Just off PoA -8/8 thru 8/15

[Birdnutty]

We had a fabulous time. We spent 4 days in Kailua (about a half hour from Honolulu) pre-cruise on the most beautiful beach at a VRBO that was incredible. Watched the hurricane as it got downgraded day after day. Boarded PoA, and embarked on a very busy but wonderful trip.

I really like the ship - It's different than all the newer ones. Those like the Pearl, Gem, Spirit, Dawn, etc, all are so similar to each other. PoA had a little more character, I think, altho the ship is not easy to navigate due to the placement of restaurants. Can't get from forward to aft on some floors without taking stairways or going outside. Only an inconvenience, but noteworthy. I had downgraded my expectations for this trip, knowing that the crew was completely different, with a different work standard (including hours). Having an American crew was great - I found very little difference in service, but it was alot easier having a conversation and understanding what was said! The crew seemed happier, genuinely pleased to be on board, and were willing to joke around and have fun with the passengers. I like that. There was a great deal more disparity in age of workers too. There were many staff members over 40, especially in the buffet areas. I like that too.

Our only glitch was in communications. We didn't get any of the paperwork that we normally get on our bed upon arrival, including opportunities to buy more things, and also (important) invitations to certain events like Latitudes parties, etc. As a result, we ended up missing a party that I really enjoy - we did get the invitation, but it was too late. I was a little upset about that. On Saturday, we also didn't receive the Sunday's Daily upon turndown (which doesn't always happen). But the Port/Cruise consultant was wonderful and personally made sure we were kept in the communications loop after that. Her name is Lauren Epstein, but she left the ship for vacation the same day we did. Don't know who's there now. So we don't know where the communication break happened, but it was the only glitch we experienced.

Ate dinner in the dining room only twice. The first time, it took 2 hours. Once again, don't know where the delay was, but it was interminable. The second time was in a different dining room (don't remember which one was when) and we had an extremely efficient waiter named Kwoc who was excellent and professional. He had an adorable assistant named Kasper. Kwoc is a stern task master, with a high level of expectation for Kasper (altho sometimes he called him Brian - don't quite understand that). Kasper was relatively new, but was being trained by the best. The two were fantastic and had us fed and out of there in no time (without being rushed).

Most of the time, we ended up eating in the buffet, because time is so limited on the ship in the evenings, and there's alot to do if you like to go to shows. The buffet is so much quicker. We found the food to be very good indeed. Better than many others. There is
so much diversity that if you can't find something you like, then it's your problem for being too picky. From elementary hamburgers and french fries to steamship cuts of meat, great salad bar to fresh fruit, an assortment of vegetables (that is lacking in the dining room), small amounts of Asian and Indian foods, and a variety of desserts (also better than many other ships) - they have it all.

We loved every bit of our trip. We'd never been to Hawaii before, and are now itching to go back. Despite our extra week on Oahu (also spent two nights in Waikiki at the Aqua Palms hotel) and all the touring we did, there's still so much more to see.

Any questions, ask away....

[ERAMP76]

Birdnutty, thanks for the review. Where did you stay on Kailua? That sounds like a good option for a pre cruise stay.

[daisykl]

Thanks for the review - I'll be on PoA in just about a week. Which pier does the ship dock at in Honolulu? I had read that it was at 2 at one time, then 11 and recently I read something about pier 4.

[smrtypnts]

Great review of the ship and staff. Can you tell us what you did at each of the islands. If you got lucky with parking on the overnights (if that was applicable to you). If you took excursions with the ship or on your own. Just in general what you did at each of the ports. Thanks again.

[flashdog_1]

Thanks for the ship review. The tip about vegetables in the buffet is welcome info, as well as its being a quicker choice.

What kind of cabin did you have and were you pleased with it?

[Jeanny]

thanks for the review... I love reading other cruisers trip reports

[MTV43]

[quote=Birdnutty;20880305] The second time was in a different dining room (don't remember which one was when) and we had an extremely efficient waiter named Kwoc who was excellent and professional. He had an adorable assistant named Kasper. Kwoc is a stern task master, with a high level of expectation for Kasper (altho sometimes he called him Brian - don't quite understand that). Kasper was relatively new, but was being trained by the best. The two were fantastic and had us fed and out of there in no time (without being rushed).

