The Grand Hawaiian Adventure. A trip report with Patters, Menus, Elvis, and ...

[wrongwaywatson]

We are cruising Nov 18th on the Regal with my Dad!  He's 86 and this will be his first cruise.....except that time he was on an aircraft carrier coming back from Japan!  LOL  

 

[Grantglen]

Hi Mark:

 

i am am also a hockey fan (Winnipeg Jets) - are any NHL games available in the Grand Princess bars?

 

We are also staying at Marriott Courtyard - can you recommend restaurants near the hotel?

 

Thanks,

 

George.

[h20skibum]

18 hours ago, Grantglen said:

Hi Mark:

 

i am am also a hockey fan (Winnipeg Jets) - are any NHL games available in the Grand Princess bars?

 

We are also staying at Marriott Courtyard - can you recommend restaurants near the hotel?

 

Thanks,

 

George.

 

Our stay at the Courtyard Marriott was in Pittsburgh, and not in San Francisco before the cruise.  In San Francisco, we were staying in San Rafael in the North Bay Area. I assume you are not flying to Pittsburgh to stay there. 

 

There are three Courtyard Marriott hotels, so you are probably at the one near Fisherman’s Wharf.  There are several good restaurants in this area, and they would be within walking distance of that hotel.  One very good seafood restaurant we have frequented would be a longer walk. 

 

The Waterbar is located at the south end of the Embarcadero. It is south of the Ferry building, and almost beneath the bay bridge. They are well known for their oyster selection, and with a 30 page drink menu, there is no excuse for not finding a drink. 

 

Just be aware, that the homeless situation has gotten significantly worse along the Embarcadero in the last year. Just watch where you step.  We spent 3 months in San Rafael this past summer, and didn’t once feel inclined to cross the bay to the city.  Our son clued us in on how bad it was compared to a year ago.  SF really needs to get things under control there. 

 

As for hockey, be prepared to go cold turkey for a while. Unless they have made some changes in the last year, even streaming games would not be an option. Looks like the Jets are doing well this year.  

 

 

 

[BarbinMich]

Just ran across this thread because of its recent activity and the title containing "Elvis".  We have done a number of trips to Hawaii, usually splitting our 10 or so days between 2 islands.  The first time we stayed in Kauai we were up the road from the hotel/resort where Elvis stayed while filming "Blue Hawaii", which was badly damaged by Hurricane in Iniki in 1992.  It was still in a state of disrepair in the early 2000s.

 

[Grantglen]

Hello again Mark:

 

This question is about the coffee card. We are doing a b2b (Mex and Hawaii) - you mentioned that the 15 coffees that are not used are transferable. Here is what the

pre booking package states:

 

Package Details and Qualifications

• The package may be pre-purchased up to 4 days prior to boarding the vessel.
• The package is NOT available for pre-purchase within 3 days of sailing.
• The coffee package is valid only on the voyage for which it is purchased. If the maximum number of coffees pre-purchased are not used during the voyage, the remaining value will NOT be credited or refunded and is NOT transferable for any purpose.
• Coffee packages cannot be sold or otherwise transferred to any individual. Pre-purchased specialty coffees may be shared, but complimentary brewed coffee, teas and hot chocolate continue to be limited to the purchaser.

This seems to contradict what you have stated. We would like to buy card on Mex cruise and also use left overs on Hawaii cruise.

 

Thanks,

George.

George.

[h20skibum]

3 hours ago, Grantglen said:

We would like to buy card on Mex cruise and also use left overs on Hawaii cruise.

 

Thanks,

George.

 

 

  Princess changed their rules on the coffee card shortly after our sailing, so they now have to be used on the sailing you purchase them.  This follows what some other lines are doing.

 

I see Stan (Gimer) is on your sailing.  He does this route quite often, and is a great source of information.  Tell him I said Hello.

