Hawaii Cruise

[CruisingAlong4Now]

Looking into cruising Hawaii and am enthralled by the volcanoes and the night time cruise-by of the lava flow.

 

Do all the RT Honolulu cruises sail by the volcano at night? The NCL website is not very clear about this. Also, do the ships sail by Na Pali in Kauai?

any advice about ship and/or cabin/suite would be appreciated. This is for honeymoon trip in Nov 2007.

 

Thanks.

[karen2cruz]

Right now all the NCL sailings do the lava sail by (although the recent volcano activity has stopped the flow) and the Napali cruise by. In 2008 NCL loses one ship, the Pride of Hawaii, to Europe (becomes the Norwegian Jade). The other NCL ships will be changing their itinerary for the 2008-2009 season.

 

Hopefully the lava will start flowing regularly to the ocean again.

[barbie5401]

to taking the 7 day trip to Hawaii in December 2008, what is happening with the ships - ! I will be Gold when I sail, had to finish NCL pictures from the 1980's and early 1990's to update my lattitudes , please help on cabin type I want something a little bit above.

[karen2cruz]

to taking the 7 day trip to Hawaii in December 2008, what is happening with the ships - ! I will be Gold when I sail, had to finish NCL pictures from the 1980's and early 1990's to update my lattitudes , please help on cabin type I want something a little bit above.

 

Well there will only be two ships, not three- Pride of Aloha and Pride of America for December 2008. Both ships will leave Kauai at 7 am on the second day and Maui by 2 pm on the second day - so less time in ports. They used to leave Kauai by 2 pm and Maui by 6 pm.

[Don Haynes]

Actually NCL/NCLA will lose two ships in Hawaii. The Wind was not replaced when she was transferred to Hong Kong and Star Cruises. The Sun was scheduled to replace her after her summer season in Alaska, however back late last year she was switched to a Miami winter season.

 

With mounting Hawaiian losses, we think NCLA built too many ships, their fares dropped too low for a profitable operations. Therefore, NCL decided to move one of their ships, the PoH to one of their highest fares in Europe and will change the name to Jade along with reflagging her as an international ship.

 

Thus NCLA will have only two American flagged ships in Hawaii, the Pride of Aloha and Pride of America starting in February next year. Initially PoA will be doing 10-11 day cruises, and starting in May will be joining PoAm with 7 day cruises next year.

 

I have discoverd those who prefer traditional dining do not like their cruise as much as those who prefer freestyle or anytime dining. Many book this cruise despite it is not their favorite cruise line, because of the wonderful itineraries in a blessed land.

[karen2cruz]

Thanks Don- I forgot the Wind use to do Hawaii, since it isnt doing this season- didnt even think about it.

[swifs]

We just returned from our honeymoon on POH and had one of the Romance Suites. We really enjoyed the trip in every way and it really fit our desire to see all of the islands without unpacking. Although we did not see the lava flow at night (someone turned the spigot off :) ), we enjoyed our day at VNP. And the cruise-by the NaPali coast was one of the highlights of the trip. I reviewed the trip/excursions on the Port of Call message board.

[electricron]

How effective has removing the Pride of Hawaii from Hawaii been?

 

Before and after it leaves fares.

Pride of America

7 Jul 28 $1,249----7 Aug 4 $1,099----7 Aug 11 $999----7 Aug 18 $899----7 Aug 25 $899----7 Sep 1 $899----7 Sep 8 $749---7 Sep 15 $899----7 Sep 22 $649----7 Sep 29 $799----7 Oct 6 $849----7 Oct 13 $849----7 Oct 20 $799----7 Oct 27 $679----7 Nov 3 $699----7 Nov 10 $679----7 Nov 17 $849----7 Nov 24 $679----7 Dec 1 $679----7 Dec 8 $679----7 Dec 15 $679----7 Dec 22 $1,099----7 Dec 29 $1,349----7 Jan 5 $849----7 Jan 12 $899----7 Jan 19 $899----7 Jan 26 $799----7 Feb 2 $849

 

Pride of Hawaii leaves Hawaii after Jan 26 cruise.......

 

