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Name: cynthia morris
Email: morrisc@ohsu.edu
Age: 42
Occupation: university professor
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Regal
SailingDate: 8/30/98
Itinerary: alaska - inside passage
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 60
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon: 60
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Sep 1998
Time: 17:10:15
Remote Name: 137.53.22.54
Remote User:
Comments
There were 3 of us on this cruise sharing a cabin. We are all adults (family) but I had my
doubts as to how well this cruise would work. I was very
pleasantly surprised how much we enjoyed this despite rain and cold.
First, the great parts. Embarking and disembarking was incredibly simple and took less
than 10 minutes each time. Princess is incredibly organized
and it shows in most facets. We shared a suite on the Aloha deck, definitely worth the
price when split 3 ways. The facilities were outstanding with a
huge bathroom, sitting area, dressing room, and wonderful veranda. We never got in each
others ways and felt we had enough privacy with the
sitting room separated from the bedroom. I spent a lot of time on the veranda with my
binoculars watching the scenery. For much of the trip, this
was the best place to see the sites, particularly at Glacier Bay. The room steward was
excellent in seeing to our needs and we rarely had to ask for
anything.
For seniors (one of our group), the ship is plenty big with convenient elevators.
Sometimes the wait was long, like after a show or before dinner,
but manageable. There was always plenty to do and we often went our own ways for hours at
a time. The younger (<50) crowd tended to spend
more time on deck in scenic areas whereas I think some seniors didn't go into the ports
much, particularly when tenders were used. But the ease
of tender service was compatible with all abilities, except those who might be wheelchair
bound.
We weren't put off by the weather as we are from the Pacific NW, but be prepared for rain.
Skagway was our favorite port. We took the streetcar
tour which I would recommend if only for the local lore and delightful driver. The train
trip was a welcome rest after spending hours walking around
town. In Juneau, the city/wildlife trip was worthwhile especially for all variety of
wildlife spotted. In Sitka,you can see most of what you want by
walking. Note: we bought our tickets 10 minutes before the tour office closed rather than
lining up hours in advance and had no problem getting
our first choices.
Now a couple mild criticisms. Among the 3 of us, there was a real difference of opinion
regarding food. One in our group thought it was fair to
poor, whereas I thought it was good to excellent. The real problem centered around
willingness to try unfamiliar foods. Princess does a good job
with classic cruise food - Beef Wellington, Bananas Foster, Baked Alaska. Soups, pastas,
and desserts were excellent. The first night dinner was
really poor but it improved steadily. Service was topnotch but quite reserved - perhaps
just our waiter and jr waiter. We did feel a bit rushed and
one night, our section was done noticeably earlier than all others.
The Lido buffet is about to be changed when the ship is dry docked in late Sept, 98. I
hope some problems with horrible traffic flow are resolved as
well as limited service hours. We like to eat a later casual breakfast but found that on
some days, the light breakfast was taken down at 10:00 and
lunch taken down at 2:00. The new service will be 24-hours which will certainly allow the
opportunity to eat at flexible times. Also, more tables are
needed and the tables should be kept clear. Once we found nowhere to sit at all and had to
go outside - not so great when it is in the 50's. The
food itself was okay but not up to dining room standards. Also, the platters were often
depleted of food and needed refilling. I hope this will
improve.
The entertainment was incredibly corny, particularly Pirates. It was disappointing that
the entertainers lip sync'ed. I suspected that then heard the
main singer say in an unguarded moment that he was sure glad his mike was turned off.
Comedy nights were the most entertaining but the
virtuoso xylophonist - need I say more? We loved the quizzes, karaoke, musical trios
(excellent!) and the enthusiastic cruise staff.
Last, the lack of subtlety in giving instructions for filling out their passenger
questionnaire was annoying. Do they want real opinion or accolades
only? We were told only excellent should be used to rate service.
Overall, we really did have a wonderful trip and would readily do it again.
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