Ship was great but It’s been really frustrating. Couldn’t book dinner and activities prior to cruise. Can’t get reservations onboard. Go karts completely booked the entire cruise, my kids can’t go. Only able to have dinner in main dining room twice on 5 night cruise. Missed port in Vancouver. Currently been in line for 1 hour 20 minutes to get off boat in San Francisco. Every time we call concierge, it goes to front desk. Room is great, concierge service is non existent and total waste of money. Credit card went missing from our account, couldn’t play in casino last night. Onboard credits were t correct on our account. I can’t tell you how much time was wasted calling about reservations, accounts, credits etc. not relaxing! Inside family cabin was awesome! Lots of space and storage. Loved having two bathrooms. Best cabin we’ve stayed in! Never again. We’ll stick with land vacations or RCI. Read Less

Prior to the ship being built , I booked. I followed this vessel for months and read countless posts and reviews-this is unadulterated. I wish I continued on the next 8 day sailing! The embarkation in Vancouver was sketchy-but it was their first time with the Bliss. From the moment we boarded it was special. Our cabin (13844-balcony mid) was awesome and clean. The Garden Café fantastic-no problems with food or seating as prior reviews stated. Met a great gang at Spice H2O and we gelled (smoking section)...so I missed all other meet and greets. La Cucina was fabulous/Cagneys was good/ Le Bistro awesome...Savor and Taste great...didn't care for the Local.Mario and team at Spice H2O did a great job at bartending and providing exceptional service. Jersey Boys good, ample theatre. The Beatles show awesome! The Casino was also great-wish more machines but they played nicely!!! the waiters and waitresses were phenominal, food exceptional, drinks great, our cabin steward was so so...do the racing experience! I wish they get rid of Margaritaville-it was dead space. Elevators were also fast-not as many reviews stated. What I realized is that you cant please everyone....many passengers would try to cut lines, complain about trivial things, not respect the staff...it is sad. I met many seasoned cruisers who loved this experience for a larger ship I believe I got hung up with many posts and prior reviews but this was exceptional! If staying in Vancouver-Sutton Place is phenominal! Victoria a nice stop, San Francisco was good-did the Hop On Hop Off and not disappointed-only disappointment was the behavior of a few folks who wouldn't disembark for customs and the behavior of the mob to get back on! The only other thing I can say-the karaoke was dull and machine wasn't good....met many nice new friends from all over! Many friendly people! A few that should have stayed home! Read Less

