NCL Pride of America-Hawaii

[yusi1906]

Hello fellow cruisers!

 

Has anyone been on Pride of America? I've been reading mixed reviews and I'm hesitant about booking....

 

Can you share your experience?

[travelingla]

Hello fellow cruisers!

 

Has anyone been on Pride of America? I've been reading mixed reviews and I'm hesitant about booking....

 

Can you share your experience?

 

Our large group of friends just returned Saturday from POA's cruise. We've all been on various cruise ships and cruise lines in the past - all 50-60ish ages.

 

We read the same reviews you've read so did not have HIGH expectations but knew this is the best cruise for the most time on the islands.....so went with that in mind.

 

We all enjoy GOOD quality food when dining out - some are overweight but no one is a compulsive eater who things 'quantity equates best food'.

 

So - having said that -- we all agreed it was NOT our favorite ship at all -- it was clean, had good food choices (we actually liked the buffet a lot more than the dining rooms.... ate in Lazy J's and East Meets West for a cover charge - enjoyed the Asian restaurant the most), got us to our destinations, nice crew members (MOST were friendly), great bar staff....... and would we recommend it to our friends who have not been to Hawaii yet? MOST DEFINITELY -- the easiest way to visit the islands.

 

We thought the duo "Tobey Beau" entertainment on 3 nights in theater were FABULOUS - one night had 4 guys singing Frankie Valley -- FABULOUS -- we missed the other shows ....just too tired and needed sleep!

 

The ship is NOT the destination on this itinerary -- the islands are your focus. I would rate the ship similar to sleeping in a Holiday Inn -- although our bedding was plush and very comfy.

 

Any specific questions -- please ask!

[yusi1906]

Our large group of friends just returned Saturday from POA's cruise. We've all been on various cruise ships and cruise lines in the past - all 50-60ish ages.

 

We read the same reviews you've read so did not have HIGH expectations but knew this is the best cruise for the most time on the islands.....so went with that in mind.

 

We all enjoy GOOD quality food when dining out - some are overweight but no one is a compulsive eater who things 'quantity equates best food'.

 

So - having said that -- we all agreed it was NOT our favorite ship at all -- it was clean, had good food choices (we actually liked the buffet a lot more than the dining rooms.... ate in Lazy J's and East Meets West for a cover charge - enjoyed the Asian restaurant the most), got us to our destinations, nice crew members (MOST were friendly), great bar staff....... and would we recommend it to our friends who have not been to Hawaii yet? MOST DEFINITELY -- the easiest way to visit the islands.

 

Any specific questions -- please ask!

 

Hi travelingla! Thanks for your input. This would be our first time in Hawaii and since we love cruising, we were thinking this was a perfect way to see the highlights of Hawaii. We are not picky at all, just want to have a decent time, you know?

As long as the room is clean and the food is edible, we are not worried. We don't need gourmet food to survive. I was just worried about the service which seems to be what most complaints are about.

[jla418]

We really enjoyed our Pride of America cruise last June. We had absolutely no complaints about food, service, or anything else. The crew we interacted with were great, including the cabin stewards, bar staff - especially at the Waikiki Bar, servers in the main and specialty restaurants. We did not see any of the shows, as we spent much time off the ship while in port and were too tired to make it to the late show - we are later diners, so that was more important for us. Many of the crew will make recommendations about where to go and what to see if you ask!

[Love Overboard]

This cruise is the only cruise that is never discounted on a regular basis by NCL. You never get latitudes savings with booking either, in fact just compare prices for this March to March 2012 and y'll find close to a $500 price diference becuase the price for this cruise consisently increases, they don't have to give it away.

Our price has already increased by $300 pp since we booked it in November and will no doubt go up even more.

Go to the Hawaii board and read the rewviews again.

Go to the reviews page and read them again and read bewtween the lines.

 

Over 100,000 cruisers do this cruise each year and your basing your concermns on one or two negative reviews.

 

We have done this cruise twice, most recent 10/2010 and are booked agian 1/2012.

[travelingla]

As long as the room is clean and the food is edible, we are not worried. We don't need gourmet food to survive. I was just worried about the service which seems to be what most complaints are about.

 

Then you will do just fine. ;)

 

We never saw our steward till the last day as we get up before 6 and went to bed most nights by 9 -- he did an excellent job - anything we left a note to request he did immediately -- which earned him a nice extra tip when we left.

 

One thing we asked and he did immediately the first day -- was to empty EVERTHING from that refrig -- that way you can put your own snacks or beverages in it and not worry about being charged for anything that goes missing from the refrig.

