Live from the Emerald Princess - L.A. to Hawaii - 18 Jan - 02 Feb 2019

[Croptop]

24 January 2019 - Honolulu

We arrived in Honolulu fairly early and were cleared to go ashore in short order. I hung out on the deck on top of the bridge to grab a few sunrise pictures and watch the throngs of passengers go ashore. And while the sunrise occurred as expected, the hordes of passengers disembarking didn't. I guess they were all too busy lining up in the buffet to bother rushing ashore. Maybe because we were in port until 2300 hrs today?

Anyway, seeing my opportunity, I wandered ashore and started walking down Ala Moana Blvd absorbing the sights and sounds of Hawaii's biggest city whilst making my way to the Ala Moana Center. I'm not really a big shopper but I figured I'd take a look and I knew that I could pick up the Waikiki Trolley here to head out to Waikiki beach and on to Diamond Head.

I spent a bit of time wandering around the mall just people watching, but I did stumble on to a Microsoft store so, being a tech dweeb, I had to take a look. Didn't buy anything though.

Then I bought a ticket for the Waikiki Shuttle Green line (Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head Crater, Honolulu Zoo, Honolulu Aquarium, etc), rode the Pink line (fare is either $2/ride or included when you buy a ticket on one of the other coloured lines) over to a different mall where I got on the Green line and rode it to Waikiki beach. Spent quite a bit of time at the beach before jumping back on the trolley to ride it up to Diamond Head. 

Entrance in to Diamond Head proper is $1 if you're on foot and if you're going to wander around there, you definitely want to bring some water or other refreshments (although there is some available for sale there).

Then it was back on the Green line to head back to downtown Honolulu. I could have transferred onto the Pink line to get to the Ala Moana Center which would have put me back within walking distance of the port but I was pretty tired so I opted to splurge on an Uber to go straight from the T Galleria (where the main Waikiki Trolley lines converge) back to the ship.

Had a nice dinner in the main dining room and then just relaxed onboard for the evening (boring for most, I know but that's how I roll). 

[Croptop]

On 1/24/2019 at 1:28 PM, Doc & Princess said:

Great info!  Curious how bad the nausea got and if you took any otc medication for it?  Looking forward to updates.  Also sailing 2/2 broken arm and all!

 

Sorry to hear about your broken arm. Hope you have a great vacation nonetheless.

 

The nausea wasn't horrible. At no point did I ever feel truly sick. Just a little bit queasy and sweaty and a reduced appetite. I didn't take anything for it and it did clear up after a few days. I guess once we're sailing back to L.A. I'll find out if it got better because the seas got smoother or because I got used to it.

[Croptop]

On 1/24/2019 at 5:13 PM, TheSweetLife220 said:

Also curious, if ship departs San Pedro at 4 and dinner is at 5, when is the life boat drill?  Thank you

 Muster drill was at 1515hrs on Embarkation day. There was a second muster drill for the late arrivals (and the passengers onvboard who skipped the first, main drill).

 

On 1/24/2019 at 5:30 PM, jwattle said:

I believe that the add lobster is still available, it's just an upcharge.

 

Yes. That is correct. If you want a lobster tail to go with your steak in the Crown Grill, it's an extra $10. Interestingly, though, in the MDR, you can order a Ribeye and Lobster tail for $29 any night. So if you don't need the full Crown Grill experience, you can just pay $29 in the MDR instead of $39 in the Grill.

[Croptop]

25 January 2019 - Maui

 

You know how I know when I'm having a good vacation? When I go to write out the date and realise that I haven't got a clue what day of the week it is. It's Friday, right?

 

Anyway, today we're in Maui. Early this morning, the Emerald anchored off of the coast snuggled between the islands of Maui and Lanai. I gave it about an hour before heading down to get onto a tender and was rewarded with walking right onto a tender. Not sure where the crowds are. Tender ports are usually a madhouse for the first while as everyone fights to get off of the ship.

 

Today, I had an "adventure" unlike any other I've ever had on a vacation.

