NikiPinkston

We had some type of biodegradable straws on the POA in November that held up really well. They were a big improvement on the paper straws.

3 minutes ago, armwinder said:

We have used NCL air a number of times and have been very happy, we just flew down to San Diego and the flights worked out very well. Last month we used NCL air to fly to Rome and back from Lisbon, they gave us Premium seats over to Rome with Delta, all part of the package. You here some bad reports but no one is perfect, booking your own flights mat even be cheaper who knows. We have used them too many times to count and been very lucky. 

@armwinderThank you so much for sharing your experiences! That's very reassuring. We're just flying from San Diego to Seattle, so how bad could it be, anyway? DH reminded me that we always get to the airport super early when we book our own flights so, if we end up having a lay-over on the way, we really don't mind spending time in airports. I appreciate hearing that you had such positive experiences!

19 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Thanks Niki! I really enjoyed reading your review as well!  
Just to clarify, we have never used NCL air.

 

Have you sailed on the Bliss?  She is my favourite ship.

Ah, I misunderstood about your flight arrangements; hopefully, using NCL air will work out well for us - I'll have to report back on that.  We were on the Bliss to Mexico for Christmas week, 2021 and I think she is my favorite ship, too! ❤️And thank you for saying you enjoyed my review. I feel that is high praise coming from you as you are the best!

Thank you for this review! We've booked it for this summer and now I'm even more excited to participate.❤️

We've been on three NCL ships in the past year-and-a-half and never got covid, but I think that it's just something we have to live with, like norovirus or the common cold. We did both catch covid right here at home last summer and, after returning from a cruise on the POA last fall, we both came down with RSV (respiratory virus) right after we got home. I really think we caught it on one of the excursions when a woman sitting across from us on the bus kept coughing our way!

Just wanted to add my thanks for another great cruise report and for taking your time to share with us!🚢I always feel like I'm right there with you and your dad reminds me so much of my husband sometimes.😁You are one of my favorite authors LOL! ❤️We'll be using NCL air for the first time in May when we sail on the Bliss to Alaska and you gave me hope that it might not be a disaster (at least we're flying in the day before).

On 12/28/2022 at 11:36 AM, cruiselvr04 said:

I got a pair of Sperrys duck boots.  Will rarely wear them in Texas but they will keep my feet dry and don’t seem too heavy to take.  I may take them to New Zealand too as the weather will be similiar.   Usually I take 5 pairs of dress shoes for evening but may just take one this time and save the room for the boots.  We won’t be dressing up much for Alaska, maybe take a dress or 2 for formal night but the rest of the time plan on slacks with flats.  
 

@cruiselvr04I, too, got a pair of Sperry duck boots for our first Alaska cruise in 2016 and, as we live in Southern California, I don't have much occasion to wear them, either. However, I figured they weren't that expensive and I'm glad that I purchased them, as I used them on a subsequent Alaska cruise in 2021 and will do so again this coming summer. They're very comfy and keeep my feet nice and warm and, I agree, they're not that heavy to pack. (If I need socks, I add Hue knee socks as they're thin but warm and don't ride down & bunch up.) I pack my boots, wear nice leather sneakers on the plane, and try to limit myself to one pair of dressy sandals for dress-up-or-not night. I may take a pair of Rothy's, too - we'll see - as this cruise DH and I are trying to do carry-on and just check one larger bag (instead of one for each of us). Enjoy your cruises!

@YVRteacher, I love your reviews! Our first cruise with NCL was on the Jewel to Alaska years ago, so she holds a special place in my heart. We were on the Bliss Christmas week of last year from L.A. to Mexico and we had one of our best times ever. I loved all of the decorations, the activities, the food and, oh, the Christmas show in the theatre! Loved that most of all. I missed cruising over Christmas this year so DH and I will be booking 2023 soon (would love to make this a standing tradition). You are wonderful and your Dad is a hoot. Reading your review is like opening a special gift! Thank you for sharing another of your adventures with us. (I love gingerbread villages, too!)

