First Princess Cruise

I have only travelled Carnival in the past so I was curious to compare. This was the only weekend cruise so I loved that option. Our room Steward Gerald was amazingly attentive, personable, informative and got a hug goodbye. The repoire he made with my 75yo mom for her first cruise was amazing in such a short time of 4 nights.

the weather and Beauty once in the strait of Juan de Fuca and Canada could not have been better as we expected rain the whole time.

the Captains interaction with passengers and crew was a delight to witness throughout the cruise and the fact that he travelled with his young son was sweet.

annoyances: our room L243 was under the gym dumbbell area. We could hear the weights being dropped to the floor during early morning workout and falling off rack during a rough night at sea. When we went to investigate - not complain, and mentioned that we solved the mystery, the one female employee at the desk quickly denied that's what it could be as if she used to hearing the complaint and had a coined response. The annoyance is that she was lying and questioning our intelligence with the obvious truth. Again, I didn't go to complain so I just walked away feeling insulted. Advice- just apologize. And perhaps put up a sign explaining to weight users that there's a room below which shows your attempt to be courteous to all passengers.

we chose anytime dining which allowed us the use of Portofino and Capri dining rooms. The service in Portofino was quick, efficient to the point of rushed, I never had to refill my own wine glass they were very attentive but it truly lacked any personable relationship with the staff and left me feeling snubbed and rushed. The portions are small but adequate. Wine prices at least twice as much - $30/bottle for low end. The last night we visited Capri dining room and it was completely opposite! We even took pictures of our waitstaff. Joked with them all through dinner and felt valued as a customer. Finally what I was expecting! This service is what I've always received on Carnival for scheduled dining and we've always felt compelled to leave a extra tip for the service. My waiter said he is the "only Romanian waiter on Princess Star" so ask for him! If sections don't change, he and his helpful staff are in the middle.