Latest reviews of the Coral Princess?

[Kamfish642]

We will be sailing on the Coral Princess out of Brisbane in early march and would be interested in any recent reviews from Coral Princess passengers.  We've only sailed 2 times previously on Princess, with the Ruby Princess (pre-COVID) and Majestic Princess (post-COVID), both out of Sydney.  The cruise on the Ruby Princess was fantastic, but the cruise on the Majestic Princess (early 2023) was very disappointing.  We has gravitated since towards larger HAL ships, but we decided to give Princess another try.  We always look positively going on a cruise, since all cruise lines have their positives and negatives, so are fingers are crossed.

 

Thank you in advance for your feedback.

[capriccio]

Since the Coral is currently sailing in Australia, you might check existing threads and post your thread on the Australia and New Zealand Cruises board:  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/564-australia-new-zealand-cruisers/.  We had a great 28 day cruise Round Australia on her last April.

 

[nini]

It appears like you may prefer older and/ or smaller ships? We were on the Coral in 2018 for a full transit Panama Canal itinerary. The itinerary was great! We learned that we prefer larger ships than the Coral. Please know that MANY LOVE the Coral but we did not care for the layout. However, this is one ship that can fit through the old locks.

[dmwnc1959]

1 hour ago, nini said:

Please know that MANY LOVE the Coral but we did not care for the layout.

Just curious as to what it is about Coral Princess’ layout that you personally didn’t like. Anything you can warn me in reference? I’ve been studying the deck plans and watching a ton of YouTube ship tour videos, and other than the Lotus Spa/Fitness Center/Sanctuary access (which I’ll never use) it all seems straight forward. I’ve only cruised Ruby Princess and Royal Princess. Thanks for any heads up! 😁

[nini]

8 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Just curious as to what it is about Coral Princess’ layout that you personally didn’t like. Anything you can warn me in reference? I’ve been studying the deck plans and watching a ton of YouTube ship tour videos, and other than the Lotus Spa/Fitness Center/Sanctuary access (which I’ll never use) it all seems straight forward. I’ve only cruised Ruby Princess and Royal Princess. Thanks for any heads up! 😁

 

1. There is no Alfredo's or Gigi's

2. There is no Vines

3. The Lido Buffet is at the very front of the ship. When we were on the ship, the views were typically obscured due to fogged up windows due to humidity (Panama Canal itinerary). They were very slanted which may have contributed.

4. There is no peaceful aft pool

5. There IS an International Cafe, however, you must breathe in Casino smoke to get anything there

(bad layout)

6. There is a Crooners next to the Cigar Lounge (more smoke)

7. The Atrium on the Plaza deck has a Good Spirits at Sea Bar, nothing else

8. There are no aft cabins (our favorite)

 

On the other hand, the Ruby has a design/ deck plan which we really enjoy.

Edited January 7 by nini

[Tranquility Base]

8 minutes ago, nini said:

5. There IS an International Cafe, however, you must breathe in Casino smoke to get anything there

(bad layout)

6. There is a Crooners next to the Cigar Lounge (more smoke)

For the benefit of the OP, don't worry about this aspect.

For your cruise Coral is non-smoking inside.

[capriccio]

#4:  the Coral has a covered pool with seating also overlooking the pool.
 

#5 and #6:  smoking is not allowed on any ship sailing in Australian (and maybe New Zealand) waters which is a wonderful improvement.

 

#8:  the Coral doesn’t have aft cabins but they have aft viewing areas on the passenger decks accessible through doors at the end of the hall.  Some back decks are wider than others and have loungers.  She also has forward viewing decks on Caribe and Dolphin that are excellent for scenic viewing.

 

Finally, the Coral has the best production show we’ve ever seen on Princess:  On the Bayou performed in the Universe Lounge.

[dmwnc1959]

5 minutes ago, nini said:

 

1. There is no Alfredo's or Gigi's

2. There is no Vines

3. The Lido Buffet is at the very front of the ship. When we were on the ship, the views were typically obscured due to fogged up windows due to humidity (Panama Canal itinerary). They were very slanted which may have contributed.