DH and I are retired and don't have to dress up for work every day anymore, so it's a treat for us to dress up a bit at least one night of our cruise and have our photo taken (and we always use one of our photos as our Christmas card photo). There are those who appreciate seeing others making an effort, and who doesn't like a nice compliment once in awhile? On the other hand, if you just wanna be casual on your cruise, we're right there with you 90% of the time. @ChiefMateJRKI just ordered some of those Lands End sweatpants for DH and he was quite excited at the acquisition of some "dress sweatpants," so you made his day!  Rather than being offended at anyone else's sartorial choices, we choose to be amused at the worst, but that's why we love NCL. I agree that we ladies have it much easier in the dressing department. My son plays the bagpipes at the Rennaisance Faire and often wears a kilt, and he looks quite dashing, but I'll have to ask him if there are kilts for casual wear. Here's to you doing you, and Merry Christmas, everyone!

We usually buy a package so that we can get the digital file (flash drive) but it has always only included those photos that we've selected as part of the package, not every photo that's been taken. We've been on 6 cruises with NCL, the most recent 2 months ago, and this is how it's always worked for us. We visit the photo studio onboard the day before we disembark and select and pay for our package, charging it to our stateroom (with only one of our cards). If you want more photos than are offered in the largest package, you can by as many additional individual photos as you wish, which were $29 each last time we were aboard. You can also buy individual photos without buying a package, but you won't get the flash drive. Package prices vary depending on what's included. The cheapest package on the POA last November was $129 for 5 photos and a flash drive, and I think they threw in a couple of additional boarding photos.

3 hours ago, Katemusical said:

I loved your review! Thank you!!

 

ONE MORE WEEK FROM TODAY AND WE ARE ON OUR WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, I'm so happy that you enjoyed it! Have a wonderful time! I envy you as I've always wanted to spend time in Hawaii during the Christmas season.

5 hours ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

It was fun reading about your adventures as we have been to some of the same places and are about to embark on our second Hawaii cruise aboard a different cruise line. Hawaii is such a magical place, whether you’ve been there once or tons. 

I totally agree, Hawaii is like nowhere else on earth. Have a wonderful cruise!

@smokeymtn51, I had accidentally turned the dial outside our room to the "Do Not Disturb" tab instead of "Please Make-Up Room" one day before we went into port and this happened to us. We saw our steward in the hall when we came back onboard and he made up the room right away (and I apologized for my mistake). Our steward was wonderful, always making up our room promptly each morning and making sure that any small requests that we had were fulfilled. We often ran into him in the hallway & had a brief, cheerful conversation, and it seemed to us like there wasn't really a problem with staffing. We were also normally served promptly almost everywhere we went, and there were several crew members in the pool area and in the theater floating around to take our drink orders. The only venue where the wait was a bit long was in the MDR but, even then, our servers made up for it with their attentiveness. (Although my husband wasn't happy with the quality of his steak.) I agree with @cruiseny4life, if you can't find your steward in the hallway or in a nearby cabin, I would quietly let Guest Services know. Most of the stewards we saw or spoke with were working really hard to please passengers, as was the rest of the crew with whom we interacted.

39 minutes ago, Paula_MacFan said:

Recent trip reports from last week say Moderno and LaCucina were open but not for advance reservations.  

That's great news!

18 hours ago, Chardonnay Char said:

You said East Meets West was not open.  Any other restaurants/eateries NOT open?  thanks for the info.

The Liberty main dining room was closed and Skyline MDR was open for dinner only. In addition to East Meets West, Moderno, and La Cucina were also closed.

7 minutes ago, erieboater said:

Thank you so much for a very informative review.  DH and I have booked POA for our birthday cruise in February.  I love gathering as much information as possible here on CC before a cruise.  Yours has helped immensely!  We had a land vacation that included a few days on Oahu as well as a week on Maui.  Loved seeing input from you as well as folks on Maui and will take all to heart.  I've downloaded all your Freestyles and will enjoy going through them later today.  I'm going to have my DH read your review, as well.  We're both getting very excited.

