Coral Princess Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Crew was very nice. The room steward Noel was Wonderfull, Grace Kelly was fun and very helpfull.Other guest were very friendly. Port of calls were enjoyable. The food was O K, the eggs need to by cooked not runny for me.

the Cora princess is a bit older and much smaller than the new ships, but it offers the no crowd problem, short waits for shore exploring, very fast on and off the ship and may I put in CAPS, the entertainment was above first class, I have been on about 37 cruises and seen tons of shows, the group on the Coral Princess was the finest ever, three standing ovations! The ship size lets you enjoy the ample deck space, fast service and great ports and the buffet is full and complete if you don't want to dress for dinner in smart casual wear. Remember you can always  find your cabin, the carpet on the the even numbered cabins are in red and the odd numbered cabins have blue carpet, Also the IT staff is young and very friendly with all your needs. Everything you like to eat is available on deck 14 every day, duck to turkey to lamb to steak!!

definitely recommend. See the Canal. Crew was fabulous. Food great. Found no problems whatsoever. We are seasoned cruisers and had a fantastic time. Bring small change for tipping in Central America while on excursions 

Our cruise was boring..the casino was empty, the waitstaff indifferent and the food average.  The excursions were the worst!  Paid lots of money to go on the most boring excursions...all were obviously set up to sell you stuff and we were constantly reminded to tip...never again

We enjoyed the excursions in Colombia, Panama as well as the excursion in Jamaica. All stops were good but the worse excursion was in Costa Rica. The Banana train ride was a joke and not worth a penny.  No stops just looking out the window of an old train as it rides thru the Banana Plantations. Would definitely make a change in the future. They should add stops to this excursion to allow the guests to mingle with the local people and spend some badly needed money in their respective communities. We are now planning a trip just to Jamaica as we enjoyed it so much we will have to spend at least 4 to 5 days to enrich ourselves even more.

cruise had a very efficient embarkation

very quiet ship may be too quiet for a New year celebration...

food was only average

shows were very good but lack of entertainment at other times specially pool area

cabin was clean and excellent Catherine in cabin Baja 716

The cruise was great and a wonderful break from the cold of winter.  The food on Princess is excellent, particularly the baked goods.  Terrific variety available in all venues particularly the buffet.  

We went on three excursions and went ashore on our own twice.  Our focus in selecting excursions is mostly to be informed about the history and culture of the area and not entertainment.  

First, while Port Everglades is a big place with a lot going on, the on-boarding experience was about as smooth as we have experienced for any travel experience.  There were a lot of check-in locations and the process was quick.  We particularly enjoyed the opportunity to go to our stateroom immediately and get hand-carried items situated; the rest of our bags appeared before dinner.  We had plenty of time to get relaxed, get acquainted with the ship; better than other lines where we have been required to wait in public areas until the stateroom was readied.

As mentioned, food was great.  We chose Anytime Dining and had dinner in the Bordeaux Dining Room in the evening but otherwise dined in the Horizon Buffet.  One evening we dined in the the buffet, it was very quiet as most people chose other options but the food was still good and of similar quality to the Bordeaux even though the presentation was different.

The Cartegena Historic City excursion was pleasant.  However, the cobblestone streets, for 1-1/2 hours, were a little tiresome particularly in 90+ degree heat.  The Naval Museum is nice but most signage is in Spanish.  Vendors are everywhere and some rather challenging.  We didn't see the thieves our guide saw but he was watchful and directed the police to a couple of them.

We took the Panama Canal Present and Future tour which got us on land to see the locks up close.  Walking was reasonable and the short video presentation was OK.  Pay attention at the entrance on whether the video will be in Spanish or English.  It isn't long and there is plenty of time to make sure you see the correct video.  Not all guides are knowledgeable accurate.  Our guide got the names of people involved in the canal wrong, very wrong.  However, others are knowledgeable and willing to answer detailed questions if they know the answer.  The only down side of this tour was Colon.  We were warned the ship might not be waiting in Colon for us at the end of the excursion and that we might have to hang out there for as many as 3 hours.  It's a terrible place to be required to wait more than about 15 minutes; shops are poor, not many places to eat (safely), and crime is nearby.  All excursions end in Colon and board the ship.  Not sure what can be done to correct this situation.  We were lucky, we saw our ship return through the canal and it was docking in Colon as we arrived so our wait was only about 30 minutes.  The line to board the ship formed quickly so we could return to the safety of the ship and get out of Colon.

