Poa 5/29

[ed_k_tx]

A little report on our recent POA cruise. Will try to post some pictures later also.

 

 

Background

DW and I are both late 50’s. First time on NCL, first time to Hawaii. With the exception of one year on merchant ships and DW’s Bahama cruise back in the 70‘s, our cruise experience has all been on Carnival to W. Caribbean out of Galveston. Since we live near Houston it’s just a short drive for us. Booked through AAA, also a first for us, last September.

 

Pre-cruise

Left Houston Wednesday, 5/26, on Continental non-stop at 9:35. Flight was on time arriving in Honolulu at 12:45 HST. Picked up our rental car at Hertz. Just to be sure everyone knew we were tourists had a bright red Mustang convertible. NOTE: very small trunk. Only room for one large suitcase and one small carryon type. The rest rode in the backseat. We stayed at the HHV for three nights. Rainbow Tower overlooking the Marina and downtown. Nice room, very comfortable bedding. Could use an updated TV but not too concerned since we weren’t there to watch TV. Parking is a bugger. NOTE:It was $24 to self park or $30 for valet each night. I think that most hotels on Waikiki charge a premium for parking. The HHV everything you could need in the way of amenities but at a price. It does have a very nice wide beach and a separate lagoon for sunbathing, swimming, surfing. They have umbrellas, chairs, beach toys to rent. After unpacking what we thought we’d need for the three days we took a walk to Duke’s for dinner. Excellent food and atmosphere overlooking the ocean. Had the Mac Nut Wontons, Huli Huli chicken and shared a Hula Pie for dessert. Excellent way to start the trip. Looked around Kalakaua Ave. after and then back to the hotel.

 

The next day we went to Pearl Harbor. Didn’t get a very early start. Even with the time change neither of us are “morning” people. Our tour to the Arizona Memorial was for 1:20 PM so we drove back into town and did some sight seeing and stopped at Hilo Hatties to pick up sourvenirs for the folks back home. The Arizona Memorial was quite a moving experience. We drove back to the hotel to get ready for our luau. We had booked the Paradise Cove Luau. The picked us up at the hotel at around 5:00 PM for the 45 minute drive. However, this turned into about 75 minutes because of an accident on the road that had traffic backed up. Arriving at Paradise Cove we were greeted with leis and mai-tais and quickly forgot about the traffic jam. I tried some of the games and DW wove a head band out of palm leaves. We watched the hooki lau demonstration and the imu ceremony which happended right at sunset. Very nice. Then it was dinner and a show. The food was good and the Lava Flows were excellent. My new favorite boat drink for this cruise. The show was also very entertaining. They had a group from one of the local schools dance first and then the regulars went on. The show finished up around 9 and we were back at the hotel a little after 10.

 

Friday was to be our driving tour of Oahu. Ate breakfast at Wailana Cafe across the street. Again our usual mid morning start. Had planned to hike Diamond Head but it was raining off and on so decided to wait until after the cruise. Drove up the Windward side of the island stopping along the way for photo ops of which there are plenty. Took a side trip to the Pali Overlook. It was overcast and still raining so probably not the best view but still pretty. The rain kept up, glad we had a convertible, so continued up to the North Shore. Had a quick look at Waimea Bay and stopped at Jameson’s for lunch. Stopped in Haleiwa at Matsumoto’s for a shave ice. We both had the Hawaiian with ice cream. All I can say is WOW. Looked around Haleiwa for a while and then headed back to Honolulu. Made a quick stop at a Walgreens to pick up a Rx for DW. Our insurance wouldn’t let us renew before we left because it wasn’t time to even though we and our local Walgreens explained that we would be out of town when it ran out. Don’t get me started on this topic. Anyway, back to the hotel watched the Friday night fireworks show and a quick bite at the Japanese restaurant at the hotel and time to gert ready for the cruise.

 

Be back later.

