We are a family of three, I am a PhD student and my parents are of retirement age. This was our first cruise with Princess in 6 years and so we expected there to be big changes from what we remember. Previously we have sailed with Princess around the Med and Norway and one cruise with P and O which we found exceptionally disappointing. This two week Mediterranean Cruise on the Sapphire Princess, however, exceeded our expectations. We shared a mini-suite with a balcony and had an absolutely fantastic time spending many blissful mornining and afternoons in the sun. The ship was in good condition and our steward was always friendly and efficient. In general the staff were always enthusiastic and helpful, particularly the dining and bar staff. There were some cut backs from what we remember- one less port of call, starters and soups part of the same course in the formal dining room, more restricted opening hours for the Horizon buffet which now closes at 11pm and less variety of evenining entertainment. These small changes however, did not affect the enjoyment of our cruise. One of the few disappointments was the exorbitant price of the shuttle at Marseille ($16 per person) which is essential as the town centre is too far to walk. Another slight disappointment was the intrusive and persistent advertising of the onboard EFFY jewellery shop. On one of the first sea days I attended one of their events and felt very lucky to win what they described as a 'surprisingly special gift' this turned out to be a mini-pen and $200 off when you spend over $600 in their store before the next day. The food in both Horizon court and the formal dining room was excellent quality, although we always ordered extra veg in the dining room to compensate for a lack of accompanying greens with main meals. We were lucky enough to watch many of the high quality onboard performances, a personal highlight for me was a performance from Gareth Gates, a film showing of the Dali-Disney collaboration 'Destino' (which Park West galleries has exclusive rights to) and the very informative art lectures. The only act I did not enjoy as much was the Magic-Escapology duo 'Amethyst' which I found outdated, rather simplistic and mildly misogynistic. The Cruise Director Duke was always the affable host with a dazzling pair of shoes and funny story every night. One of the main disappointments for us were the supposedly 'expert' destination talks from Narella. These consisted of such helpful advice including "in Italy they speak Italian" and "when they speak English they have an Italian accent'. Often we were shown photographs of outdated timetables, told an inaccurate price for a single trip (I'm sure most passengers are hoping to return to the ship) and often told to check details at the port's tourist information. She was particularly disparaging about the port of Livorno which ended up being one of our cruise highlights. The diversity of film choice in the stateroom is much improved and we took full advantage of this. Unfortunately the wifi was too slow to use but the new mobile-based system for checking stateroom accounts and daily onboard activities that doesn't require paid wifi is fantastic and very helpful. Also one of my highlights was the outside pizzeria which makes very tasty pizzas! Overall we had a very enjoyable experience and would highly recommend this cruise! Read Less

I have always wanted to go to the Mediterranean. My husband is a US Navy veteran who was stationed in the Med and told many wonderful stories about his time there. To be able to travel with him to this wonderful area was awesome and very meaningful. It was truly one of our best cruises ever. The Sapphire Princess was really great, very updated, clean and filled with an amazing crew of very caring, hard working people. We had a mini-suite- SO WORTH it as we had so many upgrades. The BEST part was the CLUB CLASS DINING room which was totally amazing! The food was totally awesome and I cannot say enough about the amazing wait staff. By day 2 they knew our names, new our likes and needs and pampered us during the entire trip. It was totally worth the 6 pounds I gained! I literally cried when we had to say good by to the staff. And, to top it off, as we were leaving the ship in South Hampton one of the assistant waiters saw us and stopped to give me a hug! I urge anyone going on a Princess cruise to select a mini-suite as it is worth every penny with super services. The entertainment was very good, try to see all the shows that you can because they are excellent. The theater filled up every night and between the comics, the singers and the dancers we were well entertained. We always book our tours through the cruise line and had a great experience in every port. The reason we do this is the security of knowing that if there is an issue, they will get you back to to the ship but thankfully we had no issues. Embarkation and disembarkation were seamless. We will surely cruise with Princess again and are looking forward to our next trip. Read Less

