Not Live from the Golden Princess - LA to Sydney

[Astro Flyer]

As cr8tiv1 posted, no stop in Maui this cruise. We need to get together some day.

That would be good & will wave as you sail past Maui...Buon Viaggio.

[ckb104]

The internet AND intranet has been up and down several times throughout the cruise.

 

My parents on are this cruise, too. Now I know why my Mom hadn't emailed since the first day. :)

[IECalCruiser]

That would be good & will wave as you sail past Maui...Buon Viaggio.

Frank, Will Do!

 

 

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[IECalCruiser]

They have introduced a new format for the Pub Lunch. Rather than being held in a separate venue, the Pub Lunch is being held in a DR from 12:00 to 1:30 concurrently with lunch. In addition to a Fisherman Platter, Chicken Curry, Steak & Kidney Pie, Scotch Egg & Salad, and Bread and Butter Pudding for dessert on the Pub Lunch side you can order appetizers of Chicken Liver Mousse, Onion Tart With Bacon, and Olde English Lamb & Barley Broth, all the typical burgers, and Spaghetti Alla Carbonara. Additional desserts are Cheese and Blueberry Blintzes, Hazelnut Meringue Layered Cake, Ice Creams, Fruit Plate, and Cheese Plate.

[Colo Cruiser]

Now I am hungry.. :rolleyes:

[caribill]

They have introduced a new format for the Pub Lunch. Rather than being held in a separate venue, the Pub Lunch is being held in a DR from 12:00 to 1:30 concurrently with lunch.

 

Does the Patter let you know about the Pub Lunch being in the dining room?

[IECalCruiser]

Does the Patter let you know about the Pub Lunch being in the dining room?

Yes. It shows 12noon-1:30 in Donatello, Deck 6 Midships.

 

 

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[laceytreigh]

Thanks for sharing this information with us, and enjoy your cruise. Please leave things tidy, we're boarding in Sydney on 22nd! Ha ha!!

Tracey.

[IECalCruiser]

I’m finally back! I did warn you it is not live [emoji848]

 

In association with Discovery Channel there was an inflatable Planetarium that was installed on the Princess Theater stage. You had to sign up and in groups of about 15 you walked into the planetarium and laid down on your back on yoga mats to see the 20 minute show. It was a somewhat simplistic show about the planets but a unique experience.

 

I also did the Escape Room but unfortunately our team didn’t solve it. I won’t give the details but we were down to the last clue in 6 of the 20 minutes but couldn’t solve it because the last clue was damaged and none of us could read it. Oh well!

It was still fun.

 

Twice so far there has been a big fan on Fiesta deck adjacent to the Window Suite corridor. I was sitting in the Princess Theater several nights ago and water started to drip on my pants. There are about six seats in three rows in the middle of the Theater that are affected. The leak is apparently from the sprinkler piping high in the ceiling.

 

Triva players have been filling the Vista Lounge almost to capacity.

 

There is a piece of good news. Apparently parts for the second aft elevator that goes down to the Canaletto DR were brought on board in Oahu because work started during that day and the elevator was running by the time we left Nawiliwili the next day [emoji106]

 

 

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[pablo222]

I hope you were able to get a blue bag from princess.

[IECalCruiser]

10/05

 

Hello from Papeete, Tahiti! We just finished a stretch of 11 days with only 2 port days in Honolulu, Oahu and Nawiliwili, Kauai. In Nawiliwili we had booked a six hour Princess tour of many of the movie sites on the island. The tour provider was Roberts Hawaii and we had a great tour guide named Kelly. The tour was limited to 20 people so it was easier to get on and off the bus. There was a large screen where movie clips were shown prior to each of our six stops. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour but the stop at the Coco Palms site was bittersweet. We had stayed at the Coco Palms forty years ago and to see the major unprepared damage from Hurricane Iniki in 1991 was very sad. There were shuttles at the pier to take you to several different shopping areas. Much of the shopping was a short walk from the pier.

 

As for the sea days, we don’t contribute to the Casino, play Bingo, or do trivia but we still keep busy with our M&G, the Line Crossing Ceremony, dance classes, lectures, crafts, movies and other activities. For example, yesterday we went to a lecture on Twenty-One Questions to Test Your Retirement Smarts, a GoPro seminar, a Cruise Critics Astronomy Group Get Together, a showing of Destino, a short film that was a collaboration between Salvador Dali and Walt Disney, the Grapevine Wine Tasting, and a stop by the Destination Expert tp as a couple questions about Tahiti and Moorea. It wasn’t until two days ago that I could relax and listen to one of the several Audible books I had loaded on my iPad.

