Very nice Panama Canal cruise

Island Princess Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 9

Overall rating:

4.6 out of 5
Verified Review
Island Princess

14 Night Panama Canal - Ocean To Ocean Westbound (Ft. Lauderdale To Los Angeles)

Sail date: January 04, 2024

Ship: Island Princess

Cabin number: D512

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 3 months ago

Review summary

This was a very nice cruise. The Panama Canal is very interesting. Reserve collection dining was a very worthwhile upgrade.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Easy boarding. Short Uber ride from our hotel to the cruise terminal. Easy luggage drop off. Fast and efficient check in.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
Reserve collection dining was fabulous. Great food, high quality. Incredible service.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5
Quite a few sea days and the onboard activities become somewhat repetitive.

Entertainment

4 out of 5
Shows and musicians were good for the most part.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Reserve dining waiters were fantastic! Cabin steward was great! Service all around the ship was good - from bartenders to service desk to staff all over the ship.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Reviews for Island Princess were mixed, but we were very happy with design, cleanliness, and layout.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Mini-suite was comfortable, well equipped, clean, and well maintained.

Ship tip

Layout on Island Princess is quite a bit different than most Princess ships we've been on. Take some time to get acquainted with the layout.

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

4 out of 5
Did a private excursion pre-cruise. Hotel was average.

Cartagena, Colombia

5 out of 5
Lots to do. Felt very safe. Did an excursion to tour the fortress, the old walled city, and a harbor cruise.

Panama Canal Transit

5 out of 5
Going through the original locks is an all day experience. Very interesting. No excursion since the boat was in transit all day.

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

4 out of 5
Very nice scenery. Excursion visited an animal rescue - the sloths were cool! It also did an aerial tram ride which wasn't that great. And a butterfly exhibit that was interesting, but just okay.

Huatulco, Mexico

5 out of 5
We did a Rural Traditions tour and it was very fun and educational. We visited several small communities and met with local families that produce products to sell. We sampled, prickly pear cactus, mezcal, homemade tortillas and tamales, and learned about the culture and how they make a living.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

5 out of 5
We did a whale watching excursion and saw LOTS of humpback whales. Great ride on Zodiac speedboats and an overall good experience.

San Pedro (Los Angeles), California

3 out of 5
Just disembarked and went to the airport.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Easy to get off, through customs, and retrieve luggage. Airport ride with an Uber was pretty straight forward.
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