Pride of America: Just Got Back/AMA

[coyboy1971]

Just completed the June 15-22, 2019 Pride of America Hawaii cruise... feel free to ask me anything while my memory is fresh. 

 

The ship is still in great shape from it's 2016 refurbishing. In fact, all of the bedding has just been replaced, and it's soooooo comfortable. (The crew bedding was also being replaced and upgraded on our cruise, and the crew was very happy about that.) The crew were exceptional, with excellent service from start to finish. On port days, the ship empties out and you will get completely spoiled if you stay aboard. I enjoyed a nice Spa and pool day, and it felt like I was on a much smaller, posh ship. 

 

We splurged on a massive owner's suite, 13500, which was enormous and felt very luxe with all the relatively new furniture and the muted "Norwegian Edge" beige tones fused with some tasteful Hawaiian touches. The balcony was even more expansive, with 4 sun lounge chairs with thick pads, a table for 5, and 2 more chairs with side tables. This port side, forward facing suite was perfect for viewing the Na Pali coast, and our absolutely fantastic butler, Georgia, made sure we had a big spread of snacks and wine so our family traveling with us could all come up and enjoy the views. In fact, Georgia frequently timed her appearances to escort us to dinner, and would take our dessert orders to be served later in the suite, so we would not miss the shows in the evening. She also expedited us to the front of the line for the tendering at Kona, and just wowed us more than any butler we have experienced on NCL or any other line. She was definitely our "cruise hero" and I can say many other wonderful things about Christopher, the very amiable and ever present Concierge, and Jenny, the CruiseNext/Latitudes representative who took me and my dad and 13 year old nephew on a private behind the scenes tour of the ship (another Platinum perk).

 

Some of the things I enjoyed most took place around 4 p.m. each day - lei making classes were a lot of fun and they didn't skimp on the supplies. Origami folding was challenging and satisfying. Hula classes were fun to watch. Cooking demonstrations were fascinating. Keep an eye on your daily for these.

 

The dress code in the evenings was very relaxed. The only place we saw it being followed was in Jefferson's Bistro, which was nice, because it preserved the elegant atmosphere and the top notch service. This was also our first time experiencing our free dinner and bottle of wine in the Bistro as a Platinum perk, and the list of complimentary wines was surprisingly comprehensive and included many bottles that would retail over $20 at a wine shop. The Liberty dining room was supposed to have the same dress code as the Bistro, but we saw people every night in shorts, t-shirt, sweat pants, you name it. Every other venue was this way, and you saw everything from adults in nice Hawaiian shirts and sun dresses to dressy dinner attire to raggedy tee shirts and short shorts. Hawaii is very casual, but this was more like college beach town on spring break casual.

 

We also enjoyed dinners at Cagney's and La Cecina, which were slow paced but high quality. Allow a good two hours if you are doing 3-4 courses.

 

Disembarking was a snap, with easy walk-off. The terminal is very nice, but DO NOT arrive early for check in unless you like sitting around. We used Blacklane to arrange our transfers to and from the ship, and their drivers know the processes and terminal very well. 

 

You know those NCL cruises where you are shocked at the end to find out there are 750 kids on board? Not this one... you will experience their presence in abundance when the ship is not in port if you are sailing while American kids are on summer break. The POA just isn't set up for sea time like other ships.  This is very family oriented cruise, and there were lots of times when kids were running around Cagney's like sugared-up banshees during the suite guest breakfast and lunch times, or teens roaming the ship in the evenings with dripping soft serve cones, or thundering around the sun deck on deck 14 at 10 p.m. If you're an older couple celebrating your special anniversary, bear this in mind. Some people like having to wade through a pack of 5-8 year olds dressed as pirates on a scavenger hunt while trying to walk to dinner, others might find this a bit much. 

 

On a practical note, if you are traveling from outside of North America, most of the electrical outlets are the US 110v style. Our suite had one European style 220 outlet. Since its a port heavy trip, you will have good cellular/wireless service from Verizon and AT&T on board except for overnight and the last day. Kona and Kauai have easy access (walkable) to beaches, shopping and restaurants, but Maui and Hilo are container ports and you will need to take a shuttle or taxi if you are not on an excursion. 

