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First time cruising -- ever! (With my mom, who's Platinum). Tips on Island? 19 Day PC


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Hello!

 

I'm a first-time cruiser (ever, I've never set foot on a cruise ship!) accompanying my mom during the holidays for the 19-day roundtrip from LA through the Panama Canal. We are traveling on the Island Princess; I think our stateroom is an OW on the Emerald Deck. She's a platinum on Princess already so she knows her way around, but our interests are really different when it comes to vacations. She's on the older side, requires a walker, prefers her Native tongue, and doesn't much like a lot of loud hubhub unless it's an entertaining show, and generally sticks to her cadre of friends... though this time I am her sole companion!

 

I'm 26, I love culture, exploration, sightseeing, active stuff (like hiking), and especially the spa. I'm a huge foodie, so I'm looking forward to how the dining fare will be. I was hoping to get some tips, past experiences, and advice from people here :)

 

1. I know shore excursions tend to be inflated when you buy them through the cruise company, but are there any excursions worthwhile? I'm willing to pony up a little more cash to make my mom feel safe about me. Although I have no doubts I can worm my way through third-party organizers (I recently organized a remote 10 day trip to Mongolia for myself and my boyfriend), she gets really scared if I'm not doing something per protocol, and is constantly paranoid the ship will depart without me. The ports I am visiting are: Huatulco, Puerto Chiapas, Puerto Quetzal, the Panama Canal, Puntarenas, San Juan Del Sur, Manzanillo.

 

2. Speaking of the Panama Canal, are there any excursions offered during NYE? I noticed it completely blocked out when I tried to reserve. The dates we're transiting are 12/30 - 12/31... I called in to ask if they were sold out, and the representative told me it's likely there are no active contracts during that time because of the pre-New Year festivities. I know my mom is extra bummed, because it's the one port she hasn't been to already :(

 

3. What's up with the spa? Are saunas, steam rooms, etc. public access, or do they require a spa pass? (Again, I'm traveling on Island.) If so, how much is a pass? I already plan to pay for some Sanctuary time... apparently that's the only way you can get some good aft views on this ship :(

4. I've heard that specialty restaurants and spas will offer some incentives or discounts on the first night. Embarkation time is 4:00PM on 12/21 though... I don't see anything available to book online. Does that mean whatever discounted bookings are first-come, first-serve on the ship itself, or is the "first night" stuff waived because of the later embarkation time?

 

5. How fast is the internet, and is it worth buying any packages beforehand? My mom has some credit due to her Platinum status, but I was wondering if I should also get some more minutes now, to take advantage of the complimentary minutes if you book pre-embarkation.

6. My mom tends to be pretty budget-conscious, and I also don't plan to stay much time in my room. As such, is our assigned room pretty decent, or should we shoot for an upgrade? I asked my mom if she's ever had a balcony room before, and she hasn't (!) I almost want to do that for her so she can have a balcony experience once, but she also seem set on what she wants to spend money / save money on, even if it's my money.

 

7. What are some tips for this ship? Quiet areas, hidden nooks, etc.? I know the Island definitely not a crowd favorite, but I'm definitely going to make the most of it!

 

Thanks for reading! I appreciate it!

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Hello!

 

I'm a first-time cruiser (ever, I've never set foot on a cruise ship!) accompanying my mom during the holidays for the 19-day roundtrip from LA through the Panama Canal. We are traveling on the Island Princess; I think our stateroom is an OW on the Emerald Deck. She's a platinum on Princess already so she knows her way around, but our interests are really different when it comes to vacations. She's on the older side, requires a walker, prefers her Native tongue, and doesn't much like a lot of loud hubhub unless it's an entertaining show, and generally sticks to her cadre of friends... though this time I am her sole companion!

