Pride of America Live Feb 23-March 2 with Waikiki precruise

[papa B me]

Butler/Concierge Service:

 

In my research on the NCL board I found that at times the discussions about pros and cons of butlers can get down right nasty.  So I thought about not posting about this but I know there are others sailing in suites so want to describe our experience.  I'm going to post my observations about butler and concierge together as we have experienced it as somewhat a team.

 

We met Thomas the concierge at check in where he did a short presentation on his role and the butlers role and mostly talked about  the availability of Cagneys for breakfast and lunch.  He then had a staff member escort us to our suite.

 

After safety muster we came back to the suite to unpack.  A short time later Peter arrived.  He did a thourough walk thru of the suite.  He basically said that the biggest difference between him and Thomas is that Thomas is his boss.  He encouraged us to go through him for anything we need and he would pass it on if it wasn't specifically allowed for him to do.  For example, he asked if we planned on utilizing Cagneys for breakfast or lunch.  I told him I didn't think so since we were traveling with another couple who didn't have a suite.  He said he would check with Thomas to see if we could bring them as our guests.  Later that evening Thomas found us to say he had put our friends in the system that they could join us.  Because of our excursions we only took advantage of this once but it was greatly appreciated.

 

We had decided not to book reservations for restaurants in advance.  Peter encouraged us to do so and he gave me a form to fill out for when and where we would like to eat.  The next day he brought an envelope with all the reservations receipts(included our friends).

 

We have had breakfast in the suite every day but one and Peter has delivered it promptly at the beginning of the time frame we checked(I.e. 7:00-7:30).  He delivers snacks to the room every day and has delivered hot to my wife in the afternoons when we come back from excursions.

 

He walked us off the ship all the way to the rental car shuttle our first day and has offered to every day but it really isn't difficult to get off the ship.  The only time we were going to use his services again was yesterday for the tenders.  This would allow us to not have to pick up a ticket for tender or wait to open tendering.  He was going to escort us with our friends.  But again it was cancelled.

 

Both Peter and Thomas have checked in with us several times at dinner to see if we need anything.  Peter always checks in with us when he is going on break for having time off to see if we need anything for him to get started to make sure service is seemless.

 

I've enjoyed talking with Peter as he is really friendly with a great sense of humor.  He has offered and wanted to do so much more for us but we stay really busy with excursions, shows on the ship, etc... so don't really need a lot.

 

One last thing about butler service.  This is our 9th time to have butler service either on a cruise or all inclusive resort.  The very first time we were embarrassed to even mention it.  I have never chosen to have butler service as a perk.  I've chosen the suite I want and Butler service accompanies the suite as a perk.  With that said, I've found that butler service not only enhances the travel experience if you adapt their services to your preferred way of travel(more or less pampering), but it also eliminates some of the things people are constantly displeased with(such as difficulty with reservations, difficulty tendering, lack of service, etc...). So for us we have come to accept it as part of the package and have really enjoyed it.  There are good ones and bad ones.  For example on Silversea our butler was only seen maybe twice all week and more then one time didn't even respond to a request such as afternoon tea.  Wasn't a big deal as I went and got my tea and it was still one of our favorite cruises but be aware that even though I'm raving about Peter and the service he provided, it's possible you will get someone else and it not be like my experience.  So base the decision on the cabin/suite you want and not the butler service.  

 

One last thing, I read that POA didn't have reserved seating for suite guests.  That has evidently changed.  A butler and/or Thomas is on the Port side of the Theater every night.  If you arrive about 15 minutes before the show they will seat you in a reserved section mid theater.  We haven't take advantage of this as we have never found it difficult finding a seat and we prefer to sit further back then the reserved seating.

 

Yesterday Thomas found me and said that he would put enough luggage tags in our suite tonight so that we could have our friends tag their luggage so that all of our luggage would be together making disembarking easier.

 

Even though this hasn't been in the top 5 of my favorite trips(don't get me wrong a great trip but I've had a number of great trips in recent years) I have to say the butler/concierge service and the suite experience has been number 1.(much better the both Royal Caribbean and Silver Sea)

 

I know there are a lot of threads on Butler service.  Feel free to ask any specific questions.

