REVIEW Crown Princess Hawaii/South Pacific

[Debathome]

Harry, we were also part of this roll call and I am enjoying comparing notes on this cruise and tours.

 

We were so sorry that we didn't take advantage of the Nut Factory shipping suggestion. The cookies were so good and would have made great gifts for everyone back home. They were have made it here before we did!

 

I'm also from across the shore in Toronto. We saw a sprinkling of snow this morning on our way back from my kids farm but nothing on the ground here in the city.

 

Thanks for doing the review. 🌴

[traveling1969]

As I had mentioned previously, once we left Hawaii we had four consecutive full sea days.

 

Joyce enjoyed the lectures, especially the ones that previewed upcoming ports. She attended a few drink tastings, went to a few sales, popped in and out of the casino and generally kept busy. Me, not so much. Lots of reading interspersed with a cocktail now and then was my norm for sea days. Oh, I went to a movie or two and sat, watched and listened to a few of the Piazza performances but not often enough to wear myself out;).

 

Most mornings found us headed to the Piazza and International Café for our version of breakfast: fresh-brewed coffee with an occasional latte thrown in, a breakfast sandwich or pastry (or both!) and a little people watching.

 

Then we would split up and go our separate ways till 1 pm or so when we would meet for pizza, lunch in the dining room, pub lunch, room service or selections from the International café followed by wine or a cocktail back at the cabin.We almost kept our unspoken vow to avoid eating at the Horizon Court. We did finally eat there once on the third formal night as we had sent our glad rags to the laundry and they hadn't returned in time.

 

A couple things of note: they collected our passports and did not return them until we had left Tahiti. Hate to be without them but as they said "Thems the rules!" During the second or third sea day the Captain made an announcement that due to the high temperature of the ocean (in the 80's), and the difficulty cooling the engines (OK, for the pedants out there, I'm not sure if it was a problem with the "engines", generators or the propulsion systems or something else entirely), we would be arriving several hours late in Apia. That didn't concern me too much but it did raise the question of whether our arrival in L.A. would also be delayed. We were on a tight schedule with our flight home but there was no need to worry as we arrived back in L.A. on time.

 

There was a hokey ceremony/party event on the pool deck to commemorate the crossing of the International Date Line. Joyce and I celebrated with martinis in our stateroom:D.

 

We really were getting antsy by now as we would soon land at our first Island in the South Pacific! Next up: Apia, Western Samoa.

 

Harry

Edited November 22, 2015 by traveling1969

[XBGuy]

they collected our passports and did not return them until we had left Tahiti. Hate to be without them but as they said "Thems the rules!"

 

 

That's always bothered me, too. The last time I renewed my passport, I also ordered a passport card and keep that with me.

[TracieABD]

Thank you for continuing your posts! This is one of my dream cruses--- especially the sea days!

[traveling1969]

As promised, we arrived late in Apia; albeit a bit later than the Captain's original estimate. We were booked on a Cruise Critic-organized tour with Samoa Scenic Tours. Contrary to other passenger reports, we enjoyed our tour but the for $44, our expectations were commensurate.

 

Things got off to a sour start due to the boorish, rude behavior of some of the folks on our bus. They were complaining loudly and berating the driver for waiting for 5 or so folks who were missing. The driver hadn't made the decision to wait; rather it was the coordinators and tour staff who were waiting. Regardless, we were embarrassed by our fellow tour participants and thought their attitudes and exhortations to be completely out of line.

 

We started off with a stop at a church that was directly across the bay from our balcony room. Indeed, as we docked, we checked it out with binoculars. It was simple and austere from the outside but the interior was anything but. We were most impressed with the ceiling which was done in highly-polished wood in a parquet pattern. The inside of the dome was painted in a beautiful biblical scene.

