Island Princess 19 d. Panama canal review

[jrobinso]

Robin, thanks so much for this wonderful review. I am reliving our great cruise together. I can't wait to read the next installment.

 

MrVincent, just a word about the coffee. First, I'm not a coffee drinker, but my husband is. He bought a coffee card on board ( he likes those cold blended coffee drinks). anyway, he found that they had brewed coffee at the little coffee bar and they didn't punch your card. So don't bring a coffee maker, just purchase a card for the fancy coffee drinks and get brewed coffee as a bonus!!! well worth the $$$$

 

Hi Bobbie......!!!!

 

this was a great cruise everyone. this was our first experience with anytime dining and I would definately do it again on a cruise of this length. We probably ate in the dining room half of the time. The other dinners were either pizza, horizon court, room service and our favorite....Ultimate Balcony dinner. we also ate at the Bayou cafe one night and the last night we spent with our CC friends at Sabatini's. For me, the food was not fabulous. the presentation was always beautiful, portions perfect, taste......not so much.

The ultimate balcony breakfast is offered on the morning you cruise the canal, but we opted not to do that. You are so busy that morning running back and forth trying to get a different view of the activity we didn't want to be tied down.I think for a 7 day cruise I would still prefer traditional. We found it really hit or miss with the waitstaff. Since we hadn't done Anytime dining before I really wasn't sure how to do the reservation thing....and it was hard to find wait staff we wanted to dine with on a regular basis. Once we found a good wait team they didn't always have tables available for the time we wanted.

 

 

Just a word about embarkation. we brought a case of water, 2 cases of soda and several bottles of wine as well as several boxes of wine. I made sure that I had reinforced the case of water by wrapping several extra layers of strapping tape around it. then, I just taped on an extra ship issued luggage tag....easy. We packed the 2 cases of soda ( we brought diet dr pepper and diet coke with lime....neither is served on the ship) in luggage, as well as several bottles of wine (in bubble wrap) and the boxed wine. I put 3 bottles of wine in my carry-on.....no problems. I did take two bottles of wine to the dining room with me on two different nights. On both occasions they told me there would be a $15 corkage fee. I said okay and signed the charge slip. Only one of the corkage charges appeared on my final bill.

 

When we boarded my husband and I purchased the sanctuary pass (thermal suite)for $350 ( for the 2 of us)..expensive, yes...but hey we were on vacation. Not sure if I would do it again for a warm climate cruise. the 4 heated loungers were fabulous, they also had 3 moist aromatherapy saunas and one dry sauna. I think we only encountered another passenger or two the first day that we used it, otherwise we had the place to ourselves. We used the spa pass daily for about the first week. But since we were having such warm warm weather in port and by the pools we just weren't in the mood to sweat anymore, so we stopped going. The price of the pass also included one visit to the couples mud room. Which we didn't end up using.

 

I would love to answer any questions you may have, so ask away.

 

I can't wait to read your next installment,Robin

[2 to cruise]

Tallcruiser,

 

Great job, have really looked forward to reading your review. Sounds like a fabulous trip, can't wait to hear more. Thanks so much for posting!!:)

[Tallcruiser]

Good stuff Jan! :D See I know you would be able to help me out here. Thanks for the coffee info. I think it is worth it! or should I say a necessity!;) The food was still good I thought. I really like lamb and it was served often. I didn't think the shell fish was good at all. It is not anything like it used to be a couple years ago even, but it is not like Home Towne Buffet :p (YET!) Don't cruise for the food people, cruise for the destinations!;)

 

**

Day 14 May 04 Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala 9AM - 7 PM

Smooth seas Hot and humid, with hazy overcast sky.

The official currency is the Quetzal.

This is the site of a major Mayan civilization, volcanoes and ruins. We docked at the all industrial port. You can not walk to anything. A taxi is required to get out of the port. Guatemala is know for it’s coffee, woven textiles, Jade and volcanoes.

I took the ships excursion to Lake Atitlan & Mayan Highlands, with lunch.

