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After sailing 4,500 nautical miles, visiting five cities on two continents, and transiting the Panama Canal between the Pacific to the Atlantic oceans, our cruise aboard the Crystal Symphony finally came to an end in Miami, Florida some 15 days after it had begun in Valparaiso, Chile.  

As cruises go, this one had been absolutely marvelous (and I’ve been on 51 of them). But while the weather had been great and the itinerary fascinating, most of the credit for our displeasure in leaving the ship belonged squarely on the shoulders of the officers and crew of the Symphony. Once again, they had surpassed our expectations, which is probably why Crystal Cruises has been selected as the world’s best large cruise line by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine for the past 10 years.

From the moment my wife Gail and I had boarded the Symphony in Valparaiso, we had experienced extraordinary service. It began the moment a smiling crew member took our hand luggage at the gangplank and handed us a complimentary glass of champagne.  And it continued throughout the voyage with a lot of small but wonderful touches like crew members remembering our names, competing with each other to help us, and ensuring every meal was superbly cooked and served to our complete satisfaction.

The great service was complimented by a beautiful ship that I think is the perfect size for cruising.

At 51,000 tons with a passenger capacity of 922, the Symphony is large enough to have lots of choices for evening entertainment and dining, but small enough to be cozy. This is not a floating aircraft carrier with zip lines, surf simulators and ice-skating rinks where you never meet the same person twice and get sent ashore in hourly waves. It’s an intimate and sophisticated cruise ship where you meet interesting people, enjoy good conversation and make lasting friends.

In terms of layout, the Symphony is easy to navigate with most of the public areas conveniently located on four decks. Unlike the mega-ships, there’s no need to carry a deck plan around or use a Global Positioning System to find your cabin.  

The Lido Deck is the primary outdoor space aboard the Symphony, and it features a full-sized pool with a huge hot tub, a solarium with plush wicker furniture and table umbrellas, and a casual buffet-style café that serves breakfast and lunch. It also boasts an ice cream stand, a grill that’s open for late breakfast and lunch, a small bar and a lovely panoramic lounge located at the bow of the ship. Unlike some larger ships, we never had to search for an empty poolside chaise lounge or a fresh pool towel on the Symphony – they were always available. And within minutes of getting to our poolside chair, friendly crew members were ready to take our drink order.

Decks five and six are the two main decks for entertainment, dining and shopping. These decks feature several high-end shops, a martini bar, a coffee bistro, the main dining room, a casino, a sports bar, a main show lounge, a dance lounge and my favorite place on the ship, an intimate piano bar called the Avenue Saloon.

The Avenue Saloon offers a lovely pub setting and live piano music throughout the evening, which on our voyage was provided by the talented Charlie Shaffer.  However, we also had the benefit on being on one of Crystal’s Jazz Theme Cruises, which meant we were treated to a number of jam sessions in the Saloon and elsewhere by two wonderful jazz bands – the Pieter Meijer’s Quartet with Ms. Brady McKay, and the Cornet Chop Suey.

Deck 12 is home to a number of sports venues including a putting green, shuffleboard courts, golf driving nets, and a paddle tennis court. It’s also home to the Crystal Spa and Fitness Centre which offers a full range of treatments including hair styling, massages, and fitness classes. Their fitness staff and classes are so good that I even participated in several and hired a personal trainer for three sessions (and they have to be good to lure me away from the martini bar).

The food aboard the Symphony during our voyage was also outstanding – in fact, it was some of the most varied and delicious we’ve ever enjoyed at sea.

On most evenings we ate in the Crystal Dining Room, where we had a lovely table for two overlooking the water. During the cruise, our international menu options ranged from tender meats like Wisconsin veal chops and filet mignon, to mouth-watering fish dishes like lobster, grouper and sea bass – all served with delicious sauces.  And on those few occasions when we wanted a change of scenery and menus, we had two fantastic alternative restaurants to choose from, both of which are free.

We loved the ship’s Japanese-style restaurant called Silk Road, which is affiliated with renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa. The Silk Road features a small dining room with a full selection of Japanese main courses, as well as a sushi bar that serves freshly-made-to-order sushi and sashimi. Since the sushi bar operates on a first-come, first-served basis, it proved to be a great spot when we made a last-minute decision to skip our late 8:30 pm dinner seating in the main dining room.  