 

I'm 26, I love culture, exploration, sightseeing, active stuff (like hiking), and especially the spa. I'm a huge foodie, so I'm looking forward to how the dining fare will be. I was hoping to get some tips, past experiences, and advice from people here :)

 

1. I know shore excursions tend to be inflated when you buy them through the cruise company, but are there any excursions worthwhile? I'm willing to pony up a little more cash to make my mom feel safe about me. Although I have no doubts I can worm my way through third-party organizers (I recently organized a remote 10 day trip to Mongolia for myself and my boyfriend), she gets really scared if I'm not doing something per protocol, and is constantly paranoid the ship will depart without me. The ports I am visiting are: Huatulco, Puerto Chiapas, Puerto Quetzal, the Panama Canal, Puntarenas, San Juan Del Sur, Manzanillo.

 

2. Speaking of the Panama Canal, are there any excursions offered during NYE? I noticed it completely blocked out when I tried to reserve. The dates we're transiting are 12/30 - 12/31... I called in to ask if they were sold out, and the representative told me it's likely there are no active contracts during that time because of the pre-New Year festivities. I know my mom is extra bummed, because it's the one port she hasn't been to already :(

 

3. What's up with the spa? Are saunas, steam rooms, etc. public access, or do they require a spa pass? (Again, I'm traveling on Island.) If so, how much is a pass? I already plan to pay for some Sanctuary time... apparently that's the only way you can get some good aft views on this ship :(

4. I've heard that specialty restaurants and spas will offer some incentives or discounts on the first night. Embarkation time is 4:00PM on 12/21 though... I don't see anything available to book online. Does that mean whatever discounted bookings are first-come, first-serve on the ship itself, or is the "first night" stuff waived because of the later embarkation time?

 

5. How fast is the internet, and is it worth buying any packages beforehand? My mom has some credit due to her Platinum status, but I was wondering if I should also get some more minutes now, to take advantage of the complimentary minutes if you book pre-embarkation.

6. My mom tends to be pretty budget-conscious, and I also don't plan to stay much time in my room. As such, is our assigned room pretty decent, or should we shoot for an upgrade? I asked my mom if she's ever had a balcony room before, and she hasn't (!) I almost want to do that for her so she can have a balcony experience once, but she also seem set on what she wants to spend money / save money on, even if it's my money.

 

7. What are some tips for this ship? Quiet areas, hidden nooks, etc.? I know the Island definitely not a crowd favorite, but I'm definitely going to make the most of it!

 

Thanks for reading! I appreciate it!

 

We did a partial transit on the Coral Princess a few years ago. When it was time to sail we all wondered why the ship remained in port?

We found out the following day why the ship did not set sail until close to 10PM

A group that was on a Princess tour was very late returning to the ship due to a bus breakdown. Not only did the ship wait but they kept a dining room open for those passengers that did not return until around 9PM

For that reason I do not recommend taking a private tour. If the ship sails without you it is quite costly to return home. Trying to save a few $$$ on a private tour to me is just not worth possibly missing the ship.

Internet is very slow aboard ship because you are accessing upload to a satellite 24k miles up and another 24k miles down. Write emails off line prior to logging on.

Use your mom's Internet minutes first. Make sure you log off to stop the clock aboard the ship. The internet cafe can install a log off app on your smartphone. Usually you can find free WiFi in ports. The crew usually knows the best spots.

If your mom is Platinum she may very well receive a visit from the upgrade fairy. Perhaps even a handicap mini suite?

We once got upgraded to a vacant one and we loved the shower.

 

Good luck and enjoy

 

Howard

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Hi. Will try and answer some of this. I'm sure you'll get other replies with a lot more details.

1. I know shore excursions tend to be inflated when you buy them through the cruise company, but are there any excursions worthwhile? I'm willing to pony up a little more cash to make my mom feel safe about me. Although I have no doubts I can worm my way through third-party organizers (I recently organized a remote 10 day trip to Mongolia for myself and my boyfriend), she gets really scared if I'm not doing something per protocol, and is constantly paranoid the ship will depart without me. The ports I am visiting are: Huatulco, Puerto Chiapas, Puerto Quetzal, the Panama Canal, Puntarenas, San Juan Del Sur, Manzanillo.

We did take a shore excursion in San Juan Del Sur. Went to the national park to see the active volcano among other things. It was a very nice excursion.

There is not much to see in Manzanillo. Very small town. If you are interested in animals, I understand the turtle sanctuary is nice.

