Why Princess Cruise Line?

Picking a cruise line to cruise with is something like picking the mate you want to live with. You need to find out how your personalities match, both with a selected mate, and also with the cruise line or ship you choose.

While cruise lines may try to persuade travelers they can offer an all-things-to-all-people onboard experience, we're increasingly seeing them carve out distinctive lifestyle niches. Still, picking the perfect cruise line or ship -- like choosing the perfect love match -- can be tricky. Even the same cruise line can offer different experiences based on the age and size of a ship and the destination and time of year you're sailing. 

Similar to hotels, there are four main classes of cruise ships:

★★★ Mainstream cruise lines are the most affordable and they tend to have a lot more resort style ships offering water parks, climbing walls, etc. and tend to target and attract families and a younger crowd. While we would have been more attracted to this type of cruising years ago, or if we were taking children with us, we feel we would probably would not partake of many of these activities today. Because of the families and younger crowds, you will also experience more children running around and perhaps a more loud party atmosphere crowd onboard, neither of which we are attracted to. Cruise lines in this category are: Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line, and MSC.

★★★★ Premium cruise lines are more expensive than Mainstream cruise line and offer a wide range of accommodations to consider, such as balcony and suite options. They provide a slightly more premium experience and tend to have more of a traditional cruising experience and more bells and whistles and features. Cruise lines in this category are: Celebrity, Princess, Cunard, and Holland America.

★★★★★ Luxury cruise lines tend to operate slightly smaller ships and they tend to go to more unique and different ports than Premium lines. They offer a much more luxurious experience, are slightly more all inclusive, and offer a wide range of accommodation types. Cruise lines in this category include: Azamara, Oceania, and Windstar.

★★★★★★ Ultra-Luxury cruise lines label themselves as six star cruise lines and are typically have all suite accommodations, butler service, all inclusive, and a more personalized service. Cruise lines in this category are: Seabourn, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas, and Crystal.

On a Princess Cruise you are mostly likely to be on the ship with the following guests:

• American. This is the largest group of cruisers in the world, and Princess is popular with US based travelers. The experience and ambiance has a strong American bias. You will though find a large mixture of nationalities, but with English as the onboard language there is a natural bias towards these countries.

• Older (average age is 57 years old) especially on longer cruises and when schools are in session.

• Couples, but a good representation of solo travelers.

• On cruises heading to beach and sunshine areas you will have more families during times when schools are on break.

While we cannot make judgments on other cruise lines besides Princess Cruises, because we have not sailed on them, we do love the crowd, atmosphere, and size of the Princess Cruise ships. On our past  cruises we spoke to a lot of veteran cruisers who have sailed with multiple cruise lines and their overwhelming consensus was that Princess Cruises was a more affordable and better alternative to the other cruise lines in its premium class. Unknowingly we stumbled upon a cruise line and class of ships that fit our lifestyle and feel we have met the perfect mate in doing so. I guess we are the older American couple who loves the beach and sunshine!

Gary Bembride (a popular cruise youtuber) visits the 4 main classic premium cruise lines (Princess Cruises, Holland America, Celebrity Cruises and Cunard Cruise Line) to see how they have changed, what makes them different to each other, and who they are now best for in the video below

Top 10 Things We Love About Princess Cruises

1. Food! The food choices and quality on a Princess Cruise ship are top notch. Whether you are dining in one of the Main Dining Rooms or a Specialty Restaurant, or even grabbing a bite at the buffet or some of the other smaller food cafes onboard the ship you will find top quality food which is handmade to perfection. Now with the Dine My Way  experience, dining onboard is reimagined.

2. Activities and Entertainment! You should never find yourself bored on a Princess Cruise. There is always something going on and they offer many things to satisfy your quest for activity and entertainment. The show productions are high quality and filled with a passion to entertain you.

3. OceanMedallion™. This high tech wearable device will streamline your  cruise in ways you might not imagine. We love what it can do to make our cruise more seamless.