[annecolorgreen]

My luggage was lost before a cruise once and I packed my meds in my luggage :rolleyes: (never again!). Had to pay OUT OF POCKET for more meds for the week plus a taxi trip to walgreens plus the anxiety of almost not making it back for the cruise. Priceless :rolleyes:. Now I get 90-day supplies :).

 

I SO enjoy reading about how your trip went...can't wait!

[kwbound]

Enjoyed reading your review so far. Looking forward to more.

 

Can I ask what time you got to Pearl Harbor?

 

Thanks.

[smrtypnts]

Looking forward to your next segment.

[tripster]

Love reading these reviews. Please post more. I was on the June 5th POA cruise and hope to post a review myself soon.

[ed_k_tx]

Enjoyed reading your review so far. Looking forward to more.

 

Can I ask what time you got to Pearl Harbor?

 

Thanks.

 

Hi kw, I think we got there around 10.

[ed_k_tx]

Saturday

Got up early today. Watched the POA arriving from our lanai. Packed up and went to breakfast at the Tropics restaurant at HHV. Dropped off the rental car right there at the hotel and called for our pre-arranged transfer. Picked up around Noon and headed to the ship. Unlike our other cruises there weren’t any porters taking luggage at the drop off so we wheeled them through the check point and followed the line to the drop point. There was a line but it moved quickly. After that we walked through the rest of the check in with little waiting and were onboard and headed to the Aloha Cafe for lunch. Didn’t keep track of the exact times since I’M ON VACATION!!!! The buffett was crowded but we found a table and settled in. There was a nice variety of choices. I kept it simple with a salad and sandwich and DW went for the Italian. Our cabin was on deck 9 and it was announed ready around 2 or 2:30. Down to the cabin, 9638, port side balcony. A little smaller than Carnival but I liked the big window and sliding door. Plenty of hangars and the light in the closet is a nice touch. Sat out on the balcony taking in the view of the harbor and Aloha Tower. Before we knew it it was time for the Muster Drill. Our station was in the Skyline dining room. No standing out on a hot crowded deck.

After the drill our luggage had arrived. Unpacked and stowed the luggage under the bed. Went up on deck for sailaway and then ate at the Liberty. Might as well comment about the food now. We ate all of our dinners at either the Liberty or Skyline. We always asked for a table for two. These were generally always at or close to the windows. In general the food was just OK but at least the portions were small. I did enjoy the strip steak one night and I also liked the chilled soups. Something I always try on cruises for some reason. One point worth noting, if you’re in a hurry, don’t eat in either main dining room. Dinner usually took about 90 minutes.

 

Will start with ports tomorrow, hopefully

 

 

 

[Jade08]

We were on the same boat.

[annecolorgreen]

Festive rooms! Oh...I cannot wait!:D

[CruisingGoddess]

Ed - Do you have a larger version of that POA photo? Would you mind if I used it on a custom t-shirt I'm making for our cruise?

 

Also, what is in a Lava Flow? Is it really strong? Fruity? Sweet?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Love2CruiseMore]

Wow the room looks tiny! Thanks for the reminder about Rx, I am calling my pharmacy today. :) I knew that I would be running out of my perscription while on vacation, I spoke with my pharmacy a couple of months ago and they told me that I could call in on day 24 after my last refill... 2 months later and it worked out perfect for me! Insurance co. can be...OK...are a BIG pain to work with. At least you were able to pick up your perscription at Walgreens. :) It's been 11 years since I have had a Lava Flow, I had forgotten about those...Yummy!!! Looking forward to more of your review!

[annecolorgreen]

oh, Rebecca, that would be an awesome picture to use! are you still making magnets?

[riofriotex]

what is in a Lava Flow? Is it really strong? Fruity? Sweet?

 

Fruity and sweet. Strong will depend on how much booze is in it. There are lots of recipes, here is the ingredients from one:

 

 

• 1 oz. light rum*
  
• 1 oz. Malibu® coconut rum*
  
• 2 oz. fresh or frozen strawberries
  
• 1 small banana
  
• 2 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
  
• 2 oz. coconut cream*
  

*If Malibu coconut rum is not available, use 1.5 oz. light rum and 2.5 oz. coconut cream.

