Opinions on the Pride of Hawaii

[christenson111]

Have been on nearly 40 cruises. It didn't compare to Royal Caribbean or Celebrity; however, all things considered, we enjoyed ourselves. I think the most important thing to do was adjust your expectations beforehand. We weren't expecting much, and actually thought it was better than the way it was described. It had numerous small faults, but overall, we loved it and had a great time. The people tried very hard, our room was great, and most of the food was above average to very good. Cagney's was definitely worth the upgrade. I heard the ship was just over half full, and I heard it was about 80% full. I don't know which was correct, but there were never lines anywhere that caused any problems. I was disappointed they charged $70 for the week to use the basic spa facilities, but it certainly did keep the crowds away. We had the large picture-windowed spa facility to ourselves when we left ports or were going by the Na Pali Coast. Best room in the house. Definitely check it out. Considering there is no competition, will probably do it again in 4 or 5 years. Don't let the negative reviews scare you away if it is something you want to do. We talked to people all week that were complaining about everything, and we wondered if we were on the same ship! Life is all about attitude. Just drink it all in and enjoy. Life is too short to nit pick. Again, we will do it again. NCL needs to work out a few small bugs.

[kidscats3]

As I noted in a different thread, we were on the 6/12 cruise and really had a great time. There were minor difficulties but all were readily fixed. Hawaii is amazing beyond all belief and the ship did all possible to compliment that experience. I would cruise with NCLA again without question (and yes, I have been on other ships and in quite lovely resorts).

 

What I would not do again is precruise or air with NCLA- each portion was a disaster and most of it did not get fixed unlike the ship.

 

Despite the land and air problems, I would readily cruise again.

 

Please feel free to ask whatever questions you would like.

[Solo Wing]

I know that the spa and even the steamrooms have a fee, but is at least the relaxation/wet area at the front of the ship on deck 12 free to use?:confused: if not then im just plain dissapointed with the number of free, public facilities on this ship. NCL's ships just can't compare to Princess's, Carnival's, or RCCL's ships and what they have to offer. the only thing im looking forward to on this cruise is the beauty of the islands. im not expecting great service, food, facilities, or entertainment. anyway, someone lemme know if the relaxation/wet area is free. oh and also, how many out of the ten restaurants don't have a cover charge?

[sunshine 229]

I agree the reviews on the review page paint a bad picture for the ship. If you read all of the reviews on this forum, overall most people enjoyed the cruise. I agree with you that this cruise may not be the best for you and your family, mainly because you sound like you want to be waited on hand and foot and spend a lot of time on the ship. I for one am going because I want to see as much of the islands as possible in the time available. We are booked on the July 10 sialing and will post our opinions when we return. I can assure you of one thing, service on the ship will NOT affect my trip because I will be on the islands or under water diving the whole time there. I also learned a long time ago to take reviews with a grain of salt. I have been on many cruises and have read bad reviews about each ship before we went. Each time I saw almost none of the things listed as negatives. Some people are just impossible to please no matter what you try to do for them.

 

Good luck with your alternate plans, but next time before you cancel due to a few reviews maybe you should do a little more research...JMO

 

Kevin

 

Maybe some people are "just impossible to please no matter what you try to do for them."

But then maybe it is possible for someone just to want decent service.

 

Your attitude seems to be that you are determined to enjoy this trip no matter how bad the service may be:

"I can assure you of one thing, service on the ship will NOT affect my trip..."

 

Good for you! But I don't think that means that anyone who does expect or want good service is unreasonable or needs "to be waited on hand and foot" or is " impossible to please".

 

I have read a lot of comments from people who were disappointed in the service they received on one or other of the NCLA ships, obviously that was just their opinion based on their personal experience and expectations but I wouldn't label them impossible to please just because they weren't happy with their experience any more than I would label you low class or lacking in taste simply because you seem to be happy to accept whatever level of service NCL wants to throw at you. JMO

[Breezey]

Wow, Breezey, congratulations to you too. I not only share your daughter's name but I work in NY for a Canadian bank!

