Golden Princess Reviews

This was our first cruise. I have been very hesitant to take a cruise. I didn’t find the prospect of being on a huge ship with over 2000 other passengers very appealing. But several friends and family convinced us to give it a try, so we joined 4 other people on a 7-day Alaska cruise from Vancouver BC to Whittier AK. If this was any indication of what cruise vacations are like, it will be my first and last cruise.

First time on Princess cruise line. Will sail with again. Can’t wait to check out their other shops.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on this cruise and would certainly take this trip again. The experience of engaging with others from anytime dining is always a plus when cruising, this was no exception. Our favorite Island was Lautoka 100%, a must visit by all.

For the most part, the cruise went as expected.  However, it seemed from the moment we arrived on the ship that there was something not quite up to par with the staff.  I found the room stewards to be a surly lot, rarely smiling and it was difficult to even get a "good morning" out of them.  The bar staff (there were specific individuals that were great) seemed to wander around the bar/deck/casino aimlessly, rarely stopping and asking if you needed anything.  The food was mediocre in the dining room, the pizza was wonderful, the food at the buffet was barely edible most of the time.

As far as our ports went, Hawaii was very nice, Papeete was a major disappointment, Bora Bora would have been a disappointment had it not been for the wonderful tour that we booked (not Princess), Pago Pago was also a disappointment.  All of our stops in New Zealand were wonderful, it was a shame that we missed Akaroa as we were really looking forward to it.  The scenic cruising was beautiful, the onboard ranger very informative.  Sydney is a beautiful city, clean and safe, we just did the hop on hop off bus and the Sunday market in The Rocks since we only had one day there.

Huge kudos to the public area cleaning staff.  This ship was by far the cleanest ship that I've ever been on.  I expected that the facilities would degrade as the passengers were onboard for so many sea days.  Every day, the ship fairly sparkled.

Overall, I’d give this cruise a 3 ½....not terribly bad, but not as good as other Princess cruises that we have enjoyed.

What was good. The ports of call, the tours and the weather. The weather was perfect at every port. Juneau was raining in town, but NOT on the glacier where we were.  Skagway and Ketchikan was overcast, Victoria started off with a light mist and cleared by the time we were outside at the Sunken Garden. What was Bad. The service in the main dining rooms is UNTRAINED!  Except for ONE young lady (Anna from the Ukraine) orders were taken around the table.  Should be Ladies first.  Servers Consistently reached across in front of one guest to serve another.  Food was served from both sides.  Empty dishes were picked up the same.  Doesn't ANYONE Serve from the Right & Pick up from the Left anymore?  The wine cellar was out of numerous items on the list.  My wife never got her first choice wine. What was Ugly. NOTHING save AIR is included in the fare.  A 1/2 letter bottle of water is $2.00, as are sodas.  Wine is about double the retail cost.  GRATUITIES are Not Gratuitous, they are added to your account daily.  (For your convenience)  My dinner the first night was the Chef’s Award Winning Recipe of Pan Seared Salmon on a bed of Root Vegetables.  The salmon was WAY Passed done.    

Princess Cruises promised one thing in their advertisement and delivered another.  We were not given the upgrade offered nor the onboard credit advertised, $300 per person ($100 for me only), Military credit $100 ($50 only for my son).  Mia with the pursers office did her best to resolve the matter, but to no avail.  The reason given by Princess, I booked through Cruises Only.  Therefore I will no longer be using Cruises Only or Princess.

The onboard and shore crews were very helpful.

The cruise departed from San Francisco, our home and so it was very convenient to get to the port. The first couple of days were a little rocky but after that it was smooth sailing. The food was great and so was the service. We celebrated 2 birthdays and the cakes were amazingly cute with the princess logo. Overall, the entertainment variety was unique. We enjoyed all the excursions at the different ports and felt we had enough time after for shopping also. I would definitely recommend this cruise.

We were really looking forward to this cruise. The food was just so so and service for the most part was good. The deserts were inedible in our opinion. There are only so may bingo, what is this, guess what movie this is from activities that you want to do in a 10 day period. The shows were good and one comic was great. The ports visited were high pressure sales owned or on commission with the cruise ship. I didn't go to Alaska to by jewelry. I went to see the quaint towns and the scenery. The tour I booked for my husband (halibut fishing) was a rip off. After getting his license the skipper of the boat said they could only keep one and it had to be under so many inches or bigger than so many inches. He caught three 1 ponders and wasn't allowed to keep any. One of the people on the boat caught a big one that my husband guessed to be 280 pounds was let loose. Bummer.... I won't be going an another cruise again if this is what they are like now. This was my first Princess cruise. We've been on Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Royal was by far the best.

