LIVE from the Dawn Princess, Jan 29th 2006

[bdjam]

Thanks for letting us enjoy your cruise with you, Benny. Have a very safe trip home – and call me next time when you can stay a while!

[NorcalGuy]

Thanks so much for your virtual review!

I have enjoyed it a lot.

When you return would you tell us what cabin you were in?

The reason I ask is because I book inside cabins and you mentioned yours was very quiet. If I get a specific cabin number for that class of ship I can aim in that direction in the future. Also love Plaza deck for convience and less motion. Very quiet passageways.

[cruisingisforme]

This is great because we are booked on the Dawn April 29 2006. I'm glad you are having a great time. WE too are Canadian travelling out of Toronto so I am happy we will clear customs in San Diego as that will make disembarkation easy in San Fran. What did you do the the Mexican ports??

[TorontoTL]

Just done packing so thought I'd come down and check out the boards. I can never sleep prior to leaving the ship. Today was the only day when you could really tell you were on a ship. There are moderate swells in the sea today with swells of up to 20 to 25 feet I believe. It is only a gentle up and down motion but I guess that is the kind of motion that might upset some people. I personally don't mind it at all, it sometimes helps me sleep.

 

We were in Plaza 315 so if anyone wants a quiet spot that is certainly one of them.

 

We didn't do any excursions on this cruise, we really just walked all over the place in each of our ports of call. Usually walking between 5.5 to 7.5 hours each day taking in the various sights.

[Kallen]

Benny, thanks for the fabulous reporting. Maybe those departing on the Dawn today can continue the thread with their impressions?

[mississauga]

Kallen,

It speaks well for the Dawn that you were on it last year and are going back on the Dawn next month. Did you choose it for the itinerary or for the ship?

[liv2cruise4ever]

I watched the Dawn pull out from SF today. A balmy 75 degrees at sailaway. Those lucky people......:cool: Three more of these and then its my turn......Mar. 10th. Can't wait....:D

[sheila77]

I did not watch the Dawn sail away, but I did see her when I went to the beach for a walk. It was a beautiful day here in SF.

 

Benny - Mavericks (Big Surf Thing) was in Half Moon Bay yesterday. Apparently, they had 20 foot waves - that may have been some of the motion that you experienced on the way home yesterday. Today, the waves looked calm.

 

Glad you had a great cruise - Thanks for your reviews each day.

[Kallen]

Mississauga, the answer is "both". Last year we wanted to try the 10 day southern Caribbean trip and enjoyed it immensely. Now that we have experienced the ambience and the ease of getting around a smaller ship, we decided to do a different route, same ship. Of course, we thought the Grand was fabulous, but have just fallen in love with the relaxation of a 10 day cruise, rather than 7. I hope those in the position of decision making decide to have more 10 day cruises in the future.

 

Sheila, we'd appreciate it if you could keep that gorgeous weather for us to enjoy in another 27 days!

[Casshew]

Thanks for your live instalments, Toronto :) I have really been enjoying them.

[cruisingisforme]

Hey Benny,

 

I have really enjoyed this thread, even better since I am lucky enough to be sailing April 29. I found it so interesting that you were on the ship and letting us read what you had done or seen for the day. I also found it rather nice that you are Canadian, not that there is anything wrong with Americans, but it was just made it somewhow more personel that you are a Canadian, like me.

 

What did it cost you to use the internet?

 

When you sail again please do a thread again.

 

Thanks,

 

Charlotte

[TorontoTL]

Hi everyone, back in Toronto and now at work. I am glad those that read my posts enjoyed my Dawn Princess criuse, but probably not as much as I enjoyed actually being on the Dawn. Thanks for the kind responses to my posts as well.

 

I will probably post a review sometime on the weekend once I have a bit more time.

 

For the internet it is usually 35 cents per minute. I am fortunate enough to have become Platinum status for the Dawn cruise so it was free for me. Otherwise it would have cost quite a bit for the amount that I had used it. One of the nice perks with Princess for those of us addicted to the internet.

[Drumbum1977]

Thanks for all the updates TorontoTL!

We will be on the Dawn in Apr. and cannot wait.

[Nancyquilts]

Hi Benny -

Great reviews. Sorry we missed you after muster. The Atrium on deck 7 was a good quiet place to meet.

To answer a few other questions -

Balcony breakfast? There would be room - the table is a good size. We splurged and got the champagne breakfast for two - unfortunately it was on a cold day before San Diego - but would definitely do it again. Moet et Chandon champagne, two gorgeous fruit plates, quiches, king crab legs, goodies from the bakery and large pots of coffee. $25.

Currency exchange - not on the ship, but between the pier and the main street in PV, and just past the hotel into town in Cabo. We get some for the local buses - for everything else they take dollars.

