Pride of America 3/17-24

[sldcruiser]

Thank you to everyone who posted reviews and pictures of their Hawaiian vacations, particulary those who were on NCL. I loved reading about what everyone else did while I was trying to plan our itinerary. Knowing that it was fun and helpful for me to read the reviews, I'm posting what will probably be a very long one (w/pictures). Bear with me as it may take a few days - then again, you may want a break anyway if I get too long winded! My husband and I went on this trip to celebrate our 25th anniversary and my 50th birthday. Hawaii is beautiful and I definitely want to go back soon. If only we didn't live so far away....

 

Wed., March 14 - We caught an early morning flight from Richmond, VA to Dallas, then went from Dallas to Honolulu. Total travel time was approximately 14 hours, including a layover of a couple hours in Dallas. We were pretty exhausted when we reached Hawaii around 2:30 their time, but we were so happy and excited to finally be there that we hardly noticed! We had prearranged travel from the airport to The Outrigger Reef in Waikiki with Mark at Hawaii 23. The cost was $23 plus tip and a minivan was waiting for us outside of baggage claim. Very easy! We were very impressed with the hotel and everyone who worked there was friendly and helpful. We splurged and booked an oceanfront room and it was well worth it. We had a great view of Diamond Head and the beach and watching the sunset from the balcony with a glass of wine was beautiful and relaxing!

 

Our first stop after arriving at the hotel was the Shore Bird beach bar for a drink. Mai Tai’s are only $3.50 everyday from noon to 5:00 and if you can get a table with a view of the beach, even better! After our drinks, we walked on the beach and explored the area a bit before deciding to have an early dinner between 5:30 and 6:00. We thought this was early, but it turned out that most of the restaurants already had long waiting lists. We were hoping to get to Duke’s, but we were tired and they told us it would be about an hour before we’d get a table, so we wandered the streets a bit more until we came to the Yard House (near our hotel). There was a much shorter wait there and we had barely ordered a couple beers when our table was ready. Although it’s a chain, I’d never been to this restaurant before and was very happy with my meal (ahi crunchy salad - yum!). By the time we finished dinner, we’d been up for a long time so we headed back to the hotel and were asleep by 8:30! Of course that meant I was awake around 5:00 the next morning, but after that we didn’t really have any problem adjusting to the time change.

 

 

 

 

 

Thurs. and Fri. we didn’t do much besides sit on the beach, explore the area by foot, and relax. We did hike up Diamond Head early Thurs. morning (not early enough for the sunrise, but close!) Although it was sunny at our hotel when we left, it started raining as soon as we got to Diamond Head. We took a taxi there (think it was around $17 plus tip) so it wasn’t like we were gonna turn around and leave because of the rain! It ended up raining on and off throughout our hike, but it wasn’t too bad. Actually, we felt pretty lucky because we’d been told it had rained for 12 straight days without any relief before we got there. The hike wasn’t difficult (we’re in decent shape, but I don’t think it would be a problem even if you aren’t since there are lots of places to stop and rest) but there were lots of stairs and the terrain was a little slippery when wet. It had stopped raining when we got to the top and we were rewarded with a pretty rainbow over Honolulu. It was sunny and beautiful the rest of the day.

 

 

 

[sldcruiser]

Since I always like getting recommendations for restaurants, I’ll tell you where we ate while we were in Waikiki (all within walking distance of our hotel). Since we didn’t make it to Duke’s for dinner, we ate lunch there the next day and had their famous hula pie. It was as good as everyone said! We ate dinner at Sansei in the Waikiki Beach Marriott. We just had some sushi and a couple appetizers but they were all delicious. I’d highly recommend the panko crusted ahi sashimi sushi roll. I’ve never had anything like it! Our last night in Waikiki we ate at Roy’s, which was almost directly across from our hotel. I knew that this was a popular restaurant so I made reservations before we even left home. The meal did not disappoint! I was glad we were able to walk to all the restaurants because the streets of Waikiki are pretty lively and good for people watching at night.

 

Duke's famous hula pie

 

Sansei - calamari, butterfish and ahi sashimi sushi roll

 

 

Roy's

 

 

back at the hotel with full stomachs!

 

 

!

