My parents and I chose this cruise because of the enticing marketing brochure we received in the mail. It was a disaster the first day -- at embarkation. While there was a looming storm, the embarkation staff and procedures were a nightmare. No one could give us any accurate information on when embarkation was to begin. We were advised early on that we had to be at the dock by noon to check luggage and get settled. Well, five hours later, we are all like caged animals in the waiting room that must have been over 100 degrees with thousands of passengers waiting. There was no airconditioning and the Princess staff didn't even offer any courtesy water to drink or anything. We could not go out of the pier because embarkation could start anytime -- again, no one could give us any definite time. My 81-year old parents were both disabled and this cruise ship is not the friendliest to disabled people at all. At embarkation, there were no available wheel chairs until we got into the ship already. Next, they nickel and dime you for everything -- from wifi, which is free on most cruises we've been to; to bottled water -- in the room, in the dining areas! It would have been better if Princess just charged for everything upfront with the package than charging extra for everything. Also, their shuttle buses from the ship to the town center of various ports were quite expensive. Again, this is usually a courtesy-free service with other cruise lines. The only saving grace of the cruise was the food and the staff. The staff was excellent especially the dining staff and the food was excellent as well. It was also chaos at disembarkation in Yokohama. The line at the customer service desk was so long and they were short-staffed. It took us another two hours before we were able to disembark. I had a very bad incident at the lobby bar. I had ordered a VIRGIN drink as I am highly allergic to alcohol. The people around us all heard me clearly when I asked the wait staff to make sure and ask the bar tender to mix a non-alcoholic beverage. Those around me were teasing me about being always the "designated driver". When my drink arrived, it was spiked with alcohol. I went into anaphylactic shock and had to be rushed to the ship's infirmary were I was given high doses of anti-histamine. I didn't have my epi-pen handy at that time. I didn't like the fact that the waiter lied and continuously lied about my ordering a non-alcoholic beverage when he said he would ask the bar tender if it was possible to order my drink as a non-alcoholic beverage. The tours were also expensive and not worth the money we paid for the tours. Read Less

I have a disabled adult daughter who had studied Japanese at the U of Illinois and ever since had wanted to visit Japan. I chose a cruise as I knew the bathroom facilities in the accessible cabins would fit her needs. I took a chance and did 4 nights in Tokyo first and this worked out very well. I used a company, Inside Japan, and highly recommend them. This was my 14th Princess cruise. My disappointment was that for all intents and purposes we were on a Caribbean cruise. Yes, there were a fair number of Japanese and Japanese food available, but that was it. My wife said she could not find the first Japanese item in the gift shop. Entertainment was very good, but the same as usual. It would seem that Princess would want to feature some Asian culture. Nothing in the ship's decor said Asia and this ship I believe stays in that market all the time. When I spoke with a Princess customer relations persons after the cruise, she said that the customer base thought it was too much Asian. Thinking to myself, why would someone travel 6000 or so miles across the Pacific or come from Australia to take a Caribbean cruise? In terms of my disabled daughter, it was a great trip. I had to make all my own shore arrangements as she can not do steps, get on a tour bus. I got no pre-cruise help from Princess. I wanted to try and learn what to expect at the different ports. I did bring along a Japanese friend of my daughter's who served as her and our main interpreter. Read Less

