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POA Review for June 15-22, 2013

CaptainR

By CaptainR,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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CaptainR

CaptainR

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Not as timely as I wanted to be in posting this item but as each cruise I take is greatly enhanced by the wealth of information I receive from CruiseCritic thought I would take a few moments to share a few items from my recent June 15-22, 2013, cruise on Pride of America around the Hawaiian island in hopes that I may be able to return the favor of enhancing one’s cruise.

 

My Gang: My travel party consisted of eight which included my wife, two sisters and their spouses, one mid-twenty year old niece and my 80 year old mother. With the exception of the niece we are all experience cruisers (I have 20+ cruises) and except for my wife and I the others were new to travel to Hawaii. The reason for the cruise, as if one really needs a legitimate reason to go on a cruise, is that my mother last year wanted to sail on a theme cruise, that being the Turner Classic Movie cruise on Celebrity, and she was certain it sailed to the Hawaiian islands. While she and I did sail together on this TCM cruise earlier this year the cruise departure point was Miami and was only for 5 nights so going to Hawaii was not really part of the itinerary. However, my mother still wanted to do a Hawaiian Island cruise so she offered to pay (more like a bribe) the cost of the airfare and cruise for all of us if we would take her. Thus the real reason for the cruise is that it was free! Well almost free in that no way would Mom ever consent to pay for my on-board bar tab – she may be very generous but she is not fool hardy.

 

So that is how the 1%ers live! After booking the cruise and being the bad son I am, I told my mother that since it was a really long flight to and from Dallas to Hawaii that we should fly first class. She consented. What an experience which I will reduce down to saying that the flight over to Hawaii was so enjoyable that I was actually looking forward to the return flight to Dallas. Downside is that I will never, ever, be able to go vacation in Hawaii again as my wife will now only go there if we fly first class. Clarification: My wife proof read this review for me and provides the clarification that she would have no problem going back to Hawaii with me in coach and her in first class.

 

This is the #%^*#$ check-in line! After getting rid of the luggage we preceded in doors to the check-in line. Guessing they were attempting to do some type of promo for the ship’s spa as the temperature in the building was very warm and humid, similar to a spa sauna. This was no doubt the slowest check-in process I have ever encountered. After standing and sweating in line for about 30 minutes the check-in fairy provided her blessings in that a NCL representative came through the line looking for previous NCL cruisers. As we were ones he then directed us to the Priority Boarding Line in which there was no one in line. In very little time we had cabin keys, exited the sauna, and walked aboard the POA.

 

Shape of the Lady. Going to admit that I most likely saw only about 50% of the POA (like I have no idea where the gift shops and photo store are located but on the other hand even if I was blindfolded I could easily lead you to the Waikiki Bar) but what I did see was first rate. It was obvious that the 2 week dry dock she recently experienced made her look great and they were still working on upgrades as we actually received new carpet in our cabin mid-week of the cruise. The fitness center was also first rate and stayed open 24 hours which is unusual for a cruise ship. Of course I tend to avoid fitness centers while on cruises as using a treadmill or stairmaster makes my beer foam. One item of note is that it was rather unusual to see the American Flag flying off the stern of a cruise ship but great to see it there.

 

Skipper and Gilligan (the crew). Thought the crew and the service they provided was above average for a cruise ship. One item I did note is that as it was mostly American there was a lot of good nature bantering between the cruise staff which is most likely not a concept that works between multi-cultural cruise staffs. Believe this good nature bantering plus the fact the staff seems to get a lot more time ashore than a typical Caribbean cruise itinerary contributes greatly to good morale of the staff. We received a notice that new carpet was to be installed in our cabins on the day we were in Kona which was the day my mother was intending to stay onboard in her cabin because of the tendering process. A call to guest services quickly resolved any issues as they stated they would simply delay replacement of her cabin’s carpet until our disembarkation. Special kudos to Shelia and Todd of the Waikiki Bar who provided great service and always made sure there was lots of ice in my beer bucket. Make that buckets.

 

The Howells, Mary Ann, Ginger, and the Professor (the passengers). Almost unanimously, the passengers consisted of a lot of great folks looking to have a great time and not once did I observe any passenger berating a staff member as though there were their personal servant – that cannot be said of all my cruises. There were lots of first time cruisers, lots celebrating special events and several families from Australia and Europe. Most passengers were like us in that they had either pre or post cruise plans to stay on the inlands for a few days.