4. There is no peaceful aft pool

5. There IS an International Cafe, however, you must breathe in Casino smoke to get anything there

(bad layout)

6. There is a Crooners next to the Cigar Lounge (more smoke)

7. The Atrium on the Plaza deck has a Good spirits at Sea Bar, nothing wlse

8. There are no aft cabins (our favorite

 

On the other hand, the Ruby has a design/ deck plan which we really enjoy.

I can see why you really didn’t care for the ship. Personally I’m fine with most all of those NOT being on Coral Princess. Having only sailed on Princess twice in the past 11 years, those venues and aspects that are staples of other Princess class vessels aren’t really that important. I did book an aft interior cabin for easy access to those delightful tiered decks just to relax. And the specialty dining restaurants are enough to keep me happy. Wasn’t aware that smoke from cigarettes/cigars were so much an issue on Princess still? 

[dmwnc1959]

38 minutes ago, Tranquility Base said:

For the benefit of the OP, don't worry about this aspect.

For your cruise Coral is non-smoking inside.

 
This would make me happy if it were the same for the PC cruise. 
 

😎

Edited January 7 by dmwnc1959

[nini]

34 minutes ago, capriccio said:

#4:  the Coral has a covered pool with seating also overlooking the pool.
 

#5 and #6:  smoking is not allowed on any ship sailing in Australian (and maybe New Zealand) waters which is a wonderful improvement.

 

#8:  the Coral doesn’t have aft cabins but they have aft viewing areas on the passenger decks accessible through doors at the end of the hall.  Some back decks are wider than others and have loungers.  She also has forward viewing decks on Caribe and Dolphin that are excellent for scenic viewing.

 

Finally, the Coral has the best production show we’ve ever seen on Princess:  On the Bayou performed in the Universe Lounge.

 

Of course Australia will make a difference. I answered @dmwnc1959 according to the question and our experience which was NOT in Australia. It does not change the deck plans.

 

For us, we had rude smokers smoking on the lovely public aft decks and tossing the butts into the ocean. Yes, many reported this with the name and cabin number of offenders, and NOTHING was done.

 

And @capriccio is absolutely correct! "On the Bayou" is fantastic! I wish it was on other ships.

[capriccio]

2 minutes ago, nini said:

 

Of course Australia will make a difference. I answered @dmwnc1959 according to the question and our experience which was NOT in Australia. It does not change the deck plans.

And I was providing info for the OP @Kamfish642 who is  sailing from Brisbane.

[nini]

4 minutes ago, capriccio said:

And I was providing info for the OP @Kamfish642 who is  sailing from Brisbane.

 

Yes, I appreciate that.

[MacMadame]

1 hour ago, nini said:

 

1. There is no Alfredo's or Gigi's

I thought Alfredo's was there as a popup on sea days?

 

1 hour ago, nini said:

4. There is no peaceful aft pool

There is a pool in the Sanctuary (which is aft) but you have to pay for that.

1 hour ago, nini said:

8. There are no aft cabins (our favorite)

I assume you mean balcony cabins. There are definitely none of those on the Coral which disappointed me when I was booking. But they do have some ocean view aft cabins if people are interested in them.

 

41 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

 This would make me happy if it were the same for the PC cruise. 
 

😎

Same.

[capriccio]

Just now, MacMadame said:

I thought Alfredo's was there as a popup on sea days?

 

I forgot about that.  We took advantage of the Alfredo’s free pop up for two sea day lunches and loved it.  I’m not sure it is still free given all the pricing changes made recently by Princess.

[dmwnc1959]

13 minutes ago, capriccio said:

I forgot about that.  We took advantage of the Alfredo’s free pop up for two sea day lunches and loved it.  I’m not sure it is still free given all the pricing changes made recently by Princess.

On Coral Princess it is now part of the Princess Plus (2 meals) and Princess Premiere (unlimited) packages as a Casual Dining option 

 

😁

Edited January 7 by dmwnc1959

[nini]

1 hour ago, MacMadame said:

I thought Alfredo's was there as a popup on sea days?

 

None when we cruised on the Coral.

