Coral Princess Questions

[Cruisin'BusyBee]

Hi to all. I have a few questions, we are doing the 10 day Panama Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale March 25, 2011:

1. Are any of the ports we visit, tendered or do we dock (Aruba, Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica)?

2. When taking a cab to the pier to embark, do we need our passports out along with the Princess Docs? Or do we wait until we actually begin the embarkment process?

3. What is the cost of a cab from the airport to Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina & the cost of a cab to the pier from there?

4. Any comments on the Princess Tour: Colonial Panama & Miraflores Locks? Thinking about this one. I understand that it does not go to the Pacific side, is that right?

 

Thanks so much for any help here :)

C/BB

[GradUT]

We did this same cruise in April, but on the Coral's sister ship, the Island Princess.

 

1. We docked at all of those ports--no tenders.

 

2. Yes, you need your passports in hand with your cruise documents when you check in.

 

3. No idea. If you call the hotel, they should be able to tell you.

 

4. The Colonial Panama and Miraflores Locks excursion takes you to Panama City which is located on the Pacific side of the country. However, you do not travel through the canal itself to get there, if that's what you are interested in doing. We did the excursion that does that, Panama Canal Experience by Boat, and it was wonderful.

[aussie cruzer]

Hi to all. I have a few questions, we are doing the 10 day Panama Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale March 25, 2011:

1. Are any of the ports we visit, tendered or do we dock (Aruba, Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica)?

2. When taking a cab to the pier to embark, do we need our passports out along with the Princess Docs? Or do we wait until we actually begin the embarkment process?

3. What is the cost of a cab from the airport to Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina & the cost of a cab to the pier from there?

4. Any comments on the Princess Tour: Colonial Panama & Miraflores Locks? Thinking about this one. I understand that it does not go to the Pacific side, is that right?

 

Thanks so much for any help here :)

C/BB[/quote

 

You will need your passports fo ride in taxi to port,it's a secure area with security stops.

The hilton fl marina is about 20 mins from fl airport. not sure on the price,the hotel is very nice right across the road from the cruise terminal about a 5 min drive & about $15.the taxi drivers at fl airport are the rudest we have ever seen they asked us how much we were prepared to pay for the trip .i would book a shuttle.the taxi drivers in fl were very nice and helpful but the ones at the airport want to take you to miami $$$$$.

 

The ship will go through the first set of locks and then you will go on your tour & return to the ship back on the atlantic side.

[aussie cruzer]

Hi to all. I have a few questions' date=' we are doing the 10 day Panama Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale March 25, 2011:

1. Are any of the ports we visit, tendered or do we dock (Aruba, Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica)?

2. When taking a cab to the pier to embark, do we need our passports out along with the Princess Docs? Or do we wait until we actually begin the embarkment process?

3. What is the cost of a cab from the airport to Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina & the cost of a cab to the pier from there?

4. Any comments on the Princess Tour: Colonial Panama & Miraflores Locks? Thinking about this one. I understand that it does not go to the Pacific side, is that right?

 

Thanks so much for any help here :)

C/BB[/quote']

 

 

Have a look at sweet angels review of her 10 day island panama cruise it looks like the same cruise.she did one of the best reviews i've seen ,it was a great help for my coral princess cruise last march.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1080738&highlight=sweet+angel

[BillB48]

There is one tender operation, if you take a tour after the ship locks through Gatun Locks, upon reaching Gatun Lake you will tender off the ship to meet your tour. While you are on your tour, the ship will go back through Gatun Locks, proceed to Colon where it will dock. You will board the ship at the dock.

 

The ship does not go to the Pacific side, but if you take the tour you mentioned, you will go to the Pacific side by bus.

 

PS I drove into the port with my car, did need ID, (driver's license) don't remeber about the cruise docs.... but I had them handy.

[Cruisin'BusyBee]

Thanks to all your help. I was wondering if anyone did the Highlights & Beach for Aruba? What beach do you go to?

 

:)C/BB

[texanslovetotravel]

We are doing this cruise next week. Will know more when we return. We have scheduled a private 2 hour tour in Aruba with Bully Tours and then plan to walk around and maybe hit the casino. Also, doing a group tour in Cartagena with our roll call group with Lee Miles. I will post a review, patters and all after we return.

[dshefter]

We are doing the Princess boat tour of the Panama Canal on the Coral Princess Nov. 25 sailing. I will post a review upon our return.

 

I believe this is the only way to experience the rest of the Canal on the partial transit.

[Loonbeam]

Correct, although depending on the timing there may be a couple of tour options to get you there (there's at least one that takes a small boat to the Pacific and then a bus back offered). But on a partial, a Princess tour is the only option for getting off the ship in Gatun Lake.

 

We are doing the Princess boat tour of the Panama Canal on the Coral Princess Nov. 25 sailing. I will post a review upon our return.

 

I believe this is the only way to experience the rest of the Canal on the partial transit.

