Just returned from PoAM

[claudiamcf]

For those trying to decide between a cruise or land vacation, here's my two cents. I read several posts about how exhausting this cruise would be and didn't really believe them. BELIEVE THEM! You tend to get started early, tour or drive for several hours a day, eat dinner and collapse. I really felt like I missed out on the reasons I like to cruise, i.e relaxation, afternoon naps, reading books etc. The cruise was very nice but I was too tired to enjoy a great deal of it and even if we weren't feeling great one day, we pushed on because that was the only chance to see that island. On maui, it was obvious we were at a busy working port. The loaders beeped all day and our view/entertainment from Little Italy was of large containers and newly unloaded cars being shuttled back and forth. The balcony was not very appealing at that noise level. The other ports weren't quite as loud but it all depends on the volume of traffic. I think I would have preferred a land vacation, where you could space things out more. Maybe it would only be one island but there wouldn't be as much pressure to do something all day, every day. Now I need a vacation from my vacation!!!

[whale-watcher]

We combined our POAM cruise with a stay at Turtle Bay resort, although next time would add the resort stay after the cruise...

 

I would opt for a starboard balcony for better port views in Maui and Kauai next time (as I spent most of the NaPali sailby on the open deck).

 

There certainly are a lot of options for relaxing on the ship if you don't choose to spend the whole day touring (we returned to the ship fairly early in Kona, and our second day in Maui).

 

I agree that this is probably not the best Hawaiian vacation for those who would prefer to spend their holiday relaxing at the beach...but it did work out well for us, as we like to fill our days with a lot of different and varied activities (usually hiking in more remote areas that require some driving to reach, even if we were staying on the island itself).

 

It is a great way to see a lot of Hawaii in a short amount of time, but an entirely different vacation from your typical cruise! It is important for potential cruisers to decide on the type of vacation they are looking for (although the new itinerary will add quite a bit of sea time into the itinerary).

[HLP]

claudiamcf,

 

Thanks for your inputs. Having taken a Europe cruise a few years

back,Iknow exactly what you mean. Some nights after a long

port visit I didnt even want to go to dinner.

 

 

Whale-watcher

 

I was very intriqued reading your post on Hawaii. Im thinking of

duplicating your trip next year for our anniversary. If you were to

do it again knowing how port intensive the cruise is, would you

choose Turtle bay at the end of the cruise instead of the beginning?

 

Thanks

HLP

[whale-watcher]

claudiamcf,

 

Thanks for your inputs. Having taken a Europe cruise a few years

back,Iknow exactly what you mean. Some nights after a long

port visit I didnt even want to go to dinner.

 

 

Whale-watcher

 

I was very intriqued reading your post on Hawaii. Im thinking of

duplicating your trip next year for our anniversary. If you were to

do it again knowing how port intensive the cruise is, would you

choose Turtle bay at the end of the cruise instead of the beginning?

 

Thanks

HLP

It was nice to have a few days at the beginning to adjust to the time change and veg out a bit...but I also would have enjoyed a night or two at the end as well...next time we might spend a night or two in Waikiki to start with, and end up at turtle bay or a similar low-keyed resort for a few days of R and R afterwards...or even just rent a condo with a nice ocean view and camp out on the Lanai with a pair of binoculars and watch the whales go by....I will say that flying home (coach) on a red-eye flight the same day you disembark the ship is NOT the ideal way to wrap up a Hawaiian vacation, but school schedules did not allow us to structure our itinerary any other way.

[AZGrandma]

For those trying to decide between a cruise or land vacation, here's my two cents. I read several posts about how exhausting this cruise would be and didn't really believe them. BELIEVE THEM! You tend to get started early, tour or drive for several hours a day, eat dinner and collapse. I really felt like I missed out on the reasons I like to cruise, i.e relaxation, afternoon naps, reading books etc. The cruise was very nice but I was too tired to enjoy a great deal of it and even if we weren't feeling great one day, we pushed on because that was the only chance to see that island. On maui, it was obvious we were at a busy working port. The loaders beeped all day and our view/entertainment from Little Italy was of large containers and newly unloaded cars being shuttled back and forth. The balcony was not very appealing at that noise level. The other ports weren't quite as loud but it all depends on the volume of traffic. I think I would have preferred a land vacation, where you could space things out more. Maybe it would only be one island but there wouldn't be as much pressure to do something all day, every day. Now I need a vacation from my vacation!!!

 

I have to agree that this is a busy cruise - or, at least, you should WANT it to be. As the OP has noted, staying on ship in port will not always be anything to write home about, if it is one of the very industrial ports. Kauai is the one pretty port, really. The others are nothing to stay on ship and gaze at leisurely. So, plan to GO and SEE Hawaii every day.

 

So, while I agree this is and should be a busy cruise, that is NOT reason to stay away. Pick another cruise to relax; pick this one to go and see and do. IT was wonderful. The islands were very welcoming!

 

That's what I went for. Once I returned, I realized there had been TWO things kept this from being a leisurely, sit-around-on-deck-reading-and-dozing cruise: my desire for a land-based itinerary at each island; and, my kids. I'm pretty sure that even if we had stayed on the ship, I wouldn't have had the leisure time I did on my first cruise when it was just my DH and I. The kids always had something they wanted me to watch/see/do.

