My Pride of America Review 1/21-1/28

[karfest]

Short review- We enjoyed the cruise, staff was great, cabin was fine, Hawaii was not sunny for us- but it was warm. You can stop reading here or continue with the detailed review!

 

Part I- About us and pre-cruise.

This was the 6th cruise for my husband and me, our 3rd on NCL. After reading the poor reviews about the PoAm, I crossed it off of my list of future cruises. We were planning Cruise West to Mexico when my parents asked us to go on this cruise to celebrate their 50th anniversary. This was their first cruise and they wanted some experienced guides! I decided to go just to make them happy. Continued poor reviews made me very nervous, but what the heck- it might be my only chance to see Hawaii.

 

I booked everything myself, all done on-line. My parents booked through their own TA, and took the NCL air and hotel package. We flew out of Milwaukee and reached Honolulu via Houston. It was a long day of flying but Continental has a great audio/video/game system on the back of each seat which really helped pass the time. They also gave us two free meals and snacks. My parents went non-stop from Minneapolis on Northwest- 1 movie screen and meals available for purchase. They had decent flight times even though it was booked through the cruiseline.

 

We arrived in Honolulu on Thursday afternoon- sat in traffic for quite awhile before reaching our hotel in Waikiki. We stayed at the Waikiki Beachcomber right next to the International Marketplace. I found an internet special of $99/night. We had a basic hotel room with a decent ocean view. I would stay there again. My parents were at the Marriott- we actually had a better view and maybe even a few steps closer to the beach but they had huge, comfortable beds! They checked in early for their cruise at the NCL office so we did the same. After the fact we found out that only NCL hotel guests were supposed to do this, but they didn't kick us out. The lines were fairly long and slow in this office so we really didn't save any time. We just felt smart doing it in advance!

 

We took Enoa tours to Pearl Harbor on Friday morning. This tour also included the Battleship Missouri and a short tour of the city. Saturday morning my husband, mom, and I took Hawaii nature tours to Diamond Head. What a great hike! My mom is 71 and made all the way, however, it is not a stroll in the park. Lots of steps and uneven terrain, but a great view at the top. The guide gave a fantastic narration so we learned more than if we had done this on our own.

We checked out of our hotel at 12:30 and took a van to the pier. Traffic was bad so we didn't get to the pier until 1:30. The lines were LONG but moving quickly. We were inside and through security within 15 minutes. There were no lines at the check in windows but a long line at the Marriott window for those of us needing to pick up our cards. So much for feeling smart. We were in our room shortly after 2pm.

 

If you have the opportunity to fly in a day or two ahead of time, it is worth it just to get your body adjusted to the time change.

Up Next:

How Suite cruisers survived a balcony cabin!

[karfest]

Since I wasn't really excited about this cruise I didn't want to spend the extra money on a suite. Our previous 3 cruises were in suites so we had been quite spoiled. I booked a BD on deck 9 forward. I kept hoping the upgrade fairy would call, but no such luck.

 

The first thing I noticed when we opened the door was a q-tip on the floor. Oh great- I got one of the rotten stewards. Next was a burn hole on the sofa, garbage in the bathroom, and a melted bar of soap stuck in the shower. Grr... I was off to a bad start. However- the large balcony caught my eye so I went out there to settle down. We were in a forward cabin that had a large, covered balcony. There were two nice lounge chairs and a small table with room for more chairs if needed. My husband discovered used grounds in the coffee maker and no fresh coffee to start a new pot. I told him to just reuse the old ones but he didn't find that funny. The bathroom was small but functional. We had the fabulous AB suite bathroom on the Star so this was a big change.

 

We decided to take a look around the ship while waiting for our luggage and I also wanted to make some reservations at the specialty restaurants. We found my parents at the coffee bar- they were going to do the organized ships tour so we left them and went on our own. I made reservatons for the Lazy J, East Meets West, and Jefferson's Bistro. Some of them for 6 people, some for 2- no problems getting what we wanted. More on this in the "Food" segment.

