Hawaii, Tahiti, & Samoa on Crown Princess Oct'14

[Old Coastie]

My wife and I are considering the Crown Princess 28 day cruise to Hawaii, Tahiti, and Samoa in Oct 2014. I would be interested in hearing from others who have sailed this same route and also experiences with the Crown Princess. We are long time fans of Celebrity and RCCL. Will we get the same level of service on the Crown? How's the food??:D

[skynight]

My wife and I are considering the Crown Princess 28 day cruise to Hawaii, Tahiti, and Samoa in Oct 2014. I would be interested in hearing from others who have sailed this same route and also experiences with the Crown Princess. We are long time fans of Celebrity and RCCL. Will we get the same level of service on the Crown? How's the food??:D

 

Just off the Star that did this same voyage this past April. I have been on the Crown in the past for a Trans-Atlantic. The ship is well designed for warm weather cruising with 4 outside pools, two mid ship, the Terrace pool aft and the Lotus Spa Pool forward. There are various lounges. The Adagio Lounge and Skywalker’s will be quiet during the day. In the evening Adagio will probably have a piano player. Skywalker’s is a late night club with a DJ. Also in the evening will be live music and activities in The Wheelhouse Bar, Explorer’s Lounge, Club Fusion, and Crooner’s. The Piazza also has music, and is a popular location during the day.

 

Quality of the food is very subjective, and during a 4 week voyage some items will repeat. There are lots of dining options. There are 3 MDR’s. Botticelli is normally for traditional 1st & 2nd fixed seatings. As this voyage has lots of older passengers the DaVinci DR, Deck 6 mid ship, will most likely also have traditional early seating and will be open for Anytime Dining (ATD) later. The Michelangelo DR, Deck 5 mid ship is used for ATD starting around 5:30PM. Breakfast is served daily normally in the DaVinci DR. Lunch is also served in the DR on sea days only. Other free dining options include, The International Café in the Piazza (open 24 hours), Horizon Ct. & Café Caribe buffets (open from around 6AM to 11PM or midnight),Trident Grill, and pizza and ice cream bars by the Lido pools(open from around 11AM until around 9PM, maybe later). A Pub Lunch will also be served around 6 to 8 times during the voyage. This is a sit down lunch in the Crown Grill at no charge. It is very popular. There are 2 surcharge restaurants, The Crown Grill, steaks and seafood and Sabatini’s Italian. Vines wine bar also serves sushi at no extra charge, but only if you purchase a glass of wine. There is a coffee card which includes punches for 15 specialty coffee drinks, and unlimited brewed coffee, tea and cocoa during the cruise. Free coffee and tea are available all day at the buffet, the tea is standard tea bags and the coffee is made from a liquid concentrate, good but not great. A soda card and ultimate soda card are also available. Look here for costs http://www.princess.com/learn/onboard/food_dining/casual_dining/. There was always something nice to eat.

 

There are 4 ports in Hawaii, all nice. Also included are the South Pacific ports of Pago Pago, Apia, Bora Bora, Moorea, and Tahiti. These are all interesting. The CC roll call for our cruise was very active and there were lots of trips planned. There are 18 sea days. You have to like sea days to really enjoy this cruise. The CD staff will have every activity planned that is in their playbook.

[flamomo]

My wife and I are considering the Crown Princess 28 day cruise to Hawaii, Tahiti, and Samoa in Oct 2014. I would be interested in hearing from others who have sailed this same route and also experiences with the Crown Princess. We are long time fans of Celebrity and RCCL. Will we get the same level of service on the Crown? How's the food??:D

 

 

I did this cruise a couple of years ago and have to say it was one of the best itineraries I have been on.

 

I have not yet been on the Crown yet (will be later this Fall), but have cruised on quite a few of Princess' ships (you can which ones in my signature) and have found the service to be consistently excellent in all areas.

Food likes and preferences are so subjective that it's had to say whether you will be pleased with it, but IMO, the food is sometimes wonderful, and always at least "good". I have never had a meal on Princess where I could not find something to enjoy.

[Mom33]

We have sailed this route with Australia and New Zealand included on the Star.

We have sailed on the Crown in the Caribbean.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed our South Pacific Cruise and found the islands visited to be wonderful.

There are a lot of sea days which we enjoy. Some people do not like too many sea days.

 

As for food on the Crown, we had no complaints. However, everyone's taste

is different. The service was excellent all around the ship.

Edited June 3, 2013 by Mom33

[Old Coastie]

Thanks to all for your very possitive responses. We have been very happy cruising with Celebrity but this itinerary is very tempting. Since we live on the east coast, heading that far west is something we will do maby on once. I'm not looking for a copy of Celebrity and am fully aware that each cruise line has it's own special characteristics as well as each ship within a brand, but we do like good service and having moved beyond the "kids at home" stage, a more adult focused vacation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but given the time of year and length of cruise, would one expect to see fewer young families and children then, say, on a Caribbean cruise?

[Mom33]

Thanks to all for your very possitive responses. We have been very happy cruising with Celebrity but this itinerary is very tempting. Since we live on the east coast, heading that far west is something we will do maby on once. I'm not looking for a copy of Celebrity and am fully aware that each cruise line has it's own special characteristics as well as each ship within a brand, but we do like good service and having moved beyond the "kids at home" stage, a more adult focused vacation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but given the time of year and length of cruise, would one expect to see fewer young families and children then, say, on a Caribbean cruise?

 

Way less....it is a relaxing cruise with mostly mature passengers.:D

[Gunner22aa]

We are doin this trip in Apr 14. As to children. We did our Asis cruise on the Diamond about the same time as you are planning to go. Exactly three very well behaved children. Average age of the passengers onboard was 67.

