S Carribean on Dawn Princess (11/18/00-11/25/00)
Written: Nov 29 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: THE FOOD! The staff, the free cocktail parties
Cons: Islands of Trinidad, Barbados - stinky & dirty with hawkers swooning over you.
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| theawesome1's Full Review: Dawn Princess |
Oh what a wonderful S Caribbean cruise the Dawn Princess presented. We left 11/18 on American Airlines to San Jan via Miami. Embarkation was under 6 minutes including walking aboard. Luggage arrived in an hour. We were on Riviera deck #349. The BA category balcony is twice as wide & high was the BD category balcony we had in Alaska on Caribe deck #332. But the door faces the employee elevator & stock room which can make for a very noisy first & last night with luggage moving & banking into the door all night.
The welcome crew included our Head Waiter Genesis from the Venetian dining
room which we again received our early seating at a table for 4 which made for an excellent end to the day. Genesis was so surprised when he saw me & then Jerry enter the ship. He told us who our waiter was & everything. He is amazing!
11/19 - First day is at sea, which was very windy & waves were beating the ship like crazy. From floor 12 we enjoyed the spray at breakfast from the bannister which proved how forceful the waves were. We went down to 5 to sit in Magnum's bar to watch the enormous waves. Then back to change into our suits & out to the pool for the day. The Riviera pool is great with a area that surrounds the actual pool so kids and play safely in the 3" water, which I loved to sit & lay in to keep cool in the 88 degree sun. The pool inside was 11.5 feet at the deep end down to 5 feet at the other.
Then we decided to check out the aft pool which is small, has a glass door entrance, and a jacuzzi next to it. TOO HOT since n wind was there so up to 15 for the SPLASH POOL. Boy did we learn why it has that name. We were solo trying to keep the towels attached to the loungers in the massive wind. Even my sunglasses blew off my face breaking into pieces. So we get aboard the chaises the lotion up & WOW a wave!!! It was from the 18" deep pool! This 8 foot diameter pool that was rocking back & forth in the wind & waves was splashing us with a refreshing waterballoon-effect of water.
Dressy dinner had me in my pearls, diamonds over a black lace floor length gown Jerry in his dark suit & the photographers jumping us at the cocktail party. (Lousy photos too, reminds us of those prom shots). Elie our waiter was so attentive that he made for a very enjoyable week of dinners. Our tablemates were from Palm Springs, FL & a napkin was in front of their faces when they said it. They were so enjoyable for a distinguished 15-20 years older couple. Dinner was a look forward to event for all of us. We did have a photo taken that we did buy because we were so windburned that we glowed bright red in the shot!
11/20 - Trinidad was our first island & we must admit that it definitely is nothing to want to get off the ship for. The stink, the water & junk running down the street in these sewer-like reveens off a foot high curb. Wheelchairs had to turn around. And the people that jump you for cabs, tours, crafts - pushy is a compliment to describe them. So back to the ship we went to eat, swim, sun, meet more fun people that adopt us as part of their family: Joe & Judy from Barefoot Lake, FL. which I happened to notice her macaw earrings & that was the ice breaker. We did ports together alot. Even went to their inner cabin ( wow is that small, with a bed that folds up to the wall above Jerry's head as we drank Bank beer. Princess does allow folks to bring booze aboard to enjoy in the room.
11/21 - Barbardos, a step above Trinidad but not much. But they had a
tent city of sale stuff with Hawaiian-type shirts for $12 made by a delightful Gracie, who's husband made steel drums with his father who was playing one for us. Gracie's hand sews the shirts, dresses & uses French seams which I watched her do. So we bought a dress for $10 & shirt that match, tho we promised not to wear them together as we saw all over the ship. Oh & those braid gals, pushy! How funny folks looked all week in the badly done braids but the beads made it worth it for them I guess.
We did an excursion here that I STRONGELY RECOMMEND to everyone:
Harrison Caves - WOW! Stalagtites & Stalagmites so enormous it is hard to
imagine without seeing. You wear a napkin atop your head that you cover with a hardhat. Then you board a tram that drives through the caves. NO
CAMCORDERS but we got to use ours when I told the guide that it was a
digital still camera also, which it was, but who knows if we are filming or shooting. Then you drive to the top of the mountain for a truly dreamlike atmosphere of beauty with the ocean surrounding this very green island. Then we learned about some of the houses we have seen that are titled Chattle Houses. They are bought by workers who work for richer folks & they moves quickly between jobs by removing the roof & the sides collapse & you go. They looked 8 feet square. The islands are mostly BANKS! Chase, Citibank, many foreign ones as well as Price Waterhouse. So we know who owns the mansions atop the mountains...
11/22 - Antigua (pronounced ANTEEGA) and they let you know how to say it!
This again was better than Barbados & well above Trinidad. We also noticed at breakfast on the balcony (which was delivered in under 3 minutes) which we enjoyed better than in the dining room, since the staff there must be the new hires. They are slow, uncoordinated, bring wrong food to folks or forgetting what I had ordered to be constantly corrected.
Joe & Judy meet up with us at a shop & she & I are going through magnets
as souveniors for folks. Joe disappears! We walk the street looking for him & after 30 mins he comes back stating that we have to go to the Sony Bldg. I laughed that it was a craft place with a shop selling Sony items tax free next door. There they bought me macaw earrings. What a sweet couple to make me so surprised & happy.
