Pride of America Review

Hawaii on POA

Review for Hawaii Cruise on Pride of America
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PerfectSilky
2-5 Cruises • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Jun 2014

This ship sails at capacity on a regular basis, so don't count on a room upgrade once you get on board. Select your cabin carefully. There are no sea days, so sleeping in will not be easy since the passengers are up early to get ashore. You will hear them in the hallways. Be on your balcony at least an hour ahead of docking time each morning and you can watch the approach to each island. We found the food in the main dining rooms and the buffet to be good. Food is plentiful and we managed to eat healthy selections each evening. Consequently, we did not register for the specialty dining rooms. The staff/crew was polite and helpful. We didn't have any complaints. I have AT&T for my cell, and was able to connect in each port with wifi or a tower at no extra cost. We rented a car in Hilo and drove ourselves to Volcanoes National Park. Doing so allowed us to use our day to the fullest. The cost for car and gas and entry into the park for two of us was less than $70. Each island has a WalMart/KMart, and T-Shirts and other goodies can be purchased from them more reasonably than at tourist shops/stands. If you rent a car on Maui, there is a Costco, Long's and Whole Foods near the port for snacks and bottled water. You can park your rental car "free" overnight at Maui, but plan to walk a distance from the "lot" back to the ship, since the front lot near the ship is small and fills early. The BEST thing we did was the Heaven and Earth shore excursion on Kauai. The scenery you will encounter during the helicopter ride is spectacular and worth every cent. Book this well in advance of your cruise, as space is limited. Seeing the Na Pali coast by air (helicopter), then by sea (cruise ship) adds depth to your experience of this remarkable island. The entertainment on the POA was enjoyable. There was always something to do, but for those looking for some quiet, there are a lot of chaise lounges on the upper decks (12 and 13) aft. While everyone else is at the pool for the disembarking party, head aft (on 11) to the stern for a full view of the lights of Honolulu and Waikiki. There's a bar tucked away back there with comfortable seating and a nice view.

The cabin is small if you combine the beds to make a king. You will have to turn sideways to get past the bed. The drawers next to the closet stick, and take some effort to open and close. The shower is small, but the shower head is removable so you can "reach" your feet and back side. There is a clear view from this balcony, but directly below on deck six is the outside seating for the Cadillac Café, so expect noise if your door is open during meal times, and during the Na Pali Coast cruise-by. It is VERY difficult to enjoy your balcony if other passengers are outside smoking on their balconies. The smoke travels and is disgusting enough to make you retreat into your cabin. Leaving the balcony door open while others smoke only invites the smoke into your cabin. It really is a problem that Norwegian needs to address. I suggest an area on the ship for balcony smoking only, rather than allow smoking on all balconies. Two rooms down to your right and left, hanging at deck eight, are the tenders (life boats). Expect crew noise EARLY in the morning at Kona as the tenders are prepared to start taking passengers ashore as soon as the ship is docked. Your view on this side of the ship while in port will be industrial in Maui and Hilo. You will have an island view in Kona (but you have to deal with the tender noise), while Nawilili will not be a direct view of the port, but a nice view of the mountains. Both sides of the ship will see the Na Pali coast. Look closely at the evacuation route map on the back of your door. It looks like you have to go the end of the ship to get to stairs that will them take you down to the sixth deck. However, just a short distance from your cabin to the left is a set of crew stairs that can be used to get to the Cadillac Café (K1), the location for your evacuation drill. (This is marked with a very small green sign.) The nightly chocolate for Latitude members is one tiny piece of Andes mint chocolate, hardly worth mentioning as a "Perk" in the list of benefits.

Cabin Review

The cabin is small if you combine the beds to make a king. You will have to turn sideways to get past the bed. The drawers next to the closet stick, and take some effort to open and close. The shower is small, but the shower head is removable so you can "reach" your feet and back side. There is a clear view from this balcony, but directly below on deck six is the outside seating for the Cadillac Café, so expect noise if your door is open during meal times, and during the Na Pali Coast cruise-by. It is VERY difficult to enjoy your balcony if other passengers are outside smoking on their balconies. The smoke travels and is disgusting enough to make you retreat into your cabin. Leaving the balcony door open while others smoke only invites the smoke into your cabin. It really is a problem that Norwegian needs to address. I suggest an area on the ship for balcony smoking only, rather than allow smoking on all balconies. Two rooms down to your right and left, hanging at deck eight, are the tenders (life boats). Expect crew noise EARLY in the morning at Kona as the tenders are prepared to start taking passengers ashore as soon as the ship is docked. Your view on this side of the ship while in port will be industrial in Maui and Hilo. You will have an island view in Kona (but you have to deal with the tender noise), while Nawilili will not be a direct view of the port, but a nice view of the mountains. Both sides of the ship will see the Na Pali coast. Look closely at the evacuation route map on the back of your door. It looks like you have to go the end of the ship to get to stairs that will them take you down to the sixth deck. However, just a short distance from your cabin to the left is a set of crew stairs that can be used to get to the Cadillac Café (K1), the location for your evacuation drill. (This is marked with a very small green sign.) The nightly chocolate for Latitude members is one tiny piece of Andes mint chocolate, hardly worth mentioning as a "Perk" in the list of benefits.

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