 |
 |
|
Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Stacey Ziegler
Email: malaine29@aol.com
Age: 30
Occupation: Flight Attendant
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Ocean
SailingDate: October 15, 2000
Itinerary: 7 Day Classic Southern Caribbean
Cabin: D232/Inside cabin
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService: 98
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 98
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue: 98
GoodForHoneymoon: 98
CasinoStaff: 98
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 98
EntertainmentLounges: 98
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon: 98
EntertainmentPoolside: 98
CruiseActivities: 98
Casino: 98
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 98
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Oct 2000
Time: 06:16:34
Remote Name: spider-mtc-tc082.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise, and it was our honeymoon. Needless to say by looking at my scores for the
cruise, it more than met our expectations! We absolutely loved it, and are planning our next one.
Everything from check-in to disembarkment went smoothly due to their organization. The Ocean
Princess spoiled us to say the least. Our dining companions were experienced cruise travellers, and
even they agreed that this cruise on this ship was exceptional. I have never been so pampered in my
life! The staff was friendly, very attentive, and went out of their way to make our honeymoon fabulous.
They decorated our door with a 'Happy Honeymoon' banner, balloons, and streamers. They also
serenaded us not only with a 'Happy Honeymoon' cake for dinner at the start of the cruise, but also
with a 'Happy Anniversary' cake for our 'one week' anniversary at the end of the cruise! They were so
sweet! The ship was gorgeous! I travel quite a bit as a flight attendant, and stay in many hotels, and
this ship was like staying in a five-star hotel. It was beautiful and clean, a real pleasure to come 'home'
to after our trips ashore.
Our room was bigger than I imagined it would be, and we had more than
enough storage for all of our 6 bags! A blow dryer, TV, refrigerator, safe, and two robes were much
appreciated ammenities. Our steward was like a little fairy, he cleaned the room by the time we came
back from breakfast, and he pulled down the blankets at night and put chocolates on our pillows by
the time we were done with dinner. He did an excellent job! Our waiter and his assistant were excellent
as well. They really paid attention to what we liked, and by the end of the trip they brought me coffee
after dinner and my favorite dessert, knowing it would be what I would order on my own. The food was
delicious! We had so much to choose from, we ate like kings! I really felt like Royalty when it came to
our five-course dinners! We had nothing but good experiences on this cruise, and the only thing I was
not pleased with was the temperature in certain locations of the ship, which was too cold from
air-conditioning. I had to wear a sweater or jacket when I went to dinner or to see a show, as did many
others. Luckily, the cabins had their own individual heating, so the temperature in my room was not a
problem. Other than that, I have only good things to say about our experience on the Ocean Princess.
I am willing to go into more detail if anyone would like to contact me. For now, I would like to
say...'Thank you, Ocean Princess staff for making our honeymoon our dream come true!'
Name: Ken Crow
Email: ken.crow@ci.seattle.wa.us
Age: 54
Occupation: self employed
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Ocean
SailingDate: October 22, 2000
Itinerary: southern caribbean
Cabin: C729
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 60
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 60
CabinAmenities: 75
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 75
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 50
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 85
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 70
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 70
OverallPortsofCall: 70
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 60
CruiseActivities: 50
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 75
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization:
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 31 Oct 2000
Time: 15:46:06
Remote Name: global.ci.seattle.wa.us
Remote User:
Comments
The Ocean Princess is a new and beautifully designed ship with wonderful amenities. Due to last
minute booking, we had an inside cabin, and it was on the small side, but was nicely decorated and
very well designed to be comfortable and provide more than adequate storage. The public areas were
well designed and attractive. Despite the ship being sold out, there was never a feeling of being
overcrowded. Overall, I found the staff uniformly friendly, helpful and competent, with the exception of
the cruise director and staff, which is where this (and I suspect other Princess cruises) really fail to
measure up. This was our fourth cruise, and the first on Princess. On previous cruises (Royal
Caribbean and Celebrity) there were fun games and activities all day long. On this cruise, the only
time you saw cruise activity staff they were lounging around the pool or dancing the night away. There
were only a few pool games the entire week, and they were pretty lame. Despite some wonderful
sports facilities, like a baskeball court, several table tennis tables, and a pickle ball court, there were
no organized sessions or competitions. There was only one midnight buffet/party, and it was not up to
standards from prior cruises. We like getting involved and activities like pool games, dance instruction,
sports, and other fun activities, and these really lacked on this cruise. Food in the buffet generally was
also rather poor. For example, at least three days they used left over french fries as the potatoes on
the breakfast buffet! We found the dining room dinners to be very good, but again not up to past
cruises. The variety of entree had something for everyone, however, and presentations were
generally nice. The table wait staff we had was OUTSTANDING, and made the dinners tons of fun.
