Golden Princess - Pacific Coast Getaway through the eyes of a blue card holder!

[joeyancho]

Thanks for the review. We are taking the crown in Dec for my 60th birthday celebration. While we are platinum on Carnival and diamond on royal Caribbean we too will be blue on princess. Your review confirms what I have read about princess. It seems to be a step up from carnival. We can't wait. Thanks again.

[katie11]

What a nice positive review. Congratulations on your anniversary.

We are sailing on the Golden next year for our 50th wedding anniversary. She is coming to Australian waters for a brief season.

[JustinPlusLauren]

Thanks so much for the great review and happy you had such a great time!

[COMBOY]

Thank you very much for your great review and pictures. I am all packed and leaving tomorrow on a full ship 8-night charter of the Golden Princess. I haven't been on Princess in awhile (most RCI and Celebrity) so I look forward trying Princess for a change. It should be a great cruise.

[Keith1010]

Excellent review.

 

Keith

[Tapi]

What kind of camera did you use? Your photos are great!

 

Thanks! I use a Nikon D3100. Great DSLR camera at a fairly affordable price.

[crochetcruise]

DAY 1 - Long Beach, CA

 

We took an early flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles (LAX) and checked in at our hotel in Long Beach around 2:00pm the day before the cruise. We selected Hyatt The Pike for our stay. It had been ranked as one of the top 10 resort hotels in Southern California by a reputable travel magazine and it also ranked very highly on Trip Advisor.

 

 

In a nutshell, it was wonderful. It had the feel of a modern, boutique hotel with comfortable rooms, large bathrooms with a rainfall walk-in shower, and wonderful views of the Queen Mary and the Carnival cruise terminal from its rooftop resort pool and bar area.

 

 

 

We walked to nearby Shoreline Village where we had a late lunch on an open terrace overlooking the Marina and enjoyed the great views. We called it an early night as we were exhausted after the day of travel and the time change.

 

In the second photo in your Day 1 posting taken at the hotel pool, it looks to me as if the single handrails nearest the camera lead down steps into the pool rather than having to climb down a ladder. Please, am I right? As a disabled sole traveller who sunburns easily, I would need to use the pool at night, but if I can get down steps using a handrail that gives the chance of a good swim.

 

Your photos and report have set me counting the days until I pay my deposit for my belated 50th Birthday/Tester Cruise 04/17/2016 sailing Melbourne-Sydney here in Australia.

 

Katie II (hope I've got the name right,), the Golden Princess is here until 04/19/2016 when she sails from Sydney to New Zealand, American Samoa, French Polynesia, the Hawaiian Islands and docks in Los Angeles. I think it would be 05/16/2016 because of the time difference, but I could be wrong. If THAT'S an example of a repositioning cruise, I better buy me a Lotto ticket! *wicked giggles* Because of multiple physical disabilities, I'm nervous about coping on a cruise-poor balance being a major issue coupled with known osteoporosis and STRICT orders from the Dr and Specialist to avoid falls! I will be booked in a Balcony Disabled Accessible cabin on Aloha Deck, not yet decided, but I'm fancying A304 for sentimental family reasons. I can but try to get it when I pay my deposit.

 

Thanks for the tip that the International Café is easier than the Horizon Buffet. I am interested in the Crab Shack. and have already budgeted for it! Plenty of helpful tips on Cruise Critic!

 

Congratulations on your anniversary!

 

Crochetcruise :cool:

[Tapi]

I am all packed and leaving tomorrow on a full ship 8-night charter of the Golden Princess...

 

It should be a great cruise.

 

Have fun on your full ship charter! I'm sure you'll have an awesome time. It's my understanding that it's their first time on Princess, right?

[Tapi]

Your review confirms what I have read about princess. It seems to be a step up from carnival. We can't wait. Thanks again.

 

Yes, it's definitely a step up. It's a more polished, elegant, and detail oriented experience. The ship atmosphere, dining selections, and different forms of entertainment were all an upgrade. We traveled without our children, and would select Princess again in a heartbeat when traveling that way again.

 

However, if traveling with our children, Princess may not be at the top of our list. While there were several families onboard who seemed to be having a wonderful time, it seems that, in comparison, Carnival and Royal Caribbean may offer a broader list of activities and venues for the younger cruisers.

[Tapi]

Tapi, as always, you wrote an excellent review.

