This was our 3rd Princess cruise. We have cruised 25 times most of which were on RCCL. We went with friends mainly because the ship embarked from San Francisco and required one plane ride (home). We enjoyed the ship for it's public areas, friendly staff and varied activities.
Embarkation was our fastest yet. It took less then ten minutes and we were on the ship. Our cabin was not quite ready because our cabin steward had also just boarded the ship. Luggage was delivered speedily.
Our cabin was nice but lacked in a place to sit other than a desk chair or on the bed. It would have been nice to have had at least on comfy chair. Closet space was more than ample. The bathroom and shower area were the smallest we have ever had on any ship.
We opted for anytime dining. The first night we had to wait for 40 minutes but after that we had a reservation for 7:30 every night at the same table and were seated promptly. Our servers got to know what we liked and were one step ahead of us with our desires.
The activities (mostly trivia games) were fun. The speakers were knowledgable but boring in presentation. The food venues varied in quality. The dining room at dinner was good but not excellent. The Ploughman's lunch on sea days at the Bayou was not to our liking. We did not eat in the dining room other than dinner. The grill and pizza were very good. The Lido was good for breakfast but we found boring for lunch. The entertainment was very good. The production shows were colorful and enjoyable. The entertainers were all good. The timing for anytime diners was a bit difficult to get everything in. The public areas were very comfortable. Nice easy chairs and cozy nooks for lounging and reading. The library and card rooms were spacious and serene.
Fuerte Amador was our stop to see Panama City. We arranged a private
tour with "My friend Mario". He had two air conditioned vans and we
were a group of 32 people. Our guides were very knowledgeable and the
areas we saw were very interesting. We did some riding and quite a bit
of walking. It was very hot and part of the group wanted to go back to
the ship. The tour was going to be about 5 hours. So after most of the
sights and before the shopping area we divided up and some of went back
to the ship and some continued on shopping. The cost was 30.00 per
person US cash. Well worth the money.
