"R" ships on Princess

[Aruba]

Has anyone been on any of the "R" ships that Princess owns (Ocean, Pacific, & Royal) and, if so, can you comment about your experience?

 

I'm going on a west Africa cruise on the Ocean Princess in October. I would MUCH rather have preferred to do a similar itinerary on Nautica but it was almost 3 times the price of Princess...not to mention wait-listed in every category of cabin. Obviously a Princess experience is not an Oceania experience and I'm not expecting it to be. But I would be interested in any comments anyone has. Thank you.

[Druke I]

We were on Pacific Princess (new), Tahiti to Sydney, 11-03, and have sailed once on Nautica, and twice on Regatta.

 

Decor is almost identical on the three - Princess changed little.

 

The biggest difference is in the operation of the Dining Room and the speciality restaurants. On Oceania, there is open dining in the main dining room, and it has worked very well when we have been on board. On Princess, they have fixed two-seating dining.

 

The speciality restaurants on Oceania do require reservations, and both are open every night. On Princess, one is open one night, and the other the next night. I don't recall if reservations are required.

 

Food is very subjective, but in our opinion, the food on Oceania rivals that of Crystal, and is superior to Princess food, which can be very good. Princess is a mainstream line, Oceania is somewhat up-market.

 

You are right, Princess is much less pricey, and Princess does have some very good itineraries.

[JimandStan]

Aruba-

 

(By the way, We're packing for Aruba as I write this)

 

A Cruise on the Ocean Princess will be pleasant enough, even though some aspects might seem slightly tacky and others overly commercial.

 

The first thing you will notice is that Princess makes FAR too many announcements over the PA system, the second thing you will notice is that they REALLY want you to buy their cocktail of the day. :rolleyes:

 

By comparison, Oceania goes above and beyond by doing all the small things SO right.

 

Cloth napkins are always used, the flatware is never plastic and the staff is beautifully trained to serve properly. An Oceania waiter will circle the table to serve you from the left.

 

Plastic deck furniture is not seen on Oceania, and freshly laundered towels (often still warm from the dryer) are never more than a few steps away, when you are poolside.

 

Service in the bars is beyond reproach, and Oceania's "Universal Cellar" concept gives a gracious feel to the dining room wine service that Princess just cannot match.

[Aruba]

Thanks to both Druke and S&J for your comments.

Speaking of drink-of-the-day, when we were on Insignia in June, Antonio, the easy-on-the-eyes bartender in Martini's, told us about the "Jim-tini" (or was it Stan-tini?), a cocktail he had created for you. We haven't met yet but one of these days it's bound to happen. I did like your eponymous martini though.

By the way, we also go to Aruba every year, hence the name. We have a timeshare at Casa del Mar. Have a good trip!

[Paulchili]

Aruba,

I think you will be just fine on the Princess because you are going with the right attitude and expectations appropriate to the price you are paying.

We cruised on the Tahitian Princess in F.P. and the Pacific Princess along west coast of Africa. Both cruises were superb with some of the nicest people we have ever met and we still keep in touch with some of them.

True, Princess is not Oceania, but then neither is the price. At 1/3 of the price it is a very good deal indeed.

Enjoy your trip.

[GrammieK]

Hi Aruba,

I think I would have to agree with JimandStan when comparing O with Princess. There is a quiet elegance about O that I did not experience on Princess, however, it was no stick in the eye, either.

Small world!! We have a time share at Casa Del Mar, too. Will be there week 18.

JimandStan - enjoy Aruba. I am now jealous!!!! and counting down the days!

[Jack1]

Aruba, we just completed Ocean Princess's 16 day SE Asia cruise this past March. It had been a few years since we have sailed on Princess. Our first small ship experience was in 2003 and 2005 on the Tahitian Princess (twice) doing the Tahitian itinerary. We loved the experience. Usually we sail Celebrity and just recently Azamara (taking us back to the small ship feel).

 

I will admit to being a bit disappointed with the Princess experience but perhaps that was because we feel we have been spoiled by our Celebrity cruises. We aren't complaining but I know we both we surprised by having stained plastic tables on the deck aft (just behind the buffet area). These weren't just little stains- they were huge brown marks on these tables and chairs. Did it take away from our experience, no but these tables aren't expensive so in only our opinion, could have been upgraded to new ones. The ship itself is tired looking but it is now an older ship. The hard sail is evident in the dining room with the head waiters etc flogging cookbooks, drinks and then the ever present photographer. We aren't foodies, just like food and really didn't find anything to complain about. I guess we are easy to cook for. We did like the buffet area for some dinners as there was a great stir fry area. Not too many people seemed to use this area for the evening meal.