 

After that a few photo stops then we made our way to a park-like area to see a kava ceremony. It was very interesting and memorable and the performers were enthusiastic. After the show was complete, they stayed behind to answer questions and pose for pictures. We noted what appeared to be a cooking demonstration a few yards away and headed over to take a look. They were cooking on an exposed pile of hot stones and others could be seen weaving plates from some sort of palm frond. While we watched, they proceeded to dish out the food they were cooking into a palm-frond plate and offered them to anyone who wanted one. The food was delightful. Each "plate" had a portion of fish, roasted banana, roasted taro and a spinach-like vegetable with coconut cream sauce. There was enough to go around and there was NO CHARGE. Very yummy and oh so local and traditional. We hurried back to the stage area to make a donation for their well received hospitality.

 

From there we drove up into the hills for a visit to the Robert Louis Stevenson House/Museum. It was set in a large clearing surrounded by lush vegetation. There was a charge to enter; I don't remember how much. That was for entry to the museum and there was also a large covered stage area on the side with chairs set up around it. There was no charge to go in to sit and as you entered, a very pleasant lady welcomed you and offered a coconut with a straw in it, filled with coconut milk. We found seats and before long, a troupe of performers entered and with song, dance and cava samples, entertained us for around a half an hour. It was a truly amazing and energetic performance. I was exhausted just watching:).

 

I noted from the bus that all the trash receptacles were placed on elevated platforms and I inquired as to why. The guide explained it was to keep it out of reach of the various wild creatures (rats, wild pigs and the ever-present feral dogs of which we had seen literally hundreds roaming about). Interesting!

 

For our last stop we went to a covered vegetable, fruit, and flea market. Joyce saw some bone and seashell necklaces she liked but was unable to pull the trigger. Of course she kicked herself when we got back to the port and she didn't see anything nearly as nice (or as reasonably priced). She did buy a couple clip-on flowers for her hair and I must say that on her they looked very fetching.

 

All in all, we had a very enjoyable tour and for the price, we felt we had been well served.

 

Tomorrow finds us in Pago Pago and for an added treat, it's Halloween!

 

Harry

Edited November 24, 2015 by traveling1969

[RetiredNTraveling]

As promised, we arrived late in Apia; albeit a bit later than the Captain's original estimate. We were booked on a Cruise Critic-organized tour with Samoa Scenic Tours.

 

Things got off to a sour start due to the boorish, rude behavior of some of the folks on our bus. They were complaining loudly and berating the driver for waiting for 5 or so folks who were missing. The driver hadn't made the decision to wait; rather it was the coordinators and tour staff who were waiting. Regardless, we were embarrassed by our fellow tour participants and thought their attitudes and exhortations to be completely out of line.

 

What would they have thought if they were late and left behind? I stand with you and the coordinators in that those people were wrong! Not mention being Rude!

 

There was enough to go around and there was NO CHARGE. Very yummy and oh so local and traditional. We hurried back to the stage area to make a donation for their well received hospitality.

 

Good South Seas Hospitality & great manors for the donation.

 

Joyce saw some bone and seashell necklaces she liked but was unable to pull the trigger. Of course she kicked herself when we got back to the port and she didn't see anything nearly as nice (or as reasonably priced).

 

My wife is on me constantly about not striking while the iron is hot! Joyce and I are kindred spirits.

 

All in all, we had a very enjoyable tour and for the price, we felt we had been well served.

Glad to get another point of view so that informed decisions can be made by the next group.

 

Tomorrow finds us in Pago Pago and for an added treat, it's Halloween!

 

Harry

 

Harry, please keep up these informative and interesting reviews.

Just Mike

[traveling1969]

Pulled into port around 7 am. We decided to wait till 10 am to go ashore and hopefully miss the crowds. Strolled of at 10, turned to the right and walked a quarter mile or so to the bus stop. Our plan was to catch the local bus out to $2 beach for a little swimming and a little sun. A bus pulled in and a guy standing next to it asked those of us waiting "Ride to $2 beach?". We started to load up and I asked the driver "How much?". He said $7 one way. That sounded a bit steep based on what we had heard so we told him "No thank you. We'll wait for another bus. Then the other guy came over and said $3 round trip and we all piled aboard the very same bus :).