 

You mentioned 'service' -- I will say the service (maybe Sunday night?) in the Skyline dining room was horrid. It was like they were being trained all over again. We are not that picky - It was just 4 of us, but waiting 40 minutes for an appetizer without coming over to check or to apologize was a bit much. We saw lots of folks just get up and leave. Trying to recall what time it was - a prime eating time like 6:30 ish.

 

Our large group went to Skyline near the end of the week and were graciously seated all together in the back - later, after a show - probably about 8:30ish and the service was perfectly wonderful........go figure.

 

I had enough to eat but not too much as I actually LEFT 1 whole pound somewhere in Hawaii last week! :p

[travelingla]

This cruise is the only cruise that is never discounted on a regular basis by NCL. ......

Over 100,000 cruisers do this cruise each year

 

At the Latitudes party, the Captain told us they never (or rarely??) take it to dry dock as it stays booked - so they do maintainence during the week -- they obviously do not book every cabin as they were laying carpet in some of the state rooms. There were large piles of carpet on the deck and it was all gone by the end of the week. I thought that was interesting.........

 

one of the couples with us went for their 3rd NCL Hawaiian cruise - second time on this ship - their first one was on Pride of Hawaii.

[gskline]

This cruise is the only cruise that is never discounted on a regular basis by NCL. You never get latitudes savings with booking either, in fact just compare prices for this March to March 2012 and y'll find close to a $500 price diference becuase the price for this cruise consisently increases, they don't have to give it away.

Our price has already increased by $300 pp since we booked it in November and will no doubt go up even more.

Go to the Hawaii board and read the rewviews again.

Go to the reviews page and read them again and read bewtween the lines.

 

Over 100,000 cruisers do this cruise each year and your basing your concermns on one or two negative reviews.

 

We have done this cruise twice, most recent 10/2010 and are booked agian 1/2012.

 

 

Dear Love Overboard,

We are cruising with our best friends in Feb 2012. We booked already because we heard it sells out. Since you've done this cruise before, I would really appreciate if you could recommend any Shore Excursions. My wife and I have Island hopped before, but are friends where only on Oahu before. We have never been to Kauai, so I'd really like to spend my time wisely to see this Island.

 

Thank you,

Greg

[Love Overboard]

Dear Love Overboard,

We are cruising with our best friends in Feb 2012. We booked already because we heard it sells out. Since you've done this cruise before, I would really appreciate if you could recommend any Shore Excursions. My wife and I have Island hopped before, but are friends where only on Oahu before. We have never been to Kauai, so I'd really like to spend my time wisely to see this Island.

 

Thank you,

Greg

 

 

Hi Greg Here is a link that my partner did with regards to our last cruise in October, his handle is "Tightwallet" unfortunetly he didn't put any rating in but read over the excursion portion.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=74194

 

Its hard to suggest when I don't know your likes and dislikes etc.

 

In a nut shell you can do all your excursions through the company that is referred to in the review. (can't name it here) but they know the ships schedule so you go and put ship name and date in then look at excursions by island.

You will save 40% when you compare to ship excursions.

 

Any further questions feel free to ask.

[flipflops62]

DH and I went last summer. Our first time to Hawaii so we thought the cruise was a good way to go. We had a great time and would do this cruise again. I wish other lines could do this itinerary so there would be competition(and lower prices) but would probably go NCL again as we are casual people and love freestyle cruising.

I think the cruise is what you make it. One of my fellow passengers also posted a review and he had a terrible experience. When I read the review I wondered if we had even been on the same ship! If you look to the positive and expect a minor annoyance or two ( and is any trip ever perfect?) you will be fine.

We are booked on the Epic for 2012 and the negative things about that ship now have me concerned. Then I remember my fears about the POA. Bet there is not a ship afloat that has not had at least one negative review.

Have a great cruise!

[gskline]

Hi Greg Here is a link that my partner did with regards to our last cruise in October, his handle is "Tightwallet" unfortunetly he didn't put any rating in but read over the excursion portion.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=74194

 

Any further questions feel free to ask.

 

 

Thank you for the link. Your partner sounds like me. My family says I missed my true calling of being a Travel Agent:D. I always take notes and write reviews of places we go. The helicopter ride you took in Kauai, was that the actual name of the company or the name of the tour?

[Love Overboard]

Thank you for the link. Your partner sounds like me. My family says I missed my true calling of being a Travel Agent:D. I always take notes and write reviews of places we go. The helicopter ride you took in Kauai, was that the actual name of the company or the name of the tour?

 

 

We took the Mokihana Helicopter Tour with NCL but they use Blue Hawaiian.

[sailincajunns]

Hello fellow cruisers!

