Pride of America Trip Report - Roll With the Punches Edition; June 2-9, 2018

[borntobehappy]

Aloha!

 

Greetings from the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport as I wait for my flight home to Kansas City. Going to bang out some of my thoughts as the trip is fresh.

 

First some basics -my incredibly generous in-laws took our family of thirteen to Hawaii and on the POA. We are ages 10-80 with three generations of our clan on the trip. This is our fifth cruise as a family and the seventh for me and my husband.

 

After our first cruise on the Disney Dream, I asks my father-in-law to let me be the travel agent. I was so bummed by the travel agent on the Dream as she was totally incompetent and just had no idea the ins and outs of Disney cruises. I had used DisBoards (very similar to Cruise Critic) to plan for the Dream Cruise and used it for our next trip on the Disney Fantasy. I use Cruise Critic religiously and although I rarely comment, I lurk and read EVERYTHING about the ship. So I am the family trip travel agent and have to say - I’m pretty good at it. [emoji41][emoji41]

 

They gave me the okay last August to begin planning the trip. I did some comparison shopping price wise between Costco Travel and booming through NCL directly and went with NCL. We were considered a group so I worked with Lee in Group Travel. He advised port side balconies for best viewing the Na Pali coast and we booked that on the 9th floor. Was very happy with Deck Nine. The buffet (Aloha Cafe) is two floors up on 11. Dining rooms Liberty and Skyline Deck 5 & 6 respectively. It just seemed like easy access all around. My family of five was in 9580 & 82 and I loved being close to the elevators but not too close to hear any sounds.

 

 

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[ericmike]

We are also from Kansas City so great to see others from our area on poa. We went 3/17 to 3/24. We were sad that Kilauea was barely flowing on our cruise by . Wow have times changed . We are closely following the lava so very sad !!! We took the volcano National Park excursion and now we wouldn’t recognize the area . Our bus driver commented that the locals were worried that it would come back strong after being almost dormant for two months . We loved the cruise except for morderno and dining room. Cagneys and teppanyaki were super . We also had port side and loved it we had two bedroom suite 10678. Wow what huge balcony. Hope to return on cruise later in the springtime in future as it rained on Maui,kauai and disembarkment . It was our first cruise but not our last as we used our cruise next already on bliss over Fourth of July 2019. Hope the changes in port weren’t too disappointing. Did you like staying in Honolulu the first night ?

 

 

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[Momtocss]

Looking forward to more of your trip report. We are from Kansas City and are on the 6/16 cruise.

[GJustice]

We're leaving 6/23 so look forward to a current review.

[Sherrica]

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip!

[borntobehappy]

The rest of the planning got put on hold until January when I started doing the excursion planning. Since the large age disparity of our group, I have to keep in mind to not get too "crazy." My in-laws are extremely healthy so that helps. My mother-in-law had written a list of possible excursions that included Road to Hana and Volcano National Park among others. It is also extremely important to my husband that I not "over-plan" our cruises (which I have a tendency to do). So I needed to allow some beach/free time.

 

Starting in Maui, I found Epic Excursions Maui which provides a "Halfway to Hana" tour. That sounded like a plan since I did not want to spend a whole day in the car. The next day in Maui we would rent cars (via Costco) and visit a beach for some snorkeling and beach time. I then made contact with Kyle of Island Wide Family Tours who would provide a tour to Volcano National Park and then a snorkeling tour the next day at Two Steps (or Two Fingers). He was so nice on the phone and via email - very accommodating. And then finally I rented cars for Kauai but the idea would be to hang on the beach near the pier - Kalapuli Beach. And then if we were feeling adventurous, we could get in the car and go somewhere. But mainly beach time.

 

We were two days in Waikiki Beach prior to the cruise so we also got our tickets for Pearl Harbor.

 

Oh also I got the sunrise tour tickets for Haleakalā Crater for the 2nd day in Maui.

We arranged transportation for Waikkiki with Dang Limo Service who would provide rides to the airport, Pearl Harbor, the Pier and then back to the airport on the date of departure.

