Review of our 7 day Hawaii Cruise and Shore Excursions on NCL Pride of America

[kdkoch]

First, I want to say that this site was very helpful to me when preparing for my cruise. Special kudos to kwbound :), who created a lovely exhaustive description of this cruise which was helpful to me.

 

Some background: My husband and I, our two children (a tween and teen), and my 69 yo mother took this cruise. We moved to Oahu this summer, and thought this would be a great way to preview the other islands while we are here. We left Dec. 25, 2010 and came back Jan. 1, 2011.

 

I must say I was frightened to book this cruise because of all the negative things written about Pride of America -- however, when I spoke to people here (in Oahu) who had been on the cruise, they all thought it was wonderful. I think this must depend on how you approach cruising. My DH and I are not cruisers -- the last cruise we went on was a Carnival Cruise to the Caribbean for our honeymoon 18 years ago. It was cheap and we were poor. So, if you cruise all the time, and are used to more upscale things (for instance, the Westin Resort instead of an Holiday Inn -- or Ruth’s Chris steakhouse as opposed to Applebees), then you may be disappointed. However, if you (like us) are your average middle-income family traveling with people of all ages, and don’t do this as a regular activity, you will like it just fine.

 

I read many negative things about the cleanliness, the lack of response or helpfulness of the crew, and the food, so I’ll address that first.

 

The Room: Our room was always clean, our steward was often available for help, and towels and such were always replaced, and our ice bucket was always filled. Actually, my mother uses more ice than the regular person, and our steward was nice enough to provide her with her own large ice chest full of ice so she wouldn’t have to find him to ask (even though, as I stated, he was always around and easy to locate to fill her ice bucket). We had two balcony rooms (9546 & 9548). NCL touts these as ‘sleeps 4’ -- however, it would only sleep four if you have two adults and two VERY small children. We have an 11 & 13 yo, so one slept in our room, and one slept with my mom in hers. Three regular sized people in the room is do-able, but crowded. If there are only two of you, you’ll have lots of room to spare. TIP: Do not pack your own blow dryer. A regular blow dryer will blow the circuit in your room every time. NCL provides a hard-wired blow dryer for your use....it wasn’t the best, but it beat blowing the circuit every time. Save yourself the room in your bag, and just use theirs.

 

The Crew: There is much written about the bad service on board the POA. We never experienced any (that doesn’t mean others didn’t). Our steward was accommodating and helpful, as was the reception desk, bartenders, generally most of the dining room staff, and security. Most were not only smiling and helpful, but really went the extra mile to make sure you were taken care of, and tried to help even if it wasn’t their domain (ie: I once asked a bartender - I didn’t know he was a bartender - for additional cream cheese, and he went to try to find it for me). During our whole trip of 7 days (which means 21 meals) I only encountered two unsmiling faces (a busboy, and food server). Anyone can have a bad day. The only other thing I found mildly annoying was that everyone was trying to sell you something. Just know that if you sign up for a ‘free’ talk, or a class, or anything else, the crew will plug the items that cost money on the cruise. By the end of the week you went into it with a sigh and an eye-roll.

 

The Food: Was it the best food I ever ate? No. Was it bad? Absolutely not -- it was just fine. Now, keep in mind, because we had kids, we spent most of our time at the Aloha Cafe -- perfect for families because of the selection -- there is something for everyone. If you can’t find something to eat here, you aren’t hungry. I was worried about crowds, but really, the only two days we encountered crowds was the morning of Hilo, and disembarkation day. And even then, it was fine. We also frequented Cadillac Diner, Key West Grill, and the Liberty Main Restaurant (Skyline and Liberty are the free sit-down restaurants vs. Aloha Cafe which is buffet style, Key West is outside by the pool - a buffet with hot dogs and hamburgers, and Cadillac Diner is, well, a sit-down diner). There is much written about the Liberty and Skyline, with service and food being poor. Our food was very good (a step up from Aloha), and our service was excellent right up until it got really busy. So, a tip would be -- eat early. If you dine before 8pm, you’ll enjoy it. When it’s crunch time, you won’t see your waiter for a while, and it might take some time to get your food (as other reviewers have noted). We went early, and had a great meal. The decor was awesome and you really felt like you were in a upscale place. TIP: If you have children, Aloha offers a special kids buffet with all those things kids like to eat (pizza, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, hamburgers, spaghetti). Also, chocolate milk is available at every meal.

