This was my fourth cruise with Princess and fifth cruise overall. We are an active couple, ages 46 and 55. I was a bit worried about sailing on the Island Princess after the refit, but the overall changes were not something that really affected us. The gym is small and dark, but we chose to run/walk on the promenade deck instead...it is inconvenient that it doesn't go all the way around anymore, but you can either cut through the ship (and enjoy the air conditioning) or turn and go back the other way...a small price to pay for the great scenery. I didn't miss the Universal Lounge at all-I have previously sailed on the Island's sister ship, Coral Princess and I didn't think the sight lines and space constraints in the Universal Lounge were that great.I had done research before we left and knew enough not to book our cabin in the aft area due to all the vibration issues. We sat next to a couple at dinner that had a cabin in that area and they said the vibrations were awful, .like the vibrating beds they used to have in motel rooms. I was curious to see if the dining felt crowded now that they had added more people to the ship, but we didn't find that the case any more than usual.

Embarkation:

We arrived at the ship just a bit before 1:00. There was a large crowd, but we only had to wait about 15 minutes before our group was called and we were quickly on board. Read more