princess-ocean3

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Tom Kanitra
Email: tkanitra@worldnet.att.net
Age: 49
Occupation: Assoc. Director, Engineering
NumberOfCruises: 11
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Ocean
SailingDate: April 15, 2000
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean, Adventurer
Cabin: A735, Cat BB
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 93
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 99
CabinAmenities: 94
FoodLidoDeck: 99
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 98
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 97
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 Jul 2000
Time: 20:24:38
Remote Name: 252.newark-15-20rs.nj.dial-access.att.net
Remote User:

Comments

[Part 1. Part 2 will be in another submission (there wasn't enough space for the entire review here)]

Our Spring Break 2000 cruise on the brand new Ocean Princess was our eleventh cruise, but first
with Princess. We have also been on the Celebrity Century, Galaxy and Zenith; Royal Majesty;
Norwegian Wind and Leeward; and RCCL Nordic Empress (three times) and Grandeur of the Seas.
Our itinerary was the 7-night Southern Caribbean, with stops at Trinidad, Barbados, Antigua,
Martinique, and St. Thomas. We were a party of four, my wife Linda and I, and our two children
Jonathan and Lara, ages 13 and 10.

We had very high expectations going on our first Princess ship. We were not disappointed in the
least. We had a wonderful time. I think overall, it is a very similar experience to Celebrity. Linda
commented that it seemed like Princess looked at what every other cruise line does, and copied only
the good things. And they came up with many great ideas as well. (For example, it was the only ship
we've been on that used TWO gangways at each port for passengers, essentially eliminating any
lines. Great idea.)

The Ocean Princess offers an exceptional cruising experience. It is an upscale cruise, stylish, not
glitzy, although the ship is a bit... maybe 'cutesy' is the right word. The passengers on our cruise
ranged from young children to senior citizens, with the majority of passengers in the 50-60 year old
range, a bit older that we've experienced with Celebrity. There were about 200 children on board
because our cruise was during Spring Break. However it was not as large a contingent of kids as
we've experienced on other Easter cruises. It was definitely not a party crowd. This ship offers a high
degree of refined service, with wonderful food on a magnificent vessel. Those who are looking for a
wild time, non-stop activities, and crazy parties should look elsewhere.

After taking the Galaxy to the Southern Caribbean last Easter with stops at St. Lucia, Barbados,
Antigua, Martinique and St. Thomas, we wanted to explore a new itinerary. Upon speaking with a
Princess agent on the phone, we learned that the Ocean Princess was going to do a new itinerary,
with stops at Curacao, St. Vincent, St. Kitts, Isla Margarita and St. Thomas the week we wanted to go.
So we put a hold on the last available quad verandah cabin last March. However, when we got the
itinerary paperwork from Princess, we leaned that the agent had confused the weeks. We learned
that the week we were going, we would stop at Trinidad, Barbados, Antigua, Martinique and St.
Thomas. It was pretty much the same itinerary we did on the Galaxy. After checking into various
options, we decided to stick with what we had. It would be, after all a brand new ship. Plus, we liked
most of the islands when we visited them last year.

Saturday

Our flight arrangements were good. We had a flight leaving Newark at 10:00 am, Saturday morning.
This was much better than the 6:30 am flight we had back in January, when we sailed on the Nordic
Empress. We did have to drop off Penny, our shaggy golden retriever, the night before though. We
arrived in San Juan, PR around 2:00 in the late afternoon (with the 1 hour clock change). We were
met by a Princess rep. at the gate, and taken to mini-busses for transport to the pier area. Our
luggage was taken directly from the plane to the ship. We did not have to claim our luggage.

When we arrived at the port, we saw the Majesty of the Seas and a Carnival ship. It was difficult to tell
which Carnival ship, since the Ocean Princess does not dock in the Old San Juan area, but instead
further up the harbor, near the Caribe Hilton. We expected to see the Galaxy, but for some reason it
was not in port.

Embarkation was very easy. There were agents with only one or two people in line, so it took only
about five minutes to register, get our cruise charge/ID cards (they also serve as cabin keys) and we
were off toward the ship.

After our 'obligatory' embarkation photo, we proceeded to board the vessel. We have a full collection
of embarkation photos, which now cover almost half of our bedroom mirror. We boarded the Ocean
Princess on the Deck 5. To get to that level from the dock, we had to walk 'two' decks up the
gangway. This was a bit unusual. We entered the ship in the atrium, and were met by attendants who
pointed the way to our cabin. We were not escorted to our cabin, but there were attendants all over
the ship to point the way.

Traveling with our children, we booked one of the limited number of quad balcony cabins on the ship.
It was on the Aloha deck, near the back of the ship. And actually it was a very good location, since we
had easy access to the outside deck in the back where we could walk up steps to the pool deck.
Outside the cabin was a nameplate with our name on it. There was also a copy of the Princess
Patter, the daily guide. The cabin was rather small, but after sailing three times on the Nordic
Empress (famous for small cabins) we had no problems. AND… we had the balcony. The cabin had
one sofa bed, one floor level folding Pullman bed, and 2 upper berths. After our first night, we asked
our cabin steward to keep the floor level Pullman bed folded open, to give us more sitting area
(although it sacrifices floor space). The balcony was quite small, but it was still wonderful. A nice
touch was that the cabin had a small refrigerator, where ice cubes and water were kept. Storage
space in the cabin was sufficient, but definitely not 'excessive'. Just outside the bathroom door, there
was a small shelf that was perfect for storing about 20 Beanie Babies. It did get in the way when you
were walking in and out of the cabin though. There was a hair drier in the cabin. Our Cabin steward,
Bernard, was top notch. His timing was very good.

The bathroom in the cabin was larger than we've had on some ships, but just not that well designed.
The shower was larger than it needed to be, but the central area of the bathroom was not large
enough to get dressed in. This is a very minor complaint though.

After we quickly settled into our cabin, we went to lunch in the Horizon Court, the buffet restaurant.
Inside, we were greeted by Gene and Kathryn, from r.t.c. We had arranged to meet them on board
Sunday afternoon. But before sailing, via e-mail, I told them that we were a gang of 3 red heads, and
if they saw us, to say hi. We were obviously easy to pick out, so they came up to us. Also at lunch we
had an even bigger surprise. After we ate, Linda called me over and with her were Roland and his
daughter Carina, who we had met exactly one year earlier on the Galaxy. Small world. Roland had
also brought is parents on the cruise. Carina is as big a cruise ship expert as our son Jonathan.