 

With no plans for the day, I just wandered around Lahaina for the morning seeing what I could see and enjoying the distinct lack of snow and slush on the ground. I don't need snorkels or fins or helicopter rides to make me happy. Just give me a path that doesn't require shoveling and isn't cold.

 

 

But anyway, there I am, wandering around Lahaina minding my own business and not thinking about snow when a young woman pounces from the shadows of a shop I was ignoring and offers me some sort of sampler packet of something.

 

I know, I know... I should have done the typical "no thanks", semi-polite smile and kept walking. Heck, with the earbuds I had in, I could have even pretended that I didn't hear her. But no. Not only did I make eye contact (mistake 1) and stop walking (mistake 2) and take out my earbuds (mistake 3) but I actually let her place the sampler packet in my hand and said what I thought was, "Thank you" but somehow must have sounded more like, "Hey ma'am. I'd like to spend my morning talking about skin care products!"

 

The next thing I know, she's telling me she'll give me another sample that will either a) get rid of bags under the eyes, b) tighten up wrinkles around eyes, or c) eliminate dark circles from under  eyes. I just have to tell her which one I want and then I can be on my way and if I like it, I should come back to, you know, buy stuff.

 

Sensing that I can just pick one of the three options and then be on my way without being mean or rude, I meekly reply, "Uh... bags?" 

 

"Take off your sunglasses. Let me have a look." she commands.

 

I comply.

 

She recoils a bit and says, "I'll get you something for all three."

 

Yup. There's my ego fully taken care of.

 

Next thing I know, she's dragged me into the shop and has slapped some sort of creme onto the skin beneath my right eye ("Look up!" she demands) and is now holding a little handheld fan ("Look up!") about half a centimeter from my eye to... I don't know... dry the cream? All while maintaining a steady diatribe ("Look up!") of how I don't seem to take care of my skin very well ("Look up!").

 

Then she whips out a little mirror, holds it in front of my face and says, "There. See how much better your right side looks." But I don't look because I'm too busy looking up. I know that the mirror is just a trick to get me to look down at which point I'll be admonished again.

 

But finally, I look.

 

Now I'm not a stupid man. 

 

OK. Let me walk that back a bit. I don't THINK I'm a stupid man. But I'll be damned if I could see a difference. So I said, "Uh... maybe."

 

Crap! Should have said "NO!"

 

So then she asks, "Do you moisturise? If I were to show you a product that you need to apply once a week to get rid of those dark circles and wrinkles, would you use it."

 

I sensed my out!

 

"Uh... no."

 

Pause.

 

"Don't you care about your skin? Don't you want to take care of yourself?"

 

"Uh... no." I start plotting my escape route.

 

Defeated, she lowers the mirror and tells me, "Then you are not my customer."

 

Checkmate.

 

I got out of there fast and didn't look back.

 

So that was my tale of how a 20-something woman in Maui crushed my spirit.

 

Spent the rest of the day chilling in the Sanctuary and watching the whales frolic straight ahead of my lounger. Who needs to spend money on whale watching excursions when you can just watch 'em from the Sanctuary? With beverage service.

 

For the record, I put on some sunscreen but I didn't moisturise.

 

Apparently that makes me a terrible person.

[BonnieJB]

17 hours ago, Croptop said:

25 January 2019 - Maui

 

You know how I know when I'm having a good vacation? When I go to write out the date and realise that I haven't got a clue what day of the week it is. It's Friday, right?

 

Anyway, today we're in Maui. Early this morning, the Emerald anchored off of the coast snuggled between the islands of Maui and Lanai. I gave it about an hour before heading down to get onto a tender and was rewarded with walking right onto a tender. Not sure where the crowds are. Tender ports are usually a madhouse for the first while as everyone fights to get off of the ship.

 

Today, I had an "adventure" unlike any other I've ever had on a vacation.

 

With no plans for the day, I just wandered around Lahaina for the morning seeing what I could see and enjoying the distinct lack of snow and slush on the ground. I don't need snorkels or fins or helicopter rides to make me happy. Just give me a path that doesn't require shoveling and isn't cold.

 

 

But anyway, there I am, wandering around Lahaina minding my own business and not thinking about snow when a young woman pounces from the shadows of a shop I was ignoring and offers me some sort of sampler packet of something.

