Pride of Hawai'i Review June 18th-25th (very long)

Pride of Hawai’i Review (June 18th – June 25th)

I was debating how to organize this, so I figured I would do a summary of restaurants and excursions, and also have a more detailed explanation following for those who are interested. Sorry for the length.... hope its not too long.:D

Restaurants

Grand Pacific – very nice for breakfast, service was very good. Never ate there for dinner. Near the end of the cruise there was a garbage-like smell eminating from the place, not too sure what was going on, but we avoided it after that.

Alizar – Dinner one night. Lucky shot that we didn’t have to wait to be seated. Dinner quite good. I didn’t enjoy the chicken, but my family (5) enjoyed their steaks. Very good service.

Papa’s Italian Restaurant – we were only able to get reservations one time for this and late (9:30pm) but it was very good. Everyone enjoyed it, (my mother cannot have gluten, she brought her own pasta they cooked it for her, she loved it). Another night we came back to the ship late on an overnight day and were told it was an hour and a half wait for the restaurant to come back at 10:15pm. This was a source of frustration considering that all the restaurants were at the red level, and other than room service there are no places to just get snacks quickly. Finally after watching the screen and complaining to myself out loud, the maitre’d offered to do take-out for us. Which I think he could have just said in the first place when he said the wait was long. We took that and went back to the room.

Cagney’s – We ate here two times for dinner. The first time was absolutely great! Food was delicious, waiter was excellent and service was fast and perfect. All the orders were cooked exactly how we wanted them (and we are picky). Second time, they ran out of desserts and baked potatoes, and plain bread. Service was slow, and just not as good as the first time, but we just joked about it with the waiter and didn’t let it ruin our whole evening. The steaks were still good after all.

Blue Lagoon – Ate here for lunch one time. Very slow, rude staff member (was taken care of by manager and another staff member who felt bad about her colleagues rudeness) My order was not that great, but hamburgers are apparently good (according to my dad and brothers). The brownie dessert is good and the main reason we wanted to go, but the fact that lunch took 3 hours was a bit annoying.

Buffet – Buffet always seems to have a good selection of food (we had lunch, dinner and breakfast here a few different times) I find the only annoying part of the set up is that you keep having to change lines and start over at different stations if you like various types of food. It is nice when it is one line and you can get all you food in one shot. Sometimes with these different stations your food just ends up getting cold. The back lanai area is very nice to enjoy the weather, and they have the back buffet open for breakfast which helps to avoid some of the line, but doesn’t have everything the indoor buffet has.

We did not eat at the other restaurants (not everyone would have enjoyed the food, and making reservations is a hassle sometimes.)

I would give service 8.5 / 10

And food quality at specialty restaurants 9.5/10

Buffet food 7/10 (I am a bit biased since I hate buffets! Haha but sometimes you must go for the speediness of it)

Excursions

All of the excursions we booked through the cruise I would give a 10/10. We really enjoyed all of them

Molokini Crater Snorkel (Maui) – AMAZING!! Beautiful water, beautiful area, beautiful fish! Great crew! They really give you your money’s worth. Buy an underwater camera, or an underwater case for your digital camera – it is well worth it. But do take the excursion in the morning! Earlier is better due to the fact that winds can pick up in the afternoon and trip can be changed or cancelled and you might not see the good areas if winds are strong. We all got to see many sea turtles (they really try their best to make sure EVERYONE sees at least one). And we were extremely lucky to see dolphins (and a baby) swimming and jumping alongside the boat. (you also got a lunch and snacks onboard) The organizers were the Pacific Whale Foundation

Captain Zodiac Snorkel – Really great crew, and good snacks! Also an excursion where you get your money’s worth. Fish were great, water is not as clear as molokini but there are a lot of fish in the area. We saw a sea turtle and dolphins again and even heard the dolphins calling each other underwater while snorkeling. Be ready to hang on tight. This boat is very fast, it is a navy zodiac raft that goes up to 50mph. You sit on the sides of the raft and hang on to a rope, so they do say you should be in good physical condition.

Dolphins are not guaranteed in either of these snorkel trips, but it is exciting to see them. I think you do have a good chance of seeing them with these two trips. The crew on both really make an effort to give everyone a great experience (they call other boats if they spot the dolphins, they slow down and approach them if they see them).

