Golden, 10/8-10/15

[RWayne]

Gluttony on the high seas; or, how I ate my way through Canada and New England aboard the Golden Princess 10/8-10/15/05….

 

We arrived in LaGuardia on 10/7 after an uneventful flight from Denver. Previous arrangements with a car company (Lincoln Limousine – 212-571-5275) required a call from me upon landing and the car was waiting when we walked out of the airports with our bags. The weather was dreary and overcast.

 

We drove to Manhattan to the Best Western (522 W. 38th St -- 212-405-1700). Car service was $50 for the ride (tip and toll included). The Best Western was recommended to me by the pier office – the hotel has a one night special if you’re cruising ($144 before taxes). It’s only a few blocks to the pier and if the weather is nice and you’re not carrying bags sufficient to clothe an army, then it’s an easy walk. The rooms are small and tight, but for Manhattan it was a good deal. Continental breakfast in the AM is included and it’s an easy walk to the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center.

 

It’s also equally close to Times Square and Broadway, and we spent the afternoon there, followed later by a late night walk through the area. Lots to do and see, but truthfully, New York is dirtier than Paris. Trash, debris, filth – it was everywhere. The nastiness of the place does little to justify its reputation. Doesn’t anyone in the city know what a trash can looks like?

 

The next afternoon was a rainy one and rather than walk as planned, we took a cab to the pier ($10 with a tip).

 

The embarkation processing was fast and efficient. The lines were small and people flowed through the process quickly. In short order, we were on the ship and I bought the sticker for a soda card ($27.65, but when the bill came it was more than $31 – there’s a 15% bar tip added to everything purchased from the bar…..). I drank lots of tea this trip and likely won’t buy another soda card – the tea is free and as easy to get as a Coke product.

 

Our cabin was A325 – perfect for our needs. We were on the starboard side (right side) and had a balcony. We met the room steward within minutes (Kotchakorn Arbkornburi from Thailand – "Call me ‘K’.") and I tipped him at the outset. He was attentive the entire trip and very responsive to the few requests we had.

 

Two of our three bags showed up immediately and the third was in front of our door before we’d unpacked the first two. Distributing the luggage was very organized. There was a problem for some, however, as Princess sent everyone a note the next day asking passengers to check their luggage because some passengers still hadn’t received their bags. No idea how that was ever resolved. I suspect satisfactorily as I heard nothing further.

 

After we unpacked, we headed for Horizon Court where we knew from past experience there would be plenty of food. No disappointments there.

We also quickly took the Spa tour – I’d love to dispense with that. If you’ve cruised before and know what you want, the tour is redundant. And we all know, redundancy like that keeps us away from the consumption of food…..We filled out the chances for Spa giveaways, and my wife registered for a facial.

 

The muster drill was at 4:15 PM and we cast off at 5, sitting on our balcony eating pizza and watching the Statue of Liberty drift past. We were under the Verranzano Bridge by 6 and well on our way.

We decided to try "Anytime Dining" this cruise and at 8:15, we headed for the Bernini Dining Room and asked for a 2 person table. We were seated immediately. Food was good and plentiful (you can have as much as you want – it’s like it was in the Army: "Get all you want; eat all you get.").

 

The menus always have at least three appetizers, three soups, three salads, five entrees – in addition to items "always on the menu", as well as a separate vegetarian menu. (The dessert menu comes out after the table has been cleared and it is a joy to behold….)

 

At 9 PM we headed for a show and watched a comedian (Kevin Hughes). Some of his stuff throughout the week was "laugh-out-loud-funny". (He did four shows and we caught them all.)

 

At 10:30 we watched a movie and a little after midnight, we were back in the Horizon Court for a midnight feeding.

 

And that was just the first day….

Sunday, 10/9 was a day at sea. Lots to do and lots to eat. Wife had a facial, we went to "Newlywed, Not So Newlywed", and we watched comedian Kevin Hughes again. It was also formal night and we neglected to make a reservation for our anytime dining. It took 30 minutes to get a table at Bernini’s. However, the wait was worthwhile - we had Lobster Thermidor and Beef Torridour, and a Lobster Bisque that was an 11 on a 1-10 scale.

 

After the afore-mentioned entertainment, we were back in Horizon Court at 1130 for our midnight snack, which included more Lobster Bisque and chocolate covered strawberries.

Monday, 10/10 - Halifax, Nova Scotia. Rainy, dreary, strong wind gusts. Altogether unappealing. I doubt if many people even got off the boat. I watched from the balcony and saw only two people take off for a run in the rain and wind. Few people seemed to take advantage of the organized tours as the weather was so poor that it was unappealing to get off the ship.

