0208 248 2355
Questions about your booking? Contact Us
Login
Grand in design, this magnificent vessel offers a host of delightful diversions as you see the world
Your culinary journey at sea reaches new heights with an abundance of fresh restaurant choices and dining options aboard Emerald Princess. From revitalised top deck venues like Salty Dog Grill, Slice Pizzeria and Coffee & Cones to brand new casual restaurants Steamers Seafood and Planks BBQ there’s something for every palate. Let the kids play, explore, huddle and create at the newly re-imagined Camp Discovery Youth & Teen Centres and unwind at the refreshed Sanctuary, a tranquil haven reserved for adults.
Either Princess and the Emerald Princess has upped their games, or a bunch of the older sour reviews have no basis. Or maybe I just have not done enough of the competitors' cruises. But I believe the older sour reviews should be should be substantially discounted if you are thinking about this Panama Canal cruise. The "World Harvest" buffet food items were regularly rotated, and reasonably fresh. It's large, with plenty of choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The three main dining rooms provide different ways of scheduling, i.e., reservation, just-show-up, or traditional seating. 7 pm reservations were gone before the ship sailed; you need to log onto the Princess website to grab these. We used the just-show-up dining room most of the time and rarely had to wait long. They vary the menu with new items every day, combined with some favorites they repeat. We enjoyed all of the food. We also tried two of the restaurants with an up-charge - the Italian restaurant which was outstanding, and the steakhouse which was a bust, with an overcooked (but quickly replaced) steak, and some pretty tough ribeye that seemed like sirloin. We also frequented the International Cafe for daily gelato, fresh cookies, and an occasional sandwich, the soft serve, and pizza places, which were all good. You can also get coffee in to-go cups, but we eventually used their free room service for daily morning coffee. The cabin was good, and I would not call it "dated" or "needing a makeover" as some have said. The steward cleaned the room every time we left (which they know from the Medallion system). The steward never has to knock on a door to find out if you're gone. The Medallion system (which resembles Apple AirTags) was outstanding, automatically unlocking your door, making purchases easy by detecting you and putting your face on nearby point-of-sale systems, and clocking you on and off the ship for excursions. We did not need our passports to get on and off the ship; just the Medallion and a driver's license. The Medallions come with a neck holder, but we bought a watch band made for Medallions off Amazon which really worked well. Amazon and the ship sell various holders for the Medallions. This ship's WIFI, which uses StarLink, was reasonably fast and reliable. (WIFI has a fee, but it comes with a beverage+ package you're going to end up buying anyway.) The entertainment was good, but the theater sometimes filled up and we missed a couple of the "production shows". But there are plenty of other entertainment venues with plenty of room so there's always something to do. You're not going to get a David Copperfield magic show on a cruise ship, because the magician has got to carry all his props as he goes from the ship to ship. But the musical shows were really good, with a solid group of musicians and performers that Princess hires from all over the county and trains in its studio near LA (I learned this from a video on the ship.) We had mixed feelings about the various excursions (Bonair, Cartegena, Port Limon, and Grand Cayman), except that Princess nails (and controls all of) the Panama Canal excursions (or just stay on the ship for a return trip through the new locks). We did the Panama Canal railroad excursion which goes from the Atlantic to the Pacific which also included a bus tour and one of the Visitor Centers. We heard good things about the other tours too. Princess also had a knowledgeable speaker and videos providing information about the Canal, the train, and the locks. The tours start after the ship transits the Atlantic-side locks; then the ship turns around and goes back to the Atlantic to pick up all the people at Port Colon, Panama, who went on excursions. There are vantage points all over the ship to see the Canal, but we just stayed on our balcony with a room-service breakfast for the transit through the new locks to Lake Gatun. The ship broadcast the Chiefs/Bills on their giant outdoor movie screen ("Moves Under the Stars") serviced by plenty of bartenders. That was a hoot. We walked a couple of miles every day around the Promenade Deck 7 (deck 8 around the bow), and there were always workers cleaning that ship. We would not hesitate to book another Princess cruise, especially the Emerald Princess.
Wanted to cruise the Panama Canal, and Princess offered the Emerald. At first I didn't think we'd enjoy being on such an older ship. What a wonderful surprise to spend the 12 days on this lovely vessel! She was fantastic! The cruise itinerary was perfect. The excursions offered were fun! The staterooms although a little dated, were quite comfortable, and roomy. The bathrooms on the Deluxe Balcony still have tubs with shower curtains that need to be updated to walk ing showers. Other than that it was a great stateroom. The decor of this ship give the air of elegance. It's art deco-ish in detail, the International Cafe is right where it should be on deck 5, adjacent to the Piazza (where everything happens!), the restaurants were above average, and the staff, as always, were friendly, warm, and welcoming. We were pleasantly surprised, and would cruise again on the Emerald.
The Emerald Princess a beautiful ship but is showing her age. She is a classic cruise ship and good medium size.. Staff was wonderful. Food was fine but many areas to improve. MDR menus are a bit boring and lacking favor. World market rarely change its menu but clean and well stocked. Specialty dining was very nice. The Crown Grill and Planks are good and great service. The ship was very clean. Great itinerary with partial Panama Canal transit. Loved the extra long port visit in Aruba. Excursions in Costa Rica and Panama were very nice to see the landscape outside the port area. Both are beautful and full the wildlife and cool rainforest. We would have preferred the orginally advertised port stop of Grand Cayman instead of Ocho Rios, Jamaica but it was a nice quiet day to stay on the ship. Embarking was fast and easy, departure 3.5 hours late, and disembarking was a bit disorganized for the independent walk offs.
From the moment you step aboard, we want you to feel welcomed and right at home. And with attentive service from a friendly staff that knows what hospitality means, you’ll find your Princess® ship truly is your home away from home.
Photos, floor plan diagrams, amenities, and furnishings represent typical arrangements and may vary by ship and stateroom.
Indulge your appetite whenever you wish on board Princess®. Every hour, our chefs are busy baking, grilling and sautéing great-tasting fare from scratch. Princess offers unparalleled inclusive dining options throughout the ship with a wide range of culinary delights to suit any palate, from endless buffet choice to gourmet pizza, frosty treats, decadent desserts and much more.
Speciality Dining
Dining on board a Princess® cruise ship is a joyful celebration and our speciality restaurants always deliver an extraordinary experience. They are among the best at sea – or anywhere. We serve dishes made with the freshest ingredients, and our menus reflect regional flavours from around the world. You'll find our speciality restaurants are the perfect place to celebrate any occasion.
When is a cruise an opportunity to enrich? When it's a Princess cruise. This ship offers area lectures, art exhibits and classes taught by local experts.
To say the night-life on-board is entertaining is an understatement. Illuminating the stage in captivating productions, Princess Cruises performers are some of the most talented musicians, singers and dancers at sea. Our Princess Signature Shows, lounge performers, movies and casinos are just some of the entertainment our guests enjoy as they escape completely.
The many activities on-board our ships are designed to stimulate, educate, entertain, inspire and sweat - not necessarily in that order. But, guests can be sure crew onboard will do their best to cover all the bases. From art auctions to The Sanctuary Spa, this ship is loaded with fun things to do.
Passengers ages 3 to 17 will enjoy many exciting on-board activities. The Youth Centres and Teen Lounges are staffed by experienced counsellors, who are ready to ensure the youngest cruisers stay happy all day long. There’s everything from art projects, game tables, the latest movies, pizza parties, talent shows, video games, and much more.
Children under the age of 3 are welcome to visit the Youth Centre, if accompanied and supervised by a parent at all times.
