travelin.sisters

enjoy your seven days of new ports! we will be here when you have time to post again!

they did have smoked fish in the buffet each morning w/bagels, cream cheese, & a variety of toppings...I think they had more than one type of fish & am pretty sure that salmon was one of them...they had a toaster so you could toast your own bagel & top it as you wished... the toaster: smoked fish & bagel section of the buffet: they also had this hot salmon sandwich in the International Cafe (at least once) at breakfast time: I guess there is an davantage of taking way too many pictures of food! you can zoom in & hopefully read the labels.

I think there is confusion even on the ships...on the Crown (middle of March) I was quoted these prices single day prices: 1 device: $20 or $10 w/discount 4 devices: $40 or $20 w/discount cruise long plan prices: 1 device: $15 or $7.50 w/discount 4 devices: $30 or $15 w/discount what I actually paid was $20/day pre purchased for the cruise (which I thought was the discounted rate), but then received $10/day back in OBC...so who knows He did tell me there was no longer a discount for purchasing before the cruise or on the first day

Return Home~March 17 One Last Morning on the Crown Woke up very early & wandered down to the International Cafe for a last Pistachio Croissant & some fresh pineapple. Unlike the first morning when there were people wandering around that early, it was quiet & pretty much empty. Watched as we sailed up the coast & into the harbor. Someday I would like to sail in during daylight, but it is nice in the dark with the lights from shore too. After we were all docked & tied up, we headed out to breakfast in the MDR where my sissy had one last eggs benedict breakfast (what will she do tomorrow & next week?). I had thought to try the fancy french toast, but the special was scrambled eggs with green asparagus & swiss cheese which came with gratinated potatoes. Several people at tables around us also ordered that as well & the response as they were served was an almost universal disappointed “oh.” It just didn't look appealing at all. It wasn’t horrible, but not the last food memory you really wanted before leaving the ship. The hot chocolate was good & my sissy liked her cinnamon flavored apple wedges. List of my posts in this LIVE: Introduction~post 1 Pre-cruise: packing~post 10 Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29 Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43 Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67 Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75 Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78 Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89 Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104 Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114 Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142 Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147 Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148 Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149 Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150 Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151 Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167 Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172 Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173 Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175 Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176 Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204 Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205 Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206 Sea Day~March 5: wrap up & random thoughts~post 208 Sea Day~March 6: another beautiful morning~post 216 Sea Day~March 6: pub lunch & elite tea, oh my!~post 221 Sea Day~March 6: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 224 Sea Day~March 6: DaVinci dinner~post 225 Sea Day~March 6: wrap up & random thoughts~post 226 Honolulu~March 7: good morning, Honolulu~post 228 Honolulu~March 7: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 229 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting there~post 230 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting in~post 231 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~islands of polynesia~post 233 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~exploring the islands of polynesia~post 239 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~spending time in Samoa~post 240 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~enjoying the beauty~post 241 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Gateway Buffet~post 249 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Ha Breath of Life show, maps & flyers, thoughts~post 252 Honolulu~March 7: onboard the Crown~post 253 Honolulu~March 7: exploring the Crown Princess~Gala Deck (4)~post 254 Honolulu~March 7: wrap up & random thoughts~post 261 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: adventures in Honolulu~post 263 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 266 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: leaving for Maui~post 271 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 273 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: wrap up & random thoughts~post 267 …& Not Maui~March 9: early morning sail in & whales~post 280 …& Not Maui~March 9: patters, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 281 …& Not Maui~March 9: unexpected day at sea~post 285 …& Not Maui~March 9: DaVinci dinner~post 286 …& Not Maui~March 9: wrap up & random thoughts~post 291 Hilo~March 10: early morning, internet info, disembarkation in Hilo~post 296 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 1)~post 301 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 2)~post 307 Hilo~March 10: Kalakaua Park~post 310 Hilo~March 10: Mokupapapa Discovery Center~post 311 Hilo~March 10: Pacific Tsunami Museum~post 313 Hilo~March 10: around Hilo~post 314 Hilo~March 10: shopping & Farmers Market~post 315 Hilo~March 10: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 316 Hilo~March 10: sail-away~post 319 Hilo~March 10: DaVinci dinner~post 320 Hilo~March 10: wrap up & random thoughts~post 321 Sea Day~March 11: another day at sea~post 331 Sea Day~March 11: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 332 Sea Day~March 11: formal night & DaVinci dinner~post 333 Sea Day~March 11: wrap up & random thoughts~post 334 Sea Day~March 12: more moments at sea~post 339 Sea Day~March 12: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 340 Sea Day~March 12: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 341 Sea Day~March 12: wrap up & random thoughts~post 342 Sea Day~March 13: a day of surprises~post 354 Sea Day~March 13: DaVinci lunch~post 356 Sea Day~March 13: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 357 Sea Day~March 13: Sabatini’s~post 359 Sea Day~March 13: evening entertainment~post 360 Sea Day~March 13: wrap up & random thoughts~post 361 Sea Day~March 14: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 364 Sea Day~March 14: formal night, captain's circle cocktail party, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 372 Sea Day~March 14: wrap up & random thoughts~post 373 Sea Day~March 15: one last day at sea~post 374 Sea Day~March 15: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 375 Sea Day~March 15: wrap up & random thoughts~post 378 Ensenada~March 16: staying onboard in por~post 403 Ensenada March 16: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 404 Ensenada March 16: exploring the Crown Princess~Plaza (5) deck~post 405 Ensenada March 16: exploring the Crown Princess~Fiesta (6) deck~post 406 Ensenada March 16: exploring the Crown Princess~Promenade (7) deck~post 407 Ensenada March 16: DaVinci dinner~post 408 Ensenada March 16: wrap up & random thoughts~post 409

