We are a recently married boomer couple who decided to sail on the Emerald Princess based upon the many positive reviews I read on the Cruise Critic website. We decided on the Eastern Caribbean itinerary because the islands, other than St. Thomas, would be new to us. This was my fourth Princess Cruise and my wife's second.

We flew from Portland, Oregon, to Houston, then on to Ft. Lauterdale via UA. We always fly in a day early to avoid weather-related delay issues. Arrived at 4:30p.m. Would have stayed at the Emerald Suites near the cruise dock, however due to a reservation mix-up(my fault), we ended up at the Hilton Beach Resort. Nice hotel with COMFORTABLE beds. Walked down the street to a restaurant and had appetizers and people watched. Right off the beach. Long walk along the beach walk-way the next morning. Left for the port via hotel shuttle and arrived at the terminal about 11:15a.m. Waited in line until noon, when they started to process us onto the ship. An efficient and quick process, once the line got going.

The ship is obviously well-maintained and well run. Constant maintenance and cleaning during the entire trip. The ship was maxed out and I think it holds 3k passengers. You are given a handy fold out map that easily fits in your pocket to find your way around the ship. Very handy. Read more