 |
Fantastic Cruise by
Sharon K. from Lake Wales, FL Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: Professionalism and efficiency of the crew Cons: Nothing We travelled on the Island Princess on a Panama Canal cruise, and it was wonderful. We were especially delighted with our balcony room. It was spacious with an oversized bed, a TV, a refrigerator, a safe, and a large closet. I spent many hours on the balcony while at sea reading and getting a tan in privacy. The food, the entertainment, and the shore excursions were excellent. All members of the crew were exceptionallly accommodating. The BEST cruise I've been on and I've cruised at least six times before. Ship QualityThe ship was exquisitely appointed. You felt like you were in a a 5-Star hotel walking through the ship. Dining/Food
Stateroom QualitySee general comments Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
  Nice Cruise by
Karen B from Boiling Springs, SC Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: Desserts Cons: Specialty Restaurant My husband and I took this cruise with another couple. We had a great time, but we have been on about 25 other cruises and had never been on the Princess Line. I have to say we expected a little more from this line then we got. The service was fine, but thats it just fine, no one really went out of their way to provide any exceptional service. The food was ok too. Once again, just ok, nothing exceptional. We went to the specialty dinning rooms twice. The one is Sabatini's, well worth the extra money, food was very good and there was plenty of it.......the other, the Bayou Cafe was totally opposite. The main dinner didn't come with a choice of sides, you got one small dessert size plate with about 2 tablespoons of 4 or 5 different things on it that you had to share with one other person. We had a good laugh trying to share 2 tablespoons or rice. The meat we had (filet mignon) was delicious but to tell you the truth you should save your money and not bother going to this restaurant. Overall everything was ok with the ship although I must say, the desserts were extrodinary, in all the cruises we have been on these were the best. My waistline is proof of that! The entertainment on the ship leaves much to be desired. Don't plan on any great shows........their main show, was terrible, the girl who was one of the lead singers was singing so low you could hardly hear her, the dancers were out of step with each other and we weren't the only ones who got up and left midshow, This happened at almost all of the shows. Overall the entire cruise was ok, nothing special, but its always nice to be on vacation! Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom QualityThe mattresses on this ship are so old they sag, one of the people we met on the cruise told us they insisted on a new one because they couldn't sleep, we asked if there was anything that could be done for us and they actually came and put a board under the mattress to help! Thats a sign they need new mattresses. Also no sheets on the bed only a comforter, the air condioning wasn't the best in our room and I spent half of my nights throwing off the comforter. Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
Merely Average Princess Cruise by
Robert A. from Dallas, Texas Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: Ship, Ports of Call Cons: Meals, Some Crew Members The ship was fine. Very pretty and well appointed. We sailed in a mini-suite and had plenty of room and a fairly large balcony. Bathroom was large, as was the clothes storage and hanging area. Ship QualityClean and roomy. Well appointed. Dining/FoodNot bad, but then not good. Mediocre when compared to other cruises. Stateroom QualityWe sailed in a mini-suite with balcony and had plenty of room to store our stuff and get around. No complaints. Ship Staff QualityMost were good but we, unfortunately, ran into a few who were down-right rude. One thing I noticed about a lot of the crew-members was that they would walk right in front of you instead of yielding to your progress. I would think that as we were paying guests the crew would be more considerate. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe comedians and impersonators were very good, but the ships singers and dancers were merely average. Sometimes it seemed like they were doing individual shows instead of being together. 0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
Nice Cruise by
A Traveler from Huntsville, AL Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: The Princess employees were outstanding, very accomodating and helpful. Cons: The food in the buffet and dining room were by far the worst of any cruise we have been on. This was our fourth cruise and second with Princess. Overall, it was a nice cruise and we loved the Panama Canal. The entertainment was good and the comedians were exceptional. The ship is nice but smaller than ships we have been on in the past. The casino was very good to the lady that won $485,000 on a slot machine, but the BlackJack tables are less fun with the card dealing machines. The staterooms are what you would expect but the shower was so small you couldn't turn around. In my opinion, the food was terrible in both the dining room and the buffet. There are two buffet lines with the same food and the setup makes it very chaotic and impossible to find an empty table. The dining service is outstanding, but cannot make up for the poor food. All service on the ship was outstanding. The ports were nice to visit, but we have no desire to visit Columbia again. The visit in Aruba, all 4 hours, was entirely too short. Jamaica was also a very short visit. If you are looking for a party cruise with a young crowd, Look Elsewhere! If you want a quiet, relaxing cruise on a decent ship, this is it. Ship QualitySmaller ship due to the Panama Canal limitations. Dining/FoodVery poor in choices, taste and portions. Stateroom QualityNice stateroom, needs a larger shower. Ship Staff QualityUnsurpassed. Very friendly and willing to help. Entertainment & ActivitiesComedians were very good. Stage shows were good, but were a repeat of our previous Princess cruise. 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
First Cruise on Princess by