 

Battle of the Bulge: Really enjoyed the food on the POA. Breakfast in the Aloha Cafe was good (there are 3 omelet stations so not much waiting) especially the fresh fruit section. Not by design but we had one dinner in the Aloha Cafe which for dinner was rather under-whelming. One lunch was at the Cadillac Grill and as others have suggested try the $4.50 milk shakes as they are well worth it. Additionally the on deck grill lunch provided from noon until 1400 of the Kauai sail away was tasty. Ate dinner twice in the Skyline Restaurant in which the service was good and the food quality was average for a cruise ship. Had previously read on CruiseCritic that long pants were required of men to dine in the Skyline Restaurant but that was simply not the case as no one was turned away for wearing shorts though others should have been for wearing ball caps and shirts that bordered on being tank tops. We did dined at Cagney’s and most of us thought it was worth the extra $30 dollars. By far our best dining experience was Teppanyaki which was greatly enjoyed by all in my family so well worth the extra $25 per person. For our cruise on the POA the old saying that “You come on board as a passenger and leave as freight” was certainly applicable.

 

Liberty Call! Liberty Call! So here is a brief run down on “What I did Last Summer” in regards to our port visits:

 

Maui (Sunday) – Off the ship by 0800 to catch rental car van to airport and were back at the cruise ship parking lot by 0900. Went to Kanapalli Beach, specifically Whalers Village, where we had booked advanced reservations with UFO Parasailing (http://www.ufoparasail.net/). Parasailing was not on my hit parade of things to do in Hawaii but it was done at the request of my niece. However, the staff at UFO Parasailing was great and the actual ride between the three islands (Maui, Lanai, and Molokai) was first rate. Following the ride we did a beach side lunch at the Hula Grill which was most enjoyable. For dinner that night we drove the short distance to Mama’s Fish House (http://www.mamasfishhouse.com/) (reservations are almost a must for this place). Yes drinks are expensive ($15 for a mai tai) as are entrees (average price is about $45) but dining at Mama’s Fish House is one of those great dinning events one should experience.

 

Maui (Monday) – Reveille was at 0200 with a muster time of 0245 for our Haleakala Sunrise and Downhill Bike excursion we booked with NCL. At about 0201 I was trying to remember why I thought several months ago that this would be a good excursion to take. The sunrise was great to experience in that twice before I had attempted to drive up Haleakala to experience the sunrise only to arrive about 5 minutes late each time. Had previously biked down Haleakala with Maui Down Hill and had a great time but there were only 5 riders to contend with in our group. On this excursion, also with Maui Downhill, there were 16 riders which caused a few issues. One such issue was that they always place the slowest rider in the front and they set the pace. For us the slowest rider was a lady who had not ridden a bike in over 25 years. Needless to say the pace was rather mundane at times. I did notice that another tour group operating that day was Haleakala Bike Ride which allows for everyone to go down the mountain at one’s own pace. A fellow cruiser I spoke with later told me that they had done this excursion in which they were down the mountain by 0900 and having a beer at a local bar while waiting on the other bikers to complete the ride. Sounds like my type of bike ride.

 

Hilo – Booked the Hilo/Volcano National Park excursion with Ricky’s Tour (http://rickystourshawaii.com/Home_Page.html). Our tour meet time was for 0830 and Ricky was promptly there at 0820. There are several review postings about Ricky’s Tour on CruiseCritic so will not go into great detail other than to say we all had a great time with Ricky and he was especially helpful to my mother in regards to assisting her in and out of the van plus answering her numerous questions including the ones she asked more than once. While it would certainly be cheaper to just rent a car to see Hilo and the Volcano National Park Ricky’s knowledge and stories greatly enhanced the tour for us. For the lava flow viewing we went up port side on deck 13 at 2100 and positioned ourselves just before the Waikiki Bar. We then “borrowed” some chairs from the starboard side of the Waikiki Bar and awaited the lava sail-by which of course was just spectacular. Do not miss this one event.

 

Kona – For my Caribbean cruises I have used Island Marketing (http://www.hawaiicruiseexcursions.com/BigIslandOutriggerTours.htm) for several excursions and for Kona I used them to book a combination beach/snorkeling/outrigger ride (a one hour ride around the harbor area) at a price of $60/person. Off on one of the first POA tenders and made the short walk to the Kona Boys shack which is located on the small beach close to the tendering pier. The attendant, Chris, immediately set us up with nice beach chairs and umbrellas in a prime spot on the beach plus fitted us with snorkel gear. We greatly enjoyed this relaxing time until about 1015 when the worst possible thing could have happened – everyone else got off the ship and joined us on the beach. When we first check-in at Kona Boys they informed us that their outrigger was “still in the shop” but they would be taking us up the coast (of note, the Kona Boys provided a bag for our valuables which they locked away in their safe) to experience a remarkable outrigger experience. How correct they were in that we got to experience a ride on a replica Tahitian outrigger which is used to teach Hawaiian students about their culture and heritage. After a very short use of the motor the “claw sail” was hosted and we enjoyed 1.5 hours sailing the Kona coast while our instructor, Chief, provided us with informative tells of Hawaiian lore, entertained us with his great ukulele and Tahitian drum playing and announced our arrival back into port by blowing of the conch shell. It was a truly great Hawaiian experience. Kudos to the Kona Boys for arranging this substitution as they could just have easily said “the outrigger is busted – here is $20 compensation.” Upon return to the beach did some snorkeling which was worthwhile.

