Observations from recent 10-day Panama Canal Cruise

[waterbug1]

We just returned from a wonderful 10-day Panama Canal cruise on the Coral Princess. I’m sorry that I can’t provide copies of the Patters as other have requested. I stopped bringing them home years ago. I do think however, that I can provide some information that may be of interest to some. These are matters that are frequently asked about on these boards.

 

• I pre-ordered and paid for 8 bottles of wine from Total Wine and More in Fort Lauderdale. They were boxed and ready for pick-up. The cab driver said his customers frequently stop there on the way to board a ship. We were in and out of the store within five minutes.
  
• We are Platinum members but the other couple we were traveling with are not. When we entered the building at the pier, the other couple was given numbers. We took our seats with them so that we could board together. Noticing that there were only three people standing in line for preferred boarding, we asked the man “in charge” if it was possible for the four of us to check –in together there, explaining that two of us were not eligible for preferred boarding. We were told “Yes, of course. He then laughed and said, “As long as there aren’t 20 people in your party go ahead.”
  
• When we went through security, we placed the box of wine in the screening conveyor belt. It went through x-ray and no one batted an eye. The entire boarding process took less than 20 minutes. We had arrived at the dock about 11:45 AM.
  
• We dropped the bags in our rooms and headed to the Provence dinning room for lunch. We were greeted warmly and seated by a window. Lunch was relaxed, delightful and delicious. The service was excellent. I highly recommend the salmon.
  
• The crew was probably the happiest and friendliest crew of any ship on any cruise line that it has been my good fortune to travel.
  
• When going through the Panama Canal’s Gatun locks, we got remarkable views of each angle of the transit by following this plan of action: We started the transit on our balcony while enjoying breakfast. We then proceed to Caribe deck forward through the oft-mentioned “secret doors” (the “no admittance” signs are removed when going through the canal). To view the amazing elevator effect of the ship rising to the next lock, we went to the Patisserie for the next viewing. We watched the closing of the lock behind us back up on Caribe deck’s aft area. The whole transit is absolutely fascinating.
  
• I purchased a coffee card, as usual. I was also able to use up an older card from a previous cruise without any trouble.
  
• I did try the syrup-based coffee too and found that it tasted better than it had on previous cruises. It’s not great but it is not dreadful.
  
• In a near flawless cruise, there was one snag. The introduction of the new Traditional dining time did impact the Anytime Dining room. We always choose Anytime Dining and dine between 7:00 and 7:30 PM. We have been fortunate in that previously we never had to wait for a table any longer than 10 minutes. Usually, by the time we ordered cocktails, the beeper was going off. This cruise we had to wait 30 minutes or longer on several nights. I suspect that adding the new Traditional dining time works better on cruise ships with more than two dining rooms. The Coral Princess only has two dinning rooms. Many people were not happy.
  
• We enjoyed the food in all the venues we tried. We did not do the Chef’s Table but we did dine at Sabatini’s and the Bayou Café. The service was excellent in both the specialty restaurants and the dining room.
  

The cruise was a delightful experience. I hope that someone finds this information useful. Happy cruising to all!

[dshefter]

Thanks for a great review. We board the Coral in 8 days. Did you have a Port or Starboard cabin. Interested for Canal viewing.

 

What time did the ship start going through the Canal? Did you do a Canal excursion?

 

Great to hear about the service and staff. We have signed up for Traditional Dining.

[JimnKaren]

It is always a pleasure to read a review that is as organized as yours. Thank you.

 

Jim

[Pachutabelle]

Thanks, Waterbug1 for posting your review. It's good to hear from someone who had a great experience. Please tell us something about the rest of your cruise. Ports, excursions, etc. Thanks again.

[many cruises]

Thanks for your great review. We'll be on the Coral in April too! :)

[Pam in CA]

Great review with helpful information for others. The Coral is a great ship. :)

[rdsqrl]

Thanks for your observations. I completely agree with you about the crew aboard the Coral -- they were a fabulous group last December/January, too!

