A really nice cruise

Item: Coral Princess
Rating: 4
Author: ItsWoody

Coral Princess Cruise Review

ItsWoody

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 56

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

19 Night Panama Canal Pacific Adventure (Los Angeles Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 29, 2019

Ship: Coral Princess

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

A great cruise for someone who loves sea days (like me). I wouldn't hesitate to take this cruise again, but I would try going later in the year (Dec or Jan), in hopes that it would be cooler. The heat, and especially the humidity, was awful.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Super easy/efficient

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Sabatini's Italian Trattoria

4 out of 5

It's really more like 3.5 stars. It's pretty good, but not spectacular. The appetizers and pasta courses were great, the main courses were good (not great). I loved the pappardelle pasta with the beef cheeks. I should have asked for a double serving of the pasta dish and skipped the main course.

Bordeaux Dining Room

4 out of 5

The service was very good. The food was pretty good. We like anytime dining, so we can meet new people.

Bayou Cafe & Steakhouse

4 out of 5

We ate at the Bayou twice. It's very good, but not spectacular. The selection is limited, and there are really only a couple of choices for a steak (get the filet).Get the Gumbo YaYa.We had good luck with both of our visits, but we talked to another couple that was not happy with the way their meal was prepared.

Crooners Martini Bar

4 out of 5

Crooners is a pretty nice space, and the bar staff is so fun and friendly.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5

We spent many hours listening to Don Juan in the Crooners lounge, as well as his show in the Princess Theater. He provided the best musical entertainment we have ever had on a Princess ship.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Excellent, as always.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

As for the ships layout, it was really nice. Lots of public areas to spread out the passengers. They moved the buffet to the front of the ship. It created tons of seating, and great views. It's just backwards from what I'm used to. As for cleanliness, there's always room for improvement, but I wasn't going to waste my time looking for flaws.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

We were in a mini suite. It was pretty great. Very comfortable. The couch was relatively new and in great shape (our last cruise was on the Grand Princess, and the couch in our room on that cruise was a mess).

Ports of call

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

3 out of 5

We did the train ride and river cruise. Skip the train ride. It was just a tour of poverty. As for the river cruise, it had potential, but.... we learned that whether or not you see wildlife (crocs, etc) depends on the tide. We were there at the wrong time.

Thumbs Up 1

Huatulco, Mexico

3 out of 5

Didn't take an excursion. Walked off the ship, got to the end of the pier and had to walk through the gauntlet of men trying to get us to take their tour, or buy their jewelry.

Thumbs Up 1

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

3 out of 5

Just walked out in to the visitors center at the end of the pier. It was very pleasant. Also, a nice little cultural history show.

Thumbs Up 1

San Pedro (Los Angeles), California

3 out of 5

Panama Canal (Cruise Into Canal)

5 out of 5

Both beautiful and fascinating.

Thumbs Up 2