Entertainment in the theatre was first rate every night, worth the price of the cruise alone. The 7 piece house band were excellent musicians. Buffet had a wonderful and varied selection. Main 3 dining rooms had the same tired menu virtually every day. Most of the bars were empty most of the time. Where were the 3000 passengers ? Piazza always had good entertainment especially the great violin duo. Staff very friendly & helpful. Excursions were good, tour guides very knowledgeable and likeable. Lots of people seemed interested to buy expensive jewellery, art, perfumes, etc. Seemed a waste of money to us. Embarkation was the worst disaster anyone of the 3000 passengers had ever experienced as we waited outside in the LA heat while they fixed a computer failure. The proverbial Black Swan. Disembarking however was well organized and a breeze in Ft. Lauderdale. It was worth the money ! Read Less

My husband and I have traveled extensively. We were excited that this cruise was to take us to multiple ports and did not repeat any that we've visited before. Further, we've cruised with Princess before and felt comfortable with the cruise line. Embarkation was fairly smooth. We got on the ship, found our cabin as expected (although we were disappointed that our view was obstructed), and headed for lunch. Next, we toured the ship and found it as most ships in this class. We are not first class people, so the decor of the ship and layout suits us just fine. Let's pause here to share that the COVID19 virus was starting to grow in intensity in the world (not necessarily the US), and the cruise line did offer a 100% refund of cancellation fees (whatever that meant) if customers wanted to cancel. My husband stayed on the phone for an hour the morning of the cruise, but couldn't get through, so we decided to go on the cruise even though we had some doubts. Day 1 was a day at sea. We had rough seas...not terribly rough, but consistently and decently wavy. My husband and I didn't get sick, but we heard of several passengers who did. We were concerned about the many elderly on board and the possibility of them losing their balance and falling while attempting to walk. The crew kept reminding people to use handrails. Day 2 was to be in Jamaica. However, due to the rough seas, the port wouldn't come out to assist the ship in getting to the port. So, Strike One port. Day 3 was at sea...still rough seas. :( As my husband says, "It's feeling like Groundhog Day (the movie)." We did arrive in Cartagena, Columbia early (approximately 5 p.m.) and allowed to get off the ship. They even arranged for us to have excursions. Of course, you get to pay for them. $$ My husband, desperate to get off the ship, booked a carriage ride around the old city, and a dinner in town. It was an expensive excursion, but we had an enjoyable evening. Day 4 was Cartagena, Columbia Thank Goodness, we get to get off the ship and step on solid ground!! The ship was getting boring. We were happy to go tour and visit. We booked an excursion through the cruise ship; a canoe tour of mangrove tunnesl and a walking tour of the old city. The canoe tour was quiet and peaceful and guides went to great lengths to show us monkeys, sloths, and a variety of birds. The old city stroll didn't allow much time to really shop, but as we had gone to the old city the night before, it wasn't an issue for us (others were disappointed). Day 5 Panama Canal This was a day we looked forward to. We were both excited to see us go through the locks which we did have plenty of time and view of the ship going through 3 locks. This ship narrated and talked us through the history of the locks, what we were seeing and what was happening. Once we got into the lake, we were told we had to be scanned for potential fever by the Panamanian officials before going on excursions (those who had booked them). We all lined up and were scanned for fever, then received all the stickers, etc. for our excursions. A little later, we began boarding our tenders to leave. My husband and I were on the second tender. Once they loaded everyone, we wondered why we were waiting by the ship for a few minutes without leaving. Then, I noticed the first tender coming back toward the ship. At that time, I told my husband, "They are not going to allow us to enter Panama." (due to the virus) Sure enough, a ship official soon boarded the tender and told us the Panamanian government had decided to not allow us to come ashore due to the fear of the virus. (Why did they go to all the trouble of testing all of us for fevers if they were not going to let us come ashore?) Anyway...Strike Two port! Day 6 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica We booked an excursion through the internet to Tortuguero and a banana plantation. We found the group to meet, although we had to walk a decent distance from the ship to them. We boarded the bus and they drove us rain forest, then along the beach to an area that honestly didnt look like it would be safe (felt safe when we got there, though). We got off the bus and into boats they were rowed by locals who tooks us through mangrove growth. Some locals danced for us in traditional clothing before and after our boat ride. Back on the bus, they took us to the banana plantation. They pulled up to the gate (which was closed), and informed us that the plantation was closed to visitors due to a fungus that was endangering the world's population of banana's. The proceeded to tell us about the process of banana growth and process to market while we sat on the bus. Not sure why we had to drive all the way there for them to sit at the gate and tell us the process. They could have told us this at the port or while we were driving to the boat tour. Plus, we feel we paid for a two part tour, but only received one part. After the banana gate, though, they did drive us by a shopping place (how convenient). It was off by itself and the prices were all in US $). The prices were high and I'm not sure why anyone would purhase there. My husband and I took a quick walk through and then got back on the bus. This tour disappointed us greatly. Day 7 at sea Over the week, we've been watching the news and seeing the pandemic getting out of control. The US is getting very nervous about the virus, more cases are developing there, and the stock market is taking a hit as a result. One Princess ship has been off the coast of California for 2 weeks as they have cases of the virus on board and my husband and I are getting nervous that we could get held off the coast once we get back. Unlike most of the passengers on board, we have jobs to get back too. Today, we booked a flight home from Grand Cayman (our last port) so we will avoid the possibility of quarantine. Day 8 Grand Cayman Guess what?? Grand Cayman is not allowing cruise ships in their port due to the virus, so Strike Three Port! :( Luckily, the flight we booked is fully refundable. Now, we pray we do not get quarantined off the coast when we get back to Florida Day 9 at Sea Day 10 back to Florida Luckily, no one on the ship has shown any signs of the virus and we are able to dock. Disembarkation was super smooth and fast. Thank goodness as we had a 10:40 a.m. flight home. Why did I give the cruise a poor rating: 1. We didnt get to go to 3 ports...wouldn't you know it, the 3 ports that mattered the most to me and my husband. 2. Food...whew...the food is just average, at best! They feel they have to put every steak and pork in a brown gravy (the same brown gravy for all of them). Even though they try to mix up some of the foods at the buffet, we found most of them to not be good/tasty. Keep in mind, we are not gourmet/5-star people. More than one day we went through the buffet and couldn't find anything to eat, other than a salad. We ate more hamburgers and french fries from the Grille than anything for lunches. Thank goodness for the Grille...burgers and fries were very good. 3. Gripes you'll find on nearly all cruises...internet too expensive; excursions too expensive; entertainment just okay; very little music by the pool (loved it when they had Thosh DJ by the pool/need to do that more often) Positives: 1. Trivia...had a blast at all of them (went to nearly every one) 2. Staff...nearly every one we dealt with was kind, accomodating and really tried to instill postive vibes, especially with the difficult cruise we were experiencing (Kudos to Thosh, Ken, and Kristina) 3. Could actually get pool chairs on this cruise...probably because of the age of most of the passengers and/or the cruise wasn't full due to the virus Read Less

