Island Princess Cruise Reviews - Reviews

First the good:

Rooms, Ship was well maintained and service overall was excellent.

Now the bad:

Food in the buffet was not up to other cruise lines. Same food everyday. Pork was the primary meat ( bad for me since I do not eat pork).  No pasta bar, Omelet bar was poor ( you ordered it and they delivered it to you later). Felt like I was in my old college dorm food line again.

Sit down dinning was excellent except that it was all but impossible to get a place except for the 7:45 sitting which was too late for me to eat ( finished at 9:00pm).

Specialty dinning was available but only for $29. additional each. No included specialty dining. 

Drinks were expensive... Could not sit down for long without someone pushing more booze down your throat everywhere. This was morning till late night.

Less than a half a day was allowed off the ship at many ports. Did not give you enough time to do much.

Library is above the smoking lounge. So guess what Princess ship designers..Smoke rises and it stinks!  Could hardly stay in the Library to read for more than a half hour.

My favorite negative is the area on the boat called "Sanctuary". The top deck was restricted to guest who want to pay $40 each for a half a day to be there. So now you have to pay to sit yourself down on part of the ship you already paid to be in. 

TV Choices: Same exact programs over and over again. How many times can you watch the same "Love Boat" episode. Other Cruise lines had DVD available for the cabins. This was an excellent solution in my opinion.

My wife and I have been on 3 other Cruise lines.  Princess is obviously the last choice in cruise lines for us in the future. I would suggest you consider the same. 

It was an extremely enjoyable trip - met some very friendly people and thoroughly enjoyed all the destinations.  The transit of the Panama Canal was truly interesting and amazing.

Went to LA the day before and stayed on the Queen Mary over night.  It was a great start for a cruise as it took us back to the beginning of cruising in luxury.  The history included famous people who sailed on her, her role during the war and more.  You get a self-guided audio tour with the booking and it is fascinating all the things the Queen Mary has been through. They were still working on parts of the ship.  Evidentially she had slipped into some disrepair, but she is now looking like an old lady with stories to tell.  Highly recommend these accommodations.

We took a cab to San Pedro to board the Island Princess and arrived within our slotted time.  Embarkation went smoothly with our cabin available for carry-on drop off. We promptly went to the Horizons on Lido Deck for lunch.  The Horizons is in the front of the ship so we were always a bit disoriented as we are used to the buffet being in the aft.  The food selection was good and tasty.  I enjoyed this part of the ship as it seemed so open even when crowded.  It did get busy for the transit, with folks saving their place at the front at 4:00 AM.

We expected the passengers to be an older crowd and we were right.  There were only about 2 dozen (or so) 50 and under.  The disadvantage to this was the scheduling for Early Dining…. It was overbooked and a real disaster when the Any Time diners tried to get into the MDR.  We skipped the MDR the 3rd night due this mess but figured out a “work-around” after that.  We were impressed that they were able to have a varied menu for 15 days.  The food was good and the presentations very appealing.  They are also very accommodating for people with special diet needs (be sure to let them know ahead of time).  We were slightly disappointed in the more casual dress on formal night than the last time we sailed on a Princess ship (2 years ago).  That said, they did enforce the dress code as posted daily in the “Princess Patter” and at the entrance to the dining room.

The balcony cabin was smaller than we anticipated and the shower was tiny (kept hitting my elbows).  We felt that a balcony was a must because we had no idea how much rail space would be available for the transit.  I would recommend deck 9 (Emerald Deck) because it is closer to the water and better for measuring the rise and fall of the ship. Sadly there was a leak in the plumbing on decks 9 & 11 and they were frequently turning off the water for hours at a time and there was a musty odor in the corridors. She is, after all, an older ship and age takes a toll on us all. 

Our room steward, Glenn, was the best we have had in many years (reminded us of the ones back in the beginning of our cruising history).  He watched the cabins to see when his passengers left to eat and promptly cleaned the cabin.  There was no need to pick when you wanted your cabin cleaned as it was morning and evening (with chocolates every night).  We asked for a sheet because the duvet was too hot for sleeping under and he had it ready that very evening.  He always asked if there was anything else we needed and seemed happy to fix whatever problem arose.  He was always smiling and remembered our names.

