Recently off Golden - Our Impressions (Long)

[RLM77]

We disembarked Golden on March 28. Following are some impressions of the ship and the cruise.

About us: Mid-50’s, have completed fourteen total cruises on Celebrity (5), Carnival (1), Royal Caribbean (1), Holland America (3), Princess (2), and Regent (2). DW is mobility-limited and uses a (collapsible) mobility scooter. We have not yet cruised in an accessible cabin, although this may become necessary in the future.

 

It is hard to believe that Golden is now ten years old. Her recent dry-dock thoroughly rejuvenated her to a point that she looks at least as new as Liberty of the Seas, on which we cruised last October. The public areas all look great, both up on the Lido and Sun decks and down on decks 5-7. We observed nothing that looked tired or run-down.

 

The Piazza, added during the dry-dock, works well as a gathering point. There are three venues in the Piazza area. The International Café serves coffee and pastries in the morning, then switches to coffee, small sandwiches, and desserts around 11:30. Vines serves a number of wines that are not available elsewhere on the ship along with tapas and sushi. There is also a full service bar and the Vines shop which sells wine-related accessories. The concept works well, although I have two minor quibbles. First, in cool or inclement weather there is not enough seating to meet the demand. Some of the chairs are larger than they need to be; smaller chairs near the International Café would allow a few more tables to be squeezed in. Especially helpful during Alaska season when the outdoor portion of the pool deck is not always an option. Second, unlike Royal Caribbean’s "Café Promenade" which serves free coffee, all drinks cost extra. This is a minor deterrent for those wishing to grab a light breakfast or lunch and those just wishing to sit and people-watch.

 

We had mini-suite E728 on Emerald deck. It is the very last side-cabin on that deck. The balcony on this cabin is oversized and completely covered and there is a good view of the ship’s wake. However it was also very breezy. This would not be an issue in the Caribbean. However, high temperatures on the transit to/from Hawaii were mostly in the 60’s (approximately 18 for those of you who speak Celsius); the breeze made it feel uncomfortably cool on the balcony for many of the sea days.

 

The cabin has a very large closet area along with plenty of other storage space. DW’s scooter is collapsible to about the size of a folded baby stroller; we stored it along the bottom of the closet where one would normally store shoes. There was more than enough room for our shoes in the other nooks and crannies in the cabin. We also ended up with one or two empty drawers. The bathroom also has generous storage and counter space.

 

And yet, for all the extra square footage and abundant storage in the mini-suite, one is left with the feeling that the space could have been better designed. Princess chops their minis into two smaller spaces, "bedroom" and sitting area, rather than one larger space. The (two) TV’s sit atop a large, semi-circular storage area that protrudes far into the room. If this unit were smaller then the room would feel much more spacious. There are more space-efficient ways to house the TV and fridge. Perhaps Princess will rethink this design on the two new ships the company recently ordered.

 

As many others have said, the mattresses are very firm. During the first 10 days of the cruise we had a foam topper (approximately 2 inches thick) that was quite comfortable but effectively cut 2-3 inches off each side of the bed. Although we did not ask for any changes, on day 11 this topper was replaced with another that covered the entire mattress but was less than one inch thick. I found the new arrangement too firm for my liking, but since there were only four nights left we did not request a change back to the old topper. The only other quibble is that Princess uses ribbed towels, which are inferior to plain IMO. They are even in the process of switching to ribbed washcloths.

 

On the whole, we were very pleased with Princess’ food; it was clearly superior to food on Carnival and RCI and at least equal to, if not better than, Holland America. It has been too long since we cruised Celebrity or Regent for me to make a valid comparison.

