We have cruised with princess for many years. Bigger ships are not always good. Smoother ride, nice amenities BUT.. CROWDS... only one pool area... PACKED. Only one spa.. PACKED. Only ONE ATRIUM.. not even standing room... They pulled things like Wine Stewards from the dining room..so no one has any wine knowledge.. "I think white would go with chicken" Used to be much better service but I understand their goal to be more main stream. We will likely look for smaller ships with better service options as we move into retirement. The bargain is still there for princess, but, they should steer bargainers to carnival and put princess back to the level it once was. EVERYONE on the ship worked very hard and the staff is incredible, but they are overworked by a company concerned with the bottom line. I would say, you have no problem filling your ships...up the prices a bit, bring back quality to top tier. The LA MER was a DISASTER. They put the fine dining IN THE ATRIUM at the same time as the rock concert... "Come enjoy the fine dining french experience..and yell" Also, the other fine dining Steakhouse was also adjacent to a music venue with no walls between..we heard others complain about that. The larger ship means no full running track any more, no wrap around promenade deck, and just 3500 people in the same place at the same time. For many this is fine but this is the first Princess cruise we were surprised with that way. Ports were good but of course, 3500 people getting off takes a while and the lines back were long on tenders. For those who like BIG, this ship is for you.