We've cruised about 10 times, this being the 1st with Princess. We've previously sailed Celebrity (8 times) and Royal Caribbean (2). We were hoping the experience would be positive as we are always looking for new cruise lines to use.

Embarkation - The absolute best. We sailed through the process and was on the ship within a 1/2 hour. The best process of any cruise line we've used. Disembarkation was also great. They said we'd be off the ship at about 9:15 and they called our color at exactly that time. The toughest part about the entire process was navigating around Brooklyn.

Tuxedo rental - We rented two, for my husband and son. We had some problems with the rental company on a previous cruise so I called ahead of time to make sure everything was in order. Needless to say, my son's 40XL showed up as a 44 regular. We received no help from anyone on the ship other than our great cabin attendant who tried to get it corrected. We had to settle for a 41 regular, but since he is 6'4", it was not the best fit. That formal cruisewear company just doesn't get it. Food - We had late dinner. Food was generally pretty good. Celebrity is still our favorite, but not too bad. However the buffet area dining was terrible. Very small selection of food, most food was not hot and did not even look appetizing. The set up was confusing, and passengers always seemed to be going every which way. Staff was not friendly. It was hard to find a place to sit. We ate a lot at the pizza station (Prego). It was surprisingly good. We ate one night at the Steakhouse restaurant. It was the best meal of the cruise and worth the additional money. Since the itinerary was changed, people were coming on board at times when it was too early for dinner and too late for lunch. They could've scored some points by keeping the dining areas open a little later to accommodate. You can only eat so much pizza! Read more