Live from the Golden Princess (Hawaii, 10/10/12)

[SoBaycruiser]

[quote name='cruiserjanet']
Last night the wind was at Force 7, which was the strongest we had so far. We got rained on a little while watching Rock of Ages on MUTS so we all ran for cover. That movie was horrible, in my opinion..[/QUOTE]

We brought rain proof ponchos with us. Just as the MUTS was about to start up as we left Hilo, it started to rain lightly. Everyone ran for cover and abandoned their lounges. We sat down and covered ourselves with our ponchos. The rain stopped in 10 minutes and everyone else was trying to dry off the lounges etc.. It rains for short periods a lot in the Islands so if one enjoys the movies, think about bringing a poncho...plus useful while ashore.

[cruiserjanet]

If you are fortunate to take this cruise, I hope you get the following crew:
Jesus - cabin steward
Florian - head waiter
Arel - waiter
Yuliya - assistant waiter
Sebastian - waiter in the Crown Grill
Jan & Jerry - bar stewards in the Promenade Lounge (our friends ordered lots of drinks with them)
All of these people are excellent, the best we've come across on a Princess cruise.

Going to try a spinning class tomorrow, after taking a 1 hour walk. Will let you know if I can actually walk after. LOL!

[jrobinso]

[quote name='cruiserjanet']If you are fortunate to take this cruise, I hope you get the following crew:
Jesus - cabin steward
Florian - head waiter
Arel - waiter
Yuliya - assistant waiter
Sebastian - waiter in the Crown Grill
Jan & Jerry - bar stewards in the Promenade Lounge (our friends ordered lots of drinks with them)
All of these people are excellent, the best we've come across on a Princess cruise.

Going to try a spinning class tomorrow, after taking a 1 hour walk. Will let you know if I can actually walk after. LOL![/QUOTE]

Sounds like you have had a great cruise with lots of wonderful memories. Thanks for the updates. We are looking forward to boarding very soon.

[Princess Patches]

Thanks for your live posts. We are sailing on the Golden next month so I have been enjoying reading about your voyage. Off the top of your head, do you know what time early traditional dining is being served? Also, have you noticed whether they are performing the production shows 3 times pet night or just 2 times per evening?

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the live updates.

[cruiserjanet]

Traditional dining is at 5:45 and then at 8. I don't know about the production shows because we don't go to them. Sorry. Since we are with friends this cruise, we go to the Promenade Lounge after dinner and hang with them for a little bit. They order drinks but we don't.

Went to a spinning class after walking 3 miles. It kicked my tail. Never done a spinning class before but would like to try again. Walking 3 miles beforehand wasn't the brightest of ideas.

Today was the culinary demonstration and tour of the galley after. Didn't go because I was at the spinning class. Been before anyway. Went to the boutique sale. Yawn. Where's the Princess logo stuff? Some of us still like it.

Saw the maitre d and executive chef. Asked if I possibly missed the chocolate hazelnut soufflé (which is my all time favorite Princess dessert) since we ate out 3 nights. They both thought for a moment and asked what dining room I was in, what seating, and table number. Looks like I'm getting not only lobster tail tonight but that dessert as well. I'm one happy cruiser. I so didn't expect them to make that dessert for me so I'm more impressed with Princess than I already am.

Shower is taken and time to chill before getting ready for dinner. Don't want to start thinking about the end of the cruise because I may start crying. Each cruise gets better and better.

[RNGALNG]

Thank you so much for your very positive comments. I've enjoyed 'sailing' with you, Janet. You are making the time between now and my next cruise go just a little more quickly. The staff are wonderful, aren't they? You are so lucky to be getting your dessert tonight along with your lobster. Might I suggest an Advil chaser with it after your workout? It helps when you over do it at the gym! (I just did an over kill two weeks ago and couldn't move for a day! Advil became my best friend for a day or two!)

[jrobinso]

As I finish packing for our cruise on Wednesday any last minute tips? I gather from an earlier post that the sea days were a bit on the cool side, so I am packing some warmer clothing. Was there anything that you wished you had packed? Since we drive to the port we don't have any luggage restrictions.

Did you do the Chef's table? Any idea how many times they did the Chef's Table on this cruise?

Thank you for your thoughts and comments. I hope your next cruise is even better!

