We have previously sailed with Carnival on 3 different occasions and tried Princess for the first time. We were pleasantly surprised. The ships are so tastefully decorated - the Star's atruim is very European and is stunning. The food in the dining room was very good but we found Horizon Court was just ok. The thing that made our cruise were the staff. Our cabin steward was amazing and the team of Cruise Director's staff were completely outstanding. They put event after event on all over the ship all cruise long and did so in teams. They are always dressed professionally and smiling. Carnival tends to run events with one person and it doesn't pack nearly as much punch. We loved Jeopardize and the Liars Club Game and all the interactive games in the Wheelhouse as well as the vibrant Ultimate Deck party. The shows are great but only 1/2 hour so we got used to attending a game show as well in the evenings. We also loved the different "classes" offered such as wine pairing, the runway at sea, choir etc. There is almost too much to choose from - a good problem to have! We also loved the interactive Morning Shows with our fabulour Cruise Director Neil and his partner Colin. You could write comments and answer a trivia question and they read them all out and drew for Casino tokens. We enjoyed this very much. Also to note about the ship is the International Cafe. We went there every afternoon for a complimentary pastry and some great coffee (sm charge). I listened in on an art auction one day too and the art dealer on board was so knowledgeable that I leant a whole lot about Rembrandt and Picasso.

As for ports. Cabo San Lucas was beautiful. Loreto is a real treasure. Both of these are tender ports. Loreto is kind of small town, old Mexico and well worth a visit. La Paz is a complete waste of time. The free shuttle takes almost an hour and when you get there, the town is run down and not very nice. Puerto Vallarta is a vibrant city with a quaint downtown.

We were celebrating my husband's retirement and my 50th Birthday on this trip and we received celebratory candlelit dessert and recognition in the dining room plus balloons and posters on our cabin door. The staff went above and beyond to make our occasions special for us. Read more