[Beachiekeen]

Hey Papa B, great info., I have one question, do you know if you can order off of Cagney's breakfast menu and have it in the suite or is it room service only?  (I know you can't do it for dinner like you can on other ships but wasn't sure about breakfast/lunch).  Also is there afternoon tea on the ship do you know?  I'm not sure if we will have time for it but would like to know--for some reason I think NCL doesn't do it.  Thanks!  Have a great day in Kauai!

Edited February 28, 2019 by Beachiekeen

[papa B me]

2 minutes ago, Beachiekeen said:

Hey Papa B, great info., I have one question, do you know if you can order off of Cagney's breakfast menu and have it in the suite or is it room service only?  (I know you can't do it for dinner like you can on other ships but wasn't sure about breakfast/lunch).  Also is there afternoon tea on the ship do you know?  I'm not sure if we will have time for it but would like to know--for some reason I think NCL doesn't do it.  Thanks!  Have a great day in Kauai!

Unfortunately you can't order off the Cagney menu for room service.  There are cards in the room to order off of for breakfast and then you hang them on your door.  It is somewhat limited.  You can write in simple things on the card.  For instance I write in things like bacon, my wife writes in granola to go with her yogurt.  So simple additions are fine.  But you can't order like Cagneys Eggs Benedict or the Filet and eggs I had yesterday in Cagneys.  

 

There is no afternoon tea on the ship.  We have generally called the Butler after arriving back from an excursion and have him bring hot water and honey for my wife to make tea.  She brought her own tea as I had read the selection wasn't great.  It is actually Lipton.  She is kind of a tea snob-ha.

 

Looking forward to getting off the ship in a couple hours.  We have a car rented and a non NCL excursion where we are tubing on an old sugar plantation that they dug canals to water the plantation.  Get's great reviews but I'm nervous about how cold it wil be.  I think the high is only suppose to be 71 today.  I'll post about it tonight or tomorrow.

 

Thanks for following along

[papa B me]

Entertainment:

 

We still have two nights to go but have experienced enough to make some comments.

 

Most of the reviews I've read say that they don't take advantage of the entertainment due to the fact the itinerary is so full.  And that is true but we have scheduled our time to take advantage of a number of shows.

 

Most of the main venue shows are at 6:30 or 8:30.  Ideally we like to eat about 7:00.  But this makes it almost impossible to get to show.  So I talked our gang into going to the 6:30 show and I made all our reservations for 7:45.  We've been getting done with the show between 7:15-7:30.  So we've gone straight to the dinner venue and all but 1 night at the MDR they sat us immediately.

 

We have really enjoyed 3 of the 4 shows.  There was one Polynesian show they brought on board that was so cheesy that we couldn't stay.  But the on board singer/dancers that did a show covering broadway muscials was really good.  There is also a magician/comedian on board that was great, and last night there was a group called Divas3 which covered songs from the female groups of the 60's to Dolly Pardon, to Whitney Houston and many inbetween.  They were really good.  

 

Tonight is a comedian and is the first time the shows will be 7:00 and 9:30 so we will try to eat somewhere early and catch the 7:00 show(this will make our friends happy as they normally eat at 5).

 

We have also taken part in a Leigh Making class that was kind of fun and my wife wore hers to dinner last night.

 

Is there the type of entertainment you find on the large ships?  No.  But we have found it enjoyable.

[papa B me]

IMPORTANT UPDATE TO THE SHIP:

 

I failed to mention that the POA has had more motion then other ships I've been on even when the seas aren't rough.  It hasn't been bad but noticeable until last night.

 

Last night it was rocking so much that it was somewhat comical to walk around the ship as it looked like a ship load of drunken sailors.  Even the entertainers on stage were continuously joking about it during their dance moves.

 

The show was delayed for about 15 minutes as house keeping cleaned up after a sick person at the front of the theater.  I spoke with Thomas the concierge last night and he said that a number of people have chosen to just stay in the room last night.

 

During the night doors were moving, hangers clanging and lots of movement noise.  I'm not prone to sea sickness at all and my wife is a bit more then me but neither of us have been sick although my wife did take Ibuprofen last night.

 

So if you are really sensitive to sea sickness I would beware of this ship.  This is the most movement we've ever felt on a ship.

 

 

[papa B me]

Port vs Starboard:

The general concensus I've read is that you should pick the port vs starboard side of the ship since the sail by of the Napali coast is visible from the Port side.

