Dawn Princess Review May 16th-30th.....Long...

[Murphey]

This will be a review concerning the “onboard” experience, not shore excursions mainly because we took a similar trip last year (HAL) and did so much, that this year we really just went along for the ride! I am 50, DH is upward of that. This was our 22nd and 23rd cruise with Princess, have no idea what our “total” cruises are. We booked this trip in March, mainly because it was a reasonable deal and we could drive to the port (Vancouver), not something we get the chance to do very often.

 

Embarkation: We got to the port about 2:00, thinking that most everyone would be on by now. Unfortunately, the Dawn was delayed arriving so we got there at peak time. The real hold up was passport control, but that has nothing to do with Princess, and once we got through that, we were on in a breeze.

 

Cabin: We had 2 cabins on this trip. Week one was A731. Inside. What this did for me was that I was absolutely done with inside cabins !! It just felt like we were “in jail” and did not like the feeling of not seeing what was happening outside (weather mostly). This may be more of an issue on an Alaskan cruise, because the weather changes quickly, but we decided we were done with insides. Note: If you do have an inside, you have a lot more spacious feeling if you keep the beds in twin configuration. Week two was in D749. Lovely cabin! HUGE window with a window seat large enough for me to sit in with my binoculars and see all the sights. Roomy and inviting! We were at the end of the hall and loved the convenient location. Note: Interestingly, both cruises were not full by any means. We were slightly disappointed that Princess did not see fit to upgrade us from our inside, seeing as though there were empty cabins in most categories. What we DID learn: On the second week; the suites at the end of our hall were unoccupied. (All 4 I believe) After the first day, name tags “appeared” in the slots outside the door. I mentioned this to our cabin steward and she laughed…..they were indeed unoccupied! Very tricky on Princess’ part!

 

Dining: In all our years of cruising we prefer traditional late seating, table for two. We are not unsociable; there are lots of other venues to interact with others. We just know that we are always going to enjoy each other’s company and like the quite, romantic time for ourselves. Upon embarkation, we checked with the Maitre D’ to confirm our table and alas, we were assigned a table for 4. We politely asked for what had been confirmed for us and his attitude left a bit to be desired. He clearly wanted a tip. We did eventually receive a nice table, but I felt it could have been handled better. So…. the end of week one rolls around and the Maitre’ D’ stops by our table to confirm that we were staying on. We said yes, and that we loved our table and our waiters and would love to remain where we were. Alas, once again, he went said he may not be able to arrange it but that he would “see what he could do”. I was pissed! We were on a back-to-back, elite members and again, his attitude left a lot to be desired. Yes, we eventually remained at our table, but I thought the whole “game” was inappropriate. Other than that, dining was very nice, no real complaints. The first week, they had taken the salt and pepper shakers off the tables due to a Norwalk infection the cruise before, they did appear back the second week. However I would add that if you sail Princess a lot, the menus can become a bit tedious…..we know most of the menus by heart!! They have added some things to the always available menu (DH liked the NY steak) and Alaska brings you crab legs which are a favorite of ours!. We are not buffet people, but found the food to be fine. Especially if you get to the lunch buffet when it first opens, we found the food hot and nicely presented. We favored the Pizzeria. Each is cooked to order and we thought it was excellent. Note: You can ask for anything you want on your Pizza. It may look like there are only 4 or 5 kinds on the menu (plus the pizza of the day), but you can build your own with anything they have. (My DH always added pepperoni and onions to his calzone and I got to have my anchovies to my heart’s content!)

 

Stay tuned (if you wish!) for Service, Shows, Elite Treatment and miscellaneous thoughts….

[Murphey]

 

Shows: The current production shows are Curtain Up, Tribute and Piano Man. We happen to like this type of entertainment enjoyed them all. Our one comment would be that Princess has gone away from interesting sets/costumes and emphasizes the dance team. The lead male was Shawn Kilpatrick who (in our impression) well trained vocally, but weak in strength (i.e. read…..he did the best with what he’s got!). The female lead was Laurie Miller and we thought she was excellent. The dancers troupe were all good! The ventriloquist was hilarious (Ron Horn). We enjoyed him so much we saw him twice. There was a magician who we did not stay to see his entire show (lots of people loved him, just not us) and there was a gal (can’t remember her name…Michele something?) who was fine, but not outstanding. We thought they showed a nice variety of movies, some at night and some in the early afternoon.

 

Welcome Aboard and Captain’s Circle Party: Both of these parties I thought were well done. Neither was very crowded and the waiters were very generous with drinks. You can order whatever you want (within reason), we drink red wine and were accommodated (several times (!)) without a problem. They have changed the presentation of the hors d’oeuvres, they are now in individual paper serviettes and they all seemed to look the same…but hey, who needs more food?

