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Grand in design, this magnificent vessel offers a host of delightful diversions as you see the world
Your culinary journey at sea reaches new heights with an abundance of fresh restaurant choices and dining options aboard Emerald Princess. From revitalised top deck venues like Salty Dog Grill, Slice Pizzeria and Coffee & Cones to brand new casual restaurants Steamers Seafood and Planks BBQ there’s something for every palate. Let the kids play, explore, huddle and create at the newly re-imagined Camp Discovery Youth & Teen Centres and unwind at the refreshed Sanctuary, a tranquil haven reserved for adults.
We just returned from a terrific 16-night cruise to Hawaii on the Emerald Princess (Feb 20-Mar 8, 2026). My wife and I had been to 49 states, but not Hawaii. We also like sea days. We decided to combine these two things with a cruise that had 11 sea days and four stops in Hawaii. (Technically 10 sea days, but our stop in Ensenada was a 4-hour (check the PVSA box) stop at dinner time, so really a sea day.) We booked this cruise 25 months ahead. $99 refundable deposits gave us comfort in booking so far out. With more than a year to go, we had already booked excursions, bought my wife a thermal spa pass, and soon after a reservation at Sabatini’s for our anniversary (using the web site work-around). We booked prior to the price guarantee being in effect, so when the price dropped, we re-booked. We also upgraded from a regular balcony to a premium balcony. In this case it meant the cabin was the same, but the balcony was a larger balcony on the rear of the ship. The new booking was during the price guarantee period, and the price dropped twice during this time. Our $6,400 cruise (total for the two of us) became a $4,100 cruise. The $2,300 in price drops came as $600 saved by re-booking, $400 spent on the bigger balcony and $1,300 in onboard credits (which we spent, of course). So, it really paid to pay attention! I should add that we had a Roll Call and we shared price dropping info there. Encouraged by the credits, I bid on an upgrade to Reserve Mini-Suite. The minimum bid was $345 per person, and I bid $360, which Princess called “poor.” Indeed, it was. We received an email on embarkation morning informing us that our bid had been rejected. Like many cruisers, I like to get to the port city a day early. But, since we were flying to LA from Ohio in February, and really did not want to miss this boat, we made it two days. We flew to John Wayne Airport and stayed in downtown Long Beach at the Hotel Royal. This hotel has a great location and price, and OK rooms. On embarkation day, we took an Uber to the nearby port of San Pedro. Although we were all signed up for our medallion order well in advance, something went wrong and we were assigned to the Blue Line. As we arrived around 11 am, along with pretty much everyone else, it seemed that pretty much everyone was in the Blue Line, so something must have gone wrong in a way that effected more that just us. Despite all of this, with an hour we had received our medallion, cleared security, and arrived on board. As I mentioned above, we had a regular cabin but with a larger balcony. It seemed to be about double in size, and the two reclining chairs came with footrests. As it was at the back of the ship, we got sunrise on the way to Hawaii and sunset on the way back. Since we did not want Wi-Fi and do not drink that much, we passed on a package. Out total drink costs were $410 and our gratuities were $544, totaling $954. Purchasing Plus would have cost us $2080, so it was the correct decision for us. As for the cruise, we had a great time! Our room steward took great care of us, and our waiters (same ones every night) were excellent. The food was pretty good. My vegetarian wife said her food was tasty but did not always have enough protein. We certainly never went hungry. We saw several shows and sought out the house band for good music and dancing. One time we went to the 7 pm show and it was packed. We usually went to the 9 pm show and there were always plenty of seats. We heard that 80% of the guests were over 75 years old, so perhaps that explains the early bias. I thought the entertainment was good, but not the best. Still, for 45 minutes each night, it did the trick. Thanks to Cruise Critic, we were prepared for some cooler days, especially nearer to LA. We also had a couple of rocky days and nights (think: Gilligan’s Island theme song). Luckily for us, it just lulls us to sleep at night. I am not sure everyone else felt the same way. We even ran into two women who got off in Hawaii to avoid the return trip, even though they had to pay $1,000 each to cover the PVSA fine. On the other hand, many people on the ship had taken this route multiple times. The ship had plenty of enrichment speakers, and we attended a few, including some by the Hawaiian Ambassadors, Rowena and Brian. Most of these events were well attended. The ship also had pickleball on the very top deck. With ship’s motion and the wind, it was like playing in a fun house. There was open play every morning, and one afternoon there was a tournament. The good news is that I won the tournament (and received a Princess wine stopper). The bad news is that I rolled my foot and spent the last five days on board limping around the ship. I think it is the most senior citizen injury: playing pickleball on a cruise ship! Since it was a long trip, we did laundry one time. I got to the self service early (tip: there are 4 washers and 4 dryers on the tenth floor, other floors have 2 each). I easily purchased the tokens from the token machine and for $12 two loads were washed and dried. I love that Princess has this. We celebrated our 40th anniversary on board with dinner at Sabatini’s. The food was plentiful and excellent. We wore Hawaiian clothes we bought at Hilo Hattie’s in Honolulu. We also had more than the usual amount of alcohol, three cocktails each. Later I noticed that they had billed us for a seventh drink, and I contacted guest services on the chat available in the app and the errant charge was