[waterbug1]

Thank you all for your very kind comments. I will try and address each of the questions you asked.

Dshefter;

We had a port side cabin. However, when going through the canal both sides offer pretty much the same experience. To get the full effect, it is best to check it out from all angles. We entered the canal at about 6:50 AM. We did take a shore excursion. We choose the Monkey Watch and Canal Nature Cruise because we love animals. We saw Howler monkeys, Capuchin monkeys, crocodiles, and sloths. The Capuchin monkeys would actually jump on the boat looking for food. They were absolutely adorable. At one time, the tour guides brought bananas onboard to feed the Capuchins. They no longer do this because the monkeys were getting too aggressive. I read online that they are notorious banditos. Peoples’ glasses, purses and other items were snatched up only to disappear into the treetops. I do hope that you have a wonderful cruise!

Pachutabelle:

We enjoyed all the ports. Our snorkel excursion was cancelled in Aruba due to poor viability. It was raining but it was a gentle drizzle. We walked around the town, which is quite lovely. In Aruba we went to a Chinese grocery store to buy some Dutch licorice. The community is diverse and friendly. It was a delightful day. It was also the only rainy day we had, as we were blessed with gorgeous weather for the entire reminder of the cruise.

We took an Old City walking tour in Cartagena, Columbia. The guide was excellent. I know that many comments have been made about the persistence of the street peddlers but we did not find them to be a problem. We just smiled and kept walking. Like most places, Cartagena has economic woes and people are just trying to make a living. The City has a beautiful colonial style that is being preserved. The history is interesting. It was one of my favorite ports on this cruise.

The Jungle River Eco Adventure in Costa, Rica was a great tour. We had an exceptional guide who reviewed the historical, contemporary and geographical aspects of this fascinating country. The river cruise was rich with exotic birds, monkeys, and sloths. I highly recommend this tour. The city of Limon is …well,…not a pretty city. The people however were warm and engaging. We went to a grocery store there to buy Costa Rican coffee. I feel that if you want to know something about the people in a county you should visit a grocery store. It speaks volumes about a culture. It was also the best place to get the best deal on Costa Rican coffee.

We didn’t take a tour in Ocho Rios, Jamaica because we have been there before. We walked around the town and visited the shops at the Taj Mahal and Island Village and lunched at Margaritaville. The weather was beautiful and it was a slow paced and relaxed day.

[geoherb]

Thanks for your review. We'll be taking the same itinerary on the Island Princess next month. We have 31 days before we head to Fort Lauderdale.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the review.

[Sactosinger]

Waterbug1 - really appreciate your review. You have a great attitude and reasonable expectations of cruising. Your trip is the next one on our list so I appreciated all your comments. But first, we are off to the Caribbean in two days.

[MichTraveler]

We just returned from a wonderful 10-day Panama Canal cruise on the Coral Princess. I’m sorry that I can’t provide copies of the Patters as other have requested. I stopped bringing them home years ago.

 

Don't tell the DH. I told him it was a requirement to save each and every one :p During those long months between cruises, I sometimes pull them out to re-read them and re-live the memories!

 

Thanks for a nice review.

[A1A]

Waterbug,

What a nice review and thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. We are planning the same trip soon and were wondering about the upkeep of the ship? We have always had good experiences on Princess Ships, but have always sailed them when they were newer. Also, we have always sailed bigger class ships, can you compare the differences with the Coral?

Thanks!

Ken

[DrivesLikeMario]

It's a pleasure to read your well-written, coherent and concise review! Thanks so much and I'm glad you had such a good time!

[waterbug1]

Waterbug,

What a nice review and thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. We are planning the same trip soon and were wondering about the upkeep of the ship? We have always had good experiences on Princess Ships, but have always sailed them when they were newer. Also, we have always sailed bigger class ships, can you compare the differences with the Coral?

Thanks!

