Anybody home from the Golden today?

[DoniaG]

Tell us all! You are the last group doing our itinerary that we will be able to "talk" with. Please tell us about your experiences - good or bad. Thanks, Donia

 

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."

 

[Ice Queen]

Not back today but we did two weeks back-to-back on the Golden in May. Two different Southern Caribbean itineraries out of San Juan. If this is what you are interested in, share your questions and maybe I can answer them.

[DoniaG]

Thanks, Ice Queen. I'm really most interested in the condition of the ship (and you must have been lucky enough to be there right after drydock) and the attitude of the crew. And it would be interesting to know where you cabin was. We're in C606 and were very disappointed that we couldn't get a minisuite. However, after reading these boards, I'm coming to believe that we got a much better deal. We apparently have the extra space outside on the balcony rather than in the room - which suits me just fine. Would be nice to have the larger closet and bathroom, but nothing I'm going to lose any sleep over.

 

My shore excursion question is about Barbados. We would like to hire a taxi for a private tour, but I've heard some less than thrilling reports about Bajan cabbies. What was your experience?

 

Thanks for your kind offer. Donia

 

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."

 

[DoniaG]

Well, the boards do seem to be doing strange stuff. But I'm hoping if you had a late flight back from the Golden, you'll post today! Thanks, Donia

 

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."

 

[danny124]

Just got off the ship yesterday. Wonderful. Ship looks great and the crew was great, as usual. Do you have any particular questions?

[DoniaG]

Thanks, Danny124. I'll try not to hit you with a barrage of questions all at once.

1 - How was the embarkation in San Juan? Some people have commented that it was very different from Port Everglades, but not how it was different.

2 - Was there a regular dining room for lunch open on embarkation day? There seem to be mixed reports.

3 - Did you try any of the suggestions mentioned here such as full breakfast on your balcony, tipping the room steward early for extra service, making reservations for PC dining, etc. Did they work?

 

Thanks for your time and info. Donia

 

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."

 

[DoniaG]

OK - this is getting close to the bottom of the page so I'm moving it up. But if no one responds tonight, I promise that I will only bump it one more time in the AM. I feel like I'm "cutting line" every time I do it, but I really would love to hear some feedback!

 

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."

[Ice Queen]

Yes, we were the first cruise after dry dock. I thought the ship was in excellent condition over all. We had cabin C739. Personal preference of course, but I think I'd opt for a Caribe cabin over a mini-suite any time. I'm a balcony lover and this was spacious enough to accommodate two lounge chairs plus the table and 2 chairs with room to spare. Bless our cabin steward. When we asked for lounge chairs, he noted the request and came back a while later dragging both chairs and cushions by himself. As far as I could tell not too many people around me thought to ask. We we were one of the few with lounges. Liked the 1/2 shade-1/2 open too. We were very near aft but that turned out to be a good thing. Very close to stairs and elevators to Horizon Ct.

 

Embarkation was a breeze, but we were platinum passengers so got the express line. However, finding the express line is not readily apparent because of the long line for regular check in. We wandered inside the terminal building until we ran across it. LONG line for regular check in but I didn't notice how fast/slow it moved. Haven't sailed out of Pt. Everglades so can't compare.

 

Don't recall for sure if the regular dining room was open for lunch but I believe it was.

 

We did use room service for breakfast a couple of times but not for full breakfast-just the continental variety. For us it just worked better to run upstairs since we were so close and bring down what we wanted. Did the same for appetizers with our evening wine on the balcony.

 

Never bothered to make reservations for PC dining since we didn't always want to eat at the same time. Just went when we felt like it. Never more than a 10 minute wait for a table for 2. Immediate seating if you were willing to sit with a group. I liked Bernini dining room better than Donatello. Very similar in decor/size but the feel was more intimate and less rushed somehow. Also ate in Desert Rose (as the Sterling Steakhouse) and was quite disappointed. Not worth the money. Did not do Sabatini's.

 

You do have to be cautious with cabbies in Barbados. Most are honest but still, make sure you negotiate upfront and that you are talking same currency. If you want to go to a beach and be picked up later, agree to pay at the end of the trip. We did not need to use the cabs this time since our morning in Barbados was in a futile search for a coffeemaker so we could finally have a decent cup of coffee. Did finally get one but it was 3 islands later. BTW, for whatever reason, the coffee in the dining rooms actually did improve toward the end of the cruise. Don't know if it was actually better or if I was just getting use to it. Coffee in Horizon Ct. remained awful.

 

Even though this info isn't from the most recent cruise I hope it is helpful to you.

[DoniaG]

I will be eternally grateful, Ice Queen. This is exactly the information I was looking for. I've pasted every word of it into my "Cruise Tips" file. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience. Donia

 

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."

 

[Ice Queen]

Glad I was able to help. I did write a review and post it to the board back around May 17-20 I think. It's called something like Golden Princess B2B.

[DoniaG]

Thanks. Maybe I'll be able to find it if we get a search feature on the new boards. Right now, they're so messed up that you can't really find anything. D.

 

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."