My sister and I chose this cruise because it was stopping at places we had never been to before and we wanted to see the old locks of the Panama Canal. It most definitely will be a cruise we will not forget! I can't believe how much the world changed in the 10 days we were gone! I asked my doctor if it was safe to go and he said yes when I told him the itinerary. Well, everything went well through the airports, but when we got to the cruise terminal, we had to wait and wait to go through the TSA screening of the luggage, etc. Once we were on board, the mini suite was much like mini suites on other Princess ships except the couch was terrible, we put bed pillows on it to sit on (helped some). The weather was terrible the first 2 1/2 days, the ship was rocking terribly and we couldn't go out on deck. It was hard to walk and we really missed using the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is our treat to ourselves when we sail with Princess. After the first day and a half, they started serving us at the Horizon Court and there was nothing on the tables. Princess was very diligent in keeping everything clean and it paid off as at the end of the voyage the captain announced we did not have anyone with the corona virus and only a handful of people with any sickness. We couldn't dock at Jamaica because of the weather but we had a fabulous tour with Josie from Dora the Explorer in Cartagena, best tour every! We lucked out with beautiful weather while at the Panama Canal. Some people were going to go ashore there and went through health screening and some were on boats going ashore only to be turned away by the Panama government. Costa Rico was very welcoming but the tour we wanted was canceled due to not enough people signing up. So we had to find another one. Grand Cayman would not allow us to come ashore there because of this virus scare. So, out of 5 stops, we only got 2. But Princess had no control over the weather nor the governments of the places that turned us away because of the virus scare. All in all, Princess worked very hard to get the dining rooms open, and things for us to do during the unexpected sea days. The crew and the service was great. Some of the crew I have to mention for their fantastic service and personalities. In the Sanctuary - John, Made, Rigan, Kerwin. Mostly in the morning at the Horizon Court was "the Hello Sunshine" girl with her dance moves - Cyrille. And our room stewart Felix. They made our cruise so much more pleasant. I'm so glad we got home with no problems and my sister and I decided to self quarantine for 2 weeks which I'm just starting the 2nd week. We have 2 more cruises booked with Princess. I don't know if the June one will be canceled or not, but we will most definitely cruise again with Princess. Read Less

