Somewhat live on the Pacific Princess 50th Anniversary Cruise

[shredie]

They tell me the review has been posted.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Shredie, what a wonderful review. I knew you would have fair and interesting comments and you sure did. You had Nelson and Mauro as waiters...I just loved them. I don't think I ever interacted them for dining service (maybe Mauro once at MTP) but they (and most of the other waiters) never failed to smile and greet me by name when we passed by them while entering or exiting the dining room. Honestly, what other ship give you that kind of experience?

 

It sounds like, except for room service and casino size, the ship and crew delivered a great cruise. As for the other...well, it makes one less nostalgic about our high school days with their occasional social dramas.

 

Thanks again.

[fairsky1984]

They tell me the review has been posted.

 

Where is your review? Why can't I find it? Help! Thanks :)

[fairsky1984]

Where is your review? Why can't I find it? Help! Thanks :)

 

Found it! Very well written and I agree that this was a very special experience, one that we are very happy to have had. Nice job on the review.

[rdsqrl]

Loved your review, Shredie. The little girl is my very favourite ship ever; I'm so glad you liked it, too. We all need to sail on her all the time, so Princess doesn't let her go.

 

As to the rest, I was thinking middle school . . . Honestly, I had some qualms about this cruise from the get-go. While I'm still gutted I had to miss it, I feel like I would have disliked the atmosphere that was going to result from the self-congratulatory vibe I could feel building up in the roll call.

 

Plus, how did you restrain yourself from either completing the jigsaw, messing it up, or throwing away the the "don't touch" sign?? I would have probably done all three . . . You're a better woman than I.

[avalong]

They tell me the review has been posted.

 

Great review Shredie. You were just down the hall from me, I believe (we were in 6065). Wish I'd met you.

[Lynda90]

Lynda,

 

Is your Roz ... our Roz? If so, say hello for us.

 

 

Franky and Jack

Franky, nope, a different Roz but equally as much fun!

[Lucky TGO]

Franky, nope, a different Roz but equally as much fun!

 

We have a Roz too it's my wife's sister. To all the Roz's out there Merry Christmas!!

Tony

[Lynda90]

As the song says, "I had the time of my life." What a cruise. I think it might be my all time favorite.I thought the food was extremely good only surpassed by the entertainment. Night after night, each performance was fabulous. Rhythms of the Night was absolutely the best excursion I have ever been on. And, thank you, Pam, for arranging our whale watching tour in Cabo. A real treat. I cannot think of one negative that's worth mentioning. It was so much fun re-connecting with so many people I've met on other cruises. I hated it to end. What a ride! Now I'm back home in Portland, Oregon to miserable rain and cold weather. I want my cruise back.

 

Oh, forgot to mention The Love Boat Cast. What gracious and fun people. I spoke with Donny Most (Ralph Mouth) for quite awhile and he was just the nicest person and loved meeting all the guests. Jack Jones and his wife were everywhere. The entire cast posed for pictures and no snobs among them. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to be on this cruise. It was the best!:p

 

Amelia, thanks for providing this blog. A great forum for all of us to post. It was great seeing you and Ken again. Hope you're feeling better. :)

[DougH]

Does anyone know where or when the girl from Cruise Critic that was aboard will be posting the article she was writing for this site about our cruise?

[Pam in CA]

Does anyone know where or when the girl from Cruise Critic that was aboard will be posting the article she was writing for this site about our cruise?

I had a really nice chat with her the night before disembarkation. From what I could gather, she's been posting on the Cruise Critic FB group. I have her contact info so if I hear anything more, I'll let you know.

[Pam in CA]

I'm not going to post an official review but here are my thoughts and impressions of the cruise. Keep in mind that these are MY experiences and many things are very subjective.

 

The cruise was awesome, one of my all-time best. My expectation was set that my fellow passengers would "make" the cruise and anything else would be icing on the cake. Absolutely loved seeing old friends and making new ones, many of whom will be lifetime friends. The level of friendliness by passengers, Love Boat cast, entertainers and crew were exceptional. Words can't adequately describe how great it was to walk down the stairs or along the hallway and have literally everyone say, "Hi!" and wish you a great day.

