Anytime we make it out of HO-HUM Nebraska is a real treat for us, however we had a rough start out of the gate and were set back a bit from the experience we had cruising from port Everglades. Embarkation went off without a hitch and we were on the ship and in our cabin in less than 30 minutes. We had lunch shortly after boarding the ship and did some exploring afterwards. It wasn't until maybe 40 miles away from the port (around 6:30PM) that the problems started. We lost complete power in two of the ship's engines and the computer system went down as well, so there was no steering - we were basically just floating out in the ocean. So now image 3000+ people on board a ship with no power, no water services (which meant toilets weren't working), no air conditioning, and basically nothing to do except sit outside on the deck. I felt real bad for the elderly, because the elevators were not working. It was horrible at best.

Princess worked on restoring power throughout the day, so every so often the power would come on, people would cheer, and then a minute later the power was off again. In between all of this the captain (or his crew members) was on making announcements pertaining to the ships status. This went on until around 11PM when they finally had everything restored and working. Even though Princess tried to comfort us through this awful ordeal, I think they could have done a lot better - free drinks for starters. And the $300 credit per stateroom was a slap in the face. Not only was the first night a complete loss, they skipped an entire port call (Princess Cays, Bahamas) in which we were most excited to see with our kids. This mishap didn't ruin the entire trip, but it did start us off on bad footing.

So with the skipped port we had two and half days at sea, and fortunately there was plenty to do on board the ship. Activities included sports (putt putt golf, basketball) several pools and hot tubs, trivia, bingo, casino, bars, Movie Under The Stars and much more. If you were bored on the ship then you didn't put any effort into having fun. The ship itself was large and beautiful. We had a very nice balcony stateroom with plenty of space. The room smelt fresh and was very clean. Our room attendant (Roberto) was very friendly and keep the room up very well. The only grip I have was the smell of other people smoking on their balconies, which made it hard to enjoy sitting out there. We just happen to have a couple of heavy smokers below us. FOOD & BEVERAGES: The buffets were pretty good, however seating was overcrowded during prime times - so go early and avoid the rush. I wish they made lemonade more readily available, as having to ask for it was a pain in the but. I love seafood and didn't think there was enough variety available in that regards. Better choice of seafood is available at a price in other venues like the Crown Grill which we didn't partake of. Read more