Island Princess Questions/ & Cabin C-502 Caribe Deck

Hi everyone,

First time cruiser here and planning our first anniversary trip. I liked the itinerary for Island princess to alaska & possibly do the CA-3 tour as well. But after reading reviews and such we are thinking to pass on this ship.

We were to go with Celebrity Solstice - but it goes to Tracey arm Fjord & inside passage from Seattle (RT). But Island Princess goes to Glaciar Bay & College Fjord which is great.

Can anyone tell me how are the dining and entertainment options in Island Princess? DH is a foodie so I want to make this first cruise experience the best for us.

We have the C-502 Balcony cabin on the Caribe deck on hold, anyone has feedback on this cabin?

Thank you!

Take reviews with a "grain of salt".

Complaints are often voiced by people who complain about anything and everything.

Princess food is good overall. If there's a really good executive chef, it makes a difference. Interesting because they use the same recipes on all the ships.

If DH is a foodie, sign up for the Chef's Table as soon as you get on board. It's a little pricey, but it's to die for. If you're not familiar with it, do a search for "Chef's Table". There are lots of threads about it.

If you haven't done so yet, join your roll call.

In general this is one of our favorite ships, mostly due to the covered pool area. Padded loungers let you watch the scenery and step outside to take pictures. Most folks stake out tables in the buffet (front of ship) and watch from up there. Not sure why they want to sit in those seats all day.

Only downside we had last fall was Anytime dining. Ship only has two dining rooms and they use the Anytime as an overflow for fixed seating early. Plus they stick Club Class in there, who can show up at any time and be seated (suites and CC minis). So eating early in Anytime dining can require waiting in line for 45 minutes before the dining room opens. If you like eating after 7:30 this isn't a problem since the fixed seating folks aren't there any more.

While they did remove the Universe Lounge and add cabins aft of the Lotus Pool you really don't notice the additional people. People don't go to the shows much on Alaska cruises and the ship has a lot of outside viewing areas. Grill near the main pool serves some special things like ribs and BBQ late into the evening. Salmon bake for lunch one day on deck. Huge dessert buffet on Glacier Bay day.

First two trips to Alaska we took cruise-tours, enjoyed both. Not fond of McKinley Lodge because it is 40 minutes away from town or activities - the only thing they have is a view of the mountain. Spend at least two days at Denali Lodge and take at least the Tundra Wilderness Tour (8-9 hour 54 miles into park). The Natural History Tour doesn't get into bear territory or have a view of the mountain. Train has nice views, expensive food and a lot of waiting for the train.

Last fall took the ship up and back from Vancouver. Amazing to see the difference in glaciers only four days apart. Southbound trip also goes to Hubbard Glacier - a 7 mile wide river of ice. We didn't bother with a balcony on this trip since we spend all our time in the glassed-in Lotus Pool area. Nice loungers instead of uncomfortable balcony chairs. Just don't book a cabin over the Wheelhouse Bar - these can be loud.

There is NOTHING like being three ship lengths off Marjorie Glacier in Glacier Bay and seeing a calf that is 1/3 the size of the ship plunge into the bay. Generates waves the rock the ship.

By the way, you will see rain in Alaska and Caribe deck balconies are not covered. We prefer Aloha.

We are boarding the Island for the Panama Canal Cruise out of L.A. and staying on her for the Coastal to Vancouver for a little over three weeks. I will do my best to answer your questions as this will be our first time on the Island. We are traveling with two other couples. If there is something you especially want to try, speak with the maitre'd after you board. The staff for that are usually available after the Muster Drill. On our last cruise we had a family member with special dietary requests which she submitted before the cruise. She was over the top pleased. Some of the same dishes we were enjoying were prepared for her minus the things she is allergic. We have found over the years that the crew will do what they can to ensure you have a good time. The head waiters are another ones to speak with. If you let them know some of what your husband wants, they will endeavor to please. Happy Cruising

Thanks so much @Gran7577 Enjoy your trip :):):):)

Thanks for the info @LeeW and @JF.

@LeeW - It looks like we only have a partial day in denali now. Arriving at 5 PM and leaving around 2:30 pm next day to Fairbanks. Do we need 2 days to see everything in Denali?