 

In the Main Dining Rooms the beef, poultry, and lamb were excellent and brought back fond memories of the days when Michael Roux was in charge of Celebrity’s cuisine. Prime rib was as good as any we’ve had ashore. I generally avoid the steaks in the MDR, as they often taste (and cut) like they were just removed from a man’s shoe. On Princess, however, the "New York" steak in the MDR was good – good enough that I will order it again the next time we’re on Princess. Rare on Princess means steakhouse rare – consistently. Veggies and side dishes were also tasty and were cooked appropriately (not overcooked). Pastas were well-prepared. Fish was somewhat less consistent and soups were generally more salty than necessary. Salads were fresh and good. The only areas I found weaker than other cruise lines were bread (dryer and crustier than I prefer) and desserts. Nothing wrong with the desserts, just not as much to my personal taste as those on, say, Royal Caribbean.

 

For those who eat breakfast in the MDR, note that the regular omelets are made a la minute, while the "specials" are often prepared ahead and kept warm. Having said that, the cornflake crusted, Texas (French) toast special, served on disembarkation morning, was outstanding. When on Princess I might actually start looking forward to the last morning! Pancakes were also better than any others I have had on a cruise ship.

We went to the Pub Lunch once; both of us ordered fish and chips. Like many of the breakfast "specials" this was prepared in advance. It might have been okay had it been prepared a la minute. However it did not benefit from the warming oven and neither of us enjoyed it.

 

As advertized, the pizza is the best at sea and the burger/dog grill is better than average. In fact, we really enjoyed eating at the pool. The tables are larger and spaced farther apart than average and the chairs both larger and more comfortable. Although it gets crowded on sunny days the tables are cleared while folks are still seated so that they are available immediately after they are vacated. The wait was never long.

 

We greatly enjoyed Sabatini’s. The concept – upscale Italian – is extremely well executed in terms of presentation, food, and service. Far superior in every respect to Portofino on RCI. Without a doubt the second best of the multiple specialty restaurants at which we’ve eaten while at sea. (Sorry, but nothing can touch the USDA Prime steaks available at Carnival’s specialty eateries).

 

Except for wine, we are generally not drinkers. The only mixed drink we indulge in is the Margarita. The Princess version is average, well behind Carnival’s "Signature" Margarita which is about the best we’ve had on land or sea.

 

My perception of Princess’ service evolved throughout the cruise. Don’t get me wrong, it was outstanding start to finish. At first, however, I found it less warm than what we have experienced on RCI or Celebrity. On those two lines the hotel staff seem almost eager to talk with passengers about themselves, their families, their home countries, etc. Initially on Princess the staff seemed to be more distant (some would say "professional"). This was a 14 night cruise, however. By the second week many of the restaurant and bar staff had warmed up and we had a number of interesting conversations with them. Only the cabin steward remained somewhat distant. As this is the second Princess cruise (out of two) where this has been the case, I surmise that the passenger relations training that the cabin stewards undergo may be different than that delivered to the bar and restaurant staff.

 

Worthy of special mention is the Passenger Services desk and their issue resolution. We needed to contact them to help with a couple minor concerns. I am pleased to say that follow-up was both swift and complete – impressively so. Much better than anything we have experienced on other ships and a testament to the professionalism with which Princess ships seem managed.

 

Also worthy of special mention – negatively – is the Personal Choice Dining reservation line. There is apparently some variation between Princess ships regarding how these lines are staffed and how far in advance reservations may be made. On Golden only one person staffed the line and only same day reservations were permitted for the MDR (although advance reservations were taken for Sabatini’s and the Crown Grille). The upshot of these decisions were hold times that would not have been acceptable on land. The only mornings we did not wait at least 10-15 minutes on hold were the day in Honolulu (11 PM departure so many pax were ashore at luaus) and the final full day of the cruise. Additionally, on the first formal night I called at 8:10 AM (the line opens at 8 AM) and by the time I got through to the crew member (8:35) there were no early reservations left. So I waited 25 minutes for nothing. Improvements in this procedure seem possible, inexpensive, and would be most welcome.

