This was a very special cruise for us. It was our first time to Europe and we selected this ship due to the date, fact it left from Venice, and was a brand new ship. It would also be a new experience for us since first time sailing on Princess. We are a couple in our mid to late 40's. Many on this cruise were seniors and honeymooners, fine with us. We flew to Paris first and spent two nights before spending one night in Venice. Being upgraded to a room overlooking the Grand Canal was the highlight of our stay. We are glad that we booked our gondola ride in advance since once you get there, you may not know which company to use and they are all different. Have your travel agent do this for you if possible. Also have them arrange for your transfer from your hotel to the ship in advance. If you do not, you may get various prices quoted to you. Although we would have preferred more sea days, this turned out to be the fastest cruise we have ever been on with the most beautiful ports we have ever seen.

THE SHIP

The ship, although elegant and clean, was lacking in shade both on the balconies and by the pool areas. Due to the design of the Princess ships, the lower your deck is, the less privacy and shade you will have. The mini-suites are mainly on these lower floors, so if you cannot tolerate the sun, you will be unable to sit on your balcony on this cruise. To us, this was a big minus for Princess. We have also traveled on RCCL (Voyager, Brilliance, and Radiance), Carnival (Victory), and NCL (Dreamward and Gem). What we enjoyed most about this ship was the large screen TV at the outdoor pool, the Sanctuary at the Spa, the productions shows, and the newness of everything on the ship. Read more