Some people may think that we like to live dangerously, but we flew into Los Angeles on the same day that we set sail for Hawaii. Our flight arrived at 10:30am and with a pre-booked shuttle to San Pedro, we found ourselves able to embark with a minimum of fuss or delay. The same can be said for disembarkation. Our flight home was at 12:30pm and by disembarking at 8am with our luggage, we arrived the airport early enough to check in calmly. Again, we used a pre-booked shuttle. All in all, things went very smoothly.

For those who have sailed with Princess before, neither the ship nor the cabin held any surprises. The ship was in reasonably good condition, and the cabin, an inside, was spare, but more than adequate in terms of luggage storage, and space for clothing. It was kept clean by a very able cabin steward. What the cabin lacks, however, is a good firm mattress, but that, I think, is more a function of the age of the ship than anything else.

We chose 'Anytime Dining' and found that we rarely had to wait to be seated for dinner. The food was plentiful and tasty in all the venues - whether it was a dining room, the Horizon Court, the International Cafe, the grill or the Pizzeria. For the first time, we chose to dine in a specialty restaurant, the Crown Grill, and it was exceptional and well worth the additional expense. My small bone of contention is that this exceptional meal was capped by an unexceptional cup of coffee, the same coffee that is found in Horizon Court. Incidentally, I did get that 'better' cup of coffee when I complained, but my advice is that if you are a coffee lover, indulge yourself, and purchase a coffee card for the voyage. The variety of coffee and tea drinks, not to mention just plain quality coffee, compensates for the added cost. Read more