Island Princess Review
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Firstly, I agree with the many in they have ruined Island Princess with the recent updates. The additional cabins block off the Promenade deck, the additional plating on the rear makes it look almost ugly and the loss of Vista lounge is a big shame. That said the ship traveled smoothly and rode the waves very well. The crew were particularly good and well organised. Dining was first rate and the general condition of Island was very good. The new shows were excellent to exceptional, most impressive.
Boarding for us was at Port of LA, San Pedro. The cruise was already partly filled with travelers on a Panama Canal relocation cruise, so boarding was quite quick and painless. San Pedro was a wonderful port to depart from, plenty of parking for those who drove and easy access for us since we walked from our hotel. We did a short tour of the harbour and the USS Iowa which filled our pre cruise day perfectly. Both attractions were great.
We visited San Francisco which was beautiful, as expected. I haven't been there for 40 years so it was a bit bigger and busier than I remember but it is still a lovely port to visit. We missed Astoria due to the Pacific Gale we endured. We were amazed at how well the ship handled the force 12 gale and up to 9 metre waves.
Cabin Review
Balcony
A good size cabin for two people with a semi sheltered balcony, about half exposed and half sheltered which worked well. Comfortable but with a small bathroom which was a bit tedious.
Port Reviews
Victoria
We followed Cruise Critic advise and did a tour from the sellers in town, on our own so to speak, after taking the shuttle in to town. We had almost unlimited time at the Butterfly Farm and Butchart Gardens as the company ran their busses in a shuttle style. As long as you caught one before the time ran out, there were plenty to catch. Both attractions were really good, Butchart Gardens exceptional. The bus drivers provided some commentary which was nice too. Victoria was a lovely town to walk around, we found some nice shops including some great chocolate!