This American is Proud to Review the Pride of America 4/11 to 4/18

[mel-b]

Picking up where I left off on the Road to Hana! I'll highlight a few more of the stops we made along the way.

 

 

Keanae Peninsula

 

 

The old stone church is called “Ihi’ihio Iehowa o na Kaua” church in Hawaiian. It was built in 1856 and is the sole surviving building of the April 1st, 1946 killer tsunami which wiped out the entire village at Keanae Peninsula. The 8.6 monster earthquake that caused this devastating tsunami originated in the Aleutian Islands chain off the coast of Alaska.

 

 

I highly recommend stopping off the side of the road (about a 1/2 mile beyond mile marker 16) where the Ke'anae Arboretum is located. It is free to enter. There are a few spots you can park and walk back up to the gate entrance. The hike through the grounds is great. Rainbow eucalyptus, bamboo, tropical flowers, a stream. It would be easy to spend a bit of time here.

 

 

Halfway to Hana, mile marker 17. Home of "The Original" banana bread. This a great place to stop and grab snacks (banana bread, shaved ice that is larger than your head, and fresh cocount). If you do not want to continue on to the town of Hana, this is a good place to turn around.

[mel-b]

 

Located at Mile Marker 29, approximately 6 miles before Hana Town, Nahiku Marketplace is a great place to stop, stretch your legs, shop, eat, relax, and re-energize for the rest of your journey. We purchased coconut chips from a vendor. They were awesome!

 

 

Wai'anapanapa State Park. This is a great stop. Once again, it would be so easy to spend an entire day here. In fact, I'd love to come back and camp. The most immediately noticeable feature to the 120-acres that make up Wai'anapanapa State Park is the black sand beach named Pa'iloa. The translation for Wai'anapanapa is "glistening water" or "water flashing rainbow hues", both of which are accurate in describing the powerful contrast between the black, pebble lava field and the deep blue-greens of the ocean.

 

The Beach is small with a ocean cave on the east side that can be traveled through to the ocean. There's also a naturally made lava arch in the water. The caves are great to explore as well.

[mel-b]

 

I forgot to mention Upper Waikani Falls

AKA 3 Bears, there's enough room for 2-3 cars, but it's a no parking zone. Once a few cars park, 6-7 more park behind it and take up most of the road becoming a hazard. There is, however, a turnout further up the road where you can park and walk down. The walk is a little hairy because there isn't a path.

 

 

Wailua Falls. Literally on the road and along a bridge, these falls are tall, and beautiful. Just past the bridge are spots to park. You'll also find locals selling handmade artwork and sometimes food. We took a picture on the bridge overlooking the falls, then walked down a short distance. It is amazingly cool right at the falls! So refreshing. Take a swim!

 

 

Last but not least. We made several other stops, but these I've mentioned would be highlights IMO. 'Ohe'o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools)

In 1969, Kipahulu Valley and 'Ohe'o Gulch were added to Haleakala National Park, which stretches down from the crater's summit. 'Ohe'o means "Something Special", and it certainly is. When water levels are up, there are many more than 7 pools (as the inaccurate name suggests). When water levels are safe, there are many pools open to swimming. By the time we arrived (this is past Hana town and the last official stop on the RTH before heading backcountry) the pools were closed to swimming due to flash flood. If this is a must stop for you, I would suggest finding a way to locate this national park to inquire on the conditions. I have heard of some people bypassing the stops on the RTH and heading straight to this park in the morning in order to take in the pools. In other words, drive first to the last point, then hit all the stops on the way back. If we have a chance to go again, I would consider doing this. We were bummed we couldn't swim in the pools! But, obey all signs here, as some areas are known for rock slides and have killed people. Also, think twice before swimming directly below a fall. Natural debris upstream has been known to flow over and on top of unaware swimmers. Also, it's best to keep your head above water due to potential waterborne bacteria. This goes for all streams and waterfalls on Maui.)

 

We would've liked to spend more time at this park. Due to daylight, we weren't able to do so. The drive back to Paia was nice! We made only one or two stops, one of which was to use a restroom. It was great to listen to our driving app (Ricky Bobby if you recall). He did a great job of narrating on the way back. However, his narration was not about the RTH but about Hawaiian history. Very very informative. And made the drive quite nice!