So most of the planning is finished in March/April including our group travel through Delta Airlines.

[borntobehappy]

We also had reservations at Embassy Suites for the two nights prior to the cruise. We were so happy here. We have two individual families of five and although we have stayed in a regular Embassy Suites room many times, we were fortunate to be upgraded to a two bedroom suite upon arrival. Oh man - that made that stay so awesome. We put our boys in one bedroom, us in another and the daughter in the "living room." Seriously it was such a great hotel and stay. Their pool is absolutely beautiful; the free breakfast was terrific and the whole staff was amazing. We never made it to the Happy Hour but were so pleased with this choice of hotels.

[Kealy]

Looking forward to hearing more about your POA cruise!

[Beachiekeen]

Following!

[borntobehappy]

Our roll call was picking up with news of the volcano and also a group that I found on Facebook. We were finding out what was happening in the weeks prior to ours with the itinerary changes. The main thing is they were skipping Hilo in the four weeks leading up to our sailing. I was letting Kyle of Island Wide Family up to date what I was hearing. Also touching base with our Maui excursion leader as some of the sailing stayed an extra night in Honolulu. I looked a little into what we could do with an extra day in Honolulu and also what we would do if we got a day in Lahaina. Unfortunately I could have done a little more work in this area.

The Wednesday prior to our sailing we got an email from NCL notifying us that we would be skipping Hilo and have a Sea Day instead. No problem. I like sea days. I like hanging out on the ship. I let Kyle know we would be missing Hilo but would see him in Kona for snorkeling. He wrote a very long email saying he thinks NCL and other cruise lines are over-reacting to the volcano. I have no idea and I empathize with the tour operators on the Big Island but better safe than sorry. It was not an offensive email at all - just explaining what was happening on the ground.

Thursday

 

We had a 3 p.m. flight out of Kansas City International and I was thrilled to have all that time in the morning to double check luggage, clean and basically just get ready. We even made one more run to Target! We met at the Delta check-in at 1 and were promptly checked in. Got through security and had a little bit of waiting before our flight took off to LAX. Three of our four flights on Delta had this killer screen where you could watch tv, news, movies and even play games with other people on the plane. My kids aren't super young anymore but either way - it made it super easy for them to be entertained. Mom too! We reached Honolulu at 9:45 local time. I wanted to get in late so we could get on their time right away.

We were picked up at the airport with lei's and the biggest limo I have ever seen. It was fun and the kids were excited. Maybe next time, do the limo at the airport and then switch to the Mercedes vans that seat 15. The initial thrill of the limo might have worn off after we used it several times and our knees were knocking against each other.

[Us Folks]

Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to hearing more.

[Aprille]

You've got me hooked! Keep it coming! :D

[kckitties]

following

[AmyJA]

Great start. More please. :-)

[borntobehappy]

Friday (one day before cruise)

 

My oldest would be celebrating his birthday on the day we were traveling back to Kansas City. We decided to treat him to something special (without his brothers and sisters) in Honolulu since rightfully so, his actual birthday was going to suck. So he and I went on a Segway tour of Waikiki/Diamond Head. I have never been on such a vehicle but after a short tutorial, I felt pretty confident. It is a simple device to operate. No one else signed up for our tour so it was just us & the guide. It was a lot of fun and we saw some great sights and got some great pics.

Husband and other kids walked around Waikiki and visited the Army Museum. We all met at the food trucks across from the Embassy Suites and chowed down. This was some great food.

That afternoon we visited Pearl Harbor. It was not as far from Waikiki as I thought. We had tickets for the Arizona at 2:45 and arrived around 1. We had the audio tour and it was very interesting. I have these great pictures of all the kids in our family intently looking and listening in one of the museums. We knew the Arizona was closed but your ticket still gets you the movie and the boat ride that takes you somewhat close to the Memorial. That part kinda sucked. We weren't close to the Memorial and it was disappointing. But I am so glad we went and it was definitely important for my kids to understand the magnitude of what happened there.

