Panama Canal

Caribbean Princess or Island Princess? Which one would you choose for Panama Canal cruise?

Caribbean Princess or Island Princess? Which one would you choose for Panama Canal cruise?

If this is your first trip to the Panama Canal, I would recommend taking the Island as it can use the original locks and do the 15 day coast to coast cruise if you have the time and funds. To be honest, I would, if possible, change my plans to use the Coral Princess rather than the Island Princess as it will have fewer passengers but still be the same size as the Island.

Tough choice. Caribbean Princess won't fit through the old locks but Island Princess is my absolute least favorite Princess ship. Island no longer has the aft viewing decks on Caribe and Baja and has all those cabins where the public spaces used to be.

If you haven't done the canal before you may well want to choose Island so you see the original canal. If you don't care which canal you transit then Caribbean would be my choice hands down. Of course the best would be Coral through the old locks but it sounds as if that isn't an option for you.

We did a 17 day SF - FLL full transit on Coral and it was awesome. We're booked for November 18 for a 19 day partial transit on Coral out of LA. Love that ship. :) We sailed Island as our next cruise after the 17 day full transit. We were only onboard for 7 days (southbound after an Alaska land tour) and it was upsetting to see the vast difference between Coral and Island - which used to be (almost - only difference being IC on Coral) identical.

I would recommend a full transit through the canal using the old locks (especially if this is your first trip there.). That means, for Princess, either the Coral or the Island. I image the Pacific would would fit in the old locks as well as well.

We just did a partial canal transit on the Caribbean Princess in April. We have previously done a full transit thru the old locks. There was nothing wrong with the Caribbean Princess on board experience, but the port times were horrible (often we docked at 6 or 6:30am and all aboard time was noon. Unless you want to get up at a ridiculous hour, you won't have much island time.

Honestly, I wouldn't do a "partial transit" again. The difference between the full, which was a great cruise, and the partial which was OK, but nothing special was huge.

I've never cruised on the Island Princess. The big complaint I've read about that ship is that at some point they eliminated a lot of public space to build more guest cabins, so it tends to be crowded. But I have no personal experience with this one.

If at all possible, I'd look at a ship that does a full transit.

Because the old locks are a tighter fit for the ships, I think it makes for a much more exciting Panama Canal experience. As such, I would recommend the Island.

I did a Panama Canal cruise on the Island in 2016, and it was a great experience. I had no issues with the modifications that were made in 2015. I was just on the Island Princess again in Alaska, and once again I thought it was a great ship. We didn't notice any crowding. We were Anytime Dining and went to dinner a variety of times between 5:30 and 8 pm, always asked for a table for two, and never had to wait. Same with the shows: we would arrive 10-15 minutes before show time and never had any problem finding a seat (that was for the late shows; I can't comment on the early shows).

Thank you for all your comments. This is our first Panama Canal cruise. Unfortunately we can not do a full transit so I think we will choose The Island so that we can go through the old locks. I have 2 itinerary choices on The Island. One itinerary includes Falmouth and Grand Cayman. The other includes Grand Turk and Ocho Rios. Any thoughts on which is better?

Another vote for the Island. We sailed on her and it was a wonderful cruise through the old locks.

Grand Cayman is our favorite Caribbean port...so that's what I'd do. It was also one of the ports that had a decent amount of "on shore" time on our partial transit.

We have done both the full transit (Holland America) and the partial transit on the Island Princess. We had a great time and enjoyed every minute of both cruises. Great ships, wonderful crews, and fantastic itineraries.

Pictures tell the story better than anything I can say. You might enjoy looking at the slideshows my wife made from pictures she took for her website. Since you're interested in the Island Princess, I'll insert a link below so you can view the pictures when you have time. They include pictures taken around the ship as well as all of our shore excursions.

Island Princess Partial Transit Cruise

Have a great cruise. It's a wonderful way to travel!

We have done both the full transit (Holland America) and the partial transit on the Island Princess. We had a great time and enjoyed every minute of both cruises. Great ships, wonderful crews, and fantastic itineraries.

 

Pictures tell the story better than anything I can say. You might enjoy looking at the slideshows my wife made from pictures she took for her website. Since you're interested in the Island Princess, I'll insert a link below so you can view the pictures when you have time. They include pictures taken around the ship as well as all of our shore excursions.

 

Island Princess Partial Transit Cruise

 

Have a great cruise. It's a wonderful way to travel!

Thanks for the great slideshows and beautiful photos ! We're booked on the Island for a 15 day cruise from FLL through the Canal to San Francisco over Thanksgiving this year. So, we're always interested in seeing/reading more information. Much appreciated, from EBC:)

Thank you for all the links and pictures. I am very excited for this cruise. Panama Canal in on my bucket list

Thank you for all the links and pictures. I am very excited for this cruise. Panama Canal in on my bucket list

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Don’t want to be contrarian but neither. The PC is best seen from a forward or aft cabin and you might as well take a full transit, since the two halves are very different. From what I’ve seen the Caribbean doesn’t do full transits but the IP only has suites on the aft. If you don’t want a suite, take Celebrity on an M Class ship. The fantail cabins have big covered balconies. Watching the opening and closing of the locks is fascinating. I went to the public areas several times during the day but didn’t last long. People everywhere. Also take the ferry excursion, even if you are in a king a full transit. Gives a different view of the canal.

We were in a full suite on both our partial and full transit. On the Island Princess our suite was mid ship as was our Neptune Suite on the Westerdam.

We were out and about on both cruises so my wife could take pictures for her website from many different vantage points including forward, aft, port and starboard sides of the ships as well as from our balconies on both cruises.