We sailed one week before you, we also had Kwoc and Kasper as our waiters. They were great. After their service on the first night, we changed our reservation from Liberty to Skyline and had them the entire week. You were right, the vegetable was lacking in the dining room. Each night Kwoc surprised us with different dishes of veggies.

Thanks God that Hurricane Felicia was downgraded to depression by Tuesday. Was your sailing effect by this storm? We had nice weather, just on & off shower at Hilo, it wasn't a beach day, so it was fine. However, the sea was very rough at night when the ship moved. We had OB cabin on deck 7 and it had a very annoying noise only the ship sailed. NCL provided us another cabin just to sleep, so we ended up with two cabins.

MTV

[Birdnutty]

Originally Posted by ERAMP76

Birdnutty, thanks for the review. Where did you stay on Kailua? That sounds like a good option for a pre cruise stay.

We stayed in an apartment that was in the ground level of a house, right on Kailua Beach. Our host was Eva Allerstorfer (?), who was a wonderful host. The unit faced away from the beach, so there was no beach view, but right off the driveway (where there was free parking) was a private path taking you to her front yard(which we were allowed to use) and the beach. Oh - what a beach!!!! Pure white sand, gentle waves, very few people. Eva supplied all kinds of beach toys, including boogie boards, towels chairs, snorkel gear, etc. There was a small lanai/sitting area outside our door, with a grill we could use if we wanted.

This unit was pretty close to most things, including a Safeway and several restaurants (one especially good one named Pinky's). We used it as home base as we traveled up the north shore or south towards Hanauma BAy. Kept us out of the hubbub of Honolulu.

You can check out the rental units that Eva owns at Hawaiibestrentals.com. We stayed in unit "J". There were two couples, so we were able to each have our own bedroom and bathroom, and shared the living room/Kitchenette (fully equipped, no oven.) The bedrooms had A/C as well as overhead fans.

I would love to stay there again, but for longer. The first night, while walking the beach in a full moon (aaaahhhh) we had minor run-ins with Portugese Man o War - which we didn't know because it was dark - all we knew was that we had stinging feet. A hot shower and some aloe gel did help. Another recommendation is white vinegar - so I suggest you bring some just in case. We saw several beaches with warning signs. They're more of a problem than we knew about. So we didn't get as much beach time as we would have liked.

Would highly recommend this particular property. Interestingly enough, she allowed us to stay 4 nights, altho on her website it was stated that a minimum of 5 is required. With tourism down as much as it is down there, I think the properties are hurting, so it's worth a try to ask, even if it doesn't look like you fit the requirements.

[Birdnutty]

Originally Posted by daisykl

Thanks for the review - I'll be on PoA in just about a week. Which pier does the ship dock at in Honolulu? I had read that it was at 2 at one time, then 11 and recently I read something about pier 4.

When we were there, it docked at pier 2 - both times.

[Birdnutty]

Originally Posted by smrtypnts

Great review of the ship and staff. Can you tell us what you did at each of the islands. If you got lucky with parking on the overnights (if that was applicable to you). If you took excursions with the ship or on your own. Just in general what you did at each of the ports. Thanks again.

On Maui, we rented a car (do this far in advance, and you'll get a better deal. There's no credit card needed to reserve) Had done alot of research and knew where we wanted to go. Went to as many of the places that we could that showed Hawaii's special-ness. We started off by attempting the Road to Hana. Well, it was a vast disappointment. It was foggy and raining, and the vistas just were not there. Found a terrific lava beach on a road off the Road to Hana that was hauntingly strange and beautiful (sorry, don't remember the road name). There was also a fruit/hotdog/ice cream stand there. At that point, we gave up on Hana and headed back. Another reason we gave up is that we had found the most incredible vistas just above Honolulu off Round Top Road (that we found in Oahu Revealed) that this drive was just not that special - to us. Stopped at a touristy shopping center for a drink, found the Pacific Whale Foundation headquarters (More on that later), then headed out to Iao Needle (very interesting). Went to Kmart for supplies, then back to the ship.