There were only a few smokers on this cruise (mostly the younger folks), so the casino was relatively smoke free.  They would go to Churchill’s to smoke or the one outdoor area (I think there was only one). No one seemed unhappy on either side of the issue.

If you have sailed the Island Princess in the past and expect deck 7 to go around the ship, that is no longer true. Many folks did a daily walk on this deck, but either turned around or walked through the ship for their laps.  This is more shaded than deck 15 where others went for the daily laps.  Yes, there is a gym on board, but I have no idea what it looks like.

We had a “destination specialist on board that gave presentations for each port of call and information about the area in general.  These were wonderful and very informative.  If you have a chance to hear any presentation from Humberto Neto, go and enjoy.

I would like to praise the staff that served us at each evening meal.  They were Allan, Bryan and Adrian.  They made our meals a big part of our trip.  The food was great but their service and friendly attitude made it great!

I liked the dining best.

The ship was cold, had to have a jacket at all times.

The pool was too cold - about 80-81 degrees, should be minimum of 83 degrees.

We really loved the trip. The stops were nice and interesting but the Panama Canal was great. A fantastic sight to see. Wonderful and fun. Just wish we could have gone ashore to visit more.

We were very happy with the Panama Cruise. Excellent Service and stops. :) Special mention to the head waiter Manuel Alves that provided an suberb service and was always very helpfull.

I highly recommend the Panama  Canal cruise.  It was the most interesting and educational experience of the whole cruise.  The other ports were also wonderful - we especially enjoyed a new port (to us) which was Huatulco Mexico.  We found it very friendly and clean and would like to stop there again.  We took an excursion there which consisted of both train and boat.

This is a cruise we were repeating.  Unfortunately we only got a glimpse of the new

locks.  Ports were peaceful.  We had one very enjoyable tour in Mexico.

I have been on 3 Princess ships. This is by far the best run ship of all. The steward cleans good and fast. He changed our towels at least twice a day if we took showers during the day. The service desk people are friendly and helpful. Overall, I like this ship. The entertainment was very good.

Best cruise we've taken to date. We loved the canal and all the ports. We  live on the West Coast so loved flying to Ft. Lauderdale and ending our cruise in Los Angeles with a short flight home. Princess Cruise Lines did a fantastic job on disembarking making the end of the trip very easy. We will definitely cruise with Princess again!! 

Huatulco was amazing as was Nicaragua.  Sailing through the Panama Canal was a once in a lifetime special occasion.  All the excursion were of quality caliber and easy to connect on/off the ship.  Did not partake in the assigned dining room as much as would have liked, the wait to get seated was too long for our liking.

Had a great time meeting new friends that I am sure will become long time relationships. The adventures where truly wonderful but the Panama Canal itself was simply amazing; Such history and an engineering feat. Truly one of the wonders of the world and if you are interested at all this is a must see in your life.

The Island Princess seemed to be cramped especially in the Horizon Buffett area and around the pools. Also the activities onboard did not seem to be very well coordinated and had a lot to be desired. Also the dinning room staff, ALL OF THEM, seemed to be driven by their motto of the "Consummate Host". They tried to hard doing things like constantly interrupting conversation at the table just to ask if we where enjoying our meals. Also pressing throughout the 16 days to remind us to fill out the cruise survey and reminding us of their names and to please give them good scores.

On the other hand, the crew attending to the Crooners Bar was amazing. Made everyone feel like family. I can not count the number of people that came by to give them hugs the final night. They made the cruise.

I have been on seven Princess ships and this one was my least fav. However the Crooners Bar Staff and the ports of call made this cruise one of my all time best.

We cruised on the Island Princess through the Panama Canal and had a wonderful time.  The ship was immaculate, the crew friendly and professional.  The entertainment was spectacular and we can't say enough about the food.  There was something to do for everyone.  We will definitely cruise with Princess again.

GOING THROUGH THE CANAL WAS THE BEST PART OF THIS 15 DAY CRUISE.   THE SHIP ITSELF IS OLD AND NEEDS TO BE REFURBISHED.  NICE CREW STAFF TRYING TO PLEASE THE PATRONS.  MOST OF THE SHIP'S SHOPS WERE TOO HIGH PRICED FOR THE AVERAGE CRUISER.  TOO MUCH MEXICO.  NEEDED TO STOP AT PANAMA CIY BECAUSE IT IS THE ENTRANCE INTO THE PANAMA CANAL.

