New to Princess

[R,D,W]

We are considering a Panama Canal cruise on Princess. We have never sailed with Princess and we are wondering what to expect. For example... stateroom positives and negatives. Is a suite worth the extra expense or will a balcony be fine? We have sailed with all inclusive lines and lines that had several out of pocket expenses. What can we expect to be charged for on Princess? Is crew glad to be with us or is this just a job? We thank you for taking the time to help us decide.

[Thrak]

Odd... Double post.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Thrak

[Thrak]

Haven't done PC yet although we do have it booked for next year. My wife and I love Princess but really don't have anything else to use for comparison. We started with Princess and it seemed to "fit" us perfectly.

 

It's definitely not an all inclusive line. You will pay for beverages. If you want fresh-brewed coffee you will pay for that. I suggest getting a coffee card which entitles you to unlimited fresh-brewed coffee as well as punches for 15 specialty coffee drinks. I drink the ship coffee but it's made from a concentrate and can vary widely from serving to serving. I buy a coffee card for my wife.

 

I've never been in a suite. If you are wondering about viewing the canal from your balcony it seems to be the consensus that you will miss a lot if you try to view the canal from your balcony no matter where it is located. You really need to be outside on an upper deck for viewing the canal passage.

 

There will be a couple of dining venues where you have to pay extra. I've never eaten at Sabatinni's (Italian) but have eaten at Crown Grill which I found to be excellent. We mostly eat in the main dining room though which is included in the cost of the cruise.

 

As for the crew - people have various ideas about them. I have found them to be wonderfully helpful and extremely outgoing and friendly at all times. It's one of the reasons we love Princess so much.

[shredie]

If you are wondering about viewing the canal from your balcony it seems to be the consensus that you will miss a lot if you try to view the canal from your balcony no matter where it is located. You really need to be outside on an upper deck for viewing the canal passage.

 

The passage takes some time. You have time to go to various spots on the ship to view different perspectives. You would have to decide if the suite perks are worth the extra money, but I would say, yes, a balcony is a good idea for this voyage. I have actually done it, and I don't think I'd rely on a "consensus" to make my decision. I spent part of a crossing in the Lobby Bar by the windows watching the sides of the canal as the ship rose and fell. That was fascinating. Another really fun thing is hanging out on your balcony waving at the Princess videographers on the dock. Several of those shots will end up in the final DVD of the cruise (that you can buy on board.) On one trip, they had a poster contest where you made a poster and then hung it on your balcony. I don't know if that is standard practice, though.

[AKman2495]

Our first cruise was on Princess through the Panama Canal and we loved it. We don't drink a lot so the cost of booze is not a problem for us.

 

Speciality restaurants will also cost extra-if you use them. Princess has some once perks for Suite people and if you take the full 14/15 day Panama cruise, they might be worth it.

 

As for balconies, in the tropes, it will be very HOT and sitting on the balcony except in the morning or evening is not really good.

 

As for viewing the Canal, you, you should move around to catch the many different views. I strongly suggest that you study up on the canal so that you will know what you are looking at before you get there.

 

Finally, I suggest you pick an itinerary that has the 2 day Canal experience. That way you get a full day to experience Panama (we took an excursion to a native village out in the jungle and it was worth every penny). You can also go ashore and explore Panama City or take a small tour boat through the canal to get an up close and personal view.

 

Then, you go through the Canal which is an all day experience. We entered the canal proper around 6 am and left it just after 4 pm.

 

It is a great cruise and I highly recommend it.

[PghCruiseGrrrl]

I have only had a balcony, but I think they are perfectly adequate. The shower is about the size of a phone booth just to warn you. Shore excursions are extra, as are sodas, bottled water, juices (outside of breakfast), specialty coffees, and adult beverages. As far as the cruise crew, I have never had a problem. If you are polite and courteous, they will treat you wonderfully. Every crew member I have interacted with has seemed genuinely happy to be there. My last cruise I was adopted by one of the staff that keeps the bars stocked. This young gentleman never served me a drink and so had no real expectation of a tip, but every time I saw him the whole cruise he greeted me by name and asked how my day was. I sought him out at the end of the cruise just to give him a tip for being so nice and polite.