There was no room at the small lot just at the pier, but about a block away was a fishing pier that had spaces available. It was also free.

Second day was beach day. Had originally reserved the Molokini snorkel on our own with the Pride of Maui. Cancel period was 48 hours, I believe. With the hurricane still pending, we had to decide before we even got on the ship whether or not to keep it. I know from experience that many times, ship's tour's will go on a trip as long as it is not dangerous. Being able to see anything due to stirred up water is immaterial. Didn't want to make the trip if snorkeling was going to be a bust. So signing up for the ship's tour didn't sound so great either. In talking to the folks that run the excursion (pacific Whale foundation) the previous day as we were tootling around, they felt that if the trip did go, people would probably not see much due to stirred up waters. So we opted not to book at all. Turned out to be a huge mistake, but there was no way we could see into the future.

So we drove around, looking for the perfect beach. There were alot of requirements. DH has the most - being a redhead, he needs shade and a fresh water shower. That eliminated many of the most beautiful ones. Parking is also an issue. I was hoping for snorkeling, especially with turtles. Well, we couldn't find the right combo, really, so we ended up at a spot near Kaanapali where the surf was so rough that we got tumbled, and the snorkeling was pretty miserable. The sand was full of silt so that each wave brought in enough silt to cloud the water with very fine dirt for about 30 feet out. Beyond that, it was fine. Many beaches are beautiful but the water entrances are rocky. I suggest you bring water shoes/sandals to actually swim in. It makes the experience alot more pleasant. Not only can it be rocky in the water, but the sand can get VERY HOT!! If I'd had my druthers, I would have picked a beach along the way (and there are MANY) that had nicer sand/clarity conditions. Since all the beaches are free, it's easy to do. In looking for the perfect beach, we drove around alot of the perimeter of Maui, stopping along the way at many of the interesting sights.

Next day Hilo - rented a car and spent the day at Volcano Nat'l Park. The visitor center was closed due to vog, but we went to Jagger Museum where we could observe the crater and steam vents at Mauna Loa, then drove along what we could, which was chain of craters Road. (Crater rim was closed) We really enjoyed the day.

Kona - Captain Zodiac! We had reserved on our own, with the caveat that we could cancel up to 48 hours in advance. If the ship couldn't dock due to roughness, or whatever reason and we had to miss the tour, we'd be out of luck. With the uncertainty of the weather, we were not sure of what would happen, so we ended up cancelling that reservation and rebooking thru the ship. Even tho it was more expensive, we knew we'd get our money back if the ship couldn't dock. Wow!!! Saw lots of spinner dolphins and went snorkeling at Cap/n Cook's monument. Great fun. Went back to ship for lunch (tenders take up alot of time, tho). Went to Kona Brewery, a few blocks walk, for a tour and samples, then had a shave ice in town and then back. Tip on the shave ice - don't order a sugar free flavor. The two flavors I selected, banana and pina colada were also flavor-free. It was just like eating plain old snow.

Kauai - Our friend went to do the zipline tour from NCL, so hubby and I rented a car and wanted to see Waimea canyon. Unfortunately, this was the day that the hurricane did affect us. Altho the weather was not terrible (not great, but not terrible either) on the shore, the mountains were socked in tight with fog and pouring rain. And parts of it were scary - narrow road, switchbacks. We made the trip for nothing. Once we got back down, we saw beautiful scenery along the way - the Kauai coffee company plantation (tourist trap, but the coffee samples were good) and farmland. Poipu Beach was also fascinating - we thought possibly we could go back there. By the time we got down from the canyon entrance road, our friends had called saying their zipline had been cancelled due to rain, so we went back to the ship to pick them up and drove around the island to see what we could see. (Having done research on all the islands, we knew pretty much what was where and got out to check them all out as often as possible. Saw Hanalee (The background for Puff the Magic Dragon) - a gorgeous beach with mountains on the other side of the road.

