We are an active couple in our mid-50's, interested in Central and South America, who booked this cruise as a belated 25th anniversary gift to ourselves. We have been on 3 previous cruises, but have never cruised on Princess.

The Ship's Review by Ellen Uzelac was very comprehensive and covered a lot of the same things that I intended on mentioning. (Her review was of an Alaskan cruise and ours was the Panama Canal cruise.) Therefore, I will just mention a few of the highs and the lows that we encountered on this cruise.

Highs 1. Embarkation/Disembarkation: This was the best experience we have ever had boarding and unboarding a ship. There were no huge crowds of people or long lines at either time. The disembarkation was especially easy. From the time we got in line to leave the ship to the time we walked away from Customs/Immigration to get a taxi was no more than 10 minutes! 2. Cabin: We had a mini-suite on the Dolphin deck and it was great! The size of the room was more spacious than we expected. We especially liked having a full bathtub in the bathroom and it was the largest bathroom we have ever experienced on a cruise ship, even in a balcony room. The bed was extremely comfortable (and we heard that same comment from other passengers as well). 3. Lotus Pool: This is where we spent most of our relaxation time on the ship. The Lotus Pool area is enclosed and air conditioned, which is a big plus in April on a Panama Canal cruise. There are lots of wooden lounge chairs with thick cushions, so you never have a problem finding a free space. The decor is based on Thai designs and quiet, calm music plays during the day. There are two spa tubs and a nice-sized deep pool which has a current option so that you can swim against a current for exercise. There never were many people in this area and usually after 5pm, we had the entire space to ourselves. We never could figure out why people were hanging around in the heat and humidity at the noisy outdoor pool when the Lotus Pool was just next-door. 4. Activities--There was a ton of activities everyday, offering something for everyone. We enjoyed playing the numerous games. There were usually two typical trivia games each day (one in the morning and one in the afternoon), but there were also games based on popular TV game shows like "Are You Smarter than a Fifth-Grader" and "Jeopardy". We also enjoyed the line dancing classes. (There were also ballroom dancing classes). There was also a destination "expert" on board who gave talks about the various countries we visited. We attended his lecture on the Panama Canal, which was excellent and he provided commentary over the loudspeakers as we traversed the canal. 5. Pub Lunches--On three of the sea days, a British pub lunch was offered in the Bayou Cafe (no extra charge). The menu was limited, but the food was excellent. We went on all three days the pub lunch was offered and ate fish and chips, fried shrimp and chips and scotch eggs. The shrimp and chips were mediocre, but the other two entrees were excellent. Since only a few dishes were offered, the service was quick and the food was hot, hot, hot. Read more