Crown Princess generally skews toward a slightly older crowd, with several couples and groups traveling together and young families in the minority, while still attracting a variety of ages and nationalities. To serve the multinational passengers onboard, you'll find several tour options available in languages such as Japanese and Spanish.

In general, wardrobes vary based on your specific voyage and the climate where you’re traveling, but passengers tend to dress fairly casually during the day, with shorts, jeans and T-shirts being fairly common (as well as the ubiquitous cruise lanyards holding cruise cards). In the evenings, all dining rooms except the buffet and casual dining restaurants have a designated smart casual dress code, which means no tank tops, shorts, baseball caps or "casual jeans" (i.e., no holes or fraying allowed).

On a typical weeklong cruise, two nights are designated formal nights, and most passengers tended to dress up, from typical business attire to more formal outfits. Many women wore cocktail dresses and men generally wore a jacket and slacks (with or without tie). We confirmed with cruise staff that they do ask passengers to leave the dining room for dress code violations.

Suggested gratuities are $13.50 per passenger, per day for interior, ocean-view and balcony staterooms; $14.50 per passenger, per day for mini-suites and club class rooms; and $15.50 per passenger, per day in suites. Tips are shared between stateroom attendants, as well as all wait staff, buffet stewards and housekeeping staff. Tips may be prepaid via credit card before departure. A 15 percent gratuity charge is automatically added to all bar charges and spa services. There is no option to increase the tip on beverage purchases, but you can add more in the spa.

Casino dealers and youth activities staff do not share in gratuities and may be tipped separately if you use their services.