• Write a Review
  • Boards
  • Deals
  • Find a Cruise
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Cruise Tips

San Francisco to the Panama Canal & Central America Cruise Reviews

Cruiser Rating
3.7
Average
104 reviews

Filters

1-10 of 104 San Francisco to the Panama Canal & Central America Cruise Reviews


Exceeding previous experience

Review for a Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on Ruby Princess

User Avatar
raychopra
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s

Took Alaskan Cruise in July 2022 on Ruby, had the worst experience. Embarkation was nightmare, had to wait for about 3 hours to board. With COVID epidemic in full swing, this was a traveler's nightmare. Firstly, peak summer, long lines and fellow passengers in close proximity. Took even more than an hour to get to the boat deck from Port. Due to this frustrating experience, promised never to use ...
Read More

Sail Date: December 2022

Cabin Type: Interior


If you just want friendly staff/ambiance

Review for a Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on Caribbean Princess

User Avatar
BabyGurl15157
2-5 Cruises • Age 30s

Where do I begin? Their package was all-inclusive as described however, included were the 15 drinks/day which didn’t rollover if you never made it to the 15 mark., unlimited intermittent WIFI per 1 device only., a specialty dining inclusion, (I’m pretty sure you had to pay for Sabatini’s Italian restaurant as well as pay a Room service delivery charge if ordered from app or in the stateroom ...
Read More

Sail Date: April 2022


Pros & Cons

Review for a Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on Caribbean Princess

User Avatar
FLCruiser60
10+ Cruises • Age 60s

Pros first - great entertainment on board on all nights. Possibly the best service I have received on a cruise - from bar waiters, to dining room staff, to room steward - nothing but superlatives. Cons - For a ship just out of drydock the condition of the room was poor. Bathroom floor tile were cracked, grout was cracked and shower drain was caulked in. This ship was an 18 day cruise, with ...
Read More

Sail Date: April 2022


Canal Transit Awesome Included Food Average

Review for a Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on Caribbean Princess

User Avatar
2sharp2
2-5 Cruises • Age 60s

All new ports and new lock canal transit for us. Ship's first cruise since a three week dry dock. Not sure what work was performed but ship had some issues. I think CP was built in 2004. The first thing we noticed was all the windows on the Lido deck were so filthy dirty you could barely see thru them and the window in our restricted view cabin on Emerald deck 8 cabin E308 also dirty. One morning ...
Read More

Sail Date: April 2022

Traveled with disabled person


Ruby is tired and apparently Princess is also

Review for a Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on Ruby Princess

User Avatar
JohnLaura
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

Panama cruise new locks. Locks were great, that was certainly the best part of cruise… Ruby is showing its age. The medallion system that Princess forces on you is problematic. You might order a ginger ale from a waiter (that takes 5 minutes to enter into his device) then wait 10-20 minutes for delivery to your table. This happened again and again. You might order a cocktail while sitting at ...
Read More

Sail Date: February 2022

Cabin Type: Balcony


Delayed anniversary cruise was well worth the wait!

Review for a Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on Ruby Princess

User Avatar
K.T.B.
10+ Cruises • Age 60s

This was our 11th cruise overall, but our first Princess cruise. It was easily one of the best cruises we've ever been on. The service and food was outstanding, except for breakfast in the dining room. The service for breakfast was always very slow and I was surprised that they never adjusted their hours for when we were in port or on disembarkation day. However, despite that, the food we had ...
Read More

Sail Date: February 2022

Cabin Type: Balcony


Cruising almost back to normal!

Review for a Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on Ruby Princess

User Avatar
DandJC
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

This was our first cruise going thru the Panama Canal. What a wonder! Leaving San Francisco turned out to be very efficient. Princess crew waiting at baggage to direct you to waiting room and bus. First port was Cabo San Lucas where we took the whale watching excursion. Turned out to be our favorite! Large clean boat with great crew. Tip: best area to be is top front of boat to spot whales. ...
Read More

Sail Date: February 2022

Cabin Type: Balcony


Glad to cruise again but disappointed

Review for a Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on Ruby Princess

User Avatar
HappyTravelers2022
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s

We loved Princess after previous happy cruising with them. However, sadly, this cruise was far from good with poor food, not much quality entertainment and our cabin was not even clean when we arrived despite claims of enhanced cleaning. Crown Grill disappointed. Best food was in the International Cafe, which was great! We’re not giving up on Princess yet having already booked and paid for a ...
Read More

Sail Date: February 2022

Cabin Type: Balcony


Good cruise but hated Medallion

Review for a Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on Ruby Princess

User Avatar
rcl cruiser
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

The cruise itself did not disappoint, good service, food, itinerary, entertainment BUT the Medallion app is horrid, utterly so. It boggles the mind that Princess mandates the use of the Medallion app with no alternative! And it must be used prior to boarding, as well as while onboard. We had a heck of a time trying to complete our pre-boarding checklist using the app in the weeks leading ...
Read More

Sail Date: February 2022


Part great, part not so great, and part average

Review for a Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on Ruby Princess

User Avatar
Pehlje
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

This was a replacement trip for our planned two months in Europe that had to be cancelled for the 2nd year in a row. Thank you Covid for that. I had always been interested in the Panama Canal but most of the cruises I'd looked at were partial transit. This was a full transit. My travel partner and I used points to spend 5 nights in San Francisco prior to boarding and I had a timeshare ...
Read More

Sail Date: February 2022

Cabin Type: Oceanview


Find a cruise

Any Month
Reviews for Other Cruise Ships from San Francisco to the Panama Canal & Central America
San Francisco to the Panama Canal & Central America Caribbean Princess Cruise Reviews
San Francisco to the Panama Canal & Central America Caribbean Princess Cruise Reviews
Want to cruise smarter?
Get expert advice, insider tips and more.
By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critic’s Privacy and Cookies Statement and Terms of Use.
About UsCruise DestinationsFirst Time CruisersFind A Cruise

International Sites

© 1995—2023, The Independent Traveler, Inc.

  • Privacy and Cookies Statement

  • Terms of Use

  • Site Map