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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Mike & Renee Hall
Email: thehalls@elite.net
Age: 50s
Occupation: teacher/travel agent
NumberOfCruises: 15
TravelAgent: Yes
Ship: Princess-Sun
SailingDate: Sep 9 1999
Itinerary: Alaska voyage of the glaciers
Cabin: II
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 98
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 86
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 86
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Oct 1999
Time: 16:10:14
Remote Name: modem197.atw1.elite.net
Remote User:
Comments
REVIEW OF SUN PRINCESS ALASKA "ROUTE OF THE GLACIERS" VANCOUVER TO ANCHORAGE
SEPTEMBER
6, 1999 REVIEW BY MIKE HALL For our Fifteenth cruise, my lovely wife Renee recommended
that we return to a
voyage she took the year before on a Travel Agent familiarization trip. She had loved her
cruise on the "Sun
Princess" so she decided to take me along this trip, as well as inviting our daughter
Andrea and her gentleman
friend Sam to go with us. We elected to fly from Sacramento to Seattle the day before. We
stayed in an airport
hotel, and after a nice complimentary breakfast took the shuttle to the airport, where we
received boarding passes
for the Princess bus to Vancouver. Boarding proceeded rapidly and smoothly and we had a
scenic 3 hour bus ride
to the port in Vancouver. Embarkation was easy, but involved standing in two rather long
lines which were not
moving very quickly. It took the best part of an hour to get through the two lines, get
our picture taken and get on
board.
Our cabin was a standard inside cabin on Riviera deck, Category II. It was about as
small as any cabin we
have ever had, but was nicely laid out and well equipped. The beds were made up as a
queen, which was kind of
awkward getting around, so we asked the cabin stewardess to make them as twins and were
promptly
accommodated. We then proceeded up to the embarkation buffet, which was the beginning of
many wonderful
meals! The buffet is lavish, beautifully laid out, and has almost everything anyone could
want from cold cuts and
cheese to various imaginative salads to hot dishes. Water, juice, ice tea and coffee are
free. Shortly before
embarkation we went and sat in the Wheelhouse Lounge in our life jackets and watched a
demonstration of how to
put them on. This "casual" sort of boat drill, without ever going near a boat,
seems to be the way of doing it on many
lines these days but is still a bit of a surprise to us. We found an excellent spot in the
Atrium bar, looking out over
the four story open Atrium. We were to inhabit this favorite spot quite a bit for the
whole trip, and the waitress
quickly learned our names and preferences.
After cocktails the dinner chimes rang. We were on first seating and
found it to be very convenient and never rushed for the trip. Our waiter Carlo was
excellent, and our assistant waiter
Moses was even better than excellent. Sam likes lemon in his ice water, and after the
first night we always found a
little bowl of lemon slices on the table. In fact all of us at the table picked up Sam's
habit by the end of the trip!!
What can I say about the food? It was universally wonderful. I like seafood and had many
treats, from crayfish tails
to crab legs. One night I had two lobster tails, and Carlo kept offering more lobster!
When does that happen in a
shoreside restaurant? Renee likes red meat and she got lots of rare beef with some veal
and lamb now and then.
There was always a low-cal menu, as well as a vegetarian menu available. The next day was
a day at sea, so we
slept late-ish and went up to the buffet breakfast. Again we found the breakfast lavish
and well done. There were all
the standard breakfast dishes including omelettes and eggs done to order, as well as
toast, muffins and bagels
toasted on demand. In fact after trying the dining room on later days, we decided that for
breakfast we preferred the
buffet. Then we tried the ship's Trivia contest but alas did not win this day!
There were many other activities, and
the four of us sort of split up and went from place to place trying all the interesting
activities. I particularly enjoyed
the presentation on salmon, run jointly by the naturalist and the executive chef! First we
had the life history of
salmon and then we had salmon croquettes to sample!! Lunch in the dining room was very
good. There was almost
always a salad, a pasta dish, a sandwich and two or three other interesting things on the
dining room lunch menu.