 

Finally, entertainment. We were impressed. Two of the four shows featuring the singers and dancers were presented in a more intimate format than is normal. One of the shows (Motor City) was in the smaller Vista Lounge at the rear of the ship. The other (Stardust) was in the main theater, but the stage size was significantly reduced by putting the band onstage. It worked. Creating the look and feel of a smaller show matched up better with the capabilities of both the ship’s theater and, especially, the singers and dancers themselves. After thirteen cruises we had just about given up on the song and dance shows; this pair of shows changed our minds, at least for now.

 

There was much musical entertainment and it was uniformly good. The Piazza musicians included a five piece combo. Mosaic performed in the wheelhouse. There were a couple of pianists. Elua (a duo) played mostly Hawaiian music with other tropical tunes thrown in. The best of all was Vitality, a group that could easily and competently switch from Rock to jazz to the dance standards of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Better still, on sea days the music started at noon in the Piazza and on port days it commenced no later than 5:00. Early enough for us to enjoy, even though we usually call it a night by 10:00.

 

On the eight sea days of this cruise, buskers augmented the musicians on the Piazza. Enrichment speakers included a retired teacher presenting programs on popular history (these were better than I’m making them sound), and a naturalist. There were ukulele and hula lessons and a chance to make your own ceramics. There was an expert on bridge. There were also several movies, both indoors and on MUTS. And there were all the cruise ship standards – trivia, pool games, Photoshop, etc. In short, plenty of enjoyable ways to stay busy between ports and/or meals.

 

A few words on accessibility. Although we had no significant problems navigating the scooter around the ship, Golden is not up to the standard of RCI’s Freedom-class. The corridors outside the passenger cabins were too narrow for DW’s scooter to pass the service carts. The cabin doors are also too narrow for the scooter. Finally, there are raised metal "speed bumps" on the floor between public rooms and in the corridors. While DW could get over these bumps, some are real tooth-rattlers. None of these items were issues on Liberty of the Seas.

 

On the Grand-class only one of the lower public decks (Deck 7) permits passage the entire length of the ship. Since we could not "drive" down the cabin corridors due to the service carts, we needed to take two separate elevators to get from our cabin to the Piazza or the MDR. Yes, we could have avoided this by booking an accessible cabin near the center elevators. But we do not yet need that level of assistance and would rather that those who are completely non-ambulatory had access to these cabins. There were a large number of passengers using walkers, wheelchairs, and scooters on this cruise, far too many for everyone to have an accessible cabin. Some general improvements in traffic flow would have helped; perhaps we will see that in the two announced new-builds.

 

One thing Princess did very, very well was assist mobility-limited passengers at the ports of call. On some lines the staff at the gangway stands around and watches wheelchair and scooter passengers struggle to get down and back up what can often be a pretty steep gangway. On Princess they actively helped us onto and off of the ship.

 

In summary, this was a very good cruise. Before this cruise I was having great difficulty identifying differences between so-called "mass market" and "premium" cruises. Our experiences on Celebrity, for example, did not seem all that different from those on Royal Caribbean. And most of the differences that were evident were extra cost. In many little ways, however, our experience on Golden was better than our recent experiences on Carnival and RCI. Food quality. More room between tables in the MDR and pool deck. Immediate attention to issues. Overall comfort on the pool deck, whether sunning or eating. Quality and quantity of live music. Ratio of bar servers to passengers. Speed at which Lido deck tables were cleared and ready for the next diners. None of these things taken by itself is a big deal. But when taken together they do combine to create a "premium" experience when compared to other lines.

 

Because cruise lines (not to mention our personal preferences) are continually evolving, we are unlikely to ever limit our cruising to a single line. On the basis of this cruise, however, Princess will benefit from a disproportionate share of our business for at least the next few years.

[Megsdad]

Boston Terrier?:)

 

Excellent review

[Coral]

Thanks for your extensive review. I appreciate it.

[RickEk]

Thanks for the excellent review. I look forward to sailing to Hawaii on a Princess ship in the future...

[fridaythecat.u.k.]

Thanks for taking the time to post such a well balanced and constructive review.

