Island Princess - 4/19 Sailing - Very Long

[bdjam]

I know that other CCer’s will be posting their impressions of this trip here, and again, I must apologize for never being able to hook up with the group. Here’s what I thought about my time on Island Princess…

 

 

 

I’ve just returned from a 15 day Island Princess Hawaiian cruise and when I left, I thought 15 days seemed like quite a long time to be gone. Upon returning, I realize how quickly the days zoomed by and how much I miss being at sea on such a perfect ship. Island Princess is a contemporary ship which Princess has designed to offer the up to date amenities today’s cruiser wants to a discriminating cruise audience - experienced cruisers looking for quality on board experiences, engaging passengers and crew members and intriguing itineraries. To sum up the experience in one word – EXCELLENT!

 

We began our journey with a limo pick up to take us to the airport on April 19. Although it was a bit pricey, we decided it was worth the money. The limo had to make two stops to pick up myself and my traveling partner, and then get us to the airport in commute traffic. The timing was perfect and we arrived at the Oakland airport for our hour long flight to Los Angeles in plenty of time. The return trip worked just as well – when we had our bags, we called the driver and he was curb-side within five minutes.

 

We arrived in Los Angeles and since we had Princess transfers, we looked for the Princess representatives. Our flight was a bit early and they were no where to be seen. We got our bags and were then able to find them after a short search. There was some confusion about what was to happen next – the representatives were not ready for early arrivals. As more passengers arrived, some became irate because Princess no longer handles baggage from airport to ship – a result, I would think, of increased security – and you have to retrieve your own bags at the airport and deliver them to the bus. This just added to the confusion of the situation. In due time we were on our way to San Pedro and arrived about 40 minutes later. We were amongst the first passengers to board the ship.

 

Check in was, as usual, very easy. Being a Platinum passenger, we used Platinum Check In and there was no one in line in front of us. We quickly had our cruise cards and were on our way. Any delays in check in seem to be at the security stations. The obligatory photo before boarding actually came out quite good. We had our ship security photos taken by Nikki, one of the very accomplished Cruise Staff (and certainly a standout amongst the group we would discover as she deftly handled many different events), and after a hectic morning, stepped aboard our sanctuary, Island Princess.

 

Island Princess is a brilliant ship. Everything you could want in a Grand Class ship reduced down to a Sun Class ship size. More details later, but suffice to say, she is a first class lady and excellent representative of what Princess Cruises should be. The crew on board is obviously very happy as we found them for the most part to be engaging, friendly and professional. There were always plenty of “good mornings” and on our first day “welcome aboards” to be passed around. If Regal Princess didn’t have a special place in my heart, Island Princess might supplant her as my favorite Princess ship.

 

Our cabin was Caribe 606 – a balcony on the port side of the ship. As usual, first arriving in the cabin, I wonder how I am going to survive in such small surroundings. Once settled, of course, things become quite functional and there is plenty of room for two. There were only a couple of times that my traveling partner and I had to excuse ourselves from bumping into one another. This cabin, however, had bunks and could have slept four – I can see two adults and two kids, but four adults for 15 days might have become unbearable. There was ample closet and drawer space for our combined 30 days worth of clothes (neither one of us was about to set foot in a laundry room on this trip) and we divided the bathroom shelves and used them efficiently with the shelf under the bathroom sink for overflow. And of course the balcony was a joy – it was partially covered, partially open, so we could pick and choose when we wanted to be out in the open (or when we wanted those above us to see us). Except for times when we were entering or leaving port, the balconies were pretty deserted.

 

A bonus on Caribe deck (and I would assume on the others) is an aft terrace overlooking the stern of the ship. This area was seldom used and since those at our dinner table were all on Caribe deck, we used it very effectively for an informal cocktail party one afternoon.

 

Our room steward, Joe, was efficient and quick if not overly friendly. Sometimes he’d joke with us on passing in the hall; sometimes he’d give us a short grunt good morning. But no request went unanswered and at no time did we feel he wasn’t there to take care of us.