 

As for evening entertainment, there will only be three production shows over the 28 day cruise and two of them were within the first 10 days. Most nights the performers were/will be comedians, comedian/magician, hypnotist, impressionist, juggler, musical variety, tribute acts, and vocalists. With all of the vocalists, we have already had many opportunities to hear the talented Princess musicians backing up the performers. There will also be three folkloric shows in Honolulu, Papeete, and one of the New Zealand ports.

 

This is our 25th cruise on Princess and although food is subjective, IMHO the quality hasn’t declined and portion sizes in the DR are the same as they have been for years. We have started off each morning with a freshly made omelette in the Horizon Court and also had lunch there. We have found a wide variety at both breakfast and lunch. I usually gain weight on a cruise but I have been staying on my low carb diet, except for Norman Love desserts, and I have lost over a half of pound over the first 12 days [emoji846]

 

Why is it that when we want to go up from deck 10 to deck 14 all of the elevators have just passed us going up and we need to wait for them to go up to deck 14, down to deck 5 and finally back to us on deck 10 [emoji848]

 

 

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[dickinson]

Thanks for the update. Sounds like a great cruise. We stayed at the Coco Palms for one night 45 years ago. We saw it two years ago although just the hurricane torn building. I thought I heard it was going to be rebuilt. Is that not the case? I still remember eating dinner and seeing the “show” out the window. I enjoy seeing it when watching Elvis in Blue Hawaii.

[cr8tiv1]

Thanks for the update. Sounds like a great cruise. We stayed at the Coco Palms for one night 45 years ago. We saw it two years ago although just the hurricane torn building. I thought I heard it was going to be rebuilt. Is that not the case? I still remember eating dinner and seeing the “show” out the window. I enjoy seeing it when watching Elvis in Blue Hawaii.

 

It was suppose to be rebuilt. The last I heard, the project has been permanently abandoned.

 

https://beatofhawaii.com/coco-palms-to-be-nationally-branded-construction-to-start/

 

Wow about the production shows. There were three on a 12 night cruise. Too bad they could not repeat "Born to Dance". It was fantastic. Or at least make it over two nights.

[dickinson]

It was suppose to be rebuilt. The last I heard, the project has been permanently abandoned.

 

https://beatofhawaii.com/coco-palms-to-be-nationally-branded-construction-to-start/

 

Wow about the production shows. There were three on a 12 night cruise. Too bad they could not repeat "Born to Dance". It was fantastic. Or at least make it over two nights.

 

Thanks for that link! It is so sad. We spent our honeymoon on Hawaii (mostly Waikiki) but then took a 4 day tour of the other islands... you know, if it's Tuesday it must be Belgium ;) I have a picture of me standing in front of a big seashell sink. I remember eating dinner at the hotel where we had a window seat and seeing the tiki lighting ceremony. Later, hearing that is where Blue Hawaii was filmed I of course had to watch it. It is one of my favorite Elvis movies.

 

In 2016 on a cruise we rented a car and drove to the north shore. On the way back I noticed a run down building looking like a hotel. We quickly turned into the side street and parked. There was a little parking lot next to the hotel and another couple was standing there. I believe that they too once stayed there. They confirmed to us it was the Coco Palms. When I had planned to be on this cruise I had hoped to rent a car and see the progress of the rebuilding. So sad that there is no progress.

[XBGuy]

Again, IE, thank you for your good work.

 

In your 10/5 report, you mentioned "the Line Crossing Ceremony." I could guess what that is, but, better yet, can you fill me in?

[dickinson]

Again, IE, thank you for your good work.

 

In your 10/5 report, you mentioned "the Line Crossing Ceremony." I could guess what that is, but, better yet, can you fill me in?

 

The line crossing ceremony is when you cross over the equator to the southern hemisphere. If you have never done it before you are a pollywog. Once you have done it you are a shellback. They ask for volunteers and there is a big ceremony on the Lido deck by the pool. They throw food at you and afterwards you jump into the pool. When all is done the pool is drained and cleaned. Everyone onboard gets a certificate. You can google to see more info. We watched this ceremony a couple of years ago when we did the 28 day r/t from LA to the South Pacific.

