princess-sea9

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: L. Zozulia
Email: hrsemassgr@aol.com
Age: 36
Occupation: business owner
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: oct 28, 2000
Itinerary: western caribbean
Cabin: e324
FoodDiningRoom: 94
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 94
FoodRoomService: 94
CruiseStaff: 93
CabinAmenities: 94
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 94
CabinQuietness: 94
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 93
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 97
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 79
LoungeService:
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors: 94
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 94
EntertShowLounge: 93
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 94
CruiseActivities: 93
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 96
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 94
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Nov 2000
Time: 20:13:24
Remote Name: spider-wi084.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

This was our first family cruise.This ship was beautiful, very clean and the people were very nice. I was
happy while at sea we were able to enjoy a dip in the pool at the rear of the ship only with only two
other people. I marked down the childrens activities because of while it was told to us prior to booking
on numerous occasions, our 2 1/2 year old would be kept busy in the center, it turns out because of
one person who happened to be the head childrens coordinator, she made no effort to help us. She
was concerned with the older children happiness as there was more of them. She made the weeks
activities far too advanced for my son to take part. The ball pit was almost always closed and while I
am on that subject it was not at all safe in the pit. Cement floors and no cushion should a child hit the
slide with his head. Anyway, my son was with to us nearly the whole time even for formal meals. I am
almost positive from the conversations of other care providers on board that the ridgidness on her
part was far and few between, perhaps isolated.

Other parents had complaints about her as well. The
kiddie pool had no access so we hopped over the rail so the little ones could use the pool while their
parents supervised them. This was OK. Kids stuff aside, it would be a great trip for older children and
adults without children. The tendering was very efficient and fast. We left ports on time and the
captain always gave a nice update. I was very happy to see that the staterooms had a carpet cleaner
in use and my room was done at least twice! I used the self serve laundry service on board and there
was very little wait. Bring change as the machine was out of coins. I hailed down a steward and he
made change for me quickly. Room service for breakfast was on the early side which we felt good
about. We were unable to see shows because of our son but we saw 15 minutes of the comedian. He
was great and a long time favorite with Princess.

My stateroom had a crib in it and although it was a
tight squeeze to get by by no means was our comfort in jeopardy. The outside room with a window was
just great and would request one again. The pillows were not stiff neck inducing and we slept
comfortably. We did hear banging from below us which woke us up and some of the others on ship.
This was 4 AM on one night. The other night it sounded like a sneaker in a dryer noise in the wee
hours. I did not hear other cabin occupants unless they were walking past the room. The showers
were hot and had plenty of pressure. The photographer was great and we had a wonderful family
photo where we all looked great. Aside from the children center trouble, we would love to go again. It
could be a very happy cruise on a beautiful ship with great personell and customers alike.

Name: LaVonda Koster
Email: kosterken@hotmail.com
Age: 46
Occupation: insurance agent
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 10/23/00
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: D320
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 98
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 80
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 96
BeautySalon: 80
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Nov 2000
Time: 18:25:20
Remote Name: tnt12-235.focal-chi.corecomm.net
Remote User:

Comments

This was our sixth cruise, but our first with Princess. We felt Princess was a step above of our previous
cruises, mainly with Carnival. The ship is beautiful, clean, and well designed.

The embarkation process on this line is amazing. We arrived by taxi, we had our own air arrangements
from Chicago, and we were on the ship within 15 minutes. Our first piece of luggage was already waiting
by our cabin door. Our steward arrived to introduce himself, and my husband immediately tipped him $10
and let him know that we like to sleep in and like to have ice in our room at all times. He smiled and said
he would take care of us.

We then went up to the Lido deck for lunch and to sit by the pool. The food on the buffet was very good.
My husband is on the Atkins diet, and he had no problem finding many protein choices. I love pasta, and
there were a number of choices in that area as well.

The pool deck area is big, and we never had a problem finding chairs together-even on sea days. The
first two days, the water in the pool was very cold. Later in the week, it was much warmer. I am not quite
sure how that happened because they drain the pool everyday. They had an island band every
afternoon, and they were really good.