 

Therefore, we spent the day reading and eating. In the afternoon, we played bingo, trivia and watched a movie. We had a leisurely supper that evening at Bernini’s again, followed by entertainment in the lounge.

 

At midnight, Horizon court beckoned for pastries, bolognese, shrimp and fruit.

 

The seas were swelling and the boat rocked considerably. Lying in bed you could feel the boat rise and fall. I later learned this was disconcerting to a number of people who wore dramamine patches for the rest of the cruise. The ocean was rough like that three or four times – it made walking on the boat a challenge – people bounced along as if they were drunk and couldn’t quite control how their legs were supposed to function. If you weren’t drunk, it was fun. To get an idea how much the ship actually moved, the water in the swimming pools was sloshing around so violently that as it moved from end to end, it appeared to create its own tsunami – the water was everywhere. But, despite the mobility problems throughout the week, the entertainers performed admirably. We only watched one show with dancers but later heard about their difficulty when the boat was shifting so much.

Tuesday, 10/11 – St. John, New Brunswick. Woke up to a Neil Diamond crooner on the docks, singing Crackling Rosie. The ship was in port and the locals were welcoming us. We quickly ate and disembarked. My bride got a rose and "Neil Diamond, Crackling Rosie" was belting out an Elvis tune on a makeshift stage at the end of the gangway. We walked around St John and did a sightseeing tour. It was short-lived and we were soon back on board to eat at Horizon Court. Read and snacked until trivia started at 4:15 where we won luggage straps!!!!

 

Played Bingo again and walked through Horizon court – just to see what they were having….. Big mistake. Unfortunately for me, it was German night. Wiener Schnitzel, Bratwurst, black forest cake, sacher torte, apple strudel… the list was endless and naturally, we had a snack before going to a 7 PM magic show that was followed by a late dinner at Bernini’s (escargot, onion soup and NY Steak for me…). We left dinner for a 9:30 PM movie and then went to Horizon Court for what was becoming our routine midnight meal.

Wednesday, 10/12 – Bar Harbor, Maine. Back in the US required going through immigration before 9:30 AM. Afterwards, we boarded a tender for the ride to shore. Walked around the city, including the mile long shore path and visited the Whale Museum. We had tickets for a 3-hour whale watching excursion that was called off due to rough seas. We took the tender back to the ship for a late lunch and washed clothes. (Helpful hint – pack your own soap powder. We forgot ours and soap is $1 per load. Washers and dryers are also $1 per load.)

 

We snacked, played trivia, and then ate more food on the balcony – hamburgers and fries.

 

I got a call from the Spa that my card had been drawn and I was eligible for a 50% discount for any treatment or service. My wife wanted a massage so she made an appointment for the following day.

 

We left Bar Harbor at 6 PM and my wife and I sat on the balcony and ate chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate covered bananas as we watched Bar Harbor disappear through our binoculars. Lighthouses everywhere.

 

Comedic entertainment was at 7 PM (Kevin Hughes again) with dinner at 8. Played Bingo at 9:45 and then joined a movie in progress until it was time to go to midnight chow at Horizon court – steak, veal and pastries….

Thursday, 10/13 – Boston. Ate breakfast at 9:30 and left the ship. Caught the Beantown Trolley for a tour of the city. We got off at the MIT stop and took the subway to Harvard for a look around the campus. Because of the terror concerns, the campus is pretty tight – buildings are off-limits.

 

Subway back to MIT and walked their campus and then caught up to the trolley again. The trolley is worth the money – lots of information and interesting sites. You can get on and off as often as you like.

 

But my wife had made her salon appointment for the afternoon and we got back to the ship before 3. She had a massage; I ate at Horizon and read.

At 4:15 it was time for trivia again, followed by a snack. My bride went to the sauna while I read.

 

At 7 we had a snack in Horizon Court and went to supper at Bernini’s at 8 PM for lobster tails.

 

At 9:45 we played Jeopardy Trivia with two other couples and won (champagne, luggage tags, luggage straps, clocks, water bottles). You REALLY need to know your stuff for trivia (sample question – what was the Professor’s name in Gilligan’s Island?)

 

At 11:30 it was close enough to midnight to go to Horizon court for steak, shrimp, halibut and desserts.

Friday, 10/14 – Newport, RI. It was rainy, windy and dreary so we rolled over and went back to sleep. Had breakfast at 11 and used the binoculars to scope the shore. At 12 we took the tender to the dock and walked around the town. Newport boasts one of New England’s oldest churches and I parked myself in a pew where George Washington, Queen Elizabeth and Nelson Mandela have sat. Sadly, I didn’t feel any of their strength and wisdom coursing through my rear end.

 

Back aboard by 3 and decided to go to tea at 3:30. Tea is a daily event from 3:30-4:30. It wasn’t for us and we left soon after.

