Hawaii RT from SFO on Princess

[CruiseProGirl]

My husband and I are recent retirees. We're in our early 60's. We are very interested in the 2-week, round-trip cruise to Hawaii out of San Francisco. We've been on many cruises from Alaska to the Caribbean to the Mediterranean to cruises along the Danube.

We enjoy onboard activities, however, I am not interested in a floating amusement park, a floating frat party or a floating kindergarten. My main priority is service, good food, comfortable accommodations, interesting ports of call - or just beautiful beaches -  and of course, a smooth and safe ride.

We went to Alaska a few years ago. The scenery was beyond compare. The tours were wonderful. My issue was on board. The cruise line actually listed "Conversation with your fellow passengers" as an "activity". Boullion and crackers was also listed as an "activity". I apologize for sounding judgmental but seriously? Hot broth and talking is not exactly what I consider as "active" things to do. I still don't know why "napping" wasn't offered as an activity - the afternoons on Sea Days were filled with wall-to-wall snoozers, taking up tables in the buffet. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to reserve space at the napkin-folding demonstration - at least no one was snoring!

So my question is this... will a 2-week cruise to Hawaii be a floating retirement home or will there actually be some activities for younger retirees who still like to move their bodies, utilize their minds and have fun?

[jsn55]

Gadzooks, you've made my day!  I am a very young 76, booked on Royal Princess departing SF on December 22 and wondering what I got myself into!  I'm into learning about the features of my smart phone, especially the camera, taking a refresher course on drawing, adding in some experimental water colours as well, reading constantly, marching around the ship for an hour morning and afternoon, finding a bar with trivia contests in the evenings, and eager to take advantage of everything the ship has to offer on the sea days.  We've never done a cruise like this, but my husband has some health issues that cause him great fatigue.  So I am seriously wondering if I will die of boredom on this cruise. Come back after January 6 and I'll give you a review.  I'm hoping for the best!  Or better, book the 12/22 sailing and we can figure out how to have fun together!

Edited November 24, 2022 by jsn55
extra thought

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, CruiseProGirl said:

My husband and I are recent retirees. We're in our early 60's. We are very interested in the 2-week, round-trip cruise to Hawaii out of San Francisco. We've been on many cruises from Alaska to the Caribbean to the Mediterranean to cruises along the Danube.

We enjoy onboard activities, however, I am not interested in a floating amusement park, a floating frat party or a floating kindergarten. My main priority is service, good food, comfortable accommodations, interesting ports of call - or just beautiful beaches -  and of course, a smooth and safe ride.

We went to Alaska a few years ago. The scenery was beyond compare. The tours were wonderful. My issue was on board. The cruise line actually listed "Conversation with your fellow passengers" as an "activity". Boullion and crackers was also listed as an "activity". I apologize for sounding judgmental but seriously? Hot broth and talking is not exactly what I consider as "active" things to do. I still don't know why "napping" wasn't offered as an activity - the afternoons on Sea Days were filled with wall-to-wall snoozers, taking up tables in the buffet. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to reserve space at the napkin-folding demonstration - at least no one was snoring!

So my question is this... will a 2-week cruise to Hawaii be a floating retirement home or will there actually be some activities for younger retirees who still like to move their bodies, utilize their minds and have fun?

FWIW: we’re currently on the final transoceanic segment of a seven week cruise on a premium line with excellent food and services, great crew and space ratios and 1200 passengers. There are less than 12 children onboard AND there is no amusement park/Walmart atmosphere. There are, however, two excellent lecturers, an artist-in-residence (with classes) and a hands-on cooking school (with a dedicated laboratory space). There will be a variety of extra events added for some of the sea days.

I mention this because you may want to broaden your consideration horizons a bit and look at one way itineraries that start in Polynesia and end in LA or SF with Hawaii stops included. 
There’s nothing wrong with RT SF-HI. But, the cruise line you pick will be your home away from home. IMO, Princess (and other mass market lines) aren’t great choices for longer cruises and/or transoceanic itineraries. 

[justafem]

7 hours ago, CruiseProGirl said:

My husband and I are recent retirees. We're in our early 60's. We are very interested in the 2-week, round-trip cruise to Hawaii out of San Francisco. We've been on many cruises from Alaska to the Caribbean to the Mediterranean to cruises along the Danube.

We enjoy onboard activities, however, I am not interested in a floating amusement park, a floating frat party or a floating kindergarten. My main priority is service, good food, comfortable accommodations, interesting ports of call - or just beautiful beaches -  and of course, a smooth and safe ride.