 

Shore Excursions: Okay, so, we really didn’t go on this cruise for the ship, we went for the islands -- and if you do that, you will not be disappointed. Hawaii is beautiful. I didn’t book any trips through NCL, although I was tempted. Since they take care of you from the minute you leave to the minute you return, it would be easy to do that. However, you can book many of the same excursions for 1/2 the price if you do it on your own. So, if you want to save a little money, and don’t mind finding your own taxi for transport, book your excursions yourself. TIP: Since we already paid to eat on board, I brought a cooler and my own ziploc bags. In the evenings, before I went to bed, I ordered sandwiches from room service, and packed them up in the cooler for the next day (thanks to other Cruise Critic bloggers for the tip!) -- much less expensive and time consuming than eating out while trying to tour. TIP 2: If you plan on renting a car, rent one as soon as you book your cruise...they will sell out. TIP 3: If you are at all prone to seasickness, make sure you bring medicine, and take it, especially when you take snorkeling trips and even on the drives up to Haleakala Crater and Waimea Canyon (lots of switchbacks). That being said, I am prone to seasickness, and had a great time all week, no problem at all with Dramamine on board. TIP 4: If you have your own GPS and it includes Hawaii as well as the lower 48 (most do, but you have to select it on your GPS), bring it -- most of the national parks and waterfalls are found on them. Tip 5: If you own lanyards of any kind -- the kind that hold theme park tickets or identification badges for work, bring them. You need a key to do just about everything, including leaving and reboarding the ship. With children, it would have been better for them to wear the key around their neck, and I would have rather left my purse in the room, or not stuffed my pockets. TIP 6: Bring binoculars. Bring them on snorkeling trips and all touring trips, and they come in handy when sailing by the lava flows and Na’Pali coast.

 

Here is what we did:

 

Day 1: Embark from Honolulu. Since we live here, we didn’t tour Oahu. But, since I live here, I will tell you this: Arizona Memorial and Polynesian Cultural Center are worth seeing. Waikiki is where everyone wants to go, but North Shore or Kaneohe Bay are more beautiful. If you want to see turtles, go to Turtle Beach (not to be confused with Turtle Bay) near Haleiwa on the North Shore. In the summer, when the surf is gentle, you can swim with them. Things are a little dicier in the winter when the surf gets angry. If you want to snorkel, try Turtle Beach or Sunset Beach on the North shore (when the waves are small), or Ko’Olina Lagoons (if you want a little more protection) on the west side -- if you have your own gear. For scuba, we like Island Divers located in Hawaii Kai -- nice, friendly staff.

 

Day 2: Maui: We booked a Haleakala Crater at Sunset tour with Roberts Hawaii. This is a hit-or-miss thing, because of the weather. Clouds or rain can ruin your sunrise or sunset experience. However, our day cleared up nicely, and we had a beautiful sunset experience. Now, it is COLD, and when I say cold, I mean about 35 degrees or so. And we had a relatively non-windy day. We had jeans, two sweatshirts each with hoods, and gloves, and we could only stay out a few minutes. But it was worth it, and fantastic. Our driver was friendly, knowledgable, and kind. Roberts uses a 1/2 bus, and there were only 11 of us altogether, which made photo-op stops easy as we drove the 10,023 feet to the summit. Unlike the NCL Polynesian tours busses, which were packed to the gills, and couldn’t do photo-op stops, and had to park just short of the summit (we got to go all the way to the top).

