finally finished POH review 7/10 very long

[endi302]

Ok, I know this is a little late but I have submitted my review to the review section and thought I would post it here also. Please do not bash me on my comments. I rated the cruise 4 out of 5 overall. Remember it is just my opinion.

We just got back from the POH 7/10 sailing. Let me say first that I would not hesitate to book through NCLA or NCL if the right cruise came along.

Background information: this was our eight cruise with the others listed in our signature. We are in our forties and have only dogs, no children.

Before the cruise I was lucky enough to get the “up sell” call though I had never cruised with NCL before and had only booked a month before the call. They called about a month out before the cruise. We were originally in a mini suite and took an up sell to an AE penthouse. I fretted and finally talked my husband into calling them back to move to an AC penthouse and the lady talked him into the Owners suite. (I owe her lots of thanks, don’t know what she said but it worked!) We had room 9004 starboard on the front corner of the ship. Everyone shows pictures of 10004, which is directly above ours so I was curious about the differences. The only difference that I could identify is that 10004 has enough room in the living room for a chaise and ours did not have that. Also it has two windows in the bathroom instead of one.

So the day before the cruise I get off work at 5pm and we fly into Dallas because we could not book air directly from Lubbock with NCL (probably because they use United air mainly and they don’t service Lubbock). We were on Southwest because we had credit to use. We were leaving at 8pm and were delayed and finally made it to DFW around 10pm. We took a cab to the embassy suites where I also had points so we had a free room. Next morning shuttle to DFW for an 8am flight to Denver. We had great seats side by side. (of course my dh leaves nothing to chance and called NCL about the air until he got the right person to give us the flight confirmations and then he proceeded to call United to confirm our seats). A 1 and a half hour layover in Denver and then on the plane to Honolulu! They were over booked and asking for people to take the next plane but we said no way are we missing the boat! Again we had 2 seats on the side together. There were people who came in and were upset because they were sitting in the middle seats where there were six seats across. They were also mad because the plane was sold out and they couldn’t change. Also someone came on the plane went to the mid plane bathrooms and evidently threw up all over the place. I know that’s gross but the pilot refused to go until that person identified themselves so that they could decide the welfare of that person and whether or not they should have to deplane. Evidently someone finally came forward after about 15 minutes. I was ok with this because in an enclosed plane germs can definitely float more freely. Ok so this was a six-hour flight, $5 for a meal but we had eaten in Denver so we didn’t buy the meal so I can’t tell you much about that. Time actually went by pretty quick. We finally made it to Hawaii!

When we got there we walked a short distance to the baggage claim area. They had shuttles but we were ready to stand up for a little while. We got our bags and needless to say waiting for the shuttle to the ship was a little confusing! They are putting the entire luggage in Rental trucks and no one is really directing anyone which bus or how long before we leave. Finally we are on the bus and the driver was pleasant and acclimating us to Hawaii by calling us all “cousins” and telling us a little about each island. Next we pull up to the aloha center and for some reason they directed us to the employee entrance so between every cruiser they were having to let employees go in. We were behind a couple who couldn’t find their DL’s and then they couldn’t find their cruise tickets so we had to wait a while. Finally we are in! It is now about 4pm so there were no lines. They gave us both flower leis.

I guess they ran out of the shell leis that the other men had on. We went to the suite line and there was someone in line so a girl at the latitudes counter called us over. She gave us our room keys and sent us on our way. I sort of expected that we would meet either the butler or concierge to show us to our rooms but that didn’t happen. We then boarded and found our room and as we were approaching our room we ran into our butler Sebastian. He was very nice. There was a small treat in our room when we entered, not sure what it was, I think it was some kind of sushi. They had already started calling for the lifeboat drill so we hurried down to attend that. It was quite painless and was over quickly.

We got back to our room and set about snapping pictures and opening doors! We got all of the suitcases but one. So we unpacked, turned in our liquor list (you get three bottles) we are not heavy drinkers but my husband likes Crown and they only had Jim Beam whiskey listed. He asked the butler about trading two bottles for one of Crown. Sebastian said he would look into it. Next, I made out my list for restaurant reservations and called Eric the concierge and he said he would send the butler to pick them up. We then just went to the buffet for dinner because we were so tired. I was pleasantly surprised how good the buffet was. There was plenty of food. We then went to the room and there was a note that they were holding our other suitcase for inspection. Keep in mind we were having liquor in our room so there is no reason for me to smuggle. However, leaving nothing to chance, I had brought a bottle of olive juice to go with the vodka in our rooms and they mistook it in the x-ray machine for liquor. The guy apologized and my husband rolled his eyes at me and then we took my contraband back to the room. We were very tired and went to bed early.

Next day Hilo. We booked a convertible through priceline and it was with hertz. Of course every shuttle comes by at least once and sometimes twice while we are waiting for the shuttle. Finally the shuttle is there and we get our mustang convertible. It was black, with black leather. Very sharp car. We then make the trek to the Volcanoes Nat’l Park. I was so tired that I could hardly keep my eyes open. Needless to say, I wish we had gone a day early to try to overcome the jet lag. We then went back into town ate at some shopping mall, nothing to brag about, and went to Hilo Hatties. The shuttle driver had given us instructions of other things to see so we used his directions and drove around some more then took the car back and headed for the ship. We had six o’clock reservations for Papa’s. So we got dressed and were seated immediately at a table with a window. We were in and out in about an hour. Food was good; once again we were tired and went to bed early.

Next day was Maui. We went to Cagneys for breakfast. I thought it was good and fairly fast. My DH stopped by the buffet after leaving Cagneys because while he thought the French toast was good there wasn’t much of it. This time we rented through Thrifty Rent a car. Guess what there was the hertz shuttle but no thrifty. Just my luck. We had to wait about 20 minutes for the shuttle and signing up for blue chip did no good because everyone crowded into the blue chip line, some with out reservations so we had to wait for them to pick out their cars etc. This time it was a Chrysler Sebring convertible. My DH liked the way the mustang drove better than the Sebring. But oh well, we were just borrowing it! We went to the IAO needle then to the Maui plantation. Took the train ride there. Learned to put salt on pineapple. It cuts the acid and was really good that way. Watched them shuck a coconut, pretty cool. I am now ready to be on the TV show survivor!

Went back to ship to eat lunch, parking was right there went to buffet and had a very good lunch. The Aloha Nui is large and goes through several rooms. If you go all the way aft they have an outdoor buffet that is usually not as crowded as inside. Then back to the rental car and a nice drive to Lahaina. We stopped along the way and took many pictures. We then walked around the shops bought art from a local artist that reminded us of our time in Maui and then went to Warren and Annabelle’s. We booked this direct and not through the cruise line and saved several bucks as well as got desserts. I know the ghost part is cheesy and but it was entertaining. Even the seat at the piano compresses like someone is there. Warren was extremely funny and entertaining. We got there at five and it wasn’t over until 9:30pm. We then drove back and there was no parking! We had to park around the corner and basically make our own spot. We were hungry so we went to the Blue lagoon and it wasn’t crowded. Glad we go there when we did because around 11 the crowd started flowing in. Service was ok, no mustard for my DH’s hamburger, I ordered sandwich and soup and soup came out when we were finished eating. But it wasn’t bad and took about 1hour 15 minutes in there. Ok time for bed, early morning because we are going on the road to Hannah!

We eat the buffet in the very back outside to avoid the crowd then we are on our way. We are armed with the CD that tells you where to go that I bought at the abc store as well as the Revealed book for Maui. We get to Hana about 11:30 turn around and come back the way we came. We didn’t want to violate the rental car agreement.