4. MedallionNet. While it is nice to get off of the grid and just enjoy life, it is also nice to share your adventure with others back home and the super fast Medallion Net internet onboard is an awesome feature. (The Emerald Princess now uses the Starlink satellite system.)

5. Movies Under the Stars. The movies shown in the evening are current movies being shown in movie theaters. It is nice to cuddle up together under a cozy blanket and enjoy a movie together. During the day they show concerts or documentaries to entertain the whole family.

6. Mature Travelers. Princess Cruise passengers are typically older so there is much less of a party atmosphere or kids constantly running underfoot as there may be on other cruise lines. This type of cruise fits our lifestyle perfectly.

7. Elegant Décor. We love the distinctive upscale contemporary design of the Princess Ships featuring marble, brass, and fine wood.

8. Piazza. We love spending time in the Piazza area, whether it is enjoying a small string quartet or just people watching. There are many small eateries in the area to grab a bite and a cup of coffee to enjoy some relaxing time together.

9. Crew.  The ships crew is always friendly and helpful. It makes the whole vacation so much more relaxing when you don't have any stress.

10. Romantic Environment. Perhaps all of the above combine to make a Princess Cruise a romantic place to be with your partner. It is great to share such an adventure with the one you love.

Who are Princess Cruises?

Princess Cruises started sailing in 1965 with a single ship that cruised from the United States to Mexico.  Princess Cruises and the “seawitch” logo first became famous in 1977 when one of the Princess ships, Pacific Princess, was cast in a starring role on a new television show called “The Love Boat”. The weekly series, which introduced millions of viewers to the concept of a sea-going vacation, was an instant hit and Princess Cruises has remained synonymous with cruising ever since. The show, which can still be seen around the world, has been widely credited with fueling the dramatic expansion of the cruise industry. You will be reminded of this TV show whenever a Princess ship leaves a port as  they play the "Love Boat" theme song on the ships horns!

By 2024 Princess Cruises will have 16 ships in its fleet carrying more than one million passengers annually. This makes it one of the fourth largest cruises line in the world based on passengers after Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian cruise Line.

The Princess line is based in Santa Clarita, California and is owned by the huge Carnival Cruise Corporation. They also own other cruise lines including Carnival, Holland America, Seabourn, AIDA, Costa, and P&O Cruises.

The Princess Cruise ships range in size from smaller-sized vessels like the 2,000 passenger “Coral Princess” to the larger "Royal Class" ships with 3,660 passenger capacity. The Emerald Princess is a mid-sized Princess "Grand Class" ship with a 3,080 passenger capacity.  To review the entire fleet visit princess.com/ships-and-experience/ships/. In 2024 Princess will be launching their newest  "Sphere Class" ship, which was named the Sun Princess, and it will be their largest ship (passenger capacity of 4,300) with a whole new layout to explore.

If you have never been on a cruise ship before you may have a preconceived idea that they are very crowded and you will feel claustrophobic while onboard. In reality, because of their huge size they are very spacious and it feels more like you're at a large resort hotel. Many times on our previous cruises we have wondered to ourselves "where is everyone?" as we walked around the ship at times. If an area does become crowded because of a special event happening there you will always be able to find some quiet spots away from everyone else to be by yourself if that is what you desire. 

Most of the Princess fleet of ships provide more of a premium and luxurious cruising experience which promote entertainment, activities, and dining experiences tailored to typically older (average age is 57 years old) passengers without the water park resort feel to them.

Princess Cruise line is recognized as an industry innovator, having introduced many new features and programs through the years that were so well received they were later adopted by many other lines and became standard throughout the industry. Innovations such as affordable balconies on many of the ship’s outside cabins, 24-hour dining, and a choice dining venues and flexible dining times.  Princess ships also debuted features such as Movies Under the Stars poolside theaters, The Sanctuary adults-only oasis, and the Chef’s Table dining experience. 

Princes Cruises realizes that your vacation cruise time is valuable, so they strive to always provide exceptional service to you. As part of that commitment, they have introduced the "Princess Promise". They are confident about their services, and if you're not satisfied, they will make it right, or refund you the value of that service. Crew members are empowered to resolve issues then and there, when the can, and will work with you to find a solution to your issue. 

