Very long and detailed review of 1/23 POA sailing

[ukbballfan]

Heres my rather long review of our Jan. 23-30 POA cruise. Thanks again to all who helped me in planning our vacation. I hope those of you who are planning yours will gain some insight from our experiences.

 

First a little background on the reviewer. This was my first trip to the Hawaiian Islands and my third cruise. I have cruised the Western Caribbean on Carnival and the Eastern Caribbean on Royal Caribbean. We were a party of 6 people...four adults (two couples - mid forties) and our two teenage girls (16 & 18).

 

Friday Jan. 21st.

 

We left our house around 7:30 A.M. for the 2 1/2 hour drive to Cincinnati. We chose Cincy for their direct flight to Honolulu. We arrived in Honolulu around 5:30 P.M. Baggage claim is easy and convenient to rental car shuttles. We were at the Thrifty location by 6 P.M. Using Blue Chip (Thrifty's frequent renters program) our convertibles were waiting and we were loaded up and on our way in 10 minutes. Would have been quicker but you really forget how small the trunk space is on a convertible. We ended up putting the excess luggage in the backseat of one of the cars, yes we looked like the Clampetts had moved to Honolulu! Convertibles were great but you can only get two medium sized suitcases in the trunk so keep that in mind as you plan. Traffic was very heavy (as I later found out is always the case) and it took about 45 minutes to go the 5 miles to our hotel. We stayed at the Ocean Resort in a deluxe ocean view w/ kitchenette. We got their buy 1 get 1 half price deal so we got their best rooms for about $95.00 per night per room. The rate is called "Twice as Nice" if anyone might be interested. The hotel was nice...open lobby was great, restaurant was good(only had breakfast there), rooms were clean and comfortable. Parking lot was full but they have a deal with a parking garage across street. Cost is $7.00 per night with in and out privileges and we had no problems. Check-in was smooth and we were in our rooms by 7:15. We all hit the showers as we had been traveling since 7:30 A.M. E.S.T. so about 15 hours. We then hit the streets to check out the Waikiki area. If you have forgotten anything at home don't worry...there’s an ABC (all blocks covered) store everywhere. Ate at Cheeseburger in Paradise (very good) and enjoyed the different "characters" performing along the streets. Finally hit the wall around midnight so we returned to our rooms and crashed.

 

Saturday Jan 22nd.

 

Slept in till 8 A.M. as we were exhausted from our previous days travels. We had breakfast at the hotel and then headed to the "Swap Meet" at the Aloha Stadium. There are lots of great bargain to be had but mostly we just took notes of things to pick up when we got back from the cruise so we wouldn't have to carry the stuff around all week. Plus it gives you an idea of prices for things there and will save you lots of $$ compared to buying on the other islands. We shopped for about 2 hours (about 1/2 way around the stadium) then headed to the Pali Lookout. Great views to be had here of the eastern side of Oahu. Afterwards we went through the tunnels and down to Lanikai beach. I had seen it on the travel channel and had to go there. It is very difficult to get to. It's in a residential section and there are very few public access points. We picked up some sandwiches and ate then on the beach. Short time in the sun and already could feel the intensity of it. Spent about two hours there wading in the surf and talking to some kayakers. We headed back to our room because we had to catch a bus to our luau at 4:30. We went around the southern tip past a beautiful lighthouse and an outlook point where we stopped to watch whales. It took a little while to get back to the room as all the streets in Waikiki start with the letter "K" and sound alike!! We had booked Germaines Luau and were using the coupon from the Entertainment book. We met our Roberts tour bus at 4:30, paid the driver for the luau (bad setup..I had booked all 6 of us and he couldn't divide up the charges...no big deal but inconvenient) and we headed out around 5:00. Our guide was entertaining but the ride is about a 1/2 hour. He kept telling us we would be there in 15 "Hawaiian" minutes. The luau is on a deserted stretch of beach and was a big disappointment overall. We arrived after the pig was unearthed and things were already underway. The show was O.K. but I have nothing to compare it to. The food was so-so...about what you expect from a large outdoor buffet. The 3 free drink coupons were a hit as the drink lines stayed crowded all night. The fire dancer was the hit of the show. We got back to the hotel about 9:45. Jet lag was still having its effect so we turned in early.

 

Sunday Jan. 23rd.