 

I think our biggest sore point was the couple ports we docked at (Saigon and Bangkok). Princess chose to dock at some out of the way ports that then had us having to travel couple hours each way to get to these fabulous cities. We know these small ships CAN get all the way up the river to these cities but they didn't so we had long journeys which then shortened our time in these cities. In hind site, I should have done more research on where they will dock so that we weren't surprised but I didn't even know it was possible to get closer! I believe Azamara and Oceania are more likely to dock right in these cities but that probably is reflected in the prices they charge too. We are going back to Asia in 2012 and have booked Oceania. Yes, it is more $ but I believe we are going to get a better experience for the $. We also have looked at Azamara for the same time frame and same areas and it is similar in price to Oceania.

 

We haven't sailed on Oceania yet but we will be on the Insignia in 2 weeks. We are also booked on Oceania's Marina in March this year. Those 2 sailings will tell the tale for us as to whether Oceania is worth the extra money or whether we should stick with the Azamara sailing to Indonesia. We did look at Princess' sailing to Fiji for early 2012 (i think it is the Sea Princess) as the itinerary looks great. However, we felt the ship was bigger than we like and we just weren't wowed by the Princess experience. But in saying that, the prices are sure different with Princess being lower by far.

 

I guess what I am saying is we did enjoy our Princess cruise for sure, after all, a cruise is a cruise!! They do offer a solid product. But, if I may, there must be a reason the Oceania cruise is wait listed in all categories even with it being almost 3 times the price. Princess will give you a solid trip but we hope Oceania gives us the wow factor that we have been hearing about from most posters here on Cruise Critic Oceania board.

 

This is just my opinion.

[JonconOH]

We sailed on the Tahitian Princess's last cruise before going into dry dock for refurbishing. It has been renamed the Ocean Princess .

We were ever so disappointed in the run-down, dirty, faded condition of this ship. Nothing had been done to change the cabins since the ship was built. The drapes and carpets were faded, as was the arm of our sofa (we had a veranda so there was sun damage). The food was mediocre, but the service was very good. They had 3 boutique shops on deck 5 and very little public space. In fact, we were asked to vacate our sofa so they could set up some tables to sell their souvenir t-shirts! Out of 18 previous cruises, this was our first, and last cruise on Princess. The only positive thing was that we earned points which were applied to our first Holland America cruise making us 1-star Mariners! We are now 2-star Mariners.

[happy cruzer]

I think you will be happy knowing that you saved 2/3 and got a great itenarary. Princess usually is very solid with no surprises :).

 

Please do a reveiw when you return.

[roothy123]

We were on the Pacific Princess in Alaska, before Oceania started going to Alaska. Quite honestly, it wasn't bad - it was not Oceania, but it was not noticeably less so. Everything was just a little "less nice or good" - deck furnishings, food, etc. I don't remember assigned seatings, but maybe they had that....In any case, keeping an open mind will certainly help. I don't think you'll have a bad experience, just not the stellar one us "O" fans have come to expect!

[California Native]

Hi,

it was suggested on the AZ board that I pop over here...

My mom and I have sailed on the Pacific Princess for a total of a couple of months..the longest cruise was 24 days on a B2B for Tahiti

I have not sailed on Oceania. I'm leaving in 3 weeks for 24 days on AZ

My experience on Princess might be a bit different as I'm Elite and when I started cruising over 35 years ago as a small child ..many of the Senior restaurant staff were Junior waiters, I'm spoiled rotten onboard, especially on the R ships.

I have studied many of the Oceania pictures and much of the soft goods look the same as Princess. The blue and gold love seats in the cabins etc.

However, someone on this board a couple of months ago said that was changing.

Princess' beds are bad, order a egg crate before you sail

with the special requests departments. the blankets

on the bed are cozy not scratchy..but they are Bed Bath and Beyond caliber, certainly not the Ritz or Four Seasons.

I thought the Pacific Princess was in good shape, not perfect but good.

It has a certain charm that is reminescent of traditional cruising such as you found with Royal Viking and Royal Cruise Line.

