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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Warren Bancroft
Email: tigpoh@gateway.net
Age: 20
Occupation: Auditor
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: Feb.27,1999
Itinerary: Western
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService:
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess: 100
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Mar 1999
Time: 13:58:49
Remote Name: 1cust63.tnt20.dfw5.da.uu.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise and it by far made us want to take another one right away. The
overall service was great,
the ship was beautiful, the ports of call we all fantastic, and all the food was
wonderful. We were only disappointed
with three things, 1st was that we had to pay for the ice creame, 2nd was that on night we
went to get some ice
creame at about 5:45 knowing that they were to close at 6:00. At our arrival to the ice
creame stand they were
already closed down. Lastly, our 3rd complant was that although I was under the legal
drinking age my wife was not
and not once did a drink server approach her for a drink, she had to hunt them down or
walk all the way to the bar
and get a drink herself.
PORTS OF CALL
Princess Cays, Bahamas was a perfect place to just sit on the beach and relax. There were
plenty of things to do
like snorkleing, jet ski rental, volleyball, ect. but we were happiest just relaxing in
the sun.
Ocho Rios, Jamaica we took the In Focus Photography Tour which went to all the main sights
such as Dunns River
Falls, Shaw Park Gardens, Harmony Hall, and Coyaba River Garden. This tour was fantastic,
we got most of our
best photos on this tour that we will cherish forever. Just a word of worning, do not buy
anything from the vendors
at Dunns River Falls, you will find things much cheeper in town and the people are much
less pushy. Also if you
can help it don't take a taxi. It's a nice easy walk into town and the taxi drivers really
drove crazy.
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands was our favorite port, we would love to just fly there and
stay for a weekend. The
best way to describe Georgetown, Grand Cayman is an American City on a Tropical Island.
The tour we took at this
port we would recomend to anyone, we took the Flightseeing tour. You go up in a small
airplane and have a twenty
minute flight around the island. There is no better way to see the island, you can see the
beautiful reefs better then
if you were on land, and you will see all the popular attractions, Stingray City, the City
of Hell, and the amazing
Tirtle Farm, all from the air of corse but at least you get to say you saw it all. A must
do!
Cozumel, Mexico was great also we took the Jeep tour it was fantastic. You get your own
Jeep, (one to four people,
$175.00 per Jeep)you go through town and out to some dirt or sand roads that go right next
to the beach. The
roads do get bad enough to where you need to put it in four wheel drive which adds to the
fun. The tour includes
lunch (which we recommend not eating) on a private beach. Another must do! Be sure to do a
lot of shopping at
Cozumel they have the best deals on everything you can imagine.
Note: Be sure to get a Tanzanite for your lady in either Grand Cayman or Cozumel, they
won't be around much
longer.
We highly recommend Sea Princess and the Western cruise to anyone. And we hope you have as
good of
experience as we did.
Name: Mary Ellen MacDonald
Email: MACNME@GREENNET.NET
Age: 50
Occupation: Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: Feb. 20,1999
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 100
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Mar 1999
Time: 22:23:15
Remote Name: portq4.greennet.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise, and we can't wait to go again. The Sea Princess is a beautiful
ship. We had a room with a
balcony, and we just loved it. I would not go on a cruise again unless I had a balcony
room. The staff on the ship
was very friendly and helpful. Our waiter and assistant waiter were great! The food on the
ship was good, but didn't
compare to the fine food we get here in New England restaurants. The shows on the ship
seemed somewhat
amateurish. We only went to a couple because we were disappointed in what we saw. Princess
Cay is a beautiful
island, and we enjoyed renting sunfish. We would not care to go back to Ochos Rios,
Jamaica again. Dunn's River
Falls was interesting to climb, but once is enough. Grand Cayman was very nice. We had
been there before.
However, we didn't care for the snorkeling at Stingray City. We felt like we were herded,
and you bumped into
people as you tried to snorkel. The best excursion we went on was the catamaran, Fury, in
Cozumel, Mexico. The
snorkeling was great! The drinks flowed freely, the beach they took us to was beautiful,
and the staff made sure
everyone had fun! It was well worth the value! Overall, it was a wonderful, relaxing
vacation!