We had late seating, and we are not sure we would do that again. Dinner was usually around 8:30, and
although service was quick-it was late when you left your table. The food was quite good. We tried alot of
different dishes and enjoyed them all. We do not eat desserts, so we would have cheese and fruit
instead.

I gave the beauty salon/staff the lowest ratings because the services were so OVERPRICED, and you
were submitted to a minimum of 15 minutes of a sales pitch for their various beauty products. It was really
annoying.

We did not do any cruise shore excursions because we have been on this itinerary before, and decided
to do things on our own instead. We shopped a little in each port, and then went back to the ship where
we had it basically to ourselves and a few others. It was so relaxing.

We enjoyed the bar/lounges on this ship so much because all of the bands/singers were good, and the
bars/lounges never seemed overly crowded.

In closing, we felt the staff were among the friendliest we have encountered and feel that Princess will be
our first choice from now on.

Name: Eleanor Siemens
Email: gesiemens@yahoo.com
Age: 36
Occupation: Office Manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: Feb 12,2000
Itinerary: Western Caribean
Cabin: B312
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 94
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 96
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 93
LoungeService: 97
TenderService: 99
GoodForSeniors: 99
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 97
WheelchairAccess: 99.5
ExerciseFacilities: 94
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 92
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 89
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 94
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 89
SpaceRatio: 92
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Dec 2000
Time: 14:04:25
Remote Name: ppp297.digi-t3.st-cath.niagara.net
Remote User:

Comments

My husband and I did a lot of research before choosing Princess for our first cruise. My Husband is a
quadripalegic, because of this we looked for ships that seemed to be wheelchair friendly. After looking
into a lot of different cruiselines and talking to travel agents, we decided Princess was the cruiseline we
would try.

We had the best vacation of our lives. From the time we arrived at Port Everglades to board the ship,
until it was time to get off the ship again 7 days later, Princess staff was always there to assist me
whenever I needed help. But, if I declined the help they stepped back and were there only if I should
need them. They didn't smother us.

Our stateroom on the Baja deck was clean and spacious. The bathroom was completely accessable
including a roll in shower. The only complaint I had to our room steward was the shower floor was very
slippery for myself, an able-bodied person, and he said they had no floor mats.

On one of the days at sea, my husband and I wanted to take a tour of the bridge. This we later found
out was the only place on the ship that is not wheelchair accessable. The door to the bridge is only 26
inches wide and my husbands chair is 28 inches. The staff was extremely embarassed about this, since
the pursers' office had indicated that there would be no problem.

Most shore excursions were really not an option for us because he is confined to a wheelchair. Taking
that into account, with more and more seniors and people in wheelchairs travelling, I assumed that the
shore excursion staff would have some suggestions as to an excursion that might be possible or at least
be able to tell me if there was a private taxi we would be able to rent. I found the shore excusion staff to
be very ignorant about wheelchair accessability of the islands.

Other than these two minor setbacks, our cruise on the Sea Princess was fantastic. The food was
always excellent and the staff friendly

Name: Calvin
Email: calcham@aol.com
Age: 39
Occupation: salesman
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 12/2/00
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: B508/BB
FoodDiningRoom: 97
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 96
FoodLidoDeck: 94
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 94
ShoreExcValue: 98
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 88
PrivateIsland: 96
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService:
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 98
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 93
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 94
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Dec 2000
Time: 14:39:34
Remote Name: proxy.gw.total-web.net
Remote User:

Comments

Sea Princess 12/2/00 Western Caribbean

For a sense of my perspective, let me give you an idea of my cruising history:

Feb 97 - RCI Monarch – I WAS HOOKED IMMEDIATELY Nov 97 –Celebrity Mercury Feb 98 – RCI
Grandeur Dec 98 – RCI Enchantment Dec 99 – Grand Princess Dec 00 – Sea Princess

In a nutshell, the Sea Princess was probably my finest cruising experience. It was partially influenced by
the fact that we traveled with a group of 8 family and friends. For those of you who have never done a
group cruise, let me suggest you try it because it absolutely, positively enhances the experience.
Wherever we went on the ship we bumped into our group members so we spent a great deal of time
socializing.