I have my favorites on the menu and while every chef puts their own spin on a fleet wide recipe and I was never, ever dissapointed.

The dining room has 2 traditional seatings,

the buffet area is now open at night (this has changed for the better in the last 3 years), also at night in the buffet area they block off a small section add linens, a hostess and have an alternative casual sit down be served option.

The Speciality Restaurants alternate nights and follow the dress code of the evening.

Casino is small, the library went untouched and is the show piece of the ship...

Many times on our Alaska cruise I was tempted (but didn't) to grab and blanket a curl up in there with a great book...it's that inviting.

Our favorite cabin is 7111 a balcony towards the aft. While this is lower balcony cabin we feel it is MUCH better than midship...

I will provide a link below to my review and extensive photos but when you see the pictures 143 and 144 you will notice that the hull comes up higher on the balcony on the more midship cabins...

Translation...you can't see the water when you are lying in bed!!!

Here's the link to my review of life onboard and then at the bottom is a photo album with over 150 pictures of the Pacific Princess

Hope this helps

http://ourpassportstamps.com/Pacific_Princess_Alaska.html

 

If you have any questions let me know

[California Native]

I meant to add this in my last post, but I think this might be the perfect and yet small example of the difference of the 2 lines

On Princess....

The outdoor seating for the buffet towards the aft has white plastic tables and chairs...

Honestly, Target has nicer stuff for patio options...

WE have nicer stuff in our backyard

On Oceania

It appears from the pictures I've seen that the outdoor furniture is wood possibly teak...which adds to a more sophisticated, yet subtle elegance of decor.

The bottom line I wouldn't say no to Princess, if you recieved a fabulous deal with a phenomenal itinerary.

you just need to have your barometer set for a Marriott/Sheraton...not the Ritz or Four Seasons.

If barometer adjustment isn't your idea of the perfect cruise

then I would stick with Oceania..it's your money and time and you deserve the vacation that makes YOU the happiest!

K

[JimandStan]

....

when we were on Insignia in June, Antonio, the easy-on-the-eyes bartender in Martini's, told us about the "Jim-tini" (or was it Stan-tini?), a cocktail he had created for you.

 

Hey, Hey Hey! It is a JIM-TINI, and it was quite an honor to have it named after me.

Antonio is our favorite Oceania employee (which is like choosing a favorite child, for us) and we've been lucky enough to cruise with him four times.

 

If God is in his Heaven and I live a VERY VERY good life, I am very hopeful that Antonio may be assigned to Martini's on the Marina, so that we can make it 5, this February. :D

[umtali]

Princess will persist with fixed dining, which for us is a no-no, and you will pay a surcharge to dine in the alternative restaurants. Plastic furniture on the balcony of a Vista Suite was also a bit of a disappointment after enjoying the teak furniture of Oceania.

 

The service from some Brits onboard, mainly bar staff and specialty shops left a lot to be desired compared with the wonderful unobtrusive service usually provided by Oceania staff.

 

But..... "Small Ship Cruisin' is the way to go!!":):):)

[gr8lakes]

I want to start this post by saying this is our own experience. Others may feel differently. We spent 19 days on the Tahitian Princess – now Ocean Princess – last summer in Norway and the Arctic Circle. The itinerary was wonderful, but we had serious problems with the accommodations, food and service on this ship. We contacted Princess on these issues without satisfaction.

 

We do like the ship size of the Ocean Princess. The Captain was fantastic. The cruise was definitely wonderful in terms of ports, scenery and the cost was indeed very reasonable. Stere, our waiter in the main dining room was excellent and our room steward tried his best. However, in the end, because of serious problems that remained unaddressed by the Hotel Director and staff, it was an unacceptable experience. We decided you get what you pay for.

 

First, on arriving on the ship, we were shocked to find that the loveseat in our cabin was seriously stained with a number of different stains, including one that looked like blood, and the duvet cover was ripped and seriously frayed as were the sheets. (I am attaching photos) .

There were also permanent stains on the sheets. We asked for coversheets and when they were delivered, they didn’t fit the bed and were torn as well. We were told that the ship was short of linen, and that our linen would only be changed a maximum of every five days. Our cabin window was so filthy we had trouble seeing out of it. The windows in many of the lounges and restaurants also are so dirty that they block the view. We asked the front desk for cleaning, changes of linen and window washing to absolutely no avail. No other cabin was available. While we understand that the ship was scheduled for drydock in November, and these issues may be resolved, there is a minimal standard below which a cruise ship should not fall. I believe what I have described is below that standard. Some posts have indicated this happened to others as well.