 

It was a short 6 or 7 minute ride to the beach; we all piled out and paid the fee to enter. We asked the driver to return around 2 pm but I think we all thought that that was the last we would see of him. Of course, those of you in the know are aware that the entry fee is now $5. We knew this and paid it without a thought although one of the folks didn't know and said "I thought this was $2 beach?". I smiled and said "inflation here too".

 

The beach was small but it was very nice. There was a roped and buoyed-off section to the left and an open-to-the-sea area to the right. We snagged a couple of the few remaining loungers and made ourselves at home in a nice shady spot. There is a bar/snack bar there and a bottle of the local beer was $5. It was good and cold and hit the spot. The water to the right was about 10 degrees cooler than on the left and the bottom was mostly rock and broken coral so we were glad we had our water shoes. There were also rest rooms there and it was possible to change there as well. Several busloads came and went while we were there as it is a stop on many of the tours. The family that runs the place put on a little show with children and adults doing a few dances to some Samoan music. There was also background music playing the whole time but it wasn't too loud and we loved the selection (what else? oldies but goodies). Around 1:40, we headed back up the stairs to the road and lo and behold, there was our driver:D. He didn't try to charge us again but he supplemented his fare by picking up some folks at Tisa's beach which was nearby. Back at the ship we did a little browsing and headed back on board.

 

We were in for a busy evening as the Captain's Platinum and Elite welcome back party was at 7:00 on the main pool deck and the Halloween party was at 9 in Club Fusion.

We got into our costumes and headed out for a night of merriment. Joyce was dressed all in red as a Vegas showgirl with a huge black feather headdress (see story to follow), bustier, choker, frilly short dress, black stockings and high heels. I was togged up as Elvis with spangled white jumpsuit, wig, gold sunglasses, bling gold eagle and three red scarfs around my neck. The hardest part was finding a place to carry our camera and sea pass cards (no pockets!). They ended up in my sock:D.

 

We thought that the pool deck was a very poor venue for the Captain's party. There were over 800 Elites on board and who knows how many Platinums. It was very warm (we were all costumed up), crowded cheek to jowl, and nearly impossible for the waiters to circulate. We were never able to corral a waiter for a drink but we made up for it later;).

 

We headed off to dinner and our waiter, Vlad, was dressed as a Roman Centurion and Esmael, his assistant as a Roman citizen. They looked great!

There were loads of costumes in evidence all around. It was very festive.

 

After dinner we headed to Club Fusion for the Halloween Party. The decorations were fabulous with spider webs, tombstones, ghouls and goblins. Almost everyone in attendance was in costume. Folks really outdid themselves. We saw Coneheads, witches, ghosts, Frankenstines, Minions, playing cards, and Draculas just to mention a few. We danced till we dropped (man, that wig was hot). Oh yes, you could almost SEE the steam coming out from under Joyce's headdress.

 

The headdress saga is interesting. We ordered one online and when it came it looked as if a cardinal had died on Joyce's head:eek:. We kept looking though and found a great one at a temporary mall costume shop. Packing it to travel in a checked bag cross country was a real challenge. I sandwiched it between two thick pieces of cardboard cut to shape; taped them together and put a heavy paper bowl in the brow piece to hold it's shape and what do you know, it worked!

 

We literally collapsed into bed that night; thankful that we had two more relaxing sea days to follow. Coming up: sea days and Bora Bora.

 

Harry

[traveling1969]

I'm going to put the rest of the review on hold. Tomorrow's Thanksgiving and Friday we fly to Rome for our transatlantic on the Ocean princess, We're staying at a small B&B in Civitavecchia so we'll be offline for a week or so. I'll probably wrap it up while on board.

 

In the meantime, be sure to check out CCRAIN's and DEBATHOME's reviews on this board. Lots of really good info and PICTURES!

 

Arrivederci for now!

 

Harry

[brownblonde]

Have a great cruise, Don't think being home 2 weeks, I could pack right away again. I guess that is what age does to you. A few years ago I guess I could have done it.

Those sea days you can relax, enjoy.

