Need opinions of which cruise to take

[Harley Rdr]

Mom and I will be taking another cruise and have narrowed it down to 4. Mom has 18 trips on Princess and I have 12 but we have not done these specific itineraries. She can walk but will need to rent an electric scooter to get around off the ship. Does anyone feel one of these options may be better than another (and why)? They all sound great to me but I can only pick one. (I know, it's a terrible job but someone has to do it. :))

 

1) 3/1/14 10 day Mexico on Sapphire round trip from LA, 2) 4/1/14 15 day Panama Canal on Island leaving from Florida, 3) 3/20/14 15 day Hawaiian on Star round trip from LA, 4) 3/19/14 10 day Southern Caribbean on Emerald round trip from Florida. Thanks for any thoughts you can provide.

[Colo Cruiser]

Panama Canal for sure. :)

Has a nice wide Promenade deck and only approx 2000 passengers.

[shastatroy]

Panama Canal for sure. :)

Has a nice wide Promenade deck and only approx 2000 passengers.

 

Ditto, going through the canal is a must.

[wineforhealth]

I agree I would do the Panama Canal

[ginabab]

I think this year is the 100-yr anniversary of the canal

[paul929207]

Panama vote here too. We are on the two Panama cruises on the Island before the one you are considering

[Pam in CA]

All of them. :) There isn't one that isn't great. My preference would be the HI cruise but the Panama Canal cruise is also great. And then, you could join us on the Sapphire March 1st. Decisions! Decisions!

[Harley Rdr]

We've done the partial transit of the Canal. It had been rainy so the water was very muddy which they said was unusual. I really enjoyed that trip and said I wanted to do the full transit so it's a strong contender. It has 8 days at sea but not a bunch of them in a row like the Hawaii cruise. It's also the smallest of the 4 ships and may be easier for Mom to walk around on.

 

Thank you for your thoughts. We'll need to check on flights. We're in Iowa so it's almost the same to go East or West.

[avcruz]

I would add my voice to those voting for the Panama Canal with one caveat. The Island and Coral Princesses may be easier to get around, however some of the ports, such as Cartegena, Panama City or Puntarenas may be difficult to navigate in the scooter.

 

For that reason you may find the Hawaii cruise works better from a ports of call perspective.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Harley Rdr]

Pam, I'd love to join you for the March 1 cruise and do the Canal. We will also be flying to Texas in the next 2 months for a family visit so we have to limit it to 1 cruise during the first half of the year.

[deminggraham]

I love the Panama Canal and am doing it again in April. However, two of the ports ( San Juan del Sur and Cabo) are tender ports and this may limit what your Mom can do. I don't know how easy it will be to get her and a scooter on and off of the tender.

 

Hawaii is a wonderful cruise but Maui is also a tender port. Perhaps other who use a scooter can advise you if they have issues with tender ports.

[Harley Rdr]

Thank you. You make a very valid point. It's certainly something to think about.

[Harley Rdr]

Mom can walk but is limited to about 2 blocks. She is actually planning to stay on the ship most of the time. We may need to rethink the need for a scooter. We thought it might be useful if there are shops by the end of the pier like in Alaska and the Caribbean.

[rjack22]

Another vote for the Panama Canal! We did this one four years ago and we are still talking about it! We did the reverse though - LA to FLL.

[JimAOk1945]

It's so nice that you and your mom can cruise together. I hope when you return that you will post a review of your trip. It may be helpful to others who cruise with a parent/loved one who uses a scooter.

 

Happy cruising whichever itinerary you choose.

Edited February 2, 2014 by JimAOk1945

[riclop]

Mom and I will be taking another cruise and have narrowed it down to 4. Mom has 18 trips on Princess and I have 12 but we have not done these specific itineraries. She can walk but will need to rent an electric scooter to get around off the ship. Does anyone feel one of these options may be better than another (and why)? They all sound great to me but I can only pick one. (I know, it's a terrible job but someone has to do it. :))

 

1) 3/1/14 10 day Mexico on Sapphire round trip from LA, 2) 4/1/14 15 day Panama Canal on Island leaving from Florida, 3) 3/20/14 15 day Hawaiian on Star round trip from LA, 4) 3/19/14 10 day Southern Caribbean on Emerald round trip from Florida. Thanks for any thoughts you can provide.

They are all good so do one of each.

[Jasperdo]

I would pick the Panama Canal cruise first. The Canal is an amazing experience. I liked the ports on this cruise as well. Plus the fact that you begin and end in different ports. You could spend a few days before and after the cruise sightseeing.

 

A close second would Hawaii on the Star. The Hawaiian husband and wife musical team of Elua will be onboard. They provide excellent music along with lei making, hula and ukulele lessons to get you in the Aloha Spirit.

Edited February 2, 2014 by Jasperdo

[sashas_mom]

I use a mobility scooter and they don't let you take them on the tenders anymore. With the scooter your mom can enjoy the ports on the Hawaii cruise, except for Maui. The Princess tours will accommodate the scooter. I have the same circumstances as your mom. I can walk, just not very long and I walk very slow. We've done the full transit Panama Canal and Hawaii, and I've enjoyed both. Don't hesitate to get her a scooter. It is a life saver on a cruise when you have limitations, and she will really be able to enjoy herself. They are very easy to maneuver.

[Harley Rdr]

Thank you for the input on the scooter. I'm trying to gently push her toward renting one. She is afraid it will be difficult to drive and she'll hit someone. I told her today it will be easier to use than the John Deere yard tractor she routinely drives. I'm going to take her to Walmart so she can learn on one of their scooters.

[Harley Rdr]

Thank you everyone for your input. We're going to try to get into the travel agent tomorrow to book the full transit of the Panama Canal. Due to booking so late we may decide on the April 16th one instead of April 1. Mom has agreed to a balcony cabin forward or aft instead of mid-ship due to the large difference in cost. However, she has never let Princess assign her a cabin. Not sure she will agree to it this time and it looks like we can pick our own cabin if we go mid-April.

[Luvmyrotti]

We loved doing Hawaii. The ports could certainly be a bit easier with a scooter than some of the other itineraries you listed. Even in Maui, which is a tender port, since your mom can walk a bit, there is a mobility scooter rental company in Lahaina that could arrange a scooter for her. Also, I suspect that Princess will have special tours set up for those with mobility challenges that would be good for your mom.

 

Whichever you choose, have a great cruise!

[sashas_mom]

The key to avoid hitting someone is to keep the knob that controls how fast it will go to the lowest point when entering an elevator and when riding amongst crowds. I did practice in places where they had them for customers, and the ones you rent are even easier. Also be aware she should not make any sharp turns. It will really help her to enjoy independence on the ship. I do something that makes light of it and is always a big hit on the ships. I make a sign for the from and back of the scooter, which I attach with ribbon. It says Warning! Student Driver. I've done this for years now because I get such a kick out of people laughing when they see the sign. It's a crowd pleaser.

 

As,for the tours, I've been able to do any of the tours I wanted to do. If I can't get to something, I just wait and my husband takes pictures for me.