 

We wandered around for an hour- beautiful ship, very nice staff everywhere we went. I was surprised as I expected surly American scouls but everyone seemed happy. We did notice that we were in the younger demographic (hubby is 52, I am 42). Last year there were 700 kids on the Star, there wasn't more than a dozen on this cruise. There were lots and lots of canes, walkers, and scooters as opposed to strollers and high chairs. The staff says it is usually an older crowd but they are expecting huge family and college crowds this summer. Many of the staff are leaving in May so summertime should be a real adventure!

 

We went back to the room about an hour later and the luggage had all arrived! I found plenty of storage, both hanging and drawer space. The suitcases fit under the bed. My initial disgust at the condition of the room had worn off and I decided we would be ok. There was plenty of room for two people- not spacious, but adequate.

 

My parents were in an inside JJ. It wasn't as small as I had expected, plenty of room for two, but I can't imagine putting 4 people in here. Their room had the fold out beds on the wall, they would have had a little more space in a room without these but they were happy. (oh, those first-timers just haven't learned to complain yet!!)

 

Next we were off to the buffet and sailaway party...

[donajk]

I was anxious to here reviews about the cruise because my husband came down with pneumonia and we had to cancel the day before. How were the shore excursions?

[margaretmerrill]

We were on the same sailing as you! I posted a trip report, but put 9/21 to 9/28, which of course it wasn`t. You can read my review. Loved the ship, but the food in the Skyline was atrocious. We didn`t have one good meal. We still had fun and loved our cabin and our attendant. (he was a filipino american) and know how lucky we were to get him, as I heard many complaints about the cabin service and the food in the Skyline. I have already called NCL, not to bitch but just let them know what I thought. They suggested I write NCL and gave me the address. Hope things will get better, as I really liked that itenerary, and wanted to take family next year. We might have to schedule the specialty restaurants to get a decent meal. We did like the Cadillac grill a lot, epecially those hamburgers. Will be interested to hear what you thought of the food in the specialty restaurants. By the time we discovered the food in the Skyline wasn`t good, it was too late to get into any of those restaurants

[karfest]

I realy hate to even discuss food because it is so subjective. I heard numerous complaints about the food but I really thought it was fine. Not outstanding, not bad, just fine. There was plenty of variety on the buffet, the dinner menus were not fabulous, but had enough selections that everyone should have been able to find something.

 

I really enjoy freestyle but this ship is not really able to follow the freestyle concept the way the Star and Sun did. We had to make reservations the first day or you would not be able to go to the specialty restaurants. I called on Tuesday to book Little Italy for any night, any opening and there was nothing. I don't like thinking about when and where I am going to eat too far in advance so it was difficult for me to have to make reservations several days out. We had to race back from Lahaina in Maui to make our 7pm reservation. If you don't show up, you are still charged. We did not make reservations at the Skyline and were seated immediately both times we went. They recommend that groups of 6 or more make a reservation but they never seemed overly busy except on lobster night. We went to Jeffersons Bistro that night. Hubby paid and extra $5 for surf and turf. I could live on the mushroom soup, onion soup, and chocolate fondue!

 

Sevice was excellent at the Bistro and East Meets West. It started out great at the Lazy J but fell apart as the evening went on. Food was good, service was lacking, especially if you wanted another drink. Service our first night in the Skyline was fabulous (Tavares will be there through May- she has been on staff since Germany!)but our last night there was really slow. Our waiter did make up for it by bringing my parents an anniversary cake and having the staff sing to them. (I didn't even ask for this) Plan on 2 hours for a complete meal.

 

We liked the Cadillac Diner- the staff was fun and energetic. We ended up there when we didn't feel like dressing for dinner or to have a late night snack. We also had breakfast there one day because we really needed a fried egg rather than powdered scrambled from the buffet! The buffet was typical buffet food-again, nothing great but nothing horrible.

I'm surprised that food will make or break a cruise for some people- if you are a 5 star type of person, this is not for you. If you like Applebee's, Outback, etc- you will be fine.

 

The servers seemed to be working hard and are great fun- they just couldn't get the system flowing well. I think they need some more management overseeing the process to smooth it out.