[sldcruiser]

Sat., March 17 - If you couldn’t tell, we love food so the way we started our day shouldn’t surprise you. I booked Hawaii Food Tour’s “Hole in the Wall” tour. This was a very unique tour and it was a lot of fun! We checked out of the hotel and stored our luggage. The tour van picked us up at the hotel shortly after 9:00 and we spent the next several hours stopping at different places to sample some Hawaiian specialties. Most of the time was spent in Chinatown, but we stopped at a few different bakeries along the way and sampled manapuas, coco puffs and malasadas. We were stuffed (and very happy!) by the time we returned to the hotel around 2:30. We had arranged for Hawaii 23 to pick us up and take us to the ship at 3:00. The cost was $18 plus tip and since we got there well after boarding time, it was a quick and easy process. NCL gave all the women beautiful flower leis and the men shell leis, which I thought was a nice touch.

 

 

 

 

 

[sldcruiser]

MY THOUGHTS ON PRIDE OF AMERICA: Most of this review will be about our excursions on the different islands, but I’ll sum up the cruise itself in these paragraphs. We were very happy with the ship and the crew. We had a standard balcony room on deck 9 and, although it was on the small side, it was functional and had ample storage for us. As is often the case on ships, the bathroom was tiny and the shower was very small with a curtain, as opposed to a door. Our cabin steward was good and our room was always clean.

 

 

 

Since we had to be up early most mornings, we didn’t stay up late so I can’t comment on the ship’s nightlife. It looked like there was plenty to do though. We did go to the “Oh What a Night” tribute to Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons, which I loved. They did two shows on both Wed. and Fri. nights, although Friday they were just part of the “farewell variety show”. If you like this kind of music, I think they did a great job and were very entertaining. Those were the only shows we made it to, unless you count the band playing by the pool.

 

 

The food…since this is subjective, I’ll make it brief. I wasn’t crazy about the main dining room. I’ve been on several cruises and know that you’re not going to get gourmet meals so my standards are not unreasonable. I much preferred the food and selection at the buffet. We also ate at East Meets West one night, which we both thought was really good and Little Italy, which we thought was good but not great. Although I said we love food, the fact that I didn’t love the food on this ship was of minor importance. We certainly got enough to eat anyway!

 

 

The captain made a joke at one point and said this is a cruise very different than most others in that we didn’t do a lot of cruising. As such, the cruising experience wasn’t the most anticipated part of this trip for us. The ship was clean, everyone was nice and the atmosphere was fun. It was a great way to get a taste of the different islands without having to unpack.

[C&Bcruiser]

loving the pictures and story. Keep going!

[amlop]

Great post - can't wait to read more! We will be on POA in May - also balcony on deck 9. :D

[TSUmom]

Enjoying your review and pictures!! I will keep watching for more and thank you for taking the time to do this:D

[GorillaPaper]

Very much enjoying your review. We loved the Yardhouse when we were in Waikiki - nice convenient location. We stayed right across from the Outrigger Reef at the Trump. I can't wait to go back and look forward to reading more of your review! Last time we just spent a week in Waikiki and this time I'm looking forward to seeing other islands by doing the POA cruise.

[Tyskie]

Love your pictures....................Waiting patiently for the rest of your review. It's such a time consuming task, it's appreciated.:)

Thank you !

[Pokeraddict]

Thanks for the review. We too did The Hole in the Wall Tour we 2010 and had a great time. I see in your pics a different tour guide, we had I think Mathew and Kiera so they must be doing really well with it which is good to hear.

[Zeno]

Great details! Thx

[sldcruiser]

Sun. 3/18 - Maui - Our first day in Maui, we went on the Road to Hana tour with Valley Isle Excursions. After debating whether to take a tour or rent a car, we decided on the tour so that we both could enjoy the ride and not stress about driving. There are pros and cons to both options. This was a long tour, lasting from around 8:00 to 6:00. There were 12 of us in a van. It started raining shortly after we were underway, but I’m not sure if it was because we were in the rainforest or if the weather was like that everywhere. Since it wasn’t raining real hard, our driver gave us the option of getting out at different scenic spots for pictures. I was surprised at how many people never left the van unless they had to. We probably annoyed people because we got out every time she gave us a chance! In addition to several quick stops for photo ops, there were longer ones for lunch (provided by the tour company), at a black sand beach, Waianapanapa State Park, the Charles Lindbergh Memorial and Rose Ranch, where we went to the tasting room for Tedeschi Winery. The tour was informative and our driver was good, but if we get to Maui again, we’ll go on our own. When you’re with a tour group, you are on their timeline and the stops are all predetermined. We probably would have stayed longer in certain spots and skipped others if we’d had our own car. The road was very narrow and winding though, so I’m sure it was less stressful than driving it ourselves. Our driver told us that with the rain and hail the week before, the road had been closed for a couple days due to falling rock. She said that rarely happens. Again, even though it rained a little, I felt very fortunate because we had pretty nice weather the whole week.