 

Loved the Pacific Princess and enjoyed the experience of having a full suite for the first (and only) time. Yes, she's showing her age, seating in the Cabaret Lounge left a lot to be desired, the buffet had very few options and closed every day after lunch at 2pm, and there were very few places to just sit out of the sun and read. On the other hand, you could walk from one end of the ship to the other in less than five minutes. Everything seemed to be nearby.

 

The Maui owner's suite my sister and I were offered was the one Jan Swartz was supposed to sail in. She was apparently told they needed her cabin to fill the GTYs. Her loss, our gain. The suite itself was lovely but as I'd posted previously, really set up for a couple. The bed in the sleeping area is a queen and non-convertible so I slept on the couch in the living room. It was very comfortable, even without a pad, so I had no problems with that. Where it became awkward was that there were no US electrical outlets other than in the bedroom area and no storage other than a couple of small shelves beneath the TV. The half bath had no storage other than under the sink and no outlet at all. It took quite a bit of planning every day to make sure I had everything I needed to go to bed at night and then the next morning as I usually went to bed later and woke up earlier than my sister. It was doable but it meant I had no way to do my hair in the morning (the horror!) The only shower was in a very deep jet tub. No separate shower. Being older, my sister and I found that it was difficult and possibly dangerous to climb into and out of the tub. One night when the ship was really rocking, we totally nixed it. Way too dangerous. It worked out OK but took an effort on both of our parts. Would I do it again? I don't think so.

 

There was a ridiculous amount of juggling of cabins for the entertainers, media and even Alfredo due to poor Yield Management planning. Alfredo didn't board until Puerto Vallarta, for instance. Sammi joked about it but I gather it wasn't a joke. I heard that some people with GTYs went to the pier to check in and board but didn't have a cabin and didn't board. Don't know if that's true or not.

 

A huge "miss" was the lack of 50th Anniversary merchandise, as has been noted. This was really poor planning.

 

Food is very subjective and I know people have commented about it. I thought it was typical Princess food. Nothing really special or outstanding, particularly if you'd cruised previously this year and had the Norman Love desserts. There were several nights when I ordered just a salad and others at my table ordered hamburgers. There were some items that were not well prepared (such as the short ribs the first night they were offered) or the chateaubriand that my sister ordered that was all gristle. The second time short ribs were on the menu, they were outstanding. FYI, my streak is alive: I didn't gain any weight on the cruise, even eating breakfast in Sabatini's most mornings.

 

I love Oscar (the Maitre d') but unfortunately, he messed up at least three times. I won't get into the details but they were very disappointing and one caused a serious misunderstanding I've been unable to correct. He made up for missing my sister's birthday (twice) by delivering a bottle of champagne to our table. We also got a bottle of champagne thanks to Antonio when he overheard our waiter be extremely rude to one of our tablemates.

 

The entertainment was outstanding. I rarely go to shows at night any more but went to several on this cruise. I particularly loved the interviews with the Love Boat cast.

 

The cast was amazing. They were all over the ship and were as friendly as any of the passengers. They were having a ball. One night, in the Sterling Steakhouse, we sat almost next to them and they were playing trivia with each other! They truly love each other.

 

I'm thrilled that I'll be cruising with quite a few of my fellow 50th passengers on the Island Princess next year and others in the future.

[tonit964]

They tell me the review has been posted.

 

Such a nice review. Thank you for posting it. Glad you were able to be a part of such a special cruise.

 

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you regarding the high school cliques.

 

My dad (85) who's Elite, has 35 Princess cruises which were all taken with the love of his life, who passed away in 2013. My dad swore he would never take another cruise but we got him to go with us a couple of times. He was so happy to be cruising again, he booked this one.

He was fortunate enough to clear the waiting list and cruised for the first time solo without his wife of 59 years.

 

He reads CC but doesn't post often at all. I really wanted him to get involved in all the activities and told him when and where the Meet & Greet was. He showed up and was told by a couple of different people, it was a private function and was not welcome, in those words, so sad. So he left.

