Coral Princess Panama Canal Review with Photos

[crystalspin]

I am late reading this review! It is great!

 

Thanks especially for the nice current pics of your cabin. We are booked for the full Canal on the Island in Feb of 2016. We'll have a cabin on the other side of the bump-out, and the photos on the website can be dated (of course, Island is going to be revamped this year so the decor may be different yet, but thanks, anyway!). I love to imagine myself in the cabin as it will be, it gets me psyched up!

 

I'm saving this thread for my sis and BIL who will be coming too, in the adjoining mini-suite.

[6pack]

Thanks for providing this great review! We will be sailing on her in 25 days and are getting really excited after reviewing your thread :)

[6pack]

I forgot to ask two quick question relating to your cruise! Were they offering wine packages for sale? The all inclusive drink package doesn't make sense for us, however the wine package certainly would :D Where do they hold the Platinum / Elite happy hour on the Coral?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Dave

Edited March 17, 2015 by 6pack

[Susie51]

Thank you posting lots of photos.

[h20skibum]

I forgot to ask two quick question relating to your cruise! Were they offering wine packages for sale? The all inclusive drink package doesn't make sense for us, however the wine package certainly would :D Where do they hold the Platinum / Elite happy hour on the Coral?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Dave

 

I can't tell you anything about wine packages since we are not wine drinkers. We did mostly beer and mixed drinks and did not get a drink package.

 

If I recall, happy hour was 5-7 at Explorers Lounge.

 

Enjoy your trip. I still have an eight month wait till my next cruise.

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes love the photos. ;)

[baconlover1]

Thank you for the amazing review. We will be doing a similar itinerary on NCL next March. I am starting to work on excursions etc .and found this to be quite helpful.

 

Thanks again!

[h20skibum]

Thank you for the amazing review. We will be doing a similar itinerary on NCL next March. I am starting to work on excursions etc .and found this to be quite helpful.

 

Thanks again!

 

I am glad you found it helpful. Just remember, it will be very hot and humid in March in Columbia and Panama. When we were there, it said the heat index made it feel like it was in the 130's.

 

One site I like to check before leaving is cruiseoutlook dot com. If you go to the weather reports tab, you can select your cruise line and sailing and get a custom weather report for all your ports.

 

Enjoy,

[baconlover1]

I am glad you found it helpful. Just remember, it will be very hot and humid in March in Columbia and Panama. When we were there, it said the heat index made it feel like it was in the 130's.

 

One site I like to check before leaving is cruiseoutlook dot com. If you go to the weather reports tab, you can select your cruise line and sailing and get a custom weather report for all your ports.

 

Enjoy,

 

We are from Florida and my husband is Colombian. I am hoping it won't be too bad, lol.

 

Thank you for the tip on the weather site. It will come in handy.

[h20skibum]

We are from Florida and my husband is Colombian. I am hoping it won't be too bad, lol.

 

Thank you for the tip on the weather site. It will come in handy.

 

Haven't been back here for a while, but you are welcome. For those interested in the canal expansion, here is a nice link from the times union with photos and videos of them starting to fill the canal on the Atlantic side today.

 

http://www.timesunion.com/news/world/article/Workers-begin-filling-Panama-Canal-s-newly-6322329.php

[Colo Cruiser]

Cool! Progress! :D

[kokoko]

THANK YOU so much for this review and photos it is great. I am going on this ship and cruise for Christmas this year and really appreciate the pictures and all the info. Again thanks loved it

[ddffdian]

The Ship - Dining and Bars

 

Besides the Horizon Court Buffet, the Coral has the Provence Main Dining Room and the Bordeaux My Time Dining Room as the main dining areas. Other options for food include the Pizzeria and the ice cream bar on deck 14 and the Grill on deck 15, and a small International Cafe on deck 6. For fee restaurants include Sabatini's and the Bayou Cafe on deck 7.

 

 

 

 

We did not use any of the specialty restaurants. Our lunch favorites was to get something from the Grill. Here, they offered cooked to order hamburgers, hot dogs, knock wurst, bratwurst, and chicken sandwiches. The Pizzeria usually offered a specialty pizza each day as well as plain or pepperoni. We had no complaints from anything we ordered at either place.

