Looking for an easy and relaxing getaway, we decided on this 5-day cruise to Cabo San Lucas to celebrate our anniversary for several reasons. Living in Northern California, the drive to LA meant no airports, most of the cruise was at sea with only one port...perfect! We drove to LA a day early and had a great overnight stay at the Crowne Plaza, which is literally within walking distance from the port/ship. Embarkation was smooth and relatively quick. I really appreciated the many, many port agents there to point everyone in the right direction. The ship is beautiful...great decor, fairly easy to navigate, nice public rooms and very clean. We did the Anytime dining and ate in the Horizon Court for breakfast and lunch, dinner in the Main Dining Rooms, Michelangelo and Da Vinci. Food is average, especially in the Horizon Court. The Main Dining Rooms waite staff appeared overwhelmed and rushed which might explain why it took so long to be served. But they were gracious and apologetic. My biggest complaint was being told that tables for two were for Suite passengers...not good. We did get a table for two the last night of the cruise...guess late is better than never. Speciality dining in the Crown Grill was the very best...great ambience, good food and service. We had room service for breakfast two mornings. It was always on time and complete. The public rooms are inviting and comfortable. Our favorites were the Skywalkers, a quiet daytime hideaway with magnificent views, and the Adagio for jazz and a cocktail after dinner. The Piazza is beautiful and has lots to offer, shopping, food, bars and entertainment. We tendered at Cabo. The process was impressive and easy. We were assigned staging areas in public rooms and given numbers. We simply waited until our numbers were called and proceeded to the tenders...no long lines of pushing and shoving. Disembarkation was also smooth and easy. Like the tender process, we were assigned groups and a public room, depending on the time you pre-selected to disembark, where we waited until our group was called. Again, no long lines and we were off early. Read Less

Embarkation when very smoothly we booked the princess bus from Victoria st station which was very close to our hotel and a great price. On arrival in Southampton our luggage was taken on board and walked straight into checkin. It took about 15mins and we were on board the beautiful Emerald princess. Our cabin which we had chosen on deck 5 interior was clean tidy and one of our best picks so far. Close to the international cafe where we had breaky most morning and fantastic coffee with our coffee card which is a bargain when used correctly. Most evening we used the dining(anytime)room we had great service and always seated within 5mins of arrival. Food was fantastic and staff excellent. Occasionally we used Horizon Court for dinner if we were late back from a trip ashore or stayed on deck for sail aways. Food was good but like all food not the best when cooked and left to sit. We had hamburgers and chips at the grill and enjoyed them. We went to the Share dinning which was fantastic and worth the extra cost. We also went to the Crab Shack and enjoyed this also. Entertainment was good but not great. But British American and Australian humor is very different. but we did enjoy Arny G in crooners bar. Ports were great a bit of an uproar over the Indian Visa but what we have to remember princess did not make any money from this it was the Indian Gov . Princess gave us the correct advise as per gov regulations. Did not do any shore excursions with princess as they are over priced and over loaded. Read Less

We joined this 4 nations cruise in Dubai after a 2 night stay and were on the Emerald for 10 days disembarking in Singapore. Embarkation was very smooth and we were aboard before we knew it. We chose this segment as it was an offer and we felt the price was very reasonable. We had only 2 ports India and Thailand but with a couple of days in Dubai and Singapore at either end of our cruise we were happy. We had 8 sea days and really looked forward to these as often cruises are very busy and you don’t actually get time to enjoy the ship or relax which we both needed to do. We were not disappointed and had a fabulous time. We had a balcony cabin (just what the deal offered) and as usual whilst it’s great to have a balcony we don’t spend a lot of time on it. The fact that it was a furnace for most of the afternoon was one of the reasons. You will read about the Indian Visa debacle on other reviews and we were caught up in this also. We’d been advised by the TA on booking we could get the simpler electronic visa but this was not the case and whilst the TA paid most of the difference we also had to go through the rather stressful process, take days off work to go to the Indian Embassy, pay for special sized photos. Special postage etc. etc. – all this for a DAY in India. However we can say we have been to India and we spent a very pleasant day there. We found the Emerald Princess was lovely and have no complaints. The entertainment in the Theatre was not entirely to our taste but our expectations are that is likely to be the case as I’m sure they can’t please all of the people all of the time. There were however a couple of shows that we enjoyed. We spent most of our evenings in Crooners where there was an absolutely fabulous singer and piano player Arny Galoyo. Arny was happy to take requests and although he didn’t know a particular song requested by my partner that was special to him and his late daughter Arny went away, learned the song and sang it for him the very next night. That personal touch was wonderful and we had some great evenings in Crooners. Having paid for the drinks package, Crooners lounge with its extensive menu of Martini’s was the perfect place for my partner to relax and work his way through the 007 list. We found the food was excellent in both the MDR and the Horizon Court (as well as the Trident Grill on the odd occasion). The dining staff were attentive and nothing was any bother. A waitress noticed me saying something to my partner (my steak was a little overcooked i.e. not medium) and within seconds she had taken it away and ordered me another which came perfectly cooked although I would have just eaten the first one. We were encouraged to “try” mains as appetisers if we weren’t sure about some foods (red snapper being one of them) and not being lovers of seafood including lobster (many of our dining fellows were somewhat aghast at that) we were happily served turf and turf which was amazing. Although a little hesitant to fork out another $58 for specialty dining in the Crown Grill, we absolutely loved it. The whole meal and service was perfect and we will definitely do it again on future cruises. We had a “Wine Tasting” charge added to our account which we hadn’t done or asked for. I am sure it was just a mistake but it took the front desk some time to sort out. I know mistakes happen but I would be concerned that some of the passengers (who would probably have had extensive bills if on for the full 48 days) may well have not noticed these “slip ups”. Overall loved this cruise, love Princess as I have not been disappointed yet. Read Less

