5/7 Island Princess Review

[Elequieu]

Gosh, dang it, Scott, now I really, really want to go back!!

[SharB]

Hi Scott!

When you get around to posting your photos, could you post any aft shots you took? I'm trying to find a good aft view of starboard on Dolphin. Really enjoyed your review!

 

Shar

[ahracer]

Shar,

 

I'll try. I took a lot of photos of the ship hoping that they might be helpful in trying to explain the balcony questions about the Island/Coral.

 

Scott

[cruisingbug]

Thanks for the review - I'll be adding mine soon.

 

I thought that we had a mediocre steward but yours definitely wins the prize! I truly believe that automatic gratuities have damaged passenger service across the board, not just on Princess. Our guy just did the bare minimum, and barely spoke to us when we saw him (spoke perfect English so it wasn't that). I hope you adjusted the steward gratuity portion on your final statement - sounds like she didn't deserve a penny (hanging towels back that were on the floor! EW!).

 

I did not see any adults only signs at the Lotus Pool, and we spent considerable time around the pool there. Altho I didn't read all the little red rules posted by the spa - but definitely no separate "adults only" sign.

 

The tall blonde future cruise sales lady (Kyea Ray?? something like that) said that she was getting off this past Saturday and handing the reins to someone else - maybe she said the same thing on your trip? Sounded like she was on the way out though.

[bdjam]

I truly believe that automatic gratuities have damaged passenger service across the board, not just on Princess.

I’m not sure I agree with that statement – I haven’t noticed any major changes in service on Princess ships since I began sailing them in 1996. All of the staff on board know that the automatic tips can be removed from stateroom accounts and they also know they are used in part as a measure of their abilities…I don’t know that they would be so cavalier as to think the reduction or removal of auto tips would not be an issue.

[donna5]

Thanks Scott for the review. I'll will check the Lotus Spa Pool on the Coral next week. I thought I saw an adults only sign on our cruise last year.

We did both coastals this month on the Island and Coral. The Island did not have the little sign,on one of those metal stand-alone sign holders, saying adult only. The Coral did have the adult only sign in the lotus pool area. Of course they weren't enforcing it.

[ahracer]

We did both coastals this month on the Island and Coral. The Island did not have the little sign,on one of those metal stand-alone sign holders, saying adult only. The Coral did have the adult only sign in the lotus pool area. Of course they weren't enforcing it.

 

That is interesting because the few people I know who have seen the sign were on the Coral. I haven't heard of anybody that has seen a sign on the Island .It seems strange that the Coral and Island would do it differently.

 

Still important for everyone to understand the the Lotus Spa pool is NOT adults only on the Island.

 

Scott

[sunshine426]

I looked for the sign on my Island Princess cruise to Hawaii. Just because I had heard so much fuss from previous cruisers on these boards. I did not see any signs indicating it was an adult only pool.

[donna5]

That is interesting because the few people I know who have seen the sign were on the Coral. I haven't heard of anybody that has seen a sign on the Island .It seems strange that the Coral and Island would do it differently.

 

Still important for everyone to understand the the Lotus Spa pool is NOT adults only on the Island.

 

Scott

 

It seems to change depending on the cruise. The sign is not very big and most people do not see it. It appears to be a temporary sign, no signs on actual walls or anything. And yes it was on the Coral Coastal this month, cause I thought we might be able to use it, but I had a problem and couldn't use the pool.

[ahracer]

It seems to change depending on the cruise. The sign is not very big and most people do not see it. It appears to be a temporary sign, no signs on actual walls or anything. And yes it was on the Coral Coastal this month, cause I thought we might be able to use it, but I had a problem and couldn't use the pool.

 

Still no confirmed sighting of it on the Island though.

 

Scott