 

Day 3: Maui: Snorkeling at Molokini Crater. Now, here’s where booking through NCL might have been better. On advice from a guide book, we booked with Pacific Whale Foundation Molokini and Turtle Arches morning snorkel -- NCL uses the same company, but of course, it is cheaper to book it yourself. Pacific Whale canceled our cruise. However, I did notice that other Pacific Whale Foundation boats made cruises out to the crater that morning, so I am thinking they were over booked, and they took care of the NCL passengers first, so we were out of luck, since we booked on our own. The staff at Pacific Whale Foundation was very rude to us and unsympathetic at our plight of showing up at their offices at 6am and having our cruise canceled. Needless to say, I will not recommend Pacific Whale to anyone due to their poor treatment of us. However, we found some room on the Trilogy, and their staff was friendly and accommodating. I would recommend them to everyone, even though they are a bit pricey -- book online and get a discount. They even let my 13 yo steer the boat. Most tours go to two sites, one of them is always Molokini Crater, which can’t be beat for water clarity, it is certainly worth the trip to see it. You have to leave early to get there for check in (around 5:45 am) so make arrangements with a taxi the night before. I recommend Jasmine at Holo Holo Taxi (http://www.holoholotaxitour.com.)

 

Day 4: Hilo (Big Island). Hilo is known for volcanoes, and specifically Volcanoes National Park. You can take an NCL cruise tour for this, but they go several other places as well, and we opted to rent a car and spend our whole day at the Park. While not pretty, it is awe-inspiring and amazing, and cannot be missed. The rental car agencies send free shuttles to and from the airport to the port so you can get your car -- very simple, and much less expensive and less rushed than a tour. The ship sailed by the lava flow that night, but when we went, there was no lava flowing. Other blogs have reported that the Captain sometimes sails by on both sides of the ship, but this time, he only went on the Starboard (right) side. Probably because there was no lava. You can call reception to confirm if they will sail by both sides or just the starboard side.

 

Day 5: Kona (Big Island). Kona is beautiful -- one of our favorite spots. Again, you can book an NCL tour for snorkeling through Body Glove (which is, by all accounts, wonderful). However, they do not go to Kealakekua Bay (Captain Cook’s Monument), and that is where I wanted to go. So we booked our own through Fair Wind II and we were not disappointed. Snorkeling was fantastic, as was the crew, the food, and the boat. In addition to snorkeling, the boat had two slides and a hi-dive platform (thumbs up from the kids). NOTE: pretty much every port had lines of taxis waiting to take you anywhere you wished to go -- EXCEPT Kona. Call in advance and reserve a taxi -- we liked D&E Taxi -- call Evelyn 808-936-8108. Also, Kona is the only port where you have to take a tender boat from the POA to the dock. Tickets are given out at Pink’s starting at 7am -- if you arrive there around 7am, you’ll get the first boat out, and have plenty of time to make your morning snorkel trip. If you book your tour through NCL’s snorkel trip, you don’t need tickets, they’ll tell you where to meet the morning of your snorkel. If you want something free to do, take the tender boat ashore, and there is a little beach right there. Not the prettiest, but we saw people swimming and snorkeling with their own gear.

 

Day 6: Kauai: Beautiful Kauai! We wanted to see Waimea Canyon and waterfalls. NCL has tours for Waimea Canyon, but again, they go several other places as well, so we opted to rent a car again. Rental agencies send free shuttles for you, and the process was easy. Waimea Canyon is spectacular and should not be missed. Our guide book told us to take Waimea Canyon road, instead of the suggested Koke’e Road (which is where the signs on the road will direct you) and the views are spectacular (plus, it’s a little shorter). Be sure to stop at mile 10 the Waimea Canyon Lookout, and mile marker 18 for the Pu’u o Kia Lookout -- from here you are looking down to the famed Na’Pali coastline, and the views are spectacular. If it is socked in with clouds when you arrive, just wait a few minutes...it was so cloudy when we got there, that we couldn’t see the rock face in front of us, but within minutes, the winds pushed the clouds away, and we could see 5000 feet to the shore, with a rainbow to boot. POA will sail by the coastline on their way home with a narrated tour (they turn the boat, so both sides see), so you’ll have a huge appreciation, having seen it first from this angle. We also went to Kipu Falls (a locals place...very dangerous the day we went, and not for the faint of heart -- if it’s been rainy, you’ll want a change of clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting muddy...this is the only falls we went to that you could swim by), and Wailua Falls (spectacular) and Opaeka’a Falls (which was slightly disappointing after the spectacular Wailua falls, but still pretty).