you do get 1/2 off if you are platinum or elite, but anytime you buy even on a single day plan...they recently did away with the discount for prepaying (according to the internet guy on the Crown last month)

I don't know about the Mediterranean...I know they do for both Hawai'i & Alaska but not really for California Costal or Mexico

my sissy bought them for all the grandkids when they first came out...it was a Panama Canal cruise & we lost 3 ports (2 to tropical storms & 1 an earthquake messed up the harbor) so she had tons of OBC & wanted to do some shoping therapy...but when you get off at home rather than needing to fly, it's easy not to have to worry about space...they are one of the few things Princess sells that don't seem terribly overpriced to me...I was tempted when the Sapphire had the Cherry Stanley left over from her Japan cruises (she is pink like cherry blossoms) but traveling with 3 is already excessive.

as stated, you can book on the app where it says Medallion Net you can also wait until you board (there is no longer a discount for prepaying) at which time you can use OBC to pay for it

Ensenada~March 16 Wrap Up & Random Thoughts After dinner we put the rest of our luggage out & went to bed in our once again generic, undecorated room. It has been a good cruise but it is always nice to get home. For us tomorrow can be relaxed as we don’t have to be anywhere at any special time & it's only a short drive home. Tomorrow, back home...followed by final thoughts. List of my posts in this LIVE: Introduction~post 1 Pre-cruise: packing~post 10 Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29 Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43 Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67 Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75 Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78 Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89 Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104 Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114 Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142 Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147 Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148 Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149 Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150 Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151 Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167 Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172 Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173 Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175 Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176 Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204 Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205 Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206 Sea Day~March 5: wrap up & random thoughts~post 208 Sea Day~March 6: another beautiful morning~post 216 Sea Day~March 6: pub lunch & elite tea, oh my!~post 221 Sea Day~March 6: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 224 Sea Day~March 6: DaVinci dinner~post 225 Sea Day~March 6: wrap up & random thoughts~post 226 Honolulu~March 7: good morning, Honolulu~post 228 Honolulu~March 7: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 229 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting there~post 230 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting in~post 231 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~islands of polynesia~post 233 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~exploring the islands of polynesia~post 239 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~spending time in Samoa~post 240 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~enjoying the beauty~post 241 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Gateway Buffet~post 249 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Ha Breath of Life show, maps & flyers, thoughts~post 252 Honolulu~March 7: onboard the Crown~post 253 Honolulu~March 7: exploring the Crown Princess~Gala Deck (4)~post 254 Honolulu~March 7: wrap up & random thoughts~post 261 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: adventures in Honolulu~post 263 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 266 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: leaving for Maui~post 271 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 273 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: wrap up & random thoughts~post 267 …& Not Maui~March 9: early morning sail in & whales~post 280 …& Not Maui~March 9: patters, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 281 …& Not Maui~March 9: unexpected day at sea~post 285 …& Not Maui~March 9: DaVinci dinner~post 286 …& Not Maui~March 9: wrap up & random thoughts~post 291 Hilo~March 10: early morning, internet info, disembarkation in Hilo~post 296 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 1)~post 301 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 2)~post 307 Hilo~March 10: Kalakaua Park~post 310 Hilo~March 10: Mokupapapa Discovery Center~post 311 Hilo~March 10: Pacific Tsunami Museum~post 313 Hilo~March 10: around Hilo~post 314 Hilo~March 10: shopping & Farmers Market~post 315 Hilo~March 10: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 316 Hilo~March 10: sail-away~post 319 Hilo~March 10: DaVinci dinner~post 320 Hilo~March 10: wrap up & random thoughts~post 321 Sea Day~March 11: another day at sea~post 331 Sea Day~March 11: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 332 Sea Day~March 11: formal night & DaVinci dinner~post 333 Sea Day~March 11: wrap up & random thoughts~post 334 Sea Day~March 12: more moments at sea~post 339 Sea Day~March 12: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 340 Sea Day~March 12: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 341 Sea Day~March 12: wrap up & random thoughts~post 342 Sea Day~March 13: a day of surprises~post 354 Sea Day~March 13: DaVinci lunch~post 356 Sea Day~March 13: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 357 Sea Day~March 13: Sabatini’s~post 359 Sea Day~March 13: evening entertainment~post 360 Sea Day~March 13: wrap up & random thoughts~post 361 Sea Day~March 14: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 364 Sea Day~March 14: formal night, captain's circle cocktail party, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 372 Sea Day~March 14: wrap up & random thoughts~post 373 Sea Day~March 15: one last day at sea~post 374 Sea Day~March 15: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 375 Sea Day~March 15: wrap up & random thoughts~post 378 Ensenada~March 16: staying onboard in por~post 403 Ensenada March 16: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 404 Ensenada March 16: exploring the Crown Princess~Plaza (5) deck~post 405 Ensenada March 16: exploring the Crown Princess~Fiesta (6) deck~post 406 Ensenada March 16: exploring the Crown Princess~Promenade (7) deck~post 407 Ensenada March 16: DaVinci dinner~post 408

