Loved this itinerary. In hindsight we might choose a newer ship, but heard the Island Princess is going into drydock for some updates. If the casino is a highlight of cruising for you, this is not your ship. We also would do this itinerary in a more temperate time of year. One stop was 104° F.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
So easy! We were Green lane which means all of our paperwork was done and we had our Medallions which do everything from unlock your door to track your traveling companion
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food was good. It was solid cruise ship fare. Specialty dining, both the steakhouse and Italian restaurants were excellent. The best thing we ate was the tacos at the onboard burger place
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
There is a lot of "buy this" activity. We enjoyed trivia the most. Unlike some ships it was very challenging!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We very much enjoyed the entertainment staff. They did a great job. The gentleman with the fabulous mustache from Nova Scotia was the best, closely followed by Ari, Ari, Ari.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone was lovely.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
It's a strange ship layout, not bad, just strange. The buffet is all of the way forward, which is fine, but just odd. Sometimes we found ourselves roaming through cabin areas to get where we're going.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We loved our room! The only suggestion is to find a way to keep the shower curtain from clinging to the body or going outside of the shower lip and getting all over the bathroom floor. Also would make the safes a little bigger. Hubby had to bring his work laptop which is a small one, but it wouldn't fit.
Ship tip
Enjoy! Also, go visit the Lotus Spa. It was amazing!
We loved this port. We took a walking tour with a very well informed guide. It was a non-princess tour because they all booked up so fast. We took thier immaculate efficient metro to get to the old town, walked the old town then to the Guggenheim (we should have taken the metro, it was far) then took the metro back to the ship shuttle.
We loved the things we saw, but did not love the large bus tour option. The operator was great, but when you get too many people in one bus, it is hard to keep track of them. The Monestary there was so beautiful and the Explorers monument was amazing, but the Christ the Redeemer statue was pinnacle, literally. Luckily, we were on a cruise sponsored excursion because due to traffic we got back to the ship 5 minutes before sailing.
Find a guide, have them walk you through the old city. Eat some olives, pat some kitties wear excellent walking shoes because of the stairs and steep inclines. DO NOT do this without a reputable guide.
We enjoyed this port, but came on the wrong day to see the Cathedral which is the highlight. We did the hop on hop off bus which was great. If famous Cathedrals are your thing, don't plan your visit on a Sunday
There's not enough space to talk about Barcelona. We disembarked here and stayed 3 days. We did a walking tour that included skip the line tickets for Sagrada Familia. Do this. It seems that all of the tour operators use What's App for communication. Download it prior to your trip. You get messages if you can't find your guide and ticket transfers through it.
I think you confused One Star and Five Star. No matter!! I would Love to go to all these places.
I don't understand how you stayed 3 days in Barcelona, but i would live to to that!!
Agree totally about the Island Princess. The layout is just weird. Very different from other Princess ships. The shower was also tiny. And there is no International Cafe. We still had a great time though.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
