POA 10/17-24 review

Hopefully, I've edited each section down to where it's not to long, so here goes with part one....

My wife and I returned home earlier today from our Hawaiian vacation which featured a pre-cruise stay and sailing on the Pride of Aloha. This review is likely to be very long, so I intend to break it up into several parts. My review provides information on the NCL pre-cruise package, our cruise experience, and shore excursions.

We purchased our air on our own and arrived in Honolulu after an un-eventful flight on Friday, 10/15 at 12:45PM. Upon leaving the terminal, we did notice that there was an NCL representative waiting to greet passengers and provide instructions as to where the shuttle to Waikiki could be found. We didn’t take the shuttle, as we had arranged for stretch limo service to the Marriott Waikiki. By the time our documents arrived and we found out airport transfers were included in our pre-cruise package (our travel agent never told us about this benefit), the idea of taking a stretch limo stocked with cold beer after a long flight had already “grown” on us, so we kept our original plans intact. We used Charley’s limo for the service, but they sub-contracted the service out to a small local operator. If you desire stretch limo service, we would suggest Star Limo for this service. We met others who used them, and their prices were much better than Charley’s

We arrived at the Marriott at approximately 1:45PM. We did purchase this as a pre-cruise package from NCL. Upon arriving at the hotel, we advised the porters that we were there on an NCL package, and they stopped in their tracks when it came to baggage assistance, and directed us to the NCL office near the lobby. NCL has their own arrangement with the hotel for baggage handling that does not include the use of the hotel porters.

We went to the NCL office to check in, and initially they could not locate our reservation, but after a few minutes, they did. Our room was not ready for check-in at that time, but we were able to present all of our paperwork needed to pre-register for the cruise, presented our credit card for charges on board, and had our photos taken for our onboard “sign-and-sail” (or whatever they call it) card. We also made reservations for the first night on board at one of the specialty restaurants. You could also book shore excursions at that time, but you could not cancel any that you may have booked in advance (this had to be done on the ship).

While waiting for our room to be made up, we ventured onto the terrace restaurant at the hotel for cold drinks. The view is directly on Waikiki Beach, and turned out to be a very relaxing start to our vacation. We easily passed the time away until our room was ready at 3PM. A note about hotel charges to your room – even though we presented our credit card to NCL , you still need to go to the hotel’s main reception desk at present a credit card for any incidental charges you may make during your stay. NCL does not set this up for you, even if you did purchase the pre-cruise package from them. We found this out when later that afternoon the restaurant called us in our room to say that room charges were not established for us (which was easily corrected by a walk down to the lobby).

We purchased an Oceanview room (highest category offered by NCL) and were placed in a balcony room on the 25th floor facing Diamond Head, with a view of the ocean, in the hotel’s rear tower. Even with the aesthetically pleasing sights of the crater and ocean, we were somewhat disappointed with the view, because what really jumped out at us was that we were also looking at the roof-tops on adjacent hotels cluttered with hotel mechanical systems, many in dire need of refurbishment. In comparison to the panoramic views we had experienced on other recent trips, which involved stays at the Sheraton Waikiki and Hilton Hawaiian Village, the view left some to be desired. HOWEVER, we spent very little time in our room other than to sleep, and I have to say that the pillows and beds were the absolute best I’ve ever experienced at any hotel of any kind in all my travels. I went so far as to locate undress the pillows so that I could write down the manufacturers information so that I can order a few in the near future.

This hotel housed an ABC store and Hertz rental car counter on the property. This made picking up our rental car much easier than dealing with the airport shuttle with all of our luggage. We grabbed our rental car around 4PM, and pulled it around to the valet so that it would be available that evening and during the rest of our pre-cruise stay.

Our arrival evening at the Marriott (pre-cruise), we had made dinner reservations at the Cabanas Restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. This came as a recommendation from a CC friend (thanks Spleen), and we were not disappointed! Individual cabanas are set up Oceanside on the beach in from of the hotel. We arrived at 5:30PM, and enjoyed sunset and dining beside the tiki torches by the ocean. The dinners are meant to be shared, and we had the best prepared Kulua pork, ocean prawns, shrimp cocktails, and asparagus spears we’ve ever had. Service was outstanding to top it all off.

To cap the evening, we took a carriage ride from Honolulu Carriage Company. They pick-up and drop-off every thirty minutes from at the bus stop sign directly in front of House of Hong Restaurant located near Kalakaua and Lewers. We took a nice relaxing private ride (just the two of us) around Waikiki, but the ride did not include any ocean views along the route (which was a minor disappointment).

The next morning we began our island activities. We did not purchase any pre-cruise or onboard shore excursions from NCL during our entire stay, and we rented cars on our own in a few places (I’ll explain more about this later).

Our first activity involved a 7AM excursion with North Shore Shark Adventures. This operator is located at the Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor on Oahu’s North Shore. To get there, we drove our rental car, leaving the hotel at 5:45AM, arrivi9ng right at the suggested 6:45AM check-in time. This 26’ custom designed boat sails 3-4 miles off shore to where the ocean depths range from 300-400 feet. At the drop stop, a large aluminum cage is dropped into the water (with Plexiglas cut-outs on two sides), and you enter the cage (to snorkel) while the crew chums the water in order to attract sharks. During my turn in the cage there were roughly 20-22 sharks swimming around the cage whining inches of me. Fantastic adrenaline rush, especially if this would be your first time in the cage. The operator takes a maximum of six snorkelers on each tour, and you enter the cage paired with one other passenger (for a 20-30 minute turn). During this tour, the sharks ranged in size from 6-8 feet (white tips, sandbars), but in a previous visit I had the opportunity to view two 12-foot Galapagos sharks up close (they have also occasionally seen large Tiger Sharks, whale sharks, and whales during season). Great way to get your blood pumping for the day!

