This was one of the best cruises I have experienced from a overall service, quality of food and entertainment and destination perspective. All of the ship staff we engaged with were courteous and professional and wanted to ensure we had the best experience possible. We met a number of folks on the ship and all were very friendly and polite.
Originally we thought this was once in a lifetime for us, however we would go back if we have the chance.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation seemed to be well managed and efficient. There were plenty of staff to take luggage when we got to the cruise terminal. When we got into the terminal we were given a number and had to wait until our number was called before we could proceed. Once we were called our documentation was checked and we were given our medallions and boarded the ship. I would estimate it was about 30 minutes from the time we arrived until we boarded the ship. Our luggage arrived within a couple of hours of us boarding
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
All of the places we ate at were excellent. I didnt have a meal I didn't enjoy.
I really like tapioca pudding, I would say the cruise ship is probably the only place I get it.
Its probably my fault, however I would say there was too much great food – despite me using the walking track daily, using the stairs instead of the elevator and using the fitness facility I managed to gain about 15lbs over this cruise. I suppose I need to learn a bit of self control.
Horizon Court
4 out of 5
We ate dinner at the buffet a couple of the nights, the food was good, however it seemed to primarily be the same food each night we were there. They did have some specialities each night, like a Sharma corner one night, taco corner another night etc. The deserts at the buffet were plentiful and varied. Wait staff were fairly attentive, however I found it just as easy to order beverages through the app as opposed to finding someone to order it through.
Sabatini's Italian Trattoria
5 out of 5
Sabatini's was great. The food portions are large and I found I over ate. My wife reminded me that this was my problem and not restaurant's. I didn't have to eat everything on my plate. I had the lasagna, it was very tasty. For dessert I had the Rocher, wow!
Bayou Cafe & Steakhouse
5 out of 5
We ate at the Bayou one evening and had a great steak dinner. The cheese bread before the meal was very tasty I'm glad I didn't ask for more as it is very filling The steaks were cooked exactly the way we like them. We also ordered the loaded potatoes, they were fantastic. I don't usually add salt to my food, however the variety of salts available is intriguing and I enjoyed trying them. Dessert was excellent. Overall the service was fantastic, minimal waiting time and very friendly and attentive wait staff.
The Bar & Grill
5 out of 5
Really enjoyed the cheeseburgers, hot dogs and fries here. We tried the street tacos, they were good, however I preferred the burgers and dogs. They have a number of different meat pies, however I didn't get a chance to try any of them.
International Café
5 out of 5
One of my favourite spots is the International Café, I frequently go there for a prebreakfast coffee and first breakfast, as well as some great deserts and drinks before bedtime. The staff there were very attentive and pretty well knew what I wanted morning and night - it was great!
Ice Cream Bar
5 out of 5
The ice cream and specialty deserts are too good! I ate too much of them. The staff running the ice cream bar were very friendly.
Bordeaux Dining Room
5 out of 5
We ate in the main dining room most nights, the quality of food and service in the dining room was excellent. I enjoyed every meal there and there was sufficient variation. The wait staff were very attentive and wanted to ensure you enjoyed your meal and everything you needed. There was very little waiting for your courses to arrive.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
I did not find the pools, hot tubs and open decks overly crowded. I was always able to find a spot, despite the weather being very nice for the majority of the cruise. We enjoyed going to trivia, the game shows and karaoke. They were all well organized. My only disappointment was the lack of Zumba classes – I think there was only one Zumba class (possibly two) the entire cruise.
Gymnasium
4 out of 5
The fitness center is reasonably well outfitted and maintained. There are a number of machines in a relatively small place, which can make it difficult to get around. I primarily used the weights and resistance machines. It wasn normally too busy, so no to little wait time for the equipment. I did notice some folks do not wipe the equipment before and after use. For cardio I primarily used the walking track. It was great, I particularly like that it's a wooden deck. I normally would go early in the morning and there were always staff mopping up any water. My only beefs with the track are people go both directions, so you need to be very careful going around the corners at the front and rear of the ship. Others like to walk side by side, which can make it difficult to pass in some areas - that's ok though it's a great facility regardless.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The entertainment was excellent. The comedians were very funny with mostly family friendly material. There were a number of guest singers/musicians who were also excellent. The production shows were great, the Princess singers/dancers were all very good. One evening they had a hypnotist I am not a big fan of hypnotists, however this gentleman was pretty entertaining. I had the feeling that some of the audience members were maybe faking it or embellishing, however I was prepared to give it the benefit of doubt. For me the highlight of the entertainment was Brad Blaze – he is painter/entertainer – he can create a reasonable portrait or caricature in about 3 to 4 minutes – it was quite impressive and entertaining. I had never seen anything like it before. Second for me was Steve Larkins – Mercury Rising. He does a tribute to Freddy Mercury and the music of Queen – he was very entertaining
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All the staff we encountered were professional and courteous and genuinely seemed interested in ensuring our cruise met our expectations. Our cabin steward was excellent and definitely kept our room ship shape. Wait staff of course began to know us by name and know exactly what we wanted. The ships officers were frequently seen out and about. All staff seemed very genuine and wanted to ensure our cruise was meeting our expectations.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Our cabin was clean and a reasonable size. It was big enough for the two of us and had sufficient storage space. Once side of the bed had outlets and a couple of USB ports. The other side of the bed did not have any outlets or USB ports. The balcony was a good size with two chairs and a table, I enjoyed sitting out there watching the world go by. We had a great unobstructed view. Having been on the Coral before we knew what to expect from the room. My only complaint with the Princess ships is the relatively small shower and shower curtain. Its not a deal breaker for me, however this likely could be improved.
The pools, decks and public areas were very clean and reasonably well maintained. One of the hot tubs in the Lotus pool area was not functioning correctly. The switch to start the jets was broken.
There are a few areas of the ship with a lot of rust which could probably be cleaned up.
Staff were frequently seen cleaning all areas of the ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Ship tip
The Coral is a very nice ship and easy to find your way around. There are a number of spots inside and outside to sit quietly and relax if you wish. If you're interested in participating in other activities, there always seemed to be something going on. I thought the main evening entertainment was varied and excellent and wouldn't miss it.
Princess had a special get together the eventing before for guests departing, to express their appreciation for people spending their vacation dollars with Princess. This seemed very genuine and I thought a nice gesture.
Embarkation itself was quite smooth and efficient. We showed up to the lounge about 10 minutes before our designated time and they were ready to begin the disembarkation process. As we were departing the ship they had a band playing on the pier. We found our luggage in the cruise port easily and proceeded without any impediments to our shuttle to the airport.
Unfortunately we had an international flight and the shuttle driver dropped everyone off at the domestic terminal and we ended up having to take an airport shuttle to the international terminal. This was a bit of a hassle for us and one other couple, however we had plenty of time before our flight. Regardless I thought the shuttle should have taken us to the correct terminal.
I enjoyed reading your detailed review. Thank you for taking the time to give us so much information. Glad you had a wonderful cruise. Love your itinerary too.
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