For dinner, we went to Tiki's Grill and Bar in the Aston Hotel. We really liked this restaurant. Everyone (even the picky eaters) liked their meal. It's sort of an open air restaurant but not hot. It was one of the only restaurants I could find where I could make a reservation for thirteen.

 

[borntobehappy]

Alright this trip report is getting away from me. Work and life getting in the way.

 

Cruise - Day One

 

Not much planned for the morning so we walked down to the beach and swam and did some water bikes. In retrospect a half hour rental would have been the ideal time. We rented for an hour and we were all pooped by 10 minutes in.

 

We all showered and got ready for the ride to the Pier. We arrived at 1 pm and dropped our luggage and went to check in. They offer leis to the gals and a necklace for the guys. Next time I would opt for the necklace. We were able to check in at the Latitudes desk since my husband and I cruised NCL for our honeymoon. It was the easiest check-in ever. The lady knew what she was doing. We have to be patient with 13 people but I would say from drop-off to on the ship was 44 minutes. It was at check-in, we were notified that the itinerary had changed once again. We were going to stay in O’ahu for one more night and skip the Big Island all together. Man I was so bummed. Mainly I felt bad for our tour guide on the Big Island who lost a big chunk of change.

 

 

I called our tour guide in Maui and she was able to switch us to a Monday tour instead of Sunday.

 

We got on board and I really liked the look of the ship. I had warned my crew that we would prob not be able to get in our rooms until 3 or so. No problem - we walked to the buffet on 11 and had some lunch. We sat on the aft deck (outside the Brazilian steakhouse) and enjoyed the not so scenic view of the HNL port. Seriously it’s not pretty and it kinda smelled. But whatever - I’m not cooking or cleaning so who cares?!

 

Checked out arcade and then our floor was called as open. Our family of five had two adjoining balcony rooms on nine. We met Chris, our room steward and told him how we wanted the rooms setup. He was a real pro - there when we needed him and not when we didn’t. Hubs & I unpacked and then I helped the kiddos unpacked. Plenty of room for the suitcases under the bed.

 

I poked around on the Internet to find something to do the next day while in HNL. There is a botanical garden near the ship and my MIL suggested the Dole Plantation. Upon further deliberation, we decided to just make it a sea day and hang out on the ship. It was a good call.

 

Muster drill was non-eventful. Outside but that’s fine. We didn’t leave our rooms until the very last call and arrived in time to check in.

 

Kids went to arcade and Steve & I went to the Waikiki Bar which is at the back of the ship and has the small pool. We ordered our first Pina Colada of the trip and relaxed.

 

Next Up: Dinner

 

 

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[borntobehappy]

So you may know that NCL has Freestyle dining which allows you to eat when you please as opposed to the traditional two dining times. We had the dining package as part of our perks so I had emailed NCL prior to make reservations for our group of 13. I did this probably in April. Told them the restaurants we wanted and the times (6 pm every night). It did indicate in the email that we may not be able to sit together but we may be close. This did not bear out as we sat together for every meal except for one in the main dining room.

 

Usually the kids all sit together at one end and the adults on the other. My 16yo made the decision to sit at the adult end and everyone was fine with it. I’m sure his cousins missed him at their end but he held his own with the adults and made me proud.

 

Our first night was the Brazilian steakhouse. I have never eaten at that style of restaurant but was glad to have the opportunity. It was absolutely and totally dead the entire time we were there - maybe one other table.

 

The salad bar was sooooo good. Sushi and olives and all kind of random pickled things with charcuterie meats and yummy cheese. That salad bar was really good.

 

Then they started with the meats. Omg - that was insane. Just meat after meat. I am a rare meat eater and they gladly cooked some rare for me. The chicken drumsticks were soooo good. Nothing about the bread on this ship stood out until we got to Cagneys.

 

Then we went en masse to get the first soft-serve of the trip. It’s in the buffet and opens at noon in case you are wondering.

 

Now I can’t remember what we did that night. We are always game for a show or trivia but I don’t remember. Either way we decided to stay on the ship the next day.