 

I see we have another negative review just posted and I'm sorry Bill had such a bad cruise. Afterall, we all work hard all year and vacations are costly so nobody wants to have a trip like that. We're early diners so I'll make sure to get to the lobster before they run out and if they can't put our bed into one bed, well, our room steward will be followed until he finds that rod. I'm still remaining positive. Nothing can be worse than being shoved and pushed and jammed into crowded NYC subways every day. :eek:

 

 

Hey and I grew up in Brooklyn!!! Too bad we aren't sharing our anniversary celebrations so we can check out the complaints. Ya know, I have taken cruises on Princess twice, Carnival twice and Celebrity once. Found things to love and hate about them all. But bottom line is, I love cruising, want to see lots of Hawaii, didnt want to spend endless days at sea to get to Hawaii (NCL was the only choice) from LA and dont want to unpack and repack more than once in the week (cruising was the only choice). Worse comes to worse we spend 4 nights in Maui after the cruise to make up for it.

[endi302]

 

I have read a lot of comments from people who were disappointed in the service they received on one or other of the NCLA ships, obviously that was just their opinion based on their personal experience and expectations but I wouldn't label them impossible to please just because they weren't happy with their experience any more than I would label you low class or lacking in taste simply because you seem to be happy to accept whatever level of service NCL wants to throw at you. JMO

 

Sunshine 226: I am going into this cruise expecting the level of service to be less than other cruises. The service on NCLA cruises will never get to the level of other cruises because a crew made up of mainly american workers will never give the level of service that the other cruise lines offer. The foreign workers are happy to have the jobs, whereas our culture has produced a generation of people who expect things to be given to them. They don't have to work hard to make a living and will not do so on a cruise ship.

 

This said, the reason that level of service will not affect my vacation is because I go into this with that understanding. I will be on the islands most of the time, or I will be on my BALCONIES enjoying the passing ocean. I am paying too much money on this cruise to let the LITTLE things upset me. I'm going to Hawaii, so even your attempt to call me low class and lacking in taste won't upset me this week. 9 days to Hawaii......

 

P.S. Have a good day.....LOL

 

Kevin

[bubiesmom]

My family and I are going to travel the islands on the Pride of Hawaii on the 17th of July so I was wondering how the new ship that had been made to sound so grand really was. So far, the comments and reviews that I've read about the Pride of Hawaii and NCLA were all negative, claiming that service and food on the NCLA ships were abysmal. If any of you have cruised on the Pride of Hawaii, please share your experience with me:).

 

SoloWing,

I stumbled across Cruise Critic by accident and I am so glad. I have spent countless hours just in the last two weeks reading everything I could about NCL. I had it narrowed down to a few choices for my cruise, but CC made a difference. We are going on POH 1/1/07 and will continue to look at CC for more info. Vacations aren't cheap and cruises are unique. People want all the info they can find. I am looking forward to writing my review of POH as well. Thanks, fellow CC members. Spend lots of time and read all the posts and threads you can.

[bubiesmom]

Wow, Breezey, congratulations to you too. I not only share your daughter's name but I work in NY for a Canadian bank!

 

I see we have another negative review just posted and I'm sorry Bill had such a bad cruise. Afterall, we all work hard all year and vacations are costly so nobody wants to have a trip like that. We're early diners so I'll make sure to get to the lobster before they run out and if they can't put our bed into one bed, well, our room steward will be followed until he finds that rod. I'm still remaining positive. Nothing can be worse than being shoved and pushed and jammed into crowded NYC subways every day. :eek:

 

how many lobster can you get? someone said thurs is formal night on POH, as well as lobster and prime rib night. what's the deal?

[NCLcruisefan]

We want to be in Oahu for the surfing competitions also, so we are looking at November.

I agree with what a poster said about working so much with limited vacation time, and not wanting to waste it complaining. On the flip side I do not agree with adjusting expectations to meet an inadequate vacation. I would never spend goo dmoney on something I know I will have to lower my expectations for. That is a big reason we are switching to land based. I know you are on the islands 90% of the daytime...which means even more money, since you will have to pay for food on the islands that you already paid for once on the cruise. Ugh.

I wish everyone good luck in there voyage. The additional negative posts only make me feel like I made the right choice.

 

\That is exactly right. We rarely ate on the ship; THANK goodness. And so we spent a lot of money on food at land. Who wants to drive an hour back to the ship; go to your room and change and eat and then drive back to where you were?? Not us. So we ate lunch and dinner in port almost everyday. And that cruise cost way too much money to just be used as a floating hotel that takes you to other islands. I am sure for the $8000 total not including air we spent; could have paid for hotels on all the islands and flights to all the islands. Our room was $2650; I could have spent less with a hotel room and inter-island flights and would have had better service. And i think you made a good point. Why go into it with lowered expectations?? It isn't a free vacation that you just say "OH WELL" This is a lot of money for a cruise that cost them less on food, since people eat on shore so much, less on fuel since no days at sea. And so much more. Either way; no one spending that much money or taking the trip of a lifetime should have to lower their expectations.