 

This picture is a little dark, but the bark on these trees was beautiful. Think it was called a rainbow eucalyptus.

 

The lush green and florals of the rainforest

 

 

 

 

 

[sldcruiser]

more pics from the Road to Hana tour:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sldcruiser]

I have to mention the dinner we had at Mama’s Fish House that night (and I promise I will eventually stop talking about food!) I’d made the reservation before we left home. All I knew about it was that it was “expensive, but worth it”. I wasn’t sure what “expensive” meant in dollars and cents, but we decided to go anyway - hey, we were on vacation! The restaurant was very pretty, with a definite Hawaiian theme. I would agree that the meal was expensive (with glasses of wine starting in the teens, appetizers starting at just under $20, and meals averaging around $50). The atmosphere and the meal were excellent and well worth the splurge. My only regret was not having enough room for dessert! Wish I would‘ve ordered the banana macadamia nut crisp to go. Next time. J With all this being said, I have to warn you if you make a reservation and don’t have a rental car - although it’s only 5 or 6 miles from port, the cab fare to the restaurant was $29 plus tip each way. This brought the cost of the meal WAY up, but honestly, I’m still glad we went. It’s only money, right?!

 

 

 

can't remember what this appetizer was called, but it was delicious!

 

Ono

 

curry

 

 

The grounds at Mama's Fish House were really pretty too.

[sldcruiser]

Thanks for the review. We too did The Hole in the Wall Tour we 2010 and had a great time. I see in your pics a different tour guide, we had I think Mathew and Kiera so they must be doing really well with it which is good to hear.

 

Yes, our guides were Bill & Sahara and I saw a couple other names mentioned on tripadvisor. I guess Matthew & Kiera felt they needed a day off every now and then! I booked this tour shortly before we left - can't even remember how I heard about it. So glad we went because we had a great group of people and it was a lot of fun!

[PCWalton1]

Thank you for the great review. Looking forward to the other ports, but I will say Maui is our favorite island. I love driving the road to Hana, I have done that several times. And you are right, driving gives you the flexibility to change up the stops. It is also more enjoyable not sharing a ride with strangers. :)

Bill

[chubby15]

Thanks for the great pictures and the great commenty of your trip

We will be doing trip on the 29 of April have booked the Road to Hanna through the boat tours keep up the report it is great

Chubby

[lv2bgoofy]

thanks for taking the time to write your review....I feel like I'm living our trip all over again.....

 

Sounds like you had an awesome time....

[debster818]

Thank you Thank you for this review. It just adds to my excitement of our trip. We arrive in Honolulu on April 19th and on the ship April 21st. We are staying 2 nights at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. You mentioned Shorebird....We have a 6:30 reservation at Shorebird on Thursday. Do you happen to know how far Shorebird is from Hilton? We also are going to dinner on Friday at House without a Key. Do you know how far that is from HHV? I am waiting for your next installment......this is how I am getting thru the next 13 days!

[debster818]

Thank you for the great review. Looking forward to the other ports, but I will say Maui is our favorite island. I love driving the road to Hana, I have done that several times. And you are right, driving gives you the flexibility to change up the stops. It is also more enjoyable not sharing a ride with strangers. :)

Bill

We have also decided to dothe RTH on our own in a convertible.:) Any pointers? What time should be plan to get on the road? Drinks and food in a cooler? I was told to bring toilet paper????? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Also, what kind of clothes should we bring for the weather onthe RTH. Oh I have so many questions......did you make it to the seven sacred pools? Sorry, I could go on and on!

[sldcruiser]

Thank you Thank you for this review. It just adds to my excitement of our trip. We arrive in Honolulu on April 19th and on the ship April 21st. We are staying 2 nights at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. You mentioned Shorebird....We have a 6:30 reservation at Shorebird on Thursday. Do you happen to know how far Shorebird is from Hilton? We also are going to dinner on Friday at House without a Key. Do you know how far that is from HHV? I am waiting for your next installment......this is how I am getting thru the next 13 days!