My wife and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary. Chose the ship because of the ports and we always enjoy leaving from London. We used the ships excursions. They were wonderful. Especially the "foody" tour in Rome. The food was excellent in the dining room and good in Horizon Court. The crew was ready to assist with drinks and any thing else needed when eating in Horizon at breakfast and lunch. The rest of the crew were very friendly and helpful. The mini suite was just the right size. Daily steward attention was good and the room always looked just right. At night we attended all the production shows. They were fantastic. The individual entertainers were also very good. The ship just came our of dry dock. It look magnificent. New carpeting, upholstered chairs, TV's, tile and video boards. Took advantage of the future cruise deposit program before leaving. Upon arriving home, bored our next cruise. Couldn't wait to cruise again on a Princess ship. Read Less

The food and entertainment were excellent. The shows (including (Gareth Gates) were west end standards and the ships band were the best. A good choice of food was always available as was the ice cream, unlike P & O! We've been on most of the cruise lines before, including a previous Princess, but this has to be one of the best ships. The cabin steward, bar staff, restaurant staff, were so polite and obliging. The ship itself, although built in 2004, had obviously had a recent update. The bed in our cabin was king size and very comfortable. The only negative thing I could find was the choice of beers! All lager types apart from Bass (brewed in USA!!!) and the tasteless John Smiths and Boddingtons. Here's where P & O score points as they have a good choice of British Beers. Princess, take note!!! Definitely go with Princess again though. Read Less

C116 inside cabin. Great quality of food, great entertainment. Cabin fantastic and quiet. I’ve done lots of Disney and Royal Caribbean. This was far better than expected. Great value. The food was of the highest order. Embarkation and disembarkation was quick and painless. The staff were all lovely. I didn’t do any trips. The non theatre entertainment was fun with guitarist singers quizzes. Gareth gates did a show! He was excellent. The in room entertainment was comprehensive with films and tv series. The cabin didn’t have a sofa , which was no loss to us. A huge walk in wardrobe space, I’ve never had so much room. The cabin attendant was invisible, but the room was always tidied in between our visits. He had a great name of Bambang. He did an excellent job. The waitress Pra-on did a splendid job in international dining room. I can’t recommend highly enough. Read Less

We chose this cruise - days Guernsey and Atlantic coast as a short break. Sapphire Princess had just returned from Asia and this was the first cruise of the year out of Southampton. Embarkation was trouble free and cabin ready on boarding. We had a balcony on Baja deck, which was medium sized with a decent balcony. The ship had recently been refurnished and looked pretty good, We were lucky with the weather so able to use the sunbathing deck most days. Easy to get a sun bed - though the Conservatory sun beds seemed to be reserved every day. The food was first class and service usual Princess excellent standard. We had Anytime DIning and I have to say it needs improving a great deal. We had difficulty booking a table for 7.45pm for 2 and were always offered 5.45 and had to be quite insistent to get a slot later. They don't seem to like people having tables for 2 and ALWAYS tried to get you to share, whilst we were happy to do this at breakfast we really prefer to sit by ourselves for dinner and we had to push this. If you just turned up for dinner without booking, you were told you could only have a sharing table unless you were prepared to wait up to 40 mins. Not really acceptable, RCI and NCL have this off to a fine art and Princess need to do better here. Breakfast in the International Dining room was very good and although we didn't use the buffet much, it looked to be pretty good. Entertainment was good on the whole, but the production shows were as usual cheesy! Mostly Brits on this cruise and over 50s to a great extent. Ports were good, La Rochelle was substituted for Le Verdun due to a French strike, but in fact it was a very nice walkable port, Disembarkation was easy and well organised. We had been away from Princess for a while, but will definitely use them again soon - hopefully Anytime Dining will be much improved!! Read Less

