travelin.sisters

thank you...it is a good ship & a good crew, but it feels like the crew is under a lot of pressure, either because there are not enough of them or someother reason... I have only had one Stateroom steward who made a couple of towel animals on a Princess cruise...he made them to hang out with the Stanley Bears, they are cute, but then do you keep them for the cruise or make them back into towels or? ...I would like them to have those extra minutes for a rest or nap or snack (our steward had 19 rooms on the Crown which seems like a lot) hopefully we will have sunny weather for you to sail away

tacky is a good word for it...I will happily write commendations for those who do a good job & start collecting names the first day...but I will not be telling you something is superb when it is not...& I did mention the whole push for 10s in my survey

I understand that what they are selling now for the price I paid is less than what they sold me (the PCC does still offer what we were sold) AND that they know that because for one excursion they emailed my TA with notice of the change & for the other they sent a letter to our rooms with notification what I do not think is right is to sell me something, have me pay the price they set & then change it with no reimbursement. This is not they accidentally sold me the wrong thing (which a good business will give you the advertised price even if it is their error) at the wrong price, but that after the transaction they changed the offering. In fact, when I talked to them before the excursion about canceling they told me that there was a price adjustment because of the change (which they did not do). I do not doubt that Princess puts pressure on their tour operators to make sure that people are back on time (although the shore excursion people said he should not have done this), since they have committed to not sailing without you if you are on a Princess tour, which was actually part of what I was trying to address at the shore excursion desk (but they didn't actually want to listen to my points) however since we were staying overnight this was entirely unnecessary AND we (even after staying for the people who didn't leave early & then waiting for the driver to visit with people) were back an hour before the ship would have departed anyway. Whatever the reason, they sold me something which they did not give me & I find this bad customer service.

not easy walking, no but I believe they have a shuttle that will take you to dinner or shopping (you would want to call & double check that this is still true)

thank you for sharing you trip & your thoughts with us...it was a very enjoyable & enlightening read!

it will show up as available somewhere between 60 days & 2 weeks before you sail...they don't give you notice, you just have to keep checking

depending on the port you are sailing from there may be longer lines but in LA they are almost always fast & easy...boarding times are not generally checked or enforced,,,muster drill you check in at your station anytime before maybe an hour before sailaway & watch on your TV or mobile device have a wonderful cruise

I have never seen it enforced (or even checked) sailing out of the Port of LA

Sea Day~March 15 Wrap Up & Random Thoughts Today, after several of you encouraged me, I went to the shore excursion desk to talk about our frustration with our excursion experience. I really wanted to address two issues with them: 1) that our driver told us to leave the show early at the Polynesian Cultural Center & 2) the selling of tours with specific things included & then later removing them with no adjustment in price. I did get a goodwill credit of $50 for each of us, which was nice, but left frustrated & feeling like my concerns were not really listened to. This seems to be a standard Princess response on ships, toss a little OBC at anyone who complains & then they will go away. For the past several days, there has been a push for 10s on our post cruise surveys. The captain asked us to give his crew 10s both at yesterday’s Captain Circle party & in the Piazza tonight. Some of the dining room staff have been walking around with hats with 10s on them for days & at the presentation today they again exhorted us to give them 10s. I think if you want 10s on your survey you should spend more time giving your customers 10 service than telling them to rate poorer service as a 10. (This seems to be prevalent in many businesses now, I am tired of people telling me that they only get credit if they get the highest possible score). IMHO very little on the Crown was a 10, neither was anything (outside of our excursion issues) a very low score…this has been a solidly good but not outstanding cruise. Ok, this sounds really grumbly & I don’t want anyone to think this has not been a good cruise, because it has. There have, obviously, been some disappointments but most of them have been no one's fault & there have been a lot of good things about this cruise. We are glad we went & glad to be cruising. It just, in more than a few areas is not what it used to be. That said, for us, cruising is still one of the best ways for us to travel & a good deal compared to other options. 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 13: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 375