 

Elite Stuff: Our bar set-up was ready when we boarded….we had them exchange it out for things we liked, no problem. The first week, we had to remind our cabin steward about the different bathroom amenities and it showed up the next day. The second week everything was in top notch order immediately. Used the dry cleaning/laundry perk extensively…..pretty good. I had both my formal gowns cleaned while on board and I was a little afraid, but both dresses came back beautifully. Several times I put things out in the morning and it came back at 5:00 that night. It was very quick. The canapé’s on formal night were a hoot. We received them every night. Not only that, the order got bigger and bigger each night. Someone had figured out that DH loved the Tuxedo strawberries and one night we got 10 of them!! By the end of the cruise I had to tell them to quit delivering them…..we were gleefully spoiling our dinner!. We had our dress shoes polished once, nice jog, did not partake in Afternoon Tea, again. How much food do we need? The last four cruises, we have received a $25 SBC (the card says Thank you for your loyalty). Don’t know why we get (got) it, not is it a published Elite perk, but hey, Thank you Princess!! Instead of an Elite Luncheon, we had a cocktail party in the officer’s Wardroom with the Captain, Officers, and Senior Staff…..nice! Interesting fact: There are 4 or 5 million CC members and 15,000 Elites. There were 8 Elite cabins the first cruise, ?? the second. Part three is coming if you wish.....;)

[crusdiva]

Yes, please keep it coming ;) I am enjoying it so much.

Sounds like once the dining issue was taken care of everything fell into place. Good for you.

Dawn's been alongtime favorite of mine and I love hearing all about her.

[yancycruiser]

Thanks for the reviews. We are sailing on the Dawn for a 10-Day to Mexico out of San Francisco. I have a concern that maybe you could help me with. Our first six cruises were 7-day with the last three being on a Grand Class Ship. I'm concerned that since are sailing on a smaller ship and it is 10 days, that we will be bored (We have thoroughly enjoyed all of our previous cruises and are not easily bored). Secondly, we are scheduled for traditional dining, first seating. I've read in previous posts that the theatre is sometimes filled by the time first seating has completed their dinner. Do you have any thoughts on this.

 

I am staying tuned and looking forward to the remainder of your report.

[Murphey]

Service: I felt overall; the service onboard was very good (save for our dining room experience). Our first cabin steward was attentive and he did everything I asked, but there was just something missing. However, I didn’t realize this until week two when we had Grace! Unbelievable. She was a pro. Somehow, she new what we wanted/needed before we did. Example: towards the end of the week, we were running out of tonic, but had lots of diet coke left……she came and asked us how many we would like to exchange! Our nightwear was taken off the bathroom hook and left arranged nicely by our pillows each night and anything that was usually left in the slot outside the door was brought in the room and left on our pillow (messages/patters, etc.) Before the last formal night she tapped on our door when she came on duty (5:00) and asked if our shoes needed shined up for that evening!! Every cabin steward should attain to her standards!! WOW! As indicated before, our waiters were great, even our main waiter was wonderful, even though he was due to disembark after 10 months with us, never once let down his professionalism. We found wonderful bar service in the Mangum bar, they had added piano music which really added to the atmosphere. Casino (made our required donation!) and Wheelhouse were fine also. I like the Martini of the day for $4 quite reasonable and tried new things! One issue that Princess will get a letter about: I had preordered champagne for my DH to be in our room, on ice upon arrival. It was nowhere to be found. I decided that perhaps they got the date wrong and it would appear the second week. Nope! Finally had to sneak down to the Purser’s desk and inquire about its whereabouts. The purser’s desk (Ann Marie) tracked it down and we decided to have it delivered the last formal night (still trying to surprise my DH). Alas, it showed up in our cabin about an hour later, while I was gone….DH was indeed surprised, but it lacked my intentions!. My TA had also ordered a gift basket for us (unbeknownst to us) that never did arrive and also, my TA had been on the CP three weeks before and we had sent her Champagne. It did not show up for three days, and when it did, there was no card. Needless to say, we are unhappy with Customer Service from the head office.

