Overall this was a great time for our family. we were able to bring our two older sons with us for the first time, and they had not cruised before. They thoroughly enjoyed it, and had no preconceived notions, so for them it was great as well. We all had a wonderful time, and enjoyed all of our ports together. For my wife and I, we had been there 2 times previously, but our sons had not been to Alaska. They especially loved it.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
after all of the necessary paperwork, copies and tests, Canada requirements, it went smoothly at the ship
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Main Dining was very nice, and the food was of good quality. Disappointed that there were only 2 specialty restaurants, and they were OK. the morning buffet was a real disappointment. I know that cruises are going to be forever changed from the Covid crisis. Previous cruises had such a wonderful buffet of hot foods, and fresh fruits. This time I did not expect much, and indeed I was right. The presentation was really pitiful...in small dishes, and all cold. Looked like it had been sitting out for days. Every morning my eggs were cold, as I was not going to get in a long line for a cooked egg. Only one line, and it took some time to even find it. I am not picky at all, and it was OK for breakfast, but I never went there for lunch or dinner. The selection has definitely changed to more "filler" food, that is cheaper, and fills you up, but nothing special to eat. Very disappointed. We love Princess, and will be back of course, but with far less expectations and understanding that the service is still good, but the food is not as good as I cook at home.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We have cruised 27 times to date, and this was much like so many others. Lots of stupid games, and things that just are stupid in our opinion. I would prefer more movies in the theater during the day, speakers that have interesting content about what matters in the world, (we get these on the more elite cruises, like Viking, Regent, etc). This ship class we do not like because they have no Library, or game room. Now understanding that covid has changed that a lot, and hopefully it will change as restrictions are lifted, but this ship does not have them anyway. We love the smaller ships, Grand, Coral, Crown, as they do have these and when they come back, it will be nice. We did love the Hydro Pools however, and all our family used that regularly. The smaller ships do not have that luxury, so there are tradeoffs as we all understand. We used the fitness center too, and that is always nice to have.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We have always been amazed at the talent that you find and present. All of the productions were fantastic, the individual entertainers were great, as we have seen them before on the Majestic. Our Cruise Director, Natalie, was on the Majestic the last trip we took, so a lot of the same things were present with her. The individual musicians were fantastic. The piano, guitar, violins, all were just wonderful. We always like that there is something to hear, and enjoy all evening.
Children's Programs
We did not bring kids.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
As always, the staff was wonderful. they were all friendly, and helpful. Our room steward, Pastor, was especially wonderful. they work SO HARD, and are always so cheerful. the dining room staff was also great. We were in different areas almost every night so we did not have the pleasure of having just one all week.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was very nice, but we do not like the larger ships. We understand that we give up some of the things bigger ships have, in order to take the smaller ships, but we like that. This ship had some nice features, like the Hydro pools, the adult pool (when you take a warm cruise), but the one thing we hate is to have to pay extra for the "quiet" and peaceful area past the adult pool. that always infuriates us, especially when we have upgraded to a mini suite, and paid more to begin with. Seems like there are always changes we see on every cruise, and it is to squeeze more money out of us.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We will only sail with a mini suite or higher now, as it is a bit more room.
Ship tip
Do not expect many specialty restaurants, especially no Asian. Also, if the like to have access to a Library or game room, there are none.
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