Regardless of the ship, the star of the itinerary is the Canal. Enjoy it however you want to. It's your choice and your cruise.

Happy Travels wherever you go! Cruising is a fantastic way to travel and see what you want to see.

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Since this is our first and probably only Panama ;)Canal cruise, would you recommend staying on the ship for the partial transit or taking the ferry excursion. We have an inside cabin and so will be out and about most of the time on this cruise.

Since this is our first and probably only Panama ;)Canal cruise, would you recommend staying on the ship for the partial transit or taking the ferry excursion. We have an inside cabin and so will be out and about most of the time on this cruise.

We didn't take an excursion on that day. My wife and I stayed on the ship and found the experience very interesting. I suggest that before you get to the transit part of the cruise, take a walk around the ship to get familiar with the different viewing areas.

Although we had a wonderful balcony, we spent time in the aft and forward upper decks at different times throughout the day. We found it all very fascinating to watch the different things that went on throughout the entire process.

It is humid and warm so you will want to go back inside from time to time. It takes several hours to complete the transit in and back out of the locks so pace yourselves.

In case you haven't had a chance to see my wife's slide show of the transit part of the cruise, I'll insert a link below. It may help you decide what to do on that day.

We stayed aboard for both our partial transit and full transit cruises.

Island Princess Transit Day

Feel free to ask more questions. People here are very helpful.

Thanks for the great slideshows and beautiful photos ! We're booked on the Island for a 15 day cruise from FLL through the Canal to San Francisco over Thanksgiving this year. So, we're always interested in seeing/reading more information. Much appreciated, from EBC:)

You're very welcome. It's a wonderful itinerary and a great way to celebrate a holiday. Happy Cruising!

Since this is our first and probably only Panama ;)Canal cruise, would you recommend staying on the ship for the partial transit or taking the ferry excursion. We have an inside cabin and so will be out and about most of the time on this cruise.

That's a tough call, if you don't think you will get back for a full transit at a later date. All parts of the Canal are interesting and the Atlantic (Gatun) Locks are certainly fascinating, however the Pacific side of the Canal is quite different is very different from the Atlantic. The Pacific Locks are configured differently and Gaillard (Culebra) Cut is where the bulk of the excavation for the Canal took place. As you are sailing through the Cut just imagine a little over a century ago there were close to a hundred steam shovels digging and filling 200 trains hauling the spoils out of the Cut every day. You also will have a great view of the the Pacific entrance and most people are very surprised at the sight of Panama City.

Lots of pieces to the Canal, but a partial transit only shows you 8 miles of a 50 mile Canal and twice at that:D! If there is any way you can take the excursion through the Cut and Pacific Locks, I think it is worth it.

That's a tough call, if you don't think you will get back for a full transit at a later date. All parts of the Canal are interesting and the Atlantic (Gatun) Locks are certainly fascinating, however the Pacific side of the Canal is quite different is very different from the Atlantic. The Pacific Locks are configured differently and Gaillard (Culebra) Cut is where the bulk of the excavation for the Canal took place. As you are sailing through the Cut just imagine a little over a century ago there were close to a hundred steam shovels digging and filling 200 trains hauling the spoils out of the Cut every day. You also will have a great view of the the Pacific entrance and most people are very surprised at the sight of Panama City.

 

 

Lots of pieces to the Canal, but a partial transit only shows you 8 miles of a 50 mile Canal and twice at that:D! If there is any way you can take the excursion through the Cut and Pacific Locks, I think it is worth it.

is the excursion offered by Princess for the ferry a better bet or would you book on your own with a different operator, or are they one and the same?

is the excursion offered by Princess for the ferry a better bet or would you book on your own with a different operator, or are they one and the same?

All shore excursions when you stop in Gatun Lake after passing through the locks must be with Princess. No private excursions are permitted, in fact you are not allowed ashore at this time unless you have a ship's excursion ticket. Essentially if you were able to book the ferry through a private operator it would be the same operator.

You can engage private operators on any of the other stops on your itinerary.

Caribbean Princess or Island Princess? Which one would you choose for Panama Canal cruise?

Take the Island Princess, the Caribbean has engine problems and they cut short time in ports.

Gatun Lake is the jumping-off point for one of my two favorite Princess excursions (not that I take a lot of them), the visit to the Embera Indians. I'm leery of see-the-quaint-natives-in-their-primitive-environment tours, but that one was really fun and felt not at all exploitative.

Between Caribbean & Island for a FULL transit ... Island would be our choice. :)

Since this is our first and probably only Panama ;)Canal cruise, would you recommend staying on the ship for the partial transit or taking the ferry excursion. We have an inside cabin and so will be out and about most of the time on this cruise.

For partial transits you can ONLY book Princess tours for the Canal. You head in around 5 AM, anchor in Gatun Lake and then if you have an excursion they tender you to shore. If you are not sure if you will get back (we've now done two full and two partial transits after thinking that) take the small boat tour through the remainder of the canal. You will be deep in the locks and get to see the Cut and the other locks. Good viewing on B/C decks forward and aft, Promenade deck all around and upper decks. Keep moving around.

We prefer the partial transits. Ports have shorter excursions on the Caribbean side than the Pacific side (we don't like 8 hour tours). Grand Cayman (stingray excursion is a must-do) is one of our favorite ports. Grand Turk is ok - decent snorkeling and beach but not much else. Not fond of Jamaica but seem to go there a lot. Falmouth is halfway between Montego Bay and Ocho. Ocho is closer to the falls (which we have never bothered with). Snorkeling, river tubing, and all-inclusives like Sandals or Rose Hall are ok from either location. Ocho is closer to some adventure activities.