Pride of America for Hawaii or other lines?

[ihrtcruise]

Hubby and I would love to plan a Hawaiian cruise but I’ve read mixed reviews on the POA. While we love NCL, are there other lines that offer a better experience?

 

 

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[shof515]

NCL is the only cruise line that that offers multiple port stops around the island. Other cruise lines have a cruise that leaves from a west coast port and require a few sea days to reach the hawaii islands

[rocklinmom]

Having done the POA a few years ago, it really is the best (and only) option for a 7 day Hawaiian cruise that sails from Honolulu. We flew direct from Sacramento and I found a cheap fare. It depends on where you are coming from of course. It is easy to add a day or two before the cruise and see more of Honolulu (like Pearl Harbor).

Princess does Hawaii from either San Francisco or LA but it is a 15 day cruise and lots of sea days coming and going. So it depends on how long you want to go and if four sea days in a row each way is enticing to you or not.

[zdcatc12]

NCL is the only cruise line that that offers multiple port stops around the island. Other cruise lines have a cruise that leaves from a west coast port and require a few sea days to reach the hawaii islands

 

Not sure what you mean by "multiple port stops", but when I went on Carnival, we stopped at the same ports as the POA. However, we did not have any overnight stops. Yes, we left from Vancouver, but airfare only one way from Hawaii is a lot cheaper than a round trip. Also, the POA cruise costs a lot more, about twice as much for fewer days.

[casofilia]

Check costs!!! PoA is very expensive when compared to other NCL cruises.

[FranknBeans]

Hubby and I would love to plan a Hawaiian cruise but I’ve read mixed reviews on the POA. While we love NCL, are there other lines that offer a better experience?

 

 

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We have done this cruise three times all b2b. Its the best bang for your buck and its the only line that gives 2 over nights at the two best islands being Kauai and the Big Island.

 

You pay more for this cruise because there is NO gambling, not even bingo or scratch tickets and also very strict liquor laws.

You will also run into booking off ship excursions on other lines as the tour companies don't offer much due to the risk of being late back to ship. Some of the islands only have one highway in and out so if there is a traffic tie up you could be late back to ship.

 

This is all due to other lines are not in the ports very long so you should look it this if your planing on seeing a lot.

 

This cruise is very port intensive and because of the cost of the cruise, flights etc. you want to get as much in as possible.

 

You will also find that the shows and evening venues are not really much attended due to the fact that your off ship early and your back late and tired. The bars onboard will close early if action.

 

We have found different things to do and see on every cruise to Hawaii and love the ship.

[late2cruising]

We sailed on POA September 2017 and loved it. The ship captain was much more engaged with the guests than other ships. We'd never been to Hawaii and felt this was the best way to get a broad flavor. A hurricane kept us from being able to stop in Kona and the ship crew adjusted the daily plan to make the unexpected day at sea very enjoyable.

[sverigecruiser]

Our first cruise was a 11-nights cruise on Norwegian Wind around the Hawaiian islands and to Fanning Island. That was a great cruise. The cruise on POA isn't interesting for us because there are no days at sea.

[dexddd]

We sailed in 2006 when NCL had 3 ships there and it was a mess. Pretty much never planned to go on POA again. We did Spring 2016 and the ship, food, staff (sans one person we encountered) where all great. Would not hesitate to go again.

[gambit57]

Having done the POA a few years ago, it really is the best (and only) option for a 7 day Hawaiian cruise that sails from Honolulu. We flew direct from Sacramento and I found a cheap fare. It depends on where you are coming from of course. It is easy to add a day or two before the cruise and see more of Honolulu (like Pearl Harbor).

Princess does Hawaii from either San Francisco or LA but it is a 15 day cruise and lots of sea days coming and going. So it depends on how long you want to go and if four sea days in a row each way is enticing to you or not.

 

Whitney Oaks? They really need a PM function on here.

[FranknBeans]

We sailed in 2006 when NCL had 3 ships there and it was a mess. Pretty much never planned to go on POA again. We did Spring 2016 and the ship, food, staff (sans one person we encountered) where all great. Would not hesitate to go again.