we sail out of San Pedro on Princess several times a year...as stated by previous posters, your experience will depend on a few factors...the primary factors are whether you are boarding at berth 93 or 91/2 & when you decide to arrive other less likely factors are if there is an unexpected delay (ship arrives late, Coast Guard inspection, or some other unusual circumstance) I have never seen them check boarding times or groups at the port of LA (San Pedro) berth 93 (the one perpendicular to the harbor) has a much bigger building & waiting areas & is IMHO much nice for embarkation, the other (which is parallel to the harbor) is smaller & gets quite crowded so if there is any delay, you may have to stand to wait...if by some chance you are leaving from the outer harbor they will put up tents there & boarding should be very easy as well (but Princess will not give you any instructions on how to arrive or park or anything so come back to CC for help) once you are inside (93) or in line (91/2) they will have plenty of people to direct you to the appropriate line (I travel with one person with a walker & another who needs wheelchair assistance for boarding, so we are directed that way & never get to the elite line) I always aim to arrive between 10:30 & 10:45 & find it very easy to board with my people, their mobility devices & stuff...except for the times with the above mentioned delays (so bring a little patience in your carry on, just in case) Princess is very, very bad about giving out information before you get to the port, but once you are there, they do know what they are doing & get you in pretty smoothly & quickly (I guess they think we don't need the info, but we sure wish they would share more) have a wonderful cruise

we also do this often & with the Medallion it is so much easier as they can be set to open multiple doors (rather than needing multiple room cards in the past), just take one person assigned to each room & ask for it to be done...it is good to let your cabin steward know so that in case of an emergency they are aware

Sea Day~March 15 DaVinci Dinner Tonight we were back to waiting for our table, sigh…. Starters: bay scallop cocktail, twice-baked goat cheese souffle (excellent), cobb salad (very good) Entrées: bouillabaisse fish stew with saffron aïoli crouton (good), carved beef tenderloin with romesco sauce (very good) Desserts: mignardises, sea salt caramel pot de creme, chocoholic cheesecake (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 13: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 375

Sea Day~March 15 Patter, Weather, Progress & Photo of the Day Almost back to LA & it's cold enough the bears decided to watch the ocean through window instead of on the balcony.

Sea Day~March 15 One Last Day at Sea In the morning was the “cooking demonstration” with the executive chef & head of restaurant operations. This is always a very fun time, much more of a comedy show than a cooking one. Once again, it is sad that they no longer do the galley tour afterwards. They did tell us that there would be a dessert extravaganza in the Cafe Caribe buffet later. We went to one last lunch in the MDR. The seafood salad louis was rather strange as it had mostly mussels instead of the shrimp or crab that would be expected. the teriyaki chicken was ok. We didn’t have dessert because we were going to the dessert extravaganza afterward. The dessert extravaganza was full of really beautiful, fancy looking desserts. Unfortunately, none of the ones we tried were worth a second bite. The highlight of the day for us was the Aloha Oe show featuring the hula & ‘ukulele classes. They did a great job & the theater was fuller than for some of the late shows. 2023-03-15 14.14.24.mp4 2023-03-15 14.19.02.mp4 2023-03-15 14.22.25.mp4 2023-03-15 14.28.19.mp4 2023-03-15 14.31.01.mp4 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 14 Wrap Up & Random Thoughts On sea days going to Hawai’i there are a lot of things related to our destination, but on the trip back they usually add more things about the ship. Today was Meet the Show Cast where several members talked about being in the cast. The whole cast shares the same contract & joins & leaves the ship together. They talked about the hiring process (all the female singers must have a solid soprano range, no pure altos) & spending 6-8 weeks at the Princess main campus in Santa Clarita learning the productions. Sadly they aren’t doing tours of the theater backstage anymore. But it was an interesting presentation. I enjoy the little insights into crew matters. In the evening along with our patters, we received our disembark instructions & luggage tags. 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 Formal Night, Captain’s Circle Cocktail Party, DaVinci Dinner & a Show The last formal night was also the Captain's Circle Party. I’m not actually sure why I go…but there is a free drink or two & we learned that our cruise had 614 gold members, 331 ruby, platinum 594 & elite 423 (that leaves room for more than 1000 first time passengers if we are full & it seems like we should be close). The 3rd most traveled guests had over 1500 days & the 1st & 2nd had over 2000. They did the drwaing from the medallions, not by collecting the invitations. We stopped to see if we could be seated early for dinner, but no, so we went to listen to Tiki Dave in the Piazza. Then dinner at our assigned time. Starters: iceberg wedge (without the blue cheese), lime & salt cured-salmon with sweet chili sauce, lemon scented ravioli with truffle oil (all good) Entrees: broiled lobster tail (ok///all the butter on this sailing was very yellow), beef wellington with truffle-madeira demi glace (very disappointing with raw pastry) The last production show, Encore, was very 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

