Coral Princess Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose this cruise for the 19 days at a reasonable price with lots of relaxing sea days. I liked the idea of off the beaten path ports and going twice through the interesting parts of the canal. I was also interested in trying the Coral Princess because she has a very loyal following.
The Coral Princess is indeed a great ship size and layout. The amenities for the ship size were wonderful. Having the theater and Universe show lounge allowed for lots of entertainment and activity options. The 4 pools allowed for uncrowded main pool areas and you could be alone at the splash or aft pool if you wanted. In fact as reputed it is a very uncrowded ship overall. Never a problem getting into dining and just a small amount of advance planning for the shows. Nothing shockingly long or crowded.
I was disappointed with the design that has the toilet sewer vacuum outlet over the starboard aft promenade deck. There was also some type of stinky outlet over the starboard bow area. This would be a valid reason I would not choose this ship again.
Cabin Review
Balcony
We started off in B730 which had a high level of vibration. I was pretty dismayed when we checked in as the cabin was pretty dirty. There was soap with embedded shaving debris/hairs in the indentation of the bathroom sink. The floor had not been vacuumed and when I picked up the phone to use it there was a layer of yellow grime on the ear piece. How long had that not been cleaned to accumulate like that? The bed was new and comfortable but alot of cleaning went on to get the place to be not gross. Due to the vibration we were able to switch to A324 after one night.
A324 was wonderfully clean. I breathed a sigh of relief as I was not up to training a room steward which is what would have had to happen in the previous cabin. However the bed was not new. It was worn out and made my back hurt. The bedding padding that was under the sheets was old and stained. We put in a request for the bed/bedding from the previous cabin or new and it was immediately done. So in the end we were very happy!
A note on A324. It is under the pool deck so you do hear chairs and such moving around but it wasn't enough to bother us. On the balcony we heard the band and movies under the stars a bit but again not enough to bother us. Great location for smooth riding. Very good overhang from the deck above for the balcony. I would book this area again if the lower decks were not available that have rooms above and below.
Our room steward in A324 was exceptional. All the basics were done flawlessly along with a number of special request and some (like cleaning the balcony glass) he did on his own initiative so I could see the sea turtles more clearly.
Port Reviews
Huatulco
On the Copalita Archaeological excursion you see the museum and the site. It was a good excursion. Our guide didn't have very good English but he had passion and local flair. So I rated him well. This could be an exceptional tour with the right English speaking guide. They divide the bus up into two groups. The other guide didn't seem that great either so there is likely a shortage of knowledgeable guides available. If you can find a well recommended private tour then I would suggest that.