Wanted to visit Panama and Grand Carman but poor choice of time do to Covid-19. Even so. It was a nice cruise and appreciate the great service we received. Room was outstanding and kept that way the entire trip. Staff and all attendants were always friendly. Even under our serious situation the captain and his staff made this trip an enjoyable one. Never did we feel we were in trouble or under any threat of being endanger. To be truthful most of us on that ship felt safer than what we were returning to. There are not too many things we do in life that we have to experience a trip during some very difficult life threatening times. I applauded the CEO for her choice of shutting down future voyages for 60 days till this terrible virus passes. I wish them the very best. They have put profits aside as they do care about their clients. I say this with all sincerity. Thank you Princess Cruises Read Less

Picked this cruise due to its destinations and time of year. Service in all departments was good under the difficult circumstances. Disappointed that all excursions could not be made. This was through no fault of Princess or passengers. On board entertainment was good. Cabin service was excellent. Dinning was fair. Menu could be expanded. Buffet dinning was crowded and food selection was limited. Had our two Granddaughters with us, and they enjoyed themselves. As to going again will depend on how Princess reimburses our account for the missed excursions. It must be stated that this cruise took place during a difficult period which had a major impact on excursions. The Captain and crew did their best to minimize any inconvenience to the passengers. I have to compliment the crew for salvaging what could have been a disaster of an experience. I like the idea of the formal nights. This lead to a good experience for our Granddaughters. Read Less

We chose this cruise to see the islands Jamaica, Panama Canal, Cayman Islands , Columbia, and Costa Rica. Unfortunately due to rough water and Corona Virus scare we could only see Columbia and Costa Rica. This was very disappointing and the water was very rough going from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to Jamaica causing many people to get motion sickness and was the main reason for our ship not stopping at Jamaica. We were stuck on this ship for 8 out of 10 days . The ship is need of interior repairs (floors were rough under carpet causing trip hazards, pipes in ceiling were leaking in hallways) Pools onboard were empty of water due to rough sea conditions. Entertainment was ok but could have been better if they were to make it to the ship, some flights were cancelled the entertainment could't make it to the ship. I would not recommend princess cruises for cruising, I thought they were highly reputable cruise line but I was wrong. Read Less

March 7-17 (2020), we were on the Island Princess for a 10 day Panama Canal Cruise. Due to weather conditions and of course the coronavirus situation, we were not allowed to dock at most of our ports! We were able to do the turn around through the canal and it was awesome! Island Princess was the last Princess Cruise ship at sea until their 60 day suspension is over. The captain and crew were very professional, worked tirelessly and under the circumstances, did everything they could to accommodate us and keep us informed. They all should be commended for their work!! The crew and (most) passengers, made the most of a very difficult situation! With all said, we had a great time and would definitely cruise again with Princess! In fact, while still on board, we put down a deposit for a future cruise. We’re thinking Alaska again next year and maybe Antarctica in 2022. Read Less

This is a senior citizen cruise and should be advertised as such. Pros: • The room steward & most of the staff was friendly. • The cabins were decent. Cons: • No events to do for younger people • The showers in the cabin seem smaller than usual. The balcony was filthy. • The food is terrible and the menus are too complicated • Some staff was not so friendly. Even had one roll their eyes at me for no reason • The elevators smelled so bad during the cruise • Dining room is very strict about dress code • The only thing to do on the cruise for younger people is go to the casino or pool • We were only able to go to 2 of the 5 ports and only got a $100 credit per person for that. I understand it’s not Princess’s fault but they should’ve done more. This cruise might be fun if you’re 60 or older. If you’re younger, stay away. There is nothing to do for you. I spent the whole cruise, besides when at port, in my cabin and there wasn’t even any good TV shows or movies on the TV. Read Less

