The cleanliness and quality of furnishings needs serious help. I have cruised with Princess 6 previous times and have never had a ship or staff like this. It was as if no one cared from the company to the staff. I have generalized staff in that statement but there was some good people of course but more rude, abrupt and uncaring staff than good. This includes some higher ranking staff like store managers. I would not recommend this ship to anyone. The itinerary was great although not all the excursions lived up to their write ups. Our cabin must have a service area behind it because the noise thru the walls was awful day and night. The casino is tiny and has outdated machines with a very small smoking area. The area on deck 15 for smokers has no cover from sun or rain and wind. The only other place was the cigar lounge of 12 seats with 0 air conditioning and a portable air exchange that was plugged in. Not a single fan. Most times it was standing room only. The furniture is horribly worn, the walls need washing as well as the windows inside and out. No one does anything but empty the ashtrays a few times a day. I meant to take a picture of the total lack of cleaning on this ship as it was everywhere. To get a drink you had to go to the bar and order it as there was no staff around to order from. Read Less

My now 90 year old mother and I took this same ship to the Panamal Canal in 2012 and we were now celebrating her 90th birthday and looking forward to the renovations that were made in 2017 to the ship. Imagine our surprise when we find that our balcony grade room was now 1/3 smaller and the shower so small that I could not even turn around without bumping my head (I'm almost 6 feet tall but no giant and my wife could not even shave her legs in the shower because there was no room. Also, the casino was cut in half and I was specifically told by the casino manager that Carnival had done this to create space for more rooms. So our comfort is sacrificed so Carnival/Princess can make a buck. Typical corporate mentality. Forget about quality just mo money mo money mo money!! Our room had no air conditioning for one night until I threatened to sue everybody and then it miraculously came back on. The food was mediocre at best. The shows were average (when you could get in since the cattle call of over 75+ seniors got to each show about 45 minutes before to take all the seats). I guess when there is nothing else to do you have no choice. The Huatulco shore excursion was a total joke. The guide spoke no English, was 45 minutes late and showed us the fronts of 4 hotels saying that these were the cultural highlights of the City! If I have to hear about one more bs EFFY jewelry promotion I am going to throw up. What a ripoff! Read Less

Panama Canal always piqued our interest. My husband and I were definitely in need of a vacation and were on the Princess website one day. This cruise 'jumped out' at us and so we booked it that day, without much thought. We had planned to go alone as we were trying to catch up on celebrating our 25th anniversary from last year [we had to cancel our vacation in 2018 because we live in Leilani Estates where the lava erupted in May]. We flew the night before disembarkation from Hawaii Island to board the ship. Airport transfer from LAX was a little glitchy as the Princess folks did not put us on the airport transfer check-list for some reason after we checked in with them, so we had a bit of a wait. Embarkation and disembarkation were smooth. They are definitely very well-organized on handling these two events. We did not spend any time in our departure city, really had no desire to explore LA. We had cruised to Alaska with Princess in 2017 on the Coral Princess so we were familiar with the ship layout already as the Island Princess is basically the same ship. The cabin was small, but cozy and very neat and tidy. We knew what to expect so no surprises here. We utilized Anytime dining so that we were not locked in to any sort of schedule every day. We ate most of our meals in the Horizon Court, due to the availability of choices to eat different foods each day. Breakfast, however, felt very monotonous as it was the same offerings every single day. We had a few meals in the Bordeaux dining room, all of which were great dining experiences. We took advantage of both specialty dining restaurants [The Bayou Steakhouse and Sabatini's] and neither one disappointed. We took advantage of the variety shows most every night. Some were better than others, but all were entertaining in their own way. The production show on the final evening was amazing. The game shows held in the Explorer's Lounge were definitely entertaining. We spent a lot of time on the Lido deck at the pool. Some of the movies they played were too loud and hard to comprehend because they sounded distorted. There was one day when the speakers malfunctioned and it was static as loud as you could imagine that literally cleared out the pool area. It was painful to your ears even if you put your hands over your ears. I'm not sure how long it took them to correct it, but we left after 5-10 minutes. The Voice of the Ocean talent was really lacking and the karaoke was pretty bad. The service staff on the ship were amazing. Our room steward was so very attentive and the bar / wait staff are extremely good at what they do and were all very friendly. We visited 5 ports while on this cruise and went on 4 excursions. We were unable to port at one of the tender stops due to inclement weather, but did not have any excursions booked anyhow. The Copalita Archaeological excursion in Huatulco, Mexico was very interesting and the grounds were well-kept and very beautiful. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. We visited the animal rescue 'sloth sanctuary' while in Puntarenas, Costa Rica and this was amazing. They are doing good work here. While in Panama we went on an excursion to the new locks, which was interesting as well. The time spent was a little short, but our guide was very knowledgeable and the bus ride to and from was interesting and filled with facts. The wait to get back onto the tender at this port was RIDICULOUS. We literally stood in line for well over an hour in the blistering heat. It was not pleasant. Transiting the Canal was AMAZING! To watch the process is enlightening and to think about the work that went in to making that possible is incredible. While in Cartagena, Colombia, our last port stop, we chose to simply do the 'Hop on, Hop off' bus tour of the city. We chose to get off at the Walled City and do the walking / audio tour. The street vendors were absolutely relentless. They made it very difficult to actually enjoy the tour. They were literally in your face the entire time trying to get you to buy whatever it is they were selling. I would not recommend this tour to anyone. The website does provide a warning about this excursion city / port, but the warning needs to be a little stronger. The only other true disappointment was that this ship evidently was experiencing some sort of sewage venting issue as there were certain areas of the ship that literally smelled of raw sewage every time you passed those areas. It was not pleasant. If given the chance I would most definitely make the Panama Canal Transit a future cruise on my list! I would choose different port of call, so that I could see more areas, but it was definitely an incredible experience. Read Less

