POA Hawaii Cruise - is this a good price

[lissie]

For NZ/Australia NCL is currently advertising the  7 day Hawaii Pride of America cruise for prices starting from approx US2,200  to US$2,900 pp inside twin share  including the  5 free offers (drinks, dining, $50 excursion credit, wifi)  and a low deposit. 

 

I'm familar with the prices in Hawaii as we looked at other islands last year and only visited Oahu in the end. 

 

This seems like a good deal  to me - but I'm cynical about 50% off sales because that's usually off a rate no one ever pays.  Plus we don't really need the free offers as with so many ports we won't be drinking much or indeed need the wifi. 

 

I'm looking at a date in April 24  (it fits with a trip we're planning to Japan) - should I pick up the phone to my agent or wait? 

[dexddd]

POA hasn't had a good rate since late 2000s when they had three ships there.  That being said, it isn't bad considering how expensive Hawaii is.

[CaptainBazz]

You can't really take notice of the 50% off offer...all cruises offered by NCL have a '% off' element to them...the base price often changes and the '% off' changes as well...you just have to look and decide if it is a price you are willing to pay. We sail NCL a couple of times per year and once booked we watch the price carefully...if it goes down we call for a refund...we even got a FCC for a price drop after final payment. Also, NCL is the only cruise line that does a Hawaiian Island 'only' cruise so you are limited in your choices. We have done this cruise and it is a great way to see all the islands. I say go for it but keep checking the prices.

[lissie]

5 hours ago, CaptainBazz said:

You can't really take notice of the 50% off offer...all cruises offered by NCL have a '% off' element to them...the base price often changes and the '% off' changes as well...you just have to look and decide if it is a price you are willing to pay. We sail NCL a couple of times per year and once booked we watch the price carefully...if it goes down we call for a refund...we even got a FCC for a price drop after final payment. Also, NCL is the only cruise line that does a Hawaiian Island 'only' cruise so you are limited in your choices. We have done this cruise and it is a great way to see all the islands. I say go for it but keep checking the prices.

That's what I'm thinking too.  We've been to Waikiki and I looked at the costs of  going to other islands and was really shocked at the price of everything but particularly  Maui from memory. 

 

The cruise does seem a very efficient way to travel in this case. 

[vivian02]

I am impressed for the fact that someone from New Zealand is doing their homework. Having done many cruises in Hawaii even before POA I at least can suggest this. Why not fly into Los Angles and books a cruise to Hawaii and back. At the moment you can get say a May cruise with an inside cabin for a price of around US $2048. This would be a 15 day cruise which would put you in Mexico for one day on the way back. My first cruise in Hawaii was on Norwegian back in 2003 when prices were one third of what they are now. I just want to give you the opportunity to maybe see more and enjoy some nice sea days cruising to Hawaii. I hope this information helps. Tim 

[RD64]

If it is a price that YOU are happy with, then it is a good price. Everybody has their own specific price point that they are happy with and that they are willing to pay.

[lissie]

5 hours ago, vivian02 said:

I am impressed for the fact that someone from New Zealand is doing their homework. Having done many cruises in Hawaii even before POA I at least can suggest this. Why not fly into Los Angles and books a cruise to Hawaii and back. At the moment you can get say a May cruise with an inside cabin for a price of around US $2048. This would be a 15 day cruise which would put you in Mexico for one day on the way back. My first cruise in Hawaii was on Norwegian back in 2003 when prices were one third of what they are now. I just want to give you the opportunity to maybe see more and enjoy some nice sea days cruising to Hawaii. I hope this information helps. Tim 

Haha you don't kiwis very well.  We tend to be fairly DIY on trip planning - its noticeable that cruise lines don't tend to bundle cruises with flights here. Plus we are so far away you want to be gone a month minimum to make the flights worth it. We will be in Japan (having cruised there from Sydney) and I'm looking at options to break up the trip coming home. 

 

Flying to LA from here is the pits a) its about 13 hours and b) LAX is such an awful airport.  So I would never go for a round trip from LA. You can do Hawaii with a repositioning cruise from N America to Australia/NZ  in Set/Oct - some of those go to Hawaii - but its only really one port we haven't done - we've been multiple times to Tahiti and Samoa - they don't count as exotic for us.  I looked at doing that this year as we are returning from a cruise ex Boston and coming back via  several stops in Canada. A number of ships are leaving from Vancouver - but again the ports were duplicates. So we will fly (via Fiji) 

 

Also we can't do a trip that is ONLY America - my partner has had health issues and we can't get insurance for JUST the USA - we can get cover if USA is a stopover in a longer trip.