Pride of Hawaii 7/31/06

[aambard]

This was my third cruise on NCL, and second on an NCL America ship. The first, on Pride of Aloha during her inaugural months was distinctly underwhelming, so I was concerned about the quality of service, cleanliness on this newest addition to our inter-island fleet. I am glad to say that with few exceptions, this cruise was a very pleasant surprise. I was traveling with my friend and frequent cruise companion, my college aged son and his girlfriend. We had two balcony cabins on deck 10, starboard side, a few cabins before the forward elevators. We chose to board early at noon, which is a practice I advocate to all of my clients who are traveling on these "freestyle dining" ships, in order to make reservations in the specialty restaurants before the crowds arrive. There was a very short line at the Aloha Tower, so we completed the boarding formality in less than 20 minutes. There was an expedited line for Latitudes members, and another for suite passengers, so we went directly to the agent for check-in. We were given orchid lei for the ladies and my son received a shell lei, took the traditional boarding photos and proceeded to the gangway. There were greeters just beyond the security check-in who informed us that the passenger decks were closed for cleaning but the Aloha Nui buffet was open on Deck 12 and that we could make reservations for the specialty restaurants on Deck 8 at the Paniolo Cafe at PM. The decks would be announced as they were ready. Our first meal was taken at the Aloha Nui buffet. This is where we would eat most of our lunches, and which we enjoyed throughout the cruise. NCL has divided the usual buffet lines into 5 distinct stations or islands, with two devoted to entree's with a carving station at the end of one and a made to order pasta station at the other. These become omelette stations for breakfast. One is a fruit and dessert station and another is devoted to sandwiches and salads. The final station is a grill, which serves fresh waffles and eggs in the morning and grilled entree's at lunch and dinner. The food quality was excellent and the islands reduced lines and crowding. I would have liked to see labels above the food and trays available along with tray rests to allow passengers to use two hands--it was tough anointing one's baked potato with one hand! The drinks included 2 cappuccino machines, coffee, tea and iced tea. Juice was added in the morning. In the next room was a bar selling sodas, beer and wine. There is also a kiddie buffet with pint-sized tables and seats in a separate area, but still able to be viewed by the parents featuring chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, carrot sticks and other kid-friendly fare. After lunch, we headed down to the Paniolo cafe, which along with the Blue Lagoon diner across the way is the off-hours dining area. I sat down with a young lady with a lap-top computer and made all of my reservations in the specialty restaurants for the week. Although there were no lines to do this at this time, around 1:30pm, an hour later when I went back to change a time, the lines were fairly long--about 30 minutes. There were only 4 crew members assigned to this task----it would probably be better to have a few more to avoid the wait during the rush time in the afternoon of embarkation day. The passenger decks were opened one at a time, starting with the suite decks, then moving from the bottom deck up. I later realized that this was because the lower decks disembark earlier in the morning on turn-around day. Deck ten was the last deck available, around 3 PM, so we walked around the ship to orient ourselves while we waited. When our deck was called, we were pleasantly surprised to find that our luggage had already arrived. The cabins were not unusually large, however they were very well designed. The bathroom in particular is nice, with sliding semi-opaque glass doors between the shower, the sink area and the toilet, allowing more than one person to use the various areas at once. The two beds had a small table between them (pushed together if you desire a double) with very soft mattresses and comforters that are unusually comfortable for a cruise ship. There is also a sofa at the far end next to the balcony, which pulls out if a third person is in the cabin. The TV has no DVD or tape player---something I would have liked to see, but there is a keyboard for wireless mail and all room service can be ordered through it, eliminating the need for the usual morning hang-tags for breakfast in bed---something I appreciated. The balcony is large enough for two chairs and two small tables and is glassed in to the rail. The sliding door to the balcony is also glass, allowing for a fine view from inside and out. There is a small safe and an empty icebox----so nice for keeping one's bottled water cold, a large closet four drawers and about ten shelves, ample space for two once the luggage is stowed under the beds. I would think it is a bit crowded for 3. Our room steward, DeJuan Callender arrived soon to introduce himself, and proved throughout the trip to be the most attentive steward I have ever had on any previous cruise. He was always thinking of extras to bring to us, and special tips to advise us on. I think this young man is wasted on the regular decks---he belongs in the suites! He is a fine example of the new employees NCL has hired for the ship---eager to please, hospitable and friendly. I will not cover each dining experience in detail, however, I will say that Cagney's steakhouse, the Bistro, Papa's and the teppanyaki restaurant (my son's favorite) were exceptional, and well worth the small additional cost. Be sure to ask for the souffle' at the Bistro---it is not on the regular menu, but they will still make it for you at no cost. The Jasmine restaurant was less successful food-wise. We wished they could decide if the cuisine Japanese, Chinese or Indonesian---the mix was pretty uneven in taste and presentation, although the service was very good. We did not eat in the Main dining room at dinner, as I anticipated long waits, and in fact the only grumbling I heard on the ship concerned this problem---2,000 people who all want to eat at 7:30! It was perfectly good at breakfast and lunch however. I would still advocate the specialty restaurants to maximize your experience--the cost is minor compared to the pleasurable dining experience. There is also a group coordinator onboard, who will arrange dining and cocktail receptions for groups of any size, so long as they are arranged in advance through the groups dept. The itinerary is great on this ship. The overnight on Maui is particularly pleasant, and I suggest renting a car at each as there is onsite parking (with one exception---without going into details, there are real problems with the security company sub-contracted by NCL at the port on Kauai. There is no parking allowed except for a private $10 per night lot about a block uphill from the ship, and the guards were the subject of a number of complaints including 3 of my own. I have spoken to NCL America corporate directly and they have assured me that a new security company has been hired. I consider this a "growing pains" issue, and feel sure it will be resolved quickly). We loved seeing the volcano at night when we left Hilo---spectacular even for my family, and we own a cabin in Volcano and walk out to the lava several times a year. The ship made a figure eight to allow both sides of the ship to see. To see it pouring into the ocean at sea was quite a sight. The Napali coast of Kauai is a spectacular sight, I only wish the ship would turn around and make a second run past it for the starboard side of the ship. The ship for the most part only moves at night, which makes sea-sickness not much of an issue, although the sea can still get rough in the channels between islands. The spa is beautiful, and I made good use of it. There are separate sauna, steam room, showers and whirlpools on each side for men and women, and a common relaxation area and therapy pool for men and women to share in the middle. It is located in the forward end of deck twelve, so the views are expansive. I paid $62 for the use of the facilities for the week, which I thoroughly enjoyed. There are two main swimming pools on deck 12 midships, one of which is adults only, as well as a number of whirlpools available. I did not get a chance to try the waterslide, but my son and his girlfriend enjoyed it frequently throughout the cruise. There were lots of teens onboard, and all seemed to find the hang-outs and were enjoying themselves. The younger set had a kids program and were often seen parading in face-paint or pirate costumes through the decks---they even have a 2-year old program and "baby and me" classes daily. The gym is large and modern, and only available to persons aged 16 and up, which made for a pleasant experience for the athletic. I want to add that the ship was absolutely spotless. We noted that even the gangway area was shampooed nightly to get rid of the red dirt stains! I truly enjoyed my week on the Pride of Hawaii. I feel totally comfortable recommending it after experiencing it for myself!

