Just back from POH

[hawaii13]

I read on a roll call that someone wanted a review of POH from the 3/26 sailing. Before we left I read these pages religiously. To sum up how I feel about the past week I would say that I am glad I went but I would not do it again and am afraid to try any NCL cruise with Freestyle Dining.

 

We really enjoyed Hawaii. There is so much to see and do there. The cruise part was just ok. I read all the reviews and knew all about the issues. Freestyle dining didn't work for us. You can only make reservations one day in advance. The line to make dining reservations on the first day was long. After standing in it for awhile, an employee came out and said they were not accepting reservations for that night at all (the first night, Monday). We just left the line. The reservations desk opened at 7:30 am. You seriously have to call at 7:30 if you want to get in to Papas. I called one morning at 8:30 and tried to get in either that night or the next night and we were unable. You can get into Papa's if you want to dine after 9:00pm. That was a very popular restaurant the week we were there. By 8:30 am on Tuesday, you can't get a reservation for Wednesday night and you can't make reservations further out than that.

 

The first night we ate at the upstairs buffet, deck 12. We thought the food was horrible. My husband tried several of the meats and couldn't eat them. We considered the meat inedible because it was extremely tough. He eats my meals, so believe me, he knows tough meat, so for him not to eat it, it was bad. We liked the food at the Grand Pacific. On Monday when we boarded, the rooms weren't ready so many people went to deck 12 buffet for their meal. One employee told us to go to the Grand Pacific instead as the food was better. We were happy for that tip and thought the food there was great.

 

We were able to get in to the Mexican restaurant and Le Bistro. We really liked Le Bistro. The only place that we noticed that was hard to get in to was Papas. When I say Freestyle doesn't work, I say that because it seemed like such a hassle. You had to make dinner reservations. I didn't talk to anyone who just walked up to a restaurant and was able to get in. Every day it seemed like we were scrambling trying to figure out where we wanted to eat and to be sure we called to get in. We didn't try walking in because we heard so many people complaining that they couldn't get in any restaurants. We were lucky we called and made the reservations. It was just something you had to think about because if you didn't make reservations, you were stuck. One restaurant person said they try to accomodate walk-in's. We never tried it and when we heard about 'walk-ins' it was the end of the week and we were all set with reservations.

 

So, the dining areas seemed to be the biggest complaints amongst passengers. Then, once you were in the restaurants, service was poor. It was great at Le Bistro, so I am mainly talking about the other restaurants where you didn't pay a fee to eat there. I have read other reviews about slow service. That isn't my complaint. I didn't care that we sat there for a few hours and missed shows. My complaints are to do with general, normal service. You would get rolls and wait 1/2 hour for butter. You would get coffee and wait forever for cream. I would ask for iced tea and they would never bring it. I am serious when I say I was never served iced tea when asked the first time. To me, this is just basic service. You ask for a drink in a restaurant, you get it. You don't wait 1/2 hour or more. They were much better at serving the alcohol. They were very slow at refilling water glasses.

 

Part of the problem seems to be shortage of staff. On Lobster night, our waitress had 4 tables. You end up feeling badly for the staff. She let us know how exasporated and overworked she was. Again, all of this is at other restaurants (Mexican, Grand Pacific, Alizar), not Le Bistro. We were perplexed in the restaurants as we saw them turn people away and yet there were empty tables which suggests staff issues. They certainly had the space in the restaurants to fill the tables but wouldn't seat people which makes me think shortage of staff.

 

Our only complaint at breakfast was one day we ate at the Grand Pacific. Again, it takes awhile to get service there, so if you want to get going early, go to buffet on deck 12. We had waffles once at the Grand Pacific that were very tough so we stopped going there. I don't know how you screw up waffles but they were fine at the buffet upstairs.

 

I heard other passengers commenting on how they wish they had cafeteria trays for the buffet upstairs for breakfast. I have to agree, especially when eating outside. Again, its just the basic service that I am talking about. No silverware at the buffet. Cream spills etc. all over the buffet that no one cleans up.

 

I thought the staff was very friendly. We didn't have a problem with any of them. We did get some different answers depending on who you asked. When people ate lunch on the pool deck we noticed dirty plates sitting around for a couple of hours. Staff didn't come by regularly clearing plates etc. It was pathetic on windy days (which happen often) as you see food flying around with dishes etc. We saw one employee drop a beer can. It was very windy. Two other employees walked right by the blowing can and didn't even bother to pick it up. I never saw that on any other cruise.

