ssaito1

Following this thread closely

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Following this thread closely! Have been keeping track of the progress and announcers for months :)

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All of my cruises have been memorable in their own way but this one sticks out. On a whim, I called NCL CAS to see if I could get a free one night cruise on the NCL Gem on December 21, 2007. They offered my DW and I and inside cabin for free with port charges of about $99.00. We had heard how fun and crazy those one nighters can be out of NYC and since we both worked in the city we could just grab a cab over after work and be on the ship for a fun night on the seas. So now the plot thickens!! We get to check in and the agent at the desk says they have given my cabin away. All of this even after I paid and had a confirmation. After about a half hour of complaining and negotiating a manager from NCL approached and apologized and said the best they could do was give us another cabin and it would be at no additional charge. I said fine and was just happy to get on board. They handed us our room keys and told us we would be in a forward facing penthouse suite and they we sorry for the inconvenience. Hell Yeah I'll take that!!!!!!!!!! So we skip on board or was it floating, over the luck we just had and we notice signs posted all over for AMEX card holders that this was a special cruise sponsored by AMEX for its priviledged card holders???????????? Well, as it turns out tonight's Celebrity chef cooking for this cruise is none other than Bobby Flay!!!! WOW this is gonna be great!! OK so we continue to our cabin and OMG it is amazing? Our first time in a suite. On the bed is a special booklet for tonight's activities with two VIP tickets to tonight's concert. HUH????? Well, as I read further tonight's special guest performance was by Grammy Award winning performed John Legend. This can't be true??? All I can say is that besides the fantastic meal prepared by Bobby and the NCL chefs as well as the unbelievable performance by John Legend in such a small private theater it was hands down one of the best cruises anyone will ever imagine and surely my DW and I will never forget as we got to meet both of the celebrities on board and chat with them. They were both so nice and down to earth and Bobby even gave us one of his signed books for free.

This is pure magic! Incredible! :hearteyes:

GMA: As of 11pm EDT, Hurricane Nicole now a dangerous Category 4 storm, with max sustained winds up to 130mph and heading toward Bermuda.

 

They 125% made the right decision not going. If that was my cruise though I'd probably rather 2 days in Bahamas than Florida port, however I'd make the best of it.

Yup, Cat 4 MAJOR hurricane with the eye expected to pass right over or very near land. This is catastrophic.

Nicole is now a Cat 4 Major Hurricane! Expected to hit as a 3 or 4. This has gone from very bad to virtually catastrophic if the eye goes right over or near land. Prayers for everyone there.

Nicole is now a CAT 4 Major Hurricane and the track is expected to take the center right over/extremely near land. Hope everyone stays safe out there!

Would just like to remind everyone of how big the storm is. The cone that the NWS/NHC puts out is for the projected path of the center/eye of the storm ONLY, not the actual width of the entire system. No matter where this thing ends up, it's going to be a rough week for everyone. I hope everyone stays safe out there and my thoughts are with all the people of the island nations getting utterly devastated by the storm right now.

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Aloha Everyone,

 

 

 

As others have said, your comments have been greatly appreciated. We did this cruise in 2012 by ourselves and retired last year so decided to spend some of our kids "inheritance" only with them. So we told them (2 daughters, 2 son in laws, 4 grandkids and granddaughters boyfriend) (so 11, with us, all together) they were going to Hawaii with us. We have to go, as others do as well, during the time that school is out. So will be there Dec 17, 2016 for the cruise. We live just outside of Houston, TX so with flights and the cruise it isn't cheap. We booked a couple of months ago and the price for the cruise has gone down twice and were able to get the price drops on both of them. We booked 4 inside guarantees and with taxes and fees, for the cruise the price is just over $1000pp for the 2 person cabins and about $800pp for the 4 person cabin. The flights were about $1200pp roundtrip. Probably could have saved $5000 - $6000 at another time, but just don't have that option.

