POH Why and Why Not

[johnb24]

Returned from the POH 9/4 sailing and have some observations. Go on the POH and see the most beautiful islands . Do your research on the attractions and places to visit on each island and pre-book rental cars. We used Thrifty and each morning the van was waiting to take us to our car. The beaches, snorkeling, any activity the boat offers, you can do on your schedule for less money. There is little traffic and you will discovery the magesty of these islands. Go on the POH and see the diversity of America. The Hawaiian people and the young mostly main land staff on the boat will remind you of the rich mix of culture and language and national origin that makes America a great nation. We people we met were friendly and the staff enthusiastic and helpful. Go on the POH and from the deck of the ship see lava flowing into the ocean and the Napali Coast, a stretch of caves and beaches and mountains battered by the sea into an emerald jewel. Go on the POH and book reservations for Le Bistro and Cagneys and Jasmine for as many nights as your budget allows. The surcharge is ten or fifteen dollars per person and the food, sevice and ambiance is top quality. Before dinner watch the sunset for at least thirty minutes after the sun goes down. The afterglow is spectacular from the aft cafe of deck 12. After dinner Taylor Kundorf plays the Grand Piano and sings in the atrium. He is the best entertainer on any cruise I have ever been on. Go on the POH and turn the wheel on your door entry that tells the steward to make up or turn down or not disturb you. Also, call reception the day of embarkation and tell them you want your room turned down each night. Dont go on the POH if you expect a cruise of long relaxing sea days, polished international service, extensive on board activities, a casino, traditional cruise meals, active night life, an understated elegance, fresh flowers or a highly professional staff.

[bubiesmom]

johnb24,

That is a refreshing commentary. Can you comment on the Kid's club? My kids are 16 and 11 and are looking forward to the islands, but would like to know really what is for them to do onboard.

[tomluvsaida]

I really liked reading your review. I'm sooooooooooo looking forward to our honymoon cruise now! From your review as well as many others I think I know what to expect, what not to expect and what needs to be done now. I think this is goiing to be the most fantastic time of our lives!:D :)

[johnb24]

I saw few school age kids on board but the ship is new and has extensive space and video games for the kids clubs. I don't know if parents have to be on board if kids are in the club and you are in one port or another every day. Check with NCL.

[johnb24]

There were many couples who were newly married on board. They seemed to be very happy chatting with the young staff and socializing with other young couples.

[Breezey]

QUOTE=johnb24]Returned from the POH 9/4 sailing and have some observations. Go on the POH and see the most beautiful islands . Do your research on the attractions and places to visit on each island and pre-book rental cars. We used Thrifty and each morning the van was waiting to take us to our car.

 

We were on the same cruise and agree, do your research. The Revealed Books are a must buy and we got them on Amazon for good prices. We used Dollar Rent a Car and no problems. In Kona, they have a booth at the hotel across from the pier. They also have shuttles in other ports.

 

The beaches, snorkeling, any activity the boat offers, you can do on your schedule for less money.

 

In hindsight, agree. We did the Catamaran Snorkle tour to Lanai whichi s basically lead by Trilogy. There were only 3 couples from the cruise line who took this very expensive excursion. All others on the tour were staying at hotels in Maui. A wonderful day. We also did a great shore excursion from the ship for the Volcanoes National Park (Deluxe) and there were only 6 of us getting a private tour by a park ranger but it took a full day and did not see anything else of Hilo.

 

There is little traffic and you will discovery the magesty of these islands. Go on the POH and see the diversity of America. The Hawaiian people and the young mostly main land staff on the boat will remind you of the rich mix of culture and language and national origin that makes America a great nation. We people we met were friendly and the staff enthusiastic and helpful. Go on the POH and from the deck of the ship see lava flowing into the ocean and the Napali Coast, a stretch of caves and beaches and mountains battered by the sea into an emerald jewel.

 

Go on the POH and book reservations for Le Bistro and Cagneys and Jasmine for as many nights as your budget allows. The surcharge is ten or fifteen dollars per person and the food, sevice and ambiance is top quality. Before dinner watch the sunset for at least thirty minutes after the sun goes down.

 

The Sushi Bar for sushi lovers is fantastic. And oh the sunset.

 

The afterglow is spectacular from the aft cafe of deck 12. After dinner Taylor Kundorf plays the Grand Piano and sings in the atrium. He is the best entertainer on any cruise I have ever been on. Go on the POH and turn the wheel on your door entry that tells the steward to make up or turn down or not disturb you. Also, call reception the day of embarkation and tell them you want your room turned down each night. Dont go on the POH if you expect a cruise of long relaxing sea days, polished international service, extensive on board activities, a casino, traditional cruise meals, active night life, an understated elegance, fresh flowers or a highly professional staff.

