Pride of America - "The Suite Life" - 7/16/11 - a cruise review

[FunCruiser56]

I am enjoying YOUR cruise wayyyy too much...:D of course not as much as you did... Really appreciate the links for tours.

 

Bev

[mamma0233]

I'm having a blast following along on this trip! I am a DE for Maui on the Tripadvisor boards and have visited all the islands many,many times over the last 35 years!

To be honest POA gets a really bad rap on TA, so this is fun to read!

I keep trying to tell folks that "cruisers" are of a different mind-set than Island visitors...Maui lovers would have been totally SHOCKED that you choose one of your Maui days to stay on the ship!! I understand the thinking..sort of!

On the TA boards POA is considered a "floating hotel"...get off as soon and as often as you can! We hear about the lousy service and food.

A little piece of advice would be to hop over to Tripadvisor and give all the folks there a summation of your trip! It would help us all...I'm checking reviews for our cruise in 2 weeks to Alaska! Hey..I LOVE our last two states!!

Keep them coming...love your "style"

[Zimomiller]

The review of the last three days of our cruise vacation in Hawaii will be a little delayed as we move three kids into college over the next three days.

 

Thanks for the kind comments and interest in the review. I hope I am saving the best for last.

[TSUmom]

I for one will be watching and waiting!!!! :D

[McDebbie]

great review, only got through the first day so far and must get back to work. Thanks for all the details, I believe I am ready for Hawaii also in 2013.

[Countrygirl44]

Good Luck with the college moving. Will they be far from home? Our only grandchild ( granddughter ) is in her last year of her Masters Program. In the last six years, she was in the dorm one year and this is her fourth apartment. Seems like we were moving and storing every summer. She starts classes on Monday. Has been home all summer, leaving Sunday.(at least she is only a couple of hours away). I know that empty feeling in your heart.

Will be checking the website on Monday or Tuesday to see is you have been able to add a new chapter in your "novel".

[Pinkleanne]

:D

The review of the last three days of our cruise vacation in Hawaii will be a little delayed as we move three kids into college over the next three days.

 

Thanks for the kind comments and interest in the review. I hope I am saving the best for last.

Thank you for the great review, very riveting reading. My husband and I will be boarding for our trip in October for our 20th Anniversary, we can't wait. Your review has given us heaps of invaluable information, I don't think I need to read anything else!! I hope our trip is as good as yours has been so far...........will be checking back often for the next exciting episode. Leanne:)

[kensue]

Here is the rub. I like NCL. We went on the DAWN years ago loved it. Then took another NCL cruise liked it too. Then we were on the Norwegian Sky its last cruise in the caribbean), Then it was renamed/reflaged to Pride of Aloha, then to Pride of America and sent to Hawaii. For some reason it became a training cruise for USA workers. We know American work ethic. Well the service was terrible. Ran out of cooked food. There was plenty of food but it wasn't cooked. Plumbing had problems, dishes weren't clean, 7 day nightmare! Wrote to NCL and received a small vouncher for our next NCL cruise(expired in one year). The problem is my wife said no more NCL. We cruise primarily Princess and RCL, never had a bad cruise. I like NCL and want to give them another try. My wife said no. I need to sway my wife. Any help would be appreciated.

Ken

[KPLIONMA]

To Zimomiller: received the e-mails of the dailies...thanks so much...loved reading them and getting excited for our cruise on November 5.

[hill6]

I loved reading about the Sushi incident. That guy must have been eating crow when he was seating you.

[touesns]

The review of the last three days of our cruise vacation in Hawaii will be a little delayed as we move three kids into college over the next three days.

 

Thanks for the kind comments and interest in the review. I hope I am saving the best for last.

 

Love this review! It is very informative and entertaining! My husband and I are eagerly anticipating this trip in October. Thanks for emailing the dailies and good luck with the moving. We are doing the same here on Monday, moving our son to university.

 

Thanks again

[Zimomiller]

On the sea on the way to Kauai – Some thoughts on the suite life and general ramblings

 

 

Sorry about the interruption of the review of our Hawaiian land and sea adventure. We just completed the transition to being empty nesters (at least until April) as we sent our three kids off to college over the weekend. It was too hard to concentrate on my review with all the trauma and drama.

 

Beer and wine have come in handy the last few days to help cope. Except I have no one to bring it to me since the kids are gone and the wife ignores those requests. Intensive in service training begins tomorrow for our three labs. One of them must have the capability to deliver.

