POA Review.....Sept 19th Sailing

[Junebug08]

Back from a wonderful 10 days in Hawaii ....for all interested here is my review on the trip and the Pride of America .

We arrived in Honolulu on Wed evening ..tired but happy and excited. We checked into the Marriott Waikiki . We were happy to hear they had upgraded our standard rooms to ones with an ocean view . The room was clean and comfy and the hotel was very nice . The location was close to the beach and all the shopping .

Thursday we took an early morning hike to Diamond Head , glad we went early because once it gets hot I cannot imagine trying to do that climb.

I was OK until I got to the stairs ...then I had to stop and take rests ...but it was worth it once I got to the top .....amazing views ! Later that afternoon we went to the Paradise Cove Luau . My first Luau experience....it was fun , food was good and the show was enjoyable .

Friday we had booked a deep sea fishing trip in Waikiki ....it was disappointing . We had booked a private charter and it wasn't the kind of fishing we were used to . It was trolling for the big ones ...of which we caught none ....so it didn't even feel like we fished. Alot of money for alot of nothing .

I actually really enjoyed Waikiki . The beach was very nice and the nightlife, restaurants and shopping was great !

Saturday was the day we boarded the POA ....we actually did the Pearl Harbor tour in the morning and then headed to the ship by cab. We boarded at around 1PM and should have ate lunch before boarding because the Aloha Cafe was a madhouse .

The week before the ship was put on a lockdown due to over 100 people getting ill with a gastro type virus....thus our sailing was put on lockdown which meant all the buffet stations were saran wrapped and we could not serve ourselves all week . This was a big disappointment for buffet lovers and a big pain in the neck . There was not enough staff to do the serving and lines were long.

You couldn't even grab your napkins and utensils yourself ...a staff member had to hand them to you. You couldn't pour your own coffee or tea or even pick up a packet of sugar yourself . This made the whole buffet experince a big pain in the butt . Very disappointing but we also realized it had to be done to keep everyone healthy. You also had to get your hands disinfected everytime you boarded the ship or walked into a dining area ...my hands have never been so clean . Even if you walked out for a second and returned ....you had to be resquirted .

Sunday morning we arrived in Hilo ....we had booked the Kilauea Volcano Biking Tour ....it rains alot in Hilo and it did that day .....we thought they'd cancel the tour but came to find out they cycle rain or shine. We started out cold and wet . Even though they supplied rain jackets it's no fun bicycling in the rain . We saw and learned alot , our guides were very nice but biking in that weather was not for me ! I was also disappointed that the tour started in the morning and we didn't get back till 4 PM and all they gave us was some soda and snacks , no lunch.

Monday.....we did The Road to Hana with Valley Isle Excursions . This was my favorite excursion of the entire trip ......what an awesome day we had . I cannot say enough about the beauty we saw on the Road to Hana . We were glad we didn't rent a car and left the driving to our tour guide ...the road is very narrow, long & winding with some areas where only one car can pass ....I would have been stressed if my husband was driving . Also with car rentals you are not suppossed to travel past Hana as the roads are unpaved and bumpy , we got to go past Hana and do a loop back to our starting point. I just loved this excursion so much ...they even gave us a nice lunch .

Tuesday we did the excursion Beach Day in Maui.

I loved this too ....the Beach they took us to was

Wailea Beach and it was gorgeous . We got two chairs as part of the excursion fee and we rented an umbrella . We had snorkel gear with us and much to my husbands delight came across a big sea turtle while snorkeling . We had lunch at the Wailea Grand Resort right on the beach . I wish this excursion went to later in the day as we didn't want to leave .

Wednesday we were in Kona and did Captain Zodiaks Raft & Snorkel Tour. This was alot of fun ...if you have a bad back though you might not like this one as there are no seats in the raft ....you sit on the edge and hang on . Teens would probably love this one . We did some snorkeling and got to see a pod of pilot whales and spinner dolphins too .