Lunch in the Horizon court was one of the best buffets we've had so far on our cruises. Lara and I
especially loved the blueberry blintzes. I even went back for seconds. Princess set up the Horizon
Court a bit different from all other ships we've been on. Instead of trays, they have oversize plates.
The large plats weren't any problem at all. They are really very large, and can hold a dessert plate
as well as a drink. But what worked especially well is that the food is put out in different stations,
similar to on the Grandeur of the Seas. This had the effect of eliminating lines. There was never
anyone in line to get plates, knives and forks. From there, you could just go to any station where no
one was getting food. If you bounced from one station to the next, you could bypass any congestion.
It worked out SO WELL.

After lunch, we went to check out the ship. We stopped off at the Library. It was just opening.
Jonathan picked out some books on classic ocean liners, and I got a few books on the Caribbean
islands. Plus I got the year 2000 edition of Berlitz Cruising and Cruise Ships, which is always fun to
look through. I have copies from 1996 through 1999, although my 1997 copy is a rare limited edition
- it has a cover partially chewed by our, back then, golden retriever puppy.

While walking around, we ran into Roland and Carina again. They invited us to their cabin to meet
Roland's parents. His dad has limited mobility because of a recent stroke and needs a wheelchair.
We chatted for a while and then continued our explorations. After a while, Jonathan and Lara wanted
to go swimming. When we got back to the cabin, the luggage had started to arrive, piece by piece.
That, of course, is the kickoff of the 'I want these drawers' fight. The kids changed into their suits and
we went up to the small Ocean Spa Pool in the back. We again saw Roland and his family. This time
he was pushing his dad around in a wheel chair.

The kids spent maybe 45 minutes in the pool. It was almost time for dinner. We dressed - first night
was casual - and went to the Dining Room.

We were assigned to the Sardinian dining room. Instead of a large, multi story dining room like on the
Celebrity Century (by far the most beautiful dining room we've seen in our 11 cruises) the Ocean
Princess has two smaller dining rooms. The other dining room is the Tuscan dining room. The
architects opted for a more personal, smaller ship feel, but don't think it is nearly as dramatic as a
two-story dining room. We were assigned to a table of 8. But, usually they seat us with other families
with kids. In fact, when I made the reservation, I specifically asked if they could find a family with a
13-year-old boy, so our son would have a friend. Instead there were 4 other adults at our table.
There were two ladies, Rita and Cara, who were friends traveling together. There was also a couple,
celebrating their anniversary. They were retired, living in Florida, but were originally from New Jersey
like us. And, in fact, lived within about 10 miles of us. Again, small world.

Dinners were absolutely wonderful. Our waiter Fabio, from Italy was excellent. Not only did we see
him every evening, but usually at breakfast in the Horizon Court buffet restaurant as well. Fabio
quickly learned our preferences and offered great recommendations. Our head waiter, I think his
name was Renzo, was also great, he always checked on us a couple of times nightly, and on several
occasions, had special meals like macaroni and cheese prepared for our kids.

One of the specialties that Princess offers is a pasta dish that can be ordered as a small portion for a
separate pasta course, prior to the main course. Almost all of us at the table opted to try the pasta
specialty each evening. Entrees that I most favorably recall include the Lobster and the Lamb Chops.
Chilled soups were wonderfully refreshing after a long day in the hot Caribbean. Desserts were also
fabulous, and the 4-5 pounds or so that I gained are proof.

Upon leaving the table the first evening, the couple from Florida told us that they had requested a
table for two, since they were celebrating an anniversary. They said that there was a chance that
they would be assigned a different table for the remaining evenings of the cruise. They wanted to
make sure that we didn't think they were trying to get away from us, with our kids.

After dinner, it was 8:30, time for the Muster Station drill. We took our life jackets and reported to the
Vista Lounge. After the drill, Jonathan, Lara and I went back the cabin. We were exhausted after a
long day. Linda decided to go to one of the evening shows. When she returned to the cabin, we had
fallen asleep. I awoke as she opened the door and came into the cabin. I asked how the show was,
and she said 'So-so'.

During the night, I awoke briefly several times to creaking sounds from our closet. The ship was
doing a lot of rolling - we had sailed from San Juan around midnight.

Sunday

I awoke early Sunday morning. Getting up to go to the bathroom was an adventure. The ship was
really rocking and rolling. And the sea wasn't really that rough. The roll of the ship seemed to have a
pattern. It would take about 14 seconds to roll from left to right, and back. But, there were also about
14 quick left to right jerks within the timing of each left to right and back roll. You could actually see
things like the curtains and plants moving with the quick jerks. I personally think that the ship has
something out of 'tune'. Similar to when a tire on a car is out of balance. The whole car shakes at
certain speeds. It seemed similar to that. Hopefully it's something that can be corrected, or at least
improved.

Basically, it seemed that this beautiful ship had the stability of an empty Coke can in the sheltered
seas of the Caribbean. Now, I do speak with some experience in this regard. On our last cruise, we
experienced 17-ft. waves, and 65-mph winds on a much smaller ship, on the Nordic Empress, which
really rocked in those seas. But in the calm-to-moderate seas of this cruise, the ship did not seem to
have a valid reason for rocking so much. For most of the first day and that night, there were seasick
bags strategically placed around the ship. In fact, one evening, in the showroom, Linda asked a
waiter if the ship always rocked like this. He replied, 'No madam, usually it rocks even more'.

After dressing in the morning, I left the gang asleep, and wandered around the ship up on deck for a
while. I turned on up my Garmin 12MAP GPS (global positioning satellite unit) which I had brought
and got a reading of our location. We were heading straight down for Trinidad from Puerto Rico, and
would not go near any of the Windward or Leeward Islands the first day. I stopped in the Horizon
Court, and got a giant plate of chocolate croissants and Danish. I took my plate of goodies back to
the cabin, so we could have pre-breakfast snacks on the balcony. Ah - life is good!