[sunshine 229]

\That is exactly right. We rarely ate on the ship; THANK goodness. And so we spent a lot of money on food at land. Who wants to drive an hour back to the ship; go to your room and change and eat and then drive back to where you were?? Not us. So we ate lunch and dinner in port almost everyday. And that cruise cost way too much money to just be used as a floating hotel that takes you to other islands. I am sure for the $8000 total not including air we spent; could have paid for hotels on all the islands and flights to all the islands. Our room was $2650; I could have spent less with a hotel room and inter-island flights and would have had better service. And i think you made a good point. Why go into it with lowered expectations?? It isn't a free vacation that you just say "OH WELL" This is a lot of money for a cruise that cost them less on food, since people eat on shore so much, less on fuel since no days at sea. And so much more. Either way; no one spending that much money or taking the trip of a lifetime should have to lower their expectations.

 

I agree with you. It is fine to say that one shouldn't dwell on the negative things in life, or shouldn't sweat the little things but, it seems to me that when you pay good, hard earned money for a vacation you should expect to get something in return.

If I wanted to have no expectations, I could save a lot of money, spend my vacation at home, in a tent in my back yard, and tell myself that, as long as I got to spend time with my loved ones, that is all that matters, however, if I pay money to a cruise line, for a cruise, I expect them to give me value in exchane for that money.

 

If someone spends a lot of money to take a cruise they have certain expectations of what they will receive. I don't think it is a virtue to accept sub-standard service or accomodations with a smile and no complaint, I think it is just stupid and I think that adopting the attitude that 'my vacation is what I make it' and not expecting the cruiseline to deliver on what they have been paid for is inviting them to rip off future cruisers. JMO

[NCLcruisefan]

I agree with you. It is fine to say that one shouldn't dwell on the negative things in life, or shouldn't sweat the little things but, it seems to me that when you pay good, hard earned money for a vacation you should expect to get something in return.

If I wanted to have no expectations, I could save a lot of money, spend my vacation at home, in a tent in my back yard, and tell myself that, as long as I got to spend time with my loved ones, that is all that matters, however, if I pay money to a cruise line, for a cruise, I expect them to give me value in exchane for that money.

 

If someone spends a lot of money to take a cruise they have certain expectations of what they will receive. I don't think it is a virtue to accept sub-standard service or accomodations with a smile and no complaint, I think it is just stupid and I think that adopting the attitude that 'my vacation is what I make it' and not expecting the cruiseline to deliver on what they have been paid for is inviting them to rip off future cruisers. JMO

 

Well said also. Very good and valid points! Not expecting the cruise line to deliver b/c you will just adjust your expectations and make it what you want is insane. No way should you have to make your vacation fun by yourself. The cruiseline is required to do it b/c you signed a contract when you paid. Even on your tickets there is a contract stating that they have a right to change anything they want. And they don't really act on this b/c everyone would throw a fit. But NCLA isn't delivering what we paid for and that is a breach of contract. I say we all should get together and demand a partial refund!:D Yeah right. But point is; they can't continue to get away with this. People need to stop saying I will just accept the bad service if it gets me where I want. Do they accept bad service at restaurants just to get the meal? No. People need to fight NCLA for the good service

[endi302]

Well said also. Very good and valid points! Not expecting the cruise line to deliver b/c you will just adjust your expectations and make it what you want is insane. No way should you have to make your vacation fun by yourself. The cruiseline is required to do it b/c you signed a contract when you paid. Even on your tickets there is a contract stating that they have a right to change anything they want. And they don't really act on this b/c everyone would throw a fit. But NCLA isn't delivering what we paid for and that is a breach of contract. I say we all should get together and demand a partial refund!:D Yeah right. But point is; they can't continue to get away with this. People need to stop saying I will just accept the bad service if it gets me where I want. Do they accept bad service at restaurants just to get the meal? No. People need to fight NCLA for the good service

 

I believe that this situation will take care of itself. In a free market economy, the quality of the goods delivered will eventually take care of itself. Either the product will get better, or the people will quit buying it. This product offered by NCLA is a new concept that will either get better or people will eventually get the news that it is not worth the money and quit buying it. All of your complaining is not helping, because you have voiced your opinion and now come across as a whiner, Enough is enough. If you are as unhappy with NCLA as you say, sue them. They are now an american registered ship and can be sued in american courts.....LOL

 

Kevin

[sandyneck]

Eeyore, are you saying that for airfare, 11 nights at a hotel, including the Ritz,interisland flights, and rental car, you are paying only $4000.00 for your family? Where are you flying from? That seems super cheap.