If you like the beach, Huatulco is the place! Fantastic beach within easy walking distance from the ship. Lots of restaurants right at the beach so a good place for your mom to sit and enjoy the day for the price of a coke or coffee.

2. Speaking of the Panama Canal, are there any excursions offered during NYE? I noticed it completely blocked out when I tried to reserve. The dates we're transiting are 12/30 - 12/31... I called in to ask if they were sold out, and the representative told me it's likely there are no active contracts during that time because of the pre-New Year festivities. I know my mom is extra bummed, because it's the one port she hasn't been to already :(

 

 

The Panama Canal transit is not a port of call per se. I'm not totally familiar with the LA RT but if similar to the FLL RT, the ship will enter the locks, sail to Gatun Lake and then turn around to head out. You'll want to be outside on deck ... as in all over the ship ... to make the max of your experience. At the back of the Emerald Deck is a door that leads out to a balcony where you can watch things from the back of the ship. Baja and Caribe have doors at the front. It is cool being on the Promenade deck when the ship is down in the lock.

 

3. What's up with the spa? Are saunas, steam rooms, etc. public access, or do they require a spa pass? (Again, I'm traveling on Island.) If so, how much is a pass? I already plan to pay for some Sanctuary time... apparently that's the only way you can get some good aft views on this ship :(

As mentioned above, you can get some good aft views from the door on the Emerald deck which is open during the PC transit. Spa can be expensive although better pricing can be had on port days. You may want to check out reviews on the Sanctuary. Some people love it. Others say it is not worth the price.

 

 

5. How fast is the internet, and is it worth buying any packages beforehand? My mom has some credit due to her Platinum status, but I was wondering if I should also get some more minutes now, to take advantage of the complimentary minutes if you book pre-embarkation.

Your mom will have 250 free internet minutes. Maybe you can persuade her to let you use her account :D Very easy to set up and very easy to use.

6. My mom tends to be pretty budget-conscious, and I also don't plan to stay much time in my room. As such, is our assigned room pretty decent, or should we shoot for an upgrade? I asked my mom if she's ever had a balcony room before, and she hasn't (!) I almost want to do that for her so she can have a balcony experience once, but she also seem set on what she wants to spend money / save money on, even if it's my money.

Your cabin has an obstructed view. You'll have some daylight but if I read the deck plan correctly, all you'll see when you look out the window is a lifeboat. This is one of the things that make an OW less expensive than similar cabins

 

Hope you find some of this helpful

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We just did the 19 day RT last month.

Here's my take on the ship: First Puerto Chiapas was taken off our itinerary due to earthquake damage to the port and Puerto Vallarta was inserted. The MDR was great always good tasting food and good portions, the specialty restaurant Bayou was really good but the Crab Shack was so so, pizza and the grill on the Lido deck and deck 15 was good, we ate once in the buffet and got sick from the food- glad it was the next to last day.

We always use Princess excursions because the ship will wait if the excursion is running late, happens more often than you would think. Panama had no excursions because we anchored in Lake Gutan for the night after we went through the canal. We were rained out of San Juan del Sur and pretty much Costa Rica, excursion cancelled so we just got off and visited the local vendors at the end of the pier. Puerto Quetzal we did Antigua on our own-this was the best for us, Huatulco we did the ruins and they were underwhelming compare to other ruins we've seen on other cruises.

We don't use the internet because we're on vacation and don't care what else is going on in the world while on vacation and we didn't use the spa or Sanctuary. The enclosed pool area is air condition and that was a relief from the high humidity outside, you will be going when they are coming into their "dry" season so maybe the humidity won't be so bad.

Deck 7 has some outside lounges that we saw people just chilling and reading books so that maybe a quite and relaxing area.

We were in E208 forward and was partially obstructed, not much of an obstruction. With our location we had to walk to the rear of the ship to do laundry.

Edwin and Gerry bartenders on Deck 15 were great and Crooners have the best martinis around. Casino is small and we did pretty good in relation to other casinos on other ships.

Hopefully this little info will help.

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No specific suggestions about your questions other than you may want to double check the embarkation time. The itinerary indicates that the ship departs LA at 4:00pm. Embarkation usually starts around 11:30am or so.

