POA - a little nervous

Hi all!

Hope you are well.

So, I'm starting to seriously think about a Hawaiian vacation next year, and after talking to my parents, I really think that a cruise would be a good way to get a taste of the islands (I would like to do a land portion afterwards). After researching, it appears that POA would be my best option - especially as I'd be travelling from the East Coast. Although I love days at sea in general, I want to maximize my time in Hawaii, and the POA itinerary seems perfect for me. The only thing that makes me nervous is that most of the reviews I've read (I didn't get that far because I didn't want to keep reading these) were rather negative. Now, I did peruse the forum last night (I'm currently in mid-2017) and did see a bunch of positive posts about it, so that makes me feel better. So, my question is (though I'll have a few more) - should these reviews make me hesitant about POA? I'm ok with a relative lack of "nightlife"/evening entertainment, less so about poor food (I love to eat, but I'm not expecting, nor do I need, gourmet, on a cruise where the important things are off the ship). I do realize also that people have different standards - I don't need the ship to be a floating amusement park with lots of bells and whistles as long as it's got the basics down pat.

My other question is about post-cruise. I don't know how much time I'll have overall (I doubt it will be as long as two weeks), but I would like to do a land portion. Ideally, it would be best to also spend a few days on another island, but I don't think I'm going to have enough time to do that, so pretty much one island post-cruise will need to be it. NCL offers a land-cruise package at either the Hilton Waikiki or Alohilani, but I'm looking at maybe doing my own thing - right now, the Surfjack hotel looks interesting. Has anyone stayed there? I'm really looking forward to this - I wish I had more time on land so I could see more of the other islands, but hopefully I'll come back - and hopefully the cruise will give me a taste of what I want to do a deeper dive of later on.

Sorry for rambling - I'm just very excited!

Thank you!

Betsy

No worries about the ship...you are really only there to sleep...every day, you'll be off, exploring! I think it's a great idea to do a land based thing, either before or after the cruise. As you said, a cruise is just a "taste".... Flying from the East Coast will mean you'll go thru a HUGE time change....took us 3 full days to "get on schedule".

There are some "puddle jumper" flights to other islands....so don't feel you have to stay on Oahu! Maui is a great place to explore!

listen to your instincts if time is a problem you should fly and hit 2 or 3 islands in 10 days or so do not cruise poa

princess or celebrity far superior for the cruise option and you will love the sea days

No worries about the ship...you are really only there to sleep...every day, you'll be off, exploring! I think it's a great idea to do a land based thing, either before or after the cruise. As you said, a cruise is just a "taste".... Flying from the East Coast will mean you'll go thru a HUGE time change....took us 3 full days to "get on schedule".

 

There are some "puddle jumper" flights to other islands....so don't feel you have to stay on Oahu! Maui is a great place to explore!

Hi CB

Thanks, I feel better about my choice - and great point about being off-ship must of the time. Yes, for sure the time change could be an issue, but I'm used to travelling to Europe, so I think I'll be ok. That said, given that, it might be wiser to do the land portion of my trip prior to the cruise to get acclimated.

I might not ordinarily choose Oahu (only because I've always been most fascinated by the Big Island), but there's one thing it has that the other islands don't and that's Honolulu. If I decided to spend closer to two weeks (including the cruise) in Hawaii, I would visit another island, but if I stick to about 10 or 11 days, I'd be perfectly happy on Oahu.

listen to your instincts if time is a problem you should fly and hit 2 or 3 islands in 10 days or so do not cruise poa

princess or celebrity far superior for the cruise option and you will love the sea days

Hi Jr.

Time isn't really a problem for me - I just haven't decided yet how much time I would want to spend. I did a two week vacation in Scotland this year, so I just have to decide if I want to do another one of those next. Then again, considering I'm coming from the East Coast, I might decide in favor of a longer trip because I'm not sure when I'd be able to get back.

I DO love sea days, but I don't know that I need them. I don't think I'd choose another cruise line, but I may reconsider doing only land. The reason why I look to the cruise first is because, on my recent trip to Scotland, I was living out of a suitcase for a portion of it, and that got really tiring.

Thanks for your help - I have a lot of thinking to do!

We were on the POA in May. Like you we read many negative reviews and were re-thinking the trip. Our experience was overwhelmingly positive. The service was great, the food, whereas it wasn't gourmet was on par with other cruise lines, our room steward was very attentive and the shows were entertaining. We flew in from the East coast 3 days pre cruise and stayed in Honolulu. This gave us time to adjust to the time change before the cruise began.