Eleanor

[brownblonde]

Hope you had another good cruise.

Are you going to post any more from the Oct/Nov. cruise

Maybe to many others things happening now in your life.

[brownblonde]

Hope your checking in Harry and will finish your post

[traveling1969]

Joyce and I are back from our T/A and after a vary busy Christmas week, I'm about ready to finish this review. Drove over 800 miles in the past week so today will be a day of rest. Tomorrow will be set aside for finishing this review, reviewing a bunch of restaurants on trip advisor and maybe getting a jump start on reviewing the T/A. Till then, nighty night;).

 

Harry

[traveling1969]

Arrived at this port nice and early. We were able to grab some coffee and a bite to eat before meeting up with our Cruise Critic group to get tender tickets. We got on the first tender and headed dockside where we met our tour guide Francky Franck. Here's how Joyce described him: "a little lascivious and a whole lot of fun". This was a full-day tour in an open seat 4X4. There were 8 of us in the back truck bed seated 4 on each side. It made for an exciting, rollicking, kidney-crunching four wheel drive adventure!

 

There was a small village at the port and soon we were off to explore beautiful Moorea. First up was a harrowing climb up, up, up on two thin strips of paving that brought us to a spot below a breathtaking overlook. After parking where there was no place to park (I know, you had toe there to believe it) we climbed further on foot up a slippery slope with a rope for a guardrail.The ascent by 4X4 was breathtaking as well, especially the part where we had to back down a hundred meters or so to let descending vehicles pass. Whew! What a ride!

 

Next we to the Belvedere, another overlook which while spectacular couldn't quite match the first scary spot. From there it was on to an ancient temple site with stone ruins. It had been drizzling a bit since we got to the hills, but here the clouds opened up and luckily, Francky had umbrellas for us. This was also the stop where the mosquitos found us. They were tiny and the bites didn't itch a whole lot but they did succeed in driving us back down the hill! At each stop, Francky regaled us with stories and interesting info and the occasional double entendre. Occasional? Not quite. Every other phrase had some sort of playful sexual undertone but they were all delivered in a light-handed manner and he kept us laughing the whole time.

 

Next stop was a tropical garden, plantation and a chance to sample loads of jams, jellies and vanilla varieties. Let me back up a bit first. At one of the earlier stops, I noticed Francky kept staring at Joyce and she said she was just about to feel uncomfortable when he said "You don't know why I'm staring at you do you? It's because your eyes are different colors! Well, I couldn't believe it so I had her turn around and lo and behold he was right! Here I've been married to her for 46 years and I NEVER NOTICED! Well, it's going to take a while for me to live that one down. Anyway, Francky called over the owner and pointed this out to her. You see, she too has eyes that are different colors and she gave Joyce a big high five as fellow heterochromians.

 

After this stop we went to a pineapple plantation and sampled various juices , rums and candies. That was fun too and several folks bought some to take home.

 

Next stop was a black sand beach where photos and feet dipping were the order of the day. Francky had to keep reminding folks to watch out for coconuts overhead. More folks are killed by falling coconuts and by shark attacks. We had lunch at an Oceanside restaurant then resumed our around the island tour. We stopped for a few photos here and there and got to see a side of the island that few visitors see. Here was where the poor folk lived as evidenced by the marginal housing and poor upkeep of the roads. Folks were out and about though and we were met by friendly waves and smiling faces wherever we went.

 

We got back to the dock and wished Francky and Moorea a fond farewell. Moorea was our favorite stop on the entire cruise largely due to the beautiful scenery, friendly people and engaging guide. We vowed to return some day.

 

Once on board, we changed and went to the Elite party for a drink before dinner. We left for Papeete around 6 or so and pulled into the dock around 8 pm. Lots of folks got off to try some of the food offered by the many food trucks at the dock. The reviews were mixed. We opted instead for the dining room and turned in early as we were meeting for our tour early in the morning. Also, the area around the dock did not look like the safest neighborhood and it didn't look much better in daylight. It was our least favorite spot on the cruise. We were hoping that our tour the next day would show us another side of Papeete.

