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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Tom Bissett
Email: tbissett@knightridder.com
Age: 34
Occupation: Computer Systems Analyst
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 3/31/2001
Itinerary: Western Carribean
Cabin: A511
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 70
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Apr 2001
Time: 21:13:06
Remote Name: detroit1-ar1-169-051.dsl.gtei.net
Remote User:
Comments
Our one cruise before this was on RCCL's Rhapsody of the Seas, which we enjoyed highly. So, was
Princess actually a step up from RCCL? In some ways, yes, and in some ways, no.
The ship Sea Princess is a beautiful ship and a lot obviously went into it's design. The designers added
many touches to give it an intimate feel (at least intimate for a 70,000 ton cruise ship). You won't find a
ten-story mega-atrium on this ship or a cavernous dining room. Instead, Sea Princess has two separate
dining rooms, with glass partitions between groups of tables which enahnces the intimacy. The end
result is a much quiter - and in my opionion more enjoyable - experience. As far as cleanliness goes, the
ship was spotless. Everything looks like it's brand-new and we constantly saw the crew working hard to
keep that image up. One of the most picturesque places aboard the ship was the Wheelhouse Bar. It
has the look of a fine gentlemen's club with plush seats and couches. On the downside, even Princess
couldn't keep from messingit up by having live bands playing each night in the corner, making you shout
when conducting converstations. Can there not be one place on the ship (besides your cabin) for quiet
conversation? Overall, the ship uses subtle colors and fine woods that give it a very classy look.
Cabins Our cabin was a category BA on Aloha Deck. One note: the BA is no larger or smaller than any
other category stateroom with a balcony, except for the mini-suites. One comment I read many times
was that the cabins on Sea Princess are so tiny, about 153 square feet not including the balcony. Our
category D cabin on RCCL was much bigger than this. That said, did the size bother me? Not one bit. It
didn't bother my wife either. We both felt it was very comfortable and well laid out. The balcony was
large enough for a small table and two chairs and I never felt cramped sitting out there (and I'm 6-1). In
fact, I felt the cabin size only lent to the initmacy of the ship overall. Remember, folks, this is a cruise
ship, and as such, space is at a premium. If you want a cabin the size of your room at the Hyatt, may I
suggest staying at the Hyatt instead of taking a cruise? Still if space is an issue, the outside cabins
without balconies are a little bit larger because you don't use the space for the balcony. Once again,
though, I wouldn't be too concerned about the cabin size. Let it be part of the fun. You're on a cruise
ship because you want something different.
Food My wife and I have differing opinions on the food on Princess. Overall we both enjoyed it, but there
were a couple of nights where she had difficulty finding something on the menu that sounded good to
her. She never remembered having this trouble on RCCL. This can be attributed to the fact that the
Princess menus were a little bit more challenging in their dishes. Don't get me wrong: You will still have a
lobster night, a parade of Flaming Baked Alaska (ugh!), an italian night, etc. It's just the french-based
crew comes up with some rather unconventional stuff as well, such as jellied beef consumme for a soup.
If you're more of a meat and potatoes person, you may struggle a couple of nights (there is always a
steak, etc. on the menu, however). One thing not to be missed, though, are the Princess Favorite pasta
dishes served each night. They were alll wonderful, especially the Pesto. We also heard high praise
from other passengers about the steak house on Riviera Deck at night (eight dollars per person) and
the 24-hour Horizon Court buffet, which I felt was good, but not as good as the dining rooms. Overall, I
felt the food was terrific and maybe just a little bit better than RCCL. Keep in mind, though, that they are
serving 1,000 people in one shot, so you're not going to get a five-star restaurant experience here. Still,
for having to serve so many, the food is consistently hot and does not have that 'banquet look'
Entertainment The entertainment was one of the best parts of this ship. Every single show we saw was
wonderful. The cruise director, Billy Hygate, was terrific as well and had an equally talented staff to pull it
all off. RCCL didn't even come close to the level of talent on this ship. One of the best ideas by Princess
is that Sea Princess really has two show lounges, so you have a choice of shows each night. Some are
repeated as well, so you can see everything. It works out wonderfully, as there is always a choice in
what you want to see. The other nice thing versus RCCL is that the talent stays on board for the length
of the cruise, so if you really like an act, chances areit would be appearing again later in the week. I
cannot say enough about the entertainment aboard Sea Princess. It was that good.
Staff Overall the staff was very eager to please and extremely gracious. Our waiter was a veteran of
Pincess ships and told us the entire crew gets along very well. It showed in their service. Everyone was
very gracious and accommodating, even right through disembarkation day (a day when cruise staff
typically show their true colors). The only sign of dissatisfaction came from a cocktail sever who
complained to us on day one about what a pain in the rear Princess Cays was for the ship staff. Not
quite what you want to hear right before you're going there. Still, we never saw any signs of discontent.