 

There were three incidents that deserve mention. First, after a long excursion from Geiranger, we finished dinner and retired to bed early. At 9:30 pm, as we left the fjord and the wind and seas increased, we started hearing a noise coming from the 5th deck above us. THIS IS A PASSENGER PROMENADE DECK. The noise was of two metal surfaces banging together. It was loud enough and frequent enough that sleep was impossible. I went to the front desk and told them the situation. About 45 minutes later I went to the front desk and asked them again to fix the problem. I then went up to the 5th deck to see what the issue was. Captain Wells, an enrichment speaker on Maritime issues, our cabin neighbor, was already there looking for the source of the noise. We found that a section of the railing was loose where the tender platform is secured. We noticed that the pin which inserts into the bracket was loose and that whenever the ship rolled a certain way it banged, making the noises we were hearing. I went to the front desk and advised them. It was now after 10:30 pm and when I returned to the room and I discovered the Night Manager with my wife. The Night Manager was telling her that it was a loose pipe in the laundry room and not the railing. I took her to deck 5 and showed her the problem and the loose rail which had about 3 to 6 inches of play in it. I felt if a passenger leaned on it there could be a risk.

 

The security officer arrived and said he would notify engineering what the problem was. The Night Manager called back and told us it was “inconvenient for engineering to deal with the problem.” In the meantime the security officer jammed a piece of wood into the railing fixture to dampen the sound. It got better for a short time, but at approximately 11:30 am we were again awakened by the noise. But no one fixed it. This lack of attention to a loose railing worries me because a loose railing is a potential safety hazard. Perhaps Engineering felt it was inconvenient for them, but we were inconvenienced all night without sleep and it was a safely issue, according to Captain Wells. I am still angry about the lack of will by anyone to fix the problem. It’s as if the staff just wanted us to go away and stop bothering them.

 

The second Security issue concerns passports. At Murmansk, there was a great deal of delay and confusion regarding the distribution of passports. This problem with the passports actually had very troubling security issue. We were assembled in the Cabaret Lounge to receive our passports and VISAs. When passenger cabin numbers were called and the passengers were not in the lounge, the passports were set aside in a pile. Or, staff members walked around offering the passports to anyone who said they were theirs. And, speakers, who were not officers of the ship, were fingering through passports and examining them. Handling of passports should be a serious security exercise, not the chaos which ensued and could have resulted in passports being lost or given to the wrong person. The Hotel Director who was present, did nothing to control this.

 

The Third Security issue involves the behavior of fellow “Elite” passengers. The following comment is a reflection of various comments from other cruisers as well as our own observations. While we are well established regular cruisers on other lines (Regent, Seabourn, Holland and Silversea), we were second-time cruisers to Princess. As such, we and other passengers were subjected to unacceptable and extremely rude treatment from two of the Elite travelers. At times they physically pushed us aside in the buffet line. During a docked disembarkation, (not a tender), the male Elite passenger said, when physically pushing fellow passengers aside to get to the front of a line, “When you’ve got almost 2.000 days on Princess, you will be entitled to be at the front of the line too!” They elbowed, berated and physically assaulted other passengers, which resulted in a verbal altercation with two other passengers which could easily have become a physical altercation. One woman was literally pushed down the stairs.This, in the end, could result in a liability for Princess. The Ship’s Security and other staff saw all this happen and did nothing. (As a matter of fact, after we returned home, we found out through cc posts that Princess is well aware of these two passengers and their behavior, and it has continued unaddressed). We also believe every passenger deserves polite and excellent customer service. I think Princess should make better efforts to keep newer passengers coming back. In spite of complaints, Princess Staff did nothing to stop this “Elite” behavior, thus enabling these rude people’s actions at a number of ship’s events, and angering experienced cruisers who may decide that, for future bookings, Princess may not be the cruise line for them.

