Lessons learned, love shared: Golden Princess to Hawaii 3/27/13

You're absolutely right about the Hālau Hula Olana Show. It is a treat to watch, and the students are definitely enjoying what they are doing. I was a bit surprised to hear they are using pre-recorded music now. When we saw the performance back in 2011, the music was all live, and really added to the experience. I hope you don't mind if I add a few photos that I took at that show. I'm really enjoying your very detailed review.

 

Thanks for the photos, Jasperdo! I think I recognize some of the girls who were in the show we saw (although of course they are smaller in your photos). I'm sure that the show must have been even better with live music.

 

I also noticed that you chose Flickr for sharing your photos, as I obviously did.

 

For others who are considering photo-oriented reviews, I highly recommend Flickr. After the cruise I spent a significant amount of time checking out various online photo-sharing services and decided after careful research that Flickr was the best site to use for posting the photos for this review. (That research was one of several things which caused such a long delay in the start of this review.) In my CC postings prior to the cruise, I had learned that uploading photos directly to CC does not provide the best results (for either the author or the reader).

 

Tim

I also noticed that you chose Flickr for sharing your photos, as I obviously did.

I've been using Flickr since 2005. I've always felt it was the best photo site out there. I'm not too happy with all the changes that were made to the interface back in May, though. They really upset a lot of serious photographers with that. Still, I continue to post my photos there. It is very easy to include Flickr photos here of CC. (Sorry if I hijacked your review. I'm really enjoying it. Bringing back a lot of fond memories of our Hawaii cruise on the Golden.)

After the hula show, we decided to go up to the Lido Deck. I think I intended to just visit the buffet again, but we happened to arrive when the Ultimate Hawaiian Deck Party was starting and free (plastic) leis were being distributed.

 

I didn't notice any party food (and food is something that I do tend to notice), but perhaps that would have distracted from what was obviously the main purpose of the party: dancing!

 

Terri and I aren't really into dancing. I think the first time we danced was on our first cruise, 20 years after we were married (and I'm not sure if we have ever danced outside of the context of a cruise). Even when we try to dance, at times it may be unclear whether we're really dancing (our tablemates kidded us about this when they caught us trying to dance later in the cruise), but we try to somehow move to the music.

 

Nevertheless, being among the first arrivals for the party, we found ourselves near the center of the action. So we joined in, to the degree that we were able.

 

Starting at about 9:45, live music was provided by Elua and the band Crimson. There were no Hawaiian songs, but several "aloha!" shouts accentuated the music.

 

We had been attempting to dance for about 30 minutes, when the Princess Dancers leaped into the middle of the crowd, starting to lead partiers in choreographed dance moves. At that point, we decided to slip back and just enjoy the show.

 

 

As this brief video excerpt shows, the Princess Dancers (in white shirts) led the action, with the Movies Under The Stars screen displaying surreal flashing images interspersed with a dancing skeleton.

 

After over an hour at the deck party, we decided that the best way to say goodbye to Honolulu would be on our own balcony.

Edited November 11, 2013 by terrific_surprise

I had been too busy during our Oahu day to deal with some Internet tasks, so when we returned to our cabin after the deck party, I grabbed my computer and headed for our balcony, connecting to our mobile network device so that I could avoid taking minutes from my Princess Internet package.

 

 

Taking off my shoes, I propped up my tired feet and made myself comfortable. (I think the chairs on our B744 balcony were the "old" comfortable type, not the new chairs which have been the subject of complaints here on CC. I noticed that the balcony furniture on the other decks appeared to be different from ours.)

 

Meanwhile, Terri took some final pictures and videos of the lights of Honolulu. The ship moved so quietly at first that I didn't even realize that we were moving until the Aloha Tower came into view.

 

 

As the lights of Honolulu began to fade in the distance, we were finally ready to snuggle up in our comfortable bed.

 

We had experienced a few frustrations on Oahu, but by this time I doubt that either of us were thinking about the problems -- too many beautiful memories had taken their place. And very soon, we would be waking up to a whole new "fantasy island": Kauai!

 

(Click here to view more of our Oahu photos and videos.)

