It gave me the opportunity to take a land tour of China before boarding the ship in Snahhai. Further the ship was the latest in the fleet so we were keen to experience the latest Princess’s offering. The cruise was underwhelming. The ship guest numbers was simply to many for the sh8p amenities to cope. This was exemplified by the demographic of the typical guest and as a result the 5th floor of the vessel which accommodated the 8nternational cafe, together with a convenience store, excursions desk, front desk, spa and restaurant was constantly full of people. Getting a seat or having a coffee was a bridge too far at peak times. Why all these facilities were accommodated on one floor was beyond reason.

The coffee card offer was 15 coffees for $36A. No problem but any unused portion could not be car4ied forward to the next cruise. This was a contrast to the traditional format applied on other Princess ships. The cost of on board drinks and facilities had also increased as had the price for the speciality restaurants all of which were either $35 or $45 per person. ( Australian dollars) despite some aggressive marketing attempts, these restaurants were abandoned by guests due to the costs.

The on board guest numbers of 4500 was too much for the princess theatre to handle at one time with capacity occupation at most shows. The singers and dancers also appeared just three times during the cruise over 22 days.