Our AMAZING Hawaii vacation and POA 8/8/15 cruise...

Our AMAZING Hawaii vacation and POA 8/8/15 cruise…..

People keep asking me how our vacation was and really, ‘amazing’ is the best word to describe it.

I got a lot of great info on cruise critic so I wanted to write a review in case I could help others. Happy to answer any questions you have. Debated where to put this, the Hawaii port page verse the generic NCL page. Hope I made the right choice.

Summary –

There were four of us, myself, DH and 2 kids ages 14 and 11. The trip was a celebration for our 20th anniversary.

We left from NY on a really really long direct flight. Spent 4 days pre-cruise in Oahu, sailed 8/8/15 on the POA, and then spent another day and a half in Oahu before heading home. I’m so glad we added time to both before and after the cruise to enjoy other activities and relax a bit.

We started talking about this trip years ago. Booked the cruise last summer and really started obsessing in the fall.

Pre-Cruise-

We stayed at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach in Waikiki. Nice hotel. Good location near tons of shopping. Friendly staff. Nice lobby and shops. Walking distance to many things. Close to ‘the bus’ route.

Traffic in Oahu is crazy so we were glad we had decided against a rental car. It takes forever to get anywhere, so plan accordingly.

Spent one day doing Robert’s tour of the North Shore, Dole & Polynesian Cultural Center. It was a great way to see that all. Only down side was we only had 25 minutes at Dole. An hour would have allowed for the tram, or maze or even more shopping. The PCC was fun and educational. We had 5 ½ hours there. There is lots to see and do. We didn’t stay for the luau or night show.

We hiked up Diamond Head. It was hard but well worth it. The views are amazing. We took a cab there which was a good decision since it drops you at the entrance, instead of down the hill where the bus does. Take lots of water. Go early in the morning.

We did Germaine’s Luau. The food was really good. The location is beautiful and the night was a lot of fun. Transportation was included and our guide was very personable and funny. Included are 3 drink tickets. The drinks are a bit weak but we thought it was a nice addition for the price. At the end they sold us (optional) a great picture they took of our family upon arrive.

We did a full day at Pearl Harbor and that was very moving. I had purchased the tickets on line in advance. You can check your backpack for a $3 fee. They will let you carry in a water.

We also saw the King statue and the Palace (by bus), and had a little beach and pool time over the 4 days as well.

Dinner at Duke’s was good. Went there specifically for the Hula Pie I read about, which was well worth the trip.

Banyan and monkey pod trees are really awesome.

A cab to the port was cheaper than an arranged shuttle.

And there are ABC stores everywhere….like every corner!! They are a good place for things you forgot, souvenirs or a snack. But if you can get to a Walmart or Kmart you can get bottled water much cheaper.

The main street right near the hotel had every high end store you could imagine, Coach, Tiffany, Hermes, Niemen Marcus, Louis Vuitton, and so forth. You could spend a fortune if you had it!

Only negative of the 4 days was the hard sell and misunderstanding with the time share staff at the hotel but even that worked out in the end. Be warned, when they tell you to stop by the desk for your free gift they will usually rope you into a time share presentation. And if they promise you it will be quick…it won’t be.

Cruise-

This was our fourth cruise but first on NCL. I was a bit nervous after reading the mixed reviews but we aren’t particularly picky so I hoped for the best. We really just wanted a floating hotel and dining room. What we got was definitely more and a good experience with NCL overall.

We arrived at the port at noon and were on the ship by 12:30. Our deck 9 stateroom wasn’t available until 2:50 though. That was a bit annoying. But on the bright side shortly after getting into our room luggage started to arrive. It came a piece at a time but we had it all by 4:20 when we headed out for the safety drill.

For the few shows we made it too they were very good. We were very tired each night and didn’t do too many of the other night activities. Both kids loved the kid/teen clubs. They spent as much time there as possible. The ship was pretty full and there were tons of kids on this sailing, especially teens.

