Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Lorenia & Dave Wozney
Email: dwozney@home.com
Age: 40
Occupation: Realtor & Manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: November 13, 1999
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: B535
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 96
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 96
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 92
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 92
ShoreExcVariety: 97
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 97
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 96
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 94
TenderService: 94
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 98
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 98
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Nov 1999
Time: 22:06:50
Remote Name: 24.65.215.19.ab.wave.home.com
Remote User:

Comments

Hey, we just got back from our first cruise and we had a terrific time!

THE SHIP

The Sea Princess is an absolutely beautiful ship. Even though there were over 2000 passengers on board we never felt
that it was too crowded. There was always a place to go off and have a quiet moment if that's what you felt like. The
appointments are pure luxury with marble floors and stairs, rich mahogany woodwork, fabulous carpeting with different
designs in the foyers and on the stairs, beautiful murals, paintings & sculptures, palm trees & fountains and huge stained
glass sunshine ceilings. Everything is in pristine condition as this ship is only about a year old.

STATEROOMS

We loved our room which was on Baja Deck (10th floor) about midship room 535. We had read a lot of positive things
about having a room with a balcony and we did enjoy it. It was nice to be able to look out and see what the weather was
like and to see the ship dock at various ports etc. We did order room service one morning and felt very pampered to be
sitting out on our balcony in our complimentary fluffy white terry robes eating fresh tropical fruits, cereals, eggs, orange
juice, coffee etc. We were impressed with the prompt delivery of the meal which was hot and fresh.

If you are trying to economize then choosing an inside cabin will really help you out. We worked out the extra charge for
our outside cabin with a balcony to be about $150 Canadian dollars extra per day. Our room had a wall of floor to ceiling
windows opening to the balcony which was equipped with two chairs and a table, there were two twin beds that were
pushed together to form about a king sized bed which was extremely comfortable (the separation between the two beds is
not obvious or annoying), there was a small television, a bar fridge, make-up desk with drawers, ample closet space and a
decent sized 3-piece bath. If you've never been on a cruise then the toilets will be a surprise to you - they make a heck of
a racket and a whoosh when they flush. We did take a look at some of the other cabins and were really impressed with the
mini suites that have a sitting room as well as a bedroom and an ensuite bath with a glass shower enclosure as well as a
big soaker tub. We looked at the inside cabins as well and they seemed a bit smaller than ours and of course you are
isolated from the rest of the world when you're in there. The great thing is that you can have an inside cabin paying a lot
less and still enjoy all of the fabulous amenities that the ship offers. If we were only able to afford to go on a cruise with an
inside cabin we would still go without hesitation.

AMENITIES

There is so much to see and do that you find that you don't spend very much time in your cabin (unless you get really
seasick). There is a great Library with a terrific selection of books available to be signed out plus big leather chairs with
built-in headphones where you can listen to CDs. There is a Games Room equipped with games for every age (watch out
for the scrabble sets, we noted that some of the games are short lots of letters so you might have to go through the tiles
and sort out what's missing etc.). There is a small Business Center on the 14th floor where you can keep in touch with the
outside world via the internet. The cost is $7.50 per 15 minutes. The Gym is really well equipped with wonderful views from
the treadmills, stairmasters and stationary bikes. Running is a whole different sport when you have to try to maintain your
balance and run at the same time. The four storey central Atrium is magnificent with fountains and palm trees and
beautiful sculptures and other works of art. There are lots of comfy chairs to lounge in, have a drink, and people-watch
while waiting to go to dinner. There are at least four different pools plus several hot tubs and you can always find an area
where there aren’t many people if you just feel like falling asleep on one of the lounge chairs up on deck. We really
enjoyed going for a quiet swim and a hot tub after dinner one night when it was dark and the warm ocean breezes were
blowing.

FOOD

The Eating competition goes 24 hours a day. You will not starve on this cruise. We had the late sitting for dinner and when
we go again will definitely choose the earlier sitting instead. Our official dinner time was 8:15 but it was often a bit later
than that before the staff had everything cleared away from the earlier diners. With a choice of three appetizers, three
soups, salad, four entrees and at least three desserts we were not usually finished dinner until about 10:30. Eating this
late really messed up our schedules as we tried to sleep with a full stomach and then woke up in the morning too full to
enjoy breakfast. We had heard that there were lots of kids and old folks at the early sitting but this did not seem to be the
case.

There is a 24 hour buffet with an excellent selection of foods which are as well prepared and as tasty as buffet food can
be. We opted for the buffet rather than a formal sitting in the dining room for either breakfast or lunch. If you don't want to
go to the buffet you can go the Pizza Bar, Lago's but the hours there are limited. The pizza has received some excellent
reviews on this site from other diners but although we found the pizza to be tasty it had a disappointingly soggy crust both
times we ate there. When we were out on deck sitting around the pool we saw several people with delicious looking
burgers and fries. These came from the Riviera Grill which overlooks the main pool area. We finally found the source of
the burgers on our last day aboard and were eager to try one. However despite having a big craving for the juicy burger I
could not eat it as it was uncooked in the middle. This surprised us as in Canada there is a lot of publicity about not eating
uncooked ground meat in order to prevent food poisoning and we thought it would be the same in the US. We expected
the cooks to be especially vigilant about this as it is very dangerous to small children and the elderly (of which there were
quite a number on board who probably would not have been reluctant to sue). The uncooked hamburger was not an
isolated incident as the same thing happened to us on Princess Cays at the BBQ buffet.