We traveled to Fort Lauderdale one day prior to sail, since we never want a canceled flight to ruin our
cruise experience. We stayed at the Marina Marriott because it is across the street from the port. I
enjoyed the stay though my wife felt that, for the expense ($139+), we should get more for our money.
There was no shuttle or free breakfast. I enjoy staying there because of the proximity that gives me a
nice view of the ship from the balcony where I can obsess over it. :)

Embarkation, grade: A- We embarked in about 20 minutes, no problem here. We note that Princess
doesn’t do the ‘white glove’ service that Celebrity provides in accompanying you directly to your cabin.
Princess simply has staff members that point you towards your cabin. This is perfectly okay for my
tastes, but I thought I would provide a little comparison. Our balcony was small but still almost perfect. I
had read all the stories about the tiny balconies on the Sea class ships, but since I was not expecting
much, I found the size just fine for my purposes. I am one who enjoys the fresh air and the open view of
the sea, but I don’t spend much time there. Despite this fact, I will always try to get the balcony.

Our room steward, Alfredo from Mexico, was excellent. He had a cheery personality with an excellent
sense of humor. He didn’t do the ‘animal puppet thing’ with our clothes, but he met all our needs
promptly. We discovered that they placed our group in rooms that were very close together and that
was great because anytime we left our room we would just knock on their doors and tell them to meet us
somewhere.

Food, grade A: Dining room: excellent. On one night most of our group felt that there wasn’t a great
selection, but I thought that if that only happens on one night out of seven, that’s great. I recall that on
our RCI cruises, there was at least 2 nights when I didn’t find anything that appealed to me. This is not a
huge problem since I am not a gourmet and I am perfectly comfortable ordering a steak or salmon from
the ‘always available’ menu. On Princess I always order a small bit of pasta as an appetizer and, as I
expected, I was not disappointed. I have absolutely no complaints here. Make sure you try the Beef
Wellington, Lobster, and Turbot—absolutely delicious!

The Horizon court was also excellent. I would compare it favorably to alternative dining options on RCI
and on par with Celebrity’s. One negative: The service at the Bistro was quite slow in the wee hours of
the morning. On the Grand’s Bistro the service was excellent, so perhaps this is not the norm. I thought
the food options were plentiful and I actually favor the 24hr dining there over RCI’s midnight buffet.

The trident grill and Lago’s pizzeria were quite good. Even the normal junk food like hot dogs and
hamburgers were great. I do prefer the Grand Princess Pizzeria to Lago’s because you don’t have to sit
down and wait for 10 minutes or so to get your personally prepared pizza. On the Grand, you just walk
by and ask for a couple of slices and you can go anywhere.

Service, grade A-: With the exception of the Bistro in the Horizon Court, I could not complain about
service anywhere. Dining room service, bar service, stateroom service, etc. were all excellent. I must
give a special thanks to my waiter, Reynold, who did such a good job especially when you consider how
many extra appetizers/desserts/entrees the group piled up. He also did a nice job of bringing extra
samples of items no one ordered, so that the group could it a try.

Entertainment, grade B+: Here is where I was pleasantly surprised. I had formed the opinion that the
production show entertainers were amateurish on Princess. This was a clear advantage that RCI had
over Princess. I formed this opinion about the singers and dancers from the Grand. However, the group
on the Sea Princess was terrific. Don’t miss Rhythms of the City! I would rank these particular
performers right up there with Royal Caribbean’s. The non-production talent was very good. I thought
the acrobat and Gaetano the magician were excellent and I thought the comedian, Dave Heenan, was
good, but not worth seeing 2 or 3 times. What I really enjoy most about Princess is the entertainment
options. I LOVED having 3 choices on the Grand and 2 choices on the Sea. I should also mention that
Graham Seymour was very funny. If you read the Princess Patter and note that he is hosting an event,
be sure to go there.

Ports of call, grade A: We had already traveled to each of the ports on prior cruises. The difference was
that we tried a couple of excursions and had a wonderful time on each. For my tastes, this itinerary has
the perfect ratio of port/sea days, which is 4:2.