Edited November 11, 2013 by terrific_surprise

After the hula show, we decided to go up to the Lido Deck. I think I intended to just visit the buffet again, but we happened to arrive when the Ultimate Hawaiian Deck Party was starting and free (plastic) leis were being distributed.

...

Starting at about 9:45, live music was provided by Elua and the band Crimson. There were no Hawaiian songs, but several "aloha!" shouts accentuated the music. ...

Interesting to have a Ultimate Hawaiian Deck Party without Hawaiian music :confused:

Dear Tim and Terri,

I am so sorry you missed that sunset on Oahu. I have attached one for you. It was taken from a catamaran off Waikiki Beach. I caught another catamaran backlit by the setting sun

Blessings to both of you

Edited November 11, 2013 by Talisker92

Dear Tim and Terri,

I am so sorry you missed that sunset on Oahu. I have attached one for you. It was taken from a catamaran off Waikiki Beach. I caught another catamaran backlit by the setting sun

Blessings to both of you

 

Thanks for the sunset photo, Steve and Kathy. A catamaran off Waikiki at sunset sounds quite dreamy! Of course our dreams for a beautiful sunset didn't end when we left Oahu. ;)

 

Tim

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Interesting interaction between Patty and Renee regarding the PVSA politics. Those proposed 2008 restrictions (such as 48 hours in a foreign port) would have been quite drastic, as even NCL recognized. It sounds to me there was a political game going on behind the scenes and NCL blinked. :rolleyes:

 

Well, it wasn't that NCL blinked. I think that Veitch kept going and going, but it was the two governors and the vice president who settled it for good (hopefully). Then NCL sold off two of the three (unless one of those had already been sold before then) Pride ships because they weren't making money. Maybe it was the execution of how they did the cruises or else they overestimated how many wanted to sail around the islands. When we honeymooned in Hawaii in 2005, I believe, there was still a small cruiseline who did the circle around Hawaii cruise and we thought it sounded interesting. A friend took her two kids on a NCL Hawaiian cruise maybe about seven years ago (her husband wasn't interested in going) and had some bad experiences. I'm a major fan of traditional dining (hubby and I got stuck with anytime two cruises ago and didn't care for it at all). So we will stay away from NCL, especially as Princess seems to suit us. And we love sea days, and I hate flying, so this particular cruise works for me, especially with all the fun Hawaiian activities. And as an Angeleno, I want there to be more and more cruises out of the Port of LA -- more money coming into the city.

 

After the hula show, we decided to go up to the Lido Deck. I think I intended to just visit the buffet again, but we happened to arrive when the Ultimate Hawaiian Deck Party was starting and free (plastic) leis were being distributed.

 

I didn't notice any party food (and food is something that I do tend to notice), but perhaps that would have distracted from what was obviously the main purpose of the party: dancing!

 

Terri and I aren't really into dancing. I think the first time we danced was on our first cruise, 20 years after we were married (and I'm not sure if we have ever danced outside of the context of a cruise). Even when we try to dance, at times it may be unclear whether we're really dancing (our tablemates kidded us about this when they caught us trying to dance later in the cruise), but we try to somehow move to the music.

 

Nevertheless, being among the first arrivals for the party, we found ourselves near the center of the action. So we joined in, to the degree that we were able.

 

Starting at about 9:45, live music was provided by Elua and the band Crimson. There were no Hawaiian songs, but several "aloha!" shouts accentuated the music.

 

We had been attempting to dance for about 30 minutes, when the Princess Dancers leaped into the middle of the crowd, starting to lead partiers in choreographed dance moves. At that point, we decided to slip back and just enjoy the show.

 

 

As this brief video excerpt shows, the Princess Dancers (in white shirts) led the action, with the Movies Under The Stars screen displaying surreal flashing images interspersed with a dancing skeleton.

 

After over an hour at the deck party, we decided that the best way to say goodbye to Honolulu would be on our own balcony.

 

On our first two Hawaiian cruises, there were elaborate displays of food. But last December, there wasn't any food by the pool. I didn't mind as the Horizon Court was nearby and one can always go way down to the IC for plenty of desserts. On that cruise, Elua was performing when we got there. Then Leialoha demonstrated one hula dance (and I forced hubby, who hadn't gone to any of the hula classes with me, to learn the dance).