The cruise itself was like many others. And a good time was had by all. I’m writing because of the amazing staff,..... When we were caught up in the coronavirus scare. When it was realised we had to find somewhere else to dock because we could not get back to san francisco, the guest services dept and rest of crew rearranged transport for everybody from san pedro , worked all night to get their approx 2000 passengers safely to their selected destinations. The members of staff were helpful, patient and very professional. We were independent travelers and the situation was scary. even the ancillary staff remained cheerful and courteous despite themselves , being far from home, and facing a very uncertain time ahead. We managed to get back to the uk eventually , but i cannot praise carnival and the crew members of the “ miracle “ enough. So very well done. and thank you adam for keeping our spirits up ! Read Less

We chose a aft balcony to come through the canal, hoping to enjoy the many sea days on the balcony and de-stress, relax and enjoy the break of the daily work grind. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN! We had oil droplets spewing from the funnel each and every day and these oil drops were landing on us, destroying our clothes, and not able to sit out without enjoying a daily spray of oil. Our room Stewart was amazing. He was very upset that there was so much oil coming out of the funnel and he scrubbed the balcony each day and even though we did ask for evening service he would come and wipe it down just in case we wanted to try and go out on the balcony. The guest services team did not believe that this was Happening and basically called us liars until 5 different people at 3 different times came to check out what was occurring. They finally gave us “white” shirts to put on if we wanted to go out on our balcony as the Engineer that came as a last effort to disprove us, said “It is oil and he can’t fix it out at sea, as he can’t shut down an engine”. Needless to say, we basically had an aft balcony room that was officially now an ocean view room. Not only were we concerned about what we would breath in if we wore the “white” shirts they provided to us to wear, if we wanted to use our balcony, but also what was being spewed into our ocean as we cruised along spewing the oil droplets. Safety, health and environmental concerns. The sanitation effort on the crews part was exceptional, they all were working extra to ensure that the ship was disinfected continuously, minimizing the risk of exposure to the Coronavirus and ensuring we all stayed healthy. Absolutely Job Well Done! Food was excellent, and serving staff was excellent to. Room had some air conditioning issues and some foul smell coming from across the hall from were the crew was repairing the pool, as well as there was diesel smell coming from the water in the shower and sink. Coffee in the buffet had a diesel smell and I can officially say I was caffeine free for 2 weeks as the coffee smelt like diesel and tasted awful. Thank god for bottled water! We have sailed on Carnival Miracle before for a 15 day Hawaii cruise and she ‘was’ one of our favourite ships, so when we booked this cruise along with her just coming out of dry dock, we didn’t expect to have all the issues. Hopefully by her having to be guest free for a few weeks, will give the crew an opportunity to get her back up to her splendour and the shape she was before. We would recommend this ship if they get the issues fixed, as she is a beautiful ship with intimate spaces hidden away, and on deck 3 at the front of the ship, is excellent for star gazing. Highly recommend a full transit Panama Canal Cruise, as we did a partial transit previously and we enjoyed that one, but going from the Atlantic to the Pacific and seeing the full wonder of the sheer magnitude of the amount of work it took to create this Canal is a sight to see. Entertainment was the normal, same shows that if you are a frequent Carnival guest will know the shows. This is an area that Carnival is lacking in, is the shows, they need a refresh and a change. After 12 cruises with Carnival, we can pretty much tell you what the playlist lineup will be. Read Less