In general we like to sit down and be served so we were very pleased with lunch. Tonight
was the Captain's Cocktail
Party and the first formal night. The party is held on all four stories of the Atrium and
are quite a glitzy affair, with
everybody in their best clothes. Almost all the gentlemen were in dark suits, those of us
in tuxedos were probably
only about 10%. Quite a few of the ladies were all gussied up in nice long formal gowns,
though. There was
entertainment every evening. In fact there were two shows every evening, which were
supposedly divided according
to which dining room you were in, but I never saw anybody check tickets. The large theater
style showroom was for
the big glitzy shows, including the famous Pirates show. They were universally very good
of their kind and featured
some very active young folks singing and dancing! The smaller lounge style showroom was
for the individual
entertainers and was more cozy. They had a comedian, a pianist and a violinist in there.
Also, the night in Skagway
they picked up a local entertainer who sang local Alaskan songs (he said "We are not
being Politically Correct
tonight, we are going to honor miners, fishermen and railroads!")
The next day was in Ketchikan. We tried breakfast
in the dining room, which offered some more complete menus such as Eggs Benedict, but as
noted above we really
decided the buffet was just as good for breakfast. We were on the Heritage and Totem tour
from the ship. The
weather was drizzly and gray, but the bus driver provided umbrellas when needed. We went
to the Totem Heritage
Center, which is very interesting. My wife had to be dragged out of the gift shop. Then we
went to the spot we
consider the highlight of Ketchikan, the Totem Bight State Park. Besides a dozen or more
totems this site contains a
reconstructed longhouse of the Tlingit people. It is a very interesting thing to see. In
Ketchikan Andrea and Sam
took the Saxman Native Village tour from the ship and said that it was also very
interesting. On returning to the ship
we tried another Trivia contest and this time we won! The four of us make a good team for
trivia! We all got
Princess key chains. The next day was in Juneau. Renee took the ship's Rain Forest Hike
tour, which she enjoyed
very much and shot up an entire roll of film on interesting plants. Sam and Andrea caught
the city bus to
Mendenhall and had a good time.
Then in the afternoon, while Sam took a helicopter flight, Renee and Andrea and
I went on the Wildlife Cruise. Unfortunately we got on a different bus from Andrea and
wound up on different boats,
but that was OK ... we got to see slightly different sights. The tour was the ship's shore
excursion, and the operator
was Allen Marine. The weather was gray and rainy, which was good because the animals seem
to like it. First we
cruised among the small islands which teemed with eagles. We saw many eagles sitting in
the trees, and quite a few
on the wing. The boat swung in very close to a big nest, and we spotted both parents
sitting nearby, and with a little
more looking saw the almost grown juvenile near them. Then we stopped near an island which
harbored a whole
herd of Stellar Sea Lions. There were females with young, and patrolling the beach in the
nearby water were the big
males. This is the species which earned the name Sea Lion by its roars and the prominent
mane of the male. The
California Sea Lion male does not have nearly such a mane. This was a high point of the
tour. Then we went into
the pass where the whales often feed. Even the Naturalist was impressed that we wound up
seeing EIGHT
humpback whales in four different groups.
We got very close to one group ... the rule is that the boat has to stay
100 yards away, but if the whales come close to the boat the boat can stay still and let
them. So we sat in the water
while a group of three whales came quite close. We also saw a Dall's porpoise, and some
folks saw a harbor seal.
Andrea said on her boat they saw three harbor seals quite close, which was a treat for her
since she is a seal lover!
All in all we were thoroughly pleased with this shore excursion! Back on the ship we met
with Sam who reported that
he had a very interesting time on his glacier landing. The next day was Skagway. Following
advice on AOL's
cruising board, we had reserved a Rental Car with Avis. We found that it was very easy to
get to the rental car office
... there is a small shuttle that runs from the dock to town for a buck, and it drops you
off half a block from the
Westmark hotel where the cars are. A Buick Century cost us $60 a day and easily held the
four of us, thus being
quite a savings over the cost of the ship's shore trips!! First we went to the Gold Rush
Cemetery, where Soapy
Smith and his killer are both buried. We saw the shops and yards of the Railroad near
there. Then we started up
the pass, paralleling the White Pass Railroad on the opposite side of the valley. The
scenery is beautiful and there
are many, many stops for photographs ... including a great shot of the Railroad going up
the other side. We took
our time and stopped a great deal at our whims, a big advantage over the train or bus
trips. We had considered just
going up to the summit and turning around, but when we got there we were enjoying the
scenery so much that we
decided to go on into Carcross. About the time we crossed into the Yukon the weather began
to brighten up and by
the time we got to Carcross it was showing a lot of blue sky and sunshine between the
clouds. We drove around the
little town of Carcross (didn't take long) and then went on out to Frontierland where we
found the tourist busses had
all left already so we had the place to ourselves. We had sandwiches and home made soup in
the little restaurant,
of course visited the gift shop, and then went on a few miles past Carcross to the
Carcross Desert (the world's
smallest desert) and Emerald Lake. Then we turned around and drove back to Skagway.
