NCL :Hawaii

[bappo]

Hi! we are in the early stages of planning a cruise for ourselves and 5 other couples. Looking to go to hawaii in June 0f 2006. We have seen that NCL seems to have the market on the Hawaii routes, but the reviews on CC and elsewhere, on the Pride of Aloha are very poor. Everything seems to be directed at the lack of staff and free style dining. We have read that the new Pride of America might have some changes regarding the dining. Does anyone know if this is true, and have NCL solved any of the problems addressed in the reviews of Pride of Aloha? Any info would be appreciated.

 

thanks,

 

Bappo

[Dani2]

Aloha Bappo!

 

The "early" reviews made us want to tell our son, "Thank you, but no thank you", for the cruise on Pride of Aloha that he gave us for a Christmas gift. But more recent reviews say things have turned around. The "Bank of Dad" wrote the first review that made us rethink turning down what now looks like a wonderful trip.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=93997&page=1&pp=25

 

and LizC wrote this:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=2687835#post2687835

[rollie]

We just got back from Hawaii on the Pride of Aloha. It was a great cruise, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to see more than one island or first timers to Hawaii. It's true that the cruise has some shortfall, but that being said, the Hawaiian experence more than makes up for any definciences.

[JessLCH]

I haven't been following the Hawaii reviews. Can someone give me brief lowdown on what aspects of the cruise have been negative? I was considering Hawaii for 2006.

[Dani2]

JessLCH

 

You can read the Pride of aloha reviews here. Just click on the word "READ". Notice the dates of the cruise and you will see the latest reviews show the early problems seem to have been resolved.

 

BTW…the very 1st review seems to be a review of Hawaii in general. It is very long (but interesting). I didn't finish reading it so I don't know if they sailed on Pride of Aloha. All the rest are about the P.O.A.

 

http://cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=150

[hoopsreferee2001]

I scoured review after review before we booked our trip to Hawaii.

 

We took the 11 day cruise on the Wind.

 

One review was terrible, one was great, the next awful...... Do yourself a favor and listen to this advice; SCREW THE REVIEWS, AND GO!!!

 

If you have the mildest inkling you want to go to see Hawaii, then do it. Your cruise will be great if you are there with the right attitude. Might your toilet get clogged? It could. Might the meal you have one night be terrible? It could. Might one of your excursions get cancelled because the ship is late to port? It could. But you know what, your on vacation in Hawaii for Christ sake, what more could you want?

 

You could put my fanny on a beach with a packpack and a tent and I would be happy to be on vacation in Hawaii. The trip is all of what you make out of it. If your simply happy to be visiting a new place, you'll have a great time. If your a "worldly" traveler who is used to being pampered and taken care of like a rock star, then I suggest you stay at home and let your butler or maid show you pictures of Hawaii.

 

Sarcasm aside, book the trip and don't sweat the details....you'll love it!

[shay1]

hoopsreferee2001

 

We will be on the 11 day Wind on 5/21/05. This will be our first time to Hawaii.

 

I agree with you, it you want to see Hawaii go take a cruise and check out what Island you would like to go back to visit longer next time.

 

What excursions did you take? Any suggestions you have I would appreciate it.

 

We will be staying on Waikiki for 2 days pre cruise and 1 day post cruise at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach.

 

Our first stop (full day on Oahu) will be to take a bus to Hunauma Bay. Did you do this by any chance or know anyone who did? We love to dive (free dive) and bring our own equipment. We want to get there early as that is suppose to be the best visibility.

 

Any tips/suggestions on the Wind?

[Kylie]

We'd like to book the Pride of America for June of 2006 so I am anxious for the first reviews of this ship. I can't wait for some pictures too!

[orcatek]

Be warned, new ships have problems - period.

 

Now some ships take longer and start off worse than others. I was very nervous before our POA trip. The Star was new when we went on it too and it had problems too.

 

Now it wasn't perfect, still some quirks - but we did have a great time on both trips.

 

I cruised both the Disney Wonder and Magic during their first 3 months at sea and had many problems, meals taking to long, service issues and the like. So this is not a NCL issue, it is getting the kinks worked out of a major operation.

[hoopsreferee2001]

hoopsreferee2001

 

We will be on the 11 day Wind on 5/21/05. This will be our first time to Hawaii.

 

I agree with you, it you want to see Hawaii go take a cruise and check out what Island you would like to go back to visit longer next time.

 

What excursions did you take? Any suggestions you have I would appreciate it.

 

We will be staying on Waikiki for 2 days pre cruise and 1 day post cruise at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach.

 

Our first stop (full day on Oahu) will be to take a bus to Hunauma Bay. Did you do this by any chance or know anyone who did? We love to dive (free dive) and bring our own equipment. We want to get there early as that is suppose to be the best visibility.

 

Any tips/suggestions on the Wind?

 

Our excursions were great. We also stayed before we boarded the ship in Wakiki (Marriott). We didn't really do anything that day but recover from our 12 hour flight.

 

We booked a helicopter tour through the ship on Kauai. It's a bit pricey, but worth every penny! The only other excursion we booked through the ship was the Napali Beach trip on Fanning Island. It's only $20 and we felt it was well worth it. A bit inconvienent because you have to go to the main part of the island for food and restrooms, but it didn't really effect us.