The variety of restaurants was nice and food was good. Other than desserts I would say it was pretty comparable with Royal Caribbean. We joked about not being able to find a great dessert. The brownie sundae in Cadillac was the best we found. We don’t usually do the specialty restaurants but we had the UDP so I had prebooked three nights. We did Teppanyaki – fun show but food was only fair. Cagneys though was amazing. We all left so full. And lastly we tried Moderno for the experience. The served meats were great. There was a lot of variety in what was offered. The sides were ok but nothing special. For other nights we did skyline or the aloha buffet. It was nice to be able to be casual. After long hot days on shore there were days we just didn’t want to have to change or even worry about what we looked like before eating. The buffet was nicely laid out to space things out and keep things moving. There were multiple locations to get the popular items and more than 1 drink station. Sometimes you had to look around a bit for a table but it was really only a problem the 1st Kauai morning for breakfast. With the late arrival to port, everyone seemed to be at the buffet at the same time.

The only problems we encountered during the week were dealt with quickly. Upon getting to our room there was no soap or any other items in the bathroom, including much toilet paper. A call to guest services had this rectified pretty quickly. My suitcase was broken somewhere in route from my drop-off to the room. They were nice enough to work on it during the cruise. They used epoxy to fix the cracked foot piece on the bottom. And the room had some dirty areas (desk chair, ladder to the bunk, etc) but I always travel with disinfectant wipes so I just fixed it myself.

Overall the ship was in good shape and nicely decorated. The room showed wear though. Things like scratches, paint chips or cracks. It needs updating especially in the bathroom and the balcony.

I was surprised at the lack of shops (only 3 total – jewelry, clothes and sundries) or even items in the shops. There was very little that had POA or even NCL on them. I guess I’m used to RCI ships that try to sell you everything possible with their logo on it.

The pools and other general areas were nice and as expected.

All staff were super friendly.

Other random thoughts – we packed too many clothes..but then again I always do. The binoculars, light rain jackets, power strip and flashlights all did come in handy. We got many towel animals which our youngest really liked. Even though you are not dressed up there are plenty of opportunities for them to take your picture (and sell you at an exorbitant cost). The meet and greet was well attended by a variety of ship staff. The wait for the elevators was a bit long. We climbed stairs a lot because of this which in the end might be a good thing.

There was some pretty good movement on the ship each evening. I guess I didn’t expect that since it is a relatively slow speed and close to land. We didn’t mind and the meds for my youngest had her feeling fine in no time.

I’m not sure why but we got champagne and pineapple one night, wine and pineapple another, and invited to the bow of the ship for sail away from Kauai. Not sure how we got so lucky. DH thought maybe it had to do with the luggage problem but I didn’t think that would warrant all three things. For whatever the reason, we were very grateful. We don’t however drink wine or champagne so I spoke with guest services about returning them and they said they would trade them for something else like drinks or milkshakes (Cadillac).

On the Islands-

Maui – thrifty rental car for both days for trips to Haleakala, Iao Needle, Ocean

Center, Lahaina and a beach. The crater is a MUST DO. Bring a jacket if you are the type to get chilly or go too early. We started up at 11am and 91 degrees and by noon when we reached the summit it was 70 and windy. That is a big difference. The ocean center is small but nicely done. We didn’t have much time in Lahaina but it seemed like a nice place to stroll through shops. We had to pay to park. Maybe there were free options, I don’t know but we didn’t see any.

Hilo – I had reserved Big Island Aina Tours of Volcano National Park and it was wonderful. They were so informative and friendly. After multiple stops in VNP, we saw the Mauna Loa macadamia, the orchid farm, rainbow falls, and black sand beach which did have turtles that day. I highly recommend them. Yes you could drive this all on your own but the info they told us about each stop was invaluable.

Kona – just walked around the port/shopping area and spent some time at the beach next to the tender dock.

Kauai – rental car for Waimea Canyon, spouting horn, opaekaa falls and wailua falls on day one. Used the free trolley to do shopping and the beach for the morning of day two. The new 10am arrival time stinks!!!

Both rentals were Thrifty, prearranged. Only complaint was the really long line to pick it up. On Kauai due to the new late arrival time everyone is anxious to get off and get going. We exited at 10:05, waited for the shuttle for a while, arrived at the airport location at 10:25 and then waited in a very long line until 11:05. Finally pulled out at 11:15 to start our day. That was frustrating. Bring your own gps to save the fee they want to charge you.

Post cruise –

We stayed at the Hawaiian Hilton Village. This really is a big resort. There are multiple hotel towers, tons of stores, food places in a variety of price points and multiple pools.