 

Mark

Edited November 13, 2018 by h20skibum

[Ginster1]

Mark, I’ve really enjoyed reading your in-depth review with excellent photos and video of the Grand Princess. We’ll be sailing with her to Mexico Feb. 2019. This will be our second cruise, our first was Coral Princess to Alaska a year ago.  I noticed you have traveled RC quite a bit.  DH and I are contemplating more cruising in the future and I was wondering if you could share your preferences between the the two cruise lines?  Thanks again. I’m looking forward to reading about your future travels!

-Ginny

[h20skibum]

19 hours ago, Ginster1 said:

Mark, I’ve really enjoyed reading your in-depth review with excellent photos and video of the Grand Princess. We’ll be sailing with her to Mexico Feb. 2019. This will be our second cruise, our first was Coral Princess to Alaska a year ago.  I noticed you have traveled RC quite a bit.  DH and I are contemplating more cruising in the future and I was wondering if you could share your preferences between the the two cruise lines?  Thanks again. I’m looking forward to reading about your future travels!

-Ginny

 

There is something to be said about earning loyalty points with specific cruise lines, but I think everyone should try other cruise lines so they can compare them.   We have sailed on five different cruise lines now (Royal, Princess, Celebrity, Carnival, and NCL).  There are two others, (MSC and Oceania) on our radar to give a try.

 

We pick our cruises based on the itinerary, or the ship, depending on what we are looking for in a particular cruise.  When I finally talk my wife into sailing Alaska, I know I will be back on Princess, because I believe they provide the best options for that destination.

 

Lately, we have been sailing Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships, because my wife has fallen in love with them.  Our next sailing is in 11 days on the Harmony of the Seas, and we have the Independence booked for a short trip in January, and a longer 14 day Italian Mediterranean Cruise in July.

 

So now for my comparisons.  Without knowing if you have young kids, your ages, your activity likes, or other things, I will keep this basic based on what we have experienced.

 

First, Princess and Celebrity are very similar.  If you like your experience on Princess, you would be comfortable on a Celebrity Cruise.  On Princess, we have sailed the smaller, older ships like the Coral and Grand, so you can’t really compare them to the newer ships on any of the lines.  Now, on the the Royal and Princess comparison.

 

Overall, I think the food in the MDR is better on Princess than it is on Royal Caribbean.  This is my opinion based on offerings on both the larger and smaller ships in Royal’s fleet.  Pizza on Princess is better, but Royal has recently tried to improve their pizza, so we will find out soon if there has been an improvement.

 

Royal Caribbean’s entertainment on the Oasis Class ships is simply extraordinary.   Entertainment on Royal’s smaller ships is probably on par with Princess.

 

Drinks are less expensive on Princess than on Royal.  Royal’s Internet is far better than Princess and is much less expensive.

 

As far as activities, Royal has much more to offer for kids and adults.  Although we are both in our 60’s, we still do ice skating, rock climbing walls, flow rider, zip line, and we are looking forward to trying out the slides on Harmony.  Kids would love these larger ships.  The one drawback to the Oasis Class ships is the amount of planning you must do to book your shows.  The smaller ships follow the traditional early and late shows based on your dining times.

 

I am not sure if my signature still has a link to any past trip reports I have done, since I have not updated it to the new cruisecritic format.  If you want a sense of what some of the sailings are like, you can look as some of those past reviews.  Some may be a few years old, and things change, but here they are:

 

Panama Canal Cruise on Coral Princess

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1960696-coral-princess-

panama-canal-review-with-photos/

 

Oasis of the Seas Cruise

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2196287-oasis-117-trip-report-periscope-and-12203-photos/

 

Celebrity Summit Cruise short 5 day cruise

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2363253-the-view-from-the-summit-a-5-day-bahamas-review/

 

Serenade of the Seas Cruise short 3 day cruise

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2491232-three-day-serenade-escape-from-the-deep-freeze/

 

Allure of the Seas Cruise March, 2018

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2531424-surviving-2000-kids-on-allure-western-spring-break/

 

Follow a few live reviews and ask questions, and keep researching to see how different ships may fit your style.  If you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer them.