 

One of the days, there was a tropical fruit buffet right outside the Horizon on one day. I don't know if there was any of the fruit in the HC at any time.

 

Ah, I want to do this cruise again, but our girl who's a junior in high school keeps reminding us that she intends to go to college in a couple of years and thinks we should kick in some $ for her tuition.

' date='..On our first two Hawaiian cruises, there were elaborate displays of food. But last December, there wasn't any food by the pool. I didn't mind as the Horizon Court was nearby and one can always go way down to the IC for plenty of desserts. On that cruise, Elua was performing when we got there. Then Leialoha demonstrated one hula dance (and I forced hubby, who hadn't gone to any of the hula classes with me, to learn the dance)....

[/quote']

 

I didn't mind the lack of food at the party either, but I just found it odd that it was called the "Ultimate Hawaiian Deck Party" when it didn't seem very "ultimate" or "Hawaiian." :confused: (I don't recall any hula at the party either.) But as far as we were concerned, it was fun and we weren't disappointed. :)

 

Thanks also for your insights on the PVSA, Patty. Terri and I are not Angelenos (although I lived in the San Fernando Valley as a child and my earliest memories are from there) but we would love to see more cruises from LA too.

 

Tim

Edited November 12, 2013 by terrific_surprise

As the Golden Princess eased its way toward Kauai from Oahu, the gentle rocking motion gave us a blissful night of sleep, becoming especially enjoyable at 6 or so when the sun rose (read between the lines if you wish). At about 6:30, I suddenly remembered that I hadn't printed out our itinerary for the day, so I forced myself to leave the comfort of our room, hurrying down to the Internet Cafe to print the itinerary from my email, then quickly returning so that we could watch from our balcony as some dramatic features of Kauai began to rise in the distance.

 

 

At about 7:20, the ship began to pass the Nawiliwili Bay breakwater.

 

 

It took another 20 minutes or so for the ship to navigate a relatively tight S-curve through the harbor, with a small boat sometimes appearing to be pushing the huge ship.

 

 

 

 

As Terri enjoyed the scenery, I slipped away to the Horizon Court for our usual selections such as oatmeal, eggs, potatoes, etc. I piled the large plate so high that one of the buffet attendants looked very concerned, offering to help me carry it. I was a bit embarrassed to admit to her that I was taking it to our room, but I didn't spill a crumb along the way.

 

Like we had done on the two previous days, we enjoyed breakfast on our balcony while watching the ship approach the dock.

 

 

By the time we finished every morsel I had piled on the buffet plate, we were ready to get off the ship -- and ready for a day of new experiences on Kauai!

Edited November 14, 2013 by terrific_surprise

Months before the cruise, I had carefully planned a minute-by-minute schedule for our day on Kauai, primarily basing it upon the experiences CC user hermajestylanie described in her "OCD" review which had first sparked my dreams for this cruise.

 

But a few weeks before the cruise, CC user elcydcruiser (whom we had met at a Bon Voyage Experience on the Sapphire Princess in February) encouraged me to change my plans by adding a cruise on the Wailua River to Fern Grotto. She firmly insisted that hearing the Hawaiian Wedding Song at Fern Grotto would bring tears to our eyes.

 

While the river cruise sounded appealing, I wasn't completely convinced that it would be better than my other plans. So I tentatively added the river cruise to the itinerary, giving Terri a cryptic clue about "a cruise within a cruise," but I intentionally made no reservations for the river cruise, deciding to just wait to see if we had time for it.

 

After re-working the itinerary to include the possible river cruise, all of the stops I scheduled for the day were very quick (typically just 10 minutes). Here is a rough outline of the highlights of the itinerary I planned for the day:

 

8 am: Leave ship, get on shuttle to Alamo

9 am: Drive to Waimea Canyon and Kalalau Lookout, stopping various places

10:30 am: Return to Waimea on Koke'e Road (Hwy. 550 & 552)

11:30 am: Lunch and shave ice in Waimea

11:50 am: Salt Pond Park

12:10 am: Glass Beach

1:00 pm: Wailua Falls

1:40 pm: Wailua River Marina: check availability for 2 pm cruise

2:00 pm: Fern Grotto Cruise

3:20 pm: Drive to Opaeka'a Falls and other nearby points

3:45 pm: Head back to Alamo after getting gas

 

If the Waiula River cruise didn't work out, I had an alternate itinerary which involved driving past Kapa'a town on Highway 56, possibly stopping to watch whales or going to a beach.

