We_like_to_cruise

Kauai, Hawaii Not a sunny start today – the clouds are thick and dark. No rain, yet. This morning we took a waiting cab to the Lihue airport to pick up another rental car. Our first stop was the Ho’op’I Falls trail. The trailhead is located in a residential area with plenty of NO PARKING signs posted. But we lucked out with the last acceptable spot on the side of the road. We headed down the trail and it was slow going because the ground was wet and very muddy. There was a slight descent right near the beginning and we started to slip and slide. Not good. The wet mud was as slick as ice, so we carefully pulled ourselves back up the trail and back to the car. Fortunately we got back without falling and without injury. No sense getting hurt. Earlier our cab driver had cautioned us about the trail. He noted there were periods of rain the previous evening of two inches per hour. We then drove all of the way to the northern end of the island to the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and lighthouse. In fact this is the most northern point of all of the main Hawaiian islands. Reservations are required and we pre-registered about 8 weeks ago. This site is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, so with our pre-registration and our senior National Park passes and id we were granted admission. They were strict and in fact had our names down on their reservation list. This location has the largest population of nesting seabirds in Hawaii and we saw many birds including albatross, frigate birds, red-footed booby and the Hawaiian state bird, the nene or Hawaiian goose. There were free binoculars to borrow and a staff member had set up a monocular to view an albatross nest with chicks on the distant cliff invisible to the naked eye. There was also a small gift shop and restrooms. The first pic below is the lighthouse from an observation point along the way; the next few pictures are at the site. After a few enchanting hours, we drove to Opaekaa Falls for some pictures and then headed to Kalapaki Beach. The skies were still threatening and we did have some sprinkles while driving. Not really beach weather for swimming, at least for us, but fine for sitting out relaxing and enjoying some lunch. We had a lot more items to visit on our list, but were stymied by three factors. First, apparently (due to the aforementioned rainstorm) one of the roads was flooded and the traffic was all backed up slowing our progress. Secondly, although the island is small, some of the sites are far apart and the speed limit is for the most part 35 mph. Lastly this was a shorter day in port and all aboard was much earlier than in Honolulu. Finally a quick stop for Kauai kookies, return the car and a cab back to the ship. It was a nice day but too short!

Thank you for sharing. What a story - that poor woman.

Interesting. I have not investigated some of the decks that now have pax cabins after the Universe Lounge was removed. Did they add laundromats as well? I do not know. There are definitely laundry facilities on decks 8 - 12.

Thanks for your comments! Perhaps we are traveling at a different time of year (?) but our weather in Cartagena was not too bad. Kind of like early summer in Florida. 🙂

Honolulu, Hawaii Part Two From Pearl Harbor we drove along the coast, stopping when we pleased for as long as we pleased. Very relaxing. Some beaches we visited included Kailua Beach Park, Lanikai Beach and Waimanolo Beach. What a beautiful great day – sunny and warm. Heading back at the end of the day we stopped at Costco for gas and even dashed into Wal-Mart for some souvenir t-shirts. This is a big city, so of course we got stuck in rush hour traffic on our way home. Ugh. When we finally reached the Island Princess at the end of this long day we were tired and hungry. We headed up to the Horizon Court buffet for dinner. This was the first time we had dinner here. German food theme ! So we filled up on rouladen and spatzle and wurst and pretzel bread and washed it down with some cold beers.

Honolulu, Hawaii Part One Disembarkation was held up for about 30 minutes, but once off the ship we grabbed an Uber to the Daniel K. Inouye (Honolulu) Airport. We picked up an SUV at Alamo and headed out for the day. First stop – Pearl Harbor. Reservations were made about six weeks ago when they first became available. We drove around a few of the parking lots searching for parking to no avail. At 10 am the lots were already filled to capacity. Finally we used the “follow a leaving couple back to their car” technique and were able to get a spot. Whew. We spent the next 3-4 hours at the site. So moving and emotional. We toured the museums and walked through the large grounds and took many pictures outside while waiting for our reserved time. We were told that since the pandemic the movie and boat ride were completely separate. (In the past your group would enter the theater together, watch a movie about Pearl Harbor and then together take the Naval boat to the USS Arizona memorial). So we queued at the appointed time, waited a few minutes in the theater with our group and then took the short boat ride to the USS Arizona. Our group spent about 20 minutes there in solemn contemplation. Upon our return we went to a different theater to watch the aforementioned movie which detailed the events of that “day of infamy” Dec. 7, 1941.

Totally agree. The Irish couple are "Aileen and Sticks." She plays the guitar and he plays percussion. They both are talented vocalists with very nice harmonies. We are lucky to have a very engaging entertainment staff.