About this Princess Ship

This cruise is aboard the Emerald Princess, a Princess "Grand Class" mid-sized ship which came into the Princess Cruise fleet in 2007. This ship was last renovated in 2019. This ship is similar in size to other "Grand Class" sister ships in the Princess fleet  which include the Grand Princess (1998), The Caribbean Princess (2004), the Sapphire Princess (2004), The Diamond Princess (2004), the Crown Princess (2006), and the Ruby Princess (2008). The ship elevates the distinctive, upscale contemporary design utilizing marble, brass, and fine wood décor and luxurious attractions found on all of the other Princess Ships in their fleet.

On our prior cruises we have always sailed on the larger Princess "Royal Class" ships so this will be a new ship for us to explore and enjoy. Since this will be a new ship for us to explore, we invite you along to explore it with us, both on this website and perhaps onboard!

The Emerald Princess has a capacity of 3,080 guests (based upon double occupancy), with a crew of 1,200 staff. With a tonnage of 113,561 Gross Tons, a length of 951 feet, a beam of 118 feet, it sports 19 decks, 15 of which are accessible to guests. Powered by six  marine diesel-electric genset engines with combined power output 67 megawatts, the ship can cruise at a speed of 22 knots (25 mph). The propulsion system is based on two azipods with combined power output of 21 megawatts.

About the Chosen Cruise Itinerary 

The dates and itinerary selected gives us the opportunity to spend a bit of time in Florida before and/or after the cruise. 

The chosen cruise itinerary  onboard the Emerald Princess will have us visiting a couple of islands we have visited before (and certainly wanted to visit again!) plus many new islands to explore and enjoy. 

Potentially taking a cruise around spring break can mean younger and more rowdy passengers onboard. However, because this is a long 14 day loop cruise, we doubt there will be many younger passengers or families onboard as they typically do not have that much time available to take a cruise.

This 14 day cruise leaves Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Wednesday February 21, 2024 and visits the Southern Caribbean and arrives back in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on March 6, 2024. Times shown below are on "ship time" and may vary from local port times. Announcements will be made to remind you of time changes. Map illustration may contain port order and/or port substitutions, please review itinerary list below for actual list of ports. Port arrival and departure times are approximate and subject to change without notice per the Princess Passage Contract. 

Wed, Feb 21 Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Depart: 03:00 pm

Thu, Feb 22 At Sea

Fri, Feb 23 At Sea

Sat, Feb 24 St. Kitts (Basseterre)

 Arrive: 9:00 am

Depart: 6:00 pm

Sun, Feb 25         Guadeloupe (Point-a-Pitre)

Arrive: 0800 am

Depart: 06:00 pm

Mon, Feb 26   St. Lucia (Castries)

Arrive: 08:00 am

Depart: 06:00 pm

Tue, Feb 27 St. Vincent (Kingstown)

Arrive: 08:00 am

Depart: 06:00 pm

Wed, Feb 28 Trinidad (Port of Spain)

Arrive: 06:00 am

Depart: 04:00 pm

Thu, Feb 29 Grenada (St. Georges)

Arrive: 0800 am

Depart: 06:00 pm

Fri, Mar 1 At Sea

Sat, Mar 2 Curacao (Willemstad)

Arrive: 08:00 am

Depart: 10:00 pm

Sun, Mar 3 Aruba (Oranjestad)

Arrive: 07:00 am

Depart: 04:00 pm

Mon, Mar 4 At Sea

Tue, Mar 5 At Sea

Wed, Mar 6 Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Arrive: 07:00 am

To help answer questions you may have about taking a cruse, Princess Cruises has created a Cruise Answer Book to try to answer  questions you may have.

About the Princess OceanMedallion and MedallionClass Experience

To make the most out of our cruises we have come to love the Princess MedallionClass experience featuring the OceanMedallion™. It allows us to experience a more personalized and hassle free vacation, so we can do more of what we love. 

