Crown Princess to Hawaii - New to the Princess Line

[mamajean1113]

12 hours ago, jondfk said:

Hi OP we've sailed with NCL 3X and have done the Princess Hawaii run something like 7 times from both San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Have also sailed Crown once in the Med.  I'll weigh in on some of your questions though you've had a lot of good input already:

 

There's no doubt NCL are more casual than Princess.  That said, we prefer a bit more structure in our day and typically book fixed seating for dinner, same table, same service team every night, this wasn't an option on NCL  On the other hand, NCL ships (at least the later ones) have many more alternate dining venues some great, others just okay.  Crown Princess has two upcharge venues Crown Grill (steaks and such) and Sabatini's (Italian) I personally think the Sabatini's on this ship is the best in the fleet for it's high up location with great sea views.  Note that I say NCL have more choices, not that their choices are better.  We find the main dining room on Princess very good, most every day.  On NCL we gave up on the MDR after two or three dinners moving to alternate locations all other nights, it's that different.

 

As to port area hotels my nod goes to the Doubletree.  At times though we've booked LAX area hotels with Princess transfers.  These have worked well, the ride from LAX to the pier takes 30 minutes +/- 30 minutes depending on LA traffic.  I'll note that most LAX hotels are in a highly undesirable even unsafe area - I'd advise against walking away from the hotel for dinner for example, very sorry to write this but it's unfortunately true. 

 

Now about the cruise itself.  There's no denying the first day (day plus) and last day can be quite chilly depending on Pacific weather.  Air temp in the 60's, strong winds, can make early days on deck less than enjoyable.  Starting from LA (instead of San Francisco) helps considerably.  We love the many sea days and do a lot of ocean gazing.  Princess packs the days with speakers, movies, trivia and a great Hawaiian culture duo who do everything from hula lessons and food tastings to ukulele classes - don't miss any of this.

 

Finally as to dress code.  There will be a couple of formal nights, and some folks (especially ladies) will take the opportunity to wear their finest.  Most folks however will put on a fresh shirt and something other than athletic shoes and get by just fine.  Aloha shirts always meet the "formal" criteria and these are my go to for such voyages.  

 

Sorry for the lengthy feedback, hope some parts of it are of benefit.

Thank you so much for all the information!  We love NCL but it is time for a change and we are so looking forward to this cruise!

[mamajean1113]

On 6/2/2021 at 4:09 PM, VengefulWalnut said:

My wife and I did Hawaii with Princess on the Grand Princess in 2019 out of San Francisco. Same general itinerary. There were 3 total formal nights. One on our second sea day the first week, then two more on days 9 (first post-islands sea day) and 12 (last sea day before Ensenada). 

 

As for dining... you can choose set dining times or any time dining. We tend to prefer any time. Specialty dining on the Crown comes in the form of Crown Grill and Sabatini's, I believe those are both $29 per person. We're big fans of Sabatini's on Princess. The Crown also features the Salty Dog Gastro Pub which also has amazing food for a slight upcharge ($12 per person) and is very worth the time. They also set up the "Crab Shack" in part of the buffets on some nights. It's an upcharge, but it's not my scene... sorry, don't have the cover charge on that.

 

Hotels... a LOT of people coming in to sail from Port of Los Angeles end up staying at the Crown Plaza Los Angeles Harbor. It's very close to the port, you can either catch an uber or (if I remember correctly) they have a shuttle as well. There are also a lot of quaint little diners/restaurants in the general area, a few blocks walk at most. 

 

The Hawaii cruises are amazing! Nothing like book-ending the island time with 4-5 days at sea on either end. It's blissfully relaxing. The only issue you *might* have is the weather on the way out... January-March is usually our rainy season, but nothing like what you're probably used to dealing with. Plan warmer clothes for the first few and last few days. After about day 3-4 you'll be in absolutely perfect weather!

Thank you so much.  We usually sail out of NY in February, cold for the first day and half going and last day and half returning home.  I am hoping the Pacific Ocean is a little kinder to us!