The March 5 repositioning was excellent from Miami to the Miracle's new home (we hope) in San Francisco. Although there was some concern about the novel coronavirus, it was the best ship in the world to sail on. The Miracle was coming off of 15 days in dry dock in Freeport with replacement of many furnishings and plenty of time for any residual virus to die (published studies say maximum of 3-day survival on surfaces depending on moisture and temperature). Cartagena had a beautiful old town and artisan market; very much worthwhile. The full Panama Canal transit was magnificent; worth every penny and extra days at sea. On the Atlantic side, we transited the three Gatun Locks up to Gatun Lake. On the Pacific side, went through Pedro Miguel Lock, then proceeded to the two Miraflores Locks. At the first one, we stopped briefly to board three (health?) officials. Then we stopped for over an hour at the final lock to disembark a passenger, who reportedly had immediate surgical needs, and his wife and the three officials. For the stop in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, we simply walked around the small town taking in the basic aquarium and plenty of shopping. We had a couple of beers at a nearby bar and used their excellent WiFi to check email. Next port of call was Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala where we booked the only excursion; "Top 10 Sights of Antigua with lunch". Manny was a very knowledgeable and understandable guide; he has a degree n anthropology and a Masters degree in tourism business. The ship skipped our scheduled port of call at Cabo San Lucas. We were denied permission to dock at the Miracle's future home port of San Francisco. For several days, we did not know where or if we would be given permission to dock. Finally, the port of LA allowed us to dock at San Pedro, one day earlier than our scheduled San Francisco termination port. All of the crew, especially the Cruise Director, were very emotional as we ended the cruise since they were unsure of the future of the cruise industry. The short term financial crisis and the long term health concerns over the cruise industry. Donald Trump's good friend and donor, Micky Arison, offered to use Carnival cruise ships to alleviate housing needs during the novel coronavirus crisis and the ships' hiatus from cruise itineraries. On the refurbished Miracle's first journey after dry dock, food, cabins, entertainment, and service were all very good. I was sad that there was no show band to play with the big theater productions. All music was pre-recorded and lacked the amazing sound of live musicians. The entertainment director said all ships had gone that route since it is almost impossible to find quality musicians who are willing to sign-on as ship staff for several months at a time. Importantly, for extra hygiene during this time of coronavirus concern, the staff added protocols for serving guests all food, including many condiments. This meant that staff had to work extra hours to man all of the stations that are usually self-serve. I am sure the extra protocols helped the ship to have no reported cases of novel coronavirus or flu on the entire sailing. Congratulations to staff and passengers for sanitizing hands frequently. Staff gently reminded guests at every opportunity to use the sanitizing stations all around the ship. The Miracle is an excellent ship with 2,500 passenger capacity. That is not too big, but big enough to have full staffing. It never felt crowded, except occasionally having to wait up to 10-15 minutes for a table for anytime dining. Read Less

I choose this cruise because wanted to do the Panama Canal it was our first time with Princess and will be the last time. The food was terrible with no variety with lots of junk food deep fried We like fine dining there were none It’s started at the airport pick up 3 hrs late and 2 hrs to embark cruise we were supposed to leave at 4 pm and left at 8.30 Very disorganized. They left people in line for 2 hr not even offering water or chairs for the elderly Wen we disembark to the island took 1.30 to get back on the cruise in Panama in a tender with a five minute ride they were very disorganized The service on the cruise was very good from the front desk to the restaurant very good service We talk to other people that took Princess many times and will not comeback on Princess simply because of their food is not the same they cut back Read Less

We chose this cruise for the itinerary and for our past experiences on the Emerald Princess. We love the live music and entertainment on the Emerald Princess. Princess Cruises are our favorite. We had a hiccup during embarkation, but that was put aside as the cruise got underway. I enjoyed the ports, but to be honest our best time was had on the ship. A little disappointed we were not allowed to get off in Columbia, but understandable considering the world conditions. The cruise staff was awesome at keeping us safe and healthy. The ship was in a continuous state of disinfection and I loved that the staff in the Worldplace Market began serving the buffet about halfway through the cruise. Extra work for them, but a bonus for us to help keep us healthy. We maintained a healthy ship and with all of the challenges in the cruise world I would not hesitate and look forward to cruising again. Read Less

There was a glitch getting on the ship, which caused us to not start off the best, we waited in line outside the ship for hours & were never told why we were not allowed to board, and then once inside, more long lines- we heard it was a computer problem. Once we were onboard, they gave us temporary room cards, which meant we had to find the room steward every time we wanted to get into our room, finally received our keys at 9:00 that night. But, from then on Princess did not disappoint! Entertainment was good, especially two of the singers and the ventriloquist, Michael was terrific! One of the most entertaining shows was put on by the Master Chef and Maitre D- so funny and two of their staff sang and they were fantastic! Our waiter in the Botticelli dining room was Yulia and her assistant, Daniel and they were EXCELLENT! Always had a smile and went above and beyond to make our dining experience the best! We also tried the specialty restaurants, Crown Grill was excellent and Crave was also very good! Our balcony room was very nice, closet space was plentiful. Our room steward, Savio was really good and anticipated what we needed without even asking. my husband has a C-Pap machine and Savio got us a bottle of distilled water without us ever Mentioning it. Aaron, the Cruise Director was hilarious and his staff were so great, we enjoyed most of the activities. We also enjoyed the Escape Room, which you have to sign up for, there is a small charge-$8.00. In light of all that was going on in the world with the virus, we enjoyed our time on Emerald Princess! Read Less

