POH Review - 9/3 Sailing

[Cruisegal1]

We just recently sailed the 9/3 sailing. We had a very nice experience sailing with NCL through the Hawaiian Islands and FreeStyle Cruising. It's a great way to see the islands without having to unpack all the time. I also like the fact that I can eat when I want and with whom I want, and that I don't have to dress to the nines if I don't want to. :)

 

 

Pre-Cruise: We arrived into Hawaii a day early and stayed at the Park Shore Waikiki, booked via on-line. It was a nice location near the beach, but an okay hotel. The room was probably the smallest I had ever stayed in but we were so tired from our flight that we really didn't care at that point except to sleep. The next morning, we walked out to the pier and saw the ship coming in from the previous trip. We took some nice pictures, waded in the surf and then ate breakfast at Cheeseburger in Paradise with a nice view of the beach. Good breakfast too. I've got to say, that there are a lot of ABC stores in Hawaii. If you forgot something, they might just carry it. We also jumped on one of the free shuttle busses that drive around Honolulu and ended up at Hilo Hatties. This store carries everything Hawaiian that you can imagine. We ended up purchasing a few items and then had them shipped back home so we wouldn't have to pack them for the return trip—as our luggage was already jam-packed. It only cost us $12 and was worth it. The package arrived within just a couple of days; very well packed. I would recommend this if you don't want to haul anything extra back and this was only the very beginning of our trip.

 

Embarkation: It went very well. We got there right around 1:00 pm, taking a hotel shuttle to the pier. We only waited in line a short period of time, and waiting in some sort of line is always expected, but I have to say, it went very fast. Next thing we knew, we were on the ship. We ate lunch at the buffet and then some time in the afternoon our luggage showed up at our door, everything in tact.

 

Dining: Our dining experiences went very well. We did eat at one of the restaurants that charges a cover, but it was our anniversary and we really wanted to try Cagney's. It was very good. My husband had the prime rib and I had a chicken type dish. I also really liked Paniolo's restaurant too. We ate at Blue Lagoon one day for lunch and also ate at Alizar and The Grand Pacific as well, which were good. We always ate breakfast at the buffet each morning and there was plenty to pick from so you could change it up each morning if you wanted to. I thought the food was just fine. Sometimes we ate inside and sometimes out on the aft side of the ship if we wanted some sunshine. We thought the service staff was just fine and really didn't have any complaints. Sometimes if you had to wait a few extra minutes, you just did and realized they must be really busy. Just relax, be patient when you have to be, and enjoy yourself. We had no trouble booking the dining. We waited just moments and got exactly what we wanted, pretty much when we wanted it.

 

Shore Excursions: We decided to book a couple more shore excursions after we boarded the ship. In all, we booked: Molokini Crater Snorkel in Maui; Volcano's National Park tour in Hilo; Atlantis Submarine Tour in Kona; Waimea Canyon Tour in Kauai; Poipou Beach in Kauai; and Pearl Harbor on our own. All in all, we were happy with all of our excursions. I've never snorkeled before, but my husband has. It was very interesting. They fed you after your snorkel and also provided various beverages. The crew was very nice too. As the water is somewhat cool, I would recommend wearing the snorkel shirts to keep you warmer. They were only $10 each to rent. We brought our own snorkel gear, but used their fins and mask. One thing to mention about the shore excursions is that all the tour guides always provided some sort of commentary and that was very interesting to hear. You learned some interesting things about the islands. We also tipped each of our tour guides after the tour concluded, which I think is a nice idea. All of the excursions, I thought, ran very smoothly and always got us back on time to the ship. We also had no trouble booking the 2 shore excursions that we booked on the ship—it was effortless and just waited in a short line. Sailing by the Napali Coastline in Kauai was also very beautiful and something not to be missed!

 

Pictures: They take lots of pictures, and we bought lots of pictures! Sometimes when you buy one picture, they'll throw another one in for free. Some we didn't care for so we didn't purchase, but I think many people will purchase most of their pictures. We also took many pictures on our own.

 

Inside Stateroom: We were located at the very forward of the ship in an inside stateroom, Deck 8. As this is a new ship, I thought it was very clean and I really liked our room. When we walked in, the beds were put together which was nice. The bathroom was very clean and I really liked the shower. Great water pressure and spacious enough I thought for a cruise ship. Everything was always replaced every day as well. I'm not a complainer, but the only thing I noticed that I didn't prefer, was when I opened the fridge and there was a glass of cola with plastic wrap over the top in the fridge, left over most likely from the previous guest. It was never removed the entire week. I never called about it or complained about it because it's just not worth it—it was an obvious oversight. I did take a couple of colas out of the fridge because I was really thirsty for cola one day and they didn't replace them right away, not until I signed for the ones I had taken. Eventually, they were replaced. This is not big deal either, but we only had one animal towel made up for us. I guess most people are accustomed to getting these every day, or on most cruises, but again, not something for anyone to fret about. After all, that's not why you take a cruise? I'm just mentioning that if these things happen to you, let it go. We finally did meet our room steward near the very end of the cruise. We did see him in the hallway several times, away from our room, but didn't realize he was our room steward? Each time we passed him, he as extremely pleasant and nice. We introduced ourselves at the end and thanked him for his assistance. All of the staff we encountered were very friendly and always said Hi, and with a smile.

