Emerald Princess - April, 2008

Emerald Princess TransAtlantic Sailing April 14, 2008

We had an excellent trip. The flight from Orlando to Miami and the transfer was on time and easy. However, boarding the ship was a long delay. There were only 2 security scanners to process over 3,000 passengers. We were in line over an hour to get past the security scan. Once past this bottleneck getting processed and boarding was pleasant and a snap.

The ship is a beauty. Big, big, and big but never over powering. The layout makes it easy to find your way, even though it can be a walk to get from one place to another. Our stateroom was very comfortable. The best part was the closet area. This is an open walk-in concept that gave tons of room to hang clothes with more than enough hangers. Since we had beautiful weather and very calm seas we were able to use the balcony every day.

As I mentioned, the ship is beautiful and clean. All of the common areas were spotless and elegantly decorated. The outdoor movies were fun and separated from other outdoor activities so there was no interference.

Service was very good to excellent. Service in the buffet areas was exceptional. You were served beverages so you didn't have to carry the drinks. Used dishes were quickly removed and tables cleaned. Service in the dining rooms was very good but could have been better. Our Assistant Waiter was very inexperienced and served dishes crossing under the nose of others at the table. Service was slow and it took much too long to get the food.

Entertainment was excellent. The singer and dancers are not special on any ship and on this ship they failed to meet this low standard. The single entertainers were top notch. We would be super excited about an excellent performance only to find that the next entertainer was the same or even better. Other than the dancers, this was the best entertainment we have ever had on a ship.

With a ship as big as the Emerald Princess and with as many passengers, you never felt crowded over overwhelmed with the size. The design of interior space with many smaller areas gave you the feel of a much smaller ship. We had a wonderful time and ready to sail with her again.