Day 2 Kauai - Blue Hawaiian helicopter.... AWESOME!!!! I had been wary of going - it frightened me. Well, after about 3 seconds, that went away, a minute later I picked my jaw up off the floor and had one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. It had rained all night, so there were waterfalls EVERYWHERE and we had a birdseye view (literally) of the canyon we hadn't seen the previous day, along with the Na Pali coastline, lava tubes, blowholes.... wow. Can't say enough good about it. It was too early to catch the shuttle, so we walked to the office where they picked us up and took us to the airport. And instead of catching the shuttle back, we walked on the return trip, too, which I regretted, It was very hot and even more humid. Even tho it was only a 10 - 15 minute walk, anyone with leg/foot issues and/or asthma/hot flash problems should take the numerous shuttles (free) provided. It was still early when we returned, and we would have loved to gone to the beach that was right next to the pier, but the water was filthy with the silt from the rain runoff - the whole harbor was a disgusting chocolate brown. The helicopter pilot advised us to avoid swimming - not only is the water unhealthy from the runoff, but sharks love the murky waters. SInce we did not have the car this day, we couldn't really go anywhere, so we hung around and did what the ship had to offer, and relaxed.

Next day - disembarkation. Poof! One week gone in an instant.

[Birdnutty]

Originally Posted by flashdog_1

Thanks for the ship review. The tip about vegetables in the buffet is welcome info, as well as its being a quicker choice.

What kind of cabin did you have and were you pleased with it?

We had an inside on deck 10, all the way aft. Our friends had the aft balcony, and we were right across the hall. Their aft balcony was great, especially for them. They don't cruise that often, so it made it even more of a treat. Dh and I cruise somewhat frequently, so we opted to save the money this time and get an inside. We spent so little time on the ship that it was not worth it to us to pay for a balcony - especially since they already had one. One thing I hadn't taken into consideration was that Deck 10 is directly below the Aloha Grille ,and it opens each morning at 6. It gets noisy with chairs being slid around above you. Earplugs help. I usually check for these things, I didn't this time.

Our room was fine - plenty of storage, clean and comfortable beds. Pretty much all we need. The destination was what was important on this trip.

[Birdnutty]

[quote=MTV43;20892078]

Originally Posted by Birdnutty

The second time was in a different dining room (don't remember which one was when) and we had an extremely efficient waiter named Kwoc who was excellent and professional. He had an adorable assistant named Kasper. Kwoc is a stern task master, with a high level of expectation for Kasper (altho sometimes he called him Brian - don't quite understand that). Kasper was relatively new, but was being trained by the best. The two were fantastic and had us fed and out of there in no time (without being rushed).

We sailed one week before you, we also had Kwoc and Kasper as our waiters. They were great. After their service on the first night, we changed our reservation from Liberty to Skyline and had them the entire week. You were right, the vegetable was lacking in the dining room. Each night Kwoc surprised us with different dishes of veggies.

Wow - never thought to ask for it! Next time......

Thanks God that Hurricane Felicia was downgraded to depression by Tuesday. Was your sailing effect by this storm? We had nice weather, just on & off shower at Hilo, it wasn't a beach day, so it was fine. However, the sea was very rough at night when the ship moved. We had OB cabin on deck 7 and it had a very annoying noise only the ship sailed. NCL provided us another cabin just to sleep, so we ended up with two cabins.

MTV

Sailing wasn't really affected. It did get rocky while sailing, but I actually enjoy that. It was very comforting being rocked to sleep. Deck 10 aft, with the exception of the chairs moving overhead in the aloha Grille was very quiet. Being at the back of the boat, there was also very little foot traffic except for those that "lived" there.

We were actually very lucky in Hilo. They said it rains all the time. Well, the storm helped us in that respect, because it had blown thru the previous night and apparently took all the clouds with it. We had a gorgeous day. Even the morning was clear - a most unusual scenario. Most mornings were cloudy/rainy and cleared up around 10 or so. Not hilo. Best weather we had all week. Clouded up later on.

[maroons]

Hey, we had Kwoc as a waiter, also back in July! He was great. He was the one who told my teenage son, "don't you want to order a second entree - you are a big guy!" I thought that was cool. It was in the Skyline, and every night after that my son happily ordered extra food.

