Review: Princess Cruises - Island Princess - [March 20 , 2005]

[Net Reviews]

Review By:

Reviewer Comments:

Introduction

My friend and I are seasoned travelers, both with cruises and land
trips. This cruise was planned to celebrate my 50th birthday. My
friend is a few years younger. I have traveled on several cruise lines
but now concentrate on Princess. I feel that Princess has the best
value for dollar spent. I have Elite status on Princess which offers
nice perks.

Pre Cruise travel

I drove to the port from the California desert stopping by the Ontario
airport to pick up my friend who flew down from Northern California.
It was a Saturday afternoon and an easy drive. We stayed at the
Sheraton in San Pedro which offered a great pre cruise package. For
$149 you received one night's lodging, free under ground parking for
up to 30 days, free shuttle to and from the port and to local
attractions, free breakfast buffet and a free bottle of wine or
sparkling champagne. We met up with 6 other cruisers for dinner at
22nd Street Landing (http://www.22ndstlandingrestaurant.com/),
my personal favorite seafood restaurant in San Pedro. The Sheraton
took us from the hotel to the restaurant and back at no charge.
This hotel officially changed it's affiliation on 4/1/05 and is no
longer a Sheraton but will still be offering the same package.

Embarkation/Disembarkation/Security

Times have changed folks! I arrived at the port long before I was
supposed to and paid for it by waiting in line in San Pedro. It was
difficult to find a porter to pick up the luggage for awhile too. The
porters were supposed to go down the line of people waiting first but
of course others who just arrived cut in making it harder for those
standing in line to get rid of their luggage. I'm going to try to
get over this arriving too early thing. Embarkation ended up starting
only 30 minutes late but was very slow due to security. The port only
had two scanners set up, one for Elite/Platinum and one for everyone
else. Once you got through security there wasn't any line at all for
the Princess reps for any of the lines. People with physical
challenges were let on first and some unscrupulous passengers were
making up stories to get on first. One woman had a moon boot on from
foot surgery and managed to use that to get on first with her party.

Security varied in each port. Sometimes your carry ons were scanned,
sometimes hand searched. Sometimes you walked through a scanner,
sometimes you were scanned with a hand scanner. The carry on search
varied from a cursory glance to a detailed search. In each port, there
were limited port security agents so the line could be quite long so be
prepared. In some US ports the ship was guarded by the Coast Guard
with guns mounted on the front of their boats. In Ensenada party boats
would come right up next to the ship with their music blaring without
any security at all. For the first time I had to remove my laptop for
embarkation. I have no problem with this but I do wish it was posted
or notification was made prior to getting to the scanners. Port
security would wait until you sent your carry on through the scanner,
then notified you that you had to remove your laptop. I nearly lost my
laptop because port security took it out of my hands and sent it
through the scanner (right on top the rollers without a basket) before
I could follow it through. A passenger picked it up "because it
looked like his" and I had to bolt past security to retrieve it while
leaving my other belongings behind. Port security was not paying
attention and I think it would have been gone for good.

For disembarkation customs and immigration was done on the ship. You
were assigned a time to show up at the Bayou Cafe. The lines were
long but kept moving. Princess did a good job of keeping the lines in
order and not letting people cut in line. They had three coffee/water
stations set up so you could grab a drink while you were waiting. It
took approximately 45 minutes to get through the line. The good part
of this is that you didn't have your carry ons with you to lug along
and once you got off the ship you could breeze out of the building
after picking up your luggage and dropping off your stamped
immigration/customs form. Princess has requested additional
immigration/customs agents to speed this process up but so far more
haven't been sent. Disembarkation was delayed due to a few folks who
didn't go. I was sitting in one of the lounges with friends when
they started calling the names of people who didn't go. One man
stood up and said "See, I told you they would call us when they
wanted us." Apparently he felt it was beneath him to stand in line
like the rest of us so he held up disembarkation for everyone. On a
somber note, a mass for the pope was played in the Platinum/Elite
disembarkation lounge. There were several passengers who thought
everyone should remain silent during this service but for many of us it
was a chance to say our last good byes to each other. I didn't mean
to be disrespectful in any way, but this was a disembarkation lounge,
not a church.