Since we were off the ship at 9 and there around 9:30 I inquired about an early check in. They accommodated us for a 25.00 fee but then included an upgraded room and a free roll away bed, so I was very very happy. We were at the pool and starting our relaxing day by 10:30. This is great place to stay if you have lots of time to spend there. But if you plan to be out in Oahu all day then I’m not sure the extra resort fee makes this place worth it.

Pools do close down a bit early (certainly earlier than at Outrigger) but they do have one pool with a small water slide.

The kids took a surf lesson which was well priced since it was a full 2 hours ($99 each). But then of course I had to buy the extra dvd containing pictures they took of them out there ($60) each because I just couldn’t pass it up.

Our room was in the Alli tower and it was very nice. Quite spacious with a king bed, full size pull out couch and the rollaway and there was still tons of room. The bathroom was very large, nicely equipped, had a large closet and came with a robes and slippers to use during our stay. It was a shame that we really didn’t have much time here to enjoy the room or the grounds more.

Overall…..

Hawaii was amazing. There is so much more I want to see, I’m already talking about going back some day. I really think the cruise was a perfect idea so we could see multiple islands. As everyone says, they really are each a bit different. Also, eating big breakfasts and dinners on the ship allowed us to eat small when on the islands. The price of food is very high. Coming from NY we found gas prices reasonable, just a bit more than we are currently paying. The rental cars weren’t great prices, but we wanted a convertible and a jeep. A regular car would have been much less….but not as much fun.

It was HOT and HUMID. The locals said this was very unusual and that the 2 tropical storms in the area over the 2 weeks were to blame. Yes, there was a breeze thank goodness but most days were 90 to 92 with lots of humidity, so the breeze could only do so much.

I was surprised when locals told us this was the beginning of their down season. I expected early August to still be full tourist season but they said no. The rush had ended. And kids in Hawaii are back in school by the end of July. In NY we don’t start school till Sept – usually after labor day.

Oahu airport is nice…for an airport. The added agricultural inspection does add a bit of time to the whole process. And drop off to our gate was quite a long walk.

It was an expensive trip but I think it was well worth it. I would do it all again and I would go back soon if I could. I tell everyone that asks to put Hawaii on their bucket list. And I do recommend POA as a way to see more of it at a reasonable price. We had a nice cruise. Not sure we would pick NCL over RCI but it would depend on the ship and the itinerary I guess.

We came back from our 13 days with amazing memories and well over 2000 pictures between all of us. Oh, and lots of chocolate covered macadamia nuts 

:):):):)

What a great review. It is nice for those of us who love the Hawaiian Islands to see someone's first visit such a success. You did a lot of planning which seemed to help make the most of your time. I loved hearing that you paid extra for the jeep and/or convertible rental cars, we always had a convertible with our kids and it was so much fun. It would be fun to hear your kids talk about their experiences and learning to surf, possibly Hawaii 5-0 will now be your favorite Friday night T.V. show. Thanks again for a great review with good info for others following in your footsteps. Cherie

Loved your review it brings back memories of our POA trip in April.

At the Meet & Greet did you sign the sign in sheet with your room #? If you did I believe that is why you got the goodies.

Loved your review. We are booked for April 2016.

I just love reading other peoples' perspectives of Hawaii and the Pride of America. I know we had so much fun when we went, so it's fun to relive it through others' eyes.

Thanks for doing a write up! :)

Thanks for the review. We sail Sept 2016. Trying to read as much as I can...just hope I can keep it all straight.

Great review!:)

Did the late set off to Waimea Canyon turn the day in to a bit of a rush?

We will be doing the same when we are there in a few weeks.

Thank you so much for the great review!!! Sounds like you had a wonderful time!!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Great review!:)

 

Did the late set off to Waimea Canyon turn the day in to a bit of a rush?

 

We will be doing the same when we are there in a few weeks.

yes a little bit, but mostly self-imposed since our son wanted to be back on board by a certain time for something that evening in the teens club. It wasn't too bad. We spent lots of time at the canyon, stopping at a variety of spots to get different vantage points. We just didn't spend much time at the waterfalls, but honestly there isn't a ton to see there anyway.

Have a great trip....we did.

Thanks Obsessedwithplanning for your great trip report.

We did this cruise in 2013 and it brought back many memories.

