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calling all Hawaii pride of america experts !

june123

By june123,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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june123

june123

Posted
Posted

First of all thank you for looking at this thread . Hubby and i are looking into taking this cruise 2017 so i`m starting my research as we don`t know a lot about the islands and this will be our first visit .

I was sure i read in someones review ages ago that on one evening during this cruise you pass active lava flows going into the sea at night . If so this must look spectacular . I haven`t been able to find any info to back this up so it may have been my imagination . Does anyone know if this is correct ? if so which day / island .

Also i believe a balcony cabin on the port side would be best for viewing the sail past of na`pali but looking at the route the starboard side looks best for viewing the big island . Any recommendations ?

Many thanks x

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minaco

minaco

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We have sailed on POA twoce. First in 2009 and then again in 2012. On our first cruise we were able to see the lava flowing quite freely into the ocean. We went up to the observation deck as the entire ship was a buzz with excitement. However, on the second cruise, the lava was no longer flowing into the ocean. It is constantly changing. You won't know until your sail date if you may see lava or not.

 

That being said, the port side does have great views of the Napali coast which has narration being announced at the same time. The ship does turn around to afford the starboard side a view too. But, it isn't as long of an experience, as the ship begins to sail off into the distance after a few minutes losing sight of Kauaii.

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zqvol

zqvol

Posted
Posted
First of all thank you for looking at this thread . Hubby and i are looking into taking this cruise 2017 so i`m starting my research as we don`t know a lot about the islands and this will be our first visit .

I was sure i read in someones review ages ago that on one evening during this cruise you pass active lava flows going into the sea at night . If so this must look spectacular . I haven`t been able to find any info to back this up so it may have been my imagination . Does anyone know if this is correct ? if so which day / island .

Also i believe a balcony cabin on the port side would be best for viewing the sail past of na`pali but looking at the route the starboard side looks best for viewing the big island . Any recommendations ?

Many thanks x

 

 

IF you get the opportunity to view lava flowing into the sea it will be at the big island (Hawaii) probably after your stop in Hilo. I say IF because it is up to mother nature whether or not any lava is entering the sea when you are there. The volcano has been active for year and has been flowing into the sea for much of that time. We have never seen it from sea, but have seen it at night from shore and it is quiet spectacular.

 

If you cruise by the Na Pali coast I believe that you would have better views from a port side balcony, however that is a day time pass by and anywhere on deck will provide wonderful views.

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mel-b

mel-b

Posted
Posted
First of all thank you for looking at this thread . Hubby and i are looking into taking this cruise 2017 so i`m starting my research as we don`t know a lot about the islands and this will be our first visit .

I was sure i read in someones review ages ago that on one evening during this cruise you pass active lava flows going into the sea at night . If so this must look spectacular . I haven`t been able to find any info to back this up so it may have been my imagination . Does anyone know if this is correct ? if so which day / island .

Also i believe a balcony cabin on the port side would be best for viewing the sail past of na`pali but looking at the route the starboard side looks best for viewing the big island . Any recommendations ?

Many thanks x

 

Hi June123. We sailed the POA mid June of this year. The lava flow on Big Island was not flowing towards the sea. At least, where it would be seen from a sail-by on the POA. When we were at the Volcano National Park, a guide mentioned this has been the case for some time. The lava is best seen via air (helicopter). At least, in April it was. As mentioned above, these conditions can change frequently. NCL promotes the sail-by on the evening the POA would sail from Hilo to Kona. There's no way to know at this time what the lava flow condition will be like on the Big Island in 2017.

 

As for balcony cabins - I throw my hat into the suggestion ring by recommending an aft balcony cabin. When we sailed past the Na Pali coast, we happened to be in the aft bar area called Aloha cafe, having drinks with friends. This was a great area to view the Na Pali coast from. As we turned around to sail away from the coast, we saw two whales breaching in the ship's wake. And the sun was setting as well. It was amazing.

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azappraiser

azappraiser

Posted
Posted (edited)

No lava flowing when we went last September, but I will 2nd Mel-B on the Aft Balcony. We had an amazing view of the Na Pali coast on the way in and on the way out... no whales, but we did get to see some spinner dolphins playing in the wake and I was fortunate enough to capture a sunset that was absolutely stunning; both as we were sailing away from Kauai & headed back to Honolulu.