[phaminator]

Hi ... wow, fireworks going off here.

I'm cruise virgin, looking at the Aug21 POH sailing and have a couple of questions:

- wrt value, it seems inside cabins could be had for $600 pp right now. With that in mind, is that a good value compared to land-based travel?

- I have a family of four (two 7-yo's) ... what do you recommend as far as accomodations? connecting cabins? outside cabin w/balcony? how does the bed situation work ... it seems like you can push the twin beds together to make one queen?

[endi302]

Hi ... wow, fireworks going off here.

I'm cruise virgin, looking at the Aug21 POH sailing and have a couple of questions:

- wrt value, it seems inside cabins could be had for $600 pp right now. With that in mind, is that a good value compared to land-based travel?

- I have a family of four (two 7-yo's) ... what do you recommend as far as accomodations? connecting cabins? outside cabin w/balcony? how does the bed situation work ... it seems like you can push the twin beds together to make one queen?

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Don't be put off by all of the negative postings by some people. The balcony rooms have more space because of the balcony. They also have a view where the inside rooms are like a cave. Some of the rooms have beds overhead that can be used for children. The only problem with that configuration is that the lower beds can not be put togethor as I understand it. Normally the lower beds ARE pushed togethor for couples if they want them put togtethor. Your best bet would be to go to a travel agent who does a lot of cruise business to get their help. They can help you with your first cruise and make sure you get the room suited to your needs. Keep in mind that the rooms on cruise ships are very small compared to motel rooms. This cruise also has a lot of ports and very little at sea time. You won't be in your room very much.

 

Hope this helps,

kevin

[Zeno]

Have been on nearly 40 cruises. It didn't compare to Royal Caribbean or Celebrity; however, all things considered, we enjoyed ourselves. I think the most important thing to do was adjust your expectations beforehand. We weren't expecting much, and actually thought it was better than the way it was described. It had numerous small faults, but overall, we loved it and had a great time. The people tried very hard, our room was great, and most of the food was above average to very good. Cagney's was definitely worth the upgrade. I heard the ship was just over half full, and I heard it was about 80% full. I don't know which was correct, but there were never lines anywhere that caused any problems. I was disappointed they charged $70 for the week to use the basic spa facilities, but it certainly did keep the crowds away. We had the large picture-windowed spa facility to ourselves when we left ports or were going by the Na Pali Coast. Best room in the house. Definitely check it out. Considering there is no competition, will probably do it again in 4 or 5 years. Don't let the negative reviews scare you away if it is something you want to do. We talked to people all week that were complaining about everything, and we wondered if we were on the same ship! Life is all about attitude. Just drink it all in and enjoy. Life is too short to nit pick. Again, we will do it again. NCL needs to work out a few small bugs.

 

I hope if we do the NCL Hawaii thing in 2008, the other people on the ship have your attitude! I know what I expect: a clean cabin, edible food, adequate service and of course I will make sure I get that. Will there be problems - maybe. But I have had "problems" on vacations before and going to the correct people has never failed to resolve them. I never expect perfection but I do expect prompt problem resolution of any serious issues. However I can't imagine actually expecting a cruiseline or a resort to make my vacation "fun". That is my responsibility.

[Arubalisa]

My family and I are going to travel the islands on the Pride of Hawaii on the 17th of July so I was wondering how the new ship that had been made to sound so grand really was. So far, the comments and reviews that I've read about the Pride of Hawaii and NCLA were all negative, claiming that service and food on the NCLA ships were abysmal. If any of you have cruised on the Pride of Hawaii, please share your experience with me:).

I just spoke to my Mom & Dad at the airport. She is returning home from the POH 6/26 sailing. There were 4 people in her party and they have experience cruising RCCL, Princess, HAL & Celebrity. They sailed Hawaii this particular time of year to celebrate their anniversary.

 

From everything I had forwarded onto them from CC, they sailed on this ship with extremely low expectations. They were not disappointed. For the price, compared to what other lines charge, they felt they got what they paid for, if that.

