Interesting canal experience

Emerald Princess Cruise Review to Transatlantic

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 44

Overall rating:

4.3 out of 5
Emerald Princess

30 Night Panama Canal & Spanish Passage Adventure (Los Angeles To Barcelona)

Sail date: April 18, 2019

Ship: Emerald Princess

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: A536

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

Highly recommended the itinerary. The Princess folks have it down, and offer a good value for a great memory.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Embarkation experiences was quick, easy, and efficiently executed.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
Main dining was good - not great. Menu was limited compared to other cruises. We had good service 14 out of the 15 nights. The buffet had a good selection and was well staffed and organized

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
Activities were sufficient for an enjoyable 15 day cruise. Nice fitness center with good workout equipment. Pool area was nice, but could’ve used a bit more volume with music.

Entertainment

4 out of 5
The band on board was good and energetic- good poolside performance. DJ was a bit non-responsive and nonchalant. Production shows catered to the senior age of the majority; they were good.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Service staff, particularly the cabin steward was very good.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Ship was well staffed and ran. There was high priority to cleanliness. All staff stayed busy keeping areas cleaned and serviced guests.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
We booked late, and was unsure about the experience of a inside cabin; we were pleasantly surprised. Adequate space, good location on ship, and a champion Stewart (name was Noel).

Ship tip

Ship was smaller than ships we had sailed. The layout and design was impressive. We would recommend to friends without hesitation.

Ports of call

San Pedro (Los Angeles), California

4 out of 5
We were concerned about traffic and time from from LAX. We took a Lyft; the ride was easy and timely.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

5 out of 5
We lucked up on an enthusiastic cab driver/tour guide; he pointed out highlights and history of the City. He wanted to promote his city, and took pride in its heritage. We walked around in the old city, and had lunch over looking the bay. The walk along the shore was interesting with all the statues and pretty scenery. We tried Oscars tequila tasting- George was informative and generous with his samples. It helped make our stop in Puerto Vallarta one of our favorites.

Huatulco, Mexico

4 out of 5
Lots of souvenirs shops at port. We went to the old city for lunch, cab ride to old city was just $3; we found a neat restaurant where we look out over their pretty square - very good value and experience.

San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

1 out of 5
If we had to return, we wouldn’t get off the ship.

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

4 out of 5
Wonderful day in the rain forest. We were part of a small group of 6 that took a nice van to feed the monkeys, see the large parrots, toucans, and people native to the area. We conclude with a drink at a small restaurant with a great vista view of the shoreline. Only $25/person

Fuerte Amador, Panama

2 out of 5
Not many options that were inviting and safe

Panama Canal Transit

5 out of 5
Princess did an excellent job narrating the passage thru the canal - very enjoyable and informative.

Cartagena, Colombia

5 out of 5
We had a delightful guide (Jajro Rodriquez). He got us a cab to the old city and gave us a 3 hr tour to all the highlights of the city; the venders were overly aggressive, and required some patience; for the good negotiators, this was the place to find the best souvenirs bargains.

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

4 out of 5
Short ride to the airport

Disembarkation

4 out of 5
Easy, no issues
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4 Comments

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Fiesta83    4 years ago

Glad you enjoyed your cruise

buckyboy    5 years ago

Glad you enjoyed your cruise. The Emerald is a lovely ship and the crew are fantastic.

billcravey    5 years ago

Very nice review, thank you.

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