That evening we attended the Paradise Cove Luau. The bus picked us up right next door at the Aston Hotel. First, let me say that I love Luaus. During other visits we had attended the dinner and show at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC), and found the food to be quite good, and the production show to be spectacular. The only downside to the PCC (for some people) is that alcoholic beverages are not served on the grounds. However, Paradise Cove’s food IMHO was awful, the worst I’ve ever had anywhere in Hawaii (with the exception of the Marine Corps base in Kaneohe, where I was stationed in 1980-82). I love Kalua Pork, but ours tasted either greatly over-cooked, or from previous day’s leftovers. The fried chicken was inedible, hard and greasy. The dessert was very marginal at best. The POI was the best prepared part of the meal, and added some flavor to the rice. One look up and down the rows of tables, and I could see that others shared our culinary opinion. While the performers worked hard, and the staff was very friendly and accommodating, the PCC is definitely your better option for the price. I’ve never tried Germaine’s, but try any other than the Paradise Cove! I must say, however, that the setting was quite nice, right on the beach. I do think that the 5PM arrival (when the dinner and show doesn’t start until 7PM) was somewhat of a waste of time, and is only designed to get you to shop at the few small shops on the grounds. Please note that this is only MHO, and I’ve read where other CC members have a had different view than mine.

On Sunday 10/17, we took the suggestion of another CC member and drove up to Waianae on the west shore to participate in the Dolphin Express excursion. The drive was slightly less than an hour from our hotel, and the excursion turned out to be on of our favorites of our trip. The craft is a rigid-hull inflatable, very modern, with stainless steel passenger railings around the outside, making it very comfortable to ride in. The tour heads up the remote west coast to bay areas known to be the daytime playground for pods of Hawaiian spinner dolphins. We took the “early-bird” tour, because the success rate in locating large pads is over 90%, which is much greater than the late morning tour’s success rate. On our trip, a pod of over 100 dolphins was located. Not only did I get spectacular footage of swimming, jumping, playing dolphins, but also I got a chance to go into the water and snorkel with them. This was an experience I’ll never forget! After dolphin swimming, we also snorkeled at a location that was home to a number of large green sea turtles. I can’t wait to get my photos back!

We returned to the hotel at around 11AM, turned in our rental car, and had just enough time for a quick shower prior to taking the ship’s transfer bus to the cruise ship pier. Your luggage is simply left in you room and tagged with the NCL tags that arrived with our documents by 10AM on Sunday, and the baggage handlers come to your room to get the bags and load them on the bus. You do not need to be present when they pick up your bags (we weren’t), and they will not bother any other luggage that isn’t tagged (like your carry on stuff, which in our case included our toiletries and dinner cloths for the first night on board).

NCL asks that you congregate in the lobby area just outside of their office at 12:30PM on embarkation day. The waiting area has plenty of tables and chairs for seating, was indoors and air-conditioned, and is also right next to the lobby ABC store (I bought a few cold drinks and a snack to pass the time). My wife and I simply waited for the boarding call to begin, entered the line to the bus, and our names were checked off just before boarding. There were two busses transporting (92) passengers on our departure day, and the process went very smooth, with a hotel departure at approximately 1PM.

Our bus from the hotel arrived at the pier around 11:20AM. The ride seamed to go fast, and the tour bus drive played a video from the Discovery Channel that focused on the Big Island. Once off of the bus, we were directed to the priority check-in line for NCL pre-cruise customers, were given our “sign-and-sail” cards, and up toward the ship we went. NCL had about five lines going for pre-cruise customers, and the entire process took only about ten minutes. For non-pre-cruise customers, a number of check-in lines were going, and in comparison to other cruises we’ve taken, those lines seemed to be functioning at a fairly normal pace.

At the top of the gang-way the line did lengthen due to the obligatory group photos. While I know these photos can be pretty neat to have, I wish there was an option to bypass this process and get on the ship. This was about the longest line we experienced on our entire cruise, and it lasted about twenty minutes.

Once on the ship, we noticed NCL staff not only at the gangway entrance on deck five (atrium), but also on each floor directing passengers to their rooms. We were located in a BA stateroom (#9276) on the back of the ship. If you spend some time looking at the floor maps of the ship and noting CC member suggestions prior to your cruise, you will find the ship very easy to navigate (just remember the fish on the carpet are always swimming to the front of the ship).

We went directly to our stateroom in order to drop off our carry-on luggage, and immediately noticed that one of our bags (we had four) had already arrived. The room was immaculate, and it was obvious that the linen on the beds had just been changed. The bathroom, closets, and even under the bed were very clean. For those of you worried about “re-used” dirty linen, that may have been common on earlier cruises, put your mind at ease. I’ll jump ahead to tell you that on debarkation day we noticed that outside every room there were several large plastic bags tied to the handrails, and that is where the room steward(ess) would place the dirty linen from your stay.

