Our experience on the POA

[Anniesails]

The following is Just my humble opinion, when necessary I did complain to the various department heads, etc.

 

All in all, the cruise (sailing) itself was terrific, despite 2 hurricanes which Hawaii has not seen in decades. Our Captain was experienced and able to steer us out of harms way. Not much movement at all.

 

Ate mostly in specialty restaurants and found the food mediocre at best, specifically at LaCuccina the OsoBucco was tough and overcooked, in Le Bistro I had to send the Salmon back as it was overcooked to the point of not being inedible. Food for breakfast in the Skyline restaurant was always good.

 

Cabin Steward was horrible, it took him 3 days to figure out how to open my nieces bed correctly, she was sleeping like a Hobbit for the first 3 nights. Never had adequate towels or glasses and room was never vacuumed but we always did have towel animals. I complained to supervisor who instructed our steward how to set up the bed. I finally was so fed up I adjusted his gratuity which is something I have NEVER done. Our safe was fixed on the SIXTH sailing day.

 

Had 3 treatments in the SPA which were always terrific.

 

The comedian was hysterically funny and the shows were good.

 

All in all we enjoyed the trip because of the itinerary. Unfortunately, I will not be sailing with NCL again. I keep giving them a chance and wind up being disappointed. :mad::mad:

Edited August 11, 2014 by Anniesails
change in text

[punkincc]

The following is Just my humble opinion, when necessary I did complain to the various department heads, etc.

 

All in all, the cruise (sailing) itself was terrific, despite 2 hurricanes which Hawaii has not seen in decades. Our Captain was experienced and able to steer us out of harms way. Not much movement at all.

 

Ate mostly in specialty restaurants and found the food mediocre at best, specifically at LaCuccina the OsoBucco was tough and overcooked, in Le Bistro I had to send the Salmon back as it was overcooked to the point of not being inedible. Food for breakfast in the Skyline restaurant was always good.

 

Cabin Steward was horrible, it took him 3 days to figure out how to open my nieces bed correctly, she was sleeping like a Hobbit for the first 3 nights. Never had adequate towels or glasses and room was never vacuumed but we always did have towel animals. I complained to supervisor who instructed our steward how to set up the bed. I finally was so fed up I adjusted his gratuity which is something I have NEVER done. Our safe was fixed on the SIXTH sailing day.

 

Had 3 treatments in the SPA which were always terrific.

 

The comedian was hysterically funny and the shows were good.

 

All in all we enjoyed the trip because of the itinerary. Unfortunately, I will not be sailing with NCL again. I keep giving them a chance and wind up being disappointed. :mad::mad:

 

 

Glad you found the cruise itself terrific although you were disappointed in some aspects. Like you, I keep giving NCL a chance, and all 6 times they have met or exceeded our expectations, so we just keep coming back:D.

 

We will be boarding the POA on the 16th and are aware that the POA differs somewhat from the rest of the fleet and the reasons related to that which have been discussed here. We have adjusted our expectations accordingly, just in case, but are very easy to please, so I am sure we will have a good trip. How could you not in Hawaii!

 

Hopefully we will have a better cabin steward, I will avoid the Oso Bucco and Salmon and will be sure to catch the comedian. Maybe I'll even splurge on a massage! Thanks you for the tips!

 

Edit to say I hope you do not think I am making light of your disappointments. But I am on such a cloud nine about this trip that I don't think anything could rain on my parade, short of perhaps a sinking ship or a direct hit from a hurricane.

Edited August 11, 2014 by punkincc

[elhenry]

My experience on the POA in July 2013 was the complete opposite: the cabin steward could not have been more attentive or kind. My mother's mobility was extremely limited; on her own, the steward rearranged the bed set-up so that Mom could get to the bathroom more easily, and on her own obtained the shower chair and seat risers. Moreover, all the staff we met while out and about the ship could not have been more helpful.

 

The food at La Cucina was fine, but I am a vegetarian so I cannot speak to overcooked or undercooked meats. The service was slow, but not inattentive, so I do not know if it was the servers or the kitchen. Hey, after a long day at port, what's a little wait?

 

I did not care for the comedian. Again, this was last year, and entertainment is so subjective, I would never say anyone should agree with me on what is or is not a good show.

 

I have sailed RCCL, NCL, Celebrity and Princess, and enjoyed them all; I would go back to any one of them.