[mamajean1113]

On 6/2/2021 at 4:10 PM, Sea Hag said:

We've been on several cruises on both Norwegian and Princess. I think NCL has a bit more casual atmosphere than Princess, but not enough to worry about. There will be formal nights. These days, my hubby wears dress pants, shirt and tie but no jacket on formal nights, and we've never been turned away from the dining room. I wear dressy pants outfits on formal nights and less dressy pants outfits the other nights. Princess says jeans are fine for dinner on casual nights as long as they're nice jeans.

 

There are specialty restaurants at additional cost. You should go to princess.com and look at the info on the Crown. There'll be a section with the specialty restaurants and pdfs of the menus. 

 

I'm sorry I can't help with hotels in LA. We drive there the day before and stay in the Doubletree, which gives us free parking while we're on the cruise. Doubletree also has a shuttle to and from the cruise pier, but it's not all that near the airports.

Thank you, just love all of these responses!

[mamajean1113]

On 6/2/2021 at 4:19 PM, SpareBrew said:

I've done this cruise from both San Francisco (Grand Princess) and LA (Star Princess).  We are also doing it again out of LA in 2023 on the Crown. We've been on the Crown before and we liked the layout of the ship although it doesn't have a covered pool (but no need once you get into warmer weather).  We loved Sabatini's and the nice small bar right off their dining room.

 

We always stayed at the Doubletree when in LA, very nice staff and rooms.  Plus, you can get to watch the ship come in that morning of the sailing if you have a room facing the harbor.  

 

Loved those sea days!!

We love the sea days as well!  Thank you!!!!

[mamajean1113]

On 6/2/2021 at 4:26 PM, Centsless_Cruiser said:

 

Princess ships atmosphere in general is relatively casual.  There will should be two formal nights where dressing up is encouraged but not strictly enforced.  All other nights smart casual is the norm (No shorts, tattered clothing, etc.).  Princess has both Fixed seating and open seating plus you can call the Dine Line to make reservations (old system theoretically you will be able to do this with your smart phone/tablet with the new Medallion system).

 

Regarding hotels there a two 3-ish star hotels in San Pedro (Crowne Plaza and Doubletree) that have free shuttles to the pier.  Alternatively you can get a Princess Transfer from LAX to the pier or even arrange both hotel and transportation thru Princess (not cheap but very organized).

 

Per above all Princess ships have an very nice upgraded Internet and SmartApp system that provide many features that you should look at on the Princess web site.

 

 

Thank you for the hotel tips.  So much planning but we have time on our side!

[Treasure Hunter]

It might be cold and windy but there is so much to do inside the ship that it doesn’t matter. You will be busy as a bee with Hawaiian culture, trivia , funny games the wonderful cruise staff of young dedicated assistants and multiple venues of comedy,  entertainment and music. We have been on NCL, Royal Caribbean, Oceania, Regent and Celebrity. Princess staff tops them all.

[mamajean1113]

On 6/2/2021 at 4:26 PM, Centsless_Cruiser said:

 

Princess ships atmosphere in general is relatively casual.  There will should be two formal nights where dressing up is encouraged but not strictly enforced.  All other nights smart casual is the norm (No shorts, tattered clothing, etc.).  Princess has both Fixed seating and open seating plus you can call the Dine Line to make reservations (old system theoretically you will be able to do this with your smart phone/tablet with the new Medallion system).

 

Regarding hotels there a two 3-ish star hotels in San Pedro (Crowne Plaza and Doubletree) that have free shuttles to the pier.  Alternatively you can get a Princess Transfer from LAX to the pier or even arrange both hotel and transportation thru Princess (not cheap but very organized).

 

Per above all Princess ships have an very nice upgraded Internet and SmartApp system that provide many features that you should look at on the Princess web site.

 

 

Glad their internet is upgraded - the last cruise we went on we did not have the internet package and found out in Puerto Rico, our first port,  that my husband's cousin passed away.  So our grown up kids said never go without internet again!  