 

As I said before, Island Princess is a brilliant ship. She really does have all of the up to date modern amenities anyone could ask for, but she presents a high quality experience that one might expect on a more traditional ship.

 

High up on top of the ship, Sports Deck contains the 8 inch deep (!!) Splash Pool forward and aft, basketball and shuffleboard courts as well as a large scale chess set. Didn’t spend much time in these areas, but they looked like they were used quite a bit during our eight days at sea. The Splash Pool area looked great for tanning away from the masses, but if you like to take a plunge between baking sessions, this wasn’t the pool for you (although sitting in it might be a way to cool off).

 

Sun Deck was used extensively by those seeking the sun as we sailed toward Hawaii – the first couple of days were a bit over cast and dreary and there was some bumpy water, but hardly enough to cause concern – in fact some staff on board said it was the smoothest trip of the season. Up on Sun Deck is the often used Grill where hamburgers, hot dogs and bratwurst are prepared with all the fixings. We visited the Grill between a morning tour of Honolulu and setting out on our own. Sitting there overlooking the quiet pool on a balmy day in Hawaii, with hamburger and French fries in hand and the Aloha Tower in view. It doesn’t get much better than that.

 

Lido Deck – now things start to hop. Forward is Horizon Court. One of the remarkable things about Island Princess is the amount of room she provides. We almost never knew there were 2000 passengers on the ship. One place we would see crowds would be at Horizon Court, but it seemed to be only on early mornings when everyone was going on tour. Otherwise, the place was not crowded and we were always able to find a nice spot by the window for breakfast. Breakfast was plentiful and good. I visited the omelet man almost every morning. My friend sampled Eggs Benedict and Florentine and pronounced them excellent. French toast was great as were pancakes. And my new guilty pleasure – fresh squeezed orange juice on sea days. Yes there was a fee for it, but it was worth every penny and I became good friends with Martin the waiter who brought it to me every morning. We didn’t eat at Horizon Court any other time except for little bits here and there from the lunch buffets or a snack in the late afternoon. All the food was very good. Not to mention some elaborate buffets they had – desserts, sushi and Mexican food to name a few. Staff members were quick to clean used dishes from tables, were full of good mornings, and were friendly and very efficient. Excellent.

Moving aft is the Lido Bar and Pizza counter. I didn’t try the pizza myself, but my friend did and pronounced it very good…especially if you like thin-crust.

 

The Lido pool was very busy during the sunny days at sea and lounges were at a premium if you wanted to be pool side. Poolside entertainment varied from pool games (Flip, Flop and Fly; Survivor) to piped in Hawaiian music to the Hawaiian band that played. The band went from good to bad – they were great at parties and with some music, but a little strident at other times and a little bad at others. I think the main issue was the volume. To go from gentle Hawaiian music to blaring Barry White music in the space of a couple of minutes was a bit jarring.

 

Aft of the Lido Pool is the Lotus Pool and Spa area. Now this is part of the brilliance of the design of this ship. A wonderful sanctuary this area is. The retractable roof over the pool remained covered for most of the cruise, bringing a certain warmth to the area that was relaxing and in no way overbearing. Music playing around the pool was meant to be relaxing and rejuvenating for the spirit – and coupled with the sound of the water in the pool splashing, made this an excellent place for both. Of course the design of this area is impeccable. This was one of my favorite places on board.

 

The Lotus Pool also houses the Ice Cream bar where, for a fee, GOURMET ice cream is served in the afternoon. Please note, gourmet…that’s what the fee is for. Regular ice cream is available for no fee in dining rooms.

