Sea Princess--out of San Francisco

[lauriebird]

I have every cruise book from every cruise line known to Yukon Jack and thought I had a perfect solution for our family. That would be a RT from SF on the Sea Princess.

I have been spinning with more info than I can handle (1st timer) (reading so much cruise line info and library books). Then I saw this and thought it sounded good and would possibly save us (family of 4) (two of us in our 50s and a 16 and 20 year old) air fare. Trying to stay within a budget you know. Then I started looking on the boards for input on the SP and it was not good.

Don't want to start this over again but don't want to be dissappointed with this choice.

Any thoughts on this ramble?

 

Thanks,

L

[Yukon]

The only real downside is all the open-ocean time - can be boring, can be rough. Or you might love the ship activities AND get great weather :)

[Coral]

I actually like the Sea Princess. I am considering booking it but it is quite a bit more then the ships out of Seattle and Vancouver. Heck - if you threw in the cost of airfare from SFO to Seattle or SFO, you probably would save money because right now the 10 day sailing out of SFO is pretty pricey (for balcony and up).

 

Pros - the Sea Princess is an older ship but I think it has a great layout. It also isn't too large so if your family has never cruised, it is a great intro to cruising. I personally find service better on the smaller ships. I also like the small ships because it is far easier to run into people (others in your group, the naturalist, the Captain, etc... when just walking around the ship) verses other ships that have so many people on them. This ship also has a pizzeria that serves great pizza and pasta as a sit down restaurant.

 

Negatives - it doesn't have a "covered pool". Technically, there is a pool that is covered but it is exposed on the sides and it is not that big of a pool. The two larger pools are not covered. So, swimming in Alaska may or may not be possible depending on the weather. Another negative is that the balcony cabins are on the small side and the balconies are small. This doesn't phase me too much. The minisuite category is different then Princess's other minisuites - these are more like suites and are pricey.

 

Whatever you do - do not book a balcony for 3 or 4 on this ship - it is the strangest cabin design.

 

I have been pricing the SFO sailings as I would prefer that ship to the ship I have booked but it is still pricey for me (we want a minisuite or need 2 balcony cabins).

[PennyAgain]

Sailing to and from San Francisco.. priceless!

 

I agree with all that has been posted so far in this thread, but sailing to and from San Francisco is the experience of a lifetime.

[Budget Queen]

I've done one SF Alaska cruise, I definately prefer going out of Seattle/Vancouver. Sailing out under the Golden Gate would hardly be worth it for me (but I've sailed under there via boat tours, so really not valid :) ) Only you can decide. :)

[ITMan]

HI there.

 

We are failry new to cruise too. We have been on one previous- last october western med with RCI. we are hooked !!

 

We have now booked the San Francisco RT on Sea Princess August 10th for myself my wife and my 16 YO daughter.

 

We looked around and picked this cruise because, although we would like to have done Vancouver (were there 3 years ago and loved it), the option to spend time in the San Francisco area couldnt be turned down as we absolutely love it there, though now probably 6 years since we have been!

 

The Sea Princess cruise also ticked the vast majority of our boxes the only better option would have been a one way via Anchorage but the extra costs for 3 of us for the flights out there were just too much - we will save that for another year.

 

Key thing was Glacier Bay, and the availability of a balcony room - with 3 berths, at a price we could afford from mid July to mid August (School vacation).

 

I do have to agree that the only things I have seen here about Sea Princess, even after re-fit, have not exactly been positive! on the other hand I have often found that some people can be unduly "hung up" - not that I have seen much here, but providing it is clean, stable, and safe with reasonable food and drink, and the company is good, then we will be happy!

 

Let us know how you get on with your decision making. We are now trying to plan the shore visits along the way so we can get them booked.

[ITMan]

 

Whatever you do - do not book a balcony for 3 or 4 on this ship - it is the strangest cabin design.

 

 

Coral, can you add to this? We are booked.... in a 3/4 berth (Myself DW and DD). I believe they have fixed twins on the floor and suspended twins from the celing or something...... Weird but practical I guess!!

 

Anything else we should be aware of? Info on the sea Princess eems like hens teeth - the departures seem fully booked but no one seems to bearound who has been on the ship recently or is booked.. marie celeste???

[Nancyquilts]

We took this ship last May with our family - 11 in all. We love leaving from San Francisco, so even those from Anchorage had to come down to join us. The ship was having propulsion problems and was quite slow, but that was solved later in the summer.

We liked the ship, but the cabins for 3/4 were weird, to say the least, for a balcony cabin - maybe they were better for a non-balcony. There was an upper bunk and two lower twins, all parallel with the side walls. One of the lower bunks was a couch, but otherwise there was not much area for seating. My son and DIL said it was fine, but I was disappointed. Nancy