NCL Hawaii Cruise

[Mangomom77]

Planning a trip to Hawaii for my husband's retirement gift. Considering flying to Hawaii to sail around the islands. Never sailed with NCL. Any thoughts about this cruise? To Cruise or not to Cruise, that is the question! Thanks

[punkincc]

Planning a trip to Hawaii for my husband's retirement gift. Considering flying to Hawaii to sail around the islands. Never sailed with NCL. Any thoughts about this cruise? To Cruise or not to Cruise, that is the question! Thanks

 

You'll see the land vs cruise argument often on this board as well as the Hawaii board here on Cruise Critic, which is a good place to get Hawaii info. We had previously done a land vaca in Maui and Kauai a few years ago, and this past August we did the POA cruise.

 

Personally, I much preferred the cruise, especially if this is your first visit. You are not wasting pretty much full days flying from island to island. And the island are all very different. You really do want to see them all. You get to see all the major islands, with 2 overnights and 2 days on the big island. Plenty of touring time. Easy to see all the sights by your own rental car at your own pace.

 

We did this trip for a big anniversary and it really was the trip if a lifetime. Many people tack on some extra days either pre or post cruise for some "land" time before going home. We stayed an extra 6 nights on Oahu after the cruise to explore other parts of the island. Also, fly in a day or two early if possible. The time change is a killer.

Edited January 13, 2015 by punkincc

[SuiteTraveler]

Have you cruised before? If so, this would be a bit different as it is an American crewed ship. If you can afford a suite (Penthouse and above), the experience is really great. I have not cruised NCL below Penthouse, so not sure what that is like. I have seen all the cabins, though and they are all quite nice. What I would advise you to do is look at the reviews here:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=349

 

but also look at the reviews on Trip Advisor which are much more positive.

If you decide to go, do buy the specialty dining package where you can eat in a different specialty restaurant every night of your cruise. It is well worth the extra money as the specialty restaurants - especially Jefferson's Bistro, Cagneys, Moderno and East meets West. If you like Teppanyaki, it is really good, too.

 

What I would suggest, since your DH is retiring (congratulations!) perhaps you make this a longer trip and combine a land trip in Hawaii with the cruise which can be a lot of fun! Some people do stuff like stay 3 days on one island (usually you start in Honolulu) then fly to Maui for 3 days and then Kauai for 3 days. Some trips even include an additional 3 days on the Big Island. You can buy these sort of vacation packages for Hawaii on various internet travel websites. They are easy to find and relatively inexpensive. The only problem with a trip to Hawaii is that once you are there for a few days, you won't want to go home! It's just an amazing place and there is so much to see and do and it is so fun to relax on a beach or go shopping at Hilo Hatties or do water sports or see volcanos or waterfalls. It's hard to figure out what to do first!

 

Flight times between the islands is short:

 

Oahu to Maui = 25 minutes

Maui to Kauai = 38 minutes

Kauai to Honolulu =24 minutes

 

Add 1 hour on for security at the airport and it's still just 90 minutes or so to get to another island.

 

I've flown to Maui for a day trip early in the morning and flown home that same evening having spent 14 hours on Maui.

Edited January 13, 2015 by SuiteTraveler

[AmberCascades]

We did the POA with our young adult children a couple of years ago. It was a trip we will never forget (for good reasons :) ).

 

We flew into Oahu a couple of days ahead of time and went to the Chief's Luau at Sea Life Park (can't recommend that enough). We also climbed to the top of Diamond Head for an awesome view of Honolulu and then back down for a much-deserved shave ice.

 

We enjoyed the POA. We didn't do specialty restaurants as we thought the food was pretty good in the MDR and the buffet. The staff was very nice. We were off the ship most of the time so we didn't notice the ship itself too much. It was clean. Entertainment was enjoyable. There were a couple of days we were so exhausted from our excursions, we just watched whatever came on t.v. that night.

 

Every island has different things to offer. We thought it was a great way to get a taste of all the islands. Although....if I'm ever lucky enough to go back there....I still don't know if I could pick a favourite. :)

[Nextholiday?]

You'll see the land vs cruise argument often on this board as well as the Hawaii board here on Cruise Critic, which is a good place to get Hawaii info. We had previously done a land vaca in Maui and Kauai a few years ago, and this past August we did the POA cruise.

 

Personally, I much preferred the cruise, especially if this is your first visit. You are not wasting pretty much full days flying from island to island. And the island are all very different. You really do want to see them all. You get to see all the major islands, with 2 overnights and 2 days on the big island. Plenty of touring time. Easy to see all the sights by your own rental car at your own pace.

 

We did this trip for a big anniversary and it really was the trip if a lifetime. Many people tack on some extra days either pre or post cruise for some "land" time before going home. We stayed an extra 6 nights on Oahu after the cruise to explore other parts of the island. Also, fly in a day or two early if possible. The time change is a killer.