 

Agreed! POH is not an upscale line with polished service and great food. We knew what to expect after all the reviews we read and we were not disappointed as this cruise experience met our expectations. Our positive surprises were: having wonderful expressos, cappucino's and latte's all with a push of a button at the buffet (there are several machines throughout); sleeping in very comfortable beds with real duvets and covers; swimming in a great pool; listening to the sounds of a wonderful guitarist/singer entertainer (sorry forgot his name but long haired Hawaiin man who often sang near the pool area and we saw him in the Medusa lounge one night); the sail by of the Napali Coast - thank goodness for our choice of a port side balcony. And in hindsight, do shop on the ship, many of the choices were good and prices competitive. We didnt and missed out on a gift pack of caffeine free hawaiin tea that we were not able to find on any of the islands.

[mikedw]

Thank you for your great review. I haven't been yet but hope to do so soon. Hawaii is a laid back place, I rather have Applebee's type service from my fellow Americans and relax rather then stiff upper lip white glove service from a foreign crew, just doesn't seem right with Hawaii to me.

 

Michael

[mrtractor]

....for all the great advice. We'll be sailing in about 6 weeks on the POH after 4 days in Oahu. What I've been reading follows what you are saying about the intent of the POH experience. To provide an upscale if not 5 star moving hotel experience to see the beautiful islands of Hawai'i. Although we are veterans of about 25 cruises, all with "international" crews, we'll try to go with your advice in mind. I also just went to amazon.com and bought all four of the "Revealed" books on the four islands we will be visiting. I also got Driving and Discovering Oahu since we'll be there the longest. Any opinions on that book?

 

If you don't mind, I'd like to ask a couple of questions......

 

Is the back of the ship the only place to see sunsets while at sea?

 

How was tendering (in Kona??)?

 

When was the muster drill held? The first day? At what time?

 

How early can we get on the ship?

 

Is a convertible a good choice on all the islands? How long does is take to get to the place where you pick up your car? Did you keep the car overnight or turn it in every evening before returning to the ship?

 

Thanks again! (Or is that "Mahalo?!")

 

MrTractor<------is afraid he won't want to come home..........

[OptimusPrime]

I was on the 9/4 sailing as well. Probably ran into a few of you at the rental shuttles!

 

....for all the great advice. We'll be sailing in about 6 weeks on the POH after 4 days in Oahu. What I've been reading follows what you are saying about the intent of the POH experience. To provide an upscale if not 5 star moving hotel experience to see the beautiful islands of Hawai'i. Although we are veterans of about 25 cruises, all with "international" crews, we'll try to go with your advice in mind. I also just went to amazon.com and bought all four of the "Revealed" books on the four islands we will be visiting. I also got Driving and Discovering Oahu since we'll be there the longest. Any opinions on that book?

The revealed books were definitely worth their value many times over. Their whole mile-marker thing worked really well for us.

Is the back of the ship the only place to see sunsets while at sea?

We watched most of the sunsets either from our starboard side balcony (deck 11) or on the open deck above (12)

How was tendering (in Kona??)?

If you are penthouse or above you just show up and it is quite easy, otherwise you have to go to the atrium and get em.

Either way, I don't think there were any complaints from anyone I met

When was the muster drill held? The first day? At what time?

First day at 4:30 pm in the Stardust Theater. If you miss it, it is the next day, not sure when..

How early can we get on the ship?

I think some people got on as early as 11 am. We checked in at around 11:30 and leisurely wandered on around 12:30

Is a convertible a good choice on all the islands? How long does is take to get to the place where you pick up your car? Did you keep the car overnight or turn it in every evening before returning to the ship?

We had convertibles at both of the overnights & kept them overnight (parking wasn't too bad either). Had the top down for very little of the time, but for the time we did, I was glad we had the convertibles.

 

I know this is gonna be annoying but I am gonna type this out in all caps.

 

IF YOU ARE GONNA RENT FROM THRIFTY, PLEASE SIGN-UP FOR BLUE CHIP.

 

The person who recommended it get's my golden lei award. :D

[Zeno]

Lovely, charming comments with a pleasant,realistic view of things!

[johnb24]

We liked Deck 12 Aft for sunsets because it provides a 180 degree view of port or starbord sunsets and because we picked up wine and cheese and crackers at the adjacent buffet and sat at the cafe tables outside. Met some interesting fellow cruisers there over drinks.

