PRIDE OF HAWAII REVIEW 3/19-3/26!! Part I

[missourihusker]

:D One word can describe this trip-----UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! Since booking this trip in December as a suprise Christmas present to my wife and reading all of the negative reviews I was really worried about this trip and what to expect. All I can say is if I had the money and the time and NCL would allow me another week I'd of stayed on the ship for another week and did the same intenerary all over again. This is one fabulous trip!! This was the first trip to Hawaii for both my wife and I and we saw almost every square mile of each island except on the northern island of the Big Island since in Kona was the only location we didn't rent a car. The incredible thing was how different from one island to the next the beauty was in the formation of the land, color of soil, and diverse types of trees and plants. If anyone is going on a trip to Hawaii and just stays at one island not knowing what they are missing just a short distance away to the other islands is a shame.

 

From day one of our flight from Missouri to Honolulu was long but a good flight and ckecking into ship and was very smooth. I guess the only one negative feedback I can give was on day one was from 5 to 8 p.m. when the ship was loaded up and getting ready to ship out just after the muster training everyone was edgy from there long trips and tired and hungry.

NCL is making there transition from the 8 a.m. unloading of one cruise and reloading and cleaning for the new load to ship out that same day. The Aloha food bar the first evening is hammered really hard with all the travelers (like us) that hasn't had a meal flying all day (except our little pkg. of pretzels on the plane) and it's like a bunch of hungry wolves. The food bar was running out of food and not hardly a table to be found. After a good night sleep and starting day 1 of our cruise it was like someone had turned on a light switch and the food and service on the ship was excellent!!

 

MUST DO's:

 

*Rent from Thrifty with a Blue Chip Membership on each island. Best service we have ever had with a rental car. Example---on Kaua'i I had set up reservations for 10a.m. to 10a.m. the following day so we could sleep in the first day then drive up the north and east half of island first day and then get up early the second day and drive to Waimea Canyon before checking in car before shipping out at 2:00p.m. I'm an early riser so my wife slept in and I got off ship at 8:00 a.m. got on the Thrifty shuttle to cars and got our brand new convertible mustang and drove it back to ship pier and immediately went across the street and got my parking permit validated for $10 ( this is a must do). You will see why late in the day why it was so important to get the parking permit. It is full when you get back and you are guaranteed a place with permit. I got to the Thrifty rental at 8:30 (1 1/2 hours early) and asked the lady if there would be any chance of checking out early. Not only did she give me car early she told me to enjoy the car until 12 noon the next day and only charged us for one day!!!! My only suggestion after doing the Waimea Canyon on second day would be to check out car at 12 noon to 12 noon to allow enough time to get back to ship on second day and see the canyon.

 

Drive to Kilauea Lighthouse--One of the highlights of our trip. The setting is one you'll never forget. There is a $3 per person entry past gate to drive down to lighthouse. Well worth it after you get there and able to check out free pair of nice binoculars and view the whales along shore. Watched a whale slap it's tail over 20 times in the water without stopping.

 

Road to Hana--All the reviews in that it was long and grueling---well it is long but I had a hard time not stopping every chance I had and took pictures. It is a trip that is well worth every mile. We rented a jeep and having the top down and having the open air with the smells of the hillsides is another bonus. Incredible beauty and traffic no problem for us.

 

NCL Anniversary-Honeymooon Pkg.--It was $79 for a pre-cruise reservation for this. You don't have to have an actual anniversary or be on a honeymoon that's just what they call it. It is well worth it--adding a special touch to the romance. They'll have a personlized card to your wife in room with a tray of chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of wine and then during the week one evening a tray of hourderves (spelling?) delivered to your room as well as a free picture taken from ship.

Then to top it off you get a reservation at Li Bistros Restaurant one night with a bottle of wine. Nice pkg!!!