We also thoroughly enjoyed Prego, the Northern Italian-style restaurant that features a Venetian décor.  Once again, Crystal has partnered with a great celebrity chef to oversee the menu and food preparation – this time, with Piero Selvaggio, owner of the successful Valentino restaurants in the US. 

In terms of our accommodation, while our taupe and lavender stateroom was slightly smaller than those on competing luxury lines, it was well designed with plenty of storage. And it came with a wonderfully comfortable bed, a desk with sofa, and a beautiful granite bathroom with a tub/shower and two glass-vessel sinks.

So if you’re beginning to think it was difficult to leave the Crystal Symphony after 15 glorious days at sea, you’re right. However, we did manage to cushion the blow by signing up for another Crystal cruise before we left the ship!

After spending 11 days on the Celebrity Solstice cruising from Rome to the Greek islands and Turkey, I can’t wait to sail on her again.

Like most new ships (the Solstice was launched in November of 2008), she’s beautifully designed and comes with all the latest features including a solarium pool, a gorgeous two-storey dining room, a real grass lawn on the top deck with a putting green and bocce court, and a live glass blowing show. However, as you’d expect with a new ship in its first year of operation, there are also some things that need to be tweaked.

So while the Celebrity Solstice is a fantastic ship, how can it be improved? Based on one recent cruise in the Mediterranean, here’s my opinion:

Public space: At 122,000 tons for 2,850 people, the Solstice has lots of room and we never felt crowded anywhere on the ship. She also has an innovative design where bars and restaurants are grouped into zones so that passengers can easily find them. One of the many benefits of a ship this size is that there are enough people to fill the theatre, lounges and disco to a reasonable capacity each night so that the venues don’t feel dead. We had more fun on the Solstice at night than any ship we’ve been on in the past five years.

Staterooms: The verandah-class cabins have slightly larger staterooms, balconies and bathrooms than most premium priced cruise ships. The cabins are also beautifully designed with granite counter tops, flat-screen TVs, and blonde woods and soft colours. Outside of the ultra-deluxe lines like Regent, Seabourn or Silversea, these are the nicest verandah cabins I’ve seen. And they are extra spacious – 15% larger than on other Celebrity ships.

Food: The Solstice has a wide variety of cuisine and dining options, and the food is better than on similarly priced cruise lines. In addition to the main dining room, the ship has a buffet-style cafeteria, a creperie, a spa-style café in the Solarium, and Blu (exclusively for AquaClass cabin passengers). There are also three alternative restaurants – the Asian-style Silk Harvest, the French-style Murano, and the Italian Steakhouse style Tuscan Grill – that charge an extra tariff ranging from $20 to $30. I’m not a fan of extra-tariff restaurants (they usually aren’t worth the added cost), but these were all excellent and provide good value – particularly Murano. We also loved the Grand Epernay main dining room – a beautiful designed area with good food and service at no extra cost.

The Lawn Club: I originally thought having real grass on a cruise ship with a mini-putt, croquet and bocce course was just a gimmick.  But it was amazing just how relaxing it was to sit by the grass court and watch people play while sipping a gin and tonic! It felt like we were a member of an exclusive country club. We also enjoyed the glass-blowing show, although it’s not the kind of event most people would go back for a second time.

Entertainment:  The guest entertainers aboard ship during our cruise were excellent, particularly an A capella group called Oceans Four, a string quartet called Four Seasons, and a vocalist named Karen Grainger who impersonated famous singers.  But the ship’s company of dancers lacked energy and looked tired – perhaps they’d been on the ship too long. However, the overall quality of entertainment on board was excellent. And there was plenty of it — starting at mid-day and going past midnight. We particularly enjoyed the piano bar, the Sky Lounge and the disco.

AquaClass Cabins: This much ballyhooed new class of cabin was supposed to be a real perk for passengers interested in the spa experience, but it’s a disappointment, especially considering the premium price it commands. Besides a spa-style shower head and premium toiletries, this cabin essentially is the same as other verandah cabins that sell for much less. However, it does come with its own private restaurant called “Blu” where AquaClass cabin passengers dine instead of in the Main Dining Room (my wife and two daughters preferred the Main Dining Room). 

