We had a great time & plan to do it again next April.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very smooth. This voyage sailed at only about half capacity, so we were on the ship within about 15 minutes of being dropped off at pier 27.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Breakfast buffet was good, had a good variety, and finding a table was not too difficult. Pizza slices and hot dogs on the Lido deck were very good.
Dinner service was excellent but the food in the Main Dining Room was not quite up to the quality we've enjoyed on past Princess cruises. Portions seemed a tad smaller too, but requests for an extra serving were promptly honored.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The usual cruise ship fare. We enjoyed watching the egg drop competition and went to a few of the other trivia and other games.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Theater shows were the usual Princess fare (Stardust and Colors of the World). The Elton John tribute musician and comedian Rollin J Moore were very good, the Golden Moon dance band was excellent. Vocal Impressionist Tricia Kelly was so-so, and the Rebel "Rock Experience" seemed more noise than music - even for those of us who remember the '60s.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Top notch all the way around!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship appeared to be good repair and workers cleaning high-contact surfaces in public areas were a common sight.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Very comfortable bed, all (lighting, plumbing, heat & A/C, etc.) was working well with no squeaks, rattles or unusual noises. Little evidence of wear-and-tear in C250 and steward Hilario popped in regularly to keep everything tidy.
Ship tip
(Not specific to this ship) If sailing from San Francisco, a port side cabin with a balcony affords great views of "The City" as you glide toward the Golden Gate.
On a previous cruise we booked a "trolley" tour that only gave us about a half hour at the Mission. This time, we skipped booking a Princess tour and took Lyft directly to the Mission. After plenty of time there (a couple of hours), we walked leisurely the 3 miles or so back to the water shuttle dock, stopping at the courthouse to enjoy the view from atop the tower (free) and a big scoop of ice cream at McConnell's on State Street along the way. Also, the city has had an information tent on the sidewalk near the water shuttle dock and a free tourist shuttle bus to the courthouse & other stops the last couple of times we've been there.
Location of this stop pretty much requires you plan some sort of tour unless you plan to spend the day on the ship or visit the USS Iowa museum ship a short walk up the waterfront. On our last two cruises (April of '22 and this one in October of '22) we've booked a tour of the Huntington Library and Gardens only to have it canceled both times by the tour operator for "operational reasons." We substituted the Getty Museum tour this time and it included a stop at Santa Monica pier. We'd have preferred spending the whole time at Getty - especially after the the tour bus driver got lost on the way to Santa Monica. Yes, 20 minutes after departing the Getty, we saw it again from the bus as we passed it on the freeway!
Much to do within walking distance of the ship in San Diego! To the south, the USS Enterprise museum ship is right next door with Seaport Village just a few minutes' walk beyond that. To the north, there's the Maritime museum and Little Italy is beyond and a few blocks inland. A few blocks to the east is the old Santa Fe Depot and Red Car stop - a quick way to get over to Old Town and a taste of Mexico in the USA. We booked an Old Town Trolley tour via their web site rather than using Princess. Instead of wasting time assembling at an appointed time and getting an extra sticker on the ship, we saved a couple of dollars, walked off the ship at our leisure and boarded the trolley at the visitor center less than a block from the terminal. Old Town Trolley's main stop is Old Town - a great place to wander over to Casa de Reyes for a light lunch of margaritas, chips & salsa.
Again, on a previous cruise, we booked the "La Bufadora" tour for a looong bus ride to a spot where the ocean waves gush up through a slot in the rocks like a geyser. This time, we just walked to the shopping district a few blocks from the ship and spent a couple hours shopping for some silver jewelry and trinkets for the grand kids. There is a heavy police presence and we felt very safe in the downtown area.
Quick, easy, and ahead of schedule One gripe: Debarkation times were not assigned until after we sailed, making it something of a moving target to arrange for the shuttle service to pick us up.
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