Before we begin describing our Hawaiian adventure, we have just a few notes: We are a newly married couple in our twenties/ thirties and have been lucky enough to travel extensively both on land and on cruises. My favorite cruise line is Princess and my husband’s is Royal Caribbean. We chose this itinerary because I fly a lot for business and wanted to avoid planes and the friendly TSA officials for our honeymoon. We live about 40 minutes from the San Pedro port, so this was a perfect choice for us. Also, when deciding between the Sapphire and the Golden, we read the wonderful reviews about David Cole and Elua, and that made up our minds.
Since we are coming from LA, I thought we would offer some suggestions on great things to see in So Cal. You really can’t come to LA without seeing our Hollywood Walk of Fame, and you can attend ceremonies which are free and open to the public (check with Hollywood Chamber on schedules and honored celebrities). For Astronomy buffs, check out the Griffith Observatory. Parking and attendance are free; shows have a small entrance free. You can either hike up to the top or park right outside, and from here, you’ll get a great view of the Hollywood Sign. Many studios have complimentary free TV tapings. Universal Studios also does a great back-lot tour. If you stay in a hotel near here, you will be able to walk to Universal City Walk for fun restaurants and touristy shops. The Hollywood Bowl, the largest outdoor amphitheater in the US, host concerts and shows. It’s a perfect place to enjoy our often beautiful weather and you can picnic there during the shows. Attendance prices vary, but parking is usually a nightmare- stacked and costs between $16 and $35. Of course, Rodeo Drive is a perfect picture place, and Venice Beach is a wonderful place to see an eclectic group of Californians. If you head south to Orange County, you can visit Balboa Island. Take the ferry across and you’ll find some cute specialty stores- no chain stores are on Balboa. If you continue south to San Diego, you can check out the world famous San Diego Zoo, or the amazing beaches with stunning weather.
And now…onto our cruise to Hawaii. Our day began around 10 AM, when we were set to leave for my parents’ house. They had planned to drop us off at the port. As I tried to start my car, it made a horrible stuttering noise. It turned out that my beautiful Lexus felt that this was a perfect morning to let its battery die. We didn’t freak out, and instead called AAA to come save us. They did promptly, within 30 minutes, checked the battery, told me it was spilling acid and it was time for a new one. Hussein, our savior, changed the battery quickly and we were on our way to my parents' house, about an hour late.
We arrived at the port around 12:45 PM. Seeing the beautiful Golden Princess was a glorious sight. I was a little star struck. After reading so much about her, it was amazing to finally meet her. I just kept thinking that our stateroom was dressed and ready to meet us, only to be disappointed that we were later than expected.
Drop off was efficient, with the porters coming immediately over to our car. The poor guys didn’t know what hit them. My husband's suitcase was of average mass. Mine, um…that’s another story. I intentionally overpacked as I knew we would not be flying and there were no weight limitations when cruising. Our third large suitcase was packed with water and soft drinks, which we were allowed to bring on board. That suitcase weighed approximately 750 pounds and could only be lifted by an Olympic weight lifter. We tipped these guys extra.
We were able to use the priority check-in because of my status with Princess, which really didn’t matter because there weren’t many lines for check-in anywhere. We were also ushered into a priority security line. It was fast and effortless, much preferred over airport security. And…even better… no TSA employees for me to fight with.
We followed the herd of people onto the ship, where we took our obligatory embarkation picture (which we later purchased for $19.95). Then we took our security pics. I always hate to see my pics but I’m also a glutten for punishment, so I end up asking to see them, when the laughter from security has died down. My security pictures always make me look like I have a fly up my nose.
The elevators were a little crowded on our way up, which is to be expected considering so many passengers used walkers or wheelchairs. Our room was ready for us, with our view of the Starboard side from our balcony. On the Baja deck, we can see over the balconies two decks below us, which is always entertaining. This is precisely why I chose the Baja deck.
We met our room steward, Jose Rodriguez, from Mexico. As soon as we met him, I asked for a top sheet for the bed and an egg crate to make it more comfortable. By the time we went to bed, he had provided all of this for us. The egg crate made a nice difference in the otherwise hard bed. I learned to do this on Cruise Critic! Also, our robes were waiting for us in the room. Jose would remain efficient throughout the cruise.
We then went to eat the Horizon Court buffet, taking a variety of foods. They were tasty, nothing special but it was fine for us. It was our first meal on our honeymoon. After lunch, we went to find out how to change our seating for the dining room. We were told to meet with the Maitre d' in the Main Dining Room on Deck 6. We were given a number, and ushered inside. It was empty, except for a table in the far back where two people sat, in the glow of sunshine but also partly in shadow. We assumed correctly that one of them was the Maitre d' himself, who was surrounded by files and paperwork, and his loyal assistant. As we approached, he didn’t even look up, and his assistant asked us what they could do for us. It was very mafia-like, where my husband and I both felt like we were asking the Don for something very important. We asked him for a table for two after he informed us that we were assigned a table for 10! Without looking up at us, he instructed his assistant to give us Table 240. We thanked both of them, nearly bowing down to him (he is the Don, after all) and wished the next people in line the same luck with him. The entire experience was like a scene out of the Godfather.
