Pride of America Review 12/29-1/5

[clover18]

I had an open mind when I boarded the Pride of America on December 29th. My husband and 11 year old daughter were delighted by the general ambiance of the ship. Having read many, many reviews on cruise critic, I was fully prepared to withhold all judgment until experiencing it myself. I also did not telegraph my research findings with my family. When we boarded, we all anticipated a positive experience, but our day-to-day actual experiences left a lot to be desired. The cabin was small, but that was expected. What was not expected was the lingering offensive odor of varnish or paint that washed over us as we rested in the cabin late afternoons and overnight. Not sure where the odor originated but it caused significant nausea issues. The barely-operable toilet was a problem from day one. By the third day, we were all using public restrooms on a regular basis because the flush in our cabin restroom was completely unreliable. That was frustrating for three people and particularly for a pre-teen who has privacy concerns. This plumbing situation is a chronic problem for the entire ship, having read legions of postings about the toilet problems on the Pride of America. By week's end, most of the public restrooms had out of order signs in them.

 

The food was pretty mediocre. We've been on a number of cruises, and honestly, our family is very easy to please. On the Pride of America we were always able to find something on the buffet that was passable: oatmeal and toast at breakfast, a hamburger on the deck if we were around for lunch, and a salad for dinner was generally palatable. The dining room food in Skyline and Liberty was sub-par. Presentation could never compensate for the poor quality of the food. We didn't mind the miserly portions as we don't generally over-eat at  dinner anyway. But really, we think NCL misses the mark overall on its dining offerings. The Teppenyaki dinner was very well presented, but the food here was less than appetizing. Our chef was funny, but he was way, way too heavy handed with the garlic. It ruined the entire meal.

 

The John Adams coffee bar was staffed by a very capable woman who we really appreciated. The coffee there was okay, much better than that served in any of the dining rooms. But paying for it was painful after having spent a significant chunk of money for this cruise.

 

Our daughter enjoyed very much the Kid's Splash Academy. She rushed there immediately upon finishing her evening meal and stayed until the last possible moment (usually 10:15 pm). The staff at the Splash Academy was very energetic, upbeat, and hard working. They made up a lot for her lousy dining experience. She literally ate toast and bacon every morning because her preferred food choices were terribly prepared at breakfast. Thank goodness for fresh fruit, which was fine. We grabbed snacks and water at Whole Foods in Maui, which was a Godsend. And by the way, we were not banned from bringing on a case of sparkling water when we returned from shore. We didn't try to hide it, we simply carried it through security and on board and nobody said a word about it.

 

We paid a premium for internet service that did not deliver with any consistency. I feel like we should have asked for a refund because it was so spotty, and when it did connect, it was unreasonably slow. It sounds to me like this is a continuing problem for NCL across the line.

 

The NCL "upgrade" program is positively sinister. Why do you "invite" guests to upgrade on a sold out cruise, dangling the possibility of suite accommodations to magically appear 48 hours before sailing. I communicated with our personal cruise consultant on the telephone and by email multiple times begging him to put us on a waitlist for a suite, and was simply told that it was a sold out cruise and not possible. We had in five different bids for last minute cancellations. NCL should not offer the upgrade bidding process on sold out cruises. It's really poor PR.

 

None of us could figure out why on earth young children and babies are allowed in the hottubs. It was kind of ridiculous. The pool seating was pretty easily available, which was nice on arrival day. We didn't often use the pool except for the last day on Kauai, which was then jam packed onboard.  The single "water aerobics" class was a total joke. The woman who "taught" it, was  clueless about what water aerobic activity even means. 15 minutes long in total and it started 10 minutes late. She was completely incompetent and "taught" the class wearing long pants and a polo shirt and sneakers from the deck. They need to find someone who knows the meaning of water aerobics on future cruises. I think people would take a daily offering of that if it were given early in the morning by a real instructor.

 

The Hawaii itinerary is lovely. We thought it was fun going to the different islands. This was the saving grace of the entire trip. We took two NCL shore excursions - Captain Zodiak snorkel and surf in Kona - it was awesome; and the Volcano Eruption Encounter in Hilo, which did not disappoint (although one of the guides from Arnotts (which was the tour operator NCL uses in in Hilo) was a horror show. We were so thankful not to have landed in her group!) Our guide was really good. Other shore excursions we booked on our own. Paddle On! Maui, is highly recommended. 2-hours of stand up paddleboard lessons at Makena Cove - what a treat! 

 

We rented a vehicle in Maui through TURO, an app that allows you to book a car through private owners. Fully insured, fantastic experience. Note to those looking for overnight parking in Kahuli: leave the car at Whole Foods/Longs Drugs overnight. Its free and a short walk to the ship.

 

We had an aft facing balcony cabin and paid about $10,000 for this cruise. An exorbitant price for what amounted to pretty meager amenities. Can anyone give me one good reason to sail with NCL again after this experience? I welcome the opportunity to hear it.

[dexddd]

Nope, you have your mind set so you expressed your opinion and upset on not getting bid and other aspects not to your expectations so no reason to convince you to try to sail NCL again as there are so many options out there.

[clover18]

FYI DH has a very positive view of this ship. Also, Paddle On Maui can be found through Trip Advisor. This is definitely not to be misssed. If you are going to spend time on the water, this is a great way to explore a sweet cove in Maui.

 

Also, Captain Zodiak took us on a thrill ride that was better than an E ticket at Disney. The power raft was flying over the waves. Seeing a manta ray up close was unforgettable. Humpbacks were abundant and spinner dolphins were right next to us. So adorable. 

[NewAdventuresAwait]

thank you for this review! We are going on this cruise in June and plan on renting a car in maui and doing captain zodiac shore excursion. Helps to know the food and plumbing could be an issue. 

[dssking]

Clover18,

 

As Dexddd stated, there's no point in convincing you to sail NCL again.  You had ample opportunity to choose a different cabin at the time of booking however, you chose to go the alternate route by bidding on an upgrade.  When you choose this method, you ROLL THE DICE for an upgrade, or NOTHING. 

 

You claim there was an offensive odour, however, let's look at the flipside - had maintenance not been done, and restaining or painting was NOT done, you'd complain that the ship looked dingy.  

 

There was no pleasing you with the food.  You say they missed the mark but didn't elaborate what you were expecting.  Steak, shrimp, lobster?  Being heavy handed with the garlic isn't everyone's preference, however, you have a voice and should have expressed your opinion to the waitstaff.  Said waitstaff are there to please - if you'd like more than one entree, they will bring it.  If you'd like more than one dessert, they will also do that. All it takes if a voice, in a pleasant manner.  

 

If you're an aerobics instructor, I'm sure they could have used your guidance and wisdom.  If not, then perhaps choosing not to partake in such activities may have been an option.  

 

Yes, $10K for a family of 3 in Hawaii is steep, however, you had the option to go with more "MEAGER" accomodations, such as an inside cabin which would have been about $3500.  

 

Perhaps cruising isn't for you and your family.  You seem to expect WAY too much.  No reason to convince you to sail NCL or any other cruiseline again.  Stay home and be an arm chair traveller and tune in the Travel Channel or AEW.  You'll have no one to complain to, other than your husband, who may or may not put up with it.  Whatever you choose, enjoy.