 

 

We were on the last cruise of the 3 ships in 2008 while we saw a lot we didn't encounter any issues we were on what is now Jade. It didn't stop us from doing the cruise another two times. It really all boiled down to American crew, unions etc. The American crew ticked off a lot of pax with their attitude and many didn't last, they either had had enough and quit or were let go due to the down sizing to one ship.

[rocklinmom]

Codex57, I assume you are asking if I live near the Whitney Oaks neighborhood? It is near my kids' high school but not near our house. If you were wondering which airlines I used from Sac airport for the direct flight it was Hawaiian :-)

[Silver Sweethearts]

We have done this cruise three times all b2b. Its the best bang for your buck and its the only line that gives 2 over nights at the two best islands being Kauai and the Big Island.

 

The POA stays overnight at Kauai and Maui. It spends one day in Hilo and one day anchored off Kona.

[eastonce]

We did the POA in November of 2017 and it was great and the food was great. The cabins are on the small size . We rented a car in most ports and did our own thing. I can't comment on the shows because we didn't go to any. We had been on Oahu for 10 days prior to getting on the ship and so we didn't need to stay in Honolulu after we docked.

[Happy_Traveler_2008]

I did the POA cruise and really enjoyed it. The overnight stays allowed me to rent a car and sightsee on our own. Got to see all the major islands in just 7 days. Loved the different lei making classes on board too.

[BirdTravels]

Hubby and I would love to plan a Hawaiian cruise but I’ve read mixed reviews on the POA. While we love NCL, are there other lines that offer a better experience? Sent from my iPhone using Forums

100% POA. You don’t waste time at sea. You are in port every every day with two overnight stays. It is the only way to see Hawaii! Worth every penny.

[TDellaTorre]

We were on the last cruise of the 3 ships in 2008 while we saw a lot we didn't encounter any issues we were on what is now Jade. It didn't stop us from doing the cruise another two times. It really all boiled down to American crew, unions etc. The American crew ticked off a lot of pax with their attitude and many didn't last, they either had had enough and quit or were let go due to the down sizing to one ship.

 

 

We also sailed on the Pride of Hawaii in November 2007, our first and best cruise! At the time I believe the RCI and Princess ships had to tender at Maui whereas NCL was allowed to dock. I'm not sure if that is still the case, but we only had to tender at one port which I believe was Kona. We are booked on Jade for a quick cruise to Cozumel in April and also booked Pride of America for April, 2019. While I wish Jade was still cruising Hawaii I am excited to get onboard POA.

 

ihrtcruise, in addition to what everyone else has said I think the NCL cruise offers the best value because it allows you to get the most out of the islands in 7 days. Most of the negative reviews you see have to do with the ship but the cruise is more about seeing Hawaii than any activities aboard the ship. I would also add that there's no pleasing some people regarding service, and all ships on this forum have received negative service reviews from time to time.Yes POA is old and not as fancy as most of the newer NCL ships but you are still in a floating 5 star hotel with overnight stops in Maui and Kauai, and you can do it all in 7 days which is perfect for those of us who only get 2-3 weeks vacation per year.

Aloha! :D

[Valmcp]

We are planning to splurge and book this cruise for the Oct 6th sailing. We are looking at the large balcony cabins in the front of the ship. Deck 7 cabins forward are right above the nightclub. Should I be concerned about noise from music below us if I booked a cabin there?

[dexddd]

We also sailed on the Pride of Hawaii in November 2007, our first and best cruise! At the time I believe the RCI and Princess ships had to tender at Maui whereas NCL was allowed to dock. I'm not sure if that is still the case, but we only had to tender at one port which I believe was Kona. We are booked on Jade for a quick cruise to Cozumel in April and also booked Pride of America for April, 2019. While I wish Jade was still cruising Hawaii I am excited to get onboard POA.

 

ihrtcruise, in addition to what everyone else has said I think the NCL cruise offers the best value because it allows you to get the most out of the islands in 7 days. Most of the negative reviews you see have to do with the ship but the cruise is more about seeing Hawaii than any activities aboard the ship. I would also add that there's no pleasing some people regarding service, and all ships on this forum have received negative service reviews from time to time.Yes POA is old and not as fancy as most of the newer NCL ships but you are still in a floating 5 star hotel with overnight stops in Maui and Kauai, and you can do it all in 7 days which is perfect for those of us who only get 2-3 weeks vacation per year.

