| On one late summer's day, my journey took me from | | | | straight out of the French Quarter. You'll find a menu |
| Valdez to Seaward, Alaska. While traveling I could see | | | | with dining choices such as peel-and-eat shrimp, |
| the fire weed, bright red and in full bloom along the | | | | alligator ribs, gumbos and jambalaya, not to mention the |
| highway's edge. According to the locals, winter would | | | | obligatory bevy of exotic cocktails. Cover charge ($8) |
| be coming soon, ending the short summer Alaska | | | | includes complimentary Hurricane Cocktail. Next, you'll |
| enjoys. My morning had begun in the Port of Valdez | | | | find Sabatini's, offering Italian dining and featuring |
| and I was preparing to meet Princess Cruise Line's | | | | seafood specialties and other traditional favorites |
| brand new ship, Island Princess. | | | | served with flair in an authentic trattoria-like setting. |
| As the Princess coach pulled into the Port of Seaward | | | | Some cruisers feel that the specialty restaurants are |
| I could see the Island Princess standing tall and sleek. I | | | | not worth the additional fee, or do not want to pay |
| couldn't help but think about how incredible this | | | | anything "extra" while on a cruise. It's been my |
| ultra-modern cruise ship is. She is powered by a gas | | | | experience that the price is well worth it and most of |
| turbine and has a passenger capacity of 1,970. This | | | | the fee goes directly to the staff in tips. So please do |
| ship stands tall at 204 feet and is 964 feet in length. | | | | not pass up on these specialty restaurants, as they |
| She is the new sister of Princess Cruise Lines' Coral | | | | are indeed special. |
| Princess. This 92,000-ton sister is no follower as she | | | | As my first sea day came up, I was really impressed |
| has many traits of her very own. I would be onboard | | | | with all the activities to be experienced onboard. The |
| for a southbound cruise from Seward to Vancouver, | | | | Lotus Spa offered a vast array of treatments and |
| B.C. | | | | massages at some great rates. The spa was very |
| As I boarded the ship and began to explore, I was | | | | beautifully decorated, and had a caring staff. My |
| overwhelmed with this ship's space and layout. In | | | | companion, who has cruised many times said the staff |
| what's been described as a "design twist", the Island | | | | was first class and the treatment wonderful. As I |
| Princess features two full decks of public spaces, | | | | further explored the ship I found that the internet |
| versus the traditional single Promenade Deck. I found | | | | café, which is located off the atrium, was great. |
| the ship's four-storey atrium to be alive with | | | | They even had a table setup with coffee and cream |
| sophisticated colors and lighting. One visit you'd find a | | | | for you to enjoy nearby. I really enjoyed this touch |
| string quartet playing "Yesterday" by the Beatles, and | | | | very much. The café has wonderful leather |
| next you'd be entertained by piano music coming from | | | | chairs, and flat panel monitors that made reading email |
| the Crooners Lounge. | | | | or surfing the net enjoyable. The only downside is |
| If the space in the ship's public spaces were not large | | | | connections do go down from time to time due to |
| enough, my cabin was in a class of its own as well. I | | | | being in Alaska. |
| had a mini-suite with a private balcony. This was a | | | | One program I found onboard that was most surprising |
| treat like none other. The mini-suites with private | | | | was Princess' new Scholarship@Sea enrichment |
| balcony come with twin beds that convert into a | | | | programs. The program was started in early 2003 and |
| queen sized bed. The private balcony was so large | | | | the Island Princess is only the second ship to offer the |
| you wanted to invite everyone from home over. It also | | | | program. She follows her sister ship Coral Princess in |
| has two TV's incase you wanted to watch both the | | | | offering classes in its state-the-art, multi-purpose |
| baseball and football game while cruising Glacier Bay. | | | | Universe Lounge. During my cruise I went to a cooking |
| Let us not forget the refrigerator, bath with tub and | | | | demonstration given by the cruise line's corporate |
| shower, all wrapped up in 323 square feet including | | | | executive chef Alfredo Marzi. It was just like watching |
| balcony. To say this was wonderful would be a huge | | | | 'Emeril Live' or other great cooking shows. This |
| understatement. | | | | included smell-a-vision since you're right there in the |