 

More in Part 2 -

[bdjam]

Still further aft is the Lotus Spa. Again, brilliant execution of design, I spent a number of afternoons here being pampered. For $15 a day, one can purchase a pass to use the four steam rooms, heated stone beds and showers (these passes can be purchased for the full cruise at a reduced price). One of our tablemates enjoyed many afternoons in these rooms. My experience was with massage and all were at the usual Steiner high standard – I thought excellent. I was surprised that at no time was there any attempt to sell me product. When I wanted some, I had to ask. I’m not sure why there’s the hard sell on some ships and not on others, but I would expect that something about Island Princess brings Steiner to their revenue requirements without the hard sell of product.

A bit further aft is the gym. I didn’t use the gym – even though I packed gym clothes…I don’t know how that happens – but I did participate in a few of the stretching/relaxation classes. Jurgen did a great job leading these classes. Pilates and Spinning classes are offered for a fee here.

OK – follow me now down to Emerald Deck…no using the elevators…stairs only to counter act the calories! At the atrium, Emerald Deck houses the Library, Card Room and Internet Café. We passed through the Card Room or Library to get to the atrium from our cabin and both rooms were used extensively – one morning the card room was so full we had to detour! And of course the Internet Café was busy. Connections were at times slow, so be forewarned – especially when we were at sea. Prices are $.35 per minute and are credited back if one is a Platinum or Elite member of the Captain’s Circle.

Promenade Deck – next to Lido Deck, probably one of the busiest on board. Forward is the Princess Theater. Excellent production shows were staged here as well as magic acts (my friend and I were both used as audience participants in the magic show), comedians and singers. Entertainment is a matter of opinion, and we found the production shows to be top notch (except for one Rock and Roll show that didn’t seem to have a point). The show Piano Man – done on the last formal night – was excellent, lavish and well presented and received a standing ovation. Comedians aren’t my cup of tea and the one we saw (“he has Fred Flinstone’s face”) – well we didn’t see for long before we left. “Kevin” (and I’m sorry I can’t come up with his last name) was reported to have a great show as was a very famous ventriloquist who’s name I can’t remember but who’s dummy’s name is Lester!! There was a banjo player on board who supposedly was good (he’s played at Walt Disney World!) but who we thought gave possibly the worst show of the cruise. The only thing that saved the hour was the three songs done by the Cruise Director and Deputy Cruise Director – David and Susan – before he came on. If we knew they weren’t coming back for a finale, we would have left that show too. While I sound like I’m complaining, the entertainment overall was quite good and if we found something we didn’t like, we’d choose something else. Many nights we made our own entertainment with that old activity called conversation – we made great new friends.

Aft of the Princess Theater is the beautiful Wheelhouse Lounge. This is a very large room – larger than other versions of the Wheelhouse on other ships - with a large dance floor that many took advantage of for pre-dinner dancing. I think this room is one of my favorite spaces on Princess ships. The attention to space and detail is highlighted here by the foyer that goes from the room into the atrium – here artifacts from P&O ships are displayed in an area which allows browsing and appreciation…no crowding. Service in the Wheelhouse was friendly, polite and accommodating.

Moving further back into the atrium is Crooner’s Lounge, a great spot for pre-dinner drinks and people watching. There are 52 different varieties of martinis offered here and one sea day saw a martini demonstration being held. Don’t miss it if you have the chance – in fact don’t miss the martini demonstration, the vegetable carving, the ice carving, the sushi demonstration…any of that stuff. All of these events – although they might sound trite - show what artisans some of these crew members really are. Anyway, the martini demonstration was great fun and they raffle off the drinks! Playing here at night was the fantastic Eric Stone. We first met Eric back in 199…well, a number of years ago, and he’s still as entertaining and engaging as he was back then. Performing mostly show tunes, Eric also had his own cabaret show in the Universe Lounge early in the cruise.

Across from Crooners is the Churchill cigar lounge. Didn’t go in there, but many were enjoying cigars in the room…and there was no seeping of smoke into the atrium of the ship that I noticed.

