What has been your best Princess cruise and why?

[choochella]

I'm just curious to get everyone's opinion on what was your best Princess cruise and why? Was it because it was your first, or maybe the itinerary or the ship? We have only sailed the Caribbean, but would love to explore other itineraries.

[RickEk]

I'm just curious to get everyone's opinion on what was your best Princess cruise and why? Was it because it was your first, or maybe the itinerary or the ship? We have only sailed the Caribbean, but would love to explore other itineraries.

 

Our two partial Panama Canal transits have been our overall favorites so far. One on the Island (our first cruise) and the second on the Coral. Portions of other trips have been excellent too...

[cactusrose]

Antarctica. The most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. The ports at the end of South America are all beautiful, clean and the people are friendly. Do it before they close it.

[grandmato4]

Panama Canal cruise on the Coral Princess. LOVED everything about the ship and enjoyed the itinerary. Perfect cruise.:)

[Wayfairers]

My favorite Princess cruise was to Alaska. It is my only Princess cruise, thus my favorite. You should seriously consider an Alaskan cruise since you have not been there - the views are outstanding and the excursions are amazing. We have been on 3 Caribbean cruises and one south pacific and after a while the islands all start looking alike - you won't have that problem in Alaska. Make sure you book a cruisetour when you go because the things you see on the land portion are very different than what you see while on the ship.

[karatemom2]

My favorite was our first cruise to Hawaii on the Diamond Princess at Christmas. Everything about it was wonderful. We loved being on the ship over the holidays, enjoying all the festivities. The itinerary was amazing and the Diamond is our favorite ship. We had terrific cruising companions we met here on CC, the weather was lovely, our wait team was the most memorable ever. It was just about as close to perfect as a cruise can get.

[cruisedoctor]

Of my 90+ cruises, Antarctica on the Star Princess is the hands down winner. No other itinerary evens comes close.

[billco]

Usually the last one. In this case-

Transatlantic on the Emerald Princess - April 2009

1. Relatively low price for number of days - 17

2. Lots of consecutive sea days - 5

3. Western/Northern Europe - Liked itinerary

[dfields1814]

We have only been on three cruises (if you count a BTB as two). We went to Mexico on our first cruise, then a transatlantic and Western Europe. Of those three, the best was Western Europe. It had excellent ports. But more importantly, we were only 2 of 200 Americans among 2200 people from the UK. And they were there to party!!! We had AT dining so we met and conversed with all kinds of different people from all over the UK. I learned so much about the UK everything from politics, geography, banking, culture, tourism ideas, and so forth. I met a gentleman that was an expert on the Titanic - worked as an advsisor on the movie. We met a man who wrote a book on the Wozels. I never even heard of the Wozels until I met that man. Now I am a fan! (They are sort of like a county western group from Cornwall). And to my amazement - after a couple of days I could actually understand most of what they were saying!!! (LOL)

 

We are leaving for the Panama Canal soon. We see how it compares.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We've been on three Princess cruises. The first one we liked because it was our first on Princess (after going on just Carnival). The second was on the Sapphire, which is a beautiful ship and we saw Alaska, which I think is an excellent itinerary. The last one was on the Island to Hawaii, which is an excellent cruise because it was 15 days (now it's 14 days), had all those relaxing sea days, and had Hawaii. Very cool.

[loveJake]

The 10 day Southern on the Emerald Princess, ship was only a couple of months old. The length of the cruise and ports plus a corner wrap will always be the perfect cruise.

[flamomo]

Every one has been wonderful, BUT .................

 

The cruise last November on the Tahitian Princess r/t Papeete and French Polynesia topped them all, at least so far.

 

French Polynesia is off the beaten path, simply beautiful, not nearly as "touristy" as the Caribbean and, to me, the best place I have been on a cruise.

 

Additionally, the small ship experience on the Tahitian was delightful. It's very different being on a ship with only 670 passengers, and having everything within a couple of minutes walk away. Many passengers were European, and meeting and chatting with them enhanced the cruise. We had a great roll call group, which added a lot of fun to the cruise.

