mooline

We are in the same situation, Nellie. Just yesterday, the airline advised that our departure time is changed from 4:30 to 3:30. That one hour makes a huge difference; we had arranged a private island tour, but now have limited time for stops. Probably not worth it given the cost. Back to searching for options …

Thanks, Scott! We're excited for Nutridge!

Related question (I hope...) I've heard that it gets cool in the evening and a sweater isn't a bad idea for a luau - is this true? I'm specifically asking about mid- June but others may wonder about different times of the year. And specifically for you, Scottca075, since Nutridge is in a higher elevation, I assume the evening is quite likely to be cool there? (We're from FL so "cool" means low 60's and below... That may be a heat wave to others! 🙂 )

NorwayLady, did you do the Captain Zodiac excursion in Kona and if so, how did you like it? We're looking at this for our cruise in June, but I'm a little concerned by a few reviews that say the ride is exceptionally rough and "you will feel it the next day". So many reviews are highly positive, though!

Darren, when is your cruise? We've booked Experience Nutridge for June 16, based on the recommendations here and many positive reviews on sites like Trip Advisor. If you're sailing after us, I'll be happy to circle back and post a review.

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate the quick replies. We'll just "wing it", then! Sounds like we have a good option with the buffet.

Hi everyone, Wondering is any of you had advice regarding Honolulu sailaway on POA. We're a family of 6, including 2 littles, ages 6 and 11. Since we're scheduled to leave at 7 pm and I'm assuming that room service isn't available before leaving port (because all of the staff are so busy) we're thinking about pre-ordering NCL's sandwiches, fruit, cheese, and cookies to have a light dinner as we head out to sea. We're in suites with nice balconies, so this seemed like a good option and a way to enjoy the scenery without the crowd. BUT: is this a nutty idea, given that so much food is available free of charge on the ship? How good is NCL's pre-ordered food? Should we just plan to eat at the buffet around 5:30 or 6 pm along with the rest of the world, or maybe the dining room...but I'd be afraid we'd really need to rush through the meal in order to get back to the room before we shove off. Also, we have early shore excursions the next day, and none of us are late night people, if that helps you to give us guidance. Any ideas/thoughts, or firsthand experiences are welcomed! Thanks so much!

Have booked the Ocean Center; they are doing a morning excursion and will be back on the ship for a late lunch. Hopefully with many off on shore excursions they can enjoy a little less crowded time at the pool, or maybe the Kids Club will be open and Grampy can catch a nap! 😜 Thanks so much to all for the awesome guidance!!

Thank you! We’re booked, only specialty restaurants open on the POA, according to the NCL Concierge desk, are Cagney’s and LeBistro. We booked 2 nights at Cagney’s, as LeBistro seems a little too “gourmet” for the kids (and a couple of the adults…) Planning to just go a la carte for the kids, or maybe buy a 2 dinner package for the older one only and do a la carte for the little one.

Hi everyone, 120 days from today we'll be boarding the POA! We have 2 specialty dining packages for each adult in our group and wonder if it's worth adding them for the kids (girls ages 11 and 6). Or, should they just order a la carte? Either one of the kids could eat everything on the menu - or nothing, on any given night 🤪. I see that the price is the same, comes to $50 plus per person per meal; that's a LOT for a kiddo! An add-on question: If you had just 2 choices of speciality restaurant on the POA, what would you choose (for a family)? I'm thinking Cagney's, since most are steak lovers, and maybe the Italian restaurant?

Thank you both. So, it looks like the sub can work, but the downside is a possibly long bus ride. We'll be past whale season (June), but still something to consider. Two votes for the Ocean Center! Good to hear. My hesitation with that excursion is she has been to some very good animal parks/aquariums. Nonetheless, it may be a great option! One more consideration: Of these two choices (sub and Ocean Center, each with associated shopping and meal options) which one is likely to have better and safer bathroom options (e.g. : a "family bathroom")? I know this may sound absurd, but I (GMom) do have a little anxiety over how to manage this, given that he may need privacy if he has to go, and the world is too crazy to let her go into a multi stall public restroom by herself. Thanks to all of you for all of your help with this!

With so many port days (and two overnights) on POA, I’m curious to know what’s typically open or closed during days when in port. Is there enough to do on the ship to enjoy a port day on board? Is the Kids Club open? Yes, I know that this is Hawaii… why stay on the ship? But some in our group are extreme introverts and look forward to a day or part of a day when pools and decks have smaller to no crowds.

Ok, then, this may be coming together. In addition to the Lahaina on your own, there's the Atlantis sub, with time after to explore Lahaina. We've done a sub in Grand Cayman, so Grampy has an idea of what to expect on that, but the 6 year old has never been on a boat, let alone a sub. (Of course, she will be on a BIG boat on the ride to Maui!) Thoughts?

