Island Princess Review

Panama Canal Cruise, April 2016

Review for the Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on Island Princess
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nado
10+ Cruises • Age 60s

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Additional details

Sail Date: Apr 2016
Cabin: Premium Suite with Balcony

We chose this cruise to go through the Panama Canal and because it had a stop in Aruba which we have wanted to see what it was like.

This was our first time on Princess and so there were some differences from the other cruise ship we have been on. We loved the Suite that we had and the perks that went with it. It is definitely the way to go if possible to have a Suite during a longer cruise.

We enjoyed the ports, the days at sea were slow days and as discussed in many cruise critic posts, it was definitely a much older crowd (read late 70's and 80's) however we had a great time. The activities were limited and very sedate. The Movies under the Stars were top rated movies and had a good attendance. The narrator for the Ports and all day during the passage of the Panama Canal was Outstanding!

Cabin Review

Premium Suite with Balcony

Our Suite was in the middle of the ship on Deck 9. We were on the Starboard side which ended up being a great side of the ship during the Panama Canal passage, as our ship which originated in LA and ended in Ft Lauderdale and we happened to be on the "shady" side of the ship in the afternoon. We had a light cloud cover making the transit very nice. The humidity was high but it was still pleasant to sit outside. The ship is built different then other ships and only the middle cabins/suites have a partial overhang so from what I hear many of the other cabins have direct sun most of the day.

The suite was equipped with two tv's a living room and a bedroom that was separated by a curtain, a very large bathroom with the sink and commode in a separate room and a shower and a separate Jacuzzi bathtub that worked and left no residue. There were plenty of drawer space and a walk in closet.

The outside balcony was very large and had two chaise lounges and a table with two chairs that was great! The biggest balcony that we have ever had.

The Suites have a few more complimentary things like the bar is included for the initial mini bar, we had canapés and afternoon tea, the thermal spa is included in the price of the Suite, Easy embarkation and disembarkation, and they have a special restaurant for people having a Suite. Also Suites have free laundry and shoe shining if you need it. This came in handy, however the ship has self laundry on many of the floors.

This was our first time in a Suite, on any ship. The furnishings were a bit dated however, the suite was spotless and we were very happy to have the extra room during this voyage.

Port Reviews

Cabo San Lucas

We had been here in December so we were aware that we could just hire a small boat, we went out to the arch and then was delivered to the Beach and had nachos and beer, had a great day!

Aruba

We hopped in a cab and went to the Marriott to check it out. We have thought about flying and staying a week. The Marriott was lovely, they showed us a room and we later checked out the casino and walked the beach.

We came back to town in a cab and walked around before returning to the ship. There were two of us in the cab and each way cost about $11 before tip. That is per cab, not per person.

Los Angeles

Didn't take any excursion. Just spent the night before and got onto the ship the next day. The ship docks in San Pedro and was easy to get to and easy to board.

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