I was sad that I live in the British Isles and rarely visit places closer to home, so thought that this would be a great and economic way to see lots of places in Ireland and scotland in one go. Plus the cruise also stops in northern France (Le Havre) as well as the Channel Island Guernsey - although because this is a tender port our cruise didn't stop there as the sea was too rough. The places visited were awseome. Loved Dublin and in particular Belfast - I did an all-day ship excursion along the Antrim Coast to Giant's Causeway and then crossed the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge which was scary but fun. Plus from Invergordon (Inverness) I visited the loch ness, which I've always wanted to see. I loved Royal Princess. It was even warm enough to sunbathe on the Lido Deck and because everyone else was out in port all day, if I was on the ship and only did a half day then I tended to have the pool to myself. Here you can see everything I'm talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEcBvlGQRhU I thought the food was good too. Horizon Court was good and there was always something I fancied eating. Unlike most people I'm sure, I wasn't a major fan of the huge new area dedicated to cakes/desserts - I'd have preferred to see more savoury options. The Symphony main dining room was nice, but not outstanding (in my opinion) and I've had better food on Princess cruises before, but I did eat two sensational meals in the speciality restaurants: at Crown Grill (the filet mignon is superb) and Sabatini's too. I also learned that there is a 'summer sangria' drink - ie. a white wine sangria - something I'd never heard of before! And do make use of International Café on Deck 5. I have never used this café so much before, but their coffees are excellent (you do have to pay extra) and they also do a lovely range of salads and soups that AREN'T in Horizon Court which are nice for lunch. You don't have to worry about getting a table and it's not fraught and busy like Horizon Court can sometimes be. Having lunch at the International Café makes it a nice, calm experience and because there's not too much choice you wont' overeat and then can enjoy your dinner more. win-win. I liked my cabin - a double balcony cabin aft on deck 11 - and it's walk-in open-style wardrobe and I especially liked the fact that the same new-release movies played on the big screen at the lido deck could be watched in cabins for free and on demand - and if you couldn't watch in one go then you could pick up where you left later. I wasn't a major fan of the clingy curtains in the shower, however, and the balcony could have been bigger. You can see what I mean here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kUgsMQ7K3I I enjoyed a couple of shows, although I never got to see the new Stephen Schwartz show which is meant to be amazing. The staff were all excellent - I was really impressed. Always smiling and always helpful - apart from the man at the Internet Café who clearly wasn't impressed at my lack of wifi understanding! But really, overall, the whole cruise was excellent and none of my above niggles made a difference to my enjoyment. Read Less

The only reason we decided to do this cruise was because it was such a fabulous bargain. I mean $398 for a balcony on a 15-night cruise ... How do you pass that up? Add in to the calculations the $250 OBC for being a veteran, and the deal got even juicier. Finally, as an extra, extra bonus, they gave us each $100 OBC for the change in itinerary. We seriously debated whether or not to do such a long cruise all by ourselves. We were concerned we would be bored. That NEVER happened! The activities were fabulous all day long ... excellent Enrichment Lecturer (a former CBS and CNN News Producer), fun game shows (even though they weren't new to us, the team made them so much fun), ballroom dance classes that were both fun AND beneficial that were taught by the best Cruise Director (Gary Golding) that we have had with ANY cruise line. We got home today and are still smiling from the wonderful 15-day experience. We enjoyed the ports we went to, even though there were only 4 of them. However, our onboard experiences and our new cruise buddies made this one of our very best cruises ever! Read Less

Many people cancelled this cruise when it was announced that the ship had a propulsion problem and would be traveling slower. They also changed the itinerary to accommodate this reduced speed. But I have to say that you really missed out on a wonderful cruise. We never had any mechanical problems and the ports were good, and the staff, food , entertainment, etc. were outstanding. We traveled at 18 knots which certainly was not a snails pace. The sea was also relatively calm. I was nervous after reading so many cruise critic opinions that this was a sick ship and could get stuck in the middle of the ocean. But there was never any problem at all. So those of us who stuck with the ship and the cruise were very happy and enjoyed a great cruise. Many of us were also treated well by being given a nice cabin upgrade. Thank you Princess for this and for the cash bonus. Read Less