Ensenada~March 16 DaVinci Dinner starters: seafood medley (BIL said it was the best appetizer he had all cruise. sorry no photo), tropical fruit soup (good), fettuccine alfredo (not so over salted as last time, but also not very flavorful) entrees: surf & turf (better than the lobster), turf & turf (very good) desserts: chocolate pistachio dome, floating islands in vanilla passion fruit sauce, chocolate ice cream with caramel sauce, petits fours (all pretty good) List of my posts in this LIVE: Introduction~post 1 Pre-cruise: packing~post 10 Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29 Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43 Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67 Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75 Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78 Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89 Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104 Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114 Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142 Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147 Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148 Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149 Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150 Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151 Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167 Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172 Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173 Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175 Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176 Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204 Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205 Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206 Sea Day~March 5: wrap up & random thoughts~post 208 Sea Day~March 6: another beautiful morning~post 216 Sea Day~March 6: pub lunch & elite tea, oh my!~post 221 Sea Day~March 6: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 224 Sea Day~March 6: DaVinci dinner~post 225 Sea Day~March 6: wrap up & random thoughts~post 226 Honolulu~March 7: good morning, Honolulu~post 228 Honolulu~March 7: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 229 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting there~post 230 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting in~post 231 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~islands of polynesia~post 233 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~exploring the islands of polynesia~post 239 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~spending time in Samoa~post 240 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~enjoying the beauty~post 241 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Gateway Buffet~post 249 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Ha Breath of Life show, maps & flyers, thoughts~post 252 Honolulu~March 7: onboard the Crown~post 253 Honolulu~March 7: exploring the Crown Princess~Gala Deck (4)~post 254 Honolulu~March 7: wrap up & random thoughts~post 261 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: adventures in Honolulu~post 263 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 266 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: leaving for Maui~post 271 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 273 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: wrap up & random thoughts~post 267 …& Not Maui~March 9: early morning sail in & whales~post 280 …& Not Maui~March 9: patters, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 281 …& Not Maui~March 9: unexpected day at sea~post 285 …& Not Maui~March 9: DaVinci dinner~post 286 …& Not Maui~March 9: wrap up & random thoughts~post 291 Hilo~March 10: early morning, internet info, disembarkation in Hilo~post 296 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 1)~post 301 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 2)~post 307 Hilo~March 10: Kalakaua Park~post 310 Hilo~March 10: Mokupapapa Discovery Center~post 311 Hilo~March 10: Pacific Tsunami Museum~post 313 Hilo~March 10: around Hilo~post 314 Hilo~March 10: shopping & Farmers Market~post 315 Hilo~March 10: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 316 Hilo~March 10: sail-away~post 319 Hilo~March 10: DaVinci dinner~post 320 Hilo~March 10: wrap up & random thoughts~post 321 Sea Day~March 11: another day at sea~post 331 Sea Day~March 11: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 332 Sea Day~March 11: formal night & DaVinci dinner~post 333 Sea Day~March 11: wrap up & random thoughts~post 334 Sea Day~March 12: more moments at sea~post 339 Sea Day~March 12: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 340 Sea Day~March 12: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 341 Sea Day~March 12: wrap up & random thoughts~post 342 Sea Day~March 13: a day of surprises~post 354 Sea Day~March 13: DaVinci lunch~post 356 Sea Day~March 13: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 357 Sea Day~March 13: Sabatini’s~post 359 Sea Day~March 13: evening entertainment~post 360 Sea Day~March 13: wrap up & random thoughts~post 361 Sea Day~March 14: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 364 Sea Day~March 14: formal night, captain's circle cocktail party, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 372 Sea Day~March 14: wrap up & random thoughts~post 373 Sea Day~March 15: one last day at sea~post 374 Sea Day~March 15: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 375 Sea Day~March 15: wrap up & random thoughts~post 378 Ensenada~March 16: staying onboard in por~post 403 Ensenada March 16: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 404 Ensenada March 16: exploring the Crown Princess~Plaza (5) deck~post 405 Ensenada March 16: exploring the Crown Princess~Fiesta (6) deck~post 406 Ensenada March 16: exploring the Crown Princess~Promenade (7) deck~post 407

