We booked the second voyage of the Emerald Princess with the cruise line only several weeks before departure. We have taken over 20 cruises but this was only our second cruise on Princess. Bottom line is we LOVED the ship and the line and will be back soon. We were attracted by the itinerary, the anytime dining and the newness of the ship. (This also was a concern but we were on the second voyage so we hoped the bugs would be gone and they were) All the balcony cabins were sold out and we had only a limited choice of outside staterooms to choose from. We chose deck 8 portside aft near the laundry room and it turned out to be a fine location, very quiet despite our concern about the laundry crowd. The rooms are standard size; I think about 180 Sq Ft but well laid out. The open closet space works well and the bathroom seemed spacious compared with other lines. Room insulation is excellent. The ship lives like a much smaller ship than its capacity and size. We always found seats and quiet spots for reading or relaxing. The layout of the public areas contributed to the feeling of "intimacy", despite the size This was our first experience with anytime dining and we are total converts. We loved the flexibility to eat when and where you wished and have a table for two. Usually we have to use the alternative restaurants to get the flexibility of time and the privacy of a table for two. We thought the food was terrific and we are very fussy when it comes to cuisine. I understand this ship was introducing a new menu for Princess and we often were torn between excellent choices. The food was so good we only went one night to an alternative restaurant, the steakhouse. It was good but portions are very large. We only tried room service once for breakfast and the service was prompt. Drinks are expensive by ship standards and we bought wine locally to consume before dinner. No problem bringing wine on board but I believe the rules are different for hard alcohol. The service on the ship was exceptional. I believe the staff were all fired up about a new ship and their enthusiasm showed. Most of them were veterans and this greatly helped any launch issues. We did not book any ship tours. We try to handle our own land tours and avoid the "herding" that occurs on large ship tours. Also, we had been to a number of ports previously. For those interested, a summary of our land activities follows.

We spent the first night on board in Venice, then sailed east for Dubrovnik, Croatia. We hired a taxi driver, Miko, who fought in the 90s Croatian war. He told us how sad the war had been for his family and drove us around the area for some lovely hillside views and then to a charming town at the tip of a peninsula, where we had espresso and enjoyed the seaside atmosphere.

Our next stop was Katakolon, Greece, a port so dull that we didn't even leave the ship. We skipped the trip to Olympia as we had been there. That evening we headed south to Athens, our least favorite Greek city, where at least we made the effort to get off the ship. We hailed a taxi and headed to the marina area in Piraeus to look at the yachts. From there it was onto to Mykonos, where we strolled the narrow streets, admired the white cube houses and windmills, and enjoyed coffee and baklava on the waterfront. On the last day of April, we sailed into Kusadasi, where we hired a private car and driver, Otay, to take us to Ephesus for a personal tour. This was prearranged with a tour Company we found on Cruise Critic boards. One of the most well-preserved archeological sites in the world, Ephesus continues to astound us. It's so hard to imagine that in 200 AD, there was a town with as many as 250,000 people, with marble-lined streets, storefronts, oil lamps, an amphitheater, public baths and more, and all of it absolutely beautiful! From Turkey, the ship sailed to the island of Rhodes, where we toured the ancient walled city and the beautifully restored Palace of the Knights. The Knights protected the city and offered medical aid to the citizenry until they were eventually run out of town by conquering kings and became the Knights of Malta. Read more