 

We made it back to Paia around dusk. We were tired and hungry, so drove straight back to the cruise pier. As I mentioned above, Paia town is really neat. I'd like to go back and explore and eat in some of the local restaurants. Parking at the pier was easy, and the walk back to the ship a bit of a hike but probably felt that way due to being tired and famished!

 

We went straight to Teppanaki for dinner when we got aboard the POA. We did not have a previous reservation, but were able to get in no problem. The POA has several television monitors that show the various restaurants and availability. Even though I utilized the reservation system prior to embarking the POA, I didn't plan every single dinner. Leaving room for whatever might occur is always a good idea IMO.

I would not recommend Teppanaki restaurant if you're limited on specialty dining. It's just okay. Nothing to write home about. Not that the food is terribly bad. The service is fun! We ended up leaving before dessert because we were worn out, and needed to be up super early to catch the sunrise on Haleakala.

[motleyfan]

Hi all, and thanks in advance for journeying with me as I review and reminisce our cruise on NCL's Pride of America. Like most of you, I spent the months leading up to our cruise researching the heck out of the ship, the islands, activities etc.. I found unlike other cruise lines and ships, the POA seemed to not have as many recent reviews as I would've liked. What was available was a mix of yays and nays. I vowed upon returning to the mainland to write a review as a form of paying it forward. It has taken me 2 months to do so but, hey, it's a start right?!

 

Bear with me as I look through my notes and find the time to transpose everything to this review. I hope you will find it quite helpful. I will be as honest and candid as my memory allows!

 

Let me give you some background info before I get into the meat and potatoes of the actual trip. My husband (46 y.o.) and myself (36 y.o) are celebrating our 10 year anniversary this summer. We love to travel, and cruising is one way in which we do so. Most of the time, we cruise with our 3 kids. As we began to plan what to do for our anniversary, Hawaii was definitely on the list. Neither of us had ever been. I had heard in passing from many who had gone before us to not cruise. "Try to take 2 weeks, and stay on 2 islands," they said. We had cruised with NCL once before, on the Epic when she first came out. We loved it. Most of our cruising has been with Carnival. Galveston (our home port) is easy to get to and the Carnival Magic has been great for taking our kids. We sailed her twice. But, we really really loved our experience with NCL so when they sent a flier in the mail with deals relating to the POA, we were intrigued.

 

My DH had to be in Hawaii for a conference in April. It just didn't seem fair that he go alone, you know? So we bumped up our anniversary celebration to wrap around the work event. It became a matter of do we stay on two islands (Oahu being one due to the conference), or do we cruise POA? It appeared those who loved POA, LOVED it. And those who didn't love it so much, well, I think their expectations were not aligned. I'll explain why I believe that throughout this review.

 

DH and I are fairly laid back. I'm the kinda gal who drives a rowdy SUV, can get a little mud on the tires but do so while wearing heals and a dress. We like to travel that way as well. We like nice places and things, but can acclimate to any setting and have a good time regardless. What most people seemed to dislike about the POA, did not matter to us. The ability to unpack once and see 4 different islands was what convinced us to book the POA. I have only one regret... we didn't book a back-to-back. This cruise would be unbelievable if done for two weeks straight.

 

Heard the entire staff is american, that's an awesome plus.

[erinlaw]

Thanks for the review! I can't wait to read more. I just booked for our family for June 2016 although I wish we had family to leave the kids with instead:) Galveston is also our home port and we taking the Freedom in August.

[mel-b]

Thanks for the review! I can't wait to read more. I just booked for our family for June 2016 although I wish we had family to leave the kids with instead:) Galveston is also our home port and we taking the Freedom in August.

 

Thanks for reading!! This will be a nice family trip. I'd like to take the rest of our gang if we ever return.

 

That's right, the Freedom has or is coming to Galveston?! Is she nearly identical to the Magic? I'm looking forward to this port having another 7 day Carnival option.

[mel-b]

Heard the entire staff is american, that's an awesome plus.

 

It really is. I know there have been many who have done the POA complain about this factor. What I think those individuals (maybe) did not understand is these American employees are governed by American labor law. Therefore, take the cabin stewards as an example. They are limited to the number of hours they are on the clock before it turns into overtime pay. This would be the main reason you don't see your cabin steward as frequently as you might on any other cruise ship.