 

 

 

We were just about to go ahead and the a case of water for each cabin but with your tip we will get it at the ships store and will buy some while on shore from and ABC or other store, to drink on shore. We are all past passengers and will do the sail away on the bow. We did it last time and it was nice. We went in late November the last time, so hopefully the heat will be much like then. We will be doing two of the 3 excursions you did as well. Instead of the Kona excursion we will just "wander" around Kona and visit shops, restaurants, maybe someplace to get a drink or two. We will go on the Discover Kauai & Luau. We did the Smith Family Luau when we went in 2012 and just seems like if you go to Hawaii a Luau is a "must do" and we want the kids to see one. I am sure they are much more commercialized than one was 50 years ago and I imagine probably much more crowded, but we did enjoy the one we went to and of course the grounds that it is held on were beautiful. Again, thanks for your efforts and comments and pictures.

 

 

Thank you for sharing your story! I sincerely hope this cruise will be just as great, if not better, than your last journey! :) Glad I could share some insights of how the POA is currently and be of some service to fellow cruisers here.

 

 

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Aloha Everyone,

Now that I've had some time to rest and process our cruise, here are the final thoughts and tips.

PROS:

-The staff was great! I've read reviews that the service isn't as good because it's a majority American staff. We found it to be quite the opposite. Most staff members were very attentive and proudly said "aloha" and "mahalo" on a consistent basis.

-Cadillac Diner was one of our favorite to-go spots. It's the hidden gem of the ship. We highly recommend the grilled cheese (it's a double decker) with fries. Tell Des that Shawn and Kati Saito from Hawaii sent you ;) Fish and chips were also good.

-Shore excursions were "reasonably" priced (for Hawaii anyway). We would recommend the three tours we went on: Journey to Waimea Canyon, Historic Kona, and Volcanoes NP and Rainbow Falls. Each tour is packed with many stops and sights to see.

-Our stateroom was a nice surprise. As I had mentioned in the beginning, we booked the Hawaii resident rate with the guaranteed ocean view room. I guess that due to the fact the ship wasn't sold out, the upgraded us (free, without us even asking) to a balcony room. We were in 10542 which is what I've seen people on here describe as a "bump out" room. It is GREAT. If you take a look at the deck plans, we're on the edge of bumped out balconies. It's a curved balcony and you get a more than 180 degree view cause you're not obstructed by a wall looking left off the balcony.

-Restaurant waiting times were almost nonexistent on our particular cruise. I cannot speak for that being the base every single time, but everyone seemed to be running on Hawaiian Time and no one was in a rush to get anywhere for a meal. Only on the last night did we have a wait. We were given free drink coupons for the bar because our table wasn't ready (even though we got there a few minutes before our reservation). We have never gotten this before on any NCL cruise so it was a nice surprise.

-Pro tip: There was a popcorn machine in the Gold Rush Saloon. Never heard anyone mention that before.

-Sitting on the balcony chairs with a cold drink in hand while sailing past the Na Pali Coast. We heard from one of our guides that POA is the only one that does a specific Na Pali sail by. If so, this should be a big consideration for people when looking at the cruise options. It. Is. Spectacular.

-50% off sale in some of the stores on the last day is a must for gift shopping. We got mugs for $2.5 and luggage tags for as low as $.50.

CONS:

-Our room steward was just okay. About par with what we would typically expect on an NCL cruise.

-Still wouldn't prefer to pay for ship priced bottled water. But it is what it is. Again, get the bottled water from Island Treasures on board.

-Even though the ship had a major overhaul recently, there are some areas of the ship that still need some work (especially when it comes to paint and carpeting).

-The elevators were (at least it seemed) very small compared to what we remember from the Jewel, Pearl, and Epic. Expect to wait a long time or do a lot of walking up the stairs, especially during peak off/on board times or when a large group gets back from a tour.

Overall:

We had such a wonderful time! As residents, we don't really go to the neighbor islands unless we have business or family. My mother, for example, hadn't been to Kauai since 1970 and Hawaii Island since 2006. This cruise is absolutely worth it for locals at the discounted rates. We actually calculated it and it would cost us anywhere from $1800-$2400 for air, lodging, and food costs if we were to a week long trip with no cruise. No to mention the free entertainment and virtually unlimited food on board. We only paid about $1300 (room and taxes) since we had a CruiseNext certificate. :D:cool: More than half the sights and stops that we did on the tours, we both hadn't seen before. It was an educational experience, even for us. Please feel free to ask any questions if I didn't cover something of your own interest in particular. Happy cruising to everyone who mentioned that they'll be on the POA :)

I think I'm not understanding something about the water tip. Is that "gift shop" on the ship or in port??