I'm so happy that my review was helpful! I'm the same way - I love reading everything that I can find on CC about our upcoming cruises, and our fellow CC members are wonderful about contributing great information. Have a fabulous time on your birthday cruise!

@whitsmomMost of the time when we were at sea we were so far out that we couldn't see land unless we were leaving or entering port. The POA sails at night, so there may have been times we were close to one of the islands and just didn't see it, so I would say try it and see if you're close enough to connect to a cell tower.

Maybe this will kind of help you visualize how close to land we sail:

8 minutes ago, whitsmom said:

Did you have regular cell reception on the ship or did you have to be in airplane mode and use WiFi calling?  We have a business and need to be available.

 

We cruise in mid-January and cannot wait!!!

We kept our phones on airplane mode while at sea between islands but, whenever we were in port, we took it off and used our phones normally. We never used wi-fi calling so I really can't speak to that- sorry. Have a wonderful time!

49 minutes ago, ULCajunCruiser said:

Thank you so much!!!

Yes, of course! You're welcome. Have a lovely day!

Oh, yes, sorry, I just forgot! Thank you for asking. Here they are along with disembarkment info:

DAY 7 P1.pdf DAY 7 P2.pdf DAY 7 P3.pdf DAY 7 P4.pdf DISEMBARK 1.pdf DISEMBARK 2.pdf DISEMBARK 3.pdf DISEMBARK 4.pdf

Our last day aboard is always sad; I’m sure all of you can relate! I believe there were shuttles that took passengers to the nearby shopping area and to Hilo Hattie’s, but we had met our souvenir quota so we planned to stay onboard and enjoy the ship for the last time.

Some time was spent drinking pina coladas and lava flows by the pool, which was more crowded than it had been on previous days, although there were still some lounge chairs available and we were lucky to find a table. After lunch at Cadillac Diner, we returned to our cabin and the disembarkment procedures information was there, so we began packing for the journey home.

Cruising by the Napali Coast that afternoon was peaceful and gorgeous and we were very fortunate to be able to enjoy it during dinner from a window table in the MDR. (This is a stock photo they give you when you buy a photo package.) That evening we saw “Icons” in the Hollywood Theatre, with the fabulously talented Norwegian Cruise Lines performers.

A watery view of Diamond Head and the Honolulu skyline greeted us the following morning as we pulled into port and, after our last breakfast in the buffet, we went to wait on deck 5 for our disembarkation color to be called. There were plenty of places to sit as the gangway was on deck 6 and everyone was gathering there. Disembarkation was quick and easy and, as a matter of convenience, we had booked the NCL shuttle to the airport.

We hadn't gotten as much rain this time as when we had visited previously, so I hadn't yet seen even one rainbow. (You may know this, but Hawaii is called the rainbow state & they even have a rainbow on their license plates as they occur so frequently.) On our last day, on the way to the airport, I could see a rainbow through the shuttle window. It was like Hawaii was saying good-bye to us, until we meet again!

Although our flight departure was delayed about an hour because our plane had to wait for a gate when it arrived from the mainland, we had a good flight back on Hawaiian Airlines.

Because of the the time difference of two hours and the 6-hour flight from Hawaii to the mainland, it was dark by the time we arrived home, but it was nice to see the lights of San Diego welcoming us home.

It's been a privilege sharing our experience with you and I sincerely hope that my review has been helpful. Please feel free to ask any questions and I’ll do my best to answer. Mahalo and Aloha!

7 minutes ago, Maleficent's Dad said:

Loving this review, thanks!

I used to work on a ship carrying sugar to Crockett, CA, so your reference to the sugar industry brings great memories to me.  Always loved Nawiliwili Bay, and entering that harbor with the lighthouse and beautiful green mountains.

Agree with your assessment of the Grand Canyon of the Pacific!