 

Hi

 

Would you be kind enough to put the link for hawaii board or is it under "ports of call"

 

Thank you :D

Edited January 13, 2015 by Nextholiday?

[puddles99]

The POA cruise is like no other for a number of reasons, but for me the biggest is that you have NO sea days. Basically the ship becomes a floating hotel and this trip is 90% about the islands and just 10% about the ship. The entertainment we saw was great, but we didn't see much as we gave our time & energy to the islands. The crew was great & the Cruise Director among the best I've ever sailed with, but we didn't indulge in many activities on board because we engaged in non-stop activity on the islands (and in the waters around the islands).

 

You can read a detailed review of our experiences here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1845823

 

Definitely visit the Hawaii Forum: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=62

 

We would sail the POA again in a heartbeat and hope to do so with our daughters in a few years. Aloha!

[punkincc]

And, there is that great Freestyle Choice promo going on right now which would give you a choice of two: free specialty dining package for all 7 nights, $200-$300 on board credit for anything above an inside cabin, and in lieu of the Ultimate Beverage Package, ( I think because of Hawaii's liquor laws ), an air credit on your flight. Combine that with some extra perks from a TA and it is a pretty good deal.

Edited January 13, 2015 by punkincc

[Manbo]

In Oct 2013 we did the POA and then stayed in Honolulu for an extra 5 days and it was perfect! So perfect that we will do the exact same thing again in a few years.

Do a lot of research and you can save a lot on money on excursions, in fact, we only did one through NCL, booked the rest on our own.

Have a great trip!!

[Mangomom77]

Yes, we have cruised before, just not on NCL. Have heard good and bad. Pearl Harbor has always been on our bucket list. As well as seeing an active volcano.

[tiggrbaby]

We did POA in 8/13 for our 30th anniversary. It was not our first time to Hawaii, or on NCL. We stayed for a few days on Oahu before the cruise, and one night/day after. If you are used to cruising, it may seem a bit different (cabin stewards have set hours), but we felt that we received good service and actually had some excellent experiences. It was so nice to have almost two full days on each island.

 

I don't remember any shows, and we didn't do any specialty dining. We were more interested in maximizing our time on the islands. My sister did pay for us to upgrade to a balcony cabin, which was perfect for sailing past the lava (red in the distance; was not flowing into the ocean at that time) and the Na Pali coast.

 

Pearl Harbor really deserves a full day; they have really developed the area and there is so much to see. Make sure you reserve your tickets online, as they can run out of the tickets.

 

Whatever you decide to do, have a wonderful celebration!

[Eriksgarden]

We are doing this cruise in August with my parents and cannot wait. We will be staying a few days in Honolulu before, so we can explore the city and Oahu. My parents are getting old, so island hopping by plane and hiking to waterfalls is not an option. This will be perfect and give us a broader experience of the different islands.

[kimberja14]

My husband and I along with out 2 adult daughters took this cruise in August...and we loved it! It's an older ship...but who cares! Your in port each day, so the ship is really like a floating hotel. We also enjoyed the evening shows and thought the food was great! I recommend a balcony...and a suite of you can swing it:-) We had two rooms next door to each other and were very comfortable. I would recommend renting a car in Maui and Kauai to fully enjoy the islands.

 

 

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[azappraiser]

Planning a trip to Hawaii for my husband's retirement gift. Considering flying to Hawaii to sail around the islands. Never sailed with NCL. Any thoughts about this cruise? To Cruise or not to Cruise, that is the question! Thanks

 

I highly recommend the inter-island cruise on the POA... it's a great way to get a taste of the islands. We toured this past September, here's a link to my review.

 

Since you'd be coming from the east coast, I would also recommend staying a few days in Honolulu prior to the cruise. Although renting a car is rather inexpensive, parking may not be... that would depend on where you're staying. I would also suggest bringing or renting a GPS to help you with navigation as you explore.

 

We're returning to Oahu this coming August for a week... can't wait! No cruise this trip though... there's still so many things we didn't see after having lost our (original) 1st day on Oahu thanks to a maintenance problem with our flight out of Phoenix.

[MelissaFreed]

My husband surprised me with this cruise back in 2012. Hawaii was always on the top of my bucket list and I don't think I could ever take another vacation that would top it. A couple of things to consider...

 

1. The POA is a much different experience than any other NCL ship, as it is a predominantly American crew. Don't get me wrong, the crew is great. However, if you are one of those cruisers who looks forward to having crew members gravel at your feet, you probably won't find it here. The POA crew is friendly and accommodating, but not over the top like you will find on some other ships.

 

2. Is this your first trip to Hawaii? It was mine, so I found cruising the perfect way to see as much of Hawaii as we could.

 

3. Are you comfortable doing your own thing and going off the beaten path? Hawaii is very touristy. If you are anything like me and don't like the overcrowded tourist scene, Hawaii is very easy to do things on your own.

 

Here is the link for my review thread. I hope it's helpful.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1716047