 

Fitness Center: Very nice and well-equipped. My husband used it twice and I used it once, so I wouldn't feel so guilty about all the food and beverage I was consuming this week. After all was said and done, I only gained 3 pounds! It must have been all the walking we did this week? Needless to say, I was very pleased.

 

Entertainment: We went to a few of the shows. The magician was very good. The Not So Newlywed show was hilarious! The comedian was especially good at the variety show and the Rock N Roll show was good too. We attended the talent contest but it only had 4 participants but the winner sang great. We also attended the karaoke and there were some very good singers as well. The cruise director, Ray, was also very good I thought.

 

Sunscreen: Whatever you do, make sure you wear your sunscreen, especially if you are fair like me, and a redhead! I thought I covered all the bases, but I missed some areas around my mouth and fried part of my upper and lower lips! J Didn't realize it until the next day when they were very sore. Also, put on a lip balm with SPF to protect your lips. Needless to say, I peeled for a few days and now I'm pretty much back to normal. The sun is especially hot in Hawaii, so please protect yourself.

 

Disembarkation: It went very well. We did the express checkout, carrying our own luggage off the ship. We got up, ate at the buffet and then gathered our things, stood in a short line and left the ship. A taxi was right there and took us to our hotel. Couldn't have gone any better.

 

Post-Cruise: We stayed at the Doubletree Alana Hotel, booked via online, and were very happy with this hotel. The hotel was clean, the bed was extremely comfortable and a nice location. It's actually located right next to the other Cheeseburger in Paradise just off the beach a ways, and near the Hilton Hawaiian Village. We did the Pearl Harbor excursion the day we were scheduled to fly out. We booked a shuttle from our hotel to Pearl Harbor. We arrived at 7:00 am and left by 9:45 am. The first shuttle bus driver knew exactly when we would need to be picked up and we even ended our tour a bit early. We just waited for bit and then the new driver was ready to go. I would get there early, but I have to say, they have this tour very well organized and timed out well. Right after they opened we only had to wait a short time before we went to watch the movie and then onto the boat to the memorial. It was very nice and I'm glad we were able to fit it in.

 

Conclusion: If you want to see all of the islands, I would definitely recommend the Pride of Hawaii, or one of their other ships that sails these islands. Keep in mind that Pride of Hawaii is going to be leaving the Hawaiian market in February of '08, so book now if you want to sail this beautiful ship. Our first experience with NCL was a good one and we'll most likely sail with them again, if not Hawaii, perhaps another itinerary. Hawaii is gorgeous, so check it out. And, don't sweat the small stuff—life is too short! :)

Enjoy your cruise! ***Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions, okay? :)

[CC Help Michell]

What a nice, detailed review! I'm so glad you had a wonderful Hawaiian vacation on the gorgeous POH. I really think that if NCLA had received the reviews from the outset that all three ships have been getting (for the most part) in the last six months, their future in the Hawaii market would be much more secure. Thank you for taking the time to advise future travelers. :)

[judyf]

Nice review, sounds like you had a great time. We are really looking forward to our visit.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post.

[cruzn single]

What a wonderful review, and was most interested in what you had to say about POH. We are booked for the last sailing in Hawaii, so we are looking forward to the cruise. I agree that a cruise is the best way to get a taste of all the islands without having to re-pack every day. We have also done a 15-day R/T from the West Coast and are looking forward to our wonderful 7-day cruise in just the islands!

 

Thanks for a great review!

[byucougs]

Thanks so much for the great review. Looking forward to sailing her in December. Wish it were now!!!

[Umbarger]

Did you have to make reservations to eat in the regular dining rooms. Or did you just show up?

 

Also, was your cabin made up every day?

 

I have been reading some trouble regarding the above.

 

Thank you

[Cruisegal1]

What a nice, detailed review! I'm so glad you had a wonderful Hawaiian vacation on the gorgeous POH. I really think that if NCLA had received the reviews from the outset that all three ships have been getting (for the most part) in the last six months, their future in the Hawaii market would be much more secure. Thank you for taking the time to advise future travelers. :)

 

Yes, I have to agree. There have been much more positive posts of late which is nice to see. It may have helped before--but you never know? :)

[Cruisegal1]

Thanks so much for the great review. Looking forward to sailing her in December. Wish it were now!!!

 

You're welcome. Enjoy your cruise. It will be here before you know it! :)