Entertainment was weak, with obvious lipsynching during the "big" shows. Overall, I would say that
Princess, or at least this particular ship with it's staff, would be a good first cruise, or very good for
someone who just wishes to lie around the pool and do nothing. However, if one has cruised with
either Celebrity or RC, the Princess experience just wouldn't measure up.
Name: Ronnie Wisowaty
Email: rwisowaty@earthlink.net
Age: 45
Occupation: Benefit consultant
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Ocean
SailingDate: 11/12/2000
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
Cabin: C409/BD
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 98
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 Nov 2000
Time: 08:05:20
Remote Name: sdn-ar-003njnewap150.dialsprint.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our third cruise - second on Princess and first to the Caribbean. We went with 2 other couples
(one of whom had never cruised before). All of us absolutely loved it. The ship is magnificent! It is
almost exactly the same as her sister ship the Sun Princess that we took to Alaska a few years ago. Like
the Sun, although it is very large (and had over 2,000 passengers aboard) the ship is so well designed
that we never felt crowded. It is also impeccably clean. Even the bathrooms in the public areas are
spotless. They were always putting a fresh coat of varnish on the rails late at night.
Princess has the embarkation and disembarkation process down to a science. Although we did not book
our airfare through them (you can do much better on your own especially if you live near a major
airport), we did purchase the transfers to and from the airport. A Princess representative met us at the
airport and directed us toward a waiting bus. We did not have to handle our luggage at all until it was
delivered to our stateroom. There was a short wait at the check-in then we were on board (about
1:00pm). Word of advice: even if you already faxed the immigration forms ahead of time, fill out the form
they send you with the tickets on the plane so you don't have to do it at the check-in.
We arrived early and since we were not sailing until 11:30pm we had plenty of time to eat lunch at the
Horizon court buffet and do some sightseeing in San Juan. Our luggage arrived while we were having
lunch! Word of advice for first-time cruisers: be sure to use the embarkation tags provided in your ticket
package. Someone else's bags were delivered to our cabin by mistake - the name was very similar and
there were no Princess tags to indicate the cabin number. It was eventually sorted out but I am sure the
rightful owners of those bags were a bit worried for a while.
Our stateroom on Caribe deck had an outside balcony (definitely worth the extra money). We were
situated about midships so we felt very little movement while at sea. The cabin soundproofing is
excellent. We hardly heard any noise outside our cabin even though we were near the elevator bank
and self-service laundromat.
The cabins are very well designed and use space most efficiently. We had plenty of room for all of our
clothes and accessories. There was a hair dryer, refrigerator, TV, desk and small armchair. There were
also 2 terry cloth bathrobes in the closet. The balcony had 2 chairs and a small round table. We did not
feel crowded at all and did not trip over each other trying to get dressed for the evening. The bathrooms
are very well laid out - there's a place to put everything. The shower was roomy enough; however, a
large person may find the bathroom a bit small when getting in and out of the shower. Our stateroom
steward was excellent. On the first day, she took note of the number of towels we requested and we
never had to ask for additional towels again.
We were very happy to find our dinner reservations to be correct since the six of us wanted to sit
together. (Last year on another cruise line they had a group of 14 of us scattered all over the dining
room and even at different sittings!) We were even happier with our waiters Silvio and David! Their
service was impeccable! And they both had wonderful personalities. We really looked forward to our
dinners - we did a lot of laughing!
Overall, the food was excellent (especially the beef and lobster tails). The menu had enough variety to
satisfy even the pickiest eaters (I am one of those). There were always 3 appetizers, 3 soups and 5
entrees to choose from. There was also a salad and pasta of the day. If you did not like any of those,
there was the classic menu of Caesar salad, grilled sirloin or chicken breast, and Fettuccine Alfredo. On
Italian night, the pasta was prepared by the headwaiter (they used to do this tableside).
Health-conscious and vegetarian choices were available as well.
The dinner portions were normal-sized, not overwhelming. The wives could all finish their entire meals
and the husbands could come back for seconds if they wished. The food was very tasty, hot and well
presented. For all the raves Celebrity gets for its food, I thought the food on this ship (and the Sun
Princess as well) was as good if not better than what we had on Celebrity. And desserts were much
better! There were the specials of the day plus the everyday cheesecake, chocolate mousse and apple
tart. There was also a selection of ice creams and sorbets. The tiramisu and creme brulee were
especially good. In addition to the dessert we ordered, our waiters always brought us a different one to
try, plus assorted pastries and cookies!
