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Island Princess Balcony - Panama Canal

Gemlea

By Gemlea,
in Princess Cruises

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Gemlea

Gemlea

Posted
Posted

We are hoping to book the 2 day transit cruise in Feb 2016, and can't make up our minds on which cabin. The anticipated heat (which may impact on how usable the balconies are), and how much a recessed cabin may suffer from lack of breeze(?) etc are all factors in making our decision.

 

Can anyone help us by giving their own experience of the following:-

 

1. Caribe Premium Balcony, recessed with large partially covered balcony (so assume sunny by the rail), but no settee or

2. Caribe Mini-Suite, towards front, smaller covered balcony, but larger cabin with settee.

 

We like larger cabins, but don't want to forgo the Caribe partially covered cabins and find ourselves in a mini-suite which gets NO sun. Or is it so hot on this cruise that air con and size of cabin should be our priority?

 

All views would be welcome.

 

Thanks.

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Pia1913

Pia1913

Posted
Posted
We are hoping to book the 2 day transit cruise in Feb 2016, and can't make up our minds on which cabin. The anticipated heat (which may impact on how usable the balconies are), and how much a recessed cabin may suffer from lack of breeze(?) etc are all factors in making our decision.

 

Can anyone help us by giving their own experience of the following:-

 

1. Caribe Premium Balcony, recessed with large partially covered balcony (so assume sunny by the rail), but no settee or

2. Caribe Mini-Suite, towards front, smaller covered balcony, but larger cabin with settee.

 

We like larger cabins, but don't want to forgo the Caribe partially covered cabins and find ourselves in a mini-suite which gets NO sun. Or is it so hot on this cruise that air con and size of cabin should be our priority?

All views would be welcome.

 

Thanks.

 

You just said it yourself.

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Pia1913

Pia1913

Posted
Posted
Pia I assume you know about this page, but I'll put the link here for others.

 

I'm hosting Tom's covered balcony guide - .

 

Yep. Have had the guide for years. Wonder when/if it's coming back. My response to the OP was that yes, it's always BRUTALLY HOT!

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AKman2495

AKman2495

Posted
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Yes, in the tropics, a balcony is HOT most of the time. It matters little if there is wind or not (most often there is little air movement on the balconies anyway.

 

Two years ago my mother has a caribe balcony (before they were called premium) on the Coral. It was too hot to sit out there except of a while in the morning or in the evening.

 

Shade made little difference.

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Yehootu

Yehootu

Posted
Posted

We did the Island, LA to FLL through the canal last April. We booked late and were only able to get the Dolphin deck mini( we wanted the mini for the room).

We live in Hawaii and the heat and Humidity on this cruise was a killer. Great to be able to duck back inside the cabin to cool off.

This is how we got shade.

http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/YEHOOT2/slideshow/TIMS-PC/Shade%20on%20Dolphin%20Deckf!

Tim

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Loonbeam

Loonbeam

Posted
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For us it wasn't so much the heat (which other than Cartagena was not too bad on the ship, but the rainstorms. Loved the cover then.

 

Honestly I wish Princess had the navigator balconies they have on some Disney ships. I'd LOVE them for the Canal.

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Astro Flyer

Astro Flyer

Posted
Posted (edited)
Yep. Have had the guide for years. Wonder when/if it's coming back. My response to the OP was that yes, it's always BRUTALLY HOT!

And the last time there were very heavy thunderstorms crossing the continental divide in April. We were in a Baja deck aft cabin so were mostly sheltered from the downpours.

Edited by Astro Flyer
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Tiffany's mom

Tiffany's mom

Posted
Posted

We did a canal on the Island several years ago. Just sail the Island to Alaska. The first canal trip we had a middle ship balcony. Alaska we have a Dolphin deck forward mimi. They open the doors(these are the lock doors marked private) in the front of the ship when you go through the canal ( or Alaska at the Glaciers). When we did the canal it was a long walk to the forward decks. The people in the forward cabins to go out watch the ship go in the locks and go back to their room and get a drink and cool off. You will want to see the ship go into the locks.

 

In Alaska we could go out to the front decks and see the glaciers and go to the cabin and get warm. No long walk back to our forward mimi

 

I think those 2 cruises you would be happy in a front cabin. We are sailing the Island next year in Europe and have a mimi mid ship.

 

Hope this help you find a great cabin.

 

Pam

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