We enjoyed the crew we interacted with. They really seem to love what they're doing.

Edited June 22, 2015 by mel-b

[motleyfan]

I think I covered a good portion of why we chose to book this cruise versus by land only. I won't deny that it is a fast-paced way to see Hawaii. BECAUSE we were newbies to the islands, we couldn't think of a better way to do it. If we hadn't cruised on the POA, we more than likely would not have seen the Big Island and would've had to choose between Maui and Kauai (Oahu was a given due to the work conference I mentioned). Which would've meant missing out on two of the four islands. Even though time is limited on each island, if you're willing to maximize it and enjoy exploring, you can cover a lot of ground. I honestly can't think of a better way to do Hawaii as a first-timer. And should we have the chance to return, we'd consider doing this cruise again. Let me say, we would have no hesitation doing so. I'd love to do the cruise again then end up on Kauai, Maui or the Kona side of the Big Island for another week.

 

I agree more than one week in Hawaii is needed. Two weeks would be about right IMO. Of course, who wouldn't do more than that?! We had 11 days. I'll begin at the beginning of our arrival.

 

I got to say thank you thank you for the review, I've been thinking about POA but I've heard so many bad things its nice to hear a good review. Plus I've heard Hawaii is very very beautiful.

[mel-b]

I got to say thank you thank you for the review, I've been thinking about POA but I've heard so many bad things its nice to hear a good review. Plus I've heard Hawaii is very very beautiful.

 

I'm glad you're enjoying the review. It's often hard to convey feelings and emotions from an experience into written form. I'm trying my best to share my opinions/feelings as well as general observations regarding the POA and Hawaii in general.

I think like most anything, it comes down to what you make of it. I mentioned at the beginning of my review how I believe many who had a less favorable experience (mostly on the POA) quite frankly may not have had their expectations aligned properly. This cruise is, IMO, best done as a means to an end. If a person is looking for leisurely cruising, such as can be found on 7 day Caribbean itineraries, I don't think the POA will be a good fit. If a person is looking to unpack once and see as much of Hawaii as possible, the POA is an excellent choice. If a person is looking for 5 star cruising, the POA is not a good fit.

I'll confess, my DH and I did not partake in any onboard activities. No nightly shows. We maximized our time ashore that by the time we returned to the ship, we were dog tired. So different from what we normally do on 7 day cruises. The itineraries where you have 3 days at sea in total. I think if a person is looking for at-sea days, the POA is not a good fit. There are other Hawaiian cruise options to my understanding that allow for that time to traverse across the Pacific. However, I believe those cruises do not offer as much Hawaiian port time as the POA does.

Not to mention, it's Hawaii. HAWAII folks!! How bad must it get to have a legitimately crappy time?! It would have to be earth shattering for me quite frankly..

Edited June 23, 2015 by mel-b

[lostone65]

Great review so far! We sailed the POA last May and loved her! My first trip to Hawaii and I wouldn't have gone any other way. I plan on doing the cruise again in the next couple years. We also rented cars in Maui and Kauai. Printed off driving guides from Alternate Hawaii dot com. Excellent resource!

[erinlaw]

Thanks for reading!! This will be a nice family trip. I'd like to take the rest of our gang if we ever return.

 

That's right, the Freedom has or is coming to Galveston?! Is she nearly identical to the Magic? I'm looking forward to this port having another 7 day Carnival option.

 

It's smaller than the Magic, but was recently refurbished. We sailed her several years ago our of Ft. Lauderdale and really enjoyed it. I will let you know how it is this time!

[mel-b]

It's smaller than the Magic, but was recently refurbished. We sailed her several years ago our of Ft. Lauderdale and really enjoyed it. I will let you know how it is this time!

Please do!

[mel-b]

Great review so far! We sailed the POA last May and loved her! My first trip to Hawaii and I wouldn't have gone any other way. I plan on doing the cruise again in the next couple years. We also rented cars in Maui and Kauai. Printed off driving guides from Alternate Hawaii dot com. Excellent resource!

 

Thanks for reading! And thank you for mentioning this resource. I can't wait to look at it, and plan our next trip to Hawaii. Even if that doesn't occur for a few years... one can dream, right?!

