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POA Cruise Live Review from a Local 9/24/16

ssaito1

By ssaito1,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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ssaito1

ssaito1

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That is fantastic to know! Now that you can't bring water onboard (there is no way I am paying the NCL pre-order prices for water) I wil head there when they open at sea!

 

 

Our thoughts exactly! We were glad to see this on the first day.

 

 

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ssaito1

ssaito1

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Enjoying your postings, sounds like you are having a good time. Thanks for taking the time to post. Is your mom enjoying the trip?? Thanks for the water hints too.

 

 

Thanks! :) She's loving it as well. She hasn't been to some of the islands in over a few decades, so parts of Big Island and Kauai were completely new to her!

 

 

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pizzalady1

pizzalady1

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Aloha,

 

We asked and it's $2.10 (plus tax I believe)

 

 

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Thanks, we just got off the Jewel and there were no machines available. Soda was $3.99+ 18% from the refrigerator in the room and cans from the bar was $2.99+18%. This sounds great, hope it lasts until 12/9/17!

 

Thanks for the live from.

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ssaito1

ssaito1

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I think I'm not understanding something about the water tip. Is that "gift shop" on the ship or in port??

Thank you so much for this posting review. I can't wait to be in beautiful Hawaii and it will be way warmer than home when we come in Feb. LOL

 

Sorry for any confusion, it's on board the ship, their onboard gift shop.And you're very welcome! Make sure you get as much sun as you can :)

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ssaito1

ssaito1

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Aloha Everyone,

 

Now that I've had some time to rest and process our cruise, here are the final thoughts and tips.

 

PROS:

 

-The staff was great! I've read reviews that the service isn't as good because it's a majority American staff. We found it to be quite the opposite. Most staff members were very attentive and proudly said "aloha" and "mahalo" on a consistent basis.

 

-Cadillac Diner was one of our favorite to-go spots. It's the hidden gem of the ship. We highly recommend the grilled cheese (it's a double decker) with fries. Tell Des that Shawn and Kati Saito from Hawaii sent you ;) Fish and chips were also good.

 

-Shore excursions were "reasonably" priced (for Hawaii anyway). We would recommend the three tours we went on: Journey to Waimea Canyon, Historic Kona, and Volcanoes NP and Rainbow Falls. Each tour is packed with many stops and sights to see.

 

-Our stateroom was a nice surprise. As I had mentioned in the beginning, we booked the Hawaii resident rate with the guaranteed ocean view room. I guess that due to the fact the ship wasn't sold out, the upgraded us (free, without us even asking) to a balcony room. We were in 10542 which is what I've seen people on here describe as a "bump out" room. It is GREAT. If you take a look at the deck plans, we're on the edge of bumped out balconies. It's a curved balcony and you get a more than 180 degree view cause you're not obstructed by a wall looking left off the balcony.

 

-Restaurant waiting times were almost nonexistent on our particular cruise. I cannot speak for that being the base every single time, but everyone seemed to be running on Hawaiian Time and no one was in a rush to get anywhere for a meal. Only on the last night did we have a wait. We were given free drink coupons for the bar because our table wasn't ready (even though we got there a few minutes before our reservation). We have never gotten this before on any NCL cruise so it was a nice surprise.

 

-Pro tip: There was a popcorn machine in the Gold Rush Saloon. Never heard anyone mention that before.

 

-Sitting on the balcony chairs with a cold drink in hand while sailing past the Na Pali Coast. We heard from one of our guides that POA is the only one that does a specific Na Pali sail by. If so, this should be a big consideration for people when looking at the cruise options. It. Is. Spectacular.

 

-50% off sale in some of the stores on the last day is a must for gift shopping. We got mugs for $2.5 and luggage tags for as low as $.50.

 

 

CONS:

 

-Our room steward was just okay. About par with what we would typically expect on an NCL cruise.

 

-Still wouldn't prefer to pay for ship priced bottled water. But it is what it is. Again, get the bottled water from Island Treasures on board.

 

-Even though the ship had a major overhaul recently, there are some areas of the ship that still need some work (especially when it comes to paint and carpeting).

 

-The elevators were (at least it seemed) very small compared to what we remember from the Jewel, Pearl, and Epic. Expect to wait a long time or do a lot of walking up the stairs, especially during peak off/on board times or when a large group gets back from a tour.

