This was a wonderful cruise and we had a great time. Even in summer, the UK and Ireland can be cloudy, damp, and chilly--pack accordingly, and if you have a balcony realize you may not use it much.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very smooth and fast.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food was very good, and presentation is wonderful. Princess has cut back on higher-end dishes; steaks are not longer available in the dining room every night. But on one of the formal nights there were grilled lobster tails on the Lido deck!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We didn't go to many--mostly the trivia contests--but we were happy to see more complementary activities (port lectures, arts & crafts) than on past Princess cruises.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Very mixed. Some were quite good, but we walked out of 2 shows after just 10 minutes...and we've never done that before.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
This is where Princess shines. The staff and service are just wonderful--soliticous and very interested in making sure we had a great time and our needs were taken care of.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Princess ships are just beautiful. The Caribbean is now older but there are virtually no signs of wear. We love the piazza atrium--always a fun place to hang out.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
I'd give our cabin 4 stars based on size and features--it was an ordinary cabin--but the new mattresses tipped it up to 5 stars. The most comfortable mattress I've had on a cruise ship.
Ship tip
If you want a quiet place to read, head to Skywalkers in the aft. It's completely quiet--no Muzak--and the views and seating are terrific. Except for occasional special events, it's usually available until about 10 PM when it turns into a disco.
We went to Titanic Belfast which was awesome--one of the best museums we've ever seen. We liked what we saw of Belfast--clearly trying to make itself into a tourist destination.
We took the train into Glasgow and did our own walking tour of the architecture, which is amazing. The city is hilly but very clean. We'd like to come back here.
We walked around Invergordon, then took the train into Inverness, walked around, and had lunch. Both nice and clean, though Invergordon has a lot of vacant storefronts. If you're not interested in seeing Loch Ness and don't want a full-day excursion, your options are limited.
Very frustrating and time-consuming to use tenders to get into South Queensferry and then take the (private) shuttle into Edinburgh, but worth it--the most amazing stop on this cruise. Fascinating and beautiful buildings. We want to come back here!
You'll spend about 6 hours on the road for 4 hours in Paris. For some, it's not worth it, but we had a great time walking around and having a leisurely lunch at a cafe. Our bus tour guide was excellent--stopped by every passenger on the ride in to talk about what they wanted to do and answer questions.
We took the Princess shuttle to Heathrow. It was very smooth, just way too early--we left the ship at 6:30 for a 12:30 PM departure. We were at the gate about 3 hours before departure. I'd rather have slept in a bit more!
Normandy is on my wish list. I lost an Uncle on D-Day. 104th Airborne. I am named after him.
RIP - PFC Martin Irving Brown. United States Army.
GIL 155, Normandy-beaches and the American Cemetery is a very moving day. I know how I felt, I don't think I can even begin to know how your emotions will be when you make the trip.
RIP- PCF Martin Irving Brown United States Army. An American Hero!
Good review. You must not have been on the dock in Guernsey for 3 hours with hundreds of others waiting on tender. They said rough seas.
We went to Normandy beaches at the Le Harve port and it was very moving.
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