we have had problems twice since a glitch last fall changed the month of my sister's birthday...both times I talked to the madallion app help person (I don't know exactly what it is called on the phone menu) & they were able to reset it to what it should be so that I could do her registration & get her in green lane

my first our TA recommended starboard, the next I think we were port & & the most recent I booked one of each...I think you get a better sail in to HIlo from the starboard, but into Kauai which is a twisty entry port is nice, but most of the time as people have said it is this which is gorgeous from both sides (these were port) 2023-03-05 11.26.01.mp4

maybe you could just put the food in a bag & 'forget' to take it at some point? praying for a stress-free drive back to Michigan, remind yourself that these will be good memories someday...

today was finally shorts & t's weather (at least mid-day) here at the port & it looks like it will be warming up over the next 10 days so maybe by the time you sail it will be better for you.

no, it is something our TA's company has often done (think national company that provides roadside assistance, insurance & travel & is best known by its 3 matching initials) one cruise last year (maybe Hawai'i) we had one from our TA & one as part of the Princess sale when we booked, never did specialty dining before they started including that as a perk a few years ago & don't know if we would if it wasn't included especially as they keep raising the prices & you never know if it will be really good or no better than the food that is included yes we had that on one of our cruises...now with all the premier packages I don't know if they will be able to have reservations for everyone who is entitled to it?

I don't spend a lot of time around the pool, but this is what I noticed, by the 3rd sea day there were people lying out around the pool (they may have been before, but that is when we went to salty dog grill & I noticed them)...they were very not tan people so I am imagining from places where there is real winter, not like So Cal people...by the next morning there were women swimming in the pool when we went to breakfast....on the way back there were people around the pool all they way until the last day...in Hawai'i I wore t's & capris so definitely would be ok for shorts...I've never cruised the Caribbean but probably more chance of rain in Hawai'i but its warm anyway...people did grab towels & head for the beach at the ports (we just aren't swimming in the ocean or lying out in the sun people)...I wore mostly pants & t's or short-sleeved shirts onboard, my sissy wore mostly long-sleeved ones so I don't have a great answer for you, definitely bring a sweater or light jacket, because sometimes they have trouble with the dining room being too cold as the weather changes..I hope that helps (I guess go by the daily tems & figure out if that is comfortable for you....in general the weather the first 2 days was comparable to what it was like in CA when we left, so if our weather gets more normal the cruise will warm up then as you get closer to Hawai'i it will get more like their weather .

Sea Day~March 14 Patter, Weather, Progress & Photo of the Day Another lovely lazy day at sea! Getting cooler & less sunny as we get closer to home, but a day at sea is still a good 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

last year it was fall (maybe September) before they posted...I was hoping for a Christmas to Hawai'i cruise...the main difference will be if it is a larger ship (like the Discovery) the itinerary will change...our March 2024 is Honolulu overnight, Maui & Kona...the rest do Honolulu, Kauai, Maui & HIlo in some order. as @mtnesterz said the Hawai'ian Ambassadors are part of what makes the cruise & @Elua are really excellent...that being said, you may want to book before you know who the Ambassadors will be as they don't have their schedule for this coming season yet (fall 23-spring 24) so it will probably be more than a year before they have their schedule for the season after that. As cruising to Japan & Australia are opening up, there may be fewer Hawai'i itineraries available so I would (will be) book soon after they come out...other than the different itineraries, I would probably not pick a cruise based on the ship so much as dates & ports (probably some cruises out of SF & Vancouver, maybe SD but most out of San Pedro (LA) (I am finishing a current live for our cuise earlier this month & did one for our Jan of last year if you are interested in menus, patters etc...any other questions ask me....Hawai'i is our favorite itinerary)

thank you for your kind words & joining the trip...I know some people probably think it is silly to bring our own blankets, but it is one of the pluses when sailing from our hometown....I really like a cuddly blankiet & find the Princess (& most hotel) covers too stiff & heavy & would probably leave some clothes home rather than my blanket (plus it makes the room look a little less generic...I'd rather not spend 2 weeks in a room with no personality...but thats the great thing about cruisisng we all get to do what works for us...