[Princess Patches]

[quote name='cruiserjanet']Traditional dining is at 5:45 and then at 8. I don't know about the production shows because we don't go to them. Sorry. Since we are with friends this cruise, we go to the Promenade Lounge after dinner and hang with them for a little bit. They order drinks but we don't.

Went to a spinning class after walking 3 miles. It kicked my tail. Never done a spinning class before but would like to try again. Walking 3 miles beforehand wasn't the brightest of ideas.

Today was the culinary demonstration and tour of the galley after. Didn't go because I was at the spinning class. Been before anyway. Went to the boutique sale. Yawn. Where's the Princess logo stuff? Some of us still like it.

Saw the maitre d and executive chef. Asked if I possibly missed the chocolate hazelnut soufflé (which is my all time favorite Princess dessert) since we ate out 3 nights. They both thought for a moment and asked what dining room I was in, what seating, and table number. Looks like I'm getting not only lobster tail tonight but that dessert as well. I'm one happy cruiser. I so didn't expect them to make that dessert for me so I'm more impressed with Princess than I already am.

Shower is taken and time to chill before getting ready for dinner. Don't want to start thinking about the end of the cruise because I may start crying. Each cruise gets better and better.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the response. I appreciate the info. I did not know that you could ask to have a "make up" soufflé! I am going to remember that tip.

[cruiserjanet]

Jrobinso, make sure you pack Bonine if you are prone to seasickness like my sweet DH. Also, sunscreen. I brought spray and lotion. In the ports I would double it up because I get burned easily. I would put sunscreen lotion on after my shower and then go out to our balcony and spray every inch of skin. I never got burned and there were some ports where we were in the sun for hours. Oh, if Mosquitos like you like they do me, mosquito repellant is also a must. I sprayed mosquito repellant on after the sunscreen in the ports where I was going to be around a lot of foliage. One last thing. If you sunburn like me, it's a good idea to have some aloe vera gel and aquaphor lotion handy. I used these on my skin when I was going through radiation and I never go on a cruise without them.
DH pointed out that you may not get your luggage before dinner, like us. I went to dinner in shorts and a tank top and they seated us without any problem. I looked around at what others were wearing and I was in good company.

[cruiserjanet]

Oh, and we didn't do the Chefs Table so I don't know when they do that or how often. Sorry.

[mistshar]

[quote name='cruiserjanet']Oh, and we didn't do the Chefs Table so I don't know when they do that or how often. Sorry.[/quote]

I have a question. My DH and I are thinking about going on the same cruise you are on. However, what do you do during the 4 sea days getting there and coming back? We are afraid we will get bored. I know you said you have friends with you and I am sure that helps a lot. I realize they have activities on the ship but my DH is not much for going to them. So I just wondered what it is like for all those sea days.

If you don't have time to answer me now, whenever you have time would be great.

Thanks!

[rdsqrl]

[quote name='mistshar']I have a question. My DH and I are thinking about going on the same cruise you are on. However, what do you do during the 4 sea days getting there and coming back? We are afraid we will get bored. I know you said you have friends with you and I am sure that helps a lot. I realize they have activities on the ship but my DH is not much for going to them. So I just wondered what it is like for all those sea days.

If you don't have time to answer me now, whenever you have time would be great.

Thanks![/quote]
[COLOR=Indigo][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Carol, did you read Pia's Live? She was on the [I]Star[/I], of course, not the [I]Golden[/I], to Hawaii, and she did list a lot of the activities each day from the Patter. Should give you an idea, at least..[/FONT][/COLOR].

[RMLincoln]

[quote name='mistshar']I have a question. My DH and I are thinking about going on the same cruise you are on. However, what do you do during the 4 sea days getting there and coming back? We are afraid we will get bored. I know you said you have friends with you and I am sure that helps a lot. I realize they have activities on the ship but my DH is not much for going to them. So I just wondered what it is like for all those sea days.

If you don't have time to answer me now, whenever you have time would be great.

Thanks![/quote]

We love the sea days, did this cruise a few years ago and are booked for Nov 20th. (Having some health issues just now and it's possible we could lose this cruise but hoping for the best outcome. OY)

But if you prefer port intensive itineraries and do not find the onboard activities of interest, and don't entertain yourselves, I would not recommend this cruise.

