My wife and I have cruised approx. a dozen times, about half of them with Princess. This was our first Hawaiian cruise, which we selected in part, because we enjoy sea days (and this 15 day cruise certainly had plenty of them). We also choose to sail out of San Francisco (as opposed to LA or Vancouver) so we could visit this beautiful city.

Thru Princess, we booked 4 days prior to the cruise in San Francisco. They selected the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental, a beautiful historic hotel on Nob Hill (very central). An excellent choice on their part! On our arrival at the Hotel, we upgraded to Club level, which included some nice perks. There are many wonderful things to do in San Francisco, and many venues are within walking or public transit from the Hotel. Tip: Get a MUNI passport for unlimited public transit, including cable cars.

I will comment primarily on the ship experience, as many other things, such as entertainment, music, and shore excursions are very itinerary dependent. Read more