Golden Princess - General questions....

[luv2cruz62]

We are departing in January on our first Princess Cruise (Have been on NCL twice and RCL twice). Regarding the hard beds, when I sat on the bed on our last NCL cruise in March, I thought that I would have the worst sleep being that they were so hard.:eek: But with the rocking of the ship (love it) I had some of the best sleeps ever! So with that in mind, how are the beds on Princess comparable to NCL..:rolleyes:

 

Also, I have read in other reviews about the Golden (last year), that there is very few hand sanitizer stations. Has that been addressed by Princess...I know on NCL there was a hand sanitizer about every 200 feet or so and also there was one into EVERY public room. (I do not plan on getting sick...:o

Last but not least, I have read on the boards about trivia, Mexican train..(I think that is what it is called) and other activities. Could someone please elaborate on these activities, such as cost...frequency....etc. I would love to get involved in something like that!! Thanks....and the count down is still on until departure! Cant wait!:D

[RickEk]

To address the hand sanitizer question, there will be hand sanitizers in the Horizon Court and possibly in the main dining rooms. From what I understand, hand washing is much more effective than hand sanitizers and Princess promotes hand washing. They don't want people to begin to rely on hand sanitizers and not wash their hands...

[Fuzzyape]

Trivia is usually held in one of the bars on board (check the Patter, the ship newspaper for details). Not sure of the frequency. But it's free to play.

 

As I'm sure you know, the Princess Patter will become your friend. I think you can also pick one up near the purser's desk (in case you want an extra to take notes on the things you want to do and keep the other in pristine condition for memories later).

 

Have fun!

[geoherb]

I'm a trivia addict. There is usually one morning session and an afternoon session. Sometimes they have special trivia sessions at night--such as Seinfeld trivia. I usually miss these because they're scheduled too early for those of us with second seating traditional dining.

[karatemom2]

It's been awhile since we have been on NCL, but I have to say that by my recollection the beds on NCL were more comfortable than Princess. We have spent many wonderful days on the Golden, but the beds are rock hard so if that bothers you be sure to ask for one or two foam pads. For me those pads are a requirement!

 

There are fewer hand sanitizers now on Princess ships. I do remember on NCL they were everywhere, even by the elevators. On the Golden you will find them at the buffet and the grill and sometimes in a pump bottle on the reception desk at the restaurants but that's about it. I carry my own pocket sized bottle with me at all times. Hand washing is the first line of defense, but I work in the medical field and know first hand that the sanitizers are a very effective supplement.

 

Trivia is very popular on Princess. There is always a morning trivia and afternoon trivia in one of the lounges such as Explorers Lounge or Wheelhouse Bar. It consists of twenty questions and teams can be up to six people. It can become ridiculously competitive, but we love it. There is usually several special themed trivias in the evenings as well. Just be sure to check your Patter for time and place. In addition to trivia, there are other competitive team games that tend to vary from cruise to cruise depending on the CD staff onboard.

 

Sorry, I have never heard of Mexican train, but I am intrigued!

[socaljo]

Mexican Train is a domino game that can be played with up to 8 people. Last Feb. DH & I were on the Golden to Hawaii, and I used our Roll Call to find others that would be interested in playing. We live close to port so could bring the "bones" onboard without baggage weight issues. We had games almost every sea day with 4-8 playing. And lots walking by and stopping to watch for a bit! Lots of fun, have a great cruise... find your roll call, that's got to be the best part of the waiting for a cruise to begin! Other people that don't get annoyed at how excited you are before the cruise! :p

[luv2cruz62]

thanks for all the info! So looking forward to the trivia (Husband will have way more answers than me in that category:eek:) and I know on our roll call, a couple of people have mentioned the mexican train and trivia! Will definately give them a try!

 

I just read a review from a CC member just off the Golden. They mentioned in their review that there is no shower gel provided. Shampoo and condition are though, and I assume :rolleyes: that they provide the small bottles of each like a hotel... So we have to bring our own gel....thats ok too!

[Cruisin' Chick]

We were on the Golden last December (we had the honor of being on Karatemom's trivia team) and really enjoyed the cruise.

 

I'm kinda used to hard mattresses as that's what my hubby likes (so he has no complaints about their beds, but doesn't care for the Princess pillows). So he brings a pillow (we were driving to the port), and we did bring our own sanitizer. In fact, going along with the holiday cruise, my daughter and I brought some of those little scented ones from Bath and Body Works. There are the machines by the islands in the Horizon Court that you pass your hand under and it automatically releases sanitizer on your hands.

 

There are bars of soap in the bathrooms, but no gel (at least not in the non-suites). Unfortunately, there really isn't a good place in the shower stall to put too many little containers. So if you bring your own gel, transfer it to a sample size container.

 

The Golden Princess Hawaiian cruises are unique (compared to other cruises we've been on) in that you really get a taste of the culture onboard. Other than music or one menu devoted to your destination on other ships and cruiselines, you'll get to participate in activities that are Hawaiian-inspired, such as uke lessons, hula lessons, lei making lessons. There are cultural talks (as part of the scholarship@sea program). On the menus, there will be at least one item that will be inspired by the tropics. And of course, the music. Elua, a musical husband and wife duo (she's from the Big Island), will lead many of the above activities as well as perform on the deck and in the Piazza.

 

And in the Piazza, there's the International Cafe. Basically a case full of yummy foods, including paninis, pastries, desserts. My mouth is watering just thinking of the chocolate chip cookies. These are all free, and you can buy a specialty coffee there to wash your food down. The only drawback (besides the pounds to gain) is that there isn't enough seating. But you can take your plates elsewhere, including your cabin.

 

I have never heard of Mexican Train, but have played dominos with a table full of people (one notable game was with farmhands and former bf's stepmother at former bf's father's farm...during this game, those watching a football game on TV in the next room heard a sad announcement that John Lennon was just shot).

[janacin]

To address the hand sanitizer question, there will be hand sanitizers in the Horizon Court and possibly in the main dining rooms. From what I understand, hand washing is much more effective than hand sanitizers and Princess promotes hand washing. They don't want people to begin to rely on hand sanitizers and not wash their hands...

 

We too were surprised by the scarceness of the hand sanitizers other than the ones in the HC. Our dining room was the Canaletto dining room which you could only access by elevator or the stairs. There were no hand sanitizer outside or nearby. The closest place to wash your hands was one deck up so if you held on to the stair rail or pressed any elevator buttons, your hands were no longer "clean".

[luv2cruz62]

We too were surprised by the scarceness of the hand sanitizers other than the ones in the HC. Our dining room was the Canaletto dining room which you could only access by elevator or the stairs. There were no hand sanitizer outside or nearby. The closest place to wash your hands was one deck up so if you held on to the stair rail or pressed any elevator buttons, your hands were no longer "clean".

 

If you think about all the things that you touch just going from point A to point B....stair railings, door handles, elevator buttons,casino machines (in my case anyway) etc.....eeewww...:eek: I will be taking my own hand sanitizer with a clip on it to keep it handy! Obvisously the hand sanitizer works, you rarely hear of those awful virus outbreaks on cruise ships anymore. I have a good immune system, but better to be safe than sorry!! :p

(3 months from today...we will be cruizing! Cant wait!!):D