[mamajean1113]

On 6/2/2021 at 7:02 PM, scottca075 said:

15 day cruise will have three formal nights, but "formal" is pretty casual especially on the Hawaii cruises. A coat, collared shirt and slacks, no tie needed.

 

The Crown Plaza is nice, but the DoubleTree is on a marina that is very nice.

 

We've done Hawaii three times, fourth time is upcoming,  so it is a trip we enjoy obviously.

 

I don't think you'll see a huge difference from NCL.

Thank you we will look into the Double Tree when the time comes.

[mamajean1113]

On 6/2/2021 at 7:13 PM, JF - retired RRT said:

We've done the HI cruise at least 5 times out of LA.

Hotels have already been mentioned. We drive in the day before and stay at the DoubleTree. We tried Crowne Plaza once and hated it.

The other thing to consider is getting from the airport to San Pedro. There are numerous ways to do it...Princess transfer (easy for a newbie to LAX), PrimeTime or similar shuttle company. We've used PrimeTime's limo service several times (not much more $ and better than the "cattle car"), Uber or Lyft (never used them, so no comment), a private limo driver (done that many times also - they can be hard to find).

Mostly, how you get to SP from LAX depends on your wallet and stress level. Princess transfer removes most of the stress. LAX is HUGE and if it's your first time it can be very confusing.

We flew into LAX about 6 years ago so we are aware of how big it is.  We want to avoid as much stress as we can LOL!

[mamajean1113]

On 6/2/2021 at 7:52 PM, cr8tiv1 said:

I have been a frequent passenger on LA to Hawaii cruises too (a favorite of many).  I have also gone around the islands on NCL (Pride of Aloha).  Given the choice, I would take a Princess Cruise over NCL any day. 

 

There were no sea days on NCL (no real onboard activities)

Many sea days and activities on Princess.

 

NCL/Hawaii: has mainly an American Crew.  Can't be compared to the service on a Princess voyage.

 

Food was better on Princess.  Prefer traditional dining.

NCL has more $$ restaurants, but Princess is catching up.

 

I've done a cost comparison and it is more expensive on NCL if you factor in travel (hotel/airfare/meals).

 

My next cruise to Hawaii is March 2022 on the Grand.  A smaller sister ship to the Crown.  

 

Enjoy your time in the islands.  You will be thankful for the 5 relaxing sea days back to LA.  Have fun planning.  So much to see and do, you wont' be able to do it all.

 

Yes, NCL is more expensive and less days - we would have had to fly to Hawaii and board the ship.  Princess was really reasonable for a 15 day sail to paradise and back!

[mamajean1113]

13 hours ago, dickinson said:

 

They must have dropped the surcharge.  We have stayed at the Crowne Plaza 2x (2015, 2016).  Both times they charged.... so we walked.  Beautiful weather both days and we didn't mind dragging our suitcases.  Not sure the distance to the pier.  Maybe a mile?  Sidewalks were available.  Covid could have changed things.  If the surcharge was dropped it could be back!

We are native New Yorkers and love to walk!

[mamajean1113]

13 hours ago, skynight said:

Crown Princess. Great ship. Lots of venues. Lots of live music in various venues in the evening.

-Dress. Not to start another dress thread but here is what you can expect to see. Daytime casual. Main DR's evening wear smart casual. There are 3 formal evenings where you will see most men in jacket & tie, some in jacket no tie, others in Hawaiian shirts or similar. Few in actual formal wear. Women seem to always dress correctly. Shorts are not permitted in the evening. Specialty restaurants are smart casual every evening. Other dining locations are casual all the time.

-Select traditional seating, same time same table or anytime dining. Princess has just introduced Dine My Way which is an app. You can search for more information on line. No one really knows exactly how this will work since it is a post pandemic addition.

-MDR's, pre-pandemic, were open for breakfast each day and lunch on sea days. Closed for lunch on port days. Dress is casual for breakfast and lunch, no bathing wear, shoes required.