Also you may want to join your Roll Call for your sailing. I believe from what you wrote this is it: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2394183

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Thanks to everyone who has already replied! I'll definitely stick to the regular Princess excursions despite the prices being marked up, especially because it would put my mom at ease :) I'm not a huge beach person but I'm interested in maybe some archaeological ruins in Huatulco (though I think there are better ones to see). I wasn't planning on stopping at Manzanillo already, and I'm glad my suspicions of it being kind of a sleepy town w/o much to do is confirmed.

 

My mom is definitely giving me her 250 mins :'). She's not probably even going to use half an hour of that. Though I have a no-emails policy during vacation, some of my clients still email me anyway to set up things later for the semester (I'm a private math tutor, I work for myself and set my own schedule). So my interest in internet is more work-oriented than social :loudcry:.

 

I'm aware I'll be seeing a lifeboat -- I'm not sure if that alone is worth upgrading, though. I don't particularly mind, and I assume I'll be getting most of my views outside of my stateroom anyway. I guess as a first-time cruiser I'm relatively easy to please! Maybe after more cruises my opinion will change?

 

The changes in ports due to natural disasters are also helpful. And:

 

No specific suggestions about your questions other than you may want to double check the embarkation time. The itinerary indicates that the ship departs LA at 4:00pm. Embarkation usually starts around 11:30am or so.

Also you may want to join your Roll Call for your sailing. I believe from what you wrote this is it:https://boards.cruisecritic.com/show....php?t=2394183

 

Thank you! I appreciate the correction. That makes a lot more sense... I'm glad someone caught that. And I just joined the Roll Call!

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We were on the Island two years ago FL to LA and enjoyed it so much we're doing SF to FL in 2019 on the Coral(sister ship to the island). We really enjoyed having a balcony on this cruise because we were on the Emerald deck and so close to the locks! Since it was a full transit we spent the daylight hours in the canal and spent most of the time on our balcony. Room service delivered lunch and we opened up a bottle of champagne!

Internet is pretty slow, but sometimes in port you can find some free wifi, in Aruba we found a Starbucks! Your going to have a great time!

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I'll respond to a few of your concerns.

Cabin- Cat. OW is an obstructed view window cabin. There is no sofa in the cabin to sit. You really have to find relaxation locations in the public areas. Above the Lotus Pool is the Conservatory, a nice indoor place. There should also be seating on the promenade deck. Of course, there is lounging around the pools.

San Juan del Sur - There is nothing at the port, just a parking lot. There is no nearby town to walk to. Suggest a tour. We took a Princess bus tour to Grenada. I believe there is a hotel on the other side of the bay from the tender dock that sells day passes. Research on line.

Internet - Basically slow. You can use your own device or the PC's in the internet cafe. Your Mom will get 250 mins. which you can share by using her sign on. If you happen to run out of mins. you can purchase more right on the screen. The internet is basically for receiving and sending e-mails. plus some other normal on line things. It isn't the on line all the time social media that you are probably familiar with. Make sure you log out after each use. You will be charged for every min. of connect time. If you have a smart phone turn it to airplane mode. Cell service is really really expensive on board.

At Puntarenas you can walk off the dock and to the local beach area. The area is a local place where residents go to the beach. There are vendors, food, etc. There are lots of very active tours at this port you might wish to take on your own. They all require a fairly long bus ride.

It seems to me that you are going to transit the canal on the morning of the 30th. It also appears you will sit in Gatun Lake overnight and the exit back out the Pacific locks in the morning of the 31st. I would ask Princess about this. If I am correct, and Princess does not offer any tours then enjoy the ship. There is no private exit of the ship from Gatun Lake.

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We did all private excursions which were well researched and highly recommended. There were no rickety old crowded busses, they were newer vehicles and vans, all air-conditioned. It's not about saving a few dollars, it is much nicer traveling with 4 to 12 people than 40.

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Another comment about logging off the internet. This from hearing the port internet guy working with new passengers on a sailing we just got off.

 

When you log onto the shipboard intranet, there is no charge. You can keep that open all the time but no reason to unless you are sailing with someone who you want to send messages to.