 

Kauai (Thursday) – My brother-in-law recently purchase a Nikon camera with more features and functionality than the original space shuttle. So for something different we did an excursion with Kauai Photo Tours (http://www.hawaiianphotos.net/Kauaitours.htm). Because of need to be back to the ship by a certain time we could not book one of their standard tours but had to arrange a private tour which was somewhat pricey. However, by the end of the tour we no longer thought the tour was pricey as our guide, Matt, took us to many wonderful locations on Kauai and was a master in demonstrating to my brother-in-law so many uses of his Nikon camera. Accordingly, Kauai Photo Tours is highly recommended. Being in Hawaii we had to do the luau thing so for that evening we went to the Smith’s Family Luau (http://www.smithskauai.com/luau.html) which we booked through Roberts Tours (http://www.gorabbitgo.com/) (price $99) and would guess we were joined by about 80 others from the POA on the bus ride to the luau. I have been to several other Hawaiian luaus and the Smith’s Family is by far the best I have ever been too. The grounds are just beautiful, the facilities first rate, food and drink service is quick and most unusual for a luau is that the food was really good. No I am not lying and it is not because of the numerous mai tais I had consumed - it really was good and one could go back for seconds which I did for the delicious pork. Our table hostess, Allyson, escorted my mother through the serving line and carried her plate back to the table. Mom wanted to give her a small tip to show her appreciation and basically had to pry Allyson’s hand open to take it. The show is performed at a different location and Allyson arranged for Mom to be driven on a golf cart to the stage area. Her driver was Mr. Smith, yes THE Mr. Smith of the Smith’s Family Luau, who seated her mid-stage on like the 50 yard line. When we finally joined Mom she was saving us great seats around her by using her walking stick to fend off anyone attempting to set near her. The show was most enjoyable and at the end they provided a tram to drive guests back to the parking lot. So if in Hawaii and have the need or want to go to a luau I would highly recommend the Smith’s Family Luau. To quote Jim Bob Briggs the famous drive in movie critic: I give it 4.5 stars out of 5. Check it out!

 

Kauai (Friday) – Nothing special as most went shopping but one of my brother-in-laws and I just walked over to the nearby beach for some beach time. Found out that the nearby Duke’s opened at 1100 and at 1101 we were seated at the end of the bar enjoying cold Kona Longboards and the awesome view. We were having such a great time there that we thought about just staying at Duke’s for the rest of the day and then go rent a car and drive to Honolulu to meet the ship when it pulled in on Saturday but the bar tender, Milo, was nice enough to point out a couple of minor flaws in that awesome plan so we abandon it. At 1315 Milo pointed us in the general direction of the POA and we managed to board in time for the last sail away. For the Na Pali coast sail-by our cabin steward unlocked the dividers between our balcony rooms so that as a family we could enjoy this event together. The passenger in the cabin next to ours leaned over and stated he had requested that the dividers be open but was told no and wondered how we had managed to do so. Simply told him that we had asked “real nice” but did not tell him that most likely it was because we had been providing additional tips to the cabin steward throughout the week.

 

What do you mean I have to get off the ship! As with every cruise sadly that day comes. I enjoyed one last trip to the Aloha Cafe buffet for one last grazing at the awesome fruit station. At 0900 they made a public announcement that everyone must depart the ship so we reluctantly dragged ourselves off the ship to retrieve our luggage and find the rental car courtesy shuttle.

 

Hints from Heloise: Here are some ideas that hopefully will be of value for your Hawaiian cruise on the POA.

 

Binoculars: Bring a pair as they will greatly enhance your viewing of both the lava and Na Pali coast sail-by.

 

Use of Porters at the Pier: When there is a long line for check-in of baggage, simply locate a porter who will take your luggage and you get to avoid 30+ minutes of standing in line while hauling around your entire luggage. A nice tip to the porter is a great investment to avoid this hassle.

 

Disembarkation Instructions. Not much information was given out on disembarkation of the POA. Being experience cruisers not an issue for us but if new to cruising (and as noted I met a lot of first time cruisers on board) thinking it could be rather confusing. So if the POA is your first cruise do not be shy about asking about the disembarkation instructions.

