NikiPinkston

@APDMOMSo glad I found your review! Although we're experienced NCL cruisers, I still got a few good tips from your review and really enjoyed reading about your experiences! Thank you for taking the time to do this.

We love NCL and have only been on Carnival (not for us, either) and American Cruise Lines (great small ship cruising) otherwise. We've sailed on Pride of America twice but want to do a trans-Pacific from L.A. to Hawaii, which NCL does not offer, so we're looking at Princess for that, either this summer or this coming December. (We actually had this cruise booked for last December but had to cancel due to a medical issue DH had, and Princess refunded our entire deposit.) We haven't looked at RCCL, but Princess looks like it might be a good fit for us.

@david_sobeReally enjoying your thread! We've sailed NCL many times and have always found the food to be (mostly) good and the staff to be (normally) excellent. These posters who have a "horrible" time are pretty hilarious. Hey, you're on a cruise, what could be so bad?! None of these complaints would even be on my radar (or sonar). Appreciate your giving up mowing your lawn for us!

Love this! I can identify, Sid. I guess I'm basically a lurker who follows your "lives," but I really enjoy your writing style and how down-to-earth you are. I always feel like I'm right there with you.

I know I'm late to the game, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading your review. We were last on the POA at the end of 2022 and I'm really jonesing to do it again this year, so it was a lot of fun following along with you. Mahalo for taking your time and for including so much detail and so many great photos!🌴🍍🌺

I highly recommend visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center, and Pearl Harbor is also a “must-see.” There are “circle island tours” that let you see a lot of Oahu, including Kualoa Ranch, the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, and the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, and I believe that they may also include Pearl Harbor. Dole Plantation is also kind of kitschy and fun. We will be visiting Oahu again this summer, and the Bishop Museum is definitely on my list, although I don’t know if there are any shore excursions that include it. There used to be a tour, pre-covid, that stopped there and the Iolani Palace, which we very much enjoyed visiting last time we were in Honolulu. If you like to shop, there's Ala Moana Center and the shops and malls on Kalakaua Avenue, and don't miss Waikiki Beach. Here’s my review of our POA cruise in November, 2022. The first couple of posts are about our pre-cruise time in Waikiki; I hope it may be helpful. Bon voyage and have a fabulous cruise!

I'm sorry, @scubacruiserx2, I don't know the answer to that question. I don't recall ever seeing Mass or other services on the TV on Sunday, but I may have just missed them. Perhaps Guest Services could answer that question next time you're onboard. Happy cruising!

We were on the Bliss over Christmas in 2021 and Mass was broadcast repeatedly on the TV in our stateroom throughout the day. I believe there were other denominational services, as well.

We've sailed on the POA twice and loved it both times. With every cruise and every ship, there are always things that are not perfect (not to minimize your issue, Pens fan - that was totally unacceptable). In 2016, our state room attendant was below average, but last year our SA was one of the best we've had, and we were very impressed with the majority of the crew. Finding seating in the buffet can be a real problem and the food was just average, but there was rarely a wait in the MDR or Cadillac Diner. The specialty restaurants are quite comparable to other NCL ships, in our opinion. The ship doesn't have a racetrack or laser tag court like some of the newer ships and it's a more laidback atmosphere onboard. Perhaps part of the POA's charm for me is that it's in Hawaii, which is truly paradise. With that said, our next trip to the Islands will be a week on Oahu, mainly because it's our favorite island and we feel we've done all we want to do on the other islands. The POA is a lovely ship and you should have a great time.

Experienced cruiser but Princess newbie here. Do men ever wear (nice) Hawaiian shirts on formal nights on this cruise?

Thank you so much for doing this live! We are experienced cruisers but had our first Princess cruise scheduled on the Majestic this December but, unfortunately, had to cancel due to some health issues. We hope to reschedule for this spring! Can't wait to hear about your and Holli's experiences onboard as we've never done a trans-Pacific. 😊

Thank you, @vegasvic88 Unfortunately, we didn't get any photos of the MDR menu. 😪

Thank you, @Elks2! You are very welcome. As you can see, I wore crop pants 90% of the time along with colorful print Hawaiaanish tops and I was very comfortable. I also took the two dresses you see but probably could have gotten by with one. (I'm past wearing shorts and tank tops but those would have worked, too. The "dress code" on the ship and in the Islands is very casual.) I took two pairs of sandals, one everyday and one dressy, and one pair of sneakers which I only wore on the plane and on the day we went to Waimea Canyon. I also took a denim jacket which, again, I only wore on the plane. I'd love to answer any questions you may have. The POA cruise is by far my favorite - I'm trying to talk DH into going again! The weather will be beautiful in October and you are going to have a fabulous time!

You are very welcome, @mooline! So glad to hear that you had a wonderful time. ☺️

Loved hearing all about your excursion and the photos of you & your dad! DH is not far behind in age and sometimes I see him vividly in your dad's comments. (We call it a ship card!)

Have I ever told you what a wonderful daughter you are?! Wishing you and Dad a fabulous cruise!

Thank you for taking us along on your adventure, @graphicguy! We board in a few days and following along was a wonderful way to spend those long last days before we embark. 😁 You did a fabulous job!

Haha, well good job finding it and posting it! I did enjoy it.

@SightCRR Love your video! You did a great job - wonderful shots of everything and I especially enjoyed the whales & the stars and northern lights in the night sky. We'll be embarking soon and I'll probably be watching your video every day until then!❤️😁👍

Hi, @YVRteacher! I am on old lady! LOL The trick with Rothy's, as they are flat, is to buy a 1/2 size to a full size up and then purchase a good pair of insoles with arch support. (I wear an 8 1/2, sometimes a 9, and I buy a 9 1/2.) I have Dr. Scholl's insoles in all 4 pairs of mine and I've worn them for a full day all over town in complete comfort as they're kind of stretchy and mold to your foot. They're also environmentally friendly as they're made of recycled and renewable materials and I love that they're machine washable. They're really cute, too. The "Point" has an Audrey Hepburn vibe. Amazon has a good selection of insoles and they're inexpensive. I'm really enjoying your live!

Me, too. Totally!

I wasn't familiar with Chie Mihara, but some of those shoes are adorable! Rothy's are also a great choice as they're super comfortable, can be dressed up or down, and take up virtually no room in my suitcase. They also have non-skid rubber soles which is a plus while onboard a ship.

I wondered about this, too, as we'll be on the Bliss in a club balony soon and I would prefer a walk-in shower to a tub. The videos I've seen on youtube show the walk-in shower (notably one filmed on deck 12). We'll be on deck 13 so I hope that we have a walk-in shower. It is odd that they wouldn't all be the same.

Just going to jump in here and say that, during our NCL Pride of America cruise last November, our cell service worked great when we were in port but it didn't work at all when we were at sea between ports. Hope that helps.

I always pack for DH now, too (while checking the packing list I made for him). A couple of years ago, on a Mississippi River cruise, he packed FIVE black t-shirts so, while it made dressing easy for him, it looked like he was wearing the same t-shirt everyday! 😁