Ship Profile: Golden Princess

I've chosen today's ship profile for a purely selfish reason....I'm embarking on her in just a few weeks myself, for a voyage to Alaska's Inside Passage, and, since I have not yet taken a cruise on a Grand Class Vessel, I wanted to know as much about her as I could. And, now, I will share that information with all of you.

Golden Princess entered service in 2001, sister ship to Grand and Star Princess. She is 109,000 gross registered tons in size; carrying 2600 passengers (at double occupancy) and 1100 crew.

DINING: As with all but three of the other Princess Fleet (the small ships), Golden Princess offers Anytime or Personal Choice Dining. Two of the main, AKA formal, dining rooms--Bernini and Donatello--are devoted to anytime dining between 5:30 and 10:00 pm, with the Canaletto dining room reserved for traditional first and second seating dining options.

The Horizon Court offers 24 hour buffet style dining.

Room service is also available 24 hours per day, which includes the Ultimate Balcony Dinner and Ultimate Balcony Breakfast for two, for those who are staying in balcony stateroom accomodations.

And there are several specialty restaurants available, some requiring surcharge fees, some not.

A complete listing of dining options available, hours of operation and any applicable fees is linked here for your reference and convenience.

PUBLIC ROOMS: For a ship as large as she is, Golden is laid out in such a way as to suggest that there are many fewer people aboard than there actually are.

The two main show venues are the Princess Theater and the Vista Lounge. The theater has very few obstructed seats, thus giving a good view of the stage to all and sundry.

For those who don't suffer from acrophobia (fear of heights), Skywalker's Lounge is a must see. Perched at the very aft end of the ship on Deck 17, this disco offers terrific panoramic views of the sea, and is open to everyone before evening hours, at which time entrants must be 18 years of age or older. Skywalker's is accessed by a moving ramp,, kind of like the ones that you used to see in larger airports.

STATEROOMS: 711 of Golden's 1301 staterooms have balconies. There are also 22 full suites, 180 mini-suites, 1 Grand Suite and 2 Family Suites (for 8-10 passengers, depending upon age and size).

Each stateroom is equipped with television set (two in mini-suites and full suites), safes, mini-referigerators, and hairdryers. Color schemes are soft and muted in tone.

ENTERTAINMENT AND ACTIVITIES: Extensive and varied, with enough availability to please even the most finicky amongst us. Casino games, bingo, Scholarship@Sea classes, winetastings, Chef's Table and cooking demonstrations, and theater/show lounge entertainment are just a few of the activities that you have to choose from whilst cruising aboard Golden.

As with all Princess ships, dress code is resort casual, with the exception of formal night(s), which are not mandatory participation in nature.

Join us for a unique Pacific Coastal cruise aboard Golden Princess in September 2009, or find another itinerary that meets your cruising dreams.

As always, please feel free to contact us at any time for assistance in planning your dream cruise. Until then, "Fair Winds and Following Seas."