 

Due to the fact that I didn't plan for us to have very much time at a beach, I didn't want to subject Terri to unnecessarily wearing a swimsuit all day again. So I just brought swimsuits along in my duffle bag, just in case we had a chance to get wet.

 

Throughout most of our Kauai adventure, I found myself wondering whether or not we would make it to the river cruise, and wondering whether it might be better to just skip the river cruise so that we could include more of what I had originally planned.

Edited November 14, 2013 by terrific_surprise

Hello,

Really enjoying your writing, story, lessons learned and romance. Thanks a bunch.

Hello,

Really enjoying your writing, story, lessons learned and romance. Thanks a bunch.

 

My pleasure! I'm glad you're enjoying it, and I hope it sparks some ideas for you. :cool:

 

Tim

By 8:10 we were off the ship. Entering the Nawiliwili port building, we saw people going to the left, so we followed. When we learned that the people there were waiting to go on tours, Terri asked someone where to go for rental cars, and they told her that we needed to go back inside the port building and go out the opposite end.

 

After following their instructions and exiting the building, we noticed a little sign on the fence pointing to the place to wait for the car rental shuttles.

 

 

This was also where people could hop on a free open-air Harbor Trolley to go to Nawiliwili town or Kalapaki Beach.

 

 

We waited while shuttles from Budget/Avis, Hertz, Enterprise, and National came and went, but after over 10 minutes we saw no Alamo shuttle.

 

 

When I had called Alamo's Lihue office before the cruise, they had informed me that they provide free shuttles on Wednesdays (that made me wonder if Wednesdays would be different from any other day) and that we shouldn't need to call to be picked up, because a shuttle would be waiting for us. But at this point I was starting to wonder if I should go ahead and call (I had included their number in the printed itinerary, just in case).

 

Looking back toward the Golden Princess from the shuttle area, we could clearly see our balcony (the angled balcony at the center of the below photo).

 

 

Somehow it made us feel special to know that among the hundreds of balconies on the ship, ours was so unique and so easy to see from a distance.

 

Finally after 15 minutes or so of waiting, the Alamo shuttle bus arrived. It quickly filled up, so the driver shut the door and began to turn the bus around to exit the port area. As he pulled away, a lady began running after him, so we convinced the driver to go back for her.

 

When he opened the door for the frantic woman, she begged for a ride to the Enterprise office. "Sorry," the driver sighed, shaking his head, "this bus is only for Alamo."

 

After he shut the door and drove away, the driver grumbled "it's your fault!" I don't think he was really mad at us, but I thought it was funny.

 

In less than 10 minutes, the shuttle bus arrived at Alamo's Lihue airport office. We stepped right up to the counter, where I was subjected to another hard-sell effort to purchase Alamo's insurance. I was told that they would come after me if there was any problem, not after our insurance company. (I was relieved that at least the agent didn't try to sell me on the pre-paid gas, although in the final analysis we might have been better off if she did.) In spite of the insurance sales pitch, the rental process went quickly. However, I was told that we needed to return to Alamo by 4 pm if we expected to catch their shuttle back to the ship. The way I had scheduled the day, that would be cutting it very close.

 

The agent didn't give me any keys, but she just pointed me toward the parking lot and said that we could go take our pick of convertibles!

 

When we walked out the door, the first car we saw was a gray Ford Mustang convertible. It was my wife's dream car! (Almost: in her dreams it would be light blue, and she would be the one getting in the driver's seat.)

 

 

The keys were in the ignition, so we got in as I drove it 10 yards or so to the little booth where another Alamo employee cleared us to get on the road. But before driving away, I had to ask for assistance: I couldn't figure out how to put the top down! (In contrast to the Chrysler convertible we had driven the day before, the Mustang's top needed to be manually released by turning two handles before putting the top down.)