Cabin

We booked a balcony cabin, C411 for it's half covered balcony. My
friend loves to lay in the sun while I hide in the shade so we both got
what we wanted. If it had been up to me, I would have booked a
guarantee like I usually do but at least partial sun was required so I
couldn't do this. As usual, the cabin seemed small at first, but
grew comfortable over time. There was a lot of storage with two
drawers and a shelf in each bedside stand and the same at the other end
of the desk. The closet had one section with 6 large shelves with
another extra large shelf over the closet. We had plenty of hangers
(25 each) and the floor space. I brought two pop up hampers which were
really handy for dirty clothing. The bathroom had three small shelves
above the sink as well as a large shelf below the sink. All our
suitcases fit easily under our beds. There were two outlets on the
desk but I brought a power strip so that we could plug all our
electronics in at the same time. The voice mail system was down for
the entire cruise which made it difficult to leave messages at times.

Our room steward was good but not the best I have ever had. I tipped
him at the beginning of the cruise and asked for egg crate mattresses,
extra towels and two wine glasses in the room. He put the egg crate
mattress on the first night and we always had extra towels, but the
wine glasses never showed up unless we brought them. The room was
always clean.

Dining

We had late traditional dining which is the only way I would consider
cruising. We had a delightful table of eight next to a window.
Service in the dinning room was fair and they tried hard but were very
slow. It was the assistant waitresses first time in the dining room
and it showed. It was difficult to have your wine or water refilled.
No after dinner drinks were offered except for one night when they had
lemocello only. I wish the wine stewards would return because our wait
staff did not have the time to address wine and cocktails.

The Horizon Court buffet is laid out well with little congestion. We
only ate here for breakfast and a couple of snacks. Eggs were
available made to order as well as omelets that were delicious. You
could order omelets made with egg substitute too. Breakfast had a
large selection of fresh fruits, pastries, and hot items. I never went
to the dining room for breakfast. A nice breakfast overlooking the bow
of the ship can't be beat. I had lunch in the dining room three
times and had great selections and service all three times. Pizza and
the grill were each visited a couple of times and were great.

We had dinner at Sabatini's for my birthday and another friend's
birthday with a group of 14. The dinner was a gift from my travel
agent. I enjoyed the meal but I didn't find anything that special
about it other than the company. The waiter we had seemed put out that
I didn't want all 16 courses. Why order something I'm not going to
eat or stuff myself until I am uncomfortable?

We had lunch at the Bayou Cafe for another friends' birthday and it
was spectacular. I would recommend the Bayou Cafe over Sabatinis.
The menu was unique and we were able to order small sides of many
items. Due to recommendations I had read, I ordered the filet which is
one of the best filets I have every had, on a Ruth Chris' quality.
The service and live piano player here were perfect and I only wish I
had time to eat here a second time. The wait staff was very good about
letting us know which foods were spicy and which weren't. I am used
to spicy food and found all their food quite mild.

Bar Service

The first week was great in Crooner's Lounge with three great bar
waiters who remembered us and our preferences from the first day. The
bar staff were all moved half way through the cruise to "even out the
tips." Unfortunately, service was dramatically different after the
change. It was sometimes difficult to buy a drink in Crooner's after
the change. There was one bar waiter who was rude to someone in our
group and I refused to order from him after that.

La Patisserie offers brewed coffee (decaf and regular) at no charge as
well as coffee drinks. A café=E9 mocha was only $1.75 and delicious!
There is always a tray of pastries available there too.

I did purchase the soda card and was able to get refills wherever I
choose. It was nice having the bar in the buffet area so the sodas
were easy to get. I did walk up to a bar to get my refills usually
rather than have a waiter deliver them.

Trading out my mini bar was comical at least. I never managed to get
someone on the phone in room service who I could communicate well with.
When the room service waiter showed up to do the exchange, he was much
more helpful.