 

Got up at 6:00 so we could get to the Pearl Harbor Memorial before the huge crowds showed up. Arrived about 7:10...just ahead of a tour bus. Got in line and waited till about 7:50 when the line started to move into the theatre area. They don't allow purses, backpacks, large camera bags, hip pouches. etc so don't bring them. Lines move smoothly and there is no charge for the Arizona Memorial. They do have audio players for rent for $5.00 that talk about each area you enter and its well worth the money. Movie is about 15 minutes long and very informative. An actual Pearl veteran gives a short talk. After movie you board a launch for the 5 minute ride to the Arizona. Very moving experience as you read the wall of Heroes and think about their bodies still trapped below you. People were breaking their flower leas and dropping the flowers in the memorial opening...again very somber. You can almost visualize the setting on that fateful day. We rode the boat back to the memorial center and looked through the museum and gift shop. The entire experience took about 2 hours because we got on the first boat of the day. Lines were about 300 yards long by 9 A.M. so get there early. We went back to our rooms to check out and head for the pier. The pier area is pretty simple and is located next to Aloha Tower. We dropped off our luggage and tipped a porter to get it onboard for us. The girls took the carry ons and went shopping at the Aloha Marketplace and the guys took the convertibles back to Thrifty. We were back via a thrifty shuttle in about 30 minutes and got in line for embarkation. It took from 1:30 till about 2:25 to get through the process. Don't try to take any open food in your carry on...they make you throw it away. Got our cards and headed up the escalators toward the ship. We received our leas (guys get shells and girls get flowers) and had our picture taken and were onboard by 2:30. Most of our luggage was waiting outside of our cabin. We quickly changed and headed back to the Aloha Marketplace to watch the Steelers and Pats playoff game, as it wasn't available onboard. This also allowed us to skip the muster drill. Got back onboard after the game and got another lea and picture. Went to the cabin to unpack....extra hangers came in handy. All in all there a lot of storage space if you utilize everything. 3 drawers, 3 wall shelves, a full closet, and a safe. I put all my shorts in the safe! Hey, with 2 women in my cabin I got what little room that was left. The stuff I was going to use later in the week (snorkel gear, binoculars, battery chargers, etc.) stayed in the suitcases and went under the bed. The are 6 mini shelves in the bathroom that are convenient. A hanging toiletry bag was useful but not really needed. Electrical strip was placed on the dresser for all our chargers (batteries, cell phones, walkie talkies, video camera, etc.) There’s also 2 night stands with 2 shelves along with a 3 inch wide area along the top of the beds that’s good for books, snacks, tour guides, etc. No sail away party just some musicians playing on the dock as you leave. Dinner is available from 5:30 -10 and was most crowded from 5:30-7:00. I would say about 80 % of the cruisers were over 60 so hence the earlier dinner time. We decided to just do the buffet on the pool deck as the day had been hectic and I didn't want to get dressed for the dining room. Buffet was nice with prime rib and shrimp (the best offerings of the week). Ate at a table above the pool and listened to the band as we ate. Went back to the room and finished settling in.

 

Monday Jan. 24th.

 

Got up at 6:15 to watch our arrival into Kauai. The sunrise was spectacular! The red hues from the island were awesome as the sun slowly exposed them. The dock is a large warehouse and not very eye appealing. Hit the breakfast buffet in the Houkilou(?) Cafe. Very congested conditions here...later found out that the back lanai of the ship has about the same offerings and smaller lines. There’s a girl handing out silverware and she looked like she was bored to tears. A passenger in front of me commented that she should find a more exciting job. The food was hot with sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, (not runny this morning but would get worse later in the week), pancakes, a fruity crepe, and different fruits. You can tell alot about their usual cruiser by what was first in line...prunes! They were out of coffee cups and the juice machine was out of order....a condition to remain for the rest of the cruise. We headed out to get our rental van and were greeted by a hula show in the warehouse dock. Very entertaining and set the mood for the day. Rental shuttles were just outside and it’s a 5 minute trip to the airport. Used Alamo in Kauai and we were the only ones on the shuttle. The counter person at Alamo told me to just go outside and pick out something...that would have been great but everything they had available had just two rows of seats and there were 6 of us. I went back inside and he had to call someone who went out and cleaned and washed a van for us...20 minutes wasted. We drove to Waimea Canyon (about 45 minutes) and got there just as the clouds were rolling in. We drove partway back down the canyon and got below the clouds and got some nice pics. You have to get there before 10 A.M. to be able to see from the top. Then we headed to Poipu Beach for the afternoon and stopped at Snorkel Bobs so our traveling companions could rent some snorkel gear. Found a nice beach and spent about 3 hours snorkeling and sunning. Bring plenty of sunscreen and don't mess with anything below 30 spf. Went back to ship at 2:30 so we could catch lunch...it ends at 3:00. Ate, changed clothes, and headed to the north shore to watch sunset from the Kilauea Lighthouse. Sunset was at 6:20 and the lighthouse was closed already so we just headed back to Wal-Mart to get pop and snacks before returning the van and heading to the ship. Watch for the sleeping giant and the pregnant lady rock formations if you go to the north shore. There is a parking area beside the ship if you keep your rental overnight. Got back to the ship around 7:30 and changed for dinner. Monday is formal night and is also lobster night! We went down around 8:00 and had about a 10 minute wait. Ate at the Palace this evening and had a most dreadful waitress. She apparently was working her third shift of the day (she told us this repeatedly) and was wearing down. Glasses were empty more then full and food took about 30 minutes to arrive. My first taste of "freestyle" and I already had my doubts. Dinner arrived and was well presented but just not as good as previous cruise meals. The rest of the meal was handled by another person as our waitress disappeared. Dessert was enjoyable and we tipped the new waiter as we had been told that the resort fee was not being added to our bill. The show for the evening was a Polynesian review...we arrived after it had started and watched for a few minutes and then retired as the jet lag was still present.