Are you still with me? Let’s go aft. There’s the Princess Art Gallery where the art to be auctioned is kept. Except for a few choice pieces, there were none scattered around the ship – this room seemed to be the answer to that kind of clutter. There is also the Wedding Chapel – I believe there were a couple performed on board and this room was also used for Scholarship at Sea computer classes (which, by the way, one of our tablemates took and was quite satisfied).

Further aft is Sabatini’s. We didn’t try Sabitini’s ourselves, but we heard mixed reviews. Nearly everyone said the food was extensive – we knew that. Some felt it was excellent, others felt that it was just OK. Those who felt it was just OK sat at our table in the dining room and compared the service at Sabitini unfavorably to the service at our table.

We did visit Sabatini’s on one of the early sea days for the “Exclusive” wine tasting. This was limited to only the number of passengers who could fit in the room and was sold to us at the cost of $25 per person on the first day of the cruise. We felt it was being pushed on us and thought about canceling, but in hindsight, it was an excellent event. We were given six wines to taste, three red, two white and one French champagne – along with a welcoming glass of the house champagne. Not one of the bottles opened to taste cost less than $30 on board. Accompanying the wines were different types of canapés – and so we were instructed as to how to blend food and wines. Each wine was described by one of the dining room head waiters with the ship’s Matre’d as the master of ceremonies of the event. The dining room waiters who served the wine were all in black tuxedo. The experience was well worth the $25 and I would do it again. Very civilized.

We were invited to dinner at the Bayou Café by the Cruise Director. Um, at the sake of using the word too much, excellent. We started with the peel and eat shrimp on the bed of spiced French fries. Could have stopped there. Then there was salad. Could have really stopped there. Then the entrée – I had jambalaya which took care of my craving for spicy food. And the portion was enough to keep me busy for quite a while. My friend had the nine ounce filet that was excellent. David had the gumbo which looked really good with big pieces of crab, scallops and lobster. Also available is an eighteen ounce Porterhouse which one of our new friends had another night – also declared excellent and he ate the whole thing! I wonder where they get cows that big. Even with all I ate, I managed to stuff a deep fried peach with cream filling down for dessert. I was walking that dinner off for a few hours.

Finally on Promenade is the upper level of the Universe Lounge. Sightlines are not good here unless you carefully choose your seat. If you’re going to see something in the Universe, try the lower level. I’m not sure whether or not I like the design of the room – obviously something that was built to reflect a futuristic theme, the lighting effects in the room itself – as well as the staircase that winds around the bar – are well executed and kind of a friendly funky. The ability to change the stage with turntables and the like were used to the advantage of the production show held there. Kudos to Lynn the dancer who did a portion of one show in flippers and snorkel…you have to see it to understand!

So if we move to the lower level of the Universe Lounge, we are now on Fiesta deck. And there were many fiestas to be had here, that’s for sure! Explorer’s Lounge was the venue for late night entertainment and we always ended up there listening to DJ Russell and his tunes – although some of the selection was your standard wedding fare, he did have a couple of nights that were great. The big event here was the Country night where the dance floor was packed. Also, the room was slammed with people right after the Champagne Waterfall. The service in this room was great with the standout being Daria, one of the Bar Stewards. She was totally engaging and you were immediately her friend as soon as you entered the room.

Moving forward, you find the Casino – the great thing about this is that while it’s apparent that it’s there, you don’t have to walk through it if you don’t want to. The walkway is well outside the Casino proper. No evidence of smoke on this walkway and there was only a hint of it in the recesses of the room where some slot machines were.