Name: Lois Hendel
Email: shendel348@aol.com
Age: 47
Occupation: school teacher
NumberOfCruises: 20
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: March 27, 1999
Itinerary: western caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService:
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 100
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 100
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Apr 1999
Time: 09:52:50
Remote Name: spider-wa052.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first time on a Princess line and we loved it. It was best of all the other
cruise lines and I have been on 90% of
them. Embarkation was a breeze, we sailed through. I carried my own luggage on so I could
unpack at my leisure. We had
an outside cabin (no balcony) and found it very satisfactory knowing we would only be in
the cabin when we got up and to
dress. Our room was always immaculate and our room steward was great, we had fresh fruit
in our room every day.
We had late seating inthe Sicilian Dining Room and found that it was better to have late
than early seating. this way you are
not rushed when you come back from port or if you want to hang out by the pool longer you
don't have to rush to get
dressed for dinner. Also leaving the Port Everglades you watch as we depart with early
seating you were already eating and
could not watch from above.
I have two boys ages 7 and 8 so we utilized the Kids Zone which they loved. Plenty of
activites and games for them and
prizes as well. They could not wait to go in the program everyday. The counselors were
wonderful with them.
There was a huge assortment of food daily in the Horizon Buffet every day. Never any long
lines or lines for that matter to
wait to get something. Always a carving bar at lunch time. The hot dogs were great at the
Riviera Grill.
We used Room Service a couple of times and they had great food and service was usually
prompt. The cookies were the
best.
Our waiter and asst. waiter were wonderful and always had chocolate milk waiting for my
boys. Quite a v ariety of dinners. Of
course lobster was the best. they also surprised my son with a birthday cake and when we
went back to our cabin there were
balloons and a happy birthday sign on the door that they kept on all week (they also do
this for anniversaries). It was a nice
surprise. No other ship I know does this.
I thought the shows they had were alright. The comedians were good but I was not impressed
with the so called Vegas
shows.
Princess Cays was great. Just to lounge around and do nothing or go snorkeling, fishing,
wave runners, etc. They have a
bbq lunch on the island which is great (hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, ribs, fruit,
deserts). There was a wait for the tender to
get on the island. We had to wait an hour so try to get your tender tickets early, if they
say they will start handing them out at
l0 am then be there at 9:30 that's what happened to us. We had got there on time but they
were handing them sooner. I was
mad.
Grand Cayman we took the tour of swimming and feeding the stingrays. this was awesome. To
go 6 miles off shore and in
the middle of the ocean is a sandbar with these awesome stingrays. they were everywhere.
Especially when you start
feeding them the smell lingers on your hands. They suck the food right out of your hand
just like a vacum cleaner. There
were big, little, medium size stingrays. Go in the morning when they are hungry because by
the afternoon they are not as
hungry. Also they sell these tours at the pier alot cheaper than Princess does so beware.
We did not do any shopping at
Grand Cayman to expensive.
In Cozumel we only went shopping and had a great time. Things in Cozumel are cheap. The
paper mache birds are a great
present and come in many sizes. Also the paper mache fruit and glass fruit make a nice
addition to your house in a nice
bowl.
In Ocho Rios we only walked the pier since I have been to Jamaica many times and cannot
stand the Jamaicans hassling
me, and also with the sporadic violence with the tourists I decided it was not worth going
on a tour. There were many people
who felt this way and stayed on the ship. We had a nice lunch and swam in the pool until
everyone started coming back from
their various tours.
The Art Auction was good. I bought 3 pieces of art and the last day of the art auction
(Friday) I won a $900 picture.
They show first run movies in the Princess Theatre every afternoon and some nites and have
first run movies on in your
cabin on TV.
Earning cruisicize dollars were fun and we made $10.00 to spend in the gift shop.
Disembarkation was great. They were never pushing you to get off the ship and by 7:50 am
they were letting the first set of
passengers get off who had early morning flights. I was off by 8:20 and home by 8:45 am
since I only live 15 minutes from
the port.
All in all it was the best cruise I have ever taken and will definitely take another
Princess cruise.
P.S. Formal nites were good even though most people did dress up there were others who did
not, I for one did not do it the
2nd formal nite I had enough of dressing up since I am a simple, casual person.