We chose this cruise in order to experience the Panama Canal transit. We were welcomed at the airport and transported to the ship. Embarkment processing was completed within five minutes and disembarking from ship to shore was completed within 15 minutes. Our cabin stewart did an amazing job as well as our dining waiter. The meals were great and the main show each evening kept you well entertained. We found time to relax, read books from the library, and made new friends each day. We took advantage of excursions at each port and found them very informative and interesting. The off-road excursion was one that stood out as we traveled the back roads in Mexico and saw how corn was ground and cooked to make tortillas. The town tours provided us with the local history and background of the local areas.I would recommend this cruise for anyone desiring to experience the canal transit. Read Less

Worst vacation experience ever! We will never cruise again after the nightmare 5 day trip to Alaska on the Island Princess we just returned from. Our 5 day cruise was suppose to include two stops; Juneau and Ketchikan. We sailed on a broken ship, the stop in Juneau was cancelled, the staff was rude and surly, the food was inedible, the gym was abysmal, and the “activities” on board were sales pitches to spend more money; the experience was miserable. The Broken Ship and Cancelled Juneau stop: We received a message from our travel agent the day before the ship was to set sail informing us Princess had just issued mandatory preassigned times they were requiring passengers to board the ship the next day. Our assigned time was several hours sooner than we had planned as we had plans to sight see in Vancouver that morning. So, we hustled down to the ship for our assigned boarding time. When it was finally time to leave port several hours later the captain announces that some propeller was broken and they were fixing it and we would leave late. (So, it is beyond me what the rush to rush everyone onto the boat was for!) Through out the evening we continued to just sit there not moving while the captain would come on the load speaker and promise we would be leaving “soon.” At 2:00 the next day we finally left. At this point we have been held captive on essentially a floating hotel for over 12 hours! The following day, after we were already moving, the captain announces the boat was not fixed and they will not be sailing into Juneau. Instead they will “try” to find an alternative port. Great, we are not going to Juneau, the capital of Alaska, I won’t be hiking any glaciers (there are not any trips to see glaciers in the other port) and my husband will not be going on the Alaskan salmon fishing trip he had booked (there was no such salmon fishing trip in the other port). Glaciers and fishing for salmon in the capital of Alaska are the reasons we took this trip, now none of it was going to happen and we would be stuck on this broken-down ship for the next 5 days. If they would have told us this when we were still in Vancouver, we could have gotten off the boat and made our own arrangements to fly to Juneau! Oh, they did go to an alternative port to replace Juneau: Prince Rupert, Canada. Canada, not Alaska. In addition, Prince Rupert had nothing there, and was not equipped to have a boat full of 2000 people dropped off on it unexpectedly. I asked at the visitor center if they even get cruise ships that make stops in their little island and was told they do not. When we finally did make it to our stop in Ketchikan, we were not allowed off until the afternoon. So, we only got to spend half the day there. The Staff and Food: Staff all over the ship looked miserable and if you smiled at them, they just stared blankly back at you. The dining room staff was slow and disorganized. The first night we ate there my husband and I could not even eat the food they served it was so bland. It also had been sitting waiting to be served so long, gravy had formed a disgusting skin on top of it. Another time we went in and only ordered dessert and hot tea. We sat there for 30 minutes without any hot tea. We gave up and left without it. How hard is it to hand someone hot water? We tried the buffet hoping it would be better. The food was poorly labeled for allergies and vegetarian choices were lacking, none existent, or only consisted of raw veggies and wilted rotting lettuce. After the rotten lettuce experience, I went into the dining room to eat a salad and then asked if I could have an extra salad to take back to my room and put in my fridge and was told “no.” Why not?? I can bring the rotted lettuce from the buffet back to my room, why is it so egregious to you that I take a salad from the dining room back??? Another time I ordered a pizza and it was handed to me whole and uncut. I asked if they would please cut it into slices for me and was told, “There is a fork and knife behind you.” The guy was literally standing in front of 3 pizza cutters, but would not slice the pizza he just handed me. The Gym and Activities: I hope you don’t like to run or walk in fresh air while on this ship because a walking/running track does not exist, they don’t have one. Instead they have a small, stuffy, windowless room, in the bottom of the boat with a few treadmills facing the wall, really. We had seen photos of treadmills facing out to the ocean in the Oasis spa online, when I asked about those treadmills, I was told they moved them all down to the windowless room. Wonderful, who doesn’t love to run on a treadmill with their face 3 feet away from a blank wall. Don’t like the sound of the walking/running situation on the treadmills, well then try spinning. They offered spinning classes; only 3 times and for a fee. The rest of the time the spinning bikes were chained together and stored in an aerobics room they used for other “pay to play” classes or used for sales pitches disguised as “events.” (“Learn how to have better posture” for example, is really a pitch to buy orthotics). So, unless you care to pay for a class and go during one of the only three, 45 minutes they held a spinning class, you are not allowed to use the spinning bikes. Once you finished exercising in their stagnant dungeon there was really nothing else to keep you busy. Other “activities” throughout the ship were set up similarly; you had to pay a fee to participate or the “learning” and “event” experience was just a sales pitch. On our Island Princess cruise to Alaska missed half of the ports it should have sailed to, the ship was broken, the food was bad, the staff was rude, and the onboard activities were really just sales pitches. To make matters worse, Princess gave each person a $100 ship credit and 15% off a future cruise for compensation. Are you kidding me?! First of all, $100 won’t even cover the gratuity they add automatically to your bill at the end of the cruise and we just missed half the ports this cruise should have gone to! Second, if they think I would ever voluntarily sign up to pay even one dollar for another 5 days of hell trapped on one of their boats they are insane! Read Less