We went to Alaska a few years ago. The scenery was beyond compare. The tours were wonderful. My issue was on board. The cruise line actually listed "Conversation with your fellow passengers" as an "activity". Boullion and crackers was also listed as an "activity". I apologize for sounding judgmental but seriously? Hot broth and talking is not exactly what I consider as "active" things to do. I still don't know why "napping" wasn't offered as an activity - the afternoons on Sea Days were filled with wall-to-wall snoozers, taking up tables in the buffet. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to reserve space at the napkin-folding demonstration - at least no one was snoring!

So my question is this... will a 2-week cruise to Hawaii be a floating retirement home or will there actually be some activities for younger retirees who still like to move their bodies, utilize their minds and have fun?

I've done this itinerary several times.  Yup, hubs does use those sea days for nap time, but he goes and goes and goes in the real world, so it's his thing.

 

Yeah, I have a tendency to do a lot of the crafts too.  I needed to learn how to make a box out of paper, I really did.  It's like high school geometry, someday I might use it.  GRINS

 

The paid crafts are great, you'll actually wear the lei's and beads and keep them for upcoming cruises.  I always take the eyelash lei class to get another color.  I have 4 of them now and bring them with me on every Hawaiian cruise. It's funny, you can tell everyone who's done the cruise before, we all have our leis and by the end of the trip, you'll see more and more people wearing them.

 

There's trivia, trivia, trivia.  Some specialty speakers (weirdly enough, we went to one on opera on a Hawaiian, weird topic right?), and at least 2 shows per night.  Production, comedians, or other performers.  If they are still doing it, on one of the islands they have the local hula school come and perform, it's fun to watch students of all ages learning their heritage.

 

There's ukulele classes, hula classes and shows with ukulele and hula.  Then there's bingo and casino if you're into that.  

 

Or you can sit by a window and watch the ocean.  

 

There normally aren't many children and the ones that there are are in the kids clubs.  And there are no rides of any kind, I don't even think there's a slide.  Unless you count the sky-walk.  Oh boy, glass floor, I'm scared!  

 

And if you are bored out of your mind, there's always on-demand TV.  

[MichiganFisherman]

I understand the original poster's concerns and have the same concerns  myself. I booked the 16 day round trip to Hawaii for August 2023 with my 13 and 15 year old daughters. They are seasoned cruisers and the wife and I have sailed Princess before but not with them. We too are hoping there are some fun activities for them as well. They don't require much attention but the sea days there and back from Hawaii could end up being long ones. We chose this due to the destination. 

[disneyochem]

We’ve done this cruise twice (another booked for January 2024) and have enjoyed both of them.  Princess has Hawaiian ambassadors onboard who coordinate/lead activities on Hawaiian cultural, music and food.  There were hula and ukulele lessons (followed by a group performance in the theater), lei making classes and other crafts, lectures on the history, culture and wildlife of Hawaii, and special food and drink of the Hawaiian islands.  In addition, there are other activities one finds on sea days:  trivia, game shows, bingo, book club, sport challenges (corn hole, crazy golf), Zumba, line dancing, etc.  We were surprised how full our days were!  We are walkers.  The ship used by Princess out of SF has a promenade—able to get our daily three mile walk.

 

There will be a number of sea days on this cruise (only 4 port days) which is what we like.  We’re pretty active and find a lot to do.  But, there will be a number of passengers who will be ‘snoozing’ on the cruise as well!  Hubby likes to listen to audio books and I’ve caught him a few times snoozing by the aft pool!  But, that’s what makes cruising fun—you can be as active as you’d like or not!

 

(SF is our home port which is another reason we love this cruise!)

 

 

[skynight]

"My main priority is service, good food, comfortable accommodations, interesting ports of call - or just beautiful beaches -  and of course, a smooth and safe ride."- 

- Unless you have to be in SF I would sail from San Pedro. I don't know ELUA's schedule, but they are usually on board the San Pedro voyages. They are Hawaiian entertainers offering uke lessons, hula sessions crafts and some music sets. Bring your own ukes if you have them. There are a limited number on board, maybe 50. You can probably find ELUA's schedule on line.

-The first few days to Hawaii is usually cooler and seas can be choppy. Once the ship crosses the Tropic of Cancer it usually turns tropical, pool weather. The day back to SF from Ensenada can also be choppy, as well as the overnight if you are sailing from San Pedro

-Other daytime hosted activities include hula sessions, Hawaiian crafts (small fee), uke lessons, line and ballroom dancing, silly games such as ring toss, corn hole, maybe some poolside games, golf putting, morning and afternoon trivia as well as some evening trivia sessions. There will probably be a naturalist on board that gives interesting talks. The casino is there to take your money. Casino is closed while in Hawaiian waters.

-Evening include the theater shows and guest entertainers which can be singers, musicians, comics, etc. There is also live music in all the lounges.

-Fee activities include bingo, and the art sales. I would suggest you avoid any activities sponsored by the spa or shops on board. These are normally sales pitches. 