We did not meet our room stewardess (Kristen) until the second day of the cruise. She introduced herself, and let us know that this was her first cruise week aboard POA, but to us it was obvious she had worked in hotel services somewhere else prior. The room was always immaculate, we always had a turn-down with chocolates, she always left extra coffee packets and condiments, and she was very pleasant. The only issue we had was that the beds are extremely hard, as advertised by other CC members. Because we waited until the second day to ask for an egg-shell pad, the ship had already distributed what they had to other passengers. However, Kristen did go and get several down comforter pads and placed them underneath the fitted sheet of our bed, and this helped a lot. Just a suggestion – but tip your room steward(ess) either partly in advance, or daily. We left a tip each day (in proportion to what we normally leave for our room attendant on other cruises), and I would venture to say our Kristen earned it, and we were grateful for the great service.

We then went up to Deck 11 for the welcome buffet. This was not a poolside BBQ, but was well organized in the Hukilau Buffet and Lanai. The lanai area was much less crowded, and had two lines going. The easiest way to get there is to go to the aft stairwell on either decks 9 or 10, and walk up to deck 11. This brings you right to the entrance for the Longboard lounge (sports bar) on the port side, and you can easily cut through it to get to the lanai buffet. We found this buffet to be very good. They had some very good sides (shrimp cole slaw), steaks, burgers, sausage, hot dogs, and salads. The main buffet area (inside the ship) also had a fresh fruit station, with a server constantly slicing fresh pineapple, mangos, guavas, etc), and a large dessert station. We didn’t have a problem finding seating on the lanai, but you can also go right back into the main buffet seating (on the starboard/right side of the ship), or the Longboard bar area for air conditioned seating. The crew was extremely pleasant, and was working very hard to maintain a good flow of passengers through the area.

After the buffet, we explored for a little while to orientate ourselves with the entire ship, and then returned to our cabin to freshen up. This was about 3:30PM by now, and we received a knock at the door from a room steward and a fellow passenger. Apparently our remaining three bags and pre-booked shore excursion tickets (more on this in a moment) were delivered to the wrong room, and our fellow passenger escorted the attendant to our room to make sure we got our bags. The attendant was very apologetic, and we appreciated the assistance of the fellow passenger. All in all, no big deal. Just something to keep in mind if your shore excursion tickets are not in your room upon arrival.

About a month prior to our trip, we had pre-purchased and paid for two bottles of Moet for the sail away form port, and then for the scenic cruising along the NaPali cost when leaving Kauai. The champagne was in our room, but only one bottle was Moet, the other an off-brand that we had never experienced. While we decided not to make a big deal out of that, it might be wise to bring your “pre-purchased gifts” form along with you if you’re going to pre-purchase something special like we did, just to make sure that the “substitute” item is of equal or greater value. Again, in our case, no big deal. We enjoyed the off-brand champagne, but we are not cone sours like others. And it might matter to you (and rightly so).

That evening, we had a 6:30PM dinner reservation at the Bistro (pre-made while at the Marriott). The restaurant was sparsely populated with passengers, and the Maitre D did say that Sunday night was always the slowest for them. As such, you should easily be able to get in even without making a reservation pre-cruise. Dimitre, our head waiter (from Bulgaria) was very experienced, pleasant, and helpful. We enjoyed the food (we had the filet and lobster, with sides and escargot, dessert), and were very pleased. Just a side note on the wait staff in general; most of the staff is very young and/or very inexperienced with fine ding. This was very obvious in the manner in which they addressed each diner, and the apparent lack of table etiquette knowledge. THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT THEY WERE NOT PLEASANT! The crew worked very, very hard, and wanted to please. It is just that it was very similar to the type of service I might receive at a local Friday’s, Applebee’s, of Chili’s restaurant. Accommodating and helpful, just NOT formal. This appeared to really rub a lot of veteran cruisers the wrong way, and seemed to upset them greatly. To us, we rolled with it and had a great time. The entire experience took just slightly more than an hour, seemed efficient, and we enjoyed a nicely paced relaxing dinner. As always through the trip, we graciously tipped each server based upon the quality of service, and what we would normally tip a service in a comparable shore based restaurant for a similar meal.

For the sail away, we decided not to view it from our cabin balcony, but rather made our way back to the Longboard Lounge. Tables located along the floor to ceiling port side windows made this an ideal place to be. The lead bartender at the Longboard, Kat, was fabulous. She’s a local from Honolulu that went out of her way to take care of us. Sitting at the bar itself was the best place to be overall, because she controlled the service there. On the floor, we had a waiter one night that was slooooowwwwww (Can’t remember his name, but I believe he was from Jamaica – you’ll notice him, so choose another section with a different server if possible)……so we simply moved back to the bar. He seemed more interested in socializing with other crew members than trying to earn a good tip.

Now on to our first stop in Kauai, but before I get into the port calls to heavily, just a not on why we chose many of our shore excursions. We did not choose non-NCL excursions based upon the price they were charging, and we did not always go with the most economical route. We chose the excursions we did because we felt they were better than what NCL was offering, and b3elieve it or not, often times much more convenient. I’ll explain this in further detail as I move forward with my review.

The first day in Kauai we chose Holoholo Carters for the 5.5 hour morning NaPali tour. In researching NaPali coast tour options, I discovered that NCL buys out NaPali Explorer on days they are in port, and in the summer months (May through September), the ship does not arrive in port early enough to make the check in times for other NaPali Coast operators, because most of them offer two tours daily, with the morning tours leaving around 6:30AM, and the PM tours can be a rough ride because of the trade winds. However, beginning in mid-September that changes. Most operators only do one daily tour, which leaves Port Allen or Waimea Harbor at 8-8:30PM.