D

We will be sailing shortly..We will be leaving Binghamton NY to Newark for the long flight. Did you go with United? it will be me/my hubby/my son/his girlfriend and my brother/sisterinlaw. Wish we could stay longer than the day before..Can't wait..trying to figure out what excursions to do..definilty want Pearl Harbor and a Luau

We will be sailing shortly..We will be leaving Binghamton NY to Newark for the long flight. Did you go with United? it will be me/my hubby/my son/his girlfriend and my brother/sisterinlaw. Wish we could stay longer than the day before..Can't wait..trying to figure out what excursions to do..definilty want Pearl Harbor and a Luau

We considered United from Newark, but the Hawaiian flight from JFK was cheaper. Then I discovered that the sunday return was A LOT cheaper than the Saturday. That is why we stayed a day after the cruise. With the extra hotel night we were still ahead hundreds for the 4 of us.

The 10 1/2 hour flight is a nightmare, I won't lie. But just keep telling yourself you will be in paradise soon enough. Bring lots to do.

Everyone told us the jet lag would kill us, especially on the way home but honestly it wasn't that bad for us. Our flight landed at 2:50 Hawaii time and we had been up since 4am our time. But we checked in and the sun and warmth and excitement gave us energy. We looked around the hotel, walked thru Waikiki and grabbed some dinner. About 9pm Hawaii time we went to bed but that was 3am for us. We all slept fine and woke up ready to go.

Home was a bit harder because sleeping on the plane was sporadic. The kids slept more than we did and they slept again in the limo for the 2 hour ride home. The car service was a great help because we didn't have to worry about traffic, claiming our car, or driving too tired. We were in bed pretty early that night but by the next day everyone felt pretty ok.

While the flight was no picnic, I'd do it again for a chance to go back.

We considered United from Newark, but the Hawaiian flight from JFK was cheaper. Then I discovered that the sunday return was A LOT cheaper than the Saturday. That is why we stayed a day after the cruise. With the extra hotel night we were still ahead hundreds for the 4 of us.

 

The 10 1/2 hour flight is a nightmare, I won't lie. But just keep telling yourself you will be in paradise soon enough. Bring lots to do.

 

Everyone told us the jet lag would kill us, especially on the way home but honestly it wasn't that bad for us. Our flight landed at 2:50 Hawaii time and we had been up since 4am our time. But we checked in and the sun and warmth and excitement gave us energy. We looked around the hotel, walked thru Waikiki and grabbed some dinner. About 9pm Hawaii time we went to bed but that was 3am for us. We all slept fine and woke up ready to go.

 

Home was a bit harder because sleeping on the plane was sporadic. The kids slept more than we did and they slept again in the limo for the 2 hour ride home. The car service was a great help because we didn't have to worry about traffic, claiming our car, or driving too tired. We were in bed pretty early that night but by the next day everyone felt pretty ok.

 

While the flight was no picnic, I'd do it again for a chance to go back.

Thanks for the heads up. Looked at the flights from JFK..but being originally from NJ my husband refused to go there :) We're more familiar with Newark. soo. have my snacks/books/tablet and running shoes ready to go..can't wait

We just got back from Alaska so Hawaii is next on my list. Since this is the only cruise like this, we will be trying NCL for the first time. Your review was very helpful and that's good to know about the flight. We live in PA and always fly out of Newark so it's good to know of other options.

Obsessedwithplanning, thanks for your nice review.

My DH & I are doing the POA cruise in January. We are from near St Louis, so will be flying rt on SWA to San Diego, and rt from SD to HNL. Kudos for having the energy for that long flight from jfk!

What was your impression of Hawaii Airlines? I want nonstop, so they look like our best option from SD, but keep replaying in my mind the "convertible" flight some years ago where one of their planes opened up mid flight. [emoji15]

I have a son stationed on Oahu, so we are depending on his family planning our 3 day pre-cruise stay. We also plan to stay 2 nights post cruise. Both stays will be at Courtyard by Marriott.

This will be our second Hawaii cruise, but the first one wasted 2 1/2 days going to Fanning Island. I'll be happy to miss that for more Hawaii time.

We have cruised often with NCL and consider them our first choice whenever we want to cruise. I'm glad you had a generally good experience.

..... What was your impression of Hawaii Airlines? I want nonstop, so they look like our best option from SD, but keep replaying in my mind the "convertible" flight some years ago where one of their planes opened up mid flight.

Aloha... If I may, let me add my two-cents regarding Hawaiian Airlines.