 

We had a table for 10 in the Main Dining Room at the early dinner seating, and we are all of our dinners there. Our table mates were all thoroughly enjoyable. The meal choices were usually six main entrees, four "always available" entrees, a couple of pasta choices, and three or four soup, salad and appetizer choices. Most of the food was good, but was not up to the same level we have experienced on other cruises. Maybe we just notice this more the longer we cruise. The meal choices seemed to be very similar, to almost repeat some options later in the cruise.

 

There are eight bars or bar/lounge areas, with some only being open if there are activities going on there. Most beers were 4.25 to 5.95 plus tip, and cocktails averaged 7.95 plus tip. Crooners had the best Dirty Banana. I guess all bartenders are not created equal.

 

 

 

 

Next - Fitness Options

 

so looking forward to this cruise after looking at these pictures

[h20skibum]

so looking forward to this cruise after looking at these pictures

 

What a great choice for your first cruise. Enjoy it.

 

If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them. It has only been about 14 months, but it seems a long time between cruises since we still have 133 days to the next one.

[I_r_a]

Thanks for a very nice review.

 

Ira

[cruiseclues]

Thank you for your excellent photo review...very enjoyable. :):):):)

[h20skibum]

Glad you enjoyed it. I can't believe it is still being found 16 months later, but I guess it may show up more as they transition to the PC season.

 

It was an enjoyable trip for us.

[Frogemax]

Hi h20skibum, my hubby and I are going on the Coral in November 2015 full transit as our first ever cruise to celebrate our 30th anniversary. Your amazing review and wonderful pictures have made me so much more excited - if that were possible! Thank you so much for all the information you have passed on x Ruth

[h20skibum]

Hi h20skibum, my hubby and I are going on the Coral in November 2015 full transit as our first ever cruise to celebrate our 30th anniversary. Your amazing review and wonderful pictures have made me so much more excited - if that were possible! Thank you so much for all the information you have passed on x Ruth

 

Have a fantastic time on your canal transit. You will see some ports that we didn't by taking the full transit.

 

We would have loved to do the full transit, but couldn't spare the extra vacation days for that trip.

 

Enjoy,

[Frogemax]

My hubby is an engineer and it's one of his ambitions to see the canal for himself - I am looking forward to rain forests in Costa Rica and Volcanoes in Nicaragua, not a bad first cruise for a small town couple from England!

[cmaygar]

We are booked on the Coral Princess for the October 2015 partial Panama Canal sailing. Your detailed review and great photos substantiate that we made the right choice when we chose this itinerary and the Coral Princess. Thanks so much for the great information. We're looking forward to experience this cruise.

[h20skibum]

My hubby is an engineer and it's one of his ambitions to see the canal for himself - I am looking forward to rain forests in Costa Rica and Volcanoes in Nicaragua, not a bad first cruise for a small town couple from England!

 

If your hubby is an engineer, this latest report on the new canal may interest him.

 

http://insidecostarica.com/2015/09/07/panama-canals-new-locks-leaking-really-leaking-video/

 

Looks like the projected opening will probably get pushed back again.

[Frogemax]

Thank you for that, it just shows me how amazing the first canal really is - to be constructed a century ago without today's equipment and technology.

[cakegirl.73]

We are taking this partial cruise in Dec on the Coral. Looking at excursions now and wondered if anyone has info on the big Limon, Costa Rica one. It's L-620, Veragua Rainforest, Torguguero Canals and Lunch. Wondering if if it worth the money, was the aerial tram ok, or should we avoid it? Also the possible hike to the falls, its says moderate..we aren't that out of shape, but wondering how hard it really is. Thanks to anyone who can help!

[h20skibum]

We are taking this partial cruise in Dec on the Coral. Looking at excursions now and wondered if anyone has info on the big Limon, Costa Rica one. It's L-620, Veragua Rainforest, Torguguero Canals and Lunch. Wondering if if it worth the money, was the aerial tram ok, or should we avoid it? Also the possible hike to the falls, its says moderate..we aren't that out of shape, but wondering how hard it really is. Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

We did not do that excursion, so I can't help you with it. You may want to try searching the Costa Rica forum, or post the question there. It is at..

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=198

 

Enjoy the cruise.