[Druke I]

We've had some great Princess cruises. My favorite was probably the WW2 Memories Cruise, Sky Princess, 9-00, San Francisco to Sydney.

 

We stopped at several WW2 battlegrounds en route, and had special ceremonies and special excursions matching the theme.

 

It was very well done, and a great tribute to "The Greatest Generation".

[Rockymountainsparky]

It would have to be the partial transit of the Panama Canal on the Coral. All the ports were fantastic.

[paul929207]

It is easy to say all of them, because they all were spectacular. However, if I had to pick one it was the Black Sea cruise on the old Island Princess.

[PescadoAmarillo]

For us, our favorite Princess cruise, and in fact our favorite cruise ever was on the Diamond Princess from Sydney to San Francisco in April 2006. I had already made the same trip in the opposite direction on the Sapphire in 2004, and that cruise was wonderful too, but I enjoyed even more getting the flight to Sydney over first thing, and then spending a week sightseeing in Sydney. By the time we boarded the Diamond Princess in Circular Quay, I felt like we'd already had one heck of a vacation.

 

For pure beauty, though, I'd place sailing in and out of Rio at sunrise and sunset right up there with Sydney.

[ttc_8]

Antarctica. The most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. The ports at the end of South America are all beautiful, clean and the people are friendly. Do it before they close it.

 

Close? Close the Antarctica cruise forever or for the season? I hope to go there on a cruise in the next few years!

 

 

I can't say that I have a BEST cruise because they are all good in a different way. For me, I'd say most memorable was the Baltic (Scandinavia and Russia with Oslo on the Emerald) because I absolutely LOVE Scandinavia!

[jacketwatch]

For us it has to be the Baltic cruise on the Star in 2007. Why? well the ports are the best really, the ship was very nice and we experienced white nights too. Awseome over all cruise. :)

[Toto2Kansas]

My favorite Princess cruise has to be the LA to Sydney cruise on the Star Princess we sailed on some years ago.

Originally it wasn't the cruise we booked, we were to sail from Bangkok to Sydney, but SARS cancelled all of the cruises in Asia that year at the very last minute.

For a few days we didn't think we would even be onboard as we had no idea where the ship would be going. Then they announced they would substitute the LA to Sydney cruise on the same ship, and we could keep our original stateroom also.

It had to be one of the best cruises of all time. What a group we had on that sailing, lots of new friends we keep in touch with to this day.

 

Fantastic ports, great ship, wonderful crew, and a fantastic itinerary, we couldn't have asked for anything more. :)

[California Native]

The Pacific Princess B2B

Hawaii to Tahiti and then back

The ports, the water, the ship, the crew

Heaven

[California Native]

oops

[NukeTim]

One we really enjoyed was the 'Top of the World' cruise they offered many years ago. Left from England and visited Iceland, Spitsbergen, and then from the top of Norway all the way back down to England. I think the unusual itinerary made it memorable. We went for a week where the Patter would announce: No sunrise; No sunset. How many people can claim they went swimming (albeit in the ship's pool) only a few hundred miles from the North Pole. I have my "official" certificate. I think another reason we enjoyed this cruise is that it was on the old Royal Princess and at that time still had many of the traditional cruising features. It was traditional seating and we had a good table. Our table would often order a special item or dessert and it would be made tableside. Seems on that cruise they had more cultural lectures and less bingo and "selling".

[2bout2c]

I can't say just one. My top 3 in random order.

Inaugural Pacific Princess.. Sydney to Los Angeles

2004 Pacific Princess.. Pacific WWII memorial cruise "60th aniversary of WWII"

2001 Royal Princess. World Cruise.

[mek]

The Baltic on the Grand. The two days in Russia were a dream come true!

[Katiekakes]

I agree with flamomo. French Polynesia was the best ever. It truly is a paradise, and so many untouched areas. Wonderful friendly, people. I only wish we could speak french and communidcate more. I have never seen water so crystal clear. We were on the Tahitian Princess, a smaller ship, which we loved. Crew was exceptionally friendly, and we really got to know them and many other cruisers. I would go back tomorrow in a blink!