January 2025 Hawai'i Cruise
Itinerary
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| January 3 | Leave San Francisco's Pier 27 |
| January 4 | At sea |
| January 5 | At sea |
| January 6 | At sea |
| January 7 | At sea |
| January 8 | Hilo on the Big Island |
| January 9 | Honolulu, Oahu |
| January 10 | Kahului, Maui |
| January 11 | Nawiliwili (near Lihue), Kaua'i |
| January 12 | At sea |
| January 13 | At sea |
| January 14 | At sea |
| January 15 | At sea |
| January 16 | At sea |
| January 17 | Ensenada, Mexico |
| January 18 | At sea |
| January 19 | Return to San Francisco |
Background
For about two years, I had been thinking about going on a cruise. What finally sparked the interest was a friend of ours, Moira from the Age Well Center, who was embarking on a massive 3½-year round-the-world cruise on the Villa Vie Residences' first residential ship, the Odyssey! Over the next few months, I would ask her friends how the trip was going. In addition to Moira, my good friend Lucy—whom I have known since the eighties—had been going on multiple cruises a year and constantly encouraging me to give it a try.
One day, Helen and I were sitting with Vic and Doris when the subject of cruising came up. It turns out Vic and Doris go on four or more cruises a year! Now I was officially hooked.
Over the following months, our group at the Age Well Center grew very close. We ate together almost every day, and during the Spring of 2024, we started having a weekly Sunday potluck in Vic and Doris's huge backyard. Vic saw my interest and started pushing me to join them on a cruise to Hawaii in January 2025. After talking it over, Helen and I finally bit the bullet in July and signed up for a 16-day Hawaii cruise on the Ruby Princess!
The Cruise
What a wonderful trip we had! The 16 days went by in an absolute flash. The Ruby Princess, even though an older ship, was fantastic. Despite having around 3,000 passengers and 1,000 crew members, it never once felt crowded. At 947 feet long, 118 feet wide, and spanning 19 decks, everyone was really spread out. It felt no more crowded than a typical indoor shopping mall on a regular weekend.
Arriving at San Francisco's Pier 27
Vic knew the ultimate trick for avoiding port traffic! When a cruise ship arrives, thousands of passengers disembark, creating a massive traffic jam of personal cars, taxis, shuttles, Ubers, and Lyfts. Vic completely bypassed this by dropping us off across the street at the Fog City Diner. We simply walked across the street—no fuss, no long lines of cars to deal with! Brilliant! After dropping us off, his brother Phil drove the car back home and picked us up at the exact same location when we returned.
We arrived around 10:30 AM, just as the last passengers were leaving the ship. There were zero lines! We walked right up to the check-in counter and picked up our Princess Medallions. We were handed a boarding group "C" card, which thoroughly confused me. Immediately after receiving it, they called boarding group "A." Not knowing any better, I just walked right on! Helen, not wanting to lose me, followed right behind and hid the card. Sometimes ignorance is a blessing! Vic and Doris, who are Elite members, boarded early and caught right up with us.
Medallions
The Medallions are used for absolutely everything on board! They magically unlock your cabin door as you approach, pay for items purchased on the ship, keep track of your location (the Princess App can be used to find shipmates), and ensure everyone who gets off at a port makes it back on safely. It is an amazing piece of technology that made the experience incredibly seamless.
Our First Few Hours On-board
Once on board, our first priority was dropping our luggage in the room. Even though it was only 11:00 AM (the check-in was impressively fast) and rooms aren't technically ready until 1:00 PM, Vic marched right to the cabins anyway. Helen and my room was miraculously ready, so we dropped our bags and followed Vic and Doris to their room. Theirs wasn't ready yet, but they dropped their luggage off anyway amidst a few grumbles from the crew, which they happily ignored!
The next order of business was heading to the Botticelli main dining room for lunch. Most rookies head straight to the Buffet because that is where the crew directs them. However, those "in the know" head to the only main dining room open for lunch! I was really looking forward to this, as they always serve a phenomenal beef tenderloin and an orange soufflé for dessert on embarkation day.
After lunch, Vic and Doris took us on a massive tour of the ship. We went forward, we went aft, we went up several decks, and we came down a few decks. After all that walking, Helen and I were exhausted!
However, we had to complete one final, crucial task before the ship could depart: watching the safety video in our cabins. Security actually knows you complete this because your medallion registers you in the cabin, and the TV system reports that you watched the video. It sounds a bit "Big Brother," but it is infinitely better than standing on deck for an hour doing manual safety drills like before the pandemic!
After the video, we had to physically locate our muster station and tap our medallions on the security phone to prove we knew where to go. Ours was at the entrance to the casino.
Departing San Francisco
The ship was scheduled to depart at 4:00 PM, and after an hour of final preparations, we were officially underway at 5:00 PM!
Vic originally took us up to deck 16 for a view of our departure, but a friend he met on a previous cruise tipped us off that the bow of the ship was open! Vic had never been on the bow before, so he led the way. This was the only time during the entire trip I saw the bow open.