More in Part 3 -

[bdjam]

Continuing forward through the atrium, there are shops and the Traditional Provence Dining Room. What to say about this room except that it was – excellent? I’ve read the reviews about the food being poor on Island Princess – I wonder if the people who wrote this are sure they were on Island Princess. There was not one complaint of sub-par food from anyone at the table for 15 days. Food was plentiful and additional plates of shrimp, lobster, quail and rack of lamb were gladly brought to the table. Our wait staff, after the first couple of shaky nights, was excellent…I think the issue was the assistant was brand new in the passenger dining room. But once they hit their stride, they never missed. They were friendly, courteous and always professional. The waiter – Ovidiu - had a great understanding of wine (he was one of the waiters at the wine tasting) and often made suggestions. He often would steer us from less than quality choices. One of these was the dessert soufflé. Apparently a new pastry chef had just come on board…by the end of the trip, the soufflés had improved and again were recommended by Ovidiu. I could go on for pages listing everything that we ate – suffice to say, everything was excellent and I’m saying it again for emphasis. Everything in this room was excellent.

The double edged sword of Traditional Dining is the dining companions you might meet at your table. We lucked out. The two couples who sat with us at the table for 10 were great people and ended up being best friends…tears were shed when we said good bye the last night. We spent a good deal of time with these people including the cocktail party over the stern. The combination of these people and the camaraderie we all gained with our wait staff in Traditional Dining was one of the highlights of the trip. I’m glad we didn’t choose Anytime Dining as we certainly would have missed an important part of this vacation.

And as for tipping – everyone at our table left their auto tips on and tipped additional in the dining room. Some even completed “You Made the Difference” cards for the wait staff.

Since dress in the dining room is always a volatile topic, I’ll only state the facts, ma’am. I saw three people who were not dressed according to the guidelines on formal night turned away from the dining room. I never saw shorts or jeans in the dining room except for the last night. The head waiters were on watch, my friends, and they were firm on what was allowed in the dining room. Overall, the standard of dress on this trip was very high – although in the minority, jacket and tie was not unusual on casual nights. I only saw a few people who were not dressed for the formal nights – and on the last of three formal nights there was one – count them, one – couple who was casually dressed. It was quite impressive to see the level of dress on board, especially when you consider this is a 15 day trip to a casual place like Hawaii. Who said cruising has become casual?

OK – let’s walk off dinner now…we’ll go down to Plaza Deck. The Purser’s Desk, Shore Tour Office, Future Cruise Sales office and the Patisserie are on this deck. Note that the Patisserie is a non-smoking venue (even when it’s a bar at night) as is the bar at the Bayou Café. Also on this level is the Bordeaux Dining room which is used for Anytime Dining.

The final formal night found the Plaza (or deck 5 of the atrium) the heart of the Champagne Waterfall party. As usual, the party is a hit with streamers, photos being taken, champagne and the waterfall which consisted of 625 glasses. The finger desserts were great and the champagne was free flowing – I could have had about five glasses if I had wanted it. Princess seems to have something with this party and this reincarnation of it was no exception. People left the waterfall party and headed to Explorer’s for a late evening. Island Princess was jumping that night.

We visited five ports of call on this trip - six if you count Ensenada, but I didn't get off the ship there and so I'm not counting! In Hilo, we did the Volcanoes National Parks tour, which was a four hour tour and gave us spectacular views of the craters and lava tubes that make up this park…plus we had a stop at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut factory. In Kona, my friend went on a Zodiac snorkeling trip while I had a good stomp around town and spent entirely too much money shopping. The Natural Highlights of Honolulu was a great tour which included a trip up inside Diamond Head and a stop at Pali Point. Kauai – when not getting soaked by the rain – was spent at the beach near the Marriot Hotel – a jewel of a beach just a 10 minute walk from the ship – and no worries, shopping and a barefoot bar are on the way. And a trip to the Maui Ocean Center was abandoned for a day strolling around Lahaina – by this time we were too relaxed to have to hassle with a tour. We purchased our shore excursions online at the Princess website and the tickets were in our room upon arrival on the first day of the cruise. Cancellations can be accomplished with a full refund if they are made by the closing time for the port of call’s tours (usually about 36 hours before arrival).

At the end of the cruise, the Photo Shop offers a DVD or video tape record of the cruise. While at least half of it is stock footage, the rest includes scenes from events on board and shore tours of our particular voyage. This is a neat souvenir of the trip – you can see me in a couple of shots - and one that brought many memories back when I watched it my first night home.