We have learned to love the OceanMedallion and we use it a lot throughout our cruise. It makes for much faster booking, the ability to open our locked stateroom as we walk up to it, etc. Crew members may even call us by name and will be aware of any dietary needs we may have without asking!

All cruisers will be receiving a complimentary OceanMedallion device and lanyard as part of their cruise experience. For guests with a Plus or Premier package, they may order these items delivered to their home (for U.S. guests only) for no extra shipping fees. If they do not have the package, they pay a $10 flat fee to have these delivered to their home. Or they could choose to pick them up at the departure port for no extra fees. 

With over 8,000 sensors onboard and over 4 million feet of cable routed throughout the ship, the Princess Cruise app can help you find your way around onboard (not an easy task with a ship this size!) and more importantly, find each other if we become separated. Without it, you would wander around the ship all day looking for your shipmates. The App also has a chat feature which is handy for sending messages back and forth if you are on opposite ends of the ship.

The App shows entertainment and activity schedules allowing you to bookmark those you don't want to miss.

You can order beverages, snacks, or other items delivered to you while you're lounging by or in the pool or in your stateroom using  OceanNow on the Princess Cruise App! Hungry during Movies Under the Stars®? Realize you forgot sunscreen by the pool? Order whatever you need — burger, extra towels, aloe, etc. — it will be delivered to you with no service delivery charge (purchased items will automatically be added to your onboard account)! Unfortunately, as of August 12, 2023 there will be a one time charge of $15 per guest who use the OceanNow service with a standard fare booking. Those guests having the Plus or Premier packages will not pay this fee.

Dining has also be reimagined onboard Princess Cruise ships with the introduction of the Dine My Way  experience. Using the Princess Cruise App you will now be able to make dining decisions to choose When, How,  With Who, and Where you want to dine each evening!  One of the only complaints we had with the Princess Cruise dining experience in the past was trying to make reservations each day for our evening dinner. 

No need to carry money while onboard. You can leave your wallet in the digital safe located in your stateroom. The OceanMedallion allows you to make any purchases from any ship store or service without having to carry cash with you. Spending too much that way? Check your current ship expenses on the App!

You can wear the OceanMedallion on the free supplied lanyard, or purchase clips, pendants, bracelets, lanyards, lanyard inserts and sports bands. We have tried a few variations of clips to wear but we have found they don't tend to be very secure in holding the medallion in place and I was always scared of losing mine. Perhaps a better option would be to place them in an Apple airtag holder which the medallion fits into nicely.  There are many options available such as these on Amazon. You can also purchase the OceanMedallion with a variety of colors and custom designs. Typically they will be a color that signifies your status in the Princess Cruise Loyalty program.

Click here to learn more about the Princess MedallionClass experience and  click here for answers to many frequently asked questions. 

This website offers an informative, although a bit tongue-in-cheek detailed description of the app.

There are some older cruisers who perhaps do not own a smartphone and don't like change who are the ones who are most resistant to using the app (they also probably resisted the sails being put on ships instead of rowing their ships back when they started cruising) . However, we have found that it makes our cruise from start to finish a much more relaxing experience as you have access to everything at your fingertips!

Below are some screen shots from just some of the available screens I took from the new app to give you an idea of some the of information you may see and use with this app. Some of the screens may not be available for use until you board the ship, such as chatting with other cruisers you are connected to. 

While all of the Princess Cruise ships were idled during the pandemic of 2020 they took the opportunity to update ALL of their ships to utilize the Princess MedallionClass™ experience! 

In 2023 Princess Cruise Line was voted the Cruise Critic Editor's Pick for Best Innovation/Tech Award in recognition of their use of technology and innovation for enhancing the service levels onboard their ships.

So what can you expect using the OeanMedallion™?  Below is a video showing one cruisers experience testing this technology:

MedallionNet

Princess Cruises proclaims their MedallionNet internet to be "The Best Wi-Fi at Sea". This unlimited internet is included in the Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages.