We boarded an air-conditioned bus for our ride into the Mayan Highlands, Lake Atitlan and the ring of fire volcanoes. ( a couple thoughts come to mind…….. It was asked about the long bus rides?????? Yes, the ride can be long. If you are prone to physical limitations and can’t sit for long periods you might want to take it into consideration. Also if you are prone to motion sickness you would probably want to use medication Before you go. You know the weather, your driver and any unforeseen hold ups on the road can be factors of your comfort. I think it is a personal call. I felt like this is a once in a life time opportunity. Who knows what tomorrow brings. I thought all the bus rides were worth it.. Yes, the roads are bumpy in places and the temp. is not always even. I was reminded by the question that the driver we had on our bus in Guatemala was Scary! I admit he was not my favorite. All the other bus drivers were great. All my tour guides were intelligent, humorous and well spoken except on the Guatemala bus. Can’t have everything.)

It is the start of the rainy season and is becoming overcast and hazy. The bus ride reveals lush rain forests and tiny Mayan villages. The ancient woven skirts are still worn by both men and women. Each village has a particular pattern weave they wear. I saw women weaving in their yards on old wooden looms like their ancestors.

At Lake Atitlan when we got off the bus it had cooled at that altitude but is still warm. The air was thick with smoke and haze. There as in most of Central America there are no sanitation/ garbage facilities. They dump the trash and waste on the ground here also and then burn it. It must have been trash burning day, the air stung with smoke. As soon as we pulled up the bus was surrounded by vendors on foot. Women with piles of textiles from head to toe. They are very aggressive. Don’t even make eye contact or engage in conversation. Say no thank you and keep walking. Yes they speak English well enough. We walk to the 2 tier ferry that carries us leisurely across the lake. The Lake holds views of the ring of volcanoes and small towns that cascade down from the hills. The volcanoes make up the Highlands and the lake. They were shrouded in clouds and haze. Still very beautiful. The ride over the lake was smooth and calm but the water was filthy. Remember all the waste ends up washing down from the villages into the lake. The vendors hopped onto a faster boat and zipped ahead and were set up on the shore before we got there. Again in swarms. Don’t buy anything yet! We went on to the lunch buffet at the towns hotel. It was good and relaxing. They also had a clean bathroom. Then time for shopping. Outside the vendors are waiting a the curb! There are vendor shop/ stands also set up along the main street. I found the walking vendors bothersome. I did find some bamboo music instruments and textiles. You must bargain here. By the time you get back to the ferry to leave an item has gone from $60.00 to being sold for $5. Or less!! They hang in the ferry window trying to make a sale. A couple of them stowed away and rode all the way with us selling necklaces.

So we boarded the ferry for our ride back across Lake Atitlan. I had the best seat coming and going. I shared on of the 3 seats on top in the front, just in front of the captain. Best seats in the house! The wind began to kick up, the water became more choppy and it began to lightly rain. I came prepared and put on my cellophane rain poncho and enjoyed. The rain and wind cooled and cleared the air of the stinging smoke. It also cleared to reveal the beautiful ring of volcanoes and a beautiful play on shadows. A real treat. The guide was telling us a little something about the lake and the mystery and superstition that it carries. Few will swim in it. It is believed in Mayan culture that the lake is connected with the under world and death. It is said people who have fallen in were never found. So they are afraid of the lake. So we are almost back to the side our bus is on waiting for us.

BUT WAIT! You have another chance to buy. They again have zipped back ahead of our ferry and are swarming to make a deal. Some vendors are right up to the bus windows. They are desperate to make a deal. NOW is when you get the best prices!! They can be pretty unscrupulous thou. This is wear I saw a lot of bait and switch. Don’t hand over the money first.

They did grab some ones money and not had over the purchase. OK you have been warned.

The bus ride back was quiet. It sprinkled on and off. The window fogged over concealing us from the outside, leaving me to reflect on my memorable day. When the Temperature balance in the bus and the windows cleared; we were treated to the children and families coming out on this Sunday evening to wave good bye. Especially since we would be the last ship travelers until next fall. The cruise does not call here during the rainy season.

 

Well on to our next adventure.

