Cruise-Australia.net
Discover Cruising at its Best!
With Reuben Goossens
Cruise’n’Travel Journalist &
Maritime Historian
MV Dawn
Princess
The 77.000-ton Dawn Princess (Photo
Carnival
Dawn Princess entered service for Princess Cruises in May 1997,
and since then she has cruise the world successfully. In fact we might say that
she has become the darling of the fleet. We receive many emails from past
passengers who have cruised with Princess Cruises, and seven out of ten will
relate to the Dawn Princess. The overall consensus is that she is much loved by
those who sail on her, and many say, they prefer to return and sail on her
rather than another ship. This does not mean that other Princess Cruises are
not up to scratch, no, all Princess ships receive accolades from the majority
of their pas passengers.
Review
These
days, Dawn Princess is considered as a mid sized ship, compared with the
150,000-ton giants now sailing the seas. However, when launched she was
considered a giant cruise ship. Dawn Princess hews both to the P&O Princess
tradition and contemporary travel styles. The ship has the requisite multi-million
dollar art collection, a nice health and fitness facility, two main showrooms,
an around-the-clock restaurant, several alternative eateries, and 410 cabins
with balconies.
While
Dawn Princess is equipped to handle multi-generations of travellers, it's
important to note that her facilities, from spas to kids’ clubs are not
as well equipped as many other ships, thus she tends to draw an older passenger
base, apart from school vacation periods.
Public
Rooms
The
Glass bubble lifts
A restful and elegant
Library
Passages
Library is one of the most elegant libraries afloat, well stocked with hundreds
of recent hardcover books, a paperback book exchange, CDs and audiocassettes.
Warm mahogany bookcases, Wedgwood blue carpets and Old World accents create a
cosy reading area, offering a great view of the sea from 13 soft leather
stuffed chairs, a half-dozen of which have CD playback with headsets for
whiling away the hours.
Card & Games Room
The
Card Room next door carries the same decor and has a dozen tables for games and
bridge. Bridge competitions are held regularly under the supervision of guest
masters.
Wheelhouse Lounge
& Bar
Entertainment
Princess Theatre
Entertainment
is fairly standard cruise fare: big production revues, cabaret with comedians, ventriloquists
and jugglers. Talented singers and dancers perform in both show lounges
(Theatre and
Dawn
Princess features two fine show venues. The Princess Theatre, decorated in a
rich burgundy, is one of the best production theatres afloat: state-of-the-art
sound and lighting, a huge stage, comfortable theatre-style seating, no
distracting tables or bar service and excellent sight lines from each of the
theatre’s 550 seats. The theatre is also used for enrichment lectures and
movies.
The other show venue is the
Vista Lounge, which is a more typical cruise ship show lounge. Slightly tiered seating with comfortable banquettes and little
cocktail tables arched across the room. It's perfect for bingo and
cabaret performances, but a bit cramped for big song and dance production
shows. It's a lovely room with deep rose carpet and pale sienna seating. Avoid
sitting near the bar in the back during show time -- the blender can crank up
quite a distraction.
Jammer’s Nightclub
Jammer's nightclub is open until
the early morning hours and is popular with passengers of all ages. Different
nights feature the music of different decades from the 50's to the 90's, as
well as Karaoke. Done in grey and mauve, it has carpets with a celestial motif
and neon tubes snaking across the ceiling for a startling night sky effect.
Magnum's, with desert cactus
window boxes and black marble sea creatures, is opposite Jammer's nightclub and
makes an interesting land/sea venue for caviar and champagne.
The Casino has an abundance of
slot machines, plus eight blackjack tables, roulette and a craps table -- all
of which stay lively in the evening.
The Atrium Bar on the third
level of the atrium has a magnificent stained glass ceiling just off the
atrium's opening. It's a quiet place for people-watching and pre-dinner
cocktails.