 

Along the bottom of the Home screen, there is a place to click for Internet and it has a $ sign on it. The next screen will ask you to Confirm or Cancel. If you click Confirm, the next screen shows Browse and Logout. Click Browse to open another tab and you can go to your email site, whatever. When done, go back to the Browse/Logout window and click Logout. You may have to click it a couple of times. When you have truly logged out, the screen will show your usage.

 

And if you are having trouble with the Logout bar, type logout.com in your browser window. Accomplishes the same thing.

 

Also, I totally forgot about the Lotus Pool. It is an indoor and airconditioned area. Very comfortable lounge chairs. Very nice quiet place to spend some time.

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San Juan del Sur - There is nothing at the port, just a parking lot. There is no nearby town to walk to. Suggest a tour.

 

San Juan del Sur is a great little town that you can walk to from the tender dock. Perhaps you're thinking of a different port? We hung out in town during our stop there on the 19-day Panama Canal cruise last November, and it was one of our favorite ports. The town has a great, laid-back vibe and has not yet completely succumbed to mass tourism.

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........................................

6. My mom tends to be pretty budget-conscious, and I also don't plan to stay much time in my room. As such, is our assigned room pretty decent, or should we shoot for an upgrade? I asked my mom if she's ever had a balcony room before, and she hasn't (!) I almost want to do that for her so she can have a balcony experience once, but she also seem set on what she wants to spend money / save money on, even if it's my money.

............................................................

 

One other thing. My mom and dad cruised maybe 20 or so cruises always in an inside cabin. They thought that it made no difference what the cabin was. After my dad passed away we went on a cruise with my mom and sister. We upgraded them to a balcony and now, after 5 more cruises with them, having a balcony cabin is something my mom looks forward to. If you can do it maybe the upgrade idea is something to consider? :confused::)

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We just returned this month from the 19 Day Panama Canal RT from LA on the Island Princess. On our trip at least half the ship was Platinum or Elite Passengers. The disadvantage this caused was that the internet was SLOWER than I've ever experienced on a cruise.. Boris the Data Communications Manager was great he helped me set up the Princess App on my phone so I could download my messages and read them off line. Boris said Princess is going to install high speed internet, but I'm not sure this will happen before your trip.

 

The average age on our cruise was probably 70+/ There were many people using mobility devices . In 40+ years of sailing I never heard one announcement for a medical emergency response team--we had five such announcements. One person died and was removed from the ship at our first port. Two other people needed emergency medical care and were removed while we were in the locks at the Panama Canal. One of the announcements was a request for a blood donor with type O, who had a donor card and who had donated within the last 3 months. Based on all this I felt the ship had good procedures in place to address the needs of older passengers.

 

We weren't able to stop at Puerto Chiapas because of damage to the harbor from the earthquake, they added Puerto Vallarta instead. There weren't any excursions offered while we were in the Panama Canal. Heading north we ran into a tropical storm which caused all Princess shore excursions to be cancelled due to dangerous driving conditions in Puntarenas, and the harbor in San Juan Del Sur to be closed. So we ended up going with two shore excursion "Antigua on Your Own." and one in Huctulco. (I don't remember the name but it was a visit to a nearby small town to see a church, have a walk around the square and then a drive by of some bays. I don't recommend.) For Antigua we were on small 20 passenger buses. It was a 1 1/2 hour trip to Antigua but the return took 2 hours. ( A few of the buses were delayed due to an accident and the ship had to wait for them.) This is a colonial town with cobble stone streets so I'm not sure how your Mom would do. We walked about a block and a half from the drop off spot to Casa Santo Domingo a 5 star hotel on the site of a 17th century monastery. It was beautiful with tropical flowers, several museums, beautiful art work . We went through the archeology museum, had lunch and I had a wash and blow dry in the spa (only $15) all in all a great time.

 

Regarding discounts for specialty restaurants on the first night. They didn't offer any on our cruise. But I highly recommend the Curtis Stone dinner specials and the Norman Love chocolates desserts when they have them. I also found out that every morning they have one special Norman Love chocolate journey muffin or pastry in the Horizon Buffet.

