Supplement to Travel Trade
December 2002

The Dawn Princess

Offers Easy Living in Style

It's the last day of my one-week Dawn Princess cruise, and I am frustrated. I never got around to covering the complete menu of activities, didn't get to dance in all of the lounges or enjoy all of the entertainment offered. It's going to be a late night or an early morning, because I intend to see them all before getting off the ship in the morning.

It's been a busy week, albeit with time out to relax on the veranda. I've seen four shows, visited five ports, danced in three lounges, dined on excellent four-star food and there's still more to see and do.

Deputy purser Billy Hygate said, "That's the idea. We want passengers to disembark after a week feeling that they want to come back to take up where they left off during that first week." Small wonder that more than 25% of the passengers are remaining on board for a second week.

Left on my to-do list are the Jammers Nightclub, the supper club in the Horizon Court with dancing until late (very late), a stop at Magnums to catch Paul MacDermot and his classical guitar, and then there's the really big show, Odyssea, in the Princess Theatre.

This 77,000-ton vessel is billed as the twin sister of the Sun Princess, which debuted to standing ovations in 1995. Acclaimed by travel agents and the media as a vessel "setting standards a notch higher than other new ships," the Sun Princess is a hard act to follow. Not surprisingly, the Dawn Princess is having no trouble making her own mark.

Lest anyone get the impression that the Dawn is a mirror image of the Sun, even identical twins have separate personalities. The Dawn pushes sibling rivalry to the limits with a lighter, breezier look. In fact, the Dawn Princess has so many remarkable features, even after several tours of the vessel, I continue to discover features I had previously overlooked.

As with every newbuild, there are a few minor differences even between twin vessels. The graceful marble staircases have a little more flare; suites and mini-suites forward on the Baja Deck have switched positions. But overall, passengers who have sailed the Sun will take kindly to the Dawn.

Second in Princess Cruises' Grand Class fleet, the 77,000-tonner is the third largest ship afloat (it will lose that ranking, however, when the 85,000-ton Disney Magic and the 110,000-ton Grand Princess are completed next year).

It is an understatement to describe the ship as beautiful. A better word is classy. The Dawn Princess artfully uses her size to integrate passenger choices and variety with an intimate scale of design. Every room is divided into a variety of asymmetric areas bounded by etched glass and wood balustrades and features different soft furnishing and lighting. The overall effect is a big ship with small, intimate areas.

The Dawn Princess has a lower passenger capacity than other vessels her size with double occupancy of 1,950-passengers, making a space ratio of 39.5, hardly crowded under any condition.

Size allows the vessel to have two of almost every public room - two dining rooms, two atriums, two showrooms, and private balconies in 70% of the outside cabins. The circular stairway in the four-story central atrium connects the reception area, shops and lounges. The second two-story atrium connects the disco, the 6,000- square foot casino and the champagne and caviar bar.

Like her sister ship, the Dawn Princess uses her size to advantage and provides unparalleled choices of cruise experiences. She's an upscale floating resort that accommodates her passengers with ease. The quality vessel takes well-deserved pride in providing everything for passengers of all ages and walks of life.

In spite of her size and the numbers of people on board, there is no sense of crowding, no sense of crowds. There is, however, plenty of elbow room and never a rush for seats at any activity.

Special efforts are made to personalize the cruise experience and address passengers by name. Every stateroom and suite has guest names posted on the mail slot and dining room waiters and stewards make special efforts to use names when addressing passengers. There's a totally relaxed atmosphere on board and the suggested onboard dress for evenings is a compromise between traditional and contemporary: two formal nights, one semi-formal and four casual.

The decor is awesome, but not overwhelming. Colors are soft, yet alive and welcoming. Everything is in good taste.

Wood and wood tones in light oaks and mahogany prevail throughout public areas and in cabins. Dozens of types and shades of granite and marble are integrated with plush carpeting and textured fabrics in light beige and rose tones. Hardly a detail has been omitted, with neither a wall left blank, nor a corner left without a compelling art object. Etched glass and mirrors are used extensively as separators in dining rooms and lounges. >From its lush landscaping, which requires a full-time gardener, to the $2.5 million art collection, the Dawn Princess (like the Sun Princess), has it all. If I were to use two words to describe these vessels, they would be classy and choices. The Dawn herself is an alternate choice to the Sun Princess in itineraries.

Embarkation is directly into the Atrium, which affords unrestricted access to every entertainment venue.

Probably best compared to a town square, the central atrium lobby rises four stories high and features the reception area, generous seating for passengers, glass elevators and a circular floating staircase.

The lobby is highlighted on every level with windows looking out to sea. It's the place for morning espresso or cappuccino in the Patisserie, the place to window shop or browse, meet for drinks with friends, listen to music, join a sing-a-long, or indulge in a mid-afternoon or late night snack at La Scala Pizzeria for the best pizza this side of Milan.

Despite her size, it's easy to get around the ship. Two large banks of elevators, with six lifts each, and two glass-enclosed elevators whisk passengers between decks. To assist passengers in orienting themselves, videos and catalogs are available in cabins and suites.

Public space is concentrated on Promenade Deck, which, in the tradition of ocean liners, is constructed of teak and encircles the entire ship. It has vintage canopied steamer deck chairs and is great for walking and jogging. Outdoor deck space is a whopping 93,000-square feet and there's no feeling of claustrophobia in any of the public rooms.

Unique on any size vessel, the Dawn Princess has five galleys. One for each of the two 522-passenger dining rooms, the Venetian and Florentine; one for the Pizzeria; another for the Horizon Court and a separate galley for cabin service. Passengers are never without food being offered somewhere on board. The restaurants serve two dinner seatings, and open breakfast and lunch service is available during normal dining times.

