The itinerary was great except the Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier were fogged in so we didn't get to visit them. The ship decor is surprisingly outdated for a ship as young as it is. The service was mostly really good but it is hard to get drinks around the pools or in the Hollywood Club area and the buffet (which only has one small drink station on each side and few waiters coming around to offer drinks). The food in the MDR is bland at best and not memorable at all. Carnival actually has better cruise food than Princess in the dining rooms.
Staterooms are comfortable with large showers and very comfy beds, pillows, and duvets.
The staff is cheerful and welcoming.
The Medallions are a great feature but the phone app definitely needs work.
The theater does offer listening devices for those who are hard of hearing but you have to talk to someone in the sound booth to get them which is not an easy task. There is no other staff to make the request of and the guest services staff doesn't have a clue about them.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Thankfully there was a porter taking bags right by our taxi. Those who didn't find one quickly had to wait in a VERY LONG line outside to drop off bags before they could check in. The check in process was smooth and the staff friendly and helpful.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food was mostly mediocre in the dining room. It lacked flavor and did not compare to USA land-based restaurant food in the slightest. The food was good quality, just not seasoned properly. The buffet food was actually better than the MDR but it was almost impossible to get drinks. There were only two drink stations in the entire buffet (one on each side) and the water or ice dispensers were broken several times during the week. Staff was friendly in the buffet when you saw them, but they were slow to clear tables (hard to get seating for a family of 6) and hardly ever offered drinks.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The pools were nice and felt spacious for a cruise ship.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Mostly good stage shows without the skimpy costumes. The chefs comedy show was more tedious than funny and the galley tour was interesting but not a lot was going on.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The majority of staff was super friendly and welcoming. Although, the onboard Effy jewelry store staff was pushy and employed hard sales tactics.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship was incredibly clean. The buffet layout however is full of constant choke points, is super confusing, and very disjointed. They really ought to offer a map to what the different food stations offer. And having to cross on seven to the very back and then go down to six for the Allegro dining room is a pain. I can't believe Princess hasn't corrected this design flaw by now. It's one of the reasons we stopped cruising them over ten years ago. The other being the tables for two in the MDR are WAY too close together to have a private conversation with just your partner.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The bathroom was tight, but sufficient for one person at a time and the shower was surprisingly large for a cruise cabin shower. The shower head was really good quality with great pressure. Plenty of storage space. However, beware of the motion activated lights...they will blind you in the night...bring dark tape to cover them up.
The beds and bedding are high quality and far superior to Royal Caribbean and Carnival's mattresses, pillows, duvets and sheets.
Ship tip
Don't waste your time trying to call guest service Accessibility Dept prior to the cruise to set up arrangements for disabled people. Nothing I tried to arrange prior to was taken care of for us.
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