One boat. Endless adventure. This is what I learned from my Hawaii honeymoon experience on Princess Cruises.
1. Rent a car on each island
2. Get a room with a balcony. No absolute need for a suite, though. Just remember that any cabin will be much smaller than most hotel rooms.
3. Relax! Sleep in when you want to. The activities will proceed without you!
4. Pack nice clothing, including formal wear. There will be a few formal nights! (Meaning a tux or nice suit for guys, cocktail dress for ladies.) Or, you could just stay in on those nights…
5. Enjoy each other. This may likely be the best vacation of your lives.
My husband and I were married in October 2009 and knew in advance that we wanted to splurge for our honeymoon. We had no idea when we would have the time or resources to take another vacation like this again. Hours of following links on the internet led us to the same conclusion: Hawaii or bust. But as like most adventures, it’s all about the journey… and neither of us had been on a cruise before.
That led us to Princess Cruises, an obvious choice considering both the options and the budget. Even better, the embarkation and disembarkation were in Los Angeles; perfect for us California residents.
Since this was our one and only honeymoon, we agreed on the no holds barred method of financing… well, as much as we could possibly stand anyway. So that meant a mini-suite with a balcony. As much as I loved our room, the mini-suite (or any suite) option would not be mandatory for our next cruise. It was often nice to have the extra room, but honestly we didn’t use that space too often; even our room service we often enjoyed either in bed on on the balcony. Speaking of the balcony, this is a must! We will never cruise without a room with a balcony…ever. You don’t know what you’d be missing… or maybe you do. It was thrilling to sit outside on our semi-private deck, playing cards, watching the waves and eating our breakfast, lunch, dinner… or one of the myriad of snacks in between.
Speaking of food, Princess has some fantastic dining options. Choose between either buffet or sitting down to a meal with a menu that changes daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are also a few restaurants when you feel like indulging in filet mignon, lobster tail… and for only $20 each, we were able to eat whatever we desired. It was definitely worth it!
I have heard horror stories about people who took a cruise and felt obligated to attend each and every activity. But on the Princess, we didn’t feel overwhelmed in the least. Sure, there were activities every hour of the day… but participation wasn’t mandatory and that allowed us to take the time we wanted. Although, the activity that we did partake in almost every night was the aptly named Movies Under the Stars on the top deck, which played on the gigantic screen above the central swimming pool. The stewards even walked around with blankets, popcorn, chocolate chip cookies and milk!
The magic of feeling free from obligations, relaxing on our balcony and falling asleep on a deck chair lasted for 14 days. Of course, four of those days were spent visiting four Hawaiian islands: The Big Island, Kauai, Oahu and Maui (in that order). Princess offers excursions (like guided tours, etc.) that can be purchased ahead of time, even long before you board the ship, but personally I don’t recommend those for honeymooners.
Here’s my recommendation: rent a car and go exploring. Make your own adventure. These islands are small; grab a road map, get some advice from the locals, and start driving. You won’t be disappointed! Of course, just be sure to get back in time so the ship doesn’t leave without you.
Princess is perfect for honeymooners who want to get a taste of Hawaii without having to choose just one island while also enjoying the luxuries that this cruise has to offer. A huge perk is the savings: you won’t have to buy a flight to Hawaii!
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