Every review should undoubtedly be taken with a grain of salt, as each person’s experience of a vacation will be filtered through their own unique set of needs, tastes, etc. That said, I wish I had paid greater attention to the reviews on this site before booking my cruise, so here is my experience, for what it’s worth. Atmosphere/ship in general (or, what I wish I had known): The ship was dated and tired. In both appearance, amenities, programming, and clientele. The cruising ‘lifestyle’ is definitely geared towards the white, conservative, 70+ crowd, with events and services including ‘how to look 10 years younger’, ‘how to lose 10 pounds’, napkin folding, and countless jewellery shows and expensive art auctions. Tired platitudes about what ‘ladies’ enjoy, jokes about foolish husbands, and basically your generic sexist, heteronormative talk were all around the ship. This is not the place for younger (or just socially-conscious folk, as this does not have to be mutually exclusive with age) travelers, and if I had considered this more heavily prior to booking, we would not have gone. Princess - and all cruise lines, for that matter - will have to drastically revamp their programming and overall culture if they hope to appeal to younger, more socially progressive generations. It should be noted that most of our fellow travelers (and staff) seemed quite conservative, and were evidently not comfortable with gender non-conformity or LGBT+ identities. Service: While I acknowledge working on a cruise ship is likely a constrained choice, most often for the marginalized worker, and requires long and difficult hours with harsh working conditions (this needs to be fixed at an institutional level), the staff seemed indignant toward us and our questions were met with frustration. I’m not sure what this was about (our age and apparent lack of relative wealth?) but it made for a very uncomfortable experience. Ports: The excursions are expensive, though likely on par with other cruise lines. We would have liked 2 days in LA, but 1 day in Santa Barbara and Monterey was enough. Disembarking from the ship for the latter ports was very poorly planned. We waited approximately an hour and a half simply to be be able to leave the ship on a tender boat, cutting our time down in port significantly. Food: I have a myriad of food allergies and while the crew assures allergy-sufferers that they take great care in providing allergen-free food and I was meticulous about what I ate, I had two reactions on board. I don’t think the crew knows what allergies involve and require. It is not simply about not having the allergen IN what you are eating, but must include absolutely no cross-contamination. For instance, the food that was suggested for me at the buffet as being ‘safe’ was sitting right next to my allergen. The salad bar, for example, had containers of nuts scattered around so that when other passengers scoop the nuts, little bits can fall into other bowls etc. The quality of food in the buffet was also very poor. I am almost positive the ship uses instant coffee and minute rice, if that is any indication. Most days we ate white bread and fresh fruit. The dining room food was better quality but sadly resulted in allergic reactions. Many fellow passengers commented on how good the food was on board, though this is entirely relative, and I suppose depends on what you cook and eat in your own home. Expenses: They say that cruising is the ultimate all-inclusive vacation, and while that may be true for some, the hidden costs of the trip are extremely high (for us, this was ginger ale to calm our nausea, good coffee, and internet to text our family). It felt as though we were constantly being asked to spend more money, with daily pamphlets about spa offers and on-board shopping. The exclusive ‘adult only’ space is an additional charge, as are fitness classes and any drink other than water, milk, tea and (instant) coffee. Motion sickness: If you are at all sensitive or anxious, I caution you. We were nauseous 90% of the time and the motion was unnerving. We had one night in particular that was so rough, our entire cabin shook and the drawers banged open and closed all night. One seasoned cruiser said it was so bad she thought we were going down, while another fell that night and broke her toe and her husband hurt his hip. Entertainment: There is not much to do during the sailing days (see above re: programming) unless you are content with full days by the pool. There were a few evenings with exceptional entertainment, including a comedian/magician and Broadway music and dancing. Other than that, most entertainment involved outdated trivia, game shows, bingo, ‘guess the weight of the sculpture’, napkin folding, art auctions, etc. I've watched many videos about Princess and its entertainment but it does not live up to its promises. Overall: Read the reviews and trust your instincts. We will never be going on a cruise again. Read Less

We travelled in a group of 4 couples on this short cruise from Brisbane and had a very good time. The main entertainment was several comedy shows, some rated PG which were (usually) ok for children, and some R rated for the adult themes and language. We preferred the PG rated shows, which showcased the quick minds of the comedians without the swearing. I think that the nature of the cruise meant that there were very few children on board. The shows were generally very good, and we really loved the gong show, where fellow passengers could have a crack at stand up comedy - what a surprise that was! But by far the best entertainment was the range of extremely talented musicians on board. A fabulous singer/guitarist at the Oasis setting the relaxing mood, the girl with the haunting voice at the Lido, the piano player in the Blue Room and the band (Alter Ego?) at Oceans Bar, who took requests and could play and sing anything! The musicians were all superb. Now the food - we all thought that the 'food court' style of The Pantry was a positive step up from the usual buffet and the food there was simple and tasty. It is hard to get a table here though and tables are not cleared very quickly. Breakfast at the Waterfront was pretty good, but other meals were a bit hit or miss. Angelo's (the Italian) was average and Salt was disappointing (both our fish dishes were overcooked). Service is generally slow. We were unable to get into The Dragon Lady even though we tried booking after lunch on the first day - so get in quick if you want to eat here. Drinks: Coffee is best in Oceans Bar. The mocktails were way too sweet so we ordered them with soda water to dilute them. (Refreshment package was well used). Favourite cocktail - Pink ginger cosmopolitan! Drinks seemed to be diluted later in the evening. Suggestion to management: Move the trivia to a larger venue - maybe the Dome? People were sitting on the floor! Read Less

