Princess Cruises

Best for

Princess appeals to families and couples looking for a quality, midpriced experience; longer sailings draw a mostly 50s+ crowd.

Not for

Party animals and singles looking to mingle should go elsewhere — with the exception of new, shorter cruises (three- and four-night sailings out of LA, for example) that attract a young crowd.

We love

• Princess Captains were the first to officially marry couples onboard (due to Bermuda registry), and some ships even have a chapel.
• Many (often complimentary) classes, which range from computers to pottery, are available.
• New movie releases are played poolside on LED screens — with free popcorn.
• Princess offers both traditional (early/late sittings with assigned tables) and modern (eat anytime, anywhere) dining options.
• Elegant deck designs include a glass-bottomed “SeaWalk,” which juts out 28 feet beyond the edge of the new Royal Princess, and lovely wraparound teak decks on most other ships.
• Supervised kids’ activities include lots of learning options, from “Science on the Seas” (developed with the California Science Center) to yoga.
• Sign up for the behind-the-scenes ship tour ($150 each, chosen via lottery) to see the engine room, bridge, and other off-limits areas.
• The outdoor swim-against-the-tide lap pool on the Grand-class ships is a cool way to exercise.

We could live without

• The tiered cabin design on half of Princess' ships means your upstairs neighbor can look down onto your balcony, putting the kibosh on privacy.  
• There’s a surprising lack of child care for the under-3 crowd.