Very Enjoyable Trip!

Caribbean Princess Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America

kaviaq

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 4

Helpful Votes: 121

Overall rating:

4.5 out of 5

20 Night Caribbean & Panama Canal Explorer (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: October 08, 2018

Ship: Caribbean Princess

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: D629

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

Chosen for the itinerary, this cruise did not disappoint! We booked a mini suite (MD) class cabin which we thought came we certain privileges only to discover that they really didn't. It is nothing more than a balcony cabin. Our cabin steward, known as Nono, has been fantastic, as frankly, have the rest of the staff throughout our cruise. A notable exception, strangely, is the "customer service" staff at the desk. They really have a "couldn't care less" attitude even when I was trying to compliment the crew! The food has overall been good. Exceptional at the Crown Grill and Plank's. Just good most other venues with a few examples of not very good, usually at the buffet. They have tea, coffee, water, and lemonade available most of the day. Service is better in the buffet area than we've seen on other cruises where the staff is more interested in your enjoyment than in selling you something, which is a nice change. They do a great job bringing your drinks and clearing the tables quickly, always with a smile. The International Cafe has delicious soup, sandwich, and dessert choices at no charge while there is a charge for their coffees. We found the pizza spot, Slice, and their burger bar, Salty Dog, to be okay. This ship must have a world renowned "Fry Captain" on board as the french fries throughout the ship are universally fantastic! We found the entertainment to be a little bit lacking for our tastes. The Princess Theater is a bit uncomfortable to sit in for more than about 45 minutes as the seats are a bit too close by row. We enjoyed several of the smaller gathering options nice such as Laura Callaghan in the Wheelhouse bar in the evenings. You will find great service in all the bars without exception. One drawback to the Medallion Net option is that it seems to actually slow the process of buying drinks currently but maybe that will change over time as I believe the concept will work similarly to your door unlocking and recognize the wearer from a distance. Who knows? This ship has a nice variety of pool options to choose from with a total of 5 pools and many hot tubs throughout. I enjoyed the gym though it is a bit limited in equipment options compared to other ships we've sailed. It has a good selection of weight machines and a nice dumbbell area. They open at 6 am though you're asked not to use the treadmills prior to 8 am, presumably so as not to disturb sleeping passengers in the cabins below. You can, however, use the other cardio equipment including eliptical machines. They have a nice spa area but don't try to constantly force treatments on you. They offer an unusually great sauna and steam area for all clients with no charge. These actually get hot as opposed to many others you might find on other cruise lines and even most resorts where they have them but they don't really become very hot. Our favorite ports were Cartegena, Costa Rica, and Grand Cayman and the Panama Canal piece was very interesting. One of the greatest benefits we found on this ship was the internet. For very affordable price, we had unlimited internet which allowed almost seamless usage of our phones and other electronics throughout the cruise. Many may not like this as they may prefer to unplug while cruising, which I get. I was essentially able to continue working as though I were in my office without interruption while enjoying a fantastic cruise at the same time, which gave me a sense of comfort. Cudos to Princess for investing in this technology and for getting it right!