Pride of America - Wonderful Trip

Hello all

We just got back on May 6th from our Hawaii Trip. Lots of planning to make this a reality and overall everything went very well. I will try to break it down day by day and try to get everything in over the next day or two.

It was just me and my husband on this trip. We are both in our early 50's and from upstate NY. We like a little adventure and a little downtime as well.

We booked the actual trip through Icruise.com. I stumbled onto the site while looking for prices. This package we bought was for 2 nights pre-cruise hotel at Waikiki Resort Hotel, transfers from the plane with a lei greeting, Pearl Harbor and city tour, pre-paid gratuities, 7 night cruise in an ocean view room and transfer to the ship from the hotel. The price was very reasonable. In fact the whole trip was cheaper then what NCL had on their website. I booked my air through my credit card company and with my points one flight was totally paid for. excursion I booked myself as well.

We left for Hawaii on Thursday morning and arrived at 2pm Hawaii Time. The person who was supposed to meet us for the lei greeting was no where to be seen. We grabbed our luggage and went to look for someone who could help us. they finally showed up around a half hour later. The lei greeting was kind of anti-climatic as we were already off the plane and waiting with our luggage. We waited another 10-15 minutes for the actual shuttle.

Waikiki Resort Hotel was very nice. Just a block from the beach and walking distance to shopping, attractions..etc. Hotel was clean and the room was nice as well. Nothing overly fancy but perfect for what we needed it for. The free breakfast buffet was plentiful and delicious and they opened up early for those of us on tours.

We were pretty tired after our flight so we went for an early dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. We try to visit every Hard Rock when there is one in a city we are visiting. We walked by beach after. The sunset was glorious.

Friday - We had an early breakfast and then met our driver for the Pearl Harbor Tour. This tour is a must do! Robert's Hawaii was our tour operator. They pretty much drop you off and give you all the info and you are free for quite awhile. We were able to explore the area on our own and given a time for the movie and Arizona boat ride to the memorial. Very moving experience. We also met a man who was a witness to the events at Pearl Harbor. He was also in the war. We spent a little time chatting with him. He was a wealth of knowledge. He even signed the books we purchased. After we were picked up we got a quick ride through the Punchbowl cemetery and a quick town tour.

The afternoon it started getting very rainy and we had a catamaran ride scheduled. We still went ahead with it and we were glad we did. Yes we got soaked but it was a blast. We obtained the tour through Mai Tai Catamaran and with our Groupon the ride was $35 total! They even gave us free Mai Tai's because the weather was crummy. We saw green turtles swimming while we were out. So much fun!

After we dried off we had dinner and explored a little more.

Saturday morning we had breakfast at the hotel again and then ventured out a bit before our scheduled transfer to the ship. We walked along the beach for a bit and visited a few souvenir shops as well. It was a lovely few days but it was time to explore rest of the islands.

The shuttle picked us up around noon and we were on the ship by 1pm.

Up next - our first impressions.

Will be following along as Hawaii is a possibility for our 40th anniversary next year. :)

Embarkation was pretty easy. Our luggage was taken upon arrival and as we went to line up to get our cards we were greeted with lei's, a very nice touch! After a short wait in line we were getting our photo taken and we were onboard!

It was a little crazy at first. we went up to I think deck 11 and they had a small buffet out. The Alohas Cafe was open as well but I figured it would be super crowded. This area I think was the Key West Grill. It was busy but not crazy. After lunch we went to the lido bar and got our first drinks. Don't get the Pina Colada. It was the worse drink I ever had. The drink came out of a machine and had no flavor and was so solid I needed a spoon! Also - drinks are super expensive. We did not get too many on this trip.

Our room was ready around 4pm. We were in room 4092. I never book a lower floor or a room without a balcony so I was a bit worried if I would like it. I was pleasantly surprised. The room was bigger then I thought it would be and there was plenty of storage space. The closet had a lot of hangers and shelves and there was also 2 set of drawers, a safe, a small fridge and a few more small shelves. Suitcases fit under the bed and we had a good size window. We also loved that were were very close to the stairs that led to the gangway and up one floor to the main dining rooms and atrium. Perfect location actually.

We had reservations at the Liberty dining room so we dressed up as we thought we had to. Come to find out we didn't have to on the first night. We wish we had known that. Food was decent. We did opt for purchasing a bottle of wine to save a few bucks.

We explored the ship and took in the preview show. We did turn in early as we wanted to get an early start the next day.

