Feedback on Coral Princess Balcony Cabin Dolphin Deck (D208 or anything close by)

[MacMadame]

DH and I are taking a once-in-a-lifetime Panama Canal Cruise in Jan 2025 on the Coral Princess. I have been obsessing over cabin choice for a while. Including searching teh interwebs for pictures/video/reviews (not found), checking out many articles on picking your cabin, and checking out places like cruisedeckplans.com. After a lot of research, I decided on a port-side balcony cabin (sunsets!) near the front of the ship. I also wanted a balcony with a roof so as not to be overwhelmed by the sun. I also didn't want to be too close to the lift to avoid the noise and traffic. The cabin I picked meets all of those criteria.

 

But after I booked the cruise, I read that it can be really windy near the front of the ship to the point where the balcony is unusable. Plus I realized that while I have a cabin on either side and above and below (as recommended), across the hall is a big empty space. I assume this is a crew-only area and now I'm wondering if I'm going to be near a door where crew go in and out or if there going to be carts rumbling by our door 24/7.

 

If anyone has any experience with either this cabin or the ones near it on that side, I would really appreciate it if you could give me some insight.

 

Also, if I do decide I want a different cabin, I can't just cancel and rebook because the price has gone up. If I call my Princess person, would they move us if asked without additional costs?

[NavyVeteran]

7 hours ago, MacMadame said:

Also, if I do decide I want a different cabin, I can't just cancel and rebook because the price has gone up. If I call my Princess person, would they move us if asked without additional costs?

I can't speak to this specific cabin and ship.

You can change to another cabin in the same category if one is available with no change in price. To change to a different category, you would have to refare to the current price (or cancel and rebook).

[OzKiwiJJ]

Almost all the interior space on Dolphin deck isn't public space. We've had various cabins on that deck and have never been disturbed by noise from crew areas. Since the cabin you picked is forward of the forward lift lobby it should be very quiet.

 

I can't help with the wind issue, sorry, we've mostly had cabins midships, mid-aft, or aft.

[knbcruisers]

Is there any chance you could move to deck 10–Caribe for similar price?  These are standard cabins but with oversized 9x9 balconies (sized like a minisuite). They are partially covered so best of both worlds.   We were in mid 300 block Panama Canal and it was great location.  Wind is not an issue, quiet, easy access everywhere.  

[Me456Cruising]

Good luck on Coral Princess. I’m on that ship right now and it’s like being on a floating sewer. Sewage smell on the entire ship! Crew has openly admitted there’s a plumbing problem onboard. Overall the ship is very run down and needs a major overhaul. Hope the plumbing is fixed by the time you travel.

[Reina del Mar]

15 hours ago, Me456Cruising said:

Good luck on Coral Princess. I’m on that ship right now and it’s like being on a floating sewer. Sewage smell on the entire ship! Crew has openly admitted there’s a plumbing problem onboard. Overall the ship is very run down and needs a major overhaul. Hope the plumbing is fixed by the time you travel.

 

This is very scary !!!!

 

Did the crew members you spoke to have any insight as to when the issue might be fixed, please ????

 

Many thanks.

[Me456Cruising]

Crew member I spoke to didn’t give any indication when the plumbing issue would be fixed. I’m a frequent Princess cruiser and have never had this unpleasant, stinky situation on other Princess ship. It seems unlikely that they would be able to fix plumbing on the entire ship before you sail in January. The general shabby and worn appearance of the ship along with the widespread sewage smell onboard has been a huge disappointment.  Other guests have complained about the smell too. Don’t want to spoil your future trip, just letting you know facts about current state of Coral Princess.

[MacMadame]

The ship is due for refurbishment in 2024. I can't find where I read that so I don't know the exact timeframe. But it's before our sailing in Jan 2025