 

The ship itself is beautiful. Perfect for Hawaii, but would be out of place everywhere else. Standard balcony cabin was as expected- tiny.

 

Food as well as service were just plain terrible. The crew including wait staff were very accommodating, but extremely inexperienced. Nothing positive to say about the food either. Specialty restaurants were somewhat better, but the four of them never had a meal where there was not something which either did not arrive, or was not as ordered.

 

Lobster and prime rib night was evidently another fiasco. They served HALF of A (yes 1) lobster tail. My father knew, only getting one lobster tail, to order a prime rib also. Prime rib just never arrived at the table.

 

All in all with this type of experience they will not sail NCL again. But at least they gave it a shot. Personally from their experience and what I have read on this forum, I would wait longer to see Hawaii in order to save more money to cruise on another more expensive line. I just hate to see others waste their money.

[rowala]

We just returned from the June 26 sailing on POH. While our family of five had a good time, NCL America needs to work on customer service and staffing. It was clear that they did not have sufficient personnel in some areas. We tried the Grand Pacific dining room the first night and had to wait approximately 15 minutes for them to set a table despite the fact that there were at least 10 other tables for five already set. Service was painfully slow and the waitstaff, while friendly, was clearly inexperienced. Food quality was generally good, however, although portions were quite small. For example, they served pork satay as an appetizer that night. A single small skewer arrived on a huge plate. We ate in four specialty restaurants (Cagney's, Teppinyaki, Jasmine Garden and Paniolo Tapas & Salsa Restaurant). The service was much better and the food was good. Only exception was Teppinyaki. The surcharge was $20 per head (nearly the cost of a superior dinner of that type at our local restaurant) and the chef exhibited none of the personality and antics that you generally see in Japanese "hibachi" steakhouses (flying shrimp tails, fancy knife work etc.). I would not waste the money for that. The food there was decent, but not better than that, and again portions were very small.

 

We actually found the food in the Aloha Nui Café to be quite good. We have always cruised with Royal Caribbean (6 cruises) and thought that buffet food on POH was tastier than RCL. The biggest problem was that they were shortstaffed enough so that tables sat uncleared for quite a long time and occasionally refilling of food items was also slow. One big plus - the Cafe has cappuccino machines that turn out good cappuccino. You can also use them for regular coffee and it was excellent.

 

Our cabin attendant was excellent. Very friendly and efficient. Part of that might be attributable to the fact that were were in a villa and I think that NCL makes a point of ensuring that villa passengers receive good service. We heard some horror stories from other passengers about various service requests going unanswered (including not being able to get someone to lower the upper berths).

 

They also need to work on boarding at certain ports. We waited on line for a full 45 minutes returning one day. We never experienced that kind of wait on RCL.

 

I am not sure how I feel about Freestyle dining. Although you are offered more choices, you lose something not developing rapport with your particular waitstaff. It also makes it somewhat more difficult to meet fellow passengers. Overall, we probably preferred the more traditional cruising.

 

We also had a horrendous customer service issue the day before our cruise left. I had called to confirm all of the details of our cruise and offhandedly stated "that our 15 year old would not need a passport or birth certificate, right?" The agent and two separate supervisors insisted that he would. We stated that the airlines don't require it and they stated that it was a U.S. immigration requirement. I pointed out that the NCL website also indicated that it was not required. They all said he would not be allowed to board without the proof of citizenship. The problem was that we were already in Hawaii and these items were back in NY and it was Sunday. We offered to have faxed copies sent and they said that would not work. Panic began to set in. We advised them that FedEx, DHL and UPS were all shut. They did not care and were actually somewhat flippant. My travel agent was on a cruise until the next day and her office was also shut until Monday. Finally, I arranged to have his passport and birth certificate sent by special courier to arrive Monday afternoon at a not insignificant cost. The next day my travel agent returned from her cruise and was told the same thing by one of the same supervisors. She finally got a higher level person who confirmed that my son did NOT require either of those items. We lost about 3-4 hours of our Sunday sightseeing time, had to delay our embarkation waiting for the courier to arrive, gained a lot more grey hair and had to spend the money for the courier. In my view, it is inexcusable that supervisors would not know the restrictions and regulations applicable to a particular cruise. My guess is that they were basing their answers on the itineraries that go to Fanning Island, where the requirements are different. Although we finally received some compensation on board, it was not a good start to our cruise.