I will say the ship is very pretty. Nothing fancy but very clean and easy to get around.

One other tip..If you drink soda purchase cans from the onboard store. Cheaper then getting one at the bar.

Up Next - Maui

Thank you for a great intro. Had my eye on this cruise, can't wait to hear more.

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Thanks for the review Salem615, how far was the Hard Rock from the hotel? I need to p/u a cap for family. Cruise is next week. TIA Debbie

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We were up and out around 8:30. We had rented a car for the first day so we could explore on our own.

We had breakfast at the Cadillac Diner. It was a fun atmosphere and the food was good. Service was a bit spotty though.

Shuttles were already out to take people to the airport for car rentals. We booked a Mustang from Avis as my hubby had wanted to explore in style! I thought I had booked a convertible but found out we had to pay more for one. (Yes we did pay the extra). It was a quick process and we were out and about in no time. The car had an onboard GPS so that was a plus.

Our first stop was the tropical plantation. We were a bit early for the tours so we walked around a bit. It was a beautiful place! So lush and so many plants and trees. I took a ton of photos. The tour itself was a bit pricey. ($20 per person). It was an okay tour but very short and it felt rushed. I didn't think it was worth the price. We did see a lot of crops and also a coconut husking demo.

Next stop was Iao Valley. This was a very small park but worth a visit. It was a bit of a challenge to park as the lot was tiny but we found a place and a short hike were were viewing the Iao landmark. Beautiful scenery here.

After we left Iao Valley we went to Paia. My husband wanted to eat lunch at Charley's. Paia is a very cute little town and Charley's was worth a visit as well. Good food and a fun atmosphere. The town itself was fun to explore as well. Lots of cute little shops.

We decided to do a little of the Road to Hana. By this time it was raining a little so we had to put the top up on the Mustang. Big bummer! I will say the Road to Hana was not hard to drive but the twisty sections did make my husband a bit nauseous. We got to about the halfway point and turned around. Honestly I was not impressed. I was glad we did not do the excursion. 8-10 hours on a bus would not have been fun! We did see some pretty sights though and also got great banana bread at a road side stand!

We returned the car around 5:30 and went back to the ship. We had dinner at the buffet that night. Food was plentiful and very good. After dinner we watched a show and turned in early again. The time change was still messing with my hubby a bit. (We are from NY - 6 hour time difference)

Our second day we visited Lahaina. We booked the excursion with NCL. It was a bit pricey for just basically a ride to town. Next time I think I would keep the car another day or look for an alternative way over. I will say Lahaina was a highlight for us both. Such a pretty seaside town. The Banyon tree was impressive! The views of the ocean were beautiful. We had a wonderful day out and the weather was perfect! (Be warned though of the people selling face creams. They are very aggressive!)

After getting back on the ship we dressed up in our matching Hawaiian outfits to get some pictures done. The photographers were all great and did a nice job of posing us. It was hard to decide later on which photos we wanted.

We had a reservation at Cagney's that night. Service and food were amazing. We did not have a package so we paid for our meal. I do think if we did the trip again we would do the meal package. We priced it onboard and it was way more expensive then doing it beforehand.

I think we watched the magic show this evening. It was pretty good, nothing spectacular.

One other note - After the disaster Pina Colada I stuck to the drink of the day and was never disappointed. Also - in the AM Bloody Mary's and Mimosas are half price. Thank you April from the John Adams bar for that tip.

Thanks for the review Salem615, how far was the Hard Rock from the hotel? I need to p/u a cap for family. Cruise is next week. TIA Debbie

 

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The Hard Rock was a 15 minutes walk. Very easy!

The Hard Rock was a 15 minutes walk. Very easy!

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It was quite a dreary morning when we docked in Hilo. Today we had a tour with Ricky's Tours.

We opted for the buffet for breakfast. It was super crowded. We ended up taking our food to the Gold Rush Saloon and eating there.

We were off the ship early and found Ricky waiting for us. After he gathered all of us up off we went to explore.

We started on Banyon Drive and Ricky narrated for us info about who planted the trees along the drive. We made our first stop at a very pretty park. Our next stop was Rainbow Falls. Such a pretty falls. I took many photos at this stop. Our next stop was Volcano National Park. I am going to say I was a little disappointed. We did go to the Jagger Museum and the lava tube as well as the steam vents. We saw the one volcano but not much was going on. Weather was not great so didn't get many good views of the other volcanos. (I did hear from someone else that they the tour they went on the driver was in touch with the parks and was able to get them over there when the volcano was active). It was a nice stop but I was hoping for more.

