Travelled on Princess to the Panama Canal. Excellent cruise -- destination ports included Aruba, Cartagena, Canal, Limon Costa Rica, and Ocho Rios Jamaica. While not experienced cruisers, we have found that there are two types of people on cruise ships -- those who go to cruise and those who use the cruise to get to unique destinations. We tend to fall into the latter category and therefore don't participate in many of the cruise amenities and services. Probably something to keep in mind for those reading this review.
Island Princess is a nice, well-laid out smaller ship. Because it is small -- on many of the main services decks, public hallways tend to be only on the starboard side of the ship. But, despite the ship's small size, it felt like there were lots of options for places to go and things to do. Two dining rooms, a buffet dining room, and two upscale restaurants, plus several bars and two theatres meant lots to explore.
I found the boarding and disembarkation process with Princess to be outstanding. The organization of the luggage in particular at disembarkation was quite remarkable. Things were so easy to find the process was very quick. The same level of organization and order occurred for excursions. I was very impressed.
Our stateroom was on the A deck port side and aft. As others have noted, the shower was exceptionally small (on the other hand, when the sea was rough, you didn't have to worry about falling over!). But our balcony was well-appreciated and much used. The steward service was excellent. We were completely satisfied with our experience in our state room. One small note -- perhaps because we were towards the stern and under the big top engines of the ship, there was an annoying and constant vibration in the bed. My brain in half sleep frequently translated the meaning of the vibrations as heart palpitations and I often woke up feeling jittery and anxious -- needless to say, I didn't sleep all that well. But given the beauty of the environment, it was something I was happy to overlook. The ship was full so the options for room changes were nil and I was not prepared to trade my balcony!