We had mechanical issues so we left Vancouver 11 hours later than expected. Then was told we could only travel at ½ speed. So they changed our itinerary to Ketchikan - Prince Rupert from Juneau - Ketchikan. Was hoping to see a glacier(s), of course that didn’t happen. Only spent 6.5 hours in Ketchikan our only Alaskan stop and 11 hours in Prince Rupert. Had to cancel our original tour planned for Ketchikan. Princess Cruises gave us $100 credit to our onboard account for completely missing a port. Prince Rupert was not expecting us so they were not prepared. Because of the time of year the bears were not around, the tours offered were mostly town tours. The only bright side to that stop was that it was sunny outside. The stateroom is showing it age, the beds are very comfortable. Entertainment in theatre was average. Comedian was not so funny. Dancers were okay, lots of steps to know for the same 12 dancers. Microphones worked 80% so could not hear some singing. Like any buffet the food was average and over cooked. I feel this cruise is equivalent to 3 star all inclusive resort. Read Less

Like many others an Alaska cruise was a dream of ours for a long time, we had planned this trip for years. Bottom line is we did NOT get to go to the ports Princess promised, no Juneau, no glacier, no snow capped mountains.... Ship was broken and we went to some other places, but not the "crown jewel" of the whole trip. I get it, things break, but giving us a $100 to spend on board for merch at your store doesn't make it all good Princess. Otherwise ship was nice, food was good, service was great, room was nice etc etc. Inside passage sailing is AWESOME, and the ports we did limp to were good, but lets face it you dont get to just 'go back" to Alaska anytime you want....this trip was years in the making. Princess Im waiting on a REAL DEAL to send me to where you promised you would take me, contact me..... Read Less

Chose this cruise to see Juneau, glacier bay and mendenhime glacier. Due to engine problems, we had a 12 hour delay leaving originating port of Vancouver Canada. Due to the delay The itinerary was changed eliminating Juneau, Alaska and adding prince Rupert, Canada which we had no desire to see and did not get off the ship. To compensate for the change we were given a credit of $100 each. We felt this was not an adaquate amount. The food onboard was mediocre and very disappointing. The crew was very good. Our balcony stateroom was great, and we loved the queen bed. We enjoyed room service for our breakfast. There were many activities to participate in if you wanted to. There were many promotions for onboard sales events. To much paper was wasted promoting these events. The casino did not pay! Would not recommend wasting your money. Overall we were disappointed as we had booked this trip 6 months in advance and we were veer excited to take it. We will not cruise with princess again. Read Less

