Try not to put too much stock in negative reviews. Contrary to the opinion of some, Crown Princess does not seem at all "tired or worn" to me. Here's what I did see in my recent cruise. The ship is immaculately clean. The staff does a great job in the public areas as well as the cabins. I have been on several cruises on several cruise lines. I tend to gravitate to Princess because I like the laid-back cruise style, but yes, if you want to do belly-flops in the pool and trivia, or even Bingo, you can do them on this cruise.

One of the things I would note is that Princess tends to decorate in a more sophisticated and neutral color scheme than do some other cruise lines with their garish color clashes. The cabin in particular is done in very neutral colors which some might find "tired" but I don't. I want my eyes to rest and enjoy, just as the rest of me does.

Anyway, the embarkation process was simple and fast. I had not received my Medallion (Princess' key card and other functions as well) in the mail and had to take time at check-in to get it. I think the whole process from de-busing to on the ship may have taken 15 minutes. There was only a slight amount of "herding" which I detest. Read more