We have been away from Princess for a while. Ours was the British Isles cruise not the transatlantic. We booked through Online Vacations and had 2 nights in London then on to the Caribbean Princess. The transfers worked well, embarkation was a snap. Lunch at the Market Place. A few noticeable changes were silverware in bins on the table and tableside service for all drinks (or anything else you might need). It was very efficient and all the crew was helpful and friendly. Our cabin was a BD (balcony). We would have liked a little more seating in the cabin but the storage was very good. The muster drill went quickly and we were off. We missed our first port of call due to rough seas. Guernsey is a tender port and it was pretty rough. We had anytime dining and rarely had to wait longer than a few minutes for a table. We always enjoy meeting different folks so anytime dining works best for us. The food was as we expected. The staff was very accommodating when we asked for anything. Because this was such a port intensive cruise, we didn't go to many of the shows but we didn't hear any complaints. Most of the people we talked to enjoyed the production shows very much and were very complimentary of the talent. We booked most of our excursions through Princess and were mostly satisfied. There were local people who came aboard when we were in port to give information about getting around the area. For some ports, there was a port talk given by a person familiar with the ports. He was a very interesting speaker. Most of the guides were very good and provided a lot of history about the places we visited. We enjoyed visiting Skywalkers in the evening for a pre-dinner drink. The staff was so inviting, we went there most evenings. Disembarkation was probably one of the best we have ever had. It was so organized there was no confusion finding our luggage. We came away from this cruise with new friends and pleasant memories. Read Less

Itinerary included Iceland and Halifax! Loved our ports and excursions. Not fond of the escargot served to me....totally messed up! There were some nights the dining room menu did not offer beef.... Princess Pop choir had 52 passengers. Thanks to our Princess Pop choir leader Melanie from England! It was alot of fun meeting other choir members, becoming friends and singing with them! Our free Elite wine tasting and the Pop choir champagne celebrating party we missed because they were scheduled during Bingo! :( Embarkation and Disembarkation was smooth and effortless. Round trip air price through Princess EZ air SFO - London and NYC to SFO totaled $672. After landing in Heathrow airport we gathered our luggage, bought a coach ticket to Southampton for an overnight stay before board the ship 9/2/2017. Highly recommend the coach! Would love returning to Iceland again to explore more on a future Princess cruise! Read Less

My wife & I ( Both of us 75 now) have used many other cruise lines in the past, including Princess ,However this trip was one of the best ever. Beginning with the prearranged flight ,transfer to the ship ,Boarding the ship was easy & efficient . On board experience was also convenient & all the staff was pleasant & very helpful to our requests .The stateroom with the balcony was delightful,& the bed was extremely comfortable. The variety of food was the best & tasteful ,then on to the shows that were as good as Broadway .So being so comfortable in the stateroom it was difficult getting up early for the tour buses :o) Every tour we took from all the ports were great, (except one day was windy with driving rain ) but they made it the best they could. All in all the cruise was very memorable & we would recommend the Caribbean Princess to the British Isles to anyone, for a Great experience of their lives ! Read Less