 

One of the goals for my review was to describe our cruise experience from the view of the suite life. I realize I have managed to describe a few of the suite life benefits but there are probably many of you that have questions about items that I have not mentioned.

 

I am cutting and pasting below a section from a thread on the CC NCL board that attempts to list all the suite life benefits for reference. I will make some comments in parentheses after each item. The section for Penthouses is the one I am most familiar with (Sky, Epic, and Jewel) and is the closest to what we experienced in our Category SH on the POA.

 

PENTHOUSES ~ SC, SD, SE, SF, SJ (SH for now on the POA)

Embarkation

Personal escort to stateroom - (We were escorted aboard for an education session with the concierge and then lunch at Lazy Js)

 

Metallic color key card (yes it was, not sure I noticed any special treatment anywhere because of it)

 

1 Full bottle of Sparkling Wine (House) w/compliments of NCL card (Actually, we had 3, and we left 2 behind. NCLs house sparkling wine leaves a lot to be desired. But I am not a fan of champagne)

 

1 Floral Arrangement (It was waiting in the suite, very nice. I told the wife I special ordered it for her. She bought it…lol)

 

Fruit Bowl * (Waiting in suite. We had a ton of fruit, never replenished but we never finished it either)

 

1 Bottle of Spring Water (Waiting in suite)

* Replenished upon consumption

 

Bath Amenities

Cotton ball & Q-Tip Caddie (no sign of it on the POA, but I have seen it on the Jewel and Epic)

 

Bath salts, presented in container, shell scoop (no sign of it on the POA but all we had was a tiny shower and a foot washer that doubled as a toilet)

 

Loofah, cello wrapped, no logo (None witnessed, not sure it would have fit in the shower with me)

 

Elemis brand products presented on tray: (Not present on the POA)

 

Pure Shine Shampoo 40ml (Not present on the POA)

 

Pro-Vitamin Conditioner 40ml (Nope)

 

Sharp Shower Gel 40ml (nada)

 

Vitamin Rich Body Lotion 40ml (nuh uh)

 

Pure Zest boxed Soap 80g (uh nope)

 

Pure Zest boxed Soap 50g (zilch on the zest)

 

Shower Cap, paper envelope (I used this to smother a towel animal one night)

 

Other

Butler and Concierge Service (saw the butler once I think, we really did not need him, The concierge was terrific. Note: There was some sort of snack or appetizer delivered to the cabin each day when we returned in the PM)

 

Access to Star Bar Day Lounge (no similar item on the POA)

 

Daily Breakfast and Lunch in Cagney's (buuuurp, every chance we got. This was great)

 

Pillow menu selection (tent card on night stand) (Never saw it and my pillows sucked, I laid down every night and cursed myself for forgetting to ask for better pillows earlier in the day)

 

DVD and CD Player (not present on the POA, had one on the Epic and Sky)

 

DVD & CD Library, with DVD movie library binder (no sign)

 

Deluxe Coffee/Espresso/Cappuccino Machine serving Lavazza coffee (none)

 

China cups/saucers, espresso cups, teaspoons (Had em removed)

 

Coffee/Tea pod dispenser accompanying Lavazza Coffee Machines (none)

 

Bathroom Scale (thank god no)

 

Clock (no tick tock)

 

Bath Robes (Plush Terry Robe-Waffle Design) (not offered on POA)

 

Slippers, Standard (not offered, unless the bananas in the fruit basket were intended for this role)

 

Feather Pillows, Queen/Euro (the ones we had were barely useable)

 

Feather Duvet Insert (Maybe, I do not remember)

 

Upgraded linen - 300TC with Embroidery (I did not count)

 

Towels including oversized bath towel (Nope, standard ones)

 

Long stem barware, 2 each or 1 per person, space available. (Nope)

 

Full Breakfast Menu (did not look for it)

 

24 Hour Room Service Menu (Suite Menu) (did not look for it)

 

Food turn down amenity delivered each night (I think the towel animals ate the food)

 

Priority restaurant reservations (yes, taken care of day one by the concierge)

 

Priority embarkation and disembarkation (yes, it was divine)

 

In Suite Dining (Did not try, we had no table worthy of doing so)

 

OK, now that we are done with the exhaustive checklist, there are other suite life amenities that frankly we were not interested in or that were not convenient for us to attend based upon our schedule. There were latitudes wine receptions, reception for suite guests with staff and captain etc. In my experience these can be OK but fraught with stuffy wannabes. I just go to get ploughed on the free booze myself.