 

Thanks! I appreciate your comments!

 

(and thanks to everyone else as well :D)

[Tapi]

In the second photo in your Day 1 posting taken at the hotel pool, it looks to me as if the single handrails nearest the camera lead down steps into the pool rather than having to climb down a ladder. Please, am I right?

 

Yes, those are steps, although I don't recall how steep they are. In addition to that, if you look along the left side of the pool, just beyond the 2 people on the edge, there's also a pool lift for physically challenged guests. Hopefully that is something that could assist you as well.

 

The Hyatt the Pike was a wonderful hotel, and in a great location. I'm usually a bit skeptical when I read reviews that sound "too good to be true", but this is one time when the experience completely lived up to the expectations.

[susancruzs]

Happy Anniversary! Thanks for the great review and pics! A pleasant reprieve from some of the negative things one reads (or skims over)! :)

[cruisingberger]

I love your reviews Tapi. You seem to do the same cruises we do only a little earlier. You did Westerdam 2 weeks before us and you did this one 2 months before us. Of course we won't see Santa Barbara, but Ensenada is on our route. I love learning about the ship and you are always spot on. Thanks for posting!

[ssawjo]

Great review. We were onboard with you for this trip. Really enjoyed Santa Barbara and did a wine tasting, self guided tour. Most the tasting rooms are between the 101 and the sea off of State Street, to the east. Did not get off in Ensenada because we were there the previous cruise but did the same tour as you but with a different guide, Leslie. Nice tour. I agree with all of comments and I too was very surprised to go onto the promenade deck to do my morning run and see we never left. But as I started my run, the ship started to leave and it was a very enjoyed sail away.

 

Great pics, BTW.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Thanks much for posting your review and especially the pics! I was on your cruise, and regretted not bringing a camera since the weather was so nice. Glad you enjoyed yourselves!

[Bubba54]

So glad you had a nice trip. I enjoy the Golden. Happy Anniversary.

[jfgdbg]

Thank you very much for your great review and pictures. I am all packed and leaving tomorrow on a full ship 8-night charter of the Golden Princess. I haven't been on Princess in awhile (most RCI and Celebrity) so I look forward trying Princess for a change. It should be a great cruise.

 

What group has charted the Golden. Enjoy your cruise.

[shastatroy]

What group has charted the Golden. Enjoy your cruise.

 

Atlantis

[Coveguy4]

We were on the same cruise as you and had a great time also! I thought the food was better than ever throughout the ship, and the genuine hospitality and warmth felt from the crew was great. it was a wonderful 4 day get a way!

[Cruise Raider]

I was just debating which ship to take for my spring vacation and you just sealed it for me....Golden over the Star. While I love having a balcony, your oceanview room looked like a winner. Are you willing to state which room you were in? Finances are dictating an oceanview and we kind of like being on the lower decks and this looks like it is on the Emerald deck.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

I was just debating which ship to take for my spring vacation and you just sealed it for me....Golden over the Star. While I love having a balcony, your oceanview room looked like a winner. Are you willing to state which room you were in? Finances are dictating an oceanview and we kind of like being on the lower decks and this looks like it is on the Emerald deck.

 

I believe all obstructed OVs on the Golden are on Emerald deck. Some are far more obstructed than others. You can get a better look here:

 

https://sites.google.com/site/cabinviewbyrenmar/home

[jasbo49]

Is there any kind of enrichment stuff on these 3- and 4-day coastals, or do they just kind of figure that's unnecessary on a trip to Hussong's and back?

 

I know this post is a few days old, but thought I'd ask it here rather than post a whole new thread.

 

By the way, thanks for the review. It's nice for those of us boarding soon to have something to whet our appetites.

 

Jim

[gertz]

Very nice review and happy anniversary.

 

We have been doing this for a while and feel the same way you do after every Princess cruise.:)

 

Leaving on the 18th on the Star for our 27th anniversary and my birthday.:D

[ellie1145]

Thank you for your wonderful review. The photos are amazing.

 

Glad you enjoyed Golden Princess.

 

Wishing you and your wife many more happy anniversaries!

[lovevacadays]

Happy Anniversary! What a wonderful review. I loved reading it. While lavish and those types of trips are wonderful, a simple trip full of love and appreciation can be even better. So nice to read you had such a great experience.