Booked this cruise in October 2016. Then started reading the reviews every week. They overall were not good. Started to make me nervous, wondered if I had made a bad choice. The reviews were so far from the the truth! I could not have been more pleased! The ship was beautiful, clean and fun! Our cabin Baja 340 interior cabin midship was great! Very clean and quiet. Close to the elevators and laundry room. This is a very port intensive cruise. What we did in our cabin was sleep and get ready for the days adventure, didn't miss a window or balcony in the least!!!! We had anytime dining we went to the Coral dining room every night at 7:30pm. Our waiter Leandro was superb! very friendly and professional. We had table 308, table for 4 in a quite corner of the dinning room overlooking the ocean. We also experienced "The Chef's Table" an amazing foodie event! You call the dining line the minute you board (can't book in advance) tell them you would like to be chosen for this event, then you wait a day or two to find out if are one of the lucky winners! Only 10 people at this event. Appetizers with the executive Chef in the galley with free flowing champagne then off to an incredible 5 or 6 coarse meal with wine parings for each coarse!! The cost was $95.00 per person worth every cent! received all the food and wine plus a professional picture of the group, a red rose for the ladies and a Princess cruise cookbook. This was the first time I have done this and hope I have the chance to do it on all my future cruises! To be honest I never went to any shows after dinner was just to tired and I looked forward to getting into what can only be described as one of the most luxurious beds I have ever slept in! We had excellent service everywhere on the ship! Room service every morning for coffee served by Katherine. Our room attendant Alvin was wonderful very attentive. John the bartender in the Explorer lounge was fantastic! He showed us magic tricks every night! I researched and booked all but one shore excursion through private companies. I wanted to be in small (8 or less) people groups. Each tour was better than the day before. Could not have been happier, and the cost was far less than what Princess offers for their excursions. Always returned to the ship in plenty of time for departure with no stress! If any one is interested in knowing what tour companies I used please ask happy to share!! I could go on and on......Had a fantastic time would do the entire trip again tomorrow!!! Read Less

Just back from our British Isles and London experience. The Ship: We opted for an inside cabin due to overbooking of balcony's by Princess and rec'd full refund. Inside cabin worked fine for this itinerary as there were only 2 real sea days out of 12. Thought the food in the Steak Specialty Dining and regular dining was very good most days. Lot's of options. Princess has also upgraded the buffet. Did not care for the BBQ venue - nothing special. Gym was well equiped. Service was superb by dining staff, room attendant and lounges. Entertainment was very good with the exception of the comedian. Beattles cover band - good and Mr Funch in the lounge were exceptional. We booked our own private tours. Dis-imbarkment was never an issue. Tendor ports - we went to the designated dining rooms for a "tender ticket" at 7 am nd were off the ship within 15 minutes. All the ports offered interesting experiences. Really enjoyed going to St Andrews Golf Course, Military Tatoo, we opted to go to Honflouer near Le Harve instead of Normandy. Belfast was very interesting and we learned alot about the past and also current conditions and tensions. Overall a great Itinerary and Shipboard experience. Read Less

Loved the itinery- going right up to North Cape was very special; especially as most days the weather was good. First time on Princess; would rank her just below Celebrity but on a par with Royal Carribean. Only disappointment was some of the entertainment with the exception of the "Encore" show on the last night which was amazing. The visiting soprano had a stunning voice and the four princess singers also sang their socks off! The Rat pack show was also great. Prima Strings were very talented. The cabin (interior on Alloha deck) was fine- with a large walk in wardrobe with plenty of space. Very clean. Horizon and Caribe buffets were very calm and had nice ranges of food. Anytime dining worked well for us and we didn't wait long as we were willing to share tables. Clientele on ship were older so the "night life" was quiet- felt sorry for the band who would sometimes play to very small audiences! We had no problems with trips but I believe there was an issue in Gerainger getting people off on tender. Guy in charge of entertainment was very witty and the Captain very personable!! Read Less