STAFF

The staff in the dining room really made our trip special. Our Head Waiter Vincenzo was like a consummate politician
kissing babies, shaking hands, patting backs and generally making everyone feel important and special. Our Waiter
Eugene, who was from Romania, was very professional, friendly and engaging. He took us on a tour of the galley which
was very interesting. The waiters are paid practically nothing, work from dawn to dusk, and rely on their tips for
compensation so make sure to be generous, they deserve it.

DRESS

There was a wide variety of dress on formal, semi-formal and casual nights in the dining room. There were plenty of
beaded and glitzy gowns, tuxedos and dinner jackets but you would not feel out of place if you choose to wear a dark suit
rather than a tuxedo and just a nice dress rather than a prom gown. We were dismayed to see someone wearing a ball
cap to dinner on our first (casual) night but thankfully that was not the standard.

PORTS OF CALL

Princess Cays, the private island, was very nice. There was a bit of a wait for the tender to take you ashore but it went
very smoothly. There are plenty of beach chairs and hammocks and you can rent wave runners, sail boats, banana boats
etc. There was a buffet luncheon with lots of wonderful fresh fruit (THE best pineapple we’d ever tasted), salads and
burgers.

We chose not to go on any excursions in Jamaica as we had heard and read too many negative things about the people
there. We spent the day enjoying the ship beginning with breakfast delivered to us on our balcony, and then spending
time up on deck enjoying the lovely views of the island. We spoke with several people who had gone on excursions and
they gave mixed reviews; most were happy that they’d gone but were dismayed by the poverty and annoyed by the
aggressive salespeople and taxi drivers.

We really enjoyed Stingray City in Grand Cayman. The stingrays can really freak you out as they glide all around you
whether you have fish to feed them or not. We were told that they were docile but to be careful not to step on them in
which case they may sting. When I was in the water there as so many stingrays milling around and buffeting up against me
I really was afraid that I might take a wrong step and this made me quite timid about feeding them. In the end most the my
pieces of squid were gobbled up by some lightening fast fish rather than the stingrays. After feeding the stingrays we
proceeded a few hundred feet ahead to the nearby reef and did some snorkeling. The morning was cloudy with showers
and therefore the underwater world was not as spectacular as it might have been on a sunny day. The reef is extensive
and very interesting but you have to be careful about swimming into shallow spots and scraping your skin on the coral. All
in all it was well worth the trip and we would highly recommend it. We heard from a few couples who had taken the Island
Highlights bus tour that it was a bust (they felt there was a excess of rum cake factory visits and not enough of Seven Mile
Beach).

The highlight of our excursions has to be the Catamaran Sail & Snorkel trip in Cozumel! This is the one time when you will
not have to keep on dragging out your cruise card to pay for drinks because they’re all free. The snorkeling was great,
the water was so clear and there were lots of fish and different kinds of coral etc. Then on to a deserted, out of the way
beach with free activities like sea kayaking. Everyone seemed to have had a fantastic time and near the end of the trip
there was a happy Congo line snaking around the boat with a limbo stop followed by the margarita squirt bottle stop. We
only wish the beach time could have been longer (it was just over an hour). This excursion was the best bargain of the
trip.

DISEMBARKATION

The night before disembarkation we were advised to have our suitcases packed and put outside our stateroom before
midnight. We were issued a specific colored tag and when our color was announced in the morning we were to proceed to
the gangway. This system worked well and we were on solid ground by about 9:30 am. The only negative experience for
us was being required to report to the Vista Lounge to see the Immigration officials at 6:00 am sharp as we are Canadians
and therefore ‘aliens’! This meant having to go to bed early on the last night of the cruise so that we could be up by 5:30
and downstairs on time only to have to wait until almost 7:00 am to file past the immigration people who only asked a
couple of quick questions.

We had arranged bus transfers from Fort Lauderdale to Miami Airport through Princess and after a short wait were on the
bus. The only downside was that the bus driver had a thick accent and was difficult to understand and pandered terribly
for tips (after having hurtled everyone’s luggage to and from the curb with great gusto and no consideration for any fragile
items that may have been in the cases). We had the same bus driver coming from and going to Miami and lots of people
were displeased with him.

CONCLUSION

The thing that we really liked about cruising is that it’s like going to one of the most expensive and exclusive resorts in the
world, and feeling like you really belong, like a member of this exclusive club. The staff is so attentive and professional,
you eat like royalty every day of the trip, everyone says good morning or good evening and wishes you well. The other
passengers were so friendly and positive about their trip, there was no shortage of good conversationalists wherever you
happened to be while on board. So, will we go again? Can’t wait!

Name: Steve Simonetti
Email: Sascol@aol.com
Age: 32
Occupation: Banking/Finance
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 10-23-99
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: A335 / BB
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 92
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 92
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue: 98
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 89
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 98
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 Nov 1999
Time: 14:11:48
Remote Name: spider-tj081.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

Our Cruise Background: This was our 4th cruise. Prior to this one my wife and I sailed twice with Royal Caribbean
(Monarch and Grandeur) and once with Celebrity (Mercury). Princess was the last remaining major line that we wanted to
try. Based on the newness of the ship and the itinerary, we chose to give the Sea Princess a try. In this review, I will try to
make comparisons to our prior cruises where applicable.

Embarkation: We arranged for our own air and arrived in Ft. Lauderdale at approximately 10:00am. Embarkation was not
going to start until about noon, so we knew we were going to have to wait in the ship terminal for about an hour and a half.
Once embarkation started, the process was very well organized and we were on the ship within about 45 minutes.

