Review: Island Princess Christmas Cruise Panama Canal Dec 20-30, 2018!!

[BoopTennis]

Just got back from this great cruise, always so sad to be over. 

We had a family group of 9--my husband and I, adult kids/spouses, and one 12 year old grandson. 

We had 4 balcony cabins in a row, which we love to do since we can open the partitions for one big balcony. So fun.

We were mid-aft on the Aloha Deck, A533, A535, A601, A603.

One of the rooms was a 3-person room (parents with 12 year old) so that was new for us.

 

We flew to Ft Lauderdale a day early, which we always do, to avoid flight issues coming out of the midwest. When we landed in FLL who did we see at Baggage Claim but Santa and his wife?  Very fun start to the holiday.

 

6 of us arrived together. We all had hotel reservations at the Hilton Ft Lauderdale Marina, it took us two taxis to get six of us and our luggage to the hotel, about $20 per taxi.  The hotel experience was good, the rooms a bit dated but we had a good rate, small balcony off the rooms and the outside pool and bar area were very nice.

 

We got to the hotel around 2 pm, check-in was officially at 4 but they had a room ready so we dumped our bags in there.  The other 3 of our party arrived around 3:30. We had all 4 rooms by 4 pm.  Relaxed around the pool bar then later in the evening grabbed the water taxi which docks right by the hotel and headed to 15th St Fisheries for dinner, very good. 

 

 

 

Next morning woke up and could see our ship not too far away!

 

At noon we headed over to the port. Shuttle service $6 per person got all nine of us and all our luggage to the ship.

[greenie082756]

Thank you for doing this review. Looking forward to more!

[mamaboss]

Great review so far! Looking forward to more....we sail her in about 6 weeks.

[BoopTennis]

Thursday - Embarkation Day!  My favorite part of the cruise is first getting on the ship!  Don't you all just love that feeling of boarding the ship and heading out to roam around and start the very beginning of your cruise?

we got to the port around 12:30 and embarkation was a breeze. very few people in line just went very fast and easy.  Then the fun part of walking onto the ship!.

 

We dumped our carryon bags in our rooms, put things away.  I brought my door signs for everyone 

Of course no breakfast so what is one of the first things we do? Find lunch of course. We just went to Horizon buffet and found plenty of good things

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BoopTennis]

We stopped back in our cabins and saw that they were painting the outside of the ship, right outside our balcony!

 

 

The only problem was that later we found paint splotches all over the balcony and chairs!  But our steward promptly cleaned it up, poor guy.

 

 

We all went to muster around 3:30.  We did not have to take our life jackets. But we had 4 cabins in a row, and half our group went to one muster station, and the other half to a different one, so we must have been at a firewall point. I didnt really like the idea of half my family being in a different place if there really was a bad emergency, I might try to pay more attention to that in the future

 

Sailaway was at 4 pm, I had taken along those little bottles of bubbles to blow as we were leaving.It was cloudy out but warm. We snuck down to the Sanctuary at the very back of the ship for sailaway, there was really no other good place in the aft to go.

I was anxious to get out of Dodge because there was a major storm headed right for Ft Lauderdale. We saw lightninng in the distance.

 

We all loaded up the Princess@Sea app (not really an app), but it is very helpful. Used it to keep track of where all 9 of us were and where to meet up for things. Also to check the Patter info. I just wish the app had push notifications when someone sent us a message so we didn't have to remember to check it all the time.

 

[BoopTennis]

Yes it is still Embarkation day, LOL.

Headed to the Lido Bar for a drink.  I asked to see the menu.  They said no menu that day, the "new" menu's were coming out the next day.  Very odd but that's ok I just asked the bartender to make me something good with vodka, and he did. 

 

I forgot to mention that we all had the Premium Beverage Package. I have never had it in the past, and would never purchase it, but it was part of the Sip & Sail promo way back in summer of 2017 when we booked this cruise.  I did not think it would be "worth it" for me, since I am not a big drinker (maybe 2-3 a day max) HOWEVER I LOVED being able to get bottled water whenever I wanted (lots) AND specialty coffees which I liked a lot. It even included shakes. So I tried the Double chocolate mocha coffee oh my it was so good!  

Time flies and it was time to get ready for dinner. We always love the traditional dining - same wait staff every night - and choose the late seating which works best for us.  When booked, it said it would be at 7:15 pm, but when we boarded our card said 7:30. So that is when it was every night. ALL the food in the MDR was fantastic.

 

I forgot to take photos of the menus the first night.  But for starters I had a Pina Colada rum infused cold soup, pretty good

Then I had a cheese tart which was wonderful, LOL I dont even remember if that was another starter or the entree.  But I do remember the desserts. I always have two. Two of my favorite desserts were both on the same night!  The flourless chocolate cake and the Souffle with vanilla bean sauce. OMG so good

 

 

We played some cards after dinner. Then some of our group when to the casino, I turned in after a long day and lack of sleep the previous two nights. A great first day!

 

[BoopTennis]

Day 2 - Friday - Sea Day 

One of our 4 cabins was a 3-person cabin -- for my son, his wife and 12 year old grandson. We were all a bit apprehensive about how it work out, but it worked out very well. The extra bed is lowered down from the ceiling by the steward while we were at dinner.  The other bed can still be made up as a queen bed, as seen in the photo below. Everyone was comfortable, There is a ladder to climb up to the upper bed.  In the morning the steward raised the bed back into place in the ceiling so it did not show during the day

 

 

Friday was a Sea Day, which I love, so we just relaxed and had fun all day.

at 9 am my daughter in law and I went to make posters for going thru the Canal.