 

Mark

 

Edited November 14, 2018 by h20skibum

[TimothyHill95]

I can't thank you enough for this amazing trip report. I will be taking my first cruise ever on the Grand 04/19, and also my first time in Hawaii. This trip report has helped me immensely to plan ahead. The photos were absolutely amazing, along with the patters and daily food choices. Looks like I will have to sign up for the roll call....Being a first time cruiser, didn't even know that existed. I will be referring to this trip report many times over between now and April. Thanks again!

[Grantglen]

47 minutes ago, TimothyHill95 said:

I can't thank you enough for this amazing trip report. I will be taking my first cruise ever on the Grand 04/19, and also my first time in Hawaii. This trip report has helped me immensely to plan ahead. The photos were absolutely amazing, along with the patters and daily food choices. Looks like I will have to sign up for the roll call....Being a first time cruiser, didn't even know that existed. I will be referring to this trip report many times over between now and April. Thanks again!

 

I agree - I have read Mark’s  Hawaiian review three times and it was just so helpful!

 

George.

[h20skibum]

On 1/15/2019 at 4:54 PM, TimothyHill95 said:

I can't thank you enough for this amazing trip report. I will be taking my first cruise ever on the Grand 04/19, and also my first time in Hawaii. This trip report has helped me immensely to plan ahead. The photos were absolutely amazing, along with the patters and daily food choices. Looks like I will have to sign up for the roll call....Being a first time cruiser, didn't even know that existed. I will be referring to this trip report many times over between now and April. Thanks again!

 

Thanks for the kind words.  I hope you found something useful. Just remember, there have been a few changes onboard since this trip report was written. 

 

Check in with your roll call. Often, you will have others who have done this cruise before, and they are a good source of information. 

 

Enjoy

 

On 1/15/2019 at 5:46 PM, Grantglen said:

 

I agree - I have read Mark’s  Hawaiian review three times and it was just so helpful!

 

George.

 

I can’t believe you read it three times. That is probably more than I have. 

[MishelleMcc]

Mark, your terrific travelogue is as relevant today as it was over two years ago!!  I can't thank you enough!  We are going on the Grand to Hawaii 12-3-2019 and will be referring to this Trip report over & over as we plan different aspects of the trip!!!  btw, your pics are still downloading well!  😉  Thank you SO Much!!!

[h20skibum]

Mark, your terrific travelogue is as relevant today as it was over two years ago!!  I can't thank you enough!  We are going on the Grand to Hawaii 12-3-2019 and will be referring to this Trip report over & over as we plan different aspects of the trip!!!  btw, your pics are still downloading well!  [emoji6]  Thank you SO Much!!!

I am glad you liked it. I am always curious how people find this old review. I don’t know if it is through the link in my signature, searches, or referenced in roll calls.

I have done a few reviews since this one, but those were on Royal Caribbean ships in the Caribbean. My next big review will probably start in August, after we get back from a 14 day cruise in Europe. I don’t know how much interest it will generate, since the itinerary we are on is only done twice a year.

Enjoy your cruise in December.




Past Reviews post 184

[MishelleMcc]

I believe I found your travelogue using the search tool and using the key word "Hawaii" in the Princess forum.  I "clicked" on the post because of the title. It sounded like it would be thorough. 

 

I am so glad I found it!  As it is our first cruise with Princess AND a first to Hawaii, (I was in Honolulu for a week 42 years ago so no help there! And DW has never been) I gleaned copious amounts of information and have two lists as a result! 

 

But probably the biggest take-away was the "feel" of the day to day life on board...  the activities available...  And the vivid descriptions of navigating the ports. The pictures brought my imaginings to life!  And your dry humor throughout it all - even when your disembarkation process derailed - added levity and charm!  

 

Because, as we all know, Sh** happens!  But there are no bad days cruising!!

 

Thank you again!!