Ocho Rios was great. We took an excursion mainly because I read that we would not get
solicited/harassed as much as we would if we had simply walked around. We certainly felt safe and
comfortable throughout. I thought the Prospect Plantation and Dunn’s River Falls excursion was
excellent, though a couple of our group members thought the Plantation tour aspect was boring…I
disagreed. I particularly enjoyed the part where a gentleman named Owen climbed a forty-foot tree and
opened a bunch of fruit on display. It was my first time climbing the falls, and for those who have never
done so, DO IT! It was the highlight of all the ports.

Princess Cays was simply a beach BBQ, which was very good. I’m not sure why I read rave reviews
about the BBQ, but what do I know? :) We had a great time playing ping pong, watching volleyball,
laying on beach chairs, and listening to the band music.

Cozumel was fun. We did a Mayan Ruins/Playa del Sol Tour and all had a great time. This is normally
not something I would enjoy but my wife talked me into it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can’t believe how
informative and interesting the lectures were! I was a bit concerned about eating and drinking there but
our tour guide, Gama, assured us that the drinks and food were prepared with purified water.

Grand Cayman was also a great deal of fun. However, we simply shopped and went to Seven Mile
Beach. Should you go to the beach, try a ‘Cayman Sunset’ drink. It’s very sweet, but also quite powerful.
They only put enough fruit juice in there to change the color of the drink. Good luck making it back to
the ship after a few of these. :)

The Ship, grade B: I thought it was beautiful and I loved it but found it indistinguishable from many of the
70,000 to 80,000 GRT ships. However, my wife thinks that I am the world’s most unobservant person, so
feel free to take my opinion with a grain of salt. My wife felt that the décor was considerably more
subdued than some of the recent ships we’ve sailed. I also loved the size of this ship. It seemed as
though the staff was just a tiny bit warmer than on the Grand and I found no crowds anywhere, with the
exceptions of the embarkation day lunch and the Captain’s Welcome Aboard party.

Overall, grade A: This was an absolutely excellent experience. In my relatively few experiences, it
doesn’t get much better than this. I am one of those types who, when I find something I enjoy, will do it
over and over again. I would sail this ship and this itinerary until I passed out from boredom but my wife
won’t let me, so I have to try new ships and new itineraries. :)

I consider this a ‘mini-review’, so I invite anyone who has questions that went unanswered to e-mail me
at calcham@aol.com. Personally, I tend to appreciate the reviews that are anal and are filled with a
healthy number of complaints/suggestions because I think they help me more in the decision making
process. After all, I’m a cruise addict and I know that I’ve enjoyed the cruises so much that I wish I could
sail several times a year, so I really don’t benefit as much when cruisers say how much they loved a
ship. I almost feel like I didn’t criticize this particular experience on the Sea Princess enough, but I’m
sorry, I just couldn’t find much to complain about. It’s WONDERFUL!

Calvin

Name: Bernard W. Mogil
Email: comfy1617@worldnet.att.net
Age: 70
Occupation: Retired
NumberOfCruises: 16
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 12/16/00
Itinerary: Princess Cay, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, Cozumel
Cabin: B503/BB
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 85
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 92
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Dec 2000
Time: 16:42:12
Remote Name: 139.tampa-15-20rs16rt.fl.dial-access.att.net
Remote User:

Comments

We booked this cruise with the Princess Line because of the great experience that we had on the Grand
princess the year before. Princess lived up to our expectations in almost every way. They started out by
informing us, about three weeks prior to sailing, that we had been upgraded from our outside cabin on the Baja
deck, forward to an outside cabin with a balcony on the same deck, but mid ships. All of the required paperwork
had been filled out and sent to Princess weeks before we boarded so there was no hold up filling in documents,
etc. Check-in was a breeze and we found ourselves on board and in our room very early. As our luggage was
still to be delivered we decided to have lunch and we went to the Horizon Court on the Lido deck. The buffet
being served there was as extensive and as good as we thought it would be, based on our experience the year
before.