 

This concerned me but since the DOS is on the starboard side and there is only one of them there was no choice.

 

Every Port we have been in the Starboard side has had the best views.  So if you plan on using your balcony a lot as we have then I would recommend the Starboard side if what we are experiencing is the norm.  The ships pull in to port and back out.  

 

It is true that the ports are industrial in nature and not the scenic ports such as in the Caribbean.  Meaning you generally don't walk off the ship into the tourist areas.  But being on Deck 12 I just look over the port area to the views of the mountains and the water and it has been gorgeous.  

 

So for me I'm willing to go up Deck for the couple hour sail by the Napali Coast in order to have better views all week long.

 

Just on mans opinion

[Beachiekeen]

Yeah we chose a portside suite for the Na Pali coast but our IL's have starboard so we can go back and forth. Good to know they will have the nicest views. Can't wait to hear the wrap up!

[dexddd]

They do commonly go into ports the same way but sometimes will change it up on the POA route.

Edited March 1, 2019 by dexddd

[dexddd]

Glad Thomas is taking as good of care for you as he did for us.  He is very good and genuine.

[papa B me]

Our first day in Kauai started with a little concern.  The skies were pretty overcast and for our planned excursion I was really hoping of clear skies and warmth.  I looked at the forecast and it showed an expected high of 71.  But we had our usual room service breakfast then headed off the ship about 8:30 to catch the car rental shuttle.

 

We chose Alamo and the shuttle picked us up within 5 minutes just outside the cruise terminal.  We were at their lot in about another 5 minutes.  On the way the driver pointed out where you can park your car over night for $20.00.  We didn't plan on parking over night as we only needed the car for the first day.  He said the last shuttle back to the ship was at 8 pm.

 

Our excursion that I booked direct wasn't until 1:00 so we decided to shop a little.  We first went to Hilo Hattie's which was somewhat of a disappointment.  We also found throughout the day they were the most expensive as we saw similar merchandise other places.

 

We then drove about 30 minutes south to Poi'pu to a shopping village whee we enjoyed sometime shopping.

 

Kauai is a beautiful island and has been my favorite.  Even with the overcast skies the beauty as we were sailing in came through

[papa B me]

I've made an attempt at each island to have a different experience. Meaning I didn't want to snorkel at every island or only see waterfalls, etc...  So being at the end of the week I really wanted to find something unique.  Through trip advisor I found a company that offered a Mountain Tubing adventure.  It is on a former sugar plantation where they built these canals for irrigation.  The excursion consists of a bumpy ride up the mountain for about 30 minutes with beautiful scenery and the guide giving the history of the plantation.  There is a stop along the way for a great photo op.

 

You are given a helmet with a light on it and a pair of gloves.  At the top you get out for a brief orientation then given tubes and you get into the canal.  I had read that the water is pretty cold which is why I was hoping for sunny skies and warmth.  I got my sunny skies but the water was still cold.  But they asked us to not use the "C" word or "F" word(cold or freezing).  Instead it was invigorating.

 

You begin the drift down the canal.  It is 2 1/2 miles through 5 tunnels(thus the need for the lights on the helmet).  It moves pretty swiftly.  The canal is only 3 feet deep so no worries if you tip over(no one did).  They have 3 guides with you. One in the front, one going through the group should anyone need help and one a the back to make sure no one gets left behind.

 

This trip was amazing.  There were 18 adults(no kids).  But it sounded like 18 kids going down the canal.  Everyone was having a great time.  The guides were great and funny as well.  Ages ranged from about 20 to I would guess 80.

 

I highly recommend this excursion.  Here is a link to their website

 

https://kauaibackcountry.com/

 

They also offer a zip line excursion but we just took the tubing.

 

At the end of the canal they put you on an open air truck to take you to a picnic area and provide croissants/meat/cheese to make a sandwich, chips, cookie, and water.