 

el henry

Edited August 11, 2014 by elhenry

[greatlakesgirl]

So sorry your trip didn't live up to your expectations. Ours in February was absolutely amazing! Happy future sailing!

 

:)

Edited August 11, 2014 by greatlakesgirl

[galleycook]

I understand your disappointment with the ship but I'm also glad you were able to make the best of the circumstances.

 

We sailed on the POA twice and experienced many problems. The first time was one of the first few inaugural sailings. We were told all the problems were due to the "new crew". They couldn't use that line on the second trip which was much worse. We had booked 2 cabins and each of them had so many problems; broken doors, cup holders falling off the wall, balcony door handle falling apart and becoming unusable, coffee maker but no carafe, balcony furniture with holes so big they were unusable, drawers that were falling apart to the point that you could hardly open them, and the list goes on. Just like you, I don't think the room was ever vacuumed or dusted. There were coffee stains on the table which were there until the 4th day into the cruise. Although I'm not sure how they got there when the coffee maker was unusable :rolleyes:

 

Bringing anything to the attention of management on board did nothing. Actually it made it worse. The shower curtain had quite a bit of mold on it. They replaced it with one that was even worse. Instead of bring new balcony furniture (or fixing it), they took the broken stuff away and left us with nothing.

 

We found the food to be average but service was poor pretty much in all venues. I was quite shocked and thought I was watching a Seinfeld episode where a server came from a cubical in the washroom, fluffed his hair in front of the mirror and walked back into the main dining room! I could only shake my head.

 

If the problems are still continuing, NCL really needs to relook at the ship and the way things are done. You might want to consider trying other NCL ships before deciding not to sail with NCL again. They don't have the all American crews that the POA does. Some consider this to be the problem.

[earlbird]

I understand your disappointment with the ship but I'm also glad you were able to make the best of the circumstances.

 

We sailed on the POA twice and experienced many problems. The first time was one of the first few inaugural sailings. We were told all the problems were due to the "new crew". They couldn't use that line on the second trip which was much worse. We had booked 2 cabins and each of them had so many problems; broken doors, cup holders falling off the wall, balcony door handle falling apart and becoming unusable, coffee maker but no carafe, balcony furniture with holes so big they were unusable, drawers that were falling apart to the point that you could hardly open them, and the list goes on. Just like you, I don't think the room was ever vacuumed or dusted. There were coffee stains on the table which were there until the 4th day into the cruise. Although I'm not sure how they got there when the coffee maker was unusable :rolleyes:

 

 

Bringing anything to the attention of management on board did nothing. Actually it made it worse. The shower curtain had quite a bit of mold on it. They replaced it with one that was even worse. Instead of bring new balcony furniture (or fixing it), they took the broken stuff away and left us with nothing.

 

We found the food to be average but service was poor pretty much in all venues. I was quite shocked and thought I was watching a Seinfeld episode where a server came from a cubical in the washroom, fluffed his hair in front of the mirror and walked back into the main dining room! I could only shake my head.

 

If the problems are still continuing, NCL really needs to relook at the ship and the way things are done. You might want to consider trying other NCL ships before deciding not to sail with NCL again. They don't have the all American crews that the POA does. Some consider this to be the problem.

 

"OUCH"!! We will be on the POA in two weeks, and these reports are not very encouraging.

[DaisyGoldberg]

I had no issues with cleanliness or professionalism on the POA. Food was great (we stuck to the buffet though, most of the time, due to time constraints), shows were good (the ones we went to, being more than normally tired due to the busy schedule). I found the on board activities like lei making and hula class to be fun.

 

I'd go back in a second, if time and money permitted.

[VideoTech]

"OUCH"!! We will be on the POA in two weeks, and these reports are not very encouraging.

 

Please remember: You will find all kinds of good and bad reports on any given cruise, on any cruise line. My procedure is to read through the reviews, throw out the best and worst, and take the average...and that's probably what you'll find to be true.

 

Go with an open mind. With POA cruises, remember you're actually there to see and enjoy Hawaii, and the cruise ship is really only secondary...just a floating hotel that moves from island to island for your convenience.

[punkincc]

"OUCH"!! We will be on the POA in two weeks, and these reports are not very encouraging.