 

I know, I know... I should have done the typical "no thanks", semi-polite smile and kept walking. Heck, with the earbuds I had in, I could have even pretended that I didn't hear her. But no. Not only did I make eye contact (mistake 1) and stop walking (mistake 2) and take out my earbuds (mistake 3) but I actually let her place the sampler packet in my hand and said what I thought was, "Thank you" but somehow must have sounded more like, "Hey ma'am. I'd like to spend my morning talking about skin care products!"

 

The next thing I know, she's telling me she'll give me another sample that will either a) get rid of bags under the eyes, b) tighten up wrinkles around eyes, or c) eliminate dark circles from under  eyes. I just have to tell her which one I want and then I can be on my way and if I like it, I should come back to, you know, buy stuff.

 

Sensing that I can just pick one of the three options and then be on my way without being mean or rude, I meekly reply, "Uh... bags?" 

 

"Take off your sunglasses. Let me have a look." she commands.

 

I comply.

 

She recoils a bit and says, "I'll get you something for all three."

 

Yup. There's my ego fully taken care of.

 

Next thing I know, she's dragged me into the shop and has slapped some sort of creme onto the skin beneath my right eye ("Look up!" she demands) and is now holding a little handheld fan ("Look up!") about half a centimeter from my eye to... I don't know... dry the cream? All while maintaining a steady diatribe ("Look up!") of how I don't seem to take care of my skin very well ("Look up!").

 

Then she whips out a little mirror, holds it in front of my face and says, "There. See how much better your right side looks." But I don't look because I'm too busy looking up. I know that the mirror is just a trick to get me to look down at which point I'll be admonished again.

 

But finally, I look.

 

Now I'm not a stupid man. 

 

OK. Let me walk that back a bit. I don't THINK I'm a stupid man. But I'll be damned if I could see a difference. So I said, "Uh... maybe."

 

Crap! Should have said "NO!"

 

So then she asks, "Do you moisturise? If I were to show you a product that you need to apply once a week to get rid of those dark circles and wrinkles, would you use it."

 

I sensed my out!

 

"Uh... no."

 

Pause.

 

"Don't you care about your skin? Don't you want to take care of yourself?"

 

"Uh... no." I start plotting my escape route.

 

Defeated, she lowers the mirror and tells me, "Then you are not my customer."

 

Checkmate.

 

I got out of there fast and didn't look back.

 

So that was my tale of how a 20-something woman in Maui crushed my spirit.

 

Spent the rest of the day chilling in the Sanctuary and watching the whales frolic straight ahead of my lounger. Who needs to spend money on whale watching excursions when you can just watch 'em from the Sanctuary? With beverage service.

 

For the record, I put on some sunscreen but I didn't moisturise.

 

Apparently that makes me a terrible person.

We had the same experience on the strip in Vegas.  My friend participated and could really tell the difference in the skin under her eyes, but she didn't buy anything.

 

It's nice to see that we will be able to see whales right from the ship.  I thought we would but my hubby insisted on booking a whale watch tour.  I hope it's worth it! 

Edited January 26, 2019 by BonnieJB

[Rassa]

1 hour ago, BonnieJB said:

We had the same experience on the strip in Vegas.  My friend participated and could really tell the difference in the skin under her eyes, but she didn't buy anything.

 

It's nice to see that we will be able to see whales right from the ship.  I thought we would but my hubby insisted on booking a whale watch tour.  I hope it's worth it! 

 

I have been on cruises to Laihaina a number of times and I have never seen any whales from the ship.   Hope you have better luck seeing them.   Going again next year - hope I see one from the ship.

[XBGuy]

I think the ability to see whales from the ship depends on the time of year.  We've done this cruise twice--once in October and once in January.  I don't recall seeing any whales on the October cruise.  On the January cruise, my wife did not even go into Lahaina.  She spent most of the day on our balcony whale watching.  Apparently, several of them were quite frisky.  

 

Clearly if you are on a tour the operator can position the boat wherever they think a whale might pop up, and I have to admit that they are, generally, pretty good in their predictions.  Obviously, you can't do that on a cruise ship.  However, with a pair of binoculars, my wife had a wonderful afternoon.

