debbiewp Posted January 19, 2005 #1 Share Posted January 19, 2005 Just returned yesterday from 10-day Caribbean on Sun Princess. Sorry I do not have time to write a review (trying to do laundry for 4 before I have to go back to work tomorrow), but since I have gotten so much great advice from this board, I would be happy to try and answer any questions...we went to St. Thomas, St. Martaan, St. Kitts, Barbados and Antiqua. Debbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palolake Posted January 19, 2005 #2 Share Posted January 19, 2005 I'm so glad someone from that cruise has posted. My sister in law was on your sailing and she said it was the trip from Hell. We had told her how great cruising was and now she says she'll never try it again. Was this your first cruise? She told us about engine problems in Antigua, norwalk virus (not Princess's fault) and very rough seas. She said that it had been rough sailing for 3 weeks. That's the part that scares me the most!! We are leaving on the Sun Thursday of next week. Please tell me you had a nice trip!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbiewp Posted January 19, 2005 Author #3 Share Posted January 19, 2005 OK...have to admit, out of the five cruises we have taken, this was the worst! Between the weather, rough seas, the Sun in general, on-ship activities, the demographics of the majority of fellow passengers, the virus and the precautions they had to take (understandable, but irritating nonetheless), Princess Cay off the itinerary, late arrival in Antiqua due to engine problems (which changed our plans for the day)...well, I could go on, but NEVERTHELESS, my family always has a good time on a cruise and can make the best of a less-than-perfect situation. Did we have a good time...YES! Have we booked another cruise for next year? YES! (Different ship, different date, though!). However, I suspect that my sister and brother-in-law,first-time cruisers, feel the same as your sister-in-law and will probably not be jumping on another cruise any time soon. That is unfortunate, but we know how awesome they can be. We did have some great days (catamaran trip in Barbados, beaches in Antiqua, St. Thomas and St. M.--OK, we got a little rain, but we were in our bathings suits!) a little shopping, alot of eating and drinking....we were happy! Have fun on your cruise...it really is what you make of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rucruizin Posted January 19, 2005 #4 Share Posted January 19, 2005 I'm curious, what you didn't like about the Sun. I'm a pretty loyal Carnival cruiser and have only been with Princess one other time. The only reason I picked this ship/cruise line was the itinerary. I'm sure all the ports will be great...it Always rains in St Thomas. I wasn't impressed with the food on Princess and I didn't think the passengers were very friendly...even though we went out of our way to talk and have fun we only found a handful of people willing to do the same. Problems out of the control of Princess are understandable (like weather I know that that can make it a bummer trip) and you just roll with the flow but I am really nervous about this cruise. I have heard mostly negative things about the ship. I'm really interested in what you have to say. Can you tell me about the Gym/Spa at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carol allen Posted January 19, 2005 #5 Share Posted January 19, 2005 I cancelled the sun because of all the negativity about the ship but also because I like newer ships better carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcourt Posted January 19, 2005 #6 Share Posted January 19, 2005 What kind of engine problems? I was on the Dawn (11-23-04) and she had engine problems even after the drydock. Enough so that we missed two ports and arrived at one port late and left another port earlier then scheduled. I would like someone to tell me soon because my final payment is due on Saturday. Do you think the ship will make all of it's scheduled ports (Eastern Itinerary)? I sure don't want another 10 day cruise with only 3 1/2 ports again. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kryos Posted January 19, 2005 #7 Share Posted January 19, 2005 I'm curious, what you didn't like about the Sun. I'm a pretty loyal Carnival cruiser and have only been with Princess one other time. The only reason I picked this ship/cruise line was the itinerary. I'm sure all the ports will be great...it Always rains in St Thomas. I wasn't impressed with the food on Princess and I didn't think the passengers were very friendly...even though we went out of our way to talk and have fun we only found a handful of people willing to do the same. I guess I can only give my abbreviated impressions, but as far as I am concerned, there wasn't anything not to like at all. True, there was an outbreak of noro ... that can happen on any ship. Thank God I wasn't afflicted, and I think in large part that