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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Deb Hiett Borgia
Email: borgia1@interport.net
Age: 35
Occupation: Web Site Manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 1/29/00
Itinerary: Western Carribean
Cabin: D332
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety:
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 99
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Feb 2000
Time: 20:54:12
Remote Name: 209-122-226-78.s332.tnt1.nyw.ny.dialup.rcn.com
Remote User:
Comments
My sister and I went on the Sea Princess on 1/29/00 to the Western Carribean. It was our first
cruise, and we couldn't have been more pleased with the whole experience!
The ship is stunning -- very classy and old world, with lots of brass and teak. The staff was
extraordinarily attentive and pleasant, but no one was the least bit pushy or obsequious. We had an
inside cabin, which was not claustrophobic at all. It was located on the Dolphin deck towards the
front of the ship. It was directly over the Wheelhouse Bar, and there was some noise from the bar
band, but it wasn't terribly distracting and didn't last beyond 1 a.m. Next time we'll try for a cabin on
the Aloha, Baja, or Caribe decks, which are nothing but staterooms.
I'd like to recommend the Bridge Tour and the Galley Tour, for anyone who is interested in seeing
"behind the scenes." We didn't take part in any "official" shore excursions, but we did go on shore
and do some shopping. Also in Cozumel we snorkeled at Chaukanaab Lagoon -- it was beautiful.
The dining staff was the best -- super professional but still fun. We had the impeccable service of
Ovidiu and Florin, both charming gentlemen from Romania. Most of the wait staff is male and
European. Overall, the staff is comprised of energetic folks from all over the world (but not too many
from America, which made it interesting).
All in all, the experience was great. The only complaint would be that they charge for all drinks (even
soft drinks) except coffee, tea, and tap water. We expected to pay for alcoholic drinks and bottled
water, but for the price you pay to cruise you shouldn't have to pay extra for Coke!
Name: Terry M. Weekly
Email: tweekly@home.com
Age: 54
Occupation: US Army Retired
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 22 January 00
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: P345/K
FoodDiningRoom: 96
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 89
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 94
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 96
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 97
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 96
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 96
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 89
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Feb 2000
Time: 15:57:27
Remote Name: proxy1-external.srst1.fl.home.com
Remote User:
Comments
This western Caribbean cruise visited Nassau, Ocho Rios Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Cozumel. It
is normally scheduled to visit Princess Cruise Line's private island, but for reasons never made
clear, we found out on arriving at our cabin that Nassau would be substituted instead for'technical
reasons'. As compensation, each person was provided a $50 shipboard credit, a very nice gesture
indeed by Princess Cruise Lines. Unfortunately, the ship arrived in Nassau on a Sunday and many
of the stores and shops were closed, which detracted from the on-shore experience. Of the
ports-of-call visited, Ocho Rios, Jamaica was pleasant surprise. We had heard many stories about
the 'in-your-face' tactics and 'drug problems' in Jamaica and were a bit apprehensive. While some of
the vendors were a bit aggressive at times, it was really no worse than that at most other caribbean
ports-of-call. And we found Jamaica to be an absolutely beautiful country that I would like to spend
more time in.
Positive Aspects: (1)The embarkation process was the smoothest, quickest we've ever seen. They
even take care of your shipboard credit before embarkation and issue each person a plastic credit
card-like ID card with your name and cabin number embossed and with a picture of the ship. If
nothing else, this makes a very nice lasting souvenier of the cruise. (2)Quality of the food and
service in the dining room was the best we've experienced on board ship. (3)The ship was
immaculate and the attention to detail was remarkable. The ship never seemed crowded. (4)Cabin
service was everything you could possible expect. (5)The Cruise Director, Billy Hygate, was
excellent and a polished entertainer in his own right. (6)Tours of the ship's bridge were offered
during days at sea. It was somewhat surprising to learn that a modern ship of this size is actually run
most of the time by only 2 officers plus 2 seamen as lookouts.
Negatives: (1)Our cabin was quite small(the smallest category on the ship). There was nothing to sit
on other than your bed and a single straight-back chair. (2)The cabin was also noisy at times.
