Princess Cruise Review: Visiting Hawaii on a Cruise

Hawaii Cruise Review: Visiting Hawaii on a cruise

Adults only pool for those of us wanting peace before the storm. 😉

Visiting Hawaii on a cruise is a lot more fun than some might think!

Visiting Hawaii on a cruise?  Afraid that you will not have enough time to enjoy the islands or that the cruise will be too long or boring… fear not!

I will share with you my experience and how to best enjoy a cruise with 9 total sea days.

Is cruising boring?

First of all, if you are afraid that the cruise will be too long, or boring… It’s not. At least in my experience. We had a grand time both on and off the ship. Let me start from the beginning….

We sailed from San Pedro port in Los Angeles, and it took an entire 4.5 days to reach our first Hawaiian destination.  Our entire cruise was 15 days, and we chose to sail with Princess Cruises because we had never sailed with them, and had heard wonderful reviews. Also, since I became a certified travel agent I have been taking the trainings from companies I like, so I can better inform my clients about them. Princess is a great company, and upon completion of their highest ranked certification you are offered a graduation cruise. Initially I thought of doing a Caribbean one, but sailing the pacific ocean had been a dream of mine for a long time.

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The Star Princess cruise left on the 13th of January, 2020 and arrived in Hilo the 18th of January. During those initial 4 days, we never had a dull moment. We took this cruise as our baby moon, and it certainly served us well, especially because the food on the cruise is delicious and by now it seems eating is all I ever want to do.

>>Read my blog post on why cruises are the best BABYMOON vacation idea<<<

What is there to do onboard?

We attended many art auctions, galleries, raffles, fun events and activities, lectures on Hawaiian culture, flora, fauna and saw some pretty amazing shows. Aside from this, we were lucky enough to have two full days of sun and warmth before we arrived in Hawaii, which helped me with my tan.

There is an indoor pool and an outdoor one. There is a giant screen where they play concerts and movies throughout the day. It’s actually pretty entertaining to lounge on the deck above the pool, sunbathe, and watch a movie or concert on the giant screen. It’s never hot, and there were always more than enough loungers and towels for everyone. Additionally, each pool has two hot tubs, so those are always available as well in case the weather is too cold. For those that prefer to lounge away from the sun, the upper decks offer plenty of indoor lounging areas with comfortable cushioned loungers that have ocean view and get plenty of indirect sunlight.

Are there kids everywhere?

Princess cruises are great for both adults and children, and even though we did not see many kids around our cruise, we kept seeing them when we got off the ships on shore days. We spent most of our pool time in the Spa pool, which is an adults only pool, and in the Sanctuary; which is a section of the cruise that is reserved only for adults and requires a nominal fee. It is secluded from the rest of the ship and actually feels like you’ve gone elsewhere. As my goal was to try and enjoy as much of the cruise as I could, I made sure to check out the other pools as well.

The Tables were all so nicely set up. It almost made us feel bad to eat. Almost!

What about the food?

Princess cruises also has anytime dining, aka eat at your own leisure. Anytime. The ship offers several specialty dining restaurants, as well as several buffet areas. The pool grill serves more relaxed fares such as pizza, burgers and the likes. And there are plenty of lounges and bars around the ship both on upper and lower decks. Additionally, there are the dining rooms, which are plentiful and never have a wait longer than a few minutes. I am mentioning all this, because with a 2400+ passenger cruise, I truly expected longer waits. But the truth is that Princess does a phenomenal job of keeping everyone happy.

What is the entertainment like?

The theater sits about 650 passengers and the shows were always sold out. One couple next to us mentioned they should add a third show, to accommodate everyone.  The next day, we noticed they had added a third time of the previous two shows. It was as if they had heard us! The shows were excellent, and varied as can be. We saw dance shows, musical theater, instrumentalists and even comedians. 

Throughout the day, they offer all kinds of lectures and lessons as well. They offered Ukulele lessons, fitness classes, and Hawaiian crafts. They had demonstrations, and of course plenty of sales and shopping events for those interested. Every event seemed to be accompanied by complimentary champagne, so this was also a perk!

Is there internet onboard?

There is also wifi available for purchase, but even if you don’t purchase any,  you can access free wifi to browse around the princess cruise app which allows you to see all the events taking place on board, check your account balance, the itinerary, and other useful cruise information.

Because I graduated from my commodore training, Princess treated me to the highest level of perks they offer. This meant complimentary wifi, access to priority embarkation, and to the exclusive sky walkers lounge with canapés every night. We even got access to the captain’s circle; which included free wine tasting and an invitation to the Captain’s dinner. I could not have asked for better service and treatment. Their request? That I partake in as many activities as I wanted to, so I could better inform my future clients…. Don’t mind if I do!

Conclusion:

Overall, I thought the cruise was great fun, and before I knew it we had arrived in hawaii. 

I would recommend a Princess cruise to anyone wanting a fun and relaxing vacation. Even if you’re not a fan of ships, they are usually so big you barely notice you’re on one. And they really do a great job of making sure everyone has a great time. The customer service onboard is excellent and the itineraries can’t be better!