A Voyage Round Hawaii – Travel Review
By Roger Crow, June 2025
Hawaii had long been on the to-do list of dream holiday locations. When some cruising friends said they were booked on the Ruby Princess from San Francisco to Hawaii, Mrs C and I didn’t have to think too hard about joining them, and about 3000 other passengers.
We flew from Leeds-Bradford to Dublin, and then San Francisco. Clearing customs in Dublin made life easier. Then once at San Fran, it was a case of getting the equivalent of a tube train to the Embarcadero (the main transport terminus if you like); walking for a mile to our hotel, and then spending a couple of days savouring all the city had to offer. I’d recommend a catamaran tour of the bay, and Princess also do a fabulous coach trip to Sausalito, which we saved for docking when we returned.
“This crew were second to none”
By the Friday, we were ready to board, and it was rather easy. It had been nine years since my trip on the Ruby Princess, and it’s still one of the best ships in the fleet. This crew were second to none, especially the waiters in the assorted restaurants, and the entertainment staff. The food is consistently great, though the battered fish could have done with a little longer. However, foodwise, the pros far outweighed the cons.
Okay, some of the shows feel a little tired. Magic To Do, a Steven Schwartz musical, felt both dated and relevant as it features Defying Gravity. Not sure we needed the magic tricks that went with it, but the theatre was packed out most nights, and there seemed to be many happy punters. We also experienced an excellent stand-up comic; assorted stage shows, and a not bad Elton John/Billy Joel tribute, as well as a one-woman ABBA tribute.
“Dreamy”
There needs to be plenty to do on this trip because you have four days at sea each way. And the port excursions range from the superb to the okay. One of the highlights was Honolulu. I’d recommend getting a taxi as soon as you arrive to Pearl Harbor. We had a pre-booked tour of the USS Arizona, while the rest of the site is as moving and fascinating as you’d expect.
Following which, a bus to Waikiki Beach is a must and won’t cost the Earth. Our drivers were fabulous, and it’s great to see the local commuters, most of which were suspiciously happy. Was it something in the water, or just the fact Honolulu really was as dreamy as the holiday blurb suggests? Based on a few hours there, I’d say the latter. You can get lunch at a super expensive restaurant, but we opted for a couple of burgers at a great market that didn’t break the bank.
“Sometimes less really is more”
Mrs C booked a movie tour of Kauai, where the likes of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park and Tropic Thunder were filmed, so I was in my element.
Maui was also fun. We took a free bus to the relatively local mall, and had a beer at happy hour while pottering around the shops. Okay, not super ambitious, but not every shore excursion has to be an event. Sometimes less really is more.
Hilo is also a great excursion, whether walking through a lava tunnel, or experiencing the sights, there’s a little of something for everyone.
Extracts from my diary..
April 9: Hilo – Saw a volcano, visited a macadamia factory and walked through a lava tunnel.
April 10: Cheers from Maui (Kahului). After a three-hour Movies under the Stars session of Avengers Endgame last night under the moon and aptly stars, docked around 7.30am. Caught a free bus from the dock (where Tommy used to work). Went to the aquarium, which bore the unforgettable icons on the window of no guns and no bikinis – stressed with red Ghostbuster rings crossed through. Guns and bikinis no doubt being equally lethal. But didn’t do said aquarium. Happy hour at a local bar, then a walk round the harbour before back to the ship. Saw a crab. More quizzing and calorific shenanigans this evening. Honolulu tomorrow, where the Magnum PI shirt is debuted.
April 11: Aloha from Honolulu, around 7,051 miles from Yorkshire, as the Crows fly. It makes you want to shout, but not very loudly as it’s just gone 6am. Pearl Harbour later, but the real thing, not the overly art directed Michael Bay movie. Talking of which, it was a draw in the movie quiz last night. The tie breaker was ‘name the amount of Hitchcock movies with one-word title’. We both guessed four, then five. It was a lot more and so we admitted defeat after it was around 15.
April 12: 10.45pm departure from Honolulu after a fabulous party by the iconic Aloha tower. One of those jam-packed days from racing to Pearl Harbour in a taxi, exploring the memorial of the USS Arizona; catching a bus to Waikiki, and then back to the ship. Now arriving at our last Hawaiian port for a movie tour.
April 13: Not every day you see the actual Raiders mountain, or the dino fields from Jurassic Park, or visit the place which inspired Puff the Magic Dragon, or pass Pierce Brosnan’s house, or Mark Zuckerberg’s vast wagyu ranch. Amazing tour of Kaua’i, ending our Hawaii trip on a high five O. Eighties night tonight, then several days at sea before Ensenada, Mexico.
“Standing room only”
April 14: Day 12 on the Ruby Princess? Who knows. Somewhere between Hawaii and Mexico. Met the ship’s captain last night as we’ve finally reached that level of repeat custom where that’s a thing. One more trip and I’ll actually be driving the thing, while tasting a cake with spaghetti? Prunes? It’s a Carry On Cruising ref, but you knew that. My outfit was part William Holden in Towering Inferno and part Steve Martin in Three Amigos. The shoes were by Dune, which was apt as that’s what I wound up watching under the stars – or an hour of part two before bed. It was standing room only in the ABBA quiz last night, but didn’t stop us from being one of three victors with full marks. So yes, it was a case of the winners take it all as we continue on our Voyage. Another sea day today, which means a spell in the gym to try and counteract the vast quantities of food and beverages that my body can absorb. It’s like a Mr Creosote convention on here sometimes.
April 15: Typically random day. Gym, quiz, bingo, bonkers movie Flight Risk, five mins of sunbathing, top dinner, Queen quiz (won with full marks), ABBA tribute care of Jane Krakowski lookalike, and silent disco to round off the night. We gain another hour tonight. Three thousand guests, 1000 staff and a seemingly endless supply of cheese, coffee and beer. It’s like the end of the 2012 movie with less peril, and more obesity.
April 16: One of those lazy days on the Ruby in which many attempted to come to terms with gaining an hour, consoling themselves with posh coffee and ridiculously strong booze while enduring some half-baked quizzes. On the plus side, we almost won the Elvis one, but Enigma code breakers would have had a job winning the Disney one. Or understanding most of the questions. Dinner was so good I applauded anyone with an official badge who had anything vaguely to do with it. Tenderloin pork with Hoi sin sauce, and an addition of satay sauce left over from veggie spring rolls. Pretty, pretty good.
“Every day was a bargain”
April 17: Three miles on the treadmill yesterday to counteract all the amazing food and beverages, which would have been fine if I hadn’t been persuaded to take part in a dance-off that evening… in the main atrium, overseen by hundreds. We gained/lost another hour last night ahead of our arrival in Ensenada tomorrow.
April 18: Good morning from Ensenada. First sighting of land since we left Kua’i about four days ago. It’s cold. Robert Redford’s film All is Lost was shot here movie fans. Last stop on the tour before we dock back in San Francisco on Sunday. We’re off to a blow hole. Make up your own gags about that.
Anyway, you get the idea. Cruising from San Francisco to Hawaii is not cheap, like most things that are worthwhile in life. However, penny for penny, every day was a bargain on the ship, with a spotless cabin, incredible waiting staff, and an entertainment crew that pulled out all the stops to ensure we had the best time possible. Would we do it again? In a heartbeat.
Images: Rachel Crow