 

Day 7: Kauai: Since the ship left at 2pm this day, we didn’t do much. We took the free shuttle to the shopping center and walked around. If you want a free activity on either day in Kauai, take the free Anchor Cove shuttle, and it is a short walk to a very nice beach in front of the Marriott Resort.

 

Day 8: Disembarking. Boy, NCL wants you out in a hurry. Of course, they tell you you are welcome to stay and enjoy the ship...but everything from pools to restaurants close at 9am. It is a madhouse getting out of there. I recommend using a porter for your bags and tipping him well to get you a taxi (rather than carrying you own bags and trying to hail a taxi on you own). It is well worth $20 to skip the lines.

 

Our entire family had a wonderful time on this cruise, and would recommend it to anyone who wants to see all the islands. I hope that this review is helpful.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Thank you for the wonderful, well written review! It sounds as if you had a wonderful time. I am really getting excited now.:D

 

In Maui, did you do anything else besides the crater on Day 1?

[sue402001]

Thank you for your great review kdkoch! I too am getting excited for my Hawaiian vacation.

 

Do you remember how long it took to get to the Fair Wind II's offices in Kona? We have a trip book on the Hula Kai with them. Thanks again!

[Queen of the Queen]

Thank you for a wonderful review. Sounds like you went with the right attitude and that always makes for a pleasant vacation. We will be visiting the Hawaiin Islands in February from another ship.

 

We are planning to rent a car in Kauai to see the Canyon. Can you tell me how long the drive is from the port to the Canyon?

 

In Honolulu we are departing at Midnight and are looking for some entertainment for the evening.

Which of the three following would you (or anyone else) recommend?

 

Oahu Pacific Star Sunset Buffet

Princess Kaulani Dinner Show

Magic of Polynesia at the Waikiki Beachcomer Hotel

 

I know these are all "touristy" but we would like to do something for the evening.

 

If you like you can email me at Eventschair@aol.com, subject: Hawaii Cruise

Lorraine:)

[kwbound]

I'm so glad that my review was helpful to you. It sounds like you had a wonderful time. Too bad about PWF...and rude to you on top of it! Thanks for posting your review....and Happy New Year!

 

Donna

[marysb]

T

Oahu Pacific Star Sunset Buffet

Princess Kaulani Dinner Show

Magic of Polynesia at the Waikiki Beachcomer Hotel

 

I know these are all "touristy" but we would like to do something for the evening.

 

If you like you can email me at Eventschair@aol.com, subject: Hawaii Cruise

Lorraine:)

Lorraine,

When we went to Hawaii, some of our group went to the Princess Kaulani dinner show, " Creation -a Polynesian Journey". They said this a fantastic show and was definitely the best show they saw (the others were the PCC show and Smith's Luau). I have heard the food is so so. The other show that is supposed to be really good it the Society of Seven at the Outrigger Hotel.

Mary

[want-to-cruise]

Can you tell me what the sleeping accomadations are for the 3rd and 4th person please?

Thank you.

[Queen of the Queen]

Lorraine,

When we went to Hawaii, some of our group went to the Princess Kaulani dinner show, " Creation -a Polynesian Journey". They said this a fantastic show and was definitely the best show they saw (the others were the PCC show and Smith's Luau). I have heard the food is so so. The other show that is supposed to be really good it the Society of Seven at the Outrigger Hotel.

Mary

 

Hi Mary

Thanks for the input. Since the Princess Kaulani dinneer show was one of our choices, I think we'll go there.

Lorraine:)

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Thanks for the review. I am also planning to go to K-Bay in Kona and I've heard it can be tricky to get there on time for the Fairwinds so I'm keeping Evelyn's number handy and will reserve a taxi with her before we go.

 

Last time I was in Kauai, I had a rental car and went to the north shore all the way to the edge of the NaPali coast at Ke'e beach and was told we wouldn't have time to go to Waimea canyon so this trip I'm planning on going to Waimea canyon and wondered if we would have time to see some waterfalls too so I'm glad to see that you were able to do it all.