The ride back was faster because we didn’t stop. Halfway to Hana is a small stand that sells banana bread, which is listed, in the revealed book and it was to die for.

We turn in the car and go back to the ship. Because of our room we are able to use the private deck on 14 and then went up there and laid out for a while. We only used the sundeck the pool which was tiny, seemed hot every time we went in there. Others had posted drinks and snacks were served there but the only thing I ever saw served there was coffee.

Next day was Kona, my DH booked a dive outside of the ship with Jack’s diving locker and said it was very good and very professionally run. He would recommend this group. I went to the spa and had a massage and facial. What started out as about $150 wound up over $200 after the 15% service fee and tips. If they want to charge 15% more just put it in the price. After the spa I took the shuttle to Hilo Hatties and bought a little bit there. On the way back my DH calls and is in line to get back on ship. This was about 230pm and the line was very long and slow. So I find him in line and wait with him. This was a tender stop so along with them frisking and checking all your stuff as they did in each port we also had to wait for the tender. We ate at Cagneys at 6pm that night. We had not been sitting long when a girl comes up and asks if we had been waited on and we said no. She said the guy who was supposed to have us had a big table so she would take us. She gave us very good service, the food was good and we were out in about an hour.

In Kauai we booked the Napoli coast snorkel and boat ride through the ship. It was well worth the money. The boat ride was fun and we saw dolphins that would jump out of the water and spin. The napoli coast is beautiful. The excursion was on a large boat that looked like the sides were balloons. As we went through the water we would hit a wave and all get wet. It was a blast. Jan was the boat captain and she was very personable. When we went in the water to snorkel I freaked out a little and she came in helped me get my bearings showed me some tips and did the same for several others. I definitely would recommend this ship excursion. On the van there was a girl that had on a NCL crew t-shirt and we got to talk and she was a nurse on the boat as well as an officer. She said they send them on the excursions to see how they are and to hear what the passengers think. I enjoyed talking to her and getting some insight on the ship. After the excursion they stop at their office for a bathroom break and to sell t-shirts and a CD. They take pictures while you are out and then compile them in a cd for purchase. They put it in a slide show and play it for you to decide if you want to buy it. We bought it as well as the majority of the people. One cheap guy stood with his video camera and video the slide show off the computer screen.

Back to the ship and then on the Kmart free shuttle for more souvenirs! Next the free shuttle to the shopping center right up the road. That night we ate at Le Bistro at 6pm. Once again great service, but the food was not our normal type so probably would forgo that next time. The crème Brule was great however.

Next morning we get up and go on a helicopter ride we booked directly through Safari Helicopters. This was the highlight of the cruise! It was well worth the money and I get carsick easily but never did I feel sick or uneasy. We had Ben as our pilot and he was very good. It lasted about an hour total airtime. We saw Napoli coast again this time over head, waimea canyon, and lots of waterfalls and where lots of movies had been filmed. Back to the ship and on the free shuttle to the shopping centers near the ship. This time we buy a wooden turtle to remind us of our trip. For lunch we decide to go to Cagneys. As a suite passenger you can eat there for breakfast and lunch. We got there about 1230pm and were seated. Evidently, they did not anticipate the crowd. We sat for 30 minutes before getting waited on. Others kept coming in and seating themselves instead of waiting for the Maitre d to seat them. Lots were mad because it was full and they only serve til 2pm and were waiting outside. One guy comes in finds his own table and starts barking orders at a waiter to come serve him. Several others and us had not been waited on yet. He orders right away for him and his DW. Then keeps complaining because it takes to long. I hear him ask the waiter “I thought this was only for the passengers on the 14th floor? I know all these people aren’t on the 14th floor. He then made a speech to the waiter about how all the “high enders” will stop coming on this cruise because of the service. Like the waiter could do anything about it. We were supposed to eat at Teppanyaki but canceled and ate at the buffet per my husband’s request. Never did eat in the main dining rooms.

Next day debarkation. We booked the best of Oahu grand finally tour through the ship. We get off a little after 7am get our luggage and get on the bus and head for Pearl Harbor. Wow the line was long! Took 2 ½ hours to get tickets to get into Pearl Harbor. Two hour wait before our turn. Went and toured the submarine, and then rented the MP3 player and did the museum tour while waiting. Also ate lunch. At 1230 we boarded the boat and went to the memorial. We then got on the bus and headed for the Polynesian culture center. This needs more time. We were rushed there to do the river tour and go to the different areas. It was hot and rained several small showers while we were there. Then we go to the luau. This would have been better if I had not been starving. I just wanted to eat instead of see the show. Food was ok, my DH enjoyed it. Next board the bus and off to the Airport. We paid and checked our bags outside so we wouldn’t have to stand in the long line inside. We found some empty deserted bathrooms and attempt to wash off some of the sweat and grime from a 12-hour day before boarding the plane. We took sleeping pills and slept a restless sleep to Denver. We then board another plane to DFW. At DFW the flight before ours was canceled. So they were asking for volunteers to give up their seats for $250 each free hotel and dinner and we could fly back in the morning. We jumped at it. We were so tired it was nice to go to the hotel and just get some rest. Although I had to spend $50 in the hotel shop for assorted necessary items. But we have $500 credit yippee!

General thoughts on this cruise. I had to asked three times for a robe. The night we viewed the lava flow it was cold and all of my neighbors were on the balconies in theirs and it would have been nice to have. I had to ask for soap for my room. They advertise slippers but never saw them or asked for them. I don’t think when you pay all the money for a suite you should have to ask for the things that they advertise your room comes with. The special seats for suite passengers in the shows aren’t that great.

The first night I heard a guy literally yelling at one of the stateroom attendants that this is the third time I have ask for someone to clean this room. Talking to others they had that problem but our room was always clean and attended to. We did remember to use the dial outside our room telling them when to clean it. I came back to my room on the day I went to the spa and there were several workers in there drinking coffee and talking. It made me a bit uneasy that when we are gone several are going in and out our room. Our stateroom attendant was there but he was actually working.

After we gave the butler his tip we never saw him again. It was nice to have two bathrooms! The TV system would work off and on. Never did room service except for some orange juice so don’t know how that was. I had previously read another’s post that this was to port intensive and wished you had some time at sea. I laughed at this and thought that person was nuts but after being on the ship I totally agree. We had no time to just relax and enjoy the ship.

We were charged twice for a movie in our room and we went down to get this corrected and the girl there was very nice and just removed both charges. Other than that our bill was accurate but high.

The shows leave a lot to be desired. The magician was on three nights and was not that good. The late night show was good but you could not get any drink service. The wait staff would take one order at a time. In fact it was hard to get drink service anywhere. That probably saved us some money so I should be grateful.

Another random thought is that being all the way to the front is not very convenient for most things on the ship such as the buffet or if you go up to the 14th floor pool. It seemed like we did a lot of walking especially if we forgot anything and had to go back to the room. Our room whistled when the boat was in motion the only way to stop it was to leave the side balcony door ajar. The first night we came back to our room and they had not shut the large metal door going to the front balcony and wind was blowing under the door from that balcony and it was quite an event to get the door shut after the boat was in motion. You can’t use the front balcony when the boat is moving with the exception of viewing the lava flow because the ship is moving very slowly.

All in all a great trip and a vacation of a lifetime!

[endi302]

here is a link to room 9004 pictures if anyone wants to see that room.

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/endi302?action=publicAlbums

[flag fan]

This was a very useful review. Thanks for taking the time to post it and provide so much detail, particularly about the excursions. I was thinking of visiting Pearl Harbor between debarkation and the flight home, but thanks to your experience I think I will see it on one of the pre-cruise days I will be in Honolulu. Yours was the first post that mentioned long lines for Blue Chip Thrifty car rental so although I will probably use it I will know what to expect and will not be that surprised if I don't get that quick service that others have received. The comment on the banana bread was one of those little details that is also good to know. Thanks again.

[ladyofthecanyon]

We sailed on the July 10 Norwegian Pride of Hawaii cruise. Overall, our cruise was wonderful. The POH is a beautiful ship, and of course the Hawaiian Islands are incredible.

Embarkation went very well. A girl from Norwegian greeted us as we got our luggage at the airport. We were a little disappointed that we did not receive a lei at the airport, as most of the people there had one, but Norwegian gave us one at their pier. Our luggage was put into a Penske truck, and we rode to the pier in a bus. The lines at the pier were not too long, but we arrived around 4:00pm, so lots of people had already boarded the ship. Once on the ship, we had to immediately get our life jackets and attend the mandatory drill. We were hoping our luggage would be in our room by the time we got back, but it wasn’t. Next we met some fellow Cruise Critic members in the Spinnaker Lounge. Then it was time for dinner. Still no luggage, so we went to dinner in our shorts and t-shirts.

We ate dinner in the Grand Pacific restaurant. Service was good. The food was decent, although a little spicy for our taste. More on the restaurants later.

We finally got our luggage around 9:00pm, so we didn’t see the show that night because we wanted to unpack.

The next day (Tuesday) in Hilo, my mom and I took the Hawaii Volcano Nature Deluxe tour. There was a lot of walking. We walked on lava, but we didn’t get to see any “red” lava, which was disappointing. Overall, we felt this tour was not worth the money. Our lunch on this excursion consisted of a sandwich, bag of chips and a cookie in a Tupperware container eaten in a pavilion in the wind and rain. We were really disappointed after hearing that the people who took the Volcano Park and Rainbow Falls tour got to eat a buffet lunch in a nice dry and warm restaurant. That tour was cheaper and thoroughly enjoyed by my uncle. We were sorry that we didn’t choose that tour instead. The ship sailed past Kilauea around 9:30pm, so we got to see “red” flowing lava after all! Unfortunately, unless you have a really good camera, your pictures won’t come out very well.

We docked in Maui on Wednesday. Our travel agent had asked Norwegian where we could walk to the beach and they said in Maui, so we walked to the closest beach. It was small and dirty. There was trash everywhere. The crew from the ship frequented this beach, and they said there were other beaches that were cleaner but further away. We were too tired to walk any further, so we left after a short while. We did some souvenir shopping at Long’s Drug store. They had a sale on Kona coffee, so we bought some and then walked to the post office and shipped it home. Much easier than carrying it in our luggage!

We booked the Pacific Paradise Luau through the ship. The bus took us to the beautiful side of the island. The luau was held at the Maui Prince Hotel. It was very well organized. The food was adequate, and the entertainment was good. Again, not worth the money but how can you go to Hawaii and not go to a Luau!

The next morning my husband and I got up at 2:30am to take the 3:15am tour to see the sunrise on Haleakala Crater. This was an awesome tour and definitely worth getting up in the middle of the night. If you go, wear the warmest clothing you own. I brought my long johns and quilted jacket and I was still cold! The only negative thing about this tour was our guide. He was good up until the point he blatantly asked for his tip, and even went so far as to tell us how much we should give him. It was a real turn off.

We thought we would be exhausted after this tour, so we didn’t plan anything else for the rest of the day. We stayed by the pool and relaxed. My uncle took the Road to Hana tour, which he said was the highlight of his whole trip. Definitely a must-do.

On Friday, we anchored in Kona. The tender took about 30 minutes. My husband and I shopped a little, then he took the Outrigger canoe ride. He enjoyed it but said it was too short. I took the Historic Kona tour. It was very enjoyable. Our guide gave lots of information. We stopped at the Kona Coffee factory (not worth it), St. Benedict’s Painted Church (very pretty) and the place of refuge, Pu’uhonua o Honaunau, (very peaceful and interesting). All these stops were self-guided tours.

My mom and uncle took the Atlantis Submarine tour, and they hated it! They didn’t see any fish, and were totally disappointed.

On Saturday, we docked in Kauai, the Garden Island. This was our favorite island. My husband and I took the shuttle to Wal-Mart to do some shopping. Then we ate an early lunch before taking the Journey to Waimea Canyon tour. The Canyon is beautiful. Getting there is half the fun! Lots of winding roads. We also stopped at Spouting Horn.

On Sunday, we booked a helicopter ride through Air Kauai. This was recommended in the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook (Revealed series). It was incredible! I wasn’t scared at all. The ride was 1 hour long, and very beautiful. My husband and I were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary, so the pilot played a song for us. The helicopter held 6 people, and had large windows so everyone could see. I started to feel sick towards the end of the ride because I was taking so many pictures and I am prone to motion sickness. But I would do it again in a heartbeat. It cost $212 per person.

We left Kauai at 2:00pm instead of the posted 6:00pm so that we could sail past the Na Pali coast. It was worth leaving early. An incredible way to end the cruise.

We docked in Honolulu around 7:00am. Disembarkation was very well organized. We had transfers to the airport. Our only regret is that we didn’t book a pre- or post cruise stay in Honolulu. We didn’t get to see Pearl Harbor. That was disappointing.

As far as the ship goes, it is beautiful. The American crew seemed to be working hard, but they made it known from day one that they only work 8 hours a day. Our room steward gave us her hours (7:30 – 11:30am and 5:30 – 9:30pm). So we ended up getting our own towels off her cart, and our bed was only made 3 times during the week. My husband had to pull down the top bunk bed several times. We didn’t mind because we knew it would be like this from previous reviews. We had an outside cabin on deck 5. The room was a little small for 3 adults. The bathroom was extremely small. There was hardly enough room in the toilet area to move around. My nose came within 2 inches of the wall when standing in front of the toilet, and I am not a large person. If you want more room, I guess you would have to book a penthouse suite!

The service in the restaurants was very inconsistent. Some nights we ate in 1 hour. Other nights it took 2 – 3 hours. We ended up missing a show one night because it took 2 ½ hours to get served. We ate in the Grand Pacific, Alizar, and Le Bistro, as part of our Anniversary package. The food was good, but sometimes a little spicy and very salty. The portions were small for my husband, but just right for me. I didn’t gain 1 pound on this cruise because the food served during dinner was not as plentiful as on past cruises. If you are hungry, just ask your waiter for seconds. They eliminated the Midnight buffet. The buffet in the Aloha Nui Café was good and plentiful. The homemade waffles they offered for breakfast were excellent! The only complaint is that you had to wait on line for them. They only made 4 at a time!

The biggest complaint I have against Norwegian is Freestyle Dining. They recommend making reservations for the restaurants. How am I supposed to know on Monday where and when I want to eat on Friday? If I wanted to eat at a specific time, I would have booked a cruise with traditional seating times. We found that if you got to a restaurant as soon as they opened, you can get a seat with no wait time. This happened on “Formal Night (Thursday). We couldn’t get any reservations earlier than 10:00pm. So we just showed up at 5:00pm when Alizar opened, and they seated us immediately, even without a reservation. Lots of people were very upset about having to book a reservation. We waited over 1 hour on the reservation line to book restaurants for the rest of the week. Fortunately we got the times we requested, but I was not happy about having to pre-arrange my eating times. This totally defeats the concept of Freestyle Dining!!!

We only got to see three shows. After doing excursions all day, you will be very tired. We saw part of the Musical show (some kind of music from the 70’s, 80’s, etc.), but we left early to see the lava flow from Kilauea at 9:30pm. The little that we saw of the show was good. We also saw the Broadway review. That was very well done. They had the staff come out at the end of the show for a round of applause. The only other show we saw was the magician. He was very good and we enjoyed his show very much. The theater was large enough to hold everyone. We got great seats each time.

The outside decks are very colorful. It was hard getting deck chairs and towels on the last day of the cruise when we left port at 2:00pm. It seems everyone wanted to be at the pool. The children really enjoyed the pools and water slide.

Overall, we enjoyed this cruise very much. If you go with an open mind, and don’t sweat the small stuff, you will have a great time. Don’t let everything bother you. Just enjoy the islands for the beautiful place that they are!

[Katesowner]

Thanks for the detailed info. Just over 2 weeks till our trip!

[HopkinsCruiser]

Thanks for taking the time to post such a long detailed review. I just soak it all up!!! We can't wait for our cruise.

 

Tina :)

POH 3/07

[jwjax]

They called about a month out before the cruise. We were originally in a mini suite and took an up sell to an AE penthouse. I fretted and finally talked my husband into calling them back to move to an AC penthouse and the lady talked him into the Owners suite. (I owe her lots of thanks, don’t know what she said but it worked!)

 

We went to the suite line and there was someone in line so a girl at the latitudes counter called us over.

 

So we unpacked, turned in our liquor list (you get three bottles) we are not heavy drinkers but my husband likes Crown and they only had Jim Beam whiskey listed. He asked the butler about trading two bottles for one of Crown. Sebastian said he would look into it.

 

 

Because of our room we are able to use the private deck on 14 and then went up there and laid out for a while. We only used the sundeck the pool which was tiny, seemed hot every time we went in there. Others had posted drinks and snacks were served there but the only thing I ever saw served there was coffee.

 

For lunch we decide to go to Cagneys. As a suite passenger you can eat there for breakfast and lunch.

 

We had no time to just relax and enjoy the ship.

 

You can’t use the front balcony when the boat is moving with the exception of viewing the lava flow because the ship is moving very slowly.

 

All in all a great trip and a vacation of a lifetime!

 

Wow, great review and details!:) We are booked on the 8/28 POH sailing and have an AC suite (10002) overlooking the bow. Your review of the owners suites (on either side of the deck 9/10 AC suites) amenities begs the questions & answers to the excerpts I quoted above.

 

First, were you aware of the suite amenities prior to the trip? I have had trouble finding out anything more than the NCL details on their website about the suites.

 

Do you or does anyone else know the answers to my questions below?

 

During embarkation, if all suite pax get to use the line you mentioned for check-in or just the owner suite and deck 14 pax?

 

If the AC suites also get the liquor list and 3 bottles as you mentioned above?

 

If the deck 14 access and Cagneys BrkFand Lunch is available to the AC suite pax or just the owner and deck 14 pax?

 

No time to relax, not good, we decided to reserve Sunday as stay on board day and RELAX!! Monday will be hectic enough returning from ship and to airport.

 

Is the use of the front balcony while ship is moving a ship restriction or just found it too windy to go out then?

 

Can't wait, 2 weeks and a 1/2 day to go....

 

JW....:cool:

[endi302]

Wow, great review and details!:) We are booked on the 8/28 POH sailing and have an AC suite (10002) overlooking the bow. Your review of the owners suites (on either side of the deck 9/10 AC suites) amenities begs the questions & answers to the excerpts I quoted above.

 

First, were you aware of the suite amenities prior to the trip? I have had trouble finding out anything more than the NCL details on their website about the suites.

 

Do you or does anyone else know the answers to my questions below?

 

During embarkation, if all suite pax get to use the line you mentioned for check-in or just the owner suite and deck 14 pax?

 

If the AC suites also get the liquor list and 3 bottles as you mentioned above?

 

If the deck 14 access and Cagneys BrkFand Lunch is available to the AC suite pax or just the owner and deck 14 pax?

 

No time to relax, not good, we decided to reserve Sunday as stay on board day and RELAX!! Monday will be hectic enough returning from ship and to airport.

 

Is the use of the front balcony while ship is moving a ship restriction or just found it too windy to go out then?

 

Can't wait, 2 weeks and a 1/2 day to go....

 

JW....:cool:

If you go to cruisestateroom.com and type in your room number under NCL as well as the correct ship you will get a list of all the amenities as well as the size of your room and balcony. try this i don't know if it will work:

https://seaweb.it.ncl.com/consumer/stateroom_detail.cfm?Cat=II&SC=PRIDE+HAWA&Num=10002&B1=Submit

 

You will get to use the suite passenger line to check in

 

Unfortunately no liquor list for under the AA suites

You will be able to eat at Cagneys for breakfast or lunch but won't be able to use the deck 14 pool. Don't worry it wasn't that great anyway!

 

good idea to keep a day to stay on board and relax, unfortunately, I can't make myself do that. I am always worried I will miss something!

 

No one restricted us from using the balcony and when the ship is moving slowly its ok but when it is moving fast which is just 2 or 3 nights you won't want that door open. You have a regular door and then a big heavy metal door that you shut. It may be different in the middle but the suction from the front balcony to the side balcony was huge.

Good news is if they are still having problems with the rooms being cleaned you will be one of the priority rooms! The coffee maker was really cool in the room also! Forgot to mention that.

 

You will have a great time!

Good luck,

diane

[endi302]

JWJAX,

This might help with the amenities for your suite also:

 

 

Categories A2 & AA - Owner's Suite (5)

( ITEMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

 

 

 

EMBARKATION

 

1 Bottle of French Champagne

 

1 Floral Arrangement

 

1 Small Tray of Hors D'oeuvres

 

1 Fruit Basket*

 

1 Bottle of Spring Water*

 

1 Bottle of Sparkling Water*

 

3 Bottle of Liquor From Menu

 

6 Sodas *

 

*Replenished upon consumption

 

 

 

BATH AMENITIES (L'Occitane)

 

Cotton ball & Q-Tip Caddie

 

Shampoo

 

Conditioner

 

Bath Gel

 

Moisturizing Lotion

 

Milk Facial Soap 1.7 oz (20% Shea butter)

 

Verveine Soap 3.5 oz (20% Shea Butter)

 

SPF 15 Day Cream 15ml

 

Precious cream pot (face)

 

Shea Butter in Tin

 

Shave Balm Cream 15ml

 

Bath salts, presented in container

 

Loofah Mitt

 

Shower Cap

 

Sewing Kit

 

Shoe Mitt

 

 

 

OTHER

 

Butler Service

 

Concierge Service

 

Personalized Stationary

 

DVD & CD Library

 

Bathroom Scale

 

Alarm Clock

 

Bath Robes/Slippers (Upgraded Robe)

 

Feather Pillows

 

Upgraded linen and towels

 

Binoculars

 

Padded Hangers

 

Full Breakfast Menu

 

24 Hour Room Service Menu (Butler Menu)

 

Warm face towels, embarkation by Butler

 

Glass of Embarkation Champagne by Butler

 

Nightly Chef Selection of Turn Down Food Amenity

 

Personal Computer with Printer

 

In Suite Dining

 

Coffee/Espresso Machine

 

 

 

 

 

 

A3-AE Courtyard Villas/Penthouse (40)

( ITEMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

 

 

 

EMBARKATION

 

1 Bottle of Domestic Champagne

 

1 Floral Arrangement

 

1 Small Tray of Hors D'oeuvres

 

1 Fruit Basket* (refill)

 

1 Bottle of Spring Water

 

 

 

BATH AMENITIES (L'Occitane)

 

Cotton ball & Q-Tip

 

Shampoo

 

Conditioner

 

Bath Gel

 

Moisturizing Lotion

 

Milk Facial Soap 1.7oz (20% Shea butter)

 

Verbena Soap 3.5 oz (20% Shea Butter)

 

Bath salts, presented in container

 

Loofah Mitt

 

Shower Cap

 

Sewing Kit

 

Shoe Shine Mitt

 

 

 

OTHER

 

Butler Service

 

Concierge Service

 

DVD & CD Library

 

Alarm Clock

 

Bathroom Scale

 

Bath Robes (Upgraded Robe)

 

Feather Pillows

 

Upgraded linen

 

24 hr Room Service (Suite menu)

 

Full Breakfast Menu

 

Turn Down Food Amenity-Formal Night

 

In-Suite Dining

 

Coffee/Espresso Machine

 

 

 

 

 

 

We offer these upgrades at less then half of the original booking fare for these categories.

 

If you would like to hear more about our discounted fares for these staterooms please call me back at the number listed below, or just respond to this email and I will return your call at your convenience.

 

This offer is based on availability and issued on a first response, first served basis.

[TikiMeekie]

Hey JW! That's the room I stayed in!!! 10002 :)

 

Check in you can use the suite line, we didn't because our room was a "surprise" and the line went quick anyway, but you should be able to.

 

AC Suites do not get liqour included.

The Cagney's breakfast should have been included, but when we asked our butler, he said they had to be cancelled because they didn't have enough staff. He mentioned he could probably get us some of the specialites via room service if we wanted, but we ended just picking up muffins or danished from the buffet most mornings. We were never on the ship for lunch.

 

As far as the balcony, the heavy sea door must be closed while moving. You can go out there, but need to close the door behind you. We didn't bother except for the lava and the Napali coast, and both of those we were going slow enough that it didn't matter.

The other annoyance about being fwd is that your curtains have to stay closed when you're moving at night, because it'll interfere with the captain and crew's view. Someone left theirs open one night and security came around and checked ours.

[tomluvsaida]

Ok, I know this is a little late but I have submitted my review to the review section and thought I would post it here also. Please do not bash me on my comments. I rated the cruise 4 out of 5 overall. Remember it is just my opinion.

We just got back from the POH 7/10 sailing. Let me say first that I would not hesitate to book through NCLA or NCL if the right cruise came along.

Background information: this was our eight cruise with the others listed in our signature. We are in our forties and have only dogs, no children.

Before the cruise I was lucky enough to get the “up sell” call though I had never cruised with NCL before and had only booked a month before the call. They called about a month out before the cruise. We were originally in a mini suite and took an up sell to an AE penthouse. I fretted and finally talked my husband into calling them back to move to an AC penthouse and the lady talked him into the Owners suite. (I owe her lots of thanks, don’t know what she said but it worked!) We had room 9004 starboard on the front corner of the ship. Everyone shows pictures of 10004, which is directly above ours so I was curious about the differences. The only difference that I could identify is that 10004 has enough room in the living room for a chaise and ours did not have that. Also it has two windows in the bathroom instead of one.

So the day before the cruise I get off work at 5pm and we fly into Dallas because we could not book air directly from Lubbock with NCL (probably because they use United air mainly and they don’t service Lubbock). We were on Southwest because we had credit to use. We were leaving at 8pm and were delayed and finally made it to DFW around 10pm. We took a cab to the embassy suites where I also had points so we had a free room. Next morning shuttle to DFW for an 8am flight to Denver. We had great seats side by side. (of course my dh leaves nothing to chance and called NCL about the air until he got the right person to give us the flight confirmations and then he proceeded to call United to confirm our seats). A 1 and a half hour layover in Denver and then on the plane to Honolulu! They were over booked and asking for people to take the next plane but we said no way are we missing the boat! Again we had 2 seats on the side together. There were people who came in and were upset because they were sitting in the middle seats where there were six seats across. They were also mad because the plane was sold out and they couldn’t change. Also someone came on the plane went to the mid plane bathrooms and evidently threw up all over the place. I know that’s gross but the pilot refused to go until that person identified themselves so that they could decide the welfare of that person and whether or not they should have to deplane. Evidently someone finally came forward after about 15 minutes. I was ok with this because in an enclosed plane germs can definitely float more freely. Ok so this was a six-hour flight, $5 for a meal but we had eaten in Denver so we didn’t buy the meal so I can’t tell you much about that. Time actually went by pretty quick. We finally made it to Hawaii!

When we got there we walked a short distance to the baggage claim area. They had shuttles but we were ready to stand up for a little while. We got our bags and needless to say waiting for the shuttle to the ship was a little confusing! They are putting the entire luggage in Rental trucks and no one is really directing anyone which bus or how long before we leave. Finally we are on the bus and the driver was pleasant and acclimating us to Hawaii by calling us all “cousins” and telling us a little about each island. Next we pull up to the aloha center and for some reason they directed us to the employee entrance so between every cruiser they were having to let employees go in. We were behind a couple who couldn’t find their DL’s and then they couldn’t find their cruise tickets so we had to wait a while. Finally we are in! It is now about 4pm so there were no lines. They gave us both flower leis.

I guess they ran out of the shell leis that the other men had on. We went to the suite line and there was someone in line so a girl at the latitudes counter called us over. She gave us our room keys and sent us on our way. I sort of expected that we would meet either the butler or concierge to show us to our rooms but that didn’t happen. We then boarded and found our room and as we were approaching our room we ran into our butler Sebastian. He was very nice. There was a small treat in our room when we entered, not sure what it was, I think it was some kind of sushi. They had already started calling for the lifeboat drill so we hurried down to attend that. It was quite painless and was over quickly.

We got back to our room and set about snapping pictures and opening doors! We got all of the suitcases but one. So we unpacked, turned in our liquor list (you get three bottles) we are not heavy drinkers but my husband likes Crown and they only had Jim Beam whiskey listed. He asked the butler about trading two bottles for one of Crown. Sebastian said he would look into it. Next, I made out my list for restaurant reservations and called Eric the concierge and he said he would send the butler to pick them up. We then just went to the buffet for dinner because we were so tired. I was pleasantly surprised how good the buffet was. There was plenty of food. We then went to the room and there was a note that they were holding our other suitcase for inspection. Keep in mind we were having liquor in our room so there is no reason for me to smuggle. However, leaving nothing to chance, I had brought a bottle of olive juice to go with the vodka in our rooms and they mistook it in the x-ray machine for liquor. The guy apologized and my husband rolled his eyes at me and then we took my contraband back to the room. We were very tired and went to bed early.

Next day Hilo. We booked a convertible through priceline and it was with hertz. Of course every shuttle comes by at least once and sometimes twice while we are waiting for the shuttle. Finally the shuttle is there and we get our mustang convertible. It was black, with black leather. Very sharp car. We then make the trek to the Volcanoes Nat’l Park. I was so tired that I could hardly keep my eyes open. Needless to say, I wish we had gone a day early to try to overcome the jet lag. We then went back into town ate at some shopping mall, nothing to brag about, and went to Hilo Hatties. The shuttle driver had given us instructions of other things to see so we used his directions and drove around some more then took the car back and headed for the ship. We had six o’clock reservations for Papa’s. So we got dressed and were seated immediately at a table with a window. We were in and out in about an hour. Food was good; once again we were tired and went to bed early.

Next day was Maui. We went to Cagneys for breakfast. I thought it was good and fairly fast. My DH stopped by the buffet after leaving Cagneys because while he thought the French toast was good there wasn’t much of it. This time we rented through Thrifty Rent a car. Guess what there was the hertz shuttle but no thrifty. Just my luck. We had to wait about 20 minutes for the shuttle and signing up for blue chip did no good because everyone crowded into the blue chip line, some with out reservations so we had to wait for them to pick out their cars etc. This time it was a Chrysler Sebring convertible. My DH liked the way the mustang drove better than the Sebring. But oh well, we were just borrowing it! We went to the IAO needle then to the Maui plantation. Took the train ride there. Learned to put salt on pineapple. It cuts the acid and was really good that way. Watched them shuck a coconut, pretty cool. I am now ready to be on the TV show survivor!

Went back to ship to eat lunch, parking was right there went to buffet and had a very good lunch. The Aloha Nui is large and goes through several rooms. If you go all the way aft they have an outdoor buffet that is usually not as crowded as inside. Then back to the rental car and a nice drive to Lahaina. We stopped along the way and took many pictures. We then walked around the shops bought art from a local artist that reminded us of our time in Maui and then went to Warren and Annabelle’s. We booked this direct and not through the cruise line and saved several bucks as well as got desserts. I know the ghost part is cheesy and but it was entertaining. Even the seat at the piano compresses like someone is there. Warren was extremely funny and entertaining. We got there at five and it wasn’t over until 9:30pm. We then drove back and there was no parking! We had to park around the corner and basically make our own spot. We were hungry so we went to the Blue lagoon and it wasn’t crowded. Glad we go there when we did because around 11 the crowd started flowing in. Service was ok, no mustard for my DH’s hamburger, I ordered sandwich and soup and soup came out when we were finished eating. But it wasn’t bad and took about 1hour 15 minutes in there. Ok time for bed, early morning because we are going on the road to Hannah!

We eat the buffet in the very back outside to avoid the crowd then we are on our way. We are armed with the CD that tells you where to go that I bought at the abc store as well as the Revealed book for Maui. We get to Hana about 11:30 turn around and come back the way we came. We didn’t want to violate the rental car agreement.

The ride back was faster because we didn’t stop. Halfway to Hana is a small stand that sells banana bread, which is listed, in the revealed book and it was to die for.

We turn in the car and go back to the ship. Because of our room we are able to use the private deck on 14 and then went up there and laid out for a while. We only used the sundeck the pool which was tiny, seemed hot every time we went in there. Others had posted drinks and snacks were served there but the only thing I ever saw served there was coffee.

Next day was Kona, my DH booked a dive outside of the ship with Jack’s diving locker and said it was very good and very professionally run. He would recommend this group. I went to the spa and had a massage and facial. What started out as about $150 wound up over $200 after the 15% service fee and tips. If they want to charge 15% more just put it in the price. After the spa I took the shuttle to Hilo Hatties and bought a little bit there. On the way back my DH calls and is in line to get back on ship. This was about 230pm and the line was very long and slow. So I find him in line and wait with him. This was a tender stop so along with them frisking and checking all your stuff as they did in each port we also had to wait for the tender. We ate at Cagneys at 6pm that night. We had not been sitting long when a girl comes up and asks if we had been waited on and we said no. She said the guy who was supposed to have us had a big table so she would take us. She gave us very good service, the food was good and we were out in about an hour.

In Kauai we booked the Napoli coast snorkel and boat ride through the ship. It was well worth the money. The boat ride was fun and we saw dolphins that would jump out of the water and spin. The napoli coast is beautiful. The excursion was on a large boat that looked like the sides were balloons. As we went through the water we would hit a wave and all get wet. It was a blast. Jan was the boat captain and she was very personable. When we went in the water to snorkel I freaked out a little and she came in helped me get my bearings showed me some tips and did the same for several others. I definitely would recommend this ship excursion. On the van there was a girl that had on a NCL crew t-shirt and we got to talk and she was a nurse on the boat as well as an officer. She said they send them on the excursions to see how they are and to hear what the passengers think. I enjoyed talking to her and getting some insight on the ship. After the excursion they stop at their office for a bathroom break and to sell t-shirts and a CD. They take pictures while you are out and then compile them in a cd for purchase. They put it in a slide show and play it for you to decide if you want to buy it. We bought it as well as the majority of the people. One cheap guy stood with his video camera and video the slide show off the computer screen.

Back to the ship and then on the Kmart free shuttle for more souvenirs! Next the free shuttle to the shopping center right up the road. That night we ate at Le Bistro at 6pm. Once again great service, but the food was not our normal type so probably would forgo that next time. The crème Brule was great however.

Next morning we get up and go on a helicopter ride we booked directly through Safari Helicopters. This was the highlight of the cruise! It was well worth the money and I get carsick easily but never did I feel sick or uneasy. We had Ben as our pilot and he was very good. It lasted about an hour total airtime. We saw Napoli coast again this time over head, waimea canyon, and lots of waterfalls and where lots of movies had been filmed. Back to the ship and on the free shuttle to the shopping centers near the ship. This time we buy a wooden turtle to remind us of our trip. For lunch we decide to go to Cagneys. As a suite passenger you can eat there for breakfast and lunch. We got there about 1230pm and were seated. Evidently, they did not anticipate the crowd. We sat for 30 minutes before getting waited on. Others kept coming in and seating themselves instead of waiting for the Maitre d to seat them. Lots were mad because it was full and they only serve til 2pm and were waiting outside. One guy comes in finds his own table and starts barking orders at a waiter to come serve him. Several others and us had not been waited on yet. He orders right away for him and his DW. Then keeps complaining because it takes to long. I hear him ask the waiter “I thought this was only for the passengers on the 14th floor? I know all these people aren’t on the 14th floor. He then made a speech to the waiter about how all the “high enders” will stop coming on this cruise because of the service. Like the waiter could do anything about it. We were supposed to eat at Teppanyaki but canceled and ate at the buffet per my husband’s request. Never did eat in the main dining rooms.

Next day debarkation. We booked the best of Oahu grand finally tour through the ship. We get off a little after 7am get our luggage and get on the bus and head for Pearl Harbor. Wow the line was long! Took 2 ½ hours to get tickets to get into Pearl Harbor. Two hour wait before our turn. Went and toured the submarine, and then rented the MP3 player and did the museum tour while waiting. Also ate lunch. At 1230 we boarded the boat and went to the memorial. We then got on the bus and headed for the Polynesian culture center. This needs more time. We were rushed there to do the river tour and go to the different areas. It was hot and rained several small showers while we were there. Then we go to the luau. This would have been better if I had not been starving. I just wanted to eat instead of see the show. Food was ok, my DH enjoyed it. Next board the bus and off to the Airport. We paid and checked our bags outside so we wouldn’t have to stand in the long line inside. We found some empty deserted bathrooms and attempt to wash off some of the sweat and grime from a 12-hour day before boarding the plane. We took sleeping pills and slept a restless sleep to Denver. We then board another plane to DFW. At DFW the flight before ours was canceled. So they were asking for volunteers to give up their seats for $250 each free hotel and dinner and we could fly back in the morning. We jumped at it. We were so tired it was nice to go to the hotel and just get some rest. Although I had to spend $50 in the hotel shop for assorted necessary items. But we have $500 credit yippee!

General thoughts on this cruise. I had to asked three times for a robe. The night we viewed the lava flow it was cold and all of my neighbors were on the balconies in theirs and it would have been nice to have. I had to ask for soap for my room. They advertise slippers but never saw them or asked for them. I don’t think when you pay all the money for a suite you should have to ask for the things that they advertise your room comes with. The special seats for suite passengers in the shows aren’t that great.

The first night I heard a guy literally yelling at one of the stateroom attendants that this is the third time I have ask for someone to clean this room. Talking to others they had that problem but our room was always clean and attended to. We did remember to use the dial outside our room telling them when to clean it. I came back to my room on the day I went to the spa and there were several workers in there drinking coffee and talking. It made me a bit uneasy that when we are gone several are going in and out our room. Our stateroom attendant was there but he was actually working.

After we gave the butler his tip we never saw him again. It was nice to have two bathrooms! The TV system would work off and on. Never did room service except for some orange juice so don’t know how that was. I had previously read another’s post that this was to port intensive and wished you had some time at sea. I laughed at this and thought that person was nuts but after being on the ship I totally agree. We had no time to just relax and enjoy the ship.

We were charged twice for a movie in our room and we went down to get this corrected and the girl there was very nice and just removed both charges. Other than that our bill was accurate but high.

The shows leave a lot to be desired. The magician was on three nights and was not that good. The late night show was good but you could not get any drink service. The wait staff would take one order at a time. In fact it was hard to get drink service anywhere. That probably saved us some money so I should be grateful.

Another random thought is that being all the way to the front is not very convenient for most things on the ship such as the buffet or if you go up to the 14th floor pool. It seemed like we did a lot of walking especially if we forgot anything and had to go back to the room. Our room whistled when the boat was in motion the only way to stop it was to leave the side balcony door ajar. The first night we came back to our room and they had not shut the large metal door going to the front balcony and wind was blowing under the door from that balcony and it was quite an event to get the door shut after the boat was in motion. You can’t use the front balcony when the boat is moving with the exception of viewing the lava flow because the ship is moving very slowly.

All in all a great trip and a vacation of a lifetime!

Thanks so much for that excellent and detailed review! :) We go on our honeymoon end of October. We will be in a mini-site, unless they upgrade us!:D

[tomluvsaida]

We sailed on the July 10 Norwegian Pride of Hawaii cruise. Overall, our cruise was wonderful. The POH is a beautiful ship, and of course the Hawaiian Islands are incredible.

 

Embarkation went very well. A girl from Norwegian greeted us as we got our luggage at the airport. We were a little disappointed that we did not receive a lei at the airport, as most of the people there had one, but Norwegian gave us one at their pier. Our luggage was put into a Penske truck, and we rode to the pier in a bus. The lines at the pier were not too long, but we arrived around 4:00pm, so lots of people had already boarded the ship. Once on the ship, we had to immediately get our life jackets and attend the mandatory drill. We were hoping our luggage would be in our room by the time we got back, but it wasn’t. Next we met some fellow Cruise Critic members in the Spinnaker Lounge. Then it was time for dinner. Still no luggage, so we went to dinner in our shorts and t-shirts.

 

We ate dinner in the Grand Pacific restaurant. Service was good. The food was decent, although a little spicy for our taste. More on the restaurants later.

 

We finally got our luggage around 9:00pm, so we didn’t see the show that night because we wanted to unpack.

 

The next day (Tuesday) in Hilo, my mom and I took the Hawaii Volcano Nature Deluxe tour. There was a lot of walking. We walked on lava, but we didn’t get to see any “red” lava, which was disappointing. Overall, we felt this tour was not worth the money. Our lunch on this excursion consisted of a sandwich, bag of chips and a cookie in a Tupperware container eaten in a pavilion in the wind and rain. We were really disappointed after hearing that the people who took the Volcano Park and Rainbow Falls tour got to eat a buffet lunch in a nice dry and warm restaurant. That tour was cheaper and thoroughly enjoyed by my uncle. We were sorry that we didn’t choose that tour instead. The ship sailed past Kilauea around 9:30pm, so we got to see “red” flowing lava after all! Unfortunately, unless you have a really good camera, your pictures won’t come out very well.

 

We docked in Maui on Wednesday. Our travel agent had asked Norwegian where we could walk to the beach and they said in Maui, so we walked to the closest beach. It was small and dirty. There was trash everywhere. The crew from the ship frequented this beach, and they said there were other beaches that were cleaner but further away. We were too tired to walk any further, so we left after a short while. We did some souvenir shopping at Long’s Drug store. They had a sale on Kona coffee, so we bought some and then walked to the post office and shipped it home. Much easier than carrying it in our luggage!

 

We booked the Pacific Paradise Luau through the ship. The bus took us to the beautiful side of the island. The luau was held at the Maui Prince Hotel. It was very well organized. The food was adequate, and the entertainment was good. Again, not worth the money but how can you go to Hawaii and not go to a Luau!

 

The next morning my husband and I got up at 2:30am to take the 3:15am tour to see the sunrise on Haleakala Crater. This was an awesome tour and definitely worth getting up in the middle of the night. If you go, wear the warmest clothing you own. I brought my long johns and quilted jacket and I was still cold! The only negative thing about this tour was our guide. He was good up until the point he blatantly asked for his tip, and even went so far as to tell us how much we should give him. It was a real turn off.

 

We thought we would be exhausted after this tour, so we didn’t plan anything else for the rest of the day. We stayed by the pool and relaxed. My uncle took the Road to Hana tour, which he said was the highlight of his whole trip. Definitely a must-do.

 

On Friday, we anchored in Kona. The tender took about 30 minutes. My husband and I shopped a little, then he took the Outrigger canoe ride. He enjoyed it but said it was too short. I took the Historic Kona tour. It was very enjoyable. Our guide gave lots of information. We stopped at the Kona Coffee factory (not worth it), St. Benedict’s Painted Church (very pretty) and the place of refuge, Pu’uhonua o Honaunau, (very peaceful and interesting). All these stops were self-guided tours.

 

My mom and uncle took the Atlantis Submarine tour, and they hated it! They didn’t see any fish, and were totally disappointed.

 

On Saturday, we docked in Kauai, the Garden Island. This was our favorite island. My husband and I took the shuttle to Wal-Mart to do some shopping. Then we ate an early lunch before taking the Journey to Waimea Canyon tour. The Canyon is beautiful. Getting there is half the fun! Lots of winding roads. We also stopped at Spouting Horn.

 

On Sunday, we booked a helicopter ride through Air Kauai. This was recommended in the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook (Revealed series). It was incredible! I wasn’t scared at all. The ride was 1 hour long, and very beautiful. My husband and I were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary, so the pilot played a song for us. The helicopter held 6 people, and had large windows so everyone could see. I started to feel sick towards the end of the ride because I was taking so many pictures and I am prone to motion sickness. But I would do it again in a heartbeat. It cost $212 per person.

 

We left Kauai at 2:00pm instead of the posted 6:00pm so that we could sail past the Na Pali coast. It was worth leaving early. An incredible way to end the cruise.

 

We docked in Honolulu around 7:00am. Disembarkation was very well organized. We had transfers to the airport. Our only regret is that we didn’t book a pre- or post cruise stay in Honolulu. We didn’t get to see Pearl Harbor. That was disappointing.

 

As far as the ship goes, it is beautiful. The American crew seemed to be working hard, but they made it known from day one that they only work 8 hours a day. Our room steward gave us her hours (7:30 – 11:30am and 5:30 – 9:30pm). So we ended up getting our own towels off her cart, and our bed was only made 3 times during the week. My husband had to pull down the top bunk bed several times. We didn’t mind because we knew it would be like this from previous reviews. We had an outside cabin on deck 5. The room was a little small for 3 adults. The bathroom was extremely small. There was hardly enough room in the toilet area to move around. My nose came within 2 inches of the wall when standing in front of the toilet, and I am not a large person. If you want more room, I guess you would have to book a penthouse suite!

 

The service in the restaurants was very inconsistent. Some nights we ate in 1 hour. Other nights it took 2 – 3 hours. We ended up missing a show one night because it took 2 ½ hours to get served. We ate in the Grand Pacific, Alizar, and Le Bistro, as part of our Anniversary package. The food was good, but sometimes a little spicy and very salty. The portions were small for my husband, but just right for me. I didn’t gain 1 pound on this cruise because the food served during dinner was not as plentiful as on past cruises. If you are hungry, just ask your waiter for seconds. They eliminated the Midnight buffet. The buffet in the Aloha Nui Café was good and plentiful. The homemade waffles they offered for breakfast were excellent! The only complaint is that you had to wait on line for them. They only made 4 at a time!

 

The biggest complaint I have against Norwegian is Freestyle Dining. They recommend making reservations for the restaurants. How am I supposed to know on Monday where and when I want to eat on Friday? If I wanted to eat at a specific time, I would have booked a cruise with traditional seating times. We found that if you got to a restaurant as soon as they opened, you can get a seat with no wait time. This happened on “Formal Night (Thursday). We couldn’t get any reservations earlier than 10:00pm. So we just showed up at 5:00pm when Alizar opened, and they seated us immediately, even without a reservation. Lots of people were very upset about having to book a reservation. We waited over 1 hour on the reservation line to book restaurants for the rest of the week. Fortunately we got the times we requested, but I was not happy about having to pre-arrange my eating times. This totally defeats the concept of Freestyle Dining!!!

 

We only got to see three shows. After doing excursions all day, you will be very tired. We saw part of the Musical show (some kind of music from the 70’s, 80’s, etc.), but we left early to see the lava flow from Kilauea at 9:30pm. The little that we saw of the show was good. We also saw the Broadway review. That was very well done. They had the staff come out at the end of the show for a round of applause. The only other show we saw was the magician. He was very good and we enjoyed his show very much. The theater was large enough to hold everyone. We got great seats each time.

 

The outside decks are very colorful. It was hard getting deck chairs and towels on the last day of the cruise when we left port at 2:00pm. It seems everyone wanted to be at the pool. The children really enjoyed the pools and water slide.

 

Overall, we enjoyed this cruise very much. If you go with an open mind, and don’t sweat the small stuff, you will have a great time. Don’t let everything bother you. Just enjoy the islands for the beautiful place that they are!

 

Thanks for the excellent review! I am especially greatful for the 9:30pm viewing time of the Kiluea Volcano lava!:)

[tomluvsaida]

If you go to cruisestateroom.com and type in your room number under NCL as well as the correct ship you will get a list of all the amenities as well as the size of your room and balcony. try this i don't know if it will work:

https://seaweb.it.ncl.com/consumer/stateroom_detail.cfm?Cat=II&SC=PRIDE+HAWA&Num=10002&B1=Submit

 

You will get to use the suite passenger line to check in

 

Unfortunately no liquor list for under the AA suites

You will be able to eat at Cagneys for breakfast or lunch but won't be able to use the deck 14 pool. Don't worry it wasn't that great anyway!

 

good idea to keep a day to stay on board and relax, unfortunately, I can't make myself do that. I am always worried I will miss something!

 

No one restricted us from using the balcony and when the ship is moving slowly its ok but when it is moving fast which is just 2 or 3 nights you won't want that door open. You have a regular door and then a big heavy metal door that you shut. It may be different in the middle but the suction from the front balcony to the side balcony was huge.

Good news is if they are still having problems with the rooms being cleaned you will be one of the priority rooms! The coffee maker was really cool in the room also! Forgot to mention that.

 

You will have a great time!

Good luck,

diane

Thanks for the link! :) I just tried it and it shows everything our mini-suite will have in it for our honeymoon! Everything I'll want or need, refrigerator, bar bed..............crib:confused: ............do they know something I don't?:eek: :D :cool:

[Califonria cruiser]

Thanks for posting. It was very informative, wish I were staying in a nicer room after having a look at yours!

 

Jenn

[TikiMeekie]

If you go to cruisestateroom.com and type in your room number under NCL as well as the correct ship you will get a list of all the amenities as well as the size of your room and balcony. try this i don't know if it will work:

https://seaweb.it.ncl.com/consumer/stateroom_detail.cfm?Cat=II&SC=PRIDE+HAWA&Num=10002&B1=Submit

 

Looks pretty close. It lists floor to ceiling sliding glass door, which it doens't have, and lists one safe - it actually had two.

The one pictured on the virtual tour is almost the cabin:

http://www.destinationoceans.com/virtualtours.asp?ShipID=264

We didn't have the butterfly on the bedspread, it just had the duvet, and the door was flush with the window, but it does look the same otherwise. There were lots of outlets - two by the bathroom at the vanity, one at the desk, and one by the window.

The fridge is the minibar - came with evian and sparkling water that we supposedly refilled daily for free, they missed one day. I moved the shelf so we could fit our extra champagne.

[jwjax]

Hey JW! That's the room I stayed in!!! 10002 :)

TikiMeekie, it looks like a very good setup overall from all of the pics I have seen. Did you enjoy it? Any problems other than the curtains?

 

Check in you can use the suite line, we didn't because our room was a "surprise" and the line went quick anyway, but you should be able to.

 

Thanks for the info, nice surprise !!:)

 

AC Suites do not get liqour included.

 

Bummer.... and from reading other threads, we can't order pre-cruise bar setups either on the Pride ships...:(

 

As far as the balcony, the heavy sea door must be closed while moving. You can go out there, but need to close the door behind you. We didn't bother except for the lava and the Napali coast, and both of those we were going slow enough that it didn't matter.

 

How was the viewing of the lava and Napali coast from the forward balcony? Any need to go to another location for better view?

 

Thanks....JW :cool:

[jwjax]

If you go to cruisestateroom.com and type in your room number under NCL as well as the correct ship you will get a list of all the amenities as well as the size of your room and balcony. try this i don't know if it will work:

https://seaweb.it.ncl.com/consumer/stateroom_detail.cfm?Cat=II&SC=PRIDE+HAWA&Num=10002&B1=Submit

 

You will get to use the suite passenger line to check in

 

Unfortunately no liquor list for under the AA suites

You will be able to eat at Cagneys for breakfast or lunch but won't be able to use the deck 14 pool. Don't worry it wasn't that great anyway!

 

good idea to keep a day to stay on board and relax, unfortunately, I can't make myself do that. I am always worried I will miss something!

 

No one restricted us from using the balcony and when the ship is moving slowly its ok but when it is moving fast which is just 2 or 3 nights you won't want that door open. You have a regular door and then a big heavy metal door that you shut. It may be different in the middle but the suction from the front balcony to the side balcony was huge.

Good news is if they are still having problems with the rooms being cleaned you will be one of the priority rooms! The coffee maker was really cool in the room also! Forgot to mention that.

 

You will have a great time!

Good luck,

diane

Thanks for the follow up info Diane. I am sure we will have a great time too. How can you not :confused: , you are in Hawaii, AND on a cruise ship....:D

 

JW

[kruise66]

Hi. Thanks for your awesome review! We are going on POH in March and also want to do a helicopter tour of Kauai. I get carsick on windy roads, and sometimes airsick (I've only had seasickness once), so I wanted to make sure I wouldn't be too sick in the helicopter. So I guess that's not much of a problem?

 

How were the seas?

[endi302]

seas didn't seem rough I too get car sick easy. I took bonine everyday just in case. the helicopter ride was the best part of the trip.

diane