Review of D915: Papua New Guinea Cruise October 16 - November 3 The Ship: The 12 year old 71,000 tonne Dawn Princess can accommodate between 2050 and 2272 passengers, although on this cruise there were less than 2000, primarily Australians. Dawn Princess is well maintained, although the recent refurbishments were not obvious, apart from the outdoor movie screen (MUTS) and the new Sanctuary. There were minor signs of wear and tear, e.g. chipped laminate on our cabin's furniture and loose/broken tiles in the Riviera deck ladies amenities. Maintenance work continues on a daily basis with painting and revarnishing on the upper decks, carpet shampooing on lower decks being more noticeable. Having sailed on Dawn Princess' sister ship, the Sun Princess last year, the deck plans and general layout were pleasantly familiar, with public areas identical save a few name changes regarding restaurants and some bars. The heart of the ship is central decks 5 to 8, the elegant atrium area which is serviced by its own elevator. This area, as well as the Riviera deck with pools and large movie screen, is, in my opinion, the most photographed and eye-catching. A Sanctuary area on Deck 16 was also installed this year. It is largely shaded and boasts comfortable sun lounges, which are covered overnight. I neither saw the massage table set up nor patrons utilising the area on the few occasions I walked by. It is definitely a quiet area, has its own spa pool, but lacks privacy. There are several private areas onboard where passengers can escape to without the Sanctuary charge (approximately $20 for 4 hrs, which includes drinks and fruit refreshment.) The external promenade deck serves as an excellent walking and jogging track, though jogging is allowed only between 9am and 9pm. 3 circuit laps is roughly equivalent to a mile or 1.6 kilometres. Most entrants in the Walk for a Cure (breast cancer fundraiser) completed 9 laps or almost 5 kilometres. The Horizon Court on Lido (deck 14) was always a popular "pit stop" for hungry passengers. Along with the two downstairs restaurants, Florentine and Venetian, all are attractively fitted our and have a calming and elegant ambiance. The Accommodation: Our cabin was C506, with a inside mid-ship location, where we noted very little if any ship movement. Accustomed to balcony cabins, we found our home small, although adequate. With single beds joined, one entry side to the bed was difficult to manoeuvre. The mattress was firm but comfortable, the pillows and bedding of high quality and perfect weight for the set air temperature. Egg crate toppers are not required in my opinion. There is plenty of drawer space -a duchess with 6 drawers, a chest of 8 drawers and a large cupboard under the TV shelf. The wardrobe has 5 fitted rack shelves. Hanging space was just adequate, although as this was a 3 person cabin, I would have expected more as would anyone who likes to hang clothing. The extra bed was neatly hung vertically against a wall and did not interfere with space. I felt that the bathroom was larger and hence more comfortable in the inside cabin. There is a vanity stool and wall-fixed powerful hairdryer to complement the dressing table area. There is no need to bring your own hairdryer, even if they are allowed. There is one Australian power point. The gent's shaver point in the bathroom was not familiar, so a universal adaptor is an essential item to pack if you like the convenience of closer power points. First time Princess clients may appreciate instruction on the use of the c shower taps as the lower tap is a thermostat only and should only need to be set once. The sink plug has a hidden release which may take a few days to locate. The safes are very good and are less likely to lock you out, providing you focus on your pin and subsequent steps. There is a pin check at the end of opening and closing. You may need to wear your spectacles, as the numbers are small. All cabins are attended to and cleaned twice a day, towels and toiletries are replaced, bed turned down and chocolates left by the room steward. It does help to leave the service card in the door for the stewards when you are out for the morning or evening.
The Entertainment:
Princess Theatre, Promenade deck forward - the venue of 4 production shows as well as movies, lectures and storytelling by day. Vista Lounge, Promenade deck aft - venue for solo entertainers e.g. hypnotist William Riley, illusionist Adam Murphy, singer-songwriter Ash Puriri, comedians Maggie Scott and Ivor Richards, who were all excellent. In addition there were movies, a newlywed game show, a crew and passenger talent shows and a TV tunes trivia session. During the day trivia and bingo is popular here. Seating is at a premium for some events, so be early. The seating on final day Bingo jackpot was filled one hour before the event. The bingo caller Mark, the assistant cruise director looked like and imitated Frank Spencer. Bingo fans enjoyed his very funny and entertaining ways. Atrium Lounge, Promenade central Resident pianist John Daniels entertained here each evening and was the ideal cocktail accompaniment. Wheelhouse Bar, adjacent to Princess Theatre You could pop in here for a pre or post dinner drink to enjoy the listening and dancing pleasure of resident bands "The Lookouts" and "Cinnamoon". The former group had a repertoire of just two sets, which became tiring by day 12. They also played on some sea days on Rivieria deck or at Sailaway times. Movies under the Stars Artists in Concert e.g. Pavarotti, Tom Jones, Tina Turner as well as recent release movies were screened at 2pm, 8pm & 10pm on sea days and generally just the two evening screenings on port days. e.g. Angels and Demons, Confessions of a Shopaholic. Special maroon cotton covers are placed on the sun lounges at night, blankets are supplied and there is free popcorn and ice cream. The Casino Table games and poker machines are here for those who like a punt. All inside venues are now smoke-free. Jammers Nightclub This is the venue for disc jockey directed entertainment, including karaoke and pop star contests. Most nights it was poorly attended, due to the late time slot and demographics of the passengers. There were 3 themed nights (Country& Western, Island and Halloween) and 3 formal nights on this cruise. Dress was smart casual on non-formal nights. There was very good support for the formal nights with gents donning coats (not necessarily dinner suits and tuxedos) and the ladies their elegant finery.