[lhall85917]

Thanks for sharing, I really enjoy reading all of the reviews - both good and bad! Of course, I'm hoping much more for the good ones!!:D

[biensur]

Karfest - I am most interested in your review. We are also cruising with Mom and Dad who will be celebrating their 50th as well. This is the family celebration - Dec 23 on POAM, and I am busy planning activities while in port and onboard.

 

Any feedback you can give re: the parents' perspective and things they did that they would recommend for their genre of Hawaiian Island cruisers would be soooo appreciated!!

 

Thanks for providing us with your review!!

[karfest]

This cruise is has a totally different itinerary than any other I've been on. There are no "at sea" days and the 2 overnights make it very port intensive. This is the first time I have not picked up a book or magazine for the duration of the cruise. We also didn't spend much time on the balcony. If you want to use your balcony more, get one on the port side so you can enjoy the NaPali coast in private.

 

The ship was really rockin' and rollin' from Honolulu to Hilo- not many waves but really strong winds. I was worried mom would get sick but she took a Bonine and was fine.

 

Before the cruise my mom and I did all the planning. They wanted to do all ships excursions and my husband and I wanted to do our own. You need to decide in advance how much time to spend together. We ate breakfast together everyday (except for our early morning in Maui) and dinner together almost everynight. We usually met up after dinner in our cabin to discuss our day. Mom and dad knew another couple on board so they went on NCL excursions with them. They really liked everything they did- it seemed to be mostly bus tours to gardens and such. I would die packed into a bus all day, but it worked well for them.

In Hilo we rented a Jeep Wrangler from Thrifty. The shuttle van was quick and so was the check-in process. Sign up for a free Blue chip membership on the website, it really helps. We headed toward Volcanoes National Park . When we reached the entrance park, we went past it and continued another 30 minutes to Punalu'u Black sand Beach. This was awesome. Large turtles were resting on the beach so it was roped off, but we got some amazing pictures. It was warm and sunny so hubby thought it was a good idea to take the top off the Jeep. This is not a push button thing- you need to physically work at doing this. We have a Jeep so we thought we knew what we were doing. After the beach we went back to VNP. By this point it had gotten cooler and was misting but we felt ok leaving the top off. We were planning to eat at the Volcano House but 800 (maybe an exaggeration...)Japanese tourist got there just ahead of us so we bought chips and candy in the gift shop. We went about 1 mile down the road when it started to downpour. At this point we figured out that we would never make it on the Amazing Race. We were all thumbs trying to get that top back on- I'm sure the people driving by had a good laugh. It continued to rain hard all day, but we still enjoyed the park.

 

That night we ate at the Lazy J with my parents and their friends. Service was great at the beginning- drinks were prompt, the order taken quickly and then I think our water went on break. We got our salads and then sat forever waiting for the next course. No more drinks were offered. I think they were mad because the older folks ordered their steaks well done!! Once the food finally arrived, it was good. I wouldn't let dad ask for ketchup and they didn't have steak sauce like A-1 or Heinz 57. Dad had to try my Bernaise suce, which he said is not as good as ketchup!

 

By the time we were done it was too late to go to the early show so hubby and I went to the Nappa wine Bar. We met Nick the server here and ended up seeing him before and after dinner everynight. Say hi if you run into him. He is working hard to become a bartender and needs lots of positive comments to get promoted.

 

I can't tell you what happens after 10 on this ship because we were in bed by then. I think the 4 hour time difference and the long days in port drained us. Or maybe we are just getting old...

Up Next- Maui!

[karfest]

The neat thing about not going to foreign ports is not having the ship clear customs. When you are docked, they lower the gangway and you are off!

 

We rented a Neon from Thrifty but were upgraded to a Dodge Charger. We went to the Iao Valley and then on to west Maui. The rental company says you can't go on this road but we took our chances. WOW- very narrow, winding , mostly one lane road but it was beautiful My best piece of advice is to buy the "revealed" books. We followed this book step by step on every island (although this route was backwards for us) You will find so many hidden places that would normally be missed. It took several hours to reach Lahaina, but worth every second. We stopped at Julia's for the worlds best banana bread. (it's in the book) Lahaina is very crowded and touristy but fun to walk around. We saw Jon Lovitz in the restaurant but he appeared to be an odd little man so we didn't say much more than "hi" We had 7pm reservations at East Meets West so we had to hustle bafck to Kahului- there is a much faster way than our initial route but it is all highway, no scenery. It was about 45 minutes from Lahaina to the ship. We decided to return the car rather than look for parking at the pier. Mom and dad took the bus tour to Hana so they were gone from 8am-8pm. They also like this tour.