Ensenada~March 16 Exploring the Crown Princess~Promenade (7) Deck The Promenade deck has the most public space of any of the inside decks. Starting in the rear is Club Fusion which is used for activities & events. Moving forward on the starboard side is the medallion class desk, the photo gallery (the Crown still prints most photos unlike the newer ships which have mostly digital views for them) & Crown Grill. Next is the Explorers Lounge where events, activities & shows are held. Outside the Lounge is a sitting area. Around the center atrium are Crooner’s Bar & more shops. (Again, different flooring for this deck). Continuing forward are the library (where you can pick up daily sudoku & puzzles & borrow books & games) the Wheelhouse Bar, Salty Dog Grill, some seating areas & the Captain Circle Desk. All the way forward is the upper-level entrance to the Princess Theater. I only wandered one side of the outer Promenade deck because it did not go around in either direction. List of my posts in this LIVE: Introduction~post 1 Pre-cruise: packing~post 10 Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29 Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43 Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67 Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75 Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78 Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89 Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104 Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114 Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142 Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147 Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148 Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149 Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150 Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151 Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167 Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172 Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173 Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175 Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176 Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204 Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205 Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206 Sea Day~March 5: wrap up & random thoughts~post 208 Sea Day~March 6: another beautiful morning~post 216 Sea Day~March 6: pub lunch & elite tea, oh my!~post 221 Sea Day~March 6: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 224 Sea Day~March 6: DaVinci dinner~post 225 Sea Day~March 6: wrap up & random thoughts~post 226 Honolulu~March 7: good morning, Honolulu~post 228 Honolulu~March 7: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 229 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting there~post 230 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting in~post 231 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~islands of polynesia~post 233 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~exploring the islands of polynesia~post 239 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~spending time in Samoa~post 240 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~enjoying the beauty~post 241 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Gateway Buffet~post 249 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Ha Breath of Life show, maps & flyers, thoughts~post 252 Honolulu~March 7: onboard the Crown~post 253 Honolulu~March 7: exploring the Crown Princess~Gala Deck (4)~post 254 Honolulu~March 7: wrap up & random thoughts~post 261 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: adventures in Honolulu~post 263 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 266 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: leaving for Maui~post 271 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 273 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: wrap up & random thoughts~post 267 …& Not Maui~March 9: early morning sail in & whales~post 280 …& Not Maui~March 9: patters, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 281 …& Not Maui~March 9: unexpected day at sea~post 285 …& Not Maui~March 9: DaVinci dinner~post 286 …& Not Maui~March 9: wrap up & random thoughts~post 291 Hilo~March 10: early morning, internet info, disembarkation in Hilo~post 296 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 1)~post 301 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 2)~post 307 Hilo~March 10: Kalakaua Park~post 310 Hilo~March 10: Mokupapapa Discovery Center~post 311 Hilo~March 10: Pacific Tsunami Museum~post 313 Hilo~March 10: around Hilo~post 314 Hilo~March 10: shopping & Farmers Market~post 315 Hilo~March 10: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 316 Hilo~March 10: sail-away~post 319 Hilo~March 10: DaVinci dinner~post 320 Hilo~March 10: wrap up & random thoughts~post 321 Sea Day~March 11: another day at sea~post 331 Sea Day~March 11: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 332 Sea Day~March 11: formal night & DaVinci dinner~post 333 Sea Day~March 11: wrap up & random thoughts~post 334 Sea Day~March 12: more moments at sea~post 339 Sea Day~March 12: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 340 Sea Day~March 12: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 341 Sea Day~March 12: wrap up & random thoughts~post 342 Sea Day~March 13: a day of surprises~post 354 Sea Day~March 13: DaVinci lunch~post 356 Sea Day~March 13: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 357 Sea Day~March 13: Sabatini’s~post 359 Sea Day~March 13: evening entertainment~post 360 Sea Day~March 13: wrap up & random thoughts~post 361 Sea Day~March 14: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 364 Sea Day~March 14: formal night, captain's circle cocktail party, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 372 Sea Day~March 14: wrap up & random thoughts~post 373 Sea Day~March 15: one last day at sea~post 374 Sea Day~March 15: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 375 Sea Day~March 15: wrap up & random thoughts~post 378 Ensenada~March 16: staying onboard in por~post 403 Ensenada March 16: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 404 Ensenada March 16: exploring the Crown Princess~Plaza (5) deck~post 405 Ensenada March 16: exploring the Crown Princess~Fiesta (6) deck~post 406

