Holiday Aloha Part 'ekolu on the Golden Princess to Hawaii 12/19/12 to 1/2/13

[Cruisin' Chick]

12/21/12 pg 3

 

[Cruisin' Chick]

12/21/12 pg 4

 

[greenie082756]

Second day' date=' fourth page

[img']http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n184/pattie54/Patters%20for%20Golden%20Princess%202012-13/1220pg4_zps7615ccf6.jpg[/img]

Question: Is it cheaper to wait to buy the coffee card package after the first day? I see an ad on this page of the patter and was wondering if that is why it is there.

[caribill]

Question: Is it cheaper to wait to buy the coffee card package after the first day? I see an ad on this page of the patter and was wondering if that is why it is there.

 

$29 plus 15% tip is the normal price. I suspect the mis-leading wording really means the savings over purchasing specialty coffees without the card.

 

Cost is the same no matter which day of the cruise you buy it.

 

Ad is there to increase the sale of the cards.

[DawnBerg]

Not sure how I will choose what to do everyday lol. There are SOOOOOO many choices at the same times!! :eek: Guess I will just have to see!! TY for posting this report! I am still with ya!

[Cruisin' Chick]

Not sure how I will choose what to do everyday lol. There are SOOOOOO many choices at the same times!! :eek: Guess I will just have to see!! TY for posting this report! I am still with ya!

 

I felt the same way. I feel that those who claim sea days on Princess is boring either are really picky or else the cruise director isn't doing his/her job.

 

And thanks for answering the coffee question. Not a coffee drinker.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Saturday December 22 -- Day at sea

At 7:37am Alaskan Time, per the navigation channel: we were at 25° 35’ 9N/139°36’ 19 W. Sunrise 7:29am, sunset 6:28.

Air temp 64.6°F, barometer 30.1hg and rising, humidity 70%, sea temp 73.4°F, the pools were around 93.2, 87.8, 88, 91.4°.

NE wind, at 4.2kts across the deck, force 2, light breeze, slight sea conditions, partly cloudy.

Distance sailed from LA 1212 nautical miles, 922.8 to Hilo.

This morning, I got a phone call saying we were invited to go see the bridge that morning. When I told hubby, he didn’t seem all that excited, especially with the little advance notice. I thought he was going to tell me to go on my own. In fact, he had put on his workout clothes. I talked him into going along as I knew Harry would want photos taken.

We went to the passenger services desk and was told to wait in the Piazza until our escort gets us. We were then taken through the catacombs (just kidding) til we got to the bridge and were buzzed in. There the captain and some of the officers were waiting with the drawing. The captain said he was impressed. This was hubby’s and my first chance to see it and it looked very professionally drawn. A ship’s photographer took some shots (I was hoping to get a set and if I wasn’t “in the moment,” I would have asked for one.

Then the captain presented us with a nifty plaque. One officer took the drawing, saying he was going to get the ship’s carpenter to make a frame for it. Then third officer Lauren Corston took us under her wing, and showed us around the bridge and answered whatever questions we (mostly hubby) had. In fact, my husband was so glad he came.

 

 

 

 

 

[Cruisin' Chick]

 

Flags representing all possible countries the Golden may visit:

 

 

[Cruisin' Chick]

 

 

 

At noon we were around 24N/140 W with 136 nautical miles to go to Hilo. Sunny skies with light wind, 69F, slight sees with northerly swell

Among the choices for lunch time dining today: Italian Trattoria buffet in the Calypso Pool area and the British-style pub lunch in the Crown Grill.

Did another hula class -- this time we got modern with a Hula “Auana class. After that, I stuck around for Zumba Gold just to see what the fuss was about this type of exercise. The description was that Zumba Gold was a class “design (sic) for active seniors and beginners.” I guess one can call it jazzercise for the 21st century. Moving around to various types of music (including the tango and Charleston). The routine that went along with the Latin type of song reminded me of the Saturday Night Live skits about the Latin talk show during which each time another guest came on, everyone on the couch would get up and join the guest in a fast paced dance. But with quick head movements (thank goodness the Zumba instructor didn’t add these). During the session, the instructor would crack little jokes. Many of the passengers had bottles of water to sip from, but I had my bottle of Mountain Dew. Such a rebel, I am.

 

Hubby and I went to Lazy Day Trivia and between the two of us got a 20 out of 25 (one question had six points possible – I knew five of the parts and hubby came up with the sixth). There was a three-way tie for first place with 23 points, so there was a tie breaker.

