Panama Canal Cruise Extravaganza
Island Princess Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America
15 Night Panama Canal Ocean To Ocean (Ft. Lauderdale To San Francisco)
Sail date: February 28, 2017
Ship: Island Princess
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: P515
Traveled as: Large Group
Reviewed: 7 years ago
Review summary
Great cruise. Accommodations were clean, well serviced, and adequate for this trip. Most of our time was spent on deck or in the common places. No need for lavish sleeping quarters.
Food was excellent. All meals, both Horizon and Provance food was top notch and the fast food kiosks were very good. Of course we ate too much, but we can't blame Princes for that!
Entertainment was exceptional. Guest entertainers were quit good and the ship dance/singer team was the best we have ever seen. The string trio in the Atrium was outstanding as was the entertainment in the night club areas.
The excursions were well organized, convenient, and while a little pricey, accommodated our needs. We did miss the Nicaraguan port, but that was due to poor sea conditions. Onboard extracurricular activities were good (dance lessons, exercise, specialty programs, etc.).
The entire crew was outstanding. Any need was addressed immediately and with much courtesy. We want to offer a special appreciation to Bien and John Paul (our waiters in the Provance). They took care of us well, were professional, yet were warm and encouraging. Special appreciation goes to Shepard (Zimbabwe) who assisted us upstairs to the Splash pool and had a wonderful ingratiating smile.
One bit of feedback for improvement: We are coffee drinkers as are many Americans. The free coffee in the Horizon was of poor quality, weak, and inconveniently located. Improvement might be more free coffee locations around the ship, especially close to the stateroom floors. Also, a better, stronger coffee would be appreciated. We ended up buying coffee from the various kiosks. Good free coffee, in our opinion, should be a standard offered by any cruise line.
Overall, this was an excellent cruise and well worth the price and our time invested. We enjoyed ourselves and will cruise Princess in the future.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
We ate at the early dinner seating. It allowed us to attend the first show every evening. We enjoyed that timing and experience. Think long and hard about better coffee. Not good in the Horizon. All the other food was great.
Ports of call
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua Did not visit port