great
personality and he, Mary, Liz and the other staff had everyone involved. We saw a comedy/juggling act that
we really enjoyed. The big productions of Red, Hot and Blue and Scenesfrom the City – both musicals, were
just so-so. The entertainers were very talented but the material could have been much better. The Princess
Patter which lists all the days activities was full of choices everyday, from Trivia games, Newlywed-Not so
newlywed game, art auctions, and of course you could eat all day long – if you so chose. One of the most
relaxing things we did was go to a concert by the Stringed Quartet in the Wheelhouse Bar. That was one of
the most beautiful rooms on the ship (and relaxing), in our opinion.
Ports We booked our shore excursions early through Princess. Apparently we should have received an order
brochure from our travel agent, but I ended up having to call Princess and had them fax one to me about 2
weeks prior to sailing. I was told that many of the shore excursions in Alaska sell out fast, so reserving early is
definitely the way to go. I just faxed the form back to them the same day and our shore excursion tickets were
waiting in our stateroom when we arrived.
Ketchikan - we took the Saxman Native Village Tour (totem poles) and found it very entertaining. The native
tribe performed ceremonial dances for us and then we had a carving demonstration. This also proved to have
the best shopping opportunities. ( Just a note here about the stores on board the ship – their prices weren’t
bad and towards the end of the cruise they put many shirts and souvenirs on sale.) Ketchikan gets a lot of
rain – about 350 days a year, we hit it lucky and the sun was actually shining the day we were there. Temp –
about 50 degrees.
Juneau – We took an early sport fishing tour that resulted in no catch but turned into a beautiful wildlife show.
We saw humpback whales, sea otters, seals, and eagles. At one point we passed about 15 bald eagles
nesting in the nearby trees. Our boat captain, Jay, threw out some frozen fish bait into the water and the
eagles swarmed into the water to catch right in front of us. It was a beautiful sight. Dennis loved watching the
eagles and it was a great Kodak moment. Later we rented a car at the airport and drove to Mendenhall
Glacier. We’re still glad we did this because we had not pre-booked but the one shore excursion in Juneau
and we really wanted to see the Glacier. It was an awesome sight. However, it proved to be much too costly of
an adventure and I really wouldn’t recommend it – at least not the way we did it (maybe there’s a better way to
get a rental car???). The rental car was very economical and they even gave us a ½ day rate, but the cab
fare from the pier to the airport (r/t) ended up being $40.00. The airport is not near the pier where the ship
docks. Ouch!
Skagway – We took the Glacier Safari tour and it was great! First we boarded a little (and I emphasize little) 1
engine plane for a 20 minute flight over beautiful snow capped mountains and the ocean. We landed on a dirt
airstrip beach by the water and boarded a 4 wheel drive bus. We drove back through the woods about 3
miles where we parked and put on rain boots and rain coats (provided ). Then hiked about 15 minutes down
to a river. I kept looking for a bear – I really wanted to see one (from a distance)but I think it was a bit too
early in the season. Once at the water’s edge we boarded a 31 foot canoe – our group of 20 split in half , 10
in each boat and paddled upstream to Davidson Glacier. We were right in front of it (although a respectable
safe distance) when it calved. Awesome!
We heard from several people about other shore excursions and they all seemed to enjoy them. We heard
especially good comments about the White Hall Pass Train ride in Skagway through the Yukon. Beautiful
scenery.
Overall, we really enjoyed our trip and would recommend Princess. It seems they do have some
communication problems (opportunities) tho such as what happened with our luggage and at dinner the first
night. Hopefully they will work on that. Oh – one more communications snafu – the night before we entered
Glacier bay I had called the purser’s desk to see if the Glaciers would be on the Starboard or Port side as we
entered the Bay. Since it would be very early in the morning we wanted to stay in our room and go out on the
balcony if it was on our side (Port). They stated it would be Starboard side, so at 7:00 a.m. we set out with all
our camera equipment, coats, blankets, and hot drinks for the deck chairs on deck 7. It was so cold, and
before long we noticed that everyone was on the other side (Port) of the deck – watching the first glacier
come into sight. The purser’s desk had misinformed us – so we went back to our balcony in our room and
were able to view everything from there for the rest of the day.
Note: It rains a lot in Alaska – just expect it and go with it. They don’t usually cancel any shore excursions
because of the rain. Hooded jackets are great to take along instead of umbrella’s because then you have
your hands free for photo’s.
Deck blankets can be checked out on the Rivera Deck by the pools for Glacier Bay and College Fjord – they
are really warm!
We attended a Photo seminar and learned that it is best to use 100 or 200 speed film ( and not 400) when
taking photos of the Glaciers. We tried this and got great results. Hint – If you go to the photo seminar on
board you’ll get free film. And they also give a way a camera as a door prize. Pretty neat.
We took Ginger tablets beginning 2 days before we left and throughout the cruise and never had a problem
with sea sickness. Thursday evening was pretty rough and some people did get sick, so the Ginger must
have really helped.
A funny side note – this was our first cruise and we did not know that it takes a little while for your body to
realize you are not on the ship anymore when your cruise has ended. All day in the airports in Anchorage and
Seattle, I felt like the room was rocking – weird! So hang on and remember that when you disembark.
Have a good trip on the Ocean Princess.