 

DW also caught an amazing sunrise from our balcony while in port on our 2nd day on Kauai. What I enjoyed most about the aft balcony was sitting out there with my cup of coffee... listening to the wake and watching the sun come up... what a way to start a day. ;)

968184049_NaPaliSunset.jpg.2e3cf0aab06b5665994241651200fb90.jpg

2074530701_MySummerVacation.jpg.49030c7c5be594df6642d3a08107abfa.jpg

409703788_KauaiSunriseLowRes.jpg.b2abffa6f3cda381cae2d07a4b567af9.jpg

Edited by azappraiser
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azappraiser

azappraiser

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azappraiser, we had a chance to book aft balcony, decided to stay midship. 4 couples. I would have chosen the aft if alone. my question is, any vibrations, motor noises, swaying in this location. thanks

 

We were on deck 9 and I really didn't feel any vibrations what so ever. And, the only noise I heard was the water churning from the prop wash in the wake; which was very calming.

 

One thing to remember, the islands are so close to one another, the ship is basically just plodding along when sailing from port to port. Also, during our cruise, the seas were very calm... hardly any motion detected at all. In fact, our flight over wasn't nearly as smooth as the cruise. :cool:

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  • 4 weeks later...
mel-b

mel-b

Posted
Posted
Are balconies covered on 9th deck?

 

Our cabin, 9700, was mostly covered. There is a section, maybe 1/3 of the deck at the railing that is not covered. The good thing IMO is this gives option for catching sun on the balcony if that's desired or staying in the shade.

 

I meant to fix an error of my post above. I think I mentioned we sailed mid June but it was mid April! Sorry about that, have no idea why I typed that. :)

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cbb

cbb

Posted
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I also have questions for POA experts:

 

We have cruised before but not on NCL. I have created an online account for a Dec 2016 cruise. I have attempted to make various reservations but have been unable to.

 

What calendar date can I expect to be able to make dinner reservations and shorex?

 

thanks everyone! c

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KitCatBrat

KitCatBrat

Posted
Posted (edited)
I also have questions for POA experts:

 

We have cruised before but not on NCL. I have created an online account for a Dec 2016 cruise. I have attempted to make various reservations but have been unable to.

 

What calendar date can I expect to be able to make dinner reservations and shorex?

 

thanks everyone! c

 

If I remember correctly, I believe I was able to make my dinner reservations online about 90-100 days out? Shore excursions a little earlier than that.

Edited by KitCatBrat
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MalervyC

MalervyC

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We sailed May 2013 and the lava was flowing into the ocean. From what I heard, it is no longer since the earthquake in Japan. If you are sailing in 2017 that could very well change. The sail by happens on Hilo day...or I should say that night.

 

We booked deck 6 and had the bump out room so our balcony only had one wall. We felt like it was bigger - not sure if it was. Also we were starboard.

 

I would recommend checking out the Hawaii boards. The best advice I had was to rent cars and drive ourselves everywhere. It was so easy and we saved tons of money. We brought our own GPS as well. We did Kipu Ranch ATV in Kauai. I would recommend to anyone!

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cbb

cbb

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KitCatBrat-

 

thanks for the info on dining reservations! I've noted that on our calendar.

 

We are sailing on a family reunion so i'm gleaning info for everyone.

 

Some of them might want a couple of the shorex; we'll probably do diy everywhere.

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dexddd

dexddd

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Posted
Enjoying Mariott Waikiki hotel.

NCL tour of Polynesian Cultural Center. Very interesting. Hot, humid day. Tomorrow is Pearl Harbor tour.

 

Have fun. See if you can find out any info about the drydock coming up. Thanks.

