Honest Opinion-Golden 5/16

Hi I just returned from my first Princess cruise. I would not cruise with Princess again. I had a good time but I cruised last year on RCCL Explorer of the Seas and thought RCCL was so much bigger, had better entertainment and the Promanade on EOS was sorely missed this cruise. My kids, 21 and 22 agree. They also thought the Princess was for old people and I have to agree. I also think the class of people on the Golden was a bit lower. We did meet some very nice people on the Golden and their opinions were the same as ours. If i had never been on the RCCL, I might have thought the Golden Princess was ok and that's what you get when you cruise, but I know better, I experienced better. I picked the Golden for the itinery, knowing the ship was smaller, I made a mistake. I love cruises and RCCL will be my next vacation. Again, this is my opinion and experience. DJ

Hi DJ. Thanks for your opinion. Everyone has their favorite cruiseline and a favorite ship. It is a good thing that you tried another line to see that you really like RC. I am glad you had a good time . Have many more great cruises!!

Sue

7 days on Star Princess 10/24

I have cruised with both RC & Princess and I have to say I agree with some of your complaints too. The Voyager Class is very unique and the entertainment is above Princess too, but Golden is a beautiful ship and the "class" of people is about the same. I also think the mix of ages is about the same. We also have booked this next cruise for the itinerary, it's nice to go to some islands you haven't been to before.

Aweigh we go

Thanks for sharing your view

I wonder if you might be able to go into a little more detail on what you mean by "a better class of people" on RCCL?

Also, we hear a great deal about EOS' rock climbing wall and ice skating rink. Did you miss them on your Princess cruise?

Happy Cruising

Chris

www.LifeIsCruising.com

Next up:

Caribbean Princess 06/26/04

Star Princess 10/24/04

Diamond Princess 12/22/04

Carnival Miracle 03/13/05

Carnival Valor 10/30/05

Some of these negative reviews are getting me a little nervous. Our 10/24 cruise on the Golden will be our first on any other cruise line but Disney and I'm hoping that we won't be disappointed. People seem to have quite a few complaints. Come on, is there anyone out there who loved the cruise?

"Come on, is there anyone out there who loved the cruise?"

I did.

I sailed on the Golden, our first Princess cruise but 12th cruise overall, earlier this year for Spring Break. We found her to be a fabulous ship and the crew was expertly professional, friendly and attentive.

We liked the Golden so much that we came back home and booked the Caribbean Princess for June, the Star Princess for October and the Diamond Princess for our coveted Holiday cruise in December.

Here, in great detail, is our experience on this fabulous ship filled with wonderful people, both passengers and crew:

The Fabulous Golden Princess

If you have any concerns that I, a relatively new Princess cruiser can address or worries I can shoot down, let me know.

There are also quite a few members of this board that are way better traveled than I am who can answer any comparative, line to line, questions you may have too

Happy Cruising

Chris

www.LifeIsCruising.com

Next up:

Caribbean Princess 06/26/04

Star Princess 10/24/04

Diamond Princess 12/22/04

Carnival Miracle 03/13/05

Carnival Valor 10/30/05

CKJkids: No matter what ship or line you go on there is always someone with a different opinion of the ship or line. You can have two people on the same ship and 95% of the time they will have different opinions. I cannot begin to tell you the opinions I have read on the ships that I have cruised. Good and bad. My DH and I still sail on those ships and we have had a dang good time. So go on that ship and enjoy yourself. That is what makes this board unique. Different opinons.

Marilyn

CJ, The Golden is our favorite ship. It will not be like Disney. The Golden has a great kid zone, as well as good entertainment, Lots of things to do, both day and night. RC is a very busy line. Rock climbing, skating rink. interior mall type area, I cruised 5 times on RC and enjoyed it, but I found Princess the best of both worlds. It is busy, if that is what you are looking for, but can be very relaxing as well. Also a great kids area, but not all over the ship. All ages on Princess, from little people to older, but I found that on RC and I am sure you found different ages on Disney as well. I'm sure grandparents were aboard too!! You must not take to heart every negative post you read here. Thousands of people cruise, ans every one of them has a different expierience, even on the same cruise. You need to try it for your self to see if it is right for you. If not, you can choose another next time.

Sue

7 days on Star Princess 10/24

Cjskids, I cruised on the Golden over Spring break with my 2 children 11 And 13 and my mom. I couldn't have enjoyed my time on the Golden any more. I found the ship to be beautiful and classy, the service was wonderful, and the food great. I enjoyed the ship so much that I booked another cruise on the Golden for 6/27 2 weeks after I returned!!!

I've never cruised RCCL and think that I would like to try it...but I can't imagine that the "class" of people on their ships would be above those on the Golden. I felt that the overall "class" of people on our cruise was just where I expected it to be-generally upper middle class people with manners and panache-but not stuffy or stuck up. I think you will have a wonderful cruise!!

