My husband and I are seasoned cruises. This was our first Princess Cruise. We departed from Bklyn, NY. Getting to the terminal was a chore- much construction and heavy traffic. However once we arrived at the terminal we quickly boarded the ship and within minutes were on the ship. The ship, compared to others, was plain- Art work appeared to be inexpensive prints- No "wow" factor as you get with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival and Disney. Our cabin, a mini suite was very comfortable. However, the cabin staff didn't make the pretty nightly towel animals that we come to enjoy and appreciate. The lunch and breakfast buffets were small and didn't have nearly the choices that we expect of such a highly rated ship. I must however compliment the dining room staff. We decided to eat daily at the same time in the Michelangelo dining room and had no problem scheduling our "table" and time. The waiter and busboy were great. The food was just okay. The entertainment was top notch. The singer and staff at the Martini Bar were excellent. A lady piano player entertained us nightly. The shows in the main theater were also excellent. The deck around the pool was very crowded and the staff at the pool tried not to make eye contact and serve. I had to either go directly to the bars at the pool, or chase after a waiter. Normally we spend significant amounts of money purchasing jewelry from the ships stores- didn't spend any money on Princess- choices were poor and we found better options in St. Thomas.

Since we truly love cruising- I do not believe that we will plan a Princess Cruise again. Even people who were previous Princess cruisers said they were very disappointed. If however, we learn that things have improved, perhaps then.