We enjoyed the trip because it was selected for the destination not the ship activities.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Princess really knows their stuff! We parked on site and was picked up by a bus and delivered right to the door entering the terminal. The Embarkation was smooth and we were boarded quickly. Our luggage was delivered quickly. I was unpacked even before the ship left dock!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food everywhere was top notch. The servers were over and above wonderful. There was a little miscommunication with our server in the Palm Dining Room, due to excessive noise (we are over an engine) but nothing major. We ate at the Steak and BBQ restaurants. Both tasted wonderful. Only complaint was WAY TOO much food. Server were very good. At the Steak Restaurant, I was charged an extra $10 for Surf and Turf. It was an extremely small Maine Lobster tail. Their dessert was great. The Buffet could get repetitive if you went for every meal, but we didn't eat there frequently enough for it to be an issue. We frequented the International Bar. It was closer to our room. It was difficult taking my dad to the buffet since we had to travel the entire length of the ship.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
The ship was at full capacity. When this happens it is difficult to use facilities unless you are outside the normal hours of people being on deck. We attempted to do things late during the late dinner times, or at night after our father went to bed. The fitness room was nice and never crowded. We never used the pools, they were always crowded. We found out several days into the cruise that you can pay an extra $160 and use the Sanctuary. There are no Rock Walls or Miniature Golf. There was an unused putting green. We tried walking on the promenade which was disappointing. You have to go up a flight of stairs to loop around the front of the ship then down. Which is not a big deal except many times it was closed. There were sections closed frequently while workers were refinishing the wood.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
We were able to do the Escape Room which was fun. My sister and I were grouped with 6 other people. We saw one performance in the theater and we stood at the door. One of our friends went to several shows but had to stand in a line for 45 minutes to an hour to ensure they had a seat. My 91 y/o can not stand for 45 minutes to attend a Cruise Show. The piano and string groups were very good. The outdoor movie was fine. We attended a couple of times. They served popcorn and pizza once. We ended up waiting for it to hit the TV a couple of days later or the theater and would watch it then. The sound was better and in the room we could put on closed captions. The Art Show was underwhelming. We attended the first one. The one and only free champagne was a mimosa. No one came around to ask if you wanted another drink (even for a fee). The art was from $500 to $40,000. There was long speeches on the art work. Which would be fine, but they had a formal discussion for an hour prior to the show. It just was long and dragged out and nothing for the average person. NOT until half way through the Cruise when they had a show for $500 and under. By then, we were done, and wouldn't go.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I was in a handicapped room. The steward was always attentive! He helped me repeatedly with the care of my elderly father. We also had very good service in all of the dining rooms. We ate frequently in the Palm and was treated well.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship was very clean. The layout was off. They remodeled the ship to get more suites, but at the cost of having a place to walk outside the gym and enjoy the sun. We would do a circle around the ship and end up turning around because every deck had a dead end.
You have to go up a flight of stairs to loop around the front of the ship then down. Many times it was closed. There were sections closed frequently while workers were refinishing the wood.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
First impression. The room is old. The bathroom looked dated. The TV was updated. The Flat screen was mounted above the original shelf and looked like it was overtaking its designated spot. But, the sound was good, and the picture was great. We watched TV frequently, the movies shown on board were repeated onto the TV channel after it was shown. We did loose channels for 2 days. The size of the room was wonderful. I needed the handicapped bath for my elderly father. Which was extremely helpful when he needed a shower or a grab bar for balance. Because it was a handicapped room, we had extra space which made the room pleasant. The deck was nice most of the time. We had a couple of windy days where you could not use it, and a couple of days where it was way too hot.
The beds were wonderful!
Ship tip
We went for the destination. NOT the Ship. The food it great. The service is great. The beds are great. BUT, it is a small ship. Bring a book or cards because it is difficult to do shipboard activities.
We didn't go on shore. It was a tender and there was only beach activities. Friends went on shore and laid in the sun. They said the shore was rocky due to low tide. My brother in law fished and quit after 45 minutes. He was soaked and not catching anything.
We did a hop on hop off. We have done this in several locations. This did not work. We only had enough time to get on and off at one stop. We chose the Fort. Promptly mobbed by people selling cheap trinkets. The fort was OK, but again, entering the first loop we were approached by more people selling stuff. We then re-boarded the bus. Went around the loop took some pictures. Would have liked to get off for pictures, but there was not enough time left. This is a full day activity to do at your leisure, and you are given half a day.
Truly wonderful. I was up early and took pictures from my balcony. We were on the port side and it was cool under the balcony. The other side complained it was hot. We then stayed on board. The stop in the lake was too uncomfortable to sit on the balcony, you could cut the air with a knife. When we returned through the locks, we walked around the promenade and took pictures which was enjoyable. People got back on after their excursions and looked wilted.
High winds kept us from docking. Which was disappointing since this was a main stop for off ship activities. The ship staff had to scramble to entertain everyone since we were now at sea again.
It was fine. We did a bus tour. We didn't get our first, second or third choice. But, the driver was good. Missed a lot of good pictures due to being on the wrong side of the bus. On the return, still didn't get pictures since he took a short cut back to the ship. But, he did not rush us at the stops. We stopped at the Turtle Haven which was fun, then Hell (tourist thing), and got off to do a Semi Submerged Boat ride.
We had a wheelchair. Went to a special dining hall. Got off with the help of a porter and a Cruise Staff who pushed the chair. Breezed out in no time at all.
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