This was our 8th cruise and our first experience with Princess. Our overall experience did not rise to the level of our previous cruises with Celebrity and Cunard. If the Princess cruise line is supposed to be an "Up-scale" brand for the Carnival Corporation, then they have ways to go.

We noticed small things that were not quite right. The service was often very good, but inconsistent. Our dinning room waiters were friendly and attentive. But they seemed rushed and did not spend much time at our table. As a result, we did not get to know them. At times, the dining service was slow. The dining menu had few variations from day to day. The food was tasty and plentiful. Our cabin attendant was also excellent, but we had difficulty getting fresh supplies. We returned to the ship after a shore excursion to find that there were no washcloths. Our cabin attendant was very apologetic but he explained that "They were out of washcloths because of a problem in the laundry" and washcloths would not be available until 8pm. Some of our towels were frayed. We made a complaint to the service desk but were met with aloof and dismissive indifference by the staff. The fitness center workout equipment was modern but the only water available was from a single drinking fountain with no cups. There was a "out of order" vending machine that offered bottled water for sale.

The ship was spotless and well maintained but we did not enjoy the layout. There was no topside/outside covered seating or atrium area. During bad weather, we were relegated to find a place in one of the interior seating areas which were all crowded. The large Vista Lounge was often not available due to scheduled events. There was no upper deck lounge to enjoy view. We felt the elevators were small and slow. As result, the wait time for an elevator was long. They were often uncomfortably crowded and challenging because of passengers with mobility devices. The stairwells were also narrow which caused some congestion. Read more