This was our first cruise with Princess. We sailed on the Emerald Princess from Southampton on the 20th August with our Daughter son in law and two grandchildren aged 14 and 11. Embarkation was slow, as there were storms affecting the port and Princess were unable, for safety reasons, to use the covered walkway to board the ship and boarding had to take place from dockside up a ramp. We were lucky as we were awarded platinum status due to our past P&O cruises, which gave us priority over many other cruisers. We were allowed to go straight to our stateroom and deposit our hand luggage. In my case quite a lot as I don't travel light!

The ship was in quite good condition after a revamp in December, as it is not one of the newer ones, and public areas were well maintained and clean. We avoided the crowds in the buffet and went to the main resturant which we found opened for a short time for lunch. This proved a good move as I had a lovely fillet steak followed by a souflet. Other members of the family didn't fare so well in the buffet.

The service everywhere on the ship was outstanding, every member of staff went out of their way to help. The only exception was one female server in the international cafe who was very short and sometimes quite rude in her attitude. However even she improved as the cruise progressed, so I think she may have been spoken to. Read more