Live from the Crown Princess–r/t LA-Hawai’i–March 2-17, 2023

AZjohn · March 11, 2023

11 hours ago, KLM3164 said:

@travelin.sisters This is what Elite passengers are receiving on the Sapphire.

Hmmmm….

I find the name of the shower gel a interesting choice from vendor marketing dept.

Im not sure it’s the first choice I would make for showering but, I will defer to others that have use it.

KLM3164 · March 11, 2023

1 minute ago, AZjohn said:

Hmmmm….

I find the name of the shower gel a interesting choice from vendor marketing dept.

Im not sure it’s the first choice I would make for showering but, I will defer to others that have use it.

Yes “shower gel” in French might make some wonder what exactly this product is to be used for.

travelin.sisters · March 11, 2023

On 3/9/2023 at 11:40 AM, Happiest when cruising said:

So you missed two out of the four Hawaii ports.
I am hoping for better next month, but safety first, of course.

Do you have an idea of how many first time Hawaii cruisers are onboard?
it. Ours will be our first, and probably last cruise there, as we just wanted to try it out to see how we like that many sea days in a row.

I don't have any idea...on our roll call we had everything from 1st to 10th Hawai'i cruise...I have probably more first time Hawai'i cruisers than multi-time...you have to love seadays for this to be your thing

On 3/9/2023 at 12:44 PM, Jemnibabe said:

Are you enjoying your modified shower fixture? I sure hope they will change mine out next week on our 28 day Crown cruise. Any pictures of it yet? Thanks

On 3/9/2023 at 2:22 PM, marden1970 said:

We're on that cruise as well and also requested the hand held shower head, we'll see soon.

shower info & photos coming...now that we are back to seadays I will be back to the report

On 3/9/2023 at 4:04 PM, gottagoacruzn said:

Hi, been readin you're posts an lookin at dinner pictures. No, haven't passed out from hunger yet. Can't wait to go to Alaska, but guess I'll have to.

I don't think a cruise to Alaska would be very fun right now

On 3/9/2023 at 5:26 PM, KLM3164 said:

Internet is $15/day for one device & $40/day for 4 device plan. If you have Elite or Platinum status then you get a 50% discount so then it’s $7.50/day for one device & $20/day for 4 device plan.

On 3/9/2023 at 7:27 PM, yogamom said:

Thanks for the information. Just curious if you have to buy the plan everyday or can you just choose to purchase on sea days? Thanks again

internet info also collected & coming...look for it in the Hilo day report

On 3/9/2023 at 7:32 PM, FrankieJayIII said:

can someone explain the effy charm bracelets?

this is Ruby's bracelet, I think she has more than one cruise's worth of charms on hers...some cruises they just handed them out outside the store, our last cruise where my sissy wanted to collect all of them, they made us come in the (very overcrowded & undercooled) store & listen to their spiel before giving them out. ..my favorite was the Stanley bear charm...when I first started cruising Princess, they gave out earrings & necklaces.

12 hours ago, spingal said:

Hi Travelin Sisters! I am enjoying your thread a lot!

Question for you. There are people on the Sapphire who posted that Elite passengers are given L’Occitane shampoo and conditioner products in their cabins. I am on the 28 day cruise that leaves when you get back to LA and am curious if these products are provided in Elite passenger cabins.

Thanks!

we diid not have any

5 hours ago, gottagoacruzn said:

Hey travelin sisters, have you tried the dirty bananas? Its a drink an really tasty!! Also, have you tried the after dinner drinks, an if so please take some pictures, also of the dirty banana?

sorry, I don't really drink so no photos of any...I have seen photos of the dirty banana around this forum, but I don't remember where.

Mahalo to everyone who kept this going & hung around while I was galivanting on the islands (well, half of them)...now that we are back to seadays I will get back to the report...although the internet has been surprisingly good I am having trouble getting my photos to upload from my phone to my laptop, but if they don't by morning will come up with a work around...

