Never having cruised on a large ship, I chose the 2-week Caribbean itinerary with Princess largely because of the low single supplement. My intention was just to try it, keeping an open mind. In total, I was very pleasantly surprised, particularly given some of the negative reviews. The ship does not look nautical on the outside and resembles a large floating hotel, but the inside is beautiful and retains the classic Art Deco style of ocean liners but with many contemporary features. The public interior spaces are comfortable and stylish in general, but Take Five and the Crown Grill Bar were the most elegant. Of course, the Piazza is a smart and practical interior courtyard for events. The food was good and better than expected. All the MDRs featured pleasant, prompt service in a fine dining atmosphere, but the Estrella was my favorite. I also enjoyed the choices at the buffet, where I had lunch. Fortunately for my waistline, the desserts at both the MDR and World Market were largely terrible, since the cream used was clearly artificial. In addition, the personal training sessions with Joshua at the Fitness Center helped me keep up my strength training. The itinerary was the standard Caribbean cruise, and I planned my own excursions, so I can't speak for Princess's excursions. I recommend visiting Lighthouse Point and Pink Sands Beach during the stop in Princess Cays. Eleuthera Tours runs great trips and will pick you up at the cruise port. In St. Thomas, it's worth visiting the pristine beaches of St. John, which is nearby.

The standout for me on the cruise was the privilege of listening to a variety of incredible music every evening. All the singers and musicians performed beautifully. Of course, Rock Opera, Five Skies and other theatre shows featured outstanding singing from very talented professionals. Cruise Control and Jade Quartet were also marvelous and fun. Since I'm a fan of jazz, my favorite spot was Take Five. How wonderful to be able to listen to the Marc Criales Trio and James Flaherty Trio as cruise inclusions. The house band also surprised us with a terrific and sudden performance of bossa nova featuring Emilia on vocals. On Friday, the musicians and singers team up for a "World Music" performance that is not to be missed. For me, the sleeper hit (literally, since he performed late at night) was guitarist Matt Baxter's beautiful and moving vocal performances. Kudos to Princess for featuring such exceptional talent. I had no idea one could hear such high-quality musical performances on a cruise ship, and I would go on Princess again, just for the music.