We have previously been on Norwegian (3 times) and were looking to try another cruise line. The Caribbean Princess sailing out of Houston seemed to fit out schedule and price range well, so we signed on.
Our first concern was the transfers from IAH airport - we didn't have a time or anything to meet, so we just showed up at 9:30 (we flew in the day before and stayed at an airport hotel with free shuttle) and very quickly found the Princess desk. Easy, and before we knew it, we were on our way to the ship aboard a very nice bus.
Embarkation was fairly simple, though you feel like you are standing in line after line as you go, but it really wasn't that bad. It wasn't much more than an hour from the time we got off the bus until we were on the ship. We explored the ship while we waited for the announcement that cabins were ready. We only had a couple small carry-ons with us to pack, so it wasn't that bad. We went for lunch to the Coral Dining room as well. After some time, though, we were wondering when the announcement was going to be made, but a fellow passenger we were chatting with said they didn't know of an announcement, but they had been to their room already as soon as they got on board. So we went to our room, and sure enough, our luggage and room was ready and our cabin steward was there to greet us warmly.
Clean and comfortable inside cabin. Lots of storage space for two people, tiny shower and bathroom, but usable. TV selections aren't great, but not a lot of time spent in the room anyway. The bar fridge was useful for storing bottled water. Nothing special, but nothing to complain about.
This was not a "swim with dolphins" but wading into the water a little over waist deep and interacting with the dolphins with the assistance of a guide. Very enjoyable experience interacting with our dolphin and very much worth the price of admission. Fairly long bus ride out there, but the van/bus is air conditioned, if not a little tight for space.
Unless taking an excursion or you are an avid shopper, we didn't find much here worth spending much time.
Unless taking an excursion or you are an avid shopper, we didn't find much here worth spending much time.
Port of Houston is in the middle of refinery row and is a long ways from IAH (George Bush International). Unless you have a larger group, I recommend taking the cruise line's transfer as it is cheaper than a cab.