Tips for Cheap Pride of America Booking

[latebuyer]

Are there any times when pride of america is cheaper? It almost seems like its cheaper to book at last minute for it, but i don't know if thats true. Are there any months that are cheaper or do they ever drop the price? I'm a canadian solo traveller so i am experiencing a double whammy in terms of cost but in just hearing someone experienced a typhoon when they were travelling to hawaii from vancouver, this makes me want to just fork over the cash for the pride of america sailing.

[ChiefMateJRK]

I've never seen a "cheap" POA itinerary.  It's a year round sailing and there really aren't any beginning/end of season price drops.

[New2cruise2022]

I think Hawaii struggles with food choices and quality. And it’s an US destination that doesn’t require a passport for US Citizens. It is expensive because it gives a decent all-inclusive feel (with better and easier food options than most of Hawaii), access to 4 of the islands and a port heavy itinerary. Expensive for sure, but for a lot of people it is value packed. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

13 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

It is expensive because it gives a decent all-inclusive feel (with better and easier food options than most of Hawaii), access to 4 of the islands and a port heavy itinerary. Expensive for sure, but for a lot of people it is value packed. 

Yep.  It is a great way to see Hawaii.  We've only done it once but will do it again as soon as NCL fixes the current problems.  We have it booked in early 2024 and are hoping things will be right by then.  That said, I don't consider it a "real" cruise because of all the time in port and the lack of on board amenities.

[mcmomny]

I agree, it was our "floating hotel" for the Islands and we loved it!

I don't remember doing any shows or onboard activities other than some meals and maybe a wine tasting, but I do remember the sail away pub crawl!  

That was fun!

[Silver Sweethearts]

25 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

I think Hawaii struggles with food choices and quality. And it’s an US destination that doesn’t require a passport for US Citizens. It is expensive because it gives a decent all-inclusive feel (with better and easier food options than most of Hawaii) 

 

Just curious what struggles you feel we are having with food choices and quality and how the POA has better and easier food options than most of Hawaii?

[kelib]

In 2018 I got the trip for $999 as a solo over Halloween week. It was 3 weeks out so the air kind of killed me (I went premium economy) but the 2 prices combined was cheaper than just the room much of the time. 

[New2cruise2022]

5 hours ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

Just curious what struggles you feel we are having with food choices and quality and how the POA has better and easier food options than most of Hawaii?

It is probably personal opinion, but I’ve been to Hawaii probably 30 times in 20 years. Love the people. Love the culture. Love the weather. And the landscape. But the food is fairly hit or miss. The prices. The quality. The variety. So, there is something nice about cruising in Hawaii. There are surprisingly good options on a cruise ship. And included to boot. 

[thatjoeguy]

I believe that the ship is all American crew, so that also increases the cost, compared to a normal cruise ship.

[dexddd]

Try a studio for solo.  Prices on that ship are overall higher.

[1025cruise]

Keep in mind, POA is a US flagged ship. That means all of the crew are US citizens (or perm residents, or something like that). That also means no casino. Crew costs are more because they need to pay the crew US minimum wage. So prices for this cruise are always going to be higher.

Another thing, NCL is having a hard time crewing this ship currently. Capacity is limited, and some of the restaurants are closed.

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, dexddd said:

Try a studio for solo.  Prices on that ship are overall higher.

But book early, because there are only 4 studio cabins on the entire ship.

[Monty24]

On 12/9/2022 at 12:33 PM, ChiefMateJRK said:

But book early, because there are only 4 studio cabins on the entire ship.

 I had one of those studios on my POA cruise lol

[Mic101680]

It's Hawaii - EVERYthing there is more expensive than what you'll find on the mainland because they have to import so much and are so remote compared to most places. And then factor in what everyone else here has already said. 