-Comfortable Accommodations, yes, recommend a balcony cat  cabin  or better. Club Class minis are nice as they have special dining.

-Hawaii ports are all interesting

-Beautiful Beaches. Yes, Hawaii does have beautiful beaches. However, most passengers do not take a Hawaii cruise to lie on the beach. That's more of a Caribbean thing. More passengers usually take private or ship tours. Volcano tours, whale watching, Peral Harbor are just a sample of the kinds of tours people take.

Food. Decent. MRDs open for breakfast and dinner each day and lunch on sea days. The buffet and International Cafe are open all day and evening. The grill and pizza by the slice are open each day and evening by the main pools. Depending on the ship there may be a no charge pizza restaurant. I feel the specialty restaurants are worth the money, $25, $29, $18 depending on the restaurant. You can find the dining venues for your ship here: https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/food-and-dining/dining-options.pdf

Edited November 24, 2022 by skynight

[KeepCalmBearOn]

Curious why you aren't sailing from San Pedro, if you live in So Cal?

 

We've done Hawaii RT six times now. There is plenty of activity, both physical and "mental". They have enrichment programs (lei making, hula lessons, ukulele lessons, etc), lectures, movies, trivia, bingo, etc. For physical, there is yoga, aerobics, pickelball, table tennis, a great gym and more.

 

When you have 10 sea days, don't underestimate the value of "conversation with fellow passengers". We've made many great friends on these longer sea day cruises.

[bonsai3s]

5 hours ago, disneyochem said:

We’ve done this cruise twice (another booked for January 2024) and have enjoyed both of them.  Princess has Hawaiian ambassadors onboard who coordinate/lead activities on Hawaiian cultural, music and food.  There were hula and ukulele lessons (followed by a group performance in the theater), lei making classes and other crafts, lectures on the history, culture and wildlife of Hawaii, and special food and drink of the Hawaiian islands.  In addition, there are other activities one finds on sea days:  trivia, game shows, bingo, book club, sport challenges (corn hole, crazy golf), Zumba, line dancing, etc.  We were surprised how full our days were!  We are walkers.  The ship used by Princess out of SF has a promenade—able to get our daily three mile walk.

 

There will be a number of sea days on this cruise (only 4 port days) which is what we like.  We’re pretty active and find a lot to do.  But, there will be a number of passengers who will be ‘snoozing’ on the cruise as well!  Hubby likes to listen to audio books and I’ve caught him a few times snoozing by the aft pool!  But, that’s what makes cruising fun—you can be as active as you’d like or not!

 

(SF is our home port which is another reason we love this cruise!)

 

 

...and the sail-away from San Francisco...with views of the city of one side, Sausalito on the other... close-up views of Alcatraz and Angel Island...then sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge, with the fog rolling in...is quite simply, breathtaking. 

 

* "I left my heart in San Francisco".

Fond memories...spent lots of weekends enjoying Angel Island in the late 60's and early 70's.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

26 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

...and the sail-away from San Francisco...with views of the.....

 

The 45 minute drive to San Pedro is enchanting.... 😏

[cr8tiv1]

I agree with @skynight.  Given the choice of Hawaii from San Francisco or San Pedro, I would choose the one with ELUA.  

 

If on the Royal, you will miss several ports.  

[NownZen]

We have done this cruise twice. The second time was specifically for Elua (Leiloa and Tiki Dave).  We were so busy that we would look at the Princess Patter and have to decide which choices we would skip. There were many interesting lectures such as the series on Highway 66 then and now. The naturalist was good. I never did get a nap. Tiki Dave is a very accomplished musician and puts on performances in the lounges. The two of them do regular sessions in the Piazza where you can dance, either line or hula. Great fun.

I am looking for a hole in my schedule to do this again.

By the way, these trips were out of San Pedro.

[jsn55]

1 hour ago, bonsai3s said:

...and the sail-away from San Francisco...with views of the city of one side, Sausalito on the other... close-up views of Alcatraz and Angel Island...then sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge, with the fog rolling in...is quite simply, breathtaking. 

 

* "I left my heart in San Francisco".

Fond memories...spent lots of weekends enjoying Angel Island in the late 60's and early 70's.

I gotta admit, sailing out and back to SF will be a major treat!  Probably 20 years ago we were in a restaurant in Ghiradelli Square and watched 'lit-up wedding cake' sail out ... that picture has stayed in my mind all these years.  I so hope our weather holds and we get those 'perfect NoCA days' for both trips under the Golden Gate.  

 

[jsn55]

48 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I agree with @skynight.  Given the choice of Hawaii from San Francisco or San Pedro, I would choose the one with ELUA.  

 

If on the Royal, you will miss several ports.  

What do you mean, Royal Princess will miss several ports? 