[CruisingGoddess]

oh, Rebecca, that would be an awesome picture to use! are you still making magnets?

 

Yes! I try to make one design and use it for the t-shirt, magnets, and postcards!

 

Fruity and sweet. Strong will depend on how much booze is in it. There are lots of recipes, here is the ingredients from one:

 

 

• 1 oz. light rum*
  
• 1 oz. Malibu® coconut rum*
  
• 2 oz. fresh or frozen strawberries
  
• 1 small banana
  
• 2 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
  
• 2 oz. coconut cream*
  

*If Malibu coconut rum is not available, use 1.5 oz. light rum and 2.5 oz. coconut cream.

 

Thanks for letting me know! I will have to try it!

[annecolorgreen]

mmmmm....

[Raison]

Thanks for posting your review, looking forward to the rest. Also thanks for the cabin photos - they are very clear and give a good idea of the size etc.

I am excited about visiting Hawaii!!

[ed_k_tx]

Ed - Do you have a larger version of that POA photo? Would you mind if I used it on a custom t-shirt I'm making for our cruise?

 

Also, what is in a Lava Flow? Is it really strong? Fruity? Sweet?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Cruising,

Here is a link to my flickr page with the ship picture. I think you can get a larger image from there. Feel free to use as you wish.

Ed

 

[ed_k_tx]

Sunday/Monday - Maui

Watched the docking in Maui on Sunday morning. We had booked the Road to Hana with Valley Isle Excursions. Met them at the gate and loaded up the van. There were 10 of us on the van so there were 2 empty seats. DW and I had the back row to ourselves. Our driver, Will, was a wealth of knowledge. His stories about the island and his family history there were very entertaining. I know many people have commented that you can make the drive yourself and that is certainly true. However, the road is as advertised. Narrow, bllind curves, one lane bridges, etc. and I can’t see the driver getting much enjoyment. I am glad that we opted for the guided tour. We made several stops for photo ops. Also stopped at a road side stand and bought some fresh banana bread. Lunch was provided. BBQ chicken, salads, rolls and dessert. They also provide drinks both at lunch and on the road. We continued past Hana to the 7 Sacred Pools. No swimming that day though. The water level was too high and the rangers had shut it down. Still very pretty. On to Lindbergh’s grave and the Tedeschi Winery. Interesting pineapple wine. We returned to the ship around 5:45. It was a full day and I’m glad we went but once is enough. On Monday, which was Memorial Day, we rented a car and drove to Lahaina and Kaanpali beach. Lahaina was interesting but touristy. Lots of history interspersed with t-shirt shops. We ate lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise. Good burger with a nice view over the water. They do tend to push the “souvenir” glasses and t-shirts though. Next to the beach at Kaanapali. We parked at Whaler’s Village. The sign said “No Beach Parking” so we stopped in at the ABC Store and bought some drinks and then went on to the beach. Just hung out for a little while. Water was a little rough for the DW. We were advised to head back by 3:00PM which we did but since it was a holiday there really wasn’t any rush hour traffic so we made it back with plenty of time to spare. We really liked Maui and hope to make it back there some day.

 

Next Hilo and Kona.

 

 

 

[annecolorgreen]

Beautiful pictures!

 

So...that was all the time you had on day 2? Did you get a late start?

 

Mahalo!

[Raison]

Excellent photographs! What type of camera do you use?

[ed_k_tx]

Beautiful pictures!

 

So...that was all the time you had on day 2? Did you get a late start?

 

Mahalo!

 

Mahalo,

Yeah, I think we didn't get off until around 9. But that's early for us.:)

[ed_k_tx]

Excellent photographs! What type of camera do you use?

 

Thanks for the compliment.

Most were taken with a Nikon D-40.