As an Elite passenger I had free admission to the first wine tasting.
I've always enjoyed these in the past but this time it was a long
infomercial with a little wine in between. I will most likely skip the
next wine tasting even if it is free. On the other hand we had two
wine tasting hosted by Cruise Critic members which were a lot of fun
and we had some interesting wine. My favorite was a red wine from
Germany. I liked it so much I soaked the label off the bottle and
I'm determined to find it again. One caveat, this group would have
had fun tasting bottled water!!

Entertainment

I didn't attend many shows because of the volume (too loud for my
sensitive ears, even with earplugs) and the fact that I preferred
hanging out with my new found friends. I did see one of the comedians
but almost had to leave because they put a production show on first
which wasn't advertised. On the trip back I saw Wille Tyler and
Lester. He puts on a good family show and has an incredible singing
voice which I never knew about.

In Crooner's Bar was Eric Stone a very animated talented singer and
piano player. He took requests and did mostly show tunes. The music
was a perfect back drop for this lounge. One night a passenger who
thought he was more talented than Eric essentially took over singing
his favorite songs. Eric very graciously played back up for him but I
left because I wasn't interested in hearing a passenger's made up
songs.

There is a beautiful library but it is locked when there isn't an
attendant present. The ship also offered trivia of some type daily
which you could pick up in the library and the answers were posted the
following day.

Ports

Hilo-We took the volcano hiking tour here. I want to warn anyone
thinking about this tour that Princess down plays the difficulty of
this tour. I went to the tour desk to ask specific questions about
this tour and did not get a great description. It is a very physically
demanding tour and it would be helpful if you had rock climbing
experience. The lava is hot and as slippery as glass and requires a
great deal of balance. There isn't any type of trail to walk on.
Only approximately 25% of the tour group made it to the flowing lava
before we had to turn back. I have an inner ear problem which made
balance a problem. I was afraid I would hold the group up so I turned
back early on my own. The lava is beautiful and I might try it again
if I am staying on the island so I can start out early in the morning
and go at my own pace. Port security here was understaffed and there
was a long, long line to get back on the ship.

Kona-I rented a car from Alamo and the shuttle was waiting when we got
off the tender. It is approximately 15-20 minutes to the airport which
is exactly what Alamo had stated. They had two shuttles back to the
ship and you could choose your time and a spot was reserved for you.
We drove the Place of Refuge (http://www.nps.gov/puho/) which was only
$5 for each car and a great historical stop. We stopped at a cute shop
in Kealakekua called Donkey Balls. (Http://www.donkeyballs.com) for
some unique gifts for special friends. They have flavored coffee and
their specialty is chocolate covered macadamia nuts hence the name.
Not to mention that the nuts are really good! After that we drove up
to Holualoa (http://www.holualoahawaii.com/) which was recommended by a
fellow cruiser and visited several art galleries. We loved this spot
and wished we had more time here. I bought a few small pieces of art.
We walked around the harbor area after dropping the car off and then
got in the long line to re-board the ship. The line was long, you
guessed it, because of port security.

Kauai-We missed this port because the harbor master closed the harbor
due to high winds. Apparently the entrance into the harbor is very
narrow which does not have any room for error. Princess arranged for
us to go onto Honolulu after a circle tour around Kauai. I had booked
the Movie Tour (http://www.hawaiimovietour.com/) for this port and
called them as soon as I knew we wouldn't make it in. They are a
very professional company, very easy to deal with, and had agreed in
advance that I would not be charged if the ship could not dock. Next
time I am in Kauai, I will book with this company again. If you are
planning independent tours in any port, on any cruise be sure the
company will not charge you if the ship cannot get in. You can never
predict which ports might be canceled. It was a beautiful day at sea
as long as you stayed out of the direct wind.