Ensenada~March 16 Exploring the Crown Princess~Fiesta (6) Deck At the back of the Fiesta deck is the Botticelli dining room (this one you have to go up to deck 7 (or above) & take the aft elevators or stairs down to deck 6 as the kitchens are between the two dining rooms). Getting off the midship elevators the DaVinci dining room is to the aft…this is open for breakfast & sea day lunches as well as dinners. Part of it is also set aside for Club Class dining. Interestingly the Fiesta & Promenade decks have different colored floors in the central areas. ]] Moving forward are shops, Shore Excursions & Guest Services around the center atrium. Forward of this is the Speakeasy cigar lounge & Gatsby's casino. Just before the theater is conference space, part of which has pingpong tables. All the way forward is the lower level of the Princess Theater. List of my posts in this LIVE: Introduction~post 1 Pre-cruise: packing~post 10 Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29 Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43 Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67 Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75 Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78 Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89 Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104 Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114 Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142 Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147 Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148 Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149 Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150 Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151 Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167 Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172 Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173 Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175 Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176 Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204 Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205 Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206 Sea Day~March 5: wrap up & random thoughts~post 208 Sea Day~March 6: another beautiful morning~post 216 Sea Day~March 6: pub lunch & elite tea, oh my!~post 221 Sea Day~March 6: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 224 Sea Day~March 6: DaVinci dinner~post 225 Sea Day~March 6: wrap up & random thoughts~post 226 Honolulu~March 7: good morning, Honolulu~post 228 Honolulu~March 7: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 229 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting there~post 230 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting in~post 231 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~islands of polynesia~post 233 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~exploring the islands of polynesia~post 239 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~spending time in Samoa~post 240 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~enjoying the beauty~post 241 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Gateway Buffet~post 249 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Ha Breath of Life show, maps & flyers, thoughts~post 252 Honolulu~March 7: onboard the Crown~post 253 Honolulu~March 7: exploring the Crown Princess~Gala Deck (4)~post 254 Honolulu~March 7: wrap up & random thoughts~post 261 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: adventures in Honolulu~post 263 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 266 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: leaving for Maui~post 271 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 273 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: wrap up & random thoughts~post 267 …& Not Maui~March 9: early morning sail in & whales~post 280 …& Not Maui~March 9: patters, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 281 …& Not Maui~March 9: unexpected day at sea~post 285 …& Not Maui~March 9: DaVinci dinner~post 286 …& Not Maui~March 9: wrap up & random thoughts~post 291 Hilo~March 10: early morning, internet info, disembarkation in Hilo~post 296 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 1)~post 301 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 2)~post 307 Hilo~March 10: Kalakaua Park~post 310 Hilo~March 10: Mokupapapa Discovery Center~post 311 Hilo~March 10: Pacific Tsunami Museum~post 313 Hilo~March 10: around Hilo~post 314 Hilo~March 10: shopping & Farmers Market~post 315 Hilo~March 10: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 316 Hilo~March 10: sail-away~post 319 Hilo~March 10: DaVinci dinner~post 320 Hilo~March 10: wrap up & random thoughts~post 321 Sea Day~March 11: another day at sea~post 331 Sea Day~March 11: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 332 Sea Day~March 11: formal night & DaVinci dinner~post 333 Sea Day~March 11: wrap up & random thoughts~post 334 Sea Day~March 12: more moments at sea~post 339 Sea Day~March 12: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 340 Sea Day~March 12: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 341 Sea Day~March 12: wrap up & random thoughts~post 342 Sea Day~March 13: a day of surprises~post 354 Sea Day~March 13: DaVinci lunch~post 356 Sea Day~March 13: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 357 Sea Day~March 13: Sabatini’s~post 359 Sea Day~March 13: evening entertainment~post 360 Sea Day~March 13: wrap up & random thoughts~post 361 Sea Day~March 14: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 364 Sea Day~March 14: formal night, captain's circle cocktail party, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 372 Sea Day~March 14: wrap up & random thoughts~post 373 Sea Day~March 15: one last day at sea~post 374 Sea Day~March 15: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 375 Sea Day~March 15: wrap up & random thoughts~post 378 Ensenada~March 16: staying onboard in por~post 403 Ensenada March 16: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 404 Ensenada March 16: exploring the Crown Princess~Plaza (5) deck~post 405