We bring music or books or courses..... on MP3 players or CD/DVD players, love to take them on deck (or balcony) and just watch the sea go by. Love to read on deck too but prefer audio books..... so I can watch the sea go by (I can read at home!) Many folks like to play cards or mah jong or do jigsaw puzzles (DH's favorite); we enjoy the lectures, MUTS, shows, afternoon tea... our days are so full we wish we had more sea days!

I sincerely hope you find a cruise that fits your style. There's something for everyone. m--

[Cruisin' Chick]

[quote name='mistshar']I have a question. My DH and I are thinking about going on the same cruise you are on. However, what do you do during the 4 sea days getting there and coming back? We are afraid we will get bored. I know you said you have friends with you and I am sure that helps a lot. I realize they have activities on the ship but my DH is not much for going to them. So I just wondered what it is like for all those sea days.

If you don't have time to answer me now, whenever you have time would be great.

Thanks![/quote]

You can check out my blog of this same cruise, albeit during the holidays, two years ago (see my link in my siggy line). I list many, many activities. The usual shipboard ones (shows, trivia, nighttime games such as the Newlywed Game, movies), as well as many Hawaiian-oriented ones that are unique to the Princess Hawaiian itinerary. Elua, a musical duo Dave and Leialoha, have helped developed this. They are currently on the Golden, and teach some of the Hawaiian activities such as hula dancing, uke playing, lei-making (some of these are taught by crew members), cultural talks. They also perform lovely Hawaiian melodies up on deck or in the Piazza. There are also items on the menus that are Hawaiian-inspired.

[mistshar]

[quote name='rdsqrl'][COLOR=Indigo][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Carol, did you read Pia's Live? She was on the [I]Star[/I], of course, not the [I]Golden[/I], to Hawaii, and she did list a lot of the activities each day from the Patter. Should give you an idea, at least..[/FONT][/COLOR].[/quote]

No, I haven't seen Pia's post. I will try to find it. Thank you!

[mistshar]

[quote=Cruisin' Chick;35813104]You can check out my blog of this same cruise, albeit during the holidays, two years ago (see my link in my siggy line). I list many, many activities. The usual shipboard ones (shows, trivia, nighttime games such as the Newlywed Game, movies), as well as many Hawaiian-oriented ones that are unique to the Princess Hawaiian itinerary. Elua, a musical duo Dave and Leialoha, have helped developed this. They are currently on the Golden, and teach some of the Hawaiian activities such as hula dancing, uke playing, lei-making (some of these are taught by crew members), cultural talks. They also perform lovely Hawaiian melodies up on deck or in the Piazza. There are also items on the menus that are Hawaiian-inspired.[/quote]

Thank you! I will check it out. This is so helpful.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Pia's thread from the Star: [url]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1718281[/url]

[2 to cruise]

[quote name='jrobinso']As I finish packing for our cruise on Wednesday any last minute tips? I gather from an earlier post that the sea days were a bit on the cool side, so I am packing some warmer clothing. Was there anything that you wished you had packed? Since we drive to the port we don't have any luggage restrictions.

Did you do the Chef's table? Any idea how many times they did the Chef's Table on this cruise?

Thank you for your thoughts and comments. I hope your next cruise is even better![/quote]

I'm just butting in here to answer your question regarding the Chef's Table. I read your roll call a few years back when you went on the Panama Canal cruise. Previous to that, we had cruised with Bobby and John (Bucky 3) to the Islands. You had a wonderful roll call on that cruise and I enjoyed reading it!

The Chef's Table is wonderful. We would definitely recommend it. I know it has gone up in price, I think it's $95. When we had the dinner it was $75. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful experience and I'm sure you would enjoy it. It's not something you obviously do every day. I'm sure you have read about it so I won't explain it here unless you are not familiar with it. Starting out in the kitchen was great, the food was excellent, the wine wonderful and just an all around enjoyable experience. Any questions please ask.

We are going on our third Hawaiian cruise for our anniversary in November and are looking forward to it.

Do bring a light sweater, even though it's the islands, you know how chilly the ship can be at times. Often it's a bit cold on the sea days too.

Enjoy!

[jrobinso]

[quote name='2 to cruise']I'm just butting in here to answer your question regarding the Chef's Table. I read your roll call a few years back when you went on the Panama Canal cruise. Previous to that, we had cruised with Bobby and John (Bucky 3) to the Islands. You had a wonderful roll call on that cruise and I enjoyed reading it!

