0208 248 2355
Questions about your booking? Contact Us
Login
Savour carefree moments at sea with enticing cuisine, engaging entertainment and venues to match every mood
Exciting adventures await aboard Caribbean Princess following her multi-million-dollar array of luxurious enhancements. From staterooms that offer a more restful sleep, to endless tempting new dining options, the newly reimagined Reef Splash Zone for kids and families plus other upgrades, you’ll find Caribbean Princess herself has come back new.
My wife and I enjoyed the cruise very much; the Panama Canal transit was a highlight. I will list the aspects that we particularly enjoyed, followed by a few problems. The ship is somewhat old by cruise standards, but the cabins (at least ours) and public areas are in very good condition. We enjoy the wrap-around Promenade deck, the Piazza, and Skywalkers. Embarkation and disembarkation were speedy and efficient. We were on the ship by 11:30 am. Service was almost universally efficient and friendly. The crew really did try to address every request and fix every problem. We ate in Sabbatini's the first night, and as in previous cruises on other ships, the experience was excellent: the service, food, and atmosphere. The Crown Grill was also good but to us, not as outstanding as Sabbatini's. We enjoyed the selection of food in the buffet for breakfast and lunch most days. My one complaint is that at breakfast the yellowish liquid that is served as orange juice bears little resemblance to real orange juice, even the concentrated kind. And the scrambled eggs look nice from a distance, but are made from some kind of reconstituted eggs and have no flavor or egg-like texture. The omelets were very good, however. Service in the main dining room was generally good, but rather rushed. The waiters are moving fast but appear to have too great a workload. The quality and variety of the food in the main dining room (Palm for us) suited us very well. All of the ports except Grand Cayman were new for us, and a primary reason for choosing this cruise. We did excursions in every port except Aruba, all of which were interesting. At the Canal we did the all-day excursion that buses you to a ferry boat that travels from the western side of Gatun lake through the Pacific locks to the Pacific Ocean. We highly recommend this, even though it takes all day. The only downsides were the bus tour guide who cranked the PA volume to the threshold of pain, and digressed to complaints about Panama's health care and education system, and the stop at the obligatory souvenir store. Two ship maintenance issues were annoying because they should have been easy to fix: About one third of the washers and driers were broken, leading to the need to go from deck to deck with wet clothes to find a working drier. Also, I discovered that the toilet brush in our cabin was broken - the handle had separated from the brush. When I asked the cabin steward for a new one, he said "They are all broken and I have no replacements." The "grubbing" for ratings of "10" by the officers and crew got completely out of hand in the last two days of the cruise. Please don't try to bully me. Some encouragement is fine, but enough is enough. Finally, there was one somewhat personal issue that should have been taken care of onboard, but was ignored. I have written to Corporate, and we will see if anything happens. Having said all that, we truly enjoyed the cruise, the issues were minor, and we would gladly sail on Caribbean Princess again. Also, we have a UK cruise booked on Majestic Princess in May.
Overall, this Panama Canal cruise aboard the Caribbean Princess was a satisfying experience, though not without some noticeable shortcomings. The food ranged from good to very good, offering solid quality and a decent variety throughout the cruise. The service was generally good, and in some cases excellent, warm, attentive, and genuinely caring, making guests feel very welcome. The ship is clearly geared more toward an older clientele, which is reflected in both the atmosphere and the entertainment options. Unfortunately, the condition of the ship shows its age, with several areas in clear need of refurbishment. This was particularly noticeable in public spaces and somewhat diminished the overall impression. A significant drawback was the insufficient number of beverage dispensers in the buffet restaurants. Especially during peak hours, this led to long waiting times. The ice machines are also underdimensioned; often the ice supply is already exhausted after just three guests, which is frustrating and unnecessary. Another negative point is the inadequate maintenance of the toilet systems. Unpleasant odors were frequently noticeable in public restroom areas. In addition, the dark particles visible in the toilet water in the cabin did not leave a good or hygienic impression. Despite these issues, we look back on the cruise as overall positive, largely thanks to the many dedicated crew members on board. Special thanks go to our room steward Raymond, the waiters Franji, Sohail, and Crystal, the chef Tendai, as well as Dr. Sax and DJ Candy Chris, who truly enriched our afternoons and evenings. We would have loved to see DJ Candy Chris perform in the club after 11 p.m. as well – that was a missed opportunity. Conclusion: A memorable itinerary with good food and some outstanding service moments, but clear maintenance and organizational issues keep this cruise just short of a 4-5 star rating.
