We were pleasantly surprised at Princess' level of organization at the Boston pier. We were scheduled to embark from NYC, but due to the Sept. 11th tragedy our itinerary was changed.

Embarkation was smooth. We heard that about 1/3 of the passengers on this sailing had cancelled. The heavy police presence was notable. We noticed armed Coast Guard boats patrolling around our ship. They did not allow curbside luggage check in. We parked in the adjacent parking garage for $70.00 for the week and took the free shuttle bus to our pier. There were ample cruise staff to greet us as we boarded.

Our cabin located on the Aloha deck #253 was..ahh...cozy! I was impressed at the overall cleanliness of the ship. It was nice to wander around the ship. I can't say enough about the service. Staff called us by name and were quick to anticipate our needs. The staff really seemed to enjoy their work and their enthusiasm was contagious! Chris Nicols, the Cruise Director, was everywhere! I've never seen a more versatile cruise staff. Our captain masterfully steered us around hurricane Humberto on our way down to Bermuda. Read more