After we dressed, we went to breakfast in the Horizon Court. I found my way to the omelet station,
again another occurrence in the Horizon Court with no line (I thought: sure, today I'm lucky, because
they haven't discovered the omelet guy the first morning, but tomorrow there is sure to be a line). Not
so, there just never were any lines in the restaurants. So, with massive plate in hand, filled with a
ham, green pepper, mushroom and cheese omelet, fresh fruit (even mangos) it was off to find an
empty table - usually an impossible task. Not on the Ocean Princess. There were ALWAYS empty
tables. What are they doing right, that other ships can't do? But they sure are doing something right.

After breakfast, it was off to scoop our more of the ship. We first returned to our cabin to find it
already made up. Our cabin steward Bernard left us 4 large blue and white striped towels. His note
says they are our beach and tool towels for the day. We soon left to check out more of our new home
for the week.

It really is a beautiful ship, but some of the decorating is just a bit too… well there are fish patterns in
the carpets in many areas. There are multi-colored crabs, clams, fish, and sea horses around the
pools. It's a bit too 'whimsical' for me. There is gorgeous tiling all over the ship, but did they have to
put dolphins there as well? The art collection… well there is some good stuff, but much of it is pretty
amateurish. More like paint by numbers than good pieces. But, it does not detract from the ship in
the least.

Many areas of the ship have rich leather couches. The Aprez-Vouz lounge, located in a major
walkway, had nice chairs with cactus plants behind the chairs in the windows (it has windows that look
out to the promenade deck.

Outside, there is a wrap around promenade deck, though you do have to walk through a small inside
section in the back. The promenade is teakwood, but most of the other decking on the ship is
Astroturf, or other composite materials. The ship doesn't have a solarium pool but it does have a
small circular pool (the Ocean Spa) in the back, which has a welcomed (for those of us with light
complexions) circular sun shade. There are also a few hot tubs there. We used pool nearly every
day.

Instead of one large theater, the ship has two smaller theaters, which seat about one quarter of the
ship's passengers - half of those at each dinner seating. To determine which show you go to, you are
given tickets for the shows at dinner on certain evenings. On several evenings, they repeated shows
so that everyone had the chance to see the best shows. In the afternoon, the ship shows recent
movies in one of the two theaters. We all saw 'The World is Not Enough' (the James Bond film) while
Linda and Lara went to see 'Galaxy Quest' during the week.

Similar to several other ships we've recently been on, including Galaxy, there is a weird Sculpture
near the pool. I think it must be a new tradition for cruise lines… so see who can come up with the
most unusual sculpture, and then put it by the pool.

There is a very nice area in the front of the ship, where people can go to watch the ship enter port. In
fact, people can stand on 2 decks in the front. Getting to the are, you must walk around several
windscreens. Well, I first though that they were windscreens. But they block you from seeing the back
of the ship from the front of the ship. Now, jokingly, I think that maybe they are there to keep you from
seeing how much the ship rises and falls against the horizon, as the ship bounces around in the mild
seas.

The center atrium covers 4 decks. Overlooking the Purser's Desk and white grand piano on the
Plaza Deck are Fabio's Pizzeria on Dolphin Deck, the Atrium Lounge on Promenade Deck, and the
shops on Emerald Deck. Pizza for lunch always had live piano music in the background from the
piano below. I actually think that with the atrium view, the Pizzeria is the most striking restaurant on
the ship.

On the uppermost deck, the Sun Deck, are the basketball court (in the back of the curved funnel
enclosure) and the Splash Pool up front. It's a good term for the pool. I never saw anyone in it since
it's only about 12 inches deep, but when the ship is sailing at night, the water 'splashes' all over the
place.

Sunday afternoon I had made arrangements to meet Gene and Kathryn at 2:00 in the Wheelhouse
bar. When I arrived, they were getting ready for the first art auctions, and, with all the people there, I
couldn't find Gene and Kathryn. Since I missed them, I later left a note at their cabin for getting
together later in the week. We walked around the ship a bit more, played 'Clue' in the card room, and
took a shot at shuffleboard. The deck was wet, but we're so bad, it doesn't matter. While the ship
sailed on it's course for Trinidad, we saw a ship that was either the Van Gogh or the Enchanted Capri
sail by us. It's one of the old Soviet ships.

Later in the afternoon, Linda and Lara went to the movies. Jonathan and I stayed in the cabin, and
took a catnap. I don't recall if we went swimming or not (I think we might have), but soon it was time
for the Captain's Cocktail Party and dinner. It was formal night. Jonathan and I put on our formal
shirts with bow ties. Jonathan added a navy blazer, while I added my black suit, which looks almost
like a tux when combined with a nice pleated formal white shirt.

The Captain's Cocktail Party was hosted in the Atrium. Seating on all 4 levels was used. It was the
first time we attended a cocktail party in an Atrium. Probably, because the ship doesn't have a
theater large enough to accommodate the large number of passengers who attend. Cruise Director,
Paul O'Loughlin, who's British, introduced the Captain. The paperwork indicated that Captain Cesare
Ditel was our ship's master. But Paul indicated that Captain Ditel was called away in an emergency,
and Captain Giuseppe Romano, who usually serves on the Grand Princess, would be with us for the
week. Captain Romano greeted everyone and introduced his staff. There was no reception line to
meet the Captain.

After the Cocktail Party, and on the way to dinner, we found a photographer with a short line. With
luck, we thought, one of the 6-8 pictures will turn out well. [One did, and it's now hanging in the hall in
our home.]

Cara was already in the dining room when we got there. But Rita and the other couple were not.
Evidently the other couple had gotten the table for 2 that they requested. We asked Cara about Rita.
She said that Rita had been feeling terrible from the motion of the ship. Linda looked in her purse
and had several Bonine tablets with her. We gave Cara two tablets for Rita to try. We hoped that
they would help. With the 3 seats empty, we kind of huddled together at the table. Dinner and
dessert were again outstanding. We asked Cara, who had previously sailed on the Dawn Princess if
that ship handled the seas as poorly. She said she didn't recall it being as bad. Until then, we had
second thoughts about keeping our Easter 2001 booking on the Dawn Princess, which we had
recently booked. But after her reply, we were relieved and we decided to keep it. After dinner, Linda
we went to the show and I brought the kids back to the cabin to go to sleep. I camped out on the
verandah, where I promptly fell asleep in a chair. When Linda returned, I took a walk around the ship
for a while. I stopped in the logo shop and purchased two T-shirts and a sweatshirt. All Caribbean
logo items were half price, since ours was the last sailing of the season prior to the ship repositioning
to Alaska. After a short while I returned to the cabin for the night.