Blu Restaurant: This is a great idea in search of a mission. Since it’s reserved for passengers in the spa-oriented Aqua-class cabins, you’d expect it would serve a light, healthy style of spa cuisine. Instead, it serves a hearty continental-style cuisine, albeit it in more delicate portions than the Main Dining Room. However, the person who wrote the menu must have been taking hallucinogens at the time. With nightly selections like Parsnip Soup made of Caramelized Apples with Duck Confit and Fried Shallots, and Lemongrass Infused Seafood Nage, the promise of the menu was far greater than the kitchen could deliver. In addition, getting dishes cooked to order seemed to be a real challenge for the chef – we had to send back two steaks, two veal chops and one fillet of salmon because they were all over-cooked. At other times, however, the food was superb and cooked perfectly. If they simplify the menu and add more staff, this could be a real gem of a restaurant.

Service: The staff aboard the Solstice were one of the happiest and most talented I’ve have seen at sea for many years. They were a pleasure to deal with.

Concierge: Our last concierge on the Radiance of the Seas was incredibly helpful and helped save us lots of money with his advice. In contrast, when we asked the concierge on the Solstice to arrange a van for us to travel from the port of Civitavecchia to Rome airport, the best price he could come up with was US$630. He told us if we could get a better price on our own we should take it – so we did. I booked a van over the Internet and it cost just 120 Euros (about US$160). There were several other limousine companies that quoted prices between 160 to 200 Euros.

The bottom line is that sailing on the Solstice is a fantastic experience, and with just a little tweaking, it could easily become one of the very best ships and values in cruising.

As we walked up the gangplank of the 122,000-ton Celebrity Solstice to begin our 11-day Mediterranean cruise, the first word that came to mind was “Wow!” At least, that’s what our two daughters (19-year-old Samantha and 21-year-old Lindsay) must have thought as they contemplated life aboard this floating paradise for the next 11 days at Dad’s expense!

And paradise it is. Launched just six months ago, the Solstice is the first in a series of three spectacular ships planned by Celebrity with lots of new and fabulous features. They include a water fountain that doubles as a dance floor, 10 different restaurants including a gorgeous two-storey main dining room, a beautiful pool area and enclosed solarium, a live glass-blowing show, and a Lawn Club on the top deck with a bocce patch, putting green and picnic area all sitting on real grass.  

And let’s not forget the marvelous spa which Lindsay has already used for a pedicure (“Dad, it was just $45!”), and lots of boutiques that sell the latest in fashion and jewelry (“Dad, how much spending money do we have on the ship?”). At this rate, I don’t think my $200 in shipboard credits will last more than a few days!

In any event, after departing Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) last night, we spent our first evening at sea getting acquainted with nightlife on the ship. While I’ve given the girls a “booze” budget for the entire cruise, they’ve already figured out how to make it stretch much further – they invite me for drinks and then stick me with the bill!

I’d try to hide from them, but they can easily find me due to the ship’s innovative design which clusters public areas in “zones” to make it easier to hop from one restaurant or bar to another. For example, most of the smaller themed-restaurants are clustered together near the stern on Deck 5, while many of the nightclubs and lounges can be found between mid-ships and the stern on Deck 4.  While this layout could have led to crowding on a smaller ship, the Solstice seems large enough to accommodate all 2,850 passengers without any issues. It certainly accommodates Sam and Lindsay, who have had no problem finding me to pay bills.

For our first night at sea, my wife Gail and I had a wonderful dinner of corn chowder, cheese soufflé, and pan-seared Ahi Tuna in “Blu,” the intimate Mediterranean-style restaurant reserved for passengers booked in AquaClass cabins. Of course, since the price of this restaurant is included in our cruise fare, the girls just ordered salads. They must be holding out for lunch ashore in Santorini tomorrow, or maybe for one of the alternative restaurants aboard ship.

For example, I’m sure they’ll enjoy one of the alternative restaurants like Murano (French cuisine at $30 per person), Tuscan Grill (Italian Steakhouse at $25 per person), and Silk Harvest (Asian cuisine at $20 per person). And I suspect they will be visiting the Bistro on Deck 5 where crepes are available for an extra $5 per person. After all, it’s located right next to the boutiques.

Oh, and I shouldn’t forget the Internet service aboard the Solstice. They have a nice Internet Café, keyboards that hook up to televisions in the cabin, and Wi-Fi service throughout the ship including in our cabins. The packages start at just $29.95 for 49 minutes of air time, but the girls pointed out that the $79.95 package for 150 minutes is a much better value. If they keep “saving” me money like this, I will soon need a second mortgage.