We had originally booked the NaPali tour through the ship just to ensure we would get a chance to see the coast up-close from a small boat perspective. The NaPali Explorer is a rigid hull inflatable, and unlike the Dolphin Express bout, it does not have side guard rails to lean on (you hold onto ropes when moving). By comparison, the Holoholo is a 49’ sailing catamaran, and was extremely comfortable. During our tour we did see the Explorer up close several times, and we were very pleased with our decision. The trip was fabulous, great crew, great vessel, and fun ride, great food for breakfast and lunch, and open bar after snorkeling (although the snorkeling was not very good). Select this type of excursion for the scenic tour, not the snorkeling. There are better places on the island for that.

The only catch with an early morning tour is though the ship arrives at the dock prior to 7AM, we were not cleared to disembark until 7:25AM. I had pre-arranged a taxi pick-up (through Kauai Taxi), and they were at the pier waiting. We made it to Port Allen for check easily before the 8AM posted check-in time and 8:30AM departure. Had the cruise ship offered this tour, we would have selected it for the convenience. I would highly recommend that if you need taxi service on Kauai, pre-arrange it. I did not see many taxis waiting at all (maybe two).

The second day in Kauai, we took a helicopter tour on Jack Harter Helicopters. We took the recommendation of many others, and booked the 90-95 minute tour. This was spectacular, and in comparison to the 60 minute tours, allowed the pilot to spend more time at the scenic sights, and to position the aircraft so that all six passengers got the best view of each beautiful sight. Jack Harter also operates a shuttle to/form the pier. We chose an 8AM flight, and they picked us up at 7:30AM. The staff was fantastic, and our pilot, “Mr. Bill Smooth Operator” was very skilled. Having worked on helicopter electrical systems years ago, and having logged a lot of crew hours, I could easily see what a good pilot this guy was, and how well maintained the aircraft appeared to be. I would highly recommend this particular morning excursion (afternoon wind shear makes it rough up in the mountains).

Just a note for those reserving cars in Kauai overnight – there was a secure parking area located adjacent to the warehouse that is home to the security station allowing enrty to the ship. There was not a cost for this service to my knowledge (we saw other passengers coming and going with no cash exchanging hands).

Also, there was a shuttle bus that ran every ten minutes between the ship and the Anchor Cove Shopping Center. Harbor Mall is also across the street, and JJ’s Broiler and Burger Hut (I think that’s right?) are right there, and offer very good lunches and views of Kalapaki Beach. This are is also less than a ten minute leisurely walk for the pier.

Before I forget, formal night on our cruise was on Monday (not Tuesday as was the case for previous cruises)

After our helo tour on Tuesday morning in Kauai, we boarded the ship, changed into pool wear, and proceeded to head up to deck 11 for the poolside BBQ. The regular inside buffet lines open at 11:30, however, the BBQ line did not open until noon. These times were clearly posted in the Daily, but none-the-less, we heard some griping about the start time. The BBQ was excellent. Grilled steaks, ribs, chicken, burger, hotdogs, sides, fresh fruit, etc. Very delicious! If this interests you, I would suggest getting up to deck 11 a little early if you want a poolside table. Otherwise, there is still plenty of seating in the main buffet area, the lanai, and Longboard bar. Also, for those of you that like a little something from the bar, keep in mind that unit 11:30AM the Poolside (Breakers) Bar was only staffed with one bartender, creating a log-jam of crabby passengers. The Longboard bar (opens at 3PM) and Hukilau Lain Bar were also closed as well. Help arrives at 11:30AM, and three bartenders and an assistant are there to run the operation very efficiently.

On the bar service note, BEER LOVERS REJOICE! This ship serves 20 oz tappers of domestic beers, and while they do not offer the beer helmet, they do have the beer bucket (ala CCL and RCCL). You have to pay for all six beers (no six for five discount), but it sure comes in handy for stocking the refrigerator, or eliminating the need to frequently return to the bar).

After lunch, we adjourned to our cabin to watch the NaPali coastline with a bottle of Champagne. The ship departs Nawiliwili at 1PM, and travels around the island counter-clockwise, entering the NaPali Coast from the north shore (Princeville area). Once it starts along this portion of the coast, the Caption slows the ship down, for a real nice relaxing view of this majestic coastline. If you don’t have a balcony room either directly aft or on the port (left) side of the ship, stake your claim to a spot on either deck 11 or 12 early.

That evening we had previously made a reservation at the Pacific Heights restaurant for dinner. While we found the food to be outstanding (try the macadamia crusted snapper – the absolute best salt water fish dinner I’ve ever had), the Matre D at this restaurant appears to have created a very “intense, stuffy” atmosphere that made us very uncomfortable. I don’t know if others noticed, but his presence in the dining room was almost smothering, and the wait staff as a result seemed very, very uncomfortable. Maybe this is the way to begin that “formal atmosphere” training that I had previously mentioned appeared to be missing with the dining room wait staff, but we found it to be very uncomfortable. But again, the food was delicious.

After dinner, we ventured into the Blue Hawaii night club to see an Elvis impersonator and then later on, Karaoke. Very fun, but a much smaller crowd in the evening than what we’re used to from other cruises. I’m in my early forties, and my wife is a few years younger, and we quickly noticed that the majority of passengers were in the retirement age range. Not that we minded that one bit, but it did mean smaller crowds at the “late night” scene.