 

Out of 6 responses to this thread, 4 were positive and only 2 were negative. I thinks the odds are in your favor for a good cruise. Read some of the reviews on the Hawaii board if you haven't already. Even the OP liked some things about the cruise. We have been researching the POA for over a year now. Our cruise is this Saturday. Most of what I have seen in that time was positive. Don't let a few negative comments get to you. Every ship I have ever sailed had some negative reviews, and I always felt like those people must have been on some other ship because I experienced little of whatever they complained about.

 

The POA is not a typical cruise. Every day is a port day. You have two overnights. Hawaii is spectacular. You will be off the ship more than you are on it. You will be exhausted when you finally get back on board. You will probably not be too worried about much of anything on the ship. I am not expecting the Four Seasons, and I think the food and service will be perfectly adequate based on the majority of the reposts I have seen.

[earlbird]

Out of 6 responses to this thread, 4 were positive and only 2 were negative. I thinks the odds are in your favor for a good cruise. Read some of the reviews on the Hawaii board if you haven't already. Even the OP liked some things about the cruise. We have been researching the POA for over a year now. Our cruise is this Saturday. Most of what I have seen in that time was positive. Don't let a few negative comments get to you. Every ship I have ever sailed had some negative reviews, and I always felt like those people must have been on some other ship because I experienced little of whatever they complained about.

 

The POA is not a typical cruise. Every day is a port day. You have two overnights. Hawaii is spectacular. You will be off the ship more than you are on it. You will be exhausted when you finally get back on board. You will probably not be too worried about much of anything on the ship. I am not expecting the Four Seasons, and I think the food and service will be perfectly adequate based on the majority of the reposts I have seen.

 

Thank you. I am sure that you are correct.

Enjoy your upcoming cruise.

[Ilovesailing]

The following is Just my humble opinion, when necessary I did complain to the various department heads, etc.

 

All in all, the cruise (sailing) itself was terrific, despite 2 hurricanes which Hawaii has not seen in decades. Our Captain was experienced and able to steer us out of harms way. Not much movement at all.

 

Ate mostly in specialty restaurants and found the food mediocre at best, specifically at LaCuccina the OsoBucco was tough and overcooked, in Le Bistro I had to send the Salmon back as it was overcooked to the point of not being inedible. Food for breakfast in the Skyline restaurant was always good.

 

Cabin Steward was horrible, it took him 3 days to figure out how to open my nieces bed correctly, she was sleeping like a Hobbit for the first 3 nights. Never had adequate towels or glasses and room was never vacuumed but we always did have towel animals. I complained to supervisor who instructed our steward how to set up the bed. I finally was so fed up I adjusted his gratuity which is something I have NEVER done. Our safe was fixed on the SIXTH sailing day.

 

Had 3 treatments in the SPA which were always terrific.

 

The comedian was hysterically funny and the shows were good.

 

All in all we enjoyed the trip because of the itinerary. Unfortunately, I will not be sailing with NCL again. I keep giving them a chance and wind up being disappointed. :mad::mad:

 

 

Very surprised as we have done a total of 6 weeks on POA to which we had the opposite experience and we only eat in specialty restaurants.

[greatlakesgirl]

Thank you. I am sure that you are correct.

Enjoy your upcoming cruise.

As I said up there ^^^ we had a great time back in February of this year! Read my review if you feel like it. Lots of pics! :)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2014664

[galleycook]

Out of 6 responses to this thread, 4 were positive and only 2 were negative. I thinks the odds are in your favor for a good cruise. Read some of the reviews on the Hawaii board if you haven't already. Even the OP liked some things about the cruise. We have been researching the POA for over a year now. Our cruise is this Saturday. Most of what I have seen in that time was positive. Don't let a few negative comments get to you. Every ship I have ever sailed had some negative reviews, and I always felt like those people must have been on some other ship because I experienced little of whatever they complained about.

 

The POA is not a typical cruise. Every day is a port day. You have two overnights. Hawaii is spectacular. You will be off the ship more than you are on it. You will be exhausted when you finally get back on board. You will probably not be too worried about much of anything on the ship. I am not expecting the Four Seasons, and I think the food and service will be perfectly adequate based on the majority of the reposts I have seen.

 

I'd like to follow up on my original post. We did POA twice and both times were the same. So I take this to be less of a fluke and more of a representation of reality. And if it had been one or two problems, I would not have even given it a second thought. Unfortunately on both trips, the lists were very long, although much more "broken stuff" on the second trip.

