GREAT REVIEW of our week on the PoAm, June 3-10! L-o-n-g

[lambs2]

We just returned last night from our pre-cruise stay on Waikiki and our 7 night cruise of the Hawaiian islands on the Pride of America. We had a FABULOUS time and were thrilled with the five ports we visited. We rented cars on each of the islands and explored just about everywhere we could drive! Thrifty was the best deal on cars we found and so very easy! Become a Blue Chip member (free and done online) and they take extra good care of you! We just breezed through pick-up and checkout each time. The last day on Oahu we did our own circle tour and had a fabulous day! We ended up at the Dole Plantation, but were too late for the tour so just enjoyed the store and took photos. We had spent our day on all the beaches and at the waterfall you can swim under at Waimea Falls Park run by the Audubon Society. Our flight did not depart until after 10 pm so we made good use of our extra day. So glad we did this as the rest of Oahu is NOTHING like Honolulu and Waikiki which is just one big CITY, all-be-it a beautiful one. Be sure and get a shaved ice on the north shore! Had fabulous ones at Aoki's. The sweet beans at the bottom of the cup are GREAT! Had planned to get them originally at Matsumoto's, but the line was just too long. We used Frommer's and the Revealed books on all the islands for great hints about places to go and see. These boards were an invaluable help to us, as well! The only shore excursion we booked through the ship was in Kona where we did not rent a car. We took the Captain Zodiak snorkeling adventure and it was FABULOUS - more about it later in my review.

 

We boarded and departed from Oahu and we did a pre-cruise stay at the Aqua Palm Hotel and Spa which is right next to the Hilton Hawaiian Village. We had a 9th floor room with a great view of Diamond Head and the beach (view between several buildings, but still good). Great price (compared to Hilton Hawaiian Village and other hotels close by!) Very nice clean well-decorated room with a super-comfortable king size bed, free continental breakfast, coffee in room, and a lanai with great views. Walked or used The Bus (city bus) which is $2. per person and includes one transfer and picks up right in front of hotel. We took it to Pearl Harbor and back and also to the entrance to Diamond Head for quite the work-out of a hike! A really nice Hawaiian gentleman insisted on giving us a ride back to our hotel from Diamond Head. He was very interesting and had lived on Oahu all his life. We learned a bunch of information from him. It really is true. Hawaiians are very friendly people! We took a taxi to the pier for boarding the cruise ship ($16. plus tip) on Saturday morning. I received a beautiful flower lei and my DH a shell one and they took our photos right after check-in at Aloha Tower. Had to wait a couple hours before our room was ready, but the time went quickly and we got familiar with the ship.

 

We just can't say enough good things about the Pride of America. The boat is a joy to behold and the interior design is fabulous and absolutely UNIQUE! If you love Americana you will LOVE the Pride of America! The murals on each deck staircase are really wonderful and the grand entry way with the Great Seal and white staircases are very beautiful! We had NO PROBLEMS of any kind and found the food and staff WONDERFUL on the PoAm. I know I gained several pounds - the choices were very good and the desserts excellent (when we had room to try them!) Ordered room service sandwiches one day, and they were great too. Room service told me 45 minutes on the phone, but the food came in under 20 minutes! I have been on 10+ cruises and this is honestly my very favorite cruise vacation of all! Of course the itinerary has a lot to do with that. We had a mid-ship balcony cabin on the port side and enjoyed it immensely. This was our room stewardess' (Joy) very first week and she did a fabulous job. She really followed the message you left on your door thingee (you just rotate it to let your steward know if you don't want to be disturbed, want the room made up, etc.) Forgot to move it a couple times, but we soon caught on to the routine! We had no complaints except that she could not get me a feather pillow even though I asked on the very first day. She did keep trying, she told me, but just couldn't locate one, but I did get a bathrobe to use the entire week. The coffee maker and Kona coffee in the room were a GREAT and welcome touch! She brought us all the coffee and half 'n half we needed, and we are heavy coffee drinkers. This coffee was better than what they had in most places on the ship (IMO), so we drank most of our coffee in our room or on our balcony. Great way to start each morning. We were some of the first passengers to board on that Saturday morning, June 3, and it was the simplest boarding procedure we have ever had. Loved the flower lei for me and the shell one for my DH with welcome photos taken right away. It took a couple hours before we got in our room so we explored the ship, made dinner reservations for the week, and then ate lunch. The food in the Aloha Buffet for that first lunch was EXCELLENT. I did not have a bad meal or item the ENTIRE cruise! Our days were PACKED because we planned so much to see and do on each island and this was our first time in Hawaii. There were plenty of activities to participate in on the cruise ship, but we had very little time to do them! Never got in a pool or a whirlpool on the ship but there were lots of them to choose from and wish we had had more time to try them out! Alos never got to use the exercise facilities, although they were very nice. I always go to the gym on ships, but we were just too busy this trip! I made up for it with the many miles of walking we did, however.

