28 day cruise to Hawaii & Tahiti

[crystalspin]

Princess website is down. Normally you would check for Hawaii from LA , over 16 nights

 

Thanks for such a prompt response! Glad it's them not me (HAL was down the same way earlier today).

[pcur]

It's working again, and I am amazed at how much more the Princess web site is showing for this cruise than my Big Box site.

[crystalspin]

I got on today and booked the Emerald deck (obstructed OV) on the Emerald Princess, February 2020! dr'spin told me last night that he did not HAVE to go to medical conference that he ALWAYS goes to in February and that he would rather sail on the Emerald, based on the CC opinions of the Island.

 

I found an Obstr.OV just aft of mid-ship elevators. It is over the Explorers Lounge, but I think over is better than under, and it's a lounge not a showroom or nightclub... Just wanted some daylight on such a long cruise! cruisedeckplans confirmed the view is over one of the smaller tenders/lifeboats with no big vertical apparatus in the way, i.e. possible to see the whole horizon.

 

This is our first Princess cruise, so I'll be posting Q's to this board now!

[crystalspin]

Hmm. Maybe the EL is used as a nightclub? I see it has a dance floor. Oh well, dr'spin can sleep through anything and I am a nightowl.

[dickinson]

Hmm. Maybe the EL is used as a nightclub? I see it has a dance floor. Oh well, dr'spin can sleep through anything and I am a nightowl.

 

I don't think it is used after 11 pm so you should be ok.

[crystalspin]

I don't think it is used after 11 pm so you should be ok.

 

Thanks for the reassurance! Sounds fine.

[pamwigs]

Hello! Can someone refresh my memory how to SEE this cruise (Feb or Mar 2020) on the Princess website? I had it up last night but had to close my browser and now it doesn't matter whether I click Hawaii or either of the TWO "South Pacific" -- or whether I choose "Los Angeles (Long Beach)" or simply Los Angeles... I cannot see any cruises much less the 28-day Tahiti RT.

 

Funny way to run a business.

 

The Princess website was having issues for a couple of days, but we finally just got the Oct 23 sailing booked. We are beyond excited

[roxievegas]

My husband was retiring so I booked this as his "retirement cruise". First booked a balcony for $5799pp with sip n sail. Later changed when prices dropped and paid $4299pp + $195 port fees (lost the drink package). The lowest price I saw for a balcony was $4199pp.

pros for this cruise is Tahiti, Bora Bora, America Samoa, etc. - we had been to hawaii so many times. The ship is nice, good crew, food is good and we enjoyed our selves until

con - eight days cruising home to LA is lonnnnnnnnnnggggggggg. After five days you lose count. We would have liked to stop back in hawaii and then go to mexico for a stop then go home - but they didn't ask me.

it is nice to have the laundry room, but it is closed during the four days in the south pacific islands.

Many of the people on the cruise were repeaters. It is a very popular cruise

[crystalspin]

Roxie:

Thanks for the warning about the laundry closing those four days. Will bear that in mind in my planning. Eight days is long for sure (longer than our transAtlantic(s) -- one down and two booked), but I'm a knitter and dr'spin is a reader who really enjoys just being where no one can reach him!

[Papa Yoda]

No disagreement with any of the above. We love sea days.

 

We did this last March. For Pago Pago we heard bad things about $2.00 beach for 5 bucks and they tried to upsell our group so we blew them off.

 

DW and I walked down to Sadie's By The Sea and had a great time - small sandy beach, $5.00 for beer all day. Nice restaurant. Looked like a crew hangout if that's a recommendation.

 

Any balcony will be good - we like the stern cat B4

 

Join your cruise's roll call and be prepared for private tours to book up early.

[Papa Yoda]

Hello Thrak,

 

Did you take a Princess excursion to the US National Park of American Samoa or were you able to find bus/taxi to get you back/return at the pier. Looking for something to do in Pago Pago and the National Park is at the top of the list.