 

On embarkation day, our rooms weren't ready. That didn't bother me at all. It did bother some passengers, so I guess thats up to you. I didn't care, we just sat outside and had a drink. Our level was the last one to be cleared for entry. We didn't have towels in our room. We found out that no one on our floor had towels. Again, that didn't bother me at all either because we eventually got them. I am just letting you know what it was like and what might happen when you go.

 

Our cabin was clean and our cabin steward was very nice so thats all that mattered to me.

 

We loved the islands. We loved the itinerary. The dining was just a hassle which is funny when that is opposite of what Freestyle is supposed to be. Other people who sailed on NCL said Freestyle worked but they were very disappointed on this cruise.

 

You would think that all of this negative press on Freestyle on NCLA ships would spill over to NCL. So many passengers said they would never sail on NCL again. I sailed on them forever ago before Freestyle and it was my favorite line but I am reluctant to try them again after this week.

 

To sum it up we had a great time. Would I do it again, no, not on NCL.

[wallaby20]

:confused: So sorry to hear of your dining problems. We are sailing on POH 5/14 really looking forward to it. Just a query, my DH and I quite often don' eat until after 9.00 pm. is there a problem with reservations for that time? Also did you ever have room service for dinner lunch or Breakfast, and what was the service like if you did have it. Also will be doing some touristy things during the day docked, but not for the whole day, as this is a time out vacation, free of stress for us. Were the dining rooms full during the day when docked, lunch time I am referring to.

 

many thanks,

[wallaby20]

:confused: So sorry to hear of your dining problems. We are sailing on POH 5/14 really looking forward to it. Just a query, my DH and I quite often don' eat until after 9.00 pm. is there a problem with reservations for that time? Also did you ever have room service for dinner lunch or Breakfast, and what was the service like if you did have it. Also will be doing some touristy things during the day docked, but not for the whole day, as this is a time out vacation, free of stress for us. Were the dining rooms full during the day when docked, lunch time I am referring to.

 

many thanks,

[singerdance]

Hello, i am sailing on 4/16 on POH ,what's restaurant you have to make reservation without a fee/surcharge ? and how many Rest u can eat for buffet? Please name them, thanks a lot

[hawaii13]

Hello Wallaby 20,

 

I don't think you will have any problems after 9:00pm. The biggest problem was trying to eat at Papa's. We couldn't get into that restaurant until after 9:00, so I really think you will be fine. When we were in Maui, we went on a sunset whale watch tour. We didn't get back until later. We had no problem walking into the Grand Pacific and eating. Actually, that was one of the better meals because the restaurant wasn't as crowded so service was much better. In retrospect, I think you are better off eating later because dining rooms aren't as crowded so you probably won't have as many problems with the service - like no butter, cream, waiting forever etc.

 

We didn't order much room service. On the TV in the room, you can order room service easily. We ordered coffee every morning. On Monday, for example, you can order coffee to be delivered at a specific time for Tuesday. That service was excellent. It was always on time or early. We never ordered room service meals.

 

Have a great time. You will really love Hawaii.

[hawaii13]

Hello Singerdance,

 

There are two main dining rooms on the ship, the Grand Pacific and Alizar. They are like the traditional cruise dining rooms. You can not make reservations to eat there unless you have a party of 8 people. They are non-surcharge rooms.

 

Reservations are highly suggested for Papas Italian Restaurant and the Mexican restaurant Paniolo's (not sure of spelling.) They are also non-surcharge restaurants. Papa's is very popular. The Mexican restaurant was much easier to get in to. We called the reservation line and were able to get reservations for the next night. We never tried to walk in to these places without a reservation. Reservations were available for the Italian Restaurant, Papas after 9:00pm whenever we called.

 

I would suggest reservations for the charge restaurants such as Le Bistro (French), Cagneys (steakhouse), and Jasmine's (Japanese). We know someone who showed up at Le Bistro and were not able to get in without reservations. We called one day and was able to get in at Le Bistro at 8:30 the next night. Later than we usually eat, but thats ok. My husband had Duck at Le Bistro and loved it. It was worth the extra $$. We had no problems with service. The food was excellent.

 

We didn't eat at Cagneys or the Japanese restaurant. Many people on the ship raved about Cagneys. Again, I am pretty sure you would need reservations for these charge restaurants.

 

The reservation desk opened at 7:30. We usually called from our room. I think if you call right away at 7:30 or go down there (deck 7) you are better off. We tried to call right away but there were times that we forgot. Again, its vacation so we weren't thinking about scrambling for dinner reservations right away but I think its what you need to do. The claim of Freestyle just walking in to a restaurant when you want to eat just didn't work.

