Princess Cruises may be best known for introducing cruise travel to millions of viewers, when its flagship became the setting for The Love Boat television series in 1977. Since that heady time of small-screen stardom, the Princess fleet has grown both in the number and size of ships plying Caribbean waters. Although large in scale, Princess vessels manage to create the illusion of intimacy through the use of color and decor in understated yet lovely public rooms graced by multimillion-dollar art collections.

Princess has also become more flexible lately; Personal Choice Cruising offers alternatives for open-seating dining (when you wish and with whom you please) and entertainment options as diverse as those found in resorts ashore.

Welcome additions to Princess's roster of adult activities, which still include standbys like bingo and art auctions, are ScholarShip@Sea Enrichment programs featuring guest lecturers, cooking classes, wine-tasting seminars, pottery workshops, and computer and digital photography classes. Nighttime production shows tend toward Broadway-style revues presented in the main show lounge, and performers might include comedians, magicians, jugglers, and acrobats. Live bands play a wide range of musical styles for dancing and listening in smaller lounges throughout the ships, and each ship has a disco.

A spirited Island Night deck party is held during every Caribbean cruise; on Pub Night the cruise director's staff leads a rollicking evening of fun with passenger participation. At the conclusion of the second formal night, champagne trickles down over a Champagne Waterfall, painstakingly created by the arrangement of champagne glasses in a pyramid shape. It's a great photo-op when several women are invited to join the maître d' atop the platform to assist in the pouring.

Lovely chapels on the wide-open decks are equally romantic settings for weddings at sea. Princess Cruises explode the myth that just any captain of any ship can marry starry-eyed couples. Legally, ceremonies with the captain officiating can only be performed on certain Grand-class Princess vessels. It's an option not offered by any other cruise line in the Caribbean.

Food

Personal choices regarding where and what to eat abound, but there's no getting around the fact that Princess ships are large and carry a great many passengers. Unless you opt for traditional assigned seating, you could experience a brief wait for a table in one of the open-seating dining rooms.

Menus are varied and extensive in the main dining rooms, and the results are good to excellent considering how much work is going on in the galleys. Vegetarian and healthy lifestyle options are always on the menu, as well as steak, fish, or chicken. A special menu is designed especially for children.

Alternative restaurants are a staple throughout the fleet, but vary by ship class. Grand-class ships (Caribbean, Crown, Grand, Golden, and Star Princess) have Sabatini's for Italian food and the Sterling Steakhouse; both require reservations and carry an extra charge. Sun-class ships (Sun and Sea Princess) offer complimentary sit-down dining in the pizzeria and a similar Sterling Steakhouse option, although it's in a sectioned-off area of the buffet restaurant. With a few breaks in service, Lido buffets on all ships are almost always open, and a pizzeria and grill offer casual daytime snack choices. The fleet's patisseries and ice-cream bars charge for specialty coffee, pastries, and Häagen Dazs ice cream.

An utterly posh dining opportunity for passengers who have balconies and want to celebrate a special occasion is Ultimate Balcony Dining. Breakfast is $25 per couple, dinner $50 per person. A server is on duty throughout the four-course dinner, and a photographer also stops by to capture the romantic evening.

Fitness & Recreation

Spa rituals include a variety of massages, body wraps, and facials; numerous hair and nail services are offered in the salons. Both the salon and spa are operated by Steiner Leisure, and the menu of spa services includes special pampering treatments designed specifically for men and teens as well as couples.

Modern exercise equipment, a jogging track, and basic fitness classes are available at no charge. There's a nominal fee for personal training, body composition analysis, and specialized classes such as yoga and Pilates. Grand-class ships have a resistance pool so you can get your "laps" in effortlessly. You can even earn PADI scuba-diving certification in just one week by participating in the Open Water Diver program -- be sure to check for program availability on your selected cruise date.

Your Shipmates

Princess Cruises attract mostly American passengers, ranging from their mid-30s to mid-50s. Families enjoy cruising together on the Princess Caribbean fleet, particularly during holiday seasons and summer months, when many children are on board. Longer cruises appeal to well-traveled retirees and couples who have the time.

Dress Code

Two formal nights are standard on seven-night cruises; an additional formal night may be scheduled on longer sailings. Men are encouraged to wear tuxedos, but dark suits are appropriate. All other evenings are casual, although jeans are discouraged in restaurants, and it's requested that no shorts be worn in public areas after 6 pm.

Junior Cruisers

For young passengers aged 3 to 17, each Princess vessel has a playroom, teen center, and programs of supervised activities designed for different age groups: ages 3 to 7, 8 to 12, and 13 to 17. Activities to engage youngsters include arts and crafts, pool games, scavenger hunts, deck parties, backstage and galley tours, games, and videos. Events such as dance parties in their own disco, theme parties, athletic contests, karaoke, pizza parties, and movie fests occupy teenage passengers. With a nod toward science and educational entertainment, children also participate in learning programs focused on the environment and wildlife in areas where the ships sail. The Adventures Ashore program features appealing tours for children and teens while in port.

To afford parents independent time ashore, youth centers operate as usual during port days, including lunch with counselors. For a nominal charge, group babysitting is available nightly from 10 pm until 1 am. Family-friendly conveniences include self-service laundry facilities and two-way family radios that are available for rent at the Purser's Desk. Infants under six months are not permitted; private in-cabin babysitting is not available on any Princess vessel. Children under age three are welcome in the playrooms if supervised by a parent.

Service

Professional service by an international staff is efficient and friendly. It's not uncommon to be greeted in passageways by smiling stewards who know your name.

Tipping

A gratuity of $10 per person, per day is added to shipboard accounts for distribution to stewards and waitstaff. Passengers may adjust the amount based on the level of service experienced. An automatic 15% is added to all bar tabs for bartenders and drink servers; gratuities to other staff members may be extended at passengers' discretion.

Past Passengers

Membership in the Captain's Circle is automatic following your first Princess cruise. All members receive a free subscription to Captain's Circle News, a quarterly newsletter, as well as discounts on selected cruises.

Perks at Gold, Platinum, and Diamond levels are determined by the number of cruises completed.

Princess Cruises.
Phone: 661/753-0000 or 800/774-6237
www.princess.com