Originally Posted by
BearX220
I would gently contest almost all of this post and wonder how many cruises Mill Creek Don himself has done. (We've only done one but we're planning our next and pay attention to friends' experiences!) We just had overseas relations do a 7-day Princess cruise on a very large ship, the Golden Princess, that worked out well in every way. At no point did they feel they were "part of a LARGE herded group" -- they never queued for anything. As for the "additional costs," except for tips they are all optional. This is like complaining about a luxury hotel because bar bills and spa visits aren't included in the room rate.
I have to echo those sentiments, we cruised on the RCCL Explorer of the Seas (huge and beautiful) for New Years...and never felt that "part of a large herded group" feeling either..there was times when there "was" a line to do certain activities but I looked at this as being no different than any other activity that is popular...the additional costs for cruising such as drinks, specialty restaurants, excursions are optional to your liking...even the tips to the staff can be increased/reduced depending on how you felt about the service/s..