 

The whole excursion is about 3 hours.  I do recommend an afternoon time so that it has time to warm up some.  No one felt that the cold water negatively affected the trip.  Wish I had pictures of tubing down the canal but I don't have a water proof camera and left my phone safely behind.  But here is a picture of the stop we made along the way.  Again breathtaking beautiful on the way there

[mertziek]

1 hour ago, papa B me said:

I've made an attempt at each island to have a different experience. Meaning I didn't want to snorkel at every island or only see waterfalls, etc...  So being at the end of the week I really wanted to find something unique.  Through trip advisor I found a company that offered a Mountain Tubing adventure.  It is on a former sugar plantation where they built these canals for irrigation.  The excursion consists of a bumpy ride up the mountain for about 30 minutes with beautiful scenery and the guide giving the history of the plantation.  There is a stop along the way for a great photo op.

 

You are given a helmet with a light on it and a pair of gloves.  At the top you get out for a brief orientation then given tubes and you get into the canal.  I had read that the water is pretty cold which is why I was hoping for sunny skies and warmth.  I got my sunny skies but the water was still cold.  But they asked us to not use the "C" word or "F" word(cold or freezing).  Instead it was invigorating.

 

You begin the drift down the canal.  It is 2 1/2 miles through 5 tunnels(thus the need for the lights on the helmet).  It moves pretty swiftly.  The canal is only 3 feet deep so no worries if you tip over(no one did).  They have 3 guides with you. One in the front, one going through the group should anyone need help and one a the back to make sure no one gets left behind.

 

This trip was amazing.  There were 18 adults(no kids).  But it sounded like 18 kids going down the canal.  Everyone was having a great time.  The guides were great and funny as well.  Ages ranged from about 20 to I would guess 80.

 

I highly recommend this excursion.  Here is a link to their website

 

https://kauaibackcountry.com/

 

They also offer a zip line excursion but we just took the tubing.

 

At the end of the canal they put you on an open air truck to take you to a picnic area and provide croissants/meat/cheese to make a sandwich, chips, cookie, and water.

 

The whole excursion is about 3 hours.  I do recommend an afternoon time so that it has time to warm up some.  No one felt that the cold water negatively affected the trip.  Wish I had pictures of tubing down the canal but I don't have a water proof camera and left my phone safely behind.  But here is a picture of the stop we made along the way.  Again breathtaking beautiful on the way there

 

We also did the lava tubing on Kauai in May 2016 and had the best time.  That night they had heavy rains in the mountains and the lava tubing was canceled the next day due to the tunnels being flooded.  You’re right though - it is a UNIQUE experience!  The second day we went to the shopping mall and booked a private tour around the island.  Cheaper than from the ship.  Great day, too.  By the way we were also in the DOS and loved it!  Expensive? Yes but we only vacay once a year and if it’s not better than home, we stay home.  My only complaint was the bathtub had a peculiar hump in the middle so when I was in it I felt like I was curled up like a pretzel.  🤭😳

[Beachiekeen]

Everyone that does the tubing excursion loves it. Thanks for sharing, I'm sad it's almost over!  😞

[AllisonJames]

Thanks for the info! Question: did you rent a car in any other ports in addition to Maui and if so, what were the logistics on that like?  Also, since this cruise remains fairly close to land -- did you have cell service pretty consistently from the ship?

[papa B me]

20 hours ago, AllisonJames said:

Thanks for the info! Question: did you rent a car in any other ports in addition to Maui and if so, what were the logistics on that like?  Also, since this cruise remains fairly close to land -- did you have cell service pretty consistently from the ship?

We rented cars in Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai.  The logistics are really quite easy.  You will want to make sure on Maui and Kauai that you choose a company that provides a shuttle back and forth from the dock.  On both of these islands it is about a 10 minute or less shuttle ride to pick up the car and drop it back off.  We didn't keep ours over night in Maui and Kauai but if you do the shuttle driver can tell you what your options for over night parking will be.

 

I used Discount Hawaii Rentals for all of my bookings.  They offer all the different rental companies and all of the islands.  It was really easy.  Below is a link to their website

 

http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com/

 

You will have cell service all of the time you are in port and most of the time for hours before you get to port and after leaving.  You will not have service at times in between islands when at sea.  All of my posts have been on my IPad utilizing my Verizon cell.  So I did not purchase the internet package.  

 

You can also use your phone the whole trip for Navigation when you rent cars.  Never had any issues.