Thursday we were in Kauai ...we rented a car with Thrifty and did Waimea Canyon . It was great to be able to stop and take pix wherever we wanted. It was a beautiful drive with wonderful views. We then stopped in town and ate at a local Taco shack which was delicious ...then to one of the local towns to shop .

Friday we were still in Kauai and did the Mudbug Excursion. This was a fun time too . We got to drive the Mudbug on a guided tour through some pretty remote areas ....we stopped and swam at a waterfall and had a nice lunch too .

Saturday disembarkment was very easy . We used Easy Fly ....for $25 each our luggage was taken from outside our staterooms Friday night and we didn't see it again till we got home .

Overall we were happy with the POA . The buffet being on lockdown was a disappointment but I guess it had to be done .

The food in the dining rooms was good ...but we all agreed not great ...no one went hungry though that's for sure. Freestyle seemed to work well although we wanted the same waiter every night so we made reservations each night for the next day ( you had to have a party of 5 or more to be able to make a reservation for the Skyline and Liberty ) . We loved our waiter named " Kwok " and his helper " Kasper." NCL does charge your account each day for tips so no tipping is necessary at the end of your cruise but we did tip them extra at the end of the week because they gave us very good service.

We thought the entertainment on the ship was better than other ships we have been on. We really enjoyed the Second City Improv shows ...there were 3 of them . The comedian was pretty funny too. Hubby went to the Beer Tasting one afternoon. It was $20 to taste several beers and at the end you got a GIANT beer mug you could have refilled for $8.95 the rest of the week .

They did a pub crawl one afternoon and although we didn't particpate it seemed like those who did were having a great time .

Overall we had a very nice cruise on the POA and are glad we choose it .

I brought home all the " Freestyle Daily's for the week ....if anyone wants them I will be happy to mail them out to the first person that requests them ( in the US only ) .

Also if anyone has any questions about anything I will be happy to answer whatever I can for you.

You can email me at brenmax@verizon.net

 

[gmcnulty99]

Thanks for the details of your cruise.

How long was the Road to Hana trip?

Did you feel you had enough time at stops?

Thanks

[Junebug08]

Freestyle Dailys have been promised to someone :)

[Junebug08]

The Road to Hana Trip started at 8 AM and we returned about 6PM.

We had several stops and plenty of time to take photos at those stops .

We did see some spots we would have loved to stop and didn't but you have to understand on the Hana Road it is not always possible or safe to just stop for a photo .

The Valley Isle Vans only hold 12 people which was nice. The better view was from the seats on the drivers side .

We stopped in Hana and were provided a nice lunch of warm boneless chicken breasts, green salad and macaroni salad .

We all ( 6 in our party ) enjoyed this excurison very much and were glad we decided not to drive it ourselves .

[downsized]

Thanks for the details of your cruise.

How long was the Road to Hana trip?

Did you feel you had enough time at stops?

Thanks

 

We were on the POA 08/22.

Our trip took "forever"! Well...over 8 hours.

Those of us on the van joked about it being the "Race to Hana".

The driver would drive like crazy...stop...have us take pictures for maybe 5 minutes, then herd us back on the van. (Now to be fair...it is a one lane road...so the van can only block the road for a bit!)

 

I did have to laugh though when she stopped the van so that we could take pictures of goats alongside the road....."hello! I think that we have all seen goats before!"

 

My opinion is that it was an experience that I am not sorry to have, but one that I would not do a second time.

[West Maui]

Aloha,

 

Sounds like despite the challenges & downsides, you had a great visit!!!

 

Downsized.........what tour company did you take for Hana?

[sprout76]

Junebug08...glad to hear that you had a good time. We're doing the mudbugs the Friday morning we're in Kauai and I'm looking forward to this excursion...it sounds like you guys had a great time.