I had high expectations for seeing a glacier and snow in Alaska. That was the motivation for taking this 5 day “sampler” of 2 ports in Alaska, vs 4 day with 1 port. Unfortunately, the embarkation port exit was postponed 11 hours. This delay and the inability to correct the problem resulted in a port cut, Juneau. The ship itself is older, and looks outdated. The refurbishment done a few years ago added more cabins, but cut the interior common areas down, leaving a person wondering around trying to find a place to sit. Everything was crowded, the outside space, the inside, even the dining. The balcony cabin (210 square feet) had one good quality, outdoor access. The interior was tight, shower barely large enough to wash in. Room service had to be eaten on the bed, as one chair provided in a room with a refrig that barely cooled the water (and had more ice in it than any where on the trip). The tv choices were rerun over and over again. The lighting dim, especially on the nightstands. Not a place you wanted to spend a lot of time in. The thermostat had no impact on the rooms temperature. Food options were dull, and bland. Cookies the main option and little fresh to choose. Nothing made you say oh! My husband lost 4lbs. on the trip. Activities, entertainment, bars and common areas crowded and never quite made you want to stay. Port calls were late on pickup and caused tightly timed excursions. Coming and going from the ship was time consuming and the security over done, looking for items in your bags on return. Generally the staff was helpful, although many were not understandable when they replied to questions. The room service staff was the best, they got the orders correct and were timely on delivery (very limited options). One thing stands above all else on this trip, Princess Cruises prefers to charge on every item on board. I purchased the internet, drink and water packages prior to the trip. On board there is a constant up-sale, for photo packages of questionable quality. The spa has steam rooms, for an additional fee, even when having massages with them. These facilities are clean and the therapists pleasant enough. The fitness center had old, needing repair covers on equipment seats and has a very small footprint. Not inviting, more like a dudgeon with mirrors. The choice to make this cruise was dependent on seeing the glaciers and snow, I saw nothing but rain. Knowledge of the propulsion issues and the cut of a port caused the captain to offer compensation, $100.00 now and 15% off of a future cruise. That is hardly compensation for this change of itinerary, 15% on this trip would have made it more palatable. This made the line seem cheap and not at all caring about what had been promised and purchased by guests. 50% would have been appropriate, one port cut of two, refund 50% of the fees. This set the tone for the trip. Would I use Princess or any of it’s line of services again, No. Read Less

I wanted to go up the inside passage (The east side of Vancouver Island) All the cruises I have seen that leave from Seattle go in the open ocean west of Vancouver Island. We booked only two weeks before the cruise and balconies were sold out. We had an oceanview (obstructed) cabin, it was fine. There is a small deck on the back of deck 8 that we spent a lot of time watching the scenery go by out of the rain. The deck has no chairs, I fortunately brought a couple of backpacking chairs that worked great, My traveling partner loves to swing dance so we spent most nights in the wheelhouse bar until the music stopped playing. I would have come back newer if I had got more sleep. There was also a great entertainer (Funch) at the piano bar, he is the best of the entertainers that play in bars that I have seen in the four cruises I have been on. I wish the ships band played with more heart, they sight read everything. I have an auto-immune condition that is treated mainly with a fairly restrictive diet, (no eggs, dairy, gluten, almonds, peanuts) I still found plenty to eat. I enjoy the atmosphere on Princess, not too stuffy, the wait staff is friendly. Read Less

This was my first Princess Cruise and although we paid a great price for a balcony cabin we were 12 hours leaving port, due to a mechanical problem, our itinerary changed, we did not go to Juneau as planned, we did not cruise the outside of Vancouver Island which I was looking forward too. The communications regarding the mechanical problem were poor but in general I would say all communications on board the ship were poor. The buffet food was adequate in quality, but nothing to get excited about. Getting off the ship at Ketchikan was a nightmare, we didn't arrive til 1:30 pm and the line to get off the ship was very long and took quite some time to leave. Getting on and off the ship for the first and last time went very well. I really liked the decor of the ship...it felt nautical, it felt like a ship which I like. Read Less

We are from Vancouver, so this 5 day "Sampler" cruise was an easy get away for us. We have been to Alaska before, so did not go for the itinerary, which was a good thing as it turned out. We were 12 hours late leaving Vancouver due to a mechanical issue. We did not make it to Juneau, but stopped in Prince Rupert instead. I have never been there so it was a new experience. There is a silver lining! Due to the change in itinerary, we passed through Johnstone Strait, a protected whale habitat area, during the day both on the way up & back. I understand that the ship generally passes through at night. We saw lots of whales - quite a treat. We had a mini-suite, the extra space in the cabin and in the bathroom is worth it. Food was generally very good both at the buffet & the dining room. The Horizon Court gets very busy & noisy, so we tried to avoid peak times. There is a good selection of salads and hot food. Labelling of the food could be better, many dishes were not labelled at all, so one had to guess. Dinner in The Provence Dining Room was very pleasant. There is something for everyone on the menu. The wait staff work hard but are friendly & helpful. The one negative comment I have is about dress code or lack of. We found many people wearing blue jeans, and not your expensive designer ones but good old Levis, often topped with a T-shirt. Several men wore baseball caps during dinner. The dining room is equal to a fine dining restaurant, and I found this disrespectful not only to the staff but to the other guests who made an effort to "clean up bit" for dinner. So is there a dress code or not; if so it should be adhered to. We enjoyed the entertainment, but found the Productions much too loud. I had to leave as I found it uncomfortable. We found there was a lot of "selling" on board - wine tasting, art auctions, beverage packages etc etc. If not careful, one could rack up a substantial bill. We did not use the fitness centre, spa or casino. All in all, a good cruise experience. Read Less