 

Hope this helps

 

Brian

[papa B me]

For our last day in Kauai we chose a NCL excursion to make sure there were no issues in getting back for sail away at 2.  We chose the Jungle Falls Kayaking and hike to waterfall excursion.  The trip begins with a 2 minute shuttle ride from the ship to the river where you get in the Kayak's and start a 2 1/2 mile trip down river.  They are tandem Kayaks.  It is a smooth and beautiful kayak trip.  At the end of the kayak you take a short nature walk to waiting vans that take you maybe 5 minutes to the picnic site where the trailhead to two waterfalls starts.  The hike is about half a mile.  It is all downhill going to the falls and uphill about a 300 ft elevation coming back.  You don't stop at the first falls but at the second you can choose to get in the water(about waste deep) and go into the falls.  I'm the only one in our group of 4 that chose to do that as it is really cold water.

 

The hike back up was challenging for a few people but no one seemed to have a lot of trouble.  When you get back to the picnic area they provide a sub sandwich, chips, pineapple, and water/juice.  The guides on this trip were fantastic.  One of the things that makes this trip unique is that the land it is on is privately owned and this is the only excursion company that has an agreement to use the land.  So we were the only group on the trails and at the waterfalls.  The other waterfall hikes can be quite crowded.

 

This is not an excursion if you have any mobility issues.  This is a true mountain hike in a great deal of mud and water with rocky paths.  The Kayak trip was challenging for some including one of our group.  My wife and I didn't find it overly difficult but we have kayaked a good bit and often ocean kayaking which is much more difficult.  You certainly don't have to be in great shape(you've seen me in pictures) but you do have to be physically able.

 

This was another great excursion

[papa B me]

Once again we were blessed with exceptional weather for our final day and specifically for our sail by the Napali Coast.  It is a spectacular site.  Since we are on the starboard side we went up to the highest deck on the bow of the ship to watch.  We also had a number of whale sightings as well.  There is narration giving the history and fact about the coast as you sail.  We then went back to the suite to finish packing and I was surprised that the views from our starboard balcony after the captain made his 180 degree turn was equally spectacular.  So I sat on the balcony for another 15 minutes or so.  They said that this was the best weather day they've had on the sail by for weeks.  It was jaw dropping.

[papa B me]

It's hard to believe we've come to the end of this journey that started over 2 years ago when I booked this trip.  We are about an hour away from Honolulu where we will disembark after a breakfast in Cagneys.  I will wrap up this thread with some random observations and tips:

 

Overall I would give this trip a 4 star.  The movement of the ship, slowness of service in the MDR(mostly Skyline), and lack of a few details throughout the ship keep it from a 5 star.

 

I would give the itinerary a 5 star.  Can't imagine a better way to see and do as much as we did on 4 different islands.

 

I would give butler and concierge 5 star.  I mentioned previously this was the best service I've had as far as butler and concierge.

 

I would give the DOS suite a 6 star or more.  It really is something special and I'm so glad I went ahead and spend the money on this suite.  You have to be someone who likes to spend time in their suite to make this worth it but has been great for us.

 

I would give the excursions both NCL and DIY ones a 5 star.  This is the first trip we have ever taken where we didn't have at least one that we thought we should have done differently.  The guides, the orgainziation, and the experience were all fantastic.

 

I would give the Specialty restaurants 4.5 stars and the Included restarurants 3.5 stars.  If food is important to you I highly recommend you get a specialty package.  Don't get me wrong, you won't go hungry and nothing we had was bad.  For example I had prime rib last night in Liberty.  It was fine.  But compared to Cagneys it wasn't even close.

 

I would give the staff other then the butler, room steward, and concierge 3.5 stars.  As I mentioned earlier they are responsive to your needs but not proactive to your needs.

 

I would give entertainment over all a 3.5 rating to maybe up to a 4.  The magician and comedienne were outstanding.  The other shows were entertaining but no spectacular.

 

So would I travel with NCL again?  Yes.  If the itinerary was unique to them I would.  But I would choose other lines first with equal itineraries.

 

Couple Tips;

 

Don't overbook excursions where you are so busy you are more tired at the end of the trip then the beginning.  Take time to enjoy the views, the ship, the people, so that each thing you do stands out.  I purposely built in down time.

 

PLAN...PLAN...PLAN...  This isn't a good itinerary to just wing it.  Have a good game plan of what you want to do.  Utilize cruise critic, trip advisor, other sources to find what you want to do and with who you want to do it with.  If you don't have a butler book times for restarurants even if you have to change them later.