Monday

I awoke Monday morning as the ship was about an hour, or so, out of the Port of Spain, Trinidad
harbor. I dressed, picked up a camera and my GPS unit and headed for the front of the ship. The
ship had reduced speed from 20 knots the day before to around 6-8 knots and numerous people
gathered up front to watch us dock. We docked in a freight port. Trinidad is one of, if not the most,
industrial islands in the Caribbean. From the ship we could see serious traffic congestion. First
impressions of Trinidad: horrible traffic, tall buildings, center of a moderate sized city, … not very
appealing. And, around 8:00 am, it was already about 95 degrees in the shade.

I returned to the cabin to wake up the gang. We had breakfast in the Horizon Court, quickly got an
omelet (again no line), and easily found a table. We sat near the couple who had been seated with
us at dinner the first night. They said hello, and told us they had been given a table for two, at
second seating (we were at first seating). We chatted for a while as we ate.

After breakfast, we broke out the books and the 'Princess Patter' and tried to plan our activity for the
day. The nearest beach, Maracas, was an hour away, according to Frommer's. That's way too long a
ride for our kids. And supposedly it has no decent snorkeling, so it wasn't an appealing option. So we
finally decided to take a taxi to the zoo. Upon going ashore, we noticed that the ship had 2 gangways
for use, one from Plaza Deck and one from the crew deck, one deck below. Again, no lines.
Wonderful.

We made our way to the terminal building at the port, and were greeted by dozens of taxi drivers.
One came up and offered his services. We indicated that we wanted to go to the zoo. He instead
suggested (numerous times) that we should allow him to take us for a tour that would include the
botanic gardens, the zoo and the scenic overlook from the mountains. We were finally convinced
after agreeing to a price, and went off with him. He had the REDDEST colored taxi we ever saw. We
all piled in and he took us past the '7 Magnificent Homes' which were pretty much old and run down.
He brought us to the Botanical Garden where a guide and locals, who were hawking crafts, greeted
us. We bought a small purse for Lara after some price haggling (later on the tour they're half of the
'after haggled price') and went for a tour of the garden. The guide explained many different trees and
plants in about 45 minutes, and then asked for $20. He brought us to the exit gate where we were
approached by a strolling guitarist (who serenades you with your own personal Calypso song - all for
a reasonable price). And then by a lady selling post cards (How much for these 4? One dollar. Each?
No for all 4.) Wow … a reasonable price - Linda threw in a dollar tip for NOT trying to rip us off).

Then it was back into the RED cab. We took a drive up the mountain. We pulled into a scenic
overlook. Waiting there were a number of strolling guitarists, ALL ready to run up to you. It seemed to
have been one guy's turn. He ran up to us and, as before, started playing our own personal song,
and even tried (in the song) to suggest we pay him $20, and give a $100 tip to the driver. Linda
decided that the going rate for a song was $4, and NOT $20. He got his $4, and we drove back
toward the city. Our taxi driver asked us if we wanted to see animals (we thought the zoo - wrong)
and he took us to a circus tent where we could look at camels and donkeys for free. Wow, a bargain.
Soon it was back to the ship, our day in Trinidad complete. We now have another port that we can
actually put in the same category as Labadee, Haiti and Jamaica - those ports that we NEVER want
to return to. Now we're up to 3. A Siskel and Ebert 'two thumbs down' for Trinidad. But, unfortunately
the Dawn Princess for Easter 2001 goes to Trinidad, so we will be returning again next year, unless
they change the itinerary by then after all the negative comments.

After returning to the ship, we all had pizza for lunch. It was probably the best pizza we've ever had.
And living in the New York area, there are some great pizza places nearby. But the pizza on board
was great. Particularly the sauce. One day, we even asked what kind of sauce they used, and the
head waiter there, Luciano, brought out a can. We peeled off the label to bring home. After pizza, we
went to see the James Bond movie, 'The World is Not Enough', and later went for a swim in the
Ocean Spa pool.

Monday night was casual dress for dinner. We were happy to see Rita along with Cara at the table
when we arrived. Rita said she was feeling a lot better, and thought that the Bonine had worked. We
gave up on the couple from Florida rejoining us - I guess they just wanted to be alone. After dinner,
we went to the show in the Vista Lounge. The show was 'The Century Sings'. It featured songs from
the 50's, 60's, 70's. 80's, 90's … and some recent Ricky Martin. After the show, Linda and the kids
went back to the cabin to sleep. I took a walk around the ship for a while. Roland was also walking
around the ship, so we chatted a bit, before I returned to the cabin for the night.

Tuesday

Tuesday morning, I awoke as we were about 45 minutes out of Barbados. I went to my favorite spot
to watch us pull into port (the front area on the Lido and Riviera Decks), but within a few minutes we
entered some gray looking clouds and it began to rain. I waited out the mini storm below deck, and
returned up on deck when the sun came back out. We could see the Celebrity Galaxy just ahead of
us. And, right behind us was the Crown Dynasty. We all took up spots at the dock, along with a cargo
ship and the Costa Classica. It was a great day for ship photo ops.

I returned to the cabin with a plate of chocolate croissants, and again we enjoyed pre-breakfast
snacks on our verandah. We dressed and went to have breakfast in the Horizon Court. Again, there
was no line for omelets. [Do the people notice that he's there?] They have mango again. With fresh
pineapple. Even Jonathan, our fussy eater likes the fresh pineapple. It is SO sweet.

After breakfast, we packed up the snorkel bag, applied sun tan lotion, and put on our bathing suites.
Last time in Barbados, we went to Folkstone Underwater Park. We found a taxi driver as we got off
the ship, and asked if there was another good place for us to snorkel. He recommended we go to
Folkstone Park again. So we agreed. We all got into the cab, and all the way to the beach, the driver
was sneezing and coughing. And, I was in the front seat with him.

We arrived at Folkstone, and were greeted by the guy who sells necklaces. He said a shark tooth
necklace would look good on our daughter. I said that we bought one here last year from some guy.
He said he's the only guy, so it had to be him. Lara got a green 'power bracelet' this year. One
printed with Chinese letters. The guy said his father is Chinese… Yeah Right. We played along
though. We like Barbados, and he' wasn't pushy. More just 'kind of' friendly. Besides, we're regular
customers now. We even said we'll see him again next year (Dawn Princess), and say 'Hi' to his
Chinese father for us. We got a beach chair from the same guy we got the beach chair from last
year. I went out snorkeling for a while. Linda and the kids came out, but when someone proudly
mentioned that he saw an octopus and a sea snake, Lara headed for shore in a beeline. She doesn't
do spiders, so she for-sure isn't going to do a sea snake and an octopus.