Edited March 11, 2023 by travelin.sisters
photo

travelin.sisters · March 11, 2023

Sea Day~March 5

Another Relaxing Day & Salty Dog Grill Lunch

So the third sea day means we are over halfway to Hawai’i & are getting a routine. We went to the buffet for breakfast again. One note: I had read a thread about no longer having omelet tickets in the buffet…on the Crown, they actually have laminated cards with numbers on them to give out. This is a nice savings of paper & time over writing two slips & giving the passenger one...funny thing this morning the lady taking my omelet order tried to give me the written order & keep the laminated card.

At crafting, I continued to crochet popcorns while my craft friends were finishing & starting new projects. In ‘ukulele we got our song books for the rest of the class.

Since it was getting warmer, we decided to eat outside at the Salty Dog Grill. I had posted the menu with my Lido deck tour, so I didn't take another photo of it. I also apparently didn’t take photos of our food (think hamburger, chicken sandwich on a bun, hotdog & fries & you pretty much have it). Every ship I have been on does the Salty Dog Grill differently: not the menu, but the way they serve. The Crown does it well, there is someone outside the cooking area who takes your order & gives you a buzzer. You can go sit down & when you buzzer goes off, you return & they give you your food. There are condiments on the side to add to your dish. Oru food was done almost as soon as we sat down. All of our sandwiches were good, but the fries were only ok (I was sad about this because on other ships they have been good enough that I have gone just for the fries).

I saw one pool open that day. I did not think it was warm enough to be laying by the pool, but many people did. There were not a lot of tans in that group, so maybe they mostly come from places where it is really too cold to lay out..

List of my posts in this LIVE:

Introduction~post 1
Pre-cruise: packing~post 10
Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29
Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43
Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67
Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75
Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78
Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89
Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104
Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114
Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142
Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147
Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148
Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149
Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150
Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151
Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167
Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172
Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173
Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175
Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176

travelin.sisters · March 11, 2023

Sea Day~March 5

Patter, Weather, Progress & Photo of the Day

The weather continued to get warmer & seas were lovely as we sailed closer & closer to Hawai’i. The ocean was bright blue & beautiful. We were sadly looking at rain for all our port days in Hawai'i. but at least we would be there.

Time for another video as the photo of the day.

List of my posts in this LIVE:

Introduction~post 1
Pre-cruise: packing~post 10
Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29
Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43
Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67
Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75
Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78
Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89
Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104
Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114
Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142
Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147
Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148
Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149
Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150
Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151
Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167
Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172
Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173
Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175
Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176
Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204

Edited March 11, 2023 by travelin.sisters
photos

travelin.sisters · March 11, 2023

Sea Day~March 5

Formal Night, DaVinci Dinner & a Show

Even the little bears got dressed for formal night. Canapes were delivered at 3:15 which seems way too early. They tasted fine, but were not very impressive in any way (CC was right again, but we had to try them at least once).

I think fewer people eat in the MDR on formal nights, but for whatever reason, we were able to get our table when we arrived. We are very close to Club Class Dining & whatever special thing they were having smelled very much (& deliciously) of garlic. Neither my BIL or sister knew anything about CC (or is it Reserve now?) dining & are now wondering if that is what they want in the future. There were more men in suits than on my last couple of cruises, but the usual range of attire for formal night.

Starters: bacon potato soup, duck liver pate, crab & monterey jack cheese quiche, seared walnut crusted goat cheese & greens (all good)

Entrees: roasted red snapper with yellow bell pepper bisque (snapper was overcooked, but sauce was really good), medallion of beef tenderloin (excellent & cooked to the doneness ordered)

Desserts: gourmandises (the little plate of bite size goodies the waiter brings without you ordering, like the Elite canapes, ok but never really exciting). chocolate hazelnut bar with citrus creme (this is my absolute favorite of the old chocolate journey desserts & I am so glad they haven’t ruined it yet), chocolate chip & banana brioche pudding (delicious), vanilla ice cream with pineapple sauce

This was the first night we went to the theater. I am not a big fan of comedians or concerts, but I have heard excellent things about all the evening entertainment from fellow guests. Disco: Blame it on the Boogie was the first production show of the cruise & the cast is excellent. I miss the days of a storyline for the shows rather than just musical numbers around a theme, but it was a very good show. I was surprised to see that drink service has returned to the theater. We went through the casino to get back to our room, & I thought it was not as smoky, until...we got inthe elevator & I started coughing from all the smoke caught in my mask (yes we are among those few who are still wearing masks.