Name: Mike Pettit
Email: mpettit@ptd.net
Age: 46
Occupation: Plant manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 4 April 99
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 99
CruiseStaff: 99
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 98
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 99
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 70
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 99
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Apr 1999
Time: 20:45:12
Remote Name: du157098.lew.ptd.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise, and we could not have possible picked a better one. The Sea
Princess dwarfs most any other
luxury liner we saw, about 15 of them. From our balcony on the 11th deck we looked down on
entire cruise ships, and there
were 4 floors above us! This is a new ship, very well designed, staffed and operated. We
purchased the deluxe renewal of
vows package to celebrate our 25th anniversary, it also was worth every penny. Wonderful
ceramony officiated by the
captain himself, and very well done. A class act all the way. Ports of call, Princess Cays
is just a great beach day, nothing
else, but a great way to get into the vacation. Ocho Rios, a beautiful place amongst
poverty. Grand Cayman, No poverty
here, just a really good time. Cozumel, a classic caribbean good time. Days at sea are as
much fun as in port. We did a
bridge tour, wine tasting, made great friends with our dinner companions, and saw shows
that were easily Las Vegas quality.
Embarkation and disembarkation could not possible have been better. We spent the last
evening with our newfound friends
planning next year's cruise, definately Grand Class Princess. I have no desire to try
anything less. After talking with
passengers on some of the other lines, they are less.
Name: Daphne L Bernstein
Email: daphne_solin@uhc.com
Age: 34
Occupation: Healthcare sales
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 4-24-99
Itinerary: Panama Canal
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 89
CabinComfort: 88
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 75
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 70
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 75
CasinoStaff: 70
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 25
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff: 85
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 100
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 80
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 98
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 87
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 06 May 1999
Time: 16:31:21
Remote Name: gvsw2.uhc.com
Remote User:
Comments
My husband and I took the Sea Princess for it's first trip through the Panama Canal as it
was being transitioned from the
Carribean to Alaska. We booked our vacation one year prior to sailing, and reserved an
outside cabin with a private
balcony, suite C741. Our eleven-day cruise departed from Ft. Lauderdale and included stops
at Grand Cayman, Jamaica,
Columbia, Costa Rica and Mexico. We were lucky to have also had an unanticipated stop in
Panama for six hours for the
refueling of our ship. We had selected this cruise because of the ports offered, the
opportunity to see the canal, and the
length of the cruise. I have sailed with Princess twice before, and have sailed with other
cruise lines on three other
occaisions. This was my husband's first cruise.
The ship is beautiful. It is well-decorated, offering a comfortable atmosphere that is
classy. Even though the ship holds over
2000 passengers, the ship's design provides a very intimate feeling. There are rarely any
lines or crowds of people. There
is plenty of artwork thoughout the ship, including artwork in each cabin. The atrium is
beautiful, with marble floors and glass
elevators. Everything is kept very clean.
Our cabin was comfortable. There was room underneath the beds for storage of packages and
other items, and just enough
closet space. The bathroom was small, but there were enough shelves for your personal
items. The balcony was a nice
luxury to have--we used it quite a bit for breakfast, having drinks in the evening, and
romantic moments when we didn't feel
like being around a lot of people out on deck. We felt that the balcony was well-worth the
extra money. Our ship was located
at the very back of the ship, so we felt we had to walk a very long way to get to most
areas. I would suggest a cabin closer to
the middle of the ship. If booking a cabin with a private balcony, I would suggest either
the Caribe deck, or the one directly
above, to avoid having to look down on a small ledge that sticks out of the ship about
twelve inches. Have the cabin stewart
store your luggage for you. If you plan to do some laundry, bring an extra bag that you
can use to carry your dirty clothes to
the laundromat and plan to do your laundry at a time when you will not be fighting with
other people to get yours into the
wash. The cabins directly outside of the laundromat should be offered for a huge discount
because there are many people
who gather there for long periods of time.
The food ranged from fair to excellent. The food in the Horizon Court was better than
expected. It can get crowded in the
buffet area in the Horizon Court. Bistro service in that area is terrific. We ate in the
dining room twice for breakfast and
almost every night for dinner. The dinner rolls were a little too crunchy, the soups were
excellent, the deserts were good, the
pasta dishes were fantastic, and the main entres were good. Service was good, however we
never made it out of the dining
room to get to the shows on time. The coffee was just fair. We brought along some travel
coffee-press mugs, which enabled
us to enjoy the good coffee we purchased in Jamaica, Colombia, and Costa Rica.
