We still had a good time overall but the fact that we missed our last excursion made the itinerary with too many sea days. The excursion were just okay with the exception of “meet the Sloths” in Limon. The food was pretty good for the most part but you’ll find it much better in the restaurants rather than the buffet.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
The embarkation was event free and our group was processed without any issues. One couple in our group didn’t get their luggage until after dinner.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Buffet was hit and miss. Breakfast and lunch was ok for the most part but not as good as the dining restaurants. The coffee in the buffet was horrendous so I would recommend a coffee card so you can have all the premium coffee you want along with up to 15 specialty coffee drinks. We went to two specialty restaurants, Sabatini’s and Crown Grill. The experience and cuisine was better at the Crown Grill. Should try the pizza and Salty Grill as well. The pizza wasn’t bad but forget the hamburgers since it’s not very good. However the hot dogs and fry’s are really good. The ice cream isn’t bad either. Overall the food isn’t bad but you’ll enjoy the food and especially the desserts at the restaurants better.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
The pool and fitness areas were way to crowded and if you didn’t stake your chairs early you can forget about finding a place in the shade. It seemed that if you weren’t into shopping, jewelry or art there wasn’t much to do. I sat out on deck seven which turns into a track for walkers during mid morning and afternoon. The evening however was different and much better.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Our ship had a comedian, magician, and an acoustic guitar singer all of whom performed twice and were all very good. The stage shows were also pretty good but nothing more than you would expect.
Children's Programs
Don’t have children
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The service and staff were very friendly and helpful. All seemed to be well trained and efficient. My experience with the staff and service was nothing but exceptional.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The design was the typical Princess layout. Well maintained and clean. You always see maintenance being done. With this huge of a ship however there is always lines at the elevators and large crowds at the buffet.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
The location was really good because it was in the mid-forward section near the center line of the ship. Therefore even though we had gone through some rough seas we felt it less than others in our group. We used our balcony a lot. The bathroom is really small however and I always wonder how some on board can fit into it. I guess it’s your typical cabin for a ocean liner in this price range or category. I also liked the location because we didn’t need to use the crowded elevators that often since we only need to use the stairs to go up or down a couple of floors do get to the majority of the locations.
Ship tip
Don’t use the main pools but rather find the upper level pools that are small but off the beaten path.
We took an excursion to kill time before our late afternoon flight. The excursion was a combination of a tour bus through the high end district and a boat ride to see the inner channels were top CEO’s of major corporations own second homes along the canal. It was eye opening to see the extravagant mansions that are not even used for more than a few days a year.
We got lucky with the weather and really enjoyed just hanging out in the water. Bring your water shows or sand socks because there is lots of rocks. If your prepared and rent a claim shell you’ll have a good time. The BBQ lunch they put together is Okay but the fruit is the best. They serve all kinds of stuff including ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage dogs and chicken. Cookies are your dessert.
We planned our own site seeing tour because the last time I was there we didn’t see what I wanted to thoroughly. We paid someone outside the main gates a total of $60 to take all five of us to the old walled city where he gave us a nice tour and then to the castle we’re we visited the ancient structure. Recommend not trying to see too much and stay away from the jewelry stores which are time wasters. Also recommend bringing some Columbia’s Peso’s with you if you want to visit the castle. Admission is 25 mil peso’s ($US 8.50) per person, which is way cheaper than what prepaid tours will cost you. Otherwise you can get away with US dollars. They don’t accept US dollars at the Castle entrance booth.
The canal experience is awesome if you take the time to learn about the history of it beforehand. In order to appreciate what your experiencing you need to understand what is actually happening. We were blessed with good weather so it made it that much better.
We teathered off the boat and took an excursion which took us around a section of Gutan lake to witness the animals along the rain forest. We also did a short hike through the rain forest. It was fun but you have to be fairly active to enjoy it. This is not for handicapped people.
Our excursion returned us to the ship via the city of Colon. The city is pretty run down so if you don’t find observing poverty your thing then you won’t like it. Your only there for a short time so you don’t really have time for anything.
Our “Meet the Sloths” tour was fascinating and a great learning experience. It was my favorite excursion of the cruise and you better book early since it’s the first to sell out. You’ll visit a sanctuary and take a canoe ride through a dense forest to witness animals.
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