My Five Favorite Activities on the Grand Princess Cruise to Hawaii
Dear Polite Traveler,
There
are not many phrases a person wants to hear more than “You are a winner!” Another would be “The painting is yours,”
especially when it is a painting dear to one’s heart and at a remarkable
price. Well, I experienced this and many
more enjoyable and exciting adventures on our last Princess Cruise. This time, it was the 15-day cruise to the
Hawaiian Islands on the Grand Princess.
Note: Follow CDC and Princess guidelines when
visiting. Always wear your face mask
when in public.
Princess
Fine Arts Program
 |
Princess Cruises teamed up with the creditable Park West Galleries to provide educational art seminars, which include art history and art auctions. I never imagined myself as a serious art collector, as my discretionary funds don’t line up with my taste in art. Nevertheless, our Art Director, Naomi Baldwin made me deals I couldn’t refuse. Although those deals were presented to the entire auction, it felt individualized. Naomi and her team, (Martin, Chantel and
Bianca) are experts in learning the taste of each “regular” and presenting
incredible opportunities to own those pieces.
Attendees
to the seminars and many of the auctions receive packets of art that include a
sheet of authenticity and information about each artist. If one attends all functions, he or she
receives a huge packet of art. I was in
art heaven. Effy Jewelry
Seminars & Raffles Attracted
by the opportunity to win a piece of jewelry is intoxicating. But winning an Effy piece...pure
delight. That’s not to say that everyone
wins or that the pieces are exceptionally perfect. Nevertheless, it’s great fun and I did win—twice. As
much fun as the raffles were, the seminars were even more so. As mentioned before, my budget is not one
that allows such extravagances, but learning about gemstones and the methods
jewelers use to increase the value of each piece of jewelry was enlightening. If I was to purchase something outside my
typical budget, I would want to know if it was worth the price. These seminars/classes helped. Of course, I did find out that I have great
taste. Everything I loved was the
priciest pieces. Figures. |
  |
| Zumba Instructors |
Zumba!
Those
of you who have read my previous posts about cruising know just how much I LOVE
Zumba. Yep, love in all caps. And this cruise didn’t disappoint. There wasn’t just one morning Zumba
class. There were two—two chances to
dance off Horizon Court Buffet excesses. These classes were held back-to-back and
directed by excellent, professional-level Zumba instructors. As someone who wiggles her behind to music
every day, I found these classes first-rate.
 |
| I am top left in this Hula Class |
Hula
Ever
wonder what message hula dancers are attempting to convey? Those who participated in Rowena’s hula
classes know exactly that now. She was
more than just a hula dance teacher, though.
She held extensive Hawaiian Cultural Awareness seminars and nightly
entertainment. In fact, she and her
husband, Brian, were all over the ship sharing aloha day and night.
Her classes were enjoyable and stimulating, as she taught us Hawaiian culture during these sessions as well. One of her early lessons was responding to the command, “Kaukaukau,” which means “make ready.” The appropriate response is “Ae”.
Ukulele
Like
many others, I love Hawaiian music. So
much so, that my favorite “Pandora” channel is Hawaiian Radio. Thus, it was natural that I would want to
participate in the ship’s ukulele classes presented by Brian. It seems that most everyone had the same thought
though, as these were extremely large classes.
It’s advisable to arrive early to secure a ukulele. Still, even if play “air ukulele” one can
learn the cords.
As
an example of how popular these classes are, many brought their own ukulele
from home. Even so, I found myself
without a ukulele often. Ultimately, I
decided to give up on the classes and study via YouTube. Brian is an excellent teacher who taught me
enough to feel comfortable doing so.
Near
the end of the cruise, all the students from both the hula and ukulele classes
participate in a performance on the big stage for the entire ship. I didn’t participate since I didn’t take all
the classes. But, my dear friend,
Elizabeth Leonard did. You can hear me
cheering for her in the video.
Future
Activities On My Checklist
Trivia. Most ships have some sort of Trivia games
going on during the day and evening. On
this particular voyage, there were multiple games each day. For example, there was a “Morning Trivia”
which was generic—typical of most trivia games. In the afternoon, there was “Cruise Long
Trivia”. These games changed each day. One day, the topic was “Movies & TV. Fun! There
were several other games held as well.
Each day, each game was a bit different.
Dance classes. Every time I plan a cruise, I promise to take dance classes. On this cruise,
there were multiple classes, besides hula.
For example, most mornings there were “Line Dance” classes. The classes held later in the day varied,
like one day it was “Merengue” and another it was “Ballroom Blitz”. Unfortunately, with so many activities onboard, I couldn’t fit any of the classes.
The same is true for most of the Discovery seminars, although I did make
it to a few.
Discover Seminars. Princess Cruise Lines has partnered with the
Discovery Channel, which means guests are treated to multiple educational
opportunities. One day, the morning
seminar was “Encounters with Discovery at Sea: Flora & Fauna of
Hawaii.” I found time to attend and
enjoyed it immensely.
There
were that many quality activities held each day, that my only regret is that I
couldn’t be in more than two places at one time.
Please
share your experiences!
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Overview of the Grand Princess to Alaska
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