First Impression: The Sea Princess is a beautiful ship. It is not quite a year old so as we expected, there was very little
wear and tear to be seen (except some slight wear and tear on some of the stairway carpeting).

Our Cabin: We had a category BB (Aloha deck, outside cabin with verandah). Not including the verandah, according to
Princess, the cabin was about 150 square feet. Although small, the cabin was adequate for our needs. It had a queen-size
bed, small television, fridge (which was not very cold at all), vanity with large mirror and stool, and one chair. We had a
LOT of luggage and it fit nicely under the bed. The closets were divided up into four sections (two full-length closets and
two half-length closets). There was also a very easy to use safe in one of the closets and there was almost enough room
for all of our shoes (we had about 10 pairs). The bathroom was standard ship fare but functional. There was a strange
‘smell’ in the bathroom that we determined was coming from the shower curtain. Other than this the cabin was spotless. At
about three feet by eight feet the verandah was small but nice to have. All in all while we were satisfied with the cabin, we
thought that our cabin last year on the Mercury was a bit nicer. Mercury’s cabin was bigger, the bathroom was more
comfortable (especially the shower) and the amenities in general were nicer.

The Ship: The Atrium is beautiful and comparable to the atriums on both of the Royal Caribbean ships we’ve been on.
Pool deck was very comfortable and there were always lounge chairs available, even on sea days.

This ship had two dining rooms which were identical except for the colors. Each dining room was divided into a number of
small ‘sections’ for lack of a better term, which was a nice touch. This seemed to make the setting more intimate.

Buffet meals were served in the Horizon Court. This area was especially attractive. Considering the large numbers of
people coming and going at all times, it was kept very clean. The lounges all varied in décor and style. One thing we liked
was the fact that there were many large areas for socializing and there were also a good number of more intimate areas
that would allow you to sit in some degree of privacy. The ONLY time the ship seemed crowded was on the first formal
night during the Captain’s reception party in the Atrium. All public areas were very clean.

The Food: This is always an important part of our cruise experience. Food is the only reason we will never go back to
Royal Caribbean. In our opinion, Royal’s food is just not very good. Our experience with Celebrity was going to be hard to
top because their food was outstanding in all respects. We heard both good and bad things about Princess before
boarding the ship. This being said, we were not sure what to expect from Princess. I must say that we were extremely
satisfied with all of our meals. Much to our surprise, the food on the Sea Princess actually rivaled Celebrity’s food. Dining
room food was always hot and fresh. Meals were presented in an attractive fashion, and there was plenty to choose from.
Pizza in the pizzeria was incredible (we had lunch there four times!).

The only food that we thought was not quite up to par was the buffet breakfast. The food in the Horizon Court was just not
quite as fresh as it was in the dining room. After a few breakfasts in the Horizon Court, we moved down to the dining room.

The Staff: Everyone single member of the staff acts like their primary purpose for being on board is to please you. Each
person you pass greets you with a hello and a friendly smile. I don’t think we ran into one grumpy person all week. They all
work hard long hours, so the fact that everyone is so friendly is even more impressive.

The Ports: In Nassau we went to the Atlantis Resort. What a cool place this is….we highly recommend it if you go to
Nassau. Grand Cayman was beautiful. We could tell there was a lot of money on this island. We went to Stingray City,
which was quite an experience. In Ocho Rios we climbed Dunns River Falls. This was a heck of a workout but we’d
certainly recommend taking the excursion. We did not venture into town because we did not feel like dealing with the taxi
drivers that were waiting for our ship’s passengers and licking their chops. Cozumel was nice for trinket shopping but we
did not do much beyond shopping so we can’t speak to any part of the town beyond the street near the pier.

Disembarkation: Very organized and efficient. We were off the ship by 9am and found our luggage waiting without a
problem.

Positives: Food and staff were both great. We loved the fact that Princess now allows their passengers to sign up for
shore excursions PRIOR to the trip. . The overall value for the money cannot be beat. Shore excursions are well organized
and leave on time. The ship was comfortable and relaxing

Negatives: The elevator service is horrible. It’s hard to explain, but when you’re at any elevator bank, you have to hit two
sets of buttons to call the elevators on either side of the stairs. Elevator waits are always long and when you have to walk
up 7 flights of stairs after waiting 5 minutes for an elevator that does not come it makes getting around annoying
sometimes.

The buffet lines in the Horizon Court buffet are VERY disorganized. The way the serving stations are set up causes
people to walk in too many different directions. Because of this, you are constantly getting stepped in front of and
delayed. By the time you get your food and get to your table, hot food has gotten cold.

The shops on board did not have nearly the amount/selection of merchandise as we’ve seen on other cruise lines.

Summary: Of the four cruises we’ve been on, this one was very close to being the best. Our trip on board the Mercury last
year was ever so slightly better but we would not hesitate to sail with Princess again, nor would we shy away from
recommending others to give the Sea Princess a try.

We enjoy discussing our cruise experiences with others so if you have any specific questions, please feel free to e-mail us
(Sascol@aol.com).

Name: Tom Dillon
Email: divetex@yahoo.com
Age: 57
Occupation: Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 11/20/99
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: B511/BB
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 50
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 50
DeckService: 30
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 98
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService:
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 50
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Nov 1999
Time: 13:23:58
Remote Name: ntdmzprx01.mkcorp.com
Remote User:

Comments

This was my 7th cruise and my wife’s 9th, our second on Princess. We sailed on the Sun three years ago, and felt like we
were on the same ship again…only the artwork differed. It’s a beautiful ship, and we were duly impressed again.