[newlywedcruisers]

Glad you enjoyed your cruise, and i'm really glad you gave NCLA a second chance, still working on planning my NCLA cruise next year!

[Califonria cruiser]

Thanks for the review. It was very informative, we leave August 28th and had been looking for some more tips : ) Can you tell me which nights were formal night? (I've heard they have switched them around and was wodnering what the latest was).

 

Jenn

[mbmam2]

Glad you enjoyed it. See my very similar review on the second page. We had a very similar experience in all aspect. The key thing is get on the ship early and get those reservations at the better specialty restaurants. With that solved, the rest of the experience was fantastic.

[Lydia B.]

Thanks for the very upbeat review. We are not departing until April, but you made us very happy with your comments and can not wait. What did your family do for shore excursions? Lydia of Ohio

[tomluvsaida]

Thanks for that excellent review! :o I wish it was in the review section. We will be on our honeymoon at the end of Oct. - Nov. Our room will be on the starboard side so we were thinking of viewing the Napoli Coast from either Cagney's or Le Bistro. It dawned on me though that everybody else will think of the same thing and getting a port window seat might be hit or miss. :confused: However, you gave me a much better idea! You mentioned the co-ed relaxation area and therapy pool in the common area of the spa with the expansive views! :D I'm just thinking how romantic it would be to see The Napoli Coast from there with my fiancé.;) :p

[dinobja]

Do I need to be concerned with my personal safety regarding the security guards at Kauai? We are leaving in a week and we are also renting a car that I plan on parking overnight.