 

 

The National Park visitor's center is in Pago Pago a short walk from the pier - so if you just want souvenirs and to stamp your passport you can do that there. (and they show a movie)

Edited October 7, 2018 by Ferd Berfle
add the movie

[chamima]

First the ship. You will find the ship very nice for a tropical cruise. Lots of indoor venues, lots of outdoor space and pools for the many sea days. You have a nice cabin. You might want to look at cat. BD on the Caribe deck. The balconies are 9' x 9' half covered vs. the standard size of 9' x 5', covered. Interiors are the same.

Ports:

All 5 of the ports are interesting and visually spectacular.

Pago Pago, pronounced pango pango. Small buses can take you on a tour around the island. Tisa's is a popular place to visit and have lunch. The National Park Service were on the pier and offered a narrated tour of the park. Sign up early. It was either free or there was a small charge for the bus.

Apia, The downtown is a busy local city. The museum put on free demos and shows. We stopped for a drink at Aggie Greys. There are other sites outside the downtown. Don't get confused by the change of days as you cross the dateline over and back.

Bora Bora. Beautiful views everywhere. Very very expensive, ie $40 for a T shirt, $12 for a beer. Bloody Mary's is a popular place to visit, no floor, just sand, but expensive. Highly recommend you book a tour with Patrick Tairua. His all day circle the island boat adventure with lunch on his private island was really nice. There was a large group of us from the roll call that went on this trip. http://www.maohinui.net/en/a-propos-de-maohinui/item/42-patrick-tairua

Tahiti, You dock right next to downtown Papeete, kind of busy place, not really a tourist location. Take a tour outside of town.

Moorea, a tender port. Basically a few vendors at the tender dock. One store up the street where you can get a soda or ice cream pop, another similar store down the road. That's it. Many booked a day pass at one of the hotels. We took a Princess jeep tour to some of the sights around the island. It's a beautiful island, but not much there.

Hope this helps get you started.

 

 

First of all to the OP - BB and BD are both on Caribe with the big 9x9 half covered, half open wonderdful balconies. BB are more in the center of the ship and BD more towards the rear - so a little more motion in your cabin. BD should be a little less expensive.

 

We've done this cruise once last year and are also booked on the Feb. 2020 cruise (in an aft Caribe balcony with a wonderful wake view)

 

As others have said - you have to like sea days. We loved the Tahitian Islands but we also loved the sea days and were never bored. The trip is NOT sight seeing - it's beautiful beaches and nature and relaxing.

[DShock]

On ‎9‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 2:25 AM, casofilia said:

Compare your cruise to one we did with another cruise line; your 18 sea days out of 29 days is not my "cup of tea"!!

 

I spent my career taking long flights to Europe, India, and China.  I'm retired now and am done with 8 hour plus travel days/flights,  so this cruise works for us.  Now when we go to Europe we take a trans-atlantic cruise then do a land trip, do the same coming back.  Sea days are not a problem for us, we actually enjoy them.

[paul929207]

We love sea days and have done this cruise three times. Yes, we are among the Tahiti Repeatees. We have skipped this year and will skip next year. Then back on for 2020.

[nukesubsailor]

3 minutes ago, paul929207 said:

We love sea days and have done this cruise three times. Yes, we are among the Tahiti Repeatees. We have skipped this year and will skip next year. Then back on for 2020.

We are considering doing this cruise for our third time in the fall of 2020.  We will decide once the schedule comes out and we can see which ship will be used.  The spring 2020 cruise is on the Island Princess and that is a ship that we do not want to sail on since they added all those cabins and took out all those public spaces.

[chamima]

1 hour ago, paul929207 said:

We love sea days and have done this cruise three times. Yes, we are among the Tahiti Repeatees. We have skipped this year and will skip next year. Then back on for 2020.