Thank you @Maleficent's Dad! I agree, the harbor is very beautiful. I never knew until this trip that C&H (Sugar) stood for California and Hawaii! And thank you, too, for your concurrence about the canyon. I felt a bit bad being so negative. We enjoyed that lighthouse, too!

Day 6 dailies:

DAY 6 P1.pdf DAY 6 P2.pdf DAY 6 P3.pdf DAY 6 P4.pdf

A view of Nawiliwili Harbor greeted us from our balcony our first morning in Kauai. We had booked “the Journey to Waimea Canyon” through NCL as, last time we were here, we had done the “Director’s Cut” excursion (also through NCL), which we really enjoyed. We saw where Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones, among others, had been filmed; visited Hanalei Bay, a gorgeous spot for pictures; saw Mano Peak, also known as King Kong Mountain for its resemblance to the giant ape; and stopped at the Wailua River Lookout, from which we had a panoramic view of the valley. Highly recommend that excursion!

Our driver, Kanae (Kah-nah-ay), was a native Hawaiian and she was very funny and informative. After picking us up at the port, we made several stops along the way to the canyon and first up was the Spouting Horn along the Poipu coastline, one of the most photographed spots on Kauai. The surf channels into a natural lava tube there and releases a spout of water than can reach 50 feet in the air but, unfortunately, it wasn’t very active during the time that we visited.

We drove through the town of Hanapepe and saw some of the buildings from the film, “South Pacific,” while Kanae entertained us with her stories until we arrived at the canyon. We really enjoyed Kanae’s narrative and her explanation of “Aloha.” She said that Hawaiians don’t diet or exercise and they eat what they please, and they live for the moment. She said that Alo means Now and Ha mean Life, so their philosophy is live for now, which I think we all could probably do more of!

Waimea Canyon is billed as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” so, having been to the Grand Canyon in Arizona several times, when we arrived at the canyon, I was honestly expecting more. It’s a very pretty canyon and, hey, I was on a cruise and in Kauai, so any minor disappointment I might have felt was inconsequential. I will leave it up to you to form your own opinion if you decide to visit because, overall, we did very much enjoy the excursion.

After our visit to the canyon, our next stop was the small town of Waimea. Kanae had explained to us that Kauai used to be virtually covered in sugar cane and we saw what was left of an old sugar mill.  As the process to refine sugar cane is very labor-intensive and thereby not cost effective, all of the mills have been closed, and coffee is now widely grown on the island instead. While we were in Waimea, we did a little souvenir shopping and stopped for a shave ice. (Are you seeing a pattern here? This girl loves me a good shave ice!)

We are always overwhelmed by the kindness and goodness of the Hawaiian people. Cars will stop for you before you even reach the crosswalk and, everywhere we went, people volunteered to take a photo of the two of us. In one little shop in Waimea, there was no one behind the register or tending the shop, but rather a sign on the door that read, “Please take your items and pay for them in the shop next door.” Now that is faith in your fellow man!

That evening, the ship was very quiet as it appeared that most passengers had gone to the Luau Kalamaku which, I guess, is kind of a big deal. I had been hoping to get another photo taken as I wasn’t in love with the one from a few days prior but, although every other evening there had been photographers in the atrium, this evening they were all at the luau taking photos. Kelani Cing, Guest Service Manager, to the rescue! Kelani volunteered to take several photos of us and did an amazing job. That last photo here is one that she took and it’s our Christmas card photo this year. Needless to say, we had several Vacation Hero cards to submit before we disembarked!

6 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Don't mean to derail this great thread, but Mauna Loa began erupting last night for the first time in nearly 40 years. Ash warning has been issued. No VOG warning yet. Those who are visiting Hawaii in the near future may want to be aware.

 

https://mauinow.com/2022/11/28/mauna-loa-volcano-warning-issued-as-eruption-begins-at-mokuaweoweo-summit/

I've been watching the eruption on the news. Keeping you all in my prayers!