 

Also on the January cruise as we were leaving Nawiliwili, a whale and a calf swam just outside our cabin for several minutes.

[BonnieJB]

We were in Alaska in August and had hoped to see whales there.  We did see one tail, several blows, and a few backs, but everyone told us if we want to see whales breech go to Hawaii in February.  Looking forward to it in a few days!

 

 

[c-boy]

22 hours ago, Croptop said:

25 January 2019 - Maui

 

You know how I know when I'm having a good vacation? When I go to write out the date and realise that I haven't got a clue what day of the week it is. It's Friday, right?

 

Anyway, today we're in Maui. Early this morning, the Emerald anchored off of the coast snuggled between the islands of Maui and Lanai. I gave it about an hour before heading down to get onto a tender and was rewarded with walking right onto a tender. Not sure where the crowds are. Tender ports are usually a madhouse for the first while as everyone fights to get off of the ship.

 

Today, I had an "adventure" unlike any other I've ever had on a vacation.

 

With no plans for the day, I just wandered around Lahaina for the morning seeing what I could see and enjoying the distinct lack of snow and slush on the ground. I don't need snorkels or fins or helicopter rides to make me happy. Just give me a path that doesn't require shoveling and isn't cold.

 

 

But anyway, there I am, wandering around Lahaina minding my own business and not thinking about snow when a young woman pounces from the shadows of a shop I was ignoring and offers me some sort of sampler packet of something.

 

I know, I know... I should have done the typical "no thanks", semi-polite smile and kept walking. Heck, with the earbuds I had in, I could have even pretended that I didn't hear her. But no. Not only did I make eye contact (mistake 1) and stop walking (mistake 2) and take out my earbuds (mistake 3) but I actually let her place the sampler packet in my hand and said what I thought was, "Thank you" but somehow must have sounded more like, "Hey ma'am. I'd like to spend my morning talking about skin care products!"

 

The next thing I know, she's telling me she'll give me another sample that will either a) get rid of bags under the eyes, b) tighten up wrinkles around eyes, or c) eliminate dark circles from under  eyes. I just have to tell her which one I want and then I can be on my way and if I like it, I should come back to, you know, buy stuff.

 

Sensing that I can just pick one of the three options and then be on my way without being mean or rude, I meekly reply, "Uh... bags?" 

 

"Take off your sunglasses. Let me have a look." she commands.

 

I comply.

 

She recoils a bit and says, "I'll get you something for all three."

 

Yup. There's my ego fully taken care of.

 

Next thing I know, she's dragged me into the shop and has slapped some sort of creme onto the skin beneath my right eye ("Look up!" she demands) and is now holding a little handheld fan ("Look up!") about half a centimeter from my eye to... I don't know... dry the cream? All while maintaining a steady diatribe ("Look up!") of how I don't seem to take care of my skin very well ("Look up!").

 

Then she whips out a little mirror, holds it in front of my face and says, "There. See how much better your right side looks." But I don't look because I'm too busy looking up. I know that the mirror is just a trick to get me to look down at which point I'll be admonished again.

 

But finally, I look.

 

Now I'm not a stupid man. 

 

OK. Let me walk that back a bit. I don't THINK I'm a stupid man. But I'll be damned if I could see a difference. So I said, "Uh... maybe."

 

Crap! Should have said "NO!"

 

So then she asks, "Do you moisturise? If I were to show you a product that you need to apply once a week to get rid of those dark circles and wrinkles, would you use it."

 

I sensed my out!

 

"Uh... no."

 

Pause.

 

"Don't you care about your skin? Don't you want to take care of yourself?"

 

"Uh... no." I start plotting my escape route.

 

Defeated, she lowers the mirror and tells me, "Then you are not my customer."

 

Checkmate.

 

I got out of there fast and didn't look back.

 

So that was my tale of how a 20-something woman in Maui crushed my spirit.

 

Spent the rest of the day chilling in the Sanctuary and watching the whales frolic straight ahead of my lounger. Who needs to spend money on whale watching excursions when you can just watch 'em from the Sanctuary? With beverage service.