[ancldaca]

Great review!!! I'll be on the Island January 3rd doing Acapulco - FLL and what I've read so far is terrific!!!

[Spike in FL]

Tallcruiser, you write beautifully. It's a pleasure to read your report. DH and I are taking the Coral from LAX to FLL for Xmas this year.

 

I have been to Costa Rica many times, but never by ship. I really love that country and dream of living there. I can't wait to see more of Central America and your reports don't ease the wait!

 

To add to your comments re: 3rd world countries; Costa Rica is the richest country in Central America and has the 2nd highest literacy rate in the world. Sometimes the best restaurant in town doesn't have walls or a restroom. Remind yourself that you are in another world, don't judge, and go with the flow. It helps a LOT to have a little Spanish in your vocabulary and some kleenex in your pocket.

:D

 

"No, gracias" will get a (slightly) quicker response then "No, thank you".

[KQuilt]

Hi Robin Jan and Everyone else.

 

We were on this cruise with Tallcruiser and I will chime in a little as she is

doing a spectacular job. We were in Nicarauga we had taken some

coloring books, crayons, and flash cards to take to the school for the

children. We then realized it was a Saturday and no school. We had

taken a bicycle-taxi and he didn't speak any english but we had a port

police tell him to take us to the school. When we realized it was closed

he then took us to one of the teachers home. There we met the teacher

who also didn't speak much english but we were able to let her know that

the supplies were for the school. She was greatful and we also found

out that the school was free but the children who went to school had to

wear uniforms. There were school buses but they didn't go where some

of the children lived so some of them would have to walk two hours to

get to school. If you go they could really use school supplies like

pencils, paper and pens. In the center of town they had there marketing

and were selling some really nice items. We bought paintings done on

feathers and they are framed. Very beautiful and not to expensive.

Costa Rica we went to the Waterfall and bed and breakfast by the

waterfall where we were served lunch. It is clean and had a huge

amount of Humming Birds in all sizes. Some are the size of sparrows.

They were really fun to watch. Also we stopped in a town called Sarchi

where the make and hand paint oxen carts that are of various sizes.

The are made as tea carts and are very beautiful. You can watch some

of the workers painting these carts. We bought two and they paid for

the insurance to make sure they arrived to our home. They also have

an encloser that they have fresh fruit to offer you at no cost. There

are other items that are there and are all hand made from the different

kinds of wood in this country. We used our credit card to make sure

that we would get our carts. When we arrived home the carts had

arrived a day before we got home. In perfect condition.

 

We had also gone to Antiguia to the Textiles and Highlights. This was

a nice excursion. We watched how the weaved their material some

by hand and some by lumes. They also had coffee there to purchase

and made fresh tortillas and gave everyone fresh made tortillas with

black beans and cheese. Very tastie. Here we also had vendors

waiting for the bus and as soon as the bus doors opened they were

there like flies on soup. Everything started at $60.00 it seemed but

you could barder. This is about as much as I could give you that

Tallcruiser didn't give.

 

Karen

[Tallcruiser]

Thank you Spike in FL! You are so right! Good information!

 

Karen great job. Thank you for telling us about your experience. There are so may differant exciting informative oppertunities on the cruise. Don't waste it by just staying on the ship. The Island princess is one of my favorite ship. A real home away from home but do go out and have an adventure while in port.

 

To everyone taking this cruise... I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!! Really! Like Spike in FL said "GO with the flow" and I say just go!

Anyone else who can jump in here and add your info would be great!

 

***

Day 16 May 6 Zihuatanejo, Mexico 10 AM to 3 PM

 

Tender port. Mountain standard time. Pesos is the local currency.

Yep, seas are still smooth and it is HOT

“Cihuatlan” Place of women

I was here 8 weeks ago so I thought I would just sign up for the Walking Tour. Arrgh! Big mistake! :p We signed out and left early! Don’t waste your time and money on this one. EVERYTHIG they charge to take you to you can do on your own for free and not get dragged to the shops they get kickbacks for. You can walk all over Zihua on your own. The museum and fishing port are right there on the main side walk that runs along the beach. It is a quaint fishing village. The flee market is just over on another street as is the Church.