I snorkeled a bit more and soon it was time for our driver to return. Linda and Lara went off the get a
few braids for Lara. She got 3 braids on each side, while we packed up the gear and loaded it into
the waiting cab.

As we got back to the ship it was lunchtime. If it's Tuesday... It must be pizza - again. Linda and Lara
decide that they're getting into a rut, having pizza every day. So they decide it's time for a change.
They order a DIFFERENT TOPPING on their pizza.

After lunch, we went up for Haagen Dazs ice cream for the kids. You do have to pay for the Haagen
Dazs. When the ice creams were finished, we decided to try ping pong, though it was a bit too windy.

After a while longer, we changed into our bathing suits and headed for our favorite pool - the Ocean
Spa pool. Since our beach/pool towels were wet, we took some of our bathroom towels. We didn't
know until we returned (and read at rec.travel.cruises) that we could get more beach/pool towels, but
Bernard wasn't around to ask for more anyway. It was his time off in the afternoon. We cooled off in
the pool, and even had drinks, albeit without alcohol, at the nearby bar. While sitting there quietly, a
group who had just gotten off the Jolly Roger party boat arrived, loud, boisterous and obviously
plastered to the gills. They ordered even more drinks. I kind of wondered if maybe they had gotten
onto the wrong ship. They seemed quite out of place. But after about 30 minutes the group
dispersed.

Dinner Tuesday was semi formal. Sport jacket and tie. We went to dinner to find our table had been
'shortened'. Fabio had folded in the ends, so now the table was for 6 instead of for 8. It was easier to
talk to everyone now. I think that Tuesday was Tiramisu night. I can't remember entrees but Tiramisu
I can remember.

After dinner, we went to see the evening show. It was comedy night. First was Gaucho Del Plata, who
did amazing things with ropes, swords and the like, twirling them at high speed. Comedian Billy Vader
followed the Gaucho. Billy was on a roll. He had the crowd in stitches. Rita and Cara had spotted us
in the lounge and sat with us. We laughed so hard we almost cried. We had a great time.

After the show, Linda and the kids headed for the cabin while I went for a walk before heading in for
the night.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, we docked in Antigua. I had a special activity planned for the day. But that was for
the afternoon. I awoke early and again headed for my favorite spot, way up front, to watch us sail into
port. There were no other ships in port with us for the day. We went to breakfast, as usual in the
Horizon Court. Bad sign… There were a few people in line at the omelet station. I knew it. I'd have to
wait. Wrong again. Within a minute they all had their omelets and eggs, and my order was taken.

After breakfast we packed up the snorkel bag and headed off the ship. On the way off the dock, we
saw the lady selling peanuts that we had seen the year before. We hailed a taxi and asked for
options for snorkeling beaches. Our driver recommended Long Bay, where we had gone the year
before. We asked to try something new. Antigua is famous for having 365 beaches, one for every
day of the year. So we wanted to work our way through the list. Our driver suggested that we go to
Sandpiper Beach on the North Shore. The drive there was through a rather upscale neighborhood.
Beach access was through a small hotel. Our driver escorted us through the open-air lobby, onto the
beach.

We were the only ones on the beach for over an hour. We could see the reef off shore, and thought
it would be great. However the reef was difficult to get to, because it was too shallow. Some areas
were grassy, while others had sand bottoms. The grassy areas were too shallow to swim and the
sand areas were too deep to walk. So we never made it out to the reef. If the tide were higher so you
could swim out to the reef, it probably would have been great for snorkeling. After a while in the
water, we headed up to the outdoor hotel bar and ordered drinks. Soon our driver returned to pick us
back up. Heading back into town, I asked him the location of the Map Shop. That was my special
activity. Visiting the shop. He pointed out directions.

Last time in Antigua I had stopped in the Map Shop. I asked the owner how much a particular map on
the wall was. It showed the entire Caribbean region, including the Bahamas and Yucatan Peninsula.
The owner replied in a strong British accent, 'Sir, that is NOT a map, it is a chart. It is a British
Admiralty Chart of navigable waters.' It was also $35. I decided to pass on it at the time, but after we
left Antigua, I was sorry that I didn't get it. This time I had a second chance to get it.

Our driver dropped us off about a half block from the ship and about a half block from the Map Shop.
We all decided to walk to the Map Shop. The owner who I met last time wasn't there, but his son was.
I told him my story from last year and the son replied 'Yes, that sounds like my dad!' They had the
chart that I wanted, and rolled it up for me in a plastic wrapper. While they got it ready and I paid for
the chart, Linda and Lara had left to return for the ship. Soon, Jonathan and I returned to the ship as
well.

After changing out of our suits, we again went to the Pizzeria. By now, Rita and Cara were also going
the Pizzeria for lunch everyday. After pizza, the kids again went for Haagen Dazs ice cream, while I
went to the Horizon Court to get a plate full of desserts. In the Horizon Court I spotted a major criminal
offense. Princess was serving the Celebrity Cruises 'Swan Thingees' for dessert. The nerve of them!
But I did take two. They were delicious. I also filled the plate with pie, cookies and whatever struck my
fancy. While the kids finished off their ice creams, Linda and I attacked the dessert plate.

After lunch it was again time for a swim. We again took some bathroom towels with us. While the kids
and I were swimming, Linda went to the self-service laundry and put in a load of clothes. After cooling
off, it was almost time for dinner. Wednesday was again casual dress. And I believe the special
dessert was crème brule.

After dinner, Lara was tired and didn't want to go to the show. It was magic night in the lounge, so
Jonathan and I wanted to go. However, unlike the fantastic illusionist that we saw on the Galaxy (with
assistants Rachael and Rachael and amazing pyrotechnics), Whit Haydn was more into slight of
hand. He was so boring that I fell asleep at the show. I think I awoke once or twice to some polite
clapping. After the show, we returned back to the cabin. Linda was reading out on the verandah. She
really loved it out there. After dropping Jonathan off, I wandered around the ship for a while. The pool
deck was being fixed up for the midnight buffet. It was the Island Night Deck Party. I took some
pictures, chatted with Roland for a while, but couldn't last past 11:00. I went to the stern of the ship,
lied down on a lounge chair, and promptly fell asleep. I awoke at some point and wandered back to
the cabin for the rest of the night.

