After sailing around Japan last year aboard Diamond Princess, I had high expectations for Princess. My partner and I selected this cruise based on the date and the seemingly favorable reviews of Ruby Princess. Embarkation was simple enough. Our cabin, B 743, was located on the starboard side of the ship, aft. The cabin was of normal size, with a balcony which also had a protruding wall to the right. The carpet was faded, furniture rather used in appearance, and the lavatory was definitely showing signs of use. All the caulking needed to be redone, and the shower curtain had signs of mold and heavy use. If you are over 5'6", the shower head will be at your chest or lower. Very odd setup.

Then came the food and service. Mind you, we are not professional eaters who go on a cruise looking for a feast. In fact, we are quite easily pleased when it comes to dining. I realize that most cruises strive to produce a good "banquet quality" meal as they have thousands to feed. However, I've also seen this executed very well and very poorly. Princess certainly missed the mark on this trip.

Most of the items served in the Horizon Court looked like cans of Alpo had been emptied into chafing dishes and sprinkled with dried parsley. Of the few items I attempted to eat, most were bland, grey, and simply terrible. Hoping for a better experience in the dining room (Da Vinci anytime dining), after a 25-minute wait at 7:45, we were seated at a table for two. The menu was standard fare, and looked rather interesting, but the items that were served to us were miserable. I could go into detail of each dish, but I'd rather not. The second night we opted to dine in the Crown Grill ($29 per person). This was a step above the dining room or Horizon Court, but NOT what should be served when you are up-charging at the given rate. The steaks were ho-hum, vegetables overly steamed and seasoned, and the bread was at least 2 days old and the very same selections offered on the buffet. The wine list was also the same as the dining room, with very few quality selections available. Read more