My cruise date was November 10, 2010. Admittedly, I was dreading 8 days at sea. I chose to take this cruise with my Mom, who fears flying but wanted to visit Hawaii. I've already visited the Hawaiian Islands (except for the Big Island), so this trip was for her. I was dreading the long boring days floating in the middle of nowhere, so I made sure to bring a couple of good books. Boy, was I surprised at the amount of activity onboard the Golden Princess. There was something for everyone, from the lei making classes, ukulele lessons, cards, bingo, casino, comedy shows, dancing, movies, art auctions, even the daily bible classes that Mom enjoyed. Unfortunately, there was much overlap with many of the activities I was interested in and the decision making was difficult.

I took the shuttle bus offered by the cruise ship from the airport on arrival day. Mom took another means of transportation and she had checked in prior to my arrival. Coincidentally, the representative that checked her in also handled my boarding process. Since Mom forgot her credit card, the representative remembered how concerned she was. It really was not an issue however, as she was able to put $250 cash down at the purser.

A 2-week cruise to Hawaii is expensive, no ifs and buts about it. I hate the thought of being confined in an inside cabin with no outdoor light, so we booked an outside cabin with an obstructed view on the Emerald deck. The cabin description stated "fully obstructed" however we had a clear view of the ocean and ports between the life boats. Read more