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Golden Princess Hawaii Thanksgiving Cruise Review

Princess Patches

By Princess Patches,
in Princess Cruises

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Princess Patches

Princess Patches

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We just returned yesterday from our Golden cruise to Hawaii. It was one of our most enjoyable cruises ever. So easy and relaxing. There were four family members traveling together in a mini suite and an inside cabin. The weather was nearly perfect the entire trip. The first full sea day, Thursday, was cold and bumpy but the remainder of the sailing there and back was warm and smooth. We were able to enjoy our balcony on all days of the cruise but the first Thursday.

 

Boarding is San Pedro went off without a hitch as usual. We are elites and platinums and we boarded the ship at noon and were in the dining room for lunch at 12:15. We had early traditional 5:30 seating in the main dining room and it worked out well. We ate all our meals in the dining room and service and food were exceptional. I enjoyed the new menus. We had only two lunch menus repeated in the two week cruise. No other menus were repeated. We never ate in the Horizon Court but we did try the pub lunch in the Crown Grill. While we enjoyed the ambiance there, the menu was very limited, just fried fish. They did not even offer bangers and mash or Shepard's Pie or other traditional pub fare. If you don't like fried fish avoid the pub lunch.

 

The entertainment was terrific. We sailed on the Sapphire 6 months ago but we did not see any production shows repeated. We really enjoyed comedian AJ Jamal and singer, formerly of the Lettermen, Mark Preston. Eula provided wonderful Hawaiian music and cultural events throughout the cruise. We especially enjoyed the hula lessons and orchid and ribbon lei making. Leialoha sang one of the most beautiful renditions of Aloha Oe I have ever heard. Eula entertained in the atrium numerous times and gave the ship a very wonderful Hawaiian feel from beginning to end.

 

I am happy to report we had second shows on 8 nights of the cruise, so the multiple reports of Princess eliminating second shows is untrue. On all sea nights we had the main show in the Princess Theater and the second show in the Vista Lounge. With three shows in the Princess Theater, seating was a breeze. We walked in 5-10 minutes before every show in the Princess Theater and got 4 seats together in the front section on deck 6. Production shows consistently ran 30-35 minutes but some shows in the Vista lounge ran as long as 50 minutes. Vista Lounge shows were packed and you had to get to those shows early.

 

We loved playing trivia and managed to win a few times with the help of a very smart British couple. We have the much coveted keyring flashlights! The movie selection was good and only one repeat of a movie we had seen on the Sapphire 6 months ago. All other movies were different from our May cruise.

 

Most traveled luncheon cutoff was 308 and most traveled passenger had over 700 days.

 

We rented cars on all four islands. On the Big Island we stayed on the rainy, tropical side because we had all been to the lava side. We visited Akaka Falls, the 4 mile scenic drive at the Botanical Garden, Waipio Valley Lookout (spectacular), and Laupahoehoe Point where they have a lovely park and monument to the victims of the 1946 tsunami. We swung by the Macadamia Nut Factory on the way to return the rental car. A great day.

 

In Honolulu we circled the entire island including stops at Iolani Palace, Punchbowl, Waikiki Beach, Pali Lookout in Nu'uannu Valley, Sunset Beach (World Surfing Cup was in full swing), Turtle Bay Hilton where we saw a surfer surfing with his dog (the dog had a full wet suit on, top and bottoms), Turtle Beach (saw 3 giant sea turtles on the beach), town of Haleiwa, and the Dole Plantation. Honolulu night was open seating in the dining room and we managed to get back for dinner at 6:30. It was a tiring but wonderful day.

 

In Kauai we stayed on the North Shore primarily. We saw the Kilauea Lighthouse, Princeville, the view from the St. Regis of Hanalei Bay (fabulous), Hanalei Valley Lookout, swam in Hanalei Bay for an hour or so, ate shave ice at Shave Ice Paradise in Hanalei, and then stopped at the Kilohana Plantation in Lihue on the way back to return the rental car. In Maui we went to a beach and swam and strolled around Lahaina. We did not get off the ship in Ensenada. We disembarked the ship at 7:30 and were at LAX at 9:00. Disembarkation was flawless. We will definitely do this cruise again!

 

By the way they decorated the ship for Christmas on the day we were in Honolulu and they had church services on both Sundays given by the cruise director who was a wonderful and inspirational speaker.

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patsy44404

patsy44404

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We were on that cruise and had bangers and mash for the first pub lunch. They offered a full array of other items too, other than fish and chips. I didn't go to the second one, so maybe that is the one that only offered fish & chips???:)

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Princess Patches

Princess Patches

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Glad you enjoyed your cruise. A couple of questions if you don't mind. Was there also a 6pm time for traditional dining and what were the three princess theater show times. Thanks!

 

No, there was no 6:00 pm traditional dining. The early seating was at 5:30 and the late seating was at 7:45 (Canaletto) and there was also another 5:30 early seating in Donatello. Breakfast and lunch were served in Donatello.