Driving straight without
photo stops it is only 1 hour 20 minutes Carcross to Skagway, but the whole trip took us
almost 7 hours with
stopping for photos and sightseeing. We turned the car in, spent about an hour wandering
around downtown
Skagway (all eight blocks of it) and got back to the ship in time to win another round of
Trivia! We got Princess
luggage tags this time. That night at the dinner table the ones facing the windows
suddenly hollered out "There's a
whale!" We all turned to look and sure enough there was a humpback whale cruising
alongside us right outside the
dining room windows. The next day was Glacier Bay. Having been there twice before, Renee
and I were quite
prepared for a spectacle, and we were certainly rewarded with the glaciers looking just as
magnificent as we
remembered. However, this trip there was an extra surprise. As it was after the first of
September, the ship was
allowed into the left arm of the bay, where the seals have their pups. The season was
almost over, and most of the
mothers had gone out to sea, but there were a lot of almost-grown pups still resting on
the ice floes! We saw literally
hundreds of them, lounging about, occasionally dropping off the ice for a little swim. Our
seal-loving daughter was
very impressed. In that arm of the bay we also saw the seldom visited Johns Hopkins
glacier. Then we went into the
right hand arm of the bay to see the more famous Marjorie and Grand Pacific glaciers. It
is probably the greatest
thing one can do from a cruise ship and has to be experienced to be believed!!
Unfortunately, immediately upon
leaving Glacier Bay the wind picked up to force 7 (light gale) and the seas increased to
category Rough (8 to 13
feet) which the crew said was the roughest water they had seen all summer in Alaska. Many
people including all
three of my traveling companions did not make it to dinner that night. In fact there were
only three people at our
table of eight, and one of those restricted herself to light soup and green apples
(supposed to be good for that...?)
However by the next morning it had passed and every one was feeling pretty chipper again.
The next day was in
College Fjord which I suppose is pretty interesting with a dozen or more glaciers, but
frankly I was not impressed
and just treated the whole thing as a day at sea. Activities included another cooking
demonstration and the galley
tour. We took another shot at the Trivia contest and won for the third time!! Keychains
again. Bright and early the
next morning we arrived at Seward. The ship actually docked about 4 AM and disembarkation
began about 6:30.
You had colored luggage tags according to your flight time. Since we were pretty far down
the list, we planned to go
up to breakfast at the buffet about 7:30 and get off after that. However, listening to the
announcements we realized
that they were working down the list pretty fast, so we got to breakfast by 7:00 and our
group (flights out of
Anchorage after 3 PM) was called about 7:30. We gathered up our luggage and got in line
for Alaska Airlines (which
I felt was a little longer line than it needed to be ... I didn't quite see why we had to
hurry off the boat to wait in that
line ...) and checked our bags through to our final destination. Then we got on the bus
and were off for the 3 hour
trip to Anchorage. We took a rest stop half way through at the Alaska Big Game Park, where
they had elk, deer,
moose (male and female and two calves), musk oxen and a little black bear. When we got to
Anchorage about
noon, the bus driver asked if we wanted to go to the airport or the Princess hospitality
center downtown. We, and
several other people on the bus, opted for downtown. Princess had quite a hospitality
center set up in the
convention center, and we were able to check our carry-ons and explore Anchorage a bit. We
had a nice lunch at a
Chowder House (I had the Alaskan Salmon Chowder ... it was good ... but the others settled
for Boston Clam
Chowder!) Then the inevitable gift shops for a bit, back to the hospitality center and on
Princess' free shuttle back
to the airport. My final summation: this was absolutely the BEST of all the cruises I have
ever been on. Princess is
our new favorite cruise line!! I cannot say enough about the food. It was wonderful in
every way. Our dining room
waiter was great, our assistant waiter was fantastic, and our cabin steward left nothing
to be desired. The bar staff
was always ready, the cruise staff was always smiling and helpful, the shore excursion
staff was friendly and helpful.
