Friendly staff, good food, interesting stops

Caribbean Princess Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 5
Helpful Votes: 150

Overall rating:

3.5 out of 5
Caribbean Princess

10 Night Panama Canal With Costa Rica & Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 30, 2019

Ship: Caribbean Princess

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: A324

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

Princess always do a great job and I am always impressed. A few changes though on this trip differentiated it from others. Less then good service at the customer service desk, assistant Maitre’d who barely recognized our table, small portions and lack of specialty food orders were challenging and made this trip equal to other cruise lines. Loved Zumba, pickle ball and Ray Coussins (the pianist in Crooners)

Embarkation

5 out of 5
As an elite member, Princess make it extremely easy to board quickly and efficiently. The new Medallion registration and process has simplified everything and after several years of testing they have it down.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
While Princess are great at presentation and taste, the portion sizes have been reduced and they are less flexible when it comes to special orders. You can still eat as many portion as you want!

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
It’s terrific that Princess have Zumba on sea days. The pools are not heated and we’re a little chilly this trip.

Entertainment

4 out of 5
Traditional entertainers like Rick Steel are a strong entertainment team and the cruise director for funny and engaging. The production shows were not up to Princess standards though. The best highlight though was Ray Coussins, the pianist in Crooners. Great pianist, singer and story teller. A must see.

Children's Programs

Didn’t bring kids

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
Our room steward (Milton) was as good as any Butler we’ve had on MSC yacht club or Holland America suite. The restaurant staff were efficient but the assistant Maitre’d didn’t seem to care as much as we have had on other Princess ships.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
Love deck 7 promenade where I could walk around the entire ship outside. Deck space was plentiful and we never had to search far for a lounger. Outside “movies under the stars” shower up to date films and the popcorn exceptional

Cabin / Stateroom

2 out of 5
Way too small to accommodate 2 bunk beds. Every time I got out of bed I slammed against the overhead bunks! Very poorly designed. Bed was comfortable and the pillows were great. The room always clean and the bathroom spotless.

Ship tip

Stop by to see Ray Coussins at Crooners if he is sailing with you. Play pickle ball on the sports deck everyday from 9:00 to Noon. Rackets and balls included

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

4 out of 5

Falmouth, Jamaica

2 out of 5
Take an excursion or stay on the ship. The town is dangerous

Cartagena, Colombia

4 out of 5
Beautiful city. Worth taking a tour. Even if you just stay in port, they have a area housing exotic south American birds, sloughs, anteaters and monkeys.

Panama Canal (Cruise Into Canal)

4 out of 5
Fun to go up and down. Like a very slow circus ride. After the first lock though it’s like watching paint dry

Cristobal, Panama

1 out of 5
Industrial port with a small tent filled with vendors selling local goods

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

4 out of 5
Well worth taking a tour or just strolling through town.

George Town, Grand Cayman

4 out of 5
Best beaches in the Caribbean

Disembarkation

3 out of 5
Port Everglades need to implement face recognition technology as the passport control folks clearly don’t like their jobs. A nightmare of a wait.

Traveler Photos

Poppy want a cracker? Ray Coussins in Crooner Bar
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10 Comments

bostickb     7 months ago

Thorough review, thanks for taking the time

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us.

GerryBCruisin    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your review of the Caribbean Princess. Nice pictures.

javawoody    3 years ago

Thanks for the review

cruisereckoning    4 years ago

Thanks for the review

cruisereckoning    4 years ago

Thanks for the review

Fiesta83    4 years ago

Thanks for the honest comments

TOhcruisers    4 years ago

Have to agree, as an elite member you enjoy cruising with Princess. It’s too bad about the asst matre’D’s effort.

Cruiserike0322    4 years ago

Sorry for your disappointment, don't give up

MaelstromTroll    4 years ago

Sorry to hear your cruise wasnt up to snuff and I agree about Falmouth. The town outside of the port looks desolate and dangerous. I felt guilty drinking coffee in this multimillion dollar port when 15 feet outside the gate, people live over scrap tin roofs.

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