[J-D]

We have been on the Crown twice in the Caribbean and on the former (small) Royal in French Polynesia. We enjoy sea days, and I would be happy to take the 28 day trip on the Crown from LA if it fitted into my schedule better than other options. However, given a choice, for a cruise in the South Pacific, I would much rather be on one of the (former) Royal's small R-class sister ships, the Ocean or Pacific Princess, even though that would require more flying to and from the ship. Even the 690 or so passengers one of those "small" ships can be somewhat overwhelming when most of them come ashore on a small island at the same time. Of course, the experience on a 3100 pax vs. 690 pax ship is very different, and much depends on what you prefer.

 

John

Edited June 3, 2013 by J-D

[skynight]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but given the time of year and length of cruise, would one expect to see fewer young families and children then, say, on a Caribbean cruise?

 

There were under ten children on the Star's April 2013, 28 day South Pacific voyage. We did have a lots of walkers and scooters, those in their 2nd childhood. With all the sea days it is a nice trip for those who have some difficulty getting around.

 

FYI. Our roll call group made arrangements for pre cruise group hotel rates at both the Crown Plaza and the Doubletree in San Pedro.

[flamomo]

You will likely find few kids on a cruise of that length. I believe there were 3 on ours, and it was as if they weren't even there, because they were not often seen out and about. Each was a single child with one or both parents. One Mom told me her child was home schooled, enabling her to take the child on that long a cruise.

You will probably see some of most age groups onboard .... there was one gentleman on one of our excursions who was 98, and he was a hale and hearty 98 ... independently ambulatory and very much "with it" and enjoying his trip of a lifetime. There were quite a few electric scooters and some with walkers, but for the most part the passengers were physically active with no assistive devices.

[dorisis]

We did that itinerary last October on the Sapphire. A great trip with no long flights. we live in Florida, so found nonstops on Delta to LAX from Tampa. Lots of sea days to relax with our Kindles and iPads. The ports were fine but we had been there before and were a little disappointed in the growth of tourism in Polynesia. Moorea is the prettiest Island.

 

Pearls can still be a good buy in Tahitti but be wary and deal only with reputible dealers.

[RetiredNTraveling]

My wife and I are also considering the Crown Princess 28 day cruise to Hawaii, Tahiti, and Samoa in Oct 2014 or Feb 2015. Are there suggestions as to which season is better? We have always had balcony rooms or suites on previous cruises, so I believe we would be trying for at least a mini-suite. It sounds like a perfect cruise with the sea days with a mix of ports. Can't wait to make our decision...

Edited July 25, 2013 by RetiredNTraveling

[paul929207]

I think I can help you pick a date. As far as I can see the cruise is not offered in February, 2015. Where are you seeing this cruise? I was hoping to take it then but have not seen it offered.

[RetiredNTraveling]

I think I can help you pick a date. As far as I can see the cruise is not offered in February, 2015. Where are you seeing this cruise? I was hoping to take it then but have not seen it offered.

 

Just a mistake! I believe it may be in April? But the main question is fall or spring? Thanks for catching my error. (Of which I make quite a few.)

[dorthcari]

My sister and I are looking at the same date. We have done a lot of cruising on Princess and have yet to be disappointed. We have not been on a 28 day cruise before. I would appreciate any inpuy

[FoghornLeghorn]

Way less....it is a relaxing cruise with mostly mature passengers.:D

 

Wait...wait...wait.....:eek:

I'm going on this cruise and there was nothing in the cruise contract about having to be mature!

 

:D :D :D :D

 

I'm finding that prices for the upcoming one in October that is on sale/reduced.....are about the same as booking October 2014. And we get to choose what cabin we want...instead of taking what is left.

 

We've started a roll call!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1844565

[kodiac]

October 2014 marks a 10 year anniversary with my DW. I'm still kicking around this cruise or a 30 day b2b Southern Caribbean (3 legs) with Princess. In either case, we're going to select Princess. We've been on the Crown and she is AMAZING.

[Quacker]

We were looking at April or Oct. of 2014 for this cruise. Princess had a sale with a price we could not refuse for the April sailing so that made up our mind. No flights and we love sea days so a prefect cruise for us.

[suzyed]

Wait...wait...wait.....:eek:

I'm going on this cruise and there was nothing in the cruise contract about having to be mature!

 

:D :D :D :D

 

I'm finding that prices for the upcoming one in October that is on sale/reduced.....are about the same as booking October 2014. And we get to choose what cabin we want...instead of taking what is left.

 

We've started a roll call!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1844565

 

Hey Reba! Do you remember Leslie and Jerry from our British Isles cruise? Well they just booked this one!! Very exciting....good people!! :D

[Kartgv]

There's a very active rollcall for the Oct. 2014 cruise, see the link mentioned by "FoghornLeghorn". For those of you who mentioned wanting to do it either in October 2014 or spring 2015, you will see that there is not one scheduled at all for spring 2015, so it's either 10/14 or 10/15. Mini-suites on up are already sold out for this year, so sign up soon if you'd like to join us!

[janacin]

My wife and I are considering the Crown Princess 28 day cruise to Hawaii, Tahiti, and Samoa in Oct 2014. I would be interested in hearing from others who have sailed this same route and also experiences with the Crown Princess. We are long time fans of Celebrity and RCCL. Will we get the same level of service on the Crown? How's the food??:D

 

We're booked on that cruise and looking forward to it. We've cruised on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean but we love Princess the most. I've never been on the Crown but all other Princess ships we have sailed on have been wonderful. There is a very active Cruise Critic roll call for people on our cruise and perhaps you can get a feel of the people and the destinations. Food is quite subjective but we think Princess food is the best of the three you mentioned,

Marty

 

janacin@verizon.net

Edited May 7, 2014 by janacin