 

There is a pool in the Sanctuary (which is aft) but you have to pay for that.

 

Again, not the same.

 

I assume you mean balcony cabins. There are definitely none of those on the Coral which disappointed me when I was booking. But they do have some ocean view aft cabins if people are interested in them.

 

There are ONLY TWO with windows and only on the Emerald Deck

My responses are above in purple.

Edited January 7 by nini

[JohnnyG7]

Just spent 7 days on the Coral in  Mini Suite and had  Reserve Class which was a bonus with dining in the Bordeaux Dining room and no need queue up, just walk in. Only dined in the Horizon when Breakfast & Lunch not available in the Bordeaux. She is a bit tired. Most of the lounge chairs in public areas are hard and uncomfortable as the padding has had its day. Even the lounge in our Mini Suite had worn out cushioning.

Finding somewhere to sit and read etc anytime was no problem at all as she only holds 2000 passengers. Food in the Bordeaux was magnificent and staff (Godfrey & Sarah) were wonderful. Didn't do the Sanctuary as you have to pay, which is ridiculous. Has a large Library and lots of seating in it if you just want to relax. All of the shows and entertainers were quite good.

The information talks about each Port of call were a total waste of time, hardly any relevant information given. didn't even get told about the availability of a shuttle into own at Airlie Beach, found that out ourselves. All in all, I think you will enjoy the Coral.

[dmwnc1959]

49 minutes ago, JohnnyG7 said:

Just spent 7 days on the Coral in  Mini Suite and had  Reserve Class which was a bonus with dining in the Bordeaux Dining room and no need queue up, just walk in. Only dined in the Horizon when Breakfast & Lunch not available in the Bordeaux. She is a bit tired. Most of the lounge chairs in public areas are hard and uncomfortable as the padding has had its day. Even the lounge in our Mini Suite had worn out cushioning.

Finding somewhere to sit and read etc anytime was no problem at all as she only holds 2000 passengers. Food in the Bordeaux was magnificent and staff (Godfrey & Sarah) were wonderful. Didn't do the Sanctuary as you have to pay, which is ridiculous. Has a large Library and lots of seating in it if you just want to relax. All of the shows and entertainers were quite good.

The information talks about each Port of call were a total waste of time, hardly any relevant information given. didn't even get told about the availability of a shuttle into own at Airlie Beach, found that out ourselves. All in all, I think you will enjoy the Coral.

THANK YOU for the update! My guess is that during the three week drydock coming up this fall all of the furniture will be completely replaced, especially in the public areas. 
 

Her space/passenger ratio seems to be one of the single biggest draws. I’ve never read a review saying the ship felt crowded. And the videos I’ve seen make her feel very intimate and elegant. 

[memoak]

On 1/7/2024 at 10:25 AM, capriccio said:

#4:  the Coral has a covered pool with seating also overlooking the pool.
 

#5 and #6:  smoking is not allowed on any ship sailing in Australian (and maybe New Zealand) waters which is a wonderful improvement.

 

#8:  the Coral doesn’t have aft cabins but they have aft viewing areas on the passenger decks accessible through doors at the end of the hall.  Some back decks are wider than others and have loungers.  She also has forward viewing decks on Caribe and Dolphin that are excellent for scenic viewing.

 

Finally, the Coral has the best production show we’ve ever seen on Princess:  On the Bayou performed in the Universe Lounge.

Two things to note. The Coral can go through the old Panama Canal locks unlike most ships. That is a huge draw for us. We also like the Ruby but again that is an extra 1,000 passengers and cannot go through the old locks 

[dmwnc1959]

19 hours ago, memoak said:

Two things to note. The Coral can go through the old Panama Canal locks unlike most ships. That is a huge draw for us. We also like the Ruby but again that is an extra 1,000 passengers and cannot go through the old locks 

I cruised the Ruby Princess back in 2012 as part of a B2B with Allure of the Seas. It was crazy how Ruby Princess just always felt crowded and claustrophobic. Many years earlier I’d also cruised Dawn Princess and her sister Sun Princess in the Caribbean and Alaska, and never really noticed them being congested. That extra 1000 people really make a difference!