Ken

 

Hi Ken,

I can certainly understand your concerns about sailing on an older ship. There is a special excitement about boarding a new ship and being among the first to experience and explore its many delights. That being said, I don’t believe that you will be disappointed in the Coral. She, and her sister ship the Island are uniquely designed for the Panama Canal experience. These two ships are narrower but longer than the grand class ships. This enables them to go through the canal, something the Grand class ships are too robust to do. The Coral carries about 1900+ passengers as opposed to the 2600+ passengers of the grand class ships. The ship design, coupled with the fewer passenger capacity results in a feeling of overall spaciousness. For example, I never had any problems finding a lounge chair, there were seats available at the shows first seating, and remarkably there was plenty of room for everyone to view the canal comfortably at a railing. I believe that this feeling of ‘breathing room” was one of the reasons passengers and crew seemed more at ease with each other. On other cruises, I have witnessed altercations between passengers. I did not see any of that on this cruise.

As to the question of upkeep, I think I can best answer this by an example. One morning, we, along with the couple we were traveling with, took a stroll on the Promenade deck. Our friends are enthusiastic Holland America fans and this was their first time on a Princess ship. As we walked, we passed a crewmember on a stepladder, dusting the top of a clock. My friend turned to me to say; “Now I’m really impressed!” She then went on to comment as to how pristine and well maintained everything appeared.

I have noticed that whenever someone conducts an informal poll on these boards asking people “What is your favorite Princess ship?” that the Coral always seems to be a top favorite. After experiencing this lovely ship myself, I can now say that she is one of my very favorite ships too.

[kellor]

Thanks for a great review! We will be on the Coral in just a few days and it is great to hear extra information. We were thinking of using the Thermal Spa - did you guys do that or know of anyone that did? We are just curious on if they liked it and thought it was worth the money. When we get to Panama we booked the ships excursion to the Embrea Indian tribe - any word from other passengers that experienced that? Lori

[waterbug1]

Thanks for a great review! We will be on the Coral in just a few days and it is great to hear extra information. We were thinking of using the Thermal Spa - did you guys do that or know of anyone that did? We are just curious on if they liked it and thought it was worth the money. When we get to Panama we booked the ships excursion to the Embrea Indian tribe - any word from other passengers that experienced that? Lori

 

Hi Lori,

We did not use the Thermal Spa although I love the idea of it because it sounds so relaxing. On this itinerary, the ambient temperatures were relatively mild (in the low 80s) but the humidity averages around 78% at this time of year. I think would have found the Thermal Spa much more appealing if we had been cruising in a cooler climate.

People seem to really enjoy the excursion to see the Embera Indians. I didn’t hear a lot of specifics, just a general enthusiasm from others in passing. I hope to take this excursion the next time. I find it fascinating to learn about the culture and art of indigenous peoples. If you are interested in native crafts I have a suggestion. When in Aruba, when you first exit the ship, you will enter a craft market right at the pier. In the midst of all the usual souvenirs you will find a man who features the Mopa Mopa art of the Pasto Indian community of Columbia. At first glance you will think you are looking at painted wood items. It is actually not paint but a resin over wood. The artists boil mopa mopa buds to extract a resin. Next, they stain the resin with different minerals to color it. They stretch the colored resin with their teeth and hands, overlay it on the wooden piece (this could be a carved figure or a box, etc) and cut out the design. They continue this process, overlaying different colors to create a unique design. The result is quite beautiful. They are priced very reasonably. I was pretty irritated with myself because I only bought one piece. I thought I would see more throughout the trip. I was wrong. I never saw them for sale again. If you would like to read more about this process, check out this website http://www.mopamopa.com/

I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

[kellor]

Hi Lori,

We did not use the Thermal Spa although I love the idea of it because it sounds so relaxing. On this itinerary, the ambient temperatures were relatively mild (in the low 80s) but the humidity averages around 78% at this time of year. I think would have found the Thermal Spa much more appealing if we had been cruising in a cooler climate.