I overheard a ship officer explaining to a passenger "... it doesn't matter if all 2,600 passengers onboard complain to Princess. Another 2,600 passengers will still book afterwards." ---- I will not be one of those 2,600. I was aware of the ship's age going into this sailing but still booked it, mainly due to my desire to see Japan. My last cruise with Princess was roughly 33 years ago on an Alaskan voyage. Since then, I have sailed approximately 18 times, primarily in the Caribbean on various carriers, and am 41 years of age. (I mention this as a basis for my review.) The ship... At every turn, the ship was showing it's age and signs of neglect. The exterior decks were rusty, the handrails had lost their varnish, the spas weren't working, several elevators were out of service throughout the trip, there were marks on the ceilings and walls, and the ship just smelled nasty. The cabin... We had a mini-suite on the Dolphin deck, thankfully, which gave us a bit more space. The beds were, surprisingly, extremely comfortable and offered amazing rest. The cabin felt 18 years old with the exception of the oversized LCD televisions. We had issues with the desk area creaking and popping but the carpenters were able to shim up the cabinet and quiet the noise. Overall, it was comfortable and adequate. The food... Now THIS is really where the ship disappointed! The buffet and all restaurants produced mediocre food worthy of a nursing home and nothing better. We ate in the main dining room once, out of sheer curiosity. The service was nice but the food was just boring and bland. We resorted to the Crown Grill and Sabatini's for the rest of the sailing but found the food in those venues to be the same - boring, bland, and flavorless. It was as if the food in those restaurants was produced in the same kitchen as the main dining room. The only reason we ate in the paid dining rooms was for more attentive service and better ambiance. The pizza, oddly enough, was the most flavorful and enjoyable items we ate while onboard. Every day, we chose which food or venue we disliked the least when deciding where to eat. The staff... With the exception of the purser's desk, everyone onboard truly delighted! We had an amazing cabin steward (Decilone), Dr. Maria in the Lotus Spa administered the most amazing cocktails of age defying injections, and the restaurant wait staff were attentive and pleasant. The few times I visited the purser's desk, the staff seemed miserable and never managed to crack the slightest smile. I don't blame them, however. If I had to deal with 2,600 older, grumpy people, I too would be miserable. The Ultimate Ship Tour - WELL worth the expense and *HIGHLY* recommended!! We had more fun on the ship tour than during any other event while onboard. The staff were amazing, the areas we saw were intriguing, the snacks throughout the tour were a welcomed surprise, and the goodie-bags at the end were fantastic! Entertainment... We pretty much did our own thing most evenings so I can't comment on the nightly entertainment. None of the events during the days appealed to us (Bridge, knitting, card-playing, bingo, etc). Maybe in another 30-40 years but not at this time, thanks. I would normally spend time on deck, in the warm sun, with a band playing and an adult beverage in-hand but not on this sailing, sadly (weather). In summary, the ship is old and out-dated, the Internet is painfully slow and overpriced, the food is straight from a nursing home, the nightly entertainment was mostly enjoyable. The crew was amazing, considering the ship and the grumpy passengers. Read Less

It was a good trip and nice. Some of staffs were excellent, but not all of them. Entertainment show is only provided 1 per day at the theater. (it should be twice because there are 2 of seated dining choice (5:30pm & 7:45pm). So we didn't much enjoy daily show on time, and it was too late to get seat when we got there after our dinner. We expected more menu selections especially dessert. Some shore excursions includes meals on trip but not an optional at all, not for passengers who has allergies, food restrictions/limitations, health issue &religious matters--they should've had at least vegetarian, gluten-free... Shore excursion = ok, but 1 of our 3 guided tours was not good. Our guide was not knowledgeable and less prepared. Time length of visit each place was too short, and our guide did not check 9didnot know) a museum's closing time! so that we spent only 20 minutes at a beautiful Japanese garden/museum --we ran around to take pictures!!! Read Less

Our main point in the cruise was to see more of Japan than just Tokyo. There were some really good parts of the cruise--the festival at Amori was impressive. There were also great events that Princess never bothered to put in the Patter or otherwise notify us about. For example, we learned that the biggest fireworks festival in Japan was on our "turnover" date--Princess took off and never said a word about it. Interestingly, the fireworks could be seen from the aft decks. The food was "just OK." Really, quite a disappointment from our previous Princess cruises. Dining service was good but our stateroom host was lacking. I asked for ice daily and got it once! Some of the activities were great--Japanese classes, and traditional dance. There was a traditional Japanese storyteller who did a Japanese show and a bilingual show. Unfortunately the bilingual was so popular that getting a seat was impossible. I figured I'd see it on the next leg, but they had changed entertainers and that one was only in Japanese. The "Let's dress in Yukata" activity was always full--not sure how early you had to arrive for that. I suspect the stop in Busan is legally required. It was not a good port. The first time we did an excursion which was OK. The second time we did the free bus to the International Market. Suffice it to say that I'm not likely to return to Korea. We had a few issues with HA access on the ship. There were stairs (no ramps) for embarkation at each port. Since stairs are the most difficult issue for our family member, this was bad! Also, the metal joiners in the carpet (I think they provide for shutting off watertight compartments on the ship) were shaped such that the walker couldn't be pushed over them. At each one, she had to stop and lift the walker over it. We did find a way to avoid most of these, but we've never had this issue on another ship. The HA cabin did meet all her needs. Read Less