List of my posts in this LIVE:

Introduction~post 1
Pre-cruise: packing~post 10
Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29
Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43
Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67
Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75
Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78
Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89
Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104
Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114
Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142
Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147
Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148
Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149
Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150
Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151
Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167
Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172
Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173
Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175
Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176
Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204
Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205

Edited March 11, 2023 by travelin.sisters
typo

Treasure · March 11, 2023

13 minutes ago, travelin.sisters said:

Sea Day~March 5

Formal Night, DaVinci Dinner & a Show

Even the little bears got dressed for formal night. Canapes were delivered at 3:15 which seems way too early. They tasted fine, but were not very impressive in any way (CC was right again, but we had to try them at least once).

I think fewer people eat in the MDR on formal nights, but for whatever reason, we were able to get our table when we arrived. We are very close to Club Class Dining & whatever special thing they were having smelled very much (& deliciously) of garlic. Neither my BIL or sister knew anything about CC (or is it Reserve now?) dining & are now wondering if that is what they want in the future. There were more men in suits than on my last couple of cruises, but the usual range of attire for formal night.

Starters: bacon potato soup, duck liver pate, crab & monterey jack cheese quiche, seared walnut crusted goat cheese & greens (all good)

Entrees: roasted red snapper with yellow bell pepper bisque (snapper was overcooked, but sauce was really good), medallion of beef tenderloin (excellent & cooked to the doneness ordered)

Desserts: gourmandises (the little plate of bite size goodies the waiter brings without you ordering, like the Elite canapes, ok but never really exciting). chocolate hazelnut bar with citrus creme (this is my absolute favorite of the old chocolate journey desserts & I am so glad they haven’t ruined it yet), chocolate chip & banana brioche pudding (delicious), vanilla ice cream with pineapple sauce

This was the first night we went to the theater. I am not a big fan of comedians or concerts, but I have heard excellent things about all the evening entertainment from fellow guests. Disco: Blame it on the Boogie was the first production show of the cruise & the cast is excellent. I miss the days of a storyline for the shows rather than just musical numbers around a theme, but it was a very good show. I was surprised to see that drink service has returned to the theater. We went through the casino to get back to our room, & I thought it was not as smoky, until...we got inthe elevator & I started coughing from all the smoke caught in my mask (yes we are among those few who are still wearing masks.

List of my posts in this LIVE:

Introduction~post 1

Pre-cruise: packing~post 10

Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29

Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43

Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67

Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69

Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70

Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75

Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78

Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89

Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104

Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114

Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142

Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147

Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148

Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149

Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150

Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151

Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167

Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172

Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173

Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175

Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176

Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204

Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205

travelin.sisters · March 11, 2023

Sea Day~March 5

Wrap Up & Random Thoughts

Once again we turned our clocks back an hour & gained an extra hour’s sleep (I am not looking forward to losing three hours on the trip home (two for the time difference & one for daylight savings time).

Here are the lunch menus from today I forgot to post

I think that’s it for our 3rd sea day!

List of my posts in this LIVE:

Introduction~post 1
Pre-cruise: packing~post 10
Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29
Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43
Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67
Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75
Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78
Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89
Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104
Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114
Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142
Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147
Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148
Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149
Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150
Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151
Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167
Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172
Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173
Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175
Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176
Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204
Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205
Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206

Treasure · March 11, 2023

Just now, Treasure said:

Enjoying your review very much, we sail on the Crown to Alaska in June. So nice to get a tour from you of the ship before we board. Would like to know what time the shows are in the theater in the evening so that we can decide on our dining time? Thanks in advance.

travelin.sisters · March 11, 2023

Just now, Treasure said:

they are 7:30 & 9:30, but there are many other evening events as well...the Patters are all posted (or will be as I get to each day) so you can see the whole schedule

NIkkiGR · March 11, 2023

1 hour ago, travelin.sisters said:

Sea Day~March 5

Formal Night, DaVinci Dinner & a Show

Even the little bears got dressed for formal night. Canapes were delivered at 3:15 which seems way too early. They tasted fine, but were not very impressive in any way (CC was right again, but we had to try them at least once).

