We chose this cruise as it departed from Melbourne and was sailing to the South Pacific. We were very disappointed with the ship as we had read previous reviews which gave it good feedback. We felt that the ship was old and tired and urgently in need of an upgrade and revamp. Also there was a constant awful sewerage smell near the Vista Lounge at the rear of deck 7. We also felt that the layout of the ship was awkward and does not flow well. Seating in the International Cafe is hugely insufficient and it was always hard to find a seat to enjoy a light lunch or coffee at any time of the day. The food in the IC was excellent though! The piano bar also has insufficient seating and was crowded each night. Seats around the outdoor swimming pools was hard to find. Food in the dining room was really disappointing and cost cuts are now becoming very obvious. We went to the Crown Grill and Sabatinis which were both excellent and well worth the small cover charge. The Horizon Court buffet also has a weird layout and the food was okay but not as good as on previous cruises we have done on both the Sun and Dawn Princess. So many elderly passengers which I don't have a problem with but the ship was crowded with walking frames and mobility scooters (and slow moving queues). The ports were terrific and we didn't require any ship organised shore tours. Both embarkation and disembarkation were smooth and efficient and of course the staff were all amazing. Skywalkers Nightclub was also amazing and we enjoyed the Elite/Platinum cocktail hour most days. Happy hour in the Wheelhouse Bar was also great but could be quite dangerous!! In my opinion, Golden Princess is not on par with the older and smaller Sun and Dawn Princesses.