To See the New Panama Canal Locks

Item: Emerald Princess
Rating: 4.8
Author: eulea76

Emerald Princess Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America

eulea76

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 25

Overall rating:

4.8 out of 5

15 Night Panama Canal - Ocean To Ocean 2-Day Canal Experience (Los Angeles To Ft. Lauderdale)

Sail date: January 17, 2023

Ship: Emerald Princess

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: R503

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

We wanted to see the new Panama locks and this cruise fit the bill. We whale watched in Puerto Vallarta. Unfortunately, I got Covid and was quarantined for 5 days and with rough seas we missed our Columbia port. We didn’t get off the until Fort Lauderdale. Not bad for us as we like sea days but we missed 3 excursions. Still a good trip.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Smooth sailing through the terminal.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

We’ve been on a number of Princess cruises and the food is always delicious. We did notice cut backs however. Small things like the cherries jubilee cherries were small pie cherries rather than the large dark ones we enjoyed in July 2022 when we were on the same ship on a UK cruise. There were fewer offerings in the MDR. Portion sizes were smaller at times which isn’t much of a problem when you are eating a multi course meal.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

My husband plays bridge every day at sea and loves it. I take a massage every cruise and love it.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Much of rating the entertainment is simply a matter of preference. We definitely liked the stage shows. Costumes were great and modest with flesh colored fabrics in critical areas. The comedians were okay. The band is exceptional. My husband enjoys the violin music

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

We’ve always had great service from all the crew. This cruise was no exception, barring one bartender who seemed to dislike filling my glass with soda. I came down with Covid during our cruise and the way Princess handles such passengers is awesome, in my opinion. I called medical and they sent a med tech up immediately. He was great. Knowledgeable, compassionate, friendly, cute too ;). When I tested positive I went to quarantine. I felt pretty awful and they brought a wheelchair as I wouldn’t have been able to walk to my new cabin. It was a balcony room and the way Princess provided for my needs over the five days earns them 10 stars in my book. They give free WIFI and free drink package to everyone in quarantine even if you hadn’t purchased them. I could order food from anywhere even the premium restaurants at any time they were open. Health protocols were followed with no one entering my cabin while I was there and I masked when I opened the door to receive food or return trays. They called every day asking how I was sounding empathetic and taking my dinner order. I missed a formal night but got the lobster meal delivered and enjoyed. If I have to be ill on a vacation I’d pick a Princess cruise.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Princess ships have a similar design so they feel familiar to us. They are always spotlessly clean. The chairs in the Piazza and common areas could use new cushions as they look like they’ve been sat on by many people, which they have.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Okay, Princess beds are simply awesome. So very comfortable. The room steward kept our room clean and came twice a day, turning down the bed while we were at dinner and entertainment.

Ship tip

Take a bag of wrapped candy and hand it out to crew. I gave small handfuls to crew we especially liked as well as ones who didn’t interact with passengers. The joy a few pieces of chocolate gave to staff made my day.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

5 out of 5

Panama Canal Transit

5 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Smooth and simple. Found our luggage easily and boarded our shuttle to the airport.

Traveler Photos

Whale slapping water with tail calling others

15 Comments

Iceman23 1 year ago

How fortunate you were to have Princess call every day checking on you. My husband & I were quarantined in Van Couver while on the Royal & neither the hotel or Princess checked to see how 2 eighty year olds were doing!! He tested “detected”. Our 10 day quarantine was absolutely demeaning!!

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firefighter4u 1 year ago

Nice review

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KelSlo 1 year ago

That's amazing how well they treated you,says a lot!

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AuntPinkie 1 year ago

Appreciate your detailed and informative review. Hope you are feeling better. Glad you enjoyed your cruise in spite of being quarantined.

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ddme 1 year ago

Thank you so much for your detailed review. Glad to hear how you were treated during your quarantine. A lot of the good experience you had with the staff, probably has to do with your great attitude. I hope you have recovered completely.

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karlgrgurich 1 year ago

Wow…glad you enjoyed your cruise! So happy to hear Princess is responsible and kind if you get Covid! And yes…those beds are amazing!!

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envy1219 1 year ago

Thank you for sharing

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deboftheseas 1 year ago

Good to know, we head out in 24 days on the Regal. Love the whales, better than what we saw in Alaska… Why freeze your butt off to see them, when you can sun your buns instead

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javawoody 1 year ago

Good info about how princess handles Covid and glad that you still enjoyed your cruise

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Ship2Shora 1 year ago

Thanks for the detes😎

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RetiredRay 1 year ago

Oh, was the nurse a tall black guy? He did my Covid testing (negative) and was one of the best medical staff I have seen on a ship.

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GypsyJohn 1 year ago

Glad that getting sick didn't ruin your cruise and that they treated you so well once you were diagnosed.

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RetiredRay 1 year ago

Except for the app issues, we enjoyed that run too although Cartagena was the stop I most wanted. Looking at the new locks, wonder how long they will last 🤔?

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Mapcruise 1 year ago

Awesome attitude and I hope your feeling better

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Gwbigdog 1 year ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us

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