 

Unless you like long waits avoid Dollar Rental Car for Post Cruise: After locating our luggage we arranged for a porter to haul our luggage to the rental car shuttle area. He asked what rental car agency we had and upon informing him it was Thrifty he responded “Great! Just be glad it is not Dollar. Not sure why but Dollar is very slow about sending shuttle vans to the Pier.” Sure enough we walked outside the cruise terminal and there must have been at least 75+ persons waiting for a Dollar shuttle. For Thrifty there was a shuttle waiting and we were immediately off to the Thrifty rental agency.

 

Validated Parking: Not sure if it is a new trend but on several occasions when we parked in paid parking lots and had our parking ticket validated by a vendor but the validation did cover the complete cost of the parking. Such as at Whaler’s Village the validation only covered $21 of the $33 parking tab. Bottom line is be prepared to pay the shortage not covered by the validation.

 

Kona Beach Area. If you go to the small beach near the Kona tendering area an ABC shop is just around the corner (as at most places in Hawaii) which can be used to purchase drinks and snacks during you stay on the beach.

 

USS Arizona Memorial. As others have noted you may go online (http://www.recreation.gov/welcome.do) and pre-select a date and time for your trip to the USS Arizona Memorial. The $1.50 spent on this pre-reservation is well worth the cost of avoiding the lines and helping you plan your trip there.

 

GPS for marking location. There is a GPS app for iPhones (guessing there is a similar for Android) which can be used to mark places of interest as to where you have been. For example on Kauai we went to several off the path locations for picture taking and to find our way back there on a return to Hawaii or share with friends my sister marked them on her iPhone using this app. Marking a spot could also be done with any GPS unit or of course with any GPS equipped camera.

 

Gordon Biersch. As we did not depart home to Dallas until Sunday we went to the Gordon Biersch brew pub for dinner on Saturday night. Other than of course for their beers, reason for selecting this place is that it is located at the Aloha Towers Pier which is right next to where the POA docks in Honolulu. At 1900 one can clearly see (that is if one is not crying because you are not on the POA) the POA departing Honolulu thus it makes for a great picture taking opportunity.

 

Kona Beer Pub at airport. For those individuals like me needing one last fix of a Kona Longboard or other Kona beer before that trip back to the mainland there is a nice Kona Beer pub located within the Honolulu airport.

 

Not sure what my expectations were before departing on this cruise. However if the intent of a family vacation is to have a great time, share new experiences together and make lasting family memories then no doubt our cruise on the POA was a great success.

 

Our cruise was blessed with beautiful blue skies, fair winds, and following seas. May your cruise be as blessed as was ours.

 

CaptainR

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franma

franma

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Thanks for the review. Sounds like you had a great time. One question...did you have a transfer from the airport to the ship? I'm asking because there will be eight of us and we're not renting a vehicle so we'll need transportation from airport to hotel, then to port, then to airport. Looking for suggestions for company to use.

Thanks again for sharing.

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CaptainR

CaptainR

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deburn – On cruise ships I attempt to avoid looking at the actual cost of a bucket of beer as the sticker shock may limit my consumption of such. Would rather just get all the bad news at once on the morning I am leaving the ship when I look at the onboard bill they slip under my cabin door. However, believe that a bucket of beer, which would consist of five 16oz domestic beers, was around $25 plus the gratuity. Good news is that they were more than willing to combine different flavors of beer and even once prepared a bucket made up of only Hawaiian brewed beers. We were in cabin 8610 which is a port side cabin.

 

franma – We stayed one night prior to the cruise date and one night after the POA’s return. On both occasions we rented two large cars because we wanted to see some of the sights on Oahu which included the USS Arizona Memorial and rental cars met our needs. If you are looking for transfer service from airport, hotel, and cruise pier, I would certainly take a look at Roberts Tours who provide such service.

 

Thanks to all who posted nice comments about my review.

 

CaptainR

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TxStacey

TxStacey

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Thanks for the great review..very entertaining! I will also be flying in from DFW..but on coach as we couldn't get first class:(. Im not looking forward to that part, but cant wait for the cruise..#11 for me, but my first on NCL.

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soakedbythesea

soakedbythesea

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Thanks for the review. Sounds like you had a great time. One question...did you have a transfer from the airport to the ship? I'm asking because there will be eight of us and we're not renting a vehicle so we'll need transportation from airport to hotel, then to port, then to airport. Looking for suggestions for company to use.

Thanks again for sharing.

Aloha,

 

I enjoyed the review too & feel better about POA now.

 

You might want to check with Roberts about transfers, they have buses from airport to hotels and hotels to ships and from ship to hotels or airport - cost is $8 and you can reserve online under excursions or just call them.

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