We booked this as a relaxing extra break and got exactly what we wanted. We drove to Southampton and parked at Marchwood about a 20 minute coach ride away. This appeared quite a lot cheaper than parking at the port arranged by Princess. The Cruise Parking routine was efficient at both ends of the cruise.

Check in, as always, looked chaotic with the sheer volume of people being processed, but it was achieved quickly and efficiently, with no delay.

We always book an inside cabin on the grounds that we spend so little time in it. Our cabin on Plaza deck was perfectly adequate and close to the main restaurants, bars and shops. Despite this proximity we were not disturbed by noise at any time. Perhaps some of the furnishings were a little tired, but generally the ship was in good condition. Read more