immediately removed. Beats going to the front desk and waiting around by a mile. My wife and I had been to 49 states, but not Hawaii. As this was our first time there, we chose to lean into ship excursions. While they were a bit pricey, we took three and they were all excellent tours. On board the prices were higher and many were sold out, so I was glad to have locked in our choices earlier. Hilo: We took Volcanoes National Park and Waterfall Explorer. All of us that signed up were assigned to vans carrying no more than 12 passengers, so the on and off went quickly. We saw the lava tube and the smoldering crater, although no flowing lava that day. We also went t Rainbow and Akaka Falls. It was a very nice day. Honolulu: We wanted to visit the Arizona Memorial and tours do not include this, so we went on our own. There was no rush that afternoon as all aboard was not until 10:30 pm. We purchased our tickets to the Memorial 56 days ahead at recreation.gov ($1 each). We took an Uber to Pearl Harbor and had time to visit the museum and watch the movie before heading out to the Memorial. There are over 900 sailors entombed in the sunken battleship. It was very somber. We then took a taxi to the Punchbowl (National Cemetery of the Pacific). Very beautiful, and also somber. It is focused on WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Next, an Uber to look at the Iolani Palace and the King Kamehameha statue. For me, the statue reminds me of the (original) Hawaii 5-0 theme song. Another Uber to Hilo Hattie’s to buy some Hawaiian clothes, and yet another Uber to Waikiki Beach. We bought some food at a nearby food court and had dinner on the beach during sunset. A great ending to a fine day before another taxi back to the ship. Maui: We wanted to see the whales, so we took Whale Watching Adventure by Zodiac. This tour had us on the water for two hours. We saw groups of whales, a whale splashing the water with its tail and a baby whale. They served snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. There was a knowledgeable naturalist on board. It was easy to see the whales from the boat. Another excellent tour. Kauai: Here we took our third excellent ship’s tour, Waimea Canyon, Napali Coast & Beyond. This tour operates with vans of up to 10 passengers, although our van had just 8. In general, you can only see the Napali Coast from the air or sea. However, there is one lookout where you can see it from a road, and this tour went there. We also had multiple stops to view the canyon. The original Jurassic Park movies was filmed there, and one of the dinosaurs escaped! If you love sea days and want to see Hawaii, this is the cruise for you! Even though it was a long cruise, we were sad to leave. Princess, and the Emerald Princess, did a great job. It was a great way to celebrate our 40th anniversary and our 50th state.
Had a great experience-again- with Princess. Almost everything was great. Days at sea were terrific, and the Islands are breathtaking. The food was excellent everywhere... except at the BBQ restaurant Planks. What we had - Brisket and Ribs- were definitely not what we expected. We barely touched our plates because the brisket was extremely fatty, and the ribs had an excessive smoked flavor. On the other hand, Steamers was delightful! Our dinner there was filled with amazing flavors, and the lobster, crab, and chófer were highlights. I really didn't like the few wines I tried, so I sticked to Guiness at O'Maley's and Carajillos at the bars. I would suggest that Princess might want to pay attention to both the pools and the Jacuzzi on the 16th floor (aft). Pools were icy on 12 of the 14 days, and the Jacuzzi needed a little bit more TLC. Going back to Princess next month!
From the moment you step aboard, we want you to feel welcomed and right at home. And with attentive service from a friendly staff that knows what hospitality means, you’ll find your Princess® ship truly is your home away from home.
Photos, floor plan diagrams, amenities, and furnishings represent typical arrangements and may vary by ship and stateroom.
Indulge your appetite whenever you wish on board Princess®. Every hour, our chefs are busy baking, grilling and sautéing great-tasting fare from scratch. Princess offers unparalleled inclusive dining options throughout the ship with a wide range of culinary delights to suit any palate, from endless buffet choice to gourmet pizza, frosty treats, decadent desserts and much more.
Speciality Dining
Dining on board a Princess® cruise ship is a joyful celebration and our speciality restaurants always deliver an extraordinary experience. They are among the best at sea – or anywhere. We serve dishes made with the freshest ingredients, and our menus reflect regional flavours from around the world. You'll find our speciality restaurants are the perfect place to celebrate any occasion.
When is a cruise an opportunity to enrich? When it's a Princess cruise. This ship offers area lectures, art exhibits and classes taught by local experts.
To say the night-life on-board is entertaining is an understatement. Illuminating the stage in captivating productions, Princess Cruises performers are some of the most talented musicians, singers and dancers at sea. Our Princess Signature Shows, lounge performers, movies and casinos are just some of the entertainment our guests enjoy as they escape completely.
The many activities on-board our ships are designed to stimulate, educate, entertain, inspire and sweat - not necessarily in that order. But, guests can be sure crew onboard will do their best to cover all the bases. From art auctions to The Sanctuary Spa, this ship is loaded with fun things to do.
Passengers ages 3 to 17 will enjoy many exciting on-board activities. The Youth Centres and Teen Lounges are staffed by experienced counsellors, who are ready to ensure the youngest cruisers stay happy all day long. There’s everything from art projects, game tables, the latest movies, pizza parties, talent shows, video games, and much more.
Children under the age of 3 are welcome to visit the Youth Centre, if accompanied and supervised by a parent at all times.