DO go Swimming with the Dolphins Delfiniti Ixtapa!!! ;) I did that last time I was here. EPIC! You are in the pool with the dolphins for almost an hour. I felt like a trainer at Sea World. They perform for you but you get to swim the whole time with them. Dancing, petting, kissing and riding on them. A+++++++ Ixtapa’s interest ended there for me. Ixtapa is a crowded cement tourist resort. Streets lined with hotels and shopping malls.

Back to Zihua. At the end of the pier you can purchase a $4. R/T ticket for the water taxis to take you over to Las Gatas. It is a sheltered beach cove, perfect for swimming, snorkeling and lounging. Don’t stop at the first restaurant on the beach, Rebecca’s I think was the name. This guy will rip you off. Yep, I learned the hard way. Move down the beach and sit down under a palapa. It is free to use the lounges and Pallapas if you buy food or drink from the restaurant. The water is warm and oh soooo nice.

Or take another excursion. This is a nice port and we did not have time to fully enjoy it this time.

OH did I mention that it is a FANTASTIC place to go sports fishing! There have been Blue Marlin and sail fish hanging on the pier each time I have been here!

Well, back in our cabins on the ship…..we found our disembarkation instructions and customs documents. Slap in the face! Our journey was almost over! So sad!

 

 

Last Port Day 17 May 7 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 9:30 - 6:30

 

Smooth sea. Hot but not as humid. Currency is the Peso. Central pacific standard time.

We docked at the new pier in the morning. I was surprised how much construction is going on and how much it has grown since my last visit here just a couple years ago. Across the street form the dock Wal Mart, Sams club and a fashion mall. Way too commercial. It has lost its charm. Just another Resort. I was surprised the water was polluted and foamy so far outside of the port not just in port.:eek:

I chose the ships excursion Hideaway at Las Gatas. Touted as John Huston’s Hideaway. We boarded a Catamaran for the ride. Complimentary beverages were provided. It was a great ride along the shore to view the landmarks and sights. Our crew were informative and entertaining.

It was beautiful and comfortable. (Note, if you are prone to motion sickness you may want to take medication before beginning this excursion) As always I sat up top where the view was great! The sun felt oh so good. At Las Gatas we had the opportunity to snorkel, swim and explore all included. As well as a good buffet lunch, al fresco. There is also a spa for fee available. Las Gatas is only accessible by boat. The coves were pretty. It is a beautiful hideaway. The down side was the extremely polluted ocean. I decided not to snorkel, I could not put my face in that water. You would not believe what floated by while I was wading in to cool off.:rolleyes: Disgusting! :p Yuck. Nasty, sewage flows down into the ocean and it is becoming more and more populated and polluted. BAH!

Ok, it is a pretty place other wise and I did have a nice day. We boarded out Cat. For our party boat ride back with drinks and crew entertainment.

We arrived back just in time, before they pulled in the gang way and we were setting sail for home.

We spent 2 days at sea heading home. Our whole cruise we had smooth seas and hot clear skies for the most part. Apropos to my mood… our last 2 days at sea became choppy, windy and cold. Even dark and rainy a little. Gloomy like my mood now that I had to pull up roots and begin packing. The pool areas were cold, empty, windy and quiet. Inside were “Farwell” Trivia, Farewell Showtime. A time to collect e-mail addresses and say our good byes. We had one last “Farewell” dinner at Sabatini’s on the 8th.

For me this was an Epic Vacation. The longest I have been on. A destination of interest to. And as it turned out my first cruise by myself. I made new found friends and acquaintances that I will miss. I hope that we will stay in touch. I can’t wait for my nest adventure to add to my treasure box of memories. This was a most excellent adventure of the Chile Pepper Juice box Gang!

I remember reading a review of a different cruise and the poster called their cruise “Spiritual”

I describe this cruise as “Enlightening”. My eyes were opened. I am fortunate to have the freedom and means to experience other cultures. This cruise validated…(clicking heels together)

“ There’s no place like home!”