 

 

Last comments about the Dawn. She is in beautiful shape. Clean as a whistle and very pretty for an older ship. I would not however, pay extra for a balcony as they are cut from the hull and have only enough room for a small table and upright chairs. Perhaps it’s nice for a “step outside and get fresh air” experience, but not sitting comfortably and hanging out for any length of time. The OV cabins on Aloha, Baja and Caribe decks have the balcony space in the room and the windows on Dolphin deck are darn near floor to ceiling…..perfect for Alaskan sightseeing in the comfort of your room. The elevators were no problem. Suggestion….there are two sets of main elevators, forward and aft. If your cabin is aft the elevators are a breeze because there are three less passenger decks using them (Riviera, Plaza and Emerald). Very nice wool blankets were provided and we ordered hot chocolate from room service in the morning for our glacier viewing…nice. Had pretty darn good weather (we laid out by the pool in Ketchikan!). They did a good job of keeping the pools warm and we could actually swim our laps in them comfortably. One minor complaint: there are 5 hot tubs on board and at any given time only 1-3 were open. Did not get that? Suggestion for cold weather cruising: Use the aft hot tubs, then pop in the spa (the door is right next to the hot tub), take a nice warm steam and/or sauna after. Did not partake in Spa treatments, too expensive for my tastes, but perhaps if you are from a major metropolitan area the prices might not seem as steep. later in the cruise, they have a 30% off sale for most treatments over $100 (they are all over $100 :p ).

Only met a couple CCer's....Hi Todd, Jeff and John...where was everyone else??

Well, that’s about it…..be glad to answer any thing you might have a question/comment on!

[Druke I]

Murphey

 

Thanks for the well thought out review.

 

Haven't been on the Dawn, but certainly enjoyed her sister, the Sun Princess.

I much prefer the size of that class of ship (and the Coral & Island also), to the too large Grand class ships.

 

If it can't fit through the Panama Canal, it is too big!

[spongerob]

Thanks for the great review. It's been so long since I've been on a Sun-class ship that it's like reading about a brand new ship.

[Murphey]

Thanks for the reviews. We are sailing on the Dawn for a 10-Day to Mexico out of San Francisco. I have a concern that maybe you could help me with. Our first six cruises were 7-day with the last three being on a Grand Class Ship. I'm concerned that since are sailing on a smaller ship and it is 10 days, that we will be bored (We have thoroughly enjoyed all of our previous cruises and are not easily bored). Secondly, we are scheduled for traditional dining, first seating. I've read in previous posts that the theatre is sometimes filled by the time first seating has completed their dinner. Do you have any thoughts on this.

 

I am staying tuned and looking forward to the remainder of your report.

 

Oh dear...being bored on a cruise (of any length!) is the last thing you should be worried about. I think that you always have kind of a "mind set" on your cruise. If you are booked for 7 days, you are "mentally" ready to get off after 7 days....same with 10 days, two weeks and upward. Honest to god, the first time we did a really long cruise we thought "what had we done!!" (52 days!), But, it was great! As far as dining...I would have to agree, that is why we always eat later whether it be traditional or PC. There always seems tobe a line up for the first shows, but the later ones, we show up just before show time and there is always plenty of seating....

[LARGIN]

Murphey. We will be on the Dawn in December for a SF/Mexico/SF Cruise.. Can you tell me the name of the Maitre D'? Also, anything else that you think I should know.. Thanks.

[APH]

Murphey, fantastic review! Im glad you had a great time! :D

 

What did you make of Captain Bommarco?

[Gypsea]

I think I would be alot more upset than you about being left in my inside cabin if I had sailed 23 times with this line. What about the old line they always ask us agents "Would your clients like an upgrade if one became available?" I can't imagine your TA said no yet there you are with your inside with all those spare cabins. I would have made some noise about that. Because I too do not like cruising inside. It sounds like a very poor way to treat such a loyal guest. Of course, I am one of those squeeky wheels.

 

I sincerely appreciate your review as I have never sailed Princess and am DYING for my July 4th trip on this ship. Thanks for letting me know I will not be disappointed in her.

 

Can you think of anything else to add???

[yancycruiser]

Thanks Murphey for the response and the great review of your cruise. Do you think it would be advisable to cancel the early traditional and go for personal choice at 5:30? Again, thanks.

[Murphey]

Largin: Can't remember the last name of the MD..Francesco something.....I don't know what else I could tell you...you are the expert around here!!! :D

 

APH: Captain Bommarco was great! He's so laid back! We had to leave one of the Elite cocktail parties early and he catches us says, hey, where ya going!!! Stay awhile! He was very warm and inviting when you got him one on one. The senior staff all said the same thing.....

 

Gypsea: Evidently my TA did try, and they wouldn't budge.....we used to get upgrades quite often, but it seems in the last few years they have changed their strategy. Have a great time on your cruise!!!

 

I did think of one thing....if anyone is considering an obstructed view on the Sun/Dawn aft: These are right near the Casino and although I don't think the noise is an issue, the smoke would be for me. We found many passengers using the area (whether the Casino was open or not) to hang out and smoke and the smoke did waft down the hall a bit.

 

Also...we were quite impressed with the Gym area....we used it every day. There were plenty of treadmills and eliptical trainers. First sea day always busy, but after that, never had much problem.

 

Thanks for all your nice comments, it's nice to know you all appreciate reading about our cruise...even though it was quite lengthy! If I think of anything else, I'll post it here..also, be glad to answer anything else that comes up! Happy cruising......