Honolulu-We docked at 930PM and left the next day at 1100PM giving us
more than 24 hours in Honolulu. After dinner we walked around the
Aloha Tower (http://www.alohatower.com/) although all the shops other
than the bars and restaurants were closed. The next morning after
breakfast we took the free Hilo Hattie's shuttle to their flagship
store and then another free Hilo Hattie's shuttle to Waikiki. They
have several stops and we got off in front of the Sheraton Moana
Surfrider.(http://www.moana-surfrider.com/index.htm) I had stayed here
about 15 years ago and was shocked by how small the beach had become.
We had a traditional Mai Tai on the patio which was the best I have
ever had, partially due to the location and partially because they use
fresh squeezed pineapple juice.

After the drinks we walked up and down the street doing a little
shopping. We saw a flasher right in front of the police station with
nothing on but a towel. At Martin & MacArthur a beautiful home
furnishings store (http://www.MartinandMacArthur.com) I bought a large
carved gourd. I considered having it shipped but decided to carry it
home since it was so light and I was driving home from the ship.
.(http://www.islandgourds.com/)

While the gourd was being packaged for me we had lunch at The Royal
Hawaiian Hotel (http://www.royal-hawaiian.com/index.htm) Again a
beautiful setting on the patio made the lunch taste even better. We
also visited the ever kitschy International Marketplace and bought a
few souvenirs. I heard it was closing this fall and wanted to see it
one last time if that was true.

After picking up the gourd we caught the Hilo Hattie's shuttle back
to the ship and returned to our cabin to clean up and drop off our
purchases. That night we had dinner at Gordon Biersch
(http://www.gordonbiersch.com/restaurants/) Don't miss the wedge
salad with blue cheese and bacon. It is decadent and very filling. I
should have skipped the entree and just had the salad with their famous
garlic fries.

Maui-A friend arranged a great whale watching expedition with the
Pacific Whale Foundation (http://www.pacificwhale.org/). It is later
in the season but we saw a lot of mother whales and calves with the
mothers pushing the calves along. It's a great trip and they have
wonderful shirts and other souvenirs in their shop.

We walked around Lahaina for awhile and then had lunch at Cheeseburger
in Paradise (http://www.cheeseburgermaui.com/) The burgers were good
but the onion rings were fantastic!

I received a blown glass piece from Maui Crystal
(http://www.mauicrystal.com/) For my birthday. They package their
items well and guarantee that they will make it home safe which mine
did. It looks beautiful when it catches the afternoon sun.

Fellow passengers

This was an Easter cruise but there were only 150 children on the ship.
I know others have complained about the kids but I frankly never
experienced any problems with them. The last two nights we heard kids
running up and down the hallways but it wasn't even that late. I
also stepped on an elevator a couple of times and found that all the
buttons had been pushed.

I had a couple of issues on the cruise and they were addressed promptly
by the purser's desk. I quickly learned there was one purser who was
not helpful and would wait for another purser to be available.

Weather

We had near perfect weather. I only felt a few drops of rain in Maui
but it felt good. I've never been in Hawaii when it didn't rain on
me. We did miss Kauai due to the wind but the sea day we gained was
sunny and clear. The temps were about 5 degrees higher each day on the
way to Hawaii and vice versa on the way back. We used our balcony a
lot.

The ship

The ship is in beautiful condition and I was impressed with the quality
and cleanliness of the carpet considering how many people walk across
it daily

There were 13 computers in the internet café. Occasionally there was
a short wait on sea days. As usual satellite connections were slow. I
had free internet usage as an Elite perk.

The ship's air filtration system seemed to handle the cigarette smoke
well and the smoke didn't start bothering me until the last couple of
days of the cruise. I'm very sensitive to cigarette smoke so this
was very nice. Churchill's Lounge was enclosed so the cigar smoke
did not fill the atrium. There was one cigar smoker on a balcony near
ours but it only bothered me when the ship was not moving and we
usually weren't in the cabin at that time.

In conclusion, this cruise wasn't perfect but it rates as one of the
best 3 cruise I have ever taken. The new friends I met on this trip
would have made any trip wonderful. If you have read this whole review,
you must have eye strain!