 

I hope this helps. We enjoyed the food in the main dining rooms as well. We only ate at the Grand Pacific. Alizar is the other one. Every time we ate at Grand Pacific for dinner it was after 8:00, so I am not sure what it is like earlier.

[wallaby20]

;) ;)

Hello Wallaby 20,

 

I don't think you will have any problems after 9:00pm. The biggest problem was trying to eat at Papa's. We couldn't get into that restaurant until after 9:00, so I really think you will be fine. When we were in Maui, we went on a sunset whale watch tour. We didn't get back until later. We had no problem walking into the Grand Pacific and eating. Actually, that was one of the better meals because the restaurant wasn't as crowded so service was much better. In retrospect, I think you are better off eating later because dining rooms aren't as crowded so you probably won't have as many problems with the service - like no butter, cream, waiting forever etc.

 

We didn't order much room service. On the TV in the room, you can order room service easily. We ordered coffee every morning. On Monday, for example, you can order coffee to be delivered at a specific time for Tuesday. That service was excellent. It was always on time or early. We never ordered room service meals.

 

Have a great time. You will really love Hawaii.

many thanks fot the great advice.

[beachchick]

Thank you for the review. It's good to hear the good and bad, rather than one long praise or one long rant.

 

This cracks me up:

On embarkation day, our rooms weren't ready. That didn't bother me at all. It did bother some passengers, so I guess thats up to you.

 

I've always figured that they just disembarked the previous pax. How can anyone reasonably expect them to instantly turn around all the cabins? And especially because NCL doesn't hurry you off the ship at the crack of dawn. Good that you were able to just go with the flow. (Still though, you should have had a full compliment of towels. I have to admit that it would bug me a bit, although not enough to make a big deal out of it.)

 

About the waitress with the four tables. How large were the tables? I ask because a waiter/waitress in a regular restaurant is expected to handle at least that many tables (and sometimes a couple more, depending on size). Were these the large 12 seat tables? If not, she needs to seriously reconsider her job. She's not going to be happy no matter what--and terribly unprofessional to complain to you all about it. Those complaints should go to management only and should not be allowed to color your cruise.

 

We only had one significant service incident on our PoH cruise, but I know that the dining rooms seem to have more than their fare share. We didn't eat in the main dining rooms at all.

 

Glad you enjoyed Hawaii. It's one of our favorite places to visit.

 

beachchick

[hawaii13]

They were 4 tables of 6, so not very large. It did seem like she was doing everything - filling glasses, drinks and food. I have no idea where the other people were. Usually you have several people servicing the tables. She really seemed overwhelmed but she smiled and had a pleasant attitude. I thought they were all friendly. Hawaii is a great place so you really aren't on the ship much at all. I agree about the rooms - there is no way they can have every room ready. Plus, we just sat outside enjoying the pool with a drink. No complaints about that. I would rather sit outside and have a clean room than have them rush through it.

[hansolo]

we are going on the POH in July, 1st time on NCL. Yeah, the concept of freestyle is not really true then if you have to get up early each day just to make reservations on where you want to eat. We are planning to eat at Papas at least twice during the week. What about those people that don't read CC, they will be unprepared about what to expect on the cruise. At least we will know what to expect and not complain too much. We will have a big party for 1 evening of 44 people for parent's 50th anniversary. So we can expect to have slow service then. I believe my mom have made arrangements with dining at the main dining room. I hope our waiters/waitresses will not get overwhelmed. And my mom is very critical of poor service.

[hawaii13]

What a great way to celebrate a 50th anniversary. We never tried just walking in to Papa's. We always tried to get a reservation. It was much later in the week when we heard that they try to accomodate walk-ins. You could give that a shot - I would try very early. Also, the main restaurants publish an opening time in the Freestyle Daily. One waiter told us they have a 'soft' opening about 1/2 hour before they officially open. You can buzz down to the restaurants 1/2 hr before official opening just to see if that works. When we found out about that we were all set for the week as far as dinners were concerned. Its really just dining issues so you should enjoy the rest of the trip and definately will love the islands.

[goldenone]

:confused: What night is formal night on Pride of Hawaii??? Thanks, Goldenone:rolleyes:

[newmexicoNita]

I think one of the biggest problems with dining is the long shore excursions so everyone seems to be returning and wanting to eat at the same time. As for making reservations in advance, only 1 day, I prefer doing it the first day, but due to complaints NCL has chosen to go back to the original policy of making them one day in advance only. It seems to be a no win situation. 1/2 of the people seem very happy with the plan and 1/2 hate it.