 

But, if you are a couple only, you could definitely fit in some time to relax. The first day in Oahu you could relax on ship without looking at too ugly of a port (I remember scenery, so there must be one pretty side ;-) and as I noted, you could do that in Kauai. The ship is in a small harbor with a view of a lighthouse and tall, green mountainsides.

 

In between, plan on getting out and about! And falling asleep at 9pm!

 

It was all worth it.

 

Leslie

[beachchick]

I guess I've got a different take on the cruise. It's true that the port areas are primarily industrial and certainly no place I'd want to hang out, but there's nothing wrong with having some time on the ship relaxing, say at the spa or around the pool, etc. For Lahaina and Kona, you are tendered offshore and the scenery is beautiful, so those are good ports for relaxing on the balcony. At Hilo, the side of the ship facing away from the pier has beautiful views of Hilo town; at Nawiliwili, the side of the ship facing away from the pier has views of the harbor hills; at Kahului, the side of the ship facing away from the pier has views of Kahului, Wailuku, and into the valley.

 

What I disagree with is the concept that this should or must be a constantly high-activity, high-intensity cruise. There's no rule that you've got to cram every day full to the brim until you're so exhausted you forgot why you came to Hawaii in the first place. Even when you're off the ship, you can plan nice relaxing time on the beaches, sit by the water, or take a leisurely drive with places to simply stop and smell the plumeria. Please don't make a decision based solely on the fact that the ship is in port all day, every day. It's great that the "Pride" cruises have so much port time, but it's not a requirement to make every single minute "count" in some way.

 

Those who "know" me know I'm pretty infamous for believing that all visits to Hawaii should have built in quiet time. I do understand that some people truly do want to go-go-go to the point of exhaustion, and if that's what makes them happy, then they should go ahead and do it. However, if that's not someone's usual MO, then they should go ahead and plan accordingly with times to relax, regroup, recharge, and just "be" in Hawaii. While I respect that different people have different priorities (and that not everyone believes in our personal Hawaii "style"), I disagree with the belief that the "Pride" cruises somehow obligate pax to be on the go constantly.

 

Now that I've ranted all that, I must confess that we agree that land trips are the best way to see Hawaii in depth. Cruising allows a tiny taste of the different islands. A cruise combined with land days is an excellent mix of the two. If this will be a once in a lifetime trip, then a choice has to be made between getting a "sampler" of Hawaii or spending time on one or two of the islands and getting to the know them better. Each island has its own vibe and feel; each is wonderful in its own way; each has literally a hundred things to see and do, so it's completely impossible to see/do it all or even most--not even if you have a week on each island.

 

The bottom line is that Hawaii is a wonderful place to visit whether by land or by cruise (or by both). We truly enjoyed our PoH cruise, but also made sure we had 5 nights on Maui before and 5 nights on Oahu after.

 

As always, JMO.

 

beachchick

[seamare]

It was nice to have a few days at the beginning to adjust to the time change and veg out a bit...but I also would have enjoyed a night or two at the end as well...next time we might spend a night or two in Waikiki to start with, and end up at turtle bay or a similar low-keyed resort for a few days of R and R afterwards...or even just rent a condo with a nice ocean view and camp out on the Lanai with a pair of binoculars and watch the whales go by....I will say that flying home (coach) on a red-eye flight the same day you disembark the ship is NOT the ideal way to wrap up a Hawaiian vacation, but school schedules did not allow us to structure our itinerary any other way.

 

Could you tell me more about Turtle Bay - we are doing a post cruise night there and have read mix reviews - Thanks.

[whale-watcher]

Could you tell me more about Turtle Bay - we are doing a post cruise night there and have read mix reviews - Thanks.

The main selling point of TB for us was the out of the way location...it is located on a stunning piece of property, a peninsula tha juts out into the ocean. One side has a nice pool area and views of turtle bay, which is popular with surfers. The other side faces Kulima cove, which is sheltered enough for swimming and snorkeling, even on high surf days. You can walk for miles along the beach with no houses or condos (or even other people, for the most part), and there are some amazingly beautiful and picturesque vistas.

 

The hotel itself is well run. The staff is friendly and helpful. The lobby area is spacious, and the rooms are large and clean and well maintained. This is NOT a five-star luxury resort along the lines of 4 seasons or ritz, but that is a good thing, as far as we are concerned.

 

There are quite a few dining options...all expensive, but all that we tried were good. The Mai tais and Lava flows at the poolside grill were fantastic.

 

If your goal is to be close to nightlife, and to be pampered with 5-star luxury, then TB is not for you; if you want to stay in a spectacular natural setting, close to a lot of the north shore highlights, and with lots options for outdoor recreation (we LOVED the horseback ride; the scenery was supurb) you will be happy there.

 

Ask for a room on the top floor for a better view...ours face somewhat inland, but had a lovely view of the pool area and turtle bay (although I could not watch for whales from the Lanai).

 

Note that the point where TB is located is rather windy..the pool area is somewhat sheltered, as is kulima cove, but if you really dislike wind, you might still find it annoying.

 

We also read the mixed reviews of TB before hand (as well as the mixed reviews of the POAM, for that matter), but often you can tell a lot about the perspective of the reviewer and decide whether you share that same perspective or not...we all have different likes and dislikes, but we would stay at TB again if we choose to spend time on Oahu pre or post cruise; there simply is nothing else quite like it anywhere on the island!