Unfortunately, a crew passageway and some sort of service area ran alongside and behind our
cabin and those adjacent. We would often hear high heels clicking on the formica floor, muffled
voices and the occasional grinding of some sort of machinery being operated, sometimes even in
the middle of the night. This was without doubt the noisiest cabin we've ever had (sound-proofing
between cabins, however, was very good). (3)Other than in the dining room at meal times, there was
a charge for ice cream. Not that we really needed ice cream anyway, but this seems to be a very
petty thing that probably creates more ill-will than necessary. This is the first ship I've been on that
charged for ice cream. (4)The main Show Theater is not large enough to accomodate up to half the
passengers at a single sitting. To compensate, there are two different shows provided each night,
one in the main Show Theater and one in another large lounge. Half the dining room at each dinner
sitting is assigned to go to each show. The next night you see the show you missed the night before.
(5)The on-board shops are relatively small and limited in variety of merchandise.
In conclusion, this is our 6th cruise on 4 different cruise lines (Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America
and Princess). For our tastes, Holland America has been head-and-shoulders above the rest -- until
now! The overall quality of Princess service and friendliness of the staff throughout the ship are
superb. The food and service in the dining room are the best we've encountered yet. The Sea
Princess is a magnificent ship and to say we were impressed with the Princess 'product' is an
understatement. In our ranking hierarchy we now rank Princess as equal to or better than Holland
America in every respect except cabin size and ammenities (In our experience, Holland America's
smallest cabins are larger and better furnished than Princess'smallest).
Name: Janice Sullivan
Email: jsulliv2@stny.rr.com
Age: 38
Occupation: self employed - retail
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 02 12 00
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: A329
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 98
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 98
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 65
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Feb 2000
Time: 18:39:07
Remote Name: bgm-70-110.stny.rr.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise. I have to say its the 'best vacation' we've ever had. Being small business owners,
its hard for us to get away. I realized when we arrived home that it was the first time that we got away and
never 'once' thought or talked about work. That for us, made it truly relaxing. There is so much to do. If
you want to stay on the board (we talked to some people who didn't get off at every port) and relax you
could - but there was so much to do at each port that you couldn't get bored.
I did alot of research on this site so I hope to be as informative as I can to help those who read this.
The dining room was wonderful!! The service was first rate. If any of you are lucky to get Leo and July - tell
them the Sullivans said hello. And ask them to sing for you. The food was usually very good. I say usually
because one night mine wasen't that good - but, no-one can be on all the time. I do think they need a little
more variety. One night it was hard for me to find something on the menu (and I don't consider myself
picky). I can't say enough about the service - by the end of the cruise you WANT to tip them.
The other big highlight for us were the ports of call. I'm going to recap each port and what we did as I
found this to be really helpful.
Princess Cays was great. I really wasen't that excited about it. Haden't read alot about it on this site and
thought it would be boring. (my husband and I are not ones to just lie on the beach) But it was very
relaxing. I had read alot about the tenders being hard to get on - that you can wait and wait. Well, must be
they got some complaints and listened. We got down there early and they had a line and they gave
numbers. We waited about 5 minutes and they started calling out numbers. We were number 3 which
meant the third boat and we didn't wait more than 5 minutes. The island was very clean and there was alot
to do. The drinks were very good and I didn't feel like they bugged you (like I had read). Things I would
have done differently - I would have taken my water shoes (I've heard them referred to as Aqua-socks) as
without them you are restricted to where you can get in if as the coral bottoms could be hard to walk on.
OchoRios was our next port. We went on the Prospect Plantation & Dunns River Falls (Tour number B1). I
enjoyed the Prospect Plantations, but my husband didn't. My tour guide at the Plantation is Neil - and he
was funny. People at our table did the Highlights & Dunn's River Falls (tour A1) and they liked that as well.