 

Tuesday Jan. 25th.

 

We got to sleep in this morning. Had breakfast (coffee cups were plentiful but juice machine still out of order) and then went out around 8:45 to meet our pick-up from Safari Air. I had booked this online (much cheaper then calling them). We were scheduled for the 9:20 55 minute helicopter flight. We were taken to their office and weighed (to balance the chopper) and then shuttled to the heliport. We arrived as the previous flight was landing. This was our first helicopter flight and we were a little apprehensive. We were lucky and got to sit upfront with the pilot. The views were unbelievable. We flew over our ship as we headed out towards the south coast. The flight was very smooth and our pilot "Bill" knew all the stories about Kauai. We flew through Waimea Canyon, up the Na Pali coast (Awesome), over the Wainiha ridge, and into the Mt Waialeale crater...this is the wettest spot on earth! We then flew over Opaekaa Falls and back to the heliport. This was probably the highlight of our entire trip. Take a helicopter tour if at all possible while in Kauai. We returned to the ship and we sailed away from Kauai at 1:00. There was a big sail away barbeque and we all staked out our spots along the starboard side of the ship for the sailing around the Na Pali coast. The ship usually goes counterclockwise around Kauai but for some reason we went clockwise. The only rain of the entire week came as we passed the Na Pali coast but it was still beautiful. The water was pretty choppy and you had to be careful while walking. Went to the cabin for a little siesta, as this was the extent of our cruising during daytime. Went to the Crossings tonight mainly to avoid the waitress from last night. We had a very pleasant waiter who was cheerful and ready to please. The menu was about the same as only 3 meals change each night. The whole left side of the menu (appetizers, soups, & salads) doesn't change the whole cruise. The food was better than the night before but they were out of 2 kinds of ice cream...small stuff but annoying just the same. Went to the Longboard sports bar after dinner to catch up on some scores. You can get limited food here from 3:30 P.M. till 3:00 A.M.

 

Wednesday Jan. 26th.

 

Arrived in Hilo at 9;00 this morning. Went to Thrifty to get rental van (about 7 minutes) and headed to Volcanoes Nat. Park. The trip is a pleasant one and takes about 45 minutes. The park has a visitor’s center and entrance fee is $10.00 per car. There is a circular drive around the craters and you see steam rising up in several locations. We spent about 2 hours here and then drove down Chain of Craters Road to the ocean. It’s a 20 mile drive that goes quickly and is well worth it. You can stop and walk out to the ocean on the hardened lava!! The views of the ocean splashing against the black lava are beautiful. Watch for small gaps in the lava as you walk though as they are about 10-12 feet deep in places. We left the park and drove about 30 minutes to get to Punalu'u beach. It is a black sand beach and we got to see a sea turtle sunning himself. Spent about 30 minutes there, as we had to be back onboard by 5:00. Returned van with no problems and returned to ship. There are a few vendors set up in the warehouse at the dock with some great prices on flower arrangements and other things. You have to go through security before reboarding the ship and its pretty thorough. They wouldn't allow someone in front of me to take sugar cane back onboard. Also you need your ship card and a picture I.D. leaving and returning to the ship. Decided to do the outdoor buffet tonight, as we hadn't been too impressed by the dining rooms. Food was good but just average. We had an illusionist for the show tonight and he was great. He was signing copies of his CD after the show but everyone was rushing outside to see the lava as we passed the flow of Kilauea. This was a bad night to have this show as I would have liked to have chatted with the illusionist but flowing lava was not to be missed. The hillside was aglow with orange. It was in several places along about the length of two football fields. The captain commented that it was the most he had seen at one time. Make sure you set your cameras for low lighting to get your pics. This was a truly awesome sight!

 

Thursday Jan. 27th.

