| |
At last Greenland! |
| Reviewed By: Ebdy, Smallfield on 24th Sep 2008 |
| Cruise Line: Princess Cruises |
Times cruised before: 6-10 |
| Cruise Ship: Sea Princess |
Sailed:
August,
2008 |
| Destination: Transatlantic |
Age: 56-65 |
|
The itinerary covering some unique places was what attracted us to this well subscribed cruise. We were only able to obtain an inside cabin despite booking many months beforehand. This did not however detract from the unique ports of call. Bergen, Lerwick, Thorshaven, Akureyri and Reyjavik, Nanortalik, St John's, Newfoundland ending in New York. Much more interesting than straight across "the pond". We reached all ports except St John's - unfortunately a strong offshore wind prevented us from negotiating "The Narrows". A big disappointment but more than made up for by what had preceded it. Nanortalik, a Greenland fishhing village was very interesting with a population of only 1300 approx. Our arrival doubled that but the community welcomed us with enthusiasm proudly showing us some of their history and surroundings.
The ship the Sea Princess was pleasant enough - however lacked sufficient space for days at sea where the weather was inclement enough to keep all of us inside. There were also problems with the dining arrangements. It certainly did not seem to work well for those with the "Anytime dining" meal prefence. Long queues and disgruntled passengers hovered outside the Rigoletto restaurant designated for that purpose. We were quite relieved to have opted for the traditional dining. Anytime dining works well on a ship with a number of restaurants like the Sapphire Princess which have 4 plus specialist dining venues but not so well with just 2 main dining rooms. However one must give credit for the food which was very varied and good. The service in the restaurant we used, Traviata, was excellent and I am sure was mirrored in the Rigoletto, apart from the queues!
With regard to the excursions offered, these were I felt a little limited in their scope - they also seemed rather expensive for their content. In fact in many of the ports one could make one's own arrangements rather more cheaply.
Entertainment was varied - the shows were very average - however much enjoyment was had in the Crooners Bar at 10pm with alternating General Knowledge and Music quizzes held by the resident musicians. Word soon got round and the bar was packed every night!
A pleasant cruise with an itinerary I highly recommend but get cracking. If it is available you need to book well in advance to get the accommodation that meets your requirements. Happy sailing!
|
| Quality of Food |  |
| | Entertainment |  |
| | Shore Excursions | n/a |
| | Staff | |
| 2 were outstanding - a waiter in Traviata called Ovideu and a barman in Crooners called Christian. They were both personable, charming and efficient. | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities | |
| | Cabins |  |
| | Overall Rating | |
|
|
|