So I think you would be ok with either of these. We really enjoyed Dunn's River but would really didn't have
any idea of what it was all about so I would like to talk about this in more detail. (Plus some people on our
bus were misinformed and therefore made some decisions they later regretted.) Dunn's River are
waterfalls - and you can do the 'dry-walk' as they call it which means you walk up the steps and look at the
falls or the 'wet-walk' - which means you walk up the falls. One thing our bus tour guide said is you couldn't
wear glasses. Many people went on the dry walk because of this. I however wore my sunglasses and had
no problem. You don't get wet unless you 'want' to get wet. People of all ages went up the wet walk and all
seemed to have fun. But water shoes are a must. Also make sure they fit well. I've had mine for years and
never had any problems but with water gushing down I almost lost mine several times. Couple things to be
careful of are -- take some small bills. If you do the wet walk your bus tour guide will turn you over to some
different people to be your guides. When you reach the top of the falls they stand at the top of the stairs
for tips. I felt I should tip them as they are quite accomodating and help assure your safety. I only had a
$10 and when I asked him for change he quickly took the $10 and said he would split it with the others. So
take some $1 bills so you're prepared OR if you're faced with the same situation do not give them the bill.
Ask for change and then once you have the change give him the tip. Next, I read about how the people in
the small shops hassle you. I was so afraid of this that we ran around them and wished later that we
haden't. If you want the Blue Mountain Coffee this is the best place. We had purchased some in the mini
mall that you'll stop at between the Plantation and Dunn's Rivers but it was cheaper here. They do hassle
you but nothing that I found scary. Nor did anyone else on our bus. Lastly, if you do the wet walk make
sure you know where the buses are going to be. As I mentioned earlier, you are handed over to another
set of guides. We were seperated from our group and when we got to the place where the bus tour guide
told us she would meet us no-one was there. I got somewhat nervous. We did find our bus and everything
worked out - but if I went again I would be more careful to know my own way and not rely on the guide for
assistance.
Grand Cayman was our next stop. We went to Stingray City on tour U1. My husband loved it. It took me a
while to decide that having stingrays all around me was okay. BUT I am glad I went. It's amazing and
something everyone should experience. Only negative I heard from anyone is that it is written up as
Stingray and snorkeling. You cannot snorkel as the water is not even waist deep but I did not find this to
be a problem as I wouldn't have wanted (or dared) snorkel with them. There were kids there that did quite
well. I did find that teenage girls tended to have a problem with this and a couple on our tour screamed the
whole time there so I wouldn't recommended families with teenage girls that are afraid of bugs or things of
that nature to go on this tour. But I am glad I went. I did touch a stinray before we left and they really are
gentle creatures and nothing to be afraid of. We went shopping (or tried to) at the end of the ashore tour
but found it to be VERY expensive.
Cozumel was our last stop and I have to say the tour we took there was the best. We went on Tour S 1 -
which was Cozumel Sail and Snorkel. I have never snorkeled before -- but it was very easy and I loved it. I
never got the hang of going under without swallowing water. But a little salt water was worth it! We went
snorkeling for about 45 minutes then they took us to a private beach. The entire way back and on the
beach the drinks were free. We didn't know this or expect it and it was a pleasant surprise. Not that we
drink alot but it was refreshing not to have them ask for your 'card' because the drinks were an additional
charge. Our table mates (at the dinner table) did the A1 tour and they loved it and found the drinks to be
free-flowing on this tour also. When we got back from the tour we met up with our table mates and went
para-sailing at a beach (wish I could think of the name of the beach). It was $45 per person and we were
up for about 20 minutes. That was great and I would recommend that to anyone! Shopping in Cozumel I
found to be great and alot of fun. It is true what they say about shopping. I found if you offer them 1/2 they
may not take 1/2 but they normally will come down alot from the price they originally ask for.
General comments are that the ship is beautiful. Very well maintained. All the staff was very friendly and
truly seemed to care about you and your needs.
The art shows are a 'must do' as far as I'm concerned. I don't know anything about art but we are from a
small town in upstate New York and haven't been able to find anything we like for our living room. They
had all types of art. Anything from an origial Normal Rockwell (which went for like $3,000) to things that
probably aren't worth much (but again, I don't know anything about art). But they were enjoyable. He told
you a lot about the pieces. We purchased three pieces and had them framed on ship and they will ship
them directly to our home. It was very hassle-free and would do it again.
We will go on a cruise again. My husband and I went by ourselves but were seated at a table of six. One
couple only came one night which left us with just one other couple but it worked out fine. We ended up
doing some things with them at the ports of call and we parted saying that we really want to keep in touch.