My family (a party of 15 people total) selected this cruise line because of the ports and shore excursions we were promised. Traveling to Juneau to see the glaciers, wildlife, and sled dogs were items on many of our bucket lists. Unfortunately, we did not get to see any of those things. Due to mechanical issues on the ship, we experienced a 12 hour delay at the Vancouver port and Princess Cruises cancelled the Juneau destination. They provided a $100 on board credit and 15% off our next cruise (if booked by 9/20/2020) as "compensation," which is both laughable and offensive. This was my first vacation in 4 years, and something I spent a long time saving up for. I can't simply book another cruise within a year, nor would I want to with Princess Cruises. In the end, $100 does not make up for the sights and experiences we were denied, and it was a general consensus amongst my party that we felt robbed. Other items of comment: - The buffet food was terrible and barely edible, but the dining room made up for it. I typically saved my appetite for a dining room meal. - I do not recommend this cruise for anyone under the age of 50. There are very few entertainment options on board, especially for a younger crowd. I was most excited for the 90's Music Night, but ended up being the only person in the room that knew any of the music. There was not a single person on the dance floor. - The theater entertainment was subpar. I have seen high school musicals with better production value, and the ventriloquist act was cancelled due to the talent having laryngitis. The irony of the situation was not lost. - Princess Cruises replaced the Juneau destination with the Port of Prince Rupert in British Columbia. Other than the fact that this was not an Alaskan port on an ALASKAN CRUISE, this port does not experience much tourism and couldn't accommodate 2,200 visitors. There were no sights to see, and only a couple excursion options (the majority of which involved walking around a park, which you could do for free). There was a rumor on board that we only went there because they had the parts needed to repair the ship. Read Less

I chose this cruise based on reviews from previous travellers. We were sorely disappointed. First the ship was delayed leaving for 10 hours. This meant that we missed one of the ports we were supposed to see which is the main reason we took this cruise . The compensation from the cruise line was a slap in the face considering the entire reason for going on this trip ( Juneau AK ) was skipped . The food was barely edible ( first time I lost weight on vacation lol!) , regardless if you ate at the buffet or dinning rooms . With the exception of a few staff members the majority of the food/drink services team were extremely rude and unhelpful . The entertainment was poor and they were constantly chasing you down to buy buy buy . It always felt like you were being harassed . I do not recommend this cruise line Read Less

We chose this cruise for my husband and I to return to Juneau and to share the experience with our 2 boys. It was their first time on a cruise and we pre-booked 2 excursions through Princess. Due to engine trouble, the cruse departed over 12 hours later than scheduled and at partial speed so Juneau was completely removed from the schedule and when we got to Ketchikan it was pouring rain so our excursion there was cancelled as well. Major disappointment. Wish there was an opportunity offered to people to re-book on an alternate date. Alaska cruise with very little experience time in Alaska! Very smoky in the central area of the ship (Atrium) as well. The Youth program, however, is fantastic and if it weren't for that, this really would have been a complete disaster of a family trip. Ship was clean, although very tired and in need of updating (built in 2003). Read Less

Let me start with explaining why I only gave this a 3 out of 5. It started out great in that it was a pleasant surprise that we were able to board right after going through all the check in procedures to start taking advantage of the boats’ amenities. Get there early, as it does take a while to get through check-in/customs. Now, in my eyes, a cruise ship should be fit & ready to sail according to its itinerary that you paid for. Ours was not. Did we sail at 4:30 as scheduled, NO, did we sail at 7:00 pm, NO, did we sail as they said the delay would take til at midnight – NO. We sailed at 3:00 am of which at dinnertime the evening before while still in port but on the boat, they announced would have to change the itinerary as we would no longer be able to go to our first stop Juneau. REALLY, Juneau, the capital of Alaska and port probably 100% of the people were most looking forward to as it was only a 2 port stop and to be our most northern part of Alaska we were sailing to, so to look forward to excursions like the glaciers, dog sledding, seeing the wildlife, etc. Most, if not all, booked specifically to see “Alaska” and in changing Juneau to now go to Rupert, British Columbia as the alternate port was to say the least VERY DISAPPOINTING. If I’d of known of this change before sailing, and given the option of not going & getting our money back, I would gladly have rescheduled and used that money to book a future ALASKAN only cruise. So the small compensation we got for the “inconvenience” by no means made up for this loss. Now, once we did sail, as far as rating the Island Princess for its amenities, restaurants, shows, cabin, staff, etc, I would rate it a 5+. Having said that, there is a lot of advertising for the boat shopping (and in ports) both in leaving paperwork at your cabin door and within the events listed in the Patter newsletter. We got caught up in going to some events that were nothing more than advertising and they get you by offering free items or free draws. Once we figured this out we could get on with some of the more fun/informative events. A lot of events overlap so you truly have to pick & choose which is better for you and not falling for these advertised events makes it easier to weed out. I wish in the Patter it would have listed the duration of events and a brief explanation of them. All the music and entertainers were top-notch. Cruise Director Natalie as announcer or host was an enhancement to all entertainment, she was high energy and so funny. The cooking demonstration with Exec Chef, Maitre d’Hotel & Natalie was so funny, followed by a galley tour, was one of our fave events. The Naturalist Mark Harris gave great lectures. I only wish he would have narrated more landmarks along the way through the outside speakers on the deck (especially when whales or dolphins were nearby), or to know where we were, as spectacular sites when close to land. Had a mid-ship balcony cabin that is well worth it, just to look out when you are in your room and having a lot of light come in is well worth it. Plus being mid-ship is the most stable part of the ship. Not that it rocked at that much but did in a few parts, for the most-part was calm sailing. Didn’t take a beverage package as you got free water & coffee at meals, plus O.J. for breakfast that was good enough for us. Plus we did bring on board our own water bottles and some pop cans that we kept in our mini fridge and took out with us throughout the day that was great. We also didn’t take an alcoholic package but I think if we were on a longer 7 day cruise we would have. A lot of different bars w/different types of entertainment, singers, quizes, karaoke, etc. all excellent. No problems getting in any of the restaurants and the staff & food at all were excellent. We did pay extra for going into 2 out of the 3 fine dining restaurants – the Italian and the New Orleans/Steakhouse. Both were an additional $29, well worth it. They opened the New Orleans restaurant once for lunch for British pub food at no additional cost, which was delicious. The outlet that served pizza was also very good. Basically ALL the food was out of this world delicious. We bought an internet plan before the cruise paying $19.99 for up to 4 devices. We did have a few issues at the beginning losing connection but after going to the info desk to get it straightened out we were good to go. Worked for the most part – spotty a few times, but still worth it. We had taken U.S. money with us thinking if you bought anything on board you paid for it by cash (shopping/drinks, etc), but you don’t. You show your room key and everything is charged through that to your account. One good thing with the internet is you could go online to your account to keep track of all your extra charges which was nice. Also know you are automatically charged a $14.50/p.p./p.d. tipping fee. You do have the option to change this to whatever you want. Just go to the service desk on board & tell them what you want to change it to and it will be changed on your account. This boat not only had an outdoor pool w/hottubs but also an indoor pool w/hottubs. Handy for cool or rainy days. Also basketball court, shuffleboard, mini-golf but those were outdoors so could only partake in when not raining. Also indoor ping-pong and lots of other games to par-take in. They also had a library with books/cards/games that was popular. A Theatre with lovely night-time shows. And an outdoor huge screen with movies showing at different times, casino, and much more activities/shopping stores/fine art sales, etc. Only negative of a cruise, if it really is a negative, is there is there is so much going on at all times, it is a little hard to fit in all you want to do. We tried at one time to just sit & relax to read our books and listen to our music through earphones but then quickly realized we were missing out on an event we wanted to see, so quickly abandoned the R&R time and off we went - LOL! This was an approx. 2000 person cruise with over 900 staff. Just a perfect size we thought, where it was never overly busy in any one area for the most part, and I would say about 85% adults vs children. It was a very well-run ship. Would we take another cruise, definitely, would we take it on Princess after that delay/change in itinerary, not sure. Read Less