I think fewer people eat in the MDR on formal nights, but for whatever reason, we were able to get our table when we arrived. We are very close to Club Class Dining & whatever special thing they were having smelled very much (& deliciously) of garlic. Neither my BIL or sister knew anything about CC (or is it Reserve now?) dining & are now wondering if that is what they want in the future. There were more men in suits than on my last couple of cruises, but the usual range of attire for formal night.

Starters: bacon potato soup, duck liver pate, crab & monterey jack cheese quiche, seared walnut crusted goat cheese & greens (all good)

Entrees: roasted red snapper with yellow bell pepper bisque (snapper was overcooked, but sauce was really good), medallion of beef tenderloin (excellent & cooked to the doneness ordered)

Desserts: gourmandises (the little plate of bite size goodies the waiter brings without you ordering, like the Elite canapes, ok but never really exciting). chocolate hazelnut bar with citrus creme (this is my absolute favorite of the old chocolate journey desserts & I am so glad they haven’t ruined it yet), chocolate chip & banana brioche pudding (delicious), vanilla ice cream with pineapple sauce

This was the first night we went to the theater. I am not a big fan of comedians or concerts, but I have heard excellent things about all the evening entertainment from fellow guests. Disco: Blame it on the Boogie was the first production show of the cruise & the cast is excellent. I miss the days of a storyline for the shows rather than just musical numbers around a theme, but it was a very good show. I was surprised to see that drink service has returned to the theater. We went through the casino to get back to our room, & I thought it was not as smoky, until...we got inthe elevator & I started coughing from all the smoke caught in my mask (yes we are among those few who are still wearing masks.

List of my posts in this LIVE:

Introduction~post 1

Pre-cruise: packing~post 10

Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29

Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43

Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67

Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69

Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70

Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75

Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78

Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89

Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104

Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114

Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142

Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147

Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148

Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149

Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150

Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151

Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167

Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172

Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173

Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175

Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176

Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204

Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205

I see they are no longer advertising which desserts are the chocolate journeys on the menu. Umm those were always my favourite. We board for 28 days when you disembark. Thank you for your live

cr8tiv1 · March 11, 2023

2 hours ago, NIkkiGR said:

I see they are no longer advertising which desserts are the chocolate journeys on the menu. Umm those were always my favourite. We board for 28 days when you disembark. Thank you for your live

Don't know where I read it, but Norman Love contract expired so they can't call it Chocolate Journeys by brand name.

NIkkiGR · March 11, 2023

3 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Don't know where I read it, but Norman Love contract expired so they can't call it Chocolate Journeys by brand name.

Thank you. I will just have to trust my memory as to which desserts were once called Chocolate Journeys then

travelin.sisters · March 11, 2023

Just now, cr8tiv1 said:

Don't know where I read it, but Norman Love contract expired so they can't call it Chocolate Journeys by brand name.

Yes, the director of restaurant whatever guy said the contract expired & he didn't expect they would renew it, so that makes sense

kluv2cruz · March 12, 2023

On 3/9/2023 at 9:14 AM, travelin.sisters said:

One (of many) advantage of the Hawai’i itinerary is that even if you board exhausted &/or frazzled, you have 4 days at sea to relax & recover before the islands where you might run for 4 days.

Bam. You nailed it. Love Hawaii cruises. And this is why.

travelin.sisters · March 12, 2023

Sea Day~March 6

Another Beautiful Morning

Because of the time change, I was up early again so went down to the International Cafe to see if they had any pistachio croissants (sadly, they never have them in the buffet). On the way I stopped at the customer service desk (it was empty but someone came out of the office as I approached). I said that in the app, I had requested a handheld shower head & we were ok without it, but I was wondering if they really were available.She said that it was not a problem, took the room number & said it would not be right away. I believe we had the showerhead before lunch, but I know it was that day. The showerhead is delightful! Not only can you take it off the holder & direct the spray wherever you wish, It also, when on the holder, rains down from the center of the shower stall which is so much nicer in that tiny shower. It is adjustable with several settings & has a switch to turn off the water flow. Since we are on the subject of Princess showers, my sister loves the way you can set the temperature separately from turning the shower on & off (then the temp is the same every time you shower) so much that when we redid their bathroom last year it had to have that feature.