Haleakala Sunrise (Maui) – Beautiful sunrise! An amazing experience. You must leave the ship at 3:15am for this one though J. And I would suggest stealing some croissants from the buffet the morning before (or some fruit). There is nothing available on the ship that early. And the only thing they give you on the excursion is coffee and some pre-packaged danishes, but those aren’t for everyone, so have some snacks prepared. Also bring a big sweater, even mitts if you aren’t used to the cold. Make sure you have socks and closed shoes. I wore flip flops and that wasn’t the best idea. It is cold up there. The elevation is 10,000 feet and it was very nice.

Helicopter Tour (kaua’i) – My father did this one, and he absolutely loved it. Blue Hawaiian was the tour group that took him up. He said they gave great information and the views were amazing. He saw different areas that they filmed movies, and said the cost was well worth it.

Those are the only excursions we booked through the cruiseline. Anything else we just did on our own, and to be honest if you rent a car, it is a lot cheaper to go this route than through the cruise. It is a lot more expensive to take the excursions, considering many of the places they take you have little or no admission costs.

I would suggest pre-booking. You can always cancel up to 24hrs before (helicopter and snuba are final sale) and this way you have the spot rather than be disappointed.

If anyone does want to do zip-lining I suggest you pre-book. They were all full before the cruise apparently, and if that is something that is of interest to you, it should be booked ahead.

Now I figure I will just do a summary day-by-day of what we did, since most of our activities were on our own with the rental car. This could be helpful to anyone going this route.

Pre-Cruise

We arrived in Honolulu the night before and stayed at the Waikiki Sunset. It was nice because 6 of us could share a room, and that brought down the hotel cost for that one evening before the cruise.

Day 1 – Boarding the ship

Next morning we ate breakfast at Lulu’s right near the ocean on Waikiki beach. Very good for anyone staying in the area pre/post cruise.

We took a taxi to the port, and boarding went very smoothly. We got there at one oclock.

Buffet for lunch and exploring of the ship.

Staterooms took quite a while to be ready I think our deck was one of the last ones. But it wasn’t really a big deal since we were walking around anyways.

Dinner ended up almost being a big annoyance but we got lucky. We went to the Grand Pacific where the wait was an hour. So we put our name in and then went down to the Alizar where we got the last free table, so we didn’t end up waiting at all for dinner, but the wait was over an hour for both.

Opening show was good, but we were so tired that part of the group fell asleep during it, and left before it was over.

Day 2 – Hilo

We picked up the rental car by taking a shuttle at the port (all ports except Kona have this, for various rental car companies). Then we drove to Volcanoes National Park. Admission was free due to the seismic activity and eruptions that had been occurring and Chain of Craters road was closed. But we did the crater rim drive, which is very interesting and the Thurston lava tubes. We had a lot of fun here, and when done drove to Akaka falls, did the short hike up there (no admission here either). Then we started driving back to the port, and drove down Banyan Tree Drive (a street with banyan trees planted by celebrities) and also walked around the Chinese garden just off the road. My father then dropped us off at the ship and returned the car. (it is easier to get a shuttle back for one person than your whole group, and I recommend not everyone going to the airports to return the car).

I believe the show that night was Rock N Soul with the cruise dancers and singers and it was good.

There is also the lava viewing from the ship. I thought it was pretty neat to see even though it was very far away. Definitely bring binoculars!!

Day 3 & 4 Kahului, Maui

Got up early the first morning and headed out to the Molokini Crater for snorkeling. As I mentioned earlier, it was absolutely great! And we saw turtles and dolphins. After that was over and we were dropped back off at the ship, we had booked our own luau for that evening so we went and washed up and got ready for that. My dad and boyfriend got ready really fast so they could leave and pick up the rental car. The luau we booked was the Drums of the Pacific at the Hyatt Regency Maui at Ka’anapali Beach. We really enjoyed it. We took the VIP seating, so that we were near the front. Overall it was a good experience. We got back to the ship in time for the later show which was by comedian Bud Anderson, but we were all too tired to see it. (the sun and the 6hr time difference was really taking it’s toll on us)