 

The concierge staff and the staff in the Lazy Js that took care of the suite guests and their needs were superb. They were obviously a cut above all the other staff that we encountered on board. They went out of their way to not be intrusive but yet helpful and ever present. That is a skill hard to find. (There is nothing worse than being annoyed by the service staff and clumsy unpolished efforts.) On the last night the concierge delivered the coup de grace for our trip, but I will tell that story on the review of day two of Kauai – A sea day and the Napali coast. I still need to finish Day 1 in Kauai as well.

 

I should also take time to discuss the POA in general. I always take time to explore the ship at some point, usually on a sea day to explore all the public decks and find what I can.

 

The POA is well maintained and clean. I have no memories of anything that I considered to be in need of service and that is rare for a picky bastard like me.

 

The upper forward areas of the POA house a large conference center that seemed very underutilized and the decks up front were always vacant.

 

The POA itinerary is very different than most cruises so I was not surprised that life onboard was very different as well. It was always quiet, rarely busy. Not as much fun to people watch, but many more opportunities for quiet special moments. Sitting by the piano at the bar, listening to the tinkling and talented entertainers was something I did a few times for a half hour or so.

 

I never set foot in the buffet except for a craving for a soft serve cone one day so I really have no comments on the buffet or the main dining rooms. We ate in a specialty restaurant every night.

 

Our experience is that if you want to experience food and service like it used to be back in 1984 (our first cruise), you best avoid the main dining rooms and buffet. Many people will take exception to that comment, but in most cases they do not have the same frame of reference or experience. I do not believe we are snobs, we just know there was a difference based on our experiences.

 

OK, enough rambling, I will get busy on the next installment of our cruise review for tomorrow. Stay tuned for Kauai Day 1 – Gilligan’s Island redux

[Marlod]

Loving the reviews - great reading and picking up some tips for our trip in December. Already contacted Maui Tours to look at doing the Road to Hana tour with them. We were thinking of driving it ourselves, but think it will be a better experience for all if we let someone else do the driving :).

 

A PP mentioned the Sky was turned into the the Pride of Aloha and then the Pride of America - this isn't the case. The Pride of America was a "new"ship (hull was pre-existing) built specifically for the Hawaii route. When it was delivered in 2005 my wife's sister worked for NCL America and was actually on the crew the brought it across the Atlantic and through the Panama Canal.

[albertamom]

Yay! Another installment!:D

 

Congratulations (?) on getting your kids off and settled!

 

What a downer to read your description of the lack of suite ammenities.:( We are taking our first ever cruise in an Owner's Suite on the POA in December, and are looking forward to every little detail. Were there any bath products at all, or should we take our own?

[Zimomiller]

Yay! Another installment!:D

 

Congratulations (?) on getting your kids off and settled!

 

What a downer to read your description of the lack of suite ammenities.:( We are taking our first ever cruise in an Owner's Suite on the POA in December, and are looking forward to every little detail. Were there any bath products at all, or should we take our own?

 

Do not read too much into my experience and lack of the amenities. The category SH being treated as a suite is an experiment by NCL.

 

My guess is that the suites that were already so designated probably had all these type items. We just have no frame of reference on the POA.

[Zimomiller]

Loving the reviews - great reading and picking up some tips for our trip in December. Already contacted Maui Tours to look at doing the Road to Hana tour with them. We were thinking of driving it ourselves, but think it will be a better experience for all if we let someone else do the driving :).

 

A PP mentioned the Sky was turned into the the Pride of Aloha and then the Pride of America - this isn't the case. The Pride of America was a "new"ship (hull was pre-existing) built specifically for the Hawaii route. When it was delivered in 2005 my wife's sister worked for NCL America and was actually on the crew the brought it across the Atlantic and through the Panama Canal.

 

 

What people forget is that the Pride of America actually was sunk by a freak storm in the dock in Germany while under construction. This necessitated moving the Sky to being converted to Hawaii cruising to accomodate the extra long repair and reconstruction on the Pride.

