We are frequent cruisers, this was our 19th cruise. After reading the many reviews on this site, we had pretty low expectations for the cruise overall but could not find another ship that did this itinerary at this time. The first thing we did right was upgrade to Club Class. I believe because of this our dining experience was markedly different from others we knew traveling on this cruise and that reported by previous reviewers. Our meals were good and served hot. We never waited to be seated, had top-notch service and were often offered meals not available in traditional dining. Enough said - if you can afford it, it is well worth it (but a shame it takes this to get decent food on-board). The cruise is so port intensive that we did not really care that much about the rest of the ship experience. Entertainment was so-so and often non-existent during the hours we wanted which was about 7-9:30 pm. Day after day of getting up early meant we often retired to our cabin after that time. A bright spot was Laura Thompson, an acoustical guitarist/singer that was wonderful. Sadly, she said she is leaving the ship at the end of August so this will not help later cruisers. The Ports were great. We did not have some of the tendering issues mentioned in previous reviews although we made sure to get up early on these days and be one of the first off the ship. Not sure what it was like later in the mornings but it seems like Princess might have added additional tenders in Guernsey and Edinburgh. We found many of the days in Port are too short. Would loved to have had more time in Dublin, etc. What was particularly annoying was the ship's excursions were always late returning, often as much as an hour later than the all-aboard time we were given. It is not fair that all passengers aren't given the same time table. We did not do any of Princess excursions. By taking advantage of great advice on the roll calls, we were able to put together our own private or small group excursions for much less money. Smaller excursions can get you to the main attractions ahead of the tour buses. For example, we were first in line for Blarney Castle - went up and down to the stone in 15 minutes. When we left, the line was over 2 hours and many on the tours never made it to the top. Be smart, use trip advisor and cruise critic and plan your own excursions. One day we hired a private car to tour us all day at a cost less than the Princess excursion and we got to see twice as much. Overall, I would recommend this trip for the itinerary. The ship is in decent shape with some areas still in need of updating. The internet is atrocious and totally over-priced. Hard to believe in this day and age that they cannot get this right. Connectivity is no longer a nice-to-have but rather a necessity. We did try Sabatini's and the Crown Grill - both are worth it. We heard people on ship complain about Planks and the BBQ so we avoided them. No issues with personnel whatsoever. Everyone was pleasant and very helpful.