 

We arrived in Kona at 7;00 and this is a tender port. They were using lifeboats for tenders and it was very turbulent. People were falling into the tender and being caught. Due to the age of most of the passengers this was extremely dangerous. We had booked a Snorkel cruise on Body Glove due to their being on the pier the tender landed on. This saved renting a car and the worries of reaching the other pier in time for some of the better snorkel excursions. We booked Body Glove online but had to tell them we were staying on the island...some kind of deal they have with NCL. We were able to use our buy 1 get 1 coupons from the Entertainment book and this saved us $141.00 for 3 people! The Catamaran was nice with pastries, fruit, and juice supplied. We went along the coast about 15 minutes and then came back toward the ship to a spot about 1/2 mile from the ship. I guess they take you on a roundabout trip so you think you're going further than you are. The area was O.K. and there were ample fish. A couple in our party did the scuba diving (extra $50.00) and the rest snorkeled. They supplied all the gear you needed and also provided lunch. Had about 1 1/2 hours water time and it went quick. Afterwards we saw a whale and they went out toward it and got a close a legally allowed (100 yards). Got some nice pics as the group of whales came out of the water several times... I think they called it "breaching". Got back to the pier about 1:30 and walked into town (2 blocks) and did some shopping. We had to get back to the ship by 3:00 for the Chocoholic buffet. Another case of extremely poor planning to have your only "big" event buffet while people were on shore. The chocolate was plentiful with the highlight being huge strawberries you got dipped in white or dark chocolate. 2000 calories later I went to the pool deck to sleep off the effects of all that swimming and all that eating! Decided to do one of the specialty restaurant tonight (Royal Palm Bistro) and had by far the best meal of the cruise. The cost is $15.00 per person but for an extra $5.00 you could get a lobster tail added. We all went with the filet mignon with lobster. The steak would almost melt in your mouth and the lobster was much more tender then we had on Monday. This was more like what I had experienced on previous cruises and it really ticked me off that you had to go to one of their specialty restaurants to get it. It wasn't about the extra $60.00, is was just the principle of the matter. Anyhow, the big show was tonight...Sea Legs Cirque. Well I have seen Cirque de Solei a couple of times and I was excited to see this show. The show had all the pageantry and weirdness of the Cirque de Solei shows just none of the talent. 20 minutes in I caught myself falling asleep and 10 minutes later I had to leave. It was awful....unless you like seeing men in high heels. A lot of people have said the shows on this cruise were good but I just didn't enjoy them. I guess the jet lag could be part of it but I was O.K. with going to bed at 10:00.

 

Friday Jan. 28th.

 

Arrived in Maui at 8:00 A.M. The view of the mountains from the lanai on the back of the boat will be the most replayed picture in my mind of the entire trip. They are magnificent. This port is in an industrial area of town. There is a shopping area about 5 blocks away. Again you walk through a warehouse to get to the area where rental shuttles pick-up. If you are doing a tour outside of the ship you might ask them if they can come inside of the gate. There is an area similar to Kauai where you have to show your ship card and I.D. before being allowed inside the gated area that holds the warehouse. We rode the Hertz shuttle to the airport...about a 4 minute drive. I had booked this van through Priceline ($42.00) a few months back for a great deal at the time but with some of the deals offered closer to cruise time the Priceline price ended up $6.00 more then I could have gotten through Alamo or Thrifty. There were people at the pier from a local car rental company offering their "last" van for only $89.00! Book before you leave home and cancel if you decide you don't want to use a rental...at least you'll know what you will pay. I was surprised at how many people were asking the rental shuttle driver what they had and how much. By watching rates and signing up for 2 or 3 of the rental companies email programs I was able to get all my convertibles and mini vans for $35.99 per day pre tax. We drove to the west coast of Maui and stopped in Lahaina to do a little shopping (Hilo Hatties, Hard Rock, & other small shops in a outlet mall type setting). We then went north about 5 miles to Kaanapali Beach area. We parked in the Hyatt’s parking lot. In Hawaii all beaches are open to the public and there are numerous public entrance points. This is a most impressive stretch of beach. Black Rock is to the north about 200 yards and there is excellent snorkeling there. You can see the island of Molikini in the distance. There were all kinds of hotel sponsored wagons and booths for drinks, food, supplies... etc. Very costly but very convenient. Snorkeling was good here and you only had to go out a short distance to see a lot of different fish. If I ever make it back to the islands this is the beach I will stay at. Only moderately crowded and plenty of room to spread out. Around 3:30 we decided we were red enough (even with 30 spf on) and headed back to the ship. The views along the west coast are awesome. We stopped twice to watch whales just off the coast. If you go during the Dec-Mar. whale season make sure and take binoculars. We were allowed to park the van near the pier for no charge but the spaces are limited. The boat was pretty deserted this evening as a NCL sponsored luau was taking place at the Marriott. We decided on an early dinner and were seated immediately. I usually had the Chefs special each night just to get some variety. By this time I was pretty bored with the appetizers and decided to skip them tonight in favor of 2 entrees. The waiter acted surprised when I ordered two but he said "no problem". There was only a talent show for the evening’s entertainment but we turned in early because we had to get up at 2:00 A.M. for our Haleakala Volcano Sunrise bike ride. We had considered the Old Lahaina Luau but we really wanted to do the sunrise bike ride and the luau would have ran too late.

 

Sat. Jan. 29th.

