Negative Dawn and Sun Posts?

[RDR]

Yes, we were on this so-called "cruise from hell". Nonsense! We had been on the Sun Princess before and loved her. This time, though, there were some things lacking. The food wasn't very good, service was spotty, etc. We still feel, however, that there's no such thing as a bad cruise! We'll be sailing Princess again, but not the Sun. She's gone a bit downhill for my money.

Nevertheless, we did have an enjoyable cruise!

I totally agree with bushwhacker's comments and assessment. We were on the Sun from late September to mid October 2004. We also agree that we have not experienced a "bad" cruise, just that there would need to be some real incentives for us to take the Sun again.

[gopher's girl]

Having been on the Dawn less than a year ago I would like to join in this discussion. It was my first cruise and I loved it - the ship, the itinerary, the weather - we were very fortunate all around!

 

Having been on the Caribbean and Diamond since then, I have compared and contrasted my experiences on all of them. There are pluses and minuses on all ships and itineraries.

 

I can see where someone might enjoy the newness of the Caribbean and Diamond, and others might enjoy the "charm" of an older ship. I have to say the Dawn was very stable when I was on her, actually probably more so than the others.

 

If others have negative experiences I feel bad for them but read on to learn so that I am not affected. Everything on this board must be taken with a grain of salt since we cannot see each other's expressions and hear the tone of the voices.

 

Happy Cruising!

[cruiserforlife]

Thanks Dave for the positive update.We will be on the Sun on friday so save some booze for us!

[Charlene]

I agree with Toto,

 

There are those people who just have to complain about anything and everything!

I don't even think they would be happy if they had first class service, and someone pampering their every need.

 

So I just pay no attention to those who complain all the time...Cause life is just two short to worry about everything they say!!

[CruisinChris]

I was just on the Sun over Christmas (one of the best cruises ever despite 680 kids - the staff did a superb job of managing this), I was on her May of 2003 and I was on the Dawn for two weeks December of 2003. I'd also sailed on the Sun a couple times before these cruises and twice on sister Ocean. On my recent Sun sailing, things were A+ and the ship in excellent shape. I noticed and appreciated that certain furnishings (soft and hard) had been repaired or replaced in the interim and that tile work had been on the pools, too.

 

Back in Janury 2001, the Sun had a horrible stench when we boarded. After several inquiries at the Pursers desk, I was told that this was due to the fuel they were burning. Since then, I have occasionally gotten a whiff of it here and there (on the Dawn and Grand, too). I did not detect it all on the SUn in December. I'm going again in two weeks, so I'll have my super-sniffer out.

 

I hate hearing these ships referred to as small, they're actually quite large!, or old. The old Pacific Princess was old. The Norway was old. The old Sky Princess was old. I believe the Sun has a 10th anniversary coming this year. These are beautiful ships, with lovely venues. And the some of the best pools in the fleet. I think they represent an important moment in the history of the Princess fleet as the first ships that were truly built soley for Princess and designed to the company's vision. A vision that has been expanded and evolved on all the subsquent ships. There's little I would change about them and I intend to keep sailing them.

 

Oh, and for what it's worth, I don't think most of the previously posted negative comments really have to do with the ships, per se. They more have to do with operational issues or the like. My recent experience on the Sun was VERY consistent with my previous experiences on Princess ships.

[bmc alabama]

We are booked for the Sun on the 2/27 departure and are looking forward to it. We have previously been on the Dawn, Star, and Grand, and I would rate them in that order. I do not think that the newer ships have some of the small touches that make the Sun class stand out, such as the teak promenade, the great hot tubs in the back of the ship, and the far superior pizzeria.

 

I can see that if one were into balconies, that the Grand class may be preferrable, but our outside on the Dawn was far supieror to our outside on the Grand. Also, the food was better on the Dawn and Star than the Grand, IMHO.

 

Anyway, looking forward to our Feb cruise, and I may be the only one that would have rather gone to Nassau than Princess Cays. I've never been to Nassau and went to Princess Cays last year. PC is OK, but there isn't a whole lot to do there...

 

Brad....

[bdjam]

I hate hearing these ships referred to as small' date=' they're actually quite large!, or old. The old Pacific Princess was old. The Norway was old. The old Sky Princess was old. I believe the Sun has a 10th anniversary coming this year. These are beautiful ships, with lovely venues. And the some of the best pools in the fleet. I think they represent an important moment in the history of the Princess fleet as the first ships that were truly built soley for Princess and designed to the company's vision. A vision that has been expanded and evolved on all the subsquent ships. There's little I would change about them and I intend to keep sailing them. [/quote']

And don’t forget when Sun Princess was inaugurated, she was the largest passenger ship at sea. She was quickly eclipsed, but she does hold that distinction. I agree with you – these ships are still contemporary and of the perfect size.

