Having taken four other cruises. (three of them with Carnival,) the selection of Princess brought a heightened expectation of better service, ambiiance and perception of value than the competition. This was not the case.

To get the particulars of this January 4th -11the voyage out of the way: Record cold was forecast for the region and it was quite chilly/windy in Houstion. Embarcation was relativly swift and the Bayport Terminal well-suited for the task. Lines moved quickly, alcohol possession was not checked, and we were exploring the ship by Noon, settling in and enjoying a leisurely lunch in the Horizon Court. Within hours after the hour late departure, we began to encounter the warmth of the Gulf. The first full day brought enough sun and heat to allow for a marginally acceptable "deck day," with many of our fellow travelers enjoying the plentiful lounges. Days two thorugh six brought heavy showers, thunderstorms, low temperatures in the 50's ,and 45-50 knot sustained winds, with gusts in excess of 60 knots. The 950 foot ship rode heavilly in the 20 foot plus seas, with several passenger areas closed. Day Seven brought some out to the first sunny day, in several. The following day was our arrival, with strong winds and temperatures in the upper 40's.

In Cozumel, tThe excursion, to the Mayan ruins at Coba, cannot be recommended, as the participants travel in excess of eight hours, (including a 30 minute stop for shopping enroute,) to visit a signiificant archaeoiogical site for a 45 minuite visit and a 2 km walk. The tour guide, however, was excellent. As a result of the heavy weather, the stop in Roatan was cancelled altogether and the same caused the cancellation the tour to the Xuantunich ruin. While not Princess's fault, or responisbility, this certainly put a damper on the entire cruise experience. Note: There wer several bottles of alcohol purchased in both Cozumel and Belize and there was no effort to retain it for delivery pre-debarcation. Read more