shuksan7
May 16th, 2004, 04:09 AM
Capsule grades for our 3-night repositioning cruise starting May 12th, 2004 from LA to Vancouver:
The ship: A
By most any standard, Island Princess is a classy, elegant and just plain beautiful ship. A short cruise does not allow enough time to appreciate all the details in design and decor. But the more you look, the more you see.
The Cabin: B+
We had a category BF balcony which was covered. Tasteful decor and plenty of storage space. While the shower is indeed tiny, at least the shower-head is high enough for this 6-4 passenger. Plus it's adjustable and has remarkable water pressure.
The Service: A
This crew works hard to please, and please it does. Even more, a lot of the staff seems to truly enjoy their work. Those who enjoy cocktails or other drinks won't have a problem. Even the game room has regular beverage service (though I never saw any servers on the Promenade.)
The Food: B+
Our waiters were great at steering us to the better items on the menu. Ignore their suggestions at your own risk. Also, avoid scrambled eggs. Get omelets instead which use fresh eggs according to our waiter. But overall, both the dining room and Horizon Court offer delightfully varied and tasty food.
Sabitini's: A+
Quite simply, if you like fine dining and don't eat at least once at Sabatini's, then you are a fool. The now 20 dollar cover charge is a joyous price to pay for such a satisfying, and at times truly gourmet meal. There is no way this kind of experience could be offered on a mass basis. Thus it is a PERFECT candidate for a surcharge. Personal favorites: the scallop mousse topped with caviar and the (ecologically questionable) sea bass which redefines "melt-in-your-mouth." (sorry-didn't have time to eat at the Bayou Cafe. Next time!)
Entertainment: B+
Island Princess offers an amazing array of live entertainment, from the much-appreciated string quartet in the atrium to the various singers, musicians and comedians in all the lounges. Not to mention a good selection of movies on tv in your stateroom and on the big screen in the Universe Lounge. However, we all agreed that movies would have been considerably better in the Princess Lounge. Of the headline entertainment I saw, my favorite was comedian Jim McDonald who had lots of creative cruise-oriented material.
Embarkation/Disembarkation: A+
The smoothest I've ever had. We were in our stateroom within 45 minutes of driving up to San Pedro port in Los Angeles. And off the ship by 8:30am even though our departure color was coded for 9am. Bravo Princess!
Peddling: B
Here's another bravo to Princess: the only announcements in our stateroom were essential ones.... none promoting bingo or art auctions. However, we were approached repeatedly in the main dining rooms by unfortunate staff peddling Princess shot glasses as souvenirs. I recognize that cruise lines need to diversify revenue as prices drop. But dinner is NOT the time or place for petty sales pitches.
Quibbles: The main pool area is mundane compared to the spectacular 3-deck beauty on Sun-class ships. OTOH, the enclosed Lotus Pool is a thing of beauty. Also, Princess is overly enamored with blue windscreens which degrade views from the upper outside decks. Also, I wish the Promenade would offer subdued lighting for after-dinner strolls in the night air. Finally, Island Princess has only one (small) forward observation deck that I could find, on the Baja. (Views blocked by blue screens don't count.) And I miss a HAL-like Crows Nest, a lounge which gives spectacular views of the seas ahead.
Overall: a solid A. Princess should be very, very proud of this ship and its outstanding crew.
Rick
The ship: A
By most any standard, Island Princess is a classy, elegant and just plain beautiful ship. A short cruise does not allow enough time to appreciate all the details in design and decor. But the more you look, the more you see.
The Cabin: B+
We had a category BF balcony which was covered. Tasteful decor and plenty of storage space. While the shower is indeed tiny, at least the shower-head is high enough for this 6-4 passenger. Plus it's adjustable and has remarkable water pressure.
The Service: A
This crew works hard to please, and please it does. Even more, a lot of the staff seems to truly enjoy their work. Those who enjoy cocktails or other drinks won't have a problem. Even the game room has regular beverage service (though I never saw any servers on the Promenade.)
The Food: B+
Our waiters were great at steering us to the better items on the menu. Ignore their suggestions at your own risk. Also, avoid scrambled eggs. Get omelets instead which use fresh eggs according to our waiter. But overall, both the dining room and Horizon Court offer delightfully varied and tasty food.
Sabitini's: A+
Quite simply, if you like fine dining and don't eat at least once at Sabatini's, then you are a fool. The now 20 dollar cover charge is a joyous price to pay for such a satisfying, and at times truly gourmet meal. There is no way this kind of experience could be offered on a mass basis. Thus it is a PERFECT candidate for a surcharge. Personal favorites: the scallop mousse topped with caviar and the (ecologically questionable) sea bass which redefines "melt-in-your-mouth." (sorry-didn't have time to eat at the Bayou Cafe. Next time!)
Entertainment: B+
Island Princess offers an amazing array of live entertainment, from the much-appreciated string quartet in the atrium to the various singers, musicians and comedians in all the lounges. Not to mention a good selection of movies on tv in your stateroom and on the big screen in the Universe Lounge. However, we all agreed that movies would have been considerably better in the Princess Lounge. Of the headline entertainment I saw, my favorite was comedian Jim McDonald who had lots of creative cruise-oriented material.
Embarkation/Disembarkation: A+
The smoothest I've ever had. We were in our stateroom within 45 minutes of driving up to San Pedro port in Los Angeles. And off the ship by 8:30am even though our departure color was coded for 9am. Bravo Princess!
Peddling: B
Here's another bravo to Princess: the only announcements in our stateroom were essential ones.... none promoting bingo or art auctions. However, we were approached repeatedly in the main dining rooms by unfortunate staff peddling Princess shot glasses as souvenirs. I recognize that cruise lines need to diversify revenue as prices drop. But dinner is NOT the time or place for petty sales pitches.
Quibbles: The main pool area is mundane compared to the spectacular 3-deck beauty on Sun-class ships. OTOH, the enclosed Lotus Pool is a thing of beauty. Also, Princess is overly enamored with blue windscreens which degrade views from the upper outside decks. Also, I wish the Promenade would offer subdued lighting for after-dinner strolls in the night air. Finally, Island Princess has only one (small) forward observation deck that I could find, on the Baja. (Views blocked by blue screens don't count.) And I miss a HAL-like Crows Nest, a lounge which gives spectacular views of the seas ahead.
Overall: a solid A. Princess should be very, very proud of this ship and its outstanding crew.
Rick