 

Has anyone been on Pride of America? I've been reading mixed reviews and I'm hesitant about booking....

 

Can you share your experience?

 

Good morning from South Louisiana, and Happy Mardi Gras to you! We struggled with the same situation as we considered booking our POA cruise for Easter week 2010. As you can see by our history, we've been lucky to have done several cruises over the years...but we had never done NCL so we were more than a little concerned that this "once in a lifetime" trip to Hawaii (which was by far the most expensive vacation we had ever considered) might be 'ruined' by all the negative possibilities expressed on the reviews.

 

Well, nothing could have been further from the truth. We even allowed NCL to handle air to reduce any risk for flight complications. We arrived very late, and were among the last four passengers to board. The crew were all professional and very VERY attentive. The food choices were more than adequate, and the specialty restaurants we DID treat ourselves to were simply wonderful experiences.

 

Is the POA 'less' than a 'normal' cruise ship...... perhaps ever so slightly. There is no casino (state Law) and the level of on-board activities is turned down a bit (you are in Hawaii, in this case the destination IS the cruise)

 

For folks who are likely only to make the leap to Hawaii once this was, for us, the PERFECT option. We treated ourselves to helicopter tours in THREE ports (we are not in any shape to be hiking up cliffs and mountains) We had never flown in a 'chopper before, and all three trips were a thrill.

 

Make you decision on whether to do POA without hesitation.

 

Unless you are one of those unfortunate people who look for reasons NOT to have fun and look for things that are to be blamed for 'ruining' your trip, you will not be disappointed.

 

(PS, I did submit a pretty detailed CC review on our trip, so it may still be on the 'reviews' link somewhere)

 

Bon Voyage!!

[jla418]

We did the Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour in Kauai, and booked directly with Blue Hawaiian online. We got a discount for booking it online, and the office is a very short walk from the ship. We had a great experience and would do it again in a heartbeat!

[cruisinskier]

Dear Love Overboard,

We are cruising with our best friends in Feb 2012. We booked already because we heard it sells out. Since you've done this cruise before, I would really appreciate if you could recommend any Shore Excursions. My wife and I have Island hopped before, but are friends where only on Oahu before. We have never been to Kauai, so I'd really like to spend my time wisely to see this Island.

 

Thank you,

Greg

 

Greg, there is a link to my photo review in my signature which will give you lots of Kauai info as we did the day in kauai and then went back post cruise for 3 more days. Make sure you do the helicopter tour which is offered with varous companies (we also used Blue Hawaiian) as only about 10% of the island is accessible by road. And if you do the helicopter tour, dress in dark clothes to reduce the reflection for pictures.

 

Yusi, as far as the POA goes, I have to agree with previous comments about the main dining room as it was the worst service experience of our various cruises. However outside of that, the rest of the cruise was good and the Jefferson Bistro was one of the best meals we have had (yes with a fee for a specialty restaurant). Overall the food quality was probably a little below the other cruises but now 10 months later I do not remember the food but rather the great times we had on the islands, snorkelling, seeing volcanos, monk seals, the indescribable Na Pali coast, great beaches, and overall one of the best trips we have had. You cannot beat the itinerary and this is by far the best way to see various islands. Book it and enjoy!

[gskline]

Greg, there is a link to my photo review in my signature which will give you lots of Kauai info as we did the day in kauai and then went back post cruise for 3 more days. Make sure you do the helicopter tour which is offered with varous companies (we also used Blue Hawaiian) as only about 10% of the island is accessible by road. And if you do the helicopter tour, dress in dark clothes to reduce the reflection for pictures.

 

Overall the food quality was probably a little below the other cruises but now 10 months later I do not remember the food but rather the great times we had on the islands, snorkelling, seeing volcanos, monk seals, the indescribable Na Pali coast, great beaches, and overall one of the best trips we have had. You cannot beat the itinerary and this is by far the best way to see various islands. Book it and enjoy!

 

 

Thank you Cruisinskier, Jla418, & Love overboard for answering my Helicopter questions. This is something I have always dreamed of doing. Now I just have to convince my wife to get on board (she's afraid of heights:eek:!)

[Budget Queen]

I too am just off this cruise, this month. Forth time on the NCL itinerary. :) For me the itinerary is superb and offers so much Hawaii- plus with a cheap "meals, lodging and transportation" package. :) Hawaii, is all natural beauty- so for me, it's a matter of a simple car rental and the day is filled with wonderful touring options, just drive up.

 

I did a recent a review, of where there are many more to read through.

[mking8288]

NCL's POA Hawaii itinerary is about the 4 islands, the ports and the sights you get to see with 2 overnight stops - and, while prices had gone up lately, it is STILL the best bargain and bang for the bucks.

