We decided to do a round trip cruise to Hawaii. We'd never been there and thought it might be a good way to see the islands to see if there was one we wanted to spend some time on. We went in Jan 2013. Yes, I know it's winter. We spend at least two weeks each winter in the Caribbean and have cruised there several times as well as through the Panama Canal. That said, we loved the cruise but didn't love the weather.

I realize the ocean is not the same as the Gulf. I had thought we'd have some sun on the days at sea. Unfortunately only one day was sunny so I came home without any tan. It was also cool enough that I didn't like sitting in the outside areas on the ship. So the weather, especially the day at Pearl Harbor when it poured down rain, was not what we expected. Fortunately when we were whale watching it was lovely.

We enjoy Princess cruises. This one was no exception. The ship, although a little awkwardly laid out we thought, was up to Princess standards. The crew, as always, was exceptional. I was disappointed in the shopping on board as I thought the selection wasn't as good as in the past. We've never been disappointed in the entertainment or dining. Read more