Anyway, I invited them to the Cruise Connection party this morning because you get to meet lots of other fun and interesting cruise aficionados. There were about 80 people there from around the world, including the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia. There was a neat gift exchange organized by “Florida Rich,” a nice welcome from our Cruise Director Dru, lots of good ideas exchanged for shore excursions, and some nice offers to share taxis ashore. Of course, since it was free and much too early in the morning (10:00 am), the girls decided to take a pass and sleep in!

But tonight is our first formal evening and we’re about to have another “Wow” moment aboard the Solstice – we’ve all been invited to have dinner with the Captain.  While it’s a complimentary invitation and the girls have agreed to go, my wallet is beginning to feel uneasy. After all, once the girls get all dressed up and have dinner with the Captain, they’re going to feel like making a fun night of it by going to the disco. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll get some crazy idea that the evening is still compliments of the Captain and order a bottle of Dom Perignon on my bill!

 Since leaving Valparaiso in Chile for our 14-day cruise around Cape Horn to Buenos Aires, Argentina, we’d had plenty of time to explore our ship, which is one of the many benefits of having to sail long distances between ports of call in regions like South America.

As large ships go, the Radiance of the Seas is a gem, mainly because of the smart way it has been laid out and decorated to feel cozier than comparable ships weighing 90,000 tons and carrying 2,500 people.  For example, there are a number of small bars and intimate lounges like the Schooner Bar, Colony Club, Scoreboard Sports Bar, Champagne Bar, and the Viking Crown Lounge instead of a handful of large, cavernous show lounges. There’s also an intimate Concierge Lounge that’s reserved for the Royal Caribbean’s top level of frequent cruisers and passengers staying in suites, which is run by Juan Diego, the charming and helpful Concierge from Panama.

The same philosophy applies to the ship’s food service, where the main dining room has been divided into several cozy sections and two tiers, and the “Portofino” and “Chops” alternative restaurants have been gracefully decorated to create intimate atmospheres. In addition, the buffet-style Windjammer Café offers a variety of food stations and dining sections including an outdoor patio overlooking the stern, and the tiny Seaview Cafe offers up salads, burgers and light snacks in a bright and airy space lined with large picture windows.

While we had signed up for the second-seating service in the main Cascades dining room, we found the 9:00 pm start time too late (it starts half an hour later on South American cruises), so we switched to the “My Time” dining option. This flexible program allowed us to dine whenever we wanted each night between 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. in a special area of the dining room, as long as we were willing to be seated at whatever table was free when we arrived. Our Head Waiter Bharat, and waiters Rathan and Victors in the “My Time” dining section have been terrific, the food has been great, and the different people we’ve dined with each night have been delightful companions.

One caveat on food: the two alternative restaurants, Portofino Italian and Chops steak house charge $20 and $25 respectively to dine there. Based on our experience, the food isn’t worth the extra charge. In fact, the food in Portofino was no better than what’s available in the main dining room without an extra fee. So save yourself some money, and if you really want a different dining experience, try having lunch ashore.

The cabins aboard the Radiance are reasonably large, with a deluxe ocean view stateroom measuring 179 sq. ft., and the accompanying balcony covering 41 sq. ft. However, the Radiance-class ships have a quirky design feature that impacts the mid-ship balcony cabins  (especially Deck 7) – they are set back further into the ship and overlook a partition protecting the life boats below. And mid-ship balconies on Deck 10 are directly below an overhanging patio on deck 11, which partially obstructs sunlight.

There’s lots to do on a large ship like the Radiance, which makes days at sea a lot more fun and entertaining. For example, there’s a miniature nine-hole golf course, and an electronic golf simulator for those who want to maintain their driving and putting strokes. There’s also a basketball/volleyball court, a rock-climbing wall, a jogging track and a fully-equipped fitness centre with yoga and pilates classes for those who want to stay in shape. There’s also a full casino with slots, roulette, blackjack and dice.

For those who desire more sabyritic pleasures, there’s a day spa with a full range of treatments including Ionithermie anti-cellulite and detoxification treatments, and hot stone massages to balance your spirit. Just outside the spa there’s an area called the “Solarium” which has a hot tub, heated swimming pool, padded lounge chairs and a juice bar in an African-themed oasis under a glass roof. And next door there’s a regular swimming pool with two decks of chaise lounges, two outdoor bars and a bandshell where live music is played poolside (weather permitting) in the early afternoon.