Overall, this cruise was very satisfying, the excursions and sights while cruising were amazing. The cabin steward and dining room staff provided excellent service. The OceanNow part of the Princess app was a good feature which we used a lot, and the food at multiple venues was very good. Alternatively, the Princess website and smart phone app were lacking in user-friendliness, functionality and completeness, the onboard shop did not provide enough essentials or in travel sizes, the Princess Premiere and Reserved Collections packages did not fully provide what was promised in the Princess documentation, the dining room menu options did not vary enough for a 12-day cruise, and the prepaid transfer from airport to shipping port was disorganized which subsequently caused a delay for the ship to start the cruise. I was told that Princess is a step above Royal Caribbean, but I found the opposite to be true in multiple ways.
Our first ever cruise and I got the bug. only mistake was booking through a travel agent as unable to upgrade virgin flights using my flying club membership as that had to be down through the agent. Another cock up they made was we had to mobility scooters and filled out all the forms on weight height etc but they failed to book a disabled room so unable to have them in the rooms but they took them to storage and a phone call had them available within minutes. The cabin was otherwise fine on the aft side level 10 However no tea making facilities but a kettle was provided on request. I have always taken an extension cable on my holidays and was particularly useful as only three sockets in the cabin (one behind the bed). As for dining we found all the restaurants very good. We often used the buffet restaurant on deck 15 and I asked politely for different food and they bought it to my table (Eggs benedict English bacon) Toast was cooked to your liking Only disappointment no Weetabix. Deck 5 supplied snacks of freshly made sandwiches and pies etc so always eating. The specialist restaurants were of a high standard but a lot of fellow travellers were wearing T shirts and shorts, When we were going on an excursion early we had room service and ate on the balcony We booked 6 excursions before we sailed and saved a lot of money (over £400 from on board price) for the 2 of us and enjoyed and was not disappointed with any of them. If you are flying back to the IK on a late flight I recommend the airboat tide in the everglades as they rake you and your luggage straight to the airport included in the price The service was above and beyond expectations if you are polite and when making a complaint ask it as a question The staff are human beings and if you treat them with respect you will get all the answers The entertainment on deck 3 and 6 was superb and we listened and sometimes joined in with the singing. The entertainment in the main rooms was not to our tastes but was very professional As mobility scooter uses we left our scooters at the disembarkation deck and receive help to the excursions however on return to the ship there id only 2 lifts and were pushed in front of by eager discourteous travellers and had to wait for a steward to help We are booking again but direct with cruise line
From the moment you step aboard, we want you to feel welcomed and right at home. And with attentive service from a friendly staff that knows what hospitality means, you’ll find your Princess® ship truly is your home away from home.
Photos, floor plan diagrams, amenities, and furnishings represent typical arrangements and may vary by ship and stateroom.
Indulge your appetite whenever you wish on board Princess®. Every hour, our chefs are busy baking, grilling and sautéing great-tasting fare from scratch. Princess offers unparalleled inclusive dining options throughout the ship with a wide range of culinary delights to suit any palate, from endless buffet choice to gourmet pizza, frosty treats, decadent desserts and much more.
Speciality Dining
Dining on board a Princess® cruise ship is a joyful celebration and our speciality restaurants always deliver an extraordinary experience. They are among the best at sea – or anywhere. We serve dishes made with the freshest ingredients, and our menus reflect regional flavours from around the world. You'll find our speciality restaurants are the perfect place to celebrate any occasion.
When is a cruise an opportunity to enrich? When it's a Princess cruise. This ship offers area lectures, art exhibits and classes taught by local experts.
Original musicals, dazzling magic shows, feature films, top comedians and nightclubs that get your feet movin’ and groovin’. There’s something happening around every corner; luckily, you have a whole cruise of days and nights to experience it all.
The many activities on-board our ships are designed to stimulate, educate, entertain, inspire and sweat - not necessarily in that order. But, guests can be sure crew onboard will do their best to cover all the bases. From art auctions to The Sanctuary Spa, this ship is loaded with fun things to do.
From family-friendly stateroom options to enriching youth and family programmes, quality time is time well spent. Onboard activities spark curiosity and fuel creativity while excursions ashore engage and inspire!
Children under the age of 3 are welcome to visit the Youth Centre, if accompanied and supervised by a parent at all times.
