Very nice cruise, but a bit too quiet on the ship.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
The Ocean Medallion system used by Princess made embarkation a breeze - we dropped off our luggage, walked a few hundred feet, had our pictures taken, and we were on the ship - essentially no paperwork at the port!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The buffet exceeded my expectations for breakfast and lunch (lots of fresh food choices), but it was a little too spare for dinner. The main dining room was consistently good, with a number of specials each night plus recurring choices. Some of the main courses were a little small, but no one walked out hungry. The Planks BBQ specialty restaurant was excellent - lots of great food for a minimal charge. The free pizza and hamburger joints were also very good.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The fitness center was fine-a good variety of equipment. The only pool I used was next door to the fitness center. All of the pools were outdoor only - so there were some days on which no one could use them.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
The main theater is much too small for a ship this size. There were three nights on which we got to the show 30 minutes early, but there were no seats. On two other nights we arrived 45 minutes early, and we did get seats. But 45 minutes is too long to wait. We did see some shows in the smaller venues - also quite crowded. Even worse, , the ship had VERY few enrichment opportunities. Most other cruise lines have at least a short talk about each port or the history of the area -- for example, wildlife and the Gold Rush in Alaska. This could have been done for Eastern Canada (not to mention Boston and NYC), but the ship had almost nothing of this type. We did not expect lectures on erudite subjects, but we were quite disappointed at the dearth of enrichment activities that we were interested in. On previous cruises (other lines), we had much less quiet time to ourselves.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The room steward was excellent. The rest of the staff was friendly but we had little interaction with them. The waiters in the main dining room sometimes seemed overworked - many other cruise lines provide an assistant. During breakfast and lunch, many workers went around getting drinks for people and clearing trays.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
At the beginning, we noticed a lack of signs - for example, when we got out of the main elevator bank, we could have used a large sign saying this way to a dining room or theater. Eventually we learned where to go, but the beginning was rough. Everything was clean but the ship is starting to age.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin is tiny, as are most cruise cabins. But there were many places to store things. The steward did a great job keeping the room clean and well stocked.
Ship tip
Prepare for a lot of quiet time - relatively little to do on the ship.
A quiet stop just a few hours outside of Quebec City. We had an excursion (through Princess) that drove us around a lot (the city is small but spread out), but I was expecting more about the fjord--one of the largest in the world.
We had a boat ride (even though we were on a cruise) on a schooner in the harbor - very nice trip. Then we ate at a great local restaurant and walked around town.
We have seen the historic sights of Boston before, so we did not go to that part of the city. Instead, we had two excursions - one a boat ride on the Charles River and then a walking tour of the Beacon Hill area.
We have lived here all our lives - we were very happy to get picked up and go home by car, instead of by airplane, after a long trip. It was quite a thrill to go under the Veranzano Bridge and see the Statue of Liberty, not to mention the tip of Manhattan.
Princess disembarks by groups. Our group, the third to go out from our staging area, was scheduled for 7:35 AM. But we left the ship more than 45 minutes late - the only explanation was that they had trouble getting the luggage off the ship - not sure what that means. I hope that other people did not miss their flights home.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
