Island Princess Review

4.0 / 5.0
1,228 reviews
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Editor Rating
4.0
Very Good
Overall
Gilly Pickup
Contributor

Island Princess is one of the two 92,000-ton Coral-class ships -- the other is Coral Princess -- that offer transits through the Panama Canal. They were custom built to do so and are the only two Princess ships in the fleet small enough to get through the locks.

A 2015 dry dock added 121 staterooms and reorganized and refurbished certain public areas of the ship to accommodate the new cabins. The Horizon Court was remodeled to improve passenger flow, and its updated design includes the addition of an Italian pastry shop. If you sailed the ship previously, you will feel like a first timer as many public spaces have changed locations: The Sanctuary sun deck is now on one deck instead of two and its pool is gone; the teen center has moved to Deck 14, while the kids club has lost its outdoor space; the fitness center exchanged its former Deck 14 location to one on Deck 6; and even the shore excursions desk and future cruise booking office have new locations. The multipurpose Universe Lounge is no more. The end result is that the remaining public areas can feel more crowded with the addition of the extra passengers.

Despite the refit, the ship still feels a little dated, especially in the corridors (which can be uneven in places) and cabin bathrooms. While the four-story atrium -- undoubtedly eye-catching with its lovely, tinkling waterfall, glass-fronted elevator, comfortable seating, white grand piano and profusion of greenery -- is the centerpiece of the ship, the area still has a cramped feeling, which is particularly noticeable on sea days.

Island Princess is a comfortable ship. It won't intimidate virgin cruisers like some of the newest behemoths might do, and staff throughout the ship are pleasant and willing to help with queries or requests. With plenty of onboard entertainment opportunities, a good selection of shore excursions, good food and fantastic kids' programs, the ship makes it easy for guests to have an enjoyable holiday.

Pros

Comfortable, mid-sized ship; peaceful adults-only sun deck; good variety of food.

Cons

Ship generally feels cramped; bathrooms and standard balconies are also small.

Bottom Line

Ideal for those looking for a traditional cruise ship experience with no surprises.

About

Passengers: 2214
Crew: 900
Passenger to Crew: 2.46:1
Launched: 2003
Shore Excursions: 1495

Fellow Passengers

Island Princess attracts families, couples and a few singles. Although it is a ship for all ages, summer holidays tend to attract more families with children and teenagers. Our Mediterranean cruise attracted a good mix of ages, with the bulk of passengers hailing from the United States, followed by Brits and a healthy smattering of Australians. Other nationalities -- including Chinese, Japanese, Canadians and Italians -- made up the balance. Depending on itinerary, however, it would be fair to say that the majority of Island Princess passengers are American. Announcements are kept to a minimum.

Island Princess Dress Code

During the day, anything goes, although beachwear is not allowed in the restaurants without a cover-up. On most nights, recommended evening dress is smart casual -- an open-neck shirt and trousers for men and a dress, skirt ensemble or trouser suit for women. Cruises of five nights or longer include at least one formal dining night, while cruises of seven to 13 nights have two formal evenings.

Although Princess asks that passengers observe the dress code, particularly in the main dining rooms, we saw many people flouting the rules. Men, in particular, turned up in short sleeve, open-neck checked shirts, casual trousers and sneakers. Generally speaking, ladies were better turned-out; while less than a handful wore evening gowns, most turned up in cocktail dresses or elegant trouser suits. Staff seemed to turn a blind eye to any dress code infractions.

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More about Island Princess

Where does Island Princess sail from?

Island Princess departs from Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Southampton, Southampton, Rome, Civitavecchia, Barcelona, Manhattan, Sydney, Piraeus, Piraeus, Laviron, San Francisco, Dubai, and Boston

Where does Island Princess sail to?

Island Princess cruises to Los Angeles, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco, Puntarenas (Puerto Caldera), Fuerte Amador (Balboa), Cartagena (Colombia), Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Southampton, Bilbao, Porto (Leixoes), Lisbon, Tangier, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca (Majorca), Barcelona, Rome (Civitavecchia), Sardinia, Malta (Valletta), Corfu, Kotor, Dubrovnik, Salerno, Naples, Taormina (Messina), Katakolon (Olympia), Zadar, Trieste, Tunis (La Goulette), Argostoli (Kefalonia), Crete (Heraklion), Santorini, Rhodes, Kusadasi, Mykonos, Athens (Piraeus), Madeira (Funchal), Tenerife, Ibiza, Gibraltar, Marseille, Saint-Tropez, Portofino, Florence (Livorno), Puerto Quetzal (Antigua), Honolulu, Maui, Suva, Napier, Picton, Dunedin, Sydney (Australia), Burnie, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth (Fremantle), Bali, Singapore, Colombo, Dubai, New York (Manhattan), Halifax, Corner Brook, Reykjavik, Cornwall (Falmouth), St. Maarten, St. Kitts (Port Zante), Martinique, Barbados, Grenada, Port of Spain (Trinidad), Curacao, Aruba, San Juan del Sur, Sibenik, Ravenna (Bologna), Istanbul, San Juan, Corsica (Ajaccio), Genoa, Villefranche, Seville, Casablanca, Lanzarote, Sydney (Nova Scotia), St. John's (Newfoundland), Limassol, Grand Turk, Hilo, Kauai, Ensenada, Bonaire, Manzanillo, San Francisco, Muscat, Salalah, Aqaba (Petra), Alexandria, Patmos, Volos, Bar Harbor, Kona (Kailua Bay), Tahiti (Papeete), Moorea, Raiatea, Auckland, Tauranga, Hobart, Brisbane, Noumea, Mystery Island, Dravuni Island, Apia, Samoa (formerly Western Samoa), Catania, King's Wharf, Boston, Norfolk, Charleston, Newport, and Saint John (New Brunswick)

How much does it cost to go on Island Princess?

Cruises on Island Princess start from $628 per person.

Is Island Princess a good ship to cruise on?

Island Princess won 12 awards over the years.
Island Princess Cruiser Reviews

Island Princess Port Reviews

Our journey on the Island Princess was very enjoyable.Read More
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LADYBUG55

many10+ Cruises

Age 70s

Great itinerary and nice ship

The Island Princess is one of the older Princess ships, but nicely furnished and comfortable. Cabin space and balcony were very comfortable (best beds we’ve experienced on cruises).Read More
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Peterseremet

many10+ Cruises

Age 70s

England, Wales, Scotland under sunny skies

We had also been on the Island Princess before and were very comfortable with our good bed in our balcony room and a good steward (Jos) and good service and food in the dining rooms.Read More
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ETSanJose

many10+ Cruises

Age 70s

Searching for Northern Lights cruise

Norway was spectacular and we very much enjoyed our time on Island Princess.Read More
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Kala89

many10+ Cruises

Age 70s

Princess Cruises Fleet
Grand Princess

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