[Linsifer]

h20skibum:

 

Thank you so much for your thorough review!  I know it’s two years later, but it was still very helpful.  My husband and I will be sailing out of SF to Hawaii on Easter Sunday, 4/21.  We sailed the Grand down to Mexico for 10 days in 2017, so we know the ship.  I’ve also sailed on her younger sisters, Star and Golden.  And she’ll be a bit freshened up after her recent drydock. 

 

This will be my 12th or 13th cruise, so I’m familiar with rough seas at certain times.  However, during my past several sailings, I’ve learned just to roll with it and I haven’t had to take Bonine.  It makes me sleepy.  Heck, on our cruise on the Grand to Mexico in 2017, I couldn’t believe how smooth that sailing was!  We’ve ALWAYS had rougher seas coming back from Mexico.

 

 Anyway, when you mentioned the ship really rocking for a day or so after leaving SF, then again sailing toward and away from Mexico, it suddenly brought back those videos of recent ships that have had extreme LISTING and injured passengers. Yikes. Since you sailed to Hawaii around the same time we will, I hope we won’t run into TOO many incidents of rough seas.  You never felt the ship tilting TOO much?  I’m so claustrophobic and fearful of “tipping over”, I even have issues with taking the tenders, especially if there’s a wake or choppy waves.  How was that ride in Maui?  I’m also freaked out by airplane turbulence. 

 

Thank you once again for a wonderful review!

[Gimer]

Linsifer, it looks like your Easter Hawaii Cruise will miss the Waikiki SPAM JAM Festival by ONE day.  It's on April 28, 2019 Saturday.  Mark wrote about it and it was my all time favorite festivals.  

[Linsifer]

15 hours ago, Gimer said:

Linsifer, it looks like your Easter Hawaii Cruise will miss the Waikiki SPAM JAM Festival by ONE day.  It's on April 28, 2019 Saturday.  Mark wrote about it and it was my all time favorite festivals.  

 

Ah, heck. ☹️. Murphy’s Law, I guess.  Oh, well. 

 

 

[h20skibum]

On 3/27/2019 at 11:10 AM, MishelleMcc said:

I believe I found your travelogue using the search tool and using the key word "Hawaii" in the Princess forum.  I "clicked" on the post because of the title. It sounded like it would be thorough. 

 

 

Thank you.  That is good to know.  And once again, enjoy your cruise.

[h20skibum]

On 3/29/2019 at 2:07 AM, Linsifer said:

 

 Anyway, when you mentioned the ship really rocking for a day or so after leaving SF, then again sailing toward and away from Mexico, it suddenly brought back those videos of recent ships that have had extreme LISTING and injured passengers. Yikes. Since you sailed to Hawaii around the same time we will, I hope we won’t run into TOO many incidents of rough seas.  You never felt the ship tilting TOO much?  I’m so claustrophobic and fearful of “tipping over”, I even have issues with taking the tenders, especially if there’s a wake or choppy waves.  How was that ride in Maui?  I’m also freaked out by airplane turbulence. 

 

 

We have been on several cruises with rough seas.  In fact our first cruise on the SS Norway, we had 40 foot waves as we sailed in the longest sustained category 5 hurricane of the 20th century.  We never had any with the listing like the videos of the Viking Sky last week.   That was likely because they were anchored and without power.  Wave height can’t vary anywhere.  Just enjoy the ride.

 

I am not sure what you are referring to in Maui.

Edited March 30, 2019 by h20skibum

[h20skibum]

21 hours ago, Gimer said:

Linsifer, it looks like your Easter Hawaii Cruise will miss the Waikiki SPAM JAM Festival by ONE day.  It's on April 28, 2019 Saturday.  Mark wrote about it and it was my all time favorite festivals.  

 

Stan, good to see you posting and following all things Hawaiian.  We were close to your area when we spent June-August in the North Bay Area last summer.  We took our grandson to Pixieland in Concord on one of our outings.

