This was our first cruise so I have nothing to compare it to, but I can only say this was a spectacular experience.
We were booked with a travel agency completely through Princess, and the entire process went very well. My Husband has a bad knee and walking long distances in a hurry bothers him, so we had wheelchair assists at the airports which were great. We were met at the baggage claim by a Princess representative, collected our bags and went to the transfer area for the ship.
Embarkation went quite smoothly, but that may have been due partly to the fact that our plane did not arrive until 12:30 and most of the passengers had already boarded by that time.
Very nice cabin. close to the elevators/stairs. Comfortable bed. Gorgeous views from the balcony. Definitely worth the extra cost. Lots of closet space with plenty of drawers and shelves. Bathroom small but well arranged. Shower also small, but adequate.