Transatlantic

Item: Island Princess
Rating: 4.9
Author: almtsbb

Island Princess Cruise Review

almtsbb

Contributor Level: First Mate

53 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 5

Helpful Votes: 125

Overall rating:

4.9 out of 5

18 Night Fire & Ice Explorer (Ft. Lauderdale To Southampton)

Sail date: May 26, 2022

Ship: Island Princess

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: B721

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

From my point of view it was a good cruise but there were issues. Almost at maximum capacity but staff still same number as for 1000 person cruise. The staff was stretched very thin. This resulted in delays in the dining room so food wasn't as hot as it previously (4/27/22 cruise) was. Also delays in minor maintenance. While I did not have these issue, there were lots of people with no a/c or hot water in their showers. Long lines at customers service for first 3 days of cruise. Things got better after that. I love sea days so enjoyed them all. Especially as we neared Iceland and began having almost 24 hrs of daylight. Sunset 1230am sunrise 200am no real darkness beween. Day 10 of 18 day cruise began mask mandate. Except when actually eating or drinking masks to be worn at all times inside ship. Numerous positive Covid cases. Staff started disappearing. By day 15 room service was reserved for quarantine rooms. On day 17 had lunch with a gentleman who said he had walked the entire ship and counted 73 quarantined cabins. Staff not included in that number. It was what it was. Got home from cruise and have remained Covid neg. All in all I enjoyed this cruise. And yes I would do another on Island Princess.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Another easy embarkation. Left hotel on shuttle at 11am, boarding time 11:30am, dropped of things in my cabin at 11:27am.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Food in MDR was generally good but at times food served was not hot. This was the 3rd cruise since Covid pause and the first with almost 100% occupancy. Staffing was not increased from first cruise with only 50% occupancy. Staff tried really hard but were stretched very thin.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Staff worked very hard but were stretched very thin. Insufficient staff for number of passengers.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

First time having a balcony cabin. Enjoyed it completely, even with the minor problem that the latch on the door to the balcony was broken so door could not be opened. Repaired on third day so no issue. Ronnie keep the cabin spotless.

Ship tip

Just remember she is a small older ship and doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the newer ships. That being said they have retroinstalled the Medallion system and that is great.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Reykjavik, Iceland

5 out of 5

I did an excursion to the Blue Lagoon with a drive through contry side. Great experience. Guide gave us a history of Iceland as we traveled. Blue Lagoon was wonderful, would have liked to spend the entire day there but it was a half day tour.

Thumbs Up 0

Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland

5 out of 5

Quaint town and great excursion to famous fish and chips shop. Got to see most of the island on trip to and back.

Thumbs Up 1

Akureyri, Iceland

5 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Very smooth.

Traveler Photos

Random sheep, most were not fenced in and wandered very close to roads

9 Comments

byhisgrace 2 years ago

Appreciate your feedback

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WhippetMum 2 years ago

Thanks for your feedback.

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willwork4cruz 2 years ago

Excellent information, thank you. If 97 cabins had covid, that would be almost 10% of cabins on board. A significant percentage but that still means over 90% did not get it. All cruise lines are having staff and supply shortages, even the luxury lines. They could cancel cruises or we have to bear with it until things get better. Glad you still had a good cruise overall.

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Gwbigdog 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise

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windy2day 2 years ago

I’m toying with booking on the Island Princess for 2023 so I appreciate your review.

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AuntPinkie 2 years ago

Appreciate your feedback. I like your itinerary. Glad you enjoyed your cruise and stayed healthy.

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javawoody 2 years ago

Thanks for the review

Thumbs Up 1

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GabeNSteph 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing

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cruising2004 2 years ago

Thank you for sharing your cruising experience.

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