Our cabin steward was also wonderful, making sure we had everything we needed and always greeting
us with a warm smile.
Princess Cays Make no mistake: This 'private island' is part of the heavily inhabited Bahamian island of
Eleuthera. Some of the locals will show up when the ships arrive to sell stuff or even rent waverunners
(which, by the way, are far cheaper than Princess rates). If you do want to buy something from them,
you will need to bring some US dollars ashore. Otherwise, your cruise card is accepted in all the
Princess outlets. We enjoyed Princess Cays, but we enjoyed the empty ship even more when we went
back to it earlier than most of the passengers. If you think you're missing out on a lavish beach
barbecue by not going ashore, do not worry. The Riviera Grill on Riviera deck serves the exact same
stuff. I do think Princess Cays is a nice beach, though, if you feel you have to get off the ship. There are
plenty of chairs to go around and the barbecue service is fast and the food good.
Have a nice big wad of cheese! Is Princess any better than RCCL? Personally, I think they're about the
same level, especially since Princess has just about the exact same cheesey spectacles as other cruise
lines. For example: ART AUCTIONS - Sea Princess has a multi-million dollar art collection, which is
conveniently covered up by bad pieces of art that the ship is constantly trying to peddle off on their
customers. and just when you thought the 'Final Art Auction' was the end of it, you then go the 'Absolute
Final Art Auction because YOU asked for it' I would like to know just who it was that asked for it, so the
rest of us can give them a good swift beating. PARADE OF FLAMING BAKED ALASKA - How many times
must we endure this? To make matters even worse, the flame is merely a can of sterno plopped down
on top of the desert. Oh, the horror! 'IF I WERE NOT UPON THIS SHIP' MUSICAL NUMBER - Does every
cruise staff in the world perform this bit? I just wanted to scream, 'If I were not upon this ship, I wouldn't
have to listed to this again!' DIFFERENT CRUISE DIRECTOR, SAME JOKES - Do cruise directors have
a convention each year where they just pass around lame jokes? PARADE OF GRATUITY ENVELOPES
- C'mon Princess! Seperate yourselves from the competition by eliminating this tacky practice. Pay your
staff more, add it to the cruise price, do what ever you can. It makes for a bad experience as you run the
gauntlet on the final night handing out not-so-inconspicuous envelopes containing the 'real pay' for the
staff. CRUISE SHIP-APPROVED STORES - Feel safe shopping in one of thes stores, especially knowing
that all they have done to become 'cruise ship-approved' is pay a not-so-small fee to the cruise ship.
Final remarks Would my wife and I sail Princess again? Definitely. Would we sail RCCL again?
Definitely. I think both lines are very comparable and each has it's strengths and weaknesses. I would
not say that Princess is a step up from RCCL. This is not a bad thing, though, as I feel both lines have a
very good product for the money. In the case of Sea Princess, it's a wonderful ship, with a very classy
look and intimate feel. Princess has taken the mega-liner and reduced it somewhat, which should cater
to those of us that want to feel like we're on a ship rather than a floating Mall of America.
Name: Patricia Haney
Email: pez_h@hotmail.com
Age: 34
Occupation: Administrative Assistant
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: March 17, 2001
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: D746
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 75
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Apr 2001
Time: 08:18:22
Remote Name: njc1-10-209.dial.eclipse.net
Remote User:
Comments
My husband and I vacationed aboard the Sea Princess. It was our third cruise, but our first on Princess
Cruise Line. As with the other cruise lines, there were things we liked and things we didn't. But, all things
considered we had a blast and would go on a cruise again in a heartbeat.
The Sea Princess was beautiful! Our cabin was nice, but small. We were prepared for that, so we weren't
too disappointed. We had an outside cabin with a large floor to ceiling window, which we loved, but the
room itself was tiny. The bathroom was especially cramped. Our room was directly above the Vista Lounge,
and we could faintly hear the band until the wee hours of the morning. Our cabin steward was adequate.
She didn't seem to bend over backwards to make our stay more enjoyable. For example, our travel agent
sent a bottle of wine to our stateroom, and when we asked her for a corkscrew in order to open it, she told
us to call room service. We felt like she was telling us, 'That's not my job.', which wasn't what we wanted to
hear And she kept giving us the wrong information, like telling us that dinner on the first evening was at
6:00 when it was actually moved to 7:00, and that the Tropical Deck party had been postponed to the next
night when it hadn't been. (I had to ask at the purser's desk to get the correct information.) The other crew
members were courteous and helpful, especially our waiter and assistant waiter.
