We have just returned from our virgin cruise! Had a wonderful time. I'm not sure how much help this will be to others as I have no other ship experience for comparison, so take it all with a grain of salt (or nutmeg!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />)

The choice: From research, I had narrowed down the possiblities pretty well before going to Bonnie Buchanan at Cruise One for assistance. Her help was invaluable! She was able to direct me to the lines and ships that seemed to meet our needs and then to help with cabin selection and various questions I had before the big day. Princess won based on affordability, embarkation point and ports, as well as the Personal Choice dining option. We also wanted a ship that was not too big- not into ice skating and rock climbing! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Hairy.gif" alt="" /> Due to a touch of claustrophobia, I knew I would not be able to handle an inside cabin, and in fact, Bonnie convinced me that I should book a "guaranteed" cabin-we opted for the least expensive balcony stateroom. All of this added up to a cruise experience that exceeded our expectations.

Getting there: We took Seaborne Seaplane from Charlotte Amalie to Old San Juan. For someone who wants to add a land-based trip to a cruise, this is a fun way to travel! One caveat- each passenger is limited to 30 lb of luggage including back packs, purses, etc. or there is a per pound excess charge. Not for the heavy packer! The seaplane terminal was a $10 taxi ride from the Dawn's berth.

Embarkation: We arrived WAY early, thinking we could stow our stuff and wander Old San Juan. The disembarkation process was still in process, and once we discovered we were in the front of the line, we waited patiently for an hour. We had been warned that the first and last days were the most crowded, and I have to agree. Once they opened the doors, they were very quick in getting you through the boarding process, but if we had been at the back of the line that developed, I'm not sure I'd have the same feeling! Once inside the terminal building, they ran our credit card, handed us our cruise cards and away we went! Excitement as we climbed the gangway and entered this beautiful ship for the first time!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> Crew directed us to our stateroom. We were definitely happy with our selection and appreciated the balcony every minute we were in our cabin. We heard complaints from other passengers about the size of the cabins during the week. Our ocean experience has been limited to sailboats, so we thought the cabin was HUGE!! I guess if you are thinking of a room at a Holiday Inn, you might be disappointed. In general, we thought that the cabin was just what was pictured in the cruise brochure- again, another extremely valuable reference. Our stewardess appeared to introduce herself and to say she would be back later. We took off to explore!

The ship: I have to say that I spent HOURS inspecting the deck plan of the Dawn as we prepared for this trip. And I think we got lost almost everytime we left our cabin! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> Are we on port or starboard? Are we going forward or aft? OOPS! Wrong deck! The Dawn has plenty of nooks and crannies, and it is true, with 2000 passengers, we never felt like we were in a crowd. We were constantly amazed at the attention to detail- the starlight ceiling in the dining rooms, the teak wrap around deck, the cloth napkins at breakfast, the polished brass handrails on all stairs.

On the way down island, the seas were fairly calm and it was difficult at times to feel much movement. On the way back from Aruba, we were in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Odette- at one point 8-13 foot seas and 40 knots of wind on the beam. I thought Princess should have charged us extra as it was like a gravity/antigravity walk down the corridor. The Dawn is a very stable vessel!

The ports:
1. San Juan- We did not go ashore once we got on board. Old San Juan is probably interesting, but that was not apparent from the ship. The dock is in an industrial area and IMHO, has the ugliest "drive up appeal" of all the ports.
2. St Thomas- Okay, I probably am a tiny bit biased, but the view across the harbor to Charlotte Amalie is enchanting. The dock area was dressed for Christmas with clear signs for passengers who are looking for taxis and shopping. My biggest complaint is: there should be music on the dock! We didn't take a tour, so no other comment.
3. St. Kitts- They have a new cruise ship dock and we were berthed side by side to the Norwegian Sun- and interesting perspective. We were glad to be on the Dawn as we noticed that "they" didn't have a teak promenade deck!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Tonguea.gif" alt="" /> There was a quelbe band playing in the terminal area as we arrived. You have to walk through a "mall" to get to town, pretty typical tourist deal. Got a private taxi and asked for a tour of some areas I had wanted to see including Brimstone Hill. There is a fort on just about every Caribbean island, and this one rates in the top three. Quite a walk, but what a view! Saw Kittitian mokeys in the forest on the way up to the fort. Stopped in town for a St Kitts Carib before returning to the ship. St. Kitts is "old time" Caribbean, although they are becoming modern. I hope they will learn from the mistakes of others, but the fact that they just opened their first casino makes me think no...
4. Grenada- We anchored out and tendered in. Fellow passengers complained that the tour guides and vendors were pushy, but that was not our experience. We went in search of a small taxi rather than the buses that are right at every dock. We had been to Grenada before, so just hit some areas we didn't get to see. Just about everyone returned with spice necklaces and baskets- a unique souvenir!
5. Isla Margarita- This was a substitute for Caracas which is undergoing great turmoil these days. Margarita is a vacation destination for Venezuelans who evidently like to shop. We were in port only for a few hours. Had tried to set up a tour over the internet and wasn't successful. We walked around the dock area where the vendors were actually selling items that were locally made! There is a small beach in the salt pond area and many people walked to it. When we left the dock at 1 pm, a group of people with Venezuelan flags waved goodbye- a nice ending to a very short stay.
6. Aruba- We rented a car (rental right at the dock) and drove past the high rise hotels to the western "wilderness" area which was a lot more adventurous than we were expecting! No real roads, ATVs tearing up the sand. Most interesting odd piles of stones make the landscape very eerie- totally different Caribbean. Found the Natural Bridge and the infamous quarter restrooms. Back to town which reminded me of Cancun.