We loved the Free Style dining. We planned ahead from suggestions we got here on the boards and were very happy with our choices. Only exra-charge specialty restaurant we tried was the Lazy J Steakhouse and it was EXCELLENT!!! We went on Sunday night which was half-price night and spent a total of $20. including a $5. tip. The filet mignon was the best I ever had, as well as the crab cakes! YUMMY! We both ate way too much that night - it was SO GOOD!!!! Had to skip dessert because we were so full! Had two meals at Little Italy - it is the free specialty resataurant and books up very early. Just fabulous! They make your ceasar salad to order at your table! We only had to wait to be seated one night - lobster night and optional formal night on Tuesday which we ate at the Liberty, one of the two main dining rooms - and that was about a 45 minute wait at most and they gave us a beeper just like at the restaurants here at home. The dress code was VERY varied! My DH dressed basically All-Hawaiian, all the time. I brought a couple long dresses, and so on "formal" night I wore one of those and my DH had on a Hawaiian shirt with a pair of long pants and dress shoes. At the tables near us I saw a couple of guys in tuxes, but then several guys nearby wearing shorts (which it says in all the literature is a no-no in the main dining rooms, but there they were!) We spent a lot of time on our balcony (more than I thought we would) but did go to the shows each night. Loved the juggler and comedians! The production shows were well done, but I've seen better. One of the four singers was excellent, but the other three were not quite up to the same level. One of the girl singer's voices actually hurt my ears at times. (We are probably more picky about this than many people as we both sing and our son is a professional singer/actor.) The second production show was designed just for the Pride of America and was the better of the two, IMHO. Very moving and well-planned, with, of course, an American theme!

Our TA sent a voucher for a bottle of wine for a Bon Voyage gift, which was a nice touch. We had that the night we ate at the Lazy J Steakhouse. Then near the end of the cruise another bottle showed up in our room fridge with a note "compliments" from the ship! have no idea why we got that free bottle of nice white wine. We had to leave most of that one in our fridge as we had no room to carry it off the ship. Perhaps this second bottle was a mistake, but we were not charged for either bottle and I had brought a cork screw from home so we could just drink the second bottle on our balcony.

 

After boarding in Honolulu our ports of call were Hilo, 2 days on Maui, Kona, and 1 1/2 days on Kauai before returning to Honolulu. In Hilo we drove to Volcano National Park and then to several waterfalls in the area - Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, PeePee Falls and the Boiling Pots. We also drove to banyan Drive and Liliuokalani Gardens. There was plenty of time to do it ALL! That night the ship sailed by the volcanoes and they had an Hawaaian girl do a narration out on deck. They go by on the starboard side first, then do a 180 degree turn and you see it from the port side. At that point we went and watched from our port balcony. Not a "super" big night for the volcano eruptions, but it was still pretty awesome and something we will never forget. A beautiful clear night so the flaming lava was visible for a very long time...

We had two full days in Maui and had our rental car both days. We were very fortunate and even though we didn't get back until late that first night we found a place to park at the free lot by the pier. We had heard some folks here on the boards say that they had to return their car to the rental car lot because there were no spots left by the pier, but we found the VERY last one! The first day we drove to Iao State Park and the Iao Needle. Very beautiful and actually just a short drive from where we were docked in Kahalui. Then we drove the north-western route around the entire coast to Kaanapali and Lahaina. We had read horror stories about the road, but had no problems at all. My husband loves to drive these kind of roads in mountains so he was in his glory! There were no unpaved sections, and just a few places where they were doing road work, so improvements have obviously been made recently. NOT recommended for white knuckle drivers...but my hubby loved it and I never felt in any danger even though I was closest to the drop-offs on the passenger side! The views are incomparable and we had a perfect, clear sunny day to enjoy them all. We spent several hours walking around Lahaina, which was a great town. That night we had pre-booked a luau at the Royal Lahaina Resort in Kaanapali (about 10 miles from Lahaina.) We got there early and ended up being placed at the closest table to the show that you did not pay extra for and I was right next to the stage! WOW! Was that ever a fabulous luau!!! I HIGHLY recommend this luau! I think we pre-paid only $46. per person. What a deal! The ship's luau was over $100. and we did not hear such great reviews from our shipmates. The dancers and musicians were EXCELLENT at the Royal Lahaina Luau. It was right by the beautiful beach and the food was outstanding and the drinks VERY POTENT. My DH had to drive back to the ship (about 30 minutes) so he was very careful. They had coffee available after dinner so that helped a lot! We also sat across from a pastor and his wife so that kept us on our best behavior, too! The fire dance part at the end of the luau performance was FABULOUS and not a part of most of the luas we had researched. Also, we paid for this on the internet and it was less than HALF the price of most of the other luaus that do not even have a fire dance! The imu pig was a great show and tasted delicious, too. They had a great selection of yummy dishes, including the melt-in-your-mouth pork, terriaki steak, chicken, lomi-lomi salmon, a variety of great salads and side dishes - and oh yes, poi, of couse - plus desserts and unlimited beverages (both alcoholoic and non). You could also purchase specialty drinks served in a pineapple or coconut plus pictures if you chose to. Each guest also receiced a shell lei when entering and they had fancy flower ones for sale, too. We had planned to just sleep a couple hours that night and get up to drive to the summit of Haleakala for sunrise. We did not make it. Skipped that and drove the Road to Hana instead. Had a great day. Followed our Frommer's guide book and hit most of the featured sites. Explored Hana a bit before doubling back. Saved the swim under the waterfall until the way back. My DH did that one and I took photos and then took my under-the-waterfalls swim on Oahu at Waimea Falls on our last day circle tour.