[LeeW]

Island and Coral both do full transits and partial transits. Both are good, although excursions on the Pacific side tend to be 8 hours or more. We seldom spend much time on our balcony during transits - move around a lot, including the "secret" areas on the front of Baja and Caribe through the crew area). The west side of the ship (port eastbound, starboard westbound) can be extremely hot during a transit - balcony is unusable then. On Coral/Island just retreat to the indoor pool area padded loungers and air conditioning.

 

Balcony cabin closets are huge - about 8' long with room for luggage below. Bathrooms are tiny - phone booth size, with the shower 1/3 of a phone booth. Very little drawer space, but floor to ceiling shelves in closet area. Typically a small padded chair and desk chair - no couches. Most balconies are very small - pick C and D decks for larger. Have only sailed in a suite once. Nice, but we don't really spend a lot of time in the cabin.

 

As to crew - we first sailed on Caribbean Princess in 2004 and were immediately hooked. The crew goes out of their way to make your cruise the best experience you have ever had. We couldn't believe that the standard gratuity (around $11/night/person) was so low. That goes to housekeeping and restaurant staff. Bar gratuity is 15%.

 

Princess has lots of food venues around the pool, all included. The grill has the best french fries at sea and most folks think the pizza is also the best. Included soft-serve ice cream (but shakes are extra). Food venues are open more hours than on other lines. Hot cookies around pool at 4 PM.

[GradUT]

Our first cruise on Princess was a partial Panama Canal cruise on the Island Princess. We loved this cruise so much that Princess is now our first choice of cruise lines when we book a cruise.

 

We were celebrating a milestone anniversary, so we booked a mini-suite. The main difference with the balcony room and the mini suite seems to be the bathtub and a few extra amentities. I think you would do perfectly fine with a regular balcony room, but I would definitely choose a balcony over an oceanview or inside cabin.

 

The cruise was a splurge for us, so we did not spend any extra money on drinks, specialty coffee, specialty dining, photos or the casino. Even without all those extras, we had a fabulous time and thought the food in the MDR and the Horizon buffet were excellent.

 

Should you decide to take the partial transit as opposed to the full transit, I highly recommend taking the ferry excursion which completes the transit of the Canal. It's a long day (and it could also be a hot day), but seeing the Canal from the perspective of a small boat is amazing!

 

We felt the staff on this cruise were excellent--everyone seemed to be glad that you were there AND that they were there.

 

I hope you can arrange a PC cruise with Princess. You'll love it!

[SeaTeach]

Did a full PC transit on the Coral in November of 2010. Loved the suite though the largest was on the small side. There is a list of suite amenities listed on Princess website if you go to "search".

 

There were some favorites that stood out.

Breakfast in Sabatini's was great. If you'd like something that's not on the menu, it needs to be ordered the day before i.e. I ordered brown rice and scrambled eggs. The staff worked as a unit. Some mornings the Maitre d' would serve us instead of the waitstaff if the food was ready and waitstaff was tied up. The quiet, unhurried atmosphere was a great way to start the day. Loved talking to staff about their homeland and family, and looking at photos. We ate breakfast there on sea days.

 

Loved using the thermal suite without an additional charge.

 

The balcony was a nice size with upgraded furniture. Upon arrival we noticed many stains on the cushions, asked for them to be cleaned and they were readily changed. After the 1st night the cushions were in the same shape plus wet. Lesson learned --- being on the 8th deck on a Panamax ship in November means wet cushions in the A.M. Another lesson learned ---flip the cushions, and cover with a few beach towels on a daily bases. Just remember to bring them in if not sitting on them to anchor.

 

Mini bar items (one time free set-up) can be switched. We switched for all water.

 

The all time favorite was getting refreshments for the cabin crawl. True, I asked for items that are free but the presentation exceeded my expectations. Pitchers of cold apple juice, ice, assorted cookies on platters, decaf and regular coffee along with cream, etc. and linen napkins were delivered and set up while we were doing the crawl. All I had to do was speak to the hotel manager. Maybe other nibs can be procured but that's what I requested.

 

In order to get a full prospective of the PC, one needs to move around the ship. When it was still dark (about 5 A.M. or a wee bit earlier) we made our way to the rear of the ship through "a secret door". Folks were already there but it was not too crowded, plus they where moving around. After a while we moved to the front to watch the mechanics of the locks and the scurrying of the "mules". Then we moved to the balcony and had breakfast while watching life on the canal banks. We repeated the process a few times throughout the day. Staying in one spot is a disadvantage. At the end of traversing the canal there were hundreds of people waving, shouting, and holding banners at the visitors center on the Pacific side. You can make or take a sign as a response.

