I normally do not get involved in writing such reviews, but felt this applicable because of some pre-cruising negative reviews for this itinerary and ship. We flew to Auckland on ANZ which was (in spite of the length) a very nice trip. We landed in Auckland and we all were immediately met by the Princess Rep. and whisked off to our hotels. We stayed at the Langham which was absolutely wonderful in every sense of the word. Auckland was so easy to get around and the hotel shuttle took you just about anywhere you wanted to go, that we did our touristy thing on our own and loved every minute of it. The Princess reps. at this hotel were outstanding and very warm and friendly......the day of embarkation went like clock work...we arrived at the Pier at around 12:20 and we were checked in and in our cabin by 1:15...THE CHECK IN PROCESS WAS VERY EFFICIENT AND WENT QUITE SMOOTHLY. We were shown to our cabin and checked out the balcony the very first thing. WOW!!!! Now for the luggage. We had it by dinner time. The life boat drill was different from most ships we have been on, but it went o.k. No one should or could have any complaints about the Horizon Court buffet...except perhaps the very long lines and waiting for a table. We decided it was just so much easier to go to the dining room to eat, which we did when we were on board for meals. The food was excellent and abundant. The variety was excellent. When our Maitre'D discovered our table loved escargot,he ordered it for us every night...Our team of waiters was just fabulous. Polite, courteous, capable and they loved to sing and frequently serenaded our side of the dining area.. The cabin we were in was very nice as was the balcony. Our room steward was excellent and always greeted us with a smile and our first names. We booked private shore excursions in Taranga with Ian and in Dunedin with Arthur. I would highly recommend both as the tours were super. Very long days, but we saw a great deal. We then booked two shore excursions through the ship. We all felt it was pretty well organized and went smoothly...my only complaint would be this:

WE DROVE A VERY LONG WAY ONLY TO SPEND A VERY SHORT TIME AT THE DIFFERENT VENUES....NONE OF US CARED VERY MUCH FOR THIS....Some of the shore excursion personnel got a little short in temper with some of the people (which in my view point is completely uncalled for) however; this was an exception and not the rule......

Smooth sailing with good food, wonderful friendly folks on board and the entertainment was good....we particularly enjoyed all the comedians on board. The Princess cast did exceptional performances as well. Read more