The spa was nice. The seaweed treatments that they offer were worth the money. Very nice.
We thought that they could
have provided robes and slippers in the spa area. It would have also been nice to have
lockers available. Manicures are
$35, which we thought was a little too high. Book your spa appointments first thing when
you get on the ship, if you want
appointments during your day(s) at sea.
The deck area is nice. A little crowded at times. The back deck areas were usually quiet,
however. Service on the decks
were good. We purchased most of our alcohol on shore and made our own drinks to take up on
the deck.
The captain made his way around to each passenger. He is very outgoing and friendly. He
speaks very highly about his
crew. His crew is casual-sometimes too casual for my taste. I saw crew members walking
hand in hand, mixing a lot with the
passengers, eating in common areas, and talking a lot about how many more months they had
before their contract with the
company expires.
The tours were well-organized. In Grand Cayman, we got off the ship and took a tour
exactly like the ship's tours, but at half
the price. There was a tour representative right there to help us. We swam with the sting
rays, and spent other time in the
water. Grand Cayman is not a good place for shopping. In Jamaica, we took a Jeep Safari
and climbed Dunns River Falls.
The falls were wonderful, and I enjoyed them more than I anticipated. In Columbia, we took
a city tour--make sure you
schedule a tour in an air conditioned bus. In Costa Rica we took a wonderful river rafting
tour. In Mexico, we spent our time
on our own at a beach resort.
We were expecting the passengers to be older than we are, but I was not expecting that
there would be so few people under
the age of 65. There were maybe a dozen people under forty, and not many in their 40's and
50's. We had a lot of
comments about not having gray hair, etc. This is why I would not suggest this cruise for
families. There were only a few
children on board, and there was nothing for them to do.
Overall, we thought the cruise was very good. The Panama Canal was more interesting and
more beautiful than what I had
expected. It was picture-perfect. We saw a lot of sea life. We enjoyed the sun. It was
very relaxing. There were a lot of
activities to entertain us. The service was good. However, we think that those over 50
would enjoy the trip a little more.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. There is so much more that I
could talk about.
Name: Vicki Dukatz
Email: vdukatz@foleylaw.com
Age: 43
Occupation: attorney
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 7/3/99
Itinerary: Alaska
Cabin: B 612
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 75
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 75
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety:
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 75
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 75
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 75
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace:
Stabilization:
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Jul 1999
Time: 23:53:48
Remote Name: p1.foleylaw.com
Remote User:
Comments
All-in-all, it was a wonderful vacation (so please discount the complaints that follow as
minor). Princess does a wonderful
job and only 'dropped the ball' a couple of times.
I had frequent flyer miles, so I booked our own flights a day early and a day after the
cruise, so we wouldn't have to worry
about traveling all day or being on time. We were a couple of hours late arriving in
Fairbanks, and had to call the hotel at
least twice (at 1 a.m.) to pick us up. We had seen the van outside of the airport, went to
get our luggage, and discovered
the van left without us! They finally came back (after two phone calls) and showed us to
our room. Waiting wasn't so bad
because it was still light out: The sun set at 1 in the morning and rose at 3 a.m.
Unfortunately, the room smelled like
smoke (and we were grumpy and tired from travelling), so we had to be moved to another
room before finally relaxing.
We did our own exploring in Fairbanks and were happy we did, because Princess skipped what
we would have considered
major attractions: The visitor's center, the ice museum, the statue honoring the first
pioneer family, etc. We had booked an
'escorted' tour, which I would recommend to anyone who can afford it. Basically, we we
were 'baby-sat' the whole way. We
had someone look out for us (including booking land and sea excursions, planning seating
at dinner on and off the ship,
etc.) I knew tips were included in the price we paid, but was still amazed when we were
handed envelopes the day before
the cruise ended. The envelopes held the appropriate amount of cash to tip the room
steward and waiter (and/or adjust the
amount accordingly).