 

The Princess Theater show times varied. For instance, on the first Thursday of the cruise it was at 7:15, 8:30, and 9:45 but on the following night it was at 7:00, 8:30 and 10:15.

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Princess Patches

Princess Patches

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We were on that cruise and had bangers and mash for the first pub lunch. They offered a full array of other items too, other than fish and chips. I didn't go to the second one, so maybe that is the one that only offered fish & chips???:)

 

I guess I missed it! We went to the last pub lunch on the day we were in Ensenada and we had only fried fish. I will definitely have to try the pub lunch again then because I really enjoyed the Crown Grill venue.

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Princess Patches

Princess Patches

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Good review. We will be on Dec. 19. How was the band in the Wheelhouse?

 

Greg

 

The band "In The Pocket" in the Wheelhouse Bar was just okay. Occasionally the Princess Orchestra played Big Band music in the Wheelhouse, which was very entertaining. The "New Deal" band in the Explorer's Lounge was better. Enjoy your Christmas cruise!

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Princess Patches

Princess Patches

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So glad you posted this info. The "entertainment" email that came for the upcoming Golden cruise didn't list anything specific' date=' just a link to a generic video.[/quote']

 

Yes, the email that Princess sends you before the cruise only scratches the surface of what is offered. They brought on a number of entertainers in Hawaii, including Mark Preston. He had such an incredible voice that we went to see him a second time the same evening. I can't tell you how impressed I was with the quality of entertainment on this cruise. I cannot remember better entertainment on a cruise. Absolutely do not miss the Halau Hula Olana Show on the night you are in Honolulu. This is traditional Hawaiian hula and music and it is beautiful. They are students from a hula school, some children and some adults. They have been studying hula for years and they are so talented. It was such a lovely show!

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Mom33

Mom33

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Yes, the email that Princess sends you before the cruise only scratches the surface of what is offered. They brought on a number of entertainers in Hawaii, including Mark Preston. He had such an incredible voice that we went to see him a second time the same evening. I can't tell you how impressed I was with the quality of entertainment on this cruise. I cannot remember better entertainment on a cruise. Absolutely do not miss the Halau Hula Olana Show on the night you are in Honolulu. This is traditional Hawaiian hula and music and it is beautiful. They are students from a hula school, some children and some adults. They have been studying hula for years and they are so talented. It was such a lovely show!

 

We saw them on our South Pacific cruise when we visited Honolulu. The children were wonderful and we took video of parts of the performance. Glad you had a wonderful cruise.:D

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Princess Patches

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Thanks for the review.

 

I read somewhere that Eula was changing ships sometime soon. Do you know anything about that?

 

Kathy

 

Elua announced while we were on board that starting with the next season, which begins September 2013, they will be on the Star out of LA. Until then, they are on the Golden.

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Princess Patches

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We are on the Golden Jan. 16th. to Jan. 30th. to Hawaii. Which dining room was open for lunch Embarkation Day?

 

Breakfast and lunch were served in Donatello, midship deck 6, throughout the cruise including on embarkation day. Lunch on embarkation day and throughout the cruise was served from 12:00-1:30. Get to San Pedro at 11:00 and you should be onboard in time for lunch in the dining room.

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Cruisin' Chick

Cruisin' Chick

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Yes, the email that Princess sends you before the cruise only scratches the surface of what is offered. They brought on a number of entertainers in Hawaii, including Mark Preston. He had such an incredible voice that we went to see him a second time the same evening. I can't tell you how impressed I was with the quality of entertainment on this cruise. I cannot remember better entertainment on a cruise. Absolutely do not miss the Halau Hula Olana Show on the night you are in Honolulu. This is traditional Hawaiian hula and music and it is beautiful. They are students from a hula school, some children and some adults. They have been studying hula for years and they are so talented. It was such a lovely show!

 

I echo that the Halau show is not to be missed. We did catch it on our last Hawaiian cruise.

 

I seem to remember that before that cruise two years ago, we did get more info specific to the ship about entertainment (unless I'm not remembering right). The email I got for this next cruise didn't say anything specific so I was mystified. I know we'll see a summary in the first day's Patters, but it would be nice to know more.

 

Did you remember what shows were on your sailing? I seem to remember on ours: Motor City, British Invasion, Stardust, Caliente.

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rdsqrl

rdsqrl

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The band "In The Pocket" in the Wheelhouse Bar was just okay. Occasionally the Princess Orchestra played Big Band music in the Wheelhouse, which was very entertaining. The "New Deal" band in the Explorer's Lounge was better. Enjoy your Christmas cruise!

I'm presuming they played music from the 1930s?

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Princess Patches

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Thanks for your review. We're taking the same cruise in April. Do you remember when the formal nights were held? Thanks.

 

 

Denise

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Yes, the formal nights were held on the first and second Fridays and the last Monday of the cruise. You will love this cruise.

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