Found a plate of cookies from our beneficiaries.

[Cruisin' Chick]

For dinner, we changed into matching aloha wear that we had purchased on our first Hawaiian cruise in the Aloha Tower Marketplace (our other set we purchased on our honeymoon at a kiosk at the same place).

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner:

Blackened Rockfish with Corn, Apple & Potato Hash

Seared Diver Scallops with Ginger-Lime Butter Sauce

Pan-Fried Turkey Scallopine with Gorganzola Cream

Cowboy Steak with Tobacco Onions

Braised Pork Shoulder with Salsa Verde

(V) Vegetable Korma

The head waiter came over to our table and told us we were getting a complimentary meal in Sabatini’s the next night.

After dinner, I decided to make a quick check of my email.

 

 

 

Among the ship’s entertainment for the night: “Superb Music and Hilarious Comedy” with Dan Riley and Bob Anderson, the “America’s Greatest Singing Impressionist!”

On MUTS: Pearl Harbor, Mamma Mia, The Bourne Legacy, plus the Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions game

Other movies: Scrooged.

Today on the in-cabin TV

Art Channel -- Pollack, Fakers

Family Movies --Frankenweenie, Gnomeo and Juliet, Rio

Princess Movies -- The Rum Diaries, Touchback

Romance Channel -- I Don’t Know How She Does It, Return to Me

Golden TV Channel -- 30 Rock, Modern Family, Love Boat, Two and a Half Men, Broke Girls

Here’s Gnomeo and Juliet on the in-cabin TV.

 

 

 

 

My daughter and I really enjoyed Frankenweenie, a fantasy (what else?) by Tim Burton. Of the five movies up for the Oscar for Best Animated Movie, this one would have gotten our votes.

For the past couple of days, I’ve been dealing with sinus congestion. Realized that I was running low of Sudafed, one medication that I usually pack a good supply of, but failed to do so.

From the Log of the Cruise:

02:00 hrs – Ship’s clocks set back by 1 Hour to Greenwich Mean Time -9.

Throughout the day, Golden Princess continued on a west south-westerly course. The maximum depth of water crossed today was 5260 metres / 16.032 feet. Today the vessel crossed the Tropic of Cancer during the evening, which marks out the northern most latitude that the sun will reach.

Position: Latitude: 25° 03.9’N; Longitude: 141° 03.4’W

Course 248°, Speed 19.7 Knots, wind: Light Airs, Sea state: Slight seas with an average moderate North-Wester’ly swell.

Sky: Partly cloudy skies (4/8 cloud coverage), Air temperature: 19.5°C/67.1° F; Barometric Pressure: 1022.8 Mb

 

 

[Cruisin' Chick]

Patters for 12/22/12 pg 1

[Cruisin' Chick]

12/22/12 pg 2

[Cruisin' Chick]

12/22/12 pg 3

[Cruisin' Chick]

12/22/12 pg 4 (info about the Crown Grill pub lunch -- no cover charge)

 

[greenie082756]

Thanks Carbill for answering me. It is slightly misleading, thought my eye caught a bargain!

[greenie082756]

Crusin Chick - Thanks so much for your review of your cruise! It looks so interesting and thanks again for sharing! I'm totally enjoying it all!

[frecgenswl82]

We were on the Golden in Alaska this past summer. I really enjoyed your pictures of the bridge. I am also glad that they have Past military service meetings. Thanks for your reviews.

[4cats4me]

If you want to check your shipboard account during the cruise' date=' there is a kiosk right near the passenger services desk. You swipe your cabin card and the amounts charged to your card at that point will print. Note: it’s just for your card. Your fellow cabinmates need to swipe their cards, too. Each day’s “hotel charge” will be listed separately as “HC-GRATUITY.”[/font']

 

 

 

And lastly, everything is all about Princess being ”your Consummate Host®.”

Back to the cabin:

The in-boxes all were decorated with care...

 

I added my own sign (which helped us find our cabin door):

 

 

I love your holiday sign, especially the reindeer with the Mennorah antlers, sooo cute!:)

[4cats4me]

Love all the posts and photos, BUT, I have never heard anyone referred to their daughter as "the girl". i.e.: Her name or, "our daughter"!!!!!

 

 

, should she refer to her as "the person" instead?:confused:

[Cruisin' Chick]

, should she refer to her as "the person" instead?:confused:

 

What's really funny is that my hubby often refers to her as "the girl" too, and he's not even a member of any forum.

