First time on Emerald and second on Princess. We've cruised RC and several Carnival ships but are looking for something a bit more "mature" than Carnival. We're in our early 50's and active (we run 4-6 miles and snorkel each day) but have grown tired of the noise and atmosphere of the party boats. The Princess crowd was older (we were in the younger half of the passenger list) but there was plenty of fun on board and things never felt geriatric. The service was excellent across the board (comparable to every other line we've sailed) but the food quality stood out as significantly better. To be brief, I'd describe Carnival and RC buffet fare as similar to a decent Chinese buffet in a typical city. On Emerald, the buffet quality was higher, especially among its desserts, and the availability of the International Café (free deli-style sandwiches and salads) stood out. Formal dining was also a step up over RC & Carnival. Portions were generous and flavorful. My one significant complaint was the ships inability to deliver a steak medium-rare. Despite multiple orders at our table over multiple nights, even ordering RARE in the hope of getting something close to medium-rare, everything still ended up as well done. The best they managed was a medium-well one night. Why ask how you want it cooked if it doesn't really matter?
The entertainment was a bit thinner than Carnival, with comedy on only 2 1/2 nights (one was a musician that told a handful of jokes) of the seven nights versus two a night on Carnival but the quality of the comics was comparable. We don't do the song and dance shows but other events and passenger games were comparable to other lines. As runners we were thrilled with the full circuit deck on 7 allowing full laps (there were stairs up/down from 8 at the bow), as were a multitude of others runners and walkers. I was impressed with the noise control of the ship. You could be sunning at one pool and hear nothing of what was happening at the other, even the videos next door! That was significant as our big reason for leaving Carnival was the inability to escape the noise of the Videos anywhere on deck.
The cabin was a bit noisy in rough seas, with a frequent ticking sound coming from who knows where, but we've had similar issues on other ships in similar circumstances and the sound went away with smoother water. Cabin size was comparable to other balconies so we didn't see a + or - there. There WERE plenty of hangers in the closet, however. Something that always makes the room more comfortable. We didn't hear much from the hallway and nothing from adjoining rooms. The mini-fridge was handy and our steward was happy to empty it when we explained we weren't interested in any for-fee sodas or waters.
The cabin was a bit noisy in rough seas, with a frequent ticking sound coming from who knows where, but we've had similar issues on other ships in similar circumstances and the sound went away with smoother water. Cabin size was comparable to other balconies so we didn't see a + or - there. There WERE plenty of hangers in the closet, however. Something that always makes the room more comfortable. We didn't hear much from the hallway and nothing from adjoining rooms. The mini-fridge was handy and our steward was happy to empty it when we explained we weren't interested in any for-fee sodas or waters.