Mazatlan and PV (and to a lesser extent Cabo) a number of shops right at the pier. In PV there's even a Walmart about two blocks away.

Nancy

[TorontoTL]

Hi Nancy, sorry we didn't make it to the meeting after Muster, in fact we missed the muster drill. We ended up spending a few hours walking around San Francisco and when we got back we unpacked and that would have been just after muster. By the time we were done it was dinner time. Hope you had a good cruise too Nancy.

[EAC]

Toronto: Glad you made it home, and also had enjoyed yourself. Thanks very much for all your observations and tips. Only 9 more days and our little group of 6 get to leave! Best wishes.

[leecim]

As a fellow Torontoian couldn't you bring some warm Mexican weather. Thanks again for the great reports on your cruise. We are looking forward to enjoying our cruise as much as you did yours on the Dawn. Our sailing date is the 28th.

[edzachary]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for these "live" reports. As a total and unexpected cruising newbie I found the information compelling and a great source of anxiety-reduction after having this cruise of 4/19 thrust on me in the past few days.

 

I'm really looking forward to it now and your posts helped a ton.

 

Jeff

[chasetf]

CD on Dawn is Frank Castiglione (sp?) Not real creative as far as activities, but pleasant. We were on Jan 9-19.

He sure gets around..... We had him on the Regal (Canada/NE), Tahitian (Tahiti), and Grand (Med).

[bdjam]

Welcome home, Benny – glad you had a good cruise. Looking forward to your review.

[Tigger B]

Hi Brian...

 

Kind of makes ya feel like headin' back out for another trip huh?? Sure makes me feel that way.

 

Hope all is well with you my friend.

 

The other Brian.

[bdjam]

Hi Brian...

 

Kind of makes ya feel like headin' back out for another trip huh?? Sure makes me feel that way.

 

Hope all is well with you my friend.

 

The other Brian.

Hey Brian – yes it does. The fact that Dawn Princess is in the backyard every 10 days doesn’t make it any easier. I just keep thinking I’m sailing on May 1…otherwise I might be blowing my vacation days for another trip down to Mexico!

Hope all is well - the other Brian...

[Tigger B]

Brian,

 

I'm right there with ya. I can imagine what you go through down there being able to see the ship come and go. I visit the web cam several times a day just to see where she is. Since we have been back I cannot get this vacation out of my head. I think about it almost constantly...

 

I didn't have anything to caompare this cruise with but it far exceeded my expectations. What a trip. I'll do it again soon. Thinking of the Grand or CB in the Carribean...What do you think my friend...

 

Brian.

[TorontoTL]

Brian (Tigger B), I've been on the CB as well as the Star and Golden (sister ships to Grand) and enjoyed all three of those cruises immensely. What are the differences? The ships themselves are actually quite beautiful and offer more options for dining and play. There are also however more passengers on those ships as well. Princess does a very good job of getting people on and off their ships but you will still notice more people while embarking and disembarking the ship. In terms of people onboard, I felt that with the Star/Golden/Grand you won't find any difference from the Dawn so no crowding. On the Caribbean Princess you will notice slightly more people around at peak times and you will need to get to the Princess theatre a bit earlier than usual to get a seat. I wouldn't hesitate to book a cruise on any of the Princess ships if it was for an itinerary that I was interested in. Princess really offers an outstanding product especially when cost is factored in. I believe the cruises on the Sun/Coral class ships is a bit more personal though. But, if you can get the same waiting staff in anytime dining or do traditional dining I believe you can get a very personal experience on the larger ships as well based on my past experience.

[bdjam]

Brian,

 

I'm right there with ya. I can imagine what you go through down there being able to see the ship come and go. I visit the web cam several times a day just to see where she is. Since we have been back I cannot get this vacation out of my head. I think about it almost constantly...

 

I didn't have anything to caompare this cruise with but it far exceeded my expectations. What a trip. I'll do it again soon. Thinking of the Grand or CB in the Carribean...What do you think my friend...

 

Brian.

I think Benny pretty much summed it up for you in the post above. I don’t particularly care for the larger ships – I sailed Grand and Star and they did provide the consistent Princess experience that I keep coming back for. But there is an intangible difference between the larger and smaller ships – I think Benny hits on it when he talks about the personal touch, but I also think there’s less of an assembly line kind of atmosphere. Processing 2600 to 3100 passengers every seven days seems as if it puts a lot of stress on ship and crew.

I think if I was to look to a larger ship, I would do a longer cruise on one – but my immediate plans for cruises are all on ships of less than 2000 passengers. You should try the larger ships to see what you think – as Benny says, you’ll still have the high-quality Princess experience as a foundation.