 

I would certainly expect everyone asking for opinions to review "all" posts and come to their own conclusion. My post is what happened to us. NCL admitted the problems and at the time offered a small future discount on another cruise.

 

We continue to sail on other NCL ships (we have a GEM trip coming up in Sept) so I think I'm providing a balanced view.

 

Despite the ships issues, we had an excellent time because of the Islands. Personally, I think this is the best way to see Hawaii. However, unlike some others who may not care, I'd like my time spent on the ship to be memorable as well. I wasn't expecting the Four Seasons but I wasn't expecting Motel 6 either.

[SeaShark]

Glad you found the cruise itself terrific although you were disappointed in some aspects. Like you, I keep giving NCL a chance, and all 6 times they have met or exceeded our expectations, so we just keep coming back:D.

 

We will be boarding the POA on the 16th and are aware that the POA differs somewhat from the rest of the fleet and the reasons related to that which have been discussed here. We have adjusted our expectations accordingly, just in case, but are very easy to please, so I am sure we will have a good trip. How could you not in Hawaii!

 

Hopefully we will have a better cabin steward, I will avoid the Oso Bucco and Salmon and will be sure to catch the comedian. Maybe I'll even splurge on a massage! Thanks you for the tips!

 

Edit to say I hope you do not think I am making light of your disappointments. But I am on such a cloud nine about this trip that I don't think anything could rain on my parade, short of perhaps a sinking ship or a direct hit from a hurricane.

 

 

I don't think you'll have anything to worry about. People whose expectations are closely aligned with reality are rarely disappointed.

 

 

Have a great cruise!

[Anniesails]

[Hope you have a terrific cruise. Hawaii is awesome.quote=punkincc;43712681]Glad you found the cruise itself terrific although you were disappointed in some aspects. Like you, I keep giving NCL a chance, and all 6 times they have met or exceeded our expectations, so we just keep coming back:D.

 

We will be boarding the POA on the 16th and are aware that the POA differs somewhat from the rest of the fleet and the reasons related to that which have been discussed here. We have adjusted our expectations accordingly, just in case, but are very easy to please, so I am sure we will have a good trip. How could you not in Hawaii!

 

Hopefully we will have a better cabin steward, I will avoid the Oso Bucco and Salmon and will be sure to catch the comedian. Maybe I'll even splurge on a massage! Thanks you for the tips!

 

Edit to say I hope you do not think I am making light of your disappointments. But I am on such a cloud nine about this trip that I don't think anything could rain on my parade, short of perhaps a sinking ship or a direct hit from a hurricane.

[Anniesails]

I don't think you'll have anything to worry about. People whose expectations are closely aligned with reality are rarely disappointed.

 

 

Have a great cruise!

 

I rarely if ever get annoyed about postings, but I must admit I don't consider my expectations "not" closely aligned with reality. Ordering food in a specialty restaurant for which you pay extra $$ should be ediible, my valuables should be able to be secured in a SAFE that locks and I do believe we paid for 3 beds so my niece should have been able to stretch her legs to sleep prior to the middle of the cruise. thanks for your input though.

[Ilovesailing]

Ate mostly in specialty restaurants and found the food mediocre at best, specifically at LaCuccina the OsoBucco was tough and overcooked, in Le Bistro I had to send the Salmon back as it was overcooked to the point of not being inedible.

 

The Oso Bocco happens to be one of my fave dishes and I make it home often it's to be slow cooked probably 3 hours in red wine and stock. So I can't possibly see how tough and overcooked go together its just not possible. Maybe look up the recipe.

 

As for the salmon yes it is easy to overcook and I too would have sent it back if it was extremely dry. The salmon is again one of my fave and I always order the salmon Oscar in Cagneys/Jeffersons.

 

Twenty plus cruises with NCL mainly because of the specialty dining selection and rarely any issues.

Edited August 12, 2014 by Ilovesailing

[addisnana]

We will be sailing on POA in March, 2015. Looking for recommendations for hotel for one night. Prefer hotel at or near airport. Thanks or any information.

[addisnana]

We will be sailing on POA in March, 2015. Looking for recommendations for hotel for one night. Prefer hotel at or near airport. Thanks or any information.

 

My error in posting this - meant to start a new thread with this post.

[addisnana]

We will be sailing on Pride of America in March, 2015.

