We're regular cruisers who defer to RCI first but in recent years tried Princess Cruises mainly for the competitive pricing. That's why we chose this cruise. We've done the Norwegian Fjords before but wanted to go again, and the price for this was great. We have tried their mini suites and balconies previously. This time we just went for an inside cabin and although it's the cheapest it was fine. You don't go on holiday to spend it in your cabin, do you? Still, a porthole is useful to get a gauge on the weather.

EMBARKATION: We sailed from Southampton and we were walking onto the ship within 15 minutes of leaving the dock. Perfect embarkation. Apparently there were 2800 passengers on board and 1500 of those were from the UK, as are we. The ship has had a recent refit and you could tell. The staff were always working in the background, unobtrusively picking up litter, clearing tables, keeping everything in good shape.

CABIN: Compared to RCI inside staterooms, Princess are far better. I like the way the wardrobe area separates the bathroom from the bedroom and it gives it the illusion of space. William our stateroom attendant kept it clean and tidy and the mattress is one of their new ones which are absolutely fantastic to sleep in. Read more