[ccrain]

This is exactly the kind of discussion I had hoped for and I hope the people I directed over here from cruisemates benefits from such an open exchange of views.

 

Hey, even I feel better about the upcoming cruise!

 

Thanks again...

[teach223]

We sailed on Sun Princess for ten days in November, 2004. Our cruise was wonderful. Embarkation was speedy and every efficient. The service on board was as wonderful as always and the food was also quite good. The size of the ship makes it a very enjoyable cruise. We can attest to this fact because we returned to Fort Lauderdale for one day and night and then boarded the Caribbean Princess for a seven day cruise. W have sailed on Sun Princess and Dawn Princess several times each and we find the size and service to be much more comfortable than on the larger ships such as Caribbean Princess. Our mini-suite was very large compared to our mini-suite on Caribbean Princess. The bathroom on Sun was very large with all amenities one could want.

We agree with several other posts. Everyone desires something different from a cruise. For us we want enough excitement to keep us from being bored, but also enough quiet space and time from a busy schedule to allow us time to rest. After all, most of us go on a vacation to get away from a hectic schedule. So...isn't it great we have the sun class ships for those of us who don't like the mega size ships! We are really glad some people like the mega ships. It leaves more room on ships such as the Sun and Dawn for the rest of us.

 

While on the Caribbean Princess we booked our next cruise. We will have a mini-suite on Sea Princess (another sun classs ship).

[westwind6371]

Cruiserforlife;

 

There may be a few errant bottles of red that escaped us, but the chardonnay is all gone, better bring a case at least. That is what we did, and still made a dent in the ships supply;-)))))

 

The only negative I can post is it was the slowest embarkation we have ever had on Princess. That was due to a special US dept of Ag. inspection that held everything up. They would not allow any food to be loaded or served until they had finished their inspection. Also CDC was checking because of Noro on previous cruise. Took us 40 Minutes from time the van dropped us off until we were sipping a nice Napa Valley white on our balcony. THIS IS INTOLORABLE!!! WHERE CAN I COMPLAIN!!!

 

Have a great trip, we will wave as we get off. (You can see us, we are the ones holding on to the railing kicking and screaming to let us stay!)

 

Fair winds

Dave

[DougH]

I just booked a B2B on the Sun to Alaska in May, prior to this 4 of my last 5 cruises were B2B's on both the Sun and the Dawn. Most recent cruise was on the Sapphire in Oct 2004 and it reinforced my impression that I much prefer the Sun class ships overall. To me they are a perfect size, not too large but big enough to offer both entertainment and food choices.

 

Negative reviews seem to get much more attention , I've not had a bad Princess experience yet and the next trip will be #17 & 18. I don't go out of my way looking for problems areas and let the little stuff slide.

Doug

[cruiserforlife]

Dave,

 

Will take your advise and pack accordingly.

 

Can't wait to see the Sun on friday and will report back when we get home.

[sleeky]

Thanks to all who have posted positive reviews.

 

We are on the April 8th Sailing of the Sun and are really looking forward to it.

Our cruise is nearly sold out ( I tried to get a mini suite but they are all gone) so it seems to be a popular ship. While we read the negative responses we would far rather think of all the wonderful sights and experiences that await us. We have only cruised once before (Disney, which was fantastic) and judging from the numbers of you who return to the Sun and Dawn they MUST have more good points than bad.

[Tandy22]

We have cruised on the Sun twice in the last 5 years and can't think of 1 thing to complain about. It's a terrific ship, friendly very service oriented crew and has great entertainment and excellent food. I read a review by sone one who was on the same cruise the 2nd time we were on the Sun. By the review I wondered if we were on the same ship. He complained a lot about the food. I wondered where he normally ate. We thought food was great. You can't hold the ship responsible for things like rought seas or missed ports do to weather. As I tell my kids things will go wrong when we travel " we're having an adventure." Have a great cruise

[cruzzers]

For those interested, I am booked on the Sun on 1/28 (just a few days to go!) and then the Dawn on 3/10. I plan to post reviews after both cruises. I am looking forward to good times on both, as I too have read some negative reviews, but I also have read a multitude of positives. Sometimes you have to really "read between the lines" when you see the totally negative reviews. To some, a bad cruise represents rough waters (not the ships fault) or a small outbreak of Norwalk (you could get that ANYWHERE!), etc...