 

Glad that everyone is getting something out of my report.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Sunday, December 23 – Day at sea

At 7:10am Alaskan time, the navigation channel: we were at 22° 39 N/147.31.5 W, ship’s speed at 19.5k

Sunrise 7:29am, sunset 5:51

Air temp 65.8°F, barometer 30.1hg and falling, sea temp 75.2°F, the pools were around 78°, 71°, 87.8°,

NE wind, force 3, gentle breeze, moderate sea conditions, partly cloudy

It was a beautiful day out on deck.

 

 

Another breakfast from the Horizon. I like looking at the items and picking what looks good on sight.

I checked out the sale in the Bernini dining room. Things like watches, clunky jewelry, stuffed animals, totes. Didn’t buy anything.

 

[Cruisin' Chick]

Stopped back at the cabin and told the girl that the Piazza was being set up for a Christmas activity for the kids (arts and crafts, etc.), but she was going to meet up with her friends, so she wasn’t interested. I went up to the Lido deck and watched much of Elf on MUTS. Seemed appropriate for the holiday. At one point, the girl and her friends walked by and greeted me.

 

 

 

Noon Announcement from the Bridge

Where we were was 4,000 meters depth

Partly cloudy with SE winds, traveling at 24 K, 76F air temp, slight sea conditions with NW swell

Phrase of the day: son of a gun. The phrase’s origin is from the days when the British Navy would allow women to live on naval ships. Any child born on board who had uncertain paternity would be listed in the ship's log as 'son of a gun'.

 

There was a stir-fry station at the outside pool (the Calypso) at lunch.

Met up with hubby for lunch in the Horizon Court and then we went for a walk around the Promenade.

 

 

 

Sugar-free raspberry cupcake, fruit tartlet, cookie (for later).

 

 

[Cruisin' Chick]

Some décor of the horizon.

 

 

We went to see the Motor City show. Another show we’ve seen before, but a fun one. This was in the Vista Lounge, which has a cozy set up, chair wise. Tig and Moo demonstrate.

 

 

 

 

In the main dining rooms

Pan-Fried Orange Roughy with Red Curry Sauce

Cajun Spiced Crawfish Crockpot

Piemontese-Style Veal Scaloppine with Mushroom Sauce

Austrian Specialty – Wiener Zwiebel Rostbraten

Half Roast Chicken with Gravy

(V) Moroccan Vegetable Ragout eith Pita Bread and Green Leaf Salad

 

We went over to Sabatini’s at 8 and found that we were one of only three parties eating there at that time.

The girl decided to be adventurous and had the Calamari Fritti (crispy squid served in a cone) for an appetizer.

For a main dish, hubby had the Tris d’Aragosta (lobster three ways).

I had the Bistecca Toscana (10 oz strip steak).

The girl had Spiedini di Pollo con Polenta e Asiago in Salsa al Marsala (chicken skewers)

The dinner came with a bottle of wine (the remainder of which we were able to enjoy the next couple of days at our regular table).

Cabin TV: Art Channel -- The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Stolen

Family Movie Channel: Adventures of TinTin, Pirates! Band of Misfits, We Bought a Zoo

Princess movies -- The Descendants, The Lucky One

Romance Channel -- Leap Year, Plots with a View

Golden TV -- How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, Love Boat, The Office

My daughter noted wryly that it was strange that sometimes the featurettes between movies on the Family Movie Channel included ones about poker and spa treatments

On MUTS: Elf, football NY Giants vs Baltimore Ravens, SF 49ers v Seattle Seahawks, Premium Rush

Other movies: Expendables 2, playing in the Princess Theater

Besides Motor City, other entertainment included a performance by Dan Horn, a ventriloquist.

Could tell from the DVD showing by the photo area that the Princess Pop Choir is still using the same songs as two years ago.

Overnight the ship’s clocks will be set back another hour, to Hawaiian time.

Log of the Cruise

Throughout the day, Golden Princess continued on a west south-westerly course of 248° towards Hilo, Hawaii.

Position: Latitude: 22°04.1’ N; Longitude: 149°07.1’ W, Course: 248°, Speed: 19.9 Knots, Wind: south-Easterly force 6; Sea State: slight sees with a short low North-Westerly swell; Sky: Partly cloudy skies (4/8 cloud coverage); Air temperature: 23.5°C/74.3°F; Barometric Pressure: 1020.4Mb.

 

[Cruisin' Chick]

Patters for 12 23 12 page 1

[Cruisin' Chick]

12 23 12 pg 2