POA Questions

[alwalaska]

I've just started thinking about a Hawaii cruise in 2019.

 

A couple of questions.

1) Do the POA itinerary prices tend to stay the same as when released, go up, or go down over time? I know each cruise is slightly different, but there are general trends. For example, New England cruises rarely see major dips in prices after they are released.

 

2) Is February a good month for Hawaii? I have started an annual Feb get away from the cold trip. So far it has always been a cruise.

 

3) Anything special to look for when booking a cabin or itinerary on POA? NCL is my goto on this one since I don't want to spend my time sailing across the Pacific. I want to explore the islands.

 

Thanks!

[JillL]

I have not cruised to HI, but I lived there for a short while in my younger days.

 

February is still part of the higher rainy season. It can be nice, but there can be a lot of rain as well. (It can vary year to year.) When I lived there, it rained the entire month of February to the point that a "disaster" was declared because of all of the mud slides.

 

If you are truly interested in HI, late April or May would probably be better. The rain fall is down, and the temperatures are not the highest yet. Plus, kids are still in school, so there may be less kids (if that matters).

 

Just my two cents though...

[tempus137]

We took this cruise in December 2015. We originally booked it in January 2015, and the price went down the next month.

 

From that point on, it never went down, and actually went up.

[alwalaska]

I have not cruised to HI, but I lived there for a short while in my younger days.

 

February is still part of the higher rainy season. It can be nice, but there can be a lot of rain as well. (It can vary year to year.) When I lived there, it rained the entire month of February to the point that a "disaster" was declared because of all of the mud slides.

 

If you are truly interested in HI, late April or May would probably be better. The rain fall is down, and the temperatures are not the highest yet. Plus, kids are still in school, so there may be less kids (if that matters).

 

Just my two cents though...

 

I really appreciate your two cents. There is nothing like someone who lived there to offer advise.

[alwalaska]

We took this cruise in December 2015. We originally booked it in January 2015, and the price went down the next month.

 

From that point on, it never went down, and actually went up.

 

Thanks.

[FranknBeans]

We have done this cruise 3 times and each b2b so 6 weeks in total, we sailed in Oct and January with absolutely no rain.

 

There is lots of weather info by island at this addy.

 

https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHBD_enCA715CA715&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=hawaii%20precipitation%20by%20month

[ryarger]

Because of the unique itinerary, the price goes up way more often than it goes down.

 

I went in February 2014 and the weather was AMAZING. It was rainy on Kawai'i, but it seems it's rainy there more days that it's not.

 

Temperatures were in the 70s day and night the entire incredible week.

 

Except for the top of Haleakala at 6am for the sunrise. brrrrr!!!! But so worth it!

[sjmbruce]

I watched prices like a hawk, checking almost everyday. They dropped once, $200 per person. They went right back up after that and never went down again.

[punkincc]

I've just started thinking about a Hawaii cruise in 2019.

 

A couple of questions.

1) Do the POA itinerary prices tend to stay the same as when released, go up, or go down over time? I know each cruise is slightly different, but there are general trends. For example, New England cruises rarely see major dips in prices after they are released.

 

2) Is February a good month for Hawaii? I have started an annual Feb get away from the cold trip. So far it has always been a cruise.

 

3) Anything special to look for when booking a cabin or itinerary on POA? NCL is my goto on this one since I don't want to spend my time sailing across the Pacific. I want to explore the islands.

 

Thanks!

 

 

1). We have done this cruise twice. The POA pricing is more similar to a N. England cruise. The NCL website has prices going out over at least two years, so easy enough to see what the trends are. There are a few periods which are priced a little lower, like the Fall after the kids go back to school, but generally, prices only go up as times goes on. We booked our first POA more than 18 months in advance, and we never saw prices drop below what we paid. Best advice is to probably book as early as possible. You are free to cancel and rebook at no penalty to get a lower price, right up to final payment. Most price drops happen much closer to sail date, and most people do not want to risk playing that game for Hawaii.

 

2). February is right in the middle of whale season. Temps do not vary much year round. I'd just pick a good week price wise. There was a recent thread asking why a particular week in February was higher. The best guess was that a holiday fell during the week, Presidents Day or something, thus higher demand = higher fares.