 

At least your island viewing part of the vacation was wonderful. I too am sorry you didn't enjoy NCL. I think a different venue might give you a little different opinion. Happy cruising no matter what line you choose. NMNita

[hawaii13]

Formal night is Lobster night which is Thursday, 2nd day in Maui.

[MrMate]

Was it Capt Nesheim that was in charge?

[hawaii13]

As ignorant as this sounds, I have no idea who the Captain was the week we were on the POH. We didn't do any of the formal night pictures.

[MrMate]

It's all right. I wouldn't care either if I didn't know him and work with him for a while.

[tray]

hawaii13: you mentioned formal night is lobster night............but is there another optional dress up night on top of that one? My parents really enjoy getting dressed up and were looking forward to 2 formal nights. I know that any night can be dress up or dress down night on NCL, but it's always more fun when more people are dressed up with you and that seems to be the case when there is a 'designated' night!

 

Thx!:o

[hawaii13]

Hi Tray,

 

We only knew of the one formal night. You are right, I remember cruises with 2 formals. On POH however we only know of one formal night when they take pictures with the captain which is also lobster night. On that night you will see all kinds of attire from gowns to very casual. There is a mix during the week but more casual than other cruises we have been on. You may want to post a question on the board here and ask other people but I only knew of one formal night.

[NCL_Cruiser]

we are going on the POH in July, 1st time on NCL. Yeah, the concept of freestyle is not really true then if you have to get up early each day just to make reservations on where you want to eat. We are planning to eat at Papas at least twice during the week. What about those people that don't read CC, they will be unprepared about what to expect on the cruise. At least we will know what to expect and not complain too much. We will have a big party for 1 evening of 44 people for parent's 50th anniversary. So we can expect to have slow service then. I believe my mom have made arrangements with dining at the main dining room. I hope our waiters/waitresses will not get overwhelmed. And my mom is very critical of poor service.

 

 

Keep in mind that reservations are not accepted at the specialty restaurants, so it truely is freestyle, unless you desire to eat in the specialties....The two main dining rooms will allow you to eat when you want, with whomever you want....just understand that during peak time, there may be a wait (like you may encounter at a nice shoreside restaurant).

[Twice-a-year]

Thanks for the information.

• Did you have a balcony room? was the room good?
  
• Did you see the lava flow at night? if so, which side of the ship has a better view?
  
• Do you like the itinerary?

:cool:

[singerdance]

Hi Hawaii13, in fornal night do u have to make reservation ?

[hawaii13]

Hello Twice-A-Year,

 

1. We did not have a balcony room. We only had a oceanview room.

 

2. Yes we saw lava flow at night. The ship will go by the lava first on the starboard side. It will then do a 360 turn and you can see it as well from the Port side. We started on the starboard side. They will shut off all the lights and play a narration (while on starboard side). It is quite a sight, but then again, I love the volcanoes. The ship did the 360 and we walked to the other side. By then, most people were bored with the lava show and it was very easy to get a spot. There is ample time to see the lava. Both sides have a great view since they turn, however the narration is done while on starboard side. Bring binoculars if you have them. They come in handy for the lava show and Napali Coast in Kauai.

 

3. We were in Hawaii 2 other times before this trip. I did like the itinerary. I liked staying in Maui and Kauai the extra day. You are really at the Big Island 2 days as well (Hilo & Kona), just not over night. I like the Big Island because of the volcano. The weather in Hilo, where volcano national park is, isn't the best - every time we are there its dreary and rainy. Thats ok - just preparing you as many people think Hawaii is always sunny. We used Friday (day in Kona) as a rest day and spent most of the day on the ship. It is a busy trip but there is so much to see - even for those that have been there before.

 

Again, we only had an oceanview room. The bathrooms have shower doors. We were impressed with storage space. They have shelving everywhere so it was easy to put away items. Believe it or not, we had 4 pieces of checked luggage and we had no problem storing the contents or the luggage bags themselves. Except for some weird noises at night (not passenger noise), the rooms are very quiet. Everyone retires early at night because they are so exhausted. We had no problems falling asleep. fyi, there are no clocks in the rooms.

[hawaii13]

Hi Singerdance,

 

Lobster night is held in the main dining rooms - Grand Pacific and Alizar. You can only make reservations for dinner if you have 8 or more people. We had a large group, over 20, so we had reservations. We ate later at 8:00pm, and there were plenty of tables at that time.