Coral Princess Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This was my first cruise on Princess at the Platinum level. I booked it specifically to go through the Panama Canal and I was not disappointed. I noted the upgraded service immediately when I was directed to the preferred customer check-in queue, and following that, the priority boarding lounge. As such, I avoided the crowds and boarded the ship shortly after the elite level passengers. Outside of the 240 free internet minutes, the only other time my Platinum status came into play was when I was disembarking. I used the special lounge. There were nightly cocktail parties for Platinum and above, but those are not my thing and I skipped them.
Staterooms were open upon boarding. I was able to drop off my carry on, change into shorts, and eat lunch before the buffet got crowded. I was also able to purchase the soda fountain package.
A few days before sailing I was notified that my inside stateroom had been upgraded to an obstructed outside. This was nice, though they aren't kidding about the obstruction. The blackout curtains worked perfectly. The stateroom was larger than most I've used. As usual, there are never enough power outlets or desk space, but I'm always prepared for such things. One note was the flat screen TV was nice, though the stateroom was obviously constructed for an older tube model TV. As such, the mounting position made it difficult to access the connectors on the back of the set. I was able to finally connect the HDMI cable I brought to the TV and then to my notebook computer. This was so I was able to watch DVDs on the stateroom television. Since I've gotten progressive lens glasses, it's impossible to lay back on the bed and watch the notebook computer TV screen. The high mount position of the stateroom TV allowed me to lie in bed and watch DVDs.
Cabin Review
E514 is an obstructed view, and thus only offers a view of a ship tender plus some light. Blackout curtains are very effective at keeping out the outside light. The stateroom seemed a bit larger than most rooms I've been in on ships. There were two power outlets on the desk, and I used extension cords for my CPAP and another one for my electronics. The bathroom had one power outlet, and I alternated charging my electric toothbrush and shaver.The room contains a flat screen TV with a remote control. The TV had several ports in the back, but accessing them is problematic due to their position, the fixed mounting, and the amount of available wiggle room for my hands. There is an HDMI port. I was able to attach a cable, but it took about 30 minutes of work, using a tablet computer as a flashlight and a DVD as a mirror. This paid off as I was able to watch DVDs playing on my notebook computer on the stateroom TV. It is mounted high enough I could watch it in bed without a problem from my progressive lens glasses. The room also contains a safe and plenty of hangers. Upon request I was able to obtain a robe and a second blanket for my bed. At one point the light fixture above the passage between the closet and the bathroom flickered horribly. It was repaired the next day; it had been noted by my room steward as a maintenance issue.The stateroom contained a table plus a built in desk, with a single chair. I found the storage space sufficient ,but I traveled alone.