Next morning my boyfriend and I got off the ship at 3:15am for the sunrise tour. Which as I said earlier was really beautiful. We got back to the ship for 8am, met my parents and brothers for breakfast in the grand pacific, and then my dad went to pick up the rental car again. (the parking lot is very small at this port only about 30 spots I would just recommend to rent your car two separate days and spare yourself the hassle of parking. The airport really isn’t that far anyways) We drove back out to Ka’anapali beach and since we have our own snorkeling gear, found a spot of the beach that wasn’t part of the hotels and went right in. I wish I knew exactly where it was, because the snorkeling was amazing. But there are not many places to park for the public beach sections, so I don’t think it would be too hard to find again. We spent about 2 hours in the water and the fish were amazing. We then started to drive back towards the port and stopped at Front ST. which is a great little area for shopping, and eating, right near the ocean. Also during most of your drives on practically all the islands, there is always beautiful scenery and little lookout stop points for picture taking. We then headed back to the ship. I believe it was the illusion show that evening, which we didn’t enjoy too much, I found the illusionist to be quite fake, and he accidentally revealed how many of the tricks were done by making many mistakes. Maybe he just had an off night. Snacks are hard to come by ( we are used to the Café Promenade on Royal Caribbean where we just pick some cookies or brownies up anytime we want) yes, we could have used room service, but we are never in our rooms, and its just nice to pick up a snack and keep going. So we bought some snacks at the ABC stores and brought them back onboard with us.

Day 5 Kona

In Kona we did not rent a car. The airport is apparently very far away, and you don’t really need one here, since a lot of stuff is near the port anyways. We went on the Captain zodiac snorkel in the morning and afterwards just walked around the town, got some ice cream. Saw two sea turtles near the shoreline, a school of yellow tangs and also went to Lulu’s for lunch. It was a bit of a relaxing day. (there’s also a scrapbook store in this town for those of you who are interested … hee hee )

That night we went to Papa’s Italian Restaurant and the late night comedy show. The comedian was very very good

Day 6 & 7 Kaua’i

We took a rental car here also. While my father went on his helicopter excursion, the rest of us drove up to Waimea canyon (no admission). Beautiful pictures and wonderful scenery. It was very nice here and I think worth the trip. We met back up with my dad and went the other direction toward the north end of the island. We went to Ha’ena beach (not sure for spelling) Snorkeling was okay here, and it was a nice place to relax. We watched the sunset and on our drive back there is this little area of restaurants and shops that you drive through and we stopped to have some burgers.

We parked overnight at this marketplace right near the pier. About a two minute walk. You pay ten dollars for the pass. They do fill up at around 5pm. I would suggest renting your car, then driving back to the place and getting the pass in the morning. This way you don’t need to worry about the time you get back.

We did driving to Wailea Falls the second day, and also drove along the coast near Po’ipu Beach. Tons of great sightseeing spots, we saw seals sleeping and some turtles coming up for air. There was a beach just before Po’ipu, where my brother tried out his boogie board, and it is a good place for wave riding. We also snorkeled on a beach nearby. We returned to the ship, where at 5pm get ready to watch as you sail passed the Na’Pali coast, only on port side. We watched from my parents balcony. There were many rainbows and you could see waterfalls with the binoculars. Also there were some dolphins that started jumping beside our ship. I actually got a picture of one in the air! That night we packed our bags up, and also just kept them with us for express walkoff at 7:30am. That went very smoothly, and we then caught a shuttle to the airport where we picked up our rental van for our post-cruise stay in Ko Olina at the Jw Marriot Ihilani. It was very beautiful and if you do stay post or pre-cruise it is a very nice area, not too far from downtown Honolulu.

Post Cruise

Since this is getting long, I am going to just try and finish this up with some quick suggestions of things to do in Oahu.

We went to Hanauma Bay, which is very nice but crowded (and closed on Tuesday!) we also did some sightseeing along the coast in that area, which was nice for pictures. Downtown Honolulu is very fun for shopping, and the Cheesecake Factory is a good place to eat. Also Lulu’s and Coldstone creamery for ice cream.

Pearl Harbor – my brother and dad went there to visit, and they said it was amazing. The wait is very long to get in. we dropped them off at 10am, and they were given a ticket to come back at 12:45. There are things to do while you wait. (aviation museum etc.) and when they came back at 12:45 they said all the tickets for the rest of the day were already gone. So you definitely have to be there early to get a ticket for a return time.