That night at dinner was CARIBBEAN NIGHT. Everone was tropical in dress,
Jerry in is handmade shirt from Gracie & me in my Hawaiian long dress with my orchid over my left ear (taken). The food was fruity, even pina colada soup. They called it soup, but it was a free PC in a goblet with fruit & straw, so I had three!!!! Jerry went nuts over the Mahi Mahi served, I was eating all the appetizers for dinner from shrimp cocktail, papaya plate, to a chicken ceasar salad with fruit in that too, Then Jerry joins me in some PC Soup..... We both ordered 2 deserts from the Love Boat dream (solid Godiva chocolate mouse in a heart shape, NY cheesecake, Petit Fours & Brue Le. I was full so I carried the Petit
Fours back to the room, having to pass thru the cockatil party for late dinners who remark what a great hor deourve & got slapped for touching my desert. We had a laugh over that....
11/23 - Tortola - WOW! From the moment we pulled into the inlet to then sail to the dock everything from the ibis flying over us, to the fragrance of orchids in the air; oh what a difference this made! Why didn't we just cruise here & stay 3 nights? So we did breakfast on the balcony eating the Petit Fours which we just wonderful with a carafe of coffee then upstairs to the Horizon Buffet for breakfast which is loads better than the dining room.
Then off the boat to get to a store called Sunny Carribee. A gal a work with Jerry wanted him to get her some rosemary bath gel & Pussers rum, so we walked 4 square blocks to locate the shops. Sunny Carribee is a spice store with a room filled with every immaginable spince know to man. Next door is their bath products with bath gels in fruits & spices, fragrance sprays that are juice based. Nice place that we bought Xmas gifts for our neices, and something for both of us to bathe in & smell tropical in during the snow. Then to Pussers for rum (3 bottles for $23.85) and back on board since we have an excursion at 1PM-5:30PM. So we change into bathing suits, grab our snorkel bag with towels inside, lube up with suntan lotions & board the safari truck that seats 4 folks to a bench &
5 benchs long, driver in cab of truck. He takes us to the top of the Spencer Mountain to a rainforest, as advertised by Princess. These was lousy since everything was dying. Nothing close to a Hawaiian rainforest where it is raining while you are there & waterfalls, plants & trees galore, We saw 6 spiders in various spots, a tiny lizard run in front of us, a sanke was seen by the first 5 in line; so you walk up & down for 1.5 hours. Then you get a small glass of rum punch & then we are off to Cave Bay for beach fun.
WOW the most amazing ocean we've ever been in. Bath water temp, very still waters, very greenish-blue & crystal clear. Itty bitty fish in swarms of thousands are all over & the bigger & bigger more colorful ones also. I saw a yellow & black snake getting a tummy rub in the sand down below then he swims away. A lobster with a claw out of the sand was another find. Then a big yellow & white fish swims right up to my mask, as advertised that Tortola has friendly fish, and BAMB! I am hit by a force in the back of my head that knocked my air pipe out of my mouth. In front of me are 2 orange feet!!! Wondering what the hell happened I get to the top & there is a PELICAN looking at me in my mask. He tilts his head dumping water from his beak & then straightens his neck as I
watch the fish go down his throat, There were 10 of them smashing head first into the water scaring the many swimmers. Dinnertime & they don't fear any of us actually floating in the water next to you. This was fun & a memoir forever.
Then we get back to the ship as they awaited us before pulling the gangway
2nd dressy night & the 20 of us laughing at what we all look like. But in an hour, everyone at dinner looking ravishing in gowns, jewels, all the fun stuff of cruising. Princess did a huge Thanksgiving cake for the USA citizens & a Thanksgiving dinner that turned into the entertainment of our table. Everything from soup, salad dressing, mashed potatoes, stuffing, even the creme brule was all PUMPKIN! Jerry got the turkey which was dry & no gravy & pumpkin stuffing/potatoes that he pushed aside. I had beef medallions with a ceasar salad that Genesis made for me & it also had pumpkin potatoes that Carlton, our male tablemate clued me in not to eat, He order the corn cowder to discover it has pumpkin in it. A major pumpkin overkill. Genesis stated to us that he has had
complaints about the menu & I told him it was more Halloween than Thanksgiving.
I told you he was the best thing of the Dawn Princess from being the boss of the Horizon Buffet at Breakfast, then the Head waiter in the Venetian Dining room in the evening. He tells us he naps alot between shifts. He has waiters that leave weekly so he is busy training replacements for his dinner staff. I was correct stating that breakfast as well as buffets are training grounds for newcomers.
11/24 - St Thomas. Great mall right at the dock with the same stores as downtown. So we shopped, I got a 18K gold bracelet. Then we returned to the Dawn for our camcorder & walked to the new tram going up the hill. $12 per person and well worth it. Birds & shops atop it as well as a bar for a drink. Lovely photos both still & video from up there. What an incredibe view of the whole island. Then back to the ship for sun & fun. Pack before dinner is the rule. The dining room had lobster night with twin rock lobsters served & the staff did the marcarena with the baked alaska as their farewell. Captain's Circle had their party with everyone getting a photo with Captain Nick Carlton. A woman with 478 days of sailing received a plate & a bottle of Brut. Over 1000 folks at the party, so almost the whole ship was repeat customers.
11/25 - Go home day......... hugs from various folks saying goodbye from cruisemates to staff who knew us. Off the ship by 8:30 at SJU by 9AM for a 4PM flight that would turn into a nighmarish ending to a fantastic week.
NWA didn't take off til 7AM 11/26, but we had dinner at a Cuban restaurant
and turned down the food presented, the hotel we were to stay at was so dirty & stinky we went back to the airport with others already there. Very poor service for them - got home at 7PM that night. 24 hours later than. Really killed a great cruise........
expercted
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
theawesome1
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Location: Cleveland, OH
Reviews written: 93
Trusted by: 2 members
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