In Hilo, we opted to rent a car and go off on our own. We chose Hertz, because I’m a Gold Club member, and it made the paperwork process simple and easy. I’m sure we could have reserved for less elsewhere, but we were willing to pay for the convenience. The shuttle driver, Ernie, is a local man born and raised in Hilo. He went out of his way to tell us how happy he was to see tourists visiting, and strongly made it clear that they need us to economically prosper. He also took the standard Hertz guide book and highlighted the sections that would lead us away from the tourist traps, and take us to the more scenic locations. He did this on his own time, and went through the details with us during our drive to the airport rental car location. His advice was very much appreciated!

Besides the tips we received from Ernie, we planned our stops using the “Big Island Revealed” guidebook, and I’ll tell you it was right on. We explored the Puna area to the south of Hilo (after some stops in the Hilo area which included Rainbow Falls). After lunch at LaQuins in Pahoa (a guidebook recommendation, fantastic Mexican Food, less that $20 for two, and that included beer), we headed on down to the Kopho tide pools, the Anahuli (check the spelling on that ) volcanically heated pool, and the volcanic devastation from 1992, which is now beginning to form the “new” black sand beach. Very interesting “on-your-own” tour that takes you away from the masses of tour busses heading up to Volcano National Park. We thoroughly enjoyed our day, and got back to the ship at around 5PM.

In the evening, we opted to eat at the Mexican Buffet for dinner. While we had seen past reviewers give this one low marks, it is obvious to me that changes were made and the food quality, quantity, and variety were very good. I love good Mexican food, but also know that bad Mexican food can be some of the most disgusting on earth. If you don’t feel like dressing up for dinner on this night, give this one a try. There were a variety of pre-made enchiladas and burritos, and a taco stand with all of the condiments. The staff kept the lines stocked well, and were very pleasant and helpful when needed.

Thanks for your review (at least a portion of it). I cannot wait to read the rest of your review. Thanks for taking the time to do this (again after your posts was deleted!!).

Thanks for saying about your view at the Marriiot. We reserved at the Hilton Hawaiian and I hope we get a good view from our room of the beach. Of course we get "run of the house" so we cannot reserve "view room".

Minybear

I can't wait till Sunday when I get on the POA! Thanks so much for all the details

Another note about Hilo before I forget. The ship did dock around 9AM, but it did not clear to allow passengers to disembark until 9:35AM. A number of passengers were really stressed, because they had pre-reserved (on their own) excursions that began at either 9:30 or 10AM. Just something to keep in mind when planning.

Thursday was Kona day. This is an absolutely beautiful port, with the clearest water I’ve seen in the parts of Hawaii I’ve experienced. This is a tender port, as most of you know. NCL shore excursions have priority for the first tender(s). For all others, tender tickets were distributed in the Aloha atrium, deck 7, near the bar. The NCL rep distributing the tender tickets arrived at about 6:45AM. BY then, there were about 7-8 people already waiting to get tender tickets. For your entire group (regardless of the number in your group) only one person needs to be present to pick up tender tickets for the group.

Tendering began around 7:15AM at deck three, forward. NCL has it’s own tenders, and I would guess each one holds about 75 passengers. They have three of these that run continuously throughout the day. The first tender of the morning was packed with NCL shore excursion customers. We held tender ticket numbers 35 and 36, and were able to get on the second tender leaving the ship. As we were boarding the second tender, we noticed that the third tender was already boarding. The boat ride to shore is only about 5-10 minutes long, and we were on shore by 7:40AM.

We had selected Four Winds Cruises for our Kona excursion. This boat goes out to Kealakekua Bay from Keauhou Bay, which is about a 10-15 minute taxi ride from the pier. Several taxis were waiting at the pier when we got off of the tender, and a $20 taxi ride later, we were at the Four Winds office (around 8AM). In the past, I’ve heard that many POA passengers were afraid to book this tour because the check in time is at 8:30AM, departure at 9AM. I can say you will have plenty of time to get there if you make an effort to get an early tender pass. Four Winds were still checking passengers in right up until the 9AM departure.

Kealakekua Bay is recognized by many of the guidebooks as the best snorkeling spot on the Big Island, and I can’t argue that. It was by far and away superior to any other spot I’ve ever been to on the islands in terms of water clarity, marine, and coral life. Absolutely fantastic. The boat is also extremely well maintained, very well professionally staffed, and very easy to move around on. We had approximately 100 passengers on board, and it still felt spacious and uncrowded. Along with Dolphin Express on Oahu, this was a real “dive in” highlight for our trip.

After we finished with Four Winds, we had our return cab drop us off at the Kona Brewing Company, which is just a short walk from the pier. For beer lovers, they have about 12-15 local brews they make there, and for the non-beer drinkers, the menu is very tasty and generous. This was a great way to spend the remaining afternoon before tendering back on board.

Later that evening we simply snacked at the Longboard Bar. They have a menu of finger foods and sandwiches available until 3:30AM, and there is not an extra charge. I had the hot wings, while my wife had the fish and chips. Both were very good, and there were several other items I would have tried if I had not eaten so late in the afternoon. Great place for a late-night meal and a drink.

Friday was our first day in Maui. We started the day with breakfast in the Palace dining room, and very much enjoyed the experience. We were seated immediately (7:30AM), received outstanding service (we did have an experienced lead and assistant waiter for breakfast), and left feeling very satisfied. I had the eggs benedict (prepared very nicely), a side of bacon (very crispy, just how I like it), juice and coffee. My wife had cinnamon French toast, which she said was delicious.

