We just returned from a 10-day full transit cruise through the Panama Canal from Ft. Lauderdale to Acapulco. Our group included me, DH, his brother and wife. We had adjoining balcony cabins on Caribe deck, just behind the middle bumpout. Our cabin steward opened the door between balconies, and we kept it open the entire cruise. This is the same class of cabin we had on a prior Princess cruise, so we knew what we were getting. We definitely enjoy the over sized Caribe balconies. The stateroom is small, but well-designed. The open closet area (no closet doors) make it seem less claustrophobic. The bathroom is, well, a stateroom bathroom -- small, but you get used to it. We all arrived a day early and stayed at the Holiday Inn Express near the port. This is a good hotel for a pre-cruise stay due to its location near shopping (for last minute items...and wine!) and restaurants. We took a shuttle to the port and were able to board around noon. Embarkation was very smooth, and the bags got to the rooms pretty quickly. DH and I had only cruised once before, on the Ruby Princess. We found the Coral to be very cozy in comparison to the Ruby, even though it's 2/3 as big. Common areas were seldom crowded. The Library was bigger than on the Ruby. I did miss having Vines and the International Cafe', but flights of wine with hors d'oeuvres were offered at the Lobby Bar. We had traditional dining, initially the early seating, but we changed to the later seating after the first night. This worked out better as we didn't have to rush to change for dinner after excursions or a busy day at the pool! The food in the dining room was overall quite good, and our dining stewards were very attentive. We all tried Sabatini's one night, and the only complaint here is the usual -- too much food! We did both formal nights and enjoyed being able to dress up. We even did the formal portraits on the first formal night, and actually bought some of the pictures. I made a few trips to the Casino, and ended up slightly down. I figure that is the cost of entertainment, as I enjoy the poker-like table games (no slots or blackjack for me). The Casino was smoky as usual. The Ruby had 2 non-smoking Casino nights during the cruise, and I was a bit surprised that the Coral didn't do the same. We all attended one show during the cruise, "Dance". This was after our late dining, and we were all a bit tired. Some of the dancers were quite good, and some just adequate. I guess I'm just spoiled from watching all the TV dance shows. Some days DH and I did separate activities from BIL and SIL, some days together. DH and I did a few of the puzzles in the Library, and jigsaw puzzles in the Card Room on at-sea days. BIL/SIL favored the main pool more than us. I preferred the Lotus Pool when I wanted pool time. I used the Lotus Spa for the first time on this cruise. I had a pedicure on one of the at-sea days. They do try to upsell you with different products, but are not overly pushy. As it happens, I quite liked a couple of products and ended up buying some, but I didn't feel overly pressured. Our port stops were Ocho Rios (Jamaica), San Juan Del Sur (Costa Rica), Puntarenas (Nicaragua), Huatulco (Mexico), and we ended the cruise in Acapulco. We stayed an extra 2 days in Acapulco before flying home. I booked a private excursion on April 16 in Ocho Rios, with Mark's Tours. My BIL and SIL were able to join DH and I on this excursion to Dunn's River Falls and River Tubing. The owner of Mark's Tours, Mark Morris, met us at the end of the pier as arranged via e-mail before the cruise. He had a large air-conditioned van and brought his charming 13-year old daughter along. He gave us some Jamaican history and facts as we drove to the Falls. We arrived fairly early to beat the crowds coming in large buses. Climbing the Falls was a blast! SIL sat the climb out, but was kept company by Mark's daughter, who was as informative about Jamaica as her father. We then moved onto the river tubing. All 4 of our group participated and it was very relaxing. A guide goes down the river with you to keep everyone safe. There are some minor rapids, just enough to bounce around a bit, but the rest is pretty flat. The scenery is beautiful and the weather was great. There is a stop halfway through where there is a small souvenir stand and a place to buy drinks, including Red Stripe! Mark was ready to take us shopping or more sightseeing, but we were tired after the tubing. The whole excursion was about 4 1/2 hours, and we were back to the ship in plenty of time. I would highly recommend Mark for anyone interested in an excursion in Ocho Rios. He is very personable and informative, and his prices are reasonable. He has a website and tours can be booked directly there. He is very responsive via e-mail, and even phoned a few days before the cruise to confirm the booking. There were no stops during the Panama Canal transit. We got up early, as advised by previous cruisers, to get a space in the front viewing area on deck 10, but weren't quite early enough. We did manage to work our way toward the front for pictures as the morning progressed. Later in the day we were able to move around the ship and get lots more pictures. It is quite an experience to travel through the locks, Gatun Lake, and the Culebra Cut. The weather was warm and muggy that day, but no rain. I also booked a