The wine list was fairly extensive and had good variety. Prices and selection were comparable to a good
restaurant back home.
The food in the Lido buffet (Horizon Court) was very good also. There were plenty of choices for
breakfast and lunch as well as snacks in between. You could get eggs or an omelet freshly prepared.
The service here was also excellent. You never had a half-empty coffee cup for long. The Horizon Court
is also a lovely place to have breakfast in the morning. In the bow of the ship, huge windows surround it
so you can enjoy the view of the sea or the island you will be visiting that day.
We had lunch a few times in the pizzeria (overlooking the atrium). Individual pizzas are made to order
and are quite good. The Riviera grill (hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.) was OK for a quick lunch by the pool
but the quality falls a little short in comparison with the other venues.
There was only one midnight buffet (Island Night) but with 24-hour food available (and a late dinner
seating) we didn't really miss it. In fact we did not even eat anything at the one they had. It looked pretty
though.
We saw two of the after-dinner shows and they were very good. They have a number of different
dancing venues depending on the type of music you like. The 50's Sock Hop night was very enjoyable.
The disco was hopping every night and there were TVs all over the room for the Monday Night Football
addicts.
Our first day on the cruise was at sea. It was a great day for lounging by the pool or walking around the
ship. Again, we never felt crowded and didn't have too much trouble finding a lounge chair. There are 2
pools and 2 hot tubs in the main area, plus another pool in the stern that was practically empty most of
the time. There was a Caribbean band in the afternoon that had people up and dancing. There were a
few pool activities also such as a belly-wop contest and snorkeling lessons. There was a good balance
between organized activities for the joiners and relaxed pool time for everyone else.
We were very fortunate to have beautiful weather the whole week so we didn't spend much time indoors.
However, had the weather not been as nice, there were plenty of indoor activities to keep you occupied.
There were movies, bingo, various games and seminars all day long. We did go to the wine tasting
though which was nice (they charged $5 but if you bought your bottle of wine for dinner the $5 was
deducted from the price of the bottle). We also took the tour of the bridge that was very interesting. One
of the officers spent a good 45 minutes explaining the myriad of dials, buttons and screens in a very
amusing manner. He also answered questions from the passengers.
There were some children on board but not a lot since it was during the school year. They were hardly
noticeable. We talked to one 11-year old boy who said he was having a great time and had so much to
do he was never bored.
Our cruise itinerary took us to Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Maarten and St. Thomas. Our favorites
were St. Lucia and St. Kitts. We only took one shore excursion - a catamaran cruise to the Pitons in St.
Lucia. It was $69 per person and well worth the money. It was a 6 hour trip which included a swim off the
catamaran (shallow water near a beach) and lunch at a restaurant in Marigot Bay. Also included was
rum punch on board the boat. The locals who ran the tour were very pleasant and efficient.
On St. Kitts and St. Maarten we were tendered in which was no problem at all - but we went a little later
in the morning. There was a bit of a wait for those who wanted to get off early since they were competing
for space on the tenders with the shore excursions. We hired a local cab to take us around the island.
For island tours, you usually can negotiate a better deal with them than you get with a shore excursion
(especially if there are four or more of you). It was nice because we got to go where we wanted to go
and didn't have to wait for stragglers. If you want to go farther afield or go diving or snorkeling, your best
bet is a shore excursion. With the shore excursion, they handle the transportation details and you'll be
certain not to miss the ship when it sails.
My biggest complaint about the cruise was with the port lectures. They were very short on information
about the islands themselves and very long on shopping! It got very tiresome by the end of the cruise
listening to the endless pushing of the preferred shops. If you love to shop you will find out where to do
it. And just in case you didn't shop enough on port, as soon as the gangway is pulled up, the shops on
the ship open up and have 'sidewalk sales'. But don't expect any bargains and you had better know
your prices at home. The best deals are with the duty-free liquor.
Overall we were very pleased with the Ocean Princess and our cruise. Looking back now, it is hard to
think of anything we did not like about it. Nothing is perfect but any complaints we might have are
insignificant when compared to the entire experience. We all would definitely take more cruises with
Princess.