 

For the record, I put on some sunscreen but I didn't moisturise.

 

Apparently that makes me a terrible person.

Now this is entertainment ....   thank you

[Croptop]

26 January 2019 - Nawiliwili, Kauai

 

Today was noticeably cooler than our prior port days. But it was still shorts and t-shirt weather so no complaints from me.

 

I got off the ship and exited the port area and just started walking, figuring that I'd stop at the first beach I encountered and park it there. However, I ended up reaching the Anchor Cove Mall after about 5-7 mins of walking and discovered the Kauai Hop-on Hop-Off shuttle. I splurged the $25 to buy a pass and rode it to the Wailua River Marina where I ended up taking the Fern Grotto river cruise since my HOHO pass qualified me for a discounted fare ($22). You could do this exact same excursion through Princess for $90 so I figured I was quite a bit ahead (although I didn't go to the Opaekaa Falls so maybe that's the $40 difference). 

 

The river cruise was an interesting mix of watching the landscape go by and watching/listening to the Hawaiian singers and dancers that were performing on the boat as we sailed up to the Grotto.

 

Once the river cruise was done, I popped to the other side of the parking lot and checked out the Botanical Garden. If you decide to go there it's $6 to get in but splurge the extra $0.50 and buy a bag of bird seed to feed to the birds in the gardens. Resist the urge to dump all that seed on the first batch of peacocks, roosters, and doves that you see; they're the well-fed, fat, spoiled ones that hang out just inside the gate and get all the food. Instead, just drop a pinch or two at your feet at well-spaced intervals and you'll have a parade of birds following you throughout the entire park like an avian honour guard. Massive fun if you're amused by that sort of thing.

 

I am very amused by that sort of thing so I seriously considered spending another $0.50 and doing a second circuit.

 

Then I jumped back on the next HOHO shuttle that showed up and rode it around the rest of the route back to the starting point. Other stops that I could have jumped off at (but didn't) included:

Koa Wood Shop & Kapaia Stitchery (shopping)
Rrid Hibiscus (more shopping)
Kilohana Plantation (free rum tasting! & a railway tour of an old sugar plantation)
Kauai Museum
Kauai Beer Co.

 

By the way, based on the running commentary of the shuttle drivers AND the riverboat captain/tour guide, I came up with a Kauai drinking game: every time the guide mentions the name of a movie or TV show that was filmed on Kauai, you take a drink. Make it a double every time Elvis' "Blue Hawaii" is mentioned. If you get on the first shuttle at 0900hrs, I promise that you'll be hammered before lunch -- assuming that you don't each lunch before, say 1030hrs.

Went back to the ship and had a (very) late lunch -- which I'll make up for by having an early supper. 

 

Then I just hung out in the Sanctuary enjoying the last bit of time in Hawaii. Now we're starting the long trip back across to the mainland. 

 

Next stop: Ensenada where, if the various conversations I've overheard over the last week are true, the lineups at the Walmart pharmacy are going to be epic as people pickup cheap prescription drugs. Is that really a thing?

 

It's currently Saturday (I know because I checked). I'm hoping to make it to at least Monday before the blankets have to come out in the Sanctuary but I'm not very hopeful.

[Doc & Princess]

On 1/25/2019 at 6:11 PM, Croptop said:

 

Sorry to hear about your broken arm. Hope you have a great vacation nonetheless.

 

The nausea wasn't horrible. At no point did I ever feel truly sick. Just a little bit queasy and sweaty and a reduced appetite. I didn't take anything for it and it did clear up after a few days. I guess once we're sailing back to L.A. I'll find out if it got better because the seas got smoother or because I got used to it.

Great to know and I'll watch for an update.  I typically take Bonine daily as a precaution so will assume it will do the trick as always.   Thank you. 

 

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for posting live!

[Papa Yoda]

1 hour ago, Croptop said:

26 January 2019 - Nawiliwili, Kauai

<snip>

By the way, based on the running commentary of the shuttle drivers AND the riverboat captain/tour guide, I came up with a Kauai drinking game: every time the guide mentions the name of a movie or TV show that was filmed on Kauai, you take a drink. Make it a double every time Elvis' "Blue Hawaii" is mentioned. If you get on the first shuttle at 0900hrs, I promise that you'll be hammered before lunch -- assuming that you don't each lunch before, say 1030hrs.

