My introduction to the Crown Princess was by way of excited preview on the Caribbean Princess last New Years. Workmen were there everyday with architectural drawings as well as full-size tissue cartoons (just like for the Raphael tapestries in the Vatican on a "Rome" port day just joking!) getting ready to cut up the tile and put in the piazza-style walkways along the floor and add in the wine & sushi bar and the "international" ice cream bar, and to hide Future Sales behind a pillar and bring the Internet cafe down to a position off the Lobby where card-games used to be.

All these design elements were being added to bring the Caribbean Princess up to "Crown" standards. (Up to?) Well, here is it. Indeed, it's a very lovely ship. Of course loyal passengers returning every year will find, throughout the entire line, more features missing in cost-saving efforts, but cruising on Princess is still a pretty great deal.

Now, having just had a pleasant walk on deck and enjoyed the orange sherbet dawn-light and plush clouds and warm moist air of the Caribbean on the approach to Princess Cays, I'm happy to report on the ample charms of the Crown Princess. Was hoping to glance down over the rail and see dolphins cresting along racing the bow of the ship, as often happens on the first morning out, but since this itinerary doesn't head south in the same way and "does the Cays" right out of the gate, that hasn't happened. Read more