I was not aware upon embarking the ship the she had only come out of a two week major refurbishment and mechanical refit the day before taking on passengers. So it was not surprising there were problems with some areas of the ship, although we did not experience personally. The crew lived up to the service we have come to expect from Princess Cruises. The food was good and in the Horizons, plentiful. The dining room food was good and the service provided by the wait staff excellent.

It is not well publicised but there is a 15% service charge on all food and beverage purchases. Check the reverse side of your cruise card and there you will find mention of it. The ports of call, Phucet, Penang, Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur and Lombok were all shrouded in smoke from the illegal burning in Indonesia. This made going ashore most uncomfortable. Langkowi was not scheduled for Tender Disembarkation and came as a surprise. This was a debacle! We were informed the night previously that by 1030-1100 on the day of arrival those going on tours etc would be ashore. We then were given a landing number. At 1430 we had still not got ashore and decided it was not worth it as return onboard was at 1700. So we remained on the ship. This was good as people were queuing one and a half hours with no shade or seats to return. The crew shoreside seemed unable or unwilling to ease the problem. No water was provided only damp towels.

Entertainment was good but unfortunately no guest speakers, only one on astrology. Many passengers had problems with showers,toilets and sewage. Some cabins and public areas experienced minor flooding. Draught beer was not available at the Riviera Bar after the first few days. Read more