 

I've never been to Hawaii, but it's been a bucket list trip for awhile and I've been saving money just for it knowing that it would require a larger budget. I priced out and been watching for deals for a land vacation vs a cruise for a few years now, and while there are pros/cons to both options, I decided that a cruise would work out better for me for a lot of reasons, especially logistically with me wanting to visit more than one island. For the price of the cruise, I could not find a hotel or a rental (and then factor in a meals budget) that was the same or better pricing. Add in flights between islands and a rental car for a week and my budget was destroyed, with nothing left for activities (unless I wanted to sit on a beach all day every day, which I can do at home here in Florida). I'd rather the cheaper price of the ship and spend the saved money on excursions or exploring on my own while in port.

 

I have POA booked for early 2024 and was lucky enough to snag one of the solo suites. I got the cruise rate at the cheapest I had ever seen it for the time I was watching the pricing, and it also included the free at sea offerings (which I know there is some debate about, but I personally feel it's a good value for what I paid). Yes, I know these are tiny rooms, but I really don't spend much time in my room when cruising. Mainly it's just a place to sleep and to shower. An inside cabin was only a few hundred dollars more, due to the 'solo supplement', which was still cheaper than booking everything on my land-based itinerary.

 

So basically this is a lot of words to say, do your homework, regularly check the pricing as it changes frequently, and book as early as you can. Booking the cruise last minute really isn't going to save you much, if anything, because the flight costs to get to Hawaii will be sky high by then.

[ChiefMateJRK]

12 minutes ago, Mic101680 said:

Booking the cruise last minute really isn't going to save you much, if anything, because the flight costs to get to Hawaii will be sky high by then.

If somebody thinks a certain cruise will be cheaper "last minute," they can book refundable flights months in advance and just wait to book the cruise later.

[BermudaBound2014]

Unfortunately, no shoulder season in Hawaii. The good news it that cruising is, by far, the least expensive way to get a taste of the islands. If you think your cruise is expensive, price out one week hotel on Maui in Kaanapali. I bet just a basic hotel is 25-30% more expensive than the entire cruise.

 

On 12/8/2022 at 5:14 PM, New2cruise2022 said:

I think Hawaii struggles with food choices and quality. 

 

Maybe the other islands are different, but IMO Maui doesn't struggle at all with food choices and quality. The only thing Maui struggles with regarding dining is affordability for most medium income families. 

 

[Silver Sweethearts]

6 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Maybe the other islands are different, but IMO Maui doesn't struggle at all with food choices and quality. The only thing Maui struggles with regarding dining is affordability for most medium income families. 

 

We stopped at our local chain market yesterday to pick up some ice cream for a treat, and it (name brand but not gourmet) was $8.99 plus tax for the regular 48-ounce carton.  Iceberg lettuce at our local store was $6.98/pound.  Egad!!

Edited December 16, 2022 by Silver Sweethearts

[cruiseny4life]

8 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Unfortunately, no shoulder season in Hawaii. The good news it that cruising is, by far, the least expensive way to get a taste of the islands. If you think your cruise is expensive, price out one week hotel on Maui in Kaanapali. I bet just a basic hotel is 25-30% more expensive than the entire cruise.

 

 

Maybe the other islands are different, but IMO Maui doesn't struggle at all with food choices and quality. The only thing Maui struggles with regarding dining is affordability for most medium income families. 

 

We got so lucky for our honeymoon in that our hotel at the Kaanapali Beach Resort was only $1,400 for four nights which included a rental car and a couple of meals at the resort. We had a couple things wrong in our room which we mentioned to the front desk staff. They proceeded to upgrade us to a room that was literally ten feet from the beach. We got super, super fortunate! The room went for a minimum of $600/night and I'm sure the cost is higher now that the hotel has been renovated. We found Maui the most expensive of Maui, Oahu, and the Big Island.

 

We did find a $30 pizza and crappy $15 burger on the island. I'll pass on Maui. It's not worth the expense, even that gorgeous Road to Hana (we went all the way). We're in a better financial situation now, but we'll still stay away.

 

The Pride of America is a really cheap option when compared to staying on the islands, with the expense of airfare between islands, hotels, food, and car rentals. You could get a suite next year for under $4,000 per person. That's not bad at all for a week long Hawaiian vacation.