Dining
Florentine Restaurant
The Venetian and Florentine
Dining Rooms are virtually identical dining rooms, differing only in the colour
of decor and in the exquisite murals depicting
Venetian Restaurant
Both rooms contain lovely wood
and etched glass panels which create a feeling of intimate dining. There are
several tables for two, four or six as well as more traditional tables for
eight. The food preparation was very good on my cruise, beautifully presented
and interestingly varied. I particularly enjoyed the fresh Salmon and other
seafood on our
Horizon Court
Many passengers opt for
breakfast in the casual
Horizon Court
La Scala Pizzeria, another
alternative for lunch or dinner (2:00 to 10:00 p.m.), is a lovely slice of
Cabins
Twin bedded cabin with balcony -
Convertible to a Queen sized bed
Standard outside cabins with
picture windows measure 135-173 square feet. Dawn Princess has a wide selection
of staterooms with private balconies, nearly 70 percent of all outside cabins.
Balcony cabins measure 178 square feet including the balcony. Space inside
these cabins is smaller (151 square feet), and may feel tight, particularly if
shared with children. Suites with large private verandahs
are 374 to 754 square feet and include a sitting room with separate bedroom, a
large marble bathroom, whirlpool, and walk-in closet. There are also 372 inside
cabins ranging from 135 to 148 square feet. Nineteen
Outside double/twin
bedded cabin
Inside twin bedded
cabin
Each cabin deck has a free
Laundromat with washer and dryer. Detergent is available in machines for 50
cents a box (enough for a single load) and each laundry has an iron and ironing
board. They're most crowded on the last day of the cruise, but beware; these
machines are tough commercial units and should be used with care on delicate
garments.
Fitness & Recreation
Dawn Princess' fitness
facilities include state-of-the-art Lifecycle, Stairmaster, rowing machines,
weights and treadmill workout equipment, located in a glass-walled health center off the stern of the ship, offering striking views
while you exercise. But there is a limited number of treadmills, often
requiring day-before signup (during port days, the equipment is most available
after 10 a.m. and before 4 p.m.).
Gym
The Oasis Spa facilities also
offer free sauna and steam rooms, as well as a full range of spa treatments and
services. But book early. Appointments for sea days fill up within a few hours
on embarkation day.
The pool deck has a choice
of three swimming pools, two tiered mid-ships and one shaded by a dome aft in
the center of the Spa area. All have whirlpools
adjacent. There are 93,000 square feet of open deck space and during a day at
sea you'll find plenty of open or secluded areas for sunning, but get out on
deck early if you want a lounge chair. They're gone by
Family
Teens' "Fast Lane" is
a video game arcade. In the teen club, a large screen TV, dance floor,
non-alcoholic bar and a cool jukebox system allow teens to create their own DJ
projects under space-age lights.
Ships pools –
Some sport facilities are located in the funnel
Pools, pools and more pools!
Children’s
Centre
During days at sea, the
children's programs run from 9-12 a.m., 2-5 p.m. and 7-10 p.m. There is no
extra charge. From 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. and on port days, there is a group
baby-sitting charge of $4 per hour, per child. Except for one night when
there's a children's' dinner in the
Stern View of the Dawn
Princess
70% of outside staterooms include balconies - 411 in
total
Wrap-around promenade deck
24-hour buffet/bistro with 270-degree view over bow
4-story atrium lobby with ocean views
Two showrooms
Spa with ocean-view gym
Sports court
Four swimming pools
Bay view listening library
Internet facilities
Poolside hamburger grill and ice cream bar
Pizzeria, premium steakhouse
Wine and caviar bar, patisserie
Computerized golf center
Lavish casino, gallery of shops, business center
1,950 passengers
Specifications
77,000 tons
Passengers: 1,950
Crew: 900
Length: 856 feet
Draft: 26 feet
Beam: 83 feet
Elevators: 9
Registry: British
Entered Service: 1997
The majestic
Dawn Princess will thrill Australian and
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Note:
Cruise-Australia is a non-commercial and privately owned cruise site. I have
been in the passenger shipping industry since 1960 and I am currently semi-retired,
but continue to write cruise/ship reviews and writes articles to inform
cruise/ship enthusiasts and provides information for those intending a cruise.
If you are interested in a cruise, I am happy to refer to an
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