Cruise Diva's CRUISE DIARY
~ Golden Princess Canada & New England ~
Part One
What could be more appropriate than setting sail for "new"
harbors on a day honoring one of the world's greatest
explorers—Columbus Day? Golden Princess, awaiting her guest
explorers in New York City, would soon navigate the Hudson River
past the Manhattan skyline and Statue of Liberty and, ultimately,
out to sea. We were set for a voyage of discovery, but first we had
to get on board.
Sunday: How golden can a
Princess cruise be?
Our fall foliage cruise began with an unexpected "cruise" of
the Big Apple itself. Transfers from the airport hit a snag as
Manhattan's normal heavy traffic was even more congested by streets
closed for the Columbus Day parade. New York really knows how to
throw a party and the parade was no exception.
In true New York, can-do fashion our bus driver maneuvered his
giant coach through Central Park, beneath low bridges, and, finally,
we spotted ships' stacks hovering overhead. What a welcome sight!
While the normally short transfer took considerably longer than
usual, our driver handled it with aplomb.
If you go... Cruise line
transfers from the three major New York-area airports (La Guardia,
JFK, and Newark) are a good idea. Traffic can be onerous in New York
and you won't miss your ship if you are being transported by a
cruise line coach. Also, while taxis are plentiful at the airports,
they may take a long time to reach the pier when several large ships
are embarking passengers simultaneously—some taxi occupants are even
encouraged by the drivers to get out across the highway from the
piers and wheel their suitcases from as far away as several blocks.
Welcome Aboard
Golden Princess sparkles with quiet elegance. The second of
Princess Cruises' "grand class" vessels, she is as golden as
she is grand. A richer color palette and second sweeping atrium
staircase give the Golden Princess a decor edge over her
sister-ship, Grand Princess.
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|
Golden
Princess mini-suite
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Over 80% of Golden Princess outside staterooms feature a Princess
Cruises signature amenity—balconies. During port arrivals and
departures, occupants lined the rails of their private decks. While
warmer weather voyages may draw more passengers outside, my mid-ship
mini-suite balcony was the perfect spot to combine a steaming cup of
morning coffee with my first view of the day's port of call.
If you go...
Don't worry about over packing. Like her fleet mates,
Golden Princess has more than adequate storage space, even for
extended cruises, and most accommodations have a generous walk-in
closet.
Monday: A Day at Sea
In addition to leisurely hours of relaxation, I
looked forward to this day at sea with special anticipation. As part
of Princess Cruises' ScholarShip@Sea Program, Golden Princess was
host to a very special guest lecturer, Commodore Michael Moulin.
After making his first voyage at age 15 and a career spanning 43
years at sea, P&O Princess' Commodore Moulin was on board to speak
about Titanic from a Shipmaster's Perspective. A lively
question and answer period followed Commodore Moulin's lecture and
participants continued until the lounge had to be relinquished for
the next activity. Their appetites whetted for more, Titanic
buffs would have the opportunity to explore the tragedy further the
next day in Halifax.
For a behind-the-scenes peek at the life of a cruise ship
captain, Commodore Moulin's charming wife Maggie joined him later in
the day for another special interest lecture, "A Cruising Career."
Maggie Moulin delighted the audience by recalling her father's
horror that she was dating a sailor, as well as sharing family
events and high seas hi-jinks.
ScholarShip@Sea, Princess Cruises' innovative enrichment program,
calls upon the talents of many crew and staff members to educate as
well as entertain guests. Hands-on classes in ceramics, photography,
and culinary arts are but a few of the course offerings. Other
staples include wine tasting, dance lessons, and a back stage tour
to examine the Golden Princess' theatrical technology. Some
activities are complimentary, such as a computer class to acquaint
students with popular websites on the Internet. For a nominal fee,
other course offerings include everything from a basic introductory
computer class to photo editing and website design. By the end of
the year the entire Princess fleet will offer a curriculum of
stimulating courses, including guest lecturers to focus on an
interesting aspect of the cruise or itinerary.
If you go...
No special talent is necessary to participate in a
ceramics lesson and you'll take home a unique souvenir fired in a
kiln at sea—a Princess exclusive.
As the day wound down, it was time to prepare for the first of
two formal evenings and the Captain's Gala Cocktail Party. While I
opted for Personal Choice Dining, there are still two parties timed
for the convenience of passengers who select traditional early or
late seating and "PC" guests can choose to attend either. Two
fast-paced, high energy performances of "Lights, Camera, Action"
were also presented in the Princess Theater. Oh yes, I had dinner
between the two events... it's hard to imagine, but the dining
experience on Golden Princess is exceeding that on Grand Princess!
Next -->
Part Two
-- Halifax, Nova Scotia and St. John, New Brunswick
Part Three
-- Bar Harbor, Maine and Boston Massachusetts
Part Four
-- Newport, Rhode Island
Part Five
-- Debarkation and lasting impressions
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