was due to how quickly the crew and officers responded to the problem. True, there were engine problems that postponed our arrival in Antigua by a couple of hours. This actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me because I was exhausted from doing early excursions in all the other ports (including two open water dives for SCUBA certification in St. Thomas and St. Maarten ... got certified, yeah!), and because of the late arrival in Antigua, I booked an afternoon tour instead. This allowed me to relax in the morning, sleep in, and have a leisurely breakfast in the dining room, while still getting to experience something of the port without having to worry about getting back to the ship late (this was a Princess tour). Engine problems can happen even on a new ship. You just roll with them. Thankfully, they did not cause us to miss any ports altogether. They flew someone in to Antiqua to repair the problem, and it was fixed by the next day. Yes, we missed Princess Cay and that was a disappointment. But, hey ... those extra sea days can be fun too! Lack of activities? I thought there was plenty of stuff going on, especially on sea days. Computers@Sea lectures (I didn't partake because I can get all the computer instruction I want at work ... free of charge), Ceramics@Sea, health spa lectures (complimentary for the most part), Bridge lectures, Ballroom and line dancing instruction, trivia, bingo, art auctions ... and the list goes on and on. If you wanted to be active, you certainly could be. If you prefer to sit back and watch others, that's fine too. Of course, on days in port there was not as much, but that's understandable. Nightime activities included shows in two lounges, as well as entertainment in the bars and lounges. There was something for everyone, in my opinion. Passenger unfriendliness? Ummmmm, that's an interesting observation. I travel solo and always like to strike up conversations with people. While there might have been a few passengers who didn't seem to welcome the conversation, for the most part I found that people were very friendly. I met a lot of new people onboard, and while they certainly won't become lifelong friends, I learned a bit about them and where they came from. Hell, I was even striking up conversations with people in the Atrium Lounge on debarkation day! Not even counting our CCers, I probably met more people onboard this cruise than I have on any other. That's the nice thing about cruising. I find that it's so much easier to strike up a conversation with a total stranger onboard ship than on any land-based vacation. People are just more relaxed and welcome the opportunity to meet new people. Condition of ship poor? I didn't think so. I've seen worse in hotels. Sure there were areas where the carpet was worn. In my stateroom the carpet was coming up in one corner by the bed. Did I care? Hell, no. It was certainly clean and I didn't have to worry about repairing it! Remember, there are probably thousands of people who have used that stateroom since the Sun began sailing. Obviously, they can't replace the carpet after each and every voyage. As long as things appear clean, I am generally happy with them. Food? I gained about six pounds on this cruise ... more than I've gained on any other. I personally found every meal a delight, especially when shared with our CCers group! For the most part, we ate in the dining room ... breakfast on sea days, dinner every night. So, I can't comment much on the other venues. I had early fixed seating for dinner, and my table companions (all CCers), along with our team of waiters made every dinner something to be looked forward to all day long! Rough seas? Yeah, we had some ... especially on the last full day of the cruise when walking even became a challenge. That ship was really rocking! But, our captain usually warned us if the seas were projected to be rough, and thankfully rough seas don't bother me. In fact, I rather enjoy them and now always request an aft cabin so that I can be "rocked" to sleep at night! :) I don't know what to say to people who complain about excessive motion on the ship ... mostly because there's nothing that can be done about it. You're on a moving ship. Motion is something you have to accept. I guess if it bothered me, I would stay away from cruising ... because no matter what time of the year you sail, you always run the risk of rough seas. I guess everyone experiences a cruise differently, and attitude plays a great part in what you will take away from a cruise. Of course, I would also imagine that if you were striken with the NoroVirus and had to spend four days confined to your cabin, you would not enjoy your cruise anywhere near as much as others who were free to partake of all the activities during that time. I only thank God that every cruise I have so far taken has been better than the one before, and I only hope I am blessed to never experience the "Cruise from