Five Day Golden Pacific Coastal Cruise Review

[mycruz]

Thanks for the review, sounds like you had the same room steward that we had on our cruise in March.

[jamesnnb]

How was the weather/seas as you passed the Oregon coast?

[jamesnnb]

...and as you sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge and out to sea?

[RickEk]

I much prefer the Sapphire's double pools in the aft area. That's my favorite spot. When I'm on the Golden or Grand, I always miss that extra pool back there. I just like the 'feel' of the Sapphire/Diamond - seems to flow a little better than the Golden.

 

OP - Thanks for the review. I appreciate it!

 

Do you mean the two hot tubs, one on each side? I don't recall the pool situation being any different. :confused:

 

Well, the Sapphire/Diamond have two pools in the aft section. The Terrace Pool which is on Aloha Deck and the Splash Pool which is a bit higher up and forward on Sun Deck. The two hot tubs are even higher up on Sports Deck.

 

The Golden only has the Terrace Pool on Aloha Deck and the two hot tubs on Sports Deck.

 

I too like the aft section of the Sapphire better than her older Grand-class cousins...

[Hulagirl]

Donna5: Ugh on your experience on the Rotterdam with your cabin. We also had requested a queen configuration for our bed but it was twins also. Never saw the cabin steward to ask for it to be changed. I will say thankfully after reading your comments that at least our cabin was clean. That is terrible what you found. I don't like the fact that you board and have to wait so long to get to your cabin. Princess has this so much better. We are going to try the Oosterdam for a week the end of June and I'm hoping it is much better on the bigger ship.

 

The seas past Oregon were rough and it was windy that day. The Captain made the announcement that we would be late getting into Victoria because of the wind and rough seas. The sail out of SF was beautiful and under the Golden Gate was spectacular. But you could feel the difference in the water once out of that area. It started to bounce a bit more and then was quite a bit rougher. Not horrible, but definitely rougher.

[Putterdude]

We were on the Golden with Vicki & Bernie, there was also another Vancouver poster who goes by the handle of Urbantreker aboard so it was fun meeting everyone face to face so to speak.

I would probably share many of Vicki's remarks, I was aware of the carpet lifting in some of the hallways...but I think it was improperly laid in the first place. I enjoyed having the new generation of carpeting in our cabin. I thought a lot of the woodwork had been renewed and generally she was in great shape. The only thing new on the menu...at least to us, at lunch was a curried chicken on rice served with mango chutney. However it apparently is not new to the menu. As much as I enjoyed the International Cafe...as do a lot of other people, I felt that it's location in the Piazza just added to the already congested scene...Vines and the Wine Shop no problem. CD....well I think he was burned out and only wanted to get home to "mama's cooking" as he said to me (boy, he will rue having that conversation with me).

We took advantage of the independent wine tour that some CC's put together, it ended up that there was only 6 of us but we had a grand day turning some of the smaller wineries in the Sonoma Valley under some lovely blue skies and warm temps..

We are now thinking of abandoning our HAL cruise in late August as we have secured some super pricing on a b/b Vancouver to Wittier on the Diamond...we will make a decision tomorrow and go firm on Wednesday. But if we do it, will someone please shoot me if I say ever want to go to Alaska again, 17 cruises is enough...even though I was crewing on the first 13.

 

[vickie_bernie]

Just got off the Sapphire one day cruise from Vancouver to Seattle -- first the line to get on the ship was CRAZY (this is the second time we have done this voyage and the second time that the line to board was CRAZY)

 

Our friends called us from the pier at 1130 to say they were told to come back for 3 pm. There were three ships in port that day. So we didn't head down to the pier until 2:30. When we arrived the line was all theway out to the doors. Here is a picture of the crowds.

 

We snaked our way thru all the lines (everyone was in a good mood though) we finally cleared security to get in the line for US customs, then the line for cruise cards. We boarded at 4:30 just as muster drill was going. We left late therefore too.

 

This is the first time for us on the sapphire, we had sailed the Diamond twice prior. We missed IC... but ultimately we managed to find food. :)

 

Our cabin was in good shape but our phone didn't work.

 

Putterdude, the International Cafe can get crowded... especially on cooler weather cruises like ours. We prefer the IC on the Crown/Ruby/Emerald as the area is larger.

 

We are in Northern California right now seeing friends

[southpawsdakota]

It was nice meeting Pudderdude and his wife as well as Hulagirl. I really enjoyed the cruise as a "single" on the cruise. I hardly saw my room steward but at least the room was clean. I did go out and purchase an eggcrate today as my DH and I are doing the Eastern Caribbean the end of the month out of NYC. The bed on the Sapphire one day cruise did my back and knees in, I certainly wish Princess would invest in either new mattress's OR at least buy new eggcrates that are more then 1/4" thick because they are so worn out. Except for the very long lines getting on the one day Sapphire I really enjoyed my time on the Golden and the Sapphire.

[grandmaa]

We were on the Golden too..enjoyed the cruise along the Pacific Coast. Agree with the comments of my fellow cruise mates. We enjoyed the ports of San Fran and Victoria as we were able to do independent tours in those cities as we were docked for a long period of time as opposed to only a few hours. Disembarkation was easy...but we had the misfortune of having our luggage go astray.. finally found in the same color group (light blue) but with a different group number. Then getting on the bus to Seattle with Quick Express was an interesting experience..only one bus bay for their buses inside the terminal so they could only load one bus at a time with a bizillion people waiting in the long lines and the employees having no access to a computer and had to hand check off of a list the passengers that had reservations..what a mess!!! We arrived in Seattle in the early afternoon (3 1/2 hour bus ride) with an interesting stop at the border..all suitcases and hand luggage had to come off the bus as well as all the passengers. We then had to go through, immigration, customs and TSA screening. Our bus driver said this was the first time such a thing had happened on one of her buses. Lucky us!! I have a suggestion for Princess. they should make this a 6 day cruise with disembarkation in Seattle..easier for the passengers and the crew. By the way we thoroughly enjoyed Ray Coussins in the Crooners Bar lounge..a piano player extraordinaire.

[Colo Cruiser]

I have a suggestion for Princess. they should make this a 6 day cruise with disembarkation in Seattle..easier for the passengers and the crew. By the way we thoroughly enjoyed Ray Coussins in the Crooners Bar lounge..a piano player extraordinaire.

 

Ending in Seattle is not an option.

This is against the law and thats why it ends in Vancouver.

Then the ship does a 1 day to Seattle.

[Putterdude]

The stop with disembarkation in Seattle is a good idea but you will have to have your congressman champion an initiative to repeal the PVSA...Passenger Vessels Service Act.;)