 

We picked up two tours on our own. In Hilo we went with a private vendor who took us to Rainbow Falls, Richardson Black Sand Beach, and other scenic places. Only $30 and again well worth it. In Kona we went with another private tour called Island RV for snorkeling. We initially were going to go through the ship with the Body Glove tour ($95 pp I think?) but that fell through. This trip was only $20 per person and was awesome. The place is a public beach known for snorkeling. A lot of people, but not over crowded. Many, many sea turtles.

 

We stayed a night after we got off the ship, again at the Marriot. The next day we went Parasailing in Wakiki and rented a convertable and drove all the way around the island. We went to the North Shore at sunset...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! The surfers at Pipeline are unreal, and the sunset is amazing!

[shay1]

<We picked up two tours on our own. In Hilo we went with a private vendor who took us to Rainbow Falls, Richardson Black Sand Beach, and other scenic places. Only $30 and again well worth it. In Kona we went with another private tour called Island RV for snorkeling. We initially were going to go through the ship with the Body Glove tour ($95 pp I think?) but that fell through. This trip was only $20 per person and was awesome. The place is a public beach known for snorkeling. A lot of people, but not over crowded. Many, many sea turtles.>

 

How did you book these two tours (Hilo & Kona)? Did you have a website?

 

Really appreciate your information, thanks.

[hoopsreferee2001]

<We picked up two tours on our own. In Hilo we went with a private vendor who took us to Rainbow Falls, Richardson Black Sand Beach, and other scenic places. Only $30 and again well worth it. In Kona we went with another private tour called Island RV for snorkeling. We initially were going to go through the ship with the Body Glove tour ($95 pp I think?) but that fell through. This trip was only $20 per person and was awesome. The place is a public beach known for snorkeling. A lot of people, but not over crowded. Many, many sea turtles.>

 

How did you book these two tours (Hilo & Kona)? Did you have a website?

 

Really appreciate your information, thanks.

 

No website to book threw.

 

Trust me, when you get off the ship, you will have any number of individuals trying to get you to go with them. I was very concerned we were going to get ripped off, but that just never happened. You take a chance with these people because they are not backed by NCL.

 

We found the savings to be tremendous. If there wasn't something we absolutely we wanted to do, we just waited until that day and picked something up in port.

[shay1]

hoopsreferee2001

 

We are used to booking our own tours once we have gotten off the ship or over the net. Was not sure how this would work in Hawaii, in the Caribbean you have people lined up to offer you tours when you get off the ship.

 

So you found both of these tours when you got off the ship. Did you tender in on both of these ports?

 

How long of tour was your Hilo one?

 

On the snorkel one in Kona how long did you have to stay in the water? Did they drop you off and pick you up later?

 

How did you like the Wind? Do you have any tips about the ship?

[hoopsreferee2001]

hoopsreferee2001

 

We are used to booking our own tours once we have gotten off the ship or over the net. Was not sure how this would work in Hawaii, in the Caribbean you have people lined up to offer you tours when you get off the ship.

 

So you found both of these tours when you got off the ship. Did you tender in on both of these ports?

 

How long of tour was your Hilo one?

 

On the snorkel one in Kona how long did you have to stay in the water? Did they drop you off and pick you up later?

 

How did you like the Wind? Do you have any tips about the ship?

 

 

I feel like I have ADD...try and focus, try and focus...

 

We docked in Hilo, tendered in Kona. The tour in Hilo ran about an hour and a half. He did a nice job, although he reminded me of any used car salesman you might deal with.

 

Snorkeling in Kona lasted about an hour for us. They drop you off at the beach, then run a shuttle back and forth every 45 minutes or so. Our problem was the surf at the beach picked up and the lifeguards shut the beach down, so we didn't have much time. We saw a TON in an hour though.

 

We both enjoyed the Wind. We have only been on one other cruise (Carinval Fantasy) so we didn't have much to compare it to. Other posters with a lot of cruising experience will tell you that the Wind is not glitzy and glamourous like most other ships...and they are correct. However, we felt it wasn't the ship which made the trip, but rather the destination. You could have brought me to those places in a rubber dinghy and I would have found it fine.

 

Tips about the ship...hmmm. First, if you can wait to eat later, do it. This cruise is made up of a lot of older folks (we are 30) and they start lining up the minute the restaurants open. We found 7:30 ish to be an easy time to find a seat. The same is true, and maybe more, for the entertainment. They will always have two shows. If you can stay up until 10:30 - 11:00, save yourself the headache of fighting some lady with a walker for a "saved" seat. Trust me, you will see a ton of this.

 

If you like beer, buy the helmet of beer as you get one for free.

 

Wait to buy items in the shops until the last night...a lot of things go on sale.

 

Deck 8 has a fabulous area with shade for those sea days if you can find a chair. Deck 7 very few chairs because it's the jogging track, but still a nice spot in the shade if it's too hot.

 

Use the hot tubs later at night 9-10 PM...there's nobody around!

 

Get to know your wait staff and room stewards by name, they will take care of you if your polite and courteous.

