What I had hoped would be a relaxing cruise turned out to be a bit different because of the need to be early for everything. However, we had fun and learned to play the ukelele! I would not go on this particular cruise again. I would want to be in Hawaii (and Mexico) longer so we could see more.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation was fairly well organized. We did have to wait a bit in the lobby before being allowed to board even though we weren't earlier than our scheduled time.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Overall, the food was terrific. However, I must report that I got sick off of a pizza that I had the first night. It didn't taste right and I should not have eaten any of it, but I was hungry. It was at the pizza restaurant on Deck 5, not the one on Deck 14.
Da Vinci (Main Dining Room)
5 out of 5
We had a wonderful experience dining in the Michaelangelo dining room! The food was excellent and the service was great. Julian, the head waiter, helped us get an assigned table and we never had to wait to eat.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We really enjoyed the ukelele lessons!!! However, everything was crowded and you had to get there early or you would miss out. That was disturbing. You shouldn't have to waste a lot of time waiting in lines when you're on vacation or miss out on activities because you didn't wake up early enough to be first in line.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The Elton John tribute and These Guys were both fabulous! The other featured entertainers were very good. The princess dance/singer group was just OK. Once again, you had to get to the venue really early if you wanted a seat for some of these shows. Be prepared to waste time waiting.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff was fantastic!! Dede, our room steward was very attentive and always pleasant. Allan Andaya (waiter) and Aulia Urrakhman (asst waiter) were wonderful. We always felt so cared for and they would go out of their way to make us happy.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Although the ship was clean, the layout is a bit confusing. It would have been nice to have stairs at midship so it wasn't necessary to use the elevators in that area. Not having an outdoor walking path that circles the entire ship is also a minus.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
I have to give this room only four stars because of the shower size. It was the smallest shower on a large cruise ship that I have ever encountered (very tight...just a little triangle in the corner). The rest of the room was great and we really enjoyed the balcony!
Ship tip
Be aware that you will need to be early to every activity or you may be left out. Get assigned dining. The lines for anytime dining were really long.
We were in Honolulu on a Sunday. Not a good idea. Many places were closed. We did go to a luau and that was fun, although we would not do it again because it was too crowded. When we go back to Honolulu, we will make sure it is not on a Sunday.
Although we did not take an excursion on Kauai, we had a wonderful day! We took the shuttle to Kalapaki beach and spent a fabulous day swimming and sunning. Then did some shopping in the little town. Really relaxing and fun!
Although I love Maui, I had to rate this down because it took us an hour and a half to get off the ship and into port. That was a big waste of a precious hour spent sitting in the dining room waiting to board the tender! This disembarkation really needs to be streamlined!
The comments about the bathroom size are valid...Throughout my cruising experience the only times I had a decent sized bathroom on any ship in any cruise line was when I had s mini suite...the standard on ships is that you can sit shave and shower without moving...so my bathroom expectations are that they function ...I seldom linger there
Thanks for the review. Princess’ shower stalls are small. That and the layout of the buffets on the Grand Class ships are my only gripe. But other than that I love sailing with Princess.
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