Next stop was the Lavender gardens. I could have done without this stop. Yes they were pretty but not really my thing. We next visited Mauna Loa Nut Factory. This was a fun little stop. The macadamia nuts are amazing and so many flavors. (We already discovered them in Waikiki and I think we ate a ton of them over our vacation!)

Our last stop was a black sand beach. Again it was raining a bit and the tide was high so no turtles. I was bummed about that. The park and beach was beautiful though. Ricky was a very nice man and ran a good tour. Price was very reasonable and he also provided chips and water halfway through the tour.

When we got back to the ship we changed and went to Cadillac Diner for dinner. This was kind of a miss. I ordered fish and chips and the fish was very greasy. Chips were just ordinary fries. My husband had the chicken tenders and they were not much better. We later went to the buffet for an evening snack!

Oh and we played Brady Bunch Trivia before that and I came in second!

Up next - Kona

I was up early to get a tender ticket at the Pink Champagne Lounge. There was no line and we were ticket 6. Announcements are made frequently letting you know when you can tender. We were on the tender I think before 9am.

Kona is a pretty little beachside town. We made no plans today so we walked through town and did a little shopping. we explored the historical church and had a nice lunch overlooking the beach. We stopped for drinks at another place and sat out on the deck and enjoyed the sunshine. I think we were back on the ship by 3pm.

Dinner was at the Liberty Restaurant. Food and service was great. No issues.

Very good review and good advice. Possible planning this cruise next May or June. Flying out of Ma. Did you have direct flights from the east coast?

so far so good...

Thanks for the great review! I'm loving it so far. We fly out next Friday and will board the POA on the 19th. Aloha!

We are planning on eating lunch after embarkation at the Cadillac Diner also. My DGD's choice

We also booked this package through iCruise for our trip in September.

Couple questions:

1) what time did you get back from the Pearl Harbor tour and did they give you the tickets and everything you needed for the entrance when you met your tour guide?

2) we were thinking of skipping the shuttle for embarkation and trying to get on the ship later in the day to enjoy more time in Oahu. Do you know if they could just take our bags or did you have to carry your bags with you on the shuttle?

We haven't been given allot of details about what to expect and when and as a planner it's driving me nuts!

Thanks!

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Keep writing Salem615... we are on the 5/12 POA cruise...it sounds like you really did it right and had a good time...we are a little concerned about the Hilo port due to the volcano eruption...I hope we can still do the port...but there is nothing we can do about it...we are just excited to be going...we are also east coast people so we are hoping we can adapt quickly so we can enjoy the evening activities...looking forward to reading the rest of your story! Thank you!

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We also booked this package through iCruise for our trip in September.

 

Couple questions:

1) what time did you get back from the Pearl Harbor tour and did they give you the tickets and everything you needed for the entrance when you met your tour guide?

2) we were thinking of skipping the shuttle for embarkation and trying to get on the ship later in the day to enjoy more time in Oahu. Do you know if they could just take our bags or did you have to carry your bags with you on the shuttle?

 

We haven't been given allot of details about what to expect and when and as a planner it's driving me nuts!

 

Thanks!

 

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We were back around 1pm from the Pearl Harbor tour. Our guide was very good and very informative. He hands out all the tickets once you are at the harbor. Remember not to bring any bags or purses as they are not allowed at the site.

They took our bags out of the room for us at 11am and had them ready for the shuttle when it arrived around 12:30. I imagine you could get an Uber or arrange for another way to get to the ship. The hotel would hold your bags if you were planning on exploring.

Very good review and good advice. Possible planning this cruise next May or June. Flying out of Ma. Did you have direct flights from the east coast?

We went out of Syracuse NY and took a short flight to Chicago and then direct to Hawaii. Long flight!!!

Kauai Day 1

Our last stop on this amazing trip was Kauai. This was the stop I was most looking forward to and unfortunately the weather was not very cooperative.

While we were eating breakfast I got a phone call from Air Ventures and was given the bad news that our bi-plane flight was probably going to be cancelled because of the weather. They moved the time from 10am to 11:30 in the hopes that maybe things would turn around. Not a very happy start to our day.