 

Next: Papenoo Valley and waterfalls galore!

 

Harry

[trystran72]

Really enjoying your review! It sounds like it was a really fabulous trip. Happy to hear the Crown is still golden. I was on her the inaugural year and will be back on this summer for Alaska. Can't wait!!

 

Your food in Bora Bora sounds amazing! :)

[brownblonde]

Glad to see you continue

Happy new year to you and Joyce.

Happy cruising from Md.

[traveling1969]

Upon further review I noticed that I skipped Bora Bora.

 

We had originally planned to go to Matira beach but the weather wasn't very "beachy" so we decided to take a tour. We saw a guy with a sign for a Circle the Island tour for $35 each so we hopped on board. Stopped at a batik makers compound and it was really neat. Large hand done batik panels were $10 there. We didn't buy any but when we shopped at the pier area later, they were asking $20-30 for similar ones and the designs weren't nearly as intricate or nice. They are were offering loads of free samples of roasted coconut, green grapefruit and some sort of pudding made from breadfruit. Yumm! They also opened this large bin and inside was a HUGE crab. It's shell was iridescent colors of green, blue, purple in various shades. They said it was a coconut-eating crab! It's pincers were massive and suited to the job. When cooked, they are purported to taste like coconut! Made a few photo stops at various spots including Matira beach and Bloody Mary's. Matira beach is touted as one of the top 5 beaches in the world. From what we saw, it wouldn't have made even our top 10. A nice beach but nothing special. Bloody Mary's was really neat and we would have enjoyed spending some time there but alas this was the whirlwind tour so we stayed about 20 minutes then headed back to the ship. We did see some very interesting sights and our guide was well-informed and articulate. All in all it was a good excursion for the price.

 

Harry

[traveling1969]

We had a Cruise Critic-excursion planned for this port. We were interested in seeing what the place looked like in daylight as it didn't impress us upon docking the night before. All I can say is wow, what a dump! I know, it's hard to believe but there it is. It was the only port on the cruise where we did not feel safe while walking around so we were glad we had booked the tour.

 

We drove out of town in our open 4x4 vehicle and couldn't believe the difference. This was the Tahiti we were expecting. We drove to Papenoo valley, home to a giant volcanic caldera and countless scenic waterfalls. We oohed and aahed our way up into the valley going higher and higher on the paved track finally arriving at the top. We put up the canvas top and drove through a long, narrow tunnel hoping to be able to see the caldera lake but when we got through, it was just too foggy to see much.

 

We stopped at a restaurant for a drink enjoyed the spectacular views. We forded several streams on the way. There were lots of locals with their kids enjoying a day of swimming and picnicking. There were so many scenic falls that they soon became passe. We made several stops for photos and we stopped at the whale-rock pool (so named for the rock formation that looks like a giant whale) for a quick foot-dipping.

 

Our last stop was at an archeological site with numerous ruins. It was also an ecological site with plant names on signs at the bases of the plants. We were met there by a mother cat with her brood. There must have been 6 or 7 kittens and they obviously knew our guide. He got some meat and cheese out of a fridge there and we thought he did that solely for the benefit of the cat and kittens but while they got their share, we were in for a big surprise. He led us along a path that ended at some rocks overlooking a couple of small pools in the stream. He sat down and proceeded to toss chunks of meat and cheese into the pools. If I hadn't have seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it. In the pools, GIANT eels began to congregate; some of them crawling up the stream bed from other pools below us. There had to be at least 10 of them; some brown, some light tan and an especially huge black one. He fed them for about 10 minutes and we all took a ton of pictures. In retrospect, I should have asked him how they got there but I never did. If you google Papenoo Valley eels you can see some pics. The ones we saw were bigger than those pictured. If I ever get my desktop up and running again I'll try to post some Pics.

 

After a long, exhausting and kidney-crunching day, we headed back to the ship.

 

Next up: 8 sea days and back to L.A.

