Very Long Review of December 1-12 Pride of Aloha

[Hawaiian Mongoose]

:) Aloha to all,

I just posted a very long review of our December 1-12 cruise on the Pride of Aloha.

:)

Patric

:)

[lynnemac]

Where might we find it?

 

Mac:) :) :)

[Hawaiian Mongoose]

Select Reviews above, then Member Reviews and then select Pride of Aloha. Questions? Let me know. Aloha. Patric.

[Kelownacruiser]

Thanks for the great review. We're on the 12/22 POA sailing and glad to hear you had a great time. Funny note. Someone else posted a review of the same cruise and had an awful time. I think some people can find things wrong with anything.

 

Ross

[kapoho2]

Great review. We also really enjoyed the Pride of Aloha. I find it to be a very "comfortable" ship.

 

Glad you enjoyed your day in Puna. I believe I was the one who provided you with the itinerary ;)

[tbthomps]

Thanks for the review. I enjoy seeing a positive spin on this ship's reviews; everyone's opinion seem to vary so!!

 

:)

[CC Help Michell]

Patric, as I said on the main NCL board thread, I think "Mary" must live her life in a pickle jar! :) Glad you have a much more balanced outlook and are able to furnish so much helpful info to future cruisers. Mahalo for taking the time to do so!

[Hawaiian Mongoose]

who posted the kind remarks above. I thoroughly enjoyed preparing the review, not near as much as doing the on-the-scene research!!!! It is a little bit of payback for all the many tips I received here on CC that made our trip so memorable.

 

 

Concerning the dissenting opinion in the other review that was mentioned briefly on the NCL forum, it is hard to believe that "Mary" was on the same cruise as our family group and the dozens/hundreds of other happy cruisers we met and sailed with. I'm sure that "Mary" missed the whole spirit of Aloha, and that is so sad. She has wasted more than she even realizes.

 

Aloha and Adios. Patric:)

[TATAR63]

:confused: Makes me wonder if "Mary" was really on the ship and is just posting a review to be negative.

[giraffenana]

Thank you FFMongoose for the great review. We are on the 2/23 sailing, which also goes to Fanning Island. It was good to see such a positive (although a few negatives) review of the Pride of Aloha. I know we will have a great time, because we always do, even though things are rarely perfect.

 

Thanks also for the tips on the ports. We are also renting a car in each port. We have cruised Hawaii twice before on the NCL Star and have been to the islands more times than I can count. We have two Hawaii novices sailing with us, so we will have fun showing them things we have discovered.

 

One thing I don't know about is the "Puna District" near Hilo. Can you enlighten me on this, please?

 

Joy

[Hawaiian Mongoose]

A few months ago when we were planning our cruise, there were a lot of threads/discussions on secrets of Puna tours. We have been to the volcano and wanted to just explore some areas new to us. One wonderful CC poster, a resident of the area, replied with the details of how to tour the Puna area, which is south of Hilo. I cut and pasted her advice but did not save her name or link. If you search for Puna, or secrets of Puna you may find it. I will give you what I recall from memory. You leave Hilo on SR 11 towards the volcano. Look for and take SR 130 towards Pahoa. In or just beyond Pahoa take SR 132. Stop at Lava Tree State Park. Then continue down to the ocean, turning onto SR 137, called the red road by locals, mostly 1 and 1/2 lanes but very drivable. Almost immediately there is a subdivision on the left, ocean side. Wander into there, ask for directions to the tidal pools. Back on the road along the ocean there are many turnouts and state/county parks. Ahalanui Park has a warm salt water pool/pond that seems very popular with the locals. Continue on the road towards Kalapana. Just at or near the intersection with SR 130 there is a small lunch stand. We ate there on CC poster recommendation. It was good and it was there! Across from it is the lava fields and the black sand beach we did not hike to. Take SR 130 back to Pahoa and Hilo. (I confess that I cheated, and used Google Maps and found "Lava Tree State Park" to jog my memory). It was offbeat, off the beaten path and generally a nice area to explore. The little towns like Pahoa are also there to explore though we did not due to time. Hope this helps. Enjoy. Aloha. Patric.

[kapoho2]

Joyart.....I am the person who posted the details for exploring the Puna area. But, if you are traveling with two "Hawai novices" you MUST take them to Volcano National Park when you are in Hilo!! Save the Puna area and the red road for the next time you come back ;)

[Hawaiian Mongoose]

Joyart.....I am the person who posted the details for exploring the Puna area. But, if you are traveling with two "Hawai novices" you MUST take them to Volcano National Park when you are in Hilo!! Save the Puna area and the red road for the next time you come back ;)

Warmest mahalo to you. Your directions were spot on and we enjoyed our explorations in your neighboor tremendously. Aloha. Patric.