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Personally if I only had one night in Honolulu I wouldn't waste it at a luau.

 

I'd go to The House Without A Key for cocktails and then go to Orchids, Hula Grill or Michel's at the Colony Surf. These are 4* and 5* restaurants. Luaus are 2* meals with 4* entertainment.

 

If I HAD to choose a luau it would be Hale Koa, but you need a DOD connection to get in. My next choice would be Chief's Luau or Paradise Cove.

Scott, would you recommend Hale Koa over the Polynesian Cultural Center's luau? We are staying at Hale Koa.

In our Bliss balcony cabin the mini fridge contents were stashed in one of the drawers under the couch.

If you are retired military there is no place better in Waikiki than the Hale Koa.

 

It is also my favorite luau on Oahu.

Thanks Scott! Are there any other things I should look into where retired military get additional perks / discounts?

Hello cruisers!

We are cruising to Hawaii in October and wanting to go to the beach in Oahu. Being retired military we can use the beach at Fort Derussy. Wondering the cost of a taxi from the cruise port to Waikiki?

Thanks!!!

Sorry, can't help you with taxi info, but thanks for specifying you were going to Fort Derussy beach. I didn't know about it so I started googling and ended up finding out about Hale KOA Hotel (DH is retired Navy). Great prices and what looks to be a beautiful beach front hotel. We are planning on spending 4 days in Waikiki after our cruise next year and was just starting to look at hotels. My search may be over :)

We were on the Bliss last month and yes, we were able to pick a "arrive at terminal" time window. To be honest I don't remember how far out it was but am pretty sure it was well before final payment. But remember, it's a time frame to arrive at the terminal, not embark. Our time was 9:30 - 10:00 but they didn't even start letting people on until closer to 11:00 and we were in group 4 I think. That said, we were on the ship before noon.

We ate at Margaritaville. It's a charge restaurant ($14.95 pp), but was pretty empty. Just stay away from the buffet - as you board they will try to steer you in that direction so I imagine it was a madhouse.

Only outlets I saw were by the desk (we were in a balcony room).

If you have a rental car I assume you could go over to Pearl and get a temp pass for your rental and then head to Ford Island. There is navy housing and some other navy stuff there. Plus you would also have the benefit of being able to see the Utah which you don't get to see when taking the bus. There is parking near the aviation museum and i can only assume there is some near the Missouri as well.

Thanks for the info!! We were already thinking about renting a car and this info may just seal the deal.

Sunday night (2nd night)

I booked a cruise this past Tuesday, sailing in October 2019. We chose the free pre-cruise hotel and was told it would be the Hilton as well. Doesn't seem like they would have filled the Marriott this early on so maybe the Hilton is the new hotel they are partnering with.

Keep in mind this very important fact...the USS Missouri (as well as the aviation museum) are on a active naval base. (Ford Island) the ONLY way to visit them (assuming you are not active duty or retired military) is to take the bus from the visitors center at PH. (Where is arizona visitor center is)

Dave, what if we ARE retired Navy? Wouldn't we still have to take the bus from the visitors center?

Does the $100 past guest obc only apply to certain cruises? I booked Hawaii on the Pride of America last night and only received $100.00, which was part of the current promotion. This is my second cruise on NCL.

Are you saying there is a Howl at the Moon on POA?? 🙏🏻

I'd love to know too!! Our first NCL cruise was on the Bliss, which doesn't have Howl at the Moon. Dueling Piano shows are a lot of fun!

I was in 9702 and had no issue with soot or other debris. Enjoy your cruise, it is wonderful.

Good to hear!! How about the cabin size? Is an aft balcony cabin the same size as a regular balcony cabin?

And a second question - does the POA have issues with soot on the aft balconies as I have heard other ships do? Maybe soot is an issue with all aft cabins . . . . Thanks!

Looking at the stateroom descriptions on the website it says a regular balcony room is 178 sq ft, a large balcony room is 217 – 233 sq ft and an aft large balcony is 227 – 233 sq ft. Is the differences in square footage all for the balcony, meaning are the cabins themselves all the same size? They use the same picture for every different balcony room, so I’m guessing the extra space is only in the balcony – is that correct? And if that is correct, the aft balcony is no wider than a regular balcony, just deeper? If it matters we are looking at deck 9.

Thanks for the great review and lots of info!! Got back from Alaska on the Bliss a week ago and are already planning our next cruise - Hawaii in Oct 2019. So I am a sponge for information and reviews :)

The Haven also has a designated outdoor smoking area.

 

Tracy

Regarding smoking on the Bliss, from what I read on other posts, there is only 3 places to smoke. In the enclosed casino (when open), the cigar lounge, and one section at H20 (not at the bar). If its different than that, I will post what I found, boarding Bliss this Saturday.

Just off the Bliss. Can confirm smoking only in Casino (when open AND when gambling), cigar lounge and H20 (also Haven for those staying there). While there is no smoking AT the bar in H20, the smoking section is right next to the bar and the bartenders were really good about keeping our drinks full :cool: There are about 6 tables with nice patio chairs - 2 of the tables are in a covered area and the others have umbrellas. There is also a bathroom right next to the tables. While it was a hike to get there if you are in another area of the ship it is really a nice area to hang out in. Only drawback was H20 was closed for an hour two different evenings for a private party. H20 was also closed for an entire evening for maintenance, but on that night they let us smoke somewhere at the front of the ship (maybe near Vibe???) Again, next to a bar and bathroom.

Is Bliss enforcing cigars only in humidor?

 

I was on the Bliss last week. While I did not try to smoke in the cigar lounge, several people did and said it really depended on the who was in the lounge. Some didn't say anything to people smoking cigarettes but others were kicked out. Funny that they don't want cigarettes in there but cigar smokers were always up on deck 17 with us cigarette smokers :):)

Getting back to this question, the second comedian is Flip Shultz (sp?). Personally, I enjoyed Greg a little bit more but both were quite funny. Not disappointed.

Thanks! Hoping to see them both. Will see if either of them are on You Tube.

How early can you drop bags off with the porters? I didn't realize that was an option but would enjoy having some time to wander around Pike Market.

Following along with you - we will be boarding as you are coming off :):) You mentioned the comedian you saw was Greg Warren - who is the second one? Also, I have read lots of good things about the band Siglo that plays around the ship; are they still on board?

Thanks for taking the time to share your trip with us!!

Depending on who you are flying with I received a list of things I could bring on board. Only small purse/fanny pack, binoculars, camera and lenses. NO big camera bags, shopping bags, or back packs, or purses. They will be stored for us at the office.

Thank you for the heads up. We haven't received any such list but it certainly makes sense as I don't imagine there is much storage space on the planes. We will be sure to bring only what fits in our pockets!

Thanks for everyone's responses! Sounds like we will dress in layers (as is the Alaskan way) for the outside weather and shed layers as needed.

We have a float plane excursion while in Ketchican and was wondering how to dress. Would it be appropriate to dress for the outside weather or is it colder while up in the air? Never been in a smaller plane like this.

Pam