Horizon Court is open 24 hours a day, and the pizzeria serves until 2 a.m. Cabin service, with full breakfast and a sandwich and salad menu, is available on a round-the-clock basis.

The two dining rooms each have an asymmetrical design that creates small sections, which accommodate 32 passengers, giving the impression of separate dining areas. A flowing, multilevel ceiling design connects the spaces. Fabulous murals in soft tones decorate walls throughout the rooms. When it comes to Lido areas, the Horizon Court ranks at the top of my list. The food court is divided into two separate service areas, which in turn are separated into about six areas with signs indicating the types of foods available.

Breakfasts include all the classics, even eggs cooked to order. Among the lunch choices are hot meat, poultry and fish items and a carvery for roast beef, lamb or veal cut to order.

Menu changes daily, as does the salad bar, so there's no opportunity for boredom. In the evenings, the Horizon Court becomes a supper club with dancing and full-service menus offering four courses, as well as two chef specialties every evening. One of the nicest perks is the piano player during lunch hours.

There's no way passengers can be bored on this ship, unless they opt to stay in their cabins. In addition to Broadway-style musicals and Las Vegas-style ni ghtclub revues and specialty performers, there are lavish facilities for active passengers.

The aft open-air deck, uniquely located inside the ship's funnel structure, features basketball, volleyball, badminton and paddle tennis.

For fitness buffs, the glass-walled health center and spa is located at the top of the ship overlooking the sea and offers the latest high-tech equipment.

Princess Links is a computerized virtual golf center that allows passengers to "play" some well-known courses.

The Fun Zone Children's Center has everything to keep junior cruisers amused, from a splash pool to a castle, a doll's house, theatre and a ball jump. The Fast Lane takes teens to the limits of their imagination. There are other public rooms worthy of mention. The 550-seat Princess Theatre has unobstructed views. The decor is mild art deco with traditional theater-style seating and a wide stage. Dining room and seating determines which evenings you are invited to either the Princess Theatre or the 480-seat aft showroom, Vista Lounge.

My personal favorite, carried over from the Sun Princess, is the 120-seat Wheelhouse Bar, midship on Promenade Deck, between the two showrooms. Fashioned after the officer's bar on yesteryear's liners, the Wheelhouse Bar features deep leather furniture, rosewood-paneled walls and a collection of ship memorabilia which gives it a classic, nautical feel.

Other unique features are found in Jammers Disco with its dance floor built over video screens. The room opens to encourage dancing on the open deck. Passages Library is wood-paneled with old-world comforts and features private reading chairs, each with its own bay-window-view.

The Deck to Deck Card Room has a specially designed chessboard carpet and leather furniture. La Scala Pizzeria has become a Princess trademark and looks like it is right out of an Italian piazza, with decorative marble tables, wrought iron work and hand-painted tiles, flagstone floors and checkerboard marble tables.

There's also a business center with four computers, color printer, fax/modem and software. Tucked away outside the beauty shop, it's worth looking for.

The casino features more than 150 slots and the usual games of chance. The stained-glass ceiling sculpture simulates a moving roulette wheel and never ceases to fascinate passengers.

Cabins and suites are tastefully decorated in the same soft colors that dominate the vessels. Balconies, or verandas if you will, dominate the ship and are available in nearly 70% of the outside cabins.

Standard outside cabins with balcony measure about 175-square feet, which does not allow for a lounge chair on the veranda - only a small table and two chairs. Outside cabins without balconies are slightly larger.

Inside cabins are between 135- and 148-square feet. The configuration allows ample storage space even for heavy packers.

Mini-suites are nearly twice the size of outside cabins and have two television sets (one in each room), larger balconies, tubs with whirlpools, glass-enclosed stall showers and marble and glass appointments. Six super suites are considerably larger, with even more amenities.

Nineteen cabins have been designed to accommodate wheelchairs, and are scattered throughout the cabin categories (including one mini-suite). All cabins and suites feature single beds, most with the capability of converting to queen-size; television featuring CNN, ESPN and Discovery Channel programming; card keys for cabin access and for charging purchases; private guest safes; very nice terry cloth robes and hair dryers.

For a ship that has everything, there are several things you will not find on the Dawn Princess or Sun Princess.

There are no computerized pianos. Each of the eight baby grands on board has its music generated by a person, a real live piano player.

You won't hear announcements in your stateroom unless you press a button and want to hear what the cruise director has to say.

You also won't find a sommelier. Dining room waiters and assistants take care of wine orders.

Princess ships place a great deal of emphasis on art and the Dawn Princess, with a $2.5 million collection, outshines even her sister ship. The second atrium below the casino has been turned over completely to selling art and there's even a frame shop to complete purchases.

Art auctions, silent and live, are held daily, which is not unusual on almost every ship these days. What is unusual is that the art auctions are now in-house and everything in that $2.5 million collection of paintings, sculptures and antiques is for sale.

According to one of the art managers, passengers during the past couple of months have ordered four pieces. If you're wondering, they are not cheap. I priced a couple and they ran in the $10,000 range.

Princess is in the middle of a $1 billion expansion program. The company's next newbuild, Grand Princess, is slated to debut in May 1998. At 109,000 tons, she will be the largest and most expensive passenger ship ever built. Two additional 77,000-ton Grand Class ships are under construction. The Sea Princess, sister of the Sun and Dawn, is slated to begin sailing in 1998, with the Ocean Princess following in late 1999. The new liners will increase Princess' capacity by 65% between now and the end of the decade and will add over 10,000 berths to the Princess fleet.