 

Even with the small delays we had experienced, we were on our way to Waimea Canyon at 8:55, five minutes ahead of schedule! Those five minutes would make a huge difference in our day.

Edited November 14, 2013 by terrific_surprise

I'm curious, it sounds like you both got on the shuttle. I've been reading everywhere that they only allow the person who will be driving the car to get on the shuttle and then they have to return to the port to pickup the rest of their family. Did they not say anything to you? Was the shuttle full and was everyone elses whole party going in the shuttle too? I ask because we're not sure if we should take the shuttle, or a cab.

I'm curious, it sounds like you both got on the shuttle. I've been reading everywhere that they only allow the person who will be driving the car to get on the shuttle and then they have to return to the port to pickup the rest of their family. Did they not say anything to you? Was the shuttle full and was everyone elses whole party going in the shuttle too? I ask because we're not sure if we should take the shuttle, or a cab.

 

Yes, in Nawiliwili/Lihue, the shuttle driver allowed non-drivers to board. As I seem to recall, there was no discussion of refusing non-drivers. Although the shuttle was quite crowded, I don't think he left anyone behind (other than that woman who wanted a ride to Enterprise).

 

In Hilo, the shuttle would only accept one driver per vehicle to pick up the car, but on the return trip they did not seem to object to taking any passengers who had traveled in one of their cars (I think there were even children on the shuttle). When I posted about taking the shuttle in Hilo, someone posted a comment saying that it was quicker for them to just take a taxi.

 

In Honolulu, no shuttle was provided, except for on the return trip (when we missed the last shuttle and they called a "taxi" limousine for both of us).

 

In general I would say that it would probably be wise to plan for at least the possibility of taking a taxi. Time is more valuable than money at that point.

 

Tim

Edited November 14, 2013 by terrific_surprise

After he shut the door and drove away, the driver grumbled "it's your fault!" I don't think he was really mad at us, but I thought it was funny.

 

I think this fellow lost his - is it - 'Mahalo?'

 

I thought all the folks living in paradise knew of this?? Glad he didn't rain on your parade!

After he shut the door and drove away, the driver grumbled "it's your fault!" I don't think he was really mad at us, but I thought it was funny.

 

I think this fellow lost his - is it - 'Mahalo?'

 

I thought all the folks living in paradise knew of this?? Glad he didn't rain on your parade!

 

Well, I had to keep in mind that it really was "our fault" after all! :rolleyes:

 

I think he just didn't want us to be mad at him for the delay. ;)

 

Tim

Edited November 14, 2013 by terrific_surprise

After he shut the door and drove away, the driver grumbled "it's your fault!" I don't think he was really mad at us, but I thought it was funny.

 

I think this fellow lost his - is it - 'Mahalo?'

 

I thought all the folks living in paradise knew of this?? Glad he didn't rain on your parade!

 

Most locals, especially on the outer islands, have a more "no pilikia" (problem) attitude. Tourism is their main income. Don't know why the driver would have been so agitated. I was on the shuttle to Coconut Grove. The driver narrated all the way down. He became even friendlier when we found out that we once lived in the same country town on the west side.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Not long after leaving the rental agency at the Lihue airport, we arrived at a junction: turn right for Hanalei, turn left for Waimea. Of course I turned left (although Hanalei is another place we would have loved to visit).

 

 

Decorating the highway, Royal Poinciana trees with their orange-red flowers seemed to be giving us a hint of what our eyes would soon be enjoying.

 

 

 

We also noticed some unpleasant highway decorations from time to time: dead chickens with their scattered feathers are a common sight on Kauai.

 

Traveling Kaumualii Highway (Highway 50), which is the only road to Waimea from Lihue, we were always behind other vehicles. I had to just get used to following the pace of the other cars. But in spite of the traffic, we stayed on schedule (so far).

 

We passed a couple of interesting places where I had hoped to stop, but I knew that we would soon have another chance to see them, on our way back to Lihue.