 

I really liked East Meets West, service was good and so was the food.

The next morning we left the ship at 4am. We ran into many staff members coming in from a night of clubbing in Maui! I booked a sunrise volacno bike ride through Bike It Maui. I wrote about it in the Hawaii forum if you want more details. It was great fun! We were back to the ship by noon and were so beat we had to take a nap. That night we didn't feel like dressing for dinner so we went to the Cadillac Diner. Fun little place to eat a quick, casual meal.

 

So far, this has been a pretty rainy, overcast vacation which really depressed me. There were areas of sunshine, but mostly it was mostly gray and cloudy. Nick at the wine bar told us Kona is always sunny so we were excited for a beach day. We took a shuttle from the pier ($5/pp) to Kahalu'u Beach. It was sunny for 15 minutes and then the clouds and rain rolled in. The locals were shocked to see rain as it rarely happens here. It looked like the snorkeling would be good at this beach if the weather was nice. We took the shuttle back to town and wandered around in the rain. (It was 80 plus degrees so it wasn't horrible!) I bought a Scandinavian Shaved Ice at a shop near the pier- fantastic! The line for the tender was long, but not unbearable. The dock can only load/unload on 1 side so it takes longer than it really should. The tender ride was pretty uneventful. Mom and dad went on a bus tour to a coffee farm and some more gardens. We met up with them at the Skyline for dinner. We just walked up and were seated immediately. We had the best server on the ship in this restaurant. Her name is Tavares- she's been on the ship since Germany but is leaving in May. She will return in September. Everything was done efficiently. The food was ok- I can't remeber what I had, but it was edible.

Next up- Kauai!

[karfest]

In Kauai I had scheduled an 11am airplane flight with Wings Over Kauai. We waited in the pouring rain for the Thrifty shuttle and when it finally arrived, a huge group that had been standing in the shelter ran ahead and pushed their way onto the bus. RUDE!!! Anyway, it was us and two other couples left standing for the shuttle to return- the boys made a plan to block anyone that tried to run ahead, but luckily, the rude people were all on the first shuttle. There were a lot of "Me First" people on this cruise which mad me crazy. I have no tolerance for bad behavior. Oh well...I like to think that bad karma will catch up with these people.

We reserved a Neon but were upgraded to a Sebring. I highly recommend making reservations for cars as they really have nothing left for walk-ins. We found Bruce, our pilot, at the airport. Bad news- rainy and clouds all day, probably can't fly. Even the helicopters were grounded. He drew us a map and we went to Waimea Valley. Beautiful! Again- use the Maui Revealed book to find all the best lookout spots. We ate at the Kokee Lodge- best coconut pie you will ever eat. The sun had poked through but it was raining hard while we ate. We continued on to the end of the road. We parked the car and continued walking for another mile to the real end of the road. Fantastic views of the ocean and valley- even a beautiful rainbow. If you aree physically able, take this walk- the end is worth it. If it is cloudy, wait a few minutes and it will pass. We called Bruce at 2 to see if the sky had cleared on his side of the island but no luck. He offered to call us in the morning to try again. We took our time getting back to the ship. Parking at the shopping center across the street was $10. Mom and dad took the bus to Princeville- pretty views but rain, rain , rain.

 

Bruce called the next morning and offered to take us up for a quick flight at a reduced rate but couldn't promise that we would see much. We decided to take my parents to Waimea Valley instead. Even though we never got to fly, I was very impressed with Bruce and would recommend Wings Over Kauai just based on his customer service skills!

 

We drove again to Waimea Valley- the sun was shining and it was beautiful! We returned the car by noon and took the shuttle to the ship.

