Island Princess Cruise Reviews - Reviews

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

While the service was outstanding, the food was average at best. The menu was weak for a cruise of this length. The "Horizons" was a conglomeration of what looked like "leftovers". Why in the world do you serve sub sandwiches at 3;30 instead of lunch? The whole cruise seemed to be a scaled down cruise because it was a reduced fare cruise. The fare was reduced because of the season. We took the chance on that (even bought the insurance). Princess seemed to try to make up for the reduced fare by docking at a totally worthless port in Mexico and by serving second rate food. The pushing of wine programs from the minute we came on board was shameless and very irritating. My wife and I both caught a cold and in trying to control it both for ourselves and the ship population were forced to pay $18 for a bottle of cough syrup. Our first cruise on Princess to Alaska was a treat. You are obviously heading downhill and we will be hard pressed to cruise on Princess again.

Princess Cruise Lines tires to project the image of being the best and there are some very good things, but everything is not great.  Their boarding process in SLOW and seemingly unorganized, they should take a few lessons from Holland America as to how to do it right.  The public address system on the ship (Island Princess) was extremely poor.  Unless you happened to be standing immediately adjacent to a speaker you could not hear what was said and even then the highly accented voices of the crew made understanding any of their words very difficult. The food was good and always available, although the seating process in the anytime dinning room was cumbersome (it would probably help to grease the palms of a few dinning room employees at the beginning of the cruise).  The entertainment was quite good and the theater was nice (substantially better than Holland America).  A cabin with an obscured view is NOT worth the extra expense (go with an inside room and save your money).  Shore excursions are very expensive and in my opinion not worth the money (other than you are insured of making it back to the ship on time or the ship will wait for you).   Never-the-less Princess Cruise Lines is good and I would go again if the timing and price are "right".

The show Encore at the end of the cruise was one of the best shows at

sea I have ever seen.  It is a shame the rest of the cruise couldn't have

been.  The staff acted like they were low on morale.  They never put

any effort to give you more than minimum expected. Some waiters

and bar staff gave you less than was expected. The four days at sea

on the return trip were lacking activities.    The activities that were provided

were usually to up sell something.  Plenty of Trivia but they could have used

some variety.  Amenities were lacking.  I didn't even have a slip in my room

to order room service for breakfast.  Food at the Horizon Buffet was not

good. The smoked salmon was grey yellow until the last day when it was

salmon color like it should be.  I think they were getting rid of the old food.

The dining room food at the beginning was better than at the end of the

cruise except for the lobster night.  We were actually told when we forgot

our punch wine card for the 10 bottle package we bought that if we lost

the card they would look up the record and we could order a bottle of wine

but if left in the room they would not do it.  Doing this they were informing

us it was to much trouble to give the guest service.  The had no wine

steward, the waiter poured the wine when he had time which was when he

opened the bottle. If you ordered a white wine shame on you because you

would be finished your meal before you got another pour.  I have been on

28 cruises Carnival being the worst and this coming in a close 2nd.  I was

not the only guest that said this cruise was far from the Princess standards

they were use to.

This was the perfect cruise for relaxation.  The side trips were spaced with a day in between each and the last four days were just devoted to "do anything days"

My entire experience with Princess has been wonderful.  The day through the Panama Canal was most interesting and having commentary through the day was great.  I learned so many things.  The staff is always top notch.  They remembered our names every time we saw them and were always delightful.  We enjoyed our staff at the dinner meal the most as they really do care about the passengers and engage with us so much. 

great trip! Enjoyed it all and found the canal crossing fascinating.  Detoured from Aruba to Grand Cayman due to hurricane Matthew, but no problems.  Grand Cayman was beautiful and would love to return there some day for a longer stay.

The cruise was a little too long for us although the tours were good - especially the volcano in Nicaragua and the Panama Canal. The food selection was repetitious in the traditional dining. Most of the outside entertainers were good except for one of the comedians. Princess singer and dancer's shows are repetitious. We renewed our vows while on ship and the package they offer is well worth it!