 

Time for trivia at 4:15 and bingo at 5:15. It was the last night for bingo so only two blackout games were played – one for the grand prize that had rolled up all week ($2250) and one for a cruise. I was one number away from the grand prize when someone beat me to the call. My luck held as my next bingo card had me one number away from winning a cruise when someone else yelled "Bingo!" Terrible luck.

 

At 7 PM, it was time for entertainment again in the Princess Theater.

Afterwards, we decided to skip Bernini’s and ate instead at Horizon (turkey and scallops for me).

 

We packed at 9 and went to the 10 PM movie, followed by our last midnight trek to Horizon.

10/15 – New York Disembarkation. We elected to carry our bags off rather than deposit them outside the door. We had three bags and a backpack. People carrying their own bags off are called first for disembarkation. We were eating breakfast when the first call came. We finished eating, went back to our room for the bags and walked to the exit. No lines anywhere. Off the ship, through customs and into a cab in minutes. The cab ride to LaGuardia was $35 (through Harlem).

 

Because I didn’t know what time we’d be off the ship, I made our return flight for after 2 PM. However, we were in the airport by 9:30. United sent us to the gate to fly standby and we got on a plane to Denver at 11. We were in Denver before 2 PM !!!

 

Things that worked:

Email – Worked well except for the night of the terrible storm. $.35/minute is reasonable. I had to check email three times and I spent less than $10 total.

 

Entertainment – There were so many activities that we were never lacking. The CD – Richard Joseph – and his staff were exemplary (except for Jo who was repeatedly rude, short-tempered, and completely out of her element).

 

On board staff – service everywhere was exemplary. We talked to many of the people working on the ship and when you realize how much they work, it really is a testament to the organization that everyone can stay focused and in good humor. Our room steward and the wait staff (Paola and Mark) were top-notch.

 

Security – well-run, quick and efficient. Boarding the tenders for the trips to shore and back to ship were done with security of all in mind. I did however, notice some of the older folks’ impatience ("I TOLD you before I had hip surgery/bad knees, etc etc). Americans really are funny – there were 2,600 passengers and each of them thought their circumstances should be remembered by the people manning the x-ray machine and the walk through metal detector…..

 

Food – I know it sounds like we did little but eat, but the food was great. It’s a vacation – you’re allowed to eat when you’re not hungry…. I heard someone complain to the maitre-d’ at Bernini’s that the brownies at the Horizon court were dry. Good grief, he complained about that when there was a veritable cornucopia of food everywhere, all day long????

 

Things that need improvement:

 

Golden is showing her age. I can’t be too critical – the ship works seven days/week and it’s hard to keep it looking brand new. However, the repeated use is showing. Carpets are dull, the chandeliers are faded – it could use a good scrubdown.

 

Casino – C’mon, Princess. The place is impossible if you’re a non-smoker. We couldn’t even cut through the casino for a shortcut, much less spend any money in there. And, I desperately wanted to drop some money in a gambling frenzy. But, I couldn’t breathe.

 

Bingo – Another lick on Princess. Most people spend $20 for three plays per game for 5 games. I estimated 300 people each game. Do the math on the take. The first four games add up to $700 worth of prizes (game 1 is $100, game 2 is $150, game 3 is $200 and game 4 is $250). The blackout prize starts at $1000 on the first day, but has to be won in 50 numbers. If not, the blackout is worth $300. If the blackout isn’t won, the amount rolls over until next day when it has to be won in 51 numbers and so on until the last day and someone finally wins the $2250 (unless it’s won earlier but it’s hard to do when there’s a limit on numbers drawn before the big money). The $300 pot is usually the award. So, Princess gives out $1000/day, but takes in at least $5000. At the last game, in addition to the grand prize, you can play for a cruise. Cards on the last day are $20 each, with most people spending $40 to play both money jackpot and cruise jackpot. If two people have simultaneous bingoes during the free cruise jackpot, Princess requires a death match for the free cruise. With all the money Princess makes on bingo, you’d think they could give the free cruise to all the winners rather than generate the ill will of a playoff game. I wasn’t affected personally, but see this kind of greed as unnecessary. Princess can afford the two free cruises if two people have simultaneous wins.

 

The leaves in New England – everything was still green. No one to point a finger at on that one.

 

We had a great time. And while not everyone would spend their vacation like we spent ours, it was exactly what I needed to recharge my batteries. My wife felt the same way.

 

If Mickey Arison (CEO for Carnival) calls to tell me that we nearly bankrupted the cruise line by eating as much as we did, I’d like to talk to him about a job. I’ve already got the luggage tags….. and I only need to give two weeks notice before going to work for the cruise industry. Probably can’t eat as much if you’re working, but the smile should stay put. We’re counting the days until our next cruise in July aboard the Crown.