Its a great way to meet some great people from other parts of the country. We not only had fun but made
some friends at the same time.
I can't say enough about the cruise. It is relaxing. You can be pampered if you want to be day and night. I
would recommend it to anyone.
The only negative thing I can say is next time I would NOT let Princess make my travel arrangements. We
drove PAST a local airport for a plane that left at 6 am in the morning. We had to leave our house at 3
a.m. in the morning. We didn't arrive in Fort Lauderdale until almost 12 hours later. We have traveled to
Florida for vacation before and only ever had to make one stop but our comfort didn't seem to be the
issue when they made the reservations. Then on the way house we disembarked the ship at 8:30 and our
plane didn't leave until 6:30 pm. It truth it ended up okay as our table mates were in the same situation so
we took a cab to the beach and spent the day there (it was a great beach). So if any of you find
yourselves in this situation that is my recommendation to you. We flew US Air and we had no problems
getting our baggage checked in at the airport in the morning. Our friends however, we told that they
couldn't check their bags in until an hour before. They ended up finding a man outside the airport that
took their bags (he worked for the airlines) and they did safely get their bags when they arrived home. We
got into the airport at 11:30 pm only to find our car wouldn't start and it was against airport policy to
jump-start a car. The policy certainly isn't in Princess Cruiseline's control but it is certainly easier to deal
with this sort of thing during the day versus midnight. But, as I told my husband if that is our biggest
complaint then we aren't doing that bad.
All in all - it was a great cruise.
If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me I will do my best to respond. I found that
no-one responded to my e-mails (I sent two e-mails). Both people said in their write-ups to e-mail them with
questions -- I however, do truly mean it.
Couple last minute comments that I forgot to mention: 1) One last note to all you ladies - take an electric
shaver to shave your legs. Shaving your legs in those showers is a joke! 2) Take FORMAL clothes - when
they say formal - they mean it. Next time my husband is renting a tux (and he HATES to dress up.) 3) Look
at the jewelry in the shops on board - it is cheaper here than on shore. 4) You don't need to take alot of
clothes - you truly do live in your swimsuits and shorts (easy pull out ones) most of the time during the
day. 5) No need to take beach towels. They put fresh ones in your room every day -- same for shampoo
and lotion. 6) They provide a hair-dryer but if you have long thick hair like I do I would recommend taking
your own. It doesn't have enough power to dry your hair. 7) The toilets are LOUD!!! You're understand
when you get there - never got used to that. 8) They charge for pop - just be aware as it doesn't take long
for this to add up. What I did was go inside the buffet area and get some iced tea (which was free) and
drink that when I didn't feel like an alcholic beverage. 9) on days at sea if you want a chair better get down
there in the morning. They say you can't save a chair with a towel but people do. We could only find two
chairs free on the entire ship on the one day at sea.
Have fun and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did
Name: Andrew Ng
Email: sonicntails@yahoo.com
Age: 23
Occupation: Finance firm employee
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: July 31, 1999
Itinerary: Alaska-Seward to Vancouver
Cabin: C537/JJ
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 97
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 97
CabinAmenities: 96
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 97
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 96
DeckService: 99
ShoreExcValue: 82
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 97
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 98
EntertShowLounge: 94
OverallPortsofCall: 94
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 99
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 92
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Mar 2000
Time: 01:13:46
Remote Name: wtsam012241.netvigator.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was our second cruise ever and the first on Princess Cruises. I cruised with my parents, making our
group a total of three. Several friends and our travel agent had reccommended Princess. Since we were
visting Vancouver in July, we decided to add on a cruise. We were very impressed, and the experince
was significantly better than the one we had last summer, on Royal Caribbean's Legend of The Seas.
The ship was bigger and in my opinion less crowded, and the decorations of the public rooms were more
detailed. Service was about the same, being very satisfying.
