We chose this cruise entirely due to the itinerary, with some pre-cruise reservations due to the large size of the ship and its ability to manage the daily passenger flow at the ports of call. We are veterans of many cruises and different cruise lines. We had previously sailed with Princess but had not done so recently. Furthermore, we had not sailed on a 4000+ passenger ship. The ship is huge with many lovely public areas and a myriad of entertainment options. It is reasonably well maintained. It was very comfortable under sail. Our cabin was perfectly satisfactory with adequate closet and storage space. Our room safe was non-operational and was never repaired despite reporting the problem but that was a truly minor issue.. Our cabin steward was excellent, as good as we have had on any cruise. The balcony was tiny but for this cruise where we expected to spend very little time on the balcony, it was fine.

Dining overall was a bit of an enigma. The quality of the dining in the Allegro dining room was excellent. The variety, selections and overall food preparation was first class as was the service. Given this degree of excellence in the dining room, we were dismayed by the quality in the Horizon buffet. In a word, it was terrible. While there certainly was sufficient quantity, the quality was extremely disappointing. It was inconsistent, unappetizing and unappealing. Its real value was as an appetite suppressant to encourage dietary restraint on a cruise. The open deck choices (Trident Grill and the pizzeria) were both very good and provided a welcome relief to the disappointment that is the Horizon buffet. One thing that deserves special mention is our beverage package. Most of our group purchased the soda package prior to the cruise. These packages vary from cruise line to cruise line and we had been used to receiving cans of soda as part of the package. That is not the case with Princess. The soda package consists of fountain drinks available only from servers, usually with a significant delay. They are served in small (juice sized) plastic glasses. During much of the cruise, the quality of the syrup used or problems with carbonated water created poor quality drinks. I would avoid this package completely. It would be much better to pay by the can (you can get a can of soda if you purchase them individually). This seems very much to be an effort to maximize profit rather than to provide a quality product. I would gladly pay a bit more and actually get what I want.

Entertainment was fine although the ship's main theater is extremely cramped. While other lines offer a more open and spacious theater, Princess appears to have abandoned that idea to maximize cabin space and get just as many passengers as possible on board. It is very difficult to see from the rear of the auditorium. There is nothing open or relaxing about the venue. Again, for a "new port every day" cruise itinerary, this was not a big problem for us. We simply avoided the shows, although the few we did attend were of good quality albeit in an uncomfortable venue. Read more