 

The ship left at 2 so we could view the NaPali canyon. We went to the port side of the Waikiki Bar for this. We went up at about 4:30 and it was already quite full but we found a table for 4. The view is fabulous and the narration was great. There were several whales on both sides of the ship.

Two young whales actually waved their tails at us and one leaped completely out of the water, which caused everyone to burst into applause! This was a lovely day.

 

We ate ate the Skyline with my parents and their friends. Both couples were celebrating ther 50th Anny. My uncle had sent a bottle of wine to the ship so we brought it along to this restaurant. The waiter poured and posed for pictures. At that point, he was given two large tables and forgot about us. The restaurant was not full, and the service was very slow. I can't imagine what this is like when it is busy. Anyway, after taking over 2 hours to eat, he did bring us 2 anniversary cakes. I didn't ask for these and was actually ready to leave without dessert. He had several servers come over and sing Let Me Call you Sweetheart. It was very nice and the bad feelings I had about the poor service were almost wiped away!

 

We hit the Nappa for a nightcap and off to pack- luggage had to be in the hall by 1am.

 

Next- Honolulu and recap- I'm almost done- Thanks for sticking with me!:D

[karfest]

I had rented a car in Honolulu but decided to cancel and take a ships excursion instead. I just didn't want to deal with luggage, traffic, etc. Since our flight wasn't until 10:30pm, I signed up for the Deluxe Circle Island tour. My parents had a 6pm flight so they took the Grand Circle Tour. We met a 7am for our final breakfast before they took off for their tour and flight. Our tour didn't meet until 10am so we lounged around the cabin until then. NCL does have the best disembarkment plan. The NCL Wind and the Island Princess docked at the same time we did so I guess the pier area was wild early in the day. By the time we left there were very few people around. We collected our luggage, put it on the bus and away we went. Matt was our driver/tourguide. We liked this tour and would recommend it to those of you with late flights. Lunch at the Turtle Bay Resort was included. We also had 2 hours in Waikiki Beach at the end of the tour for last minute shopping or dinner. The bus had us at the airport by 7:30.

 

Things I missed in earlier posts-

- The Latitudes party was very nice. Open bar and snacks. The captain agave a nicetalk aboutthe ship- I liked having a Captain I could understand! They gave out prizes, but we didn't win any. The party was held in the Mardi Gras and was well attended.

-The best shopping wasin Lahaina and Honolulu.Ihad a tough time finding things that were actually made in Hawaii. I thought Hilo Hatties was a major tourist trap. KMart had better prices and better stuff!!

- Buy the "revealed" Books for each island. I read and highlighted a lot of things aheadof time. These were our bible throughout the whole trip. They are well worth the money. Thanks to Cruisecritic McKee for his review- we used many of his suggestions.

-After my initial misgivings,our room was made up and turned down everyday.Fresh ice,towels,and coffe packets were delivered daily. Mints on the pillow everynight! We never saw our steward,which was ok as long as the room was cleaned. Onthe 3rd day, I stopped by myparents room and noticed the bed was unmade. They hadn't had ANY service at all. They had never been on a cruise and didn't realize the room should be serviced twice a day! I called housekeeping and was told "Oops,we didn't assign anyone to that area" WHAT!! No one checks these things?? A steward was sent immediatelyand the reroom was taken care of twice a day after that. I think they would have gone all week without clean towels if I hadn't stepped in. On the otherhand, their friends met their steward on the firstday, she said to call her if they needed anything-the room was immaculate all week. We were all on deck 9, just in different areas. The steward situation seems to be luck of the draw!

 

-I really liked this crew-I have daughters ages 18 & 21 so I know how the mind of this age group works.(or doesn't!) I also manage a storewith about 200 employees ranging from 15-70 so I understand the American worker. I think NCL is making an effort but it must be difficult to keep them under control They are away from home in a tropical setting- it'sa big Party! There were some older crewmembers, but thiswas an overall young group-lots of energy and excitement but they haven't really mastered their social skill yet, especially with this older crowd. This was a very informal,fun cruise but I can see why traditional cruisers would hate it. I don't sweat the small stuff and I don't dwell on minor irritations. Yes, improvements could be made, but this was an overall fun experience. Except for the rain-can I blame that on NCL?