Kids are welcome aboard the Radiance, and there are a variety of activities aimed at various age groups ranging from three months to 17 years of age. For children under three, there are interactive playgroup sessions and a special aqua tots program developed by childhood experts at Fisher-Price. Kids from three to 11 years of age can participate in the Adventure Ocean Youth Program, which offers a blend of educational activities with fun. Teens under 18 years of age can participate in a wide range of supervised events including scavenger hunts, open mic shows, discos and special themed evenings, as well as play in the ship’s video arcade. There aren’t a lot of kids on this cruise, or maybe it just seems so since they are so well occupied and entertained.

The main show lounge aboard the Radiance is the Aurora Theatre, and the entertainment so far has been terrific. There’s been a classical violinist, a comedian, a music impressionist, and a trio of singers from Detroit called “Horizon” who performed Motown classics to a standing ovation. In keeping with the South American theme of our cruise, there have also been Salsa and Samba dance lessons, and a Latin Fiesta in the Colony Club complete with live music by the Mambo Trio, and a fabulous Vegas-style review called “Tango Buenos Aires.” The singing, music and dancing in the Tango show was one of the best I’ve seen afloat, and the audience gave them not one, but two standing ovations. 

During the day and early evening, most people gather in or around the Centrum, the ship’s multi-storey and beautifully designed atrium that is surrounded by various public rooms and boutiques. For example, there’s a coffee shop called “Latte-tudes,” a piano bar in the lobby where a trio plays classical music, a library, a champagne bar and several stores selling jewelry, gifts and clothing. And the entire area can be viewed from a bank of glass-enclosed elevators that ferry passengers up the port side of the Centrum.

Of course, the pinnacle of any Royal Caribbean ship is the Viking Crown Lounge, and the Radiance is no exception. The trademark lounge is located mid-ships at the very top of the vessel and provides stunningly beautiful 180- degree views of the sea below. It’s also home to a pair of clubs called the Hollywood Odyssey and the Starquest, which are popular with late-night revelers.

With so much to see and do on the Radiance, it’s not surprising that we have yet to experience everything on the ship – even after 12 days. However, with two more day left, I’m confident we will have time to sample the remaining bars and restaurants, even if it means skipping a pilates class or two!

Sunday was our first full day at sea, and we spent it exploring the 15 passenger decks of the 113,000-ton Emerald Princess and getting use to our surroundings. The first close encounter with a ship this size usually makes me feel like an ant surveying a mountain. But the “Grand Class” ships of Princess (the Emerald is one of three along with the Grand and Crown Princess) never feel crowded, are easy to navigate and feel smaller than they are (although it still takes me half a day to walk from bow to stern!).  

With three show theatres, 12 lounges and bars, and 12 restaurants and cafes, many of which are located in or near the spectacular three storey atrium, it’s easy to understand why people usually drink and eat more while at sea (well, at least we plan to)! Then there are all the other goodies: the huge casino, four duty-free boutiques, a luxurious Spa, fitness centre, four swimming pools, golf facilities, and unique to Princess, the Movies Under the Stars theatre, where you can watch recent releases on a giant jumbo screen while stretched out on a pool chaise.   

So far, our favorite spot is “Vines Wine Bar” on Deck 5, where there’s a great selection of wines served by the glass or bottle, complimentary cheese plates (including Raclette), and a delicious selection of sushi made to order for only $1 per item. We’ve started to camp out here from 6:30 to 7:30 every night for pre-dinner drinks, hors d’oeuvres and stories about Bulgaria from Alex, the bar waiter. 

We also love “Crooners” bar on Deck 6, where Sheldon from Jamaica makes the meanest martinis on the high seas, and pours them into a glass that he juggles on his head. Sheldon won us over when he said his three favorite places in the world were Toronto, Vancouver, and Florida – two of which we live in, and the other we love to visit.  His bar list of more than two dozen types of martinis is amazing, and we hope to try all of them before we reach Ft. Lauderdale (hic).

 For after-dinner drinks, we’ve been heading to the clubby Adagio bar on Deck 16 next to Sabatini’s Italian restaurant. Adagio has a wonderful collection of exotic cocktails, including the fabulous “campitini” – a martini made from gin and campari – and a variety of Italian limoncella liqueurs. 