The area we were allowed to access was one deck above the bridge, stretching from the outer edge of the port wing to the starboard wing. It was the absolute best place to watch the action!
Ship Board Activities
Our sea days flew by because there were always so many fun activities. A typical "at sea" day looked like this:
- 7:00 AM: Wake-up
- 8:00 AM: Meet in the Botticelli main dining room for breakfast
- 10:00 AM: Attend an "Enrichment" seminar in the Princess Theater
- 11:00 AM: Attend a "Science" seminar
- 12:00 PM: Grab soup for lunch in the International Cafe
- 1:00 PM: Play Rummikub or Mahjong with Doris and Vic
- 3:30 PM: Walk two miles around the deck (2.5 laps equals 1 mile)
- 5:00 PM: Dinner in the Da Vinci Main Dining Room
- 7:30 PM: Catch the evening show in the Princess Theater
- 9:00 PM: Go to bed!
Helen and Doris frequently mixed up the schedule by participating in shipboard activities like watercolor painting and ukulele lessons instead of the morning seminars.
Meanwhile, Vic and I would wander the ship, exploring every hidden cubby hole. One day, we stumbled across a snack bar on deck 15 handing out free ice cream! While we enjoyed our free desserts, we watched other passengers paying up to $10 for super-duper sundaes that were so massive they couldn't even finish them. We made up for it by ordering multiple fancy (and free) desserts in the main dining room at dinner!
On the very last day, there is a hilarious, traditional cook-off between the Director of Restaurants and the Head Chef. It was incredibly comical watching the Director sloppily struggle to keep up with the Chef's precision! Afterward, they offered a fantastic behind-the-scenes kitchen tour. Here is what we saw:
Dining During the Cruise
As everyone knows, cruises are all about the food! We had so many spectacular meals. Breakfast was usually in the Botticelli main dining room on the Fiesta deck (deck 6) at the very aft end of the ship. For dinner, we had a "requested" table (#455) in the Da Vinci main dining room, also on deck 6 in the middle of the ship.
Even though there were four of us, we requested a table for six and noted we were "willing to share." This turned out to be a brilliant decision! We met so many interesting people, including a wonderful couple, Rose and Ron from Albuquerque, NM. By the second week, they were eating dinner with us almost every night, and eventually even joined us for breakfast. Knowing that one of them is definitely not an early riser, it took considerable effort for them to meet us in the morning, and we truly appreciated it!
Our phenomenal wait staff made every meal a joy. Our waiter, Anesu from Zimbabwe, and his assistant, Nene from South Africa, took incredible care of us. One evening, I mentioned I wanted soft-crusted bread instead of the hard rolls. Nene marched back to the kitchen and found soft Hawaiian rolls just for me! For the rest of the cruise, he always kept a stack of soft rolls nearby because the rest of the table started wanting them too!
Anesu had actually been Vic and Doris's assistant waiter on a Mexico cruise months prior. Once he realized we specifically wanted table #455 every night just so he and Nene would be our servers, he made sure no one else sat there, even if we were running a few minutes late! Thank you, Anesu and Nene!
I also have to highlight Ferdinand, the restaurant manager. Out of the thousands of passengers, he quickly began recognizing us! He always greeted us with a massive smile in the morning and personally escorted us to Anesu's section. Ferdinand is Filipino, just like Vic. Initially, he thought Vic was Chinese, but when he found out they shared the same heritage, he treated us even better! On the last night, Ferdinand surprised our table with a massive, specially prepared bowl of authentic Sinigang soup. It was packed with huge shrimp, fish, and vegetables in an absolutely outstanding broth. It was such a special gesture, and both Vic and I made sure to leave him a huge tip! Thank you, Ferdinand!
Island Hopping
For four straight days, we hopped from island to island! We started on the Big Island of Hawai'i, sailed to Oahu, then Maui, and finished on Kaua'i.
During an enrichment seminar, I asked the Captain why we sailed past certain islands only to return the next day. He explained that port stops are rigidly planned three years in advance by a committee of cruise lines to ensure there is enough port space for everyone!
A couple of months before the trip, I reserved rental cars for every island. Helen and I had actually been on the Big Island a month prior for a JEDEC meeting, and I had discovered a phenomenal audio tour app called Guide Along. It uses GPS to automatically narrate history and point out interesting sights as you drive. I highly recommend it!
Big Island
Our first port was Hilo. We grabbed our rental car, fired up the Guide Along app, and headed straight to Volcanoes National Park! We were hoping to see active lava, but the small eruptions had unfortunately occurred two weeks prior (and naturally started again a week after we left!). We still had a fantastic time driving around the edge of the Kilauea crater.
On the way back to the ship, we stopped at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut farm. They have a beautiful nature walk winding through tropical fruit trees. We bought a bag of their famous chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, but they were a bit pricey. Luckily, a few days later on Maui, we found the exact same nuts on sale at a Longs Drug Store (CVS) and stocked up!
