The Crown Princess Smoking Area on this Pacific Cruise in 2023
Cruising was still relatively new to us. The previous year (2022) we embarked on a Regal Princess Transatlantic Cruise, which resulted in so much fun that before reaching Barcelona, we decided to add a Mediterranean extension that would take us to Istanbul, the Greek Islands and ports in Italy. Thirty days on the ocean, We loved the experience and decided to make long cruises a part of our vacation/travel experience.
Well we were newbies to cruising, who had no clue about ship choices and destinations. Not all cruising is the same, not even with the same cruise company. Unburdened by this lack of experience we booked a cruise departing San Pedro-Los Angeles in March 2023 to the Southern Pacific and back to LA. 28 Days! We had figured out which side of the ship would give us most suntan of our balcony during those 28 days looping the Pacific, stepping in and out of the date line and north and south of the equator and booked a mini-suite on the Starboard side of the 3,080 passenger Crown Princess.
Departing from Nashville, TN on a Delta flight into LAX, we decided to go a day early and spend the night in San Pedro, close to embarkation. That way we allowed ourselves enough time the next morning to check luggage and explore the ship before taking off.
We quickly learned that embarkation in Ft. Lauderdale is way easier than in San Pedro/Los Angeles. We also learned quickly that the layout of the Crown Princess was definitely not as attractive as the one of the Regal Princess we had sailed to Europe the previous year. The ship is quite a bit older than the Regal and it shows in the line up of restaurants, activity decks and smoking areas. We are smokers and discovered quickly that smoking areas is where you find the cool people on a cruise. Whereas the Regal Princess had its main smoking area on the top deck aft, which leaves smoke behind in the ship’s tail wind, the Crown Princess put the smokers in an interior area behind a pool bar with little escape of smoke. Quite nasty actually.
In any case we sailed out of San Pedro, the port of Los Angeles, full of excitement and anticipation. 4 Days on the water would bring us to Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. A couple of days in Honolulu and Lahaina and we would be off to Pago Pago, the International dateline, Tahiti and Mo’orea. We’re ready. Let the sunshine in.
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