On a positive note, there is more than enough space underneath the bed to slide in a hoist, nd also to store my large suitcase. However, there is no emergency call button next to the bed. There is an emergency pull cord in the bathroom next to the toilet. It was definitely more difficult on evenings when the boat was moving. I was able to get in and out by myself, but it was borderline. The bed is on the high side, and I would estimate the height to be approximately 30 inches. While there are grab bars on either side of the toilet, the toilet is placed too closely to the wall, which makes for an awkward transfer. My shower curtain had become detached in a couple of spaces, and while my cabin steward fixed that, it still wasn’t sliding very easily. The bathroom was clean, but there were several darker mildewed spots on the floor tile in the shower. The standalone chair’s upholstery was worn down in several places where you could see the foam padding through the holes in the upholstery. In addition to the desk chair, I had a standalone chair and a small round table. While the room was adequate, it was definitely rundown in some aspects. The Island Princess went through a brief renovation in March 2018, so I was expecting a little bit more out of my stateroom as far as decor and general appearance. Personally, this doesn’t bother me as I appreciate more than anything just having some natural light coming into my stateroom. This means that I had a window, but my view of the outside was obstructed by a lifeboat immediately outside of my window. I stayed in an ocean view accessible stateroom with an obstructed view. I booked this cruise on very short notice, and I was amazed that there were any accessible staterooms left, especially considering that this is one of the smaller and older ships in the Princess fleet. Overall, it took approximately one hour from my designated disembarkation time to arrive at my car. There were wheelchair accessible shuttles taking passengers to the parking garage, but I had to wait more than half an hour for an accessible shuttle to arrive. However, what made things more complicated for me was the fact that we departed from Terminal 2 and I parked in the adjacent garage for Terminal 2, but the Island Princess arrived at Terminal 21. When my disembarkation time arrived, I just rolled right off of the ship. I selected a later time to disembark because I don’t like waking up so early, and I had time to get a quick formal breakfast in the Provence dining room. I’m not a buffet person, so I had a very lovely and quiet lunch in the Bordeaux dining room.Īt the end of the cruise, getting off the ship was super easy. I had two options - the formal dining room or the buffet. You can’t enter your stateroom right away, so pretty much what everyone does is go have lunch. The bridge/gangway to board the ship was long, but smooth, and I had no trouble getting on board. Make sure you have a few dollars with you for a tip. I would also recommend dropping off your luggage, with tags attached, at the designated drop off point. I would highly recommend arriving as early as possible during your boarding window, and asking for help from terminal employees. Both times they plucked me out of the end of the line and took me through specially designated wheelchair lanes to help me avoid the crush of people and check in more quickly. The lines can get along during check-in, but fortunately the terminal employees are extremely kind and very helpful. There is some construction going on around the terminals, so it always seems like there are just a ton of people looking lost with their suitcases. I’ve taken two Princess cruises out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale in as many months, and both times the boarding process seemed a bit chaotic. ![]() Here is my full review of the cruise, as well as accessibility notes for the Island Princess. My overall experience was fantastic, but there were a few accessibility drawbacks here and there. ![]() I’m always searching for great deals and opportunities for cruising, and I stumbled upon a short notice opportunity to go on a 10-night Panama Canal cruise through Princess Cruise Lines on the Island Princess out of Fort Lauderdale. While I have seen the Panama Canal before from land when I was in the Air Force, I have never cruised the canal by ship.
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