 

If anyone else can come with up with a comparable package to see 4 islands in 8 days, including deluxe (okay, comfortable but "cozy") lodging, 2 to 3 inclusive meals, inter-land airfares and scenary for a competitive prices, many of us would like to know and I will be among the first to jump on it. If you've done this once, you will most likely loved it and might even say, let's do this again real soon .... :)

 

At the minimum, you will know which island(s) that you want to go back to and explore, spend more time in and plan for your next trip from the "mainland."

 

The ship itself is beautiful and there's no much to do each day if one can only bypass sleeping. The "American" crew's hours and schedules are a little different and the various restaurants have shorter hours but hey, I would eat in the MDR or the "comfort food" diner anytime over our hometown's TGIF, Red Lobsters, IHOP, Denny's, Pizza Hut or local burger place, etc.

 

On a "budget" to Hawaii, look for a sale and if you can do a last minute getaway, bargains "can" sometimes be found - and you will do fine on the POA with just an inside or spring for an OV cabin - plenty of open deck spaces all over the ship to watch the sceneary passing by over warm ocean breezes and bright sunny skies in very comfortable temperature all year.

 

Flying from the Midwest and/or East Coast, allow an extra 2 to 3 days to adjust to jetlag and time zone changes before embarkation, which is early in the evening - you can checkout of the hotel in the morning, go to the pier & checkin/drop off your luggages and still do 2 or 3 quick sightseeing stops in the afternoon, then board & enjoy dinner as the POA set sail in the evening. Upon return, disembarkation is early and you can express walkoff and catch an afternoon flight to fly home - dreaming that you are still in your cabin & enjoying room service (airline's in-flight food, anyone, unless you are up front in B/F class)

 

Lastly, do what did with our rental car for an unforgetable memories of sunset at 10,000 feet - and you will appreciate the "magic" of what POA can bring to you & lucky ones traveling with you. ****

 

Mahalo to all :D

 

 

 

**** Check out our linked Hawaii photos from 2009 while we're doing the POA.

[gskline]

NCL's POA Hawaii itinerary is about the 4 islands, the ports and the sights you get to see with 2 overnight stops - and, while prices had gone up lately, it is STILL the best bargain and bang for the bucks.

 

On a "budget" to Hawaii, look for a sale and if you can do a last minute getaway, bargains "can" sometimes be found - and you will do fine on the POA with just an inside or spring for an OV cabin - plenty of open deck spaces all over the ship to watch the sceneary passing by over warm ocean breezes and bright sunny skies in very comfortable temperature all year.

 

Flying from the Midwest and/or East Coast, allow an extra 2 to 3 days to adjust to jetlag and time zone changes before embarkation, which is early in the evening - you can checkout of the hotel in the morning, go to the pier & checkin/drop off your luggages and still do 2 or 3 quick sightseeing stops in the afternoon, then board & enjoy dinner as the POA set sail in the evening. Upon return, disembarkation is early and you can express walkoff and catch an afternoon flight to fly home - dreaming that you are still in your cabin & enjoying room service (airline's in-flight food, anyone, unless you are up front in B/F class)

 

Mahalo to all :D

 

 

 

**** Check out our linked Hawaii photos from 2009 while we're doing the POA.

 

 

Thank you mking8288 for the link to your POA Cruise pics. Some of them are post card quality! They're beautiful. I'm even more excited for our big trip. We plan on flying out a couple of days before the ship leaves. The only bad thing is that my buddy and I have to back to work the Monday after the cruise and we live on the East Coast:eek:.

What Island did you go to the Luau on? I didn't recognize the name on the photo. I've heard of Smith's on Kauai and The Old Lahaina on Maui. Did you like it? Anyone have any comments on which Luau to do??

Thank you,

Greg

[mking8288]

I'm even more excited for our big trip. We plan on flying out a couple of days before the ship leaves. What Island did you go to the Luau on? .... Smith's on Kauai and Old Lahaina on Maui.

 

Greg - We booked the Germaine Luau for the 6 of us on our own while staying in Waikiki post-cruise, using a mix of AAA and coupon discounts, and the bus came to designated hotel stops to pick us up & took us back - no need to worry about a designated driver (it was always me, anyway - LOL) For a better Laua, you might want to look at Paradise Cove in Oahu, we attended theirs during our honeymoon 20 years ago & absolutely love it - we try GL for a change, not as impressed but the experience for the rest of our party was good. We nailed a bargain 2 BR hotel condo w. 1,200 sq. ft. + huge balcony for under $400 per night split 3 ways - 1 block from the beach!