7 Feb 9 $849----7 Feb 16 $849----7 Feb 23 $849----7 Mar 1 $849----7 Mar 8 $849----7 Mar 15 $849----7 Mar 22 $849----7 Mar 29 $849----7 Apr 5 $849----7 Apr 12 $899----7 Apr 19 $1,199----7 May 10 $999----7 May 17 $999----7 May 24 $999----7 May 31 $1,099----7 Jun 7 $1,099----7 Jun 14 $1,099----7 Jun 21 $1,099----7 Jun 28 $1,099----7 Jul 5 $1,099----7 Jul 12 $1,099----7 Jul 19 $1,099----7 Jul 26 $1,099----7 Aug 2 $1,099----7 Aug 9 $1,099----7 Aug 16 $999----7 Aug 23 $999----7 Aug 30 $899----7 Sep 6 $899----7 Sep 13 $899----7 Sep 20 $899----7 Sep 27 $949----7 Oct 4 $949----7----Oct 11 $949----7 Oct 18 $949----7 Oct 25 $899----7 Nov 1 $899---- 7 Nov 8 $899----7 Nov 15 $899----7 Nov 22 $899----7 Nov 29 $899----7 Dec 6 $899----7 Dec 13 $899----7 Dec 20 $1,299----7 Dec 27 $1,199----7 Jan 3 $949----7 Jan 10 $949----7 Jan 17 $1,049----7 Jan 24 $1,049----7 Jan 31 $1,049----7 Feb 7 $1,099----7 Feb 14 $1,099----7 Feb 21 $1,099----7 Feb 28 $1,099----7 Mar 7 $1,099----7 Mar 14 $1,099----7 Mar 21 $1,099----7 Mar 28 $999----7 Apr 4 $899----7 Apr 11 $899----7 Apr 18 $899----7 Apr 25 $899

 

Lowest fares before the POH leaves is $649. Lowest fares after the POH leaves is $849. Lowest fares next year is $899. Any way you look at it, moving the POH away caused at least a $200 per passenger fare increase. Assuming just 2000 passengers each week, althought it can hold much more, that $400,000 more in increase fares each week.

Assuming the Pride of Aloha has similar results, we're discussing $800,000 more each week in total. Over 12 weeks, a financial quarter, that's $10 million more in NCL's pocketbook, from fares in Hawaii alone.

 

Don't forget, the Norwegian Jade higher fares in Europe also adds to the corporate wealth....

 

Therefore, it appears NCL's financial problems should slacken somewhat....

[CC Help Michell]

Looking into cruising Hawaii and am enthralled by the volcanoes and the night time cruise-by of the lava flow.

 

Do all the RT Honolulu cruises sail by the volcano at night? The NCL website is not very clear about this. Also, do the ships sail by Na Pali in Kauai?

any advice about ship and/or cabin/suite would be appreciated. This is for honeymoon trip in Nov 2007.

 

Thanks.

 

Do not count on viewing lava from any ship, NCLA or otherwise. At this point in time, despite a really beautiful fissure eruption this week, visible by helicopter or on the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park website (http://www.nps.gov/havo/) there is NO active lava flow to the ocean, and hasn't been since shortly after the Father's Day 2007 earthquakes disrupted the lava distribution on Kilauea. Our POH cruise two weeks ago skipped the southern sail by entirely, as there was nothing to see.

 

Madame Pele could change her mind at any time -- you could have anything from fountain eruptions to zip during your trip. That said, Volcanoes National Park is still well worth a visit during your trip -- it was our favorite stop on the entire cruise!

 

At least at this point in time, all three Pride ships do sail by the Napali Coast on Kauai -- another big highlight of the trip. I recommend you get a portside balcony (minimum -- if we could have afforded a romance suite we would have done it in a heartbeat!) cabin so that you can enjoy this amazing sight with just you and your new spouse.

 

I would not recommend an inside cabin on this itinerary for a honeymoon, notwithstanding that it is "port-intensive," and "how much time do you really spend in the cabin?" (the perennial comments in favor of inside cabins). There really IS something to see here -- from amazing, glorious sunrises and sunsets, to early-morning misty dawn over the Hawaiian islands, to the Napali sail by (and the lava sail by if Pele blesses you with a visible lava flow). Ocean view or balcony is your choice. For us, it was a no-brainer -- the balcony was $230 pp more than the ocean view -- and for that money we had memories that we will keep forever of the sights (and sounds -- do not overlook the joy of keeping the door open at night and hearing the swisssh, swissssh of the water) of Hawaii.

 

Hope that helps!

[flag fan]

I saw lava flow from the Pride of Hawaii on an April cruise. Maybe the lava is not currently flowing into the sea, but it certainly was in April.

[karen2cruz]

I saw lava flow from the Pride of Hawaii on an April cruise. Maybe the lava is not currently flowing into the sea, but it certainly was in April.

 

There was a series of earthquakes and the collapse of some areas that stopped the flow in June. On the Hawaii boards they said this happened once before and the lava flow to the sea eventually returned.

[katleigh3]

We too are traveling around/to Hawaii on Pride of Aloha for our honeymoon in April of 08. We just upgraded to a penthouse suite in the front of the ship. Judging from some the responses I've read here, it looks like we made a good choice.

 

Congrats on your marrage!

[tupperstamper]

I would recommend a port side cabin. We just sailed PoAm in a port cabin. No lava flow to see but the Napali coast was beautiful. The ship did turn around so the starboard side could see it but the ship was going a lot faster.

 

Lisa

[cosmo1027]

I don't know if the ships have resumed cruising by the VNP at night, but when we were on the POH we did not. We sailed not long after the disruption. An announcement was made after we were back onboard the ship that day that there would nothing to see and therefore we would not cruise by there.

 

Although I was really disaappointed I still enjoyed our time in the park that day. Also the Napali Coast cruise by was fabulous.