My partner and I just completed a ten-day cruise, aboard the Island Princess, March 30 to April 9 round trip from Fort Lauderdale to the Panama Canal and Southern Caribbean

The Problems with the Design of the Island Princess

The ship was renovated in 2015. As part of the renovation/updating, Princess added about 300 passengers by increasing cabins/suites and eliminating public spaces. Because of this, the buffet, lounges, restaurants, the theatre, all public area are so crowded that it was often impossible to find a seat. What was worse was that wait time for dining and tenders might exceed an hour. Personally, I went to the buffet for dinner because of the long wait for “Anytime Dining.” I did not go to the theatre because it was impossible to find a seat unless I went to the theatre at least 45 minutes before the show. I was never able to find seating in the Wheel House Bar during happy hour, even the couches outside the bar were filled. At Cooners, for a great entertainer Jere Ringer, there were again never any seats available -- All because of the increase in passengers -- Cruises are supposed to be relaxing, not a fight for seats. There is no such problem on the sister ship, the Coral Princess. Read more