Conquest 4/03

Victory 12/03

Golden Princess 4/04 Golden Princess 6/04

If you go with a negative attitude, chances are you will have a lousy time. Have fun, do what you want, and form your own opinion. The ship alone is worth the money.

Aweigh we go

To djt22 or anyone else who has stayed in a minisuite on a Princess Grand Class ship and a Jr. Suite on a RCI Voyager class ship - how do these rooms compare? they look pretty similar in size with the jr. suite being slightly larger.

After having been on Princess for our past 3 cruises, we would like to try a Voyager class ship.

Originally posted by sue d. miller:

CJ, The Golden is our favorite ship. It will not be like Disney. The Golden has a great kid zone, as well as good entertainment, Lots of things to do, both day and night. RC is a very busy line.

 

Thanks. I'm not concerned about the kids this time around as they're staying home with the grandparents!! This will be the first time that my husband and I have cruised on our own and I thought that Princess was a great place to start!

Carolyn

As Sue stated above, everyone has a different opinion - that is true even within the same family. In 2001 we sailed Voyager of the Seas - DH loved it, I liked it. In 2002 we sailed the Golden - I loved it, DH was a little bored. Back to RCI - sailed Mariner of the Seas. This time both DH and I agreed that the "newness" of the Promenade wore off, as did the Ice Rink and the Rock Wall. We are back to princess and very much looking forward to a relaxing vacation aboard a beautiful ship (Caribbean Princess), with those wonderful rum-runners, dessert soufles and all the other things we enjoyed on Golden. We both also agree that the food was better on Princess then RCI. Now, I must say that both DH and I agreed that the Golden was more laid back then Voyager, however, our lifestyle is so hectic that at this point in time, we cruise to relax and do as little as possible. So this may have something to do with our now preferring Princess to RCI.

Deb in South Florida

Caribbean Princess 01/15/05

Mariner of the Seas 3/14/04

Golden Princess 01/25/03

Voyager of the Seas 12/01

Majesty of the Seas 11/00

Carnival's Ecstasy 12/99

Carnival's Paradise 11/98

NCL Westward 9/93

MS Dolphin 9/92

Sky Princess 4/91

Regent Sun 4/90

CJ, I don't think you will be dissapointed. Last Oct, we took our 40 yr. old daughter and son in law, and grandaughter. First cruise. They all loved it. DH and I go to relax. My home life is like a hotel!! So many people to please. so the relaxation is wonderful. The kids, on the other hand, were busy every minute. Never saw them through the day. They would stop by, tell us all that they had done, and where they were going next, and off they went. We had dinner together every night. The staff is so friendly and pleasant, always trying to please, and quietly and efficiently taking care of your every need. It is truly wonderful to be pampered. At home I am the "do everything for everyone", so to have a turn is outstanding!!!

Sue

7 days on Star Princess 10/24

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by cjskids:

Some of these negative reviews are getting me a little nervous. Our 10/24 cruise on the Golden will be our first on any other cruise line but Disney and I'm hoping that we won't be disappointed. People seem to have quite a few complaints. Come on, is there anyone out there who loved the cruise?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I was on the Golden in April and loved it. It is my only cruise. I have another booked. (Princess)

Take the movies Shrek,Monsters,Inc.

Which one is better?

Both have monsters

Both have main characters (Scully and Shrek) who are large in stature

Both have wiseguy sidekicks (One-Eyed Mike and Donkey)

Both Comedies

Both Animated

However, some people like one more than the other or don't like either and would prefer Finding Nemo.

Time until Sailing

Well I would have say that I completely disagree with the original poster. We were on the same cruise and found it to be outstanding. My wife and I have been on RCI too and found them to be very comparable. This was my first Princess cruise and I would say that I was very impressed. The food and service were on par with other cruises that we have taken. I thought that the ship itself was well thought out in design and very elegant.

I am still pondering the whole notion that this cruise had a lot of older people on it. I felt like the Golden leaned more towards the young side myself. I am 26 and my wife is 25. We never had any lack of younger company, but then again we are pretty active and take part in port activities that reflect that. The majority of the time you will find a younger crowd on these types of excursions. Maybe they were refering to the type of crowd in the late night disco. I never spent any time there so I could not comment on how old the crowd was there. (You see it all depends on perspective.)

For those wanting to know, here is a little bit of information. We had room A627. It was right under the buffet area and we no noise from above. This did make it easy to run up and get breakfast before we started the day.

For excursions we did the following.

Barbados - Turtle and Shipwreck tour

4x4 Monkey Encounter

St. Lucia - Catamaran to Diamond Botanical Gardens

Antigua - Eli's Eco Tour

St. Maarten - Hidden Forest Hiking

St. Thomas - Sailboat Snokel to Buck Island

HOw odd, I have the totally different opinion. When I tried RCCL all I remember was a bunch of drunken teenage kids on that ship since they let them run around unattended. There were fights in the casino and kids smoking feminine products that they kindly provided for the ladies in the bathroom. THe class on that ship was unremarkably lower and I was DISGUSTED by the way that parents let their children run around and play tag on the elevators. I found that the Golden PRincess and Princess cruise line was MUCH classier and friendlier and personable than the RCCL line.