Penni and Dennis Cooke
Name: Kathy Ringland
Email: kathy@ywadv.com
Age: 49
Occupation: Office Manager/Adv. Agency
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Ocean
SailingDate: June 3, 2000
Itinerary: Alaska, Seward-Vancouver
Cabin: A407 / BA
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 89
DeckService: 89
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 70
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 98
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess: 80
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 98
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 75
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Jun 2000
Time: 18:04:00
Remote Name: dsl-166-23.dslink.net
Remote User:
Comments
We sailed on the Ocean Princess on June 3rd, southbound Alaska from Seward - Vancouver. There were 8
of us in our party, ages ranging from 23 to 70. My husband and I are 49. This was our first Princess Cruise,
we have previously sailed with Carnival, Disney and Royal Caribbean. We were all very impressed with the
Ocean Princess, I think she is a beautiful ship, the 4-story atrium is gorgeous!, all the public rooms are
tastefully decorated and lots of windows.
Embarkation went very smooth, we had a plane delay in Seattle, so we didn't board the ship until close to
9:00 PM and still bright as day out. I loved the long daylight hours in Alaska! Our cabin was perfect, we were
on the Aloha Deck with a balcony (first time for a balcony). I have to tell you having a balcony on this trip
was priceless (I don't think I can ever go back to a regular cabin). To have the freedom of being outside and
still have your privacy was wonderful. It was just incredible to sit out there and watch this magnificent
scenery go by. I had binoculars glued to my eyes for 7 days. We saw quite a few dolphins (they were very
small), sea otters, seals and humpback whales (near Glacier Bay). Another nice thing about the balcony is
you can leave your door open a little at night and hear the waves against the ship and feel the fresh air. No
matter how much you turn down the temperature in the cabins, they were always warm, so it was a real plus
to have a sliding glass door. Also, if anyone goes with a group of people and your cabins are together, you
can have the room steward open the dividers between the balconies and have one long balcony so
everyone can visit together and still enjoy the scenery.
The food was good, our server and his assistant were excellent! Constantino and Florin, they were the best
we have had on all 9 of our cruises. At first they were a little reserved, which I noticed most of the staff was,
until they realized we were there to have fun and enjoy ourselves and not complain about every little thing
like alot of other passengers did. Our waiter really had fun playing little tricks on us all the time.
The Horizen Court was the usual food court type of food, the Pizza Restaurant was excellent! You don't pay
for the pizza, but you do leave the waiter a separate tip. Room service was also very good and fast.
We stopped in 3 ports - Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. Before that we cruised the College Fjords and
Glacier Bay. Awsome scenery!! There aren't enough words to describe how beautiful it was, so I took 15
roles of film! We were lucky the first 2 days were sunny, so the scenery was that much more bright and
pretty. In Skagway most of our group took the train ride to White Pass, which everyone said they enjoyed.
My husband and I took the jet boat trip to the Eagle Nesting Preserve. Very nice trip, I would definately
recommend this. After a boat ride to Haines and then a bus ride (beautiful) to our destination, we boarded
(open) jet boats and went up the Chilkat River. We saw a huge eagle nest, a mother moose and her baby,
some trumpet swans and of course, beautiful eagles. If it's raining though, this trip might not be as
enjoyable. The town of Skagway is very cute, more frontier-looking than the other towns. And of course, you
must stop in at the Red Onion Saloon.
Juneau was our next stop (I think the best shopping was here). My husband and I went on the River Float
Trip (wish we would have passed on this one). The first part was ok, very, very small rapids, but very pretty,
the second part of the trip there were so many houses on each side of the river, you felt like you were going
through everyone's back yard - not the feeling of being in the wilderness like we had hoped for. I wish we
went on the bay boat cruise where my brother-in-law saw orca's everywhere. Oh well, that's the luck of the
draw. Don't miss the Red Dog Saloon, a fun place.
Ketchikan is a gorgeous port, very lush and green. Half of our group went on a float plan trip and landed in
a lake. My husband loved this trip, his very favorite. What a beautiful perspective you get of the land below -
really worth the price of this tour. Also, just a note, we really liked the idea of booking our tours before we
left. We bought the video of the tours to get a better idea. It was so nice to have the tickets waiting for us in
our cabin. From what I heard on ship, the tours sold out right away and alot of people were disappointed.
On our other cruises we rarely did tours, just went on our own, but the Alaska tours are different, I think it's
very smart to book them before you go. There are independent tours available when you get off the ship,
but you take the chance of not getting back in time. If you go on a Princess tour and it is late, they will wait
for you. Also, on the Ketchikan tours, the Orca Beach Hike was not worth it, but that's just my opinion. In
Juneau, 2 of our people went horseback riding (in the rain), but they loved it.
Disembarkation was very easy, we had an early flight, so we were off the ship first, I think about 8:30 a.m.,
and at the airport well ahead of our plane's departure.
Our only negative comments were that most of the passengers were a bit older (not that being older is
negative) but not very friendly, too many complainers. We also missed sitting by the pool and listening to
music as on our Caribbean cruises, but the scenery made up for it, we definately would go again, but maybe
in 5 or 6 years. I like the warm cruises, but I think everyone should go to Alaska at least once to experience
the beauty of this country.
We would not hesitate to go on a Princess Cruise again, probably the Caribbean or South Pacific. I think the
Ocean Princess is a first-class ship.
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