Yes, here are a few pix. Personally I prefer a more upright position whilst reading, but they are okay for me for short periods if I would like to sit outside. These posted pix are the chairs in their full upright position. Our personal balcony seating is more comfortable and adjustable IMHO.

We were on IP in the summer and cruised Iceland and Greenland. There is plenty of inside seating all around the ship including outside the lounges and inside / outside the specialty restaurants. I don't think you will have any problem if you are flexible. (Choice seats might be taken early in the day!)

No loungers anymore. There are sections with chairs and side tables. I will post a pic later. IIRC there used to be loungers with comfy cushions on other Princess ships we have sailed on.

Yes, you are right. I should not have been so quick to criticize the wide Promenade Deck. It is lovely to walk around on a nice day, even if you can not circumnavigate the entire deck. Not familiar with the "weigh in" so sorry cannot help there. It does not appear on the daily patter.

Fitness The fitness center is open 24 hours and there are numerous classes available. Unfortunately since the “butchering” (as most would agree) of the IP there is no outside view from the gym. There are plenty of machines, although you might have to wait during some prime time morning hours. One of my favorite advertised classes is “Eat More to Weigh Less”. Gosh, I am trying but it does not seem to be working! I was in the fitness center last week and a very attractive woman was working out near me. I asked the personal trainer what machine I might use to impress her. He looked me up and down and replied “the cash machine!” J In addition to the fitness center, there are passenger run classes in Tai Chi and dance classes. Zumba classes in the Explorer's Lounge are very, very popular and are well attended. Energetic and enthusiastic CD Cole leads this entertaining class. Pickleball up on Deck 15 is also pretty popular. The outside dimensions of the court are small – not much room to move around behind the base lines and side lines. A net entirely surrounds both, as well as overhead. Don’t want any pickleballs stuck in a whale blowhole ala Cosmo Kramer’s golf ball (Seinfeld reference). By 9 am it is crowded and you wait your turn to rotate into games. There can be as many as 16 or so players waiting in line. Some are better than others but it is still a friendly game. Of course there are also options to play ping pong, shuffleboard, and basketball. Lots of passengers spend some time walking the Promenade Deck, 7. Due to the “reconstruction” of the Island Princess, one can no longer walk continuously around this deck outside. You have two choices – walk the majority of the way and then turn around or walk to the turnaround point and cut through the inside of Deck 7 to the other side. Both work, we prefer staying outside. The walk is interesting as you stride through different climate zones – from the hot dry side of the ship to the wet, windy, salt spray in your face side. You are protected from the elements walking through the enclosed section – but the wind tunnel pushes you in all directions. Hold onto your hat.

Our cabin steward advised us last week that he has 19 cabins to manage. However, we heard a number of new employees joined the ship in Honolulu two days ago. And we experienced some new wait staff in the MDR. Hopefully there were also some new cabin stewards to help lighten the load for these hard working people. Our steward is great and we are thankful for his hard work and dedication.

Laundromat Per the deck plans, each passenger deck has a dedicated laundry room, five in total. We have already done the laundry twice and it appears as if the machines are very new. You can purchase tokens for the washer and/or dryer ($3.00 each) either at the vending machine in the room using your medallion or down at Guest Services. Detergent is also available for purchase with your token. The washing machine, at the Permanent Press setting takes about 40 minutes. The dryer takes about an hour depending on the setting. There are also ironing boards, a sink and a TV in the Laundromat. We just leave our clothes and do something else during that time.

Great info ! Unfortunately we were in Honolulu two days ago ! But thanks anyway, will keep it in mind for the next visit. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Thank you for providing that info. I am not sure where that was reported. Did not hear about it from any official source unless I missed it. Anyway, I usually walk a few miles on Deck 7 Promenade. This morning the doors to that deck were closed due to the windy conditions outdoors. So, I decided to walk inside instead. I made my way from up on Deck 12 all the way down to Deck 5 and walked through each hallway and down each corridor to pass each passenger cabin. (The lengths I go to for my readers!). During my travels I encountered a total of five (5) of the COVID tables outside cabin doors. Just my unofficial report. There is no separate section of "quarantine cabins."

Yes both Cole and Susan are great entertainers and provide a wonderful upbeat contribution to our cruise. Unfortunately we will be losing Cole once we reach New Zealand (he is from Tauranga). Not sure if Susan will still be onboard but I hope so.

Yes, definitely extra toiletries. We have the backups stored under the bed in a separate bag. We packed clothes for about 14-16 days and that seems to be working out. We also have already been to two ports with convenient WalMart stores, so picked up a few items we either didn't think of or realized could be of value for the rest of the journey.

