POA best side?

[bookbabe]

Currently have a POA cruise booked for December 2021, and I’m second-guessing the cabin I booked.  
 

I booked a starboard forward cabin, since that’s what we had 13 years ago when we did this cruise previously, and it was fabulous for the volcano viewing.  However, looking a little closer, it looks like the current route takes you past the Napali coast instead of the volcano, and that the port side might be better.  

 

Thoughts?  Are the routes pretty set now and I should switch sides for better viewing, or could it change back to the volcano viewing and I should stick with starboard side?  What have people’s experiences been?  What side cabin is best?  

 

(And yes, we have a balcony, which is why it’s important.).

 

Thanks!

[Beachiekeen]

We just sailed in November and had a port side cabin and we saw the coast first and for the longest. By the time the ship turned, the colors were gone and also we got to see the sunset on the port side.  Port side is where you want to be. Starboard only sees the tail end of the coast viewing. I did a review and posted a ton of pictures of the day.  
 

My ILs has a starboard cabin and we went to theirs just to see the view but quickly went back over to our cabin.

Edited December 27, 2019 by Beachiekeen

[dexddd]

Port.

[FranknBeans]

Aft Cabin that way you get to see both sides of Napili Coast as well as the lava if flowing.

[DublinFC]

Listened to a review on Cruise Radio and the reviewer mentioned the same thing @Beachiekeen said above.  Port gives better/longer views of the coastline.  

 

We are sailing on her in a few years with friends who booked a starboard side balcony.  We have the port balcony.  We all will be able to enjoy the view coming and going 🙂

[Beachiekeen]

45 minutes ago, DublinFC said:

Listened to a review on Cruise Radio and the reviewer mentioned the same thing @Beachiekeen said above.  Port gives better/longer views of the coastline.  

 

We are sailing on her in a few years with friends who booked a starboard side balcony.  We have the port balcony.  We all will be able to enjoy the view coming and going 🙂

This is what we did too. Although we found the starboard view a let down after ours especially with the great sunset. Still a great idea though.

[VideoTech]

The Na Pali coast and the volcano viewing are two different places. The volcano viewing (if it's active) is done during the night you sail around from Hilo to Kona at the Big Island of Hawaii. IF - and that's the key - IF the volcano has lava flowing to the sea, the ship will said around the south side of the Big Island and you will want to be on the starboard or right side of the ship to see it. If the lava is not flowing, the ship goes around the north side of the island as that's a shorter trip - and of course it doesn't matter what side your cabin is on.

 

The ship sails the Na Pali coast line out of the port of Lihue on Kauai. The port or left side of the ship is closest to the coast on the trip out. Then the ship turns around and sails back, heading towards Honolulu for the end of the cruise. At this time the starboard side of the ship face the coast, but the ship is typically further out from the coast.

 

Your cabin selection really doesn't make all that much difference, since you can always go up on deck and see out either side of the ship. Both of these things (Na Pali coast and possible volcano lava viewing) are only small portions of the total trip. 

 

You can check this website to find out the current status of the volcanoes on the Big Island:

https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/lava2.htm

 

[Firepath]

Port for Na Pali coast last October, and we didn't go past the volcano, went north around to Kona from Hilo. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

Stayed in a Port suite in 2016, disclaimer, things may have changed.  We didn't get to go to Kona due to weather, but in Maui, Kauai and Hilo, every portside view overlooked an active parking lot complete with loud diesel trucks, loud backup beeping and working yelling instructions to one another.  I didn't take pictures of the starboard side views when ported but every view did not overlook a parking and still had a great view.  Somewhat of an example of this is my Hilo pic which shows the POA ship; port side you can see the it overlooking the parking lot with Matco containers yet you can see the green land in the background, that's the view starburst gets to see.  You will spend over half your waking hours of this cruise docked.  As great as the Napali coast is, you will see it from anywhere on the ship from a balcony cabin.  You could watch from from the upper decks or deck 6 which is covered if there's bad weather while it goes by the port side then go back to your starburst stateroom to watch the starboard final sail-by.  Also while extremely high odds you'll see it, it isn't guaranteed as you could get some bad weather that prevents clear visibility; foggy pic was not of napali coast but is an example of what it can look like in Hawaii at any time.

 

Hilo:

 

Kauai

 

Maui

 

Maui Pano

 

Example of low visibility

Edited December 28, 2019 by NutsAboutGolf

[Budget Queen]

9 hours ago, Firepath said:

Port for Na Pali coast last October, and we didn't go past the volcano, went north around to Kona from Hilo. 

The routes most always go north to Kona even when the volcano is active viewing.   

[AllisonJames]

Just off POA 1/4/20 -- our port-side balcony stateroom was worth the cost for the balcony on two days:  we missed Kona due to high seas and being unable to tender and had an unexpected sea day cruising the Molokai Sea Cliffs and the last day cruising of the Napali Coast.  The decks were packed and it was much nicer viewing from our balcony.  The rest of the time (as others have posted) not much of a view when we were docked....

[Beachiekeen]

Port side is important for the Na Pali Coast viewing, not so much being in port itself, although we did have a beautiful view on  Kauai.  We sat on our covered balcony with our family, sipped champagne and took pictures of one another with that beautiful background, it was worth every single penny to have the balcony for that day alone.

 

Edited January 16, 2020 by Beachiekeen

[DublinFC]

@AllisonJamesdid you have the Hawaii Beverage Package on your sailing?  Did it include alcoholic drinks?  The language attached to the package does not mention if alcohol is included or not.

[WillCruiseForMoney]

DublinFC - The Hawaii beverage package does include alcoholic drinks. 

The language is a little vague due to Hawaii alcohol restrictions/laws.

[DublinFC]

1 hour ago, WillCruiseForMoney said:

DublinFC - The Hawaii beverage package does include alcoholic drinks. 

The language is a little vague due to Hawaii alcohol restrictions/laws.

OK, I just wanted to make sure.  Yes the wording is vague.  But, I am happy to hear it is included.

[NutsAboutGolf]

On my 2016 cruise, when in port, every starboard side view was better than port side.  Therefore assuming things haven’t changed, I would recommend a starboard side stateroom as you still get a (Shorter) view of the Napoli coast.