[Murphey]

One more issue regarding the Internet Access. Interestingly enough, on the northbound trip, the internet was virtually non-existant until we got to Glacier Bay (in the middle of nowhere, right!). Then, it was fine. I had mentioned the lack of service at the Elite cocktail party. I suggested that if there was no service, they should close the cafe down......not everyone has free access, but need to try....it was frustrating for all. The only thing they would tell us is that they have to depend on satellite reception. We had Internet service the entire cruise southbound. Go figure!

[West Coast]

Largin: Can't remember the last name of the MD..Francesco something.....

 

We were on the same cruise as Murphey and I thought I would chime in here and add a few comments...

 

The Matre D' is Francesco Ciorfito - he was mostly present in the Traditional Dining Room.

 

The Matre D' in the PC Dining Room was great! His name is Andrea something..... He seemed to remember us from our cruise in October [once I reminded him!] and with him knowing we were past-passengers he was very accomodating in 'reserving' our table for 2 with our favourite waitress (Irma, from South Africa, btw). We got along very well, and he always dropped by every night to see how we were doing. In fact one night, he looked at our bottle of wine and said, "Hmmm, I don't recognize that label." To which I replied, "Oh, that's because we brought it with us."

 

Note: anyone else who asked about standing reservations at a specific table were told this was not possible. It could have something to do with the fact that of 2100 passengers, over 1800 of them were first time cruisers.

 

Anyway, we always make a point of bringing our own wine on-board and taking a bottle to dinner. We usually buy in port and then box it up and check it in with our luggage. However, this time, because we were sailing from our home port, we made a point of bringing BC wines.

 

Murphey, what was your 'wine' experience in the Traditional Dining Room like? We had great service. Our regular waitress would come over and open the wine and serve it. No corkage charged - a couple of nights we did dine with friends so could not have our regular waitress. The waiter showed great interest in our wine and yes, he did charge corkage. Of course, our regular waitress and her assistant were tipped well on the last evening, in addition to the auto-tip.

[CruiseAholic]

Was on board also (23-30th) we had a great time and I'm a real personal choice convert. Always got a good table.

 

One evening, we dined with a couple we met on board, had a terrible waiter/ass't waiter. They were rude, pushy and generally ignored us. Next evening, I went into the dining room (had reservations) and told the matre'd that we did not want to be at so-and-so's table. He asked why, I told him as he took notes. We ended up with Istvan and he was beyond fantastic.

 

In countdown mode for next one: Star 7/4

[Jeffry]

Murphy

 

Thanks for the great review I could never have done such a good job as you and being on the same cruise to. Todd and I both loved seeing Alaska and meeting you at our small (3 person) CC party. I wish we could have stayed on for the return trip but we needed that one extra day and couldn't get it.

 

I was surprised to hear about what you said in regards to the suites not being used/booked by any passengers and how your room steward reconfirmed. That they were empty! It's very funny that Princess would go to such extremes to place fake name tags on the doors. This makes me wonder if they did the same thing on the way up.

 

As far as upgrade are concerned I guess we'll have to wait until January on the Sun to see if it's going to happen to us. I well tell you that I wrote/sent a email to (I did get a email back saying that I should be getting a letter in 4 to 6 weeks) Princess about all this upgrade business. As to why loyal pass passengers are not getting them while all the new never cruised passengers are and how they decide who gets what and so on. I'll let you know what comes of it ever if I have to write them again. Mostly because I would like a answer along with, I'm sure many many others.

 

Enough of that for now.

 

I do have a couple of questions for you.

 

How many elite and platinum members were on the cruise back to Vancouver? and Did Todd ever send you a copy of the Hot tub photo to you?

 

Jeffry (Vancouver)

[Murphey]

Todd: Our wine experience - As you know we brought quite a bit of wine with us. We bought wine in the diningroom the first two nights, then after that we brought our own wine to the dining room. Never had a corkage fee! Really enjoyed the wine from BC that we bought on the way to the ship and was really nice to have our favorites that we brought from home.

 

Jeffry: Thanks for the kind words. Yes, would indeed be interested in hearing what you heard from Princess (if you do). Good luck on your upgrade for your January trip...hope you get one. And, no, did not get a copy of the "floaters" :p !!!! I don't know how many Elite were on the second week, I know that John aced us out of third place that week. Liza said we were fourth both weeks!!:eek: ! The second week, I kept thinking I was you guys around the ship!!!!

 

We will patiently be waiting for our b2b on the Sun this fall. We had booked an OOV, but decided we wanted an OV, but our TA says to wait.....(I have lost faith in any upgrades from Princess!)

 

I am interested in any other CC's who were on these cruises??????