Princess Cruises·Emerald Princess

Emerald Princess - Panama Canal Ocean to Ocean

4(1,249 reviews)
via U.S. News & Cruise Critic · Jun 2026
|16 Nights|7 Ports|8 Sea Days

A full ocean-to-ocean repositioning from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale, transiting the Panama Canal's historic locks in daylight after an overnight-length call at Fuerte Amador for Panama City. Along the way the ship works down the Pacific coast through Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica before finishing with Aruba and a Caribbean crossing.

SeniorsHistory BuffsNature LoversCouples

Price Range

$

Budget

DepartureLos Angeles, California
Dress CodeFormal Nights
MealsIncluded
WiFiPaid

*Prices vary by cabin type, sailing date, and availability. Confirm rates with Princess Cruises before booking.

Ship Details — Emerald Princess

View full Emerald Princess details

Year Built

2007

Tonnage

113,000 GT

Passengers

3,080

Crew

1,200

Decks

19

Class

Grand

Itinerary & Route Map

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Onboard Amenities

MedallionClass
Movies Under the Stars
Casino
Lotus Spa
Multiple Pools
Specialty Dining
Fitness Center
Princess Theater
SeaWalk
Piazza
The Enclave
Horizon Court
Piazza atrium (multi-story European-style social hub)
The Sanctuary adults-only top-deck retreat
Crown Grill steakhouse
Sabatini's Italian Trattoria
Main dining rooms plus Horizon Court buffet
Photography studio and duty-free boutiques
Theater production shows and multiple lounges

Cruise Highlights

Full daylight transit of the Panama Canal's original 1914 locks
Fourteen-hour call at Fuerte Amador for Panama City and Casco Viejo
Puntarenas gateway to Costa Rica's cloud forests and zip lines
Bookend beach days in Puerto Vallarta and Oranjestad, Aruba

About the Ship

What Travelers Say About Emerald Princess

Reviews of the ship itself — the same for every Emerald Princess sailing. Based on 1,249 discussions.

Emerald Princess is a classic mid-size Grand-class ship that debuted in 2007, a generation older than Princess's newer Royal-class vessels like Enchanted Princess. Carrying around 3,080 guests double-occupancy, it offers a more traditional, manageable cruise experience built around the multi-story Piazza atrium, a European-square-style social hub on Deck 5 with cafes, boutiques and live entertainment. It deliberately lacks the flashy modern features of newer ships, there's no SeaWalk here, and its 4.0/5 U.S. News rating across 1,249 reviews reflects a solid but more mature, less cutting-edge product. Reviewers often compare its clean, comfortable-but-unflashy feel to a Celebrity Solstice-class ship.

What People Love

  • Very large, well-established review base (1,249 guest reviews on U.S. News), giving a reliable picture of a long-running, proven ship
  • Crown Grill steakhouse is a guest favorite, with aged beef, chops and seafood that make it one of the most sought-after reservations onboard
  • The multi-story Piazza atrium serves as a lively social hub with cafes, live music and street performers

Common Complaints

  • Lower overall rating than newer fleetmates (4.0/5 on U.S. News, ranked 8th among Princess ships)
  • As a 2007-built Grand-class ship it lacks modern showpiece features like the SeaWalk found on newer Royal-class vessels
  • Some reviewers note the ship shows its age in places despite refurbishments
See the full Emerald Princess ship page — all 16 pros & cons, review & FAQs

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