private excursion on April 20 in San Juan Del Sur with Ricky Ricardo Tours. DH and I had a very private tour, as we were the only ones booked for the Volcano Tour. We booked and corresponded via e-mail prior to the cruise, and Ricky met us at the end of the pier that morning. He had an air-conditioned van and a driver, Marco, so that he could concentrate on telling us about Costa Rica, commenting on what were were passing by, and answering our many questions. This was a long day, as Volcano Poas is about 2 1/2 hours from the port. Costa Rica is very hilly, so the roads include a lot of winding switchbacks. Marco was an excellent driver! On the way to the Volcano, we stopped a butterfly farm for pictures and some souvenir shopping. Poas is many times covered by mist, but we got lucky and it cleared while we were up there. We were also able to view a small eruption while there. The volcano is at about 8300 feet, so the air is noticeably thinner. On the way back from the volcano we stopped in the village of Sarchi for lunch and shopping. Lunch was at a small local restaurant, where we had a native Costa Rican meal of chicken, beans, rice, and fried plantains, washed down by fresh pineapple juice. It was delicious. After Sarchi we stopped to view and photograph the only church made completely of metal (can't remember the town). It was a very interesting, but somewhat long day due to the distances that had to be driven. Ricky was an excellent guide and I would recommend him to others. He also has a website, and does other types of tours. All four of us went on a ship's tour in Puntarenas on April 21. This was the Amayo Hacienda Tour. This was a fantastic tour! The large group was transported in buses of about 20 passengers each, with a guide for each bus. The drive to the Hacienda was about 30 minutes. The Amayo Hacienda is a private ranch on the shores of Lake Nicaragua. The family is very warm and welcoming. When we arrived we were greeted by the family members and offered fresh coconuts with a straw to drink the coconut milk. The coconuts could then be cut open and you were given a spoon to eat the fresh coconut meat. It was a great start to the day. Activities offered at the hacienda included horseback riding, cow milking, arts/crafts demos, or just walking the beautiful grounds to the lake for photos. The views were stunning. Near the hacienda itself, we spotted some howler monkeys in the tress and were able to get pictures of them as well. A native lunch was served, with fresh fruit juices or beer/drinks available for purchase. We then went on the buses to see a exhibition of the horses that the hacienda is beginning to breed. The horses are a cross of Andalusian and something else (can't remember). The exhibition was great. The horses are trained to have a very high step, and one of them even "danced" to a mariachi band. The last port stop was Huatulco. We didn't book any excursions for this stop as we were told the beaches were quite close. Well, they were, but because of the holiday weekend (Easter) they were extremely crowded. We ended up getting some drinks, doing some shopping, and going back aboard. I would like to see Huatulco again sometime when it is not so packed. There were 4 at-sea days on this cruise, 5 if you count the Panama Canal transit as an at-sea day. I found this to be a good balance, particularly as they were spaced out almost alternating. The only had 2 port day in a row once (San Juan Del Sur and Puntarenas). DH and I quite enjoy the at-sea days and find them relaxing. Disembarkation in Acapulco was very smooth. We got off the ship about 10:00 am and met our driver outside the port gates. We had arranged with the concierge at the Las Brisas Hotel, Ms. Torres, to have a minivan taxi pick us up from the ship. Acapulco was a great way to unwind from the cruise before flying home. Las Brisas is a unique resort built into the side of a hill overlooking the bay. Each room has it's own patio, pool, cabana and loungers. Our driver, Angel Flores, also drove us to the airport on April 26 (arrived April 24) from the hotel. DH and I booked Mr. Flores to take us on a city tour on April 25, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We saw all the major sights, including the cliff divers. Mr. Flores was a terrific guide who is very proud of his country and city. We did not find Acapulco to be scary or feel threatened at any time. It's a shame that the tourist business is being so badly affected by the drug violence, which hasn't involved any tourists. The morning we left Acapulco, there were 2 earthquakes. DH and I had both been in earthquakes before, and knew immediately what was happening. We didn't panic, but it was certainly an interesting way to wake up. The airport in Acapulco was busy, and I'm glad we got there early. We made our flight in plenty of time. Houston, however, was a zoo. A bunch of international flights arrived at the same time, and Customs and Immigration were overwhelmed. We barely made our flight home, but BIL and SIL missed theirs and didn't get home till the next day. I understand that a number of travelers missed connections that evening. Overall, this was a wonderful, relaxing cruise. A Panama Canal transit is an experience, and all the stops were enjoyable. The Coral is a beautiful ship, and all the staff were attentive, responsive, and polite.