 

More could be said, but I don't want to write a novella.

Enjoy your cruise!!

[chelsea922]

We have cruised through the Panama Canal three times and each time we've learned new things and experienced different views. It's a wonderful cruise. We like Princess because it's a good fit for us. The decor is understated - not loud. On a longer cruise like this, there won't be a lot of partyers, but there is a lot to do.

 

We typically get a mini-suite because on the longer cruises we want a larger bathroom and the tub is nice. Hubby likes the couch which is not in the balcony cabins.

 

A full suite is nice, but we're not interested enough in the perks to pay the extra. Perks for a full suite include breakfast in Sabatini's each morning (a wonderful place for breakfast and you'll get excellent private service), the ability to order meals and have them delivered in your room, priority embarkation if you are not elite and priority tendering at tender ports. You'll receive flowers in your suite and you'll have a walk-in closet. The bathroom is divided so the tub and shower are in a separate room from the sink. You'll have a dining table in your cabin. I believe that you get some free internet minutes if you are not a Platinum customer as a suite perk.

 

As far as what you pay for on board, alcohol, specialty coffees, sodas, specialty dining, thermal suite in the spa, spa treatments, the sanctuary are among the added charges if you choose to use them.

 

On a longer cruise like this, there is an option to buy a wine card which gives you a discount on each bottle of wine you purchase. You pre-pay for a number of bottles in a price range and can choose any bottle on the menu. If the bottle you choose is over the price range, you'll pay the difference on that particular bottle. If you drink wine with dinner as we do, the savings are worth the price.

 

We have been on both the Island and the Coral and as a personal preference have always enjoyed the Coral more, but they are both wonderful and have identical lay-outs.

 

One special thing the hubby and I enjoy is ultimate balcony dining. You will have two waitstaff assigned to you for the evening and they will serve you dinner on your balcony. The choices are filet or lobster or both and it is a wonderful, special and romantic event. The photographer will come take pictures which is included in the price and you will have flowers as well. The cocktail of your choice and a 1/2 bottle of champagne are included. If you do an overnight near Panama City, this is the ideal time for a dinner like this as the wind will be minimal.

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise.:)

[katisdale]

If you do nothing else, get up early as you approach the first set of locks and go to the front of the ship. Two guys in a small row boat come out to the ship to get the lines which they then row to the mules and you can watch the ropes being affixed to the mules. We found it astounding!

[OCruisers]

We are considering a Panama Canal cruise on Princess. We have never sailed with Princess and we are wondering what to expect. For example... stateroom positives and negatives. Is a suite worth the extra expense or will a balcony be fine? We have sailed with all inclusive lines and lines that had several out of pocket expenses. What can we expect to be charged for on Princess? Is crew glad to be with us or is this just a job? We thank you for taking the time to help us decide.

 

Really think you'll be pleased with Princess. Island & Coral Princess were designed for the Panama Canal (long & narrow).

Rather than pick between a suite or a balcony cabin, you could book a Mini-Suite which has a full couch, larger bathroom w/tub, and more space. The mini-suites always work great for us.

On Princess you do have to pay for drinks (alcohol, Cokes, etc.) which will be charged to your account.

We've found the crew on Princess almost always are very eager to please and seem to be doing a job they enjoy. :)

LuLu

[jammen]

We are considering a Panama Canal cruise on Princess. We have never sailed with Princess and we are wondering what to expect. For example... stateroom positives and negatives. Is a suite worth the extra expense or will a balcony be fine? We have sailed with all inclusive lines and lines that had several out of pocket expenses. What can we expect to be charged for on Princess? Is crew glad to be with us or is this just a job? We thank you for taking the time to help us decide.

 

I do like Princess, if you can get at least a balcony this will be fine.

[rojojav]

I love Princess. The food is phenomenal and the service too. It is a upscale way to travel. Everyone is very nice and accommodating. I've traveled in other cruise lines and always regret it. It's been 4 years now that I travel exclusively

with princess. I'm a Platinum member and I've yet to have a bad experience.

 

I will be traveling on my second Panama Canal cruise in December.

 

You will not be disappointed. The difference between the mini-suite and balcony is not big. Balcony cabins are great.

 

Enjoy the trip!!:)