Ed

[ed_k_tx]

We had rented a car in Kona so off to the airport on the shuttle. Had a little delay at Avis since there was only one agent. Eventually we were off to the VNP. It was a short drive, maybe 30 minutes. We stopped at the visitor center and watched the film. Listened to one of the rangers talk a bit about the park and then off we went on the rim drive. We stopped at the steam vents and walked over to an overlook of Kilauea. While we were there we watched as a young Hawaiian girl made an offering to Pele. We drive around to the Jagger Museum where we stopped and looked at the various displays and the overlook of the crater. The road was closed farther on so we back tracked and headed for the Chain of Craters road. What an amazing 19 mile drive. You are driving through what looks like a rain forest and then suddenly it looks like a moonscape. We crossed several areas that were labeled by the year that the lava flow took over. You descend over 3,000’ to the shore. Stopped where the road ends and walked a little way to the shore overlooking Holei Sea Arch. Any adjectives I might use would not do the view justice so just assume that they are all breath taking. Saw where the lava had overtaken the road and then headed back. Stopping at the Kilauea Iki overlook and walking a little way down the Devastation Trail. After that we headed back towards Hilo. We grabbed a bite at the Cadillac Diner and rested up for a late dinner at the Liberty/Skyline. Not sure which one we went to.

 

The next day was Kona. We had booked excursions through NCL for this port. I did the Captain Zodiac snorkel and DW went on the Historic Kona Tour. They were both morning half-day tours and we planned to meet up for lunch later. Captain Zodiac was a blast. Our Captain for the day was Mike and I am sorry to say that I don’t remember his mate’s name. Both were very informative and entertaining. Our boat was a little different from the others as it had bit of a cover. It also had some rigid bench seats running down the centerline. These proved to be a little hard on the back side as we pounded down the coast. Leaving the dock we were almost immediately in among a pod of about 40 spinner dolphins. They were cruising along and Mike said that they were actually sleeping. He managed to wake a few up and they were quite athletic. Jumping and spinning. One actually did a back flip. When we arrived at the Capt. Cook Monument at Kealakekua Bay we stopped for about an hour of snorkeling. We were the first boat there so we had the bay to ourselves, except for a few kayakers, for a little while. What else to say but, amazing. The colorful fish were plentiful and the reef was beautiful. It seemed like the hour went by too fast. Back on board we had soft drinks, water and snacks and headed back towards Kona. We stopped at some sea caves on the way back and even say some intrepid cliff divers. Mike was not too impressed. He said that they were jumping from the lower ledge. He said that he and his brother used to jump from the higher ledge and sometimes even climbed the tree at the top for even more height. After buzzing the POA we docked back in Kona around 11:30 and I waited for DW. She said that the Historic Kona Tour was nice. The coffee plantation tour was basically a shopping stop but the painted church and place of refuge were very nice. They did another stop at Hilo Hatties on the way back too. Her tour got back around 12:30 and we headed over to Splashers for lunch. Thanks CC for this recommendation. Very good burgers and onion rings the size of bracelets. After lunch we walked over to the farmer’s market and bought some trinkets. Stopped at the ABC store to pick up some sodas and then on line for the tender. It was about 3:30 and there was a line but it moved quickly. It seemed like we only had about a 1 boat wait.

 

Almost forgot about the lava sail by. Since our cabin was on the port side we went up on deck 13 for the sail by. You could see the glow and some pin points of red/orange lava but from what we were told it was not a good as the week before. Still amazing, there's that word again, especially when they turn out the deck lights. Don't forget to look skyward. The canopy of stars is something you will only get at sea or on a mountain top.

 

 

 

 

[annecolorgreen]

Sounds wonderful (and amazing--lol)! What is the first picture? A steam vent or something else?

 

Your review of the Captain Zodiac confirmed my decision NOT to do it and to snorkel at the place of refuge instead. (back issues)

 

thanks so much for taking your time to do this!

 

~~anne

[kwbound]

Loving your review and photos. Looks like you had wonderful weather.