In between meals, we’ve satisfied our cravings by dropping in for some fancy Italian gelato and cream cake at the International Café across from Vines Bar. There’s also a coffee bar next door, with espresso, lattes, cappuccinos and pastries (all for a slight charge), which a great place to sit and read the satellite version of our local newspaper or the onboard newsletter, the Princess Patter.   

Not that there’s any reason to go hungry.  There’s plenty of food on board, including a pizzeria, a pool-side hamburger grill, an all-day buffet, three main dining rooms, and two alternative restaurants (Sabatini’s Italian and the Crown Grill steak house) which are available for a small extra charge of $20 or $25.

On previous cruises we had always signed up for the late dinner seating, but this time we went for the flexible “anytime dining” option.  So far it’s worked well: we’ve been able to walk into the Michelangelo or Botticelli restaurants at any time and get a cozy table for two. We love the flexibility of being able to dine when it suits us, as opposed to showing up at the same fixed time in the main dining room each night.  We were afraid this would preclude us from getting to know our waiters, but we’ve been able to sit in the same section most nights with the same great service staff – Tee from the Philippines and Valentina from Serbia. 

What we’re not sure about yet is our decision to go with an inside cabin. My first two cruises in the early 1980s were inside cabins aboard Epirotiki’s Jupiter and Polish Ocean Line’s Stefan Battory. They were not memorable cabins, and in the 45 cruises I’ve taken since, I’ve always coughed up enough bucks for either an outside or balcony cabin. And my wife Gail has never sailed in an inside cabin. So this was a big risk for both of us.  

My theory has always been that balcony or ocean view cabins are worth the extra cost when sailing in warmer climes and/or in regions with great sea views (e.g. Caribbean, Europe, South America, and Alaska in summer). But this is a late fall cruise through the Mediterranean and across the Atlantic, which to my way of thinking meant it was a prime candidate for a much cheaper inside cabin (i.e. too cold to be spending much time on the balcony, and the grey North Atlantic is not a great sea view). 

However, when we boarded the Emerald Princess and checked into our inside cabin, we were a bit disappointed by its lack of light and closet-like décor. And without even a porthole, it’s difficult to tell when morning arrives and what the weather is going to be like outside. However, we’re starting to get use to our little closet, which is well laid out and cozy, and smartly uses mirrors to give the illusion of more space.

So whenever we get depressed about not having a balcony, we just think about all the money we’re saving, and how little time we spend in the cabin anyway. And of course, how much more time we can now afford to spend in the bar drinking exotic martinis and expensive wine!!

Next, our first port of call in Naples, Italy.

 

 

During our 12-day cruise in the Mediterranean from Rome to Venice, we sailed aboard the Pacific Princess, which is a great ship for anyone who prefers a more intimate and classy cruising experience. At 30,277 tons, it’s less than one-third the size of most mega-ships. And with a capacity of just 670 passengers (double occupancy), there’s rarely a line-up for anything including lunch, the show lounge or going ashore.

This more intimate atmosphere aboard the Pacific Princess is no accident. The ship is one of 8 upscale vessels originally built for Renaissance Cruises in the late 1990s and early 2000s. When Renaissance went bankrupt, Princess bought 3 of the ships and renamed them the Pacific Princess (replacing the original Love Boat), the Tahitian Princess and the Royal Princess. Some of the other former Renaissance ships have ended up with luxury lines such as Azamara and Oceania.

As you would expect from a more upscale vessel, the décor aboard the Pacific Princess is refined and elegant, with the public areas decorated in Victorian style with wood paneling, brass railings, classical paintings and lots of marble and rich carpeting. The staterooms have dark wood trim, blue carpets, cream-coloured walls, and blue and gold bedspreads. This is a classy looking ship.

We had a reasonably sized balcony cabin (216 sq.ft) with twin beds converted to a queen, and a sitting area with a small sofa, coffee table and desk. The storage space was a bit spartan, particularly for a ship that does long voyages and world cruises. And we had to lift up the bed to get our suitcases underneath because it had a railing that dipped lower than the box spring.

Our stateroom had a small balcony with two chairs and table. We used it every day, especially in the late afternoon as our ship pulled out of port.  It was also great to walk out there in the morning to get a sense of what the day’s weather would be like as we prepared to go on an excursion.