[mel-b]

No matter what time zone you're on, IMO it's just plain difficult to wake up at 230 am. Especially from a nice, deep sleep aboard the POA! I am so thankful my DH did not succomb to my pressure to just stay in bed the second morning of Maui. We planned to drive our rental Jeep to the summit of Haleakala for sunrise. Boy oh boy am I glad we did.

Everything I read about sunrise at Haleakala was correct. Leave the port at a reasonable time to navigate the winding road (albeit not nearly as crazy a drive as the road to Hana). We left the ship around 3am and walked the 10 minute or so walk to the port parking lot. It was eerily quiet walking through the port but as I mentioned above, the walk is secure. The drive to the entrance of Haleakala National Park is roughly an hour give/take. We arrived around 4 - 430am and if I recall correctly, we were one of the first vehicles to park at the summit.

*Note - the entrance fee for Haleakala National Park is good for 3 days and is good for entrance to the summit as well as the Seven Sacred Pools (past Hana on the road to Hana).

When we arrived at the Park, there is an area where restrooms are located just past the entrance gate. This is not the summit. However, I highly recommend using the facilities as there are none at the top.

There are two areas to park - one just prior to arriving at the summit and the other parking lot at the summit. If you have made it in time, park at the summit. The other lot just a bit down appeared to be overflow/bus parking.

It is dark. I mean darkkkk. Which was awesome because the stars are simply magnificient at this level. Arriving with enough time to set up and scope out the area allowed for star gazing.

*Note - bring a heavy enough jacket, mittens, ear muffs, scarf and blanket from the ship. It's cold and windy.

[mel-b]

There is a small viewing building at the summit of Haleakala which is enclosed with glass. This is a good place to get out of the elements. Some people choose to remain in this position during the sunrise. We set up shop in front of the building with our GoPro. It was recommended to us to take a flashlight and I agree, it was helpful to have. Especially when you first arrive and are trying to acclimate to your surroundings. It was also recommended not to set up shop by the building but a different area across the parking lot from the building. We wish in hindsight we would've followed this advice as the area recommended was barely populated with people. This area I'm referring to is to the right of the parking lot. If you envision a lot in a u shape, with the enclosed building on the left side of the lot, the area of rock I'm referring to is on the right side of the u shaped lot. A flashlight would be absolutely necessary to navigate your way up and around the rock. This area had a lot of privacy and when the sun rises, you won't have anyone jockeying for position or in front of you while taking pictures.

 

 

Watching the sun first peek over the clouds on the horizon , and rise steadily through the sky to finally breach the edge of heaven and break out in an amazing array of light at Haleakala, is priceless. There was a collective group "ahhhh, ohhhhh". My sister-in-law who had seen this sunrise a few years ago said I would cry. I thought that was the silliest thing I'd ever heard. It takes a lot for me to shed tears. Sure enough, when the sun broke over the clouds in what appeared to be a cross-like shape, I felt overwhelmed. It was a pure, spiritual experience for me. I am very thankful we followed through with our plans and saw the sun rise over Haleakala. I know some consider doing the sunset over sunrise. If that is your only option, so be it. But if you can make the sunrise, and are willing to sacrifice your sleep and warmth, it is totally worth it IMO.

[mel-b]

After the sun has fully risen over the horizon, please stay at the summit for some time to walk around and explore. It's an amazing view all the way around.

The drive down from the summit is nice since the sun is out and you can take in the views. We decided to stop at the Kula Lodge which is about halfway down (if not more) from the summit. Their breakfast is excellent. It's a great way to warm up with a cup of Kona coffee sitting in front of their fireplace. The view from the lodge is spectacular. Their grounds are lovely to walk through after you've eaten. It's a nice stop to make and would potentially be a nice place to stay overnight.

 

Kula Lodge

 

After breakfast, we browsed through their small gift shop and walked through the flower path on the lodge's grounds. At this point, it was mid morning and we had plenty of time to continue exploring Maui before we needed to return the Jeep and board the POA. We chose to drive to Lahaina. On the way, we passed a few beach areas on the side of the road. They looked inviting, and after driving through the town of Lahaina, we opted to skip going on to Kaanapali beach and returned south to a stretch of beach we previously passed. Lahaina is a nice whalers village with plenty of shops, restaurants and just a nice place to walk around. I regret not driving on to Kaanapali beach area. Since we were up so early, I think we were looking to just relax and stare at the ocean. The stretch of beach we happened upon was gorgeous, but the way the wind whipped down from the mountains behind us made it uncomfortable. There's nothing more unsettling than sand stinging you in the back! We didn't stay long. We opted to go ahead and return the Jeep at the airport Getting the shuttle (through Thrifty) was super easy and we were back at the ship in no time. We ended up grabbing a beverage on the pool deck and lounging on a big lounging bed until the POA pulled out of Maui.