 

So, stay tuned, and I promise to post an objective review as I can of both ships. :)

Please do let us know how the cruise goes on the Sun. We are scheduled to sail on Feb 17 and are really looking forward to this. Please feel free to email me...at the following address:

lewisbunch@msn.com

 

Have a great time!

[kryos]

We have cruised on the Sun twice in the last 5 years and can't think of 1 thing to complain about. It's a terrific ship, friendly very service oriented crew and has great entertainment and excellent food. I read a review by sone one who was on the same cruise the 2nd time we were on the Sun. By the review I wondered if we were on the same ship. He complained a lot about the food. I wondered where he normally ate. We thought food was great. You can't hold the ship responsible for things like rought seas or missed ports do to weather. As I tell my kids things will go wrong when we travel " we're having an adventure." Have a great cruise

We hit some rough seas towards the end of our Sun cruise on 1-8. It never ceases to amaze me when people complain that their cruise was ruined because of rough seas. Duh? You're on a boat. It moves. Rough seas are something that have to be anticipated and planned for. If they are that much of a problem for you, then perhaps you'd be better off with a land-based vacation ... perhaps at an all-inclusive type resort.

 

God, I live for rough seas. I love being rocked to sleep by the motion of the ocean. I specifically request an aft cabin hoping to be able to feel it more.

 

The Sun is a beautiful ship ... and I can honestly say that I didn't encounter one staff person or crew member who did not greet me with a smile. The food was delicious ... yes, it was mass market banquet style, but still quite good. The service was impeccable! Each dinner was an adventure to be anticipated all day long due to our wonderful wait staff and the CC tablemates I was privileged to share each meal with.

 

I've been on the newer ships ... a b2b on HAL's Zuiderdam last August. While that cruise was nice, it couldn't hold a candle to my Sun cruise. Too many people, loads of children, lines everywhere ... and forget getting a lounger at the pool. They were all occupied everytime I looked.

 

Now, my first cruise on the Rotterdam was nothing like that. An older ship, a more mature sailing population, more personal service. My Sun cruise was just like that too ... personal service.

 

Yep, give me the older, less mobbed ships anyday. They make for a far better cruising experience.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[sailingangel]

We hit some rough seas towards the end of our Sun cruise on 1-8. It never ceases to amaze me when people complain that their cruise was ruined because of rough seas. Duh? You're on a boat. It moves. Rough seas are something that have to be anticipated and planned for. If they are that much of a problem for you, then perhaps you'd be better off with a land-based vacation ... perhaps at an all-inclusive type resort.

 

God, I live for rough seas. I love being rocked to sleep by the motion of the ocean. I specifically request an aft cabin hoping to be able to feel it more.

 

The Sun is a beautiful ship ... and I can honestly say that I didn't encounter one staff person or crew member who did not greet me with a smile. The food was delicious ... yes, it was mass market banquet style, but still quite good. The service was impeccable! Each dinner was an adventure to be anticipated all day long due to our wonderful wait staff and the CC tablemates I was privileged to share each meal with.

 

I've been on the newer ships ... a b2b on HAL's Zuiderdam last August. While that cruise was nice, it couldn't hold a candle to my Sun cruise. Too many people, loads of children, lines everywhere ... and forget getting a lounger at the pool. They were all occupied everytime I looked.

 

Now, my first cruise on the Rotterdam was nothing like that. An older ship, a more mature sailing population, more personal service. My Sun cruise was just like that too ... personal service.

 

Yep, give me the older, less mobbed ships anyday. They make for a far better cruising experience.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

I agree Rita, I thought it was a great cruise. I was a bit paranoid with the norovirus running around, but I didn't get sick. Where is the thread everyone is talking about "the cruise from hell"? I thought the food, service and people were wonderful and I loved the ship moving around

[FRED-N-AGGIE]

OK, we just (I'm writing this in the airpport!) left the Dawn after a wonderful 10 day cruise on the southern caribbean route. I'm pleased to report, that, in my opinion, the ship is in very good condition, adequately staffed, dining room food was beyond my expectations. We've been on 10 cruises previously, and the food last week was as good or better than any other 'mass market' cruise. We used PC dining, and, other than waiting for a table (the oldsters like to eat at 5:30), no complaints.

 

Now, we had the good fortune to hook up on a roll call elsewhere on this site, and joined the "Cruz Dawgs", a happy and friendly group of 15 or so. We met on sailaway day, and quickly established friendships.