 

Would just like to say that my experience of the attitude (for want of a better word) of my steward on the Ruby was different to yours - we found him to be open, forthcoming and chatty from the start. Not flaming or anything, just a different experience to yours ;)

[basil's mom]

Thank you so much for your review. We are sailing to Hawaii on the Golden over the Thanksgiving holiday. Never having been on a Princess ship, I have been a bit apprehensive. I think now I'll just relax and try to lose those extra pounds before anyone has to see me in a bathing suit!

[mamaiscruzin]

Thank you for the review. I will be sailing on the Golden April 25th. We are looking forward to a wonderful cruise. With your input and that of another cruiser (showing pictures and videos) I think all will be great. If the weather is off or the seas a little rough, just sailing is fun.

 

Sun Fun and Peace

Joanne

[lovevacadays]

Thanks for the review. I've thought about doing Princess' Hawaiian cruise but not sure yet. I live 45 minutes from San Pedro so might give it a try someday.

[RLM77]

Dog

Boston Terrier?:)

 

Excellent review

 

Yes, she is a Boston. Although after over eight years, I'm still not entirely sure that she's a dog. Fellow Boston owners know exactly what I mean.

 

Thanks everyone else for your kind words.

 

Rich

[senior lady]

Thanks for your great review. We love the golden and the Hawaii cruises. Although am disappointed that Princess has cancelled the port of Kauai. It was one of our favourites!!!

[basil's mom]

When did they cancel Kauai? We love that island.

[Duck Duck Cruise]

When did they cancel Kauai? We love that island.

 

I think it is actually Kona on the Big Island that they stopped going to rather than Kauai. We were just on the Golden last month and we stopped in Kauai, but not Kona.

[TomCruises]

When did they cancel Kauai? We love that island.

 

 

Are you not familiar with Port Allen in Kaui???It is on my itinerary for next year!:rolleyes:

[Cruisin' Chick]

Princess took Kona off the itinerary when it made it a 14-day cruise. Which is sad for us because Kona was the one port we couldn't make on our cruise because of high waves.

[flamomo]

I was also on the 3/14-3/28 Hawai'i sailing, and we really loved the Golden.

We differ slightly from RML77's opinion on a couple of things.

 

We loved the new ribbed towels. They are thick and thirsty.

We enjoyed the pub lunch so much that we went back the 2nd day. I had the fish and chips both days and really liked it. Very consistent quality. On our 2nd visit we shared a table with a British couple, who said the food was comparable to what they were used to in England and were very pleased with it.

I happen to love Princess rolls - crusty on the outside, nice and soft on the inside. Lots with whole grains.

 

Our steward did a great job in caring for our cabin, but he too was not particularly "warm". Friendly, always pleasant, but all business.

 

Our starboard Emerald minisuite had so much storage space that we did not use all the drawers provided.

We also found that we used the sitting area of the cabin less than we expected to, and almost never turned the 2nd TV on. We did like the larger bathroom, and the tub/shower combo was more spacious than the usual shower stall. The longer vanity was nice for all our bottles, jars, etc.

 

We did not have breakfast in the dining room much. We had room service on several sea days, and went to the Horizon Court buffet a few times. The breakfast food on the buffet was good, and there was a good variety of selections.

However, we were less than impressed with the lunches in the HC. Too many food items were short on flavor and seasoning. We only went there a couple of times before we decided it just was not for us.

Instead, we had the delicious salads and sandwiches at the International Cafe several times. On the port days, we had lunch on shore.

We had dinner in the MDR, late seating. Our servers, Luminita and Jayson, were excellent and very personable. We enjoyed our meals, but since food experiences are quite subjective, I don't want to speak to our likes and dislikes.

 

We were privileged to be able to dine at the Chef's Table, and it was just awesome. Excellent foods and wines, outstanding service, and a true dining experience.

We dined at the Crowne Grille twice, and again, the food was excellent, as was the service.

 

We have done this cruise 3 times now, and will likely do it again in a couple of years because we love the sea days as well as the ports in Hawai'i. We do miss the port of Kona, and wish it would be put back on the itinerary.

