Golden Princess Review
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The only bad parts of this cruise on the Golden Princess were the embarkation and the disembarkation. The ship was 2-3 hrs late in getting into port (never knew real reason....bad weather, illness on board, etc.). Therefore, we got to terminal about noon and didn't get to our cabin until about 3:15 pm. Disembarkation was not as bad, but they do herd you around a maze to get you off the ship and over to Customs.
The actual 28 days of sailing and visits to 4 Hawaiian islands, Samoa, Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora were fantastic adventures (bucket list destinations). The many days at sea were relaxing, with only about 2-3 days in and out of LA being a little rough and cooler. All the other days, we sat by the pool, enjoyed the music, the films on the big screen, and just enjoyed the sun and pools (though most days they were really "wave" pools).
The Golden Princess is not the newest of ships, but it was nice enough. It was clean and the staff were very friendly and very service-oriented. Our waiter and asst. waiter (table 237) were especially enjoyable--as were our four other tablemates. There were a variety of entertainers, some better than the others. I found the shows put on by the ship's song and dance company to be very energetic and entertaining. There were several comedians, Scott Harris impressed us the most. My best times were going to the central Piazza about 4 or 5pm most days, having a specialty coffee, and listening to the string quartet play wonderful music. Very relaxing. (Tip: buy the specialty coffee card for $29 for 15 specialty coffees, and you or your partner get regular tea or coffee for free).
Cabin Review
Great location, mid-forward on port side. Close to an elevator. Two levels up is Horizon café and the pool decks. Down on level 6 & 7 is Princess theater. Not much of a walk to central Piazza (deck 5). Room itself is of adequate size. No couch to sit on, just a chair. Balcony is not the largest, but has two adjustable chairs and a little table. Storage is adequate, can put suitcases under the bed. A few things we didn't like, can't get pitcher of water in room--can only order glasses from room service. Also, Princess does not supply a daily NY Times news summary (as some other cruise lines do). Our room steward, Michael, was friendly and did his daily tasks--though I wouldn't say that he was very talkative. He did his job--which is a hard job to do.