 

3). Because the cruise is a little more expensive upfront, and you spend so much time off the ship, some people just go for the least expensive cabin, inside or ocean view, and spend those extra $$ on the islands. Except for the few hours during the Na Pali sail by, we spent little time on our balcony, but they are nice to have. Only you know if it is worth it. If you get a balcony, youll probably want a port side cabin for the Na Pali views. NCL does have some excellent Suite perks which can make one of those cabins a really luxurious experience, if you want to go all out for Hawaii. They do have a bidding program which might snag you a better cabin or even a suite in the final weeks before sailing.

 

Take a look at the Ports of Call section of Cruise Critic and find the Hawaii Message Board. Lots of good info there. Another thing you might consider is extending that vacation by as long as possible, even by a few days. The jet lag is a killer. And you will simply not want to leave. Extend your vacation by a few days before the cruise or after, or best of both worlds, both.

Edited November 10, 2016 by punkincc

[alwalaska]

OK Folks! I'm doing it. I'll contact my TA later today. Any cabin recommendations on the POA? I have access to a good photo site for cabins, but I'd like CC knowledge. I messed up on my upcoming Panama Canal transit and booked the wrong side of the ship and didn't know until it was too late to change.

 

We sail interior, oceanview, and balcony depending on the budget and itinerary. I'm definitely taking punkincc's suggestion about not necessarily needing a balcony on this one seriously. Any opposing views? Any "hidden gems" when it comes to cabins?

 

Any other selection of week suggestions?

 

Thanks all!

[punkincc]

OK Folks! I'm doing it. I'll contact my TA later today. Any cabin recommendations on the POA? I have access to a good photo site for cabins, but I'd like CC knowledge. I messed up on my upcoming Panama Canal transit and booked the wrong side of the ship and didn't know until it was too late to change.

 

We sail interior, oceanview, and balcony depending on the budget and itinerary. I'm definitely taking punkincc's suggestion about not necessarily needing a balcony on this one seriously. Any opposing views? Any "hidden gems" when it comes to cabins?

 

Any other selection of week suggestions?

 

Thanks all!

 

 

 

Looks like the promos drop off in 2018, which is unfortunate because they were decent, with free gratuities and even free extra guests as one of the options, but if you are just two, no matter about the latter one, but one of the others would have been nice. But, promos will probably come back at some point, and you can consider at that time whether a cancel and rebook might be in order.

 

The last two weeks of Feb 2019 are a couple hundred less pp, so I'd go with one of those. If you are considering a balcony, you might consider an aft facing with large balcony category. They are priced not too much higher than the regular balconies which is not always the case. You have views from both sides. If not an aft, you'll want a port side balcony. Of course between other cabin decks rather than above/below public spaces.

[gwsster]

Book early and watch for price reductions. We booked 17 months in advance and were able to save a lot by having our cabin rate drop about 5 weeks after booking. We did have a Suite, but really I wouldn't pay the $$$ for a Suite again unless it was an incredible bargain. The ship sails at night and you are in port during the days so really unless you like the cruise for the ship think an inside room and save the $$$. This ship is a floating hotel and the convenience factor is being able to see 4 Islands in a week is the main benefit. Be aware that the cabins on this ship are very small, so if you are claustrophobic get a ocean view or balcony room.

We got the best car rental rates from Costco and we booked excursions through outside vendors. This is a great cruise and I am looking forward to doing it again.

 

 

OK Folks! I'm doing it. I'll contact my TA later today. Any cabin recommendations on the POA? I have access to a good photo site for cabins, but I'd like CC knowledge. I messed up on my upcoming Panama Canal transit and booked the wrong side of the ship and didn't know until it was too late to change.

 

We sail interior, oceanview, and balcony depending on the budget and itinerary. I'm definitely taking punkincc's suggestion about not necessarily needing a balcony on this one seriously. Any opposing views? Any "hidden gems" when it comes to cabins?

 

Any other selection of week suggestions?

 

Thanks all!

Edited November 12, 2016 by gwsster

[alwalaska]

Thank you both. Now I have an idea on the oceanview cabin that I want. It is crazy, most of the interior cabins are more expensive than the oceanviews on the week I am looking.

 

I have done price drops before, but sometimes NCL has gotten really snotty with my TA when we asked for the drops.

 

Now it is just a matter of picking the actual week and pulling the trigger.

 

I've found some good threads with info, and I'm already subscribing to them and keeping the links handy for when I am ready to start doing more planning.

 

I am especially grateful for Brenda's post elsewhere about taking Southwest to PHX and then Hawaiian air from there. I was thinking CA, but at least currently we have direct flights to PHX from Columbus.