Ihilani hotel was great, very relaxing area, with beautiful lagoons to swim and snorkel in.

We really loved this Hawaiian vacation, the scenery and islands are truly beautiful. Sure the ship had its problems and wasn’t necessarily as good as other cruises I have been on. But we knew that ahead of time and we really did go for the islands.

I think the two biggest problems that we had with the ship were: Housekeeping, and Dinner Reservations. If you do have problems, make sure you see the front desk RIGHT AWAY, they will not help you if you wait.

And also, the first night of the cruise there is a little shore excursion talk. If you have planned everything and researched in advance, I would suggest you do not attend it. It really made us doubt the choices we had made and planned. They made it seem like going without NCLA excursions was an extremely bad choice, and rental cars were a huge hassle and took hours to pick up and wasted your time, and it really just was not like that at all. I know that they want the money for the excursions, but there was no need to have a talk filled with lies. Which trust me, there were many things they said that were not true.

Our housekeeping problems consisted of no sheets on the bunk bed, trying to call housekeeping and always getting a busy signal, talking to the housekeepers in our hallway of which none cleaned our room or could help us figure out who did. Complaining to the desk about no sheets, no chocolates, no towel animals (I love towel animals) and being told it would be fixed and it wasn’t. Finally speaking to the “housekeeper hallway manager” and getting two animals and two chocolates and sheets on the last night of the cruise *sigh*.

Dinner Reservation problems – It is not so much problems as personal dislike. I think that having to line up at 6:30am is a bit crazy just so that you can have dinner. And frustrations like being the fourth in line, arriving to the front and every restaurant is full, is a bit incredulous. Worse is returning half an hour later and magically they can accommodate you (yes I know there could have been a cancellation, but I doubt it was that coincidental). Nonetheless, this is how they do things, and eating at different restaurants is nice. The reservations one day at a time and lining up early are the only things we didn’t enjoy, but it didn’t ruin our trip. Just minor grumbles, but as soon as its done and you are out of that line, we would forget it and go on with our day.

I would definitely go on this cruise again, the problems we encountered were not serious enough for me to ban this cruise line from my list. The trip was amazing, unforgettable and once in a lifetime! It definitely is a great way to experience Hawai'i. Know going in there may be some bumps with service or waiting for dinner, but just be prepared to let it slide. Don't let it get to you so much that you ruin your trip. It's not worth it :p

Hope this helps, sorry it was so long…. :o

If anyone has questions about anything, even if it’s not mentioned here I would be glad to try and help out!

Great review.

Now I figure I will just do a summary day-by-day of what we did, since most of our activities were on our own with the rental car. This could be helpful to anyone going this route.

This is the best part of the reviews for me!!! I love to read what everyone did and how they did it.

Thanks for taking the time to write a detailed review!

Thanks so much for the review, it was great and really informative!!!

(P.S. Thanks for the scrapbooking tip! I'll have to keep an eye out for that store!!!) :D

Jessyca, thank you so much for the detailed review. we sail on July 16, and leave on the 14th. It was great to read a positive review- I know there will be little things that are not perfect, but I WILL NOT let it ruin my vacation. Now if I can just find someone to finish my packing...... Thanks again for taking the time to write your review. You are appreciated!!!

Thank you for your thorough review. Glad had a wonderful time and made the best of the cruise. Too bad the management cant get a grip on the dining and housekeeping issues. Doubt much will improve until she sails as the Norwegian Jade. There's no incentive.

Were You Required To Show Your Birthcertificate Along With Your Drivers License? I Have Been Told For This Cuirse You Do Not Need Them Only The Picture Id. ( If You Don't Have A Passport) Thanks For Your Help.

Very good review. I was wondering about the rental cars. I heard NCL rents cars at $39. Is that only for 4 hours or should I rent directly with the rental companies?

Thanks for your great and thorough review! My parents leave on Saturday for the 7/16 sailing on POH. They just printed out your whole review and plan on bringing it with them to help them while they are there. Thanks again.

Where exactly is that scrapbooking store? :D I'm glad you had a good time!