 

2:00 A.M. came very quickly. We dressed and headed out to meet our pick-up van from Mountain Riders. We had to go outside the gate to get on the van, as they weren't allowed inside the gate...only the NCL excursion van was allowed in.. go figure. We had booked this ride online from home. I had called a company called Emerald Island and Mountain Riders had recently bought them out. They honored the advertised price of $84.99 + tax that Emerald Island had on their website. The ships excursion was listed at $150.00 for the same trip. We later talked with a group who had done the excursion through the ship and indeed it was the very same trip. You can get cheaper rates with an unguided tour but believe me you will want a guide if it’s your first time doing it. Anyhow our guide was Uncle Russ and he was a hoot!! He was an old hippie who used to ride his skateboard down the volcano. He told us we were in for a "Ring a Ding Ding" ride...which apparently was his catch phrase as he repeated it numerous times. At first we were a little apprehensive as we climbed into the van with this "crazy" guy but after the short drive to their base camp we had gotten used to the "Ring a Ding Ding" thing. We watched a video and signed release papers. This is somewhat dangerous in that you are riding down a 10,000-foot volcano on a bicycle but anyone with minimum bike riding capabilities can do this. The ride to the top took about 50 minutes and Uncle Russ went over all the safety stuff and we learned his hand signals. At the top it was about 38 degrees with a wind chill of 25. We stayed in the van drinking coffee and juice and having pastries till some colors started appearing on the horizon. We then went up to a lookout post and waited on the sun. The different shades of light were cool as the sun prepared to rise. You can see the top on Mauna Loa on the Big Island from up there. The sun came up and was pretty but with intermittent clouds is was not as pretty as some of the pics I had seen before going. We were the first group released to go down...they release a group every 10 minutes for the first 4 groups and then every 5 minutes after that. We had donned our layers, wind suits, gloves, and helmets. All were necessary as the wind was very cold. We were placed in order with the weaker riders put up front. The apprehension quickly ended as we made our way down the first few miles. The road is well paved and with the van riding behind us we didn't have to worry about traffic. We stopped about every 4 miles to let cars pass and to enjoy the views. If you've ever looked at a map of Maui then when you stand at the first lookout point...it feels as though you're looking down at a map of the island. You can see forever from 10,000 feet and the island looks amazingly small from up there. Although you are up that high there wasn't a fear of heights involved at all...as the terrain drops away gradually. We continued our ride down, loosing layers of clothing as we dropped and the temps rose. Another good reason to take a guided tour...a place to store your clothing and cameras. We had traveled 2/3 of the way down and came into the little town of Makawao where we had breakfast..., which is included in the tour. After breakfast we continued our ride to the ocean. As the tour guys loaded up the bikes we got to walk over and watch the surfers battle the big waves. They returned us to the ship and we got one last "Ring a Ding Ding" out of Uncle Russ. He was a great person to guide us down the volcano as he has done it forever and puts a lot of fun into the whole experience. We spent the rest of the day sunning on deck and enjoying the last day in Maui. Dinner this evening was in the Palace and it was the worst of the trip. Service was very slow and we spent over 2 hours dining. They brought me the wrong dish but I didn't want to wait any longer so I ate it. Freestyle is nice in that you go eat when you please but I prefer the traditional dining experience with a waiter who gets to know your likes and dislikes and is working for their tips. The accountability factor is pretty much removed with freestyle. There was a big art auction this evening and I stopped by to watch. A painting from Salvador Dali went for $16,000 and I decided I didn't belong there so I went to explore the Hawaiian Center they have onboard. It has several nice artifacts from the various islands and a constantly running video. Went back to the cabin to do the dreaded packing and put our suitcases outside of our door to be picked up. Colored luggage tags are available on deck 5 and go by deck numbers. Cases must be in the hallway by 1:00 A.M.

 

Sunday Jan. 30th.

 

We awoke back where we started at the Aloha Tower pier. One thing in favor of NCL is their debarkation. We went to breakfast as usual in the Hokilau Cafe and listened as colors were called. Ours came up around 9:00 and we had just finished breakfast. We went back to the cabin gathered our carry ons and headed to the exit. One last card swipe and we were in the luggage holding warehouse. Our flight didn't leave till 8:30 P.M. and we didn't want to tote all of our luggage around all day so we stored the big bags at the pier for $5.00 each. We hopped a shuttle to the airport to pickup our van at Thrifty. Again using the Blue Chip reservation the van was waiting and an employee met me as I got off the shuttle...a quick initial and signature and we were on our way before the last person was getting off the shuttle. If you're going to be renting, it will save you up to 30 minutes in some places to join the frequent renters club. It costs nothing and there are no minimum rentals you have to make. Plus you get the added bonus of people thinking you're "somebody" by getting the vip treatment :-) We headed for the Aloha Stadium swap meet to pick up souvenirs for the folks back home. We spent about 2 hours and then headed for the North Shore. The road gets crowded as you get close to the coast and traffic was heavy. We passed the Dole Plantation and several miles of Pineapple fields. The North Shore is very congested and you just have to find a place to pull off the road to go look at a beach. We saw a mass of activity and decided to check it out. There was a body surfing competition going on and it was pretty cool. Again a good time for binoculars. We watched for a 1/2 hour and time constraints had us move on. We continued around the northwestern tip of the island and down the west coast and back into Honolulu. By now it was about 6:00 so we dropped off the van and hopped a shuttle to the airport. We changed into our "Ohio" clothes before checking our luggage. With luggage checked (careful...Delta charges for any bag over 50Lbs.) we still had about an hour and a half so we stopped for dinner at one of the eateries at the terminal. Time went by quickly as we recalled the events of the week as we ate. Our flight was called and we reluctantly boarded and began our 8 1/2 ride home. Going home was quicker as you are riding with the jet stream.

