Since we live in Dallas, we were excited to see Princess sailing out of Houston. Our last Princess cruise was to Alaska and it was excellent.
But that was two years ago and our Western Caribbean cruise on the Caribbean Princess was more like a Carnival cruise. Food--even in the main dining room--was poor. Service was inconsistent and lacking in any personal touch. We ended up eating (more often than not) at the pizza or hamburger bars since even the breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets were below average.
Our stateroom was beginning to show its age, but our cabin steward was excellent. Also bar service throughout the ship was excellent. Onboard entertainment was also very average. So many of the bars and clubs were nearly empty--and for good reason. Designs are tired and there is nothing to do but sit in near-empty bars and drink. Boring.
Most cabins had average size balconies, but ours was HUGE. Staterooms are showing their age and bathrooms in this ship are small, even by cruise ship standards. Room service is terrible. Our cabin steward, however, was excellent.