We were suppose to Leave Vancouver September 11, 2019 at 5:30, but do to mechancical issues (propultion problems) the captain came on at 8:00 to tell us that we will not be leaving until approx midnight - in actuality it was 3:30 am on the 12th, and that we will be getting a $100 on board credit and 50% off the price of this cruise towards another future cruise. Because of this issue we will not make it to Juneau, the one port most people wanted to go to, and instead we will be going to Prince Rupert. All excursions needed to be cancelled and we wouldn't see our refund for 4-6 weeks. The next day a letter was sent to our room saying it was 15% not 50%. We were a party of 10, possibly the last cruise for our elderly family members. Prince Rupert was a tender port, and our elderly family members were not able to go on the tender due to physical ability. We are from BC, we wanted to see Alaska, not Prince Rupert - we can do that on BC Ferries After returning home, we let Princess know how we felt and that we would not be doing any more cruising within the next year, due to my husbands terminal illness. We asked that instead of compensation towards a future cruise that we would rather have 50% of what we paid for this cruise re-embursed back to us. They flat out refused, but did say they would give me my husbands credit if I wanted to cruise alone! The post cruise customer service agent that I dealt with spoke to me as if she was reading off a script and had no compassion for what we went through. Obviously Princess does not care about their passengers or they would do everything they could to make us happy. Truth be told, it would have been a $1000 re-embursement, not much when you consider their reputation is at stake. Had they done at least that, I would not be writing this review Service on the ship was not up to par. Staff walked around like they didn't want to be there. We would sit and play games on the Lido pool deck and we had to ask staff that was standing around to remove our lunch plates. No one came around to ask if we wanted a drink around the pool or in the buffet dining room. At one point our Uncle asked for a coffee and baileys from the grill bar, and they said they didn't have coffee, but we could bring a cup up and they would put baileys in it. No bars were open on the pool deck, so inorder to get a drink, we had to stand in line in the buffet to get the one bartender working to make us a drink. The buffet was sub-par food. Same sandwiches everyday and not much seating room. The Italian dining room was fabulous, with great food and service, so if you want to pay more money go there. We have done many many cruises, and this was our second one with Princess and will be our last. I will not give them the satisfaction of our hard earned money again. We did partake in massages and facials and enjoyed the service that we got from the spa. Rooms were clean and staff was pleasant, although they do push their products on you. We went to a couple evening shows and they were entertaining If you have the pleasure of going on a cruise, don't go on Princess! Read Less

