Island Princess provided us with the classic experience we look for in a ship. No waterslides, bumper cars, or go-kart tracks. Of course, this itinerary attracted quite an elderly group of guests anxious to complete their bucket list by searching for the Northern Lights. The weather was what we were prepared for as it was mostly overcast, rainy, and windy. The scenery was spectacular in the fjords and we did get to experience the lights as we were just 1,300 miles from the North Pole.

The exterior of the ship was a little rusty and rough leading some reviewers to say she was in bad shape, but we couldn't find fault with anything inside as all the public rooms, dining rooms, and lounges all were spotless and well maintained. No wear and tear on seating, carpeting, or woodwork to be found. Seating space in the public rooms seemed crowded for the duration of the cruise as it was too nasty on the Lido deck to spread out the passengers .

We found the food in all dining rooms as well as the Horizon Court buffet was high quality and diverse enough for all but the ultra-discriminating gourmets on board. The staff in all venues were efficient and friendly and we agreed that they were among the best crews in our 23 cruises. Read more