POA review in progress: March 4-11, 2017, Room 7518

Aloha everyone! We are waiting for our plane back to Boston in Honolulu and have time to kill, so I figured I'd start our review of our wonderful trip!

I wasn't planning to write a review, but we can now answer questions we didn't even realize we had:

What happens when a random guy from Idaho grabs your luggage at the airport?

Taxi, Uber or Lyft for a trip to Pearl Harbor?

Is underwear really necessary on the USS Missouri?

What happens when you check the yes box on the pre-boarding health form?

What happens when they hand you a letter telling you you cannot board?

Can you really sit in the terminal for four hours without going insane?

What does it mean when you are quarantined in your cabin?

Portside or starboard and is the balcony really worth it?

What happens when a passenger on the ship has a medical emergency (not us) and needs immediate attention?

Why is it a good idea to know all the soft rock songs of the 1970s by heart before boarding?

Why are the elevators the best place for gossip?

Will you see whales?

Do you really have to leave the ship and go home?

Aloha, and I'll give more details once we get home!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Sounds like it will be an interesting Review! Can't wait!

Wow, now those are some really interesting questions... As we're going to be on the Pride in September, I'll be very interested to learn the answers.

Hope your trip was amazing....it definitely sounds exciting,

Safe Travels Home,

I forgot one more question:

What happens when your room key and license fall out of your pocket, into the Pacific, and start floating toward a cave while on a Zodiac?

Oh and also:

Why do I feel woozy after watching the sunset from the top of a volcano and why is it sunny up top but raining on the bottom?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I have time to kill in San Francisco so I'll start off:

DH and I are celebrating our 23rd anniversary this year. We didn't celebrate our 20th because our son was getting ready for college and we were feeling poor, but the kid has merit scholarships so isn't it time to celebrate?

This is our second cruise. Our first was also NCL, Boston to Bermuda, about 13 years ago, with our two then-little kids and my husband's family. This was a completely different experience!

We arrived in Honolulu in a rain storm two days before the cruise. Streets were flooding but everything was going to be okay because I had a raincoat in my... oh my god, where is my luggage? My bright red roller bag with the big green ribbon, three gaudy tags with our name, address and phone number and a lock?

The last bags were spinning on the carousel. The agent kept pointing to a more battered red bag like she expected me to say "oh well, I'll just take this one." We filed a lost bag claim and headed for our hotel in Waikiki.

The Moana Surfrider is a gorgeous place, beach front, with wide porches and outdoor space under a giant banyan tree. But we were exhausted and starving. We found a food court, grabbed what seemed to be the best hamburgers we've ever had, and... got a phone call from a guy from Idaho who finally noticed the bright red bag with the giant green ribbon and the three luggage tags and lock was not his. He seemed to think this was our fault and demanded his luggage. We told him to bring it back to the airport and they would bring it to us.

We went to bed without my suitcase. Luckily I had clothes in the carry on!

Whoops gotta catch a plane.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Can't wait to hear the answers to the other questions!

This thread must be interesting!. Following.

Sounds like this will be a fun review [emoji1360] We loved our POA trip 4 years ago and are looking to plan another (with teenagers in tow) in the next few years. Looking forward to reading more about your adventure!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Finally home and had a nap after a lengthy greeting from our beagle!

We woke up very early on Friday at our hotel -- the sun may have been sleeping in, but we were still on Boston time. Good news: the airline had brought over my suitcase while we were sleeping!

We had made advance reservations for Pearl Harbor at 8 am through recreation.gov, which is recommended. After pricing out taxis, the local bus, Uber and Lyft, we had reserved a Lyft ($40 one way). Our driver was Chinese and did his best to keep up a running commentary on the sights we were passing, despite having to fumble for words at times. He was lovely.