Hell." But, I think a lot of that can be attributed to attitude and to being determined not to let anything stand in the way of having a great vacation ... Blue skies! --rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margaritawoman Posted January 19, 2005 #8 Share Posted January 19, 2005 We love the Sun. We were on her in October 2004 10 days. Had a great cruise. We are thinking of booking her for next October. We really like the size and class of ship. We were on the Carnival Glory MAy 04. We really enjoyed that ship also but very different cruises. It is all in what you are looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiserforlife Posted January 19, 2005 #9 Share Posted January 19, 2005 Interesting obsevations. It always amazes me how two reviews can be 180 degrees opposite and how two people can view the same cruise totally different but it happens all the time. We too are crusing the Sun on 1/28 and hope for a pleasant cruise.The whole Norwalk thing still bothers me,it's just strange it is always mentioned in the same sentence with the Sun Princess.I have sailed with Princess now 4 times and have never even heard mention of it but one cannot talk about the Sun without bringing it up. Rita, Please tell us more about the ports you visited and what you did.Also,how were the shows and the other entertainers? Palolake, Are you listening?I certainly hope we won't be experiencing these same problems in a week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbiewp Posted January 19, 2005 Author #10 Share Posted January 19, 2005 What we didn't like about The Sun: Had read on CC board about a sewage smell in some areas...and yes, it was there, and we were not the only ones to notice it, lest one think I was influenced by the boards! We would get in an elevator and have other passengers talking about it. We also picked the Sun based on itinerary..and all the ports were great. We were in a quad (me & hubby, and 18 daughter & 21 yr. old son) and for the four of us, the quad set up was just a tad too small compared with Grand/Golden. Would have liked a bit (well, maybe alot) more AC, but again, that's a personal preference. Maybe due to the length of cruise and time of year, it seemed the majority of passengers were older (although our group ranged from 18-70), and not alot of young folks for my kids to hang with...which I am sure influenced the evening activities, or should I say, lack of them. We found ourselves with nothing much to do after 1st seating dinner and attending a show....9:30 pm is a little early for us to retire, and sing-alongs in the Atrium just aren't our thing - again, personal preferences on our part. Guess we just like the bigger ships, a more diverse age range, and more activities...even if that is just karaoke or team trivia games at night. And before someone tells me there was karaoke, one night no one showed up and the next night, there were a total of 4 brave souls (my sister included) and about 20 audience members! We thought the food in dining room was pretty good, room steward was excellent, head waiter was personable enough, altho asst. waiter had no personality whatsoever, and the service was not what we have had on past cruises. Regarding the gym, my husband and sister worked out most every day, and found the facilities and equipment to be just fine. My sister also had "the best massage of her life'' on board, as did my father. My mother and daughter actually had their hair cut, and were pleased with that despite the cost...it was a very special treat for them...plus, I did not pay for it! So, even if everything else had been perfect, we just were not thrilled with the Sun, but sure you will find many who are happy with it. And the engine problems DID affect our planned day at an all-inclusive resort in Antigua....we could not justify $360 plus taxi fare for 8 for what would turn out to be half a day there. We found something else to do, and were happy with that, but....Might mention also that my father was over-charged over $200 on his shipboard account, so make sure you go over that carefully. Pursers attitude was "We all make mistakes''... Again, we did have a great time, but you did ask what we did not like about the Sun, and this is just one families' opinion. Feel free to e-mail me at debrabbit3@aol.com with any other questions...I don't want to get involved in a debate over the merits of the Sun on this board. We have always cruised Princess and will continue to do so, esp. since we are treated to our cruises by my father! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kryos Posted January 19, 2005 #11 Share Posted January 19, 2005 ...Might mention also that my father was over-charged over $200 on his shipboard account, so make sure you go over that carefully. Pursers attitude was "We all make mistakes''... This attitude really torques me. "We all make mistakes" ???? How the hell can a $200 overcharge be a mistake? Just out of curiosity ... if you don't mind my asking ... what was the supposed $200 charge for? I only ask this because I had a similar problem on the HAL Zuiderdam last September. I had gotten my hair cut on the second day of the cruise ... a $70 + tip charge. No problem. However, when I got my shipboard statement at the end of the cruise, I had two charges from the salon, for the exact same amount, on my bill. Thinking ... okay, that could be a mistake. Maybe the charge was just posted twice ... I went to the purser's desk to get it fixed. They told me I had to see the spa staff. Fortunately, I was doing a b2b on the Zuiderdam, because the spa staff was nowhere to be found on turnaround day. They wouldn't reappear until the new cruisers embarked. I have since learned to get a copy of my statement a few days before the end of the cruise. Anyway, when I finally got ahold of someone in the spa, he told me that the second charge was not for a haircut ... rather, it was for unlimited gym classes for the cruise. What? I didn't set foot in the gym! I told him that and he said he would get it removed. He said he couldn't do it himself because I was now technically on an entirely new cruise and only the ISO (Information Service Officer?) could do it. A couple of days later, the charge is still there. Now I'm pissed. I go back to the purser's desk. I explain the problem to them. Turns out that another pax had signed for the gym pass and it had inadvertently been charged to my room. They got it straightened out and the credit properly applied. I thought the whole purpose of the cruise card was so that it could be scanned ... at least for major charges. I could well understand possibly a drink in the bar being mischarged ... or a minor charge, such as a bottle of water at dockside being misapplied. But it would seem that major purchased made in the gift shops, salon, or any area where there is a cash register or computer terminal set-up should never be mischarged. What made this incident more upsetting was the attitude ... I don't know about you, but $70+ is not an inconsequential sum to me. I would have preferred it if the staff would have been a bit more concerned about having it removed from my account in a more expedient manner, rather than just saying ... "oh, we'll take care of it ... it just might take a couple of days." That's why on my recent Sun Princess cruise, I made sure to check that statement over with a fine-tooth comb and happily found no charges that I hadn't signed for appearing on there. So ... I'd be curious ... was this $200 overcharge for one item or actually a combination of several mistakes? I wonder sometimes if the cruiselines will deliberately add an extra charge or two hoping that most passengers won't even notice, or bother to get them fixed? Blue skies ... --rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiserforlife Posted January 19, 2005 #12 Share Posted January 19, 2005 Rita, I have caught over-charges before on my folio and while one never wants to think it was done on purpose,it just goes to show everyone need to go over these closely...at least a few times during the cruise and at least a day or so before closing it out.The last thing one wants to do is to try clearing up a problem with the pursers desk at 6am when you are trying to disembark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margaritawoman Posted January 19, 2005 #13 Share Posted January 19, 2005 I would agree with most of what debbiewp said. The only thing I didn't find was the smell. Thats not to say it wasn't there we just didn't smell it. We like the Sun because it is layed back. On a 10 day you will find alot of older people because they have the time off to cruise 10 days. There is not much night life after 11:00pm. We always cruise with our best friends so we kinda make our own fun. When we want a more exciting cruise we usually choose a 7 day on Carnival. I think it is all in what you are looking for. We do love the Sun and will cruise her again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rucruizin Posted January 19, 2005 #14 Share Posted January 19, 2005 Thanks for your info. My final payment is made and we are going on this cruise! I always go with a positive attitude...hey, it's vacation. We have been in unimagineably rough seas more than once and the only thing I really hated about the one cruise was the bronchitis I had...miserably sick on a cruise isn't fun. Like you, there are observations I made about things and I think it's good to go with an open mind but aware of potential problems so you can roll with them if/when they happen. I appreciate your input. I still would like to know more about the gym facilities...ie...what kind of equipment, was it crowded, large or small? kryos, I know what you mean about talking to strangers...I have been on the phone for over half an hour at times and when my husband asked me who I was talking to I replied, "oh, it was a wrong #." I