Grand Princess Review

3.5 / 5.0
1,601 reviews

It was Hawaii, what's not to love?

Review for Hawaii Cruise on Grand Princess
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dwolfe
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

Rating by category

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Value for Money
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Additional details

Sail Date: Apr 2015
Cabin: Balcony

We have cruised a lot and this was my third on Princess so I knew what to expect. Did not expect the upgrade to balcony, and loved it, even on cold days (in and out of Vancouver, brrr). The ship does need some work and refurbishment and it took a couple of days to work out the kinks with the long wait times for anytime dining and the buffet. That said, it was still a very enjoyable cruise. Wish they would bring back the little daily news summaries and cross word puzzles and the library is way too small. Love the little international cafe in the atrium for a quick nosh. The guitarist and the Hawaiian couple were good for entertainment and I enjoyed the lei making classes. The naturalist did a wonderful job, very knowledgeable and lively speaker. This is a good middle of the road cruise and would not hesitate to recommend Princess.

We did not take any of the ship excursions since we prefer to do our own thing. Hawaii has beautiful public beaches and efficient, cheap public transportation. We always get souveneirs at the ABC stores and Walmart and they are every where.

The staff is very hard working and will do what they can to help you if you have an issue. Loved our room steward. Very much appreciated the self service laundries.

Cabin Review

Balcony

Port Reviews

Vancouver

Great place to wander around, beautiful city. Eat at a neighborhood place, the ethnic diversity is astounding and the food is good. The little strip mall across the street from our hotel had Greek, Mexican and Chinese.

Honolulu

Just a short walk from the dock are two beautiful big sailing ships and the tropical fish are there for viewing just off the dock. Use public transportation, it's cheap, efficient and the passengers and neighborhoods give you a feel for the real Hawaii. The bus will take you anywhere you want to go in town.

Maui

Right off the dock where the tender drops you off are lots of kiosks for ships that will take you out to see whales when they are around. We went with the Whale Institute and had a fantastic time at a reasonable rate with time for some beach sitting and watching the local surfers before hand.

Kauai

Quite possibly the most beautiful island it also has the best Walmart for souveniers and Hawaiian clothing at reasonable prices. We bought coffee and chocolates with macadamia nuts for everyone at excellent prices in the grocery section. The shuttle was free.

Hilo

We took the HoppaOn-HoppaOff bus for a reasonable price and everywhere we wanted to go including Richardson park beach where we saw a sea turtle sunning on the black sand. Definitely go to the Farmer's Market, great local produce, flowers and handicrafts.

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