 

They had excellent production shows and entertainment on this cruise.

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To expand on sknight, the Lotus Pool area is enclosed and air conditioned and has two levels. We sailed our last cruise in an obstructed ocean view and spent most of our time between events in that pool area. Upper level has chairs (and some table tennis tables) and lower level has well-padded loungers, small pool and the ice cream counter. Also a good place to eat since people will hog the buffet tables during the transit (buffet is in front on Island).

 

Avoid cabins E324 - E334 at all costs. These are above the Wheelhouse Bar and the area above the stage is LOUD. Generally cuts off at 11 or so, but sometimes goes beyond midnight. You also get some noise from the atrium even later when they have events there. A balcony can be so hot you can't use it during a transit if it is on the sunny side of the ship. Renmar has a good site that shows views from the obstructed cabins - if you are between lifeboats you get a slight view: https://sites.google.com/site/coralislandprincess/home

 

Chiapas is a very new port and really has nothing except a few ship tours. Got stuck on our bus trying to get around a corner for almost an hour near the chocolate demo. Ruins there are not worth the visit (location is only about 100 yards by 50 yards).

 

Tours in Puenterenas tend to be 8 hours or more due to distances to the places you might want to see. And the beach there is huge, and has a bunch of local folks selling (mostly) handmade items (jewelry, linen, wood, hats) right at the end of the pier. Puerto Quetzal (Guatemala) also has long tours but some of the ship tours include a really great lunch and scenery in Antigua city. Both have strong non-cruise-line tour operators, although we prefer the ship tours when they get that long.

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Wow, thank you so much everyone for replying. I really appreciate reading about your experiences, and I'm definitely bookmarking this thread. I'm taking some notes and translating it so my mom can understand everything :)

 

One last thing I'm curious about -- I did go ahead and read all of the threads associated with the Sanctuary (at least on Island), and I still think it's a worthwhile investment during canal day. The reason is because my mom has limited mobility, so it would be nice to buy a pass for her so she can see more of the views while not having to move around as much. I know that the ideal way to see the locks working is to constantly shuffle around the ship, but that's not a good option for my mom (and I would discourage her from pushing herself too hard, anyway).

 

So: Sanctuary pass for $60 -- it will still afford decent 3/4 views, the only thing missing is just the front, right? Do you think this is the best way for my mom to enjoy the canal? Or do you think there are better views elsewhere(?)

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Wow, thank you so much everyone for replying. I really appreciate reading about your experiences, and I'm definitely bookmarking this thread. I'm taking some notes and translating it so my mom can understand everything :)

 

One last thing I'm curious about -- I did go ahead and read all of the threads associated with the Sanctuary (at least on Island), and I still think it's a worthwhile investment during canal day. The reason is because my mom has limited mobility, so it would be nice to buy a pass for her so she can see more of the views while not having to move around as much. I know that the ideal way to see the locks working is to constantly shuffle around the ship, but that's not a good option for my mom (and I would discourage her from pushing herself too hard, anyway).

 

So: Sanctuary pass for $60 -- it will still afford decent 3/4 views, the only thing missing is just the front, right? Do you think this is the best way for my mom to enjoy the canal? Or do you think there are better views elsewhere(?)

 

With your mothers limited mobility, I think your choice for the Sanctuary is excellent. The upper decks tend to get pretty crowded when an event to see special sights are going on. She won't have to jockey for position to see something.

 

On the food. There will be many opinions on the food but take it with a grain of salt. From one who likes fine dining, I have found the food on these ships is just fine. It can be hit and miss but overall we have never had any complaint. The specialty restaurants, Sabatini's (Italian) and Bayou Café & Steakhouse can have some very nice selections.

 

This ship will, hopefully, have a Chef's Table Experience offered. This is an event that has become very popular. The cost is about $99 per person and comes with wine pairing for an additional fee. It is served like any other tasting menu but you can walk away feeling completely full. There are other perks to this meal. If you choose to try this I would recommend calling the Dine Line to get on the list from your stateroom the very minute you board. Like I said, it is very popular with limited space. A 19 day cruise may provide more than one offering but still worth trying to get in.

