I was lucky enough to cruise on the Sea's sister ship, the Dawn Princess in 1999 to the Caribbean. It was my first cruise and an experience that had me wanting more, much more! , and so 7 cruises later I have just walked down the gangplank to exit another Princess ship after a good holiday. Unfortunately though, there is a but, and that but is the reason that after 8 cruises now, I feel compelled to write a review for the first time.
I don't intend to write about the ship itself, because the Sea and her 3 sister ships have been around for quite a few years now,and there is much already well documented, but rather the experience, because I belive that is the most important consideration together with cost that determines which cruise line/ ship the great British/ American public spend their hard earned money in the future. The cruise business has grown very fast, and it has had considerable success in appealing to a much larger market, but like so many things, in doing so,it has had to create an illusion of affordability to fill it's ships, whilst doing everything it can to generate revenue without people noticing whilst they are on board. Fine you may say, does it matter whether I pay more up front or more on the ship, provided it amounts to the same, well yes I think it does because it dilutes the cruise experience. Here are a few examples of what I mean.
At dinner one night our waiter invited us to a wine tasting in the restaurant. Very nice we thought and all the table agreed that we would go, and then he told us that we would be charged $25.00 each. What felt like real hospitality was, unfortunately nothing of the sort. Once again at the end of dinner in the main formal restaurant, our head waiter came to our table with a bottle of liqueur, and suggested we try some, and then told us it was $2.95 each.