We've taken fourteen cruises and this was our fifth on Princess, and after a week on the Regal Princess we're done with the other lines. A beautiful ship that didn't feel crowded despite having around four thousand passengers. It reminded me of the first cruise I took in the eighties, without unruly children running wild all over the ship and everything catered to adults. (If you're a parent who thinks your kids are the center of the universe, this is not your ship, as there was never a mention of an activity for children in the daily Princess Patter.) The crowd was older, quiet and polite.

Embarkation: I've never had this happen before. We checked our bags around one o'clock. No line to speak of, so it took about ten minutes to check in. Incredibly, our bags were in our cabin when we arrived. Princess must have a Star Trek transporter somewhere because that is the only explanation.

Cabin: Balcony cabin on Deck 15 near the middle of the ship and the elevators. Perfect location. One flight of stairs if you wanted something to eat or drink from the Lido Deck. Our cabin came with a loveseat, which was a nice addition, and a nice balcony. Princess has now banned smoking on balconies, a welcome change since we had recently cruised and had smoke from the cabin next door drift over. Read more