 

Get involved in ship activities. I was "queen of the ship" and watched it over and over on the onboard television...funny stuff.

 

Just have fun. Don't sweat it when the waiter brings you coffee instead of tea or forgets to offer you fresh ground pepper. We saw many, many people get upset over seemingly trivial things.

 

Oh yeah, one more thing. PRAY LIKE HELL THAT YOU MAKE IT TO FANNING ISLAND!!!. We made it there, no problem. But, some people miss this awesome place due to engine trouble, bad weather, etc. Nothing you can do but PRAY you make it there. It's truly a place you'll never forget.

[NCmom]

hoopsreferee2001: THANKS so much for the positive report. We're sailing in June, and have been driving myself crazy reading every review and rethinking every thing. I'm getting so excited.

[shay1]

hoopsreferee2001

 

Thank you for all your details.

 

I agree with you it is the destination and meeting new people on the cruise is something we also enjoy.

 

I am a little disappointed that I have only had one other person on our same sailing so far.

 

When we went to the South Pacific this is one of the things that made it so much more fun was we had over 40+ people on the CC boards communicating back and forth before the cruise.

 

We are really looking forward to visiting Hawaii and yes we do hope we make Fanning Island.

[muffy168]

Hi , Enjoying reading some positive things about the wind. We are really looking forward to going to Hawaii, any way we can. Looking forward to meeting others who will be on our cruise. Cari

[shay1]

Hi , Enjoying reading some positive things about the wind. We are really looking forward to going to Hawaii, any way we can. Looking forward to meeting others who will be on our cruise. Cari

 

 

Hello muffy168,

 

Please check out our Roll Call for the 5/21/05 sailing on the Wind under "NCL Wind 5/21/05".

 

We were beginning to wonder if we were going to have others from the cc boards on board.

 

So far there has only been one other couple (cuppy from Massachusettes) who is from the cc boards going on this cruise.

 

This will be our first time on the Wind and our first time to Hawaii. We cannot wait.

 

Have you picked out what excursions you want to go on?

[kimala]

Dear Hoopesreferee2001, Wow great news. This is the 1st post Ive seen indicating that there are individuals at the ports available for excursions/tours. We take advantage of this on cruises to the Caribbean but until now it seemed everyone said you had to pre book or you may be stuck not doing anything. Frankly Im not interested in renting a car and I am a little tired of trying to plan ahead. Did you see any entrepreaneurs in Maui? Thanks for posting. Well be on Pride of Aloha May 1st.

[cruisergirl46]

Hi! we are in the early stages of planning a cruise for ourselves and 5 other couples. Looking to go to hawaii in June 0f 2006. We have seen that NCL seems to have the market on the Hawaii routes, but the reviews on CC and elsewhere, on the Pride of Aloha are very poor. Everything seems to be directed at the lack of staff and free style dining. We have read that the new Pride of America might have some changes regarding the dining. Does anyone know if this is true, and have NCL solved any of the problems addressed in the reviews of Pride of Aloha? Any info would be appreciated.

 

thanks,

 

Bappo

 

Hi, we just got back from our POA cruise and I went with some nervousness after reading the reviews on this board. It was much BETTER than I anticipated although there were some things that can still be improved.

 

Overall: ship is nice; people are friendly; service was good/very good; food was average in general and above average in the specialty restaurants. Our room steward was excellent and friendly but some friends never even met their steward. Plenty to do on board and loads of excursions -some better than others. (To see my review of the excursions we took, check my post in the thread about "Feast at Lele".)

 

As first-timers to Hawaii we felt it was an excellent way to see the primary islands without having to pack and unpack, etc. The ship went by the gorgeously beautiful Na Pali coast during the day and got very close - awe inspiring. We went by the active volcano (Kiluwea) at night and saw the hot orange lava flowing down the mountain and into the sea. We had a cabin on the starboard side and it was perfect for both the NaPali coast and the volcanic lava. Cool thing - the captain turned the ship completely around near the lava so that people on the port side could also see the lava. Very cool indeed.

 

Ship was very clean. People tried hard to please.

Entertainment was sometimes excellent; sometimes average.

Weather was cooler than we expected in mid March and seas were rocking a bit, too. Vog (volcanic fog) was heavy in Maui from the Big Island's active volcano and that caused haziness on our two days there.

 

Overall - glad we saw Hawaii this way!:)

[tak2]

The ship went by the gorgeously beautiful Na Pali coast during the day and got very close - awe inspiring. We went by the active volcano (Kiluwea) at night and saw the hot orange lava flowing down the mountain and into the sea. We had a cabin on the starboard side and it was perfect for both the NaPali coast and the volcanic lava. Cool thing - the captain turned the ship completely around near the lava so that people on the port side could also see the lava. Very cool indeed.

 

 

Delighted to hear that you saw Na Pali coast and Kiluwea lava. In 1990 on American Hawaii Cruise , I got seasick and didn't get much chance to enjoy seeing Na Pali. I am going on POAmerica in Jan06. How long did you have views of Na Pali coast?

[cruisergirl46]

I would estimate that we cruised by the coast for about 45 minutes or so. Enjoy!