Having booked our air through Princess with a $35 deviation per person, we also had purchased transfers to the ship.
However, since we landed in Ft. Lauderdale at 10:15, we ignored our transfers and took a cab to the ship for $10 plus tip.
Glad we did, too, since we were aboard at 12:30 and ate in the Horizon Court. Our checked baggage arrived at 2:00
pm…..the earliest of any cruise so far. We were completely unpacked by 3:00. How nice! We had the entire afternoon to
explore the ship and show it off to my daughter and her husband. It was their first cruise, and they loved it!

The service and staff also reminded us of the Sun Princess, since very little was different. We felt that the staff was
courteous enough, but that the smiles, etc. weren’t all that sincere. They seemed rather “put on” to us. For example, when
we saw a member of the cruise director’s staff, they always avoided eye contact with us unless we specifically addressed
them. When we did that, we saw a seemingly-forced smile and heard a courteous reply, but our overall impression was
that the staff just didn’t care to have any more passenger contact than was absolutely necessary. (That contrasts vividly
with our cruises on Royal Caribbean, where the CD’s staff was genuinely friendly.)

The dining room food was much like we experienced on the Sun Princess: some very good menu items, but overall a
menu which we found very difficult, at times, finding something that we really wanted to order. Very heavy with veal and
lamb, which we don’t care for. I had absolutely outstanding prime rib, whereas the lobster was dry and overcooked. I never
got a bad shrimp dish, though. Whether in a shrimp cocktail or cooked in a seafood entrée, it was always fresh, tasty, and
cooked to perfection. The baby lettuce salad was identical to the one we had on the Sun, and was excellent. The pasta
dishes were outstanding. However, the fish dishes were monotonously strong-smelling and not very good. The Eggs
Benedict were awful, but the fresh papaya and pineapple were great. Lots of contrasts in the quality of menu items. The
chocolate fudge ice cream in the dining room was superb, as were most of the other home-made ice creams and sorbets
they served. We refused to pay extra for the Haagen Das, but didn’t miss it. Of course, if we didn’t like any of the special
entrees, we had the option every evening of the alternative chicken, salmon, or sirloin steak. My wife ordered the salmon
and the chicken once, and I ordered salmon once. The salmon and chicken were dry and overcooked…too long under a
heat lamp, probably. We did have an excellent waiter and headwaiter in the dining room, but our assistant waiter, although
fairly efficient, had absolutely no personality. Dining room service, overall, was great.

The Horizon Court food wasn’t bad at all, especially at breakfast and lunch. We never ate dinner there, but enjoyed most
of the lunches and breakfasts. On the other hand, service in the Horizon Court left much to be desired. For example, I was
a klutz one morning and spilled my glass of orange juice all over my plate and my lap while sitting down to eat. A waiter
magically appeared, and asked, “And how did you enjoy your orange juice this morning?” It was probably an attempt at
humor, but in view of the fact that he merely smiled and made no attempt to assist me, I did not think it at all amusing. I
had to take the plate to a busboy station myself. That wasn’t typical of the service in the Horizon Court, but the service
was never what we would consider good, either. The Pizzaria was just as lousy on the Sea Princess as it had been on the
Sun. In fact, we seldom saw more than two people eating pizza at any given time, and the Pizzaria was usually empty.

Afternoon tea has been moved from the Atrium and other, small, semi-private areas into the dining room. Not a good way
to do it….we felt like we were in a cattle car, just being herded along.

Out stateroom was identical to the one we had on the Sun Princess, but was considerably smaller than a Category D on
RCI’s newer ships. We did use the small balcony a few times, but mostly it was a convenient place to hang a clothesline to
dry my dive gear and our swimsuits. Our room was extremely quiet, and the only problems we encountered were (1) a
slight urine smell when we first arrived (a can of Lysol spray took care of that) and a shower that didn’t drain very well (the
cabin steward fixed that). Overall, we enjoyed the room.

The entertainment wasn’t very good. They had the same comedian for two evenings, although I understand that his
material was different for the second performance…we didn’t go the second time. Then, on the next three consecutive
evenings, they had the same two shows. No problem for the first two nights, for we could switch off. The third time,
however, repetition was inevitable. We felt that Princess should have booked more entertainers for the 7-day cruise.

The private “island” was still very nice, and they had done a very good job of cleaning up after the hurricanes…even
including bringing in more sand for the beach. We had an excellent barbecue buffet on the island.

The day at sea was nice. We laid out and got some sun, although we had to go up to the little splash pool topside to get
deck chairs. Oh…for those of you wondering about what looked like a car on the Grand Princess bridgecam, it was. There
was one up by the splash pool on the Sea Princess, too. It seems that each Princess ship has a new Toyota that they’re
giving away, along with a free 7-day cruise, to one of their passengers. All passengers through the end of the year who
are U.S. citizens are automatically entered in the drawing.

Although my wife and I had visited and disliked Ocho Rios twice before, we thoroughly enjoyed the shore excursion we
took this time. We booked the combination sea kayak and Dunns River Falls trip for $69 each, and it was really a hoot!
We then walked from the ship to the Taj Mahal shopping area and back, and no one harrassed us at all. Nice day. The
Splendour of the Seas was the only other ship in port.

In Grand Cayman, I did two scuba dives (Robert’s Wall and Stingray Alley) while my wife did a small load of laundry and
shopped in town. We then met in our room and went back to town for about 45 minutes. Nice day there, too. We were in
port with the Carnival Triumph (I think) and the HAL Veendam (I think).