My father wanted to see the Panama Canal. It was 5 adults - my father, my sister and husband, myself and husband. Our entertainment was poor. The best was the comedian next to last day. The service was horrible in internet. We talked to him. He gave us info. We tried it and it didn’t meet with our expectations and wanted to change it two hours later and were denied. The beverage service was ridiculous. You spend over $1000 for the package and they wanted my husband to pay for a can of coke. They nickel and dime you to death. Embarking was ridiculous. They knew the night before there were problems and still had people embarking at 7 pm. Disembarking was also ridiculous! People coming in doors they weren’t suppose to. No one watching. We are platinum members are will not be using princess again. So very disappointed in Princess Cruises! Read Less

decided to join friends who were already booked on this cruise. Panama Canal was on our bucket list so we thought "why not" There was a technical issue on embarkation which had us feeling very relieved to be Elite status as many passengers waited several hours to get on board. As it was, we did not get our cabin key cards until almost midnight on day 1. We ended getting an excellent price on the cruise by watching the sales and contacting our cruise planner when we came across a better deal. Loved our cabin - odd shape/layout but spacious and nice view. The cruise was very enjoyable, despite the current world situation. We had some very nice shore excursions: Beach getaway; Two bay snorkel; Sabana Safari adventure. Transit through the canal was cool to experience. The new production show "Rock Opera" was one of the best I have ever seen on Princess - loved all the numbers from "The Greatest Showman" All in all, a very good cruise. Read Less

This was the first time we had a two week break as we had just retired. As we booked late we only had the choice of two rooms we ended up with room A333 with an adjoining door. We have done other cruises with luxury liners so i was full of apprehension but we wanted to do a full transit of Panama. The room was adequate bed really comfy. Extremely clean. Plenty of hanging space.Fridge for our champagne . Housemaid Anna first class. Food was of a high standard . I have worked in the hospitality industry so i know how hard it is to please the public. The staff in the world market restaurant were hilarious. Loved the outside cinema. Watching a new release sunbathing in 86 degrees drinking bubbles wonderful way to relax. Entertainment was mixed except for the two violinists called LADO they were spectacular. Booked whale excursion via princess cruises was truly amazing .Costa Rica and Columbia via cruise 118 great value. I would recommend catching a taxi in Nicaragua the local tourist guide in the port found an english speaking taxi driver who showed us some breathtaking sites and gave us the history of the country. My gripe is the horrendous costs of the drinks , wifi and gratuties. They need to look at more affordable packages for these items. Most guests were american who had paid on average $1300 for two weeks which is so much cheaper. Read Less

After sailing to Alaska on Princess with family and friends for our 50th we knew we would sail with Princess again. We've wanted to go through the Panama Canal and one 6 of us found we could during the first two weeks of March we jumped at the chance. A computer glitch messed with what we know to be a generally efficient check in. Though, conditions were less than ideal, I applaud the individual who made the decision to move us from standing outside in the sun to an inside seating area that was air conditioned. We thoroughly enjoyed our balcony stateroom and assigned steward, Rommel. Both were superb. We enjoyed eating at the Michelangelo where our server, Sebastion, always brought a smile, cheer, and great food. Eating at DaVinci with our server, Lucio, was also a delight. Shall always remember one of his jokes!! Special treats were eating at Crown and SHARE by Curtis. The food in each location was excellent; however, the portions at the SHARE were simply too large! Never thought I'd say that! The entire cruise staff was wonderful. Even after Princess announced that it would be suspending cruising for 60 days, and with the staff uncertainty of what lay before them, they maintained a professional, courteous, and cheerful presence among us. For sure, for that composure alone, Princess can be proud of how its staff serves the needs of its guests and of the company. Princess, we'll be back, and soon we hope! Read Less

