Island Princess March 18-28, 2012

My first cruise as an Elite member of the Captain's Circle Club was a wonderful 10 day Panama Canal cruise on my favorite ship, the Island. My DH and I love the size and easy layout of the Island. We could always find a couple of lounge chairs by the Lotus Pool and a quiet place to read or soak up the sun. The only crowding we saw was two nights at the Princess Theatre (where we had gone 20 minutes early to easily secure seats) and a few mornings at the Horizon Court buffet during early port days.

We arrived in Ft. Lauderdale a day early and stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Convention Center on 17th Street. We landed at the airport at 7 p.m. and called for a courtesy shuttle pick up. The shuttle arrived within 20 minutes of our call. This hotel was suitable for a one night stay. Our room was quiet and we enjoyed the free breakfast at 7:30 a.m. before the crowds. The evening before we took an easy walk to the Harbor Shops and bought some last minute items at the Publix and two bottles of wine at the liquor store. Afterwards we had an enjoyable St. Patrick's Day dinner of corned beef and cabbage at Duffy's Sports Bar. Read more