Pride of America Review

4.5 / 5.0
2,365 reviews

Hawaii and Pride of America worth 1,000 pictures

Review for Hawaii Cruise on Pride of America
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ott
First Time Cruiser • Age 20s

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Sail Date: Apr 2009
Cabin: Balcony

We started our planning and saving for our dream trip last July with our local travel agent. I was told about the NCL cruise by a client who lives on Oahu and said it was the best way to see the other islands. We decided two weeks was the minimum time to see as much as possible. We used travel books from bookstores, scoured the internet, got maps and brochures from the Hawaii Visitors bureau, and interrogated anyone who had been to Hawaii to plan our activities. Also, Cruise Critic has been invaluable, not only for what to expect on the cruise, but for tips on what to see and where to eat. Our trip began at 4:30am with a quick flight to Atlanta then non-stop to Honolulu (9hrs) where we were greeted with beautiful flower leis. We picked up our Hertz compact car (we rented Hertz at all 5 ports on the cruis, great shuttle service, with helpful drivers, and free upgrades) and drove to the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort at Ko Olina. An outstanding hotel 16 miles west of Waikiki, with a beautiful view of the Pacific, large luxurious rooms and a buffet breakfast to die for. A fantastic way to begin a vacation. We saw as much as possible in 5 days. The following list we feel are must see things on Oahu - Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri, Polynesian Cultural Center, Punch Bowl National Cemetary, Diamond Head, Nu uanu Pali overlook, drive routes 72 and 83 to the North Shore and stop at as many amazing beaches as possible, Dole Pineapple Plantation, and Doris Duke's home Shangri La (make reservations at least 2 months in advance through the Honolulu Academy of Arts). Food is a high priority with us and we enjoyed the dinners at our hotel, the Shrimp Trucks on the north shore near Turtle Bay Resort, and Roy's and Duke's restaurants(both worth the extra money).We stayed the last night on Oahu at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani on Waikiki Beach. It was convenient for our cab to the ship and to return the Hertz car. It is also where we met a very nice couple from Georgia who were also cruising on POA and we became travel partners.The Cruise was Fantastic from embarkation to disembarking. We arrived at the pier at 11:30 and were on board sipping mimosas by12:30. Took pictures, watched entertainment and all paper work was handled efficiently and quickly. Very smooth. We toured the ship, ate a wonderful lunch in the Aloha Cafe, laughed at ourselves in the life vests during the drill, took the restaurant tour with Hensley, very informative and tasty. Made restaurant reservations for the week. Our room was ready by 2:00 and our bags were there by 2:30. Very nice cabin with large balcony (don't go without a balcony). Bathroom does have storage behind mirror and take a picture of yourself in shower to show size. Plenty of storage (we tend to over pack) and a very comfortable bed. Took advice of a previous Cruise Critic, got to know our cabin steward and left a nominal tip each morning and a larger one at end of the cruise. We had chocolates and neat towel animals every day and a friendly smile when we saw him in the hallway, as well as a very clean room and no problems. We used the refrigerator for our own food and drinks.Our state room was on the port side near the aft elevators and was very convenient to the Aloha Cafe. We have sailed once before on NCL (Starward in 1987) and found the POA to be an outstanding ship. The decor is fabulous, the amenities are great, the layout was functional and easy to get around, the theater was very comfortable, and the pool area could have had a few more regular chairs (chaise lounges were plentiful).We thoroughly enjoyed the Freestyle dining. You cannot say enough about the Aloha Cafe. Name it and it's there. We stuffed ourselves at breakfast every morning. We only ate lunch there twice as we were off the ship during the day. The Aloha could be the only restaurant on the ship and there would be no complaints. Sat. night we ate at the Skyline, good food and a great waitress. Sun we dined at the Liberty (lobster) good food, but our waitress was having a bad hair day. We did not order cocktails and had to ask for iced tea, lemon, sugar and melted butter for lobster, plus she was very slow. One of the Maitre Di's came by and we informed him of the situation. Problem solved. He was very apologetic and we had great service (like the first night) the rest of the cruise. Mon. Dinner buffet in Aloha Cafe. Stuffed ourselves again. Tues. Dinner at Lazy J. Fantastic filet mignon, strip steak, great rolls and deserts. Wed. Skyline again, good food and good service. Thurs. Dinner at Cadillac Diner, good food, great milk shake (extra cost, but worth it), great service. Lots of fun with wait staff. It was like hanging out with old friends. Fri. Dinner at Little Italy, good food, fantastic service (best Maitre Di on ship, she showed us how to take better pictures with our digital camera), ate out on the fantail and watched a great sunset. A fabulous last dinner on the cruise.We thoroughly enjoyed all of the entertainment. Toby Beau was great with his tributes to the Eagles, Jimmy Buffet and the Beatles. The magician was enjoyable as he interjected a lot of comedy and brought the audience into his act. We saw the comedian 3 times and thoroughly enjoyed him each night. He also brought the audience into his routine and this allowed him to use different material. We felt he was very creative. The Second City had one good routine, but most of their act were skits from SNL. Piano player at the Pink Champagne Bar was enjoyable to listen to. The Hawaiin and Polynesian shows were good, but if you've been to a Luau you have already seen everything. The costumes, however are fantastic.We thoroughly enjoyed the ship, the crew was outstanding, the room and balcony superb, and the food was great. We will definitely visit Hawaii again, but will spend a week on Maui and a week on Kauai. The cruise served its purpose by giving us a taste of all the islands. Our next cruise however will be on NCL to Alaska or the Carrabean. And Yes we took 1,070 pictures! Aloha

Cabin Review

Balcony

Cabin BC

Loved the cabin - large comfortable bed - ample storage - great amenities - fantastic balcony - one person shower and "shotgun commode"

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