have no trouble talking to anyone about anything and am sometimes overly friendly. Again, that was the only cruise I EVER had that problem with people. I would walk up and start talking to someone and they would look at me like I had 3 heads. And I'm not ugly or anything...I don't think. A few years ago my husband and I went on a 10 day Panama cruise on the Carnival Jubilee...small, older, awful decor, bad smelling (that sewer smell we playfully referred to as the "musty station") It still was our best cruise to date. I'm hoping this will top it...I just can't get worried when I hear the majority of people complaining about it. When I get back I will definately post my opinion good or bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiserforlife Posted January 19, 2005 #15 Share Posted January 19, 2005 rucruzin, With an attitude like that,I'm guessing you'll never have a bad cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJS Posted January 19, 2005 #16 Share Posted January 19, 2005 We too are crusing the Sun on 1/28 and hope for a pleasant cruise.The whole Norwalk thing still bothers me,it's just strange it is always mentioned in the same sentence with the Sun Princess.I have sailed with Princess now 4 times and have never even heard mention of it but one cannot talk about the Sun without bringing it up.Rita, You must have missed my post from the Diamond Princess 1/8-15/05 because the "Norwalk" - norovirus- hit many on that cruise. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=121261&page=2&pp=40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kryos Posted January 19, 2005 #17 Share Posted January 19, 2005 Please tell us more about the ports you visited and what you did.Also,how were the shows and the other entertainers? We went to St. Thomas. Here I had to make the first two of my four open water dives for SCUBA certification. I went with BlueIslandDivers.com and chose them on the recommendation of my SCUBA instructor here in Philly. Had a great time ... wonderful instructor, Ian, who kept things light so that I would be relaxed, while at the same time making sure I was learning what I needed to learn. For some strange reason, I have a problem with the giant stride entry into the water. Had the same problem in the pool too. I used to skydive, and this technique is so different from making an airplane exit that it is totally foreign to me. Ian and our divemaster actually made it fun and minimized my fears. Once in the water, I had a blast (no fear of the water whatsoever), though I quickly learned on these first two dives why open water dives are required in addition to the ones you do in the pool! There's waves and stuff out there! :) St. Maarten was next. Again, SCUBA was on the agenda ... last two open water dives. I went with SCUBAFun.com ... again on the recommendation of my dive instructor here in Philly. Basically these recommendations came from the two of us looking at the PADI.com site, and going through the dive operations and him saying ... "ummmmm, this one looks good ... give them a call." :) My instructor here was Celine (sp?) and she was awesome. Despite a rocky start ... I was having trouble getting my weight belt on in the water at the surface ... dropped it, and this poor woman had to dive down to the bottom to retrieve it ... the dives went pretty good. The water was really rough in this port ... major waves at the surface and a strong current at the bottom ... but still I got through the skills sets without too much trouble. While the first dive involved some skills demonstrations ... using a compass underwater, making a controlled ascent while exhaling (as if you were out of air), etc., the second dive had few skills demonstations, so I was able to bring down a disposable underwater camera and take pictures. My instructor also took some of me. While the pictures didn't come out as great as I would have liked, they are still awesome and show what a beautiful world the good lord has given us below the sea. I marvel at those wonders and wanted to learn SCUBA just so I could enjoy them. After the dives, we went back to the shop, where all of my paperwork for SCUBA open water certification was filled out, and I was given a temporary card (to use until the real one comes in from PADI headquarters). I then took my instructor and the divemaster to a little bar/restaurant next to the shop where we enjoyed a drink. I couldn't convince them to join me for lunch (they had a couple of people coming in for a resort course (abbreviation of the full-blown course where you get to make a dive under very close supervision) so they didn't have the time for lunch ... but I had what was probably the best crock of french onion soup I've ever enjoyed while there ... and I lingered for a couple of hours. Yeah, the Pina Coladas were good too! :) I think the restaurant was called Chesterfield's ... it's on the marina right next to Bobby's Marina ... the same one where