 

Harry

Edited December 31, 2015 by traveling1969

[Woobstr112G]

We had a Cruise Critic-excursion planned for this port. We were interested in seeing what the place looked like in daylight as it didn't impress us upon docking the night before. All I can say is wow, what a dump! I know, it's hard to believe but there it is. It was the only port on the cruise where we did not feel safe while walking around so we were glad we had booked the tour.

 

We drove out of town in our open 4x4 vehicle and couldn't believe the difference. This was the Tahiti we were expecting. We drove to Papenoo valley, home to a giant volcanic caldera and countless scenic waterfalls. We oohed and aahed our way up into the valley going higher and higher on the paved track finally arriving at the top. We put up the canvas top and drove through a long, narrow tunnel hoping to be able to see the caldera lake but when we got through, it was just too foggy to see much.

 

We stopped at a restaurant for a drink enjoyed the spectacular views. We forded several streams on the way. There were lots of locals with their kids enjoying a day of swimming and picnicking. There were so many scenic falls that they soon became passe. We made several stops for photos and we stopped at the whale-rock pool (so named for the rock formation that looks like a giant whale) for a quick foot-dipping.

 

Our last stop was at an archeological site with numerous ruins. It was also an ecological site with plant names on signs at the bases of the plants. We were met there by a mother cat with her brood. There must have been 6 or 7 kittens and they obviously knew our guide. He got some meat and cheese out of a fridge there and we thought he did that solely for the benefit of the cat and kittens but while they got their share, we were in for a big surprise. He led us along a path that ended at some rocks overlooking a couple of small pools in the stream. He sat down and proceeded to toss chunks of meat and cheese into the pools. If I hadn't have seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it. In the pools, GIANT eels began to congregate; some of them crawling up the stream bed from other pools below us. There had to be at least 10 of them; some brown, some light tan and an especially huge black one. He fed them for about 10 minutes and we all took a ton of pictures. In retrospect, I should have asked him how they got there but I never did. If you google Papenoo Valley eels you can see some pics. The ones we saw were bigger than those pictured. If I ever get my desktop up and running again I'll try to post some Pics.

 

After a long, exhausting and kidney-crunching day, we headed back to the ship.

 

Next up: 8 sea days and back to L.A.

 

Harry

 

Sounds like a great day on shore. Thanks for checking in and enjoy those fabulous eight sea days.....:):):)

 

Bob

[srpilo]

We had a Cruise Critic-excursion planned for this port. We were interested in seeing what the place looked like in daylight as it didn't impress us upon docking the night before. All I can say is wow, what a dump! I know, it's hard to believe but there it is. It was the only port on the cruise where we did not feel safe while walking around so we were glad we had booked the tour.

 

We drove out of town in our open 4x4 vehicle and couldn't believe the difference. This was the Tahiti we were expecting. We drove to Papenoo valley, home to a giant volcanic caldera and countless scenic waterfalls. We oohed and aahed our way up into the valley going higher and higher on the paved track finally arriving at the top. We put up the canvas top and drove through a long, narrow tunnel hoping to be able to see the caldera lake but when we got through, it was just too foggy to see much.

 

We stopped at a restaurant for a drink enjoyed the spectacular views. We forded several streams on the way. There were lots of locals with their kids enjoying a day of swimming and picnicking. There were so many scenic falls that they soon became passe. We made several stops for photos and we stopped at the whale-rock pool (so named for the rock formation that looks like a giant whale) for a quick foot-dipping.

 

Our last stop was at an archeological site with numerous ruins. It was also an ecological site with plant names on signs at the bases of the plants. We were met there by a mother cat with her brood. There must have been 6 or 7 kittens and they obviously knew our guide. He got some meat and cheese out of a fridge there and we thought he did that solely for the benefit of the cat and kittens but while they got their share, we were in for a big surprise. He led us along a path that ended at some rocks overlooking a couple of small pools in the stream. He sat down and proceeded to toss chunks of meat and cheese into the pools. If I hadn't have seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it. In the pools, GIANT eels began to congregate; some of them crawling up the stream bed from other pools below us. There had to be at least 10 of them; some brown, some light tan and an especially huge black one. He fed them for about 10 minutes and we all took a ton of pictures. In retrospect, I should have asked him how they got there but I never did. If you google Papenoo Valley eels you can see some pics. The ones we saw were bigger than those pictured. If I ever get my desktop up and running again I'll try to post some Pics.