 

When I picked him up on Thursday and I asked how the Meet & Greet went, he told me what happened, he was fine with it but it broke my heart that people could be so mean.

 

He said he had a fantastic time and met some of the nicest folks, he really enjoyed this cruise so much. He just went on and on about how great it was.

 

Then I come to find out after the cruise, that Barb, from the roll call made buttons for everyone and my dad was included but she didn't have his last name or cabin # to get it to him. Thank you so very much Barb!! So thoughtful!

 

I wish I could have joined my dad on this cruise, it would have been so special. When I was a teenager, my parents would go out on Saturday night and my best friend and I would make popcorn and watch The Love Boat & Fantasy Island without fail.

[shredie]

He reads CC but doesn't post often at all. I really wanted him to get involved in all the activities and told him when and where the Meet & Greet was. He showed up and was told by a couple of different people, it was a private function and was not welcome, in those words, so sad. So he left.

 

When I picked him up on Thursday and I asked how the Meet & Greet went, he told me what happened, he was fine with it but it broke my heart that people could be so mean.

 

 

I wish I'd met your dad. Or maybe I did and didn't know it. I did talk to one really nice gentleman with a walker who was solo on the cruise. He was seated near us at dinner and it looked like he had some nice dining companions.

 

Sadly, there was some of that rude behavior, mostly among the larger groups of people who knew each other from other cruises. It really was like a bunch of "mean girls" behavior from high school. Many of the offenders didn't seem like they were the least bit interested in making new friends. Fortunately, the people who were nice made up for it (and I don't know if it made much of a difference, but most of the the nice new folks I met had no idea about CC or the Roll Call.)

[Colo Cruiser]

Sadly, there was some of that rude behavior, mostly among the larger groups of people who knew each other from other cruises. It really was like a bunch of "mean girls" behavior from high school. Many of the offenders didn't seem like they were the least bit interested in making new friends. Fortunately, the people who were nice made up for it (and I don't know if it made much of a difference, but most of the the nice new folks I met had no idea about CC or the Roll Call.)

 

 

How pathetic.

Seeing it now for myself.

[srpilo]

 

Sadly, there was some of that rude behavior, mostly among the larger groups of people who knew each other from other cruises. It really was like a bunch of "mean girls" behavior from high school. Many of the offenders didn't seem like they were the least bit interested in making new friends. Fortunately, the people who were nice made up for it (and I don't know if it made much of a difference, but most of the the nice new folks I met had no idea about CC or the Roll Call.)

 

Sadly sometimes this even happens on UBer roll calls (think TA's ) where the core group is not the least bit interested in any other posters or passengers onboard at the M&G's

 

Oh well, as you said the other people you meet onboard usually make up for the oblivious :)

Srpilo

[kruisey]

Such a nice review. Thank you for posting it. Glad you were able to be a part of such a special cruise.

 

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you regarding the high school cliques.

 

My dad (85) who's Elite, has 35 Princess cruises which were all taken with the love of his life, who passed away in 2013. My dad swore he would never take another cruise but we got him to go with us a couple of times. He was so happy to be cruising again, he booked this one.

He was fortunate enough to clear the waiting list and cruised for the first time solo without his wife of 59 years.

 

He reads CC but doesn't post often at all. I really wanted him to get involved in all the activities and told him when and where the Meet & Greet was. He showed up and was told by a couple of different people, it was a private function and was not welcome, in those words, so sad. So he left.

 

When I picked him up on Thursday and I asked how the Meet & Greet went, he told me what happened, he was fine with it but it broke my heart that people could be so mean.

 

He said he had a fantastic time and met some of the nicest folks, he really enjoyed this cruise so much. He just went on and on about how great it was.

 

Then I come to find out after the cruise, that Barb, from the roll call made buttons for everyone and my dad was included but she didn't have his last name or cabin # to get it to him. Thank you so very much Barb!! So thoughtful!

 

I wish I could have joined my dad on this cruise, it would have been so special. When I was a teenager, my parents would go out on Saturday night and my best friend and I would make popcorn and watch The Love Boat & Fantasy Island without fail.