Thanks for letting me share!

Robin

[judyjudy56]

Tall Cruiser,

Thanks so much for the in depth review. We have this cruise scheduled on the Coral for next April. I lived in the Canal Zone in the late 60's and would love to find a taxi to take me around what used to be the Canal Zone and Fort Amador and the Fifteenth Naval District. Do you think this is wise?

[Tallcruiser]

Tall Cruiser,

Thanks so much for the in depth review. We have this cruise scheduled on the Coral for next April. I lived in the Canal Zone in the late 60's and would love to find a taxi to take me around what used to be the Canal Zone and Fort Amador and the Fifteenth Naval District. Do you think this is wise?

JudyJudy56,

Great, I am sure you are excited. Things have sure changed since then I am sure!!! Our bus took us on streets that passed Fort Amador and the base. It was all fenced off and looked pretty empty. There were some nice homes near by. But the rest of the city there was real scary. You probably know your way around better and could ask a taxi if they have access to the areas you want to see. I just would go in a group, not alone!

Hard for me to say. Do you still have any connections with people there? I think some home work would help. We only drove by the out side on the road that runs parallel to the canal for a short distance, before heading to Gamboa.

 

Robin

[Bucky3]

JudyJudy56 - We were on this cruise too and had with us friends who had been stationed in Panama in the late 70's. He was a colonel in security and he and his family lived in Fort Clayton during that time. The four of us took the Miraflores Locks and old Panama City ship's excursion. We talked to our guide as we boarded the bus and told him of our interest. During the course of our tour he took us through the Fort Clayton area. We drove down the street where they had lived and took pictures of their old home. It was quite a nice area with some lovely quite large homes. The living conditions looked to be very nice. Apparently locals were able to buy these homes after our army left and for very reasonable prices. It is still quite nice and the surrounding area was lovely. There was no problem with our bus getting through the gate, but our friend had heard ahead of time that taxis were not allowed to go through. I don't know whether that is true or not, but we were very lucky to have a great guide who really knew his way around. It was our understanding that the tour does not usually go into the Ft. Clayton area, just past it, so it was special to do this. There is a cc member that goes by the screen name "Richard from Panama" who writes on the Cruise Critic Panama Canal ports board. Perhaps you could "chat" there with him and ask about a tour you could do on your own. Hope this helps.

 

Bobbie

[jrobinso]

Robin, great review. I totally agree on the Zihuatanenjo walking tour, a waste of money. We signed out early, too. do this port on your own.

 

We did some different excursions than Robin, so when I have some time today I'll try and give a brief explanation of those.

 

My folks, who were traveling with us, took the Panama City tour that was offered through Princess. I know they really enjoyed that tour and saw quite a bit of the city. We were on the tour with Robin and several other CC'ers at the Gamboa resort aerial tram. Very enjoyable. Like Robin said the parts of Panama city that we drove through looked very very scary. I think the people must've taken over some abandoned buildings and were living there.

[Tallcruiser]

Hi I really do want to hear about what everyone else did and thought.

Bobbie! See you are a big help. You were able to give judyjudy56 some great info! Take your time Bobbie, when you are feeling better slip in a line or two. We did not get to share notes on the ship and I would love to hear your in put:D

If I can figure out how to load my pictures and post them I will.

I think some of you took at least 3000 pic's! Share if you can!

Robin

[Devil Dog]

You give great tips. My wife and I have sailed Princess a couple dozen times and we always say they should have a seminar for cruisers of the do and don't when on shore. I agree sooooo much with the Huatulco review we rented a water taxi for a couple hours and saw 5 bays and around 20 beaches. We loved the blow holes from the water and rocks as we made our way around the bays. The place is prisitine, we are going back throught the PC on the Coral April 26,2009. It was that much fun.......

[Devil Dog]

I have some great photos from the cruise of the canal and ports. I just joined but if you folks want some pics let me know and I will send some attachments, if that's the way to do it. I just joined today.:)

[Devil Dog]

I had lunch with you friend the Colonel ( and his lovely wife) who worked security on the base. I am a retired Marine Officer and was discussing the US Southern Command HQ when the Col. mentioned he was stationed there. We had a great conversation of mutual interest.