. . .

 

There are some "puddle jumper" flights to other islands....so don't feel you have to stay on Oahu! Maui is a great place to explore!

I would hardly call Hawaiian Airlines' planes "puddle jumpers". I believe they're DC-9s or something similar. After first cruising around Hawaii in 1994 we have returned every 5 years or so and stayed on 2 islands each time (never Oahu except to land from the mainland and fly to another island). Sometimes when we've visited Maui we've stayed at 2 different locations because the "attractions" are wide-spread (Mt Halekela, Road to Hana to the east; great beaches, whale-watching (in season) and snorkeling on the west coast) and traffic, esp. on the west coast can be very heavy. We've also stayed in the middle south coast in the Kihei area. Also enjoyed our stays on Kauai (east coast, Kapaa area) and on the Big Island (Kona, Hilo).

We were on the POA in May. Like you we read many negative reviews and were re-thinking the trip. Our experience was overwhelmingly positive. The service was great, the food, whereas it wasn't gourmet was on par with other cruise lines, our room steward was very attentive and the shows were entertaining. We flew in from the East coast 3 days pre cruise and stayed in Honolulu. This gave us time to adjust to the time change before the cruise began.

Ah Casey, thank you so much - I'm very glad to hear that! The best reason to do the land portion post-trip would be so I don't have to worry about making a flight, but I could stay overnight and do most of my land portion pre-cruise.

I would love to hear about any excursions you did. My thoughts are that, for the nights where we are staying in port, I would do an excursion that isn't through NCL, and when we're in port for only that one day, then I'd go through NCL.

I think I've also decided on May - how was your weather? I'd REALLY love to whale watch, but that means going in February or March, and while that would be a wonderful getaway from winter in NY, I've read that March weather in Hawaii (while still wonderful) could be iffy (relatively speaking - not iffy compared to anywhere else, lol).

 

I would hardly call Hawaiian Airlines' planes "puddle jumpers". I believe they're DC-9s or something similar. After first cruising around Hawaii in 1994 we have returned every 5 years or so and stayed on 2 islands each time (never Oahu except to land from the mainland and fly to another island). Sometimes when we've visited Maui we've stayed at 2 different locations because the "attractions" are wide-spread (Mt Halekela, Road to Hana to the east; great beaches, whale-watching (in season) and snorkeling on the west coast) and traffic, esp. on the west coast can be very heavy. We've also stayed in the middle south coast in the Kihei area. Also enjoyed our stays on Kauai (east coast, Kapaa area) and on the Big Island (Kona, Hilo).

That sounds like a fantastic way to enjoy the islands....... living on the East Coast, and for other reasons, it's not feasible for me. I always assume that I will be back to any location I enjoy, and I don't believe in rushing around trying to see (or get a taste of) everything. IF I decide on a longer vacation, it might be possible for me to stay pre-cruise on Maui, say, and then post-cruise in Oahu (Honolulu), but if not, I'll just assume I'll be back - when I can do more island hopping.

I know what I said in my previous post, but I'm torn between March and May (with May also, the hotel will be less expensive)....... ugh, lol

If you decide on POA (which I have done twice and thoroughly enjoyed) there is a debarkation excursion available which takes you from the ship (with your luggage) to the airport by way of touring Oahu for as many hours as you have available. The POA is a floating hotel so you won't have to pack and unpack like on a land tour. The food is not a gourmet experience but good enough when you are tired from getting up early and anticipating doing the same the next day. Save your sea days for when you are on a luxury cruise where the ship is the focus.

If you decide on POA (which I have done twice and thoroughly enjoyed) there is a debarkation excursion available which takes you from the ship (with your luggage) to the airport by way of touring Oahu for as many hours as you have available. The POA is a floating hotel so you won't have to pack and unpack like on a land tour. The food is not a gourmet experience but good enough when you are tired from getting up early and anticipating doing the same the next day. Save your sea days for when you are on a luxury cruise where the ship is the focus.

Hi Lucky Granny

I’m so glad to hear that you loved your POA experiences! Thanks so much for the tip about the debarkation excursion - that sounds like a great option, and I’ll definitley consider it.

I’ve been on two previous cruises and loved them both. The first was a Caribbean Carnival Cruise, and the most recent one being to Alaska, which - despite being a beautiful ship with many amenities - was ultimately all about the excursions. So, I’m absolutely fine having no sea days - I’m all about Hawaii!