Panama Canal Island Princess Stern Cabins

[mojitoman]

My wife and I just booked one of the stern facing balconies (B738) on the Island for a Panama Canal cruise. Just curious as to whether anybody else did the Canal in one of these cabins and what their thoughts were on watching the transit from the balcony.

 

Thanks for the assistance!

[fishywood]

I do hope you examined images of the renovated stern of Island Princess before booking:

 

 

 

B738 is the leftmost cabin in the "cutout" in the top center of the big white barrier, below the two decks of suites with full-width balconies While an aft view of the chamber doors closing and the ship being raised in the lock is an excellent perspective you will likely need to be on an open deck to get the full picture of the canal operations, especially of the ship in the adjacent chamber. Appears only minimal lateral views from your balcony.

 

(photo credit to dmwnc1959, first posted Sept 2015)

[Kamloops50]

My wife and I just booked one of the stern facing balconies (B738) on the Island for a Panama Canal cruise. Just curious as to whether anybody else did the Canal in one of these cabins and what their thoughts were on watching the transit from the balcony.

 

Thanks for the assistance!

 

You won't spend a lot of time on your balcony during the crossing. You should actually move around the ship as you approach and transit the locks. Most of the action in the fron as your enter the canal. Your actually better to have a balcony on the side.

[Essiesmom]

Someone did a time lapse of a transit from an aft balcony. All I can say is...Having done two full transits and one partial, and having watched the video, you miss 75% of the action/activity if you stay on your balcony. You need to be up walking around. Promenade deck is your friend. EM

[Colo Cruiser]

The aft facing balcony is an excellent vantage point for viewing the canal transit. :)

[screamingreen]

We were on the Island Princess on the March 30th Canal cruise in B741, which is on the right in the photo. It was an excellent cabin to view the canal!! We saw things the side balconies didn't. (My sister was port side.) We had the TV on in the cabin so we could view the approach. We also could listen for our excursion number and time. I would definitely book an aft cabin if I ever did this cruise again for the 180 degree view, just not the Island. There was some vibration the first day, but didn't notice it after that. You could tell the cabin furnishings were new.

[f-mattox]

I just did a 10 day partial transit on Island Princess in one of the new aft Vista suites and never moved from my balcony; the views of the Canal and its workings was breathtaking. The only downside was the lack of shade--we were in A728 and there was very little overhang from the balconies above and consequently not much shade.

[LDRnj-MA]

We just booked this cabin for the October 11, 2018 cruise.

[cb at sea]

You really need to be "out and about" during the canal transit...you will miss 3/4's of the sights if you stay on your balcony! Upper decks, lower decks, all sides.....all have differing perspectives!