The Panama Canal was on our bucket list. Just the week before we set sail the Coronavirus scare began. We chose to go ahead with our plans and are so glad we did. There was a major computer glitch that delayed our boarding for 2-3 hours. Area was packed. No food or drink offered. Toilet facilities were out in the parking lot. Very uncomfortable. Once we boarded things went exceedingly well. Our steward, Danny, was welcoming and helpful. Our room was clean and ready to go. We ate most meals in the DaVinci Dining room with Giovani as our Maitre ‘d, Roderick, waiter, and John as his assistant. Enjoyed them as well as the food. Ate one night in the Crown Grill. Excellent service and food. Ate one night in Share. Excellent food and service once again. Just way too mush food for us to eat (6 courses). Had breakfast on our balcony once. Very special, indeed. We arranged our port tours with other cruisers through Cruise Critic. Highly recommend: Puerta Vallarta, Vallarta by Road Food tour Puntarenas, Thumbs Up Tours Panama City, Conozca Panama 5 hour City Tour We were denied entry into Cartagena, Colombia (by direct order of the mayor.) No illness on board with staff or passengers. Entertainment was absolutely wonderful. In our second week Princess Cruises announced they were closing down operations for 60 days due to Coronavirus Pandemic. I want to give a shout out to Princess. They were transparent throughout. Even though employees had this uncertainty (60 day layoff) facing them, they remained cheerful, courteous and helpful to the very end of the cruise. Thank you for a wonderful experience! We WILL be back!! Read Less

I’ve always wanted to sail to the Panama Canal. What a great trip this was. Despite the worlds fears of the corona virus our crew selflessly cared for our needs, making sure the trip was a success. Even though we did not get to go through the old Locke as planned due to the Panamanian government not giving us access until to late we were still able to go through the new lockes and enjoy them from our balcony. Our room steward kept the windows of the balcony so clean our view was spectacular. Princess crew went out of their way to make the cruise exactly what I had hoped for despite extra requirements being added on to them. The sunsets and sunrises were so beautiful. The food so delicious, not one disappointment. The ventriloquist was way to good, singing for his dummies. The sax player was amazing, loved the whole show. Thank you Emerald Princess Captain and crew. Job well done. Looking forward to cruising again with you. Read Less

Staff on board were just fabulous. Food was very good. Nightly Shows not so great, but then again there are only about 1200 passengers, so one cannot expect the same as a show where there are 5000 passengers. The Lincoln Center quintet was an absolute treat. All polished professional musicians.And they had different themes -- Classics - movie tunes -- Pops et. I would go again in a heart beat. Holland America shut down 3 days after I disembarked. A Global citizen in passengers come first. The Covid 19 was only getting underway and they immediately ceased operations. Rotterdam has Lani suites on the Promenade deck. They have full length sliding glass doors and it seems that everyone on the ship goes by. The suites have reserved lounge chairs just outside the stateroom. I am not much into excursions but the ports had usual shops close to the docking area. Stateroom staff are absolutely there for the passengers. Friendly, helpful - say hello every day using your name. Dinning room staff were also excellent. Or, it could have been just my table -- but not likely. Read Less

Embarkation went fine . The ship was clean and fresh. Our cabin was comfortable. Our cabin attendants were great. They got you anything you wanted or needed. We opted for anytime dining and were usually seared within 15 minutes. The food was very good with a good selection. If you don’t want to try anything there is always the classic menu available with steak, chicken or fish. all were very good. Service in the Dining room was excellent. The entertainment and activities were NOT very good. The evening shows were mostly just okay. The activities were almost nonexistent. Holland America has decided to go with “enrichment programs” and seminars instead of giving their guests anything fun to do. The Cruise Director was invisible. Never saw her unless she was introducing the show. Never interacted with the guests. The crowd was much older on this Cruise. Lots of walkers, scooters, and wheelchairs. It felt like a floating nursing home. The ports were mostly depressed areas with little to see, with the exception of Puerto Vallerta. The crossing of the Panama Canal was a highlight. Read Less