 

Hope this is helpful... I would definitely recommend this ship and itinerary to families who want to sample the four main Hawaiian Islands and to couples who don't mind having lots of kids and families around them. 

[newcruise12]

Thanks for all the good info! It brings back a lot of good memories.... I hope to take this cruise again someday. 

 

[fondtravel]

Thanks for sharing your experience! We remember Georgia from our own PoA cruise a year ago— we also thought she was terrific. And the balconies/decks on those forward owner’s suites are really enormous....

 

I’m surprised that there were so many children on your cruise— maybe it’s a summer phenomenon. We traveled as a family with children during President’s Day week, and even though this is a holiday week in many US states, there were relatively few children- the children’s club was pretty empty.

 

And on one excursion the tour guide noted that they rarely get children from PoA on their tours— but maybe that’s just because other families with kids tend to choose other activities.

[rtread]

Thanks for the good info! We will be on POA the last week in August.....maybe most of the kiddos will be in school by then. 

I see you are from Kona. We have reservations to tour the Kona Brewery and we plan to eat a bite there. It's a self-guided walking tour, what else is within walking distance of the ship that we can enjoy?

[coyboy1971]

4 hours ago, rtread said:

Thanks for the good info! We will be on POA the last week in August.....maybe most of the kiddos will be in school by then. 

I see you are from Kona. We have reservations to tour the Kona Brewery and we plan to eat a bite there. It's a self-guided walking tour, what else is within walking distance of the ship that we can enjoy?

 

You will enjoy the Brewery. It's a bit uphill from the pier, which means a cold one will taste good. If they have it and you like coffee flavors, be sure to try the Black Sand porter. It's like a Guinness meets a Starbucks cold brew. Yum! 

 

I would suggest you stroll Ali'i Drive from the pier, south toward Huggo's and back again. There are lots of shops, galleries, and restaurants to explore. Something right near the pier that's a very special historical place where you can see what life was like in the Kingdom before the overthrow and annexation is Huliheʻe Palace. 

[rtread]

coyboy1971, good advice! We will definitely check out Hulihe'e Palace, probably on the way back to the ship.

 

About the cellular service on the cruise....we have AT&T and I'm just wanting to make sure we are able to communicate with family back home (emergencies) and texting between my wife and I (in case she's in cabin trying to roust me out of a bar or if we get separated on land). If there is adequate cell service then maybe I won't have to purchase a package to cover emergencies.

 

Thanks for your help! Can't wait!

[B-52]

Thanks for the report

we always book a suite but this is our first time with NCL

i have heard things about Georgia elsewhere and hope we get her also.

 

since this is our first NCL suite, I have to ask in comparison to other cruise lines

is there a. concierge lounge? Or a place for pre-meal drinks, etc?

also, is there reserved set aside seating at the pool and theater for suite guests 

 

thank you

[Jetswdo]

I just posted a question about embarkation.   Are there porters readily available to help bring luggage into terminal?  I read someplace that you need to bring your own luggage into the terminal?  We will be dropped off at terminal by taxi-- I'm used to, at Miami/Ft. Lauderdale being greeted by porters and then giving them $5 per bag tip.  What was your experence at pier 2? (Also loved reading your review-- we will be going last week of Aug. so hopefully less kids?)  Anita

[doverboy]

On 6/23/2019 at 4:15 PM, coyboy1971 said:

Just completed the June 15-22, 2019 Pride of America Hawaii cruise... feel free to ask me anything while my memory is fresh. 

 

The ship is still in great shape from it's 2016 refurbishing. In fact, all of the bedding has just been replaced, and it's soooooo comfortable. (The crew bedding was also being replaced and upgraded on our cruise, and the crew was very happy about that.) The crew were exceptional, with excellent service from start to finish. On port days, the ship empties out and you will get completely spoiled if you stay aboard. I enjoyed a nice Spa and pool day, and it felt like I was on a much smaller, posh ship. 