The entertainment was good of its kind. The shore excursions were everything they were
advertised to be. All in all
it was absolutely a great trip! For more information, e-mail thehalls@elite.net.
Name: Marlo & Lloyd Wilson
Email: vtecspd@gateway.net
Age: 31 & 30
Occupation: Homemaker
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sun
SailingDate: 11/20/99
Itinerary: Panama Canal
Cabin: A403 Cat. BA
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 89
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 92
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 93
FoodVariety: 94
DeckService: 96
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 99
CasinoStaff: 93
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 89
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 89
Casino: 92
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 98
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 28 Dec 1999
Time: 15:39:41
Remote Name: 1cust230.tnt37.chi5.da.uu.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise and except for all of the excellent information we got from
cruiseopinion.com, we
really didn't know what to expect. We arrived in Acapulco on a federal holiday so the
immigration office was
understaffed and getting through was a bit time-comsuming. But once we got through it, we
were amazed
with the efficiency of how our arrival was handled. The bus brought us to the ship's
terminal and in a matter
of a few minutes, we were boarding the beautiful Sun Princess. The organization of the
Princess staff at the
terminal was very impressive. We only had to wait about 30-35 minutes for our luggage to
be delivered to
our stateroom, and on a ship of her size, I thought that would be impossible.
Walking around the ship and getting acquainted with the layout, you'll notice that
everything is impeccably
clean. But during the cruise, we noticed that there's always somebody cleaning something,
somewhere.
Our stateroom was, as I've read here before, small but adequate. It's true about the
bathroom; you have to
step out to change your mind. We were in Aloha 403 and located directly by the elevators,
which was quite
convenient, and even though the elevators were right there, we could barely hear them. But
for the little
amount of time we spent in our stateroom, it suited us well. One thing I must mention. The
verandah was
definitely worth the extra money. Especially if you're going through the canal, you won't
have to fight the
crowds on the forward decks to be able to see. And some people like to pull deck chairs up
to the railing,
so get there early if you're going.
The restaurants were all very nice. Verdi's Pizzeria was our personal favorite. My husband
and I ate there
seven times during our ten day cruise. The Horizon Court is also very good; selection and
variety is good
and the food is very tasty. Especially breakfast. Rendez-Vous, the caviar bar is worth
checking out, if you
like caviar that is. We were seated in the Marquis dining room and were very pleased with
every aspect of
it. Our waiters, Peter and Robert, were very attentive and friendly. They really do cater
to your every want
and need. In advance of Lobster night, the last formal night, I jokingly told Peter I
REALLY liked lobster. He
actually reserved three for me and I ate every bite. Little things like that really make a
difference. The food
in the dining room was very well presented and everything that I ordered I liked very
much. In advance of
our cruise, we ordered a special occasion package that included a champagne breakfast in
bed on the
morning of our choice. It was the only time we had room service. Althought it was served
timely and looked
good, it just wasn't very warm and the milk wasn't very cold. It's more worth it to go up
to the Horizon Court
and bring your food back to your stateroom.
Princess staff members is what really made this cruise the best vacation it could ever
have been. It's
amazing that everyone is in a good mood every day and so willing to do whatever it takes
to please. From
the cruise director, to the Purser's staff, the our cabin stewardess. But if you think
about it, can you think of
a better place to work?
Shooting Stars, the disco, was a great time. It was always hopping and the music was
great. The people
that hung out there were much younger than the average passenger, which was about 60-80,
so the music
was all 70's, 80's and 90's. We went to the casino a couple of times, but unfortuately
didn't win anything.
We avoided the slot machines and went straight to the roulette and blackjack tables.
Although we didn't
win, we were able to play for quite a while and had a good time. Too bad it's not like Las
Vegas. The
alcohol isn't free when you're gambling. Another part of the package we bought was a visit
to the spa. We
both chose the facial over the message and it was worth it. They recommend products, which
are not by
anyone's definition cheap, but they do not push them.
Overall, the ship met and exceeded all of our expectations. It was beautiful, clean,
spacious and
comfortable.