 

- I can't think of anythingelse, thanks for reading- I wasn't excpecting to be this long winded but I know I was worried about this cruise and I am hoping to calm some of your fears! If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer!

 

Happy Sailing:D

[karfest]

I was anxious to here reviews about the cruise because my husband came down with pneumonia and we had to cancel the day before. How were the shore excursions?

 

Oh no! I hope hubby is feeling better. Maybe you can try again and get some better weather than we had! I loved the islands but there are so many things to do it was difficult to narrow it down. We will need to go back and try some more stuff!

[biensur]

I (and I am sure lots of others) really appreciate the time you have taken to write your thoughts/impressions/recommendations here!!)

 

I think we will rent a car most days and do self-guided Island tours. I am following the revealed Guides to a tee!

 

At lots of locations, we will park and walk. Mom has had both hips replaced in the last couple of years, so I was pleased to read you comment about the folks climbing Diamond Head.

 

Is there, however, anywhere you WOULD NOT recommend Mom go (i.e. rough terraine). She is very fit but is a little paranoid about falling. Having said that, she has grandkids 21, 18, 16 and 15 as well as my brother and husband who will be there to steady her as she goes!

 

What was your Mom and Dad's favorite activity they did that they still talk about now??

[karfest]

Karfest - I am most interested in your review. We are also cruising with Mom and Dad who will be celebrating their 50th as well. This is the family celebration - Dec 23 on POAM, and I am busy planning activities while in port and onboard.

 

Any feedback you can give re: the parents' perspective and things they did that they would recommend for their genre of Hawaiian Island cruisers would be soooo appreciated!!

 

Thanks for providing us with your review!!

 

My parents had a great time. They are retired midwest school teachers who never cruised before. I'm not sure why they decided to do this, but I'm glad they did. My dad has Parkinsons and is just starting to use a cane so they didn't want to do anything that included a lot of walking. They were very happy with all of their bus tours. They really had a good time but they were glad I was there to explain alot of things to them. I think if some of the other older folks had someone to help them, they wouldn't be so crabby! They actually went in the hot tub- I don't think they had ever beenin one before!

 

One thing that really bothered my parents was having to swipe in and out and show their ID. I guess they aren't out in the real world much and don't realize what security measures are like these days! I told them to just get used to it becasue it will never change.

 

There weren't a lot of onboard activities becasue this is a port intensive cruise. We saw the comedian and my parents went to some of the singing/daincing shows but otherwise we ate and slept on the ship and didn't particiapte in anything else. My firstimpression of the cruise director was that he was a doofus- but he was actullay very good and always pleasant when we met him on the ship. Even in port, he was friendly and helpful to everyone around. He looks like David Schwimmer from friends so I always referred to him as Ross.

 

Best suggestion- get the group together and plan how much time you will spend with each other and who wnats to do what. It will save a lot of hassle and hurt feelings to get this out in the open before you go!

[Lambchops]

Karen, thanks for that great review. We're on POA on 3/4 and your review is a great help. I have a couple of questions. Did the ship go by the lava flow when leaving from Hilo - my Hubby really wants to see that. Also, you mention McKee review had good info. I can't seem to locate it. Where on the board is this review? We've rented a car in Kauai and Maui so will definitely get the revealed books for those two islands from your suggestion. Taking lava flow walk through ship in Hilo and Capt. Zodia in Kono. I've been reading many negative reviews and was beginning to wonder if we made the right choise. But now I can't wait to go and your review has really got me fired up - thanks again.

ps. sorry you had such bad weather, but sounds like you made the best of it. Rainy 80's must be better than snowy 20's though!

[bankofdad]

Very nice review! Glad you had a great trip. Bummer about the weather.

 

Regarding Diamond Head, how long did you spend on this tour (i.e how long to climb up:eek: , how long at the top, how long to descend)? What time of day did you do it, and was it crowded? As many times as I've been to Hawaii I've never climbed Diamond Head, so I'm going to make sure I do this next time!