As always, Princess Cruise Lines is fantastic.  From the Embarkation to the Disembarkation, flawless.  The Princess staff are wonderful, welcoming and make you feel so welcome at all times.  We loved the choices of excursions were also fantastic. 

I went on the cruise with family and friends and I'm really happy I choose Princess Cruises. The service was really good (the room was cleaned 2-3 times a day!!!), there was always something going on with entertainment crew, so there was no time to get bored (I took couple books with me and didn't have much time to read them). The service in restaurant was top notch and food was awesome. Our waiters Anna Samarukha., Anthony and restaurant supervisor Sebastian Nalaskowski were knowledgeable, helpful and fun, which made our experience really pleasant. Thank you all !!! We'll be back 

If I'm supposed to comment on my overall opinion of the cruise, I'm giving it a good rating. The weather however was not what I expected of Alaska. Pretty warm and there was not much in the way of ice and snow in the Tracy Arm Fjord.

Starting with the first day there were many small issues throughout the cruise that resulted in just less than satisfactory service. The overall communication of the crew to passengers was often disjointed and not efficiently organized. The overall quality of the ship was outdated despite advertising that it was recently renovated. Renovations were not noticeable. Most staff was friendly and nice. The food and beverage service was above average and of good quality. 

THE SERVICES WAS VERY POOR. THE ATTENTION AND COURTESY WAS POOR. THE ONLY GOOD RATING BELONG TO THE PERSON WHO TOOK CARE OF THE STATEROOM. WE DID NOT GO TO THE TRACY PASSAGE

It was truly an experience on the Golden Princess. It did have entertainment and shows even though the weather did not cooperate rainy and cold. Only one day of Sunshine. The food was okay.

Truly on unhappy that we were not able to journey and cruise through the Tracy Arm Fjord. We were diverted to Sitka and I feel that the time we were in port was not enough to time to really be able to appreciate the scenery and what each city had to offer for someone who likes to explore. 

The tours that I purchased were not that special. I feel that I did not get what I paid for and would not want to repeat this trip again.

Love Golden Princess Cruise lines. Everyone was so professional and friendly.The excursions were well done. Every minute on ship was planned and so many activities  Food excellent. If we could bottle the good will and bring it off the ship this world would be a better place. Only wish we had longer in Victoria, British Columbia.

I would recommend this cruise as a good opportunity to explore the Alaska's beauties.

The embankment and disbarment were very good. The departure from San Fran was delayed for three hours without any explanations from the captain or crew. As a result we came to the first port too late for visiting. Some groups returned to the boat around 9 PM. If it was an emergency it should be explained to avoid any frustrations and make us more comfortable due to missing some attractions.

The room attendant was good and room was always clean. The ship is old and the toilet smell when passing the corridor was significant and unpleasant. It should be handled somehow. The carpet should be replaced or cleaned up; there are spots everywhere.

The pastry chief is very good; the chocolate journey is great. All desserts are very testy during the lunch and dinner time.

In whole, food definitely could be better in variety and quality. All waiters and assistance waiters are working hard to make us happy. Thanks for that.

We have a great time; the weather was warm and sunny. This is the additional bonus for Alaska cruising.

My great thanks to my travel agent Sheri Zawislak for organizing my birthday's celebration in Sabatini restraint!

Fantastic ship with everything you need for the entire family.  A truly unforgettable first cruise experience.  Our family will treasure this trip for the years to come. Many wonderful memories were made with Princess Cruises!

I found the wait staff mostly so so.  I noticed on one account an employee saw me coming and turned away.   Food was again only ok.  We were always asked if we could set with someone to eat, which we did not want to do because we requested anytime dining.  Always had to wait for seating.  The only place that we really enjoyed the dining experience was the "Crab Pot" it was very very good and the wait staff was excellent.

  It seemed to me that the theme of the cruse was to shop on board.  It was always on the activities for the day and on most of the tv channels.

I would give the total cruise only a 2.5 stars, not a two and for sure not a three.

We've been on several cruises The very worst was Norwegian and I would rate this one above it.

All the crew were friendly and helpful.   Loved the prize drawings.

Everything was very clean.

Our room was kept very nicely  really liked Justino hope all is well with him.

Wish I could have done all the activities

Enjoyed the wild life presenters they were timed well and you could tell they knew their subject and liked it.

We liked having a choice of a buffet or more formal dining

This was my first cruse so no comparisons are possible.

We had a lovely cabin that was handicapped friendly. The ataff was pleasant and helpful. Due to physical constraints we were unable to take any tours or get off the ship in any port. The cruising itself and the awesome beauty of Alaska were all we needed.