In the public area, the sun deck is well laid out with lots of shade area around the outside, a medium-sized pool with two hot tubs, lots of sunning area around the pool, and a second level of lounge chairs on the deck above, overlooking the pool area. At one end is the pool bar, and at the other there is a small area for the band which played late each afternoon. I sat at one of the tables in the shade almost every afternoon writing my blog, listening to the music and enjoying a glass of white wine!

There are several great choices aboard the Pacific Princess for dining and entertainment.

The Club Restaurant is the main dining room, and it had two dinner sittings — usually 6:00 and 8:15 pm. It’s a cozy and elegant room with raised seating in the centre, and large windows on three sides.  The food was very good, there was a good variety including vegetarian and healthy living choices, and the service was excellent.  

As usual, we chose the second sitting because we hate rushing to dinner after an afternoon excursion, and we like the slower, more leisurely pace of the later service. Our wait staff were terrific, and they took the time to chat with us and entertain the girls with tricks and napkin folding demonstrations. On the Italian-themed night, they all dressed up like Gondola sailors and our two waiters — Crispen and Mancel — posed for photos with Sam.

The other dining choices include the Panorama Buffet, which serves buffet style dishes along with more simple options like pizza, and two alternative restaurants – Sabatini’s Italian and the Sterling Steakhouse.  Sabatini’s serves a set multi-course Italian meal that includes a large selection of hot and cold antipasti, pizza, pasta, a choice of seafood or meat, and dessert, all for an extra charge of $20 per person. The Sterling Steakhouse serves up a choice of appetizers, various cuts of steak including porterhouse and rib eye, and dessert for an added cost of $15 per person.  We dined once at each alternative restaurant, and enjoyed the steakhouse the most.

There are several bars and lounges around the ship, as well as a small casino. The Casino Bar offers live piano music before and after dinner to the rhythm of slot machines, roulette tables and black jack tables. The Club Bar, located just outside the entrance to the main dining room, serves up drinks in an intimate drawing room setting – you’ll find me there before dinner! The Pacific Lounge sits on deck 10 overlooking the bow and is the place passengers meet to dance, both to live music until 11:00 pm, and then afterwards when the lounge turns into a disco.

Our favorite night spot was the Cabaret Lounge, which puts on two shows a night ranging from the ship’s dancers and singers, to comedians, solo singers and illusionists. Our dance troupe from Australia was very talented and put on a three different shows, including a tribute to the “Rat Pack” and a French themed evening with Can-Can dancing called “Bonsoir Paris.”

 In addition to an attractive library complete with faux fireplace, the Pacific Princess has a couple of boutiques, a small gymnasium, a full service spa and an internet café.  The gym is equipped with a good variety of exercise equipment, and was never busy during our trip (not altogether surprising given the number of days we spent in port). The spa offers the traditional range of massages and treatments, and has a private mineral hot tub perched over the stern with a marvelous view of the sea.  

The Internet Café is another story. The instructions on how to sign up for service were confusing, there was no one available to help until the first sea day - a week into the cruise, and the connections were very unreliable. In addition, unlike the internet service on some cruise lines, there was no way to draft email text before signing on to the live connection and incurring time charges.   However, while the spotty internet service was a pain for me as a heavy user, it wasn’t an issue for most people.

The crew and officers aboard the Pacific Princess were terrific, which I think is a product of a smaller ship where everyone gets to know each other sooner and better. It’s hard not to run into the cruise staff several times a day on this ship, and the waiters in the dining room were more friendly and relaxed than on many larger vessels we’ve been on. As a result, we got to know a lot of the officers and crew quite well, which added to the enjoyment of our cruise.

The downside of a medium-sized ship like the Pacific Princess is that there are fewer public areas, and less choice for entertainment and activities. For example, there are none of the new-style attractions found on the mega-ships like water slides, rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, mini- golf courses, extensive shopping plazas, etc.  And smaller, more upscale ships tend to attract an older audience with fewer kids than on the larger ships.

The bottom line is that the Pacific Princess is for people who want a more refined and intimate cruise experience than they would find on larger ships in the premium market, including on the larger Princess ships.  For cruising traditionalists like my wife Gail and me, it was great and we would love to sail on her again. However, for our 18 and 20-year old children, it was good but not as much fun as sailing on the larger ships where there’s more to do and younger people to do it with.