We chose this cruise because it visited the fjords and other ports in Norway up to the North Cape. Embarkation was the smoothest and fastest we have ever experienced and same was true for disembarkation. The ship looked fine to us, yes it needs some updating but not a big deal. We were in one of the few mini-suites that had a roof, aft on Emerald deck (E721). The cabin was great! I worried about vibration, excessive movement, or noise from Club Fusion below --- none of my fears materialized. The Main Dining experience was excellent. Our Server and Assistant were friendly, jovial and quick to discern if we did not like our selection and to offer something different. This is the first cruise where we looked forward to the delicious meals each night. The buffet was OK but what made it special was the smiling friendly service. Immediately upon sitting down, we were asked if we wanted something to drink. Unlike other cruise lines that make you go to the drink station yourself. The Int'l cafe on Deck 5 was a favorite option if the buffet was crowded. Room Service was great for breakfast or lunch. Service throughout the ship was stellar and we were always greeted with a friendly smile and hello when we passed a crew member. This was a port intensive itinerary, only 4 sea days out of 14, so we did not take part in the daily entertainment. The evening entertainment could use improvement and more variety. The ports were absolutely great. We visited the main fjords, other small towns up the coast of Norway to the North Cape. It was beautiful and fun. We did the ports on our own or with local tour companies rather than Princess. In most cases the prices were much less than Princess charged. It pays to do research about the ports before this cruise. We downloaded maps and our own info. Princess does not really give you a lot of detail about the port since they seem to want you to do their tours. The town maps they provided were not useful or clear. We probably would not go again (once in a lifetime thing) but definitely would recommend this cruise to others. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it was the one that included the Edinburgh tattoo. We flew to London 3 days prior to the cruise and were able to enjoy many of the must see attractions. The transfer to the ship was arranged through Princess and went smoothly. The ship, although several years old, is in good shape after going through a recent refit. The cabins are what you might expect, however the beds have been upgraded and are extremely comfortable. We chose traditional dining in order to be able to take in the early shows. I found the menu very good and the food excellent. Several of the evening shows used local talent which added the variety of the entertainment. As usual, with Princess, we found the service to be top notch especially Hedy our stateroom steward who when above and beyond. As I had never been to the British Isles before I found all the Ports of Call very interesting and enjoyed several shore excursions especially a trip to Juno Beach the Canadian D-Day landing site and the tattoo which I was able to cross of my bucket list. All in all a busy itinerary but well worth it. Read Less

I chose this cruise for 2 reasons. First to celebrate my 60th birthday and secondly because of the itinerary. There were 7 people in our party. From previous reviews of this ship we were expecting to board an old, tired ship with poor food. Well, my experience couldn't be further away from that and was very happy with the whole experience. My wife and I had an unobstructed ocean view cabin which was exactly as described. Plenty of storage room to unpack everything with plenty of room to move about the cabin, Shower was small however more than adequate for one person at a time, The bed was the most comfortable bed we had ever slept in. We really only spent time in the cabin to sleep as we were off the ship most days visiting ports or experiencing the activities on board. We only went to one of the specialty restaurants on one night. That was Sabatini's on the day of my birthday. The food was fantastic and well worth the $25 per head surcharge. Other nights we alternated between the buffet and the main dining room. The food and service in the dining room was top notch with a good selection of meals. The buffet was what you would expect however the selection was enough to satisfy. We ate breakfast each morning in the buffet and were more that satisfied with the quality and selection. Embarkation and disembarkation were both smooth and easy. We opted to disembark on our own as we were staying in the UK for a few more days and didn't have flights to meet. Entertainment and activities met our needs and the Cruise Director and his staff did a good job. Because of the itinerary the cruise attracted an older age group. It certainly wasn't a party cruise. Quiet often we were the only ones left to watch bands and singers as everyone else had gone to bed. 10pm was bedtime for most. The performers described there last sessions as paid rehearsals which we didn't mind and they appreciated our support. There were some great shows in the theatre which were well patronised and full at least 20 minutes before showtime, Read Less

First of all our travel director made all of the arrangements for this cruise, there was a group of 42 of us. Sandy did everything, all we had to do was show up at appointed times and we were whisked away from our comfortable cabins and into the British countryside. Our on board experiences were what we expected, food was mostly first rate, shopping with shipboard credit was fun, attending the art auctions is always a hoot, the service was always impeccable, and the entertainment (shows) were not so bad, either. Sandy had personally arranged all of our port excursions independent of the ship so we were well taken care of and never missed a departure time. The only thing is that independent vendors can't pick up or deliver close to the ship as those who contract with Princess, however the many dollars saved more than makes up for the few extra steps. Our cabin had a surprisingly large balcony, otherwise it was typical of Princess. Read Less