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amychita

amychita

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I'm gonna go ahead and take advantage of this thread because calling all the experts sounds exactly what I need :)

 

First of all congrats on booking and researching so early! the lava thing sounds awesome! we are also looking forward to see that!. Our cruise is in 20 something days and all I have is one dinning reservation hehehe

 

So this is our first cruise, my first time in Hawaii (and I'm in charge of planning for the whole group of 8 people!) so I want to know what can we do that is not crazy expensive to enhance our cruise experience :) so far I just figured about a hop on hop off bus in Hilo that is $20 each. The group is my husband's family so ages from 60 to 25 :p

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VideoTech

VideoTech

Posted
Posted (edited)
I'm gonna go ahead and take advantage of this thread because calling all the experts sounds exactly what I need :)

 

First of all congrats on booking and researching so early! the lava thing sounds awesome! we are also looking forward to see that!. Our cruise is in 20 something days and all I have is one dinning reservation hehehe

 

So this is our first cruise, my first time in Hawaii (and I'm in charge of planning for the whole group of 8 people!) so I want to know what can we do that is not crazy expensive to enhance our cruise experience :) so far I just figured about a hop on hop off bus in Hilo that is $20 each. The group is my husband's family so ages from 60 to 25 :p

 

There's a link to my POA Hawaii review, and to a review of rental cars in Hawaii, down there in my sig.

 

First of all, Hawaii is an expensive place. Not just for doing things, but even for things like meals & gas. Makes sense when you realize that almost everything has to be imported.

 

You can definitely find less expensive things to do, particularly if you do NOT book your excursions through the ship. You can book almost all the ship's excursions, and others, directly through tour operators websites and you'll pay a lot less. However, do remember that when you book your own excursions, you are responsible for getting back to the ship on time. The ship will NOT wait for you if you are late, and then you'll have to fly on to the next island to catch up with the ship.

 

Given the size and age range of your group, I think the hardest part will be finding things that everyone wants to do together. If you want to stay together and do some touring, you could rent a van at any or all of the stops, and do the driving yourself. Go online and also get some good Hawaii travel guides and research where and what. If you decide to drive the "Road to Hana" as many do, be aware that it takes a long time...often longer than people expect.

 

If you have members in your group who just want to hit the beaches, you can do that on almost any island using a taxi - and on some islands, there are great beaches within walking distance of the ship dock.

 

Also, staying inexpensive: There are often buses at the cruise ports that will take you for free to a shopping area nearby...and those are often near good beaches! Hop on the bus, take it to the shopping area, and walk to the beach. Use the bus to get back to the ship again.

 

Definitely read a lot on the Hawaii cruise port board here. There's plenty of good advice there.

 

Finally, do not miss Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, either before or after the cruise.

 

I'm sure you'll love the cruise. It's a great way to get a taste of Hawaii.

Edited by VideoTech
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greatlakesgirl

greatlakesgirl

Posted
Posted (edited)
I'm gonna go ahead and take advantage of this thread because calling all the experts sounds exactly what I need :)

 

First of all congrats on booking and researching so early! the lava thing sounds awesome! we are also looking forward to see that!. Our cruise is in 20 something days and all I have is one dinning reservation hehehe

 

So this is our first cruise, my first time in Hawaii (and I'm in charge of planning for the whole group of 8 people!) so I want to know what can we do that is not crazy expensive to enhance our cruise experience :) so far I just figured about a hop on hop off bus in Hilo that is $20 each. The group is my husband's family so ages from 60 to 25 :p

There's no lava flow currently entering the sea, though that can change at any time. You'll probably have to take a helicopter flight to see it right now.

 

Our group of 8 went about a year and a half ago. I and my brother-in-law did all the planning so I know how overwhelming it can be! We did have some specifics that we wanted to do: Oahu - Pearl Harbor and North Shore. Maui - Iao Valley, Lahaina Town, and Molokini Snorkel (which we booked through the ship just for convenience). Hilo - Punalu'u black sand beach and Volcanoes National Park. Kona - just walk around. Kauai - North Shore for my family of four and mom-in-law and Waimea Canyon for brother-in-law's family. Everything else that we did and saw just sort of fell into place during our touring, which we did cheap and easy through Discount Hawaii Car Rentals. We loved have the ease and convenience of rental cars. All the car rental companies send shuttles to the port and also will shuttle you back after dropping off your car.

 

Here's a link to my review if you're interested in reading about what we did. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2014664

 

Hope you all have a great time!

Edited by greatlakesgirl
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