 

1 hour ago, nukesubsailor said:

We are considering doing this cruise for our third time in the fall of 2020.  We will decide once the schedule comes out and we can see which ship will be used.  The spring 2020 cruise is on the Island Princess and that is a ship that we do not want to sail on since they added all those cabins and took out all those public spaces.

 

Are you both aware that the Emerald is doing this cruise in February 2020.

It's my favorite cruise in the worst month to be in Michigan so I couldn't have asked for more! 😍

[nukesubsailor]

51 minutes ago, chamima said:

 

 

Are you both aware that the Emerald is doing this cruise in February 2020.

It's my favorite cruise in the worst month to be in Michigan so I couldn't have asked for more! 😍

I see that.  The Emerald in February and the Island in April.  I guess that itinerary is popular enough for Princess to do it more often.  Unfortunately I can not do that cruise before the fall of 2020, if then.

[pamwigs]

The 28 day iteniary we did roundtrip LA isn't being offered. I am glad we did it when we did.

Edited February 17, 2019 by pamwigs

[pcur]

1 hour ago, pamwigs said:

The 28 day iteniary we did roundtrip LA isn't being offered. I am glad we did it when we did.

If you search "any destination" from Los Angeles over 15 days, you'll find it.  Next one is 2/2/20.

[Centsless_Cruiser]

Actually the next cruise is Mar 30th this year on the Star.

[atchisog]

On 9/24/2018 at 1:25 AM, casofilia said:

Compare your cruise to one we did with another cruise line; your 18 sea days out of 29 days is not my "cup of tea"!!

 

Fri 13-Oct Honolulu, Oahu

Sat 14-Oct Nawiliwili, Kauai

Sun 15-Oct Hilo Hawai'i

Mon 16-Oct At Sea

Tue 17-Oct At Sea

Wed 18-Oct At Sea

Thu 19-Oct At Sea

Fri 20-Oct Nuku Hiva, French P

Sat 21-Oct At Sea

Sun 22-Oct Fakarava; French P

Mon 23-Oct Bora Bora, French P

Tue 24-Oct Moorea, French P

Wed 25-Oct Papeete, Tahiti

Thu 26-Oct Raiatea, French P

Fri 27-Oct Bora Bora, French P

Sat 28-Oct Bora Bora, French P

Sun 29-Oct At Sea

Mon 30-Oct At Sea

Tue 31-Oct Pago Pago, Am S

Wed 1-Nov Lost Day IDL

Thu 2-Nov At Sea

Fri 3-Nov Lautoka, Fiji

Sat 4-Nov Suva, Fiji

Sun 5-Nov At Sea

Mon 6-Nov Port Vila, Vanuatu

Tue 7-Nov At Sea

Wed 8-Nov Noumea New C

Thu 9-Nov Isle Pines, New C

Fri 10-Nov At Sea

Sat 11-Nov At Sea

Sun 12-Nov Sydney, Australia

 

[atchisog]

Which cruise line was the reference Hawaii to Sidney cruise on? Looks like what I have been trying to find, thanks.

[casofilia]

 

@atchisog

Which cruise line was the reference Hawaii to Sidney cruise on? Looks like what I have been trying to find, thanks.

 

It was a re-positioning cruise of the Norwegian Jewel in 2017 from North America to Australasia.  In 2018 the did it via Yokohama and Singapore due to an "overhaul" in dry dock in Singapore.  I don't know about 2019.

 

 

[Ep010835]

On 9/24/2018 at 7:27 AM, skynight said:

Nice cruise, but it requires you fly to Hawaii and fly home from Australia. Many prefer the RT L.A..

 

We are on the 2/2020 sailing too. 

Booked for exactly this reason. LOVE sea days. 

[Ep010835]

On 9/24/2018 at 7:27 AM, skynight said:

Nice cruise, but it requires you fly to Hawaii and fly home from Australia. Many prefer the RT L.A..

 

We are on the 2/2020 sailing too. 

Booked for exactly this reason. LOVE sea days.