Having sailed with princess on five previous cruises, there was no contest as to which cruise line we would choose again! We sailed from Southampton to the Western Med and thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. Result? We're booked again on the Crown Princess out of Rome/Civitaveccia (?) late July 2018 sailing in the Southern Med. Looking forward to seeing the 'upgrades' to the Crown! As far as the food was concerned, we generally enjoyed all but the 'Salty Dog.' But then again we aren't 'drinkers,' so maybe our experience of the 'Salty Dog' was biased. The entertainment in the Princess Theater was up to the standard we had come to expect. The only "bad" experience we had was a trip we had booked by train to Rome, and the tour operator 'botched' the whole thing, which resulted in us not actually going in to Rome. But Princess was very generous in reimbursing us for the full price of the excursion PLUS an additional amount for onboard credit. Read Less

Princess has always delivered consistently good service and this Mediterranean Adventure was no exception. We've sailed on Crown before as well as Caribbean and Grand Princesses and the ship was familiar enough to feel comfortable but slightly different in some aspects from her sisters to make the experience just as refreshing. We are low demanding customers so found the service excellent by our standards. Food was 1st class in all areas, entertainment actually better than our last cruise in 2015 and although the itinerary was exactly the same, the choice of tours at the various ports of call meant there was always something different to do. There was the usual one or two complaining about sunbed hogging and to my astonishment one lady turned her nose up at the Horizon Court Buffet one night saying there was nothing there she liked. Out of interest I went round and counted over a dozen different hot meat or fish main dishes with enough vegetable/potato/rice variations to probably put together over a 100 different meal combinations; not to mention the salads, cold meats and fish and fruit options. At 11 years old the Crown is a seasoned ship, not brand spanking new and no doubt ships built in the last 3 or 4 years will be far more advanced in facilities and decor styling. But this for my personal needs is what I want; it is clean, stylish and real feels like a proper cruise ship should, more than a floating hotel. We've put down a future cruise deposit with Princess but it looks like our next trip will be on the Sapphire or Regal. We'll miss not sailing on the Grand Class - long may they reign. Read Less

Just got back from a 14 day cruise from Southampton round the Med on Crown Princess. All we can say is we had a great time. We did hear a number of moans but it was difficult to understand why. - our only "complaints" were that LOVE BOAT wasnt played on the siren as we were leaving Ports and in the trivia comps some of the office answers were wrong. As usual though the Princess excursions are expensive, most places we called at it was very easy arranging our own, especially Rome , Florence and Gibraltar - the best port we called at. Food was great although a little limited on the veggie option. The ship did seem crowded though, we've been on several Princess cruises before and never been on one as packed as this, probably due to there being 950 + children on board. Come on parents start being responsible for the behaviour of YOUR children....... ( the swimming pools were shut twice due to "accidents"..... ) To be honest in places the ship does seem to be in need of a refit but apparantely this is happening in March. The shows were much better than previous ones, We always felt Princess fell short in the theatre dept but this was quite different and the last nights shows, "Last night of the Proms" in the piazza and "Royal variety performance" in the theatre really were good, and by far the best we have see We had a mini suite and it was VERY COMFY. in Weve been on P and O ( never again ) and Celebrity but in our view no one does it like Princess.. Read Less

first ever sailing from Southampton for a group of 8, I was dreading the bay of Biscay as friends have had bad crossings there, it was fine going and like a mill pond on return trip. In fact the English channel was the bumpy ride going out to Barcelona. Food & service were up to Princess' high standards, cleanliness is second to none and the staff are very polite (even in the early hours ). Botticelli dining room was our assigned venue, waiter was called Rocky, from Goa; absolute gentleman; knew what drinks to have ready at the table, where we all sat and I relied on him to choose the evenings recommended meals (all meals were excellent). he was managing 3 or 4 tables around us and was rushing around like a blur until you said his name!! and then he would take an order and have it presented at the table in no time, in the 2 weeks he made no mistakes with our table. we only got back on saturday evening and are looking forward to another cruise next year, possibly the carribean (the wife says so). Read Less