Postive points: We had a very small room, C537 on Caribe deck, an inside category JJ stateroom with
three beds. The cabin was very comfortable, and although small, had lots of storage space. The only
negative about this room was that you could sleep for hours at a time without knowing it. The food was
better than any we had before, and had lots of varieties. The dining room food was the best, but the
Horizon Court buffet and the burger bar was also great. The food on Royal Caribbean's buffet area was
more' cafeteria style'. Enough said. Huge public areas were on the ship. The center of the ship is
obviously the atrium, which ran through the shopping and dining room area. Outdoors there were the
swimming pools. Entertainment: The cruise director was better than last year's, mainly because he paid
more attention to actually entertaining guests than just'doing his job'. The same comments go to the
cruise staff. There were plenty of activites and no one would ever get bored.
Now, the negatives. Charge for ice cream!? We thought this was ridiculous since most of the people we
met said all of the other lines served ice cream for free. And there was also a charge for soft drinks. The
charge for excursions was unbelieveable, we only took 2 tours for the whole seven day trip, a salmon
bake, and a helicopter ride. The variety was great though.
Port of calls: Departing from Seward, the first arrived at Glacier Bay and stayed there for a day watching
the glaciers. This was okay but not too exciting. Then we arrived at Skagway, where we took a helicopter
tour, which was fantastic. In Juneau we took the slamon bake, which had fabulous food and a short walk
to a waterfall full of salmon. We simply walked on foot in Ketchikan, exploring by ourselves.
Air sea program: We took the program for the flight from Vancouver to Anchorage. What we found a little
inconvinient was that we had to go first to, Seattle(in the oppoiste direction!), THEN to Anchorage.
However the flight on Alaska Airlines was enjoyable and comfortable. After the cruise we ended back up
in Vancouver, where we made our own arrangements for the flight back home to Hong Kong.
I certainly hope I could take another Princess cruise, and I would reccommend this ship/line to anyone
wanting an enjoyable cruise.
Name: Gary Suarez
Email: gsuarez@21stcentury.net
Age: 53
Occupation: Retail Store Owner
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: March 4, 2000
Itinerary: Princess Cays / Ocho Rios / Grand Cayman / Cozumel
Cabin: Caribe 220
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 93
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 Mar 2000
Time: 18:58:39
Remote Name: 24-148-22-78.na.21stcentury.net
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and I have cruised with Norwegian, RCCL, Celebrity, HAL, and Princess twice. Last year we took
Grand Princess, and this may have spoiled us. Sea Princess is a beautiful, very functional ship, but
Grand is Grand ! The other cruises were excellent, but Princess has a philosophy that they follow. It was
no different on Sea Princess. They will not allow you to be disappointed in anything. Every crew member
greeted you with a smile and greeting--from deck hands to ship officers. They are very low key in the
add-on areas, such as the casino, bingo, horse racing, etc. They announce the activities but don't overly
emphasize them. I am a true beliver in Princess. Specific comments by area follow.
The evening meals were perfect. Every meal was cooked perfectly and the portions were generous.
There are 2-3 fish selections, 1 fowl, 1-2 beef entrees. Where we think they fell short was in the dessert
area. They were very good, but not much chocolate. They were overly light, but tasty. My wife is very
health conscious; while they list healthy menus, they don't give the nutritional information for them, such
as calories, grams of fat, etc.
The cruise director, Billy Hygate, was the best I have seen. He was better than any comedian, and can
sing fairly well. He had a great stage presence, and excellent delivery. He had us rolling in the aisles. He
seemed to be around the decks a lot.
The cabin (veranda) was very functional, but much smaller than Grand Princess.
As I stated, the staff of the ship would not pass you without a greeting; it was not lip service, they truly
were happy. Captain David Christie was the most accessible Captain I have seen. He was out on the
decks occassionally, and even had a one hour interview with the cruise director with questions and
answers. He was personable and honest. The attitude and friendliness of the staff comes from him. He
will not allow mediocrity.
The food on the lido (Horizon Court) was the best we have had. Good variety, tasty, and warm. We had
breakfast and lunch everyday and they did not run out of anything.
Dining room service was as it was with Grand Princess, very professional and extremely competent. The
waiter was not overly personable, but an excellent waiter. Our head waiter, Domenico, visited us each
night and was very personable and friendly. Again, anything you wanted, they would accomodate--not
grudgingly, but sincerely.