Our itinerary included stops in: Costa Rica, Panama Canal Passage, Columbia, Aruba, St.
Thomas and
Puerto Rico.
In Costa Rica, we selected an Eco-River Tour that took about 2 hours and worth the money.
We saw a lot
of wildlife, including crocodiles, various birds and even an anteater.
The passage through the Panama Canal was the highlight of the cruise for me. It starts at
about dawn and
lasts until about 4:00 pm, so when people say wear sunblock and a hat, they mean it. The
sun was very hot
and there isn't much of a breeze, so be careful. It was quite interesting to learn that
the captain must
release control of his ship for the passage.
While it's neat to say that we've been to Columbia, we're still wondering why we stopped
there. We didn't
take a tour, but we shared a van with a bunch of other people to go shopping. It worked
out well. For $15
per person, we were given two hours to shop, and we had a guide who took us back to the
ship via the
scenic route. We got to see old Cartegena which the people on the big buses didn't get to
see because the
streets are too narrow. A word of warning for shoppers. The street peddlers are worse in
Cartegena than
anywhere I've ever been. Be prepared to be bombarded constantly.
Aruba was a place we'd like visit again. It was tropical and pretty, just what a Caribbean
island should be.
We took the See and Sea tour and liked it a lot. The Casibari Rock formation lets you see
the whole island
and the Natural Bridge is a must-see. If you have time, stop by Carlos-n-Charlie's, which
is right by the
dock. It's a restaurant/bar with great music and a very fun atmosphere.
It's true that the shopping in St. Thomas is great. We found a camcorder for a very good
price and the
jewelry is worth checking out too. We rented a jeep and drove to Magen's bay on our own
which was great.
We got there at 8:30 in the morning and got some great photos of the beach while it was
still deserted. We
took the seaplane adventure which was awesome. We flew over all of the islands in the area
and saw some
of the most beautiful beaches. I nearly got airsick because the pilot does a lot of
banking to give everyone
a great view. It was my first time on a small plane and it was quite bumpy too. But
overall, worth it.
Our final destination was San Juan. We had an early tour booked so we were one of the
first people off of
the ship. It was nice that we still had time for breakfast. Disembarkation starts out with
the best of
intentions, but seriously went downhill once we left the ship. All luggage from the ship
is off-loaded and
placed into a large warehouse thing. It's all color-coded so you think it'll be organized.
We walked into this
large room with about 200 other people to look for our luggage. All the bags were in the
same spot, almost
on top of each other with very little room to move around. It was a complete madhouse.
People were
walking all over one another with absolutely no regard for each other. It's as though they
all forgot we just
spent 10 wonderful days together aboard the Love Boat and now it was like the running of
the bulls.
The few things that were not perfect were not enough to spoil our vacation. It was by far
the best vacation
either of us had ever had. It's true when people say that cruising is adicting. We are
looking into our next
cruise with Princess, but we're waiting for the new Grand Class ships to start sailing
with the Hawaii-Tahiti
itinerary. Grand Class cruising was the most incredible adventure we've ever had. The Sun
Princess is
truly a class act from stem to stern and everything in between.
Name: Mike Reynolds
Email: w0kie@home.com
Age: 57
Occupation: CPA
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sun
SailingDate: Dec 21, 1999
Itinerary: Classic Caribbean
Cabin: A327 BB
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 50
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 Jan 2000
Time: 16:11:12
Remote Name: 208.5.112.2
Remote User:
Comments
Summary: A great Christmas cruise to St. Martin, St. Lucia, Barbados, one day at sea, St.
Kitts, St.
Thomas and San Juan. Perfect weather. I'm planning to be a Princess cruiser forever.
My benchmark for comments on this cruise was a previous Alaska cruise on the Sun Princess
three years ago.
Kudo's: Food quality and service in the dining room was near perfect. Italian fare is the
Princess
specialty. Pizza in the pizza place was great. Tenders were fun to ride in. Loved our
cabin veranda.
Very stable ride except for first night with stablizers likely turned off to gain speed.
Met a lot of
really fun people and one crazy. Very interesting ports of call. Some ports were damaged
by
recent hurricanes. A lot of island poverty mingled with expensive resorts was noticed.
Chris, the
ship port director was knowlegable and really full of fun. The Sun Princess is a really
great ship.
