This was my ninth (and longest) Princess cruise, and one my partner and I were particularly looking forward to. And it was a great cruise...almost.

The Star was in excellent shape, except for occasional sewage smells. And the journey was wonderful. Embarking 20 minutes from my house and ending up in Argentina? I'll do that! It was great to celebrate the winter holidays aboard. The food was consistently very good-to-excellent (except in the Horizon Court, which as usual tended toward "mediocre"). Waitstaff and Stewart were fine. Lecturers like Dr. Ray and Lennard Davis were excellent. The chicken Waldorf salad at the International Cafe was as delicious as remembered. And dolphins leapt beside the ship while we dined.

The "almost" part mostly had to do with senior staffing. Read more