I chose this cruise so I could get my family to experience a cruise to Alaska-Ketchikan and Juneau. But alas, the cruise did not complete the itinerary they advertised. The ship was delayed in sailing for more than 10 hours because its marine engineers/technicians did not keep this ship in tip top shape to cruise its way up to Juneau. Instead of going to Juneau, the ship turned back and made a brief stop at Prince Rupert, Canada as alternative. No amount of entertainment, on board ship credit or 15% discount could make up for the lost of time and missed experience at Juneau. Dining, shows and other activities were okay. The dining staff we encountered were pleasant enough and some had a good sense of humor. The photos were over-priced. Check in was horrendous for some of our family members who had a non-US passport. They almost passed out in the queue. On disembarkation, the guides were rude and were shouting directions as we were deaf. This cruise did not meet our expectation and so I would not recommend Island Princess. Read Less

We took the slow boat to Alaska on our first and only cruise. Our ship was 11 hours late leaving and the true reason why was never explained. We were told the ship was delayed departing several times with the last (7:30 pm) stating midnight which we stayed up for. Midnight came and went and we did not depart and no info provided. Wife woke up at 3am and at last we were underway. The next morning we were told due to the delay with engine repairs Juneau was cancelled and we would instead visit Prince Rupert. The repairs were due to safety concerns we where told. We find out after the cruise hat the repairs did not work and the ship only had one engine. With one engine the ship could not manage 21 knots and despite short cuts in the route there was no way to reach Juneau. I think having only one engine out on the open ocean section was a safety concern but I guess maybe we could paddle the bugger. The mood on the ship turned grim when we lost Juneau and the service or lack of it made things bleaker. Simple things like deck chairs or blankets were self serve since there was no staff to be found. Getting beverages meant finding an open bar which was never on the deck we were on. The food was mediocre at best but at least the dinner hall had good service. No gluten free options was another major issue. The only upside to the trip was they upgraded us to a higher room with a great balcony. Our state room became a sanctuary from the crowds grumbling about the service and loss of port. We received $100 each for ship credits which was used up for gratuities for the crappy service we got. We also got 15% off the next cruise we book despite losing 50% of our cruise. To get the 15% we would have to risk another trip and frankly that is not going to happen. I was told by frequent cruisers that the Captain sets the tone of the crew and this appears to apply here. Once the debacle of our leaving took place and the lack of info combined with port changes the Captain was never heard from again. I think the Captain was receiving so much flak he went silent. We barely saw Alaska and that was the purpose of this cruise. We learned a lot on this cruise just not what we thought we would learn. Read Less

Chose this cruise to see the two cities in Alaska we haven’t been to, Juneau and Ketchikan. Ship was delayed because of mechanical problems so Juneau was cut from the voyage. As compensation they gave us $100. in shipboard credit and 15% off a cruise in the next year. Big deal! We wanted an Alaska cruise and got Ketchikan and Prince Rupert in Canada. Did not get what we paid for! Also, called the cruise line about dispersing ashes while at sea, was told it would be ok, even received a letter explains the process and that our steward would contact us when it was time. After three days went to concierge and was told we couldn’t do it because we weren’t far enough out in international waters. Maybe when I called the cruise line they could have told me that! We were offered to go to a wine tasting, found out they were charging us $25. each, offered a sample of lemonchello with dinner, got charged for it. Had a massage at the spa and decided to buy some products for $350.00, they charged me $976.00 which was the larger package I didn’t order. Said they couldn’t refund me when I discovered the charge as it was already shipped. It wasn’t shipped until a week later and it cost me $54.00 to send it back, Still waiting on the refund Read Less

The entire purpose of the trip was a fishing excursion in Juneau. Our Juneau port was cancelled and that was extremely disappointing. Instead of offering a discount for the next cruise (to same ports) They gave us $100 to be spent on the ship. Most of the crew were not friendly, we ate at the bayou for an extra charge and the food was terrible!!! : It tasted like it had been frozen and prepared in a microwave! The website said ship was refurbished but it was outdated. Their system for boarding and unboarding, seems to work really well!. For my 1st cruise, there just wasn't anything fascinating about it. 8 just had higher expectations. They replaced Juneau with prince Rupert island and that was awful. Prince Rupert island is like one huge flea market, not a fair trade to Juneau whatsoever!! The gratuities are a joke. Our steward deserved 90% of our tips. Only ONE bartender the entire trip made an excellent drink with a good attitude, the rest were very unfriendly and acted like we were an inconvenience when we ordered. It was just not the trip I thought it would be.s Read Less

Always heard the Alaska Cruise was a great one to take. I was impressed with the decor and cleanliness of the ship. It was well laid out, with lots to see and lots of activities to take p[art in. We tried a few and enjoyed them a lot. Engine trouble before we left port caused over a twelve hour departure delay, causing us to have to skip the Juneau stop and the glaciers. Although this was very disappointing, it was still a great and enjoyable cruise. The shows we went to were very well done and very enjoyable. The professional level of the entertainers was very high. The sailing was surprisingly smooth, (we expected a bouncier cruise), and the movement was mostly un-noticeable. The selection of food in the Horizon Lounge Buffet "blew my mind". I did not ecpect to see such a wide variety to choose from. The Staff overall were exceptional. Read Less