Thursday

Thursday we were in Martinique. Last time in Martinique, we had a little trouble with the language
barrier. But this time we knew the scoops, what we wanted to do, and how to do it. So we had no
trouble.

Again I awoke before we entered port. I watched as we entered the Harbor in Fort de France. But
instead of going to the main passenger docks, we docked at the freight docks. As we pulled against
our dock, we saw the Mistral and one of the Star Clipper ships entering the Harbor. The Mistral took
one of the passenger docks berths. And in a little while, the Sun Princess took the other passenger
berth. The Van Gogh entered the harbor as well, and docked in the freight docks across from us. It
was a good day for ship watching and photo ops.

After our routine breakfast, we packed up the snorkel gear and got ready to go to Point du Bout on
the other side of the harbor. We took a taxi to the ferry dock, took the ferry across, and headed for
the beach. We met Gene and Kathryn while walking toward the beach. They walked with us for a
while, but when we found a spot we had snorkeled the year before, and stopped, they kept going.
Snorkeling was again very good. I kept an eye out for the large barracuda that I had seen last year,
but it didn't seem to be around this time. And, unfortunately, we also didn't see the topless girl selling
bathing suits on the beach like we did the year before. We returned to the ferry dock to find a ferry
just ready to leave. We boarded and returned to Fort de France, caught a taxi back to the ship, and
changed for lunch. Yes, pizza again. Followed by Haagen Dazs. We weren't in a rut. We had
established a 'Tradition'. It was great pizza though. After the obligatory swim in the Ocean Spa pool, it
was time for dinner. Thursday was formal night again. Out came the bow ties and cufflinks again.

By Thursday evening, we started to realize that the cruise was soon coming to an end. It was our last
dinner before handing out tips, and without having to pack afterward. A little sadness started setting
in. Thursday night was lobster night. The lobster was great. Fabio brought an extra plate with two
tails on it. Even the extra tails were quickly gobbled down.

After dinner, the kids were tired. We all went back to the cabin. The kids went to bed while Linda went
to read out on the verandah. I went to check out the evening show. It was comedian Billy Vader
again. But this time he was bombing. He forgot lines. He was the only one laughing. It was kind of
embarrassing. I watched for a while, but soon left. I walked the promenade deck for a while, checking
out the lights on the horizon (my GPS showed that it was Guadeloupe) but soon went back to the
cabin for the night. The ship was heading toward St. Thomas, our last port of the cruise.

Friday

Our last port was St. Thomas, on Friday. The sun coming in through the curtains woke me as we
headed toward the harbor in Charlotte Amalie. I dressed, noticed that I was getting scratchy throat (it
had to have been from the taxi driver in Barbados) and went up to my favorite place to watch us to
sail into port for the last time on this cruise. We were following closely behind Galaxy, which we had
last seen in Barbados. The Majesty of the Seas was already docked. Galaxy pulled in behind the
Majesty, and we pulled in behind Galaxy.

Our plans for the day were set. Back in January, when we sailed the Nordic Empress, we went to
Trunk Bay in St. John and purchased the yearly family pass (it's a US National Park - Virgin Islands
National Park). We knew we would be on the Ocean Princess, and the yearly pass was only like $2
more back then, or something like that. So we were definitely set to go back to St. John.

Plus, St. John is one of our favorite places in the whole world. The color of the water is just so
unique. It's a light green aqua color. Usually, water reflects the color of the sky (oil painting class).
But not in St. John. The sky can be the most beautiful blue, but the water is still pale green. So we
had to go there again. And, in fact it was our fourth time to St. John.

After the ship docked, I returned to the cabin with a plate of pre-breakfast goodies that we again ate
on our verandah. We dressed and headed up to breakfast. I opted for French Toast instead of an
omelet. But again had fresh fruit. I think we met our first night dinner table mates in the restaurant
again.

After breakfast, we headed back to the cabin and packed up all the snorkeling equipment, sadly for
the last time on the cruise. We headed for the gangplank, debarked and quickly hailed a taxi. We
had 30 minutes to get to Red Hook to catch the 10:00 ferry; otherwise we would have to wait for an
hour. Our taxi driver got us there in 20 minutes. Linda got in line to get tickets and soon we hopped
on the ferry. Out on the upper deck we again ran into Gene and Kathryn, who were going to
Cinnamon Bay. On the ride over the water was absolutely perfect. The beautiful green color is to kill
for. We picked up a taxi at Cruz Bay on St. John, and within 10 minutes we were at Trunk Bay. We
flashed our season pass and bypassed everyone in line. We checked out the sign that 'always' says
that the seas are rough, but this time it said the seas were moderate. We quickly learned that meant
'smooth as glass'. We put on our gear and I headed out for the rocks. The seas were SO CALM that
visibility must have been 50 ft. In fact, it was so calm that I got up the nerve to snorkel around the far
side of the rocks out in the water. I got about 80% of the way out along the rocks, but didn't have the
confidence to go all the way and circle around the rocks by myself, so I came back to shore the way I
came. It was the first time that I had snorkeled to the far side. It was so calm that Linda wanted to go
out to the rocks too. I gave my flippers to her, but she had difficulty with them. She took them off, and
went back to the rocks for a while.

After about 2 hours in Trunk Bay, it was time to change into dry clothes and pick up our taxi ride
back. Our timing was again good. We had about 15 minutes before the ferry left. Just enough time to
get 4 ice creams and a few sodas. Our taxi driver picked us up at the Texaco station (that's where it
seems the taxi drivers tell you to meet them) and brought us back to the ship 'just in time' for lunch.
Our last pizza at Fabios. I wonder if anyone else has gone to Fabio's for 6 straight days on the
Ocean Princess… we might have been the first, since it's such a new ship.

After lunch it was off to the Haagen Dazs station for ice creams for the kids while Linda and I nibbled
on desserts that I had gotten from the buffet. The kids tried some ping pong again, and soon we went
for our afternoon swim in the pool.

