Golden 5/9 - 5/16

[wspatton]

A note of interest: I tried last night to post a review in the actual "Member Reviews" section of CruiseCritic.com.

 

After writing it and hitting "Submit", I was informed that they have a backlog of Member reviews that they have to get up on the boards.

 

SO, go ahead and submit your "real" review over there, just be aware that others won't be able to benefit from you comments right away.

 

Bill

 

View from Grenada

 

<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>

[PeabodyNVL]

Bill - That's why lots of people post their reviews right here in the Princess forum. If you feel your review is too long, you can cut it into several posts.

 

Pea

 

5/9 Golden Princess  

[MauiLuvr]

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

A note of interest: I tried last night to post a review in the actual "Member Reviews" section of CruiseCritic.com.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Bill, I look forward to reading your review! As I recall, you and Mary were first-time cruisers before your week on the Golden with us so hearing a first-timers review is always interesting! I hope to write my own review this weekend but we'll see if it gets done!

[MauiLuvr]

Though I still have a kink to work out with one of the Aruba pix, a few pix from my 5/9 Golden cruise can be found here:

 

http://members.aol.com/hoppnhutch/pictures2004.htm

 

Golden Princess 5/2004 (Southern)

Golden Princess 3/2003(Eastern)

Grand Princess 5/2002 (Western)

Grand Princess 5/1999 (Eastern)

[wspatton]

Sheri, great pictures! thanks for sharing them, so that I could try to overcome a little cruise withdrawal!!! I can't believe we left 2 weeks ago today!

 

Here are a few of mine:

Bill & Mary's first few Cruise Pictures

 

Best wishes MauiLuvr.

 

Bill

 

<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>

[cruiserw/kids]

Acworth Bill, where can we find your full review?

 

Westfield Friends - July 4th Golden Princess

 

[wspatton]

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

Acworth Bill, where can we find your full review?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well, the Review I submitted in the Review section was really just a compilation of the various posts you have seen on this thread (and perhaps on the other thread that is referenced in one of my earlier posts).

 

So you have really seen all that I have managed to sit down and put in writing.

 

I will add that we had Cabin E504 Obstructed view. It was perfectly adequate and we could see out, but next time we will either get a balcony or we will get an interior cabin.

 

We thought the food was very good and enjoyed the various venues. I would try to visit Sabatinis next time. We never got there but heard great stuff about it.

 

Steakhouse was very good, but next time I would order something more special than the Strip.

 

I was prepared to despise the coffee based on others' comments, but found it to be very tolerable. I also like the Iced tea that dispensed -- very dark but not overy strong nor bitter.

 

We did not mess with the soda cards like we thought we would, and we made the right decision for us. I think we would have been hard pressed to drink $20 worth of soda. We found that Water, Coffee, Tea, Juice w/ Breakfast, were good enough when we weren't having a mixed drink.

 

I found service to be attentive, but not burdensome. Most employees seemed very friendly and would happily chat with you if you initiated the conversation.

 

One observation I had on more than one afternoon was that on the sun decks there were plenty of folks offering to sell you drinks, but fewer picking up the empty glasses and plates that others would leave by their deck chairs.

 

Some of the posters on these boards have been so effusive in their praise that we may have begun our odyssey with a slightly higher expectation than was our reality. We thought the food, service, etc on this, our first cruise, was about what one should expect. It was all very good, and we would pick this line, this ship, and this crew again. We would also like to consider some of the other lines if the price and itinerary match our needs. I would LOVE to be in the position to give opinions based on DOZENS of Cruises.

 

We enjoyed our fellow passengers a great deal. We really liked going down to Anytime Dining at random times and letting the Maitre'D (sp.?) sit us with whoever. Great way to meet people and have a fun dinner. NEVER had to wait even one second.

 

We had a great first experience, and look forward to the next one.

 

Bill

 

<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>

[cruiserw/kids]

Thanks Bill. Only about 39 days until we leave for San Juan. Sometimes I feel as though I have already taken this cruise, as I am constantly reading everyone's reviews and getting so immersed in them. Just can't seem to get enough. My DW can't wait until this cruise is over so I get my head out of the computer at night. Little does she know, I'll start planning the next one as soon as we get home.

 

Westfield Friends - July 4th Golden Princess

 

[lacruisecat]

Bill, or any other recent Golden cruisers, when did they do the port talk? I am on one of the Classic Caribbean sailings in July and was wondering if they would talk about all 5 ports in one session with only one sea day.

[wspatton]

I did not attend those so I am not absolutely sure. But I have the impression that there were several talks, maybe two or three. I think they did one talk on St. Thomas and St. Kitts on Sunday Evening, and then one talk on Grenada, Isla Margarita and Aruba on Tuesday.

 

Maybe the Aruba talk was Thursday afternoon after we left Isla Margarita. Anybody else out there got a better recollection?

 

Bill

 

<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>

[PeabodyNVL]

I never go to the port talks, so I really didn't pay attention to when they took place, but I had the same general recollection Bill has, that the port talks are usually one or two days before you go to the port. There is also a televised port lecture that runs. This lecture is all of the ports together, I believe.

 

Pea

 

5/9 Golden Princess