Princess Dawn

Recently I completed my graduation cruise on the Dawn Princess. I have previously sailed on three other Princess cruises and being a Commodore (A Princess Specialist) I have to say that I do enjoy Sailing on Princess, especially the Caribbean Princess with movies under the stars. Being based in Los Angeles, I decided to try sailing out of San Diego rather than Long Beach. I was able to find parking for $10.00 a day at "Park n Go " located not far from the Port of San Diego that offers free round trip shuttle service to and from the port of San Diego. If you don't have a pre- or post night in San Diego, this would be an excellent venue for parking saving over $35.00 based upon 7 night cruises. The Dawn Princess is a smaller ship with total capacity of 1970 passengers. I do prefer larger ships, however this one was okay. The Atrium is decorated nicely with artwork through out the ship. I had an inside stateroom, that was comfortable. I was disappointed with not having a flat-screen television, but made due anyhow. Bathroom had a small shower at which my 14 year old complained that she did not have enough room to move around in. The service was excellent. I never ran into any problems with any of my "requests". I have Elite status with Princess, so I really did appreciate the free min-bar set up, and the chocolate covered strawberries that were delivered to my room on formal nights. However the food in both the Formal dining room and Horizon buffet were a bit disappointing. I did not have to worry about added on pounds. I did enjoy certain dishes such as the Alaska King Crab and Streamed Mussels but everything else was nothing to die for. I could determine how traveler's felt by seeing the lines at dinner time, on certain nights, at the Balcony Grill where you could get your hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken cheese burgers from. Their fries were very very good. As soon as we arrived back home, my daughter committed on how we were going to miss the fries. So True! So True! I had open seating dining and never ran into any problems finding a table for two, without making reservations. The Sterling Steakhouse was part of the buffet restaurant that was closed off during dinner hours. The Surcharge for Sterling Steakhouse was only 15.00 per person which is a deal for the amount of food that you are offered. Every steak imaginable was offered, prime cuts. Sushi was also available one day in the Horizontal Court at no additional cost. The Grand Casino had everything from poker tables to penny slot machines. The highest payout was $2200.00 during my week, so yes passengers can take home some winnings should lady luck be around. (I won $73.00 myself) My daughter enjoyed Remix the teens club for teens 13-17 years old. I barely spent any time with her during the entire week. She had "friends". She did everything from playing basketball and Play station videos games to private teen dances and "special dinners". I was not allowed to hang out with her and her friends. smile!!! She really enjoyed being able to hang out until I am, under tight security which made my cruise more relaxing without having to have to get up to check on her at night. La Scala Pizzeria is a very nice restaurant, set up in an Italian atmosphere, tables and chairs set up for dining. please wait to be seated The spa which was a little smaller than my last cruise had nicely appointed massage rooms connecting to the Oasis Spa that offered a adult only pool with 2 hot tub on each side. Princess Links offers a good set-up if you enjoy golf. There is a simulator with different golf courses to chose from. The departure from the ships to the different ports of call (Los Cabos, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta) ran quite smoothly. no hassles, and no big crowds. This time I choose not to do any of the shore excursions, choosing to window shop rather than spending all of my time in port. Being on board while in port was relaxing, not a lot going on, but relaxing. The Princess Theatre and Atrium Lounge were both well appointed. Shows were entertaining, and one day my daughter actually decided to watch Spiderman3 with me for an hour or so...........very comfortable. There is a Princess Future Sales Desk on board, allowing you to "reserve" future cruises for 100.00 down per person, giving one up to four years to book through your favorite travel agent at All-Travel.com. There is also a Captain's circle representative on board that is available to answer any passenger questions and concerns..........You are automatically enrolled in the Captain's Circle after your first cruise. My daughter enjoyed 150 minutes internet usage that was free of charge to all Elite members. additional time would be .75 per minute.... I made sure that she did not go over...children can definitely run bills up . smile!!! All in all my thanksgiving Holiday cruise was okay. Since my last cruise on another cruise line, I found myself comparing my previous experience with the Dawn Princess. I would say that it is definitely for those that really don't want a lot to do but relax. Other than the Remix for my teenager, there was not a lot going on after midnight. We did have one night that was themed "Mexico Fiesta" that started from 10:00pm to midnight. I partied then Overall Dawn Princess is excellent for family reunions. I observed several different " private" events on board. Every age group was on board. For those first time cruisers, it will be a memorable experience.......For seasoned cruisers and Elite members they may wish for a V8 instead. Holland America offers stiff competition for the Dawn Princess, not to be compared to the newer ships such as the Caribbean Princess or the new Emerald and Ruby ships that will make their début soon.

Sandra WeaverSenior Travel Consultant