Well, we've finally settled on this - and there is a lot of research behind our selection. We'll be doing the private lunch ride with Triple L Ranch. We're able to do the ride on Sunday, a day when the ship is overnighting in port (so no worries about missing the departure). Triple L's staff was incredibly responsive and accommodating. The private ride, with lunch, was exactly what we wanted. The experienced rider isn't worried about being bored. Since she is on a competitive show team at her barn, she said the thought of riding with no pressure, just to take in the scenery and enjoy the horse, will be wonderful. Spoken like the true introvert she is! We'll be using Aloha Maui Limo to drive us, wait and return us to the ship. That company was also very responsive to our inquiries. Will offer a full review after we return - not until June, but hopefully worth the wait! 🙂

Scottca075, I saw your comments on another post in this forum asking about options for Maui, and Lahaina was mentioned. There is an option to take a motorcoach sponsored by our ship and spend the day in Lahaina. Might this be a better option for Grampy and his belle? it's cheaper than the NorthShore tour, by a lot, but honestly money isn't the driving factor in our choices. What in Lahaina would most appeal to a 6 year old (who does like art, has never been on a motor coach, eats constantly, and loves to spend her grandparents' money)? Lahaina looks a bit like Key West from the video and description on NCL's website - is that an accurate assumption? By the way, on our second second day in Maui, all of the family is doing the Molokini Crater & Snorkel Tour, just so you have frame of reference. Really appreciating everyone's input, ideas and help. 🙂

We are on POA, so docking in Kahului. We've actually just booked the riding experience. We're going to Triple L in Kula, which I understand is 5 minutes from Maui Wine, if that helps. (I’m not concerned about distance, since we're overnight in port that day.) Grampy and his pal don’t have to do something nearby the ranch, anywhere is ok. One ship sponsored shore excursion I’m thinking of is called North Shore Beach and Waterfall Walk. Looks like a combo of sightseeing, shopping and sit down lunch, all on the North Shore. Thoughts? I do like the options suggested by you, Silver Sweethearts, and will take a look at those. Might make for a shorter day, and they will have the ship right there for easy return if she gets bored or antsy (or if she spends all of his money!). With this added clarification, any other ideas? Thanks to all! 💕

Another option - We (6 of us) are in the same boat (pun intended) and have 2 kids in tow. We're doing 2 days in HNL on the front end, so with work schedules, extra time on the back end isn't an option. We booked a private tour to pick us up at the ship, and drop us at the airport in time for our flight. The tour company was VERY quick to respond and has been very accommodating - offering many options for us for the day, but we can customize every thing right up to day of. (We found the tour operator through ratings on Trip Advisor. I hesitate to say the company name, as we haven't been on the tour yet so I don't think I'm allowed to mention it here.) This isn't cheap, but it offered tremendous flexibility, rides from the port and to the airport, a way to hold our bags, and the ability to arrange fun things to do, all with one reservation. To keep the cost down, you could always get to the airport earlier than you need (this type of tours books by the hour). Our trip isn't until June but I'll be happy to come back and offer a review then!

PixiTrix, wondering what luau if any you booked, and how you liked it. We just booked Nutridge for June, for 6 of us. When I presented options to the family, the two introverts looked pale when I mentioned 200+ people and loud, over the top entertainment at the traditional luaus. Nutridge won because of them. The extroverts will deal; they'll be fast friends with every performer and guest before the end of the night. 😆

Hi everyone, Four of us in a group of 6 are going horseback riding on Maui. Our sweet 6 year old granddaughter just misses the min age for riding, and 6' 5" Grampy exceed the weight limit (even though he's not huge!) What ideas can you offer for a fun time for the two of them? He's very active, as is she (of course). They spend a lot of time together and greatly enjoy each other's company. She is 6 going on 26... All ideas welcome, especially fun, wacky, and creative ones!

Greetings, just wondering if anyone has current info on the kids' club hours aboard POA. Specifically wondering if the club is open when in port, especially the overnights (Maui and Kauai). I know that generally the clubs are closed in port, but wonder if anything is different aboard POA. Many thanks!

Yes, we did research Makani Olu on your earlier recommendation, and that's one of our options as well. It appears to be a little further away, which isn't a dealbreaker. They do have Sunday options, but the challenge is the starting times of the rides, vs when the ship docks and how quickly we can get off. Makani Olu is a slightly longer ride, which will be appealing if we can make Sunday work. Thank you for your help!

Such an awesome review, Paula! Many thanks for this great information. I'm interested to hear about the "down day" - Noticing how port intensive the cruise is, I thought about the same thing. No reason to feel we "have" to do something specific in each port, especially if there isn't a tour that gets everyone really excited. Like you, we enjoy just sitting on the balcony watching the world go by. Sounds like it will be the ideal place to do just that. Thanks again; your guidance is so very much appreciated.

Thanks so much, Paula! Very happy to hear that the cruise was great for you! Any tips/hints/advice, especially for those who are first time on this ship?

Anyone have a comment on POA's wifi?

Thanks, Paula! Hope you're having a great time! Are you also experiencing the "pleasant surprise" of good service and a better than expected experience? Can you tell us what time you were able to disembark in Maui on Sunday? I'm thinking about arranging for a horseback ride on either Sunday or Monday, with a preference for Sunday so we don't have any risk of missing the ship as it departs. However, not sure we'll be off the ship early enough to get to the ranches in time for the start of the rides. (We'll probably arrange a private car service to pick us up at the ship, wait, and bring us back.) Thanks so much!