[Budget Queen]

NCL has the winner Hawaii itinerary that commands high prices. I have picked up the late booking price dumps that happen infrequently- for $899. I've gone with NCL over 10 times, and really like January/February cruises for the humpbacks. BUT, I always ALWAYS add another 2++ weeks when I am there. Don't care for Oahu but great for my preferences a week each on Hawaii and Maui. :) Easy to get interIsland flights.

[alwalaska]

NCL has the winner Hawaii itinerary that commands high prices. I have picked up the late booking price dumps that happen infrequently- for $899. I've gone with NCL over 10 times, and really like January/February cruises for the humpbacks. BUT, I always ALWAYS add another 2++ weeks when I am there. Don't care for Oahu but great for my preferences a week each on Hawaii and Maui. :) Easy to get interIsland flights.

 

Thanks. I followed your posts when we were doing our Alaska cruise in 2006. I can' imagine doing Hawaii on another line unless it was going to some of the Polynesian islands or Australia or something, not LA or San Francisco :rolleyes:.

 

I love the itinerary because it will give us a great taste of everything without having to pack and unpack for our hops.

 

We will probably try and come out about 5 days early, but since we both still work, that will be about the max we can handle, especially with long travel days both directions (especially coming back with time changes).

[Budget Queen]

Thanks. I followed your posts when we were doing our Alaska cruise in 2006. I can' imagine doing Hawaii on another line unless it was going to some of the Polynesian islands or Australia or something, not LA or San Francisco :rolleyes:.

 

I love the itinerary because it will give us a great taste of everything without having to pack and unpack for our hops.

 

We will probably try and come out about 5 days early, but since we both still work, that will be about the max we can handle, especially with long travel days both directions (especially coming back with time changes).

 

IF you are adding days- figure out, where you really want to go. A lot of people just fly in/out of Honolulu without thinking of other islands that may be more of interest. It's simple to fly open jaw and saves a lot of time. I frequently fly into Kona, a week early, out of Hilo to Honolulu day of cruise, then only a couple days on Oahu, before I fly to Maui for another week, then home from there. :) This has been my "routine" the last 4 trips, which I really like.

 

Doesn't hurt to check out prices and routes.

[punkincc]

Thank you both. Now I have an idea on the oceanview cabin that I want. It is crazy, most of the interior cabins are more expensive than the oceanviews on the week I am looking.

 

I have done price drops before, but sometimes NCL has gotten really snotty with my TA when we asked for the drops.

 

Now it is just a matter of picking the actual week and pulling the trigger.

 

I've found some good threads with info, and I'm already subscribing to them and keeping the links handy for when I am ready to start doing more planning.

 

I am especially grateful for Brenda's post elsewhere about taking Southwest to PHX and then Hawaiian air from there. I was thinking CA, but at least currently we have direct flights to PHX from Columbus.

 

Thanks. I followed your posts when we were doing our Alaska cruise in 2006. I can' imagine doing Hawaii on another line unless it was going to some of the Polynesian islands or Australia or something, not LA or San Francisco :rolleyes:.

 

I love the itinerary because it will give us a great taste of everything without having to pack and unpack for our hops.

 

We will probably try and come out about 5 days early, but since we both still work, that will be about the max we can handle, especially with long travel days both directions (especially coming back with time changes).

 

 

 

I am surprised that your TA got attitude from NCL over price drops. Anyone can cancel and rebook to get a lower price up to final payment date. Just make sure you don't lose any promos, or if you do, that the savings is greater than the value of the promo.

 

Actually, there is another NCL ship, the Jewel, which will be doing Hawaii in October 2017. It's a repo from Vancouver to Hawaii, then Hawaii to Pape'ete, and finally Pape'ete to Sydney. We are flying to Hawaii and picking up the ship there, staying on all the way to Sydney. A unique opportunity if you can get the time off.:D.

[FranknBeans]

I watched prices like a hawk, checking almost everyday. They dropped once, $200 per person. They went right back up after that and never went down again.

 

Our past cruises we have seen price increases from $500 to 1k per person and that's booking a year out and aft cabin.

Our upcoming cruise has only increased $200 from booking a year ago.

There are even aft cabins still available for 1/7 and 1/14.

 

Aft cabins are great because you get no wind and you'll get to see the lava flow as well as Napali Coast

Edited November 12, 2016 by FranknBeans