I have now cruised twice, once on Celebrity Eclipse and now on Caribbean Princess. Celebrity wins hands down the Caribbean Princess is a tired ship in need of refurbishment.

Embarkation was speedy and efficient and we were happily surprised with the spacious mini suite. Tea and Coffee making facilities in the stateroom would have made it better as would a selection of drinks in an empty fridge. Unfortunately the bathroom suffered from a stench of stale water solved only by closing the plug in the bath.

At meal times we tried various outlets. The Horizon Court was a nightmare, always crowded and the food was set out poorly. A fellow passenger described the main dining room as more a "factory canteen" than fine dining and I tend to agree. Servings were small, for example one potato, a small chicken breast, a spoonful of vegetables and a lot of plate. The service was a joke, a glass of wine arrived with the starter and I ordered a second glass as the starter plates were being removed. The second glass of wine arrived with the dessert. Read more