We have been on many cruises with 10 different lines, with about half on Princess (30+). I'll admit this review is biased. Having plenty of advance warning about the "wonderful" changes Princess had done to the Island Princess, I was predisposed not to like them. We had cruised several times before on both Island and Coral Princess (sister ship) and they were among our favorite ships. Coral still is, as we were aboard that ship in April. But the pursuit of revenue has caused drastic changes to the Island, putting more passengers into reduced space, putting the gym in a windowless position, and neglecting to add an International Cafe, which has proven so popular. So the ONLY reason we took this cruise is that it matched up with family member availability. We won't be on this ship again.

Having said all that, cruising is cruising, and cruising is enjoyable. We had a nice time with our family members, and our cabin service and table service (traditional) were first class. Food was sometimes inconsistent, but our waiter always made it right, and quickly. He was good. The entertainment was good and the lengthy stay in San Francisco was perfect. Since they had converted the Universal Lounge into cabins, I didn't see how the production show, On the Bayou, could be done effectively in the bigger theater, but honestly, it was done extremely well, and was very enjoyable.

Having just been on the Coral (and last year the Star and Caribbean Princess) we didn't think the overall crew seemed as happy, but agree with others that the cruise director and his staff were very good. Read more