 

Lahaina

[mel-b]

We had a dinner reservation at Cagney's the night of leaving Maui (Monday). This was a favorite restaurant of ours. We dined here twice during the week it was that tasty! Coming from Texas, we have steakhouses on what seems like every city corner. Cagney's ranks up there with some of the best.

I really like the location of Cagney's on the ship. The wine bar area located before you reach the restaurant is a nice place to relax. As I mentioned before, we maximized our time so much onshore that by the time we returned to the ship, we were lucky to make it through a nice dinner before heading back to the cabin.

[Retiring cajun]

mel-b, enjoying your review! headed there mid august[emoji41]

[bjtravelnews]

Thank you so much for your review. We were on the Breakaway recently (our first cruise with NCL) and loved it so much we purchased 2 future cruise certificates. We are seriously considering POA for 2017 and will most likely combine the cruise with a timeshare trade to get some more time there. Which island was your favorite?

Thanks - will continue to follow this post with interest.

[scrapycruiser]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. It's excellent !!

We are on the July 11 sailing, and we are in 9700 !!! So glad you had a wonderful Hawaii cruise ! Look forward to reading more :)

[CruisingSince2012]

Thanks for reviewing the POA here where everybody can see it. :)

 

I always thought I need to sail on her someday because no other ship can go to four islands in 7 days, including two overnights. Unfortunately I have no reason to try NCL except that itinerary. So your review is very helpful because I need a better report than what other people have been posting.

[mel-b]

mel-b, enjoying your review! headed there mid august[emoji41]

 

Thanks for reading this review!! I'm excited for you and your upcoming trip on the POA!

[mel-b]

Thank you so much for your review. We were on the Breakaway recently (our first cruise with NCL) and loved it so much we purchased 2 future cruise certificates. We are seriously considering POA for 2017 and will most likely combine the cruise with a timeshare trade to get some more time there. Which island was your favorite?

Thanks - will continue to follow this post with interest.

 

Oh, I bet the Breakaway was awesome! I'd love to do another NCL cruise, and would definitely consider that ship.

Thank you for following this post. I hope it continues to be helpful as you consider the POA. You ask an excellent question. Which island was my favorite?! I enjoyed all four islands for different reasons. As I mentioned earlier, I would not hesitate to do a b2b on the POA in order to see the islands double the time. However, if I had to rate them, I would do so in this order: Kauai, Maui, Big Island, and Oahu. Although quite honestly, I could flip flop Kauai and Maui. If I ever return to Hawaii and do a land tour, I would probably choose to return to Kauai and Maui. Although, returning to the Kona side of the Big Island is tempting as well.

I loved Kauai for the rugged beauty. The topography is unreal. I haven't gotten to our Kauai stop yet in this review, so hopefully you'll continue to read as I recall our experience on that beautiful island. If I were to return to Maui, I would like to spend more time on the Hana side. I would like to explore north of Kaanappali beach area. Oahu was the least impressive IMO. Waikiki beach is worth experiencing. We did drive around the island from Honolulu to the north shore and back down south. With Oahu being the most populated, I think that is why it was the least impressive in light of the other three islands.

[mel-b]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. It's excellent !!

We are on the July 11 sailing, and we are in 9700 !!! So glad you had a wonderful Hawaii cruise ! Look forward to reading more :)

 

I'm excited for you!! I hope you enjoy the POA as much as I did. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Enjoy your cruise. I hope we'll hear about your experience when you return!

[mel-b]

Thanks for reviewing the POA here where everybody can see it. :)

 

I always thought I need to sail on her someday because no other ship can go to four islands in 7 days, including two overnights. Unfortunately I have no reason to try NCL except that itinerary. So your review is very helpful because I need a better report than what other people have been posting.

 

I'm glad this review is helpful as you consider the POA. Thank you for reading!