This was our first (& last) transatlantic cruise. We have sailed previously to Alaska, the Caribbean & the Amazon with Princess and E. Med & Caribbean on other lines. We choose a cruise for the itinerary with cruise line a very important choice too. We are in our early 60s & not yet retired. The ports of call for this cruise were Funchal, Madeira; Cadiz (Seville, Spain); Alghero, Sardinia; Rome; Livorno (Pisa/Florence), Italy; & Monaco; disembarkation in Barcelona.

We had received notice two weeks prior to sailing that we had been upgraded 7 categories from an oceanview to second highest balcony (BB) category. We were grateful for this as I had taken a walk past our original booking on Plaza deck & found the area to be noisy & could feel the ship's vibrations. Our cabin was located on Riviera deck (#14) midship, allowing us to walk up one deck to the buffet & pool areas. Embarkation was smooth with only a slight wait. We were happy to find our cabin had a walk-in type closet (ample space) with storage area in the form of floor to ceiling shelves w/door (including safe). There were also drawers/shelves adjacent to the bed on both sides as well as the desk area. Bathroom was normal cruise ship size with 3 shelves & some counter space. It was not possible for two people to occupy bathroom unless one was in the shower. Balcony was normal size; however, two decks located over the lifeboat deck (Dolphin & Caribe) had deeper balconies & more furniture & we had full view of these below us several decks. Appreciated full-length mirror and room decor was nice. TV channels were extremely limited (ESPN, BBC & CNN) which were not available most of the TA crossing. There were numerous Princess & movie channels. No condensed newspaper either.

Public areas - We did not utilize bars/lounges (for drinking only), Vines, International Cafe (for specialty coffees), the casino or library (reference books could not be checked out). Smoking was allowed in the casino & we passed through it occasionally & the smell was strong. Read more