The Island Princess is certainly not one of the big mega cruise ships. It's designed to fit through the Panama Canal locks, so it's very thin. There aren't the grand fancy atriums, climbing walls, or skating rinks. It feels like the old style cruise ship -- maybe that's why they kept showing reruns of "The Love Boat" on TV. The overall feel of the ship is that it needs to be updated. There are old boat pictures, carpet with seashells, a very small atrium area. Hallways are very narrow.
The rooms are tiny, the showers tinier. Our room had one queen size bed, one side chair, and enough walking around space to make a prison proud. There is no clock in the room; make sure you take a travel clock if you want one. You can phone for a wake up call, though. The linens were worn. Our comforter had a hole in it. It seems to be policy that sheets DO NOT get changed automatically. Even at Motel 6 you get your sheets changed every couple of days. After a week, when we asked, our steward cheerfully went for new sheets. The same policy seems to exist for soap. When our sliver broke in two, we asked for a new bar and got one immediately. My point is, you shouldn't have to ask for soap or sheets. I talked to a couple of guests in other areas. One told me she had holes in her linen, asked her steward when they were due for a refurbish, and he said they were only 2 years old.
The food was good, plentiful, and typical cruise fare. Lobster, steak, baked Alaska. By the end of the cruise we were tired of sauces and nouvelle cuisine. Would you seriously choose a sandwich of veal and tuna? Ham and marmalade? Or a salad of watermelon and feta cheese? The waiters were wonderful, the headwaiter was funny. The chefs put on a show near the end that was hilarious, followed by a tour of the kitchen. The ship offers 2 dinner seatings as well as freestyle. The headwaiter told us that on the next cruise so many people had chosen freestyle that they would be waiting every night.