 

One other thing that we noticed was that the ship was not as lively as our other cruises. The pool deck was often very deserted, even at night after the excursions ended. I think that is probably a function of the itinerary (no days at sea). You sometimes would swear that there were only 200 people on board.

 

Lastly, the ship. It was pretty in an "over the top" way. Again, this was probably due to the fact that it was designed strictly for Hawaiian cruises. It lacked the elegance of other ships on which we have cruised. Some of the decor looks like it was picked out by Elvis and you would want to put on sunglasses before looking at the carpet.

 

I'll be glad to answer any questions.

[Shiraz]

The ship is almost like a city it's so huge and obviously there are going to be 2,500 different experiences of positive & negative each week. It seems like the ship's staff is inconsistent and they undoubtedly have had some attrition since the first time around on the 7-day itinerary when we were aboard.

 

As a consumer, I think that it's important to stand up for yourself IMMEDIATELY if something is sub-standard. If you don't want to waste precious vacation time trying to make something right by chasing down the right people, I would definitely ask registration or concierge where to lodge a complaint in order to document a situation, and follow up at home by asking for compensation. Since they charge your onboard account the last day, they should have the latitude to reduce that amount -- not to mention if you have it on your charge card, Visa or M/C will also go to bat for you if you have disputed charges. Example: If you have to make superhuman effort to get extra towels or if cleanliness is an issue, then you should be able to deduct a commensurate amount from your shipboard account. If you have crappy service in a restaurant, don't give any extra tip (remember that the food quality is usually in the cook's hands, not the waitstaff -- friendliness, promptness, accuracy, attention, updates if something is taking longer, filling drink glasses, etc. is their job). Conversely, if you're going to pester the room steward for all the available goodies like down pillows, robes, egg crate mattresses, sheets to cover the duvets, etc., it would be only right to tip accordingly. They are auto-tipped for doing the normal stuff -- changing towels & wiping down the fixtures during the day and turn down service. Whatever options are available on the dial outside the stateroom door is normal, customary stuff for which you are already tipping $10/day/person.

 

**PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU HAVE TO TURN YOUR DIAL ON YOUR ROOM NUMBER OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR OR YOU WON'T HAVE ANY SERVICE!!!! I learned that here from CC, I'm certain I wouldn't have known to look for that dial otherwise. Even if it's explained in the room literature, who has time to read all that stuff???? On board we were eating, showering & changing, resting, or sleeping! Certainly not trying to study the room manual.

 

I said before on another post that if I were NCLA, I'd probably economize on food and entertainment (no Cirque de Soleil here!! LOL) knowing that Hawaii is the main attraction and the ship is secondary. On our sailing, I don't know how those aboard could have possibly known whether the entertainment would have been good or bad beforehand, but I never saw more than half the Stardust theater full (so where was everyone?). I suppose if Cher would have been onboard there would have been standing room only . . . but we didn't need to gild the lily -- Hawaii doesn't need that kind of embellishment!!! We admit it -- we were pooped most nights and ate during the first show and were heading off to hit the hay at or during the second (9:30). So if you haven't had your POH cruise yet my advice would be that I would encourage you to just chill first -- don't be going in there on a witch hunt thinking you're trying to spot flaws at 50 paces. Take things as they occur because that's life. If something is unconscionably (sp?) terrible, then be a squeaky hinge and get it fixed so you can relax and enjoy things. If no one can fix it then decide on a reasonable (not hot-headed) plan to request post-cruise compensation so you don't have to spend your whole vacation dealing with the issue. Then move on . . . I didn't have expectations of taking a fine, elegant cruise with fancy clothes and caviar & escargot (blech!) 3 times a day.

 

I think there are other options for similar itineraries on other lines, you just have to search for them and be at sea longer since they seem to leave from CA, so if I were concerned about having the ultimate cruise experience as well as seeing several ports in Hawaii, I think I'd shop around. What we experienced was perfect for us with the casual style, short itinerary of 7 days, and shore excursions that delivered some of the best Hawaii has to offer! There will be some inconveniences, like lines to go through security to reboard, so be prepared. Sometimes we took turns walking around looking at the vendors' tables, using the restroom, checking out the brochure rack, etc. while the other held our place in the line. Sometimes we struck up conversations with our line-mates, often discovering other fun things they recommended in case we ever return to Hawaii!

