Our family of four (husband--53, wife--48, daughter--14, & son--11) thoroughly enjoyed enjoyed our New Year's cruise to the southern Caribbean on the Crown Princess. Having cruised on Celebrity and Disney a total 5 times before, we were surprised on how much we liked our first Princess cruise. The ship was lovely, in a traditional way, and well maintained. The cabins were fresh and up-to-date. The deck plans were easy to navigate after the first day. The Crown Princess ranked higher in food quality in its dining rooms and buffet than Celebrity and Disney. Celebrity and Disney has better food and service in their extra-fee restaurants, but who wants to pay $40+/person to enjoy a good meal every night.

CABIN: We had to adjoining mini suites on Dolphin Deck--D227 & 229. The staterooms were spacious, light, and inviting with a good sized closet and storage. There was plenty of room on the balcony with 2 lounge chairs and a small table. We never saw people on the upper decks staring down on us (as some reviewers have complained). The pretty bathroom was roomy for a cruise ship and had a full tub/shower combo with a quality shower head. We never had any problems with water pressure or getting the desired temperature we wanted. Our room attendant was friendly and efficient with a sweet smile. We were close to the forward elevators but never had a noise or congestion problem (and we sleep in when we can). NOTE: On embarkation day, our cabins were quite warm. Our room attendant said it was because all the hull doors were open to load passengers and luggage from Fort Lauderdale. The cabin cooled down in time for our late bedtime. Some passengers complained that their staterooms were too warm most of the trip; we did not experience this.

DINING: We chose "anytime dining" so we could chose which dining room and what time we wanted to dine. Sometimes we made reservations in the late morning for a table that evening or we just visited the hostess that evening who took our name and gave us a beeper that buzzed in 15-30 min. Be prepare--the first night had the longest wait of 45 min for a party of 2 because many people seemed to show up at the same time. Some passengers were grumpy and needed to just get a drink. The food in these dining rooms was surprisingly varied and delicious with attentive service. Most nights, (our active kids, 6 out of 7 nights, chose to eat at the delicious buffet) my husband and I ate at tables for 2 spaced so if you wanted to enter a conversation with another couple you could do so but with enough distance you also could have a private conversation. We ate at the extra fee/person ($25/person--not bad) Crown Grill twice. We enjoyed the thick steaks but the sides needed some inspiration. The ambiance and service was excellent. Sabatini's Italian restaurant had lovely surroundings but the food was better in the main dining rooms. My only real complaint about all the dining rooms on the Crown and actually all cruise ships we have been on is the lighting. The dining rooms are too bright for fine dining! The staff says it's to accommodate older passengers but the bright lighting takes away from the dining experience. Read more