Heading for the Pride of America--Questions anyone?

[love2relax]

We only got one towel animal during the entire cruise, but our cabin steward did an excellent job noting what my little habits were. He really catered to us and worked very hard. With such great service, I really didn't miss the towel animals. I heard complaints from other guests about theirs. If you have a problem, say something. They can't fix it if they don't know there's a problem...

[zimmerjulie]

Hello everyone.

Cruise_More_Often and I had an incredible time on our 1 night cruise out of San Francisco. We were so envious of those embarking for the crossing to Hawaii!

 

Simply, overwhelmingly excellent. I booked our Hawaii cruise for next year this morning. I can't wait to get back aboard this ship. :D

 

We did our best to check out the answers to the questions posted on this thread. Here goes with what we found:

 

monte, my best advice is BOOK IT! Ship:excellent, food:excellent, entertainment:excellent, crew:excellent to the point of being charming. You will be interested to know that Washington State is extremely well represented. Ordered a drink from a guy from Battle Ground. He has a house fairly near mine. Waiter at dinner was from Puyallup. Encountered a steward in the elevator who was from Renton. I also sat in the Jetsons furniture:p .

 

ute fan, I checked out the stow away possibilities. On the way out, I asked one of the porters helping embarking passengers if I could just climb into one of the suitcases. He considered it for a minute, then concluded it might look bad if he was found stuffing a passenger inside a suitcase, especially considering the relative size of the suitcase and of me.:) (Hey, these people packed light, what can I say?:p )

 

25Ann,

I think you are in for the time of your life. Relax and enjoy! If any concerns or questions do crop up for you, communicate them to the crew member present, or to the reception desk staff. I called the desk 4 or 5 times with questions and was always met with friendliness and a strong desire to please. Also, try the different restaurants and attempt to see the whole ship throughout the week (not a small task!) You may be delighted to discover a certain piece of art in a tucked away space or quiet spot overlooking the ocean or a talented musical group adding the soundtrack to your cruise!

 

PTBalloon,

I agree with you that some of the cabins could only be considered small. Seemed like the ocean view and inside cabins had more room, because you didn't need the traffic pattern area at both ends, as with our balcony. Especially with our two-bed configuration, our cabin appeared a bit tight, but I enjoyed it just fine and LOVED having that balcony. If you need some more elbow room, they have beautiful suites with huge floorplans and some great family suites that sleep 4 in one of the rooms, 4 in the room down the hall (your own private hall, in the cabin, with two circular stained glass windows along it, that is) (previous statement referring to suite 9500)

 

Anyway, I was trying to be more to the point of the questions and leave the rambling for the review, but it is hard to accomplish!

 

johnql, yes you are right, you can add the tip to the bar bill. Thanks for the kind wishes, we DID have a great time! As a fellow BBC lover, I thought of you when I ordered mine in the Key West Bar. You will be glad to know it was Goooooooooooood. I ordered it from the bartender that was basically from my own town. Very interesting to have a crew from the US. They were great. I remember you saying that you are considering a POAm Hawaii cruise. I can wholeheartedly recommend it. Maybe we'll be on the same cruise!

 

love2relax, I still need to read your review. I didn't have time before we left, but I bet I will enjoy it even more now!

 

 

to be continued...

[zimmerjulie]

bankofdad, the Gold Rush Saloon looks like a great place to kick back & enjoy a brew. We went through it during the morning, so didn't get to experience the beer or the music, but it is a really neat room. They have really done an excellent job with the design and furnishing of all of the public rooms. I look forward to checking this place out during the hoppin' times on a future cruise!

 

Yes, the staterooms have coffee makers, the suites have espresso or cappuccino machines (sorry, I can't tell the difference, if there is one:) ).

 

We did not have the option of reservations for our short cruise, so I don't know how that works in practice.

 

The Aloha Cafe is another success, as far as decor and layout, as far as I am concerned. There was not a crowd when we were there, so I cannot answer for the traffic flow, etc. However, I find it a welcome thing to not have one very long line with every food item and every interested passenger somewhere along it. You only wait at the smaller stations for items that interest you. I imagine it is a bit hectic the first time, but once you find out where the stations for your desired items are, it will be much better than the one line system. I enjoyed this food station setup on a Princess cruise and hope it works as well for POAm passengers. More on the Aloha Cafe in my review.

 

We had breakfast in the Skyline dining room. I had fruit, Eggs Benedict, and pineapple juice. They had the classic bread, roll, pastry tray going around. Food, service, ambience, and company were all excellent. A wonderful meal.

 

herb,

You have much to look forward to!! The islands will surely be amazing and I think you will have many good experiences on board ship, as well!

 

We didn't have the option of reservations, nor the typical lead up to dinner time (we didn't sail under the Golden Gate until after 6, so I think diners were clustered later than usual), so I don't think I would be any help with the wait question. I can say, though, that we experienced Freestyle on the Sea vs. other ships designed for Freestyle (Sun and Star) and found it much better on the newer ships.

 

Much to the surprise of the occupant, we did peek into your cabin;) . No, just kidding. We spoke to the room stewardess on disembarkation morning and she let us in. Cruise_More_Often took some pictures for you. Wish we had spent more time. I know you were wondering about size, etc, but I thought the stewardess was waiting outside the door for us to finish, but she had moved on to other things. So, I don't have the actual numbers, but can give you my perceptions. Your cabin was no smaller than ours, and ours was paced off as a 9 by 19 rectangle (including bathroom and closet). I paced off the balcony as 8x10, but I didn't include the bit of floor space outside& underneath the rail, so it is likely 89 sq ft.

 

We did not encounter anyone with an "I don't need this job" attitude. The crew was one of the warmest and most hospitable I have ever encountered, if not THE warmest and most hospitable. We heard some feedback (off the ship and from crew members heading to or from the ship in San Francisco) that the long hours, ie. lack of time off, is a difficult adjustment that crew members are struggling with, but we never saw this manifested as a resentment toward passengers, or reflected in how they did their jobs. I was really proud of the American crew and felt pampered by their attention and eagerness to please. I am one who also enjoys a more friendly rappor as opposed to the subservient-type service, so I was very happy.

 

I'll have to continue a bit later...

[bankofdad]

Thanks zimmerjulie for the details!

[zimmerjulie]

Bob and Sandi, We tried to sign the guest book, but the library was not staffed during our short visit and we didn't see it sitting around anywhere. We were looking forward to that!

 

balanceok,

there are steam rooms in the spa. We toured that area late at night, sometime. There was a young man in the fitness area (which was very impressive by the way) who showed us around. I think we have a picture or a movie somewhere between us.

 

Chillin'

I agree with what has been posted by livermorenancy, Bobn'sandi and Lovetorelax regarding tips--not expected, but I am glad to give cash tips to those who made my cruise or meal experience extra special. I don't consider it any trouble and it makes me feel good to acknowledge excellence (I do this with the comment cards, as well). I experienced no solicitation for tips, nor even any indication that a tip might be anticipated from any of the crew. I think you will be fine with whatever feels right for you.

 

I found my bed to be very comfortable.

[herb]

Considering both of you only had one night aboard the ship I think it was VERY thoughtful of you to spend the short time aboard finding out all the answers to everyone's questions.

 

Thanks a million.......

 

Can't wait to see pictures of my "actual" cabin!! That'll be a first! :D

[zimmerjulie]

herb,

you are very welcome and we had a great time checking out as much as we could! We also soaked up the sun, music, atmosphere, and dining pleasure, so it was a nice balance.