 

Take advantage of suite perks if you have one.  Talk openly with your butler to make sure your expectations are met and you have a good feel for the range of services they provide.  A good one will tell you what you aren't taking advantage of but not all of them are equal so ask question.

 

Come in a minimum of 2 days in advance to Honolulu if not 3 days.  First there's a lot to do on Honolulu but most importantly It will give you time to adjust to the time difference and get over jet lag.

 

Bring Binoculars.  If you are in a suite ask for Binoculars if you don't have any.

 

Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone.  Try something new.  

 

Try to make each day different.  Again we hiked, tubed, kayaked, snorkeled, shopped, explored, saw waterfalls, etc...  But I tried to booke something completely different on each stop.

 

Don't be afraid to rent a car.  It really is easy and you are in the US so if you are from the US it won't feel any different the driving in any major city(Honolulu) or any other tourist beach area.

 

Thank you for following along the past couple of weeks.  I'd be happy to answer questions after I get back home.  Here are a couple of pictures of coming into Honolulu .  We are docking as I type'

 

Good Wishes and great travel to all!

[Beachiekeen]

Great recap PapaB, thanks so much for all the helpful info. and for taking us along on the journey. I’m so excited for November!  Traveling mercies to you as you make your way home.

Edited March 3, 2019 by Beachiekeen

[dawnvan]

Excellent Review!!  Thank you so much for taking the time. It definitely will be helpful to many people!!  I just got to get this cruise BOOKED!  

[Pittypatbr]

Thanks so much PapaB.  I really appreciate all the tips and reviews.  It sounds as though you have an attitude similar to mine, so I expect we will feel the same way about the trip.  We sail on March 23, so we are short-timers now.  Can't wait.

 

[Von & John]

On 3/1/2019 at 7:19 AM, papa B me said:

  Through trip advisor I found a company that offered a Mountain Tubing adventure.  It is on a former sugar plantation where they built these canals for irrigation.  The excursion consists of a bumpy ride up the mountain for about 30 minutes with beautiful scenery and the guide giving the history of the plantation.  There is a stop along the way for a great photo op.

 

You are given a helmet with a light on it and a pair of gloves.  At the top you get out for a brief orientation then given tubes and you get into the canal.  I had read that the water is pretty cold which is why I was hoping for sunny skies and warmth.  I got my sunny skies but the water was still cold.  But they asked us to not use the "C" word or "F" word(cold or freezing).  Instead it was invigorating.

 

You begin the drift down the canal.  It is 2 1/2 miles through 5 tunnels(thus the need for the lights on the helmet).  It moves pretty swiftly.  The canal is only 3 feet deep so no worries if you tip over(no one did).  They have 3 guides with you. One in the front, one going through the group should anyone need help and one a the back to make sure no one gets left behind.

 

This trip was amazing.  There were 18 adults(no kids).  But it sounded like 18 kids going down the canal.  Everyone was having a great time.  The guides were great and funny as well.  Ages ranged from about 20 to I would guess 80.

 

I highly recommend this excursion.  Here is a link to their website

 

https://kauaibackcountry.com/

 

 

Papa B  --  about how long did the actual canal tubing last?

[Von & John]

Thanks for a Great Review PapaB!!! 

 

We had the privilege to sail on the Norwegian Wind Hawaii to Fanning Island.  An amazing trip.  John's first cruise...  We enjoying cruising & the people we meet along the way.  We choose the cruise mainly by Itinerary & Timing and generally enjoy Celebrity, Princess & NCL.  Thanks for the memories of Cruising Hawaii...

 

Safe Travels Home!

[papa B me]

16 hours ago, Beachiekeen said:

Great recap PapaB, thanks so much for all the helpful info. and for taking us along on the journey. I’m so excited for November!  Traveling mercies to you as you make your way home.

Thanks for following along.  Was a long day/night but we made it back home safely and on time(which is always a blessing).  I hope your trip in November turns out as well as our did.  Happy to answer questions between now and then.

Brian

[papa B me]

15 hours ago, dawnvan said:

Excellent Review!!  Thank you so much for taking the time. It definitely will be helpful to many people!!  I just got to get this cruise BOOKED!  

Thanks for following along.  It is well worth it.  Hope you get to book soon.