12 Nights on the Caribbean Princess

We embarked on the ship in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We were at sea for two days, then stopped in Aruba (day 4), Curacao (day 5), Cartagena (day 7), the Panama Canal (day 8—the pinnacle of our cruise!), Limón (day nine), and Grand Cayman (day 11), then disembarked on day 13 in Fort Lauderdale. I have done quite a lot of cruising recently with different cruise lines, but a few things struck me on the Caribbean Princess.

The Panama Canal

The medallion, which is one’s room key and contains one’s details, is unique, effective, and beautiful. You don't really even have to place it against your stateroom door to unlock it. As you approach your door, it identifies you, shows your picture, and welcomes you—for example, “Good evening Peter.” It then unlocks your door. It is simply phenomenal.

Though the ship caters to minors and has spaces reserved for them, there were very few children on the cruise. Maybe the length of the cruise and the fact that the cruise was when schools were in session were factors responsible for the lack of kids. So for people who love cruising with few or no kids onboard, this is your ship.

The Caribbean Princess

The theater shows—which were at 7 p.m. and repeated at 10 p.m.—were simply phenomenal. They were Broadway like and captivating. Also, especially in the evening, there was live music playing in several spaces on the ship. They also have several awesome shore excursions—the best for me was the excursion we did on the Panama Canal. We had to exit the ship on the lifeboats, and then we observed ships exit the old and new canals. For me, it was seeing what I taught for over 20 years come to life.

Tendering on the ship's lifeboat in Panama

What resonated with me the most, and I have not seen this on other cruise ships I have traveled on, is how accommodating the ship’s staff are to travelers with disabilities. There are seats reserved in the theater for disabled travelers on most cruise ships, but the Caribbean Princess ensures this by placing their staff on standby, so that no one (except disabled travelers) occupies these seats until 5 to 10 minutes before the start of the show. Also, they have two to three sign language interpreters just below the stage during the show. Sign language is also used during all of their shows, not only in the theaters. There were also several motorized wheelchairs all over the ship.

The Princess Theater

Most cruises provide their guests with brochures of the day’s activities the night before, but the Caribbean Princess's are almost double the size and very colorful. It is therefore very captivating, not boring, and very easy to identify the activities for the following day.

My trip on the Caribbean Princess was truly memorable; however, if you are a parent with young kids who love all the water slides and splash activities, this may not be the cruise for you, as the ship does not have such facilities.

If you do embark on this cruise to the Panama Canal, make sure you book a shore excursion far in advance to get onshore to actually get to the observation deck to watch the ships go through the old and new canals. Unlike other places where the ship stops, at the Panama Canal, only those with paid shore excursions can disembark (tender to shore)—all others must stay onboard the ship.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our cruises page.