In Kona we did not rent a car, but took the Captain Zodiak raft and snorkel adventure. That was so much fun and the only excursion we purchased through the ship. This was the best snorkeling I have ever experienced and the raft ride was a BLAST! I felt like I was snorkeling in an aquarium! Saw two sea turtles as well as an eel, plus THOUSANDS of the most varied and colorful fish imaginable! I snorkeled for at least a full hour before we rafted away from Kealakekua and the Captain Cook Memorial . On the way back we stopped at some great sea caves and lava tubes. Saw lots of great birds there too! Our pilot, Jack, and his helper, Star were so much fun! Our raft was named the Black Pearl and we had a SUPER time. Afterward we went and had lunch on the ship, then took the shuttle to Walmart and then walked around the cute town by the dock area before reboarding for our cruise to Kauai.

We had virtually no rain and very clear sunny skies every day. One day on Kauaii we drove all the way up the beach as far as you could go to Ke'e Beach which is right at the edge of the Napali coast. We also went to several waterfalls and stopped at many beaches and other sites. Would have liked to see the Fern Grotto, but it is closed because of all the rains in March that washed out the dock and caused a falling rock problem. Several people were killed on Kauai back in March due to those rains and the resulting wash-outs. In the afternoon we drove up to Waimea Canyon (as well as just about everywhere else we could drive on the island) and the clouds were so thick we couldn't see the canyon views much of the time. It was clear and beautiful everywhere else we drove. Our last stop that day was at the Spouting Horn - an awesome blowhole on the beach. It was really going off that afternnoon!! Luckily, the next morning we had booked a flight over the island and got to see Waimea Canyon very clearly. They call it the grand Canyon of the Pacific and for good reason! I recommend the flight or, even better, a helicopter. We would have liked to get closer and down in the canyons, which a helicopter does. The flight was cheaper so we booked that, but we should have paid the extra $$'s for the closer views. Still an awesome flight however, and we are glad we got that perspective on this gorgeous island, especially the Napali coastline! We also swam at the beach near where the ship was docked and even took the free shuttle to Walmart for more film! Our afternoon cruise by the Napali coast as we left on the PoAm was awe-inspiring. Those 15 miles of coastline just have to be seen to be believed. It was such a beautiful clear day and words just do not do that sight justice! We had great window seats at Little Italy for dinner that night and we still could see the Napali coast.

We originally had booked a longer cruise - 11 days - on the Pride of Aloha, but that cruise was cancelled due to mechanical problems, so we took this one for basically FREE! All our cruise price was refunded. All we had to pay were the federal taxes and of course tips and our other on-board charges. Can't beat THAT!!! The only thing we missed out on were the four full sea days, but who's complaining?!!

There are lots of cruise choices out there, but IMHO you just can't beat the Pride of America! This was our first experience with NCL and free-style cruising and we LOVED IT! This was truly the Vacation of a Lifetime.

[Bucky3]

What a wonderful review. Thank you for writing it. Hawaii is our very favorite place, and it's fun to read a review like yours - next best thing to being there! One question: How easy/difficult was it to get in/out of the water on the Zodiac tour in Kona? Aloha!

[lambs2]

It was very easy to get back on the Zodiak raft. They had a ladder they put over the side and it was a piece of cake getting back in. They sprayed some fresh water on each of us to wash off some of the sea salt before we got back in the raft. They also had lots of drinks and snacks for us! We just dropped over the edge of the raft when we got INTO the water. What a fabulous place to snorkel! One thing i wish I had done differently. We did not bring any cash with us and there was a little sign about not tipping the boat but the you COULD tip the crew...but we couldn't because we had no $$'s on us. I felt kind of bad and wish I had stashed a few bucks somewhere because they REALLY took great care of us. Besides the great snorkeling and the drinks and snacks they gave us some great information about the area, history, geology, birds and fish of the area. Just something to keep in mind. I did not know that before going on the excursion.

[spleen93]

Thanks for the review!!

 

Spleen

[MISWANS]

What a wonderful review ! I appreciate the detailed feedback. My trip is about 150 days away and your review makes me want to go TOMORROW !

Thanks! :)

[CruisinMK]

Wow that is great, you planned well and really know how to have a good time.

I also liked Pride of America a whole lot. Sounds like you will be cruising in Hawaii again someday.