In Cozumel, on Thanksgiving Day, I dived again, and my wife shopped.. In order to save money, Princess had us ride on a
slow dive boat for 40 minutes to the dive shop instead of spending a little cab fare, which would have gotten us there in
less than 10 minutes …same thing on the way back. Pretty cheap and inefficient, if you ask me….and the Princess New
Waves staff member on our dive agreed. I paid an extra $55 for a video of the dive, but it wasn’t delivered to the ship
before we sailed at 7:00. I hope it comes in the mail, but I’m not holding my breath. Princess was using a new dive
operation, and they really want to get the contract, so it might still show up. The dives were great: Palancar Gardens and
Paradise North. After I got back to the ship, we went into San Miguel to shop, snack, and suck up some margaritas. The
one I had at Pancho’s Backyard was horrid, but we went to another nice restaurant and had great (and great big) ones!
Then back to the ship, with me slightly soused, singing Bob Marley’s “One Love” all the way back. GOOD margaritas!
Probably a good thing I didn’t order another one when we went into Carlos n’ Charlie’s..

The last day at sea was again nice. We found some deck chairs on the top deck aft, overlooking the small pool and hot
tubs, and “vegged” again. Bar service was just OK…not very many bar waiters to take orders; we had to go to the bar and
order our own. No real problem, but not the greatest service, either. This occurred throughout the cruise.

I had forgotten how small the onboard shops were, and I was very disappointed in their limited merchandise. There is no
liquor store onboard, although they did put some bottles out on tables on the last night. I like to buy a coffee mug with the
name of each ship I’ve been on, but there were NO ship-specific souvenirs to be had other than caps and shirts. They had
lots of millenium mugs and Princess Cruise Line mugs, but nothing with the name of the ship on it. Their tee shirts and
sweatshirts were very limited in size, too. For example, my daughter wanted to buy a sweatshirt, but all they had were S
and XL. One tee I liked was available only in S and L….and that was on the first day!

On debarktion day, we had to stand in line for an hour to do a pre-check-in with our airline. Then, once we got off the
ship, all we had to do was claim our luggage and have it taken to the Delta truck. Pretty easy once we left the ship, but a
real pain having to stand in line that long at 6:15 am. Oh, well…..

This probably sounds as if I had a terrible time. I didn’t. My wife and I enjoyed the cruise, and my daughter and son-in-law
had a great time. Would I do it again? Yes, but I’d have to think long and hard before I’d do it on a Princess ship. We
simply prefer the RCI way of doing things. When I sailed on the Sun Princess, all I had to compare it to was NCL, so I
naturally liked it. Having been on two RCI cruises since the Sun, though, I just don’t think that either the Sun or the Sea
Princess come even close to measuring up to RCI.,,,,but it was still a nice cruise!

Name: karen callahan
Email: kdcallahan@prodigy.net
Age: 35
Occupation: FINANCE
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: November 13, 1999
Itinerary: Western Carribean
Cabin: B611
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 96
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 85
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 87
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 88
OverallPortsofCall: 88
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Dec 1999
Time: 20:40:28
Remote Name: nycmb711-20.splitrock.net
Remote User:

Comments

We had arranged our own transportation to Ft. Lauderdale, and to the port terminal. Embarkation went
fairly smooth, with lines forming by cabin assignment. The only suggestion I might make would be for a staff
member to go down the lines to ensure passengers had already completed the necessary paperwork, prior
to arriving at the desk. Several passengers on line in front of us, did not have their paperwork completed,
and had to do so while at the desk, causing an annoying delay.

To our delight when we boarded the ship there were no waiters pushing expensive frozen drinks in your
face(NCL seems to have this area cornered). Our luggage arrived before 3:00 p.m.

The cabin was pleasant and immaculate. The bed was comfortable, closet and drawer space was
generous. The in room safe was very convenient and easy to operate. One of the reasons we had chosen
this ship was for the outside private balcony. We felt the balcony was worth every penny, and it was very
private. Our cabin steward was a true delight. He immediately knew our schedule and special preferences,
yet we never ran into him in our room unsolicited.

Dining: We ate breakfast on our balcony daily(Except on debarkation day). The Room Service menu was
limited but we really were just interested in coffee and rolls etc. Room Service was very prompt at breakfast
and at all times day or night.

We ate lunch at the pizzaria once and we found the service slow and the pizza undercooked and soggy.
Other days we ate room service, in the dining room or at the Horizon Court Buffet. The food at the buffet
was surprisingly fresh and varied. However the passengers tended to regress to pre school level at the
area and made the experience slightly distastefull. Lunch in the dining room is the best choice. No aimless
milling about and the selection was varied enough to meet anyone's taste.

Diner: Our original table assignment was unacceptable. Our seating was changed immediately and
pleasantly. I strongly recomend if you do not like your diner companions speak UP! Our revised seating
assignment was wonderfull, we had a lovely time each evening. The wait staff was very well trained and on
par with any world class restaurant. I frequestly found myself unable to choose between the many items
offered at each course, so our adept waiter brought several serving of many items, allowing us all to try
different dishes. Special requests were handled professionally. The dining room itself is quite lovely and
surprisingly calm.

Entertainment: There were many different acts from musical review to comedy to magic, all were better
than average. The best bet was "Pub Night" performed by the ship's staff. This was standing room only and
outrageous.

One of my favorite places on board was the very confortable teak lounges on deck outside of the library
which was well stocked however could have been open more frequently.