[FloatYourBoatSince2003]

Our entire family had a wonderful time on this cruise, and would recommend it to anyone who wants to see all the islands. I hope that this review is helpful.

 

Very helpful thank you! We're travelling with teens of various ages - can you tell me what day/activity your kids enjoyed the most? Did they use the rope-swing at Kipu falls?

[kdkoch]

Thank you for the wonderful, well written review! It sounds as if you had a wonderful time. I am really getting excited now.:D

 

In Maui, did you do anything else besides the crater on Day 1?

Ginny: We didn't because the kids had never been on a cruise ship before, so they wanted the morning to explore, etc. It was nice to sleep in that day and relax, since pretty much all our other days were jam packed.

[kdkoch]

Thank you for your great review kdkoch! I too am getting excited for my Hawaiian vacation.

 

Do you remember how long it took to get to the Fair Wind II's offices in Kona? We have a trip book on the Hula Kai with them. Thanks again!

I think it took about 30 minutes or so -- but we didn't pre-arrange a taxi, so it could have been a little less, as it took us some time to flag down a taxi -- I highly recommend calling in advance. Also, if you rent a car instead, go into it knowing the parking is very limited down by Fair Winds II. Have fun!

[kdkoch]

Thank you for a wonderful review. Sounds like you went with the right attitude and that always makes for a pleasant vacation. We will be visiting the Hawaiin Islands in February from another ship.

 

We are planning to rent a car in Kauai to see the Canyon. Can you tell me how long the drive is from the port to the Canyon?

 

In Honolulu we are departing at Midnight and are looking for some entertainment for the evening.

Which of the three following would you (or anyone else) recommend?

 

Oahu Pacific Star Sunset Buffet

Princess Kaulani Dinner Show

Magic of Polynesia at the Waikiki Beachcomer Hotel

 

I know these are all "touristy" but we would like to do something for the evening.

 

If you like you can email me at Eventschair@aol.com, subject: Hawaii Cruise

Lorraine:)

The drive to the canyon was about an hour. I'm sorry I don't know enough about the dinner shows in Oahu to recommend one :). Have fun on your cruise.

[kdkoch]

Very helpful thank you! We're travelling with teens of various ages - can you tell me what day/activity your kids enjoyed the most? Did they use the rope-swing at Kipu falls?

Yes, they did go on the rope swing at Kipu -- remind your teens to let go of the rope (mine had so much fun swinging, they came back and hit the rock they jumped off of, lol!) -- also, if there has been much rain (and right now, there has), I'm serious about all the mud -- just be prepared. Their favorite was the Fair Winds II snorkel in Kona, and the Volcanoes National Park (mainly because it included some walking) TIP For the Thurston Lava Tube, the parking lot is a madhouse, park instead at the Kilauea Iki Crater Overlook, and walk the .5 easy trail to the Thurston Lava Tube. Then, if you don't want to walk back, send the hiker in the party for the car. Much easier, and a great little trail. My teen also loved Volcanoes National Park because at the end of Chain of Craters road, we parked and he walked and climbed all over the lava fields. Very cool! Also, he really enjoyed the Teen Center on the ship and all their various activities -- he made friends there. Have fun!

[kdkoch]

Can you tell me what the sleeping accomadations are for the 3rd and 4th person please?

Thank you.

The balcony room we were in had a queen sized bed, and a small full sized pull-out sofa. I say small full, because it was a little bigger than a twin. Two regular sized people, or my two children (11 & 13) could not have shared that bed at all. Maybe if they were 4 years old or something. Hope that helps :)

[kdkoch]

Thanks for the review. I am also planning to go to K-Bay in Kona and I've heard it can be tricky to get there on time for the Fairwinds so I'm keeping Evelyn's number handy and will reserve a taxi with her before we go.

 

Last time I was in Kauai, I had a rental car and went to the north shore all the way to the edge of the NaPali coast at Ke'e beach and was told we wouldn't have time to go to Waimea canyon so this trip I'm planning on going to Waimea canyon and wondered if we would have time to see some waterfalls too so I'm glad to see that you were able to do it all.