 

I can’t believe this old report is over 91,000 views now.  I have done a few smaller reviews since this one, but probably my next big one will be after our 14 day cruise from the UK to Spain, France, and Italy this summer.  It will be over on the Royal Caribbean board, since that sailing will be on the Independence of the Seas.  

[Linsifer]

4 hours ago, h20skibum said:

am not sure what you are referring to in Maui.

 

I meant the tender ride.  Not too many choppy waves to shore?  By now you probably can tell I’m a wimp when it comes to boats and ships tilting to and fro. 😉  I’m sure it’ll be fine!  Thanks for your reply!  Looking forward. 

[h20skibum]

4 hours ago, Linsifer said:

 

I meant the tender ride.  Not too many choppy waves to shore?  By now you probably can tell I’m a wimp when it comes to boats and ships tilting to and fro. 😉  I’m sure it’ll be fine!  Thanks for your reply!  Looking forward. 

 

Seas were calm around the islands.  We never notice much on the tenders, but maybe that’s because we have owned a powerboat for 35+ years, and spend a lot of time on the water.   Those rides are second nature to us.

 

Just, as they say, Go with the flow.

 

Enjoy your trip.

[sparkle]

4 hours ago, Linsifer said:

 

I meant the tender ride.  Not too many choppy waves to shore?  By now you probably can tell I’m a wimp when it comes to boats and ships tilting to and fro. 😉  I’m sure it’ll be fine!  Thanks for your reply!  Looking forward. 

Linsifer, if it is too choppy for the tenders going into Maui, they will not go there. Hate to miss Maui but they have to be safe. Out of 6 cruises, 5 in Feb, one in Nov, only missed Maui once in Feb. The other times it was a pretty smooth tender over and back. IMHO, the worst part is when they are loading the tender. Seems to be quite an up and down ride next to the ship. But once they are moving it wasn't bad at all.

 

Not sure if the Bonine you took was the non drowsy kind, but the medicine in the non drowsy kind is Meclizine. It is available if you ask the pharmacist (won't need a prescription but they do keep the generic behind the counter). You can get 100 for about the price of 12 Bonine ($9-10). I take it every evening and never been queasy, no matter how rough.

 

PS there might be a husband and wife team that Princess has onboard as Hawaiian Ambassadors. Hula, Lei making, ukulele lessons, lots to get you into the Aloha spirit.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[Linsifer]

19 minutes ago, sparkle said:

Linsifer, if it is too choppy for the tenders going into Maui, they will not go there. Hate to miss Maui but they have to be safe. Out of 6 cruises, 5 in Feb, one in Nov, only missed Maui once in Feb. The other times it was a pretty smooth tender over and back. IMHO, the worst part is when they are loading the tender. Seems to be quite an up and down ride next to the ship. But once they are moving it wasn't bad at all.

 

Not sure if the Bonine you took was the non drowsy kind, but the medicine in the non drowsy kind is Meclizine. It is available if you ask the pharmacist (won't need a prescription but they do keep the generic behind the counter). You can get 100 for about the price of 12 Bonine ($9-10). I take it every evening and never been queasy, no matter how rough.

 

PS there might be a husband and wife team that Princess has onboard as Hawaiian Ambassadors. Hula, Lei making, ukulele lessons, lots to get you into the Aloha spirit.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

Thank you!  I’m looking forward to it!  Maui or bust. ☺️

Actually I only buy the generic form of Bonine, as a rule. (Meclizine). So, yes, Bonine is the same thing—non drowsy vs Dramamine...but it still affects me in a way that I feel sleepy. I try to take it before bed, if at all.  Sometimes they’ll have the chewable name brand Bonine on sale in a smaller pack.  Since I haven’t had to use it in years, I haven’t bought any for my last several cruises.  This cruise one is longer and my husband is more prone to sea sickness, so I might get generic meclizine in a larger bottle. Is that something new,  behind the counter?  Thanks for the well wishes!🛳⚓️🌊

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sj25]

On ‎11‎/‎14‎/‎2018 at 11:16 AM, h20skibum said:

 

There is something to be said about earning loyalty points with specific cruise lines, but I think everyone should try other cruise lines so they can compare them.   We have sailed on five different cruise lines now (Royal, Princess, Celebrity, Carnival, and NCL).  There are two others, (MSC and Oceania) on our radar to give a try.