That this happened to him.Sometimes folks are so excited at that first meeting seeing old cruising friends again ,and on this cruise there would have been so many of them.Pleased your dad did enjoy the rest of this special cruise.:)

[tonit964]

I wish I'd met your dad. Or maybe I did and didn't know it. I did talk to one really nice gentleman with a walker who was solo on the cruise. He was seated near us at dinner and it looked like he had some nice dining companions.

 

Sadly, there was some of that rude behavior, mostly among the larger groups of people who knew each other from other cruises. It really was like a bunch of "mean girls" behavior from high school. Many of the offenders didn't seem like they were the least bit interested in making new friends. Fortunately, the people who were nice made up for it (and I don't know if it made much of a difference, but most of the the nice new folks I met had no idea about CC or the Roll Call.)

 

I think you did, that was my dad.

He had such nice dinner companions.

I went to see him today and he was telling me again about the dining room staff, he had Mauro, the Jr waiter from Argentina that he just raved about and also the head waiter from the Philippines. He couldn't remember his name.

Despite the bumps, such a great cruise.

[shredie]

I think you did, that was my dad.

He had such nice dinner companions.

I went to see him today and he was telling me again about the dining room staff, he had Mauro, the Jr waiter from Argentina that he just raved about and also the head waiter from the Philippines. He couldn't remember his name.

Despite the bumps, such a great cruise.

 

Yes! We had a conversation when we were passing through the casino one night. He was at the table one over from ours, and the people all looked like they were enjoying themselves. I had a brief conversation with the nice lady at their table when we were in line one night. She was interesting. I'm so glad your dad had a good time!

[icat2000]

Thanks for the reviews posted so far.

 

I had to laugh about the "hands off" note on the communal jigsaw. Hmmm, if I had passed by I might have just tossed it out :D oops.

[fairsky1984]

Saw the hands off sign, too. Tempting to shake it up :)

[Pam in CA]

A passenger did toss it. :)

[ibfern]

We are back home and settled into normalcy. Our cruise was wonderful, after the first few days, we settled into a nice rhythm and really enjoyed the ship and all the friendly folks on it. Ken loved finding a bridge team, so often it is difficult for him to find this. So thanks to those who played with him!

 

I read Shredie's review and found it very right on the money. It was a lovely cruise and we enjoyed it immensely--hanging out with our friends from Minneapolis. We didn't rub noses with the rich and famous too much, just as we bumped into them on the ship, and always found them gracious and cheerful. They were all classy folks, none of them with big egos and all of them down to earth and approachable.

 

I did not see the jigsaw puzzle that was saved, somehow we missed the library after the first day.

 

I really enjoyed meeting some of you! I just adore Roz and her dog Horton. Also got to spend a little time with Pam and her sister Nancy, both lovely and fun girls.

 

I was able to bring my own kettle on because it had an auto turn off, this saved us from having to call for room service for hot water (we bring our own coffee) and we really enjoyed lingering in the room in the mornings which is when I like to write and journal (my journal is a cross between writing, pictures and pop-ups/scrapbooking)and plan for the day.

 

I go to the doctor next week about my knee, it still hurts and I hope it is better by January 20th when we leave for Israel and Jordan! I hear there are lots of hills there...yikes!

 

Anyway thanks to all of you who made this such a lovely cruise, and happy holidays to all,

Amelia and Ken

[shredie]

Amelia, I was so grateful for Ken (and Chris!) for being there to play bridge with Peter. It's his number one favorite thing to do on sea days. He was so disappointed when Princess ditched the bridge masters. I may get him on a world cruise someday if he finds out he can play bridge non-stop! Hope the knee heals quickly.

[ibfern]

Amelia, I was so grateful for Ken (and Chris!) for being there to play bridge with Peter. It's his number one favorite thing to do on sea days. He was so disappointed when Princess ditched the bridge masters. I may get him on a world cruise someday if he finds out he can play bridge non-stop! Hope the knee heals quickly.

 

Thanks...I was grateful that Ken had Bridge, he really enjoyed playing and has also been disappointed that Princess ditched hiring Bridge masters. My knee is doing just fine, thanks for asking!