Internet WWW on board cost $7.50 for 15 minutes which was enough time to get and send
email
from the middle of nowhere. Good movies. Lots of activities. Cheerful British
administrative staff.
Very good value cruise. Heard that Princess was booking passengers on this cruise at $695
each,
airfare not included. I paid a lot more than that.
Very Minor Gripes: I heard that the pizza servers got into a very noisy fight with the
pizza cook over
preparation delays. Food quality in the Horizon court buffet was so so, as expected. When
Captain
Romano was running the Sun the staffers were a very happy bunch. Now with Captain Dieter
in
command of the Sun Princess I heard that some of the staffers want transfers. They say
ship
management is too picky. Our cabin steward and assistant were a little disappointing.
Cabin not
cleaned one day until late due to misinterpretion of please make up room door tag. Two
morning
coffee orders were placed on door by us the night before that were not honored. The cruise
director Treavor read us the Princess Patter each morning on TV when he should have used
TV
cue cards or had the activity schedule memorized. Movie started 20 minutes late one
afternoon
due to projectionist working from the previous weeks different schedule. One shore
excursion we
were on was very late getting back to ship but no matter. Ship departure was being held
over due
to bomb search. A bomb threat had been phoned in by a thirteen year old passenger. Several
lawyers were threatening to sue Princess for invasion of privacy during the bomb search
and
Princess was threatening to sue kid who caused expensive port departure delay. Bomb search
dogs did find cocaine in one stateroom. Stage and comedy shows were generally of lesser
quality
that the ones on our Sun Princess Alaska cruise. Lounge musicians and stage bands were all
excellent. I have yet to set foot in the Sun Princess casino but I'm told that Princess is
stingy with
payouts. The casino looked pretty flashy from a distance.
Maybe I like Princess because a lot of Princess cruisers are just like me. Early to bed
and early to
rise with a demand for maximum pampering, smooth sailing and great food and service in the
dining rooms. All for only $695!
I talked with a few cruise passengers that had just come from Celebrity and Carnival in
San Juan at
the end our cruise. They didn't like bad food and poor stablization on Celebrity and
ragged sheets
on Carnival. Their opinion I'm reporting here will likely get edited out by the cruise
opinion editor.
My next cruise is on the Grand Princess for the Grand Med. tour next summer. I'll give you
a full
report when I return.
Mike Reynolds
Name: Robert Anderson
Email: AmyA1016@AOL.com
Age: 53
Occupation: Loan Officer
NumberOfCruises: 12
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sun
SailingDate: March 18,2000
Itinerary: Panama Canal
Cabin: Mini-Suite
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 88
CabinAmenities: 92
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 96
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 79
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 93
DeckService: 88
ShoreExcValue: 83
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 93
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 89
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 91
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 94
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 50
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 93
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 Apr 2000
Time: 16:54:03
Remote Name: spider-ta068.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
The ship and staff for the most part were wonderful. If only the experience leading up to the cruise was
as good.
Unfortunately our experience with the air/sea arrangements was poor. We did not receive our final
documents and air flights until 10 days prior to departure. They routed us on the last flight out of our
home city with a connection in Dallas, Texas with less than one hour to made the connection on the last
flight out of Dallas to Acapulco. We tried to make changes through Princess trying to explain our
concern and all they could say was they were sorry, but it was too late and they couldn't do anything for
us. If we had been concerned about their arrangements we should have used their air deviation
program. On all previous cruises I have taken this has never been a problem. I have sailed on Carnival
on up to Silverseas. I did not expect the same service as Silverseas, but had hoped for some
consideration. We were able to change our flight by calling the airline direct and paying an additional
$75.00 per ticket charge. We sat in Dallas for 6 hours, but I am glad we did,as the flight from Dallas was
oversold by 22 seats and a number of passagers from the original flight did not have seats on the Dallas
to Acapulco flight, and the first two days were at sea with no chance of catching up to the ship for two
days in Costa Rica.
Once aboard the ship I was pleasantly surprised by the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff.
Management should take note! The ship is beautiful and well laid out. For a ship this size never did we
feel crowded and they have taken steps to divide many of the larger areas up into smaller private areas.
The cruise director was a great- everytime you turned around he was there and his sense of humor was
outstanding, also very,very helpful.