 

I'm pretty sure we walked on the beach to Hilton Hawaiian Village from our hotel but I'm not sure how far it would be walking on the road. We found that this area of Waikiki is very walkable if you give yourself enough time. If you don't have time to walk or just don't want to, a cab ride would probably be fairly inexpensive because everything is close by. House without a Key is in the hotel right next to the Outrigger Reef (if I remember right). We didn't end up going there, but I'd read so much about it that I wanted to see where it was. The beach at the Hilton where you're staying is gorgeous! Have a great time!

[sldcruiser]

We have also decided to dothe RTH on our own in a convertible.:) Any pointers? What time should be plan to get on the road? Drinks and food in a cooler? I was told to bring toilet paper????? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Also, what kind of clothes should we bring for the weather onthe RTH. Oh I have so many questions......did you make it to the seven sacred pools? Sorry, I could go on and on!

 

Maybe others who rented cars can chime in on this one! The day we went on the RTH, it was rainy and kind of cold (cold for Hawaii, anyway!) I wore shorts but took a jacket with me, and was very happy I did! We did stop at the park with the seven sacred pools, and this is one of the places I wish we'd had more time. We did a short hike, but there was a longer one we didn't have time to do. I think this might have taken us closer to the bridge. I didn't see anyone swimming the day we went, partly because it was pretty cold and probably also because the water was pretty rough that day. There were public restrooms at a couple of the different stops and I don't recall toilet paper being a problem. As for food, it would be smart to bring your own. We had a picnic lunch provided by the tour company. One thing I wish I'd done was make better notes of where we were when I took each picture! It was a long day with a lot of stops and my memory isn't what it used to be! We continued on the road well past Hana where the terrain completely changed and the road got really bumpy (the driver called it the "jeep road" because technically I don't think the rental car companies want you to take their cars on it - but I'm sure lots of people do anyway!)

[PCWalton1]

We have also decided to dothe RTH on our own in a convertible.:) Any pointers? What time should be plan to get on the road? Drinks and food in a cooler? I was told to bring toilet paper????? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Also, what kind of clothes should we bring for the weather onthe RTH. Oh I have so many questions......did you make it to the seven sacred pools? Sorry, I could go on and on!

Hi Debbie,

Are you going on the day POA pulls into Kahului? If so, I would leave as soon as you can as you need to pick up your car. We usually left about 7:30 but we started up on the northwest side in Napili which adds another hour or two. That might be a little bit of a late start but I am not sure I would go on the day the ship is leaving port. Any accidents/delay and you could end up left behind. :eek:

We brought bottled water but did not usually bring food as we would eat in Hana on the way there and Paia on the way back. Also on the way there is a fruit stand that bakes fresh banana bread. :)

I always bring a wind breaker (rarely used it), hat, sun glasses. Sandals worked well to get around, even at the beaches and waterfalls. Here is a link to a great driving guide as it shows all the mile markers and suggestions to a variety of stops. There is two parts to the Road to Hana in the guide. If I am going to drive the road I usually print it out as a guide. I would not try to do everything on it.

http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/byotgdxm.htm

 

I mentioned Paia as a great stop on the way back. It is a wind surfing town just south of Kahului. It makes for us a great dinner stop on the way back. We usually ate at the Paia Fish Market, I think you can google them. Friendly and usually crowded. The tables are big picnic table so unless you are a big group you will share which is fun. Fresh fish usually caught that day and cooked the way you like it. My favorite is Opah (moonfish) sauteed in white wine, butter and garlic. With some dirty rice on the side and a local IPA it was great. If you want to do something a little different from the menu, just ask when you order and they usually accomidate. There is an organic gelato place across the street that finishes the meal off nicely.

 

We are going to be there in September on Radiance of the Seas for a one day stop so will not be driving the road. But we do plan on stopping in Paia.

 

Bill

[wave breaker]

We also will be sailing on the POA May 5 in a balcony on deck 9! Did this sailing on pretty much the same date two years ago. It is a wonderful way to see Hawai'i. Taking another couple with us this year.

[cleophus12]

Loving your post. We will also be in a large balcony cabin on the PoA leaving May 19. Very excited! Your posts are very helpful and informative.