We have been on about 15 cruises, last one 15 years ago. We have been all over the Caribbean, Mexican Rivera a number of times. Been through the Panama Canal, New Zealand and Australia. First cruise I have been on were I was charged for a soda. First cruise I have been on were they wanted to charge me $40 per person per day to look off the stern of the ship. Charged $29 per day service charge for my stateroom and 18% for every drink or soda I ordered. And that was after I paid $4,000 for the cruise. This will be the last Princess Cruise for me. The stateroom was nice, the service was great and the entertainment was good. That embarkation and debarkation was handled great. They did a great job handling luggage on and off the ship. Picked it up at the airport, next time we saw it was in our stateroom. Getting off, put our luggage outside our stateroom and didn’t see it again until we were at the airport. I have to give them a excellent grade on that. Read Less

Chose it because it was in our time line and it was an appropriate price. I had traveled with Princes before and I was looking for the good service. I was terribly disappointed. Princess booked our flights to and from. Our flight arrived just before our cruise. No one greeted us and no photos. When we tried to make reservations for specialty restaurants, there was only one line and one person to make the reservations for the entire ship. We never got through on the phone line and spent valuable time waiting on the phone. We went to one specialty restaurant to make reservations in person. The staff told us they could not only the person in charge could, and he would not be available for a while. Check back, more wasted time. We finally reached a person on the third day and had a lovely, delicious dinner. I have never had to work so hard on a cruise before, Outrageous! When we went for happy hour before dinner, we were told happy hours had stopped on Princess Lines a while ago. We asked to order horsd'oeuveres and were told none were available only peanuts were available. This is ridiculous and disappointing. Who ever heard of not being able to order them on a cruise. We could go upstairs for pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers or to the buffet. We couldn't just order a drink, appetizers and relax. We would have to chase around for food.Try that for a happy hour. Not a good thing. We have always enjoyed the towel animals on our bed. We were told only people with children got them because too many towels were being taken home, Excuse me. You make enough money to afford a few towels. Our tender told me he would make one if I wanted. I said no. You would have thought he would have done it anyway to appease my question. I always looked forward to these towel animals when I get to my room after a fun, exciting, tiring day. We left the ship to go on the magnificent train ride to Denali Princes Wilderness Lodge. The train ride was wonderful and the narrator was so well informed, friendly and a good speaker. This train ride is not to be missed. The beauty is incredible. However, when we arrived, our luggage had been lost. I had my back-pack with my medications and little else, and so did my roommate. When we inquired, the desk told us they would call us and keep track of where and when it was coming. We did have someone else's luggage in our room which was picked up later. Towards the evening we inquired again about our luggage, and they said no information, however, they had never bothered to advise us. If we didn't check with them, they never kept us abreast of anything. Finally, we wanted to take a shower & change our shirts, so the front desk gave each of us a voucher for $25, All the shirts in the shop started around $36 up. Went back & they gave us another $25 voucher, This only bought us a shirt each and minimal toiletries and nothing else. Next day, again, we had to inquire about our luggage, but they had no information. No clothes. We did the best we could with what we had. We had no clothes, curling iron, make up, underwear, etc which is so important on a vacation. We did our Denali National Park bus tour which was exciting, beautiful and so enjoyable. We saw bear, Moose, reindeer, fox, and even a coyote. Our tour stops were fun. We even road a short distance on a dog sled. Great. When we got back, no suitcases and we had to inquires. They never called us. Next day we went on a Riverboat cruise down the Chena River. It was great, we saw lots of beautiful homes, stopped at a Athabasca village and toured it to see how those people lived in these primitive places. We loved this and the River Boat, they even gave us Salmon with crackers. Good tasting. We went to inquire again and complained we needed more funds to purchase our needs. They gave us each an additional $50 each. We could purchase little because of the high cost of everything. We left next day to go to Fairbanks. FINALLY, we had our suitcases in our room. this, of course, was the day before we left to fly home. Not a pleasant situation. I felt I was begging when I talked to the front desk about compensation for our necessities. They said they were being more than fair. Not to our estimation. As a result, I will NOT take a Princess Cruise again. I do plan on taking other cruises with other companies. Read Less

This was a great cruise. Princess does a good job on their Alaska cruises. Their attention to detail was top notch. No glitches whatsoever. Service was excellent the whole week. The food was very good in the Horizon Room (the buffet), but it was crowded and noisy. Dining was better in the dining room we were assigned to. Food was excellent - like dining in a 5 star restaurant every night. We used the buffet for breakfast and always ate dinner in the dining room. We also ate in two of their specialty restaurants - Sabatini's and the Bayou Grill. Also very good. Every night we received a "newsletter" outlining the next days' schedule, activities, news, etc. The embarking and disembarking procedures were flawless. Before departure we had experienced a long day of airline flights and a horribly long process to clear Customs in Vancouver. Once Princess took over for our transportation to our ship, it went very smoothly for check-in and getting to our room. Made us feel much better. Read Less