Coral Princess Cruise Ship Review
- Laura
- 10 hours ago
- 7 min read
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Read our Coral Princess cruise ship review for information on ship staterooms, entertainment, eateries, and more. Small enough to fit through the Panama Canal, and large enough to navigate the open sea, the Princess Cruises Coral Princess sails to a wide range of locations. The vessel pairs an assortment of entertainment options with an abundance of public spaces, making this ship a pleasure to cruise on.
PACIFIC COAST SHORE EXCURSIONS
BOTTOM LINE: CORAL PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP REVIEW
Spacious and well-run, on our 7 night itinerary the Coral Princess cruise ship never felt crowded. The ship’s public spaces – including two theaters, two pools, a spa, casino, and several bars – were colorful, comfortable, and inviting. Entertainment venues offered ample seating and quality productions. We loved the promenade deck and airy upper decks.
The Coral Princess offered more music, activities, shows, and movies-under-the-stars than we expected on a mid-sized ship. While onboard, everything ran on-time and efficiently.
There were areas on the Coral Princess where the décor was dated and the physical structure worn. However, the ship was unfailingly clean; the crew was friendly and efficient; and the dining experience was solidly good.
CRUISE TRAVEL RESOURCES
On the Princess Coral we found the overall atmosphere to feel more homey than high-end. If you will enjoy a ship that is relaxing, friendly, and well-run – climb aboard. At the end of the week, you will likely disembark with a sense that you got what you paid for; plus-some.
CORAL PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP FACTS
Passengers: Around 1,970
Crew: Around 900
Physical Structure: 16 Decks; 91,627 tons; 965 feet long; 203 feet high
Launch & Updates: Launched in 2003. Refurbished in 2019. Refresh in 2024.
Cabins: 1,000 Guest Cabins including 700 Balcony Staterooms
Key Feature: The Medallion Class smart system enables passengers to enter staterooms, order items, and make reservations and touchless payments with a quarter-sized wearable devise.
CARIBBEAN CRUISE SHORE EXCURSIONS
CORAL PRINCESS CRUISES & PORTS OF CALL
The Coral Princess cruise ship was built within Panamax boundaries (it is small enough to fit through the Panama Canal). The ship’s size allows it to travel to ports some larger ships cannot. Coral Princess cruises hit a variety of ports including California’s Pacific Coast and Wine Country, Alaska, the Caribbean, Japan, New Zealand, and more.
CORAL PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP LAYOUT
With the majority of staterooms clustered in Decks 8-12, the remainder of the ship is dedicated to public spaces that flow into one another. Decks 6 & 7 have a village-like feel with an awesome wrap-around promenade on Deck 7. The three upper decks are spacious and open-air with plenty of room to relax. Here is a synopsis of the deck layout:
Deck 5: Bordeaux Dining Room, Atrium, Staterooms
Deck 6 & 7: Provence Dining Room, Shops, Casino, Explorer’s Lounge, Universe Lounge, Promenade Deck, Princess Theater, Wheelhouse Bar, Crooner’s Bar, Sabatini’s Trattoria, and Crown Grill
Decks 8-12: Staterooms
Deck 14-16: Buffet, Pools, Spa, Fitness Center, Movies Under the Stars, Sports courts, and Games
CORAL PRINCESS CRUISES ENTERTAINMENT
The daily “Princess Patter” newsletter announces each day’s activities. We found there was not enough time each day to fit in all the games, performances, movies, and live music we wanted to attend. Here is a synopsis of the ship’s entertainment venues.
Bars, Music, and Dancing: Libations and live music served throughout the ship at multiple locations. Favorite spots include the Crooners Piano Bar, Good Spirits at Sea, and Wheelhouse Bar.
Casino: Slot machines, games of chance, and prize tournaments.
Lotus Spa: Full service salon with facials, scrubs, messages, and other services.
Movies Under the Stars: Open-air poolside amphitheater with feature films.
Pools and Hot Tubs: Three pools and five hot tubs spread across two decks. Note: The pools are unheated – even on a northern itinerary.
Princess Theater: Original productions in a beautiful modern theater with plush seats.
Universe Lounge: Gorgeous art deco theater with revolving stages. Theater productions, comics, magicians, cooking classes, enrichment, and more.