The Historic Banana Railroad (with no visit to a banana plantation) was a disappointment.  It was billed as a scenic railroad with exciting vistas.  We had expected a ride through mountainous (if not hilly) areas with views of valleys and the ocean.  We saw the ocean alright and there will hills in the distance but we essentially following the coast.  It was not scenic.  We saw several banana plantations and other flora, some monkeys and sloths, but too many shacks.  We feels sorry for the less fortunate people in life but really didn't want to be reminded of it while on vacation.  Our guide was good, entertaining and knowledgeable; he had a clear interest in the area and making sure we were informed.  But he couldn't control where the tracks were laid.  We recommend some other excursion as the railroad just didn't meet the advertised description at all.

We went ashore at Ocho Rios on our own, this was probably a mistake.  The taxi drivers were everywhere and in your face.  We had to fend off over 50, maybe as many as 100, in the walk from the pier to the shops (about 100 yards).  There was one shop area clearly posted "no soliciting"; it was a haven.  The port is beautiful but the taxi drivers were a big turn off.

Overall, this was a great way to see the Panama Canal.  Be judicious in choosing excursions, read reviews to avoid disappointments.

This was a 10 day cruise from Dec 18-28 on Coral Princess.  We celebrated Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza onboard the festively decorated ship. It made a great venue for family reunions. There was an impressive wall of gingerbread houses specially designed for the holidays.  On the first formal night, the photographers used the gingerbread houses as a background.  The photo was beautiful!  There were great photos specials onboard, including an all inclusive package for $199 per cabin. This allowed you to keep all photos taken by the ship photographers.   We had 2 relaxing days at sea, then we went to Aruba, Columbia, the Panama Canal, Costa Rica, another sea day, Grand Cayman, and a final sea day, before returning to Ft Lauderdale.  This is an older refurbished ship, but was very comfortable and well-kept.  The food in the dining room was excellent.  We had early fixed dining and never had to wait.  However, those with "anytime dining" always had a long waiting line beginning at 5:30 PM.  The Lido buffet had good selection, however, the food was eclectic, often with no specific theme. There was great entertainment, including 2 pianists, an electric violin duo, a magician, and a singing and dancing  revue team.  The Shopping Specialist onboard, named Todd, gave excellent lectures and his VIP discount for all passengers got us better discounts and better prices in the Princess recommended shops.  Columbia was the best place to buy emeralds, and there were rings and other jewelry in all sizes, quality, and prices.  I would definitely recommend this itinerary.

We have cruised before many times but this was our first experience with Princess Cruises.  While the ship was a bit on the older side, it was very well maintained and clean, so we enjoyed the ship.  As usual, my wife and I opted for the second sitting for dinner - Princess offered some of the best food we have had on a cruise ship.  This is especially so of their desserts... they were the best we have had on any cruise ship!  The same goes for the shows.. they were as good or better than the best on any other cruise ship... some were almost Broadway quality!

The best part of the cruise was the Panamá Canal... awesome!  Some of the stops were too short (Aruba) or not suitable for tourists (Colon and Limon).  But, overall, it was a good experience and as such we would recommend it to our friends.  The tendering at Gatun Lake was very well organized, as was disembarking at Port Everglades.

We were fortunate to cruise with family friends and had a great time. Princess did a great job creating a warm holiday spirit, with both Christmas and Hanukkah services on board, and Christmas caroling in the lobby. It was lovely. We enjoyed Princess' Messenger service for smart phones which is a sort of free Text message app . It also listed the events of the days and locations which was very helpful. We enjoyed the walking deck, card/game room where our teens spent lots of time making puzzles and playing games. The Entertainment was excellent, best I have seen on my 13 cruises. The ship was very nice, the buffet was a bit modest but very satisfying. All the wait staff was wonderful and helpful. 