46 day Return trip from Fremantle. Had a wonderful cruise, met some lovely people who introduced us to Cruise Critic. Ship was great although was having a few issues with water leaks which the ships staff got onto straight away. She is due in for a major overhaul in the coming months. We were a little disappointed with the movies, there weren't many latest releases and we had seen most of the movies shown. The Princess tours are good although reasonably expensive. However when you only have one day in port they are the least stressful way of seeing something. We enjoyed the four tours we did and we felt they were good value. We had an inside cabin for the first time and were extremely happy with it. We left the bathroom light on at night so the room wasn't too dark. The bed was comfortable, we would definitely have an inside cabin next time to keep our costs down. The food onboard was amazing! We ate most nights in the dining room, the food is presented well, plenty of choices and you tend not to over eat! Unlike in the Horizon. The itinerary for this cruise was fantastic, loved all the ports especially Cape Town. Read Less

46 days was more than double the length of my biggest cruise. What was I going to do during some of the big 'sea day' legs of the journey. There were three legs of 7 days plus other legs of 3 and 4 days respectively. We sailed from Fremantle to Singapore; Kuala Lumpur, Penang in Malaysia; Phuket in Thailand; Cochin, Goa, Mumbai in India; the Maldives; the Seychelles; Richards Bay, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Durban in South Africa; Reunion Island and Mauritius on a circum-navigation of the Indian Ocean Being an older ship than others I have travelled on before, the cabins on Sun Princess, whilst being smaller were adequate for the journey. The restaurants assigned for dining (Regency and Marquise) were very good. Friendly and attentive staff made the dining experience enjoyable. Food quality was of a high standard. A disappointment, however, was the fixed dining times. The buffet (Horizon Court) was a disappointment. During the voyage it became known as The Horror Zone Court. Whilst the food was plentiful there was little change in the menu over the course of the 46 days. As is always in the buffets on other ships, the search for seats at all meal times can be frustrating when trying to sit with friends. Verdi's Pizzeria was a welcome change from the main restaurant dining and was an enjoyable experience. The Steakhouse at cover-charge of $20 was a disappointment. Having it as a sectioned of area of the Horizon Court did not enhance the dining experience. The Terrace Grill provided a welcome break from other dining facilities. Room Service was OK but only offered a continental breakfast. It seemed strange that if one had a Pizza delivered to their cabin there was a $3 charge yet no such charges for breakfast, lunch or dinner deliveries. Bar facilities were plentiful around the ship. Both the Princess Theatre and the Vista Lounge provided comfortable venues for the performances from the variety of entertainers performances during the 46 days. Some of the entertainers were ordinary but on the whole they provided an enjoyment for the passengers throughout the cruise The Shooting Stars night club was under- utilised which was due largely to the age of the passengers (70+ was the average). A vast array of activities was provided for the passengers as outlined in the daily Princess Patter. As is the case on all cruises internet charges are very expensive and it is understandable that because of satellite connections the service is slow and chews big chunks of time from the various price plans available, however I did find that communication by texting on my mobile was available at all times and provided a much cheaper alternative for contacting family at home. The ports of call were many and varied. With 15 ports of call you really had to plan your shore activities. The port facilities at many of them were not conducive to passenger ships because they were industrial ports. However, Princess Cruises through their port managers ensured that the safety of the passengers was paramount and ensured a safe transit for them through these very large port facilities. I did a few of the shore excursions on offer by the ship and found most them to be enjoyable but extremely over- priced for what they offered. I was very disappointed in my safari drive in Richards Bay, South Africa ($289 for a full day with lunch included). It was no more than a drive on a bitumen road through a very large animal sanctuary. As is the case on almost all cruise ships, the port lectures provided useful insights as to what to expect in the ports of call but whilst they mentioned taxis services etc. were available at the ports not enough information was forthcoming for those passengers wanting to do their own thing. Shuttle transfers in some ports when provided, were much appreciated. Teaming up with passengers I met in the course of the cruise meant that going ashore in some ports I was able to share costs of local transport. This was the case in Durban where I shared a taxi with three other people. We journeyed out to The Valley of a Thousand Hills, a spectacular setting that offered magnificent views, a safari drive and a Zulu village. We came back to the city and spent an hour and a half at the Botanical gardens then a great lunch on the waterfront. All this for 200 Rand (approxiamately $30 per person. The best part of the day for a lot less than anything offered by Sun Princess. In all the ports of call all offered something different and many a fond memory will remain with me forever like my visit to Robben Island off Cape Town. Here Nelson Mandela was held captive for 27 years. The ports we visited in India were eye-openers. Chaos reigns supreme. Crowds, poverty, wealth, filth and beauty. It was all before your eyes and very hard to take in the one day in each port. The islands we visited are each impresive in their individual ways, beautiful scenery and beaches, bustling towns, great food and friendly people. I have yet to be on a cruise where I have had to say anything negative about a ship's staff. As always they were very friendly, helpful and polite in all areas of the ship. The one negative however, was that I was extremely disappointed with the Cruise Director. As the person responsible for the on-board entertainment and activities I feel he missed the mark with some of the scheduling of programs on the Movies Under the Stars facility. An awful lot of concert programs were run and re-run many times but attracted very few watchers as they were of artists such as Christine Aguilera, U2, The Killers etc. ,hardly the type suited for the passenger age group. The sailing back to Fremantle over a 7 day sea leg from Mauritius seemed to go very quick and after the 46 days of our journey I didn't want to get off. All in all it was a wonderful cruise with many highlights. I think I can get used to longer cruises. Maybe I will do a world Cruise one day! Read Less