Have travelled on Princess for many years now and my first impression was how tired the whole ship looked and felt. Drab colour schemes, musty corridors, cabins which flooded during the storm. Our stateroom was kept very clean and serviced well. Noticed the cut back on complimentary toiletries and tissue dispenser covered with a notice now. Seems the new policy is you have to request these extras from your steward.
We encountered a massive storm from the time we left Melbourne until we got to Auckland. Waves of 5 metres plus and winds of 140kph day and night.The aftermath continued down the coast of NZ, so we missed out on Auckland and Gisborne. The Captain kept us well informed as to what was happening.
So no deck or balcony access for days, so one would expect the entertainment to be increased to keep passengers occupied and their minds off the heaving seas, wind and rain. No, it was standard fare, with almost every lecture a hard sell for art work, beauty, health cures, etc. I was shocked at the public berating of staff by their supervisors if it was felt they weren't on selling enough. It seemed that everything was designed to gouge as much extra money from the predominantly older passengers. I had never encountered such behaviour on my many Princess Cruises before.
Embarcation
Visited Te Papa museum. Wonderful.
Embarcation