 

Can you tell me a bit more about the Kahaluu Beach shuttle in Kona (how often it runs, is there a published schedule on-line that you know of, etc.)? I don't recall seeing a shuttle near the pier, but then again I wasn't really looking for one either on our last two Hawaiian cruises. Kahaluu Beach is one of the spots I was thinking about going to, but I really wasn't sure if I wanted to deal with the rental car hassle in Kona or not.

 

At Punuluu Beach, did you snorkel at all? I'm just wondering about the water clarity. I've snorkeled around turtles a few times in Hawaii, and have always loved it. This beach was on our list of places to go to as well.

 

Thanks again for all of the info!

[BoscoBreaux]

I realy hate to even discuss food because it is so subjective. I heard numerous complaints about the food but I really thought it was fine. Not outstanding, not bad, just fine. There was plenty of variety on the buffet, the dinner menus were not fabulous, but had enough selections that everyone should have been able to find something.

 

You make an excellent point about subjectivity. Recently, I read a review that glowed about the Aloha buffet, its food, taste, offerings, and design. However, the culinary training and knowledge of restaurant design I've accumulated over the years have led me to the conclusion that it is probably the worst buffet on any cruiseship that I have ever sailed. One doesn't need to be the chef at Le Bernardin to know good food, but sometimes NOT being a great chef is all you need to think the food is great. Good food, of course, is in the eye (or mouth) of the beholder.

[karfest]

Thanks for reading my novel- I was tryng to shorten it but there is SO much to cover!

-We went bythe lava flow about 10pm. It will be on the starboard side. This is embarrassing, but we had to set a wake-up call so we wouldn't miss it. I called my parents and their friends to rush to our balcony to watch. It is an AMAZING sight! Hard to believe we were driving around that area just a few hours before. (actally, they don't let you drive very close, for obvious reasons!)

-Oops- the helpful review was by "mcteems" I guess I am still jet-lagged!

-My parents enjoyed all their ship sponsored tours and we enjoyed our 1 tour but I never heard anything about the tours you are considering. Don't let reviews freak you out- I think that's why I was so apprehensive about this trip. If you have done your research, you will be ok!

-Hi Bank of Dad- I have also enjoyed your reviews and hope I can help you this time! For Diamond Head, the van picked us up at 6am and we picked up my mom and one other person at the Marriott. It was about 6:30 when we arrived at Diamond Head. We were offered water, a walking stick, and raingear. We didn't need the walking stick or rain gear but you will want to carry some water. A flashlight would also be helpful if you are doing this on your own at this early hour. We headed up in the pitch black but our guide knew what he was doing. Mom starting panting about 100 yards up but she was a trooper and kept going. With stops to rest and admire the view, I'd say it took about 1/2 hour to climb. Maybe a little longer, I don't remember! It was very crowded at the top- but after the sunrise, it cleared out quickly so we could get some good pictures. I did take a picture of a woman who carried a toddler on her back and an infant on her front. Remember that when you are complaining about taking the last set of steps! I would walk this everyday if I had the opportunity. I work out on a treadmill and this hike found some new muscles! My calves were mooing for three days! We were back to the hotel by 9am. I would recommend going early for the sunrise, but anything before noon would be good. It would be a hot walk any later in the day. The tour company was Oahu Nature Tours but you could easily do this on your own.

- The beach shuttle in Kona was a white bus with surf boards on it. One of the crew told us about it the night before. You can buy a round-trip ticket for $10/pp or a one way for $5/pp. He seemed to just be doing a loop from the pier to Kahalu'u- probably 20 minutes each way, depending on traffic. There were cabs available at the pier but not so easy to find one at the beach for a ride back. Many people jumped on the shuttle for the ride back.

- We didn't snorkle at Punalu'u and I didn't see anyone in the water. It looked pretty rough and rocky. The only area that looked like it could be good for snorkeling was roped off for the turtles!

- I didn't mind the buffet and thought was similar to other ships I've been on. We used it for breakfast and snacks. I wouldn't make a special trip to eat there, but it was ok. My parents also had dinner there one night and liked it- but they are first-timers and still don't know that it is tradition to complain about the buffet!!

 

Anything else?