 

I enjoyed a specialty coffee - white chocolate something....very good but too rich for me.  Headed to pool.  Pizza by the pool for lunch which in my opinion is much better than it used to me. 

There is a fun mini golf place up on the top deck that we played a few times.

 

There is a fun gazebo by the indoor pool that we sat in and played cards.

 

 

[jswdlw]

Love the review.  Next week we are headed on the same cruise.

[Relaxedfun]

great story!  I am following you with interest.  Thanks for sharing.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the review.

[BoopTennis]

The "new" drink menu at the Lido Bar was now available! I had a Mucho Mango to start!

 

 

 

 

 

[BoopTennis]

The sun was setting on our first full sea day.  I just love watching the water.

 

MENU's for dinner in the MDR on evening of Day 2:

 

 

 

 

[BoopTennis]

I started dinner with a delicious cosmo:

 

My first starter was the White Rum Fruit Salad  - yum

 

My 2nd starter was the Crab & Cheese Quiche - absolutely LOVED this!

 

 

I had the Red Snapper for entree - also very good, forgot to take photo

Next up....dessert

 

 

 

[BoopTennis]

I had 2 desserts, just because you can. (Walk the stairs, no elevators....)

The traditional Princess Love Boat Dream

 

Then the Chocolate Journeys special - very pretty to look at, good but not my fav.  But what is there to complain about when someone else is cooking you all this wonderful food?

 

 

OH BY THE WAY.....this night (Day 2, first Sea Day), was formal night

We saw a few tuxes, not many, a lot of sports coats and ties, and some without. No one cared what anyone else wore.

It was a great first full day!!!

[BoopTennis]

Day 3 - Sat Dec 22 - Falmouth, Jamaica

Falmouth was a new stop for us. We have been to Jamaica a couple times before but always at Ocho Rios.  Seems like everything is very far away from Falmouth. We docked on the port side of the ship. Got off early.  We had booked a tour with "Cool Dave" (Dawes) to go to Dunn's River Falls. My husband and I had done the falls before with friends, but none of our family had. Cool Dave was a fun guy and did a nice job but finding him was tricky. We walked out to where the tents are where many of the independent tours are, could not see him anywhere. I did not have his phone number. I did have his email so emailed his office. Then one of the other independent guides handed my his phone and said Cool Dave was on the phone for me LOL.  He directed us to meet him outside the fenced area, which was kind of odd I thought. But once we found him everything was good. He picked us up in a 12-passenger van, we had a private tour and the 9 of us were very comfortable in the van.

We paid Cool Dave for the admission fee ($23 per person) to the Falls and he called and arranged our tickets so we didn't have to wait in line when we got there. We got there early before all the huge buses.

The Falls were awesome, just as we had remembered them. Everyone had a great time, I was afraid the water might be real cold but it was comfortable.

 

It was a one hour drive each way from the Falmouth port to the Falls.  Cool Dave did a nice job of talking about the island during the drive. He would have taken us other places if we wanted, but we as a group decided to go back to the ship after the Falls and enjoy the ship On the way back he stopped and showed us an old banana tally machine (like in the Banana Boat song by Harry Bellafonte, Day O -  "tally me bananas"...)

Saw our cruise ship as we approached the port

 

All of us with Cool Dave

 

 

[BoopTennis]

We got back to the ship when a lot of people were still out at port so was nice and quiet. Enjoyed a few cocktails and hanging by the pool

 

Took a few pics of Falmouth from the ship

 

Giant chess board on the Island:

 

[BoopTennis]

Sat night dinner

 

 

oh, and here is an extra "insert" that came each night with the menu in the main dining room, for specialty upcharge entrees...we did not choose any...we totally enjoyed all the food in the MDR without any upcharge

 

 

[BoopTennis]

For starters I had the shrimp cocktail (available every night) and the Plantain Chips, which were really good. For entree had the Pot Pie.

Dessert was next

 

 

I had the Pear Souffle YUM YUM (I can't get enough of that vanilla bean sauce LOL) and some ice cream

 

 

 

 

[BoopTennis]

End of Day 3

 

 

 

 

It was a full moon that night

 

 

[BoopTennis]

The whole ship was decorated very nice for Christmas. Each cabin door on the "mailbox" slot had a nice Christmas decoration.

 

 

 

 

 

Having the Premium Beverage Package (thanks for booking under the Sip n Sail promo), I enjoyed many specialty coffees that I had never tried before

 

 

 

 

[Paula_MacFan]

Really enjoying your review so far!  We have a cruise booked on the Island next year so I appreciate your photos.  Thanks!

[BoopTennis]

7 minutes ago, Paula_MacFan said:

Really enjoying your review so far!  We have a cruise booked on the Island next year so I appreciate your photos.  Thanks!

 

are you going to the Panama Canal? wherever, you will have a great time!

[windsor26]

Thanks for the photos  I must say that the menu choices you have are MUCH MUCH better and more varied than those we have on Australian based Princess ships  we seem to get 4 seafood mains and one meat and the always available are very sparse - one of them being fish as well

[Guinness1000]

We were on the same sailing!  🙂

 

Thanks for doing the review! I came here often looking for any info on the Island Princess before we left, but it seemed to me it was the least mentioned ship. I'm sure a lot of people will appreciate your review of her.  🙂

[BoopTennis]

23 minutes ago, Guinness1000 said:

We were on the same sailing!  🙂

 

Thanks for doing the review! I came here often looking for any info on the Island Princess before we left, but it seemed to me it was the least mentioned ship. I'm sure a lot of people will appreciate your review of her.  🙂

 

hey that's cool!  what fun.  did you do any excursions?  i wonder if we saw each other LOL