 

We splurged on a massive owner's suite, 13500, which was enormous and felt very luxe with all the relatively new furniture and the muted "Norwegian Edge" beige tones fused with some tasteful Hawaiian touches. The balcony was even more expansive, with 4 sun lounge chairs with thick pads, a table for 5, and 2 more chairs with side tables. This port side, forward facing suite was perfect for viewing the Na Pali coast, and our absolutely fantastic butler, Georgia, made sure we had a big spread of snacks and wine so our family traveling with us could all come up and enjoy the views. In fact, Georgia frequently timed her appearances to escort us to dinner, and would take our dessert orders to be served later in the suite, so we would not miss the shows in the evening. She also expedited us to the front of the line for the tendering at Kona, and just wowed us more than any butler we have experienced on NCL or any other line. She was definitely our "cruise hero" and I can say many other wonderful things about Christopher, the very amiable and ever present Concierge, and Jenny, the CruiseNext/Latitudes representative who took me and my dad and 13 year old nephew on a private behind the scenes tour of the ship (another Platinum perk).

 

Some of the things I enjoyed most took place around 4 p.m. each day - lei making classes were a lot of fun and they didn't skimp on the supplies. Origami folding was challenging and satisfying. Hula classes were fun to watch. Cooking demonstrations were fascinating. Keep an eye on your daily for these.

 

The dress code in the evenings was very relaxed. The only place we saw it being followed was in Jefferson's Bistro, which was nice, because it preserved the elegant atmosphere and the top notch service. This was also our first time experiencing our free dinner and bottle of wine in the Bistro as a Platinum perk, and the list of complimentary wines was surprisingly comprehensive and included many bottles that would retail over $20 at a wine shop. The Liberty dining room was supposed to have the same dress code as the Bistro, but we saw people every night in shorts, t-shirt, sweat pants, you name it. Every other venue was this way, and you saw everything from adults in nice Hawaiian shirts and sun dresses to dressy dinner attire to raggedy tee shirts and short shorts. Hawaii is very casual, but this was more like college beach town on spring break casual.

 

We also enjoyed dinners at Cagney's and La Cecina, which were slow paced but high quality. Allow a good two hours if you are doing 3-4 courses.

 

Disembarking was a snap, with easy walk-off. The terminal is very nice, but DO NOT arrive early for check in unless you like sitting around. We used Blacklane to arrange our transfers to and from the ship, and their drivers know the processes and terminal very well. 

 

You know those NCL cruises where you are shocked at the end to find out there are 750 kids on board? Not this one... you will experience their presence in abundance when the ship is not in port if you are sailing while American kids are on summer break. The POA just isn't set up for sea time like other ships.  This is very family oriented cruise, and there were lots of times when kids were running around Cagney's like sugared-up banshees during the suite guest breakfast and lunch times, or teens roaming the ship in the evenings with dripping soft serve cones, or thundering around the sun deck on deck 14 at 10 p.m. If you're an older couple celebrating your special anniversary, bear this in mind. Some people like having to wade through a pack of 5-8 year olds dressed as pirates on a scavenger hunt while trying to walk to dinner, others might find this a bit much. 

 

On a practical note, if you are traveling from outside of North America, most of the electrical outlets are the US 110v style. Our suite had one European style 220 outlet. Since its a port heavy trip, you will have good cellular/wireless service from Verizon and AT&T on board except for overnight and the last day. Kona and Kauai have easy access (walkable) to beaches, shopping and restaurants, but Maui and Hilo are container ports and you will need to take a shuttle or taxi if you are not on an excursion. 

 

Hope this is helpful... I would definitely recommend this ship and itinerary to families who want to sample the four main Hawaiian Islands and to couples who don't mind having lots of kids and families around them. 

Thank you for the memories brought forth by your review.  My 3 kids were separated by the teen club and the non-teen club. I laughed a belly laugh when my then 9 year old went through the MDR dressed as a pirate on a scavenger hunt. She and I had a secret that when I rescued her from the club we would find our way back to our stern suite via the buffet and stop for soft serve each night.  Mom never knew until later. My 2 teens would have rather been at the teen club than stuck with mom and dad anywhere on the ship. We rented a car at each port and saw more than any cruise excursion could possibly cover. Volcano National park, Macadamia nut factory, Waimea Canyon, a private tour of coffee plantations, Puka dogs on Poipu beach, just to mention a few places. they are now all in their 20's and I wish I could take them all back there someday. But you only get to celebrate your 20th anniversary once

[gabrielemcdonald]

A very helpful post, thanks for taking the time. I'm going on the cruise with a group of friends in October and quite undecided about what to do about drinks. The beverage package seems rather expensive at USD$99 per day but it seems impossible to find any information on how much the drinks are on board. I'm a cocktail and champagne drinker and would easily have 6-8 drinks per day, what are your thoughts please?

