On The Dawn Princess

An overcast dawn finds us slipping back into our berth at San Francisco’s Pier 35 our ten day cruise to the stunning vistas of Alaska a fond memory. America’s 49th State did not disappoint. Its rugged natural beauty, charming seaside fishing villages, abundant wild life and even its often moody weather are all dazzling. For sure Alaska beckons the hiker,backpacker, kayaker, canoeist, angler and adventurer but it is cruising that makes this often daunting and intimidating landscape accessible to those seeking or requiring a less active experience.

I had visited Alaska before on a cruise in the late 1980's and severa ltimes by air to specific destinations. What excited me most about this trip was the chance to sail from and return to San Francisco. The idea of sailing through the fabled Golden Gate was both alluring and exciting. It was truly thrilling to receive an invitation from Captain MarcoFortezze, Master of the Dawn Princess, to join him on the Bridge for our sailaway. Even the fates seemed to conspire in my favor. Some Port of San Francisco bureaucrat was missing from his office delaying our departure by well over an hour. The bad news for the impatient Captain was good news for me since it meant a setting sun into which to sail as the 857 foot vessel glided beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and headed for the open waters of the North Pacific Ocean...

...and twelve hours later right into the teeth of fifty mile an hour winds. The better part of our first day thus was a blur of Dramamine, Bonin and Compazine. This cloud had two silver linings; we could eat in our cabins, skipping one of the two “wear a tie” nights, and we had stories abounding of our ritual passage into seasoned seamanship.

How was the food? The answer to this frequently asked question is: it was good. Judging the food on a cruise ship carrying over two thousand passengers requires the establishment of a fair and reasonable expectation.

A cruise ship in the best of circumstances will never be theFrench Laundry nor should it be a “greasy spoon”. Just contemplate the task of feeding over two thousand customers a minimum of three times a day in essentially the same venue and if that’s not unnerving consider the mix of different tastes, ethnicities, levels of culinary sophistication andtermprement. An attempt to copy the Mona Lisa might be less difficult.

So on balance the food was good. There were a few “misses” usually when the kitchens over- reached, but many more “hits”. The Steakhouse on board,which required advance reservations and a fifteen dollar per person supplement, had a classic menu, very good beef and attentive service. The ship’s wine cellar had some excellent choices and values and I was also traveling with a secret weapon. My good friends Dan and Lisa Weiss were on the cruise and Dan has a superb Burgundy based wine cellar from whichhe generously extracted some choice items for on board quaffing. TheCruise Line permitted passengers to bring wine on board and levied a fair twelve to fifteen dollar corkage fee per bottle if served by the crew.

There was an excellent Pizzeria which also served good pasta dishes including lasagna and a Grill with very good hot dogs and burgers. Ice cream made on board was first rate with many specialty flavors such as rhubarb and rum raisin.

The bread bakers on board the Dawn Princess should be canonized or at the very least nominated to the Bread Bakers Hall of Fame. Not only were the bread and rolls baked daily and thus flawlessly fresh, but wonder ofwonders they made their own hot dog rolls! Yippee, at last a freshly made and decent hot dog roll fit to enrobe one of my favorite things.

The ship’s culinary staff also did something I have seem on other cruises. Over the length of the cruise they put Classic dishes such as escargots and Beef Wellington on the Dining Room menu. These are delicious “hits”of days past which are rarely found on restaurant menus these days.It’s a nice treat for fans of these dishes and an opportunity for thosewho have heard of them but never had the chance to try them. Finally for the convenience of passengers the Dawn Princess offered 24 hour RoomService.

This was my first sailing with Princess Cruises and I was favorably impressed so much so that I have agreed to host another adventure. We’ll sail from San Francisco on April 17, 2009 bound for the Mexican Riviera, a ten day trip on board the Star Princess.

I am delighted to say that my hosting duties will be shared by Amelia Ceja, the ebullient and talented President of Ceja Estate Vineyards in Napa and Sonoma. Not only does the Ceja family make lucious wine, theirs is an inspiring chapter in the Great American Dream story. The Cejas agreement to join us on this next cruise will add immeasurable value to the experience. We’ll add a food and wine pairing session which was suggested by one of our fellow travelers on the Alaska trip and of course we’ll be with Amelia sailing to her native land.

Information and details of early booking bonuses are available from Joanne Blake at Fugazi Travel in San Francisco. Their number is 415-397-7111, ask for Joanne Blake or email her at jblake@fugazi.com