This was a Pacific coastal cruise--somewhere I wanted to see. It was vintage Princess, but the Coral Princess is very nice no matter what you may read in these reviews on Cruise Critic. Yes, there are a couple of chips, etc here and there, but it's very nice, very clean. The size is good. I hardly every had to wait in line for elevators or food at the buffet. My husband's leg started giving him trouble while walking when we were gone and Princess staff couldn't have been nicer even going so far as to bring up a wheelchair at Santa Barbara tender port out of nowhere and loaning us a cane from the desk until the medical area opened. The food was so-so, and I thought more varied in the buffet than in the dining room. Why can't there be some regular food like ordinary cake or pie or fried chicken or a casserole? The shows were much, much better than before that I've seen on Princess. They were modern with modern music and enthusiastic singers and dancers and a very funny comedian. The northwest area of the continent is beautiful. We stayed at the Pan Pacific in Vancouver. It's the way to go if you can swing it. The hotel takes your bags to the ship, and you just go downstairs to board. Nanaimo has a beautiful harbor and a great Dollarama store close by. There's also a grocery store and drug store. Just hop on the free shuttle and get off at the harbor. The mall is across the street. Volunteers couldn't wait to showcase their town. Astoria, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco were all pretty and have their own things that you would want to see. Alcatraz, the wharf, vineyards, scenic views--all beautiful. If you use Gray Line in San Francisco, make sure you know exactly where you are going and the address. We and several other passengers had trouble finding it even with a taxi. It's a very small place on a corner. Book your tour of Alcatraz from home. You'll be sorry if you don't. Also Alcatraz is a long winding, slanted (13 story) walk uphill. It's doable, but, again, know your abilities. In Santa Barbara, it is a 3-4 block walk to any shopping or eating after you get off the tender. Most of the walks from the ship to the ports themselves are long. I say this not for those who are used to walking, but for those who may have physical limitations. Santa Barbara is a tender port where wheelchairs are not permitted unless they fold and the person can walk on to the tender. There aren't many activities on the ship. That was a bit of a disappointment since I like to stay busy and not just read and relax although some of that is nice too. Maybe historical classes, free smaller tours of the kitchen. The one tour was much too large to hear what was said. Tours of back stage? Information on the towns we are visiting? Of course, no one wants to get off, but it has to be done. It's my most unfavorite part of the cruise. Get your bags out before bedtime then sit and wait for awhile the next morning. But it was a smooth disembarkation. We had an extremely long wait to get on Super Shuttle at the port. The shuttle was there, but the driver would not leave until the van was totally full. I'm ok with that except in this case we sat there full except for two people for 45 minutes. No one was happy. He ignored us wanting to go ahead and leave. The shuttle people there were on our side, but he refused to leave. There aren't many of these cruises during September and I know sometimes it's rainy. We had beautiful weather the whole way. We were very lucky. Read Less

Overall, it was an OK cruise. The MDR menu really need to refer to previous generations menus where there where more choices for each course. Now there are 'starters' and 'entrees'. Cabin 3130 was awesome if you are on an M class ship. Well placed for an Oceanview. Bistro on 5 needs a remake or make it free. We saw no more than 5 people in there at a time and mostly at dinner. Get real Celebrity! People aren't paying $10 for lunch!! Shows were OK. What really shines on the Infinty is the crew. All nice and attentive. Our MDR waiter was an absolute blast! The assistant was awesome too. Even our coffee shop guy was good, as well as the Martini server. Embarkation was smooth, but we were select so the special line was nice. We are now Elite, so next review we will tell more. We usually cruise in Concierge class, but this time was OpenView. It wasn't much different, just no balcony, but a huge window instead. I look forward to our Solstice cruise in May from Hawaii to Vancouver. Never been on the S classed ships. Read Less