[Coral]

I am on the Golden now and heard about your weather - I am so sorry!

 

Glad that disembarkation worked well. Thanks for the review.

[BigTimeCruiser]

Theresa,

 

Hope you are having a great time on the Golden. We are still on the Sun for a few more days....

 

Curt

[ssabaste]

RWayne;

 

Sounds like you and the Mrs. had a wonderful time, nice and relaxing. Sorry the weather didn't cooperate but it sure seems like you found lots to do anyway. What movies were playing? Did you have the same waiter every night using anytime dining? Was there a longer wait if there were more people in your party? Did you always have a table for 2 or did you meet others on board?

 

Thanks again for a laugh out loud review. See you on the Crown in July!

[caribbean2000]

RWayne - that was one of the funniest reviews I've seen, great job!!! We live on Cape Cod and I know the weather was less than terrific the week you went but I absolutely admire your attitude. More than a few whiners we've heard on cruises could learn a lot from you. We were on the Golden two years ago and will be again (God willing) next April. Glad to hear the staff is still top notch too - I was reading a few of the reviews of recent cruises on the Golden on this site and I was getting a little nervous - one of the things we've always loved about Princess is how great the staff is. Anyway, thanks again - made my day on a quite stressful one at work!

Gene

[deeolasingh]

:) Glad you had a great time eventhough the weather wasnt cooperating. Just wanted to ask who was in charge of bingo and who was the captain on this voyage?

thanks, Dee

[L454S]

I was with RWayne on this one and he has things right on the money. DW and I tried to get off the boat in Halifax and came right back on.

 

St. John was a bit better, we took a bus tour to the fort, the reversing river and around the town. It was interesting.

 

DW just had to see Fenway Park, so we caught a bus at the pier, got off in town, got on the green line subway out to Kenmore and walked to the park and took the tour( beware, the stadium is under complete renovation so the tour is VERY limited).

 

We got soaked in Newport. We got on a bus to the Vanderbilt mansions in the rain, got off in the rain, stood in lines at the Marble House, and the Breakers. Umbrellas were not a lot of help with the wind.

 

Overall we had a great time on the boat, after 6 weeks in our post hurricane house in New Orleans, this was a GREAT week....Lenny

[RWayne]

Hello and thanks for the feedback. To answer some of your questions:

 

Movies: The Interpreter (Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn); Hostage (Bruce Willis); Mr and Mrs Smith (Brad Pitt and Angelie Jolie); War of the Worlds (Tom Cruise); Batman Begins (Christian Bale and Katie Holmes); Monster-in-Law (J Lo, Jane Fonda); and Bewitched (Niclole Kidman and Will Ferrell).

 

Wait times for more than 2 people at anytime dining? I looked around on the evenings when we didn't make reservations to try to find others like us. It seems the wait was the same, no matter how many people in your party. The later you went the better your chance to walk in - I noticed after 8:30 there were no lines and seemingly no reservations, with lots of empty tables. We stayed with the 2 person table throughout the cruise, except when we went to tea.

 

Bingo: the duty shifted around between assistant CDs but Tim carried the bulk of it and he was enthusiastic and seemed to enjoy the interaction with the players (lots of good-natured ribbing when people couldn't understand the games or called bongoes).

 

The Captain for the cruise was David Calabrese.

 

Whew. After all that typing, I feel like eating.... My in-house Horizon Court selections aren't quite the same nor are they as readily available.....

[ssabaste]

RWayne

 

Thanks for the additional info. Since you have done both anytime and traditional dining, which do you prefer?

 

Please have a snack before you reply; I wouldn't want you to post when you are hungry! :D

 

Which facial and massage did your DW do on board, would she recommend those services?

[TorontoTL]

Thanks for posting your review of the Golden. I wonder when she is due for a dry/wet dock. I remember her as she was the first Princess cruise I was on. The Golden Princess is the one who got me hooked on Princess Cruises. It's all her fault!!;) Glad you had a wonderful time.

[RWayne]

ssabaste - DW had a aromatherapy massage and the oxygen facial. She liked both and would do them again.

 

For the Crown, I'm thinking "traditional" would be best. If it's just the two of us again, we'll go "anytime".

 

"Anytime" gave us the flexibility to go to early shows or late shows, depending on the mood. As long as we were there 15 minutes before the show started we got pick of seats for first shows. Second shows were more iffy and I think if you go to early dining on traditional, you'll be relegated to second shows.

 

Best choice for a group of 6? Traditional, second seating. Like before... BUT, it will cut into your appetite for that midnight feeding on Horizon Court.