 

Just before Waimea, we passed the Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park. When I first learned about this fort I was fascinated by its history, but from what I had read it seems like there's really not much to see there, and Terri probably wouldn't find it to be very interesting. So I just briefly mentioned some of the history of the fort as we drove past.

 

By about 9:40, we crossed the Waimea River, entering the community of Waimea. A half dozen blocks later, I turned right on Waimea Canyon Drive (Highway 550). A mile up the road, after first switchback, I stopped to take a picture looking over Waimea and the Pacific Ocean.

 

 

After that brief photo stop, I continued uphill for a few more miles. At this point we began to notice an interesting sight on the horizon across the Pacific.

 

 

We had heard about the "forbidden island" of Ni'ihau on the Wake Show, because some Ni'ihau residents were coming on the ship that day for the "Treasures of Ni'ihau Shell Lei Presentation." (Terri would have loved to see the shell leis, but we knew that by the time we made it back to the ship they would be gone.)

 

Seeing Ni'ihau was an unexpected bonus. I had been trying to keep track of how many islands we had seen on our cruise (including little islands like Hilo's Coconut Island and the Mokulua Islands), planning to brag at the end of the cruise that we had the opportunity to see more islands than the others. But I had never realized that we would be seeing Ni'ihau.

 

Then I saw another tiny island: Lehua, to the right of Ni'ihau.

 

 

That brought the total number of islands we had seen so far to an even twelve!

 

Although the view of Ni'ihau and Lehua was thrilling, that wasn't why I had chosen to stop at this point.

Edited November 15, 2013 by terrific_surprise

Looks like you had clear skies going to to Waimea Canyon.

Hoping too read more...we leave in just 5 days.

Looks like you had clear skies going to to Waimea Canyon.

Hoping too read more...we leave in just 5 days.

 

My goal is to finish the rest of Kauai and Maui by Tuesday. :o We plan to be on the Star for a BVE Wednesday, so we will be bidding you "bon voyage" as you sail away! :D

 

Tim

I love Hawaii so I'm just lurking and reading your thread

 

 

Jamie

I had chosen to stop along Waimea Canyon Drive so that we could see a unique little waterfall. I don't know the name of the waterfall (if it even has a name), so I call it the "red waterfall."

 

The rust-colored soil near the waterfall made it look like the ground was covered with a red velvet carpet.

 

 

The white water created a dramatic contrast cascading over the small, smooth crimson hill.

 

 

I had learned about this waterfall by reading the CC review by user hermajestylanie, and I couldn't locate it on any maps, so I was pleased to actually find it. (If you're trying to locate it, the waterfall is on Highway 550 about 4.6 miles from where the highway begins at Highway 50 in Waimea.)

 

 

Somehow I missed seeing a dramatic view of the valley to the right of the road here (a view hermajestylanie raved about in her review). But the view of Ni'ihau (which she didn't mention) made up for it.

 

After only 10 minutes of enjoying this unique landscape, we got back in the convertible and continued up the road. A few minutes later we passed the sign indicating that we were entering Waimea Canyon State Park, and a few minutes after that, the road merged with Koke'e Road (Highway 552).

 

Soon we were winding our way through a forest, with a view to the right revealing at times that we were near the edge of the forest.

 

 

Terri said that she should have kept her seabands on, because my driving on the tight curves of the mountain road was making her feel sick. After about 10 minutes of driving through the forest, we arrived at a sign which pointed to the Waimea Canyon Lookout on the right and to Koke'e State Park on the left.

 

 

Just before we saw this sign, we had passed a group of cyclists who were apparently preparing to ride their bicycles downhill on Koke'e Road.

 

I had originally planned to drive through Koke'e State Park all the way to the end of the road at the Kalalau Lookout so that we could look down upon the Na Pali Coast. If we had followed that plan, we would have visited the Waimea Canyon Lookout on the return trip. But because of the way Terri was feeling, I thought that this would be the best time to stop and enjoy viewing the canyon.

Edited November 15, 2013 by terrific_surprise

Tim

 

Here is an article you might find interesting:

 

http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/hawaii-town-tells-state--stop-sending-tourists-here-230849478.html

 

It reminded me of you trying to park in a suburb of Hawaii. Was it the same place?