Best of luck finding the perfect cruise!

[J0Y0US]

9 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

If you think your cruise is expensive, price out one week hotel on Maui in Kaanapali. I bet just a basic hotel is 25-30% more expensive than the entire cruise.

 

Except you are:

1) Not there for a week you are there for a portion of the days and on a cruise you essentially lose a day because of embark/debark days (so 7 nights gets you 6 real days)

2) Hotel puts you in a location where you can actually have a rental car easily (watched a cruise vlog where they had a rental but had to leave it an uber ride away because no parking at port in one of the ports)

3) You are never in Kaanapali ever on the ship it ports in Kahului on Maui

4) Your pricing is WAY off then from where the ship is actually at

 

Courtyard by Marriott Maui Kahului Airport

7 Nights in January 2023

King room that sleeps 4

$2,793

 

Sail away for 2 People

Inside - $3,784.32

Oceanview - $4,411.94

 

Sail away for 4 People

Inside - $6,104.18

Oceanview - $6,522.58

 

I just picked the first random name brand hotel that came up on Booking.com and pulled the pricing. You likely can find a variety of places and prices if you look and likely in better locations.

[Sailing12Away]

11 hours ago, J0Y0US said:

 

Except you are:

1) Not there for a week you are there for a portion of the days and on a cruise you essentially lose a day because of embark/debark days (so 7 nights gets you 6 real days)

2) Hotel puts you in a location where you can actually have a rental car easily (watched a cruise vlog where they had a rental but had to leave it an uber ride away because no parking at port in one of the ports)

3) You are never in Kaanapali ever on the ship it ports in Kahului on Maui

4) Your pricing is WAY off then from where the ship is actually at

 

A few comments on your list based on our experiences of staying a week in Maui at a condo rental in Kaanapali, vs a week on POA.

1) The cruise takes you to 4 different islands. A week long stay in Hawaii where you tried to island hop to even just one other island would have you 'losing out' on much more time at the airports than the time lost while you're sleeping on the cruise traveling to the next port of call. Plus the extra costs of those flights to get to the other islands is missing from your equation.

 

2) We had a rental car in Maui on POA. Did we get to nearly as many of the hidden gems that we did when we had a rental for our Maui only trip? Of course not. But we went halfway to Hana, made it to Maui brewing, and watched the sunset from the top of Haleakala (with lots of other stuff in between). To get the rental, it was a short bus ride from the port to the airport rental area (all the major car rentals had shuttle buses waiting), and to drop the car back off at night it was a short Uber pick up from the airport back to the cruise port. Our second day in Maui on POA we just did a traditional snorkeling excursion, so no need for a car 2 nights for us.

 

3) If you have your heart seat on visiting Kaanapali for some reason, you can easily reach it by car from the cruise port since you've got an overnight stay on the cruise when in Maui.

 

4) For our POA trip, we priced it out for the same condo we rented a few years prior vs POA. We were planning on going to Maui for 4 nights and big island for 3 before flying home. Group of 4, so either a 2br condo or 2 separate large balcony rooms on POA to fit us. All in (flights, car rentals, hotels, etc), the price for the land only trip was slightly cheaper (<$250/pp), but it didn't cover any of our food or drinks for that entire week, and only went to 2 islands. POA brought us to more spots, took care of all our food/drinks, and the logistics of getting from point A to B. So for a few extra bucks it was 1000% worth it to us to go via the POA route. To each their own I suppose, but when you honestly get down to the nitty gritty of what you get with each different type of trip, and what is important to you, for us it was an easy choice to go with POA.

[Sailing12Away]

As for the original question regarding when is it "cheaper".... looks like you've got a better chance of finding lower prices cruises at the end of October, all through November, and first few weeks of December. There's 8 pages of POA sailings, and when sorted by cheapest price the overwhelming majority on page 1 are in the month of November.