 

 

Overall:

 

We had such a wonderful time! As residents, we don't really go to the neighbor islands unless we have business or family. My mother, for example, hadn't been to Kauai since 1970 and Hawaii Island since 2006. This cruise is absolutely worth it for locals at the discounted rates. We actually calculated it and it would cost us anywhere from $1800-$2400 for air, lodging, and food costs if we were to a week long trip with no cruise. No to mention the free entertainment and virtually unlimited food on board. We only paid about $1300 (room and taxes) since we had a CruiseNext certificate. :D:cool: More than half the sights and stops that we did on the tours, we both hadn't seen before. It was an educational experience, even for us. Please feel free to ask any questions if I didn't cover something of your own interest in particular. Happy cruising to everyone who mentioned that they'll be on the POA :)

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restasured

restasured

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Aloha Everyone,

 

As others have said, your comments have been greatly appreciated. We did this cruise in 2012 by ourselves and retired last year so decided to spend some of our kids "inheritance" only with them. So we told them (2 daughters, 2 son in laws, 4 grandkids and granddaughters boyfriend) (so 11, with us, all together) they were going to Hawaii with us. We have to go, as others do as well, during the time that school is out. So will be there Dec 17, 2016 for the cruise. We live just outside of Houston, TX so with flights and the cruise it isn't cheap. We booked a couple of months ago and the price for the cruise has gone down twice and were able to get the price drops on both of them. We booked 4 inside guarantees and with taxes and fees, for the cruise the price is just over $1000pp for the 2 person cabins and about $800pp for the 4 person cabin. The flights were about $1200pp roundtrip. Probably could have saved $5000 - $6000 at another time, but just don't have that option.

 

We were just about to go ahead and the a case of water for each cabin but with your tip we will get it at the ships store and will buy some while on shore from and ABC or other store, to drink on shore. We are all past passengers and will do the sail away on the bow. We did it last time and it was nice. We went in late November the last time, so hopefully the heat will be much like then. We will be doing two of the 3 excursions you did as well. Instead of the Kona excursion we will just "wander" around Kona and visit shops, restaurants, maybe someplace to get a drink or two. We will go on the Discover Kauai & Luau. We did the Smith Family Luau when we went in 2012 and just seems like if you go to Hawaii a Luau is a "must do" and we want the kids to see one. I am sure they are much more commercialized than one was 50 years ago and I imagine probably much more crowded, but we did enjoy the one we went to and of course the grounds that it is held on were beautiful. Again, thanks for your efforts and comments and pictures.

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ssaito1

ssaito1

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Aloha Everyone,

 

 

 

As others have said, your comments have been greatly appreciated. We did this cruise in 2012 by ourselves and retired last year so decided to spend some of our kids "inheritance" only with them. So we told them (2 daughters, 2 son in laws, 4 grandkids and granddaughters boyfriend) (so 11, with us, all together) they were going to Hawaii with us. We have to go, as others do as well, during the time that school is out. So will be there Dec 17, 2016 for the cruise. We live just outside of Houston, TX so with flights and the cruise it isn't cheap. We booked a couple of months ago and the price for the cruise has gone down twice and were able to get the price drops on both of them. We booked 4 inside guarantees and with taxes and fees, for the cruise the price is just over $1000pp for the 2 person cabins and about $800pp for the 4 person cabin. The flights were about $1200pp roundtrip. Probably could have saved $5000 - $6000 at another time, but just don't have that option.

 

 

 

We were just about to go ahead and the a case of water for each cabin but with your tip we will get it at the ships store and will buy some while on shore from and ABC or other store, to drink on shore. We are all past passengers and will do the sail away on the bow. We did it last time and it was nice. We went in late November the last time, so hopefully the heat will be much like then. We will be doing two of the 3 excursions you did as well. Instead of the Kona excursion we will just "wander" around Kona and visit shops, restaurants, maybe someplace to get a drink or two. We will go on the Discover Kauai & Luau. We did the Smith Family Luau when we went in 2012 and just seems like if you go to Hawaii a Luau is a "must do" and we want the kids to see one. I am sure they are much more commercialized than one was 50 years ago and I imagine probably much more crowded, but we did enjoy the one we went to and of course the grounds that it is held on were beautiful. Again, thanks for your efforts and comments and pictures.

 

 

Thank you for sharing your story! I sincerely hope this cruise will be just as great, if not better, than your last journey! :) Glad I could share some insights of how the POA is currently and be of some service to fellow cruisers here.

 

 

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rockfsh

rockfsh

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Rockfsh...I think that is just about the coolest thing I have ever seen on Cruise Critic! I'm just hoping you'll be my friend and stand on your deck and take a pic of me passing by next year and send it to me:D:D:D.

 

Let me know when you are cruising and don't forget to wave @7:30. Smile too :)

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rockfsh

rockfsh

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OP, final questions. How was your cabin? When was it ready? What deck was it on? When did your luggage get there? Port or Starboard? How was the on board entertainment and... Did you see the lava flow from the ship?

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