The other major disappointment was at the end of the tour in Vancouver. We had paid at
least $120 per person, to spend an
extra day in Vancouver. Nevertheless, we were the last ones off the ship, and when we got
to our hotel (about noon), we
were told 'go away, don't bother me.' The so-called 'hospitality room'' was nothing more
than a storage room for luggage.
The pitchers of ice water were empty, and the woman in charge had a bad attitude. After
fending for ourselves the rest of
the day, we were handed a letter that said Princess had made arrangements with Gray Line
for tours. That was way to late
to tell us!!!
Name: Pauline Dukatz
Email: c/o vdukatz@foleylaw.com
Age: 67
Occupation: retired
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 7/3/99
Itinerary: Alaska
Cabin: B612
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 75
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 75
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 70
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 18 Jul 1999
Time: 12:24:33
Remote Name: p1.foleylaw.com
Remote User:
Comments
Embarkation and disembarkation ('getting on and off the ship') were a breeze. Princess has
everything very well organized.
We had a 'cruisetour' -- which included a land tour first and cruise the second week. We
might have been 'toured out' by the
second week, but the ports of call (Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan) were awfully touristy.
You can only look at so many
shops selling postcards and souveniers before getting bored.
The 'flightseeing' excursions were the highpoints of our vacation. We did a helicopter
flight over Mt. Denali as well as a float
plane trip over the Misty Fjords. Breathtaking views!
We were on an 'escorted' tour, so a lot of excursions were included -- most worthwhile. By
the time we got to Ketchikan,
we felt extremely well versed in native Alaskan culture, and skipped the Saxman Village
tour because the ship was late
getting into port (engine troubles), and we had scheduling conflicts with our Misty Fjords
excursion.
Many, many people were sick with the flu on our trip. Although we had gotten flu shots
before our Australian trip last fall,
they apparently 'expired' before this trip to Alaska. One charming couple we met on the
land portion was prevented from
taking the cruise (refused passage!) because he came down with the flu. (Please, everyone,
buy trip insurance!!!) We heard
stories of a Princess cruise that was cancelled last year while they disinfected the ship.
When I got home, I read articles in
the newpaper warning tourists to consult a doctor before travelling to Alaska 'where a flu
outbreak has sickened hundreds of
tourists for the second straight year.' The article also said 'The CDC said flu, which
spreads easily on cruise ships because
tourists travel in close quarters, may become a common seasonal occurrence in Alaska due
to large tour groups from
around the world.'
We only ate in the dining room on the ship half the time because service was so slow. Plan
on 2 hours minimum for dinner!
Lobster and King crab legs were only offered once (near the end of the cruise). The
Horizon Court was a great place to eat
(as long as a table was available!). Room service was always prompt (and the French fries
were hot!!!). If you don't want to
dress up on formal night, it is not a big deal. If you want a fruit bowl in your room, you
have to request it AND request refills.
(It is much easier to go up to the Horizon Court and grab what you want and take it back
to your room.)
We enjoyed most of the shows -- particularly the comedian/juggler. The cruise staff seemed
unnecessarily crude and vulgar
in their performances. (Perhaps people brought up on MTV would not be as offended, but
Princess should know that most
of their passengers are older and don't enjoy bathroom humor.)
As for the casino: I've never seen such tight slots. (Maybe that is why nobody was
playing.) My daughter won $70 the first
day, but gave it all back to the slots by the end of the cruise.
If you can afford a balcony, DO IT! It was wonderful to just be able to open the curtains
and see the glaciers without having
to get up and dressed and out on deck. One night we looked out into the darkness (near the
end of the tour when we didn't
have 23 hours of daylight), and watched another ship slip by in the darkness, illuminated
only by its own lights.
The biggest dissapointment was Vancouver. We paid for an extra day ($120 EACH!!!) and
Princess must have known we'd
be disappointed, because they gave us a 'free' city tour after they (finally) let us off
the ship (one of the last groups off). We
couldn't hear the narrative of the city tour (bad microphone), and were pretty hot and
unhappy when we finally (at noon) got
to the hotel, only to be informed that our rooms would not be ready for another 4 hours or
so. The so-called 'hospitality
room' was a joke: just an empty room for storage of luggage, empty pitchers (which should
have contained ice water), and
no suggestions of how to occupy our time until our rooms were ready.
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