-Specialty Dining. The Crown Princess has the Crown Grill steak and seafood and Sabatini's Trattoria, Italian. These are open in the evening. Make reservation pre-cruise in the cruise personlizer or on board. Pre-reservations require payment at the time the reservation is made. The Crown also has the Salty Dog Gastro Pub inside of the Wheelhouse Bar. Sample menus can be found on line.

- Crown Princess sails from World Cruise Center in San Pedro. Crown Plaza is close to the pier and downtown area. Doubletree is further away at the marina south of the downtown area. They have shuttle service to restaurants. Sunrise Hotel is right on S. Harbor Blvd. It is a less expensive hotel. Every time we have been at the Crown Plaza there was a free shuttle to the pier.

Princes has the Hawaiian ambassador program which includes beginner uke lessons, Hula dance, Hawaiian crafts, small fee for supplies, and Hawaiian entertainment. For the uke lessons there are around 60 ukes on board and they are in high demand. Arrive at least 30 minutes early on the first day to get an assigned uke. Some people bring their own

There will also be informative lectures, not sales talks during the many sea days.

The crossing from L.A. can be cool and choppy the first 2 to 3 days until you get into tropical waters. Bring your sea sick meds, if needed, and some cover ups like a hoodie. There are lots of sea days, 4 over, 5 return.

The whale watch tours in Maui are very popular and sell out. Lots of whales in February.

Once booked download the medallion app. You can do lots of things on this app and when it gets closer to the sailing date you will be able to see the daily activities. You don't need to use the app to have a great time, but it can enhance your experience. You can read up on this on line by searching Princess Cruises Medallion App.

If you are active or ex military you can apply for the military benefit OBC. Search Princess Cruises Military Benefit on line.

If you own at least 100 shares of Carnival Corp stock in any account then you can receive the shareholder benefit OBC. Search Carnival Corp. Shareholder Benefit on line.

Princess does have full suite passengers, but unlike NCL they don't have special areas of the ship reserved for them. Exception Club Class dining, which is a section of the Da Vinci DR and the special breakfast each day which is either in Sabatini's or the Crown Grill, can't remember. Club Class Dining is also available to those that book Club Class min suites. Club Class menu is basically the same as the regular menu with one additional option in the evening, prompt anytime seating, and more personal service.

Another tip. When retuning home to the east coast we always stay overnight by the airport on disembarkation day and book an early flight the next morning to arrive at the east coast in late afternoon. If you fly out the same day you arrive around midnight or later. With that in mind check out Princess EZ Air once you are around 300 days out. It is easy to use, good flexible fares in the past, you book your own flights economy, business, class, select seats when carrier policy allows, Changeable up to 45 days before flights, payable at final payment date for the cruise.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for your most informative post.  Love it!  You went over and beyond my few questions.  

[mamajean1113]

13 hours ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

Since you are new to Princess....I don't think I have seen anyone mention our favorite eating place for a quick bite:

 

24-hour International Café

Located in the Piazza you’ll find the International Café. Open around the clock, there's always something delicious to nosh on from breakfast parfaits to grilled paninis and gourmet salads, daily soups and a host of tasty desserts including freshly baked cookies. You can also get a variety of specialty coffees, teas and more.

Dining venues vary by ship and are subject to change. Beverage charges apply.

Love getting a late night snack and it sounds delish!

[mamajean1113]

12 hours ago, skynight said:

I want to also mention the plus fares. They are $40/pp/day more than the no frills fares. They include the daily crew incentive (gratuity) of around $15/pp/day which is the amount you will pay additional if you book the no frills fare. Net increase is then just $25. Wifi would be around $5/day if you just purchase one package, higher if you purchase a two device package. That leaves a net of $20/pp/day. Two alcoholic beverages/pp/day and you break even and throw in the specialty coffees, soda and other non-alcoholic drinks. About 95% of all alcoholic beverages are covered and there is no per drink beverage gratuity charge. It's a good value unless you don't drink at all.

Thank you so much!