 

View the Bridge of Ship --I've always wanted to see the Captains view point of sailing a big ship. We'll my mistake was finding out the last day that you could actually go to deck 11 forward and there is a huge glass window you can see the entire Captains bridge as he along with his crew is at the controls of ship. My wife said that she's glad I didn't find out earlier in the week because I would of spent more time up there. It's like nothing you'd ever imagine it would look like. It reminded me of the old Star Trek shows. Got to see this!!!!

 

TO BE CONTINUED ON PART II--

[petefamily7@yahoo.com]

Your trip sounds wonderful so far!! We are getting very excited because we leave in 3 days!!! I don't have my Hawaii info out but can you tell me what island the lighthouse is on??

I am guessing Maui if my memory is correct!

Thanks, Angie

[candycane823]

Your trip sounds so relaxing and wonderful! I can't wait for Jan/08.

[PDAZ]

:D

Drive to Kilauea Lighthouse--One of the highlights of our trip. The setting is one you'll never forget. There is a $3 per person entry past gate to drive down to lighthouse. Well worth it after you get there and able to check out free pair of nice binoculars and view the whales along shore. Watched a whale slap it's tail over 20 times in the water without stopping.

 

 

Ditto! (Actually, it's a walk down to the lighthouse, not a drive). The area around the lighthouse is a wildlife refuge. You'll see Hawaiian geese and tons of sea birds -- really spectacular. This was our favorite stop in Kauai. BTW -- it's free to get in if you have a Golden Eagle pass...

[missourihusker]

Your trip sounds wonderful so far!! We are getting very excited because we leave in 3 days!!! I don't have my Hawaii info out but can you tell me what island the lighthouse is on??

I am guessing Maui if my memory is correct!

Thanks, Angie

 

The Lighthouse is located at the northern tip of Kaua'i just before Princeville off of HWY 56. It takes about 45 minutes to drive up there from your port at Nawiliwilli Harbor. There is scenic overlook just before you enter the gates to drive down to parking that is a picture you will see on front covers of magazines or on a calendar. It is breathtaking!!!!! Have your camera loaded.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Can't wait for part 2 - I leave Memorial Day on POH and getting more excited every day. Your positive review helps. I've ordered the anniversary package already. Do you get to decide what night to book your dinner reservation at LaBistro for the package? Or what night you get the canapes/horsdouvers?

[missourihusker]

Can't wait for part 2 - I leave Memorial Day on POH and getting more excited every day. Your positive review helps. I've ordered the anniversary package already. Do you get to decide what night to book your dinner reservation at LaBistro for the package? Or what night you get the canapes/horsdouvers?

 

*You can pick what night you want to reserve this meal. Just remember that the reservation desk opens at 7 a.m. every morning down on deck 7 midship by the main desk. Don't even bother trying to reserve by phone. I tried and it was busy all the time or it just rang all the time. The best thing to do is get down there right at 7 or after and there was only 1 to 4 people in line every day. Also, you can only reserve for that evening and the following day. You can't reserve for the whole week like they had done in the past. So just decide what restaurants you want to eat at for the 2 nights in a row and make them both at the same time. We ate at Jasmines, LaBistro's, Alizar's, Papa's Italian Restaurant, and The Grand Pacific. They were all really good. The horsdouvers were in our room when we returned from shore excursions like the third day. I don't know if you can request them on a certain day. Have a good time and take a big appetite!!!!

[missourihusker]

:D One word can describe this trip-----UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! Since booking this trip in December as a suprise Christmas present to my wife and reading all of the negative reviews I was really worried about this trip and what to expect. All I can say is if I had the money and the time and NCL would allow me another week I'd of stayed on the ship for another week and did the same intenerary all over again. This is one fabulous trip!! This was the first trip to Hawaii for both my wife and I and we saw almost every square mile of each island except on the northern island of the Big Island since in Kona was the only location we didn't rent a car. The incredible thing was how different from one island to the next the beauty was in the formation of the land, color of soil, and diverse types of trees and plants. If anyone is going on a trip to Hawaii and just stays at one island not knowing what they are missing just a short distance away to the other islands is a shame.