Oahu
We skipped the crowds at Pearl Harbor and headed to the Dole Pineapple Plantation instead! We rode the Pineapple Express train on a two-mile loop to see the various crops, took a beautiful garden tour, and naturally, had to eat their famous Dole Pineapple Whip!
Fun fact: The Dole Whip was invented by a newly hired college grad tasked with creating a frozen pineapple dessert for the Dole pavilion at Disneyland! It became so wildly popular that Dole started marketing it everywhere. Its secret to success? It is dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, cholesterol-free, and low-fat!
After the plantation, we drove along the stunning coast and ended the day at the beautiful, idyllic Japanese cemetery.
Maui
Maui is our absolute favorite island! We have been fortunate enough to visit almost every December for the past 30 years for the final JEDEC meeting of the year. This year the meeting was moved to the Big Island, so we were thrilled to step foot back on Maui during the cruise.
As we were pulling out of the rental car lot, Doris enthusiastically announced she wanted to drive to the 13,000-foot peak of Haleakala! We agreed instantly, completely forgetting how freezing it gets at the summit! We started the drive in a balmy 75°F wearing shorts and short sleeves, and arrived at the top to a biting 47°F! Needless to say, we did not stay at the top for very long! 😁
I have been to the top of Haleakala many times, and it is very rarely sunny. Today was one of those rare, perfectly clear days. It was spectacular looking down into the sunlit crater!
Kaua'i
Helen and I had never been to Kaua'i! Our good friends, Dee Dee & Jeff (and Helen's brothers, Harold & Robert), visit constantly and rarely go to any other island. They have been trying to convince me to go for years, but I always stuck to Maui. We finally got to see what all the fuss was about!
Vic and Doris have visited Kaua'i several times, always attempting to see Waimea Canyon, but it was completely fogged in every single time. Our luck was phenomenal—there was zero fog and brilliant sunshine! It was the absolute perfect day to witness the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific."
The only downside was the hefty entry fee. Hawai'i parks charged $10 per vehicle plus $5 per person, costing us $30 just to park! Luckily, the pass covered all four lookouts, and I must admit, the facilities were incredibly clean and well-maintained.
Ensenada, Mexico
I had never been to Ensenada and was incredibly excited! Rose and Ron joined us for this excursion.
As we left the ship, everyone was directed to the $4 shuttle buses for the one-mile trip downtown. We took the bus into town, but the walk was so short and pleasant that we actually walked all the way back and never even used our return tickets!
Being retired pharmacists, Vic and Doris led us straight to the local drug stores to stock up on antibiotics to keep on hand for future cruises. It is wild that these same medications require a prescription and cost a fortune in the USA, but are inexpensive and sold "over the counter" in Mexico!
After securing our "drug fix," we happily wandered the streets and browsed the shops for a few hours before having to be back on board by 4:00 PM. We didn't buy much—Vic got a belt, Helen got a massive bottle of vanilla, and that was about it!
So, why did a Hawaiian cruise stop in Mexico? It is entirely due to the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA) of 1886! This law mandates that foreign-registered cruise ships traveling between US ports must make a stop at a foreign port to protect domestic maritime shipping from foreign competition.
Ruby Princess, Exterior
A few spectacular shots of the massive exterior of the ship.
Ruby Princess, Interior
A few shots of the beautiful inside of the ship.
Our Cabin Location
We scored an absolutely incredible cabin! Being close to the water line meant the pitching and yawing of the ship was completely negligible. Plus, being on Deck 5 (Plaza deck), we were on the exact same floor as the International Cafe! It was dangerously easy to grab a free gourmet cookie or dessert. Deck 5 is also the lowest level of The Piazza, placing us right in the beating heart of the ship.
Towel Animals
We hit the absolute jackpot with our room steward, Joemar! I politely asked him if we could have a towel animal every day. It turns out Joemar had been making towel animals for 15 years and was an absolute master! Every afternoon when we returned, a brand new animal was waiting for us, and the older ones had miraculously "moved" to new spots around the room. He went so far above and beyond, and we made sure to leave him a fantastic tip!
Conclusion
Helen and I had an unbelievably fantastic time on this trip. For our very first cruise, it truly could not have been any better!
One of the absolute highlights was meeting all the wonderful, interesting people at our dinner table—especially Rose and Ron! We hit it off with them instantly and sincerely hope our paths cross again.
I enjoyed the experience so much that before the trip was even over, I booked two Future Cruise Deposits! One is already locked in for an epic 2026 adventure:
| Destination: | 17 Day | Panama Canal - Ocean to Ocean |
| Ship: | Ruby Princess |
| Departure: | Aug 31, 2026 from San Francisco, CA |
| Arrival: | September 17, 2026 at Fort Lauderdale, FL |
If you are interested in joining us on this next epic journey, consider booking it through my excellent cruise agent. Just tell him you want to be on the exact same Panama Canal cruise as Charles Furnweger!
Vacations-To-Go
Kieffer Gatlin Jr
800-338-4962 ext. 8889
kgatlin@vacationstogo.com