London: We scheduled 3 nights in London before the cruise. Our driver from Blackberry Cars was exactly where they said he’d be waiting to take us from Heathrow to our hotel. We stayed at the Amba Charing Cross Hotel on their executive floor. The room was spacious and clean and included access to their executive lounge where we could have complementary drinks and snacks in the evening and breakfast in the I arranged a private 3 hour London tour in a black cab with http://topclassblackcabtourslondon.co.uk/ it was very informative & enjoyable. We saw most of the tourist sites in London from Abby Road to Buckingham Palace, and ended at Borough Market (highly recommended) where we had lunch. We then walked over the Tower Bridge & back to our hotel. It was in a fantastic location right by the Thames, and walking distance to everything! The highlight of our London stay was our “Chef’s Table” dinner at Angelus Restaurant. We enjoyed a wonderful tasting menu right in the kitchen. When the chef asked my husband if he wanted to help cook our meal, he jumped at the opportunity & learned a bit about cooking! Our driver from Smith’s showed up at our hotel on time for our drive to Southampton and the Caribbean Princess!

Caribbean Princess: Check in was easier and faster than any of our previous cruises. Unfortunately we booked a window suite & will be spoiled for the rest of our cruising lives! The room was the perfect size and was kept immaculately clean by our room steward, Michael. We loved all the suite perks…probably the best was sending our dirty laundry out every morning! This was our first cruise without a balcony, because there was ample seating inside the cabin & the windows provided plenty of natural light, we did not miss the balcony. We had anytime dining, in addition, we chose to eat in each of the specialty restaurants twice. Getting a table for two when & where we wanted for dinner was not a problem at all. Breakfast at Sabatini’s was relaxed and enjoyable, we wish that they would add a breakfast special each day & therefore change up the menu. The ship is older, but well maintained. The staff on board was professional and friendly. My DH had two massages that he enjoyed very much, I had a facial that was wonderful. They had a ventriloquist who was enjoyable, it was the only show we went to. On a cruise like this one, the focus is the sightseeing off the ship and the ship becomes more of a means of transportation. We have sailed mostly on Celebrity, this cruise had us rethinking our favorite cruise line-we were very impressed with Princess in every regard.

For any of the ports that were not near the city (most of them) there were buses provided. Generally we found it more cost effective to take a taxi (or Uber) with another couple than spending the price per person on the provided buses. Read more