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Topic: Should we book on a brand new ship?

Jameswith
Just Boarded
Member # 1127

posted 02-29-2000 01:01 PM

Our first cruise: Northbound to Alaska
We have a choice of a starboard balcony on a new ship OCEAN PRINCESS (launches in March) or a port balcony (away from the sights) on the five year old SUN PRINCESS at a cheaper rate. Any advice?
Is going on a new ship considered a plus or a potential liability?
Also, what to watch out for when booking the room? There was only ONE left on the OCEAN. Do the other people know something I don't?

Posts: 5 | From: south woodstock, vt, usa | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

mikiebaccarat
First Class Passenger
Member # 1026

posted 02-29-2000 02:08 PM

On the Alaska cruise location probably doesn't matter as your are in 'inside waters' most of the way. In more open waters a room midships and not two high up will experience less motion should the sea be rough.

Posts: 53 | From: Kingston,ON,Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Ascendancy
First Class Passenger
Member # 840

posted 02-29-2000 02:25 PM

We made the passenger's maiden voyage of the Grandure of the Seas. I'll never do another MV. The first and second night service in the dining room was slow, the pool leaked down several floors and was shut down a few days, the rooms were like ice boxes since they hadn't gotten the hang of the temperature controls, and I couldn't trust the overall experience of the crew.
We sill had a good time. Cruising is fun no matter what. Just no more Maiden Voyages.

Posts: 354 | From: Aurora, CO | Registered: Oct 1999 | IP: Logged

Joe at PwC
First Class Passenger
Member # 225

posted 02-29-2000 05:29 PM

I think a lot of people book new ships simply for the novelty factor. In the case of Ocean Princess vs. Sun Princess, I can't imagine that the differences are dramatic, considering that they're sister ships. And certainly, you're going to want to give the new ship as much of a chance as possible to, well, stabilize. Maiden voyages are fraught with problems, as are, typically the next few. I got lucky when I took the Carnival Triumph on only her 4th voyage. My wife and I had a terrific time, but there were still things that I found amiss.

Posts: 385 | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 02-29-2000 08:26 PM

A five year old ship is not old....take the
Sun Princess at the better rate. The two
are identical with the exception of the decor. Give the Ocean Princess 6-12 months
to get the kinks out. Have fun and relax.
Next year take the Ocean Princess.

Posts: 2243 | From: Watsontown, PA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

Cebeltz
Just Boarded
Member # 1064

posted 03-01-2000 12:30 PM

Our first cruise was the MV of the Rotterdam VI, it was by accident and not design. Yes there were bugs and as a wood boater, I was sick when the crew kept spilling paint and oil on the new teak decks. We were only the second HAL ship to call at Half Moon Cay and even though we called it Half Done Cay we couldn’t wait to go back there. In fact
while snorkeling at Half Moon Cay I had a serious attack of angina and I began taking on water like the Titanic. I had to be rescued by the crew of the dive boat. It was my first drowning and their first rescue. Two weeks later I had bypass surgery. There are generally things that go wrong on every cruise. In all fairness a cruise ship is a small city that moves.
It has every thing a city has and more; power plants, water and sewage treatment plants, restaurants, public transportation (tenders), a fire department, a clinic, a small police force, trash removal, small stores and even some heavy industry when one considers the fact that there is a large machine shop on board. There is a large dry cleaners and every skilled trade is represented on a cruise ship. Every bit of it all self contained. The city we live in should do as well. I believe that the amazing thing was that it all worked so well. There was an unfortunate incident on the cruise a young woman drowned in the Lido Deck pool. Again it points up the complexity of a cruise ship. To my wife and I the week may have seemed like paradise, To HAL and the crew of the Rotterdam VI it is a real week in a real place two hundred
miles at sea. Any p[lace at sea is a long way to go to get to someone to fix something that breaks. When we boarded the ship a crew of at least 10 people were repairing a huge hole on one of the tenders outside of our cabin window. I was told the there was a shakedown cruise for the press and travel agents the week before and the weather was so rough at Half Moon Cay that the Tender was crushed under the boarding platform and several people received injuries. The crew made repairs to the Tender in two days that would have taken two or more weeks at the marina here.

We have only cruised HAL and it may be that the Rotterdam VI was kept out of service by HAL for almost three months beyond its first scheduled cruise that things went as well as they did.

The fact was the experience was so good we have taken two more HAL cruises since then. We just got back from the Veendam on Sunday. This time the entire week was perfect. There were only two minor incidents. Our taxi broke down on St. Croix and we were stranded for all of 40 minutes. It also rained for an hour on St. Johns while we were snorkeling. The worst thing that happened was as a result of all of my past good living and the desire to go on at least 20 more cruises. I have to take better care of my heart. I had to pass up on a lot (some) of the good stuff to eat. I came home fully relaxed and two pounds lighter.

Posts: 4 | From: Clinton Twp, MI USA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

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