We ventured out around 9am and walked around the area. It started actively raining while we were out so we ducked into a restaurant and had a couple of drinks. Around 10:30 Air Ventures called again and said all flights were cancelled for the day. Big huge bummer as we were looking forward to this. They did offer to try again the next day but we were booked on another tour already. We ended up going back to the ship and grabbed lunch at the buffet.

We scheduled a Fern Grotto/Luau combo with Robert's Hawaii. The tour started at 2pm so we donned our matching Hawaii outfits and headed out to meet the shuttle.

This tour was probably the highlight of our trip. We made a stop at the "Fantasy Island" falls first and then over to Smith's for the river tour.

The river tour was so much fun and the scenery was beautiful. I really felt like it was an authentic old school Hawaii experience. There were singers on the boat and we all got to learn a basic hula dance. The grotto area was a short hike and it was just breath-taking. There was a waterfall and lush plants all around. Sadly it started raining again so the singers performed the wedding song on the return trip back to where the Luau was taking place.

The Luau was at Smith's - I highly recommend this luau. Upon arrival it was still raining and they had more then enough umbrellas for everyone as we were waiting in line. You go through a check in and get your photo done and then are whisked away on a tram for a ride around the grounds. The grounds are just gorgeous. There are ponds, trees, plants and many birds. If the weather held out I would have loved to have spent more time walking around after the ride.

Once the tram ride was over an announcement was made with the schedule of the activities. First we saw the pig being unearthed, then the dinner and then the show.

It seems a little overwhelming with all the people but once you find a seat everything runs smoothly. They have drinks already poured at the bars so the lines move quickly and they call tables up in an orderly fashion so there was very little waiting. The food was delicious! There was chicken, pork, beef, plenty of veggies and delicious coconut cake and rice pudding!

While eating your were entertained with some singers which was a nice touch.

The show area is a short walk from the dining area. We went over early to get a good seat but I think anywhere you sit would be fine. We sat in the third row. I will say the seats themselves are awful! They are bleacher type seats but kind of narrow.

The show was fabulous though. The dancing was fun to watch and they featured different dance from different cultures. The fire dancer was one of the highlights.

Once the show was overt he bus was waiting to take us back. It was a bit of a cluster getting out and kind of dark. The only bummer was that we never saw our photo! Oh well.

Up next - Final day in Kauai

After a fun evening at Smith's Family Luau we were up and out at 6:30 for our Hawaii Movie Tour. We did book this tour through the ship as we were cutting things close with a return time of 1pm. Better safe then sorry.

We lined up right on schedule. There were 2 buses going out on this tour but both were the small shuttle buses with big windows for better viewing.

The excursion was actually a lot of fun. We saw a lot of movies clips and then went to the locations to see where certain scenes were filmed. There was a lot of actual stops to get out and take photos. Our guide was nice enough but he didn't really engage with us a lot. We stopped at beaches, the Fantasy Island Falls, drove by Coco Palms, an airport, saw a beautiful Lighthouse and several valley areas to view the King Kong mountain. We made a long stop in Hanalei to walk around the town and it was also our lunch stop. The town was adorable and I was so glad we had time to shop a bit before lunch. Lunch was at Kalypso Restaurant. You had a choice a several menu items and iced tea. If you wanted a different drink you could order something else. (I do not like iced tea so I got a soda.) Food was very good. I was a little disappointed because we were supposed to eat at the restaurant where The Descendants was filmed. They might want to change that on their itinerary.

After lunch we had a final stop and we also drove by some lovely homes that several celebrities owned or used to own.

Traffic was crazy on the way back to the ship and we were actually the last group to arrive at 1:45pm.

We went back to the room to freshen up and decided to check out the art auction. (I should never go to these things because I always end up with something!)

I do enjoy the art auction. Free champagne and a chance to view (and possibly get) some nice pieces. I have been obtaining a lot of Warner Brothers cartoon pieces and I did end up with one and a Disney Peter Pan piece as well. I hope I have room in my house! In the past I ended up with a Speed Racer piece as well as a Peanuts uncut trading cards piece which is huge! I think I better avoid the art auction in the future!

The timing was perfect for the Napoli Coast viewing so we went up to deck 6 to view the scenery. It was a bit foggy but we still saw the beautiful valleys and mountains. It was simply beautiful and photos do not do it justice. It was about 45 minutes to from start to finish and then the ship turned around so the other side could view if they missed the first go round.

Our last dinner was at the Skyline. We did not have reservations but were seated in about 5 minutes. Food was decent and service was good. There was one server who had a bit of an attitude but nothing that affected our experience.

