Pros and Cons
Emerald Princess Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 15
15 Night Panama Canal Ocean To Ocean - New Locks (Los Angeles To Ft. Lauderdale)
Sail date: April 01, 2023
Ship: Emerald Princess
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: B331
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 1 year ago
Review summary
Emerald is an older ship that is well maintained for its age - much like a classic car it is not perfect or modern but it is comfortable, clean and has its charms . The strength of the Emerald literally lies with the staff . Service is excellent . Every area was clean and well cared for other than the issue with black soot on sports deck from exhaust pipes . This is a cruise for adults who wish to relax with good wholesome activities . Entertainment is good outside of the production shows which were extremely disappointing. Photography is less than average . A port of call was removed ( Nicaragua) and we were denied any type of compensation . There is a history of Princess having issues with this port of call but yet they sale it as part of the package knowing it most likely will be cancelled . If you want to see the Panama Canal then it will be the highlight . The ports of call : Puerto Vallarta and Hautulco should be removed and stops in the Caribbean added . We are upset to know that the upgraded package we paid alot for limited the types of drinks you can get without extra charge and that the “ Included gratuity” is simply given to The cruise company , not directly to the staff . The crew receive a set annual salary . We are angry and feel “ included gratuity” is false advertising and greed . No surprise , typical If big business . We still felt the need to tip directly to our main crew staff . For a couple in a regular balcony room with plus package, use of Sanctuary half days at sea , additional gratuities , one dinner in specialty restaurants, and 3 princess excursions- our cost was approximately $10,000. We do not feel the cost equates to the overall experience . Far too many at sea days (9) for the adventurous traveler . 15 nights with . Seeing the Panama Canal was our goal , but we could have probably flew to Panama and chartered a private yacht to transverse the canal cheaper . Won’t repeat the cruise. We must say the staff/ service exceed expectations, the ship meets expectations for adult traveler looking for relaxation , but the corporate areas and decisions need a lot work. We appreciate the Captain and staff taking care and keeping us healthy and safe during our Holiday.Embarkation
Embarkation was delayed due Norovirus outbreak and the port closed for unexplained reasons. This delayed disembarkation and out flowing traffic. Thus, embarkation traffic was stacked and delayed . Once in the terminal the process was smooth and effortless . We can not fault princess for the uncontrollable delays.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Buffet : clean, good selection, always gluten free options . Quality and taste was rated 3. Main dining : rate 4-5. They ensured I had a wide variety of gluten free options and allowed me to place special requests. Specialty - Crown Grill rating is 5. Cleanliness and service rated 5+ in all areas.
Onboard Activities
Adult only pool , sanctuary, tennis, basketball, walking track, fitness center . Emerald princess does not have the more modern activities but that was a positive for us as it was a quiet relaxing atmosphere.
Entertainment
We were very disappointed in the production shows in the theatre ( singers, dancers, impressionist, magicians), rated 2. DJ Lively , Dave, Nick and the other Princess entertainment directors and staff were excellent with fun games, dance parties, competitions ,dance classes… ect . , rate 5 .
Children's Programs
No children
Service and Staff
Absolutely top notch in all areas . Special thanks to Sanctuary staff: Magdalene and Gabriel - 10 of 10. These ladies took excellent care of us and provided top notch service . They deserve promotions ! The Sanctuary was excellent! Dining staff: Samantha , Eduardo, Magdalene, Antonio. We can not give enough praise - they deserve promotion / bonuses . Our room steward: Anas was top notch . Always accommodating, helpful , took care of every need and request promptly and professionally . All staff went above and beyond . The only department we felt lacked that extra special service and quality was photography / sales desk for photos. We did not like any of the professional photos, strange poses , poor quality, poor back drops and lighting . Photo service desk staff( 2 males) seemed annoyed and impatient with our inability to decide on photos promptly . Parents did purchase a 5 piece package for keepsake but I am not sure they will be displayed .
Ship Quality
Very clean on interiors and majority of exterior .Only issue was after a few days at sea , black soot from the exhaust stacks seemed to coat everything in aft of ship , pools , sports deck… ect . We played tennis and had soot all over our feet and legs . Noticed it in the aft pool and adult pool but these pools were cleaned often. The sports deck would have required a daily scrub and not sure how feasible that is or how to avoid the issue .
Cabin / Stateroom
Very clean . Carpet is aged and could be replaced . Suggestion: the desk could be removed and a small table with comfortable chairs placed instead . This would provide a versatile seating area which is needed . I did appreciate that Anas brought us an extra desk chair so that my husband and I would both have some type of seat in the room but the chairs were not comfortable . The desk and chair were only used as a makeup / hair prep area . We had plenty of storage and did not use the desk or side tables for storage . It would also be nice to have foot stools with balcony chairs.
Ship tip
Use the main dining and skip the buffet . Skip the production shows in the theater.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
San Pedro (Los Angeles), California
Pier and terminal were well maintained , roomy and comfortable . The port was interesting to view from the cruise ship.
Purchased Princess snorkel excursion. The water was frigid and visibility was zero. Food on the catamaran was poor. Cleanliness was terrible . The stop over on the “ private island”’was dirty and lacking . We did not explore the port other than to walk to the catamaran but was well maintained and groomed from what we could see . Princess should be ashamed to offer this excursion and refund for passengers . Over all excursion variety offered by Princess was disappointing. We used RCI for tours in Costa Rica and Columbia . We were impressed with these tours .
Dirty , poorly maintained , incomplete construction everywhere . Shopping at port limited and poor quality. Harassed constantly by vendors . Beach was not groomed and water was brown . We took a Princess excursion, Land and Sea . The tour on the bus was poor . The catamaran tour was ok but 45 minutes late returning us to the all aboard time . Princess should remove this as a port of call .and be ashamed they even offer this as a port of call on such an expensive cruise . Very disappointed.
Did not explore the port and surrounding area. Excursion by RCI - the best of Costa Rica . Tour by bus , some exploration by foot, wild life sightings, lunch at a restaurant, shopping opportunity, stop at a fruit stand and samples of exotic fruits , river tour with alot of wild life including a gigantic 18 foot crocodile. Princess should contract with RCI for tours as they seemed to be well organized and provide better quality excursions.
Beautiful area outside of port other than one section where locals literally use a 1/4 mile stretch of Highway as a land fill. The port had nothing to offer as it is still under construction but at least the ship can dock and a water taxi is not required.
Under construction . Emberra Village excursion , a highlight of the cruise .
Cartagena is busy , colorful , crowded with alot of interesting history , architecture, shops, restaurants, street vendors. It was fun to walk the streets with a private tour guide through RCI .
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
Disembarkation
Simple . Hassle free . We did not appreciate having to staged in the Smokey casino prior to disembarking. We could have requested a different staging area .