The cruise experience: We were curious about the idea of being on a ship with 2000 strangers, but found that we really enjoyed it. There were choices to meet most interests- review shows, variety shows, comedians <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />, casino, galley tour, bridge, bingo, art auctions, champagne waterfall, table tennis and shuffleboard, basketball, golf, word puzzles. And if we didn't want to partake, there was always a stroll around the teak promenade deck (oh, I guess I've mentioned that before??) We are pretty simple folk and enjoyed it all.

We had Personal Choice dining and were lucky in the "lottery"- interesting dining companions each meal. The first day we had lunch at the Horizon Court (aka "The Trough"). The selection was pretty broad, but once we discovered sit-down breakfast and lunch, we didn't return. I much preferred the gentileness of the service and the variety of the dining room. We did not do formal nights- ate at the Sterling Steakhouse (meat and more meat!) and La Scala (pizza and more). Food seems to be a big cruise topic, and we thought they did an amazing job of serving 2000 guests a variety of items. I had a cioppino for lunch that was the best I've ever had. Most of the meals were way above par, and there was nothing we judged as bad. The menu was posted outside the dining room for your inspection each day.

We were also amazed at the wonderful crew- from the deck hands to the cabin stewards/stewardesses to the food and beverage staff. To think that 870 people from various cultures and backgrounds can live together and work together day after day and still have a great attitude! Princess must have a heck of a training division. We had unfailing courtesy and service from all.

Disembarkation: Yes, it is sad that it is over. Yes, there is a BIG long line.<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> People were pretty civil. They called our section as we were eating our last sit-down breakfast and we were off by 9:45am. Worst part of the trip was the cab driver who spoke no English, wasn't happy with our "little trip" and didn't seem to understand the dispatcher's spelling of "SEAPLANE" as he tried to take us to the Carnival Destiny! Seaborne's motto is: "Port to port with no airport" and it is true- had to dodge a Tortola ferry leaving the dock- a little excitement!

Editorial section:

If you look at the brochure pictures and expect to be the only couple in the hot tub, or to have a table for two at every meal, your expectations may not be met. If you are anti-social, you probably should charter a smaller boat.

Manners are very nice. When you book the cruise, they tell you how many nights are formal and what formal entails. If you don't want to do formal, stay away from the formal areas. I am sure that the two couples in shorts and tank tops dancing among the properly dressed folk thought they had a "right" to be there- but they looked plain stupid. If you want food in your cabin, order room service, don't ask dining room staff for to-go boxes! We had a conversation with someone who had been on a Cunard ship where there were two "classes" of dining depending on how much you paid- America tries to be a class-free society, but ends up class-less!!

A cruise is not an all-inclusive vacation- there are charges along the way. You are not going to remember the charges in a year- just enjoy! And don't gripe!

Read your cruise brochure and materials!!! You can get a good idea of what the marketing strategy is and if you would like the ship.

Most of the Caribbean is poor compared to America and tourism is what fuels the economy. Many people see the cruise ship as a big piggy bank pulled up to the dock and are determined to make money from you. For example, rasta at the waterfall in Grenada, "Give me $5- I will jump off the cliff and you can take my picture- At least I am not out robbing people!" Are cruise ships good for the local economy or for the cruise line? Spend some money with the locals- take a taxi ride, buy lunch or a souvenir...Plan to go back and spend more time at a favorite stop.

Tip your crew!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Love.gif" alt="" />

I would do the formal deal if there is a next time. Also, would like more days at sea- 5 ports WAS too much, really enjoyed the ship board experience more than we thought we would.

The Dawn gets <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> from us.

Any Panama Canal recommendations????