Ensenada~March 16 Exploring the Crown Princess~Plaza (5) Deck Even though the cruise is basically over, I decided to do photos of the last three decks as there are some people following who will be cruising the Crown on future cruises. The public part of the Plaza Deck is basically centered around the Piazza (which felt very small on the Crown). Around the Piazza are the International Cafe, Vines, Future Cruise Planning & the Internet Cafe. Forward of the Piazza is the Fine Arts Gallery…which always seems like a waste of space on this class of ship…the newer ones have much less space dedicated to showing art. Aft is one of the three MDRs, MIchelangelo which was used for dinner service & activities during the day. List of my posts in this LIVE: Introduction~post 1 Pre-cruise: packing~post 10 Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29 Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43 Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67 Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75 Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78 Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89 Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104 Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114 Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142 Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147 Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148 Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149 Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150 Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151 Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167 Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172 Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173 Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175 Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176 Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204 Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205 Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206 Sea Day~March 5: wrap up & random thoughts~post 208 Sea Day~March 6: another beautiful morning~post 216 Sea Day~March 6: pub lunch & elite tea, oh my!~post 221 Sea Day~March 6: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 224 Sea Day~March 6: DaVinci dinner~post 225 Sea Day~March 6: wrap up & random thoughts~post 226 Honolulu~March 7: good morning, Honolulu~post 228 Honolulu~March 7: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 229 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting there~post 230 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting in~post 231 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~islands of polynesia~post 233 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~exploring the islands of polynesia~post 239 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~spending time in Samoa~post 240 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~enjoying the beauty~post 241 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Gateway Buffet~post 249 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Ha Breath of Life show, maps & flyers, thoughts~post 252 Honolulu~March 7: onboard the Crown~post 253 Honolulu~March 7: exploring the Crown Princess~Gala Deck (4)~post 254 Honolulu~March 7: wrap up & random thoughts~post 261 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: adventures in Honolulu~post 263 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 266 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: leaving for Maui~post 271 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 273 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: wrap up & random thoughts~post 267 …& Not Maui~March 9: early morning sail in & whales~post 280 …& Not Maui~March 9: patters, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 281 …& Not Maui~March 9: unexpected day at sea~post 285 …& Not Maui~March 9: DaVinci dinner~post 286 …& Not Maui~March 9: wrap up & random thoughts~post 291 Hilo~March 10: early morning, internet info, disembarkation in Hilo~post 296 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 1)~post 301 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 2)~post 307 Hilo~March 10: Kalakaua Park~post 310 Hilo~March 10: Mokupapapa Discovery Center~post 311 Hilo~March 10: Pacific Tsunami Museum~post 313 Hilo~March 10: around Hilo~post 314 Hilo~March 10: shopping & Farmers Market~post 315 Hilo~March 10: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 316 Hilo~March 10: sail-away~post 319 Hilo~March 10: DaVinci dinner~post 320 Hilo~March 10: wrap up & random thoughts~post 321 Sea Day~March 11: another day at sea~post 331 Sea Day~March 11: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 332 Sea Day~March 11: formal night & DaVinci dinner~post 333 Sea Day~March 11: wrap up & random thoughts~post 334 Sea Day~March 12: more moments at sea~post 339 Sea Day~March 12: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 340 Sea Day~March 12: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 341 Sea Day~March 12: wrap up & random thoughts~post 342 Sea Day~March 13: a day of surprises~post 354 Sea Day~March 13: DaVinci lunch~post 356 Sea Day~March 13: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 357 Sea Day~March 13: Sabatini’s~post 359 Sea Day~March 13: evening entertainment~post 360 Sea Day~March 13: wrap up & random thoughts~post 361 Sea Day~March 14: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 364 Sea Day~March 14: formal night, captain's circle cocktail party, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 372 Sea Day~March 14: wrap up & random thoughts~post 373 Sea Day~March 15: one last day at sea~post 374 Sea Day~March 15: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 375 Sea Day~March 15: wrap up & random thoughts~post 378 Ensenada~March 16: staying onboard in por~post 403 Ensenada~March 16: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 404