 

Oceania provides coffee. On the Crown Princess, there is a regular coffee bar. But not on the Ocean Princess. My wife and I are early risers and like to start the day with a cup of coffee. The regular coffee on Princess is made from syrup. So, to get real coffee, my wife bought a coffee card and would go upstairs at 6:30, the posted time for the coffee bar to open, only to find that they wouldn’t start service until after 7:00. This was true on both the 5th and 9th decks. She was sent from one deck to the other several times in an attempt to get a cup of coffee. Excursions began at 7:20 am and she gave up. After several attempts, we commented on the problem first to the head waiter, then the maitre’D. However, on the day we were to go on an early excursion in Flaam, we were unable to get coffee until after 7:30 am. I went up to the 9th deck bar and a server finally came to the bar after 7 am. I asked him for coffee. He said he wasn’t open. I asked why and he looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. When I went to get the head waiter, the server grudgingly provided a small cappuccino, despite the fact that I had asked for a large one. He said he did not have any large cups for cappuccino, although they are offered for one punch. This is a benefit to Princess as it takes more punches of the card to get another. Posted hours should be adhered to, and advertised product should be available, especially if you are charging the customer for the product that other lines provide at no charge.

 

Specialty restaurants require a fee. After several days we went to Sabatini’s. We had dined there on the Crown and found it to be a terrific experience. The food this time was sub-par at best. I was surprised to find one of the courses to be the same pizza served for lunch at the buffet! The lobster was grey, tough and tasteless. We couldn’t finish it. The real problem, though, was at the end of the meal. The server asked if she could offer us a cappuccino or espresso. I thought I would accept her offer. I got my espresso. A few minutes later a waiter approached and asked for my coffee card! I thought that, as our experience had been on the Crown, when we paid the premium for the Sabatini’s dinner, it included everything, including coffee, especially when she expressly offered it. I told him I didn’t bring my card and the waiter said we should go down right then to our cabin and get it. We were in the middle of the dessert course and they wanted us to get a coffee card! At this point, rather than get angrier, I escorted my wife from the restaurant. I knew the charge would be added to my bill. The following night at the regular restaurant, the head waiter in Sabatini’s came to our table while we were eating our entrée and quizzed us about why we had left. It became clear his whole purpose was to get me back up to Sabatini’s to sign my coffee chit! Unfortunately, while he camped at our table telling us Princess needed the money to make up for the economy, our dinners grew cold and we were unable to finish our meal. After dinner I signed the chit for the coffee from the prior night.

 

The buffet lounge had a number of problems during the cruise. For instance, on one occasion, my wife entered the buffet area to get her lunch. We had just returned from an excursion and it was only 2:00 pm, well before posted closing time. While she was at the buffet getting a small sandwich, the server, closed off the area on both sides with a barrier. . When holding plates and a cup, she asked to be able to come out of the area, he told her she was “not wanted in there” and told her to leave! She had to go under the barrier to get out as he purposely blocked her way.

 

On another day, the weather was rainy and the temperature was 1 degree C. We went into the buffet and were unable to find any seats. (Lack of seating is a continuing issue in the panorama buffet, and assistance should be given to help find seats). However, we did see a number of ship’s staff lounging at the tables. When we asked a server where we could eat he said, “Go outside, there’s lots of room”. Again, it was raining and near freezing. His comment is an exact quote.

 

Following our cruise, we wrote a detailed, photographs included, letter to Princess corporate. We received a form letter which did not address the points specifically in any way. We remain totally unsatisfied with the answer, and despite the fact that we enjoyed the ship size, the majority of fellow passengers and itinerary, we would seriously examine other cruise lines to the same itinerary.

 

I know this post will not be popular. However, it is our experience on the Princess small ship. We also realize that the drydock may have addressed and even fixed some of the maintenance issues above. However, due to the Hotel Management on the ship, we are uncertain whether the service issues will ever be solved.

[California Native]

Gr8lakes...

I don't care how wonderful my other cruises have been with Princess

What you experienced and the condition of your cabin would not be acceptable me

K.

[tropicalkerry2002]

:eek::eek::eek:

 

I am sick just seeing the photos! Did you meet other passengers who had rooms in this state? If so, I don't know how we didn't hear about an uprising at sea!

[Mura]

I have to say that it is many years since we cruised on Princess (Alaska in early June 1990) and it was on the Love Boat, no "R" ships.

 

But I've been biased against Princess more recently simply because they are using a couple of "R" ships that were intended for open seating in the main dining room and they choose to have two seatings ... whereas on OTHER ships they DO have open seating!

 

Beyond my ken ...