 

 

 

 

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[we b cruzin]

The rest of the planning got put on hold until January when I started doing the excursion planning. Since the large age disparity of our group, I have to keep in mind to not get too "crazy." My in-laws are extremely healthy so that helps. My mother-in-law had written a list of possible excursions that included Road to Hana and Volcano National Park among others. It is also extremely important to my husband that I not "over-plan" our cruises (which I have a tendency to do). So I needed to allow some beach/free time.

 

Starting in Maui, I found Epic Excursions Maui which provides a "Halfway to Hana" tour. That sounded like a plan since I did not want to spend a whole day in the car. The next day in Maui we would rent cars (via Costco) and visit a beach for some snorkeling and beach time. I then made contact with Kyle of Island Wide Family Tours who would provide a tour to Volcano National Park and then a snorkeling tour the next day at Two Steps (or Two Fingers). He was so nice on the phone and via email - very accommodating. And then finally I rented cars for Kauai but the idea would be to hang on the beach near the pier - Kalapuli Beach. And then if we were feeling adventurous, we could get in the car and go somewhere. But mainly beach time.

 

We were two days in Waikiki Beach prior to the cruise so we also got our tickets for Pearl Harbor.

 

Oh also I got the sunrise tour tickets for Haleakalā Crater for the 2nd day in Maui.

We arranged transportation for Waikkiki with Dang Limo Service who would provide rides to the airport, Pearl Harbor, the Pier and then back to the airport on the date of departure.

So most of the planning is finished in March/April including our group travel through Delta Airlines.

How was your experience with Dang Limo Service? There prices seem VERY reasonable. Their website only shows Limos, do you know if they have Town Car type service as well?

Edited June 23, 2018 by we b cruzin
miss-spelled word

[borntobehappy]

How was your experience with Dang Limo Service? There prices seem VERY reasonable. Their website only shows Limos, do you know if they have Town Car type service as well?

 

 

 

It was fantastic. Timely and courteous. When they picked us up from Port, the driver steered us clear of the big parade downtown and even suggested an alternative restaurant. Unsure about town cars.

 

 

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[alwalaska]

I'm enjoying your review. I hope real life gives you a chance to come back and post more.

[velohmeyer]

The rest of the planning got put on hold until January when I started doing the excursion planning. Since the large age disparity of our group, I have to keep in mind to not get too "crazy." My in-laws are extremely healthy so that helps. My mother-in-law had written a list of possible excursions that included Road to Hana and Volcano National Park among others. It is also extremely important to my husband that I not "over-plan" our cruises (which I have a tendency to do). So I needed to allow some beach/free time.

 

Starting in Maui, I found Epic Excursions Maui which provides a "Halfway to Hana" tour. That sounded like a plan since I did not want to spend a whole day in the car. The next day in Maui we would rent cars (via Costco) and visit a beach for some snorkeling and beach time. I then made contact with Kyle of Island Wide Family Tours who would provide a tour to Volcano National Park and then a snorkeling tour the next day at Two Steps (or Two Fingers). He was so nice on the phone and via email - very accommodating. And then finally I rented cars for Kauai but the idea would be to hang on the beach near the pier - Kalapuli Beach. And then if we were feeling adventurous, we could get in the car and go somewhere. But mainly beach time.

 

We were two days in Waikiki Beach prior to the cruise so we also got our tickets for Pearl Harbor.

 

Oh also I got the sunrise tour tickets for Haleakalā Crater for the 2nd day in Maui.

We arranged transportation for Waikkiki with Dang Limo Service who would provide rides to the airport, Pearl Harbor, the Pier and then back to the airport on the date of departure.

So most of the planning is finished in March/April including our group travel through Delta Airlines.

We are going on this cruise and my questions involve car rentals. Could you tell me how you made your reservations, how you picked up and dropped off then got back to cruise ship. Thank you so much Vivien

[velohmeyer]

Hello, We are going on the NCL Hawaii Pride ship. We would appreciate any information possible about how others went about renting cars, pick up and drop off at the various islands. Thanks so much, Vivien