[mamajean1113]

12 hours ago, jondfk said:

Hi OP we've sailed with NCL 3X and have done the Princess Hawaii run something like 7 times from both San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Have also sailed Crown once in the Med.  I'll weigh in on some of your questions though you've had a lot of good input already:

 

There's no doubt NCL are more casual than Princess.  That said, we prefer a bit more structure in our day and typically book fixed seating for dinner, same table, same service team every night, this wasn't an option on NCL  On the other hand, NCL ships (at least the later ones) have many more alternate dining venues some great, others just okay.  Crown Princess has two upcharge venues Crown Grill (steaks and such) and Sabatini's (Italian) I personally think the Sabatini's on this ship is the best in the fleet for it's high up location with great sea views.  Note that I say NCL have more choices, not that their choices are better.  We find the main dining room on Princess very good, most every day.  On NCL we gave up on the MDR after two or three dinners moving to alternate locations all other nights, it's that different.

 

As to port area hotels my nod goes to the Doubletree.  At times though we've booked LAX area hotels with Princess transfers.  These have worked well, the ride from LAX to the pier takes 30 minutes +/- 30 minutes depending on LA traffic.  I'll note that most LAX hotels are in a highly undesirable even unsafe area - I'd advise against walking away from the hotel for dinner for example, very sorry to write this but it's unfortunately true. 

 

Now about the cruise itself.  There's no denying the first day (day plus) and last day can be quite chilly depending on Pacific weather.  Air temp in the 60's, strong winds, can make early days on deck less than enjoyable.  Starting from LA (instead of San Francisco) helps considerably.  We love the many sea days and do a lot of ocean gazing.  Princess packs the days with speakers, movies, trivia and a great Hawaiian culture duo who do everything from hula lessons and food tastings to ukulele classes - don't miss any of this.

 

Finally as to dress code.  There will be a couple of formal nights, and some folks (especially ladies) will take the opportunity to wear their finest.  Most folks however will put on a fresh shirt and something other than athletic shoes and get by just fine.  Aloha shirts always meet the "formal" criteria and these are my go to for such voyages.  

 

Sorry for the lengthy feedback, hope some parts of it are of benefit.

Your feedback is most helpful.  Thank you for going into details.  There is so much to learn and I think I have enough time until we cruise to master this one!  

[mamajean1113]

20 minutes ago, Treasure Hunter said:

It might be cold and windy but there is so much to do inside the ship that it doesn’t matter. You will be busy as a bee with Hawaiian culture, trivia , funny games the wonderful cruise staff of young dedicated assistants and multiple venues of comedy,  entertainment and music. We have been on NCL, Royal Caribbean, Oceania, Regent and Celebrity. Princess staff tops them all.

Thank you - we normally sail out of NYC in February and that is cold!  It usually takes a day and a half before we can lounge on the sun deck!  I am so glad we picked Princess, all these reviews are most helpful!

[Treasure Hunter]

11 hours ago, mamajean1113 said:

Thank you - we normally sail out of NYC in February and that is cold!  It usually takes a day and a half before we can lounge on the sun deck!  I am so glad we picked Princess, all these reviews are most helpful!

If you can , sign up the first day for the Ultimate Ship’s tour. It is pricey but worth it. ( I think $150 pp.) it sells out. It it is usually held on the last sea day and goes way beyond the galley and the bridge. You see the printing,photo,engines,backstage,surgery,laundry,anchoring etc. Takes about three hours and you have champagne and strawberries with the Captain and get a tutorial on sailing and get presents to take home like personalized stationery and aprons or robes. 

[JF - retired RRT]

4 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

If you can , sign up the first day for the Ultimate Ship’s tour. It is pricey but worth it. ( I think $150 pp.) it sells out. It it is usually held on the last sea day and goes way beyond the galley and the bridge. You see the printing,photo,engines,backstage,surgery,laundry,anchoring etc. Takes about three hours and you have champagne and strawberries with the Captain and get a tutorial on sailing and get presents to take home like personalized stationery and aprons or robes. 

OP: A great experience!! Be aware, if you plan on signing up for it, you'll need to plan ahead. No open toe shoes are allowed on the tour. The swag that you receive takes up space in your luggage. Don't unfold the robes!! They'll take more space if you open them & try to refold. The robes are quality stuff, they weigh 2# each (4 extra pounds in your luggage. I'm 5'4" and on me they're floor-length. 2 pockets & a sash tie. I replaced the tie with an extra long zipper to make sure it stays closed (much easier to use).