Youth & Teen Club: Age specific supervised activities for kids 3-17.
ALASKAN CRUISE SHORE EXCURSIONS
CORAL PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP STATEROOMS
The Coral Princess offers cabins ranging from mini-suites to interior staterooms. The price of your cruise fare, and access to some amenities, is tied to your choice of cabin.
Our party stayed in balcony staterooms. Our approximately 222 foot stateroom quarters were tight, but comfortable. Some nooks and crannies in the bathroom and balcony were worn, but everything was clean and in good working order including the wifi and satellite TV.
Except for embarkation day, we never saw a suite steward in our room. The housekeeping staff monitor’s your movements using the medallion system. Your room is serviced when you are out and about.
CORAL PRINCESS CRUISES PASSENGER MAKE-UP
Reviews of the Coral Princess Passenger make-up cite a more mature crowd with a large number of passengers from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
On our cruise, the majority of passengers were in the 50-plus range. However, there were a fair number of families traveling with children and teens (and ours was not a summer or typical school vacation week).
CORAL PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP DRESS CODE
On a typical ten day cruise there are two “formal” nights (sparkly women’s wear/suits or tuxes). Other nights are designated as “smart casual” (cocktail dresses/collars and casual dinner jackets). Day wear is something akin to weekend casual.
On our cruise, some folks dressed to the nines on formal nights, but most wore smart-casual clothes on all nights. Note: No jeans or shorts are permitted in the dining rooms at dinner.
NEW ZEALAND SHORE EXCURSIONS
CORAL PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP RESTAURANTS
On the Coral Princess several dining venues are included in the basic cruise fare including the two main dining rooms (Bordeaux and Provence), the Horizon’s Court Buffet, the International Café, afternoon tea, and several walk-up casual eateries serving pizza, burgers, hotdogs, and soft serve. There is an upcharge for dining at Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria and the Crown Grill.
Dining reservations can be made for all sit-down restaurants. Walk-ins are also seated (reservations recommended for specialty restaurants).
With the medallion system, food (meals, snacks, and drinks) can be ordered and delivered to any location on the ship throughout the day. Charges may apply depending on the dining package.
SERVICE & PHYSICAL STRUCTURE
Cleanliness: High standard of cleanliness throughout the Coral Princess cruise ship.
Physical Structure: Everything in good working order and well-stocked. Exception: many of the women’s commodes in restrooms by theaters were out of order toward the end of the week. Also note: unheated pools.
Furnishings/Décor: Cozy, ample seating throughout public areas. Lots of wood tones and ocean colors with a clean, modern aesthetic. Design emphasis on maximizing sea views in public spaces and staterooms.
Staff: Overall standard of service high. Staff well-trained, friendly, and helpful. Exception: overaggressive security ladies barking orders while reboarding after shore excursions.
Timeliness: Meals, shows, activities on time throughout stay. Efficient and quick boarding and getting off the ship during embarkation/debarkation and shore excursions.
Onboard Communication: Daily Princess Patter newsletter, daily address in am over PA, television information channels, Princess app with chat feature.
JAPANESE CRUISE SHORE EXCURSIONS
CORAL PRINCES PACKAGES
On the Coral Princess two packages are available to cover items not included in the basic cruise fare; the Princes Plus and the Princess Premiere package. The packages cover items such as wifi, alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty beverages, specialty foods, crew appreciation, room service, photo packages, and more.
With each package, a base price is added to each guest’s daily cruise fare. Cruisers must evaluate the individual cost of each additional service or amenity in relation to anticipated usage, and decide whether the purchase of a package is cost effective for them.
We purchased the Princess Plus package. We may (or may not) have broken even from the package, but did appreciate the convenience of it.
SUMMARY
Overall, Randy and I connected with the comfortable, intimate atmosphere of the Coral Princess as well as the ship’s openness inside and out. The Deck 7 covered outdoor Promenade was our favorite feature along with the spacious open-air upper decks, and beautiful theaters and bars. We are eager to book another cruise on this just-right sized ship.
Fair Winds and Following Seas, Laura and Randy
For more information on cruising the seven-seas read these travel blog posts:
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