 

Since this ship was primarily occupied by older/elderly passengers, after 10PM we had the place to ourselves! Other than a few G.O.Fs' complaining loudly and often about stuff out of the ship's control, we didn't hear very many negative comments.

 

Don't worry about what you may have read - latest reports from the Dawn are all good. No viruses, plague, or broken hearts.

 

By the way, the tip about bringing your own coffeemaker and a shoe bag for storage were the best ideas we had! Fresh coffee every morning on the balcony.

 

More later, but for now, we're fully satisfied.

 

:D:D:D:D:D

[amf]

We were on the sun 01-08-05 to 01-18-05 sailing with kryos and sailingangel. We sailed the dawn last year 3/04. We like this size of ship plus ten days is way better than seven day cruises.We have just booked the dawn for 3/30/05 sailing.Everyone is intitled to there opinion but some have way to high expectations.If you want more amenities you need to go on a newer bigger ship.We have been on 11 cruises our least favorite was the grand princess one of the bigger ships.Some of the bad comments are from lack of research. On are 01/08/05 sun cruise one post was the cruise from hell.They had four in one cabin small room,not many 18-20 year olds there kids age,no one at karaoke,they will never sail princess again.How is any of this princess's fault.A ten day cruise has less kids ,four in a cabin no way,no one at karaoke,karaoke depends on the passengers each week is different.

[nancyox]

we were also on the 1/18 sailing of the sun....we thought it was great!!

 

food was excellent, better than previous princess cruises in our opinion.

 

our cabin was R346 right next to the pool and right below horizon court...we DID have a sewage-type of smell on 2 mornings and complained to the pursars desk....our cabin steward(ess) said it had something to do with the a/c...which, by the way was spotty...sometimes cold enough, other times, not. we brought a clip-on fan and an extension cord and this worked out great.

 

if ur future cruise plans take u onboard the sun, u will not be disappointed.

 

nancy

[srqcruiser]

I just returned from the Sun 1/18/05 sailing. This was our 3rd Princess cruise in the past year. ( Coral, Caribbean and now the Sun) All I can say is the cruise wasn't bad but not great, just o.k.

The food was good but the presentaion was not like our other cruises. The service wasn't up to par compared to past Princess cruises either. Lots of lines for dinner and they just don't seem to get the concept of personal choice dineing on this ship. I was on the Sun 2 years ago and they had the same problem with personal choice dineing at that time. The ship itself is starting to show its age of 10 years. I was in the Caribe Suite 746. Nice room but the bathroom shower tile was covered with mold, balcony furniture and room chairs coming apart. The sewage smell talked about in past Sun Princess postings is definitely there!! Near the wine bar by the circle staircase up to the casino and from the aft elevators back to my suite on the Caribe deck. Several other passengers also were commenting on the sewage smell in many areas of the ship.

We have decided to take a break from cruising until next year and will not be sailing on the Sun again. We love the size of the Sun but Princess should consider putting some serious money into her or build another Coral class ship and retire the Sun.(The Coral was the best cruise we ever had.)

[thasmin]

Well we have booked for better or worse on the Sun for June 20, NBound Alaska. Let's hope it's for better and that the coffee is not as bad as the cruisemates board would have us believe

 

th

[nancyox]

i must have been on a different ship...our cabin looked brand new....our food in personal choice was terrific...we tipped george, the head waiter at the beginning of the cruise and got the same table at the same time every night (a lot of people did this) and we never had to wait in line...some people may ask, why do personal choice if u want the same table? we've done both and find that by doing personal choice the dining room isn't geared to getting everyone in and out at the same time like the traditional dining; it's more relaxed in our opinion..

 

as i mentioned before, we DID notice a sewage smell in our cabin on 2 mornings and complained about it...someone came up and adjusted the a/c and we didn't notice it again...we didn't smell it anywhere else on the ship though.

 

we had a wonderful time...if u look for negative things to complain about i guess you'll find them...

 

nancy

[nancyox]

oh, by the way, my husband and the other 2 people we were travelling with all said that the coffee was the best of all the 5 princess sailings we've been on together...they must have changed something, because they all had at least 2 cups at every meal (opted for tea previously)......

 

nancy

[GSDsky]

Yes you can't get away from me.

Jan 23rd/06 ;) ;) ;) ;)

 

To all I agree with Fred as well, we had a hell of a time.

We had one couple join the group on board as I think we had the best time together. Ignore all those neg reports. Fred mentioned GOF's and there was lots and lots of them but if you took the time to listen about complaints you only laughed at them.

 

See ya Fred and Say Hi to Aggie for me... :D