 

I have a specific question for you regarding your thrifty car rental in Kauai. I've booked a car through Thrifty for our first day in Kauai...when I entered the code for pickup of vehicle (LIH) it gave me two choices...airport or cruise pick up. I obviously went with the cruise pick up (a no brainer right), but the price came back as $90 for a mid size vehicle...when all others were at about $35-$40 for the other islands. So...I went back to their home screen and picked the airport pick up...the price was $38 for the same vehicle. $90 vs $38 to rent from the same location seems pretty crazy to me...I understand the shuttle has to come to the port, but certainly it isn't worth the extra $50 they're trying to charge me is it?

 

So...my question is...what pick up did you choose from Thrifty?? I was going to just stick with the airport location and still hop on the shuttle when it comes to the ship, but don't want to be left stranded either. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks a bunch

[Junebug08]

We used the cruise ship shuttle option. Had a 6 passenger van and it was $38 . Are you registered as a Blue Chip member ...don't know if that makes the difference but its free to register.

[Junebug08]

I would also like to add to my review that the staff on the POA was wonderful . Very helpful and friendly !:)

[Jeanny]

do they change the itinerary from time to time? Most of the itineraries I've found show going to Maui first, then the Big Island 2 ports, then Kauai. you mentioned Hilo on Sunday??? then Maui, Kona & Kauai.

Just wondering, or maybe I'm just mixing things up.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

do they change the itinerary from time to time? Most of the itineraries I've found show going to Maui first, then the Big Island 2 ports, then Kauai. you mentioned Hilo on Sunday??? then Maui, Kona & Kauai.

Just wondering, or maybe I'm just mixing things up.

 

There are a few weeks that go to Hilo first but this was not a last min change, they were always sold this way.

[Jeanny]

thanks Jame! :)

[Dusty2]

JB08,

 

Thanks for the great review. We are booked on the full circle Hana tour in November as well. This will be our second time around!

 

I was one of hundreds who became ill on a southern Caribbean cruise. :( I'd much rather stand in line a little longer and clean hands frequently that be locked-down in my cabin sick for most of the cruise!! Especially since everyone in your cabin gets to join you in lock-down.:( Sounds like you made the best of it!

 

Thanks again!

[smrtypnts]

Junebug--Did you do the mudbug through NCL or did you find someone online that you chose instead?

[Junebug08]

We did the mudbugs through NCL. I must say it was very well organized.

They first take you to their " Store " where you can buy a neckerchief for

$2 and you sign forms. Then they take you to the site where they keep the mudbuggys. They hand out pants, shirts and helmets and a rope to keep your pants up if they are to big LOL . Then comes the safety talk ...and finally you hop into your mudbuggy. It's a guided tour ...not like you can go crazy in them but still it was fun . Lots of nice scenery and you stop at a waterfall when you can swim and jump off a rock into the water pools. There are Picnic tables there and they gave us a nice lunch of big fat sandwiches, macaroni salad , chips, cookies and sodas.

When the ride is over they take you back to the store where they show a slideshow of photos of your trip that you can buy on DVD for $30...we took our own camera so didn't purchase it .

[LJH1]

Thanks for your review and it was unfortunate that you had to experience the lock down.

 

We just got off a 5 day Pacific coastal cruise and it just amaze's me at the pigs (men) that go to the washroom and still do not wash their hands after doing their business.

 

We too also noticed that more of the buffet staff were handing you the dishes and serves were serving where ever possible.

[smrtypnts]

We did the mudbugs through NCL. I must say it was very well organized.

They first take you to their " Store " where you can buy a neckerchief for

$2 and you sign forms. Then they take you to the site where they keep the mudbuggys. They hand out pants, shirts and helmets and a rope to keep your pants up if they are to big LOL . Then comes the safety talk ...and finally you hop into your mudbuggy. It's a guided tour ...not like you can go crazy in them but still it was fun . Lots of nice scenery and you stop at a waterfall when you can swim and jump off a rock into the water pools. There are Picnic tables there and they gave us a nice lunch of big fat sandwiches, macaroni salad , chips, cookies and sodas.

When the ride is over they take you back to the store where they show a slideshow of photos of your trip that you can buy on DVD for $30...we took our own camera so didn't purchase it .

Thank you very much for all this great information!!:)