Kona tenders give priority to shore excursion people and suite passengers from ship to shore. We were off the boat by 9:15. There can be lines on the return but they move quickly. We did not rent a car here but took "The Beach Suttle" to the best snorkeling we have ever exoerienced - better than Cozumel, St. Johns, or The Caymans. You can buy round trip tickets - 10 dollars and rent equiptment - 5 dollars, across the street from the tender pier . At the beach, a 10 minute ride, there are chairs , umbrellas rentals, food, drink vendors, a good resturant. This not the best swimming beach on the island but if you want to see fish, sea turtles and coral in calm shallow water this is it.

Convertable is a great choice but book all your cars before you depart.We used Thrifty, joined the Blue Chip club and were met at the pier by their van as we left the secure area of each port. It was 5 minutes or less to the cars. You can park near the ship . There is some free parking spaces that fill up early and there are lots that charge 10 dollars per night.

We checked in at 12:15 and were on board by 12:30

[mrtractor]

that's all good information! Here are a few more. I appreciate your indulgence!

 

Is the Spinnaker Lounge good to watch the sunset from on evenings when you are heading into the sunset?

 

Who was the captain and hotel director on the ship?

 

Was it difficult to get a reservation at the alternatives like LeBistro, Cagney's and Teppanyaki?

 

Is it best to be on the port or starboard side of the ship for night cruising the volcanos and day cruising the Napali coast?

 

Thanks again for taking the time to answer. I tend to overplan, but I don't want to miss a thing in the short time we'll be in Hawai'i!

 

MrTractor<-----------doesn't want to wear you out with over 6 weeks to go!.............

[Kay240]

 

Was it difficult to get a reservation at the alternatives like LeBistro, Cagney's and Teppanyaki?

 

Is it best to be on the port or starboard side of the ship for night cruising the volcanos and day cruising the Napali coast?

 

quote]

 

I'm no expert, as my cruise is not for 6 weeks also (Are you on 10/30 ??), however I have oodles of information I have accumulated from Cruise Critic! :)

 

Everyone said to make your dinner reservations when you get on board. Know where you want to go each night and take your list to one of the restaurants; you can make ALL your reservations for the week.

 

You can see the volcano from BOTH sides, as the ship "does a figure 8". The Napoli coast is visible from the PORT side, I believe.

[Breezey]

that's all good information! Here are a few more. I appreciate your indulgence!

 

Is the Spinnaker Lounge good to watch the sunset from on evenings when you are heading into the sunset?

 

Who was the captain and hotel director on the ship?

 

Was it difficult to get a reservation at the alternatives like LeBistro, Cagney's and Teppanyaki?

 

Is it best to be on the port or starboard side of the ship for night cruising the volcanos and day cruising the Napali coast?

 

Thanks again for taking the time to answer. I tend to overplan, but I don't want to miss a thing in the short time we'll be in Hawai'i!

 

MrTractor<-----------doesn't want to wear you out with over 6 weeks to go!.............

 

 

Cannot answer all your questions. But suggest you reserve restaurants as soon as you can to avoid disappointment. We were on the 9/4 sailing and since none of the restaurants were fully serviced, they could not accomodate everyone. We booked all our reservations as soon as we boarded the ship with no difficulty. Yes I know it defeats the purpose of freestyle dining but we saw many people turned away from the specialty restaurants if they didnt have a reservation.

 

The port side is the preferred side. While the ship does do port and starboard for the volcano, the Napali coast can only be viewed on the port side. What a beautiful experience doing that sail by in the privacy of our balcony.

 

Spend most of your time researching what you plan to do in port. Why some people spend all their money and time to go to Hawaii and all they do is take the ship's shuttle to the Walmart or Hilo Hatties is beyond my comprehension. The Revealed Books were a great investment.

 

Have fun, wish I was going back.

[karen2cruz]

Thanks for your reviews and advice. The restaurant choices seem a little overwhelming, when you have a family from 15 years of age to 52. We have done Le Bistro. I guess we have a while to decide.

 

Does anyone remember if there were diving excursions? My husband really wants to dive!

 

Boys and I want a helicopter ride. Which island is the best for that? We can only afford one ride!

[mrtractor]

......in a few of the ports. We've heard that Kona is the place to dive, so we're planning to make a dive there. Nothing too challenging, just a nice recreational dive to check out the friendly marine life. NO SHARKS, THANK-YOU!

 

Thanks for the info, again, Breezey. We had a mini suite on the starboard side, but switched that after your recommendation and that of others. As far as dinner reservations, are passengers not in a suite able to make dinner reservations for the entire week or is it only suite and above passengers? I hate to make dinner reservations that far in advance, but I'd like to try most or all of the restaurants on board during the week. Sort of negates the advantages of Freestyle to plan the whole week in advance, doesn't it???