Since we had never been to the British Isles and have cruised Princess several times, it was an easy decision to choose this cruise. After the numerous negative reviews of the Caribbean Princess, I had some trepidation prior to boarding. Thankfully we experienced almost none of the issues reported by others and thoroughly enjoyed our time on the ship. For the first time, we did not select a balcony cabin and choose an Oceanview instead. For us, this turned out to be fine as the weather precluded balcony use, and the cabin was booth roomy enough for the two of us and in fine condition. The only negative item was the fluctuating water temperature in the shower, which was a minor annoyance. The new queen mattress was wonderful, both supportive and comfortable (in fact I wouldn’t mind replacing my home mattress with the same model). Our cabin attendant, Anthony was personable and efficient handling rental tuxedo alterations and laundry requests in a timely manner. We always choose Anytime Dining and enjoy meeting fellow passengers so we never waited for a table in the main dining room. The menu selections were to our satisfaction (and served at the appropriate temperature) and with only a couple exceptions delivered in a timely manner. Not being big eaters, we found the portions just right, allowing us to enjoy the desserts (which were delicious) without feeling overstuffed. The dining room staff was courteous and we enjoyed many joking interactions with them and our table mates. This was the “oldest” cruise we’ve been on (more so than Alaska or the Mediterranean) and perhaps that was why the Princess Theater filled up so quickly for the Production and other shows. With a 6 pm dinner, if you weren’t at the theater by 7:20 or so for the 8:15 show, you couldn’t find decent seating. In fact we had to attend a couple Explorer’s Lounge “Live Broadcasts” from the theater when we ran late. We did find the late shows (10:15 pm) easy to attend with much smaller crowds. The quality of the Princess singers and dancers was superb, maybe the best we’ve seen. Of all the shows, Bravo stood out, enhanced by a local singer with a wonderful operatic voice. We also spent many hours in Crooners enjoying Paul Burton’s piano/vocal talent and witty commentary. With such a “port intensive” schedule, the sea days were much appreciated and we relaxed poolside or in Skywalkers or watched a movie. As usual, Princess handled the embarkation/disembarkation process smoothly and proficiently. A wonderful cruise experience shared with some memorable acquaintances and new friends. Read Less

We chose this cruise based on itinerary: we wanted to visit Scotland and Northern Ireland. We enjoyed those ports immensely, and wished we had several days to spend at each! The ship was beautiful, our mini-suite was very comfortable, and service was outstanding. We had "club class dining" due to our selection of a mid-ship mini-suite, and it was very nice: we never had to wait for a seat, and the waitstaff knew our names and preferences by the first day. There was always a special main course offered in club class (not on the regular menu); twice it was lobster, other times tuna steak or beef steaks. We enjoyed afternoon tea on the days we were onboard in time. We really wished we'd been in port longer for Glasgow and Edinburgh; there is so much to see in each! The only bad experience of the entire trip was tendering back from St Peter Port,Guernsey - for some reason, lines were 2 hours long in the hot sun. Princess either needs to figure this out or drop this port. We observed that the entertainment was excellent if it was an invited act brought onboard, but the Princess dancers/singers were rather disappointing - with the exception of the Bravo show, which was very good. We are DIY travelers, so did not use any of the Princess excursions; for most of these ports, we simply took the bus/train into the city and explored on our own. In Kirkwall we took a tour with Orkney Aspects to Skara Brae, Maeshowe, and the Ring of Brodgar, and included a delightful local lunch - it was pricey but well worth it - definitely a highlight of the trip! Read Less