Princess cruise- British Ilses

Marie did you read the reviews on cruisecritics.com.. its the best and busiest cruise forum on the internet.. and they have a "ports of call" section that can be really helpful.
Non cruisers can suggest many good ideas, but those who have crusied know the special time limits of a cruise visit and may have some very good ideas too. Suggest you look on that forum as well for help. Good luck. Ps A cruise is as good as you make it, you will have a lovely time with a little research and with realistic expectations of what you can see and do on a short visit. Its a nice way to just get a taste of a place and then maybe plan a return land visit( much longer! ) Enjoy

Hi Maria. When you say you are "reading the reviews and it doesn't look good." What specifically have you read that is a real turn-off for you?

The funny thing is, when I was looking at the reviews for the Princess cruise Caribbean ship, I got excited reading about the wonderful service, food and entertainment. Then I noticed that these were reviews for the ship we were taking but not on the same itinerary. I then checked the ones last summer on the same itinerary as us and they got an aver age of 2 or 3 star. the opposite comments. :(

Maria, which Princess, I have been on Grand, Caribbean, Star and Sapphire.
Also , where did you read the reviews..

We are going on the Caribbean. Thanks

I haven't read the reviews you have, whether on cruisecritic or elsewhere, and I haven't cruised on Princess, but it's possible the "not pretty" reviews you've read say more about the ports than about the ship. The ports for your British cruise are all big cities, not the small tourist-centered places Caribbean cruisers generally see. London and Paris, and maybe others, are some distance from where your ship will actually dock. So cruisers hoping to "see" London or Paris or Dublin will have very little time to do so, compared to "seeing" places like Aruba, St. Thomas, Cozumel, etc. Another variable is weather. Winter Caribbean cruises are warm, sunny antidotes to Montreal (for example) winters. British Isles weather can be great but is often rainy even in summer. You don't say when your cruise is, but you should expect variable weather. Rougher seas are also likely around Britain than in the Caribbean (apart from hurricane season). So you may be reading critical reviews from people who expected a Caribbean-type cruise in Britain, which is just unrealistic imho. I've done both (on NCL) and each is wonderful in a different way. If the ship is OK, as it seems to be, then embrace the British Isles scenery, what you can see and do in ports without spending all day on buses, and the joy of being at sea, which is the best part of cruising for me. Specifically, unless you've never been to Paris or London and think this is your only chance to "see" them, I'd suggest NOT taking the long excursion to either city but instead spending your port time closer to the actual dock.
If your port is LeHavre, visit Honfleur next door or maybe the D-Day beaches. If you'll be in Southampton or Dover, those cities have many nearby attractions. Take more time to enjoy London and Paris on another trip if you can. Happy anniversary!

Yes, I know. I'm going on that very cruise this summer and read the not so glowing reports too. I didn't read the Caribbean reviews, only the British Isle ones. It really doesn't make sense since it is the same ship. But, it is what you make of it and people all have their own opinion. Have you sailed with princess before?