I was hoping for more variety in the food section..Not a lot to choose from and the serving is small.. The waiters were great! We enjoyed it very much..Mostly good tours..10 nights seem more like 5. 

After approximately 20 cruises, we know what we like and what we don't care about. This was a low-key cruise, with plenty of sea days, good food and nice folks. Boarding was smooth, quick and easy, despite the presence of eight ships leaving from Ft. Lauderdale on the same day. The ship, itself, is nicely decorate and has the kind of public spaces we like -- comfortable bars and lounges, a card room, enough hot tubs, indoor and outdoor pools. We are in our 50s and enjoy meeting other people, but don't need to be constantly entertained or stimulated, so having time to read books, relax in hot tubs, and play board games was a great fit for us. I did not go to a single production show on the entire ten day cruise. Ports were nice -- Aruba was beautiful, but there just was not enough time. We were supposed to be back at the ship at noon, so it was impossible to fit in a leisurely lunch. There was also an issue with the time it took to get people back on the ship at Aruba (close to 1-1/2 hours) which I overheard a crew member tell a passenger happens every time in Aruba, so that is something which should be fixed. Overall, that was the worst thing to happen on the cruise, so you can appreciate that the cruise was pretty good. In Cartagena, we had a couple of additional hours (I believe all aboard was 2:30) although still less time than I would have preferred. The port area on its own is nicely laid out, with a lot of birds. If you need to get in some history and Christianity, there is a moment and a fort, but if we go again we will skip those places next time and use our few hours exclusively in the old walled city which was colorful, vibrant and fun. It was very easy to get a taxi from the port to the old city. The Panama Canal is an engineering wonder. Not pretty, but really interesting. Perhaps even more so if you read a history book about the Canal (which I regret I did not do before the cruise), but still quite something to enjoy without all the information that would complete the experience. We heard varying feedback from others about the tours off of the ship at the canal, which approximately 2/3 of the passengers took advantage of, but were quite happy to enjoy the ship that day. The port stop in Colon, Panama was of limited interest. I bought some hot sauce at the local supermarket, but the port area for cruise ship passengers feels like something of a safe area inside a war zone -- lots of armed guards and fences to keep the cruise ship passengers and locals away from each other. Limon, Costa Rica was a good port stop. If I could do it over, I would have chosen a different tour, as the Veruga Rainforest was underwhelming and a less than exciting one hour drive in each direction from the ship. Stops along the way, at a fruit stand and roadside to look at monkeys in the trees, were more interesting than the rainforest. We had a nice lunch in Limon, but that was really close to the port, not up near the rainforest. The final port, Grand Cayman, was beautiful. The weather helped. Again, we had to be back to the ship at 2:30, which was fine for me, but I could see that a couple of more hours might have been better for many passengers. Overall, the ship's atmosphere was right for us. Compared to most other cruise lines, there were fewer intrusive announcements urging you to buy something or play bingo. The free intranet, which allows passengers to contact each other by cell phone, is imperfect but a great idea which is quite an improvement on the use of walkie-talkies or leaving messages in staterooms. They had a nice tea service in the dining room many days. Seating in the dining room, apart from dinner, was always done to encourage passengers to share tables and meet each other (as opposed to many lines which permit you to share a table, but do not encourage the practice), so you get to meet more people. Highly recommended.

Encore, the musical entertainment on the first night was great. The port stays were too short and I was unaware that you had to stay on the ship if you did not book one of the Princess' excursions to Colon. Take advantage of Happy Hour Buy One Get One for a $1. Christmas Eve specialty dining was not worth the price, though wine pairing eased the insult.

This was our 18th Cruise and second with Princess.  Very impressed with the service/staff as they go out of their way to please you.  This won't be our last cruise with Princess.  The food was some of the best we have experienced  on a cruise.   I wished the Casino was larger ..LOL

I really like the variety of the food and service in the lido and the restaurant. like the shows, and the music where fantastic, the people in the restaurant Ted and Crease were excellent.