The staff were very nice and the evening entertainment was good. 

Now the not so great...shower so small even for a small woman! Balcony Sara rooms the smallest I've ever experienced. Constnd barage of selling stuff! Daytime activities about selling not much stimulating! Food ok but basically the same everyday. Staff allowed only good forward view deck to be blocked by a few people who hogged it with deck loungers as we went through locks....really!! Those areas should be made available to all passengers and encouraged to be made available. When I cruised Glacier Bay on HA they made the full deck a lovely viewing area for all, serving soup and beverages and making it a celebratory event, not so here, big disappointment!! Might not choose this cruise line again!

Our favorite part of this cruise was the complete transit through the Panama Canal.  Although it took over 10 hours for the transit, the Island Princess has commentary on the history and what is happening all the way through the canal. It is an engineering feat and one that everyone should have an opportunity to experience!

We also loved the relaxing atmosphere of the this cruise.  With seven days at sea, we had plenty of time to relax and enjoy the ship in between ports and excursions. 

I have been on several cruises, and this was, by far, the most relaxing.  We also loved the size of the ship; about 2000 passengers, so everything ran very smoothly.  

I would have loved to have had more time in Aruba; I would redesign the itinerary to allow for a full day there.  We went on excursions at every port and enjoyed them, although, the snorkeling at the two Mexican ports was not the best; the water was quite cloudy, small fish, and the equipment was below average.  We have snorkeled many better places!  The Zip lining in Costa Rica was terrific!

The age group on this particular cruise was mostly older, so we felt right at home, and met many wonderful people from all over the world!  

I would definitely recommend this cruise; it was well worth the cost, and we loved that we departed from LA and returned (home) to Ft. Lauderdale--very convenient!

I was disappointed in the overall appearance of the ship, based on a prior experience with Princess but taken into account the age of the ship and it had a reno  in 2015, it was good. Food service and room Stewart service was fantastic!

I was disappointed in the excursions offered especially in Huatulco, where the bus drove around in circles. I am extremely disappointed in the lack of excursions available (not) for handicap. When the tour office was questioned we were told that it was too expensive to have accessible tours for handicap. For the abundance of wheel chairs, scooters and walkers you contend with on this cruise I think it is a travesty that they could be afforded accessible excursions in every port, that is where customer service lacked 100%. Shows were wonderful, some of the best I had seen on a cruise. Going through the Panama Canal was wonderful, the guide that narrated through the trio was very knowledgeable but did tend to be a little monotone. The crew that ran the food service and the wine tastings I cannot say enough wonderful things about, they are dedicated and hard working, the food was fantastic!

My favorite stop was Costa Rica.  The people are so nice and there is so much to see. The cruise staff was amazing.  They all try so hard to make sure everything is just right!  Excellent food.  Nice cruise length, enjoyed all the sea time.

We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on the Island Princess.  We have sailed Princess at least 4-5 times in the past and while they are a good middle of the road cruise line, I think they have dropped somewhat in overall quality the past few years, perhaps since "joining up" (acquired) by Carnival Cruises.  Food quality, especially room service, is far less than it was several years ago. Dining room food also lower in quality and choices from our perspective.  Can't speak to the buffet as we almost never go there.  Overall service and staff still quite good.  Evening entertainment was very enjoyable (productions, etc).  Would have like a few more ports on the itinerary and a few less days at sea (this was a 15 night cruise).  Port Chiapas in Mexico a huge disappointment, quite primitive and the "ruins" they touted in one of the excursions was a total waste of time and $ as the "ruins" are nearly totally under ground and not even visible!  Port stop in Costa Rica was great.  We booked our own excursion privately and loved it, just 4 of us and we used Odyssey Tours for a "walk in the clouds" over suspension bridges, a zip line which was different and more extnsive than the one offered through Princess and included a "Tarzan" swing which was exhilarating!   Panama Canal transit was very good, informative presentation going on throughout on the TV in cabins.