Yes, we heard from others that 3 day turnaround was typical. Not yet Elite, so still using the laundromat. Our turnaround time is less than 2 hours. 😁😁

I would say the majority is definitely self serve. There are a few items (especially hot items) that a crew member will add to your plate or provide a new plate with your choices. But all of the salads, breads, desserts, etc. are self serve.

This is good advice. We have not always left the ship on the same deck, or even the same location on a deck. So you cannot count on meeting at the gangway since it might vary.

More on Entertainment and Food We have already had three production shows – Encore, Do You Wanna Dance and On the Bayou (a personal favorite). Other performances in the Princess Theater included comedy magicians, solo male and female vocalists, comedians and the talented Princess dancers and band. (Love them!) We have mostly been attending the earlier show at 7:30 pm and the good seats are taken by 7:15 pm or earlier depending on the show. Have not seen a lot of pax reserving excessive numbers of seats, and have not seen at all the Princess Premium reserved seating perk I read about on CC. Cole, our Cruise Director, advised us that they are working on a total of 10 new production numbers. I will keep you informed. In addition to the theater, all of the lounges have varied performances of pianists, musical duets, acoustic guitar and vocalist, etc. Since the ship is relatively small it is easy to walk from one location to another to find a place to sit down with a drink and listen to some music before or after dinner. Last night the Princess band performed in the Wheelhouse Bar and that was a treat. Our Hawaiian ambassadors boarded in LA. Now every day we have special themed activities including lei making classes, Hawaiian language classes, ukulele lessons and hula dance lessons. I am participating in the uke lessons and there are about 40 of us learning and practicing every day in the Explorer’s Lounge. There was a problem with our ship live TV satellite antenna which has been resolved. This announcement by Cole last evening was met with cheers – after all it is football season and the Super Bowl is right around the corner. Games are available for viewing both in your cabin and at MUTS outdoor by the pool. Many of us gathered there this afternoon to watch the games. You can sit down and eat at a dining venue anytime between 6 am and 11 pm. Regular coffee is available earlier than 6 am in the Horizon Court. After 6 am you can get specialty coffees there or at the Good Spirits Bar. A snack after 11 pm? I imagine you can use room service, or your medallion app to order, but honestly have not personally done so. Unlike many ships we have been on, both the theater and the buffet are both forward, but of course on different decks. More commonly we find each on opposite ends of the ship. (And now I realize a factual error posted on the Panama Canal report. Many people arrived in the Horizon Court early that morning to secure a table in the FORWARD section – I inadvertently posted aft. Mea culpa.)

Masking info During the first segment (Fort Lauderdale to LA) there were no masking requirements. Mask usage was small, perhaps 5-10 percent of pax. We masked sometimes when in crowded indoor events. As mentioned earlier we never take the elevator. However, a few days ago we were all advised (including newly embarking passengers) that there would be mandatory masking for the first three days of this voyage segment. Then each of us would take a mandatory COVID test and the captain and medical staff would decide the next steps. During the mandatory masking phase compliance was near 100%. It was rare to see someone without a mask. Yesterday morning our cabin steward provided us with a COVID test; instructions were provided the night before. We all had to take the test, provide a photo to our steward with the results, our names, cabin number and time and date of test. We thought it was pretty straightforward. But, I was surprised at the number of people our kind and patient cabin steward had to hand-hold during the testing phase. After two+ years they had never done a COVID test before? Anyway, at the show last night, Cruise Director Cole announced that effective today masking is at your own discretion and no longer mandatory. He insinuated the COVID counts were low, but of course we have no actual knowledge of numbers.

SHIP INFO The Island Princess entered service in 2003 and had a major dry dock in 2017. It has a passenger capacity of 2200. Although small by today’s cruise ship standards, we have heard numerous times that this is the largest ship Princess has ever used for a World Cruise. Despite her age, we have had few issues with our cabin. The ship seems well kept up – you always see staff cleaning and painting and working on maintenance. We have been on some of the newer ships with some of the more modern conveniences (e.g., USB ports in the room) but have no complaints about this older vessel. This World Cruise is divided into 5 segments: Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California to Sydney, Australia Sydney, Australia to Dubai, United Arab Emirates Dubai, United Arab Emirates to Ravenna, Italy Ravenna, Italy to Fort Lauderdale, Florida The first segment we had 1800 pax per Guest Services and as per the CD our current number of guests is 1933. Not sure out of this number how many are actually taking the full World Cruise. I have heard (not confirmed) guests say it was 600. Or 800. It depends on who you ask. I could not get a confirmed number from Guest Services. Princess-ship-facts.pdf

Yes, all of those typical questions were asked. Surprisingly for this game the men were pretty accurate.