The Panama Canal has been on our bucket list for years and finally got there. The Princess Cruise Line, in our opinion, is the best for our budget. The crew and officers appear to enjoy their jobs more than other lines and it is a well trained staff. There was nothing we ask for that was not immediately taken care of (not on some other lines). The ship maintenance was exceptional. We constantly saw officers walking around looking for areas that needed attention, taking pictures and sure enough that day or the next whatever seemed to be wrong was fixed (from loose baseboards, cracked tile, etc). The second day, someone experienced a medical emergency that required Coast Guard Helicopter evacuation. The professionalism of how it was handled was amazing. We were provided updates as to what we would experience, timeline for areas of the ship that would be closed for safety, etc. Ample pleasant staff to guide us, the Captain on the PA ship wide system giving information, etc. He then told us that we would not lose any time and that he was speeding up to cover the lost time slowing down for the Helicopter removing the patient, etc.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Other than the porters that took our bags where the bus let us off, it was great. Princess did a good job of keeping things moving and organized.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Part of this rating is Princess Cruise Lines. We have sailed on 4 different lines, but always come back to Princess for the ship quality experience. They, to us, do the absolute best job of cleaning up and guest care. I doubt we will ever sail on any line other than Princess again, and yes we pay slightly more, but it is well worth it.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Pools, Hot Tubs, fitness center were all good. Sea days you need to get out early to get good lounge chairs.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The comedian was great. Shows in general are very good and the option of movies under the stars or in the Theater add a bonus.
Children's Programs
We love children, but not on a cruise ship. Princess takes care of kids, but does not cater to them-no rock wall etc.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
There was not one staff member who was not on the top of their job. Some better than others, but every one did their job, shared in helping others and overall had a smile....even the maintenance staff.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We sailed on the Caribbean Princess and it went through a renovation in 2017. It was very clean and updated. the flow on the ship was better than we experienced before, such as buffet lines, wait at dining venues, etc. The ship was full, but seldom a wait.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
we were on deck 15 toward the bow. easy access to elevators. Always clean and room checked and cleaned up several times a day. Clean towels every time we came back to the room and had used one. We did not have to ask for anything. Also Princess seems to be the only line that daily wiped down the balcony railings as part of the room cleaning. Never a salt build up on the rails, etc.
Ship tip
We opt for standard tipping, but the one thing we always do is tip the room steward when we first meet them. We tell them that we know they will take care of us, but wanted to give them something up front. Then we ask for something in return, for example, my wife likes an extra bath towel for her hair and we never want to run out of hand lotion. With the extra tip, it was always there.
Good except for the porters that take your bags and get them on the ship. Two couples experienced the same experience and we heard of others that had the same experience. I felt that $2 per bag to check it in was an a fair tip. The porter stood there and said "not enough!". Being afraid that my bags might end up in the water or not even make it, we tipped him another $5 (for the two bags, making the total $9). He then said, "your close". I gave him $1 more and he said OK.
Take cash in addition to your room card. the tour desk said we only needed ID and our room card. big mistake. Shops only took cash! The food and bar were ok with room card, but we wanted a shirt and hat and passed instead of going back on the tender to the ship and back again.
We stayed on the ship and watched from an upper deck the Canal passage the whole trip. Buy the DVD of the voyage through. it gives you a perspective that you can only get from a 360 overview. A bonus was the 8' Alligator as we were leaving the locks on the way back through near the bow. We got some great pictures.
Probably the best shore excursion we have ever taken. We took the Dolphin swim and stingray swim. Started with instruction and getting in the water with trained dolphins. rode them, kissed them, swam with them, they pushed us in, etc. Then on a boat out to the WILD stingray sand bar where there were literally hundreds of wild stingrays. We got in the water, touched them and fed them. What an experience!
Princess again does an amazing job of getting people off in a timely manner and well organized. No huge crowds, very close to on time getting off, very polite staff with coffee and water available in the waiting lounge, etc. When our group was called, we were led by a crew member to the disembarking location.
Glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise! We did this cruise in January and a wonderful time. We have been loyal Princess Cruises passengers for awhile. We will be embarking on our 18th cruise in May with my mom who has 45 Cruises with Princess. To us Princess is by far the best cruise line.
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