So that – after such a dissertation – is my story, I guess. If anyone has any questions, please let me know…

[debinnh]

We will be sailing on the Island to Alaska at the end of June. Thanks for all the info on the ship. I hope we have a nice a time in 7 days that you had in 15. We have not sailed on Princess before so some of the little things you mentioned that seem to pertain to Princess were especially interesting.

 

We are in an inside cabin way aft so we can use that back balcony when we want. Do they have chairs on them?

[dawnprincess]

One of the best reviews I've ever read ... and there are plenty of good ones on these boards. Thanks so much! We sail on October 8th!

[sunshine426]

We will be sailing on the Island to Alaska at the end of June. Thanks for all the info on the ship. I hope we have a nice a time in 7 days that you had in 15. We have not sailed on Princess before so some of the little things you mentioned that seem to pertain to Princess were especially interesting.

 

We are in an inside cabin way aft so we can use that back balcony when we want. Do they have chairs on them?

Yes, there were chairs and small tables. Also a couple of ashcans.

[coiran]

Nice review Bdjam - I read some reviews in the "review" section from December - things must have changed drastically from then to your cruise - or - maybe those folks were on another Island Princess - perhaps - in some parrallel world.

 

Ron

[bdjam]

We are in an inside cabin way aft so we can use that back balcony when we want. Do they have chairs on them?

Yes, on our cruise the aft balconies had lounge chairs – there are at least 20 out there. Enjoy your cruise!

One of the best reviews I've ever read ... and there are plenty of good ones on these boards.

Thanks – and you too enjoy your cruise!

I read some reviews in the "review" section from December - things must have changed drastically from then to your cruise - or - maybe those folks were on another Island Princess - perhaps - in some parrallel world.

I know what you mean – after reading some of the reviews of food on Island Princess prior to my trip, I was prepared not to be impressed. I think there must be two Island Princesses out there because the only time I didn’t like what was put in front of me was when I picked the wrong thing off the menu. Otherwise, the food was exceptional.

 

[spingal]

Moving further back into the atrium is Crooner’s Lounge, a great spot for pre-dinner drinks and people watching. Playing here at night was the fantastic Eric Stone. We first met Eric back in 199…well, a number of years ago, and he’s still as entertaining and engaging as he was back then. Performing mostly show tunes, Eric also had his own cabaret show in the Universe Lounge early in the cruise.

 

Bdjam,

 

We just adored Eric!! I bought his CD and am listening to it! You probably saw us in Crooners. We were the ones with the 4 year old little girl.

 

Man I wish we were still on board!! :(

 

Caio!

Jamie

[spingal]

Yes, on our cruise the aft balconies had lounge chairs – there are at least 20 out there. Enjoy your cruise!

 

It does depend on your deck. Dolphin Deck did not have any chairs. Caribe had wonderful lounge chairs!!

[LARGIN]

bdjam.. Great review.. Wish I were there to enjoy it with you...

[mii]

Thanks Bedjam for the great review. We were on the sister ship the Coral and that ship has become our favorite of all of the ships we have sailed. In fact we are sailing the Coral next year again. Again thanks for the review.

 

Marilyn

[bdjam]

Bdjam,

 

We just adored Eric!! I bought his CD and am listening to it! You probably saw us in Crooners. We were the ones with the 4 year old little girl.

 

Man I wish we were still on board!! :(

 

Caio!

Jamie

Ain’t that the truth? I wish I was back on board as well. I think I might have fallen into my post-cruise depression this morning. The only thing that might pull me out of it is working with the 400 pictures that my friend and I took with our two cameras!!

We were at late seating, so I don’t recall seeing you at Crooners…but since you said that your niece only got to take two balloons with her when she left the ship, I think we were directly behind you as you went through immigration. I remember the balloons!

bdjam.. Great review.. Wish I were there to enjoy it with you...