[Richard in Panama]

Panama is one port where taking a shore excursion from the ship may be the most efficient and even cost-effective way to go. Tourism is relatively "new" in Panama and so there is limited infrastructure. Things like the Gatun Lake tours, the Panama Railway, and the Canal Ferry Transit tend to have limited space, which, you guessed it, is all booked up by the tour companies providing tours for the ships. Traffic can be a nightmare and an accident can hold you up almost for hours, and a Princess ship does NOT sail until every tour bus is back no matter how long it takes. Most cruise lines have the same policy.

 

The logistics in Gatun Lake make it impossible not to book with the ship. You have to be tendered off to a spot where there are no cabs, no public access, no telephones, just a rest room and place for buses to wait for cruise ship tours. Period.

 

Regards, Richard

[grandbanksguy]

Hi to all. I have a few questions' date=' we are doing the 10 day Panama Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale March 25, 2011:

1. Are any of the ports we visit, tendered or do we dock (Aruba, Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica)?

2. When taking a cab to the pier to embark, do we need our passports out along with the Princess Docs? Or do we wait until we actually begin the embarkment process?

3. What is the cost of a cab from the airport to Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina & the cost of a cab to the pier from there?

4. Any comments on the Princess Tour: Colonial Panama & Miraflores Locks? Thinking about this one. I understand that it does not go to the Pacific side, is that right?

 

Thanks so much for any help here :)

C/BB[/quote']

 

You might find my review helpfull. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1313346

[Denverite]

We just returned yesterday from the Coral Princess and did the Colonial Panama City and Miraflore Locks excursion. The bus ride to Panama City is not quite 2 hrs. The first stop is a restroom break and photo op of the city and the yachts docked there. Also the group separates into smaller buses for the Panama bus tour. The bus tours you around Colonial Panama and then stops for an optional 20 minute walk--very easy to do but it was very hot! The next stop was the YMCA which is now an arts and crafts place. The itinerary states this stop will be made "time permitting". Glad we had time to stop because it was a great place to buy souvenirs--molas, girls headbands with little people on them, baseball caps, little purses/backpacks, t-shirts, etc. Prices were reasonable and negotiable. I got 4 headbands for a total of $10 for Christmas gifts. We only had 15 minutes to shop, but I did a lot of damage in that short amount of time. We had sandwiches and water on the bus for a snack. Surprisingly the sandwiches were very good. We had a couple more photo ops and then on to the Miraflore Locks. First we saw a 12 minute video explaining the building of the locks. It just so happened that the container ship that had followed the Coral Princess into the Gatun Locks was just arriving at the Miraflore Locks so we were able to see it go through the locks. This is a good excursion, especially if you don't want to walk a lot.

 

Our friends took the Panama City excursion and they said they walked all over Panama City. They said it was very hot and they were very tired after the excursion.

 

I guess it just depends upon what you want to see. They definitely saw a lot more of Panama than did we, but we were pleased with our choice. The ride to the ship from the Miraflore Locks was about 1 hr and 15 minutes or something like that.

[Nightengale31]

C/BB I did the Aruba Beach Break (AUA285A) excusion on my recent partial transit on the Coral as we wanted the excursion that provided mostly beach time. We were taken on a short tour of the west coast up to the California Lighthouse then dropped off for two hours to spend at Moomba Beach. This beach was located directly behind the Holiday Inn in the hotel zone of Palm Beach. We were provided beach chairs free of charge, several restaurants and shops were in the immediate vicinity as well as restrooms and outdoor showers. The excursion delivered what it said it would, a very nice relaxing beach break.

[COTINGEY]

Panama is one port where taking a shore excursion from the ship may be the most efficient and even cost-effective way to go. Tourism is relatively "new" in Panama and so there is limited infrastructure. Traffic can be a nightmare and an accident can hold you up almost for hours, and a Princess ship does NOT sail until every tour bus is back no matter how long it takes.

 

Regards, Richard

 

Richard,

 

Your comments made me concerned about our tour with Anne Gordon de Barrigon and the Embera Village Tour. She is a tad more expensive, but I thought worth it for a much small group. Should we cancel with her and go with Princess while in Panama?

 

Thanks,

Robyn

[Richard in Panama]

Richard,

 

Your comments made me concerned about our tour with Anne Gordon de Barrigon and the Embera Village Tour. She is a tad more expensive, but I thought worth it for a much small group. Should we cancel with her and go with Princess while in Panama?

 

Thanks,

Robyn

 

Not to take anything away from Princess, but I know Anne and actually have been on Princess and Holland America tours where she was the guide. Because of her relationship with the village [she's married to one of the Embera guys] going with her is extra special. You meet her mother-in-law and relatives in the village, and she knows lots of additional information that the other guides don't know. The groups she books for her tours are smaller as well. I'd stick with Anne.

 

Enjoy! I know you will. Regards,Richard