Thank you so much for this posting review. I can't wait to be in beautiful Hawaii and it will be way warmer than home when we come in Feb. LOL

Sorry for any confusion, it's on board the ship, their onboard gift shop.And you're very welcome! Make sure you get as much sun as you can :)

Mahalo OP for a great and informative trip report. :)

You're very welcome!

Aloha Everyone,

We're back in Oahu. I'll write up a post cruise summary soon but I'll just leave this picture of the Na Pali Coast for you to enjoy until then :)

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Thanks for the water tip. Do you recall how much the cans of soda are?

Aloha,

We asked and it's $2.10 (plus tax I believe)

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Thanks! That's a great tip.

You're welcome! And it looks like they never run out. It was fully stocked this morning.

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Enjoying your postings, sounds like you are having a good time. Thanks for taking the time to post. Is your mom enjoying the trip?? Thanks for the water hints too.

Thanks! :) She's loving it as well. She hasn't been to some of the islands in over a few decades, so parts of Big Island and Kauai were completely new to her!

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That is fantastic to know! Now that you can't bring water onboard (there is no way I am paying the NCL pre-order prices for water) I wil head there when they open at sea!

Our thoughts exactly! We were glad to see this on the first day.

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Bottled Water Tip:

Don't get the Aquafina water from the bars or outside the theater before you go on a shore excursion (unless you really prefer that brand). If you go to Island Treasures (like the NCL gift shop), look for the beverage cooler on the left side and on the top row, you'll find Island Heritage water that's 5 bottles for $10. A lot cheaper than the $3.5-$5+ that the others are.

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Thursday PM Update: We're exploring Kauai through the Journey to Waimea Canyon tour. Our guide has been cracking us up all along the way! The weather here is beautiful.

Another food update: The restaurants have still been fairly empty compared to past NCL cruises. If you get to the buffet before 9am for breakfast, you should have no problem finding a seat.

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Wed AM Update:

Doing the Historic Kona tour. You see a lot for just about a four hour tour! Everyone was downing a lot of free coffee samples at Royal Kona.

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So how is the food on board?

It's been pretty good. Moderno is our to go choice for specialty dining. Cadillac Diner is a hidden gem. The fries are awesome!

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Tuesday PM Update: We are on the Volcanoes and Rainbow Falls Tour. Leroy is such a great guide! Here are some of the highlights we've seen :)

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Tuesday AM Update:

We're in Hilo now, weather is a little overcast. Doing the Volcano and Rainbow Falls tour. Yesterday in Maui we went to the Maui Ocean Center and it is WELL worth the piece to go. Uber is about $20 each way, and there are discounted prices for military, seniors, and kamaaina.

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Actually, we did not get great rates, even though we booked 10 months in advance. We usually cruise during Christmas week, as I am a teacher, and dh as a CPA, before he goes into tax season. We splurged and took our adult "kids" with us this time in a second large balcony cabin. Our cabin price has gone up about $25 since we booked....

Wow, 10 months is pretty far (at least for us). Hope y'all have a great time :)

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We aren't the OP, but we can tell you that we have seen many passengers walking between the ship and Queen Ka'ahumanu Center. It is an easy but not short (at least to us) walk there and back. There used to be a free shuttle (a cute "trolley") provided by the Center, but we haven't seen it in a while. You might want to check that out - or perhaps the OP can comment on it.

Aloha,

I agree with your comment. You can walk it, but it isn't a "close" walk. Maui Mall is right across the street, but QKC is about a 20 minute walk each way.

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Sunday PM Update:

We just got back from shopping at the nearby QKC shopping. A very relaxing day so far. I want to highlight the Cadillac Diner, a very underutilized restaurant by fellow passengers. It's so much better than O'Sheehans on the rest of the NCL fleet and there's always opening seating when we go. Our favorites are the grilled cheese (triple decker) and Chicago hotdog :) Buffet hasn't been too busy as well. It could just be the times we're going at. Will see how the rest of the cruise goes with that.

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