 

 

You'd love the Hollywood and Waterfalls tour - which includes a great lunch and clips of those movies / TV shows.  Elvis does come up a lot as well as Jurassic Park, South Pacific, etc.

 

 

1 hour ago, Croptop said:

 

<snip>

 

Next stop: Ensenada where, if the various conversations I've overheard over the last week are true, the lineups at the Walmart pharmacy are going to be epic as people pickup cheap prescription drugs. Is that really a thing?

 

 

Yes it really is a thing.  Amoxicillin at 10% US price.  No need to schlep to Wally, closer farmacias have all the drugs you need ...

 

[Purlygrl]

Hi Croptop

Really enjoying your comments. I’m boarding Emerald Princess on Saturday February 2nd. for my first trip to Hawaii. 

Your comments have been both informative and good natured. I’m from Cambridge so I too am eager to see the sun & sand of the islands. Happy Cruising!

[paul716]

Thanks for all of the live reviews and updates. We will be heading to Hawaii on the Emerald Princess March 11 so all your information is great. we are under the impression that there will be 3 formal nights on sea days so can i ask if you remember at what days they were/are on?

thanks

[grandmacruise]

I’m boarding the Emerald tomorrow.  How is the internet on sea days?  Is it slow but usable or non existent?  

[Purlygrl]

Me too😁

[h20skibum]

19 minutes ago, grandmacruise said:

Is it slow but usable or non existent?  

 

Due to the lack of posts, I would think it is probably non existent.  That was my experience on the trip to Hawaii. 

[elycelynne]

Hi, John.  I was a little late to the M&G so I was sorry I didn't get a chance to meet you.  I made the mistake of relying on what I thought was my trusty alarm clock instead of a wake-up call.  Imaging my surprise when I opened one eye, saw that it was 9:30, shouted an expletive and proceeded to get ready in record time.  Alarm clock -- Not so trusty anymore!

[Centsless_Cruiser]

On 2/1/2019 at 6:21 AM, h20skibum said:

 

Due to the lack of posts, I would think it is probably non existent.  That was my experience on the trip to Hawaii. 

Just off yesterday, the first two sea days it was very slow but useable, the last two going and first two leaving it was almost completely unusable, the last two going to Ensenada was back to slow but useable.  As always this is subject to change. 

 

They had unlimited Internet for about $10/day that would have been a waste.  Fortunately our Free Minutes more than lasted us especially since it appeared that they were somehow using a "slow clock" so that when we were on for 15 minutes they only deducted around 5.

[caribill]

On 1/25/2019 at 2:57 PM, JStar said:

We were on the emerald the cruise before. Internet was definitely unusable. Only contact was my cell while in the islands. At see it was so slow most of the time you couldn’t get anywhere. I had free platinum package, if I had paid for internet I would have felt very ripped off.

 

We were on this cruise at the end of December and the Internet was the worst we have ever had on a Princess ship including several sailings that were also in remote ocean areas (middle of the Atlantic, Antarctica, for example).

 

Yes it was slow, but the main problem was that it was unavailable for days at a time. Also unavailable for much of the time was the Intranet (check your onboard account, see the online Patter, etc.) which in no way depends on satellite positioning.

 

Like you, I would have been very unhappy if I had paid for the minutes. And anyone who paid for the unlimited Internet was truly ripped off, especially as paying for that wiped out the Elite Internet minutes benefit.

 

However, the Internet manager was quite willing to credit the minutes account with minutes lost due to the extreme slowness and many passengers did ask for this including myself.

[jeeper2]

Croptop, although this is somewhat late, I would like to thank you for taking the time to post this wonderful review.  I love your sense of humor, and would truly love to have read your experiences on the sea days!  I’ve made this trip twice and the first time in 2007 was when I determined that I looove sea days!  

I hope all is well in your part of the world, and that Spring will come soon and kick out those snow days!