As a prelude I should point out two major driving forces that inform our motivation and expectations for this trip. First, my wife and I were fortunate to have lived and worked in HI for five years back in the 1980s; we were residents of Oahu and took frequent weekend trips to all of the major neighbor islands. Second, our last cruise was a 12-day Rome->Venice itinerary in the summer of 2011 - in many ways the trip of a lifetime, but with only one sea day and an excursion on all the others it was exhausting: getting up every morning earlier than I would at home to go to work and returning to the ship just in time to sail to the next port. Fantastic trip; very little relaxation.
Having sailed on the Star and Crown Princess previously we felt familiar with the layout of the ship and staterooms already. We chose a mini-suite on Deck 9 and found it to be exactly as we expected from our earlier experience. A compact but functional layout with queen-sized bed, desk, sitting area, two small flat-screen TVs, and a mini-fridge. The balcony had the expected two chairs and small footstools which were quite comfortable and new-looking. The balcony floor had the usual blue mat that provides some cushioning while allowing water to drain. I was pleasantly surprised by the nice shower-massage feature and great water pressure.
The entertainment choices were ample, but other than seeing the juggler (Matt Henry) and ventriloquist act we generally skipped them. The cruise staff was very good and high-energy, doing a good job running the various games and activities. Drake, in particular, did a fantastic job and is a great guy.
Good location on Deck 9, forward of the front-most elevator bank which reduces foot traffic. Excellent shower-head!