As dinnertime approached, we changed into our clothes. Friday was casual dress in the dining room.
As we were heading toward the dining room the ship began to leave St. Thomas. They played the
Andreas Bocelli/Sarah Brightman duet of 'Time To Say Goodbye' over the loud speakers for a very
dramatic effect. There were more than a few misty eyes as we sailed away.

We got to the dining room a little earlier than usual and beat Rita and Cara to the table. They soon
arrived and we settled for our final dinner on board. Rita and Cara had booked a helicopter flight
excursion that afternoon. We noticed a 'chopper' flying over St. John around noon. It was probably
them. The dinner specialty was prime rib. It was also Baked Alaska parade night. Cameras flashed
for the parade. The passengers were invited to join a Conga Line. Lara and Cara joined the line. We
took pictures of everyone, Fabio our waiter, Ross our assistant waiter, Renzo our headwaiter, Rita
and Cara. After dinner, we handed out our tip envelopes and shared hugs.

The show the last evening was rated PG-16. We couldn't take the kids, so we just went back to the
cabin to pack. We loaded up the luggage with dirty clothes and put all our pieces (except the hand
carry pieces) out in the hallway. Exhausted, the kids went to sleep and Linda read out on the
verandah. I went for a walk and ran into Roland. We chatted for about 3 hours up near the front of
the ship. Since we only had to sail from St. Thomas to San Juan, PR, less than 100 miles, we were
sailing very slowly. There was little breeze up front, so it was easy to stand there. Roland said that he
needed a vacation to recover from all the activities of the cruise. We exchanged future cruise plans,
we may both the Century this summer, although different weeks. Maybe we'll see Roland and Carina
on the Dawn Princess next Easter again. Around 1:00 am or so, it was off to sleep.

Saturday

I awoke Saturday to no ship motion. We were already docked in San Juan. The buffet restaurant was
fully operational, unlike many other ships we've been on. We always ask on other ships why they
can't have full buffets and open seating in the dining rooms and we get all kinds of reasons. But if
Princess can do it, everyone else can too.

After breakfast, Jonathan and I went on our special little excursion that we always do. We go to check
out the suites, after the people have left them. Those on the Ocean Princess were nice, but not as
opulent as those on the Century and Galaxy, and not as impressive as the one we saw on the
Grandeur of the Seas that had a white baby grand piano.

Within another hour, our luggage tag color was called, we walked off the beautiful Ocean Princess,
and we picked up our luggage in the terminal. We checked our luggage with the Continental Airlines
agents and boarded the bus to the airport. We had over 5 hours to wait in the airport, but amazingly
we saw Rita and Cara in the airport. We had lunch with them but, unlike the seven wonderful nights
before, we had to pay for our meal, and there was no sign of Fabio. One last set of hugs with Rita
and Cara, and we were bound for home.

Overall, it was a wonderful Spring Break vacation. We are anxiously awaiting our next Easter cruise
on sister ship Dawn Princess.

Name: John Porter
Email: jcporter50@aol.com
Age: 50
Occupation: Property Manager
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Ocean
SailingDate: 6/24/00
Itinerary: Alaska
Cabin: Caribe 305
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 50
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 70
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 5
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 50
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Jul 2000
Time: 17:28:55
Remote Name: spider-wc074.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

The ship is beautiful and has many amenities. The Alaska inside passage is best seen from a cruise
ship, and the Princess Ocean was an excellent way to go. There were 3 shore stops along the way,
including; Ketchican, Juneau and Skagway. Each of these cities were very interesting, but you soon
discover all of the shops offer the same merchandise. We were very lucky (by Alaska standards) and
had great weather along the way. Because of that we enjoyed the outdoor activities offered which
included "deep sea fishing" "kayaking" "bike riding" and a train ride in Skagway up to the White
Mountain Pass.

I was disappointed with a few of the ships features such as the variety of food in the main dining room
at breakfast and lunch. After sampling those meals I found the food to be more varied and superior
at the Horizon Dining Room on the Lido Deck. The afternoon "tea" was also substandard. There was
a total lack of variety day to day. The served the same few sandwiches and 3 or 4 smae old cookies
at each "tea". My only other cruise experience was on Celebrity who stood out on their food
selections and variety.

We added to the cruise by taking a Princess 6 day excersion in Alaska at the cruises end. Although
we enjoyed the areas we went too, some of the events that Princess "pushed" were very
disappointing. They forced upon us a visit to the Alaska Heritage Center outside Anchorage which I
would have not choosen to go to, and in Fairbanks the tour included two day trips (morning and
afternoon) to a gold mine and a river boat trip. Both of these activities are "staged" and offer no
value to the trip. We tried to back out of these trips and apply the dollar credit to another Princess
excersion and were told this could not be done. I would prefer that Princess allow the traveler to
choose their own activities. If I were to return to Alaska, I might still cruise with Princess, but I would
arrange my own land travel.

John Porter

Name: Linda and Ernie Sigler
Email: lsigler@achs.lake.k12.il.us
Age: 55 and 65
Occupation: Executive Assistant and Railroad Retired
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Ocean
SailingDate: 4-1-00
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
Cabin: C338
FoodDiningRoom: 96
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 96
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 94
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 94
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 98
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess: 100
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 18 Jul 2000
Time: 09:21:07
Remote Name: dist34mail.dist34.lake.k12.il.us
Remote User:

Comments

This was our second cruise with Princess. In March 1999 we sailed on the Dawn Princess and
enjoyed it tremendously. The only problem we had with that cruise were the air arrangements made
by Princess. This year for our cruise on the Ocean Princess I made our flight arrangements and
everything went very well. The Ocean Princess is absolutely gorgeous - the same layout as the
Dawn. We were happy with our cabin which had a balcony. Last year the cruise on the Dawn was our
first cruise and we had a balcony so now that is an absolute necessity. We enjoyed the balcony so
much - had our morning coffee delivered to our cabin at 7:30 a.m. and sat on the balcony enjoying
the weather and anticipation of our day on each island. In the evening we sat on our balcony and
enjoyed the star lit nights sailing in the beautiful warm weather. Nothing can compare! Since we are
not big on late night entertainment a balcony is worth the extra money for us.