I chose Norwegian because we cruised Mexico last year and just returned from a Panama Canal cruise. Both cruises have been enjoyable, but recent news, if true will make me think twice about cruising with them again. News is today that they are encouraging their sales force to tell people how safe it is on their ships and not to worry about Corona virus. To me, that is just plain stupid with the virus being most anywhere. Cruise ships are a giant Petri dish no matter how well they are cleaned. You have 3 to 5 thousand people living, eating and eliminating in a confined area. No matter how careful you are, you are going to touch something that has been contaminated. Personally, if I were to be considering a cruise right now, I would cancel out, especially if Norwegian messing with the truth in their sales department. That aside, I will say that we enjoyed the trip thru the Panama canal, but wished there had been different ports on the western side as we had just been to three of them last year. Our rooms were kept up very well and they were really encouraging people to wash their hand or use sanitizer all over the ship. One thing that we have found to be going downhill is the food service in the ship buffet. Most all foods served on this trip were barely warm, some were actually cool. This is a dangerous way to serve food in my opinion. The dining room food was excellent and hot. We ate a five of the specialty restaurants on board and found the staff and food EXCELLENT in the Ocean Blue. The food and staff was also very good in the LeBistro restaurant, but were disappointed that they had run out of escargot on the 13th day of our 16 day cruise. They also ran out of food items in the buffet,{Cafe}. When we went to Mexico last year on the Bliss, we really enjoyed the whiskey bar, but on the Joy, it seems like the bar was dark, dingy and unfriendly. I do want to compliment Norwegian on the drink package. The drinks were great and the bar staff, with the exception of the Joy's whiskey bar was great. Read Less

We took a great trip on the Joy for 16 days from Miami to Los Angeles. Through the Panama Canal. We had a great time. plenty of things to do on the ship and plenty of excursions were offered as well. The embarkation in Miami was the worst of our 10 cruise vacations. First they sent us to the wrong area to check in ,so we went to the right section and there was a loud alarm going off for 30min before someone from maintainence came to disconnect it. over allit was 1 1/2 hours waiting in line to check in. This was with a pre arranged check in time! We chose an inside cabin as we always do, It was smallbut we didn'tcare as we spend our time on deck. We loved the choices of food and different dining areas that were included in the fare. Did not try any of the other dining options. Loved the Music, and Footloose play. The Elements production we did not like very much, more of a dancing program(think Ballet,interpretive dance).Most of the comedy shows were of the 18+ variety which we never go to. I feel that you don't need profanity to be funny. And even in the large shows that were supposed to be "clean" there were too many references to sex, and use of "potty" talk. The ports of call were interesting. Although the ports wherewe docked were schetchy. Meanining we docked in shipyards, where you weren't allowed to walk from the ship to the city. They were Cartagena, Colombia;Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica; Excurisions were good we did VIP Sailing Adventure In Puerto Vallarta great time. Beach Resort getaway in Mazatlan nice beach with lunch at the resort restaurant men aren't allowed to wear sleeveless shirts. One poor guy was given a shirt that was too to small but he put it onso he could have lunch. :) Famous Arch, Sea lionsand Whales tour in Cabo San Lucas saw lots of whales and sea lions. we also did The Sabana Adventure Safari in Puerto Caldera don't make our mistake. First it is a 2-21/2 hour bus ride to the attraction. they have 5 different animals zebra, antelope,giraffe.spent only hour doing that lunch was good, then another 2 hours back. Read Less

Whoever designed these ships most have been on some drugs. When you hold all your games and talks in the Atrium, which has future cruises, guest services and and tours, you are asking for trouble. You have to yell at the person you are talking to. For a show in the Atrium, they put out folding chairs, pay all that money to sit in a folding chair. They have a very nice theater which is underused. Why not show a movie on a sea day. Food is now right bad. No taste, weird things and slow service, even if they remember who got what. We had 8 of us and they either forgot things or gave them to the wrong people. The paid restaurants were not much better, Japanese was good and Ocean Blue, might have been the best restaurant I have ever been in while on a cruise. Service Fantastic, food better then any other place on the ship. Footloose was great, the other shows not very good. Worst comedians that I have ever seen with the female comedian disgusting. Nice things, the cabin, although it was dirty when we arrived, the bathroom great. The crew very nice. When it takes an hour to board and close to two hours to get off there is something wrong. Our tour of LA was cut short. The tour was suppose to leave at 9 and we left at 11:15. Come on if you had a tour let us off first. Last time for this line. Just the little things that they make you pay for. Try another cruise line, if you want service and better food. Read Less