We departed the ship around 8:45AM, and proceeding to wait near the car rental shuttle area. We again rented Hertz, and our shuttle arrived within minutes. Another note on car rental reservations – think about reserving in advance of your trip. We heard a number of passengers complain that they were not able to secure a rental car while on board, because they were all sold out. We even saw signs early on in the cruise that Budget (the rental car company of the cruise ship) was sold out for Maui.

In Maui, we elected to stay off of the ship for the night. This had nothing to do with the ship, but rather with the fact that we wanted to stay in Lahaina overnight, and not have to drive/cab back and forth. We spent the early part of the day shopping in Lahaina, had lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise (great ocean view, average food), and then checked into the Sheraton Kanapali for the night. The hotel is located on Black Rock, and the snorkeling was surprisingly very good. We also able to see several large green sea turtles from our room balcony.

Day two in Maui we drove down to Maalaea Harbor for an AM tour of the Molokini Crater on the Four Winds II. The cruise ship does offer a Molokini Crater tour, but it is on the afternoon of the first day in Maui. The problem with that tour is that all reference guides say the an afternoon trip that makes it all the way to Molokini is very “iffy”, and that they often times choose an “alternate site” because of increasing wind and surf conditions. Further, we selected Four Winds II over the other operators based upon information read in several guidebooks, including “Maui Revealed”.

First, I’ll comment on the crew and the food. Outstanding in every way. Very accommodating, helpful, friendly. The BBQ lunch was very very good for a snorkel boat, and very generous. The bar was open, and included all sodas and beer. The boat, while very nice, did have a crowded feel to it. Sailing on board with us were probable about the same number as we had sailed with in Kona, but the boat felt crowded.

Also, I have to say that I was really put off by the “video-tographer” and “snuba” sales pitches. I’m sure we spent the first 30 minutes at sea listening to sales pitches, and then the next 30-45 minute being photographed for a “still shot CD” sale after the cruise. You couldn’t even go in the water and peacefully snorkel without being perused by the underwater photographer. To me, this was a real big turn-off, and just made me think of Maui commercialization, not it’s beauty.

As for Molokini itself, I was very disappointed. The reef is very beaten up, and there were a number of tour operators moored very close to each other. After experiencing Kona, this was a real let-down. I would suggest researching other high quality snorkel spots in Maui, and skip this one (regardless of who the tour operator is). I would much have preferred a quite beach day over this excursion.

Thanks so much for taking the time right after your cruise and for all of the detailed information. I had noticed your posts before the cruise and I know you spent a lot of time researching beforehand. I'm doing the same. I'm on POA in March and can't wait. I appreciate reading your posts about the good and bad!!

After our Molokini excursion on Saturday, we shopped at the Maalaea Harbor shops for a while before returning our rental car, and taking the shuttle back to the ship. We arrived in our stateroom to find an envelope with luggage tags for the next day, to my surprise. My wife and I were getting ready to place the tags on our bags, when I happened to notice that the tags said for NCL “POST-CRUISE STAY” at the Marriott. Glad we caught that, because we were there on a pre-cruise, not post cruise package. We almost sent our bags back to the Marriott instead of off of the ship at the pier! I then proceeded to go to the deck 5 atrium area and got the correct baggage tags for our deck. Later that night after returning late from our last night out, a note had been placed in our room saying they made an error, and that the “Post-Cruise” baggage tags were meant for the next occupants (10/24-31) in our cabin. Just a suggestion to read everything that NCL delivers to you in detail!

Saturday evening we ate in the Palace dining room for dinner. We were told the wait would be about 30 minutes, but we were seated in about 15 minutes (we had arrived around 8PM). To help make the wait more tolerable, NCL had glasses and glasses of champagne on trays, which were complimentary during the wait. Once seated, we had only one primary server (just as was the case in the Crossings), and she was again proficient, but not at all formal. There was some “floating” help with dishes/utensils, but that was very minimal. Because she was the only real server to our table, the flow of the meal went to a screeching halt if anything was ordered from the bar. Just a thought, but even if you feel funny going in double fisted, bring two drinks with you if you’re even moderately concerned with the time schedule (for shows, etc). You’ll be glad you did.

Saturday evening we went to the Blue Hawaii night club for “twisted karaoke”. This was quite fun to watch, but I have to get this off of my chest right now. IMHO, and again I say IMHO, the Cruise Director, Jimmy Kovel, was a pompous, arrogant, self-centered……okay, you get the point. At one point during our cruise, he actually got up and criticized the audience for our “lack of participation” in a VERY condescending way during a night club activity. I’m glad I never saw him much, because one time was more than enough. On the flip side, his staff were outstanding, friendly, out-going and fun!

Would love info on the tours, they all sounded wonderful, how did you track them down? The reveal books? Please advise

My email is LizCiardi@yahoo.com

After our Molokini excursion on Saturday, we shopped at the Maalaea Harbor shops for a while before returning our rental car, and taking the shuttle back to the ship. We arrived in our stateroom to find an envelope with luggage tags for the next day, to my surprise. My wife and I were getting ready to place the tags on our bags, when I happened to notice that the tags said for NCL “POST-CRUISE STAY” at the Marriott. Glad we caught that, because we were there on a pre-cruise, not post cruise package. We almost sent our bags back to the Marriott instead of off of the ship at the pier! I then proceeded to go to the deck 5 atrium area and got the correct baggage tags for our deck. Later that night after returning late from our last night out, a note had been placed in our room saying they made an error, and that the “Post-Cruise” baggage tags were meant for the next occupants (10/24-31) in our cabin. Just a suggestion to read everything that NCL delivers to you in detail!

