Golden Princess Review
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We've become quite addicted to cruising, but this cruise really burst our bubble. Embarkation in Tianjin Port was chaotic at the time we arrived, due to long holdups on the highway from Beijing and buses arriving at the same time - the trip took 4.5 hours. However once inside the terminal building embarkation proceeded smoothly. It probably would have been better to start the cruise at our first port of call, Osaka.
There was sickness with coughs and colds on board right from the start, probably from the Beijing smog and many people caught caught the bug twice. The ports were excellent, however there was no port lecturer on board till after Hong Kong, the Captain Circle rep was disembarked early in the cruise, leaving the future cruise rep to wear both hats for the remainder of the trip. The queues at guest services were inordinately long due to the ship being understaffed at the beginning.
The food in the MDR was uninspiring with a heavy bias towards seafood. We didn't eat there a lot of the time. However, the menu did improve after new supplies were taken on in Darwin. We loved the International Cafe, but would like to see coffee machines in more than one location.
Cabin Review
Port Reviews
Osaka
We have been here before. We caught the train to Kobe, then stopped at Umeda and Namba on the way back to the ship. There is a shopping centre right where the ship docks and the train station about 500m away.
Hong Kong
We caught a shuttle bus to Diamond Hill and visited the free Chi Lin Nunnery and adjacent and delightful Nan Lian Garden. We had lunch at the garden's vegetarian restaurant under the waterfall.
Bali
A repeat visit. We went ashore for a massage $US12.50 for two of us, one hour each.
Brisbane
Berthed at Fisherman's Island, miles from everywhere. The shuttle into town was $12 each way per person. Cheaper than a taxi
Sydney (Australia)
Disembarkation in Sydney was a breeze.
Taipei (Keelung)
We caught a local bus to Jiufen, about 40 minutes ride from Keelung. It is a beautiful village nestled on the hillside full of little alleyways and interesting shops. The views out to sea were breathtaking. Cost was around $2.50 each.
Darwin
Great value is the $2 daily ticket on the Darwin buses.