[Tallcruiser]

You give great tips. My wife and I have sailed Princess a couple dozen times and we always say they should have a seminar for cruisers of the do and don't when on shore. I agree sooooo much with the Huatulco review we rented a water taxi for a couple hours and saw 5 bays and around 20 beaches. We loved the blow holes from the water and rocks as we made our way around the bays. The place is prisitine, we are going back throught the PC on the Coral April 26,2009. It was that much fun.......

 

This is great in put can't wait to hear more!

Would really enjoy pictures. I was hoping I could figure out how to do the picture links also. There is a whole thread with nothing but pictures. Some of our CC friends have put together some nice presentations on you Tube and linked them here. :confused: I have a lot to learn.....

 

Keep it comming.... love to read your info.

It was so great to meet you aboard the Island Princess Welcome to Cruise Critics!!:D

[jrobinso]

We were on the cruise with Robin and a great CC gang. Robin did such a fabulous job with the review I hate to even add anything. However we did have a few different experiences that I could share. My husband and I were traveling with my folks. So we were a group of 4. This was really the first time for us to be at most of the ports so we did a lot of "highlight" type activities.

 

We had a BA cabin C409 mid ship, not too far from the mid elevators. Loved the large half covered blacony and we used it alot.Lots of storage for all the "stuff" we brought with us and our luggage easily fit under the bed.

 

Cabo- we were only in port from 12pm-7pm. This was a tender port. We did the 1 hour Land's End tour. You walk from the tender dock to this boat for a 1hour cruise around Los Arcos. They are the famous rock formation you see in all the ads about Cabo. Very relaxing and enjoyable. then we walked around town a bit. We did run into many pushy vendors along the dock area, but a quick "no thank you" , or no eye contact seemed to work.

 

Acapulco- we did the City Highlights/cliff divers tour. We had the first tour in the morning, so there weren't as many people in the restaurant where you watch the divers. However, because of that there weren't as many divers either. All in all it was a decent tour for us as it gave a good overview of the city, which is what we wanted. There are several steps to climb in the restaurant to get down to the divers ( and back UP to return to the bus). I'm not sure how someone who had serious mobility issues would do. They give you a free drink at the divers ( water or soda) and the restrooms were clean. This was about a 4hour excursion. We returned to the ship for lunch the decided to walk along the beach a bit. Huge mistake. like Robin said in her review the Taxi drivers just swarmed around you and wouldn't take "no" for an answer. Since we really hadn't traveled here before and it was still early in our cruise I was afraid that we would meet this at every port. Thankfully...Acapulco was the worst for us. We enjoyed the tour, just didn't enjoy being hassled when we got off the ship on our own. My husbands birthday was this day and we had arranged the Ultimate Balcony Dinner for the 4 of us. I can't say enough about this experience...it was awesome.

[spingal]

My husbands birthday was this day and we had arranged the Ultimate Balcony Dinner for the 4 of us. I can't say enough about this experience...it was awesome.

 

April 25th??? Mine too!!! This was a wonderful way to celebrate!!! :D

 

Thanks for posting your thoughts too! :D

 

I loved reading all of the information about this cruise! :D

[Tallcruiser]

I have questions for James and Jan???????

 

Hi James, you have a lot of experience with independent excursion arrangements. I didn't even try this time because it was my first cruise solo. But if you could share you knowledge, tips and trips with us I would be interested!!!

 

Hi Jan, I have a cruise coming up in Feb. my friends are getting married on the cruise and I was interested in the details of your Ultimate balcony dinner. I thought it would make a nice gift. Did you make arrangements before the cruise or after we sailed. How was the service? What was served? I know you started to tell me a little about it but I am sure I am not the only one interested? I thought it was a romantic thing to give as a gift.

I also wondered if you thought it was only for "romantic" couples or something friends traveling together not just "partners" would enjoy?

:D

[jerseyk]

Robin wrote a great review and we agree with her on the food, service and Kelvin Joy and staff. We had seen the big production shows before but they were worth seeing again as they were very good.