Breakfast was in the buffet again. The buffet is almost completely self-service now. On our recent cruises last year, we got used to things in single serving dishes. Now those have basically vanished for big serve-your-own dishes. Even things that were served in’ the days before’ are self-serve…there is a big toasting machine to toast your own bread, bagels, etc...bacon & eggs, oatmeal…even the carving station at lunch, they now will carve a bunch & leave it to serve yourself. There is also no one at the entrance to the buffet, telling people to use sanitizer & handing out plates. This is just one of several areas where it becomes apparent that staffing is not what it once was.

On the way to the buffet, I noticed that the pools on either side of the central Lido deck elevators were open & there were even people swimming that early…it is obviously getting warmer as we approach Hawai’i. The Stanley Bears even changed into their warm weather clothes & hung out on the balcony.

In crafting class, I finally got my popcorns done & started adding the fluff. While we were there there was an emergency announcement for some crew team to report to the Horizon Court Galley. Not long after, Captain Ruggero, who always apologizes for disturbing us, wanted to let us know that there was a problem with a solenoid in the kitchen that created some smoke, but that it was handled. He really is good about communicating at least some details about what is happening.

List of my posts in this LIVE:

Introduction~post 1
Pre-cruise: packing~post 10
Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29
Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43
Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67
Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75
Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78
Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89
Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104
Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114
Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142
Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147
Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148
Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149
Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150
Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151
Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167
Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172
Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173
Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175
Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176
Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204
Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205
Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206
Sea Day~March 5: wrap up & random thoughts~post 208

Edited March 12, 2023 by travelin.sisters

Italy52 · March 12, 2023

@travelin.sisters, thanks a million for posting the pictures of the hand-held shower head, I appreciate you taking the time to do so.

travelin.sisters · March 12, 2023

Just now, Italy52 said:

@travelin.sisters, thanks a million for posting the pictures of the hand-held shower head, I appreciate you taking the time to do so.

you are more than welcome, I am a planner, so I also like having as much detail as possible before I go...even knowing that things are always changing

Jemnibabe · March 12, 2023

1 hour ago, travelin.sisters said:

Sea Day~March 6

Another Beautiful Morning

Because of the time change, I was up early again so went down to the International Cafe to see if they had any pistachio croissants (sadly, they never have them in the buffet). On the way I stopped at the customer service desk (it was empty but someone came out of the office as I approached). I said that in the app, I had requested a handheld shower head & we were ok without it, but I was wondering if they really were available.She said that it was not a problem, took the room number & said it would not be right away. I believe we had the showerhead before lunch, but I know it was that day. The showerhead is delightful! Not only can you take it off the holder & direct the spray wherever you wish, It also, when on the holder, rains down from the center of the shower stall which is so much nicer in that tiny shower. It is adjustable with several settings & has a switch to turn off the water flow. Since we are on the subject of Princess showers, my sister loves the way you can set the temperature separately from turning the shower on & off (then the temp is the same every time you shower) so much that when we redid their bathroom last year it had to have that feature.

Breakfast was in the buffet again. The buffet is almost completely self-service now. On our recent cruises last year, we got used to things in single serving dishes. Now those have basically vanished for big serve-your-own dishes. Even things that were served in’ the days before’ are self-serve…there is a big toasting machine to toast your own bread, bagels, etc...bacon & eggs, oatmeal…even the carving station at lunch, they now will carve a bunch & leave it to serve yourself. There is also no one at the entrance to the buffet, telling people to use sanitizer & handing out plates. This is just one of several areas where it becomes apparent that staffing is not what it once was.

On the way to the buffet, I noticed that the pools on either side of the central Lido deck elevators were open & there were even people swimming that early…it is obviously getting warmer as we approach Hawai’i. The Stanley Bears even changed into their warm weather clothes & hung out on the balcony.

In crafting class, I finally got my popcorns done & started adding the fluff. While we were there there was an emergency announcement for some crew team to report to the Horizon Court Galley. Not long after, Captain Ruggero, who always apologizes for disturbing us, wanted to let us know that there was a problem with a solenoid in the kitchen that created some smoke, but that it was handled. He really is good about communicating at least some details about what is happening.