Steve J from Tuscaloosa, AL Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: Embarkation & crowd handling Cons: Time in ports too short My wife and I chose this cruise because of the itinerary. This was also our first cruise with Princess. The embarkation process was GREAT! After a horrible experience in June with Carnival this was very welcomed. From the time we arrived to the time we were in our cabin could not have been more then 30-minutes. The ship was clean and well maintained, except our cabin steward never vacuumed the carpet, forgot to leave a towel one day, and didnt always put the waste cans back in their proper place. But this was minor stuff. The cabin, a balcony (A411), was a bit small especially the shower. In fact the shower was the smallest we have seen on any ship. The balcony was tiny also. Food was average (except the beef, it was not very good, tough stuff to chew) when compared to other cruises we have been on but the dining room service was the best we have had (Rommel & Ivan are super stars). Entertainment was good. They had a great ventriloquist on our cruise and a couple of good comedians. The dancing shows were average. The casino was good, great for the lady who won $485,000, but just good to me. The time in most ports was too short. We had been to Jamaica & Aruba before so the short time there wasnt a problem but I would have enjoyed more time in the other ports. The debarkation experience was good. Everything went very smoothly & quickly. Luggage claim was lacking a little but no worse than other cruise lines. Over all a really fun cruise for my wife and me. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodThe beef was difficult to chew, very tough. Stateroom QualityOverall a small cabin. Smallest shower I have ever seen. One of the smallest balconies too. Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
A Fabulous Cruise by
brenda l from ny ny Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: Everything exceeded expectations...Hard to decide which part was best. Cons: There was nothing to compain about The ship was beautiful, the stateroom spacious and immaculate, the dining rooms were great, the staff accomodating and friendly, the activities fun and interesting. All superior. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
Grrrrrrrrrrrreat!!!!!! by
Terry and Anne from Picayune, MS Sailing date: Jun 2009Pros: Friendly, Professional Service Cons: It ended too quickly. We took an Alaskan cruise on the Island Princess. We are novice cruisers since this was our second cruise (the first was 28 years prior), so we do not plan on doing any comparisons. We can say, however, that our cruise was a truly wonderful experience. We especially liked the ability to choose anytime dining and received the same excellent service as those who chose specific dining times. We also were surprised that we were able to reserve a specific table at a specific time with a specific wait staff so that we could continue to dine with the super people we met at dinner one night. Our dinners were lengthy due to our own fault. Our wait staff were very patient with us and I think they also enjoyed the fun we were having. The food was excellent and the presentation was that of a fine restaurant. The entire ship staff made this cruise even better. They never failed to say hello and their smiling faces were inviting - made us feel welcomed and appreciated. We also can not say enough about the ship captain. He and his staff made our voyage even more memorable. During our cruise into glacier bay his ability to manuver the ship calmly and quietly was amazing. You would have thought we were floating on air. He made sure that everybody was given an opportunity to view all of what glacier bay had to offer. Ship QualityWe were still finding new places the morning we completed our cruise. Everything was always clean no matter where you looked. Dining/FoodBetter than expected, even on the buffet. Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityOur steward went out of his way to meet our comfort needs. Entertainment & ActivitiesWish we could have seen it all. 
Collapse List of Ports
Juneau, AlaskaDon't Miss: Visit the capital building and sign the governor's guest book. Ketchikan, AlaskaToo many jewery stores!!!!!!! Would like to have seen more locally made crafts. Much of the souvenirs were made in China.
Skagway, AlaskaToo many jewery stores!!!!!!! Would like to have seen more locally made crafts. Much of the souvenirs were made in China.
Don't Miss: Anybody who goes to Alaska must take the helicopter tour to the glaciers as we did in Skagway. It was spectacular. 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
Amazing Cruise ! by
A Traveler from Calgary, AB Sailing date: May 2009Pros: The crew went above & beyond Cons: Really Small Shower I thought the ship was fantastic and the food was excellent. The only suggestion I could make was that the Cleaners should use "Carpet Fresh" Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
Enjoyable Cruise by
Seafarer O. from Alexandria, Va. Sailing date: May 2009Pros: Lunch and Dinners in the Bordeaux and Provence Dining Rooms (respectively) were consistently the best we have had on a Princess Cruise. Cons: Balcony Cabin bath was small and shower was especially cramped. The ship is very elegant in design. The Wheel House Bar with its warm wood paneling has Old World cruising charm. Staff was friendly and food was good to excellent. Ship QualityShip was very clean and well maintained. Dining/FoodBordeaux and Provence Dining room food was excellent for lunch and dinner and the consistently the best we have had on Princess. But do not expect true gourmet quality on a cruise in this price range. Breakfast in the dinning rooms was only OK (poached eggs were served cold and hard boiled). Horizon Court Cafe was good but not exceptional. Recommend purchasing the speciality coffee card when you first get on board if you like lattes. etc. as this is a good bargain if you order these throughout the cruise which you can do in any of the restaurants or for more speciality coffee choices in La Patisserie Stateroom QualityHad a balcony cabin. Good storage and closet space. Bathroom and especially the shower is very cramped. Overall room size was smaller than on other Princess' ships. Ship Staff QualityStaff was very friendly. Entertainment & ActivitiesLimited selection. Only 2 comedians and the Princess Broadway show troupe on a 7 night voyage. Broadway troupe group was OK, but not exceptional. Male singers lacked vocal range and tone to carry-off most numbers. 3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
Cutting down by
A Traveler from vero beach, florida Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: Helpfulness of personnel Cons: hard sell The staff in the boutiques could care less whether one purchased or not, they just were not interested. I did not like the "hard sell" in the Spa when one is trying to relax. Princess is cutting down in obvious ways, from charging for icecreams, to one pat of butter per person. The staff were eager to please and exc eptionally helpful except the Boutiques. The Pursers staff need to be more cognisant of passengers needs, they have a hard time undersanding what one wants and you get this blank stare. Ship QualityShip was very clean and quite beautiful Dining/FoodWell presented even if it took 2.5 hrs. to dine Stateroom QualityExcellent Ship Staff QualityThey were friendly and helpful exc ept boutique Entertainment & Activitiesthe poorest area of the ship, the so-called comedians bombed, needs a lot of updating.
Collapse List of Ports
Oranjestad, Aruba
Cristobal, Panama
Cartagena, Colombia
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
9 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
|
|