We then took a tour of the Spa, and booked massages for both of us. Then, the Muster Drill was about to begin (not to be confused with the Mustard Drill, which we enjoyed earlier in the buffet), so we grabbed our life jackets and went to our location- the Explorers Lounge on Deck 7. We sat for a while, waiting for the drill to start, and inevitably some passengers put on their life jackets even though they are told not to. We took the traditional life jacket picture when the drill was over. I always found it funny that the life jackets used to say “Princess Cruises” on them. I don’t think that’s the kind of publicity they would want! They have since changed them for this sailing.
We then went back to our room, to relax and sail away from LA Port. In the water, a crazy (and probably drunk) girl in a boat yelled up to us, and the elderly men next to our balcony yelled, “Take your pants off!” We then saw many seals and porpoises playing in the water- quite a beautiful sight! At a restaurant along the port, someone got on the loud speaker and said, “Hello Golden Princess! We hope you’ll come eat at our restaurant on your way back!”
We sat on the balcony for a while, and then left to tour the ship. We got ice cream cones, as it had been a whole two hours since we had last eaten. We found the mini golf court, and shuffleboard, both of which we plan to do.
We went to the Welcome Aboard “One Night Only” show. We really liked the comedians, Alfred and Seymour, who hassled certain audience members. We looked forward to seeing them more on the cruise.
We went to dinner, at our table for two, and met our Waitress, Natalie, from South Africa, and our Assistant Waiter, Gene, from the Philippines, who are both wonderful. We had a three course dinner- I had spring rolls with peanut sauce, a spinach soup, a pina colada “soup” which is actually served like a cocktail, and a fish dish which I barely ate. For dessert, I had ice cream. Both Gene and Natalie have smiles that could make the Grinch love Christmas. They are genuine, and not there with the mentality of “I’m here because I need a job and I’m going to smile because that leads to tips.” Instead, they are there because they genuinely love what they do- meeting people and traveling.
One of my favorite things on cruises is getting to know the crew. In such a tremendously large world, cruising really makes it a little smaller and a little more intimate. In what other way can we meet so many diverse people from such different backgrounds?
We then went to the casino to play blackjack, and ended up winning $55! That would be the last time we would make money in the casino.
We returned to the room to get ready for bed. We'll write about Day Two a little later.
Here are two pics- one of the trail the Golden has left behind, with a lighthouse that we passed on the breakwater at Long Beach Harbor, and the other is of our view of the balconies below (we made sure to take it when nobody else was on their balconies):
Our spoiled lives aboard the Golden Princess- a detailed review
in Princess Cruises
Posted
Before we begin describing our Hawaiian adventure, we have just a few notes: We are a newly married couple in our twenties/ thirties and have been lucky enough to travel extensively both on land and on cruises. My favorite cruise line is Princess and my husband’s is Royal Caribbean. We chose this itinerary because I fly a lot for business and wanted to avoid planes and the friendly TSA officials for our honeymoon. We live about 40 minutes from the San Pedro port, so this was a perfect choice for us. Also, when deciding between the Sapphire and the Golden, we read the wonderful reviews about David Cole and Elua, and that made up our minds.
Since we are coming from LA, I thought we would offer some suggestions on great things to see in So Cal. You really can’t come to LA without seeing our Hollywood Walk of Fame, and you can attend ceremonies which are free and open to the public (check with Hollywood Chamber on schedules and honored celebrities). For Astronomy buffs, check out the Griffith Observatory. Parking and attendance are free; shows have a small entrance free. You can either hike up to the top or park right outside, and from here, you’ll get a great view of the Hollywood Sign. Many studios have complimentary free TV tapings. Universal Studios also does a great back-lot tour. If you stay in a hotel near here, you will be able to walk to Universal City Walk for fun restaurants and touristy shops. The Hollywood Bowl, the largest outdoor amphitheater in the US, host concerts and shows. It’s a perfect place to enjoy our often beautiful weather and you can picnic there during the shows. Attendance prices vary, but parking is usually a nightmare- stacked and costs between $16 and $35. Of course, Rodeo Drive is a perfect picture place, and Venice Beach is a wonderful place to see an eclectic group of Californians. If you head south to Orange County, you can visit Balboa Island. Take the ferry across and you’ll find some cute specialty stores- no chain stores are on Balboa. If you continue south to San Diego, you can check out the world famous San Diego Zoo, or the amazing beaches with stunning weather.
And now…onto our cruise to Hawaii. Our day began around 10 AM, when we were set to leave for my parents’ house. They had planned to drop us off at the port. As I tried to start my car, it made a horrible stuttering noise. It turned out that my beautiful Lexus felt that this was a perfect morning to let its battery die. We didn’t freak out, and instead called AAA to come save us. They did promptly, within 30 minutes, checked the battery, told me it was spilling acid and it was time for a new one. Hussein, our savior, changed the battery quickly and we were on our way to my parents' house, about an hour late.
We arrived at the port around 12:45 PM. Seeing the beautiful Golden Princess was a glorious sight. I was a little star struck. After reading so much about her, it was amazing to finally meet her. I just kept thinking that our stateroom was dressed and ready to meet us, only to be disappointed that we were later than expected.