 

From day one of our flight from Missouri to Honolulu was long but a good flight and ckecking into ship and was very smooth. I guess the only one negative feedback I can give was on day one was from 5 to 8 p.m. when the ship was loaded up and getting ready to ship out just after the muster training everyone was edgy from there long trips and tired and hungry.

NCL is making there transition from the 8 a.m. unloading of one cruise and reloading and cleaning for the new load to ship out that same day. The Aloha food bar the first evening is hammered really hard with all the travelers (like us) that hasn't had a meal flying all day (except our little pkg. of pretzels on the plane) and it's like a bunch of hungry wolves. The food bar was running out of food and not hardly a table to be found. After a good night sleep and starting day 1 of our cruise it was like someone had turned on a light switch and the food and service on the ship was excellent!!

 

MUST DO's:

 

*Rent from Thrifty with a Blue Chip Membership on each island. Best service we have ever had with a rental car. Example---on Kaua'i I had set up reservations for 10a.m. to 10a.m. the following day so we could sleep in the first day then drive up the north and east half of island first day and then get up early the second day and drive to Waimea Canyon before checking in car before shipping out at 2:00p.m. I'm an early riser so my wife slept in and I got off ship at 8:00 a.m. got on the Thrifty shuttle to cars and got our brand new convertible mustang and drove it back to ship pier and immediately went across the street and got my parking permit validated for $10 ( this is a must do). You will see why late in the day why it was so important to get the parking permit. It is full when you get back and you are guaranteed a place with permit. I got to the Thrifty rental at 8:30 (1 1/2 hours early) and asked the lady if there would be any chance of checking out early. Not only did she give me car early she told me to enjoy the car until 12 noon the next day and only charged us for one day!!!! My only suggestion after doing the Waimea Canyon on second day would be to check out car at 12 noon to 12 noon to allow enough time to get back to ship on second day and see the canyon.

 

Drive to Kilauea Lighthouse--One of the highlights of our trip. The setting is one you'll never forget. There is a $3 per person entry past gate to drive down to lighthouse. Well worth it after you get there and able to check out free pair of nice binoculars and view the whales along shore. Watched a whale slap it's tail over 20 times in the water without stopping.

 

Road to Hana--All the reviews in that it was long and grueling---well it is long but I had a hard time not stopping every chance I had and took pictures. It is a trip that is well worth every mile. We rented a jeep and having the top down and having the open air with the smells of the hillsides is another bonus. Incredible beauty and traffic no problem for us.

 

NCL Anniversary-Honeymooon Pkg.--It was $79 for a pre-cruise reservation for this. You don't have to have an actual anniversary or be on a honeymoon that's just what they call it. It is well worth it--adding a special touch to the romance. They'll have a personlized card to your wife in room with a tray of chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of wine and then during the week one evening a tray of hourderves (spelling?) delivered to your room as well as a free picture taken from ship.

Then to top it off you get a reservation at Li Bistros Restaurant one night with a bottle of wine. Nice pkg!!!

 

View the Bridge of Ship --I've always wanted to see the Captains view point of sailing a big ship. We'll my mistake was finding out the last day that you could actually go to deck 11 forward and there is a huge glass window you can see the entire Captains bridge as he along with his crew is at the controls of ship. My wife said that she's glad I didn't find out earlier in the week because I would of spent more time up there. It's like nothing you'd ever imagine it would look like. It reminded me of the old Star Trek shows. Got to see this!!!!

 

TO BE CONTINUED ON PART II--

*Another suggestion we tried that worked for planning each day to save time and money was in the morning during breakfast at the Aloha Buffet I would make us a sandwich. There is bread for toast and the ham, cheese, and bacon tray you can make up a really good lunch. I took along a collapsable nylon cooler that stuffed in a suitcase that we'd put ice in from ice dispenser from Aloha buffet drink station before we went to room. Along with the apples, oranges and bananas at bar you won't have a problem filling your cooler. The first day off the ship with the rental car I suggested we went straight to the Walmart and got our stock of water and soda and any other snacks needed for our week.