Overall a Great Cruise

Island Princess Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 4
Helpful Votes: 167

Overall rating:

4.8 out of 5
Verified Review
Island Princess

10 Night Panama Canal With Costa Rica & Caribbean (Fort Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 06, 2019

Ship: Island Princess

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: B405

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

A very nice cruise. Going thru the Panama Canal locks is an experience. It is amazing this canal was built over 100 years ago with technology available then and that it is still doing the job as well today as when it opened. It is a monument to the people who designed and built it. One hopes that the new locks, which are designed to conserve some of the fresh water necessary to lift/lower the ships, will last as long and be as reliable as the original.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Well organized and short lines. We breezed thru.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
All dining facilities were excellent. Service in dining rooms and specialty restaurants was great. At the buffet you are given a plate as you walk in. When ever you need a second plate you must return to the entry way to get one. A plate stand nearer the center of the area would alleviate congestion at the entry way. We personally do not like the policy of no shorts in the evening in the anytime dining room. Formal night is OK. I don't believe there were any objections to people going to the casino or bars in the evening with shorts on. Could it be, when we're spending extra money Princess really doesn't care how we dress?

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
We thought the activities on this cruise were more limited than any of the other cruise we have been on (12-15). Very disappointed there was no ZUMBA classes. Previous Princess cruises have had these classes and they were always packed.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
Good shows in theater and in other venues.

Children's Programs

We only act like children but don't use the programs.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
We had really great service from the staff. Everyone's attitude seemed to suggest they were happy to give this service. Normally the Captain gives a short morning brief that was absent on this cruise.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
The lifts from the 5th to 8th decks are great. Good feature.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
Our steward was excellent. Room was always cleaned promptly in the AM and freshened in the evening. We were disappointed in the size of the shower. There were two(2) electrical outlets in the cabin and a shaver outlet in the bathroom. The two by the desk are very close together so if a plug has any size to it, you're only able to use one. In this age of electrical gadgets, this is very inadequate.

Ship tip

Bring a power strip.

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

5 out of 5
Everything ran smoothly for embarkation and disembarkation. No excursion taken.

George Town, Grand Cayman

5 out of 5
Did Land and Sea Tour with Princess. The partially submerged vessel cruise was very interesting and we saw two ship wrecks, lot of coral formations and many fish. We also visited the turtle farm whose hatchery produces and releases thousands of baby sea turtles into the ocean every year. In addition, the visit to Hell was anti-climatic. Overall, it was well worth the price.

Cartagena, Colombia

5 out of 5
We did a United Shore excursion city and cathedral. Guide was very knowledgeable and gave us much history of the area. Recommend this tour.

Panama Canal (Cruise Into Canal)

5 out of 5
Excursion to new locks. Very good except the viewing tower was closed the day we were there.

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

5 out of 5
Walked into town and had ice cream at POPS. Was very good.

Falmouth, Jamaica

5 out of 5
We took a 4 hour taxi tour. Stopped at a local restraunt to have a good lunch. Drove by beautiful beaches and had an informative driver. Just a good relaxing visit.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Fast and no glitches. Just the way we like it.
Was this review helpful? 64

7 Comments

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

javawoody    3 years ago

Thanks for the review and sharing your experience

paulandmaria    5 years ago

Looking forward to my ocean to ocean on Island in March 2020

floridagirl3    5 years ago

I would do this cruise again in a heartbeat, just not on the Island Princess.

cruisereckoning    5 years ago

What a fantastic cruise, we did it in Apr and it was amazing going through the locks.

AuntPinkie    5 years ago

The Panama Canal is a favorite destination. Glad you enjoyed your cruise!🛳

bobduck1993    5 years ago

This is a wonderful cruise!

Other reviews of this sailing