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OVERVIEW On October 1st
I had the pleasure of touring the Golden Princess while docked in New York
City. Built in Italy in 2001, the 2,600 passenger vessel is beautiful and
immaculately maintained. She boasts 1,300 cabins of which 720 have
balconies. Weighing in at 109,000 tons, she is one of the largest ships
afloat. Although Princess Cruises roots are English (before their
acquisition by Carnival Corp), the ship definitely has an Italian flair.
The décor heavily utilizes, warm, wood tone wall coverings creating some
very enticing and inviting public spaces. At 951 feet long, her endless
decks offer something for everyone to enjoy.
AMENITIES/PUBLIC SPACES
Once on board the Golden Princess, I was very impressed with the number
of public spaces and various rooms for passenger enjoyment. As stated
above, the décor of the Golden Princess makes use of light and dark wood
wall covering and combines a very unusual amount of wall murals depicting
what appears to be the Italian countryside. The ship definitely has the
feel of a Tuscan country home.
Most cruise line with large ships intentionally creates small public
rooms in order to create a more intimate feel. This approach sometimes can
make a larger ship feel confining. The Golden Princess was quiet the
opposite. I was very impressed with the openness of the ship including the
stairwells and corridors both in the passenger areas and public room
decks. This open feeling gives you the sense of grandeur.
The mammoth Princess Theater, located at the front of the ship,
reminded me of the Roman Coliseum. This expansive room is smartly
decorated. The layout of the room minimizes the number of columns present
assuring a good view of the stage and that night’s entertainment from
almost any seat.
The Vista Show Lounge, located at the stern of deck 7, is also nice and
provides an ideal setting for less elaborate shows, movies, shore
excursion talks or nightly musical entertainment.
The Wheelhouse Bar located on Deck 7 (Promenade Deck) is paneled in
dark wood and features a nautical theme. The room is decorated with ship
paintings and models from early P&O days. The room has a dance floor, bar
and intimate alcoves for conversation or an after dinner drink.
Located adjacent to the Wheelhouse Bar is the larger Explorers Bar.
Decorated in deep dark wood tones and numerous dim table lamps, I found
this room to be quite dark, even during the day. The room features
expansive seating, a stage, dance floor and bar.
I was very impressed with the ship’s Atrium. This area spanned multiple
decks and was very bright, open, airy and inviting. Opening up onto the
Atrium is the ship’s Promenade Bar and Lounge, the shops and boutiques and
the Information/Pursers Desk.
Located 15 decks above the stern of the ship is Skywalkers – the disco.
This room is accessible via a glass enclosed moving sidewalk that ascends
you two decks to the room situated 200 feet above the sea. Seating in this
futuristic disco is tiered, making the lounge seem smaller than it
actually is. The room does have large windows which provide impressive
views of the sea from this vantage point. Even if dancing is not your
thing, I recommend going to this room for the view alone.
In addition to all these public rooms, the ship offers a gymnasium,
full line of Spa facilities and treatments, jogging track, Jacuzzis, Golf
Simulator, miniature golf, deck games and complete casino with slots and
gaming tables.
I was very impressed with the art gallery. The ship has an extensive
number of paintings on display and the openness and brightness of the
display area made it appealing.
In my opinion, the definite highlight of the Golden Princess is the
pool areas. The ship has 4 pools – each one more impressive than the
previous. Located at the stern of the ship on Deck 12 is a secluded pool
which over looks the wake of the ship. Although the ship was tied to the
pier when I was onboard, I could only imagine how impressive it must be to
be in this area when the ship is underway and take in the beauty of the
ship’s wake and the seascape.
Moving up to Lido Deck, 14 stories up, is the Calypso Pool. This pool
is by far one of the nicest pool layouts I have seen on a ship. The
colorfully tiled floor, beautifully decorated columns with mosaic fish,
impressive lighting, adjoining bar and retractable glass roof make this
area very appealing for sunbathing, swimming or a drink.
Moving forward on this deck is the Neptune Reef Pool and the Currents
Pool. Both of these open air pools are smartly decorated and very inviting
for a quick dip between sunbathing.
If indoor activities are to your liking, the ship has a decent size
library, an internet café and a large card and games room. There is even a
modest sized sports bar so you don’t have to miss the big game.
If you are interested in getting married or renewing your wedding vows,
there is even an intimate wedding chapel on board.
Overall I found the interiors of the ship to be very warm and inviting.
DINING
Princess Cruises offers what they refer to as Personal Choice Dining.
Personal Choice Dining allows you to choose traditional dining at a set
time with the same waiters and table mates or passengers can choose
Anytime Dining which provides the flexibility to choose the time and
restaurant. There are 2 flexible dining rooms and one traditional seating
restaurant.
Located on Decks 5 and 6 are the main dining establishments – The
Canaletti, Dontello and Bernini Dining rooms. The Bernini and Dontello are
identical in décor. They are simple yet elegant. The Canaletti is
decorated in more inviting and warmer tones compared to the other dining
rooms. Inviting wall murals depicting Venetian medieval life add to the
dining experience. All of the dining rooms have a very intimate feel.
In
addition to the standard dining options there is Sabatini’s – a
brightly decorated Italian trattoria where food is freshly prepared in an
open station nearby. There is a southwest grill for a casual festive meal.