SOrry my opinion is completley opposite, but we had a horrible time on the RCCL Voyager and will never go on their cruise line again.

Sea Princess: 08/2000

RCCL Voyager of the Seas: 12/2002

Golden Princess: 07/2003

Can NEVER get ENOUGH cruisin

Keep on Cruisin!

Hi!

I was on the Golden Princess for our first cruise, celebrating our 25th 5/9 - 5/16 and my husband and I had a FABULOUS time! We found all people we came into contact with to be be very well dressed, very classy and very very friendly! The ship itself was beautiful! The Golden truly is golden - a warm glow throughout - I have never taken better pictures You can do as much or as little as you like - we felt like we were so busy but kept hearing about things we missed! Lots of quiet spots on the ship too. The service may not have been Ritz Carlton class, but I really did not expect that. The staff I came into contact with were as friendly as I wanted them to be and satisfied my needs very adequately. The food too was great, but not "5 star restaurant - prepared fresh for you" great - more like expensive wedding great or $1000 per plate charity dinner great. But I did not expect more than that - seemingly impossible to do for that many people. Again, very satisfying.

You will have a great time and I am so jealous! We are already looking to cruise again - I am now partial to Princess, but we are open to other lines. Princess was exactly what we realistically expected cruising to be.

Mary

Here is a link to some of our pics!

http://hometown.aol.com/wspatton/Cruising03.html

<FONT SIZE="4"><FONT COLOR="#000000">Bill & Mary</FONT></FONT>

<FONT SIZE="3"><FONT COLOR="#FF0000">Golden Princess: May 9, 2004</FONT></FONT>

<FONT SIZE="3"><span style="border:blue double 5px;"><span style="background-color:#000066;"><FONT COLOR="#33CCFF">~~~ Bummed Out!!! It's Over ~~~</span></span></FONT></FONT></p>

We've sailed twice on the Golden. It was our first Princess cruise, although we'd been on Carnival, RCI, NCL, and Celebrity before it and pretty much knew what to expect. Our past four cruises have been on Grand-class ships. Our next is probably going to be on HAL because it fits our schedule best in December. We're going to miss some of the Princess things--but are looking forward to trying a smaller ship again. I'm beginning to think that the mega-ships might be bigger than we want.

To Laura61 -

The minisuite is long with a smaller balcony. The Jr suite on RCCL is wide with a wide balcony. They are pretty much the same in sq footage and neither has concierge service. You will enjoy both of them equally.

To DJT22 -

We agree with the other posters. We love Princess and are excited to come back home. I find that Princess is more relaxing and elegant than RCCL. Mariner of the Seas was a beautiful ship but too hectic and unimpressive in food and service, comparatively speaking.

But that all being said - any cruise is a great vacation and we had a great time on all of them. If I don't have to cook or clean then I am a happy camper

Sea Princess 2/02

DisneyWonder 6/03

Mariner of the Seas 4/04

Golden Princess 1/23/05

My husband & I love the Golden.

Have done it twice, once in the Caribbean, & on a 12 day Mediterranean cruise.

The BEST!

Don't worry.

edp

I forgot to say that we have done over 25 cruises.

Princess and RCL are our favotite ships.

edp

I have to say that I adored the Golden. It totally exceeded my expectations. I am very sorry that you did not have a good time. But for anyone who is worried about being disappointed on their cruise, please do not go into your cruise with an opinion already formed based on what is said here. I think that you should go into it with an open mind and decide for yourself if your vacation is a bust or not. It's all in how you look at it.

*Alicia*

Golden Princess 4/10/04

*best vacation ever!*

I love Golden. We did it twice exactly 1 year apart. I love the freshwater pools, the number and location of hot tubs, the ease of the buffet stations (not one continous long line). Everything was clean and crew was great. If the shows had changed we would have gone south with her this year. We are going on CP on June 19. You will have a great time!

cjskids,

Not to worry! We have been on four different cruise lines (listed below) and heard the same complaints about all of the cruises we were on. We thought they were all wonderful. To be honest, we swore to never cruise Carnival because of its reputation or I should say perceived reputation. We only went because good friends talked us into it. Then I made my first visit to these boards and some of the reviews were horrible and some were great.

Well...we had a fantastic time and rate that experience along with NCL, RCL, and Princess.

As you can see from the responses on this thread the vast majority loved their experience on Princess.

My advice, if you continue to read these posts, disregard all the negative stuff and soak in all the good posts.

You will have a great time!

yanceycruiser

Carnival Pride Feb 03

Grand Princess Jan 01

RCL Enchantment of the Seas Jan 99

NCL Norway Jan 97

NCL Dream Jan 95

Sapphire Princess 8/22/04