We were going to watch a show this evening but after 2 long days and an early morning we were tired. We went back to the room to pack up. : (

Up next - Leaving Hawaii and final thoughts

Thank you for all the information. We are on this cruise leaving June 16, so it is great to read a recent review.

We went out of Syracuse NY and took a short flight to Chicago and then direct to Hawaii. Long flight!!!

Thanks.We go out of Boston and debating one overnight in maybe LA then continue on to Hawaii. We have had 7 great cruises on NCL to the Caribbean and Bermuda but Hawaii looks wonderful.

Following

Heading out and Last Thoughts

We were up early and finished packing up. We wanted to stay on the ship as long as possible since our flight didn't leave till 1pm. We went to Skyline for breakfast and had a leisurely meal.

We exited the ship just before 9am. There was no issues getting off the ship. There was a little bit of a line but it moved quickly. We opted for the "take your own luggage off the ship". we find it much easier then having to get off the ship and look for your stuff after.

We used Robert's shuttle service to get to the airport. We were at the airport right around 9:45.

Our flight was at 1pm and I was worried that we would be way too early. I am glad we got there when we did because we had to to the agricultural check, check our bags with United and then go through the long security line.

Once we were through with all of that we had time for lunch before finding our gate. Overall not a bad experience but it sure was a bummer to be saying good-bye to Hawaii. We had a wonderful time and while I would do this cruise again I think if we ever went back I would consider maybe taking a more land based trip and stay in Maui and Kauai as they were my favorites. I also would love to visit Molokai.

Some Take-Aways

After visiting all the islands I found that the roads were pretty easy to navigate. We only rented a car in Maui but we could have easily rented and navigated the other islands that had overnights. I would be worried on the shorter days as traffic was pretty busy here and there.

If you are a soda drinker purchase it in the gift shop on the ship and get ice from your room steward. It was cheaper then trying to get it at the bars.

While we did have a few reservations for the restaurants we didn't have any issues getting in on days we did not. We booked Cagney's while on the ship and did a walk up at Skyline.

If you know what you want to do book it! Prices are higher once you are on the ship. Also don't be afraid to use vendors for excursions off the ship. We had no issues with anyone we used off ship.

We found weather in Hawaii when we went to be totally different then we expected. You always see the tropical paradise but it was cool at times and lot of overcast weather. (Maybe it is different in different seasons) One side of one island is hot and dry and another is a rain forest! We both packed rain type jackets and they were well used on some days. We adjusted nicely and had a terrific time rain or shine!

I think the only downside to the cruise is there is simply not enough time! If you plan something and weather cancels it you don't have another day to try again. We booked a bi-plane ride and weather prevented us from doing it. They would have rescheduled us but we already had another excursion planned.

We do recommend The Smith Family Luau and River Tour, Ricky's Tours in Hilo and we enjoyed the movie tour in Kauai. This tour we did through the ship but Robert's has a similar one and I see other companies do it as well. We really enjoyed the Mai Tai Catamaran in Waikiki. You can get a great deal on Groupon. Don't miss Pearl Harbor either.

If anyone has any questions I will be happy to answer! Thank you everyone who answered my questions and gave advice. It really helped!

My wife and I were on the same cruise as you. We did that cruise before in 2009. Based on that cruise we wanted to spend more time in Hawaii. We actually flew in on the Tuesday before and rented a house on the north shore with another couple. It was there first time in Hawaii. After the cruise we flew back to the big island, stayed a couple days in a bed and breakfast on the Hilo side near the national park then went back to Kona and stayed in a condo. We rented a mini van every day but one and did our own tours.

We were at the VNP on Sunday, Monday and left Tuesday morning. Two earthquakes on Monday night set the stage for the eruption on Tuesday. The lava was spectacular on Monday night. We did go back to view the caldera on Tuesday morning just to see if anything new was happening. We then headed south to tour the south part of the island on our way over to Kona. We learned on the radio in the car of the eruption and that they had actually closed some roads behind us. Good timing on our part I guess. We spent the last couple days in Kona and flew out on Thursday. Our friends' flight was two hours after ours and was delayed. Then they had two earthquakes that closed the airport. They got stranded (though put up in a very nice hotel) until Friday.

Having done it twice I think the cruise is a great way to get around and see the islands and would I highly recommend it for your first Hawaii adventure. Add a few days on to the beginning or end to see the north shore of Oahu if you can. Since we've done it before I would probably skip the cruise the next time we go.