 

We pick our cruises based on the itinerary, or the ship, depending on what we are looking for in a particular cruise.  When I finally talk my wife into sailing Alaska, I know I will be back on Princess, because I believe they provide the best options for that destination.

 

Lately, we have been sailing Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships, because my wife has fallen in love with them.  Our next sailing is in 11 days on the Harmony of the Seas, and we have the Independence booked for a short trip in January, and a longer 14 day Italian Mediterranean Cruise in July.

 

So now for my comparisons.  Without knowing if you have young kids, your ages, your activity likes, or other things, I will keep this basic based on what we have experienced.

 

First, Princess and Celebrity are very similar.  If you like your experience on Princess, you would be comfortable on a Celebrity Cruise.  On Princess, we have sailed the smaller, older ships like the Coral and Grand, so you can’t really compare them to the newer ships on any of the lines.  Now, on the the Royal and Princess comparison.

 

Overall, I think the food in the MDR is better on Princess than it is on Royal Caribbean.  This is my opinion based on offerings on both the larger and smaller ships in Royal’s fleet.  Pizza on Princess is better, but Royal has recently tried to improve their pizza, so we will find out soon if there has been an improvement.

 

Royal Caribbean’s entertainment on the Oasis Class ships is simply extraordinary.   Entertainment on Royal’s smaller ships is probably on par with Princess.

 

Drinks are less expensive on Princess than on Royal.  Royal’s Internet is far better than Princess and is much less expensive.

 

As far as activities, Royal has much more to offer for kids and adults.  Although we are both in our 60’s, we still do ice skating, rock climbing walls, flow rider, zip line, and we are looking forward to trying out the slides on Harmony.  Kids would love these larger ships.  The one drawback to the Oasis Class ships is the amount of planning you must do to book your shows.  The smaller ships follow the traditional early and late shows based on your dining times.

 

I am not sure if my signature still has a link to any past trip reports I have done, since I have not updated it to the new cruisecritic format.  If you want a sense of what some of the sailings are like, you can look as some of those past reviews.  Some may be a few years old, and things change, but here they are:

 

Panama Canal Cruise on Coral Princess

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1960696-coral-princess-

panama-canal-review-with-photos/

 

Oasis of the Seas Cruise

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2196287-oasis-117-trip-report-periscope-and-12203-photos/

 

Celebrity Summit Cruise short 5 day cruise

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2363253-the-view-from-the-summit-a-5-day-bahamas-review/

 

Serenade of the Seas Cruise short 3 day cruise

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2491232-three-day-serenade-escape-from-the-deep-freeze/

 

Allure of the Seas Cruise March, 2018

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2531424-surviving-2000-kids-on-allure-western-spring-break/

 

Follow a few live reviews and ask questions, and keep researching to see how different ships may fit your style.  If you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer them.

 

Mark

 

I also really enjoyed the review of your Hawaiian cruise.  We want to do one within the next 5 years was going to do it next year but debating now, our minds thinking should we  try out different cruise lines before we jump in and take the cruise with a line we have never done to Hawaii!!  We have done 1 cruise with Carnival and 29 with RCI ....so I also liked this review that you did on  compare the lines.  We also had debated to fly into Hawaii and take cruise or one we want to try I think is from California.  We was to Oahu and flew in 34 years ago for 2 weeks.  So we want to do a cruise of the other islands...we just didn't ever look to that long air flight.  I also noticed you fly out of Pittsburgh we do also!  :-)    Thanks again now just waiting to see when Princess will bring out fall of 2020!

Edited April 2, 2019 by sj25