We have done this cruise before and really enjoyed it. We flew in the morning of the cruise and did the Princess transfer. They met us at the baggage claim area and took our bags which we didn't see until we got to our cabin. Embarkation was easy and fast. The Golden Princess is immaculate and the crew were attentive and friendly. We booked a lot later than we normally do, and had a forward cabin for the first time. I was concerned about the motion, but we did not find it a problem. Our steward was great. We don't care for the buffet, and found the items were a strange combination (i.e. mexican fajitas with salmon steaks, beef stew and vegetable spring rolls). Maybe they were trying to appeal to all tastes? Anyway, the pizza and burgers were always good by the pool. We had traditional dining and the food was good; again some odd combinations. We ate twice in the Crown Grill and it was very good. We bought 2 soda cards, and we always had prompt service when requesting a soda. The movies were a disappointment; they were several years old ("Splash," "Spiderman," "Captain America.") We didn't attend the production shows, nor join in with bingo, casino, or lectures. We enjoy sitting on our balcony or the Promenade deck and reading or watching through binoculars for sea life. We had a smooth sailing and perfect weather. We did watch football on MUTS, and the heated blankets were a treat. Indeed we felt we were treated like royalty. Our fellow passengers were mostly retired folks; lots of walkers and wheelchairs. Disembarkation was easy and quick. Princess knows how to do it. We love Princess and are now Platinum members. We did receive 250 minutes/each of internet use FREE. We didn't avail ourselves of the other perks. We did laundry one day and noticed they close between 10pm and 7am so those passengers in nearby cabins are not disturbed by the noise. That's nice. We are in our 50's and content to do no more than watch the ocean; a break from our work. Of course having people waiting on you is always nice.

One final note - despite the new smoking policy, our neighbors did smoke on their balcony, and the Promenade deck and the pool area had smokers and pipe and cigar smokers. While one side is supposed to be the designated smoking area, people smoked on both sides; depending on which was not the windy side. Did this make my cruise less enjoyable? No. I just moved up wind or stepped back inside the cabin for a few minutes.