 

However your description really does make me determined not to sail on Princess. I do hope that your experience was unusual! A number of people have said "just don't expect an Oceania experience" and I can go with that. We sailed on NCL recently (and have booked another) and it isn't Oceania either ... so we do need to adjust our expectations.

 

But some things can't be forgiven ...

[gr8lakes]

Tropicalkerry202

 

In answer to your question regarding other passengers' accomodations, there was one couple booked into a suite. Upon embarkation their suite was so filled with cigarette smoke and was dirty, that they refused to inhabit it until it was taken care of. They went to reception to complain, and then parked themselves on a couch with all their luggage in the main reception area for 5 hours! The staff had to remove the drapes, all the bedding and totally reclean the room before they would go in. It was past first seating time before they actually went to their room.

The attitude of the reception staff and the Elite passengers I mentioned did provoke very loud comments from our fellow travelers. Some actually complained to the Captain. I put most of this problem on the Hotel Director who simply was unavailable and unresponsive during the cruise.

[TERRIER1]

Does the Paul Gaughin fall under Princess? This ship seems to get great reviews and I was curious how it differes. Thanks.

[Aruba]

If God is in his Heaven and I live a VERY VERY good life, I am very hopeful that Antonio may be assigned to Martini's on the Marina, so that we can make it 5, this February. :D

For what it's worth, Antonio told us (before he got off Insignia in July) that he thought he would be on Marina for its inaugural sailings. But of course the staffing assignments can change... I assume O will be putting their very best employees on Marina, especially in the beginning.

 

Hope you're having a good time in Aruba. Are you in the high-rise area or the Eagle Beach area? We have a place in Eagle Beach -- Casa del Mar.

[Aruba]

I know this post will not be popular. However, it is our experience on the Princess small ship. We also realize that the drydock may have addressed and even fixed some of the maintenance issues above. However, due to the Hotel Management on the ship, we are uncertain whether the service issues will ever be solved.

Quite the contrary! It may not be popular with Princess but it was certainly popular with me. Thank you very much for that detailed review. Honestly it was a horror story! I don't know where to begin. Yes, "you get what you pay for" but I think you paid for outside railings that are secure enough that you don't have to risk falling overboard into the ocean. The lack of response to your issues boggles the mind. This would NEVER happen on Oceania, which is why I posed the question on the O board rather than the Princess board. There, I have to admit, your unfavorable review would indeed not have been popular. :rolleyes: Thank you again for taking the time to write.

[Aruba]

Hi Aruba,

 

Small world!! We have a time share at Casa Del Mar, too. Will be there week 18.

Yes, it is a small world. We're there weeks 28-30 but were on Insignia this past summer so didn't get down.

[Aruba]

Does the Paul Gaughin fall under Princess? This ship seems to get great reviews and I was curious how it differes. Thanks.

The Paul Gaughin is a completely different company. It used to be part of Regent (which leased the ship) but is now a stand-alone company. From what I understand, PG still provides a first-class Regent-like experience

[California Native]

Hi

I forgot to add this..

for those staying in a full suite, each morning one of the alternative dining restaurants is open for you. You have a menu to order from or they will make you anything that you request.

I really can't dispute any of the negative points that have been made above.

I have had a personal experience of Princess' botching our honeymoon cruise, we were compensated almost $1,000. It was horrific. My husband would rather forgo

his part of the compensation than sail with them ever again. He's someone who clips coupons and embraces

the Dollar Store so that should tell you something.

So if Gr8lakes received a form letter, you can imagine how bad my experience was,

I have witnessed very poor and tasteless behavior from my fellow Elite members even at the Captains Lunch (the Top 20 cruisers are invited with a guest) You would hope people as well travelled as that would have class.

My very 1st cruise on the Pacific Princess when I saw the white plastic furniture..I thought to myself...seriously? how tacky.

But what it comes down to is my mom and I made the choice not to cruise on Oceania, Crystal and Seabourn for 7 nights and stay with Princess and my outstanding benefits for 24 nights. Every cent of our "fun money" goes to travel

and we want to stretch it as far as we can to experience as much as we can.

Honestly, if we were chatting at a coffee shop and any of you mentioned that you had been on Oceania just once and you raved about it

I would steer you away from Princess if the cruise experience is important to you. I just don't think you would be really happy.

If it was strictly about the itinerary I would encourage it.

Aruba, I hope you have a wonderful cruise. It won't be Oceania, but

I think it could be a whole lot worse.

K.