Alaska is the reason a lot of people book

Princess has been running Alaska longer and more seriously than almost anyone, and it shows in the bits you cannot see from a brochure. They own lodges inland. They run their own rail cars. They can put together a cruise and land package that actually connects, rather than three bookings taped together.

If you want to see Denali as well as the coast, this is the easiest way to do it with children. The logistics are handled and the handovers work, which on a trip with that much moving around is worth real money.

The onboard naturalist programming in Alaska is also genuinely good. My view is that Alaska is wasted on a ship that treats it as just another itinerary, and Princess does not.

The Medallion, and whether it matters

Princess gives you a small wearable disc instead of a keycard. It opens your cabin as you walk up to it, lets you order a drink to wherever you happen to be standing, and lets you find the rest of your family on a map of the ship.

I was sceptical and then I used it. Finding your children on a large ship without a phone call is a bigger quality of life improvement than it sounds. So is having lunch brought to you on a sun deck rather than queuing.

It is not a reason to book Princess by itself. But of all the technology gimmicks lines have introduced, it is the one that made an actual difference to my week.

The ships and the atmosphere

Princess ships are large but not enormous, and they are laid out sensibly. The public rooms are comfortable, there is a lot of seating, and it never feels like the design is fighting you.

The crowd skews a little older than Royal Caribbean and considerably younger than Holland America. In school holidays there are plenty of families. Outside them there are not many children at all, which is worth knowing in both directions.

It is a quieter ship than the party lines. There is entertainment, there is music, there is a casino, but the volume level of the whole enterprise is lower. People who find big ships exhausting often find Princess restful.

Kids on board

There are age-banded youth centres and they are perfectly good. Not the headline attraction, not Disney, but properly run with real staff and a real programme.

What Princess does well for families is space. Balcony cabins are a strength, the fleet has a lot of them, and on a scenic itinerary a balcony stops being a luxury and becomes the reason you are there. In Alaska I would not sail without one.

Connecting cabins exist across much of the fleet and are worth asking about early. For five people, two connecting balconies is often cheaper and better than a single suite.

What I would watch out for

The fleet spans a wide age range and the older ships are noticeably more dated. This is the recurring theme of mainstream cruising and Princess is no exception.

Some fares are sold as a package with drinks, wi-fi and gratuities bundled and others are sold bare. The two look similar on a comparison site and are hundreds of dollars apart in reality. Read what you are actually buying.

And the specialty dining is good but the main dining room is fine rather than memorable. If food is your priority, look at Oceania or Celebrity.

Who I would book on Princess

Anybody doing Alaska, particularly with a land extension. Families who want a calm, comfortable big-ship holiday without a lot of noise. Multigenerational groups, because it manages to suit grandparents and children at the same time better than most.

I would not book it for a family whose children need constant stimulation, or for anyone who wants the newest and flashiest hardware at sea. That is not what this line is for.

Questions people actually ask