WE have sailed with Princess for decades - always stellar experiences in every respect. This past cruise was a disaster, in that, we had a staff working area across the hall from our room on the Baja deck and were wakened several times each night with loud banging - like metal trolleys or pots and pans etc. This was the standard of sound proofing on an otherwise beautiful NEW ship. The staff who would come up to check each time we phoned in the middle of the night, refused to acknowledge there was anyone there and to call again if we were disturbed. After four nights of less than there hours a night of sleep, I fell ill. Two days into the second week, our room was finally changed, although no one had bothered to respond to the written complaint we had deposited at the customer relations desk.

The dining experience seems to have been included in the cost cutting efforts as fresh fruits were blemished, meats so tough, we were leaving food on our plates. Our waiter Sim can vouch for that.

The entertainment standard has slipped considerably as, presumably, costs to hire talent have gone up. Read more