 

Final Thoughts

The Islands were magnificent...the cruise only so-so. The people are so friendly and helpful. NCL is trying as previous posts have stated but I think overall that Freestyle is something I would never enjoy. I will certainly return to Oahu and Maui but will probably not return to NCL. Anyone with any questions please feel free to ask as I would like to return the favor of those who helped me plan this wonderful trip. Just found out the the U. of Kentucky will be playing in the Maui Invitational basketball tourney in Nov of 2006...time to start making plans!!!

[penorment]

Thank you very much for your detailed review of your cruise. I am glad you enjoyed Hawaii so much. It is information like this that makes this board so useful. We are going on the Pride of America next Christmas with a large group to celebrate my parents 50th anniversary and since the cruise was my idea I want all the info I can get to insure smooth sailing for my many relatives.

[BigOrange]

Thank you for the long review. We are cruising in March with 3 other couples (I have been on many cruises before including 2 in Hawaii but never on NCL). I am with you on the free style cruising-it should be an option like Princess. With 8 people, I am worried about having to wait for dinner at night. I agree that having the same waiters, etc. is GOOD. What about tips? We thought that the $10 per day was added in but read this has been waived? What did you do? Thanks again and anyone else who has anything to add, please tell us.

[BenBar1]

ukbballfan,

That was a wonderful and very thorough review with some great tips and information. I really appreciate it as we are going on NCL in November.

[Retired not Expired]

Big Orange, you won't have any trouble with seating. They love large groups. Couples are asked if they will share to help fill the large tables. I had a party of nine last time and was seated immediately every time. There are quite a few tables for 8 to 10. If you find a waiter you like, ask for him/her when you go again and, if possible and that waiter is working, they will try to seat you with them. We had four couples and a child and each couple left a $5 tip and the waiters all seemed pleased. We just tried to spread the $140 that would have been charged to us around to the various people, plus gave a little extra when we felt it was due. Just use your own judgment or, take what you would give on a formal cruise and tip it daily in preportion according to the service you recieve.

[lonig]

Thanks for the detailed review of your recent trip. I have already told my daughters that this cruise will not be like our last and it is to see Hawaii not to expect the same as a non-freestyle cruise. Four of us are going on May 15th and we cannot wait. It is just 3 months away and your information has helped me plan our intinerary. Also, what not to do. We are staying in Honolulu for 4 days before and will do the Arizona and Aloha Stadium before. Thanks for all the great information.

[Annieeee]

How was the service onboard? The cabin attendants, waiters, etc?

 

 

Annieeee

[ukbballfan]

The service overall wasn't bad. Our room steward (Faye) seemed to always be in the hallway. She started out doing well but slacked off as the week went by. She didn't speak English very well so I think we had a bit of a communication problem. Go figure...with an American crew!! My daughter talked with her as best she could a few times and found out she lived on Oahu and was supporting her 3 kids by working on the ship. We really didn't need a lot of attention in the cabin as there were three of us in an ocean view and we had to keep things straight just to have room to move around.

 

The Cruise Director was a lady from Chicago...can't recall her name but she was on T.V. constantly. Really not much for a C.D. to do on this particular cruise as port time is so extensive. Shop workers tended to huddle in groups and talk alot...just like most teenagers. The crew was considerably younger then other cruises I have taken. The Captain was very pleasant.

[dalwhitt]

BigOrange, with 8 people, you can make a reservation on a daily basis if you want to eat when the restaurant opens. Actually, we made the reservation for the opening time (I think it was 5:30 p.m.) but came down half hour later each day. The key to this is, if you find a waiter or waitress you like, make a reservation for his/her table each night. You have to have 8 people to do this. But I agree, I do not like freestyle.

 

And UKBBALLFAN, thanks for the detailed review. I see things haven't really changed much. Try as they may, NCL's Pride of Aloha product is seriously flawed ... in comparison to other cruise.