Ensenada~March 16 Patter, Weather, Progress & Photo of the Day Not a warm & sunny day in Mexico, that’s for sure. List of my posts in this LIVE: Introduction~post 1 Pre-cruise: packing~post 10 Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29 Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43 Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67 Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75 Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78 Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89 Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104 Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114 Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142 Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147 Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148 Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149 Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150 Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151 Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167 Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172 Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173 Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175 Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176 Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204 Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205 Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206 Sea Day~March 5: wrap up & random thoughts~post 208 Sea Day~March 6: another beautiful morning~post 216 Sea Day~March 6: pub lunch & elite tea, oh my!~post 221 Sea Day~March 6: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 224 Sea Day~March 6: DaVinci dinner~post 225 Sea Day~March 6: wrap up & random thoughts~post 226 Honolulu~March 7: good morning, Honolulu~post 228 Honolulu~March 7: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 229 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting there~post 230 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting in~post 231 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~islands of polynesia~post 233 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~exploring the islands of polynesia~post 239 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~spending time in Samoa~post 240 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~enjoying the beauty~post 241 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Gateway Buffet~post 249 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Ha Breath of Life show, maps & flyers, thoughts~post 252 Honolulu~March 7: onboard the Crown~post 253 Honolulu~March 7: exploring the Crown Princess~Gala Deck (4)~post 254 Honolulu~March 7: wrap up & random thoughts~post 261 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: adventures in Honolulu~post 263 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 266 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: leaving for Maui~post 271 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 273 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: wrap up & random thoughts~post 267 …& Not Maui~March 9: early morning sail in & whales~post 280 …& Not Maui~March 9: patters, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 281 …& Not Maui~March 9: unexpected day at sea~post 285 …& Not Maui~March 9: DaVinci dinner~post 286 …& Not Maui~March 9: wrap up & random thoughts~post 291 Hilo~March 10: early morning, internet info, disembarkation in Hilo~post 296 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 1)~post 301 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 2)~post 307 Hilo~March 10: Kalakaua Park~post 310 Hilo~March 10: Mokupapapa Discovery Center~post 311 Hilo~March 10: Pacific Tsunami Museum~post 313 Hilo~March 10: around Hilo~post 314 Hilo~March 10: shopping & Farmers Market~post 315 Hilo~March 10: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 316 Hilo~March 10: sail-away~post 319 Hilo~March 10: DaVinci dinner~post 320 Hilo~March 10: wrap up & random thoughts~post 321 Sea Day~March 11: another day at sea~post 331 Sea Day~March 11: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 332 Sea Day~March 11: formal night & DaVinci dinner~post 333 Sea Day~March 11: wrap up & random thoughts~post 334 Sea Day~March 12: more moments at sea~post 339 Sea Day~March 12: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 340 Sea Day~March 12: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 341 Sea Day~March 12: wrap up & random thoughts~post 342 Sea Day~March 13: a day of surprises~post 354 Sea Day~March 13: DaVinci lunch~post 356 Sea Day~March 13: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 357 Sea Day~March 13: Sabatini’s~post 359 Sea Day~March 13: evening entertainment~post 360 Sea Day~March 13: wrap up & random thoughts~post 361 Sea Day~March 14: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 364 Sea Day~March 14: formal night, captain's circle cocktail party, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 372 Sea Day~March 14: wrap up & random thoughts~post 373 Sea Day~March 15: one last day at sea~post 374 Sea Day~March 15: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 375 Sea Day~March 15: wrap up & random thoughts~post 378 Ensenada~March 16: staying onboard in port~post 403

Ensenada~March 16 Staying Onboard in Port Because we generally sail out of the Port of LA (San Pedro), we have been to Ensenada many times & often don’t get off the ship. I thought about just getting off to check out the shops in the port area, but didn’t (& later learned from another passenger that they are no longer open). So it was one last lovely day on the Crown. We started with breakfast in the MDR so my sissy could have her eggs benedict. She said these were the best yet! As we were leaving the dining room, the manager was excited to finally be able to go ashore for a bit, but our waiter only wanted to use his extra time off for a nap. After breakfast I decided to stop by to see the Loyalty & Events Manager & ask for her suggestions on how to address my frustration with our shore excursions experience. Her recommendation was that I ask to speak to the Shore Excursion Manager & sent him an email to ask him to contact me. The shore excursion desk was not open until that afternoon, so I decided to write him a letter as I am better at expressing myself in writing than in person. (I never did hear from him). Next, I wandered the Plaza, Fiesta & Promenade Decks to get photos while the casino & other venues were closed & many people were ashore. Then back to our room to wite my letter to the Shore Excursion Manager & pack. This is the one day of the cruise that I always wish it was a light packer & hadn’t brought so much. But if you do it like eating an elephant (a little at a time), by the end of the day it is done. While many of the passengers were ashore, they did some ship practice. There was a man overboard drill & then later testing of some fire doors etc. The one thing that was strange was they made several announcements to passengers about avoiding zones 1 & 2 while they were testing, but who of the passengers knows where zones 1 & 2 are? I certainly don’t. List of my posts in this LIVE: Introduction~post 1 Pre-cruise: packing~post 10 Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29 Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43 Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67 Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70 Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75 Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78 Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89 Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104 Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114 Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142 Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147 Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148 Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149 Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150 Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151 Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167 Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172 Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173 Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175 Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176 Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204 Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205 Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206 Sea Day~March 5: wrap up & random thoughts~post 208 Sea Day~March 6: another beautiful morning~post 216 Sea Day~March 6: pub lunch & elite tea, oh my!~post 221 Sea Day~March 6: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 224 Sea Day~March 6: DaVinci dinner~post 225 Sea Day~March 6: wrap up & random thoughts~post 226 Honolulu~March 7: good morning, Honolulu~post 228 Honolulu~March 7: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 229 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting there~post 230 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~getting in~post 231 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~islands of polynesia~post 233 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~exploring the islands of polynesia~post 239 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~spending time in Samoa~post 240 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~enjoying the beauty~post 241 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Gateway Buffet~post 249 Honolulu~March 7: Polynesian Cultural Center~Ha Breath of Life show, maps & flyers, thoughts~post 252 Honolulu~March 7: onboard the Crown~post 253 Honolulu~March 7: exploring the Crown Princess~Gala Deck (4)~post 254 Honolulu~March 7: wrap up & random thoughts~post 261 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: adventures in Honolulu~post 263 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 266 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: leaving for Maui~post 271 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 273 Not Kauai; More Honolulu~March 8: wrap up & random thoughts~post 267 …& Not Maui~March 9: early morning sail in & whales~post 280 …& Not Maui~March 9: patters, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 281 …& Not Maui~March 9: unexpected day at sea~post 285 …& Not Maui~March 9: DaVinci dinner~post 286 …& Not Maui~March 9: wrap up & random thoughts~post 291 Hilo~March 10: early morning, internet info, disembarkation in Hilo~post 296 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 1)~post 301 Hilo~March 10: Hilo historic downtown walking tour (part 2)~post 307 Hilo~March 10: Kalakaua Park~post 310 Hilo~March 10: Mokupapapa Discovery Center~post 311 Hilo~March 10: Pacific Tsunami Museum~post 313 Hilo~March 10: around Hilo~post 314 Hilo~March 10: shopping & Farmers Market~post 315 Hilo~March 10: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 316 Hilo~March 10: sail-away~post 319 Hilo~March 10: DaVinci dinner~post 320 Hilo~March 10: wrap up & random thoughts~post 321 Sea Day~March 11: another day at sea~post 331 Sea Day~March 11: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 332 Sea Day~March 11: formal night & DaVinci dinner~post 333 Sea Day~March 11: wrap up & random thoughts~post 334 Sea Day~March 12: more moments at sea~post 339 Sea Day~March 12: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 340 Sea Day~March 12: DaVinci dinner & a show~post 341 Sea Day~March 12: wrap up & random thoughts~post 342 Sea Day~March 13: a day of surprises~post 354 Sea Day~March 13: DaVinci lunch~post 356 Sea Day~March 13: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 357 Sea Day~March 13: Sabatini’s~post 359 Sea Day~March 13: evening entertainment~post 360 Sea Day~March 13: wrap up & random thoughts~post 361 Sea Day~March 14: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 364 Sea Day~March 14: formal night, captain's circle cocktail party, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 372 Sea Day~March 14: wrap up & random thoughts~post 373 Sea Day~March 15: one last day at sea~post 374 Sea Day~March 15: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 375 Sea Day~March 15: wrap up & random thoughts~post 378