Name: patricia webster
Email: pew@tecinfo.com
Age: 37
Occupation: Child Suppport Enforcement Officer
NumberOfCruises: 05
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Ocean
SailingDate: 11/12/2000
Itinerary: Classic Southern-
Cabin: b211- Cat C
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 94
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 96
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 93
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 83
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 98
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService:
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 60
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 93
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 94
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 100
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Nov 2000
Time: 06:56:13
Remote Name: d172.ms-xr2-jckson.tecinfo.com
Remote User:
Comments
Let me start by saying this was our 5th cruise, but my first review. I've been on Carnival Fascination,
Celebrity's Century & Mercury RCI's Grandeur & now Princess. We will cruise again without hesitation on
Celebrity & Princess. We chose this itinerary because San Juan was the most expensive port we could
cruise from. We used vouchers for air travel courtesy of Northwest and we wanted spend as much of
their money as possible.-They misplaced our luggage last year & we didn't get our stuff until our 3rd day
on the Grandeur. Also, since we were not totally pleased with RCI last year I really wanted to stick with
what I knew I would like- Celebrity Galaxy. My husband really wanted to try Princess, I turned up my nose
at the Dawn, but agreed once he offered Princesses' newest ship-Ocean. ( I won't snub Dawn again.)
We had an uneventful direct flight from Memphis, we actually arrived 20 minutes early. A princess rep
whisked us to the ship, there was only a very short line to get our cruise cards- most of this was a blur
for me because just before the clerk asked for my ID I could not find my wallet- my beloved kept his cool,
I found my wallet & we boarded the ship. What can I say about the ship that hasn't been said? She's big,
she's white.
The public areas were all very attractive- lots of brass, marble, leather, carpets in golds &
blues- the review in Porthole magazine said it best when they said 'not a jarring bone in her body.' We
had booked an CatF guaranty & monday before we left Princess called & said they had bumped us to a
CatC-B211- the very first cabin on Baja deck- if you didn't know there's a great deck out front- just go to
the door at the forward end of the hall. I went out here every morning wearing my robe & carrying my
coffee cup-it was my substitute veranda. It was excellent, sailing into a new port at sunrise . . . at bit
windy a couple times. . Oh & in my opinion the Baja desk is the best-'cause it so much fun to be in the
elevator with folks coming in from Jolly Roger-everyone chimes with the elevator - BAA HaaHHH! .
Anyway, they told us this cabin was 30 sq feet larger than the veranda cabins behind us & the original
Cat F. This was the first cruise we've been on where our HUGE suitcases fit under the bed. Overall we
were pleased with the cabin & bath. Now the bath was quite small, but the shower is angled & more
roomy than it appears. Food-In our opinion the food was pretty good-only a few items were excellent-
Fettucine Alfredo & pasta alle arribiata.
The breakfast & lunch buffets were fine. Fabio's pizza-Pizza Hut
it ain't, but the plain cheese was very good. Oh & Princess has by far the fastest cabin service we've
ever seen. 'the bistro'- We had a bad experience one night trying to get dinner, the waiter was rude and
inattentive. But I don't mention this in order to critcize Princess. Actually because of this bad experience
we were even more impressed with the way Princess handles things. We mentioned the incident to our
waiter- Christian. The next night the head waiter came to our table & apologized, the 2nd evening the
Maitre'D sent us a bottle of wine & the waiter over the bistro came & apologized. The final evening the
Maitre'D apologized. Gee whiz . . they were on the ball!! Ports- This itinerary is a little too port intensive
for must relaxation- we really meant to take more naps. Barbados- next time we'll stay on the ship unless
we want rumcake. We went down briefly & you can't take 2 steps without another guy asking you if you
want a taxi. St. Lucia- a beauiful island, wonderful friendl people, but there's still alot of poverty. We did
the Best of by Land & Sea and we were disapointed in the land portion- we just wanted to go back to the
ship.
We did the Sea part first & it was excellent- I ended up riding on the net at the very front of the
catamaran & it was one of the most fun things I've ever done. St. Kitts- Beautiful, this is an island we
want to come back to. We did a sail & snorkel in the morning- (New Waves) We went on the Irie Lime-
the crew guys went way above & beyond the call of duty to make sure everone had fun & no that's not
the Punch talking. The snorkel part was okay (I like Cozumel best), it was the sailing part I loved. We
went back to the ship for lunch & tendered back to the island for just a little shopping. We strolled in the
little downtown area & bought a few trinkets- (hat & pareos) at Ram's - across the street from the ship's
recommended store-some of the pareos were 3 for $15. St. Maarten- Excellent shopping- better than St
Thomas- We had no expectations for SM-my husand had been to the French side (many moons & 1
wife ago) & he did not care for it. The Dutch side was lovely- a small beach very near the tender pier,
Everyt'ing Cool makes about 4 million different kinds of Pina Coladas. We bought a new zoom lens for
the Nikon & a few more trinkets- we plan to come back to SM- I think the Grand Princess stops here . . .