I indicated that this is a good cruise for honeymooners. There were several on board. I say this because,
Princess will let you do whatever you want. There is absolutely no pressure to join in any activities unless
you want to. The attitude is: Here is what we have to offer--it is your vacation, do as much or as little as
you like. There are so many activities that you can't do all of them--or you can go lay in the sun all day.
The lounge entertainment was good, but I missed a good rock and roll band. There was a group who
played some rock, country, etc., but I am used to having a good oldie type band. They were all excellent,
however.
The facilities for exercise were good--plenty of machines, weights, classes, etc. But, there is only one
fitness instructor. My wife is a strong participant in this exercise thing, and she really didn't enjoy the
classes.
The show lounge entertainment was very good. The dancers, as on all cruise ships, are high energy and
very good. They do one hour shows with 8-10 costume changes with no breaks; I don't know how they do
it. The juggler, Pete Mathews, is certifiably crazy ! He is a must see act, believe me. Kamika, the comedy
dua, started out slowly, but ended up being very entertaining. He is an outstanding guitar player, if you
can believe that from a comedy group. Overall, I wouldn't miss any show--if for nothing else, Billy Hygate's
opening !
We participated in the air-sea program. They got us there very early on embarkation day--I even got
some sun time on Saturday. The embarkation and de-embarkation is the best ever.
I spent a lot of time on deck in the sun and the pools. I never had a problem finding a chair. My wife went
with me a few times, and we didn't have a problem finding two chairs together. I don't know what the
passenger/space ratio is on Sea Princess, but there definitely was no crowding.
I am a tough grader. I only get one week a year vacation, and this was very close to the most relaxed
week I have had. I had no real complaints. I felt relaxed from day one. I wish I was still there !!
Name: Jami H.
Email: bjhelvick@usinternet.com
Age: 24
Occupation: optometry tech
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: February 19-26,2000
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: EE - Outside
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 98
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 98
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 98
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 99
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 18 Mar 2000
Time: 17:42:58
Remote Name: usimsptc11-33.usinternet.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise, a 'belated honeymoon' of sorts. With nothing else to compare it to, we had high
expectations without really knowing what to expect. Needless to say, we were VERY pleased and are
already saving for our next cruise.
Our day began leaving very early in the morning on Saturday Feb 19. Since living in the Mid-West, we
have become accustomed to being nervous when it comes to flying in the winter time. Delayed and
canceled flights are a common occurance, and with that we decided to purchase the basic travel
insurance package with our cruise. (SMARTEST THING WE EVER DID!!) The big storm came 2 days
before we left, but unfortunately for our East coast neighbors, about 100+ people missed the ship,
despite the captain delaying our sailing by almost 2 hours. We actually arrived on the ship by 12:30pm,
and had the whole day to explore, until we left port at 8:30pm that evening.
Our room seemed cozy at first, but we had ample space to put our belongings and never felt crowded in
our room. We had a standard outside room with a small window (which actually is fairly large.) After
booking an inside room, and being bumped up to an outside room, we are eternally greatful. That window
made the biggest difference. The bathroom, is of course tiny, but the comedians at night had a fun time
making fun of the flushing of the toilets and 'soap the walls and spin' technique of taking a shower. But
once again, it was adequate, and we never had a problem.
Princess Cays, the private resort, is a beautiful place to be. For someone who has never seen turquoise
water, this was one of my goals in life. It was a nice day to just sit and relax, a fun day at the beach.
Ocho Rios, Jamaica, was an interesting port. We chose to do a Princess shore excursion, Yachting to
Dunn's River Falls. ($69 p/p), because of the things we have heard about Jamaica. Our tour was nice,
probably not worth the $138 we spent, but we got to see Jamaica without being hounded too much. Hint
about Dunn's River: the Fall's guide WILL be expecting a tip at the top, despite the fact that our Yachting
guide to us to leave everything on the boat while we go ashore. (there is no place to put personal
belongings if you choose to climb the falls, unless you trust the rickety old lockers they have on the
beach.) The Fall's guide will follow you everywhere until you give him some money. so, stuff a couple one
dollar bills down your swimsuit and hand them to him even if they are wet just to get him off your back.