[margaretmerrill]

We were on the lefthand side of the ship (port) and saw the lava flow. I was on the same sailing (1/21 to1/28) It was a bright orange river, and when it dumped into the ocean, there was smoke and you could smell the sulfur. We heard it was the best viewing for a while. Also, it was good to be on the left side for the napali coastline. We really enjoyed the cruise, except for the food and the service.

[rozmat]

I really enjoyed reading your review. We leave in just over a month and I'm still trying to devour as much as I can about previous cruiser's experiences on this ship.

 

We're traveling with family including grown children and their children.

I'm still waiting for my documents, since I booked air through NCL, looks like I will be waiting a little longer. My travel agent called NCL yesterday to inquire about which airline and times of flights, so I could get seat assignments.

NCL hasn't even booked the air yet. I have to call back at the end of the week. I hope we are at least on the same carrier, and the children are flying with their parents. I normally book my own air, but the cruise line had a much better fare than I could find for 13 passengers.

 

Thanks again. I hope our we have as good a time as it appears you had.

[HLP]

Karfast,

 

Thanks for the review. I might put this cruise back

on the calender again after reading this. One question.

If you were to do it over would you choose a suite or

is this too port intensive for a suite. Im trying to decide

this myself. Maybe a balcony cabin would be enough.

There would be 2 plus two children in our group.

 

Thanks

HLP

[DaisyL]

Karen, Thanks so much for your review. We're really looking forward to our cruise although it's not for 8 months.

 

How far in advance did you book the rental cars and ship excursions?

 

The circle island tour in Oahu sounds interesting but how much time did you actually spend sitting on the bus? I hope they let you off to see some sights and walk around.

 

I really like your attitude and explanation about the crew work ethics. I think it helps to understand where they are coming from and the differences between non-American crew.

 

I'll be back to ask more as I think of them, thanks.

[jame_g]

Karfast,

 

Thanks for the review. I might put this cruise back

on the calender again after reading this. One question.

If you were to do it over would you choose a suite or

is this too port intensive for a suite. Im trying to decide

this myself. Maybe a balcony cabin would be enough.

There would be 2 plus two children in our group.

 

Thanks

HLP

 

If we had to do it over again, we would still go for a suite if we could get one. If not, a balcony would be a must!

[Hikini]

Thank you for your indepth review, and even more indepth replies to the inquiries of others.

 

I don't necessarily have anything to say about the cruise portion of your post, but I am a Hawaii enthusiast, and I loved reading about your travels around the islands. Punalu'u Black Sand Beach on the Big Island is SO beautiful, but I'm sorry part of it was roped off. However, this IS one of the best places we've ever been to for seeing turtles. They are very protective of them, so they watch closely to make sure that no one gets too close. It's not really a good snorkeling spot because it tends to be a bit rough, there are lots of rocks and with the black sand, it makes it more difficult to see underwater.

 

In Kona you went to one of my all time favorite snorkeling spots though, at Kahalu'u Beach - right near the little blue church. The fish there are so plentiful, and there are often turtles there as well. Just not as many as there usually are at Punalu'u. I have tons of pictures of both of these places.

 

Isn't Lahaina a fun place to shop? One of my favorite eating places is there - Bubba Gumps. There is also a Bubba Gumps in Kona, and in Honolulu.

 

On the island of Oahu is another one of my all time favorite places - Hanauma Bay. A great place to learn to snorkel. And talk about breath taking beauty!!!

 

I've often thought about taking this cruise, because it would combine 2 of my extreme favorite things....Hawaii and cruising. However, I'm afraid that I would be restless on the ship because I'd want to be on the islands all the time, and I for sure don't want to be restless on the ship! Such a dilemma, eh?

 

Thanks again for taking the time to post your great review(s).

 

Hikini:D

[lhall85917]

Thanks for everyones thoughts and ideas - keep them coming!!

Hikini - I can't imagine that you could get too restless on the ship, it seems like this would be perfect for you! This itinerary definitely isn't for someone wanting to relax onboard and do all of the ship-related activities (bingo, casino, trivia contests, etc.) - it is much more for someone who wants time to visit several islands while having a place to spend the night and get some supper! If you decide to go we would love to have you join the Pineapple Heads on our group cruise!!:D