 

We can not add very much but will try.

 

We had cabin C701 which was a full suite. The cabin was great, in good condition and lots of space. The bathroom had a shower stall as well as a whirlpool bath. You have drapes that you can close to isolate the bedroom from the living room. We also had a small walk in closet which was very nice. The large deck area was about 1/2 - 3/4 covered. The best suite perk was the free washing and dry cleaning with one day service. We used this a lot and came home with 3/4 of our cloths clean. This was helpful in packing less. Leo our cabin stewart did a great job and we liked having the menu's a day early.

 

We had early set dinning with a table for 6. One couple moved to late seating to be with their son so we had 4 people at a table for 6 at a window, lots of room. Very good service and very nice people that we shared dinner with. A few times we got back late to the ship so did room service or went to the buffet. Both worked well for us but sometimes the room service would forget things like the coffee, tea bags but no hot water or no silverware etc.. As Robin has said, the coffee!! The dinning room coffee was alright but the rest of the free coffee was painful. I had been on HAL 2 months before this cruise and they had real coffee everywhere, you can tell the differents.

The ship didn't feel crowded to us. Perhaps because of the older crowd and longer cruise folks used their cabins more. The only design flaw that I could see was the main show lounge. Only 1 exit on each side so getting out took some time. On disembarkation for $15 per person, they pick up your bags the night before and check them into the airline for you. This worked great. Instead of getting your bags at the dock, getting them on and off the bus and checking them in, we put them outside our door and picked them up in Newark, New Jersey. They also give you your boarding pass so no standing in line at the airport.

 

Cabo San Lucas. We dit "Coastal Highlights" which we enjoyed. We stopped in a small wonderful town and had a nice walk with no problem.

 

Acapulco. We did "Historical Route of the Nation" which was just so so. How many ways can you say poor. In the 2 towns that we stopped in, it did not seem that they have had many vistors before. The people were very nice, you just felt so bad for them. Our last stop ended on a low note when one lady walked over to a couple of children and gave them a quarter each. Before I could tell my wife that this lady is making a big mistake, this lady in a blink of an eye was surounded by a large group of children with there hands out. I don't think we should be teaching children to be beggers.

 

Huatulco. "Eco-Walk & Birding Adventure" was a nice walk on a paved path. At the end we had a bit of a climb to get a nice view of the coast. Did not see as many birds as we thought we would. It was a very hot day. Huatulco was a nice town to walk in.

 

Costa Rica, we loved it! Nice country and people. We did "San Jose w/lunch" We loved it. On the way to San Jose we stopped in Sarchi for a bathroom break and shopping. Very good wood carving, wood working. We don't shop very much as we don't have room for anything else but we did buy here. San Jose itself is very nice and we had a good lunch here.

 

Panama Canal, for us the high light of the trip. Robin has covered this very well.

 

We took a "Panama City tour" and enjoyed it. We drove through some areas that you would not want to walk in but made stops in better areas and had a good walk about. Our guide was very good and kept a close eye on us. They are trying to restore the old part of town one building at a time. It will take forever.

 

In Nicaragua we did "Colonial Leon & Bubbling Mud Pots" Can't add much to what Robin has wrote. We have seen mud pots before, nothing new but needed more time in Leon.

 

Guatemala, we did "The Best of Colonial Antigua with lunch" Lunch was at a very nice hotel that was built in an old convent. The guide was so-so and between him losing people and people wandering off we lost a lot of time in town. It was worth doing but would have been better with a good guide.

 

Zihuatanejo, we just walked around on our own which was the way to do the small town. No venders bothered us. except for the flea market the town had a lot of nice stores. Had a nice drink on the beach.

 

Puerto Vallarta, we did "City and Coastal Drive" A bus ride to downtown with a short walk to a nice church and way to much time at a jewelry store. The bus picked us back up and we had a nice drive along the coast with a nice stop for a drink. We had a good guide and except for the shopping stop enjoyed the tour.

