My boyfriend and I decided to book the Western Caribbean cruise with Princess after researching numerous online reviews. The Star Princess provided on board features such as numerous pools/spas, and activities such as paddle tennis and ping pong. The cruise line also offered the option for a flexible dining plan, as we did not want to have a set seating schedule and preferred to sit at a table for two. The cruise also offered ports of call that we found appealing: Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Princess Cays (Bahamas).

Embarkation form Fort Lauderdale was much easier than expected. The port is just a few miles from the Fort Lauderdale airport; the cab ride cost around $20. Within about 20 minutes, the baggage crew had taken our luggage, we had checked in and were on the elevator to our cabin. Due to our long flight from San Diego,CA we were ready to get a bite to eat and take a nap. We headed down to the lunch buffet, and were greeted with an assortment of food. We quickly discovered that the buffet food was less than satisfactory, and decided to steer clear for the remainder of the cruise. We later found the dining room food to be somewhere between average and good. We did; however, definitely enjoy the nights that crab legs and lobster were served.

The majority of our trouble started the second day of the cruise. If anyone ever tells you that you can't feel movement on the ship because of its size, let me just tell you that THEY ARE LYING STRAIGHT TO YOUR FACE. When the seas are "calm", you can feel movement; when the seas are "moderate", you can most definitely feel movement. We took Dramamine all week, and still felt quite uncomfortable. So, moral of the story is: if you know that you're sensitive to motion sickness, cruises aren't the vacation for you. On the same note, if you don't enjoy waiting in lines and having your days planned for you, cruises aren't for you either. We were so glad to reach our first port, and to get our feet on solid ground. Jamaica was beautiful, although the weather didn't allow us to do everything we had planned. Don't miss Dunn's River Falls at this port, as it's the prettiest waterfall I've seen. Just a word of caution: the guides at the falls try to tell you that you have to join a group in order to climb the falls. This is quite far from the truth - they just want your money! Climb it yourself, and whatever you do, do not create a human chain with the tour groups. If one person goes down, you're all going down! Read more