the SCUBA shop is located. St. Kitts. Took the tour of St. Kitts by bus. My knee was bothering me by this port and while I wanted to see the island, I didn't want to do a lot of walking. I have two bad knees as a result of a skydiving accident in 1999, and when I kneel on them a lot (like I had to do to get back aboard the smaller dive boat we used in St. Maarten), they begin bothering me. The shore excursion office recommended this tour since it would show me the highlights of the island and was specifically desiged for people who wanted to do a minimal amount of walking. The tour lasted for over three hours and took us to all the highlights of St. Kitts. We made a few stops for photos and to shop for crafts, but basically did most of the tour from the comfort of a large air conditioned van. This tour was the perfect complement to the higher level of physical activity of the previous two days. Barbados. I took the photo adventure tour offered through Princess. This was unique in that it covered "off the beaten track" type destinations ... and was led by a professional photographer well-known in the islands, Jamie Carrington (sp?). There were lots of stops for photos (of course!) and Jamie was generous with his advice about how to take better pictures. Jamie's narrations during the tour were accompanied with showing us a host of photos he had taken and using them to demonstrate various techniques that we could imitate. We stopped at a roadside rum stand operated by friends of Jamie's, where we could get a glass of rum for $2.00. My mistake was drinking it too fast. This stuff wasn't rum punch. It was the real thing ... and it almost knocked me on my ass! I thoroughly enjoyed this particular tour and not just for the two rolls of awesome photos I got, but also because Jamie was a great tour guide. He told lots of stories and told them in a manner that made the ride to each photo op that much more entertaining. I would do this tour again in a heartbeat! Antigua. Best of Antigua is the tour I booked through the shore excursion desk pretty much at the last minute. I didn't plan anything for this port because I was thinking of maybe trying to see if I could book a SCUBA trip here. Well, with the late arrival I knew I wouldn't be able to get a morning dive, and I was afraid to try an afternoon one that I booked on my own. Visions of missing the ship and having to fly clear home to Fort Lauderdale were not pleasant. So, wanting to see a bit of the port, I asked the shore excursion desk what tours they had that left later (as opposed to morning). This one fit the bill perfectly. This was another van tour which stopped at all the highlights of Antigua including the boatyard, the forts, you name it. Lots of neat photo ops ... it's funny, while I didn't purchase any of the photos taken of me during the cruise, I sure spent a lot of money in the photo gallery on film and processing! :) Our guide was a native of the island and she regaled us with the history of the island, the ways of her people, and their various celebrations and customs. Of all the islands that we visited, I must say that I found Antigua to be the most beautiful and it is the only island on the itinerary that I can honestly say I would consider doing a land vacation on. It is that beautiful! Of course, our stop at Princess Cays was cancelled, so I can't comment on the inherent beauties of that island. All of my shore excursions were pleasant, but I only wish that the Sun had the NewWaves SCUBA program onboard. While I am perfectly capable of setting up my own dives, the security of doing them through the Princess Tour office is important when one travels alone. I would have liked to be able to coordinate with the New Waves staff to dive at whichever ports I chose. As for the shows, I'm not really big on production shows and only attended one ... a salute to broadway type affair. I enjoyed all of the comedians and probably caught all of their shows. I only wish they had performed a couple of "adult" comedy shows in one of the lounges. Not that I have a dirty little mind, but sometimes an adult comedy show is a great way to end a wonderful evening. HAL had a comedian aboard the Zuiderdam last August who did regular shows in the show lounge and then one night did a special "adults only" show in the Crow's Nest each week. Since I was on a b2b cruise then, I got to enjoy her adult comedy show twice ... and yes, each show was somewhat different. I wish some of these comedians had done the same. It would have added to the fun. Hope this answers your questions and gives you the info you're looking for. Big blue ones! --rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiserforlife Posted January 20, 2005 #18 Share Posted January 20, 2005 Thanks Rita for the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palolake Posted January 20, 2005 #19 Share Posted January 20, 2005 Thanks so much for all your responses. I was worried