 

After a long, exhausting and kidney-crunching day, we headed back to the ship.

 

Next up: 8 sea days and back to L.A.

 

Harry

 

Your tour sound very similar if not exact to the tour we also did in Papeete . Was your tour with "Patrick" the frenchman ?? I'll always remember how spooky those thousands of eels looked in the water at dam pool there. :eek:

 

 

Thanks for your on going review, bringing back some good memories

Srpilo

[traveling1969]

Your tour sound very similar if not exact to the tour we also did in Papeete . Was your tour with "Patrick" the frenchman ?? I'll always remember how spooky those thousands of eels looked in the water at dam pool there. :eek:

 

 

Thanks for your on going review, bringing back some good memories

Srpilo

 

Our guide was Sebastian. We stopped at the dam pool but for pictures of the falls. We didn't see any eels there. We saw "our" eels in a tiny stream near the archeological/ecological park. I'll try to attach some pics to a later posting.

 

Harry

Edited January 2, 2016 by traveling1969

[traveling1969]

Have to work on those pics.

Edited January 2, 2016 by traveling1969
Pics failed

[traveling1969]

I've got the pics on my laptop but when I try to add them it asks for a url. Tried pasting the JPG number but it comes out as a black X and no pic. Help!

 

Harry

[traveling1969]

After our last port, Papeete, we set sail for Los Angeles. This last leg of the voyage was 8 days. Seas were moderate and the weather was nice. As we neared LA, it got a little rougher with a bit more wind but it was never uncomfortable. I performed a new song (for me) in the Princess Pop Star finale; Chantilly Lace by The Big Bopper. No, I didn't win but did enjoy the whole experience. Everyone was awarded a bottle of bubbly with the winner receiving an additional grab bag of goodies.

 

Just a few observations to wrap up. The Crown remains one of our favorite ships. I think Princess really hit the mark with the design of the Crown-class ships. We are not at all enamored with the Royal-class ships but we will cruise on them. We just prefer the Crown-class ships.

 

The food in the main dining rooms was superb across the board. We've just returned from an 18 day transatlantic on the Ocean Princess and had heard great things about the food and service on the small ships but the Crown outshone the Ocean in both categories. We especially enjoyed the great food and professional service we received at the International Café. It was our go-to place for an early morning cuppa and a tasty pastry. In the PM, the salads and sandwiches hit the spot.

 

We really enjoyed the Hawaii portion of the cruise and thought that the 4 excursion packagel through Roberts Hawaii was a great deal. We were just a tad disappointed with the South Pacific Islands. I expect disappointed is too harsh a word; surprised would be more appropriate. We expected nicer beaches and facilities and were surprised at the impoverished conditions we encountered. The people we encountered there couldn't have been more cordial or enthusiastic. It is a shame that they cannot find a way to boost their economy and standard of living. Perhaps they are happy to live as they do and our eyes see poverty while theirs see simplicity. I guess our expectations were informed more by movies and television than by reality.

 

All in all another wonderful cruise experience. We would do this same cruise again but only after we check off a few other places on our wish list. Until next time, Bon Voyage to all!

 

Harry and Joyce

[calikid50]

Really enjoying the review of your cruise; hope we will take this itinerary sometime soon! Thanks!!

[RetiredNTraveling]

There will be no Crown for Hawaii, Samoa & Tahiti in 2017! :eek:

 

The Crown Princess is booked the entire month of Oct. 2017 for the NE coast with Canada & New England cruises. This leaves me to wonder which of the Princess ships we will have for the 2017 Edition of Hawaii, Samoa & Tahiti?

 

Any ideas out there? :confused:

 

Just Mike