We booked the cruise for the itinerary and had a great time on and off the ship.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Arrived at Southampton and was onboard the ship within minutes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We had a standing reservation in one of the main dining rooms at 5:20 every night (was the only time we could book on the app) but showed up @ 6 and had no problem getting a table without waiting. The food was good and we always found something to eat. The “Love Boat” dessert has changed and isn’t as good as it used to be. The buffet is set up with people entering and exiting where the food stations are set up so it was crowded with people coming and going and those trying to get food.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We played ping pong and went to the gym. The gym is in an interior room which I wasn’t used to but it was fine.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Stage shows were good. No acrobats like on Celebrity but the singers and dancers were good. Violin and cello players were around the ship whenever you turned around. Pop up shows and activities in the atrium were good.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Waiters and bartenders were friendly and hard working. Some waiters stood out and really took pride in their jobs Our room steward kept our room impeccably clean.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The buffet was near the bow of the ship and on other Princess cruises, it’s aft but it was easy to find where everything was because it’s a small ship. Always saw staff out and about cleaning and painting.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was very clean. The shower was small but that’s common on older ships. We were on the Aloha deck and there was an overhang above the balcony so when you took pictures, you had to zoom in to avoid the overhang.
Ship tip
The Island Princess is an older and smaller ship that allows her to dock at ports that the bigger ships cannot dock at.
There’s not much here but it’s so far north so it’s understandable. Went to the North Cape (northernmost part of Europe) for some breathtaking views of the ocean and cliffs. They say the weather can turn on a dime at the North Cape (fog, rain, wind) but it was sunny and warm while we were there so we really lucked out.
Walked from the pier to the botanical garden. Tromso is able the Arctic Circle so it must be very difficult to grow flowers but they had many different varieties. Took a tour in the afternoon the the Arctic Cathedral and took a tram up for some breathtaking views of the City. Hiked a little at the top.
Was there on a Sunday so there wasn’t much open in the City but it was walkable from the pier. Took a tour to the RIngve Music museum that was very interesting.
CaptainKranken: the green lane fluctuates before you get onboard. As you are Elite, you’ll be fine and I’m guessing you can walk on when you arrive. I wanted to note that this cruise stopped in Gravdal in the Lofoten Islands and it’s not listed as a port in the review. There’s not much in Gravdal so an excursion of some sort is necessary. Lofoten was my favorite port as the scenery is so beautiful. The other missing port in the review was Newcastle in the UK. It was a beautiful, old City with a very nice pedestrian only street. It was far from the port so not easy to get to but our excursion got us there with plenty of time to wander on our own.
Thanks for your review, I'm on this ship on 8th September & have read a few negative reviews, but yours is a positive one ,so makes me feel better, I was a little concerned about embarkation, as they've removed the green ocean ready from the app, we are on Elite tier, so that should help, I hope to be at the terminal for about 11:00 ish, & don't want to be hanging around.
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