Embarkment was easy and well organized. We had no problem finding our cabin. Our largest piece of
luggage did not make it to San Juan, but it was not the fault of Princess. Our daughter called us on
the ship and said the luggage was not tagged by the airline, but we saw it tagged, so we are not sure
what happened. American Airlines sent it from Chicago to San Juan on the next flight. Princess was
so helpful - they have representatives at the airport until the ship sails. When the luggage arrived a
Princess representative sent it immediately to the ship. It was in our cabin around 8:00 p.m. I can't
say enough about how helpful the Princess staff was in this situation.

The muster drill was also well organized and did not take very long. After that was over we went up
on deck and enjoyed the lovely weather for awhile, then walked around the ship. Since we had been
on the Dawn last year it was easy to find our way around as the ships are almost identical. Both are
beautiful - I really don't care so much about the itinerary - I just love being on these gorgeous ships!
The first night in the dining room we met all of our tablemates - there were 10 of us at the table. We
had such a good time each evening visiting with the other 8 couples. Two of the couples were from
Illinois (as are we), one was from Ohio and one from Kentucky. It was a fun group and we hated to
say goodbye when the cruise ended. We were in the Sardinian dining room. What a lovely room! Our
waiters, Eddie from Romania, and Boy, from Thailand, were fantastic - both professional and a lot of
fun. They anticipated our every need and provided excellent service.

Our cabin stewardess, Jennifer, provided very good service, kept our cabin clean, and was available
whenever needed. It amazes me how the cabin attendants seem to know when to come in and clean -
seems like you leave for a while, come back, and everything is immaculate! All of the Princess crew
members that we encountered were friendly and helpful.

On this cruise there was not quite as bad a problem with lounge chairs by the pool as on the Dawn
Princess. The only sea day we had, Sunday, it was a bit crowded, but we still were able to find chairs.
Some people do save their chairs with books, bags, etc., but there were still lounges available further
away from the pool. The Hawaiian night on deck was wonderful. The food spread was awesome,
although just having come from late dinner, we didn't have anything to eat. But the music, dancing,
and comeraderie among passengers, was something we will never forget.

The food in the dining room was very good - the pasta dishes were especially delicious. I'm Italian
American and know good pasta dishes! All of the food was tasty and very nicely presented. The
desserts were scrumptious - it was always difficult to decide on which one to have. I know you can try
more than one, but after dinner I was not able to eat any more than one. The food in the Horizon
Court was good also. It is so hard not to over-eat on a cruise. We ate two or three times at the
poolside grill and the hamburgers and bratwursts were delicious. My husband and I both were very
well satisfied with the food on the Ocean Princess. I felt it was just a little better than last year on the
Dawn - my husband thinks it was equally good on the Dawn. The dining room ambience was lovely -
especially on formal nights - it is such fun to see everyone dressed up. My husband mumbes and
grumbles when he has to wear a suit, but I enjoy wearing evening dresses (I think most women do!).
How often do we get to do that? As second time Princess cruisers we were invited to the Captain's
cocktail reception and we enjoyed that.

The shore excursions we took were well organized and fun. We toured in Trinidad and Barbados,
then did a tour in San Juan as our flight left at 4:40 p.m. on the day of disembarkation. Both Trinidad
and Barbados are beautiful islands and we saw alot on our excursions. Our guide in Trinidad was so
much fun - he was teaching us reggae singing on the bus and it was fun. Our guide in Barbados was
a woman whose husband is a professor of history and she was very knowledgeable about the island
- we learned alot and saw alot. We didn't take a shore excursion in Antigue - just went into town and
looked around. In Martinique it rained just as we were getting ready to go ashore, so we thought we'd
wait awhile until it stopped. It rained all day, so we just stayed on the ship. I went to the library and
listened to tapes. It was so relaxing - then I took a nap in the afternoon. I'm disappointed we didn't
see anything of Martinique, but we enjoyed being on the ship that day. Sometimes you need some
time to just relax. In St. Thomas we were on our way into town in a minibus with several others and
the driver said he would give us a two hour tour for fifteen dollars each. One other couple and my
husband and I took the tour and are glad we did. He took us all over the island and pointing out
interesting sights. It is such a beautiful island. When we were there last year we just went into town
and shopped. My husband bought a beautiful ruby and diamond ring last year, and while we were
waiting for it to be sized, we went to a restaurant that we liked and sat outside. This year after we
finished the tour our driver dropped us off in town and we shopped, visited the jewelry store where he
bought the ring (the saleslady remembered us - she even remembered what she sold us!). We talked
to her for awhile then went back to the same restaurant, had a drink, and relaxed. We love St.
Thomas. I would like to go there for a few days sometime. St. Thomas and Aruba are the islands we
like the best so far. I think our next cruise will be the western caribbean - most likely on the Sea
Princess. My cousin and her husband sailed on the Sea Princess in December of 1999 and raved
about it. They had been on several cruises, but never with Princess and never had a balcony cabin.
They took our advice and now they will never go without a balcony again. And they loved Princess.
We will cruise again and again, and I see no reason to go on any other cruise line since we are so
well satisfied with Princess. If we found a fantastic deal on Celebrity we would probably try them, but I
don't think we'd ever go on any other line.

Disembarkment was easy, we had no problems whatsoever. The tour we took in San Juan was nice
but it was alot of walking. It was not described as such, and there were quite a few older people who
were unable to do all that walking so they waited on the bus. I think the tour should have been
described as mainly a walking tour. I felt bad for those people - they paid for an excursion and ended
up sitting on a bus. The walk uphill the the fort was quite a hike, then we got on the bus and we
thought we'd be driven around to see the sights. Instead they dropped us off and again we started
walking. We went to a lovely cathedral and saw the grave of Ponce De Leon, then walked all over the
place. Had lunch at a restaurant where we sat outside - the food was good, prices reasonable, and
we enjoyed just being able to sit for awhile. Although we were able to keep up, several people were
just worn out. I hope Princess revises the description of this tour to include that it is mainly a walking
tour. People should know what they are getting when they sign up for an excursion. Overall we saw a
lot of San Juan and enjoyed it.

I heartily recommend the Ocean Princess to anyone planning a cruise. We can't wait to go again -
cruises are very definitely addictive! My husband and I feel a cruise is a perfect vacation. You only
have to unpack and pack once, you see a different island almost every day, you are treated like
royalty, the fine is excellent, and you feel you are in a safe environment (and lovely environment) -
what else could you ask for?

Happy cruising!

Back to Ocean Princess