 

This was our 32nd cruise. The one thing that we didn't like was that a virus outbreak happened onboard and we were kept in the dark about it. Before the outbreak Princess did not enforce the hand washing. The front desk denied it was happening and then told me that it was up to the medical dept. to announce the outbreak. I didn't think much of the Captain. On our last cruise on HAL a virus outbreak happened and the Captain made an announcement every day to keep us informed. He also asked for sugestions on what could be done to keep it isolated and some people came up with some very good idears. The Princess front desk told me that they don't do this.

Except for that this was one of the best cruises that we have been on. Great ship and staff, all new ports for us and a wonderful CC group who we miss.

Hope that this helps someone:D

Walter

[jrobinso]

Great info, Walter

 

Ultimate Balcony dining. We called room service as soon as we got aboard ship to arrange the dinner. It took several days of playing phone tag before we were actually able to set up. Robin, I think it could be a nice romantic dinner, for sure, but it would be great for a small intimate group. The charge was $50pp, and I gave a good tip for the great service we received. We had two servers most of the time. Our cabin neighbors were able to call 24 hours ahead of time and arrange it, they also had it for a party of 4. The lobster and filet mignon was without a doubt the best food we had aboard. You could cut the steak with a fork.

 

My only suggestion would be to think about the weather and the direction the sun sets in relationship to your cabin. We were in direct sun for about 45 mins which was a bit uncomfortable. They could've set us up inside our cabin, but once the sun was down a bit it was very very comfortable on our deck.

 

Robin,I think it would be a great gift for your friends. I would just want to make sure that it wasn't too cool or raining so they could use their deck

[Tallcruiser]

Great information Walter Thanks for the great review.:D

Thank you Jan for the info. I had not thought about the direction of the sun, good point. I did think about the weather, that's why I was wondering if arrangements could be made on board. ;)

Thank you

Robin

[Bucky3]

Devil Dog - Welcome to Cruise Critic! Glad you met our friends (the Colonel) at lunch on this cruise! They have been good friends of ours for many years even way before they were stationed in Panama. It so interesting for us to hear of their experiences while living there.

 

We're off to SoCa for our granddaughters HS graduation, but I'll be back to tell what we did in ports when we get back.

 

I hope we'll all keep adding to this site as I'm sure as fall approaches many PC future cruisers will be looking for information on this itinerary. I know I started researching very early on and found it difficult to locate information on these Pacific Coast ports. I'd read and read and then find what I was interested in was on the Caribbean/Atlantic side of the countries we were visiting and not the Pacific side. It was really frustrating!

 

Hope all our cruise mates are ready to enjoy summer - and, of course, planning their next cruise! Hope we meet again. We'd do this one again in a heartbeat!

 

Bucky

[Dodger Blue]

Was on the same cruise as Tallcruiser and enjoyed it immensely. I agree with virtually everything she said about the ports of call. They should take Nicaragua off the itinerary although now I can say I've been there.

 

Maybe I skimmed over things too quickly, but I didn't see any mention of the norovirus outbreak on this cruise. It happened about two-thirds into the cruise and a number of cabins/cruisers were quarantined. It affected how they served you in the dining rooms (they didn't put bread, butter, salt and pepper on the table) and in the buffet. You simply couldn't server yourself anything. I didn't have a problem with the way they handled it because I know they have to be very careful.

 

I was able to escape without getting sick on board. BUT, two days after I got home...BOOM! Now I'm a person who doesn't get sick, but I have been sick since returning from the cruise...and still am. We're talking about a month! I've been to the doctor and he says it probably is norovirus because they've ruled out virtually everything else.

 

What is surprising is that I'm pretty anal about washing my hands and using the disinfectant everytime I touch anything. So, I was surprised to come down with it.

 

I loved the Island Princess, but from what I've read, the Island has been hit more than a few times with this bug. I wonder if they're really getting it off the ship.

 

Anyway, just curious if anyone else on this cruise had the same problem upon return.

 

The cruise itself was great.

[sparkle]

Hi Robin!

 

This is the best review!! You really write so well and give great info! Great input from others, too. Thanks for taking the time to do it! Can't wait until February! :D