Saturday evening we ate in the Palace dining room for dinner. We were told the wait would be about 30 minutes, but we were seated in about 15 minutes (we had arrived around 8PM). To help make the wait more tolerable, NCL had glasses and glasses of champagne on trays, which were complimentary during the wait. Once seated, we had only one primary server (just as was the case in the Crossings), and she was again proficient, but not at all formal. There was some “floating” help with dishes/utensils, but that was very minimal. Because she was the only real server to our table, the flow of the meal went to a screeching halt if anything was ordered from the bar. Just a thought, but even if you feel funny going in double fisted, bring two drinks with you if you’re even moderately concerned with the time schedule (for shows, etc). You’ll be glad you did.

Saturday evening we went to the Blue Hawaii night club for “twisted karaoke”. This was quite fun to watch, but I have to get this off of my chest right now. IMHO, and again I say IMHO, the Cruise Director, Jimmy Kovel, was a pompous, arrogant, self-centered……okay, you get the point. At one point during our cruise, he actually got up and criticized the audience for our “lack of participation” in a VERY condescending way during a night club activity. I’m glad I never saw him much, because one time was more than enough. On the flip side, his staff were outstanding, friendly, out-going and fun!

Ooops, accidentally duplicated my previous post the last time....

Yesterday, Sunday 10/24 was debarkation day. We were on deck 9, so were near the end of the debarkation process. We started our morning with a 7:30AM breakfast buffet at the Hukilau Lanai (the Palace was also doing buffet, along with the main Hukilau Buffet, no sit down service this day). My wife and I found the food to be standard buffet fair at least as good as any other cruise or main hotel breakfast buffet (Sunday hotel buffets excluded) we’ve experienced in recent years. Good meats, eggs were fine, fresh fruits, juice and coffee machines in order, tables bussed very shortly after they were vacated, very friendly service staff. No complaints at all.

The ship was running about 10-15 minutes late on the debarkation schedule, but we were able to leave the ship around 9:35AM (deck 9 is third to lat to debark, deck 10 is next to last, and post-cruise package customers are last to get off). The luggage claim area seemed to be fairly well organized, and with no “customs” to deal with, the process was very smooth (about 20 minutes from the time our cards were swiped for the last time to the time we had all of our bags).

Our flight did not leave until 5:30PM, so we had set this time aside for some shopping before heading to the airport. If you have big bags like us, don’t fret. Right next to the baggage claim area (about 50 feet away) is a very secure baggage holding area. The cost is $5 per bag, but it sure makes life convenient. In a matter of minutes, we were able to check our bags into the holding/storage area, and we were off shopping at the adjacent Aloha Tower Marketplace (about fifty stores and restaurants). Also, if you really want to do some serious shopping, the Ala Moana Mall. Is a short 7-10 minute cab ride away, and is an extremely large mall.

After shopping, we took the advise of another CC member and had lunch at the Big Island Steakhouse at the Aloha Tower. Very good prime rib sandwich (my wife didn’t care for the burgers – too dry). Great service, and about as nice of a view as you’ll get at the pier make this one a nice stop.

Leaving the pier is a breeze. Taxi’s continually are coming and going, and the pier is only about 10-15 minutes to the airport. Check-in at the airport was very un-eventful, and very simple thanks to the curb side porter service that ran our bags through security while we checked in with NWA.

Another “note” regarding Honolulu Airport, especially if you’ve never been there before. If you don’t feel like hanging out at the pier or doing something else after disembarking, this airport has very very good food. The Kalua pork sandwiches, nachos, and many other items are really good. You won’t even know you’re at the airport, especially if you wash your lunch/snack down with a departing Lava Flow or Kona 22oz tapper (or two). This is one of the few airports in the country that I don’t mind hanging out at, especially if you’re hungry or thirsty.

Bank of Dad, You are very kind to post such a long and detailed review.

Now tell us how you felt, was it worth it? Did it exceed or meet you expectations? Would you do it again?

WOW! Bankofdad, what an awesome review! What did you do, take notes?? Thank you SO much!:D

Some day we'll do this cruise.....

Thank you for all of your information it will help me and my family out alot. I have a question though. Could you give the information about the dolphin excursion you took before you got onto the boat. That excursion sounded like it would be fun and I would like to get some more information so I could look into getting it booked. Thank you... and Your explinations made me even more excited to go on our cruise in January!! :D

Just to close out my review, a few humble observations…

First, this was a fantastic trip. IMO a trip of a lifetime. We had a spectacular time, but it is very important that those reading understand that we chose this cruise solely based upon the port schedule. We would not have cared if it were NCL, CCL, RCCL, Holland, Celebrity, etc. We held off booking a Hawaiian Island cruise for years until the POAmerica went on sail about a year ago.

This is not, and IMHO this will never be, a traditionalist cruise with high end formal services and dining that seasoned veterans have come to expect from cruising. The crew is young, mostly American, hard-working, and willing. But at the end of the day, most of these young men and ladies are looking at this experience as a stepping stone to a better American life beyond the standard cruise ship employment opportunity. Therefore, I would be surprised (but I may be wrong) that the NCLA endeavor will ever be the “formal” cruise experience. I expect that the crew will continually turn over, and remain young (for the most part). I don’t view this as a bad thing personally, but I’m sure other do, and in that case, DON’T take this cruise.

