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I took my two sons (ages 15 and 20) for a spring break California coastal trip March 31-April 7. The ship is great. 10 years old but the recent refurb makes it look very new.
Pros-
Teen liked hanging with other teens at the teen center until 1 a.m. He did note that unlike Carnival, the Princess program had less structure and schedule. That was both good and bad in his view. He would have like to know when things were going to happen so he could participate in what he was really interested in.
Food is better than other reviews would suggest. Lots of good choices and options. It is nice that you can bring a bottle of wine onto the ship when you embark or return from shore. Cabins were well appointed and very attractive. All furniture and linens were fine.
Beds are more comfortable than reviews would suggest. Flat screen TVs are a plus and so is the available programming and outdoor theater.
Princess is well organized and moved people on and off the ship easily. The tenders at Santa Barbara were first rate. No delays and very professional. That was our favorite port. Nicer shopping experience than Beverly Hills.
Cons -
Anytime dining causes delays and overwhelms the wait staff. Speciality restaurants had much better service. Room service is very limited. Grilled burgers on deck were pretty bad, but the pizza was great throughout the ship.
Comedians were pretty bad and so were the other shows. Live music and DJs were good. The standard cruise director/broadway show format is increasingly less popular as demonstrated by waning crowds later in the week.
This cruise attracted many more seniors than expected. I've never seen so many people with limited mobility on a cruise before.
Spa staff was not super friendly and mostly about sales and their schedules.
Ensenda is a terrible port. Stay on the boat. All the other ports were wonderful. Don't bother booking shore excursions. So easy to do fun things on your own at each California port.
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