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Emerald Princess Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 36

Overall rating:

4.9 out of 5
Emerald Princess

10 Night Panama Canal W/Costa Rica & Caribbean - New Locks (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 06, 2021

Ship: Emerald Princess

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: R607

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

We were impressed with how carefully Princess has redesigned the cruising experience to ensure that it is safe, relaxing and fun.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Very smooth embarkation.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
We enjoyed the high quality of the food in both of the main dining rooms, as well as in the specialty restaurants (Crown Grill was excellent while Sabatini's was struggling with delays a bit). The World Fresh Marketplace (buffet replacement) was a nice surprise, with really good food and lots of variety, all offered in individual portions to eliminate any handling by passengers. Afternoon tea was a really nice touch.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
It was great to be able to enjoy the pools, despite it being November. The ourdoor movies were also fun.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
The musicians were excellent, and we enjoyed the shows at the Princess Theater. One very memorable show was a daytime culinary presentation by the executive chef and the maitre d' hotel, which was both very entertaining and informative.

Children's Programs

There were no children on this sailing due to Covid restrictions.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
The service from everyone was truly exceptional. The enthusiasm and positive spirit was remarkable.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
The ship was in excellent condition, despite the lack of cruising during the pandemic. It looked like several improvements had been made in some areas, as well as significant investments to protect public health (like improved ventilaton and changes to the dining rooms),

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
The balcony room was ideal for us. We had a great view of the ocean and of the ports we visited. We were fortunate to have wonderful weather to enjoy our time sitting on the balcony, with beautiful sunsets and sunrises.

Ship tip

Be sure to explore all of the ship - there are lots of options for dining, drinking and relaxing.

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

4 out of 5

Nassau, Bahamas

5 out of 5

Cartagena, Colombia

5 out of 5
We had a wonderful tour of the old city, with a focus on its history and culture.

Panama Canal (Cruise Into Canal)

5 out of 5
The Panama Canal visit was a real highlight. The ship went through the three new locks at the Caribbean end, and we took an excursion on a smaller ferry through the rest of the canal - all the way to the Pacific. Although it took much longer than expected (because of unexpected delays with canal traffic and waiting for canal pilots), it was really great!

Colon, Panama

5 out of 5

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

5 out of 5
Amazing experience in the rain forest and viewing wildlife.

Falmouth, Jamaica

4 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Very well planned and organized - the fastest disembarkation we've ever had.
Was this review helpful? 36

9 Comments

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Looking forward to the Emerald for Panama Canal and British Isles.

jamm    2 years ago

Thanks for the review. We are sailing on Emerald in 3 weeks and are really looking forward it. Quick question, there used to be red and black checkered fleece blankets offered for guests to use in the evenings. Is that still the case or has Covid put an end to it? I’m just wondering if I should bring a lightweight blanket for myself or not. Thanks!

tamkcomsncom    2 years ago

Glad you had a great cruise. We are looking forward to the same cruise in 5 days.

hollysmomtravel    2 years ago

Curt34    2 years ago

Glad you had a great cruise. Thanks for the review.

AuntPinkie    2 years ago

Appreciate your feedback. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

izrgreen    2 years ago

Thank you for taking the time to write a review

javawoody    2 years ago

Thanks for the review and sharing your experience

cruising2004    2 years ago

Thank you for sharing your experience

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