| Our ship was scheduled to depart from the Port of | | | | audience to smell the fresh garlic, wine and spices. I |
| Seward at 10 pm, much later than I had done before. | | | | really enjoyed it and have never seen a cooking |
| However, I was getting used to the very long days of | | | | demonstration like it before. It was both educational |
| sunlight Alaska's summer provided. While in Fairbanks | | | | and entertaining with a state-of- the- art presentation. |
| days before, the sun would set around 11:30 pm and | | | | Everyone had a perfect view, due to large screen |
| rise around 3:30 am. Now as we were farther south in | | | | TV's and the great layout of the Universe Lounge. |
| Seward it would be dark for sailing, but still a much | | | | Later in the week I had the pleasure of attending a |
| longer day than I was used to on the West coast of | | | | lecture given by Princess Cruise Lines' Fleet |
| Florida. | | | | Commodore Moulin (ret). I was able to learn about his |
| It was dinnertime onboard and we had chosen | | | | life at sea, from how it began until his retirement. It was |
| Traditional Dining for our weeklong cruise. One thing I | | | | fascinating and I quickly was convinced that I really |
| learned was Princess Cruises views dining as a form | | | | preferred these types of programs on a cruise. I've not |
| of entertainment. Food preparation and presentation is | | | | been a big gambler, so did not attend Bingo or even |
| taken very serious. You will find only the best quality | | | | the art auction onboard. So having these offerings is |
| food items. Furthermore, the men and women who | | | | wonderful. I was even more surprised when I found |
| oversee the ballet of buffets, afternoon teas and | | | | out how much more was available. You can choose |
| formal dining, direct it like a Broadway show. | | | | from approximately 20 courses per voyage (six per |
| We chose Traditional Dining but Princess Cruises has | | | | sea day) from four core subject areas - Culinary Arts, |
| what they call Personal Choice Dining. Only Princess | | | | Visual/Creative Arts, Photography, and Computer |
| offers this innovative approach to dining, enabling | | | | Technology. Italian cooking, hand-built pottery, digital |
| guests to dine how, when and with whom they want. | | | | travel photography, web page design, estate planning |
| Passengers may choose either a restaurant style | | | | and water color techniques are just a few of the |
| option that allows them the same flexibility found in | | | | courses offered. All courses are free of charge and |
| shore side establishments, or the traditional cruise dining | | | | passengers can enjoy as many as they wish. If you |
| experience with an assigned dining time, tablemates | | | | want to continue your onboard education you can |
| and wait staff - no other cruise line offers both of | | | | take smaller classes onboard for a $10 fee. |
| these options. | | | | As you may have guessed with all of this |
| Personal Choice dining also means it is your choice to | | | | entertainment, enrichment and food onboard you might |
| eat anytime you'd like. This means you have the option | | | | not want to get off the ship. Being onboard the Island |
| to eat in a 24-hour restaurant. This is no "Denny's of | | | | Princess was like staying at a luxurious resort. I know |
| the Sea", this is great food choices cooked "A la' | | | | many other cruise lines are striving for this but Princess |
| Minuet" to provide only the freshest food to its guests | | | | cruises offers it today in the Island Princess. Your days |
| onboard. You will also find freshly made pizza served | | | | are filled with food, entertainment, ports of call and |
| by the slice served poolside at Princess Pizza pizzeria. | | | | personal choices. |
| Many cruise lines have added specialty restaurants | | | | As the Island Princess ship pulled into Vancouver and |
| onboard. Princess, keeping with their food-loving | | | | under the Lion's Gate Bridge, I looked back and knew I |
| philosophy, offers more options than any other cruise | | | | had experienced something special. Since I had never |
| line. The Island Princess offers two such specialty | | | | been to Alaska, this trip was a journey like no other. I |
| restaurants. The first being the Bayou Cafe' where | | | | found Alaska to truly be a "Wilderness Wonderland" |
| passengers can enjoy traditional Cajun and Creole | | | | and having a ship like the Island Princess as your |
| influenced food and live jazz in the first New | | | | platform for discovery is a must do for this cruise |
| Orleans-themed restaurant at sea, with a look and feel | | | | addict. |