Note about Pearl Harbor: you can bring a camera but no bags and they are very strict about it. There are lockers to check your bags. DH's uncle was in Pearl Harbor on leave the day of the attack, so we tried to imagine what it was like through his eyes. Getting out to the USS Arizona was organized with military precision, naturally, although several visitors grumbled about how brusque the direction was!

We decided to go to the USS Missouri while we were there. Here is where I'm going to be a prude.

For the love of god, if you are going to wear a short dress to the USS Missouri, please wear underwear. There was a woman on our tour who either didn't realize or didn't care that we would be climbing stairs and ladders and things and yikes, I did not expect our military morning to be quite so gynecological! Maybe it was her tribute to the sailors who spent the wars dreaming of girls?

Back in Waikiki, we tried the lunch buffet at Duke's -- I recommend the Volcano drink! -- and did some shopping for aloha gear. We made plans to climb Diamondhead the next morning.

Hah. That wasn't going to happen. The Rule of Three -- three bad things will happen -- had already started with the bag drama...

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Subscribe... love it so far!!!

What happens when you mix a day of flying across time zones with unaccustomed warm weather, more walking than normal, unfamiliar food and an urgent need to see as much as possible because we were in Hawaii, dammit, and who knew when we'd ever get back?

Traveler's tummy.

DH wanted to climb Diamondhead. It became very clear that a morning climb up an inactive volcano without access to bathrooms wasn't a great idea. I ran out to the ABC Store and bought him some medicine (and a couple shirts, some macadamia nuts, and other items, because the ABC Store has that kind of pull) and spent the morning strolling the beach.

It was cruise day!!!!!

DH was much better when we checked out of the hotel and we grabbed a cab to the terminal. The sun was shining! Everyone was so happy! We checked our luggage, filled out our health forms and accepted our leis as we entered a giant room with Hawaiian dancers and music. We got there promptly at noon -- this is what we had dreaming about for months!

Insert record scratch sound here.

DH is honest to a fault. On the health form, they ask if you have experienced nausea or diarrhea in the last 48 hours. He checked the yes box.

Don't ever check the yes box.

We were pulled out of line, right before we posed for pictures with the dancers, and a cruise agent directed someone to bring out two chairs for us to sit on up against a wall, very separate from any of the celebrating passengers. We were told to wait for a nurse.

Hey, it was just traveler's tummy. It happens whenever DH goes to a warm climate. We waited an hour and a nurse came out, took his temperature, and said a doctor would come see us.

Another hour passed. But we had leis and it was all so festive, even though we were watching things from this wall away from everyone.

The cruise agent came out with some more paperwork. It took us a minute, between the noise and the letter that was on top, for us to realize what was happening.

They were canceling our cruise.

We had planned for months, flown for a full day, set aside vacation time. The letter said DH wasn't fit to sail and his money would be refunded.

Note that the letter said nothing about canceling my cruise or refunding my ticket. I was free to sail, even though I had extensive contact with a guy they apparently believed could be Patient Zero in a norovirus outbreak.

The agent suggested that DH could stay behind, then fly to meet the ship in Maui the next day and board then if he was symptom-free for 24 hours.

None of this made sense to us. We hadn't even seen a doctor!

We insisted, firmly, that we had to see a doctor. We were not going to give up our cruise on the basis of a box we checked yes for and a quick temperature reading that showed DH was slightly elevated.

"A little warm is his normal. He's Italian!" I protested.

We did not raise our voices. We did not make threats. We want to talk to a doctor, we said.

Another hour passes. At this point we have cycled through two sets of musicians, the passengers are boarding and DH is agonizing because the trip is ruined. He tells me he wants me to board without him and he's figure out how to get to Maui. I'm absolutely numb.

Finally, the doctor comes over. We tell him everything. We note that DH has sat in the terminal this entire time without running into the bathroom.

Finally he says, "I'm going to let you on the ship."

At this point I screamed and threw my arms around him.

Since DH hadn't had any symptoms since the morning and I'm clearly cavorting around unaffected, the doc ruled that we could board, with conditions:

We had to stay in the cabin until DH was symptom-free for 24 hours.