Aloha! :D

 

They did a major refurb March 2016 and while still an "older" ship the POA looks very nice both inside and out after the refurb.

[BethV114]

.

 

ihrtcruise, in addition to what everyone else has said I think the NCL cruise offers the best value because it allows you to get the most out of the islands in 7 days. Most of the negative reviews you see have to do with the ship but the cruise is more about seeing Hawaii than any activities aboard the ship. I would also add that there's no pleasing some people regarding service, and all ships on this forum have received negative service reviews from time to time.Yes POA is old and not as fancy as most of the newer NCL ships but you are still in a floating 5 star hotel with overnight stops in Maui and Kauai, and you can do it all in 7 days which is perfect for those of us who only get 2-3 weeks vacation per year.

Aloha! :D

 

We are looking at booking POA next April for my 40th birthday trip to Hawaii. We plan to stay a few days after at Aulani to appease our daughter, who will be 9, and feel that NCL really would be our best option for getting a good overview/seeing all of the islands before planting ourselves in one location.

[delaware32]

We're booked for next April on the POA. Can't wait . We'll go into Honolulu a couple of days early to go to Pearl Harbor and have booked a house for 10 days post cruise on Kauai . I'll be celebrating a milestone birthday.Woo Hoo

[cruiser123!]

We did the POA last March. The food wasn't the best and everything was extra (no "free" drink packages). They also changed the rules and will no longer allow four people in the balcony rooms...which is odd since we were in there just fine.

 

BUT it's Hawaii. You don't have to do the days at sea and you get two overnights. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[TDellaTorre]

They did a major refurb March 2016 and while still an "older" ship the POA looks very nice both inside and out after the refurb.

 

I probably should have used a different word besides "old," she isn't even the oldest ship in the NCL fleet and since I haven't seen her first hand I will reserve judgement (although I haven't been on an NCL ship I didn't like.) I personally prefer the older smaller ships to the Breakaway class but I can see why people might prefer the newer ones. For us the Hawaii cruise was mostly about the destination though. We were recently looking trough our dailies from our 2007 POH cruise and remarked how little we actually did on the ship even though there was quite a lot offered. We were usually off the ship by 7 or 8 AM and would grab a rental car and go exploring. We were usually leaving all the tour stops by the time the tour buses got there! It was great to come back to the ship to eat and shower during the day, but we didn't spend much time there. We had a great night in Maui Halloween, saw the band Hot Buttered Rum at Charley's Restaurant and Saloon. We did a local luau in Kaui which I think is the only time we ate off the ship besides the Krispy Kreme in Kahului. Too many great memories to mention here but excited to be able to do it all again!

 

BethV114 and delaware32, we are booked on the April 20 2019 POA sailing which is the week after Easter, I have a roll call started if you are interested. 415 days to go :D

[dexddd]

I probably should have used a different word besides "old," she isn't even the oldest ship in the NCL fleet and since I haven't seen her first hand I will reserve judgement (although I haven't been on an NCL ship I didn't like.) I personally prefer the older smaller ships to the Breakaway class but I can see why people might prefer the newer ones. For us the Hawaii cruise was mostly about the destination though. We were recently looking trough our dailies from our 2007 POH cruise and remarked how little we actually did on the ship even though there was quite a lot offered. We were usually off the ship by 7 or 8 AM and would grab a rental car and go exploring. We were usually leaving all the tour stops by the time the tour buses got there! It was great to come back to the ship to eat and shower during the day, but we didn't spend much time there. We had a great night in Maui Halloween, saw the band Hot Buttered Rum at Charley's Restaurant and Saloon. We did a local luau in Kaui which I think is the only time we ate off the ship besides the Krispy Kreme in Kahului. Too many great memories to mention here but excited to be able to do it all again!

 

BethV114 and delaware32, we are booked on the April 20 2019 POA sailing which is the week after Easter, I have a roll call started if you are interested. 415 days to go :D

 

Have a great time!

[BethV114]

BethV114 and delaware32, we are booked on the April 20 2019 POA sailing which is the week after Easter, I have a roll call started if you are interested. 415 days to go :D

 

It looks like DD's spring break will be the week before Easter, so we're likely looking at the 4/13/19 sailing followed by a few days at Aulani. But I may drop by your roll call to pick your brain about excursions since you've done this before!