HA is the only US carrier that serves meals on domestic flights. Not gourmet meals, but generally good.

I have a son stationed on Oahu, so we are depending on his family planning our 3 day pre-cruise stay. We also plan to stay 2 nights post cruise. Both stays will be at Courtyard by Marriott.

If your son will be dropping you off for your flight to San Diego, let him

know you'd like to use the drive-up check-in. This will allow you to check in and have your bags submitted to baggage handling. Saves a lot of headaches !!!

Sailor-1959

Thanks Sailor-59. I appreciate your input. Not sure Nathan will do our drop off. We will have at least two other couples along at that point, but I will make note just in case.

Thanks Sailor-59. I appreciate your input. Not sure Nathan will do our drop off. We will have at least two other couples along at that point, but I will make note just in case.

What we've been doing for YEARS:

• We arrive at the drive-up check-in around 4 hours before our flight.
  
• Go have lunch somewhere.
  
• Do some last-minute shopping.
  
• Return the rental car.
  
• Hop on the shuttle bus to the airport with carry-on's.
  

Quietly watch others grunt and groan, lugging heavy suitcases onto and off the shuttle at HNL, then get in the long, long, long check-in and later agricultural line as we head directly to the TSA check in station.

We considered United from Newark, but the Hawaiian flight from JFK was cheaper. Then I discovered that the sunday return was A LOT cheaper than the Saturday. That is why we stayed a day after the cruise. With the extra hotel night we were still ahead hundreds for the 4 of us.

 

The 10 1/2 hour flight is a nightmare, I won't lie. But just keep telling yourself you will be in paradise soon enough. Bring lots to do.

 

Everyone told us the jet lag would kill us, especially on the way home but honestly it wasn't that bad for us. Our flight landed at 2:50 Hawaii time and we had been up since 4am our time. But we checked in and the sun and warmth and excitement gave us energy. We looked around the hotel, walked thru Waikiki and grabbed some dinner. About 9pm Hawaii time we went to bed but that was 3am for us. We all slept fine and woke up ready to go.

 

Home was a bit harder because sleeping on the plane was sporadic. The kids slept more than we did and they slept again in the limo for the 2 hour ride home. The car service was a great help because we didn't have to worry about traffic, claiming our car, or driving too tired. We were in bed pretty early that night but by the next day everyone felt pretty ok.

 

While the flight was no picnic, I'd do it again for a chance to go back.

Thanks for your review! We're doing the same JFK-HNL flight on Hawaiian Airlines next May, flight says 10am-3:30PM, but I've read (and you're one of them) that it gets in early. We booked the Extra Comfort seats so we have a little more leg room and seat outlets (gotta charge those i-devices!). Also looking at doing the Aina Tours to VNP and Rainbow Falls in Hilo, too.

We really liked Hawaiian Airlines.

We were pleasantly surprised by the food. There was more than expected, main meal and snack, and it was better than expected. Not great, but decent enough. And they frequently came through the cabin offering water.

We did not pay for the Extra comfort seats. They would have been nice but we are used to smaller planes (mainly Jet Blue NY to Florida) and I had read HA seats would be a bit bigger. I think they were, and we were fine.

Even with the regular seats we had usb ports for charging small devices. It was a very slow charge but better than nothing. Plane was clean. Attendants were nice. Plenty of overhead storage which was good because some people really stretch those carry on rules.

The only complaint I had was the entertainment....there was basically nothing free. Bring your own.

Obsessed and Kattus, thanks for the info. I will have to see about the extra comfort seats. My DH is XXL so would appreciate them, I'm sure. I normally book aisle seats for each of us. We like the leg room more than sitting next to each other. ( we've been married 47 years, so have said all there is to say. )[emoji6]. I'm just dragging my feet hoping the tickets will drop a bit 2 months out.

Obsessed and Kattus, thanks for the info. I will have to see about the extra comfort seats. My DH is XXL so would appreciate them, I'm sure. I normally book aisle seats for each of us. We like the leg room more than sitting next to each other. ( we've been married 47 years, so have said all there is to say. )[emoji6]. I'm just dragging my feet hoping the tickets will drop a bit 2 months out.

My DH is a pretty big guy too, 4X (slimming down for comfort and health!) and I'm 5'9. Regular plane seats are a killer on my knees, and the Extra Comfort seats remind me of the special seats JetBlur have in the exit rows for more leg room.