This was our fifth cruise on a Princess ship--all sailing in the Caribbean and to the Panama Canal. We had been on two of Princess's larger ships in the past, although not the Crown Princess, so we knew what to expect in terms of design and general lay-out.

Our embarkation was scheduled (according to the deck where our cabin was located) for 12:30.

We arrived at 12:00 and joined a long, long line--which commenced outside the terminal and snaked tightly throughout the building. We constantly moved forward and we had fun chatting with other folks in the queue. The process was as streamlined as it could be, considering the number of people boarding. Nonetheless, it took a solid hour from the time we joined the line until we boarded the ship. Passengers with priority boarding, skipped the line, and literally walked through the terminal and onto the ship in five to ten minutes. One gets priority boarding on the sixth Princess cruise. People who arrived two hours later, we heard, also were on-board very quickly. Of course, there were wheelchairs and assistance throughout the boarding period, if needed. Read more