6th cruise. I’ve noticed a trend--- we make more friends with crew than fellow passengers and there was mutual recognition from previous ships. Several members from our last cruise on the Grand remembered us. The staff is 99% super and you won’t find that in any other private sector. Treat them decent. Loved my new free internet minutes to check emails-- staff was helpful on this and Inet was fastest ever. (Note gmail users: click on html and it comes right in!) Princess is so all-inclusive there’s something for everybody (bible studies, LGBT, singles, Dr. Bill, knitting...). Rooms are terrific – it’s a ship! The ship is immaculate and crew is frequently cleaning, esp handrails. Sanitizers are in front of every dining venue and use is monitored in the buffet.

Food: the most varied and best quality ever -- special kudos to Horizon Court buffet. Their food included prime rib, lamb, hot soups, shrimp cocktail, gourmet cheeses, plus all the hot entrees, salads, rolls, desserts. Princess salad dressings, especially the balsamic, are tops. As a chocoholic, they were weak on chocolate dessert. The service in the Horizon is superior; conversely, service in the main dining rooms was short-handed and chaotic so we shifted our dining habits. The 2nd formal night was a nightmare (Michelangelo, 5:45, table 272) – it’s not that they’re overextended but inefficient. You do not take orders one at a time and run off. Lobster was served w/o butter and when asked, was told ‘it’s prepared with butter.’ For ultimate dining, the Crown Grill is a great value at $25. Order anything you want. The wait staff is extremely obliging, including the maitre D, Uvi, Tara, and Anna. They knew us on sight (we did eat there twice). I was told when the buffet closes on one side and opens on the other, almost all the food is thrown out with minor exceptions. I hope not.

The International café on the ground floor (5th) has excellent coffee, good for a snack. A coffee card good for 15 premium coffees is $30. Our hot mochas were good but inconsistent. There were no cocktail specials – a cocktail runs $8.99 +tip. A drink card is available for $49 per day + tip. If you think that’s a value, you may be drinking too much! Actually, it also includes a hefty 40% discount on bottled wine. To each his own. Read more