Drink service was sparse around the pool, but there were no long lines at the pool bar.

Only one complaint about bars/lounges with the exception of the disco all the bars and lounges closed at
midnight if not before.

Dress: I was pleasantly surprised at how well most passengers were dressed expecially on the two formal
evenings. I would estimate at least eighty percent of the men wore either tuxedos or dinner jackets. The
women were dressed beutifully also, most in faily formal evening dresses. The semi-formal night seemed to
confuse many people. Attire spanned the gamut from mostly suits and ties to shorts. Most women wore
simple silk dresses.

Ports: Princess Kays was nice, however there were long lines for food and drinks and equipment rentals
were pricey. Bring a good book, stake out a lounge under a straw umbrella, buy a couple of drinks and
relax. Our catamaran ride in Ocho Rios was cancelled due to rough seas. In view of all we had heard and
read in other reviews we opted not to venture off the ship unexcorted. Grand Cayman: I snorkeled here for
the first time and what a wonderfull experience. The local operator was pleasant and knowledgable and the
equipment was top notch. The water here was very calm, clear and shallow enough to get great views,
Highly recomend this "Reefs and Wrecks" for novice snorkelers. Cozumel: I liked snorkelling in Grand
Cayman I made a last minute reservation for snorkelling here also. We went to the Colombia Reef and
Palancar Reef. This was definately a much more challanging swim. There were four foot swells that days
and the water was much deeper here. The crew spoke little English and the equipment was older. I would
recomend this swim for experienced snorkelers.

Overall we had a wonderfull cruise and look forward to sailing with Princess again.

Name: Tom & Mary Milano
Email: tmilano@n-jcenter.com
Age: 72
Occupation: Retired
NumberOfCruises: 13
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: November 27, 1999
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: D 740
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Dec 1999
Time: 12:33:31
Remote Name: nspm2c-20.n-jcenter.com
Remote User:

Comments

My wife and I live in New Smyrna Beach, Florida and are able to drive to the port. We arrived at the pier in
Miami at 12:30. We parked, checked in at the Sea Princess terminal and we were in our cabin by 1:05. The
entire check in experience was the smoothest and most professionally handled of any of our cruises.
Everyone was very polite and very attentive and tried to please us in every way. We boarded the ship with
a real good feeling; a wonderful way to start a cruise.

We are first going to tell you about the negative aspects of our trip. During the ensuing week these
negative feelings were completely reversed by the overwhelming friendliness and attentiveness of the
entire crew of the Sea Princess, and it turned out to be one of the best and happiest of our cruise
experiences.

FIRST, THE NEGATIVES:

CABIN:

Our cabin, D 740, had a huge window that almost extended from floor to ceiling that made it possible to
have a wonderful view of the ocean. It was well appointed but quite small. Later, after our luggage arrived,
when we put our things away we realized that the closet was also small and just about adequate. The
drawer space was also limited. We looked around for our coffee table and realized that the bench type seat
by the desk was our coffee table. Also by the side of the mirror at the desk, was a hair dryer, almost
obscured by the window curtains. We thought this kind of strange but we soon found out why when we
looked at the bathroom. There was no room for a hair-dryer. The shower and bathroom were very small
and we barely had room for our bath articles. It was so small they had to put the hair dryer by the desk. It
became smaller when we hung the heavy white bathrobes they gave us, on the hooks on back of the
bathroom door. When I sat on the john, my head was touching the robes. The shower was also very tight
quarters. I told Mary, I better be careful about putting on weight because if I gained another five lbs. I might
have to take a sponge bath instead of a shower.

POOL SERVICE NEGATIVE:

After making a get acquainted tour of the ship, we decided to attend the sail away party on the pool deck.
We ordered a drink but weren't served any napkins. I asked the bartender for napkins and he handed me
a box of Kleenex. I said I didn't need a Kleenex, I wanted napkins. He then informed me they didn't use
napkins but used Kleenex instead. At first I thought they hadn't gotten their supply of napkins and were
doing the best they could by using Kleenex, but that wasn't the case. Every bar on the ship had bar
napkins except for all the pool areas, where you got Kleenex. This policy continued throughout the cruise.

SHOWROOM NEGATIVE:

The main showroom itself was a major disappointment. It is laid out like a movie theater, without a balcony,
with almost the same type seats. The seats were arranged approximately 20 seats in a row and very little
isle space in front of the seats. Mary & I usually order an after dinner drink while waiting for the show to
start. We were surprised to find there was no drink service in the entire showroom. If you wanted a drink
you had to get up and find the nearest bar and get it yourself.

Mary is rather short and I like to get her an isle seat, which lessens the chance of her being blocked out by
the person in front of her. We got an isle seat, but with this type seating, every time someone wanted to sit
in our isle, we had to stand in order for them to get by. It seemed every few minutes we had to stand to let
people in and then had to stand again when they wanted get out. The arm rests of the seats had a
retractable table on one side, to be used as a place to put one's drinks, like the airlines do. It really is a
Mickey Mouse arrangement. When the people who got their own drinks were finished, they usually put
them underneath their seats on the floor. There must be a better way. Princess sacrificed the normal
comfortably spaced seats and convenient cocktail tables when they eliminated the balcony and condensed
the seating to one level in order to accommodate more people. . Our first night's experience in the show
room left us with a very bad impression of the Princess Line. It made us feel they were willing to sacrifice
passenger comfort for a few additional seats. A very poor arrangement.