[mthayer295]

We are also two families travelling each with a teenage daughter and other couple also has two little ones, 4 and 6. I have a few specific questions. We don't have anything planned for second day in Kaui. Is there anything in walking distance? I know you said it was an industrial style dock there. Is there a beach or shopping that we could walk to? Are there folks on those docks willing to make last minute deals on excursions e.g., helicopter rides? Next question - In Maui, how far is it to Lahaina? Is there transportation available at the pier? Next - lava flow night question ....were you saying that typically the view is from port side but unusually on your cruise it was from starboard side? I thought other posters have said that the ship turns and so both sides eventually get a view. We are staying in Penthouse suites. Not sure where you stayed on the ship but did you get to see the penthouse area? I am hoping it is worth the cost. Next question - the luau at the Marriott...is that an excursion or offered as a free alternative to eating in the dining rooms? I don't recall seeing that in the excursion booklet but they have so many options I could have missed it. On Kona, did the scuba folks in your group think it was worth it? We have signed up to do that. Maui, did you run into anyone who did the catamaran/jeep to Lanai? We have signed up for that. It is a very expensive excursion so I would love to have some confirmation that it is worth it. Lastly, I am a little confused about all the dining options. How many extra cost restaurants are there and do they all serve a different menu? Oh one more question....should our husbands bring their tuxes and the ladies gowns for formal night? We have cruised a lot so own them but don't want to take up the extra luggage space if almost no one is really dressed up. Would the formal night be a good night to try the extra cost restaurants? I agree with you on the issue of these restaurants. In some ways I would not want to patronize them as to further encourage the cruise lines to go this way. One of the beautiful things about cruising is the all inclusive nature of the stuff on board. This flies in the face of that. Also how i feel about this issue of having to carry cash around to tip people. This sounds like a real bummer. I would much prefer the charge at the end of the week, than this. What about the bartenders and cocktail staff, are their tips included in the charge or do you keep needing to pull out cash for them also? I guess I went far beyond my "lastly" question...sorry, but thanks in advance for any help you can give. We are on the Feb 27th sailing so we are really getting excited. We are arriving in Oahu on the previous Wednesday and staying at JW Marriott which is out towards the Arizona. When we return from the cruise, I and the other wife are attending a professional conference at the convention center for 4 days so both husbands and all kids are hanging out. We are staying at Hilton Hawaiian Village for that portion of the trip. Other than Cheeseburger in Paradise what else do you suggest for them? We got a rental car for first days on Oahu but didn't book anything for the last part of the trip. Hoping that things are in walking distance from the Hilton. Please advise

[Happy ks]

mthayer, I cannot answer all of your questions, because I've not been on POA, but I have cruised Hawaii twice and done other land based trips there. The JW Marriott is not out towards the Arizona, it is about 30 minutes away, the Arizona is about equal distance from Honolulu (driving time) as it is from your hotel. You will absolutely love the Ihilani (JW Marriott) the property is beautiful and a whole lot more quiet than Waikiki, we could easily spend a week there. They have beautiful lagoons, a great pool for the kids and none or the crowds you will find in Honolulu. Both times we have stayed there we were upgraded to an ocean view room, absolutely breathtaking sunsets. The food is a bit pricey at the hotel, but there are places not too far away that are a little more reasonable. We have been able to leave our sliding door open at night, the sound of the ocean and the Hawaiian music from the outdoor bar floating in. In the morning, we awoke again to the sounds of the ocean, plus thousands of birds in the trees, it is heaven. I've never stayed at HH Village, but always hear good things about it, the kids and husbands will be fine while you are in your meetings.

 

Regarding the comments about breakfast in the ships buffet, go to the dining room, it's a myth that it takes a long time to eat there, you get personal service and they never run out of coffee cups. A much more civilised approach to starting the day, no lines, no looking for clean/empty tables, servers are usually happier there. If you are staying in a penthouse suite, you also have the option of room service full breakfast on your balcony, right?

 

Absolutely budget for the extra fee dining, several nights if you can. On our NCL Hawaiian cruise (Star) we opted out of formal night and we were very glad to do so.

 

There is a beach on Kauai fairly close to the dock in front of the Marriott, it's under a mile walk as I recall, but the walk is not nice, it's through an industrial area. Not horrible, but coming off a cruise ship, a little rude. Kauai and Maui are both very beautiful islands and very easy to navigate, very much worth renting a car to see more than just the beach at the Marriott or Lahaina in Maui. Do yourself a big favor and see these islands.

 

As far as the lava flow, you just never know, we have cruised by it twice and haven't seen it yet, bummer. The OP was very lucky and caught a really good night. In Kona, yes, the snorkel cruises are very much worth it.

 

Have a wonderful vacation, I hope I have helped a bit.

[mthayer295]

THanks for the answers. I would love to hear from others with thoughts on these subjects. Sorry to hear that you didn't see lava. I was hoping it was more likely than not but from your experience I am adjusting my expectations.