 

I hope you have a memorable and fantastic first cruise. :) :ship:

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Just came back from this specific cruise. The ship is easy to get around on and its’s a beautiful ship, even with her age. The horizon court is the best set up buffet area of all this we have been on. You said you were a foodie? I would say the food is just ok. It almost seemed as if they changed the menu, to address the crowd. We did got to the

Bayou restaurant, it was good. Enjoyed the sactuary, on the Canal day. The Panama cannal was amazing. Really enjoyed all the history before getting there as well by the lecture and during cannal day. The shows were probably the best I have seen. We had lots of rain, cancelled ports due to hazardous conditions. We had a great day in Antigua, Guatamala. We took a Princess on your own trip. Town has s small, people are nice and it’s safe. The staff are amazing. Keep in my mind the population will be very elderly and many very sick and crabby. Average age 75 and up. We had 4 people who died on the 19 day cruise. Very sad. I am very glad I went. The cannal was amazing! I think we will take a long hard look at the next long cruise we go on. Maybe we are just too young for the longer cruises, still in our 50’s .

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Private tours and DIY walking is great in most ports, however if you are wanting to see something hours from the port it is a good idea to use a ships tour to make sure you get back to the ship for sailing. San Juan Del Sur is a very cool, laid back location with ton's of surf shops. It is not fully developed yet (at least not 2 years ago when I was there) but they are working on it - people very friendly

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Thought you might appreciate a reply from another youngish person traveling with her Mom :)

 

I'm a Veteran cruiser, but its my first time on Princess. My Mom is Platinum, like yours. I've been reading up because each line is different. I'm used to doing excursions on my own, but this time I'm doing a few with Princess. For one, their excursions are much smaller than other lines (most of the ones I am registered for are 20 ppl or less). Also, I don't want to chance getting stuck in country since it seems to be a thing with these ports.

 

So far, I registered for the tour that goes to the Volcano and Granada in Nicaragua. Seeing an active volcano was pretty high up on my list (I've done it in Hawaii, but didn't see the actual crater). I also booked the ruins in Huatalco, and will decide in the next few days or so if I want to cancel it (I'm still trying to figure out if I have the option to cancel onboard, in exchange for credit). I'm definitely tempted to Jet Ski instead. I plan to do something in Costa Rica, I'm not as concerned about Cartagena or Aruba. I never book all of my ports unless there is something I definitely want to do.. I like to have some flexibility. Sometimes, walking around and getting a postcard is enough for me. I've done a lot of trips this year, and I kind of need this one to be relaxing.

 

I will try to do at least one excursion with my Mom. Otherwise, she has several that she is interested in doing on her own. She is mobile and independent. I am going to think about booking the Sanctuary on Canal day for the reasons you gave.. the whole reason we are taking this trip is because my Mom wants to see Panama Canal... this might a great way to do it.

 

While onboard, I plan to hang out in the covered pool area (Lotus Spa). I'm bringing my Kindle loaded up with books and will load up my Amazon Music with lots of offline music. I have Project Fi (google's cell phone plan), so I can use data in almost any country with no problem.. as long as I'm on land when I do it! When we sail off, I go into airplane mode to avoid ship charges. I'll bring a tablet with me if I have any need to use it while away.. although I don't plan to need it. I cruise to get away from work.

 

As far as extras... I'll get a massage at home before or after I go.. since their charges are more than our local spa. I might get the coffee card so I can treat myself to a specialty coffee each day. I love doing speciality dining once per cruise with my Hubby, but don't plan to this time. Besides, the really good ones lead to vast overeating for me. I plan to order a side of veggies at dinner, and to eat in the main dining room at our scheduled time (to avoid crazy lines). I will check out the shows, karaoke, and dance classes.

 

Lastly, we are sticking to the oceanview. I agree with the poster above to get out of the obstructed view if you can... I'm a fan of balconies, no doubt, but as others said, you will be outside of your room all over the ship on the day that you see the Canal. You can spend the price difference on experiences.

 

I hope this helps! Oh, afternoon tea everyday is pretty cool too. While the fitness center doesn't have an oceanview (it has been replaced with rooms), its completely functional.

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