Thanks Larry – hope Kathy and Ed made it home safe and sound. We’ll all do it together soon!

Again thanks for the review.

You’re welcome…the trip was too perfect not to write about!

 

[Googs]

Thanks bdjam for your assessment of the Island Princess. My Husband and I will be sailing on the Island Princess October 8th also for the 15 day Hawaiian cruise. I have been reading the posts for a while now and I was concerned about the food. I also was concerned that maybe the cruise would seem too long especially with so many days at sea. I must say, though, after reading your post I felt a whole lot better. We want to go to a Luau and the only night we would be there we will be in Honolulu. We're not sure if we will have enough time to attend one. We have to board at 10:30 p.m. Any thoughts??? Thanks again.

[spingal]

We were at late seating, so I don’t recall seeing you at Crooners…but since you said that your niece only got to take two balloons with her when she left the ship, I think we were directly behind you as you went through immigration. I remember the balloons.

 

Now that is ironic!! You must have been behind us at immigration!

 

And I bet we were at Crooners at the same time. Some nights we were there when some of the other CC folks came out of late seating. But it was crowded in Crooners because so many people loved Eric.....so you may not have seen us. I thought you might have noticed Taylor. Some nights she was a bit hyper and noisy!! And Eric would talk to her! He was so wonderful!! :D

 

Caio!

[bdjam]

I have been reading the posts for a while now and I was concerned about the food. I also was concerned that maybe the cruise would seem too long especially with so many days at sea. I must say, though, after reading your post I felt a whole lot better. We want to go to a Luau and the only night we would be there we will be in Honolulu. We're not sure if we will have enough time to attend one. We have to board at 10:30 p.m. Any thoughts??? Thanks again.

I think food – like entertainment – is subjective. I enjoyed it all – rack of lamb, by the way, was fabulous. My opinion was bolstered by the fact that no one at our table complained about the food – all thought it was very good. So unless you are unusually picky, or you’re not used to five-course, upscale meals, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

We were worried about the days at sea as well, but I will tell you they fly by. Before you know it you’ve run out of days! The way the itinerary works – four days at sea, five in the islands and then five on the way back (if you don’t count the short Ensenada stop) is perfect. You have time to wind down from the initial travel and relax before hitting the islands – then after five days of intensive ports, you have time to relax again before going home. Brilliant.

Luau in Honolulu – right, you have to be on board by 10:30, so it depends on the luau, I guess. If you’re doing a ship-sponsored tour, you’ll be fine as the timing will work out OK. If you’re doing it on your own, you’d just need to plan so that you’re finished in time to get back to the ship. Friends had dinner on Waikiki and they said that getting a taxi back to the ship was a bit of a problem – Honolulu is like any other big city. I know there were offerings of luaus through the ship tours on Honolulu as well as other islands – so you might consider doing it with the ship, especially if time is a factor.

But it was crowded in Crooners because so many people loved Eric.....so you may not have seen us. I thought you might have noticed Taylor. Some nights she was a bit hyper and noisy!! And Eric would talk to her! He was so wonderful!

Eric is a great guy – whenever he’d see us, he’d come over and chat for a bit. We started to feel guilty when we walked by Crooners and he was playing because he’d always bend over backwards and say “hi” even if he was right in the middle of a song!

[Druke I]

Brian - another well done review, thanks.

 

Haven't been on the Island Princess yet, but did ennjoy her sister Coral Princess 5-03 up the Left Coast.

[kryos]

Check in was, as usual, very easy. Being a Platinum passenger, we used Platinum Check In and there was no one in line in front of us. We quickly had our cruise cards and were on our way.

Hate to say this ... but I am only on my second Princess cruise ... thus, no Platinum privileges, and experienced the exact same service during check-in. Got to the "line" near the general check-in windows. A Princess rep was pointing people to various empty windows. Within about three seconds, she was directing me to one.