St. Thomas- more camera shopping, a little jewelry looking- He ALMOST bought another Breitling watch
. . . we got so wrapped up in shopping that I missed my oportunity to go to the beach. sigh. Maybe next
year.
We did get to the ship in time to talk to the second officer on the Seabourn Sun Goddess I-The
pier looked really neat- 3 ships were lined up, OP, Nordic Empress & Sun Goddess- from across the way
it looked like small, medium & large. When we sailed the Ocean Princess we found what we expected, a
good line, a little less stuffy than Celebrity, pretty good food, well maintained, extremely friendly crew.
Well folks that's about it. My husband & I thoroughly enjoyed the Ocean Princess. I'm already trying to
decide for next year, Grand, Golden or Millie? I'd be happy to answer any questions and accept advice
on our next choice Patricia Webster, Cleveland MS pew@tecinfo.com
Name: Michael Hurley
Email: mghurle@twa.com
Age: 34
Occupation: Airline Ground Service Supervisor
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Ocean
SailingDate: 10 Dec 00
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
Cabin: P345
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 75
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 65
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Dec 2000
Time: 14:43:50
Remote Name: n10.twa.com
Remote User:
Comments
Before I begin, I will tell you that I sailed on Princess only because of a great, last minute deal (under
$250, port charges included) offered to airline employees. My travel agent did not try to stop me from
booking this, but cautioned me that I was NOT sailing on Holland America. Okay, disclaimer over... time
for the good stuff.
Embarkation went great, 30 minutes from getting out of the cab to cabin @ 1pm was very reasonable. A
great hint for anyone... make sure you have completed your cruise documents with all appropriate
signatures before approaching the desk. Disembarkation on the other end was just as efficient.
We were assigned cabin P345, which is the first cabin away from the pursers desk on the Plaza deck.
AVOID THIS! P345 is cursed by having a hallway on 3 sides, which greatly increases the noise. This is
made worse on the first and last nights, when the staff is moving luggage up and down the two steel
plated service hallways. The cabin itself was just fine, plenty of space for luggage, belongings etc. The
only complaint here was with the bathroom door; when opened, you can't use the dressing table, thus
making it difficult for two people (especially my wife) to get ready at the same time!
The dining room food and staff was excellent. I would rate them equal to HAL. Our waiter was great, all
you had to do was comment about what someone else ordered, and voila, it would magically appear in
front of you too!
One thing the Ocean does better than any other ship I've sailed is avoiding the overcrowding mentality.
We were full on our sailing with over 2000 people, but you could always find a deck chair, and room in
one of the pools. Very seldom did you have to stand in line, but if you did, it was never a long wait.
The itinerary was not important to us, just sunburn, so we remainded on board most of the time, and
never took any of the shore excursions. Most everyone we talked to were happy with what Princess
provided.
Entertainment was average. Some good nights, some bad. I would like to mention that the husband/wife
duet that performed in the Horizon Court were great. Never once did they decline a request from the
dancefloor for music. Kudos to them. You could find most any flavor of music you wanted,
somewhere/sometime in one of the many lounges. Again, I think variety contributed to the feeling of no
overcrowding.
The pursers desk was... cool (in the British way, not the American way). Polite and rude requests both
elicited the same aloofness. A lady at our table made the point of photocoping the 'Princess Code of
Conduct', and highlighting the items that were blatantly disregarded; gave a copy back to the employee,
the head purser, and the captain. She also planned to write the home office, and her travel agent. My
run-ins with them left me angry as well, and unsatisfied.
I spoke with 4 different crew members, and they ALL had the same thing to say about the Ocean, it was
NOT their favorite ship. We heard different reasons, but the main flavor seemed to be that the Ocean's
crew has yet to bond together; with the ship being new and all. Time will tell.
As I said in the beginning, I had a good time; and you probably will too. Yes, I would sail Princess again
for the value, etc, but not on the Ocean. Even after 5 cruises, NCL's Sea and Leeward, RCCL's Nordic
Empress, HAL's Ryndam, and the Ocean; I've learned there are good and bad in every ship and sailing;
and this is no exception. I guess the bottom line is that I was spoiled on the Ryndam, and now I expect
HAL treatment all of the time.
Hope this helps.
Mike.
Want to book your cruise at a great rate?
Click here.
Questions or comments? Mail to webmaster@cruiseopinion.com.
Copyright ©1996-2001 CruiseOpinion.com. Last modified: December 29, 2000.