Great cruise . . . . cannot wait for the next one.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Arrived at about 11:30am for embarkation. We were on-board in 35 minutes. Almost never stopped and walked right aboard without waiting. Outstanding
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The main dining room food was excellent. We have sailed Princess many times before (this was our 62nd cruise, not all Princess) and we have come to expect great service. This cruise was no exception and all of the dining room and bar staff were fantastic. We ate in the Crown Room twice and Sabatini's once. The Crown room was very good, but several of our party found the steaks were a little less quality than we had experienced in past years. The menu in Sabatini's has also changed on this ship. We were told they were trying an experimental menu. I can only be honest and say all of us found it to be deplorable. The service was outstanding, but several of the main dishes were just inedible. The veal and ham very tough . . . the fish dish was very fishy. I hope they go back to the "old Sabatini's". It used to be fantastic. Buffets were very well done, the flaky pizza crust was wonderful, the hamburgers and hot dogs were just fine.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We were with a 16 person group. Activities were fine. This is our third time aboard the Caribbean Princess and it is one of our favorites. Starting to show age a little, but still an excellent value.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We attended a number of the main stage shows. The singers and dancers were very good as always. But the performance by Tom Franek was absolutely remarkable. He played the piano and sang. His ability to play was unlike anything we had ever seen before. No wonder we was the Princess entertainer of the year last year. He did two different shows and I recommend you see them both. In addition we very much enjoyed the two violinists that played in the atrium.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The Princess staff was once again great in all areas. Our rooms steward was particularly great.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We enjoy this ship and the layout. The public areas were always being cleaned and although some areas are showing a little bit of wear and tear, overall it is still excellent.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
One of the best kept secrets on this ship. These cabins are in their own private hall just outside the center atrium on the busy 5th floor. Because of the private hall, it is almost sound proof. They are classified as suites even though they do not have a balcony. They are spacious and have all of the suite privileges. We always look forward to this class ship with Princess, because we find them to be the best rooms at the best price at sea.
Ship tip
After many cruises, we find it is always best to try and "roll with the punches". Things will not always be perfect, but try to find a way to get around the issue and keep a positive attitude. So often we see people get upset over some very trivial or superficial issues and they get loud, demanding and sometimes abusive to the staff. You will find that the vast majority of the staff want to find a way to make your vacation wonderful. If you treat them well, it is amazing how often they will go out of their way to help you.
We had a group that went and played the White Witch golf course. It was in very good condition and played like a very challenging mountain course. A lot of fun, but remember to cover up for the sun.
This was our first time to go thru the new locks. We were able to disembark the ship after passing thru the locks and going into Lake Gatun. We then went to the observation platform and watched the ship turn around and to go back thru the locks. Quite and experience!! We were then transported to Colon where we boarded the ship.
We had a private tour with our 16 person group. We booked a person called "Freedom". They were very highly rated and he did not disappoint us at all. He has a tremendous knowledge of this area. We took a boat tour of the canals and saw much of the wildlife. We toured the city and surrounding areas. Freedom did and excellent job and I would recommend him.
We have been here many times before and had already done the turtle farm, food tours, beaches, etc. We decided to just get off the ship and walk around. Because it was on a Sunday, many of the shops were closed. We had an early departure, so it was a quick trip.
We decided to do the "walk off" where you take all of your luggage with you. We were supposed to be able to leave at 7:30am, but they actually let us leave at 7:15am. We walked straight off the ship and thru Customs. We got a cab and were sitting in the Ft. Lauderdale airport at our gate at 8:15am. It doesn't get any better than this.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