[coyboy1971]

13 hours ago, rtread said:

coyboy1971, good advice! We will definitely check out Hulihe'e Palace, probably on the way back to the ship.

 

About the cellular service on the cruise....we have AT&T and I'm just wanting to make sure we are able to communicate with family back home (emergencies) and texting between my wife and I (in case she's in cabin trying to roust me out of a bar or if we get separated on land). If there is adequate cell service then maybe I won't have to purchase a package to cover emergencies.

 

Thanks for your help! Can't wait!

 

I usually had 3-4 bars of 4G or better in port, and at sea it varied from decent enough coverage for texting to one bar of 1x coverage on my AT&T phone. You should be able to get by most days without using a lot of minutes on a WiFi package. 

 

We did use the NCL app on board which is free on the WiFi for booking restaurants a couple of times and booking a shore excursion. Never tried the messaging feature. 

[coyboy1971]

1 hour ago, gabrielemcdonald said:

A very helpful post, thanks for taking the time. I'm going on the cruise with a group of friends in October and quite undecided about what to do about drinks. The beverage package seems rather expensive at USD$99 per day but it seems impossible to find any information on how much the drinks are on board. I'm a cocktail and champagne drinker and would easily have 6-8 drinks per day, what are your thoughts please?

 

I think your at the breakeven point with the package as long as you stick to some of the lower end wines by the glass. Think Stonecap Chardonnay. 

 

My better half and I are like you and we found that POA had some really good wines by the bottle and tended to go more in that direction. It also gave us a lot more to choose from, since the list of wines by the glass was more limited and we tended to choose ones in the $14-18 per glass range anyway because we were in vacation mode and it was my birthday. 

 

[coyboy1971]

Georgia LeGendre, our amazing butler, serving dessert from Cagney's in our suite (13500). 

 

Dinner in the specialties was averaging 2 hours, so this was a great way to take a break, see the second evening show, and have dessert at our leisure. 

[AllisonJames]

Thanks so much for your very helpful review.  We’ll be on POA over New Year’s with our two young adult children and one significant other...our children have such fond memories of our first trip to Hawaii when they were kids and can’t wait to return! We’ve been to Oahu, Maui and Kauai but not the Big Island so your advice is particularly appreciated.

[coyboy1971]

11 hours ago, B-52 said:

Thanks for the report

we always book a suite but this is our first time with NCL

i have heard things about Georgia elsewhere and hope we get her also.

 

since this is our first NCL suite, I have to ask in comparison to other cruise lines

is there a. concierge lounge? Or a place for pre-meal drinks, etc?

also, is there reserved set aside seating at the pool and theater for suite guests 

 

thank you

 

At embarkation and check in, there is a VIP check in area for suite guests, clearly marked with signs. The concierge will greet you and you will be escorted aboard when you complete check in. 

 

On POA Cagney's steakhouse is open only to suite guests at breakfast and lunch with a special menu. The concierge will make the rounds during these meal times to check on you. 

 

There is reserved premium seating in the theater for suite guests, and the butlers and concierge will act as ushers to escort you to this area. They do release these seats a few minutes before curtain time. 

 

There is not a concierge lounge on POA nor is there reserved pool seating. 

[coyboy1971]

10 hours ago, Jetswdo said:

I just posted a question about embarkation.   Are there porters readily available to help bring luggage into terminal?  I read someplace that you need to bring your own luggage into the terminal?  We will be dropped off at terminal by taxi-- I'm used to, at Miami/Ft. Lauderdale being greeted by porters and then giving them $5 per bag tip.  What was your experence at pier 2? (Also loved reading your review-- we will be going last week of Aug. so hopefully less kids?)  Anita

 

Porters are abundant at Pier 2 and if you have pre-tagged your bags (print your bag tags at home when you check in online and print your e-docs), the porter will take them directly to the baggage check in and you will see them next when they are delivered to your cabin. 

