Island Princess Panama Canal

[cruiser4242]

Has anyone had any experience with this cruise ship and it's itinerary thru the Panama Canal?

[BrianTom]

My Partner and I did the Island Princess out of Ft. Lauderdale to Panama's Gatun Lake and back about 4 years ago (my signature has the correct date).

Anyway, that would make us 38 years old when we did it. I loved the ship. We had a Jr. Suite on the towards the stern on the port side of the ship. These balconies are covered. We met a gay couple around our age on the boards before we left that were traveling with a group of fun unmarried women. It was a 10 day trip and it was the most relaxing cruise vacation we have done.

 

Here are my thoughts;

 

The ship is a favorite of mine. I liked the flow of the ship and we even enjoyed the walk to and from the buffet in the front of the ship back to our room in the stern. The trip was very nice (Ocho Rios, Panama, Costa Rica, Cozumel, several days at sea etc..). The Cruise Director gladly held a FOD party with free champagne where about 15 of us showed up.

 

If we did not meet the gay couple on the boards along with their friends the trip would have been VERY quiet. The crowd was older, very few children and not much nitelife. This ship does not have a disco or anything like that. They throw a couple of "Wild Bunch" Parties in a lounge a few times over the trip that are fun. Our fun was dinner with the crowd we met on the boards. The company was fun and the food on the ship was great. We had a late seating which usually sent us to bed after dinner since there was not alot going on the ship late at night.

 

If you are going to get a balcony remember that the balconies on this ship are tiered so the majority of the balconies dont have a cover and guests in the rooms above can look down on to your balcony. There are some balconys that are covered, which we had, and we were very grateful we had it for privacy and the rain and sun.

 

Let me know if you have any questions.

[cruiser4242]

Looks like you have been on a lot of cruises!! We love them too, only been on 3. Alaska, Mediterranian, Caribbean. You didn't say anything about going through the Canal itself. I have alway wanted to do this, but several people say it's as interesting as watching paint dry. Let me know.....

[BrianTom]

This cruise only goes from the Caribbean sea, up a few locks to Gatun lake. It does not traverse the entire route from the Caribbean to the Pacific. It was interesting for me to see how the locks work, but I did not see the entire canal on the ship. Nor did I choose to see the entire canal with one of the excursions. What they do is enter the lock system early morning, climb up to Gatun Lake and anchor. There they tender to shore all the passengers that are going on excursions pertaining to the canal and turn around and climb back down to the Caribbean Sea throught the same locks they entered and pick the excursion passengers up at a dock a few miles from the enterance of the canal. It is an engineering marvel for sure, especially for it's day. I stayed on the ship and went about my day watching from various parts of the ship. I swam, worked out , ate etc. all while watching the ship go up and down the lock system. I was glad I experienced it. I even went the next year on the Brilliance of the Seas on a similar itinerary with a group of friends and had the same experience on a Royal Caribbean ship. I went again because I like the idea of a 10 day trip and the canal trip was the only one that met everyones needs. Both times I treated the canal day as a day at sea with a more interesting view and really enjoyed it. The canal experience will most likely not "wow" you but it is worth experiencing at least once.

 

Also, when I purchased the cruise we were supposed to go to Cartegena and they canceled it due to the US State Department saying it was too unsettled for tourists to visit. I was very disappointed. Now the political climate has changed and I believe they are going to this port again.

 

It is worth the trip.

 

Tom

[bhopal21]

The Island Princess does make full transits of the canal though, as we have booked the February 12, 2009 itinerary from Acapulco to Fort Lauderdale.

 

Mike:)

[bhopal21]

Anyone joining this Island Princess Panama Canal full transit February 12th?

 

Mike:)

[PatrickinPV]

My partner and I will be on the Island Princess leaving Fort Lauderdale on March 24.

[robertthediver]

I'm on the Island Princess on March 10th.