Up on deck 14 is the Horizon Court which offers 24 hour buffet dining.
This area is inviting with its hand painted wall murals and soft wood
tones. There are numerous serving stations where you can sample anything
from salads to freshly prepared pasta to Prime Rib.
For a casual daytime dining experience, there is freshly made Prego’s
Pizza and the Trident Grill where chicken and burger can be ordered.
If you choose not to leave your cabin, the ship does have 24 hour room
service.
On an unusual note, the Golden Princess does have an Ice Cream Bar but
unlike other ships, there was an added charge.
While on board the Golden Princess, I sampled the Shrimp Cocktail Oasis
– which consisted of shrimp with sweet cantaloupe in a light pink cognac
sauce. Next was homemade spinach and ricotta cheese ravioli which was very
light and tasty followed by the Blackened Angus Chateaubriand (cooked to
perfection) served with fresh baby vegetables, glazed Parisienne Potatoes
and Bearnaise Sauce flavored with tarragon. For dessert there was the hot
dark Dutch chocolate souffle which melted in your mouth. The food was
exceptional and the presentation was very appealing. The service received
was outstanding. The waiter was very attentive, aimed to please and
assured that everything was in order. Even the others at the table
commented on the exceptional meal and service.
ACCOMODATIONS
The Golden Princess has inside, outside, balcony, mini-suite and suite
cabins. While I was on board I was not permitted to view any cabins. This
was primarily due to the fact that the ship actually began boarding
passengers for a 5 PM departure at 11:30 AM. I did get an opportunity to
talk to some passengers about their accommodations and they all were quite
pleased.
Looking at the cabins in the brochure, they appear to be brighter than
most cabins I have seen aboard ships. The cabins have light colored walls
with rich wood trim. Bed coverings and window treatments appear to
complement the room and add to the simple elegance of the cabin.
I was also very impressed with the passageways outside the cabins,
unlike most ships, they were very bright and spanned the full length of
the ship. Many of the other ships I have been aboard have twisting and
dark hallways making them seem confined. The Golden Princess’ straight
hallways also give passengers an appreciation for the length of this grand
vessel.
KIDS PROGRAM
Princess has an extensive kid’s program. The structured children’s /
teen program are divided into 3 groups. The Princess Pelicans (Ages 3-7)
where your young one will partake in Videos, cartoons, kids karaoke and
kids Olympics to name a few of the activities.
The next age group – Ages 8-12 are know as the Princess Shockwaves.
These lucky children will enjoy such activities as arts, crafts, sports
tournaments, scavenger hunts and much more.
The last group, called Remix, is for kids ages 13-17. The teen
center is packed with video games, movies, giant screen TVs, card games,
board games, ping-pong tables and a Jukebox.
I toured the children’s area and was impressed with the amount of space
dedicated to the children and related activities. There was even a teen
disco. Each group has their own room with a private entrance.
Other kid’s activities not associated with the kids program include the
video arcade (one of the largest arcades that I have seen onboard a ship
to date). The room is actually “U” shaped and is lined with the latest
interactive games. There is shuffleboard and an oversized chessboard up on
deck as well.
For those wishing to spend time with the kids - the Golden Princess has
the family deck. In this area can be found a small kid’s pool, shaped like
a whale, matted decking for deck games, a playroom and a Jacuzzi.
Due to the time of year (school is in session) and the itinerary (New
England/Canada), there was estimated to be about 16 children for the kid’s
program on this sailing. This is significantly lower than the 300-600
children that can be found on Caribbean sailing during times when school
is in recess. The Golden Princess had 11 Kid’s counselor on this sailing
having an unusually high child/counselor ratio.
ITINERARY
After completing her New England Canada Cruises, the Golden Princess
will reposition to San Juan Puerto Rico for the winter on October 22,
2005. Once in Puerto Rico, she will be conducting various 7-day cruises to
the Southern and Eastern Caribbean. On April 29, 2005 she will leave San
Juan in-route to New York before she proceeds to European waters for the
summer of 2006.
SYNOPSIS
The Golden Princess is a beautiful and well maintained ship. All of the
public rooms are grand in size and unlike most large ships, she has a very
“spacious” feel. The public rooms are nicely decorated and are warm and
inviting. I was very impressed with the
selection and display of artwork throughout the ship. The walls of the
ship are also adorned with numerous wall murals which add to the ambiance.
The pool areas are among the best and most organized that I have seen
afloat. The hallways, landings and stairwells are nicely decorated with
complementing artwork and have an open feel. The food onboard the ship was
excellent and the service was attentive. The crew was genuinely
helpful and would frequently walk up (with a broad smile on their faces)
and ask if you needed assistance.
The ship offers the standard
choice of cabins and suites – with or without balconies. There is an
accommodation for anyone’s pleasure.
As stated above, the New England Canada itinerary combined with the
slightly higher per diems for a premium Princess Cruise attracts more
seasoned travelers. Children and families are more abundant aboard the
Golden Princess’ Caribbean sailings. For a traveler looking for a more
refined, adult oriented, pampered experience the Golden Princess is the
ship for you. The Golden Princess is registered in Bermuda.
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