[kydeg]

Dinobja... after you get your rental car. Drive back to the port area and stop at the Aloha Market on the corner. That is where the where the overnight parking is located. It is about one block from the ship. You must go inside and pay $10 to reserve a parking spot for overnight. They have a security guard there in the evening and you cannot park there unless you have the ticket on the dashboard showing that you have paid to reserve a parking space. Pay $10, get your parking coupon and you will have no problem... a space will be reserved for you when you return later.

[TikiMeekie]

I did the same as kydeg and had no problems with parking. We parked around 6-7pm, freshened up, then wandered over to Dukes for dinner. I thought the security guards at the port in Kauai were nice, I even talked to one about something, but can't remember what. :) I also wasn't worried for my safety at all, the area was nicely lit.

[Besaje]

We were also on the 7/31 cruise and very happy to see the review above from an experienced cruiser because we also had a great time (we've been on Royal Caribbean twice and Celebrity once). Ship, food, service on PoH were all great. The restaurant reservation situation is really unfortunate (we didn't have a problem thanks to boarding early and an informative crew member)--hard to believe that a cruise line is not guaranteeing waiter service in a sit-down restaurant without reservations but that is in effect what NCL is doing.

 

Some other tips related to this thread:

 

It was extremely windy for the Na Pali coast viewing so we watched it portside on Deck 7 which is open but covered so it protects you from the wind. It wasn't crowded and gave us a great view (although we did have to jockey our pictures around a few lifeboats).

 

If you are renting a car in Hilo, be patient. We found it to be the most congested port so it takes time. The airport is close but there is a lot of traffic so the shuttles can't make their runs as frequently. Note also that security is heavier than any other ship we've been on (this is U.S. controlled, nothing to do with NCL). At the port entrance in Hilo, port security came on every vehicle--including our rental car shuttle with 20 people on it--and asked to see everyone's ID and cruise card. Again, it takes time.

 

In Kahului, if you are renting a car (much easier to get to) and parking overnight, there are free lots across the street and close by. However, we got back to the ship about 9PM and everything was gone and port security was of no help. Fortunately, we found a spot that no one parked in because it looked like it was a construction zone (there were wooden boards in the spot). You may want to check ahead of time as to where to go if all spots are taken.

 

Excursions: With our rental car, we went to the volcano from Hilo (allow 3-4 hours)--great. In Maui, if you absolutely do not want to wake up early--we did Haleakala at sunset and it was spectacular. No bike ride down the mountain (which everyone said was great), but also no crowds--there were about 10 people there with us. Make sure you can see the observatory at the top from the ship before heading out--that means it's clear and you'll have a spectacular view. We had our own snorkeling gear so the next day we went to Kapalua Beach. A longish ride--about 45 minutes--but very good snorkeling in a nice bay and a nice beach. There is an activities center that rents equipment and sells drinks. Stop at Kimo's in Lahaina on the way back for a drink or something to eat. Right on the ocean. In Kauai, we booked a full day at the Kipu Ranch directly through Outfitters Kauai. A great day with ziplining, kayaking, rope swings into water, hiking. In Kona, we took it easy but everyone we spoke with raved about the Captain Zodiac Raft and Snorkel.

 

One other quick note from our experience on the ship and some other posts I've read:

--Don't expect to eat in Le Bistro or Cagney's in less than 2 hours. Our waiter in Le Bistro told us it is designed for a leisurely eating experience and it was. Our Cagney's waiter asked us if we were seeing a show. We said no and it also took 2 hours (would it have been faster if we said yes?). When we cruise, we make sure our dinners aren't rushed (all of our other meals were faster).

 

 

Have fun.

[Califonria cruiser]

Heard you can request certain waiters in the main dining room so you sort of have a reservation? We only have 5 in our group and would like to have a set time on 1-2 nights, the others we can eat at the speciality ones.

 

Jenn