However, if you’re wanting a spectacular, LAID-BACK, fun and island active trip, you’ll love this crew. They were enthusiastic, friendly, HARD-WORKING, and very fun-loving.

Some other notes. We did not experience any of the Jean Ryan Productions on board. We were typically beat from the activities of the day, but comments we had heard from other passengers were very positive about most of the shows (except sea legs cirque, which, we were told included repetition from previous shows).

The Magician, John Shryock, was not on our cruise. John Alexander (and his wife) performed a dual magic/comedy act, which was entertaining. Not the best magic show, but very funny. They were also both very personable, and John participated in other staff activities during our cruise.

Most of the MAJOR complaints we heard came from groups/individuals that tried to arrange “special activities” for “special events” (such as wedding activities, landmark birthdays, landmark anniversaries) through NCL. Most often, plans turned to disaster. IMHO, avoid relying on their party planning staff at all costs, and try to work with a reputable hotel or restaurant on shore for a gala surprise event.

Also, as previously beat to death, don’t expect high-end formal dining in the main dining rooms OR the specialty restaurants. Seasoned cruisers used to this will be disappointed. Expect laid back, friendly, eager “Outback Steakhouse” type service (which to me is great), and you’ll have a fantastic time.

I plan to monitor this thread for a while before moving on to explore the RCCL board for our upcoming cruise on “Navigator of the Seas”. If I can answer any questions at all, I’m happy to do so. After all, I’m only returning the favor that other CC members have extended to me in planning this trip.

Maholo!

BOD: Aloooooooohhhhhhhhaaaaaaaa! Great review! I'm so glad you liked "my" town....it is beautiful here, I have to agree. BTW....I was a little confused at first but then realized you meant Fair Winds not Four Winds....*smile*

Thanks for taking the time!!

Emi

Thanks to everyone for the kind response to my review. Like I've said, I'm just giving back to CC members for all of the help we were given while we were in the planning process.

Regarding the Dolphin Express Excursion, I received that tip from a CC member that had posted on the "Ports of Call" "Hawaii" forum. There are some fantastic local resources that take time to thoughtfully answer Hawaii port of call questions (in particular, Spleen, SweetEmi, Suebee). I chanced upon a review on that forum by a past traveler that posted photos from Dolphin Express (they will also pick you up at your Waikiki hotel if you need transportation, and will bring you back after the tour). I don't think the rules allow me to post the web site address, but if you do a web search for "dolphin express oahu" through google (or a similar search engine), you'll easily find it. You won't be dissapointed if you do the "early bird" tour.

To answer the question about whether it was worth it, my answer is a resounding YES!!!!!!!!! I must admit, I was getting very nervous about reviews around the end of August, but the tone of reviews seemed to change after that, and the mass of negative reviews seemed to slow down. As I'm sure you know, in business, an unsatisfied customer is ten times more likely to complain than a satisfied customer will praise, is a true guage to me. As you can see from my review, things weren't perfect, but NOTHING that wasn't exactly right caused me any stress at all (and I can be very picky and critical). I am sooo glad we did not cancel this trip! Take this trip (unless you are a veteren-cruise-formalist), and you will have a great time. Veteran Cruise formalists - I'm AM NOT critizing you at all. This cruise may just be too laid back for your expectations.

LizC - regarding tours, we started with a blank sheet of paper, looked at island maps, continually listened to CC member's advise on the "Hawaii" port of call forum, bought the Frommers guide books, and all three of the current Wizard Publications (Maui Revealed, Kauai Revealed, Big Island Revealed). I have to say that we were not at all disapointed in how we went about selecting our activities, and most of them lived up to expectations.

Thanks for your fantastic detailed reviews! I've been watching all your pre-cruise posts and I'm excited to hear you had such a great time! Can't wait til I leave on 11/21!!!!

Great catch Emi! Even while we were on our trip, I had to pull my reservations paperwork to keep it straight between "Four Winds" (Maui) and "Fair Wind" (KONA). Could be those local Kona brews that are popping up all over the islands just wouldn't let me think straight!:D

Bankofdad,

Welcome home ... and thanks for a great review. From the looks of thinks my favorite pet peeve - the buffet - has improved dramatically. You probably hit it on the head ... this is a different type of cruise ... and as long as people go into it with that understanding then they should enjoy themselves.

I have also been following posts from the POA cruisers-it is so exciting to see people finally having a good time! It is almost time to breathe a sigh of relief for the future cruisers.

Bankofdad- you are my kind of cruiser- I think we would really like this cruise as Applebee's and Outback are just fine with me and I don't need my hand held all week :) (I don't care if I know my waiter or cruise director) I know there are people who enjoy "traditional" cruising- I hope TA's read your review so they can prepare their clients.

Thanks for the well written review-it is full of helpful advice for those who are planning. Maybe it will be my turn in 2006...

BankofDay

Thank you so much for the OUTSTANDING review of your trip. I'm going on POA in January. Never have been to Hawaii and seriously doubt I'll be able to afford to return, this reviews are important to me.

We are traveling with a older couple and I think we are going to do mostly the rent a car thing. I love to snorkle but know that I won't be able to go as much as I would like.

If you had to choose the "best" snorkling place where would it be? Also, I see lots of folks taking the Body Glove Snorket trip? Did you hear anyone talking about the other snorkling trips offered in Kona?

Thank you again!