A bit of background…this cruise marked our 22nd, 19th on Princess. Twelve years ago, we took a Panama Canal cruise aboard Coral Princess in her inaugural year. In general, the ship still looks pretty good although there are a few worn and rusty spots. Even so, the ship was well-maintained and very clean.

There have been quite a few changes since we were last aboard Coral Princess. The casino is much smaller (not that we use it) and the spiral staircase to deck 7 is gone. Oceanview cabins were added on one side and more recently the International Café was carved out of part of the other side. I really like the International Café on other ships but here it seemed so out of place with a lovely view of the slot machines. The Sanctuary was added to the aft section on this ship as opposed to the forward section on all other ships. So the aft pool and the relaxing views of the wake were not available unless you wanted to pay for it. The best change by far is the complete renovation of the Horizon Court (more on that later).

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