He had to take medication and drink a lot of Gatorade, which they would provide.

We both had to eat in our room and DH had to stick to the meal the doctor ordered. I'd get my room service fees comped.

We couldn't even leave the room for the emergency drill.

We happily agreed and they said they'd get our cabin readied and we would board with an escort to ensure we didn't touch or breath on anyone. Yes! Yes! Yes!

We continue waiting in our little corner. Another music group starts. Fewer people are coming into the terminal. I wander around in our little area. Some NCL people who have noticed us hanging out come by to ask what's happening. At 5 pm, a woman very firmly tells me that it's time to make some noise and she pulls me over to the check-in desk and demands an update and, perhaps, some food? Later, as she's leaving, she presents me with a napkin full of pastry from the crew buffet, which I happily devour.

Finally, we board at 6 pm. We are whisked into an elevator, through the lobby and Newbury Street shops, into another elevator, and into our cabin.

We are on board! Thank god we got a balcony cabin!

Our room is actually pretty spacious once we unpack. There are drawers and shelves and the closet that easily hold all our stuff. We have a little couch. The bathroom is tiny, but we have a camper -- this is spacious for us!

The balcony is just the right size. We have three loungers in a private area. We are in the lowest level for balconies, but we don't care.

We are on the ship!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Eventful so far. We were on the cruise the week before you and the storm caught us on Wednesday - we had to miss Kona but we got a sea day and a cruise by Molakini, loads of whales, the cliffs of Molaki and round Honolulu on our way to Kauai. In Kauai the rain had stopped and it was a lovely Thursday - but the rivers had made the sea brown in colour.

Wonderful cruise - we really enjoyed it. Look forward to the rest of your review

Since we are still on Boston time, we wake just before dawn as the ship is nearing Maui. We wrapped ourselves in blankets and sat on the balcony, watching the sunrise.

DH still hadn't been cleared by the doctor so we stayed in our cabin. There are worse ways to spend a morning than hanging out on a private cruise ship balcony enjoying pastries! After breakfast, he was told to report to the medical center, where he was cleared and advised to stay away from the buffet just one day more.

Since our morning shore excursion was canceled due to quarantine, we decided just to take a walk. There really isn't much around the port except for a Whole Foods and my very own personal visiting media welcome...

We had the sunset on the volcano scheduled for 3:30 so we went back to the boat to do what we had been unable to do the night before: explore!

We had lunch in the Cadillac Diner, which was delicious! We scoped out all the restaurants-- we only did the included restaurants during our time on the ship but never got into East and West.

By the time we were ready to board the bus for sunset, it was raining. Our guide assured us that the weather at the top was usually clearer at the bottom and drove us up this winding road, talking about preserving silver sword plants and microclimates.

Everyone started yawning. I was overwhelmingly tied. This apparently had to do with the altitude.

Tip: Seriously, pack long pants, a sweatshirt and a windbreaker for this excursion. It's chilly at the top, especially when the sun is setting!

Sunset was a bit of a bummer because clouds came in, but it was still an amazing experience.

Here's the thing about altitude sickness: it might throw your balance off for a day. Which isn't an issue unless you've booked the amazing Emily the next day to take you on the Road to Hana.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Enjoying your review.

You have made my morning! Sitting here giggling at my computer. We did this cruise during Christmas, and had a great time. Looking forward to reading the rest of your adventure!

Loving your review! Looking forward to more.

Interlude:

I love the elevators on cruise ships. You pick up the best conversations.

We are in the elevator with two older women. It stops and an older couple gets on.

Husband: This elevator is going down.

Wife: He thinks I don't know how to go up and down.

Saucy Older Woman: At this point in your marriage, I certainly hope that's not the case.

Couple: ...

We leave the couple and the elevator.

Saucy Older Lady: Oh dear, I think it WAS true!