List of my posts in this LIVE:

Introduction~post 1

Pre-cruise: packing~post 10

Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29

Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43

Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67

Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69

Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70

Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75

Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78

Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89

Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104

Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114

Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142

Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147

Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148

Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149

Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150

Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151

Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167

Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172

Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173

Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175

Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176

Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204

Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205

Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206

Sea Day~March 5: wrap up & random thoughts~post 208

Thank you so very much for showing us the hand held shower. Looks just perfect. Glad you are having a great cruise. We will be boarding the Crown when you get off so really enjoying all your pictures. Thanks again.

travelin.sisters · March 12, 2023

Just now, Jemnibabe said:

Thank you so very much for showing us the hand held shower. Looks just perfect. Glad you are having a great cruise. We will be boarding the Crown when you get off so really enjoying all your pictures. Thanks again.

you are welcome, I would love to be going on that cruise, we were supposed to do Hawai'i, Tahiti & Samoa in March 2020 but...

travelin.sisters · March 12, 2023

Sea Day~March 6

Pub Lunch & Elite Tea, Oh My!

Somehow, I didn’t plan very well & ordered my sissy’s elite tea delivery on the same day as pub lunch. Oh well, we are seasoned cruisers & will not be defeated by two large british meals in one afternoon!

We arrived for pub lunch about half an hour before they opened & the line was all the way into the Casino. Fortunately they started seating even before opening time & we were seated really quickly. The waiter couldn’t find our lunch pre-oader (because of allergies) but was able to get our order & our food served very fast. As we were eating he mentioned it was good we were among the first because there was a long line of waiters trying to pickup fish & chips as it was the most popular entree. We ended up being only a couple of minutes late for ‘ukulele.

Starter: chunky yellow split pea soup (kind of ugly, but delicious)

Entrees: fish & chips (not great…the fish was tough & it was more like a tempura batter than what I expect of a fish & chips batter), scotch egg (my sissy said she would eat it again)

Desserts: bread & butter pudding (good), sherry trifle (good, could taste the sherry), jam roly poly (this one was strange…it was like they took a slice of crustless whit bread & rolled it flat, then put jam in the middle, rolled it up & sprinkled it with sugar & toasted it…it was very sweet)

Tea was very impressive. When I called they asked what type of tea from a pretty decent list, if she wanted juice, milk &/or sugar…we did not know what to expect & were pretty amazed when the person arrived bringing multiple trays of goodies. I guess unlike the canapes, they thought she would share her tea as there were two cups (but only one juice) & enough food that three of us could not eat it all.

We put all the food on two trays just to show how much there was

Tea with milk, lemon & artificial sweeteners, apple juice

Tuna, egg, smoked salmon & one other kind of sandwich

Two kinds of scones with jam & butter (or clotted cream)

A lot of cookies

Cream puff swans & opera cakes

List of my posts in this LIVE:

Introduction~post 1
Pre-cruise: packing~post 10
Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29
Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43
Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67
Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75
Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78
Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89
Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104
Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114
Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142
Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147
Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148
Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149
Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150
Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151
Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167
Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172
Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173
Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175
Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176
Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204
Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205
Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206
Sea Day~March 5: wrap up & random thoughts~post 208
Sea Day~March 6: another beautiful morning~post 216

cr8tiv1 · March 12, 2023

I didn't realize there were 2 kinds of scones. And yes, pub lunch is now being served in the MDR on a sea day. Really does conflict with Tea Service (also only served on Sea Days). But what are your chances of picking Pub Lunch and Tea Service on the one out of 10 sea days...

Glad you were able to enjoy both.

Do you have to request it the day before or the morning of?

Edited March 12, 2023 by cr8tiv1

travelin.sisters · March 13, 2023

Just now, cr8tiv1 said:

I didn't realize there were 2 kinds of scones. And yes, pub lunch is now being served in the MDR on a sea day. Really does conflict with Tea Service (also only served on Sea Days). But what are your chances of picking Pub Lunch and Tea Service on the one out of 10 sea days...

Glad you were able to enjoy both.

Do you have to request it the day before or the morning of?

odds are probably about the same as missing half our ports🤣

they would have done it the day I called, but we had it later

it is nice that they do the pub lunch in the MDR because you don't have to stand in line forever to get one of limited numbers of seats...too much eating to do....so very many choices!

travelin.sisters · March 13, 2023

Sea Day~March 6

Patter, Weather, Progress & Photo of the Day

Almost to the islands & the weather is great! Seas did start getting rockyagain as we got closer to Oahu. We are glad that it looks like we may not have rain in Honolulu.