The tablets are 8.5" X 5.5" X 3/4". They'll last a long time. I still have mine from 5 years ago. 

We got a picture from the visit to the bridge (all the participants with the captain)...no apron. After the bridge visit they provide drinks and IIRC chocolate covered strawberries. YMMV on what's provided.

 

Run. Do not walk to Passenger Services as soon as you board the ship.

[Treasure Hunter]

1 minute ago, JF - retired RRT said:

OP: A great experience!! Be aware, if you plan on signing up for it, you'll need to plan ahead. No open toe shoes are allowed on the tour. The swag that you receive takes up space in your luggage. Don't unfold the robes!! They'll take more space if you open them & try to refold. The robes are quality stuff, they weigh 2# each (4 extra pounds in your luggage. I'm 5'4" and on me they're floor-length. 2 pockets & a sash tie. I replaced the tie with an extra long zipper to make sure it stays closed (much easier to use).

The tablets are 8.5" X 5.5" X 3/4". They'll last a long time. I still have mine from 5 years ago. 

We got a picture from the visit to the bridge (all the participants with the captain)...no apron. After the bridge visit they provide drinks and IIRC chocolate covered strawberries. YMMV on what's provided.

 

Run. Do not walk to Passenger Services as soon as you board the ship.

Yes, we are tempted to do it a second time. Also the cooking  demonstration on a sea day near the end of the cruise between the chef and the Maitre ‘D is always fun. 

[Treasure Hunter]

5 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

If you can , sign up the first day for the Ultimate Ship’s tour. It is pricey but worth it. ( I think $150 pp.) it sells out. It it is usually held on the last sea day and goes way beyond the galley and the bridge. You see the printing,photo,engines,backstage,surgery,laundry,anchoring etc. Takes about three hours and you have champagne and strawberries with the Captain and get a tutorial on sailing and get presents to take home like personalized stationery and aprons or robes. 

We are from Rye. We’re on NCL,  I think the Getaway or the Breakaway on February 27 to the Bahamas. Anything to get out of New York winter. Desperate not to have another winter trapped in the house. Driving to the pier takes about 40 minutes.

[JF - retired RRT]

26 minutes ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Yes, we are tempted to do it a second time. Also the cooking  demonstration on a sea day near the end of the cruise between the chef and the Maitre ‘D is always fun. 

Me too, but what would I do with 4 robes? 🤣

[Papa Yoda]

 

I think we have 8 robes, or more, it's maybe our favorite "excursion".   Our other indulgence/"excursion" is Chef's Table - I hope they will still have it.

 

Seeing the sheet folding machine in operation is almost worth the whole deal...

[Treasure Hunter]

Sometimes you get monogrammed aprons

[vampiress]

i know everyone tries to stay as close to the pier as possible, but i find san pedro too quiet.  i prefer to stay in long beach down town, the marriott or westin.  downtown long beach is walkable, has a free shuttle, some shopping, grocery and drug stores, aquarium, movie theater.  its just a bit of a nice relax and mosey area at the pike. and some things to see at the queen mary.  it's about a 20 minute lyft/uber the morning, little to no traffic. 

 

you do have to be very specific about which pier you are going to when booking your ride.

 

san pedro is a cute sleepy town that closes up quite early.  there are stores, but i found them more difficult to get to requiring a lyft/uber. 

 

i think people discount long beach, but i'd like to offer it as an alternative and it has a ton of food options for dinner.

[skynight]

1 hour ago, vampiress said:

you do have to be very specific about which pier you are going to when booking your ride.

Princess ships almost always dock at the San Pedro World Cruise Center which has two piers at right angles to each other. Think the numbers are pier 92 & 93. It is easy to spot your ship as you enter the drop off area. There is also an outer harbor pier by the Cabrillo Marina which is seldom used by Princess.