 

One more thing -- at the end of the cruise they give you a comment card with scantron "bubbles" to fill out with your black ink. If you write something in that is serious enough to be addressed immediately, make sure to call attention to it when you turn the card in at the desk. At least the desk clerk will highlight it and possibly give it special delivery. Please keep a positive attitude and use sunblock, stay hydrated, and get enough rest so you're not cranky:) ! Everyone will benefit!!!

[Breezey]

I have been reading so many opinions, comments, critiicisms, etc re the POH. While I go with trepidation, quite frankly Shiraz, your way with words brings me calm. I have a pretty good idea of what to expect, how to handle the blips and for me at least knowing that post-cruise I still have another week to relax on land in Maui. We booked NCL knowing that just didnt seem to have the same consistent reviews as Celebrity and Princess but we didnt want to spend endless days at sea. For us, the focus is Hawaii, not the cruise, if you know what I mean. But I still expect at least a clean cabin. That is something I really concerned with. Mind you, on our last Celebrity cruise, I watched in horror, on our day of departure, as our cabin steward was getting ready for the next week's passengers. He was making the bed in a real rush and was stepping all over the clean sheets. Yuck! Lysol wipes are coming with me for sure. :)

All I know is that in two months I am going to Hawaii!!! Life is good.

[tomluvsaida]

I looked at the blue ribbon reviews that Cruse Critic gives as an average of all the reviews on any ship. PoA and PoAM both got 4 out of a possible 5+. They also had bad reviews in the begining but things got better as the green crew got the kinks out. It looks loke POH is much the same. POH is not only the newest but the biggest ship America has got. We won't be going till October 30th, by then I imagine all the bloopers will have been delt with.

Just one suggestion with the American crew. Have NCL do away with the automatic gratuity charges altogether. Instead encourage the passengers to tip accordingly directly to the person giving them the service. The passengers will get better service, the crew will make more money and the company will spend less money; it's a win-win for everybody!:D If your worried about having to carry a lot of cash with you for tip money they can do as you most any restraunt does - give you a reciept with a space you can write in for the gratuity then they take it out of your account. If I ran the company I would also have teciept with the waiter's name on it so you will know it was for that person and that it is going to that person. Something simular can be done with room service wich you simply fill out and sign at the end of your cruse upon checkout.

[smarterman64]

i actually like that idea, but the crew 10 dollar auto i don't think is exactly an additional tip, i think it's more like part of their pay. They say it goes to the crew, but they don't say it's in excess of their currnet pay. However i am not sure. I agree that tipping should be your opinion on the service and i like the idea at least on US ships. The international crew is a lot more friendlier

[smarterman64]

Question: Is there a star seeker show on the Pride of Hawaii?

[thecruisers723]

I'm not sure what you mean by a star seeker show on POH. We sailed on 6/26 and there was a crew talent show and a passenger talent show though if that's what you meant. We didn't go to either, so I can't comment. We went to all the other shows though and thought they were wonderful.

 

Although I really enjoyed our Hawaii vacation and am so glad we did it, I don't know that we'll be cruising NCL again. We've never had issues on our 5 other cruises. And we had many, many issues on this cruise. We didn't go in looking for them,they just happened and couldn't be overlooked. And several times, they weren't remedied timely (i.e., they didn't come to unlock our safe until 2 days after we boarded and that was only after about 4 phone calls and our soap dispensers, shower gel and shampoo dispensers were all 3 empty when we arrived and didn't get filled until about 24 hours after we boarded and that took about 3 calls). Every time we thought the kinks were worked out for the week, something else would come up. Right until the end when NCL had to rent a Penske truck to deliver our debarkation day tour buses luggage to the airport because they didn't take it out of the hallways in time the night before to get it to the terminal for us to take it to the bus with us like we were supposed to. Yes, we did ultimately get the luggage. But the pull handle on our brand new luggage was broke and it hadn't been when we wheeled it out of our room the night before. Personally, I just don't want to have to go into a vacation knowing to expect negative things to happen and planning to deal with them with a positive attitude as they come. This is the right attitude if you've already booked it and this is your best option for the itinerary you want. But if I have a choice when booking in the future, I'd prefer to choose a cruise line & ship where I don't have to "expect" bad things to happen. I will choose one that I've had great experiences with in the past or that has great reviews to make sure that I can expect the ultimate cruise experience and not a mediocre one as the POH turned out to be.

[smarterman64]

i kinda meant like the one that you compete against each other and hav a little competition and have some fun. Their always fun to watch. Just realized i have a talent and might consider joining in.