We had multiple choices of hot foods or cold, lots of fruit and luscious deserts. After lunch we wandered
about the public areas of the ship, familiarizing ourselves with the locations of the lounges, theatre, casino,
shops, etc. By the time we got back to our cabin our luggage had been delivered so we unpacked. The cabins
are not large, but they are OK, and we had closet and shelf and drawer space left over. The ship provided two
luxurious terry robes, TV with three music channels, a hair dryer, a room safe and a refrigerator in our room and
I assume all of the cabins were similarly equipped. The balcony provided a bonus - the entire outer cabin wall
was floor to ceiling window space. The two dining rooms, the Neapolitan and the Sicilian (ours) were very nice.
The service and the food were excellent. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Breakfast and lunch
are open seating and chances are that you will get completely different waiters and assistant waiters than are
assigned to your dinner meals, but all were good even if they had not served you before.

We had several
morning and afternoon meals in the Horizon Court (buffet) and were pleased with what was offered. Getting on
and off of the ship at the various ports of call was never a problem. As a matter of comparison, when we were in
Cozumel we tied up opposite the Norwegian Wind. The Wind had one gangway out to accommodate their
passengers. The Sea Princess had three out and one of them was almost a straight ramp with very little incline
so as to facilitate passengers who would find stairs or extreme incline inconvenient. We didn't think that the
shows in the theatre were as good as those we had seen on the Grand. They were just Ok. We noticed several
years back that the singers wear the microphones on head mounts, which picks up everything that they sing and
is fine. We do however take exception to the volume that the sound people seem to think is necessary. The
sound levels would in almost every case be more appropriate to rooms two or three times the size that they are.
The shows in the Vista Lounge however were top notch and we made sure to attend all of those. The other
lounges offered music to listen and/or dance to and while we didn't go to Rocky's, the disco, it was full of people
every night and they seemed to be having a ball. We were amazed at how quickly we were disembarked. The
ship started passengers off at 8:00AM and were finished offloading people by approximately 9:15AM. The Sea
Princess lived up to our expectations in every area. We didn't think that the cruise would be as great as the one
we had on the Grand and it wasn't but it came close enough. We would definitely cruise Princess again.

Name: Wes (mainecruiser)
Email: aquarius@maine.rr.com
Age: 55
Occupation: motel owner
NumberOfCruises: 14
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 01/13/01
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: A412
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 99
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 75
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 99
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Jan 2001
Time: 19:11:31
Remote Name: sacome-cmt1-c3-66-30-1-144.maine.rr.com
Remote User:

Comments

SEA PRINCESS: sailing date - 1/13/01

The Sea Princess is a beautiful and well maintained ship. Walking around, day or night, there are crew
members washing, cleaning or polishing something. The day of sailing, the Sea was inspected and received a
score of 97, and the Captain, Andrew Proctor, commended his staff and crew for doing such a good job. All
the public areas, from the lounges and bars, the 4 pools, the theater, to the various restaurants were soft and
attractive. This used to be considered a mega-ship, but now, at 77,000 grt., she’s about the average size for
most of the newer ships. Outwardly, the Sea Princess looks like a hugh ship, but once on board, it feels like a
smaller one.

CABINS: Our cabin, A412 (cat. BA), is a balcony cabin. The size was a little small, but functional. There was
adequate storage for a 7 day cruise, but one might find space lacking on longer voyages. The bathroom
reminded this cruiser of the ‘soap-on-a-rope’ days; again, tight quarters, but it suited its purpose. The balcony
was also small, in comparison with the Grand Class ships, with 2 small, straight-backed poly chairs and a
table. There wasn’t much moveability, but all the balconies were pretty much the same size (except for
minisuites and suites).

DINING: We had assigned seating for early dining in the Sicilian Dining Room (Neapolitan being its twin, one
deck below Sicilian). Again, the dining room was very attractive and sectioned off to give it a bit of an intimate
feeling. Seating upwards of 1100 per dining room, one would expect some noise, and there was a little, but
not to a point of displeasure. It was mostly tables being bussed by the waiters and assistant waiters - kind or
normal restaurant noise.

