Crown Princess Review

Refreshed during a dry dock in 2018, the ship was embellished with new offerings, such as super comfortable Princess Luxury Beds in every room, rebranded poolside dining options and an upgraded kids' center.

The layout of the ship, featuring four spacious pool areas (two for adults only), combined with varied, popular activities planned around the vessel, means that the ship rarely feels crowded, even at full capacity. We loved how easy it always was to find a seat for nighttime shows, a deck lounger near the pool, a spot to sit at the buffet restaurant (even during peak times) or to get a reservation at one of the specialty restaurants.

There is always enjoyable nightly live music, but some of the main theater evening shows got mixed reviews. Probably the best-loved entertainment option, Voice of the Ocean (Princess' version of karaoke taken to the next level) captivated the attention of our fellow passengers for the duration of the cruise, and had many of us rooting for our favorite contestants all the way through to the final round. When we weren't listening to music, a movie under the stars was always a great way to spend the evening.

Keeping up with all the activities was easy, thanks to the line's app Princess@Sea that lets you conveniently pull up the day's slate of activities or message people traveling in your party on your phone for free (not using Wi-Fi).

We also noted that Princess does an excellent job of ensuring cleanliness in areas such as the buffet, where traffic is monitored by crew members who ensure that everyone uses hand sanitizer before entering the line.

One last note, though we don't often comment on shore excursions, Princess has added new offerings to select itineraries on Crown Princess that are co-branded with Bon Appetit, Discovery and Animal Planet, and they were some of the best excursions we've experienced.