List of my posts in this LIVE:

Introduction~post 1
Pre-cruise: packing~post 10
Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29
Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43
Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67
Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75
Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78
Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89
Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104
Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114
Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142
Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147
Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148
Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149
Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150
Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151
Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167
Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172
Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173
Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175
Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176
Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204
Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205
Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206
Sea Day~March 5: wrap up & random thoughts~post 208
Sea Day~March 6: another beautiful morning~post 216
Sea Day~March 6: pub lunch & elite tea, oh my!~post 221

travelin.sisters · March 13, 2023

Sea Day~March 6

DaVinci Dinner

We thought maybe our dining room confusion was a thing of the past, but there was a little hiccup again tonight. Our table was still occupied when we arrived, but they gave us a table next to our waiter’s section & had him take care of us.

Sometimes I look around the dining room at meals & wonder where the problem is; meals are slow & take way too long, there are empty tables, but people are waiting in lines to be seated, ordered items never appear…there is something not quite right with the way they are managing but I am not sure what it is.

Starters: (I didn't get them all because I had to go back to the room to get motion sickness pills for one of my people & they started eating without me!) roasted garlic cream soup (tasted mostly like cream of potato soup), beet salad (good...interesting the way they put the dressing on the side in a puddle), caesar salad (on the Crown it is back to normal…no kale unless you ask for it..but it did have the chickpea croutons rather than the bread ones…if you notice the pitiful croutons on the soup, it is no loss not to have them in the salad)

Entrees: roasted guinea fowl with thyme jus (pretty good, a little gamey taste if you like that), seared salmon with beurre blanc (I liked it, although I thought the beurre blanc was a strange sauce for the salmon, BIL thought it was overcooked)

Desserts: black forest cake (pretty good)

List of my posts in this LIVE:

Introduction~post 1
Pre-cruise: packing~post 10
Pre-cruise: booking & trip prep~post 29
Pre-cruise: last day stuff & weather~ post 43
Embarkation Day~March 2: good morning, looking forward to boarding~post 67
Embarkation. Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Star (19), Sky (18) & Sport (17) decks aft~post 69
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Sun Deck (16) with Sports & Sky Decks midship & forward~post 70
Embarkation Day~March 2: exploring the Crown Princess~Lido Deck (15)~post 75
Embarkation Day~March 2: back to the cabin~Aloha Deck (12)~post 78
Embarkation Day~March 2: the papers & the patter~post 89
Embarkation Day~March 2: DaVinci dinner~post 104
Embarkation Day~March 2: wrap up & random thoughts~post 114
Sea Day~March 3: good (very early) morning~post 142
Sea Day~March 3: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 147
Sea Day~March 3: mid-morning adventures~post 148
Sea Day~March 3: lunch & a (mostly) lazy afternoon~post 149
Sea Day~March 3: DaVinci dinner~post 150
Sea Day~March 3: wrap up & random thoughts~post 151
Sea Day~March 4: a (not so early) morning & DaVinci breakfast~post 167
Sea Day~March 4 buffet lunch & afternoon adventures~post 172
Sea Day~March 4: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 173
Sea Day~March 4: DaVinci dinner & evening~post 175
Sea Day~March 4: wrap up & random thoughts~post 176
Sea Day~March 5: another relaxing day & Salty Dog Grill lunch~post 204
Sea Day~March 5: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 205
Sea Day~March 5: formal night, DaVinci dinner & a show~post 206
Sea Day~March 5: wrap up & random thoughts~post 208
Sea Day~March 6: another beautiful morning~post 216
Sea Day~March 6: pub lunch & elite tea, oh my!~post 221
Sea Day~March 6: patter, weather, progress & photo of the day~post 224

Edited March 13, 2023 by travelin.sisters

Live from the Crown Princess–r/t LA-Hawai’i–March 2-17, 2023

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Sea Day~March 6

Another Beautiful Morning

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Sea Day~March 6: another beautiful morning~post 216

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DaVinci Dinner

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