 

Take a look at this link for the story and an ugly picture

http://professionalmariner.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=420C4D38DC9C4E3A903315CDDC65AD72&nm=Archives&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=F5C8B829EB614FB58E4CA7D3B50A88AD

[EMMOM]

Hello Zimomiller, first of all, thank you for such a great review I am really enjoying it. My husband and I were thinking about taking this cruise next summer with our two boys 18 and 14. All four of us LOVE cruising we have been on 2 disney cruises and 5 carnival and have loved every single one. We have never been on norwegian so this is where I would like to ask a couple questions? Did you happen to notice if there were lots of kids between the ages of 14 and 15 years old? Are there kids clubs seperated by ages? What is there to do for my 18 year old where he can meet people his own age? They are very used to carnival and love going to the teen clubs and meeting lots of friends their ages. I would appreciate any information you can share with me regarding the Pride and all my questions if you took notice to it. Thank you very much :D:D:D

[brunolvr]

Yay! Another installment!:D

 

Congratulations (?) on getting your kids off and settled!

 

What a downer to read your description of the lack of suite ammenities.:( We are taking our first ever cruise in an Owner's Suite on the POA in December, and are looking forward to every little detail. Were there any bath products at all, or should we take our own?

 

We're also going to be in an Owner's Suite on the POA in a short 2 weeks. I'm hoping all of the "suite amenities" will be there!:o If not, I'll be sure to post about it!

[brunolvr]

Yay! Another installment!:D

 

Congratulations (?) on getting your kids off and settled!

 

What a downer to read your description of the lack of suite ammenities.:( We are taking our first ever cruise in an Owner's Suite on the POA in December, and are looking forward to every little detail. Were there any bath products at all, or should we take our own?

 

I found another "cruise critic" who has cruised in an Owner's Suite on the POA and, yes, they did have the little tray of amenities in the bath. I'll try to attach a picture.

[albertamom]

We're also going to be in an Owner's Suite on the POA in a short 2 weeks. I'm hoping all of the "suite amenities" will be there!:o If not, I'll be sure to post about it!

 

Thank you brunolvr! Please, please, please post a review after your trip! I would love to hear every little detail about the suite. We will have our kids with us, so will be using the new sofa bed. Would you check that out, too?:D

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[albertamom]

Do not read too much into my experience and lack of the amenities. The category SH being treated as a suite is an experiment by NCL.

 

My guess is that the suites that were already so designated probably had all these type items. We just have no frame of reference on the POA.

 

That's what I'm hoping (and expecting)! I've been telling my family how much you loved breakfast in Lazy J's. We can't wait for that! Somewhere I saw a Cagney's lunch menu that showed shrimp cocktail as an appetizer. Was that available at Lazy J's? My 13-year-old son is planning on having one or two of those every day!:)

[Zimomiller]

That's what I'm hoping (and expecting)! I've been telling my family how much you loved breakfast in Lazy J's. We can't wait for that! Somewhere I saw a Cagney's lunch menu that showed shrimp cocktail as an appetizer. Was that available at Lazy J's? My 13-year-old son is planning on having one or two of those every day!:)

 

Yes they were always available.

 

I always made sure my kids ordered one even if they were not eating it so my son and I could double up.

 

They need to put more cocktail sauce with em so remember to ask for more in advance.

[Zimomiller]

Hello Zimomiller, first of all, thank you for such a great review I am really enjoying it. My husband and I were thinking about taking this cruise next summer with our two boys 18 and 14. All four of us LOVE cruising we have been on 2 disney cruises and 5 carnival and have loved every single one. We have never been on norwegian so this is where I would like to ask a couple questions? Did you happen to notice if there were lots of kids between the ages of 14 and 15 years old? Are there kids clubs seperated by ages? What is there to do for my 18 year old where he can meet people his own age? They are very used to carnival and love going to the teen clubs and meeting lots of friends their ages. I would appreciate any information you can share with me regarding the Pride and all my questions if you took notice to it. Thank you very much :D:D:D

 

Unfortunately I have no info for you.

 

Our kids stopped going to the organized activities when they got to around 14. Just was not as enjoyable and they had grown more independent. When they were young they adored the kids clubs.

[brunolvr]

Thank you brunolvr! Please, please, please post a review after your trip! I would love to hear every little detail about the suite. We will have our kids with us, so will be using the new sofa bed. Would you check that out, too?:D

 

Have a wonderful trip!

 

Which suite are you in, albertamom? We'll be in #12502 and plan on taking a lot of pictures of the suite.;)

Thanks, we will have a wonderful trip -- we'll be cruising in an Owner's Suite in Hawaii!!!

Edited August 30, 2011 by brunolvr

[albertamom]

Yes they were always available.

 

I always made sure my kids ordered one even if they were not eating it so my son and I could double up.

 

They need to put more cocktail sauce with em so remember to ask for more in advance.

 

Great advice...thank you! Do you think that if we are off the ship through lunch, our butler could have one put in our fridge for later?:)