Lisa: You definitely can do the canyon and some waterfalls, too. I think the rental car place closed at 10pm, and the last shuttle from the rental agency to the ship was at 7pm. We left at about 9:15am for the rental car agency (just to give you an idea). I heard it was tricky as well to get to Fair Wind (actually, I think it's on their own website, lol), but it was absolutely no problem -- we were not even the last people to check in. As long as you get the 1st tender boat (easy to do), and pre-arrange a taxi, you'll even be early. Have fun!

[kdkoch]

I'm so glad that my review was helpful to you. It sounds like you had a wonderful time. Too bad about PWF...and rude to you on top of it! Thanks for posting your review....and Happy New Year!

 

Donna

Thank YOU Donna! Loved your post -- inspired me to do my own.

Blessings,

Kim

[bensmom1]

Thanks for your great review--very helpful! We're on POA in April w/our 8-YO son; a bit younger than yours but I think we'll do similar activities.

[cruiseman40]

kdkoch: Well said and thanks for the review!

[tone1]

Thanks for the great tips and the positive review. Is Haleakala still cold (30-35 degrees) later in the morning about 10-11:30?

[indy71]

Is Haleakala still cold (30-35 degrees) later in the morning about 10-11:30?

I don't know what time of year you are going, but I was there last year in August, and it was quite pleasant later in the morning. It was sunny and (I'm guessing) about 60-65 degrees. It wasn't windy either.

[collanshelash]

Thanks for your informative, interesting and well-written review of the POA. As this will be our 6th cruise (3rd on NCL), we were somewhat depressed about all the negative comments regarding the food and service onboard; however, after reading your great review, I agree -- it IS what you make it, and a positive attitude is always best!

 

As you recommended in your review, we are arriving early on Oahu and will spend 5 fun-filled days exploring your island first before boarding the POA on 3/5. We are hoping (and praying) that the jellyfish we've heard about are gone so that we can enjoy some of your gorgeous beaches while on Oahu, but even if they aren't, we already have lots planned to see / do that won't include being "in the water", e.g., catamaran dinner cruise, touring several state parks and water fall areas, Diamond Head hike, Paradise Cove luau, and of course, Pearl Harbor.

 

By Saturday, I'm sure we'll be pleasantly exhausted and ready for some "downtime" once we get onboard. Thanks again!

[tone1]

Is Haleakala still cold (30-35 degrees) later in the morning about 10-11:30?

I don't know what time of year you are going, but I was there last year in August, and it was quite pleasant later in the morning. It was sunny and (I'm guessing) about 60-65 degrees. It wasn't windy either.

 

I'll be there in 2 weeks. Thanks for the input. I hope that we have the same pleasant weather in February that you did in August.:)

[bigtoeswim'n]

Great review KDKoch: Thx for taking the effort to post.

 

My question is about the car rental. Did you buy car insurance? No one mentions this when they say they have rented a car, so I assume they did not as I have read it is quite expensive.

 

How about the others who rented cars? In a perfect world, insurance wouldn't be necessary, but we all know about the distratct driver on the cell phone and stuff like that, creating havoc. Yes, I do know about credit cards have insurance coverage and most people's car insurance might cover this too. but I just want to know what other ACTUALLY did while renting a car in Hawaii.

 

thx everyone.

[Raison]

Great review KDKoch: Thx for taking the effort to post.

 

My question is about the car rental. Did you buy car insurance? No one mentions this when they say they have rented a car' date=' so I assume they did not as I have read it is quite expensive.

 

How about the others who rented cars? In a perfect world, insurance wouldn't be necessary, but we all know about the distratct driver on the cell phone and stuff like that, creating havoc. Yes, I do know about credit cards have insurance coverage and most people's car insurance might cover this too. but I just want to know what other ACTUALLY did while renting a car in Hawaii.

 

thx everyone.[/quote']

 

At this satge, we will be buying insurance when we rent.

Our car insurance in Australia does not cover us for rental cars. Our travel insurance only covers us for a limited amount. I fell safer to have the rental company insurance as well.