Pacific Princess Review
Pacific Princess Connoisseur Cruise Alaska July 23-Aug 6 09
Rating by category
Additional details
We are both 1st time cruisers in our mid 40's. We decided to take a Princess Cruise to Alaska based on our friends' recommendations who did a similar cruise last year. Theirs also included a land tour but ours did not. We did a two-week cruise instead. We were told that Princess was the 1st to do Alaska cruises so we thought they would also be the best.
After we boarded the boat and walked around for a little while, we instantly realized that the majority of other passengers were much older than us. I would say at least 70 years old and over! (Some folks had mobility problems, a couple were using oxygen, and many were overweight - I can't imagine how they could have comfortably fit in the showers or sat on the toilets in their cabins... very tight even for us average weight folks.) Later in the cruise we found out that Princess small ships cater mostly to an older crowd. Not that we mind being with an older crowd, but we would have preferred a ship with more nightlife and activities. The majority of the nightlife stopped around 10pm and the boat became a ghost town. We're not party animals, but we would have liked to listen to a little jazz or live music into the evening. We went to the lounge a couple nights, but even that stopped by 11pm and there were only a couple people up there at time. The entertainment was lacking, the food was fair and the cruise itself was just fair. Where to start...
On the negative side, the buffet food was about the same as Hometown Buffet... adequate, but not fantastic. The presentation was very nice, the amount of food and variety was good, but the quality just wasn't consistent. Some food had either been sitting out too long or just didn't have enough flavor. (I suppose the cooks can't put too many spices in the food since a lot of people probably don't like highly seasoned foods.) The meats at the carving station were usually overcooked and dry. On the positive side... the breakfast buffet was probably the best of the buffets. Good variety and quantity. Sometimes the bacon was undercooked, other times, overcooked. There was usually plenty of fresh fruit, cereals and pastries. Muffins and pastries lacked flavor however (I doubt anything was made with butter or even margarine.)
Cabin Review
Balcony
Speaking of our cabin... it was a bit small, and in need of updating. The couch was worn and could have been replace or reupholstered. The bedspread was stained on the underside from (my guess a prior male's bodily fluids). The pillows were a bit flat. I appreciated that they were feather pillows but my companion would have preferred foam. I guess there is no choice offered. The bathrooms were very tight, but manageable. Considering, I thought there was adequate storage (and we brought a lot!) The room was made up twice per day and always looked attended to. We're guessing there was a sewer problem on our floor as there was a strong smell a couple of days. Our shower drain backed up into another floor drain in the bathroom one day, flooding the floor. It appeared to be fixed later that day after we informed our steward. Our dining companions said their toilet flush one morning and needed repair as well.