[jagoffee]

Were you allowed to bring flowers on board from Papeete? Are you stopping in New Zealand before arriving in Sydney.

I have always been able bring on flowers from Tahiti, but I heard there might be a new restriction.

 

Thank you.

[IECalCruiser]

Were you allowed to bring flowers on board from Papeete? Are you stopping in New Zealand before arriving in Sydney.

I have always been able bring on flowers from Tahiti, but I heard there might be a new restriction.

 

Thank you.

We didn’t try to bring flowers on board in Papeete. We are doing four ports in New Zealand before ending our cruise in Sydney.

 

 

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[Astro Flyer]

We didn’t try to bring flowers on board in Papeete. We are doing four ports in New Zealand before ending our cruise in Sydney.

 

Brian...you appear to be using the CC/Tapatalk app which based on a Princess forum stickie will no longer be useable beginning on Tuesday.

 

Even the Princess forum will be Read-Only for several days as CC implements a new system including a new mobile site but no app.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/announcement.php?f=197&a=518

[IECalCruiser]

Some Food for Thought:

 

We are on our tenth sea day of the cruise and the Pub Lunch has only been offered once.

 

We have been eating breakfast and lunch in the Horizon Court but all but one dinner in the dining room. There are fresh made omelettes and other breakfast items and for lunch plenty of items to make a nice salad and plenty of protein choices. The one dinner in the Horizon Court left us wanting more. We really like the appetizer, soup and salad options in the DR. We have our own table for three for earlier TD and have very good waitstaff. You can arrive anytime between 5:15 and 5:45.

 

Many other Princess ships list the theme for the evening buffet on the back page of the Patter but not on the Golden. Although not every night, we have often stopped up there later in the night and haven’t notice any themed buffets except for German night.

 

We will have four formal nights. We haven’t been on a cruise this long but on two week cruises with three formal nights they have typically had the Captain’s Welcome Dinner with Filet and Prawns, the Captain’s Gala Dinner with lobster and Beef Wellington, and the Chef’s Dinner with the Twice Baked Goat Cheese Soufflé, but the Chef’s dinner was served the night before the second formal night and the formal night dinner menu was good but nothing special.

 

One of the three Curtis Stone options (Chicken and Leek Pot Pie, Seafood Stew, and Roasted Pork Belly have been on the menu more than half the time.

 

The new menus with the extra charge Crown Grill items are not on the Golden yet.

 

 

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[IECalCruiser]

Brian...you appear to be using the CC/Tapatalk app which based on a Princess forum stickie will no longer be useable beginning on Tuesday.

 

Even the Princess forum will be Read-Only for several days as CC implements a new system including a new mobile site but no app.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/announcement.php?f=197&a=518

Thanks for the heads up. After the 10th I may be unable the post until I figure out the new system when we got to Auckland on the 14th and I can use my $10 International day pass,

 

 

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[jagoffee]

We didn’t try to bring flowers on board in Papeete. We are doing four ports in New Zealand before ending our cruise in Sydney.

 

 

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Thank you. I think they would have made a big deal about it, because it is a significant change from past practices, so I have hope.

 

 

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[IECalCruiser]

After a wonderful cruise and four beautiful days in Sydney, we arrived back in LAX a little before midnight on Friday and were home by 2:30.  I am know dealing with my typical post cruise cold 🤧🤒 which started to hit me the day before we left Sydney.

 

I didn’t figure out how to start posting again while we were away.  I will post my impressions of the cruise in the next few days.  However, my first report is that I boldly got on the scale this morning after 37 days and am pleased to report that I only gained 3.1 pounds 🙂  That is an accomplishment because I can gain that much on a 4 day cruise 🤔  I have been on a low carb diet and on board the Golden my primary exceptions were the 21 bottles of wine we brought on board and the Chocolate Journeys desserts.  Gaining weight was one of my big concerns on this cruise but I appeared to manage my diet fairly well.

[dickinson]

Glad you had a wonderful cruise and will be looking forward to reading your impressions.

[Colo Cruiser]

Sounded like a fantastic trip. Thanks for taking us along!