Dawn Princess--Value Comes To Mind
Written: Mar 04 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: - Service
- Entertainment
- Value
Cons: - Pool Deck
- Stateroom beds
- Food
The Bottom Line: I'd recommend the Dawn Princess for value, but only if you pay less than $100 per day. If you have to pay more, go on Celebrity.
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| cjkoehler1's Full Review: Dawn Princess |
My wife and I sailed on the Dawn Princess February 18-28. This was our third Princess and eleventh cruise overall.
Keep in mind when you read this--I think all cruises are great and they sure beat a day at the office. But sometimes it's good to have a critical review before you book a particular ship. If you've already booked on the DP, don't read any further--you'll have a great time.
The bottom line, this cruise is an excellent value, so long as you don't pay more than $100 a day. As for the rest...
Embarkation--Excellent. A snap. Princess is the easiest cruise line to get on and off.
Cabin--Okay. It looks a bit like every other cruise ship cabin, only a bit smaller. The problem was the bed--and many passengers felt the beds were really, really uncomfortable, kind of like sleeping on a pile of laundry and two-by-fours. Princess can, and should, fix this ASAP.
Dining--Pretty good. We, along with two other couples at our table, agreed that soups, appetizers and deserts were excellent, while salads and main entrees were just okay. The souflees are ALWAYS a good idea.
Buffets--Pretty good. You can always find something you like, and these are pretty much the same on every ship, although Celebrity also has the pasta bar and sandwich shop on some of its ships' buffets, and that can't be beat.
Alternate Dining--Don't know. The Sterling Steakhouse was just a sectioned-off portion of the buffet, so we didn't even give it a shot. Nor did we try the pizza joint. And the pool grill was very mediocre.
Entertainment--Very good. Don't listen to the crabby reviews that knock the entertainment. Remember, Broadway-quality talent works on Broadway. The production shows on the DP were very, very good. The lounge acts were fine, as were the comedian and illusionist. Something for everyone, and its as good if not better than any ship I've been on.
Bars/Lounges--Our all-time favorite was the Martini Bar on the Celebrity Summit, but found a close second in a place called Magnum's on the DP. Best place for a pre-dinner cocktail with awesome complementary appetizers. That smell that you've been reading about in the Vista Lounge in other reviews? It's still there. It's bad, but it's confined to the entrance and the bar so you just hold your breath while you walk past it.
Casino--Very good. Would be better if I won something, but I thought the staff did a good job, especially the casino manager and pit bosses. They were on the ball and very helpful and courteous to the players.
Pool Deck--Poor. Here's where the main problems with the DP lie, and these are not problems I've experienced on the Grand or Golden Princess.
First, not enough available pools. Although DP claims to have 4 pools, this isn't quite the case. One is near the spa--it's covered, and basically resembles a large hot tub. Another is for employees, and you'll never see it. A third is labeled "adults only," but it's always being used for pool volleyball, which means the same six drunken knuckleheads are in this one pool between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm, and you can't use it. The fourth pool (mostly shown in the brochures) is the only one in the sun that you can use, and it's so packed with people, and so unbearably warm, that you won't actually want to use it.
Second, not enough deck chairs in the pool area. The attendants did not enforce of that "no reserving lounge chairs policy." When you want a chair near the pool, you just remove someone's towel and sit there. When they come back 3 hours later they may give you a look, but you won't care at that point.
Itinerary--Very good. Our 10-day cruise included:
Princess Cays. A basic beach but we love it.
St. Thomas. Don't go to Magen's Bay-it's crowded and overrated. Try Sapphire Beach instead.
St. Maarten. Any beach, they're all great, except for the one closest to the ships.
Jamaica. Were only there for a few hours, so we didn't get off the ship.
Grand Cayman. Anything along 7 mile beach is good, but down near London House it's quiet and beautiful. Check out the Cracked Conch by the Sea for lunch. Take the bus--it's only $2 and you'll get some local flavor.
Cozumel. Best place to take the catamaran snorkling tour or just go to Chankanaab Beach for the day.
Service--You know, surprisingly good. I say "surprisingly," because Princess started that automatic tipping thing on your cabin account, and I thought that would just suck the motivation right out of the employees. But they were good, all around, and there were the usual two or three stand-outs that we gave something extra to at the end. Some of our tablemates went to the Purser's office early on and got taken off automatic tipping, but we didn't.
Debarkation--If you don't want to be up at 5:00 am on the last day, don't book a cabin on the Plaza deck. Ouch! If feels and sounds like there's someone in your bed with a jackhammer. Other than that, it's pretty smooth.
Overall--like I mentioned, a good value for less than $100 a day. If you have to pay more, you'd probably find a lot more to complain about, so go on Celebrity. After 3 cruises on Princess, I rank the line above Carnival, equal to Royal Caribbean and below Celebrity.
Hope this helps!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
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Epinions.com ID:
cjkoehler1
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
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