[cruisequeen4ever]

We are about to do this itin, and we did the RT Hawaii out of LA years ago. I love all the sea days, plenty to do to enjoy time aboard the ship. My hubby does get tired of the sea days. You really won’t know how you feel til you do it, but I definitely find this a worthwhile cruise. 

[NownZen]

17 minutes ago, jsn55 said:

What do you mean, Royal Princess will miss several ports? 

It is too big to go into one of the ports.

[cr8tiv1]

30 minutes ago, NownZen said:

It is too big to go into one of the ports.

 

You will miss Hilo (Hawaii Island) and Nawiliwili (Kauai) if you are on the Royal Princess.  Kona and Lahaina will be tender ports.  Honolulu Overnight.   You can still drive to Hawaii Volcano National Park, but it is further away.  

[skynight]

Believe there is still Zumba, no charge, on sea days.

[jsn55]

4 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

You will miss Hilo (Hawaii Island) and Nawiliwili (Kauai) if you are on the Royal Princess.  Kona and Lahaina will be tender ports.  Honolulu Overnight.   You can still drive to Hawaii Volcano National Park, but it is further away.  

Aha!  We booked this cruise in a hurry when NCL cancelled Japan.  We were thrilled to get an aft-facing cabin.  For the last several months I've been wondering why my original notes back when I booked this cruise showed Hilo and Kauai and they 'disappeared' from our itinerary.  Apparently that's how we started ... but we don't care much; we've been to Hawaii several times and have done all the tourist stuff.  This trip is pure relaxation and hedonism.

[cr8tiv1]

2 minutes ago, jsn55 said:

Aha!  We booked this cruise in a hurry when NCL cancelled Japan.  We were thrilled to get an aft-facing cabin.  For the last several months I've been wondering why my original notes back when I booked this cruise showed Hilo and Kauai and they 'disappeared' from our itinerary.  Apparently that's how we started ... but we don't care much; we've been to Hawaii several times and have done all the tourist stuff.  This trip is pure relaxation and hedonism.

 

Kona has some advantages (although not my favorite).  Book a car and explore the 3 National Parks on that side of the island.  I can give you a link to a vanilla orchid farm (small/local).  I rarely do commercial places that charge a large fee.

 

Drive to Waimea.  Enjoy some local museums.  Have a great cruise.

 

 

[JoRoy218]

Shortly after retirement 3 yrs ago, I weighed the pros and cons of this Hawaii cruise. I thought for sure DH and I would be bored on all those sea days. But, we booked the Grand and were delighted on the sail away out of SF. We were never bored the whole 14 days and had many fun and interesting activities to choose from. Highlights: renting a car on Oahu, spending hours at Pearl Harbor, driving to North coast, lunch in a little beachside shack and Punchbowl National cemetery. Then on Kauai I surprised my hubby with a bi-plane ride over the island, absolutely awesome! Maui was snorkeling and we enjoyed waterfall hikes and volcano national park on the Big Island. As mentioned above, the couple who are native Hawaiians and present on the ship have a never ending schedule of great activities. The last afternoon at sea, they performed a “concert” in the theater with all the passengers who either took hula lessons or ukulele classes. Wonderful show. Was sad at the thought of disembarking.  Enjoyed every moment! The finale was arriving into SF at dawn and silently gliding under the Golden Gate. Can’t wait to do this again!

[KeepCalmBearOn]

14 hours ago, JoRoy218 said:

As mentioned above, the couple who are native Hawaiians and present on the ship have a never ending schedule of great activities.

 

I am sure Leialoha has some native Hawaiian blood, but "Tiki" Dave is a Boston Yankee.

[JoRoy218]

Oops, I suspected but wasn’t sure, thanks for the correction! I should have noticed by his “accent” as I’m a Yankee as well. 

[cr8tiv1]

1 hour ago, scottca075 said:

 

I am sure Leialoha has some native Hawaiian blood, but "Tiki" Dave is a Boston Yankee.

I believe Rowena and Brian on on the San Francisco runs.  Both are Native Hawaiians.  
 

BTW….just a little trivia.  One is not ‘Hawaiian’ if born or raised in Hawaii.  That makes them a kama’aina.  
 

@JoRoy218got it right using native Hawaiian. 🤙🏼

[WAvoyager]

5 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I believe Rowena and Brian on on the San Francisco runs.  Both are Native Hawaiians.  
 

BTW….just a little trivia.  One is not ‘Hawaiian’ if born or raised in Hawaii.  That makes them a kama’aina.  
 

@JoRoy218got it right using native Hawaiian. 🤙🏼

Kanaka is another term for someone of native Hawaiian descent.  And kama’aina is correct, but you only qualify for kama’aina discounts if you still live in the islands.    😔