We are experienced cruisers just returning from number 25 and the last ten were on Princess, so I will be making a few comparisons in my review.

The ship is beautiful at two years old with no wear and tear to be found. The decor is much more vibrant than Princess with very colorful fixtures on the pool deck such as yellow palm trees and cabanas. There is a kiddie pool right in the same area as the main pool which we thought should have been closer to all the activities for kids and teens toward the stern. There are tons of loungers and upright chairs with a no-reserve notice on the best areas to combat the chair hogs. A live band performs daily as well as movies on the big screen. Princess doesn't offer much live music around the pool, but blasts violent movies all day long. At the stern of the ship can be found the flowrider, rock wall, flight simulator, bumper cars indoors, sports area, and kids club. This ship also features the North Star capsule on a fifty-foot arm that lifts you 300 feet above the sea. We were somewhat apprehensive about cruising with all these features that attract wild kids, but everyone on board was well behaved except for a few hall runners every night. One main reason we sail Princess is that they don't cater to families but rather attract a more mature group (read old!) and provide a more laid back, classic cruise experience.

Our balcony cabin on deck 10 forward was very comfortable with a six-foot sleeper sofa and plenty of storage and hanger space. The balcony itself was a little bigger than the Princess Royal Class with two reclining chairs, ottomans, and bistro table. The bathroom is standard cruise ship size with a decent sized glass door shower. No leaky curtains here! Very efficient steward, but he had to guess if we were in the cabin at times where Princess uses the Medallion system that tells the crew electronically if you're home or not. Read more