The only area on the ship that was uneven seemed to be room service. We had opted several time to
have breakfast in our mini suite and put out the card with our order the night before with a specified time
of between 7:30-8:00 AM. One day it did not come until 8:30 and the other day it came at 7:10, after that
we decided to go to breakfast.
Another outstanding feature of the ship was a mini suite, approximately 400 square feet not including
the balcony. The space and layout were outstanding! There was plenty of storage space and a
bathroom with separate sink facilities, shower, and bath. The balcony was nice but rather narrow making
it hard to move back and forth from one side to the other without climbing over the chairs. A small price
to pay for the outstanding features of the rest of the room.
The food was standard fair for a ship of this size and class, very good, but not outstanding. The service
was excellent, but at times seeing that we were at the first seating I felt a bit rushed.
Name: Doug Stark
Email: dstark@img.net
Age: 52
Occupation: Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sun
SailingDate: March 18, 2000
Itinerary: Panama Canal
Cabin: C744/AB
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 70
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 85
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 75
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Apr 2000
Time: 00:11:07
Remote Name: 207.102.213.36
Remote User:
Comments
This was our 2nd cruise on Princess and not our last. The cruise was first class all the way. I am amazed
how well Princess manages a large number of people with a minimum of confusion. The most amazing
thing on this ship was that although it was carrying close to a full load (about 1900) it was never
crowded. Part of this is due to the many balcony cabins on the ship which keeps many passengers in
their cabins, a new trend from older ships without this amenity. We were spoilt with a mini-suite facing
aft. More money by far, but worth it. Many bouquets. The dining room was excellent. Surpasing other
reviews, I had 7 lobster one evening and another at our table had 10. Of course, as he plays for the
49er's, is 6'5" and 310 lbs., he has a large appetite. But not a problem. The waiter, Marino, brought him
as much as he wanted each night and always checked, did he have enough? The asst. waiter, Samson,
took special care of my wife who uses a wheelchair.
The ship, although 5 years old, shows minimal wear.
Maintenance was constant but never obvious. Departures were punctual and travelling time accurate.
The walk-around promenade deck is a big plus for exercisers. Cruise activities are many and varied but
never in-your-face. The library is well stocked but lacking in the latest fiction. Very few beefs. I did not
like several of the casino staff. Olaf needs to learn English and to smile. People go to a casino to have a
good time. Winning or not, the player likes to be entertained. An introverted dealer with questionable
English-skills does not provide this. Several of the dealers made obvious pitches for tips. This is not
appropriate. I tip if I'm winning but not if on a losing streak. Any blackjack book says, toking the dealer is
occasionally good, but not to the point of giving away winnings. By the way, not sour grapes; I broke
even in the casino, after spending many hours and every late evening at the blackjack tables. The
blackjack rules are very good.
The only time I saw the captain was offshore in a bookstore. He did not
walk the deck, doing the PR thing for Princess. Every other ship I've been on saw the captain doing this
and it's a nice touch. As mentionned, my wife uses a wheelchair. Our cabin steward was very careful to
place his cart in the many alcoves along the hall so we could get by with the wheelchair. Not all the
stewards were that compassionate. One was even surly when I moved his cart in order to get by. A petty
bureaucrat, Chris, in the purser's office, gave me a hard time when I requested a wheelchair. I knew
ahead of time that Princess doesn't supply wheelchairs but they do have some. I made a request
1-month ahead, supported by a doctor's letter, that my wife really couldn't manage without one, and
since we had booked a mini-suite, could they compromise their position.
No problem was the reply. But
nobody told Chris. I had to produce the letter (I took a copy on the trip), listen to his lecture on Princess
policy, and it was not until I name-dropped that my neice was the assistant purser (his boss) on this very
ship until last November, that I finally made headway. That shouldn't have been necessary. Overall, of
course, these were only a few minor annoyances. Princess does a great job. 26 honeymoon couples on
this cruise (our 49er was one of them). Lots of seniors, quite few kids (no problem) and lots of people
our age. Weather was great. Panama Canal is awesome. The cruise was well-run from beginning to end.
Incidentally, the departure procedure with the finding of suitcases in the warehouse of a terminal was no
problem at all. I found ours in 30 seconds. We'll be travelling with Princess again.
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