[senior lady]

oops, meant Kona:rolleyes:

[MemCruiseGuy]

We were on the Golden last August not long after her refit and totally agree that the ship is beautiful and you would never guess she is 10 years old. The impressive thing about Golden is her service staff. They are truly one of the best at sea of any large ship. The Princess service does lean more toward the business professional side but we love that. Our cabin steward was also all business, but don't get me wrong, he was perfect in his duties. We have never had a cabin or needs so well taken care of. Golden truly is a special girl.

[ASeaPrincess1]

I will be on the Golden in three weeks, so I appreciate your review.

I will also be in the same mini, E728, so I was interested in what you thought of that cabin and balcony.

I had heard that it could be excessively windy on the extended balcony, but you used the term "breezy", so can I expect that you meant just that?:)

I don't want to be blown off the balcony!

As far as noise, did you hear much from the Vista Lounge below? That cabin is right over the stage.

 

I do agree that Princess' minis could be better designed. The Junior Suite on Royal Caribbean is much more spacious than a mini on Princess.

I have stayed in them before, (both the mini and JS) so I know how they are.

 

At any rate, I am going to Hawaii, and I have loved reading all these reviews.

I can hardly wait!:D

[vickie_bernie]

great review and comparisson....

 

should be noted that the ribbed towels are only offered in the mini suites and above. I personally like them more than the traditional terry cloth.

 

thanks again

[scmomofboys]

Do any of you recently on the Golden to Hawaii recall if EZ Check was offered and if so, was Delta a participating airline?

 

Thanks for all your postings. It makes the anticipation for our upcoming cruise that much greater.:)

[TorontoTL]

Thanks for your review, it really mirrors my experiences on Princess which is why we have stuck with them for our cruises.

[Kansasgirl]

Yes, EZ Check was offered, however since we didn't use it, I didn't pay attention to what airlines were included. Maybe someone else could comment...

[dclark]

I was on the Golden last July and will be on her again this June. I sailed her before the retro fit and the improvements really made her a looker. Last summer, I was struck by the quality of food served. It sort of surprises me when people say "CCL food better" when on the Golden, the Horizon court served excellent prime rib 3x (you never see that on CCL) lots of large shrimp, huge scallops, even hot cookies from the the atrium (they are always cold and/or stale on CCL).

Entertainment? With the Alaskan itenery, I thought I would be bored, but I loved the entertainment of buskers, and guest lectures during the day time. I mean, how many times can you see a hairy chest competition? Listening to Libby Riddles talk about the Iditarod was far more interesting!

I found the staff to be friendly and unlike CCL, not overworked.

[scmomofboys]

Yes, EZ Check was offered, however since we didn't use it, I didn't pay attention to what airlines were included. Maybe someone else could comment...

 

Thanks so much!

[RLM77]

I will be on the Golden in three weeks, so I appreciate your review.

I will also be in the same mini, E728, so I was interested in what you thought of that cabin and balcony.

I had heard that it could be excessively windy on the extended balcony, but you used the term "breezy", so can I expect that you meant just that?:)

I don't want to be blown off the balcony!

As far as noise, did you hear much from the Vista Lounge below? That cabin is right over the stage.

 

Whether you consider the balcony "breezy" or "windy" is in the eye (or, in this case the skin) of the beholder. The relatively cool temperatures transpacific combined with the breeze/wind made it too uncomfortable for us too spend as much time out there as we would have liked. I'm not expecting that problem in the Caribbean next March (we booked E729 on Grand while on board) due to the warm temperatures.

 

As for the noise, yes, there is some. We were not disturbed by the comedians, jugglers, magicians, etc. but the 10:30 PM shows that featured music did keep us awake. Fortunately they last less than an hour. Something to bear in mind is that Princess does not do as good a job as some other lines at soundproofing their cabins. Since there are only two cabins farther back (their balconies face the stern), there was much less noise from people in the hall and from slamming doors. This more than compensated for the occasional noise from the Vista.

 

Hope this is helpful.

 

Rich