We have found the Princess Cruise Medallion Net internet to be very fast. On previouse crusies it allowed us to check emails, social media sites, send snaps, and watch and send videos with no issues. The internet is provided from satellites and they have good coverage in the Caribbean. Some parts of the world the internet coverage can be very spotty or non-existent during a cruise. We have heard however, that lately the internet is becoming slow at times even in the Caribbean area.

On January 18, 2023 Carnvial Corporation (which owns Princess Cruise Line) announced that they will start using the new Starlink satellite system on all ships in their fleets! The Emerald Princess is now outfitted with the Starlink satellite system!

Effective January 22, 2024 the cost for a single device Wi-Fi plan increased from $15 per day per person to $25! If you purchased your W-Fi plan prior to this increase you will not be charged the higher fee. While the recent price increase was quite high, the fee is similar to what other cruise lines offer. Wi-Fi is included in the Plus and Premier packages

The only issue we experienced was not being able to totally access our home security cameras while at sea. We are hoping that issues can be resolved before this sailing.

Cruise Personalizer®

Once you have finally booked your cruise, you should then start planning for the cruise itself!  and start  by logging into the Cruise Personalizer and begin entering the required information as described below:

Anytime before the cruise, but at least a month before departure, you should download the MedallionClass app and personalize your cruise. If you have not already done so, register for an account on the Princess Cruise website and sign in. By creating an account you can:

• Receive special offers and notices about this cruise and future cruises

• Manage your bookings

• Customize your preferences

• View future cruise credits

Some of the Cruise Personalizer can be done on the Princess Cruise Website once you have created an account and logged in. Go to the "Booked Guests" tab and there is some information you can enter or change there.  This is where you will also find your luggage tags and Travel Summary which you can print out for boarding.

Princess was trying to shift all cruise personalization to the MedallionClass app but they got a lot of push back from people who do not like to use their smartphones for such things so they have returned some of the options back to the Cruise Personalizer on their website.  The app still allows you to make most choices, however you may find the website easier to use at times too.

Once you have downloaded the MedallionClass app, or logged into the website and are signed in, navigate to the "Cruise Personalizer" area. Here you will be able to view all of your preferences for the cruise and give you the opportunity to:

• View Summary of Cruise

• Check-in

• Book Excursions

• Order Onboard Services

• Reserve Specialty Dining

• Book Airfares via Princess

• View Cruise Itinerary

• View Payments and Cruise Credits

Here is a step-by-step pre-cruise checklist to help you get Ocean Ready for your cruise using the MeddalionClass app.

The Summary will show all of the preferences you have currently made, either through your initial booking selections or through the Cruise Personalizer, such as your booking number,  Stateroom location, bed configuration, dining preference, etc.

Prior to boarding you must complete the check-in process for each passenger listed. This includes:

• Passage Contract Acknowledgement

• Guest Information Form

• Personal Information

• Emergency Contact Information

• Travel Documents

• Credit Card Information for Shipboard Account

Within 75 days of sailing your travel summary will be available to be printed from the Princess website in the Cruise Personalizer area.  It appears you do not have to bring a printed travel summary with you but you may want to print it out or save it as a pdf and send it to your emergency contact and relatives so they have a schedule of where you will be. About 30 - 60 days before departure you should also be able to print out your luggage tags to be used during embarkation.

You can also personalize your cruise on the app by completing information about your:

• Accessibility and Dietary Requests

• Flight Schedule

• Excursion Reservations (Available to Pre-Pay)

• Vacation Protection (optional)

You also have the option of changing any of your onboard preferences that you have previously made in your initial booking or through the Cruise Personalizer®:

• Dining Preferences

• Bed Configuration (Queen or Twin)

• Choose whether you want a Complimentary Robe in your Stateroom

• Onboard Documents Language Preference

If you and/or your partner are celebrating a special occasion, such as a birthday or recent anniversary, there is also an area to enter that information in. Princess will arrange a special service or gift by completing the information areas under the "Special Occasion" heading near the bottom of the check-in page. This occasion can also be a surprise to the guest by calling the Princess Celebration Support team at 1-855-500-7690

If you have any questions, please ask me, or call the Princess Cruise Help Desk at  1-800-774-6237