Back on the yacht, at the end of the tour, the crew stand with tip boxes in hand. Be sure to have a couple
more one dollar bills on hand.
We did end up going into a little shopping area that Princess recommended for about an hour. After
seeing all the panhandlers, and people begging you to take their taxi for the two block walk, we had had
enough. The rest of the day we spent laying in the dun on the ship. Suprisingly, so did a lot of other
people. Jamaica is a BEAUTIFUL county with its lush mountainous green hills and its gorgeous water,
however, you can still enjoy the sights on the ship if you so choose. SHOPPING TIP: Enbroidered t-shirts
are super cheap here, and make great Christmas presents. I got 2 adult and 3 children's embroidered
shirts for $41. You need to bargain for everything, but they do accept the American dollar and travelers
checks for payment.
For those 100+ people who missed the ship in Fort Lauderdale, most of them met us in Ocho Rios. It was
fun to cheer the last 4 people aboard, as the captain held the ship again for 1 hour past the sailing time.
Grand Cayman was probably my personal favorite. A complete 180 degree difference when it comes to
feeling safe while walking on the streets. We had origanally planned on taking the New Waves Rays and
Reef Snorkeling ($58 p/p) shore excursion, but it was canceled at the last minute due to high winds and
strong current. We were disappointed, but apparently with those conditions, the rays don't like to come to
the sand bar, and we wouldn't get to see anything. We opted to just start walking. After shopping for
awhile, we decided to walk to Seven Mile Beach ($3 p/p taxi ride). After finally getting there, we really
wished we would have spent the money on a taxi. It was a long walk and we didn't have very good shoes.
The beach is AMAZING! It is just like looking at one of those postcards, except you are actually there!
SHOPPING TIP: Get all of your liquor here, with the exception of Kahlua and Taquila. (sorry, I can't spell)
We got a 1.75L of Bacardi light for about $15.50.
Cozumel was a lot of fun, too. Since our snorkeling tour was canceled in Grand Cayman, we opted to do
the Cozumel Sail and Snorkel shore excursion ($46 p/p). This was one of the highlights of the trip, as I
have never had more fun than on this catamaran. We sailed to a snorkling spot and were able to snorkle
for more than an hour. After we got back on the boat, out came the complimentary beer and margaritas
(the best I've ever tasted) and we sailed to their private beach. There we were able to play volleyball,
kayak, or float on floats, while an open bar on the beach tended to our thirst. For a change, it was nice
for all beverages to be included. At the end of the tour, the crew (very nice, I might add) had a tip bucket
and appreciated anything that you gave. Because we had so much fun and the crew was excellent, it
seemed like the right thing to do. So again, bring a couple of ones or at least a five with you when you
board for this trip.
Cozumel on shore was also fun. There are several little shops with all kinds of trinkets. All things in
general are fairly cheap here. My husband bought a nice leather wallet for $20. Again, put your
bargaining skills to work.
Here are some answers to question we had, but were never answered until we actually went:
AGE RANGE: The youngest person I saw was 1 yr old, the oldest was probably in their 90's. My point...a
HUGE age range. On this particular cruise we had over 300 children on board (under 17), this was
probably due to the effect that half the state of New York was on board, and the kids apparently have
'February break' this week (Feb 19-26, 2000.) I also saw a lot of families, however, you could see the
tension start to arise by day 5-6 for families who were starting to get on eachother's nerves.
ACTIVITIES/ENTERTAINMENT: The comedians were hilarious! However, when the daily newsletter
recommends that when a show is PG-16, please do listen. The broadway-type shows were a little cheesy,
but good in their own way. The costumes were wonderful and music was good. My husband really liked
the dancers... The only show I didn't care for was a gentleman from Las Vegas. He sang and woo'ed
primarily the more mature adults with his opera renditions and Vegas-type style/charm.
FOOD: I don't even know where to start...WOW! Unless you are accustomed to having all your meals
made for you with top notch presentation, this was a real treat for us. I tried things that I never thought I'd
get the chance to try before. Food is available 24 hrs a day, with different places to choose from. YOU
WILL NOT GO HUNGRY!