The elevators will tell you if they are overcrowded. On another night...

Couple enters the elevator.

Elevator: You have exceeded the weight limit.

Couple exits. We go up another floor. Another couple tries to enter.

Slightly drunk woman practically arm-checks them.

Slightly Drunk Woman: No! The elevator thinks you're fat!

We enter the elevator late one night and discover a baby carriage. Empty.

The carriage starts to shake and play music.

DH and I, as one, hastily push the stroller away.

Elevator guy who enters with us: Thank god, I thought it was going to say Redrum! Redrum! Redrum!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

On our second day in Maui, the adventures really started. The challenge: could we really do the Road to Hana and still be on the boat before the 5 pm deadline?

There was a boat shore excursion but DH had other ideas. He did a bit of research and found Emily, who does private guided tours (I'll give you her company name if someone asks -- don't want to break forum rules). We met her at 7:30 am outside of Whole Foods and were on our way!

Emily is a transplant to the island and we had a great conversation, as we wound our way to Hana, about island history, the places we visited, why Mustangs are a sure sign of a tourist who will stop abruptly and why Tacomas mean it's an islander who will always assume they have the right of way. Being with Emily was like chatting with an old friend -- one who will casually take you into a bamboo forest and lead you through steep and muddy paths to hidden waterfalls.

I'm carrying a big stick for a good reason: I had a bit of a balance problem from, I believe, the previous night's Volcano visit. I regularly climb the rocks at Purgatory Chasm at home without issue but I was very off-balance. I did manage and it was worth it!

We did a few waterfall stops, gawked at scenery, ate at a great food truck and visited two beaches, one red and one black.

Note: the red sand beach requires a bit of cliff maneuvering and you may encounter a naked local or two.

The black sand beach is easier to access and has a great lava tube!

Definitely this tour was the highlight of our trip and, yes, we did get back to the ship on time! Filthy, wet, with permanent iron dirt stains on our bathing suits and sand in our sandals (closed toe hiking sandals are a must) and giant grins on our faces.

Best. Day. Ever.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Wow loving your review and can't wait for the rest!

This time last year we were just beginning our Hawaii adventure on the Pride of America! Looking forward to hearing all about your cruise. Love your writing style!

Thanks guys! I'll add more during the snowstorm tomorrow. I have to overnight at yet another hotel to ensure the paper gets out -- good thing I had just about everything I needed already packed in my carry-on!

Also, if you are traveling to Hawaii and have political types you'd like to buy a small gift for, I recommend Obamamints from the ABC Store. My conservative editor liked the healthcare flavor, my liberal editor enjoyed a Barack and Michelle version!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

He did a bit of research and found Emily, who does private guided tours (I'll give you her company name if someone asks -- don't want to break forum rules). We met her at 7:30 am outside of Whole Foods and were on our way!

 

 

Best. Day. Ever.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We would LOVE information on Emily, please. What was the cost? Inquiring minds and all.

We sail next March!

Thanks!

Emily is Epic Experience Maui (website by the same name) and it was about $450 for two, which included transportation, water and snacks. She talked with my husband extensively beforehand about what we wanted to see and our athletic level and put together our tour based on that. She has a few other tours as well.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Loving your review! Hawaii is such a special place to me. I always thought it would be neat to do one of these cruises and experience all the islands instead of one or two at a time. I have the same picture of me and my daughters in the lava tube. The Road to Hana was definetly one of our favorite days ever too!

I loved everything about this experience, except the hours when we weren't sure they were going to let us on the boat.

There's history here. A year ago, we planned a cruise for May. We canceled it a week before we were to leave because of a medical emergency with our daughter.

We had trip insurance through Allianz. They refused to cover it (pre-existing condition, but still unexpected) and we ate the entire cost of the cruise. It was so much more important that we be there for our daughter -- what kind of monsters would abandon a 16-year-old in crisis for a cruise?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums