do's & don'ts for POH

[2cruiseagain]

I thought I could try to give some tips for the things we did during our great vacation on the Pride of Hawaii. These are from fresh experiences that would have been helpful to me during my research. We were in 2 balcony cabins on the port side, 9th deck on the 7/10 sailing.

Pride of Hawaii

Do bring your own plastic cups. The drink cups are tiny on the ship. We bought a pack in one of the many ABC stores for $2.50 and had plenty for the whole cruise to fill with water or juice. If you have the soda sticker, they don’t mind filling these instead.

Do consider an over-door shoe holder for holding small items. It sounds funny but, we were always misplacing things because the room was so small.

Do make dinner reservations the first day for the week. Make them at one of the specialty restaurants. (Pappas is all the way at the top and nobody was waiting) The reservation line was always 8-10 deep and was easily 45 minutes the rest of the week. They also never answered the phone whenever I tried.

Don’t expect much with the food. While we had great experiences at Pappa’s, Jasmine and Shabu Shabu, we had mediocre experiences at Le Bistro & Alizar (formal night). We had a somewhat poor experience at Paniolo’s but we are from Houston where there is a great Mexican restaurant on almost every corner. However, later in the week during peak times, Paniolo’s could usually seat you, so it wasn’t in real high demand which might say something.

Don’t expect to see a bunch of young lazy Americans. There were some young people, but most were varied in age and most worked hard with a great attitude. Under staffed and under experienced would be the best way to explain the lack of superior service. Keep your expectations low and you will be surprised. We had a stateroom that wasn’t clean when we arrived. The steward supervisor of the floor explained that the previous steward quit that day and closed the door which means the room is clean. She was very apologetic and cleaned our room extensively and gave us great service the rest of the week.

Don’t believe the screens showing the occupancy of the restaurants. Often, restaurants would show availability but when called they would claim to be booked all night.

Do ask Thrifty if they can mail the driving map magazines for all of the islands. These were very informative and I wish I would have had them in advance for the coupons, specials and general information. Even if you have to pay for the shipping.

Do be ready to tip all of your tour operators. Whether you go through the ship or on your own they all had their hand out. Even the guy who drove us up to the top of Haleakala for our bike ride. The only one that didn’t ask was the helicopter tour.

Do consider the famous north shore tour after disembarkation. This was only booked to keep up with our luggage until our 7:30 flight. It turned out to be a fun and informative tour to the Dole Plantation, Macadamia Nut factory, a Buddhist temple and beaches along the north shore which were breathtaking.

FYI – after our sailing, they emptied all of the mini-bars because they couldn’t keep up with it. It was supposed to be the cabin stewards responsibility but they were overwhelmed as it was. Many people commented that their steward told them to take what they wanted because they were doing away with the program. We saw huge bags of the contents with no accounting what so ever on the last full day on board.

Honolulu – 2 night at Outrigger Reef. SnorkelHaunamaBay. Hike Diamond Head. Germaine’s Luau

Don’t expect much at Waikiki. The north & northwest shores seem to have much prettier beaches and don’t have the feel of Manhattan in Hawaii.

Do rent an SUV to haul all of your luggage and save any taxi fares. The freedom this gives you will far outweigh the cost of a rental car.

Do Germaine’s Luau. They provide transportation, decent food, 3 drinks, good entertainment and a great sunset on the beach. If you buy their souvenir glass, they will fill it with your drink which is at least twice the size. I also printed an outdated (2000!) coupon from their website for a free gift and they gave me a hat.

Hilo – VolcanoNational Park & Thurston Lava Tube

Do rent a car to do your own tour. It is an easy drive and you can go at your own pace. We used Thrifty with the Blue Chip program and were on our way very quickly. However, a jeep was a waste of money with all of the rain coming and going.

Do bring a light rain jacket. This, along with normal clothing, should be enough warmth for the Volcano National Park. Our short sleeves and shorts were almost embarrassing when we arrived to cold misty rain at the top. And, jackets aren’t cheap there.

Do bring a flashlight if you want to see the un-lit lava tube.

Maui – West Maui on our own with Molokini snorkel/scuba trip & Haleakala downhill bike ride.

Do rent a car – Here is where a convertible might be nice.

Don’t expect to go to Molokini in the afternoon. I think the trip usually goes there in the AM but never seems to make it in the PM because of high winds.

Do the Haleakala bike ride. A highlight for us. Great views, great crisp weather, great time. We thought about the sunrise trip but, our teenagers might have made this unbearable. They provide you with a rain suit & gloves if you need them.

Kona – TurtleBeach snorkel on our own.

Do this beach on your own if you don’t want to be on a planned excursion. You can take the shuttle for $10pp round trip and spend as much time as you like. I would have done the Zodiac snorkel trip if I were to plan one.

Do get off the ship early. We heard multiple announcements that there was no waiting for tenders when it first started. We left an hour later and waited 15 minutes. Also, the later in the day, the longer the wait to return to the ship.

Kauai – KipuFalls & Zipline tour & helicopter tour.

Do rent a car. Easy to get around and you can drive to many falls around the area.

Don’t plan on more than 2 zip-lines with this tour. The third will be a repelling zip that is very slow and not that fun. This took 3 hours for the 3 rides. The final 30 minutes at Kipu falls was the highlight and that could have been done by driving there and hiking down to the falls on your own. It sounds like Princeville has more zip-lines with more action. I actually fell asleep waiting for one of the zips to free up from another tour group.

Do use Safari Helicopters for your tour. Island Helicopters canceled my flight the morning of our flight more than 30 minutes before takeoff. They said it was illegal to take off in this weather. Yet, while sitting on the beach, I saw 5 helicopters fly by at the same time as our scheduled departure. I called Safari and they found a spot for us. We paid more because of the last minute, but if you book online direct, you can get the lowest price. They also have a DVD option of your own flight (not another flight with your pictures entered in front and back of the video.) Be sure to look for a coupon for the DVD.

Do go up to the sky deck early on the starboard side of the ship for the Na Pali Coast views. We were alone early but it was 4 deep at the peak viewing time.

[tomluvsaida]

Thanks for the very good review with details and suggestions.

[sunshine 229]

Wow!

Thanks for all the great suggestions and hints. I think that following your suggestions will help to make this cruise the best it can be for a lot of CC cruisers.

 

Your comment about; " Keep your expectations low and you will be surprised. " did remind me of a cynical prayer that I heard a few years ago:

" Blessed are the meek for they expect little and shall not be disappointed"

I would hope that if I had paid a fair amount to cruise Hawaii I would not have to lower my expectations too much in order to enjoy it but, if I had booked one of the PO cruises for sometime in the next few months, I sure think I would follow your advice.:)

[Host CMLA]

I would hope that if I had paid a fair amount to cruise Hawaii I would not have to lower my expectations too much in order to enjoy it but, if I had booked one of the PO cruises for sometime in the next few months, I sure think I would follow your advice.:)

I always read your comments about the PO ships with interest. You haven't cruised on one of the Pride ships have you?

[newmexicoNita]

Great advise: I didn't take the comment about don't expect much as we should expect nothing< I took it in a positive way: you will be surprised. Yes, we pretty well know it is still different than some cruises. I am always amazed with those who find the shoe bag thing so helpful: I am one who seems to find plenty of places to put things without the shoe bag. NMNita

[grandma bev]

you said: did remind me of a cynical prayer that I heard a few years ago:

" Blessed are the meek for they expect little and shall not be disappointed"

 

This reminds me of my favorite tee shirt (purchased in Hailey Idaho about 15 years ago), which says,

"Blessed are we who can laugh at ourselves, for we shall never cease to be amused".

 

Bev

[CruisinMK]

I always read your comments about the PO ships with interest. You haven't cruised on one of the Pride ships have you?

 

Sunshine229 has never been on any Pride ship.

It's a shame this isn't made clear when strong opinions and advise is given, people would naturally be misled to assuming otherwise.

 

It's hard enough to sort out opinions on these boards, when people don't even have the honesty to admit up front that they haven't actually ever been on the ship

[atanac]

Thanks To cruise for your very helpful comments. Two quick questions. You mentioned a restaurant on the Pride of Hawaii called Shabu Shabu but it is not one of the ten restaurants listed on NCL's website for this ship. Can you confirm again if this was in fact on the POH? Also what type of food was served? Sounds Japanese.

Also you mentioned the starboard side of the ship was the best for viewing the Na Pali coast although I have read the port side offered the best views. I booked a port side cabin thinking I could relax on the balcony and avoid the crowds topside.

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks alot

[Zeno]

2cruiseagain:

Great Post! Lots of useful info! I really enjoyed reading it.

[GMoney]

Great review - thanks so much. I love people who do reviews in a dos and donts format rather than the every-detail-blow-by-blow.

[2cruiseagain]

Thanks To cruise for your very helpful comments. Two quick questions. You mentioned a restaurant on the Pride of Hawaii called Shabu Shabu but it is not one of the ten restaurants listed on NCL's website for this ship. Can you confirm again if this was in fact on the POH? Also what type of food was served? Sounds Japanese.

Also you mentioned the starboard side of the ship was the best for viewing the Na Pali coast although I have read the port side offered the best views. I booked a port side cabin thinking I could relax on the balcony and avoid the crowds topside.

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks alot

 

You are correct in that the port side is the best for Na Pali. I must have had a brain freeze:eek: The ship leaves port and makes a counter clockwise trip around the island so obviously the port side is the viewing side. I overheard someone say they were on their starboard balcony waiting to see something but only saw open sea!

 

Jasmines has a sushi section and 2 tables for the Shabu Shabu. The special tables have a burner in the middle where they put simmering broth in a pot. Everybody takes their thin sliced meat and swishes it around in the pot to cook it. It is a Japanese thing. I think the name translates to swish-swish. I probably wouldn't do it a second time, but I enjoyed doing it for the experience and fun. The upcharge was $10 pp. You have to make reservations for all three Jasmine options.

[atanac]

Thanks so much for being so generous with your time 2Cruise. Man am I relieved about that port side vrs starboard side issue regarding the Na Pali coast. Also, I love Teppan Yaki style cooking and thought I understood there was a restaurant serving this on the POH. Now I suppose that is inside Jasmines. Do you have to designate which table you want at the time you make the reservations for this restaurant? Like the Shabu Shabu section or sushi bar etc. Also could you have had multiple entres at Jasmines? Like both sushi and teppan yaki?

 

I am scheduled for the December 11th departure so hopefully they'll have some more time to work out any kinks.

[2cruiseagain]

Even though it is only in one area, there are really 4 different sections. Jasmine is the main Asian dinning with a sushi bar to one side, the Hibatchi style grill on the other side (with doors to separate it from the rest) and the two shabu shabu tables in the middle. When making reservations, you have to specify which "restaurant" you want to dine in. They are not interchangeable. I was told it was all the sushi you wanted but didn't eat there. Jasmine did allow for multiple items ordered but I don't think that included entres. Jasmines might have been our best meal on board.

[sunshine 229]

Sunshine229 has never been on any Pride ship.

It's a shame this isn't made clear when strong opinions and advise is given, people would naturally be misled to assuming otherwise.

 

It's hard enough to sort out opinions on these boards, when people don't even have the honesty to admit up front that they haven't actually ever been on the ship

 

Sorry if you feel mislead.

 

I HAVE NEVER CRUISED ON ANY OF THE NCLA SHIPS.

AND I HAVE NEVER CLAIMED THAT I HAVE.

What I have done is followed very many of the threads, reviews and comments on the PO ships since the launch of the Pride of Aloha.

 

I started following the NCLA story then as I was interested in booking a cruise in Hawaii. After reading very many negative reports of the early sailings of the POA however I decided to do a land vaction in Hawaii instead.

 

I admit however that I became rather fascinated by the whole all-Hawaii cruise situation and the complications introduced by the Jones act and the requirements for American flagged ships, etc. I also became fascinated by the question of whether NCL could make a go of running these cruises with all American crews when other companies had tried and failed, so I continued to follow the threads about NCLA long after my Hawaii land vacation was over.

 

During that time I've read posts from people who have enjoyed their cruises on these NCLA ships and people who have not enjoyed their cruises and I think I have seen some patterns emerge and also some points both good and bad that have been repeated frequently.

 

The report of any one person's cruise is of course valuable because it tells us how one person felt about one cruise on that ship. In my opinion the insight of someone who has read many of those comments and those reviews is valuable too.

 

In some ways it may even have more value because it won't be biased by the particular experience they had on the ship, but may be more able to spot common problems or solutions that have been reported by a number of posters.

 

Do however please feel free to jump on any thread on which I am posting and let everyone know that I have never been on any of these ships. It won't bother me at all since I have never claimed that I have been.

 

 

 

 

[Host CMLA]

Do however please feel free to jump on any thread on which I am posting and let everyone know that I have never been on any of these ships. It won't bother me at all since I have never claimed that I have been.

Um...I'm the one that originally asked if you'd cruised on an NCLA ship because you always respond to the threads about it. If I have it correct...you've never cruised on NCLA and you don't have plans to. Got it. I wanted to know because I got the impression that you'd done one of the cruises because you post as if you've done it. Now I know your knowledge comes from other people's comments. We booked a cruise to Hawaii with NCLA and I'm trying to figure out who's been and who hasn't so I can gauge how much weight I give to comments and also know who I can ask questions to. Thanks for straightening that out for me. :)

[sunshine 229]

you said: did remind me of a cynical prayer that I heard a few years ago:

 

" Blessed are the meek for they expect little and shall not be disappointed"

 

This reminds me of my favorite tee shirt (purchased in Hailey Idaho about 15 years ago), which says,

 

"Blessed are we who can laugh at ourselves, for we shall never cease to be amused".

 

Bev

 

I agree with that one too and that is one of the blessings of having teenaged kids, they are sure to help point out some of those amusing things about you. :D

[sunshine 229]

Um...I'm the one that originally asked if you'd cruised on an NCLA ship because you always respond to the threads about it. If I have it correct...you've never cruised on NCLA and you don't have plans to. Got it. I wanted to know because I got the impression that you'd done one of the cruises because you post as if you've done it. Now I know your knowledge comes from other people's comments. We booked a cruise to Hawaii with NCLA and I'm trying to figure out who's been and who hasn't so I can gauge how much weight I give to comments and also know who I can ask questions to. Thanks for straightening that out for me. :)

 

Glad you've got it straight now, I've cruised with NCL but not on the Hawaii ships and I have no immediate plans to cruise on any of the NCLA ships. So if you have questions about, say the decor in the theatre for instance, I'm not the one to ask.

 

I directed the comment about telling people that I've not cruised with NCLA to Mike however, since he also raised the same point on another thread tonight so I thought he felt a strong duty to let everyone know my NCLA cruise virgin status. I can't promise that I will begin everyone of my posts about NCLA with a disclaimer, so if he feels it is important to perform that service for me I'm good with that. :)