We are frequent cruisers...usually on Princess but have also cruised with Holland America, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Crystal and Windstar. We were apprehensive about this cruise due to some very negative reviews particularly regarding the age of the ship. We chose it because Vancouver is our home port and it required no flying...Hawaii is also a favorite land stay destination for us.

We got a VERY pleasant surprise as soon as we boarded the ship. She is in very good shape. All public area carpet has been replaced, windows were washed, tables and chairs clean and none broken, cabin spotless. There were a few areas around the ship that were leaking from the ceiling but engineering was on top of it all right away and buckets soon disappeared. Some public toilets didnt work for a few days but after educating the public about the type of toilet they were using and what NOT to do, all toilets were wroking fine. There was continual varnishing, paint touchups, window washing etc. going on all throughout the cruise.

Can not say enough about the staff. Cabin steward went above and beyond her duties and no request was too small to fulfill. All service staff were friendly and we were greeted by everyone who passed us in the hallway. We were asked to purchase coffee and bar packages on the first and second day only...no one approached us after that. We have found that Princess has made great improvements in this area. The bar server in the bar we most frequented remembered our names and drinks daily. Read more