 

MrTractor<---thinks sharks are an important part of the ocean's eco-system, he just doesn't want to be on theri menu.............

[mrtractor]

......in a few of the ports. We've heard that Kona is the place to dive, so we're planning to make a dive there. Nothing too challenging, just a nice recreational dive to check out the friendly marine life. NO SHARKS, THANK-YOU!

 

Thanks for the info, again, Breezey. We had a mini suite on the starboard side, but switched that after your recommendation and that of others. As far as dinner reservations, are passengers not in a suite able to make dinner reservations for the entire week or is it only suite and above passengers? I hate to make dinner reservations that far in advance, but I'd like to try most or all of the restaurants on board during the week. Sort of negates the advantages of Freestyle to plan the whole week in advance, doesn't it???

 

MrTractor<---thinks sharks are an important part of the ocean's eco-system, he just doesn't want to be on the menu.............

[mrtractor]

......in a few of the ports. We've heard that Kona is the place to dive, so we're planning to make a dive there. Nothing too challenging, just a nice recreational dive to check out the friendly marine life. NO SHARKS, THANK-YOU!

 

Thanks for the info, again, Breezey. We had a mini suite on the starboard side, but switched that after your recommendation and that of others. As far as dinner reservations, are passengers not in a suite able to make dinner reservations for the entire week or is it only suite and above passengers? I hate to make dinner reservations that far in advance, but I'd like to try most or all of the restaurants on board during the week. Sort of negates the advantages of Freestyle to plan the whole week in advance, doesn't it???

 

MrTractor<---thinks sharks are an important part of the ocean's eco-system, he just doesn't want to be on the menu.............

[Terre]

Hey, Mr. Tractor & Barb! You may remember Mike and I sailed with you to Bermuda last year. We sailed the Star Princess last Oct. during Wilma -- quite a mystery cruise! We're planning an Alaska cruise in May on the NCL Star.

 

Hope you guys are going great and had a wonderful summer and New Year!:D

[mrtractor]

Of course we remember you! Nice to hear from you. Sounds like you have quite a cruise schedule!

 

We did the Star to Alaska. It was a wonderful ship and Alaska is amazing. And you won't have any hurricanes, either!

 

We're going to Hawai'i in six weeks from today. YIKES. Barb better start packing!!! Come over and say hello on the November 6th Pride of Hawaii thread on the roll calls board.

 

MrT and BG<--------always remembers nice folks, but sometimes forgets the others.............

[lindajeff]

Is the back of the ship the only place to see sunsets while at sea?

 

How was tendering (in Kona??)?

 

When was the muster drill held? The first day? At what time?

 

How early can we get on the ship?

 

Is a convertible a good choice on all the islands? How long does is take to get to the place where you pick up your car? Did you keep the car overnight or turn it in every evening before returning to the ship?

 

 

Thanks again! (Or is that "Mahalo?!")

 

I'm not smart enough to figure out how to alternate your qquestions and my answers, so here goes just the answers:

 

Any deck outside will work for sunset. as long as it is facing west.

 

Kona only port one without big/deep enough dock. No sweat. Tender ran perpetually every 6 minutes.

 

Muster was first day around 5:00 pm.

 

We got on about noon on 9/11. (We ended up being about the 10th on board.)

 

Often rainy by Hilo, so we had convertibles every where else (and could have had on oat Hilo also). Pierside pickup (using Thrifty) took 5-10 minutes from pier to car. We kept car overnight on Kauai ($10 to park about a block away). Turned it on on Maui on same night, since we did bike down Haleakala on Maui on day #2.

[mrtractor]

.......the sun sets in the west out there, too!!!!???? I thought I learned in 9th grade geography class that it only sets in the west if you're out here in the east. If you get to far west, it's too far east of you when it goes down, so it actually sets in the east from Hawai'i. Right? So don't try to trick ME! No, Sirreeeee!!! HAHAAhahahaahheiaheieaheieee.....

 

OK, maybe I slept through that part of the class.....

 

Thanks for your tips on Hilo. (I don't think you are trying to pull one over on me about the car type). I think I'll change to something that has a top that goes up and down quickly and easily and a trunk to lock up stuff in. Sounds like another convertible in the works!!!

 

One more question while I'm at it........Did you have any rough seas traveling between the islands?

 

MIA!

 

(Mahalo in Advance!!!)

 

MrTractor<---is still unclear on this "sun setting in the west" thing......