This was my 2nd cruise with NCL. First time beeing on the Epic. I was really impressed with the overall condition of the ship! After reading some reviews, knowing that this ship is one of the oldest in the fleet...The Sun was very clean, spotless and my oceanview stateroom was spacious enought. I was on deck 6A and if you are looking for a quiet aerea, this is it ! I really enjoyed beeing on that deck, since a few more steps up and I was already on deck 7. The 2 main dinning rooms were great, altought I had a preference for their Seven Seas dinning room. It is really nice, especially the entrance Hall! At both dinning rooms, food was pretty good. The only place I was dissapointed with food choices or quality was at the Garden Cafe...Compared with the Garden Cafe on the Epic, the one on the Sun was very limited... I also really enjoyed that the Sports Bar served food until very late at night! I also enjoyed a lot their Entertainment team ! Shows onboard were really good ! The Dancers as well as Tim Kamenski did a wonderful job ! Not to mention everybody else on board ! Also, since I was travelling just by myself, I really enjoyed the FOD meetings! Thanks to Jo Jo's and NCL for offering this on their ships ! Only dissapoitment was disembarkation...It took almost 2 hours to disembark ! We were lining up for really long...I Was able to got off the ship arounf 10 am... Also, I must admit that I had to call a few times their Customer Service Line for an issue with my booking 2 weeks before sailing...and I was really disappointed with the way they try to solved that issue...Finally, once on board, I found out that they had given me an extra onboard credit to compensate...So, nice touch...! Overall, I give a 9 out of 10 to the Sun ! Read Less

I really wanted to take the time to write this review about the pacific dawn after reading so many negative comments. We have just enjoyed a fantastic holiday which for is after travelling the world extensively, was all positive. I was actually quite scared after reading all the comments here about pacific dawn yet we loved it. My three year old was treated like a prince, I actually had blissful moments alone just staring at the sea and my husband had a great time around the pool deck listening to live music with a beer. We met a great variety of people - all lovely - no yobbos at all as I have previously read on this site. The entertainment was fantastic- ports of call were as expected after doing my own research and the food was brilliant. I'm celiac so can not be more grateful for the beautiful gluten free food the chefs and wait staff bent over backwards to provide for me. There was a variety of people from young to old and I'm between. My little boy wouldn't stay in the kids club yet not from lack of the gorgeous staff and fun activities. It was a family holiday so we were happy to be together. After all the negative reviews I really have to say you simply get what you pay for. We grabbed a bargain with a free upgrade to level 9 with an oceanview cabin and it was great. The whole shop is immaculate regardless of the fact it is older and no it's not five star or brand new. This did not affect our time on this boat at all. The beds are comfortable. The staff are extremely happy, beautiful people who will do anything for you and even made my little boy towel animals every night. A glass of wine is $8 for a house merlot yet that's the same price you pay at a restaurant. Plus for a bargain holiday with all food provided what do you expect. The theme nights are good fun. The photos are ok yet expensive plus a hassle to find but hey. That's part of the deal. The whole cruise was actually a really beautiful experience. Something I recommend everyone to do young old or in between. There really is something for everyone. I loved the freedom of being at sad and having no phone or internet yet if you want it there is an Internet cafe. All the food outlets that charge a fee are extremely reasonable. We were so happy with the restaurant food we only went for an ice cream or coffee here and there. The activities on board are what they are. Either get involved or don't. We loved the children's family nightclub dance and the pool deck parties. And no we didn't go wild yet I really loved we could hang out together as a family in the fresh air as we sailed off from noumea with a glass of red. It's a really happy holiday and the fact you can just get in and relax with children is heaven. So for me no whinging to share. We will grab another trip on p&o anytime. Thank you for everything pacific dawn. We truely appreciate your efforts to make our holiday a great one. Stop thinking about it and just book it. You might even grab yourself a last minute pack and go deal like we did. Oh and the tours on the boat are expensive so do your research and plan ahead or book your own. Enjoy. Read Less