Drop off was efficient, with the porters coming immediately over to our car. The poor guys didn’t know what hit them. My husband's suitcase was of average mass. Mine, um…that’s another story. I intentionally overpacked as I knew we would not be flying and there were no weight limitations when cruising. Our third large suitcase was packed with water and soft drinks, which we were allowed to bring on board. That suitcase weighed approximately 750 pounds and could only be lifted by an Olympic weight lifter. We tipped these guys extra.
We were able to use the priority check-in because of my status with Princess, which really didn’t matter because there weren’t many lines for check-in anywhere. We were also ushered into a priority security line. It was fast and effortless, much preferred over airport security. And…even better… no TSA employees for me to fight with.
We followed the herd of people onto the ship, where we took our obligatory embarkation picture (which we later purchased for $19.95). Then we took our security pics. I always hate to see my pics but I’m also a glutten for punishment, so I end up asking to see them, when the laughter from security has died down. My security pictures always make me look like I have a fly up my nose.
The elevators were a little crowded on our way up, which is to be expected considering so many passengers used walkers or wheelchairs. Our room was ready for us, with our view of the Starboard side from our balcony. On the Baja deck, we can see over the balconies two decks below us, which is always entertaining. This is precisely why I chose the Baja deck.
We met our room steward, Jose Rodriguez, from Mexico. As soon as we met him, I asked for a top sheet for the bed and an egg crate to make it more comfortable. By the time we went to bed, he had provided all of this for us. The egg crate made a nice difference in the otherwise hard bed. I learned to do this on Cruise Critic! Also, our robes were waiting for us in the room. Jose would remain efficient throughout the cruise.
We then went to eat the Horizon Court buffet, taking a variety of foods. They were tasty, nothing special but it was fine for us. It was our first meal on our honeymoon. After lunch, we went to find out how to change our seating for the dining room. We were told to meet with the Maitre d' in the Main Dining Room on Deck 6. We were given a number, and ushered inside. It was empty, except for a table in the far back where two people sat, in the glow of sunshine but also partly in shadow. We assumed correctly that one of them was the Maitre d' himself, who was surrounded by files and paperwork, and his loyal assistant. As we approached, he didn’t even look up, and his assistant asked us what they could do for us. It was very mafia-like, where my husband and I both felt like we were asking the Don for something very important. We asked him for a table for two after he informed us that we were assigned a table for 10! Without looking up at us, he instructed his assistant to give us Table 240. We thanked both of them, nearly bowing down to him (he is the Don, after all) and wished the next people in line the same luck with him. The entire experience was like a scene out of the Godfather.
We then took a tour of the Spa, and booked massages for both of us. Then, the Muster Drill was about to begin (not to be confused with the Mustard Drill, which we enjoyed earlier in the buffet), so we grabbed our life jackets and went to our location- the Explorers Lounge on Deck 7. We sat for a while, waiting for the drill to start, and inevitably some passengers put on their life jackets even though they are told not to. We took the traditional life jacket picture when the drill was over. I always found it funny that the life jackets used to say “Princess Cruises” on them. I don’t think that’s the kind of publicity they would want! They have since changed them for this sailing.
We then went back to our room, to relax and sail away from LA Port. In the water, a crazy (and probably drunk) girl in a boat yelled up to us, and the elderly men next to our balcony yelled, “Take your pants off!” We then saw many seals and porpoises playing in the water- quite a beautiful sight! At a restaurant along the port, someone got on the loud speaker and said, “Hello Golden Princess! We hope you’ll come eat at our restaurant on your way back!”
We sat on the balcony for a while, and then left to tour the ship. We got ice cream cones, as it had been a whole two hours since we had last eaten. We found the mini golf court, and shuffleboard, both of which we plan to do.
We went to the Welcome Aboard “One Night Only” show. We really liked the comedians, Alfred and Seymour, who hassled certain audience members. We looked forward to seeing them more on the cruise.
We went to dinner, at our table for two, and met our Waitress, Natalie, from South Africa, and our Assistant Waiter, Gene, from the Philippines, who are both wonderful. We had a three course dinner- I had spring rolls with peanut sauce, a spinach soup, a pina colada “soup” which is actually served like a cocktail, and a fish dish which I barely ate. For dessert, I had ice cream. Both Gene and Natalie have smiles that could make the Grinch love Christmas. They are genuine, and not there with the mentality of “I’m here because I need a job and I’m going to smile because that leads to tips.” Instead, they are there because they genuinely love what they do- meeting people and traveling.
One of my favorite things on cruises is getting to know the crew. In such a tremendously large world, cruising really makes it a little smaller and a little more intimate. In what other way can we meet so many diverse people from such different backgrounds?
We then went to the casino to play blackjack, and ended up winning $55! That would be the last time we would make money in the casino.
We returned to the room to get ready for bed. We'll write about Day Two a little later.
Here are two pics- one of the trail the Golden has left behind, with a lighthouse that we passed on the breakwater at Long Beach Harbor, and the other is of our view of the balconies below (we made sure to take it when nobody else was on their balconies):