?s re: Pride of America Hawaii cruise

[Living in Paradise]

My husband and I are thinking of going on the Pride of America cruise to the Hawaiian islands. We recently went on the new RCL Oasis of the Seas so we know that there's no ship out there that can beat that! So... our expectations of the ship aren't very high. We've heard it's nice though, but the only ship that has done this Hawaii route for 50 years. How old is the ship? Has it been renovated recently? When's the next renovation?

How are the rooms and food?

 

Also, any suggestions for tours on our ports of call?

 

We really appreciate your insight and feedback.

 

Thanks,

Living in Paradise!

[Molokai-Chuck]

The Pride of America is only about 5 years old.... you must be thinking of the SS Independence...built in 1950, it sailed the Islands of Hawaii for about 20 years.

 

Chuck

[flashdog_1]

We returned a couple of months ago and totally enjoyed the experience, both on and off the ship. Please read all the recent reviews of PofA so you can hear of the diversity of activities of various cruisers.

 

Most recommend arriving a day or two early (not only to combat jet lag, but to experience Oahu), and possibly even staying a day when you get off the cruise, or both. We just arrived one day early, but took a ship's tour upon disembarkation that dropped us at the airport. That way we got to see some of the island of Oahu besides Honolulu.

 

Also many people will recommend you rent a car in most ports so you can be on your own schedule plus save a bundle. Also your own car insurance will cover you there. Or your credit card allows you to skip the waiver for additional insurance. Depending on the season and size of the car, you can get one for about $40 a day which includes all taxes, up to $75 for a convertible.

 

The difficulty with this thinking, unless you're just going to hang out at a beach, is that you miss some of the history/myths that the tour guide would be giving you. Or he might point out flora and fauna that you'd miss otherwise. Your choice.

 

Also, many people recommend the Revealed series of books, one for each island: Oahu Revealed, The Big Island, Maui, and Kauai. You can probably get them all on eBay for a song. They have beautiful photos as well as detailed maps.

 

Something really fun about the ship is that almost everyone speaks English like you hear at home! This provides good communication between staff and passengers, and among crew members.

 

Have fun planning.

[sailincajunns]

:)

My husband and I are thinking of going on the Pride of America cruise to the Hawaiian islands. We recently went on the new RCL Oasis of the Seas so we know that there's no ship out there that can beat that! So... our expectations of the ship aren't very high. We've heard it's nice though, but the only ship that has done this Hawaii route for 50 years. How old is the ship? Has it been renovated recently? When's the next renovation?

How are the rooms and food?

 

Also, any suggestions for tours on our ports of call?

 

We really appreciate your insight and feedback.

 

Thanks,

Living in Paradise!

 

If you do decide to 'take the plunge', there are many and wonderul 'roll calls' in that section of these boards dedicated to the POA. We sail in 5 weeks and cannot wait. Also, in the roll call for 04-03-2010 I posted a linke that allows you to view a recent set of the "Freestyle Dailies" from the POA, which are quite informative. Certainly the ship won't be able to 'stand on its own' against the Oasis of the Seas, but I have no doubt the ability to visit such a diverse set of destinations in Hawaii will more than compensate. In any case, good luck with the decision making process.

[salty dingo]

The difficulty with this thinking, unless you're just going to hang out at a beach, is that you miss some of the history/myths that the tour guide would be giving you. Or he might point out flora and fauna that you'd miss otherwise. Your choice.

True, UNLESS you are the type who likes to buy books and read and learn as much as you can about the local ports you will visit. You can get info from a tour guide and not have to study books. However, it can be very enjoyable to learn about the things before you cruise and then when you are there it will be more meaningful. Yes, it is your choice.

 

For us, we plan to rent a car in each port and I doubt we will do any excursions with a guide. On our last cruise, we did all the excursions with a guide, so it totally depends on the cruise. I would not rent a car outside the USA, so this is really a unique cruise.

 

I have heard the ship, food, and service are all fine. On this cruise, Hawaii is the destination, and the ship is just where you eat and sleep.

 

On the Oasis, many have described the ship as the destintion and the rest of the cruise as simply a garnish. I do not think a cruise where the ship is the main attraction would be ... attractive to me. :)

[Budget Queen]

I've done this cruise twice, and will be picking up another last minute in a year.

 

I disagree, on "missing commentary" with a guide when touring in a rental car. I think your "missing money" is more a negative. :) On your own,you have such a wide range of places to go and stuff to see. It is simple, and makes excellent use of time.

[NEcruisers????]

We did this cruise and hgihly recommend it! We loved the idea of waking up each morning to a different island, eating a leasurely breakfast on our balcony and the leaving the ship, renting a car and wandering about the island! By renting a car we were able to explore so many more spots (gift and nik-nak shops get old after a while) and spend as much time as we wanted, wherever! Cruising at night was great, after spending the day on the island, we would return to the ship, prepare for dinner and then (this is where Freestyle rules) head to the dining room for a delicious dinner. Afterwards there was always something going on; dancing, comedy, stage shows.... This cruise gave us some good ideas on where to spend mre time the nexttime we are in Hawaii!

We did a hellicoter tour on Kauai, and spent quite a bit of time at the painted chapel; it is definately worth the drive to see it. The only tour we did was Volcanos Nat'l Park, and we are glad we did as parking at several stops along the way was horrid!

I would love to go again, and this time take the kids. But the world is so big, and we have so many other places to explore first!:)

[karen327]

We were on the Pride of America just two weeks ago. The ship was nice and clean, but probably not as glamerous as some of the newest ones. We thought the food and service from the primarily American staff was excellent. And it was a great way to see all the islands. We rented cars at all the islands, and while one person drived, the other read tidbits from the Hawaii revelaed books, great way to save money and learn about what your seeing. The Hawaii revealed book tells you what you are seeing mile by mile at some areas.