the problem with using napkins, is the same one as using gloves, they can become a vector for infection...the much better choice is to wash/sanitize your hands before & after using shared utensils, but since this is a live of our cruise & not a thread about how best to prevent the spread of infection, I will resume our trip with our last day in Ensenada, & hope that anyone that wants to continue this discussion of best practices for disease prevention or buffet service can start their own thread dedicated to that topic...thank you

looks like a much nicer night for sailing back to us....enjoy your last night onboard & thank you so much for taking us along with your wonderful live

that is exactly what I meant, & currently even the things that traditionally (precovid) were served in the buffet were not being served in the buffet on the Crown...I did like things in small single serving portions last year as well

both Stanleys (the original & the smaller costumed ones...unicorn, patriotic, pirate, easter) & ship models on the Crown in March

yes, yes, yes to all of the above!

having cruised 3 times last year with increasingly fewer precautions & then this year it seems like most precautions have vanished...no pre or mid cruise testing requirements, no mandatory masking (& we were among the rare passengers who masked) for passengers, some crew but probably not most masked (apparently during the cruise before ours the infection rates were up & crew did have to mask some of the time),no limitations on # people in venues or mandatory spacing, back to twice daily stateroom service, the individual servings of foods in the buffet were replaced with large serving dishes & it was all self serve, no monitoring of hand sanitizing, maybe there is still more cleaning but I am not sure...I think, like much of the country, they have decided to just let whatever happens happen...I don't know if there is still regular testing of crew...it was so different from our Hawai'i cruise last January...they had so many precautions as we were the frist cruise back to the islands since the shut down & we were maybe 1/2 full...in Sept/Oct there were still precautions but way fewer & now it feels like they are really none that are visible

thank you for your kid words. I do know it is a corporate decision to make a 10 (or whatever is the highest rating the only acceptable one) & so many businesses do that...I just think it is wrong, it pushes the customer to say that good enough is excellent & leaves no room for rewarding & remarking on true excellence, which we do see sometimes...it also lets the corporation "off the hook" as it were as they can say see our customers think we are excellent so we are fine with much lower staffing numbers & a poorer level of service than we used to provide so why should we work to get back there...but I know I am tilting at windmills as it were & this is the way things are done now (sometimes I really feel like those very old people who can't keep up with the changes in the world around them)

no that is not the reason...I can access my 2024 booking on the app did you try logging in with your booking number? my sissy can only access her bookings on the app that way...if not you will have to call...pick ocean medallion help in the phone menu & they will help figure out what the problem is (sometimes it is the birthday is wrong on that part of the system or something else)

thank you @We_like_to_cruise! you are an artist with both your camera & your words...it has been a joy following along on your trip around the world thus far...you have made it come alive on the screen!

it was good! thank you