The main dining rooms are open for breakfast, lunch (open seating) and dinner (assigned seating). But for
breakfast, we chose the Horizon Court buffet. The selections were plentiful, from fresh fruits and fruit salad, to
a variety of cold (1 hot) cereals and yogurts, pastries, breads, bagels, rolls, toast, meats, fish, potatoes,
pancakes, French toast, and eggs done 4-5 different ways, including fried, done to order, and omelets with all
the fixings done to order. For lunch, we frequented the bountiful buffet in the Horizon Court and every other
day had a pizza in Lago’s Pizzeria. Princess probably makes the best pizza afloat. Unfortunately for those
doing the Grand Princess, if you want a whole pizza rather than a slice, it costs an arm and a leg (Lago’s
suggested gratuity is $1.00 per person; GP’s cover charge is/was $15.00 per person). Then if you are still
able to eat, there’s always the Riviera Grill for hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, and the like. Princess
ships also have an ice cream bar, called Sundaes, but this is also at an added cost.

Food aboard the Sea Princess is excellent. We’ve found this to be true with all the Princess ships that we’ve
sailed. While RCI may be a step up as far as cabin accommodations are concerned, Princess wins the food
quality race.

ITINERARY: Princess Cays, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. Princess Cays is, by far, the nicest
beach day a cruiser could have. Princess Cruises is constantly improving and expanding this ‘island
paradise.’ It is clean, has plenty of sun and shade, ample lounges, water sports and toys to rent, water
coolers spaced thoughout, open showers, clean restrooms, some shops and local vendors, and a nice BBQ in
the early afternoon. Once it gets started, tender service to/from the ship runs every 10-15 minutes. We didn’t
get off the ship in Ocho Rios because of its reputation, so we used this as a day at sea. And since we’ve been
to Grand Cayman and Cozumel several times, we didn’t do much here either - just shopped for lightweight
cotton clothing, i.e., Bye-Bye, Peer, Miro. But, for first-time cruisers, or those who haven’t done them, we’d
recommend these tours: In Ocho Rios, the Dunn’s River Falls and/or rafting down the Martha Brae. In Grand
Cayman, we’ve done, and enjoyed the ‘See and Sea’ tour, Stingray City, and the semi-submarine. In Cozumel,
we’ve done the tour for San Gervasio Ruins and Playa sol Beach, and the Cozumel Beach Break at the Reef
Club Isla Cozumel. Other cruisers have raved about the Tulum Mayan Ruins.

There are always a bump or two with any vacation or cruise. This one was no exception. Days 1, 2 and 3 we,
as well as many other guests and crew, experienced foul air coming from the air conditioning system. It
smelled like a sewer backup. After numerous complaints from us and others, including crew members, the
problem was rectified sometime Tuesday. It took awhile, but they finally got some good air circulating again.
The only other minor blips were our waiter and assistant waiter. We can’t say they were bad, but probably just
average, or so-so. It was a bit of a letdown coming off two pleasurable experiences with the dining room staff
on the Grand Princess. Members of the Princess crew that did shine, were our cabin steward, the Cruise
Director (the youngest we’ve seen so far) and his assistants, and the casino staff. And everyone had a
genuine smile and friendly hello. Another change that has been made with Princess policy is they don’t sell
liquor in the on board shops for in-room consumption. The least expensive way is to purchase liquor at kiosk
in the port terminal and on the islands.

EMBARKATION/DISEMBARKATION: Princess has this down to a science. They start boarding guests close to
noon, and as long as people have all their paperwork ready, it’s as smooth as silk. The same is true with the
end of the cruise - everyone leaves the ship according to color luggage tags and move on down the gangway
in an orderly fashion.

The Sea Princess was a pleasure we wouldn’t hesitate cruising her again. We’ve done one of her other
sisters, the Dawn, but have yet to try the Sun or Ocean. Some day. There’s still plenty of time.

If anyone has any questions or comments, feel free to reply. We always say, the next best thing to cruising is
talking about it.

Wes & Barb Carter 14 cruises ........ and counting aquarius@maine.rr.com

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