Islands of the Pacific Theater
Pacific Princess Cruise Review to Other (Asia/Africa/Middle East)
Sail Date: May 01, 2006
Ship: Pacific Princess
Cabin Type: Balcony
Traveled As: Couple
Reviewed: 11 years ago
Ship: Pacific Princess
Cabin Type: Balcony
Traveled As: Couple
Reviewed: 11 years ago
Review Summary
The Pacific Princess, a former Renaissance ship, is much more compact than the rest of the Princess fleet. She has, now, two sister ships in the fleet, all holding just over 650 passengers. A beautiful and well-designed ship, Pacific Princess is large enough to offer lots of choices of activities and public spaces, without being overwhelming.Our 21 day cruise, to the sites of combat in the WWII Pacific Theater had many sea days, which were full to the brim with lectures, group discussions and other activities and options such as in-room period films, documentaries, and replays of lectures.
The cruise was one of the most moving experiences I've ever had, visiting the sites of WWII battles with a large number of veterans and/or their children. There were two lovely wreath laying ceremonies during the cruise - one in the Coral Sea and the other at Iwo Jima, and a very moving memorial service at the American Memorial Park in Saipan where veterans and their family members were honored with a certificate of thanks and a medallion presented by the governor.
The ports were a little to a lot out of the ordinary, and the people we encountered were not much accustomed to cruise ships calling, so some of the port excursions were less than slickly done, but more than made up for that with genuine welcome and sincerity.
Ship Experiences
Food and Dining
The food quality was about the best we have had on Princess. The dining room service and quality were excellent, the buffet and bistro were good. We didn't try the alternative restaurants.
Entertainment
The lecturers were outstanding, the cabaret style of the showroom made even familiar shows seem fresh, and the headliners were all at least adequate to really good. The Princess entertainers were young and talented, mostly from Australia or New Zealand and were enthusiastic and energetic and helped out during the day with other activities like trivia and bingo.
Service and Staff
We felt that we had sailed with just about the best crew in the fleet. Captain Ivan Jerman was cordial, charming, and very professional, and CD Sammi Baker was a complete delight. Cabin and waitstaff were attentive without being pushy, and the passenger complement was small enough that it didn't take everyone long to get acquainted with personal preferences and to cater to each passenger.
Ship Quality
The only downside to the size of the Pacific Princess is the lack of a dining room for Personal Choice dining. It was our first experience with fixed seating, and we really do prefer the freedom and the flexibility of Personal Choice.
The ship otherwise is in good repair, well maintained, and very attractive, although some fellow passengers did complain about the lack of shopping space.
The ship otherwise is in good repair, well maintained, and very attractive, although some fellow passengers did complain about the lack of shopping space.
Cabin / Stateroom
Large, spacious, and well designed balcony cabins. Suites looked very nice, inside cabins also seemed pretty spacious. Good feature was not having any cabins located under the fitness center.
Pros: Theme based lectures and activities
Cons: Lack of Personal Choice dining option
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