This was my first Princess cruise and traveled with my Mom - we typically travel on Holland America but she was able to get a great deal. The ship was larger than I am used to so I was concerned that I was going to feel super crowded but I really didn't. The only thing that did NOT go smoothly was embarkation but that was completely out of the control of Princess, although they could have done a better job communicating what was going on - it appears the Coast Guard did a surprise inspection the morning of embarkation so embarkation was delayed and the Horizon Cafe was swamped with people by the time we go on board - that was the ONLY time I felt crowded. Once we got through that and the mandatory muster drill, it was truly smooth sailing! The ship is gorgeous - so much wood and marble, just sparkling and gleaming, with contemporary colors and artwork throughout. The cabin was somewhat smaller than we are used to, but the open closet area was much appreciated and very functional. The balcony was also somewhat smaller than we are used to, but the chairs had the feature of being able to lean back like a lounge chair so it was all good! The food was all around excellent in both the dining room and the Horizon Cafe. The Pastry Shop was particularly delightful ... the entertainment was also first class.

I did the manatee preserve kayaking shore excursion in the Dominican Republic. Holland America has a great feature with their shore excursions in that you can review them and get more information about what the excursion is really like. Princess does not offer that feature although they do offer some specific details about travel time, etc. Unfortunately, the description for this particular excursion did not match up with what actually happened - instead of 30 minutes each way, it took us an hour and a half each way to get to the destination and you did not kayak with manatees, there was only an observation platform from which to view them. Otherwise, the excursion was great but would have greatly appreciated a more accurate description.

The service on the ship in all areas was exceptional!!