 

Looking for recommendations for hotel for one night. Prefer hotel at or near airport. Thanks or any information.

[punkincc]

We will be sailing on POA in March, 2015. Looking for recommendations for hotel for one night. Prefer hotel at or near airport. Thanks or any information.

 

I responded to your post on this topic over on the Hawaii board where you commented about the Outrigger. Please take a look at the website called Trip Advisor, sister site of Cruise Critic. You will find tons of reviews for every hotel ranked #1 and on down. If you truly must have an airport hotel you should be able to find it there. I will bet that all of the airport hotels are ranked at the bottom or very close. Why not stay near the beach where you can get out and walk around and see the sights? It is a once in a lifetime chance to see something beautiful. You can get from the airport to the Waikiki area very inexpensively.

[addisnana]

I responded to your post on this topic over on the Hawaii board where you commented about the Outrigger. Please take a look at the website called Trip Advisor, sister site of Cruise Critic. You will find tons of reviews for every hotel ranked #1 and on down. If you truly must have an airport hotel you should be able to find it there. I will bet that all of the airport hotels are ranked at the bottom or very close. Why not stay near the beach where you can get out and walk around and see the sights? It is a once in a lifetime chance to see something beautiful. You can get from the airport to the Waikiki area very inexpensively.

 

Thanks again for your response. When I posted this, I was trying to start a "new thread" to gather even more information. Apparently I didn't do it correctly

[Starry Eyes]

Ate mostly in specialty restaurants and found the food mediocre at best, specifically at LaCuccina the OsoBucco was tough and overcooked, in Le Bistro I had to send the Salmon back as it was overcooked to the point of not being inedible.

 

 

The Oso Bocco happens to be one of my fave dishes and I make it home often it's to be slow cooked probably 3 hours in red wine and stock. So I can't possibly see how tough and overcooked go together its just not possible. Maybe look up the recipe.

 

As for the salmon yes it is easy to overcook and I too would have sent it back if it was extremely dry. The salmon is again one of my fave and I always order the salmon Oscar in Cagneys/Jeffersons.

 

Twenty plus cruises with NCL mainly because of the specialty dining selection and rarely any issues.

Same reaction when I read the Oso Bucco critic. Generally I enjoy it, though once in a while perhaps I could say I encountered one with less flavor or drier or tougher...but the combo of tough and overcooked at the same time...hmmm, not an expected combo of complaints. As I am the only one who really loves it, I have not made Oso Bucco at home; can I visit next time you are cooking, please;)?

[deb63]

Thank you. I am sure that you are correct.

Enjoy your upcoming cruise.

 

I'll ad another positive vote.

 

We went last summer and had a wonderful time. The worst thing we found was that tables were not always cleaned as quickly as they were on other NCL ships. . . and I'd say the service was probably a little slower. But it's Hawaii - those things couldn't damper our enjoyment.

 

The shows we made it to were wonderful. We really loved Oh What A Night. The food was fine, and our room steward very attentive. At one point my daughter asked him to please not remove the elephant towel animal. . .he sweetly added to her "zoo" each night without removing any of the others. He didn't have to, obviously, but somethin that small meant the world to her.

 

The hula classes were fun, and the lei making classes were a great way to make souviniors that were special.

 

I hope you have a fabulous cruise.

[Anniesails]

Ate mostly in specialty restaurants and found the food mediocre at best, specifically at LaCuccina the OsoBucco was tough and overcooked, in Le Bistro I had to send the Salmon back as it was overcooked to the point of not being inedible.

 

 

The Oso Bocco happens to be one of my fave dishes and I make it home often it's to be slow cooked probably 3 hours in red wine and stock. So I can't possibly see how tough and overcooked go together its just not possible. Maybe look up the recipe.

 

As for the salmon yes it is easy to overcook and I too would have sent it back if it was extremely dry. The salmon is again one of my fave and I always order the salmon Oscar in Cagneys/Jeffersons.

 

Twenty plus cruises with NCL mainly because of the specialty dining selection and rarely any issues.

 

 

It never ceases to amaze me the ignorance spewed on these boards. I do not need to "look up the recipe" as I am an Italian Chef and cook Oso Bocco frequently, to perfection. It is easy to make it tough: 1) use inexpensive cuts 2) don't cook it long enough. Perhaps you should review your culinary information.