 

Processed through and ready to get onto the escalator leading to the ship in seconds. There was a woman there, at the bottom of the escalator greeting passengers and giving them leis, and then it was onto the ship.

 

There was a bit of a hold-up, though ... getting from the outside deck and into the atrium area, though. But, I believe this was due to the damned photographers trying to get everyone's embarkation photos. We had already cleared security before getting on the escalator, so it really should have been a short walk across the deck and onto the ship. However, I spent this time very enjoyably, though ... watching a crane operator trying to maneuver a pallet full of "tanks" of some sort onto a higher deck. It was a tight squeeze and I honestly didn't think he was gonna make it. I was on the ship, though ... before I got a chance to find out how he did. :)

 

This particular embarkation was without a doubt the smoothest I have ever experienced. I don't know if it has to do with the Port of San Pedro versus Port Everglades (where all of my other cruises have originated from). It couldn't have been number of passengers to be boarded, though ... because from what I hear, the Island Princess was 100% sold out for this particular cruise.

 

Blue skies and thanks for the wonderful review ... you're more on the ball than I am these days! :)

 

--rita

[TorontoTL]

Wonderful review of the Island Princess BDJAM....I now feel like I've been on her. I will be aboard the Coral in November and was wondering if on the Island they did any cooking demonstrations other than the usual one before the Galley Tour in the Universal Lounge?

[bdjam]

Wonderful review of the Island Princess BDJAM....I now feel like I've been on her. I will be aboard the Coral in November and was wondering if on the Island they did any cooking demonstrations other than the usual one before the Galley Tour in the Universal Lounge?

Thanks, TL – as for cooking demonstrations, I didn’t attend any, but my instincts tell me there was at least one. I think I remember someone talking about it, but again, I didn’t see it myself. By the way, the “Courses” cookbook – chock full of Princess recipes – is available in the dining room for purchase.

 

Hate to say this ... but I am only on my second Princess cruise ... thus, no Platinum privileges, and experienced the exact same service during check-in. Got to the "line" near the general check-in windows. A Princess rep was pointing people to various empty windows. Within about three seconds, she was directing me to one.

Glad to hear you had no wait. When we got to the terminal, the line for general check in wasn’t long, but it would have been a wait. We didn’t encounter any wait at that time. As for San Pedro, I think maybe the size of the ship has to do with embarkation as well. The last time I was in San Pedro, I sailed on Star Princess and embarkation was a zoo…the Platinum check in was a help for me then too.

[Lynda90]

Thanks for the wonderful review. Made me feel as if I was on the cruise with you. Can't wait until my turn next year.

[bdjam]

Thanks for the wonderful review. Made me feel as if I was on the cruise with you. Can't wait until my turn next year.

Lynda – I’m sure everything will be just as spectacular in a year…and don’t be surprised if you find me there. This is the kind of cruise I could do once a year, for sure…

[Lynda90]

Lynda – I’m sure everything will be just as spectacular in a year…and don’t be surprised if you find me there. This is the kind of cruise I could do once a year, for sure…

Thanks Brian. Would love to meet you and your friend on the cruise. Would really be fun to get a group going. Looks like it could be a possibility.;)

[jagmanss1]

bdjam,

EXCELLENT.... EXCELLENT....... Review, I Applaud you.... Standing ovation.... The best review I have ever read on any cruise...... And trust me I have read alot of reviews about ALL cruises we have been on or going to be on.... On these boards and this is the BEST so far.........

We are going to be on the 10/23/05 Island Princess Cruise to Hawaii with our good CC Friends and can't wait......

You have just made the wait even longer:D ........ But NOW A worth while WAIT..... Thank You......

We were and still are going with the attitude that no matter what...... We along with our good CC Friends will have A BLAST as long as we are all together.....

 

Your Review just made FRONT PAGE HEADLINES ON OUR ROLL CALL....... Again...... Thank you..... GREAT JOB.....

[Hornet]

Thank you for a most wonderful review. Just like I remember the Island.