 

Our friends & families couldn't believe in some of the photos we took on our dumb digital cameras either, and I got a few good ones to upload, if and I get a chance. Plus, video clips to upload from our minivan trip on "The Road to Hana" & back - afterward, we rested briefly before driving up to 10,000 ft. above sea level to catch the sunset. :cool:

 

Like I said, we managed to do all these in 11 or 12 days, with a bit of help from our local relatives in Oahu - but it really isn't as expensive as it could've been (those pictures are worth tens of thousands in words) From Pittsburgh, see if you can hunt down bargain airfares to Chicago, as we took a short hoop to ORD on UA and then a non-stop to HNL on the wide-body B777, it made the 12+ hours trip "tolerable" with our own snack/meal box from home. :D

 

Happy planning & start dreaming about Honolulu and cruising & waking up to a virtually new island each morning, without unpacking & packing, and

start practicing words like Aloha & Mahalo. DH and I WILL be going back in the not too distance future to see Hawaii again doing the NCL routine. :)

[jla418]

The first time I went to Hawaii we also did the Paradise Cove Luau outside of Honolulu. It was a great experience, and I would not hesitate to recommend it.

 

On our POA trip last June, my travel partner had never done a Luau, so we did the Luau Kalamaku on Kauai through the ship. The Luau itself was good and the show was excellent. The only complaint was that the logistics of returning to the ship were a nightmare. They ship schedules you out to the Luau at different times, so that worked well. But at the end of the night, when everyone, (easily 1,000 or more) gets ready to go back to the ship, the lines for the buses were crazy long, and their are only so many buses that have to fill up, drive back to ship, drive back to Luau, and fill up again. I think if I had the opportunity to do it over again, I'd have chosen to go to a Luau independantly rather than through the ship.

[Evil Scotsman]

We (a family of 10 ages 33 to 70) did this cruise last year. IT was wonderful! The ONLY exception was that there is NOT VERY MUCH entertainment at night on the ship. BUT that being said you are SO TIRED from being in port EVERY DAY you really don't miss it! To us the food was fine, the crew was fine, the ship was in good shape. Just not much in the way of entertainment. This is a VERY VERY busy cruise, you really don't have much down time or time to enjoy the ship! But we ALL enjoyed the cruise!

[chachi]

Over 100,000 cruisers do this cruise each year and your basing your concermns on one or two negative reviews.

 

There are a lot more than 1 or 2 negative reviews. I have the same concerns based on numerous negative reviews. Many people enjoy the cruise because it has the best itinerary for spending time at the islands. I have read numerous negative reviews on the quallity of food and service ( even from people who enjoyed their cruise).

[gskline]

Like I said, we managed to do all these in 11 or 12 days, with a bit of help from our local relatives in Oahu - but it really isn't as expensive as it could've been (those pictures are worth tens of thousands in words) From Pittsburgh, see if you can hunt down bargain airfares to Chicago, as we took a short hoop to ORD on UA and then a non-stop to HNL on the wide-body B777, it made the 12+ hours trip "tolerable" with our own snack/meal box from home. :D

 

Happy planning & start dreaming about Honolulu and cruising & waking up to a virtually new island each morning, without unpacking & packing, and

start practicing words like Aloha & Mahalo. DH and I WILL be going back in the not too distance future to see Hawaii again doing the NCL routine. :)

 

 

Thank you for the info. Part of the joy I get, from going on vacation, is the planning! I spend months researching our destination (my wife thinks it's on the verge of obsession:rolleyes:). But she can honestly say that all of our vacations have been wonderful and we've seen and ate at the best places:D!

[champtaylor]

We came off of the POA 1 week ago.

As many of stated earlier, this is not a typical cruise experience. We viewed this as our having a hotel that took us to the islands in a very comfortable and enjoyable manner. We would definitely return to this ship.

 

We have cruised previously with a different cruise line. That said this is a short list of my groups comments:

A.) Ship is clean and well maintained

B.) The crew could not have been friendlier and more helpful. Cannot say enough good about the entire crew. Not 1 negative for us all week in relation to the ships crew.

C.) Entertainment was excellent. the Frankie Valie group is world class. the magician is Las Vegas class. The ships crew did a terrific job whenever they were entertaining us.

D.) Food was not the highlight for us. Had a sense that they wanted to sell the upscale restaurant and if we used the Liberty or other "free" venues the food lacked variety and quality. That said, it's better then doing dishes at home!

E.) NCL is aware of the type of cruiser this ship has due to the Hawaiian islands and I feel they cater very well to this client base.

 

Enjoy your cruise and the wonder of the islands

Aloha