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Coral Princess Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 10
Helpful Votes: 491

Overall rating:

5 out of 5
Verified Review
Coral Princess

11 Night Panama Canal Partial Transit (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 25, 2015

Ship: Coral Princess

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: A710

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 9 years ago

Review summary

Our cabin # 710 was interesting.  It was on a high deck, far aft, across from the guest laundry room, not too far from the stairs and elevator, and had no covering over the balcony.  I thought I wouldn't like the roofless balcony, but I ended up enjoying the full vista of the sky and sea both day and night and I spent a lot more time out there than on other cruises.  Issues arose right away, however.  The high, aft location created a constant engine vibration in the cabin.  I got used to the rock and rolling pretty quickly and it didn't affect my sleep, but my husband was bothered by it throughout the cruise and he spent far less time in the cabin than I did.  A worse problem developed as we traveled south.  The roofless balcony doors had no protection from the direct sun.  Even with the drapes pulled shut during the day, the A/C was unable to compensate.  It was ten degrees hotter during the day than at night.  The laundry room location was an asset.  It was not at all noisy in spite of the foot traffic and it was extremely convenient on those days I used the laundry.  CABIN GRADE: B-     The many interesting and educational activities on sea days that were directly related to the ports of call earned high marks.   We felt really connected and prepared whenever we disembarked to shore.  Princess excels in this area compared to other cruise lines.   ACTIVITIES: A+.  We were surprised, however, to see the same exact entertainment shows (same costumes, same sets, same everything) as on an Island Princess cruise we took a couple of years ago.  We still enjoyed the shows, but were surprised nonetheless.  ENTERTAINMENT: B;   FOOD: A- ;   RESTAURANT SERVICE: A+ (mainly because they were liberal in allowing guests to wear nice but casual clothing on formal nights).    OVERALL CRUISE: A  (The pros outweighed the cons and we had a very good time.) 

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
Port-related lectures, movies, menus and more created escitement to go ashore and explore.

Entertainment

3 out of 5
It would have been GREAT if we hadn't seen it all before on a different Princess cruise.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5
Lots of vibration; no balcony roof; near the laundry room and elevator/stairs.

Ship tip

FREE WIFI was easy to find near the dock in all the ports. Just ask your waiter or any crew member to point you in the right direction.

Ports of call

Oranjestad, Aruba

5 out of 5

Cartagena, Colombia

5 out of 5
After your excursion, visit the little zoo, cafe (wifi) and gift shop inside the gated port area.

Panama Canal (Cruise Into Canal)

5 out of 5
No matter how many times we have (partially) transited the canal, it continues to be amazing.

Colon, Panama

1 out of 5
Except for the wifi cafe and some shops near the ship, Colon is dirty and dangerous

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

3 out of 5
The excursions are really interesting, but there is nothing to do or see in Limon on your own.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

3 out of 5
Dunns Falls and the mountain view are very nice, but they are mostly man-made attractions.
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