After experiencing the above negatives the first day of our cruise, I thought we made a huge mistake in
booking Princess. In fact, I told my wife that as soon as we got home, I was going to call our cruise agent,
Gari Senderoff of South Beach Cruises, and cancel the cruise on the Grand Princess we had booked for
May 7th, 2000. I'm happy to say, this wasn't necessary because of the 13 cruises we have taken in the last
3 ½ years, this cruise aboard the Sea Princess turned out to be one of our BEST.

DINING ROOM:

As I usually do, as soon as he was available I checked with the head Maitre `d to verify our dining room
seating. We always request a table for two. Unfortunately, our cruise agent for this cruise did not give the
dining room manager our preference soon enough and when we got our dining room assignment we were
seated at a table of 6. The line waiting to have their table assignment changed, was very long. When my
turn came, I explained my problem to the Maitre `d and showed him the fax that was sent, even though it
had the late postmark. As odd as it may seem the Princess table assignments are done in their home office
in California, which makes it very difficult to make many changes in Miami. The Maitre `d went out of his
way and arranged for us to have a table for two. He said it wasn't a very good location, but it was the best
he could do. I accepted it.

The dining rooms are the best laid out dining rooms we have seen on any of our past cruises. Princess did
an exceptional job. The tables are of varying sizes and shapes. Square, round and oblong. And they are
so arranged that they create separate, private, dining areas. Many of the tables have a glass petition
between them which cuts down on the usual noise. Very innovative.

FOOD:

The food is just average. The menu was generally weak, especially the first two nights. But despite this, we
eagerly looked forward to dinner every night. That is because we had a trio of help that made each
evening meal very special. Our waiter was Merito, our asst. waiter Rey, and our Maitre d` was Vincenzo.
Usually, we don't see the Maitre d` till the end of the dinner when he usually stops by and says hello and
welcomes us and makes sure you know who he is so he will get tipped at the end of the cruise. Not
Vincenzo! Our first night in the dining room he came by our table and introduced himself and told us he
wanted to make this trip special for us and to please let him know what he could do for us. My wife loves
pasta, so she asked Vincenzo if it was possible to have a little pasta as an appetizer. When Vincenzo heard
this his eyes lit up and he said to leave everything up to him.. Every night after that, Vincenzo cooked a
different pasta appetizer for us. He made Pasta Marinara, Pasta Puntenesca, Pasta Carbonaro, cheese &
meat Ravioli and on the last night he even made us an Antipasto. We couldn't believe it. We enjoyed the
pasta so much that we seldom finished our main course, which was just as well, because it wasn't that
good. Vincenzo, Merito and Rey gave us so much personal attention and service that we completely
overlooked the negatives and had a truly wonderful dining experience. In fact, the third night, the Head
Maitre`d came by and said he could now move us and give us one of the better locations in the dining
room, but we told him, no thanks. We were so pleased with the service at our table, we didn't want to
change. At the end of the cruise I gave Vincenzo the biggest tip I have ever given a cruise Maitre `d and he
deserved every penny of it..

Because of the special attention and exceptional service we received from our group of servers and the
overall atmosphere of congeniality of the dining room setting, we began to mellow and to see everything in
a different perspective. We have never seen a happier crew and it was reflected in all their actions.. We
noticed that every time we passed a crew member, wherever it might be, they would acknowledge us with a
smile. If we asked a question of one of them, they would eagerly respond and were very helpful. They
seemed to go out of their way to pamper and cater to us. This is really what cruising is all about. Being
pampered and catered too.

THE SEA PRINCESS:

The sea Princess is a beautiful ship. It has two stunning atriums with floating stairways and outside
elevators and all the many amenities that the newer ships have. The floating stairways intertwine with each
other and present the guests with all kinds of exciting and interesting views. One of the major differences
with other cruise lines, is how Princess use's these area. They use these areas as activity centers for all
kinds of various entertainment and as the focal point of the ship. Wherever we wanted to go, we first went
to the atrium nearest our level and then decided how we would get to our destination. As we did this, we
witnessed all kind of different activities going on. Sometimes, small intimate, groups of people being
entertained by Paul Burton, maybe singing the Gershwin classics or maybe some Broadway Show tune.
While on another level of the same atrium, a member of the entertainment staff would be hosting a game
quiz for a group of passengers. And then on another level, groups of people shopping at a table sale. And
on all the levels many beautiful seating areas where people can sit and relax while watching all the
activities. There is even a cappuccino bar on one of the levels. The atriums seem to be a meeting place,
like a town square, where people come to congregate and meet other people. On the last formal night of
the cruise at the Grand Plaza Atrium, a huge crowd gathered to watch, Maitre d`Hotel, Beniamino Acler,
assemble some 600 champagne glasses in pyramid form and then pour champagne into the top glass of
the pyramid, creating a spectacular champagne waterfall. The Atriums are truly two beautiful areas.

WHEELHOUSE LOUNGE:

Each evening before dinner, after walking to the main atrium and viewing all the scenes I have just
mentioned, we would then continue on to the Wheelhouse Lounge. This was a delightful lounge, appointed
in old style, deep rich mahogany panels, highlighted by soft over all lighting and low table lamps and a 10
ft. Model of an old ocean liner in a glass case. A really beautiful room and our favorite. We love to dance
and the duo of Phil and Nancy played much of the music of yesteryear that are our favorites. Nancy had a
great voice and played the songs people wanted to hear. We looked forward to going there each evening
before and sometimes after dinner.