[Happy ks]

Sorry, I forgot to mention I enjoyed reading your review earlier. You did a great job and thank you for posting it.

[ukbballfan]

mthayer295

 

Here goes....

 

Theres a little strip mall about 500 yards from the pier in Kauai with a beach nearby....The Tuesday morning would be a great time for a heli ride. Theres a ton of free shuttles to wal-mart, K mart, Etc. Not sure about outside excursion availability as we had everything preplanned.

 

On the lava flow yes typically its from the port side and they do spin the boat but majority of time views are from the one side.

 

I didn't see Penthouse area.

 

Marriot luau is an excursion but I'd reccomend the Old Lahaina Luau from all the great reviews it has gotten on here.

 

Scuba folks loved the dive..also one of our party was a first timer and they made him feel at ease...great video(a little pricey) of the day is available.

 

catamaran/jeep to Lanai...no idea.

 

There are 3 added fee restaurants... all with different menus.

 

On formal night a few people dressed up but the majority didn't. Leave the suits at home.... you're in Hawaii!

 

Bartenders and other wait staff have a place on the bill you sign to leave their tips on your ship card.

 

Can't help you on other places to eat in Waikiki...we were in cars and running all over the island. I actually LOST weight on this vacation....thanks in part to NCL.

[Benjispa]

I saw that you used the Entertainment Book for a discount for Body Glove. Is that in the Hawaii Entertainment book? I didn't see it in mine, which is in Jacksonville, Fla.:rolleyes:

[mthayer295]

Yes, there is a body glove coupon in the Hawaii Entertainment book

[dalwhitt]

If you want to get to Lahaina from the ship, you would either have to take a cab (very expensive), take the ship excursion there (fairly reasonable) or rent a car (your best option)

[beachgal]

Ukkbballfan,

Thanks for the great detailed review! I've leaving 2 weeks from today for the 3/6 POA sailing! I'm doing the helicopter ride in Kauai on the first day. Were you able to take pictures from any seat inside the helicopter? I'm also doing the Body Glove snorkel, which we reserved directly through them and used the Entertainment coupon.

 

One question in Maui: I'm doing an snorkel excursion through a company and am supposed to meet them outside the fence. I noticed you made reference to that. Is "the fence" far from the ship?

 

My last cruise was another NCL ship and I love everything about freestyle cruising, especially eating when and where I want. I didn't like having to rush back from an excursion to get ready to go to dinner -- too much stress for vacation! We never had to wait for a table in the dining room and had no complaints about the food on the last cruise. I'm hoping for the best on POA because I prefer to eat in the dining rooms.

 

Mthayer295, unless you are doing all excursions through the ship in Maui, you're better off renting a car. I did a lot of research on Maui transportation. They do have bus service but not in the evening. Taxi/shuttles are very expensive, so rent a car to go to Lahaina.

 

I'll post my review upon my return!!

[ukbballfan]

beachgal

 

We were lucky enough to get the seats up front with the pilot. I was on the outside and filmed the entire flight with my camcorder. My wife was able to get some great digital shots from the middle seat. If its a sunny day be careful as to when you take a pic as the suns reflection off of the helicopters glass bubble will ruin your shot.... you'll end up with a picture of you taking a picture.

 

The "gate" or "fence" area is just outside the end of the dock warehouse. It's about 50 yards to get outside that area. Rental shuttles and NCL sponsored excursion buses are allowed in but others aren't. Just bear to the right and follow the water to the "check point".

[beachgal]

ukbballfan,

Thanks for the reply. I've never been on a helicopter before and am really looking forward to it. I'm hoping to get a front seat, too! Thanks for the info. about the gate/fence -- very helpful!

[bdoster]

ukbballfan, thanks for your time to do such a great review...One question...what is the web site to reserve the bike trip in Maui? The one with Ring a ding ding uncle russ?

 

I have the old lahanai luau booked, & still want to do a bike down hill at sun rise...I am a early bird so this is not an issue.

[ukbballfan]

bdoster

 

The site is mountainriders.com. When you call tell them you saw a quote of $85.00 on Emerald Island bike rides...its a company they bought out. They honored the $85.00 + tax rate. Their usual rate is $125.00 so you can save $40.00 by doing that. See if you can request Uncle Russ...you won't be disappointed! Have a "Ring a Ding Ding" vacation!!

[bappo]

thanks for posting your review. We are looking into this HAwaii cruise as well, and your insight has been very helpful. we have cruised with Celebrity and Princess in the past and both were wonderful experiences. Last year we did Alaska on the new SApphire Princess, what a beautiful ship. we had no problem with anytime dining, but understand NCL free style cruising is much different. Will continue to check out the boards to see if there have been any improvements to the free style dining before booking. thanks.

 

 

Bappo

[Queen of Adventure]

14 days and counting down:D Thanks for the review... very helpful!

Ahnalira