This was our First Cruise and we had no idea of what to expect. The greatest help we got was from reading reviews for other travelers.

EMBARKATION: Patience, Patience, Patience. Almost everyone wanted to be the first to get on the bus and head to port. We actually arrived in Seattle a day early and stayed at an airport hotel. This allows you to unwind and relax before dealing with the rush to board the ship and takes away the stress of whether your flight will arrive in time. You can actually sleep in that morning!! We had purchased Princess Transfers from the airport to the ship, as a result we took the hotel shuttle to and from the airport. We got to the airport about 10:15a and while it was a little confusing at first, everything went smooth and we were on the bus by 11:15am and on the ship by 12:15pm. There are many busses running and they board using a color system predicated on a First In First Out basis. The Princess transfer was very convenient as they took our luggage at the airport luggage claim area and we didn't touch it again till it appeared in our cabin about 5pm. We also by-passed the long line of people waiting with luggage and went straight to check-in. From the time we got off the bus till we were in our cabin - 15 minutes. We had lunch at the buffet and then wandered around the ship for several hours.

CABIN: We selected a mini-suite cabin since we really wanted the extra room and balcony. The room was very clean and moderate in size. It had plenty of closet, drawer and storage space and easily stored all of our belongings. The cabin was neatly decorated in earth tones. There was also a safe in the cabin closet for valuables. The bathroom was also large enough to easily accommodate all of our needs. We booked a guaranteed room (AF) and received an upgrade to an AB category on the Dolphin Deck toward the middle of the ship. The only drawback to the cabin was all of the cabins above us were able to see onto our balcony (No Privacy). This was probably the only thing I really disliked about it; however, several of us were able to talk while whale watching from our balconies. The beds in the cabin were pushed together and made up as one queen sized bed. From a comfort perspective, mattresses were ok; about what you would find in an upscale hotel room. Chocolates were placed on our pillows every night along with a form to order breakfast via room service. Upon request, Princess terrycloth robes are provided with room - there is even an option to purchase them. You can control the heat and air in the cabin but we did find that the rooms never got really cold. Hairdryers, a small fridge, two TVs, and safe were also provided in the room. Bottom line - we were glad we paid the extra for this type of cabin - especially on the inside passage. There was always something to see. Read more