Outstanding music and dance shows in two theater venues; friendly helpful well managed ship's crew members  in every department;  varied interesting fun plentiful daily onboard activities; lively onboard entertainment with live music and dancing in multiple locations; pleasant court buffet and beautiful dining rooms with excellent service with daily assortment of good menu selections;  well managed efficiently run cruise program.  

The cabins were well stocked and clean, but ours needed some updating, carpet and furniture looked worn.  High priced items in boutiques, but there were a couple of opportunities for bargain hunting among assorted souvenir type items;   The mixed fancy cocktails were pretty and tasty but short on alcohol;  food and beverages were readily available around the ship; burgers and dogs were yummy; pizza was just ok I guess.  But "soft"serve" was yucky powdered fake stuff.  (Note:  real ice cream in dining rooms)

The Aruba submarine excursion was not spectacular. I really enjoyed the visit to the Costa Rican banana plantation.  The Panama Canal was very interesting, and once is enough. 

Yes, I would recommend this delightful cruise. 

We had sailed to Alaska on the Coral Princess so we were already familiar with the ship.  It is a smaller, very pretty ship.  One problem we encountered was that because it was "off season" the adult pool area was not for adults only.  Although there was only one family with children on the ship (5 of them) they monopolize the adult pool and hot tubs.  It took away from our retreat and was quite disappointing.

We also learned, too late, that if my husband had a long sleeve shirt and long pants to formal night we could have been seated in the dining room. On the Alaska cruise we had been told he just needed a collared shirt so we were not prepared this time and missed out on two very nice meals.  Small things, but I would have appreciated knowing ahead of time.

The Panama Canal was interesting as was Aruba. We enjoyed the banana plantation in Limon.  Cartegna is an interesting city to visit.  We were told not to go into Colon as it is not a safe city for Americans.

Having not read details about the ship, we found it smaller than the other ships we had cruised in. The ship lack a little maintenacne, e.g, the left sink in the men's room on deck 14 next to the Horizon Buffet restaurant had cracks. Next they make us put some chemical solution to protect us from bacteria. I am not sure if any body recognizes the fact, the chemical that might kill bacteri amight really harm the passengers, becuse if you pickup bakery items such as bread or fresh fruits, you are using your hand and not silver ware to eat. We have traveled mostly on Royal Caribbean and they have special wash rooms to wash and dry your hadns before you enter the restaurant

Our fellow dinner mates had even worse proble. They were on deck 9 in a mini suite and half the deck smelled of seage, which the maintenance people did not take care of during the whole cruise

The room attendant and dining room staff did a very good job and special mention had to said

Disembarkation, we were delayed by about 30 minutes. Our luggage was there but the customs line was big. We cleared in less than 10 minutes since we had Global Entry and made it on time to atch our flight back

I would have given an excellent rating except I was disappointed with the meals available in the Horizon Court:  too many spicy dishes and often the meat was dry.  The wait staff on the whole were pleasant, and all were attentive.  Of course, the deserts were outstanding.

However, you can't beat the meals in the Bordeaux Dining Room if you can tolerate making small talk for two hours with strangers.  The meals were delicious and very nicely/artistically presented.  Again, special and delicious deserts.

The Coral Princess is well maintained and our cabin steward was the very best.  Each day he quickly made our beds, changed towels as necessary and straightened up our cabin. He was always pleasant and it was a pleasure to speak with him.  If he spotted us coming down the hall, he would unlock the door for us.

TIP:  Book shore excursions through Princess Cruises.  Had unpleasant experiences with tour operators other than Princess -  (1) not receiving notification of a time change for the Aruba tour and therefore missed the tour and had to hire a taxi; and (2) for the Cartagena tour we were given incorrect instructions for the waiting area - in the hot sun and humidity - before finally finding the bus several blocks away. 

Live musicians was our fave performance in atrium , we only manage to attend one show after our late dinner due to over crowded in the theatre.  Hot tubs were too hot and the jets were not strong enough.  pizza was good.  It would have been nice to have a special event at evening on deck...outdoor evening dinner party or dessert party.