DINING SEATING: We opted for the first seating (6:00pm). We loved it and would do it again. We never
felt rushed and had plenty of time ashore. We saw the shows after dinner, and never went to bed on an
overly-=stuffed stomach. Second seating was 8:30pm. Some people preferred this seating due to having
more time ashore or seeing to ship leave port. They typically saw the shows before dinner. It's a personal
choice. With regards to dinner companions, we requested a table of 6, but were placed at a table for 4.
We did not know our dinner companions, so we were a little nervous. They ended up being 2 of the
people that met us in Ocho Rios, due to the bad weather in New York. We had so much fun, and I
thouroughly enjoyed their company. We actually looked forward to going to dinner and exchanging our
stories of what we had done that day.
SERVICE: I wanted to take my room steward home with me. Javier did an excellent job. I never once felt
threatened by having him in our room. He never touched any of our personal belongings, with the
exception of neatly folding up my curling iron cord after every use. The room remained spotless, along
with the rest of the ship. This ship is truly immaculate! Recommended tipping $3 p/p p/day.
Our waiter and asst. waiter were amazing! Catalin and Radu made sure they remembered our drink
preferences so we never had to repeat ourselves the remainder of the trip. They made recommendations
on dishes and were a real treat to talk with! We talked with our head waiter maybe twice during our trip.
He made special desserts with flair (literally). The matre 'D came to our table twice to introduce himself
and to tell us what he does. Other than that, we never really saw him. Recommended tipping: Waiter - $3
p/p p/day, Asst Waiter - $1.75 p/p p/day (we did more because he worked his tail off!), Head Waiter -
discressionary (most people tip about $20 per couple), and Maitre 'D - discressionary (if he did a special
service for you).
MONEY: Everything is charged to your shipboard acct. Your room key serves as a credit card of sorts.
The only money you need to bring along is that which you are going to spend ashore. The purser's desk
is able to cash traveler's checks. You can even charge your tips to your shipboard acct. If you give them
your credit card number ahead of time, you never have to stop at the purser's desk to settle your acct. It
will just be charged to your card at the end of the trip. A finalized printout will be delivered to your room
the morning of disembarkation. ALL PORTS TOOK AMERICAN MONEY! (Princess Cays, Ocho Rios,
Grand Cayman, Cozumel)
EXTRA COSTS: What's not included...Drinks, pop, bottled water, and ice cream from the Hagen Daaz
Shoppe. Drinks range in price from about $4.00-7.00 depending upon size. Pop is $1.50 per can.
Sundaes are about $4.75. There are a couple of shops on board that have little things you may have
forgotten at home, but they are quite spendy.
WHAT'S FREE: Coffee, iced tea, orange juice, tap water, and ALL the food regardless of where it comes
from. (Dining room, Rivera Grill, Room service, etc.)
CLOTHING: Since you spend the majority of your time in a bathing suit, bring a couple. Casual night
means no jeans or shorts. Semi-Formal means nice Sunday clothes. Formal night means either your best
Sunday clothes, or glitzy. There is quite a range on Formal night. The first formal night we saw more
sequins than the second formal night.
OTHER IDEAS: -Bring a back pack or a beach bag! You will want something to bring ashore that you can
stuff your beach towel/stuff in. -Bring a long shoestring or a whistle string. We saw several people punch
a hole in the corner of their key card and wear it around their neck. -Bring a travel alarm clock. There is
no clock in the rooms. -Bring a HUGE bottle of sunscreen. We saw people red as a lobster after the first
day...stupid when your on vacation! -Pack a set of summer clothing and a bathing suit in your carry on,
as we were on the ship 5 hours before our luggage was in our stateroom. Florida is awfully hot when you
have jeans on!
MISC: -There are hangers in the closet, along with a personal room safe. -No, you do not need a
passport, just a certified copy of you birth certificate to show at embarkation. -Princess gets your luggage
for you if you place their luggage tags on it. We never saw our luggage after we checked-in at the airport
until it showed up in our stateroom. Put a couple of those tags on it, in case one rips off.
Embarkation and disembarkation went fairly smooth. There is staff everywhere to help you if you look lost
or don't quite know what to do. It was truly the trip of a lifetime and I look forward to sailing with Princess
again.
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