The Chef's Table is wonderful. We would definitely recommend it. I know it has gone up in price, I think it's $95. When we had the dinner it was $75. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful experience and I'm sure you would enjoy it. It's not something you obviously do every day. I'm sure you have read about it so I won't explain it here unless you are not familiar with it. Starting out in the kitchen was great, the food was excellent, the wine wonderful and just an all around enjoyable experience. Any questions please ask.

We are going on our third Hawaiian cruise for our anniversary in November and are looking forward to it.

Do bring a light sweater, even though it's the islands, you know how chilly the ship can be at times. Often it's a bit cold on the sea days too.

Enjoy![/QUOTE]

Thank you. I will call the DINE line as soon as we board and then keep our fingers crossed that we are selected. Everyone who reports on it has wonderful things to say about it. The Panama Canal has been my favorite cruise to date.! Hoping our cruise in Wednesday will be as great! Have fun in November.....we'll keep the lights on for you!

[RNGALNG]

I have a question to all of you who have traveled to Hawaii. Everyone says to bring 'layers', to bring a sweater, that it will be chilling on the way to and from. I realize that it depends on the weather and date but is there a place to see what the temperatures will be like during the crossing for each month?

I will be taking the trip for New Years. I will be coming from a cold place - snow belt so your idea of chilly might be warm to me by that of year. So, anyone who might remember what the temps are along the way to and from. . . that would help me out and what to think about packing.

Thank you in advance!

[cruiserjanet]

As others have said, there are lots of activities listed in the Patter. When my DH and I did this cruise before, we would walk twice a day and sit on our balcony and read or DH would take a nap in the afternoon. I like to sit out on our balcony and just get lost in the beauty of the ocean and cloud formation.

As far as layers, light sweatpants, t-shirt and sweatpants should be fine.

Please let me know if you have any more questions. I have free Internet and will try and answer your questions the best I can. I apologize in advance if I am unable to answer some of them. Will sign on and off a few times tomorrow.

[jrobinso]

[quote name='RNGALNG']I have a question to all of you who have traveled to Hawaii. Everyone says to bring 'layers', to bring a sweater, that it will be chilling on the way to and from. I realize that it depends on the weather and date but is there a place to see what the temperatures will be like during the crossing for each month?

I will be taking the trip for New Years. I will be coming from a cold place - snow belt so your idea of chilly might be warm to me by that of year. So, anyone who might remember what the temps are along the way to and from. . . that would help me out and what to think about packing.

Thank you in advance![/QUOTE]

I will be going on my first Hawaii cruise Wednesday (yay!). However, I have been to Hawaii many times and I live near San Pedro, so I can tell you the temps (approx) on both ends of the cruise. Temps in southern CA in Dec/Jan varies from year to year (like all locations) however I would say the normal highs would be around the high 60's. If we have a high pressure system sitting on top of us it can be quite a bit warmer. I often serve my Christmas brunch outside in temps of mid to high 70's and occasionally 80's. At no time is our "chilly" in the same ballpark as your "chilly". Hawaii temps are pretty stable and in the 80's (may see some 70's in January). The thing about Hawaii in January may be the rain. again, it is hard to predict, but be prepared for rain ( light rain jacket). Keep an eye on weather dot com as your trip gets closer. You can get a better idea and a more up to date and accurate forecast.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I've done the holiday cruise twice. The first time it was cool (maybe in the 50s by sailaway). During the day, in the 60s. As we approached the islands, it started getting warmer. In Hawaii, in the high 70s, mostly partly cloudy. A Pacific storm caused rain New Years Day in Southern California, and then the Santa Anas started blowing, which warmed up the west coast. It was in the 80s on Ensenada Day and back in LA. It was interesting driving back home with those temps and seeing snow in the mountains.

On the way to Hawaii, we had some rough seas the first few days. The outdoor pool was closed for the first couple of days. On the way back to LA, it was relatively smooth seas.

Two years ago, we had several days straight of rain, including embarkation day. It was raining off and on the first few days. Very humid in Hilo with a few drops. Raining in the morning on the Honolulu day. It got pretty windy on the ship a day or so later (MUTS was pretty interesting on our final night in the Islands), and some rough seas. It wasn't warm on the way back. 50s in Ensenada.

[cruiserjanet]

Patty, I will email you when I get home.