but you've made me feel much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enymarsh Posted January 20, 2005 #20 Share Posted January 20, 2005 Thanks to everyone for their input on this thread. We just booked the Sun for next year and from reading this thread think we're going to love it! I had worried about the ship being smaller since I tend to like the feel of the Grand Class ships, but having been on the Coral and loved it, we're sure this will be amazing too. It's the itinerary that got us, lots of southern ports that we've either never been to or haven't in several years. Debbie, Frankly, even your report of what you didn't like about it made me eagerly anticipate our trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Joe Posted January 20, 2005 #21 Share Posted January 20, 2005 We, too, are on the 1/28 sailing of the Sun and are very excited about it. I appreciate all of the input, thanks for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northcalgal Posted January 20, 2005 #22 Share Posted January 20, 2005 Thanks for the info, We were on the Sun a couple years ago to Alaska it was our first cruise. We were hooked. We loved the Sun, had a balcony room, spoiled only way I will go now. Went on the Dawn 10 day Caribbean last Oct right after hurrincanes had a great time, even though others did not. Our fellow ccers helped make it so. We are now booked for Oct 19th 2005 on the Sun to Southern Caribbean, we like the fall because less crowds in port, hopefully it will not be a hurricne season like the last one. Hope the Sun is up to snuff by then. On the Dawn we did like that they now have the hand cleaners by Horizon court but wish all passengers would use them. Would like to cruise on the Coral or another newer ship but like this itinary and time date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kryos Posted January 20, 2005 #23 Share Posted January 20, 2005 I would agree with most of what debbiewp said. The only thing I didn't find was the smell. Thats not to say it wasn't there we just didn't smell it. I did find the smell, but the interesting thing I noted was that it tended to be there on occasion when we were in port. I wonder ... maybe they "offload" processed sewage in port? I mean, they would have to get rid of it at some point, right? I'm only wondering if that's why I would get the occasional whiff of something ... but only when we were docked. I never smelled it while we were sailing. Anyone else notice this? Blue skies ... --rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbiewp Posted January 20, 2005 Author #24 Share Posted January 20, 2005 Kryos....regarding the overcharge on Princess. Since this was my father's treat, he wanted to pick up ALL the tips for the three rooms and 8 people (including dining). He spent quite a bit of time with the pursers arranging this upon boarding, but when he checked his account towards the end of the trip, not only had they charged him for ALL the tips, but they neglected to take ALL the charges off for my sister and brother-in-law...so we were charged twice for that. Plus, he was charged for all his internet time, although he is a platinum member and internet access is free for him. Oh and I need to add he was also incorrectly charged for spa services. Fortunately, he is someone who went over his account with a fine-tooth comb! Just a pain you should not have to deal with at the end of your cruise! Debbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kryos Posted January 21, 2005 #25 Share Posted January 21, 2005 Kryos....regarding the overcharge on Princess. Since this was my father's treat, he wanted to pick up ALL the tips for the three rooms and 8 people (including dining). He spent quite a bit of time with the pursers arranging this upon boarding, but when he checked his account towards the end of the trip, not only had they charged him for ALL the tips, but they neglected to take ALL the charges off for my sister and brother-in-law...so we were charged twice for that. Plus, he was charged for all his internet time, although he is a platinum member and internet access is free for him. Oh and I need to add he was also incorrectly charged for spa services. Fortunately, he is someone who went over his account with a fine-tooth comb! Just a pain you should not have to deal with at the end of your cruise! Debbie That's either incredibly sloppy work on the part of the Purser's staff, or it's downright dishonest billing practices. One or the other, in my opinion ... no other explanation is possible. Princess should throw in a nice shipboard credit for him on his next cruise ... to compensate him for all the added trouble he had to go through to straighten everything out. Thanks for the info ... I'll take it as a warning and be really, really careful in checking my onboard statements ... Blue skies! --rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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