 

People seem to really enjoy the excursion to see the Embera Indians. I didn’t hear a lot of specifics, just a general enthusiasm from others in passing. I hope to take this excursion the next time. I find it fascinating to learn about the culture and art of indigenous peoples. If you are interested in native crafts I have a suggestion. When in Aruba, when you first exit the ship, you will enter a craft market right at the pier. In the midst of all the usual souvenirs you will find a man who features the Mopa Mopa art of the Pasto Indian community of Columbia. At first glance you will think you are looking at painted wood items. It is actually not paint but a resin over wood. The artists boil mopa mopa buds to extract a resin. Next, they stain the resin with different minerals to color it. They stretch the colored resin with their teeth and hands, overlay it on the wooden piece (this could be a carved figure or a box, etc) and cut out the design. They continue this process, overlaying different colors to create a unique design. The result is quite beautiful. They are priced very reasonably. I was pretty irritated with myself because I only bought one piece. I thought I would see more throughout the trip. I was wrong. I never saw them for sale again. If you would like to read more about this process, check out this website http://www.mopamopa.com/

 

I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

 

 

Wonderful Information on Aruba and I love native crafts this is perfect! I looked at the website you provided - very cool. Can I ask you about a price range to plan on for the artwork and was it cash only or could you use card? Lori

[waterbug1]

Wonderful Information on Aruba and I love native crafts this is perfect! I looked at the website you provided - very cool. Can I ask you about a price range to plan on for the artwork and was it cash only or could you use card? Lori

 

Oh Lori I am so happy that you found this information useful! All the sticker prices were in US dollars. The smaller pieces were about $20 and under. The most expensive piece that I saw was $50. Impossible pricing for work that is so labor intensive and so beautifully crafted. The man who runs the booth wrote his University thesis on mopa mopa and he will proudly show it to you. He is committed to helping the Pasto Indian community and to the survival of this art form. I paid cash, so I’m sorry but I didn’t inquire about the whether or not he accepted credit cards.

[Sadiet]

Hi Ken!

 

Leslie and I just returned from this cruise and it was wonderful! It is more relaxing than the Ruby was but very nice. It never felt crowded and the staff were great! Not to mention the wonderful entertainer in the Crooners bar.

 

I have to tell you that the Roll Call was very small - not anything like March. We actually didn't make it to the meet and greet because we were just taking it easy and didn't want to be on any schedule. Going through the Panama Canal was a memorable experience and it just makes me want to go through again on the full transit.

 

We went on this trip with two other friends of ours to celebrate my birthday and we didn't meet any new friends this time. No cabin crawl and no searching for "the rum" but a wonderful trip non the less.

 

I am sure that you and Carol would have a wonderful time on this cruise.

 

If you have any specific questions just send me an e-mail and I will try to answer them for you.

 

Happy Cruising

 

Tracy

[Sadiet]

Ooops. My mistake/apologies. I did actually meet someone new on the ship that I hope to be able to keep in touch with and perhaps run in to again.

 

We still check the old Roll Call post just to see if anyone is taking a cruise that we might also be on. Met a lot of nice people in March and hope to run in to some of you again along the way.

[Pachutabelle]

Thanks Waterbug for taking the time to let us hear more about your cruise. I hope we have weather as nice as you had. The information about mopa mopa was fascinating. I looked at the site and thought it was so colorful and beautiful. I am certainly going to try and purchase some of the pieces. Could not believe the price you gave.

 

The first cruise we took was on the Coral, she was a beautiful ship. We are now looking forward to sailing on Island and hope the experience will be as nice. Thanks again.

[kellor]

Oh Lori I am so happy that you found this information useful! All the sticker prices were in US dollars. The smaller pieces were about $20 and under. The most expensive piece that I saw was $50. Impossible pricing for work that is so labor intensive and so beautifully crafted. The man who runs the booth wrote his University thesis on mopa mopa and he will proudly show it to you. He is committed to helping the Pasto Indian community and to the survival of this art form. I paid cash, so I’m sorry but I didn’t inquire about the whether or not he accepted credit cards.

 

Next week can not get here soon enough -- I'm so ready for this vacation and new experiences. Anymore great hidden locations you found on land that are must see? Thanks again - Lori

[Coolmama_1]

Thanks for the review. Sounds like you had a wonderful time!