Caribbean Princess to Iceland

[pepys]

I was about to book this cruise but the read reviews on Trust Pilot which were awful! 
 

Anyone got any advice on this company / ship or can recommend best company to see Iceland?

 

Many thanks

[Rick&Jeannie]

@pepys  First of all...welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

You will see *all* kinds of reviews for every cruise ship ever built.  There are a LOT of us here in this forum that have done MANY sailings on Princess.  If you go strictly by what you read in reviews you will very likely never cruise at all!  A large majority of people go online to simply rant about what they may perceive as a bad cruise.  

 

I have only been on the Island twice...but both were great cruises.  We did a full transit Panama Canal cruise in 2023, and a Canada/New England coastal sailing...also in 2023.  We consider those to be some of our all-time favorites!  Additionally, I consider Princess to be our "go to" cruise line. 

 

Our one trip (so far) to Iceland was on the Sky, a much newer ship than the Caribbean Princess...but you'll likely find just as many "bad" reviews in regards to the Sky.  Take anything you read (as far as bad reviews) in a cruise-related forum with a HUGE grain of salt.  Many times, these reviews are written by very new or even first-time cruisers and they simply do not know what to expect.  They hear "common" tales that a cruise ship is simply a "floating hotel" and so they expect it to really *be* just like a hotel.  Then, when they encounter some rough weather or some other issue they start blaming the ship, the cruise line, their mother-in-law and their dog for something that they just were not expecting.  Don't get me wrong...*sometimes* weather can get bad, creating a rough ride.  But it almost always clears up by the next day.  We actually enjoyed the times we have seen a bit of rough seas...though I'm quite sure there is a threshold at some point where we would NOT enjoy it any more!

 

Anyway...I am not familiar with Trust Pilot.  I went and took a VERY brief look at their home page.  I would not give much credence to such a "generic" review spot when you have much more dedicated sites such as CruiseCritic at your disposal.

 

I'm not quite clear from your initial post exactly what you mean by a "company" to "see Iceland".  Are you focusing on a cruise or are other modes of visit being considered.  Not too many people pay too much attention to the "company" (i.e. cruise line) when they have a specific itinerary in mind...such as Iceland.  Of more importance is *usually* the ship and the list of ports to be visited.

 

You've come to the right place, though!  Ask any/all questions that you may have.  Someone should be able to help you!

Edited January 8 by Rick&Jeannie

[cr8tiv1]

I sailed on the Caribbean Princess twice in 2023 and have another voyage booked for 2024. She is one of the fleets “older” ships, but I prefer her to her newer additions.  She is bigger than I prefer but not as large as the newer ships and doesn’t have all the bells and whistles either.  But she has grace and charm.  
 

Keep in mind that Princess has no control over the weather and seas.  
 

Is this your first cruise?  Many friends have told me to do a land tour in Iceland.  I prefer cruising. 
 

 

[mtnesterz]

If you're looking for a cruise line that specializes in intensive one-country itineraries, that company has to be Azamara and they do an Iceland itinerary. Best however, is a value judgement.

As to the Caribbean Princess, it currently has the distinction of the least space per passenger in the fleet and does not have a covered pool deck, which I'd want cruising that region.

Edited January 8 by mtnesterz

[cr8tiv1]

9 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

If you're looking for a cruise line that specializes in intensive one-country itineraries, that company has to be Azamara and they do an Iceland itinerary. Best however, is a value judgement.

As to the Caribbean Princess, it currently has the distinction of the least space per passenger in the fleet and does not have a covered pool deck, which I'd want cruising that region.

 

Your data is correct, but it still has a club in the aft, Skywalkers, a full promenade deck, Vines, Explorer's Lounge (and seating outside of Explorers), and Wheelhouse.  I was not happy that the CD/Princess has been doing so much in the Piazza (verses using other venues).

[nini]

@pepys Welcome to Cruise Critic. As has been mentioned. you will find a wealth of information on this website. You can do searches as well when you have a specific question or concern. When you say "company", do you mean Princess Cruises?

The Caribbean Princess is one of the older ships. Last June, we very much enjoyed a cruise to Iceland and Norway on the Sky Princess. It was a fabulous itinerary and ship.

As @Rick&Jeannie mentioned, they also did this same cruise but they experienced the sassiness of Mother Nature which can not really be reflected on the itinerary, the Captain or the ship.

[mtnesterz]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Your data is correct, but it still has a club in the aft, Skywalkers, a full promenade deck, Vines, Explorer's Lounge (and seating outside of Explorers), and Wheelhouse.  I was not happy that the CD/Princess has been doing so much in the Piazza (verses using other venues).

True for those venues you mentioned, but lousy for swimming.

Iceland in June and July, when these cruises run, is 50-55F. Covered pool would be nice, also, that area is often used as overflow for Horizon Court seating, so instead people keep packing inside an already crowded buffet. I know people love the CB, but got to take the climate into account. 

[Senga]

2 hours ago, mtnesterz said:

Covered pool would be nice, also, that area is often used as overflow for Horizon Court seating, so instead people keep packing inside an already crowded buffet. I know people love the CB, but got to take the climate into account. 

After doing Norway/Iceland on the Sky Princess the people packing all the indoor areas was unbelievable, we could hardly get any seat in the buffet.  We've booked a mini suite on Caribbean Princess for the same cruise because they don't have a DB.  A couch and a little more space is a must for us for a cold weather trip.

[cr8tiv1]

3 hours ago, mtnesterz said:

True for those venues you mentioned, but lousy for swimming.

Iceland in June and July, when these cruises run, is 50-55F. Covered pool would be nice, also, that area is often used as overflow for Horizon Court seating, so instead people keep packing inside an already crowded buffet. I know people love the CB, but got to take the climate into account. 

 

I rarely frequent the buffet, visit the Lido Deck, or swim.  Guess that is why I didn't notice the crowds.  Do the Royal class ships have a covered pool?

[Rick&Jeannie]

1 hour ago, Senga said:

 We've booked a mini suite on Caribbean Princess for the same cruise because they don't have a DB.  

OK...that's a new one for me...what's a "DB"?

[Senga]

1 minute ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

OK...that's a new one for me...what's a "DB"?

Deluxe Balcony - balcony cabin with a couch.

[Rick&Jeannie]

Just now, Senga said:

Deluxe Balcony - balcony cabin with a couch.

DOH! Of course!