These prices are based on a single traveler from Canada, so for the US folks going with a friend, the prices would be even better. I'm even eyeing that Thanksgiving one myself.... grossly shocked at the "cheap" price for that one. For comparison, when we first sailed POA in a large balcony in 2019, our price was around 8K per room. This thanksgiving cruise in post-Covid (expensive) times is coming in around $7,700. Usually the holiday cruises have a premium price tag.

 

[BermudaBound2014]

16 hours ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

We stopped at our local chain market yesterday to pick up some ice cream for a treat, and it (name brand but not gourmet) was $8.99 plus tax for the regular 48-ounce carton.  Iceberg lettuce at our local store was $6.98/pound.  Egad!!

 

Things here on the mainland are rising quickly also, but even then Maui prices always give me a bit of a jolt the first few weeks. I'll be back on island in January and am not looking forward to paying $10 for a gallon of milk and $5 for hamburger buns but there is a price to pay for paradise. Just curious, are you shopping in Kahului or upcountry? As you know, I have very limited choices in Kapalua unless I cross the Pali and Safeway in Lahaina can be brutal.

 

14 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

It's not worth the expense, even that gorgeous Road to Hana (we went all the way). We're in a better financial situation now, but we'll still stay away.

 

Kaanapali Beach Resort is one of the least expensive properties in all of Kaanapali and it wouldn't surprise me if that ocean front suite you described  is now double ($1,200 a night). 

 

As far as staying away from Maui, not only does my DH agree, but many locals would applaud your decision as they feel Maui is being compromised by too many tourists.  Unfortunately, I have deeply connected with the A'ina and am still willing to pay the price for my paradise. With that said, there is a tipping point. I can cruise for 4 months for less than 4 months on Maui and I am considering other options for Winter 2024. 

 

14 hours ago, J0Y0US said:

Courtyard by Marriott Maui Kahului Airport

7 Nights in January 2023

King room that sleeps 4

$2,793

 

The hotel you picked is an airport hotel directly across the street from Costco. I know of no one who would ever select that hotel for a week long vacation, but the price does reflect it's poor location. You did forget to add tax which brings the booking to $3,279.54.  Less expensive than a cruise, but again the location is terrible. Most people who choose to vacation on Maui stay in Kihei (least expensive), Kaanapali (moderate), or Kapalua/Waimea (higher end).

 

I am only a part timer on Maui, but I'm quite certain that cruising is less expensive than staying a hotel for a week in any one of the three typical areas mentioned above. Perhaps Silver Sweethearts (who actually lives full time on Maui) can shed more light.

[latebuyer]

Thanks everyone for continued conversation. I would like to see all 4 islands. Plus i wouldn’t feel comfortable renting a car and i don’t think transit is feasable except in oahu where I’ve already been. I will check out oct-dec prices as suggested. American thanksgiving would work well for me as i’m canadian,

[Silver Sweethearts]

Maui is Disneyland for many people - filled with the sights and activities that attract and excite.  We, personally, are not here for the sun, fun, tan your buns idea though.  We live here full-time because we prefer a quieter, more peaceful atmosphere than we had on the mainland, and Hawaii is about as close to that as we're ever going to get.  That means we stay Upcountry to be away from tourists and tourist places, and shop "local" whenever possible (think Pukalani Superette for produce instead of Safeway).  Maui is hardly for everyone.  The lifestyle will either work for you or it won't.  Some people will go home with memories of a fabulous time while others will only lament how much money they had to spend.

 

 

 

[njkate]

On 12/8/2022 at 4:33 PM, latebuyer said:

Are there any times when pride of america is cheaper? It almost seems like its cheaper to book at last minute for it, but i don't know if thats true. Are there any months that are cheaper or do they ever drop the price? I'm a canadian solo traveller so i am experiencing a double whammy in terms of cost but in just hearing someone experienced a typhoon when they were travelling to hawaii from vancouver, this makes me want to just fork over the cash for the pride of america sailing.

Yes Hawaii is expensive be it by cruise or land vacation. Check out Princess cruises, I believe they have cruises leaving from California so cruise will be longer then NcL but air to California from Canada May be less expensive then air to Hawaii