THE HORIZON LUNCH AREA LOUNGE:

We seldom attended the usual Sock Hop night on past cruises. But we decided to join in on the Sock Hop
which was to take place in the Horizon Court. The Horizon court is the Sea Princess lunch room. It is a well
appointed room in a beautiful setting. At night, the central part of the room which has a bandstand and a
large circular dance floor is used for dancing. The music is furnished by Pele & Company, a very
accomplished and versatile group, that produced a very good beat. We had a great time and even joined
in dancing some rock' and roll, which we had never done. We can't believe we did it, but it was a lot of fun
and we had a great time.

THE ENTERTAINMENT:

I first must comment on the Cruise Director Alastair Green. We have been fortunate to have had a number
of top Cruise Directors on our previous cruises but none can equal the energy and creativeness and
enthusiasm of Alastair Green. He was dynamic. He seemed to be all over the ship. When you awoke in the
morning he was on the TV, with his staff member, Lucia, hosting a two hour wake up show. It was not only
remarkable that after seeing him at 1:30 in the morning that he was once again his cheerful and delightfully
amusing self, but you could tell he was totally enjoying himself. He always had just the right words when
introducing an act of when he was ad-lobbing or when he was performing. He is an exceptional talent and
he helped make our cruise memorable.

Needless to say, Cruise Director Alastair Green's entire staff was exceptional. He seemed to impart the
same enthusiasm to each and every member of his staff. We never saw any signs of one of his staff trying
to outdo the other. Everyone of them, regardless of what they were doing, worked as a team to do the very
best job possible to ensure that the passengers would have a great cruise. He should be commended for
molding such a productive & entertaining group.

THE PRODUCTION SHOW ‘GLAMOUR' in the main showroom were just average. We thought we would like
the second production show, ‘Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance,' because it was billed as the songs of famous
Broadway Shows and we very much enjoy listening to the hit tunes from the great Broadway Musicals.
Unfortunately, they really missed the mark. Out of the thirty some odd songs that were used, we only knew
four of them. The majority of the songs were not the hits that we know, but the secondary songs of the
musicals, that are seldom if ever heard. We mentioned this to other people to see if we were the only ones
who felt this way, and they all agreed with us that they didn't know the songs either.

THE VISTA LOUNGE: The Sea Princess has an alternate show room, called the Vista Lounge. It has
everything the main show room is lacking. An intimate setting, very comfortable seating, good drink service
and very good lighting and sound. Where we felt the production shows were just average, the single
performer acts were exceptional. If ever you have a chance to see Greg Bienheim perform, don't miss the
opportunity. He is a dynamic performer from Australia. Mary & I were privileged to have been in the
audience at the Copacabana, in N.Y.C. , when Tom Jones was at his very peak and we both feel that Greg
Bienheim is even more exciting. His voice is unusual in the fact that he can hit the highest of notes and the
lowest of notes with equal ease. And his selection of songs was very different and unique and most
appealing. He also played the trumpet and I do mean played. If you closed your eyes you would think you
were listening to Doc Severson. We feel he is one of the best single acts we have ever seen.

Another great act was Peter Matthews. He is really an off the wall entertainer. If you have seen his act you
will know what I mean. He is a comedian, juggler. For the first 10 minutes we thought him boring and crass
but as he continued on we became fascinated with his character. We realized not only didn't we know what
he was doing, but he didn't know what he was doing either and that was the strength of his act. He actually
made most of it up as he went along. Using the audience members and the isles and the walls of the room
as his props. He had a great wit and was very entertaining.

The comedian Glenn Hirsch also did a very nice job. He had a disarming delivery and was most enjoyable.

We should also mention that the Sea Princess has two show orchestras. One for the main showroom and
one for the Vista Lounge and they both were exceptional. A very talented group of musicians.

COZUMEL:

I am only going to mention one port, the port of Cozumel. We have been to the western Caribbean at least
six times in the last 3½ years but we have never gone into the shopping center, San Miguel. We enjoy the
beach and when we arrive in Cozumel we usually pay a hotel that has a pool and beach access and serves
food, for the use of their facilities. This time it was a little cool and we decided to go into town for the first
time. It was a delightful experience. We were really surprised at the beautiful shopping areas. We enjoyed
walking along the main street and seeing the many different Mexican items for sale. After awhile, just off the
main street, we came upon a beautiful indoor-outdoor Mexican restaurant. We sat outside in the tiled patio
area, with a number of Psalm trees shading the area, while a group of musicians, played romantic Mexican
music, serenaded us. It was a very special, romantic lunch. Mary purchased a beautiful hand painted
Mexican dress. We will again be going to Cozumel on the Grand Voyager this coming Valentines day. Mary
is going to wear her Mexican dress when we go ashore and we intend to have a wonderful lunch in the
same restaurant.

CONCLUSION:

When writing a critique I usually keep it very short. But with this critique I thought it important to let people
know of the exceptional service we received on our recent cruise aboard the Sea Princess. Speaking of
service I must mention our cabin steward Armando. He kept our cabin in immaculate order and catered to
our every need. They don't come any more efficient than this young man.

The caliber of service on this ship reflects mightily on Princess management. It is obvious from what we
observed that Princess puts a very high premium on training their personal in all aspects of catering and
pampering their guests. It shows in every area. Exceptional service converted a potentially dissatisfied
customer, like Mary & I, into an advocate of the Princess line. We are now eagerly looking forward to our
May cruise aboard the Grand Princess to the Eastern Caribbean.

If any of the readers of this critique has cruised aboard the Grand Princess and would like to share there
experience with us, please send an E-Mail to: tmilano@n-jcenter.com

Tom & Mary Milano

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