We enjoyed most of the itinerary, spare Bali, which was a disappointment considering the cruising time to get there and back. The ship seems old even after its recent refit. The air conditioning in the cabins was a point of conversation for many of the passengers we met. It was inadequate at best, and occasionally nonexistent. A pretty great disadvantage when you are traveling across the equator. The food quality was somewhat inconsistent, but best in Savoy dining room. The buffet was less well stocked. Things like smoked salmon for breakfast were largely absent. The specialty restaurants the Crab Shack & Sterling steak house were placed in the buffet, with the ambiance of a cafeteria. We took a pass on the specialty restaurants as the reviews of Sabatin’s aboard ship were less than flattering. Staffing at all the restaurants seemed to be smaller than the rest of the ships. This resulted in a very slow process from placing an order to receiving your first course to completing your meal. Staff did their best, but there was not enough wait staff. Last point is the solar eclipse event. An advertised special event, that required protective glasses. But the ship did not have adequate staff to supply all interested passengers. We would not take another cruise on this particular ship. And, it was our first significant disappointment with the Princess line.
The air conditioning was inadequate to nonexistent. Even after being reported and addressed by maintenance staff.
We did the best of Phuket. We visited the Promthep Cape, Wat Chalong, Thai Cultural Center for traditional dancing. We had a great buffet lunch above a duty free store. The only disappointment was stopping at a Gem Factory, which Princess called a stop for shopping at a reputable store. This was a waste of our time!