This was our third cruise -- all with Princess. We have been on the Crown, Caribbean and now the Emerald. All basically the same design, so we felt right at home.

Embarkation was a breeze. We drove down from VA the day before and stayed in Palm Coast the night before. We woke up and had a nice leisurely drive to the port, getting there around 12, just in time to begin boarding. We were in our room by 12:45. Easy!

We loved our cabin. Princess says it is a completely obstructed view cabin, but it is between two life vessels. There are a few wires and pieces of equipment, but after a minute, your brain doesn't register these small barriers and it seems as if you have a wide open view of the deep blue sea! We also realized that the front of the ship rides much better than the back. Last cruise, we were "vibrated" out of our bed almost every night -- this time, just some slow rocking to put us to sleep. Read more