We had a slight problem with the layout of the ship. Elevators and staircases did not go to every floor,
doors to the deck from the casual dining areas were locked. There were no directories posted, so we found
it hard to figure out where we were when an elevator left us off, and difficult to figure out how to get where
we wanted to go. It took a bit of getting used to, and by the end of the cruise, we could get from one end of
the ship to the other without much of a problem. (But by then, it's too late, right?)
We were worried about the amount of guests on our cruise, but I must say that even though the ship was
filled to capacity (2,700?), I didn't feel crowded, except for the days at sea when it was next to impossible to
find a deck chair. The dining room was spacious and the public areas were large.
The food was good, however the portions in the dining room were on the small side. This didn't really
bother me though, because I would tend to stuff myself to the point of discomfort if it were otherwise. There
were plenty of other places to get hearty portions, like the pizzeria and the 24-hour casual dining buffet. My
husband is a picky eater, and he ended up eating mostly steak and potatoes night after night, but who's
complaining?
We met some wonderful people on our cruise, namely our table mates at dinner. Let's face it, the people
you meet on a cruise can make or break your vacation. They made ours. In general, the guests were a bit
older than they were on our previous cruises, and we tend to prefer a livelier crowd, but these folks could
party with the best of them!
The ports of call were great. We went to Princess Cays (Princess Cruise's private island in the Bahamas);
Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico. I would definitely recommend this itinerary to
others. The weather was absolutely perfect at each destination. It was in the 80's and sunny every day.
Princess Cays was relaxing and fun. We swam and snorkeled, ate barbecue and explored the private
island. We heard the horror stories about Jamaica, but we didn't encounter any really unpleasant situations
while we were there. (No problems, just situations.) We figured the safest thing to do was to take a shore
excursion while on the island. We took ocean kayaks to Dunn's River Falls. My husband (who is braver
than I am, apparently!) climbed the falls while I remained safe and dry on the steps beside the river. We
shopped for souvenirs at the market on top of the falls. A word of caution: the merchants are very
aggressive. Coming from the New York area, it was nothing we couldn't handle, but I'm sure that mild
mannered mid westerners would not appreciate the 'in your face' attitude of the locals. On Grand Cayman,
we chose to go on the reef snorkeling & stingray trip. The snorkeling was excellent and swimming with the
stingrays was phenomenal. It was an experience that I will never forget! In Mexico, we took the all day tour
of the ancient Mayan Ruins in Tulum and snorkeled at Xel-Ha Lagoon. The ruins were incredible, and worth
the 45 minute boat ride and 1 hour bus ride to get there. Xel-Ha Lagoon was nice, but a bit too Disney
Worldesque. I was expecting a natural, rustic, unpopulated lagoon, and it was more like a theme park
where things are just a little too clean and too organized. Don't get me wrong, it was very scenic and
probably a wonderful place to spend the day, but it just wasn't what I was expecting.
There were a few things that were done on other cruise lines that were not done on Princess. Where were
the midnight buffets? Where were the cute folded towels on the bed? Where was the soft serve ice cream
machine? I missed these things that I experienced on other cruises. However, in Princess' defense,
Princess offered some services that the other cruises did not, such as placing a fresh fruit bowl in our
stateroom (a nice touch!), offering an 'adults only' pool on deck, and providing a refrigerator in every room.
My husband and I both firmly believe that a cruise is an excellent value. We enjoy going to several
destinations and getting a taste of different cultures on our vacations. A cruise allows one to do that without
having to pack and unpack at several hotels and/or waste time traveling from one location to another. It is
convenient to pay for your hotel and travel in advance, however, please be advised that there are hidden
costs associated with cruising. My husband and I both agree that we do not like the heavy emphasis placed
on tipping. We would rather pay a higher fare in the beginning than be pressured to leave a hefty tip to
everyone under the sun. (I know, they tell you that tipping is at your discretion, but you feel like a schmuck
if you tip less than the suggested guideline or if you don't leave a tip at all.) And there are other costs, as
well. I can completely see the point of charging for each alcoholic drink consumed, but I do not feel that it is
right to charge $1.50 per soft drink (plus 15% gratuity on top of it!). I don't feel that it is right to charge an
$8.00 cover charge to eat in the on board steakhouse. I don't think it is right to charge guests for ice
cream. It is not right to charge a fee to rent snorkel gear on Princess Cruise Line's private island where
you're a captive audience. Be careful and keep track of how much you are actually charging to those little
credit cards issued at the beginning of the trip. If you don't, you may be hit with an extremely large bill at the
end. These hidden costs make people resentful, and prevent them from fully enjoying the cruise
experience.
I hope this review doesn't sound too negative. As stated in the beginning of my review, my husband and I
had a wonderful vacation and terrific memories to last a lifetime, and we would definitely do the cruise thing
again in the future.
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