 

I am not a big fan of Honolulu taxicabs for many reasons and past experiences. I used Blacklane to arrange transfers to and from the pier, and the service was outstanding. (Hotel to pier and pier to airport.)

[rtread]

You mentioned the lei making classes....my wife is very interested in that and I might tag along. I read that they make lei's with flowers and with nut casings. Are the ones made with nut casings something we could get back home with  in our luggage?

Also, can we sign up for that ahead of time (pre-cruise) or just show up at appropriate time? Thanks!

 

Also, we had planned to get a bite to eat at the Kona Brewery after our tour. We still plan to do the tour and have a few cold ones but I noticed on the map a number of seafood restaurants in the cruise ship area. Do you have a preference/recommendation for seafood in that area of town?

[Crown Cruiser]

My family and I will be POA on July 27th.

We are in a full suite, but my son and his girlfriend are in a balcony cabin.  Can they embark with us in the VIP area?

 

Thanks for your help.

[coyboy1971]

2 hours ago, Crown Cruiser said:

My family and I will be POA on July 27th.

We are in a full suite, but my son and his girlfriend are in a balcony cabin.  Can they embark with us in the VIP area?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

My experience in the past has been that if I keep the family members traveling together at check in when I go to the suite check-in and ask politely after I've checked in my suite, the NCL people are usually pretty nice about it. I make sure I'm not showing up right at noon when there's a big bottleneck of people and things are a bit calmed down from the initial rush when I've done this. 

 

However, once on board I think you'll find that they will only allow the people staying in the suite to do breakfast and lunch in Cagney's since that's a benefit paid for in the suite fare, while they may be more flexible in letting the family sit together in the suite seating in the theater if space is available and you politely ask your Butler if your family can sit with you. 

[coyboy1971]

4 hours ago, rtread said:

You mentioned the lei making classes....my wife is very interested in that and I might tag along. I read that they make lei's with flowers and with nut casings. Are the ones made with nut casings something we could get back home with  in our luggage?

Also, can we sign up for that ahead of time (pre-cruise) or just show up at appropriate time? Thanks!

 

Also, we had planned to get a bite to eat at the Kona Brewery after our tour. We still plan to do the tour and have a few cold ones but I noticed on the map a number of seafood restaurants in the cruise ship area. Do you have a preference/recommendation for seafood in that area of town?

 

They have lei making classes around 4:15 pm in the Mardis Gras lounge each day. (Pro tip: grab a coffee or drink and take it with you, because the bar in the lounge will be closed). 

 

One day they make kukui nut leis, which you can take home to the US mainland with you, one day they make orchid leis, which will last perhaps to the end of the cruise with some TLC, and one day they make ribbon leis which can also be taken home. All the classes are included and their is no additional fee.

 

For a seafood lunch near the pier in Kona:

 

1. Fish Hopper has great Hawaiian style fusion cuisine similar to a Roy's. Their dessert tray and tiki drink lists are fantastic. I love their local monchong and ono. 

 

2. Kona Canoe Club is a great spot for fish & chips, calamari sandwiches, and fish sandwiches. If they are serving hebi or shutome on the fish sandwich, go for it. Great beer list. 

 

3. Daylight Mind Coffee company is a place where I eat like 2-3 times a month. You can enjoy great coffee and get some beans to take home, and they have a rotating fresh catch specials.  It's very farm to table with every ingredient sourced locally when possible. 

 

All three of these are walkable from the pier and have great views of the POA sitting in Kailua bay. 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Thanks for the review! I will be on her in July 2021 as part of my 50th birthday - only in a humble balcony cabin though (I am splurging on special excursions before and on the cruise and 4 nights in an ocean view room at Aulani after).

[coyboy1971]

Happy Birthday! Sounds like you will have s great time. 

[ColeThornton]

Can someone tell me please what "AMA" means in the subject line?

 

Thanks.

[coyboy1971]

49 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

Can someone tell me please what "AMA" means in the subject line?

 

Thanks.

 

Ask Me Anything

[B-52]

Thanks for your very helpful input....app. 60 days to go for us...