We had an inside cabin, also, and were perfectly happy. Honestly, you stay so busy on shore excursions, and are exhausted at night, that I don't know how much time you would have to enjoy a balcony. And, we always found plenty of room (and privacy) on an aft deck to enjoy the scenery when we had time to kick back and do that.

Also agree with the Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour on Kauai. Like a magic carpet ride in Paradise. If it cost twice as much, I'd still recommend it. We were a little scared, but that went away within two seconds. It's an experience I'll never forget or regret.

[JGaleCPA]

We sailed the week before you did and the Kauai helicopter with Blue Hawaii was indeed amazing.

We did go to Poipu beach and it was very nice. Ate at a great place called Keoki's which was tucked into a shopping center there, but once inside had lakes, waterfalls etc and was like being transported to Bali.

Huge portions and great for kids. Reasonably priced.

This cruise was our first with a balcony and our 7th overall. We managed to snag one of the extra large forward balconies on the port side.

Not really worth it, since most of the ports we seemed to be just facing the industrial port area, and when we sailed by Napali cliffs the ship sails down on the port side about two hrs then sails back a bit more quickly on the starboard.

We even went out on deck during the Volcano sail by.

Some people love them, we just didn't use them that much. It was nice to get fresh air in, though.

I must say the sliding door was the best part. We cruised carnival last Xmas and DW's parents had a 'mini-suite' with a balcony. Couldn't put a standard chair facing outward the balcony was so narrow, and the door opened in and outward so you couldn't leave it open.

They got ripped off, imho.

Overall, we shared your experience that if you go in with the right expectations, you will have a ball. Rent a car; reserve it early. We used dollar and they were great, especially in Kona.


In Kona, we went to Fish Hoppers for lunch, right off the ship take a right and it's around the corner. Great time.

We then drove to 'two-step' beach which the travel channel rated one of the best snorkeling beaches in the world. It is. Was like being in the middle of 'Little Nemo'.

It is called 'two-step because you take two steps off shore and are in the most amazing snorkeling you might ever see. Also, the reef was the healthiest I've ever seen. Note: it is a lava beach, not a sand beach.

Well worth the 40 minute drive. The musicians at Fish Hoppers asked us where we were going to snorkel and when we told them they all said: 'Good Choice". I recommend wearing beach shoes on the lava.


We found a waiter we liked and stayed with him all week. hugs all around when it was time to go.

Jim

[grumpah1]

We were the other couple travelling with Birdnutty and her hubby, so I’d just like to add my comments to her excellent recap. I’m on board (pun intended) with most of Birdnutty’s comments, and since we did most everything together as a foursome, I won’t rehash them here. But here are some of my takes on the experience:

While not everyone can afford the extra time, I think the four days we spent on Kailua Beach pre-cruise and the 2 days on Waikiki Beach post-cruise made this trip extra special. It also helped to allay the 20 hour round trip we had to endure on the plane getting to and from Hawaii. If you ever have the choice of where to stay in both places, I’d check out what Birdnutty described (unless you insist on an ocean view from your accommodations, of course).

Check in to the ship was a breeze. We are Bronze Latitude members, and this was one of those times when “membership has its privileges”, as we were able to avoid some pretty long lines. This was our fourth cruise with NCL. After check in, there was the usual free champagne and mimosa reception and a chance to explore a bit of the ship and have a bite to eat in the Aloha Café aft before they announced that our deck was ready for occupancy.

After the announcement, we ventured up to Deck 10 to find our stateroom. As Birdnutty stated, we were directly across the hall from them on the outside wall. We had one of the rooms with the terrace that overlooks the back of the ship. That, along with the fact that our kids had arranged for our room to be decorated and provided us with a cake for our 35th wedding anniversary made the discovery extra special. We also had a bottle of wine with two glasses waiting for us, compliments of a niece. What a nice surprise!

The staterooms that face the back of the ship are a pretty good size (as staterooms go), with the lanai (balcony) just about the same size as the room. They gave us one deck chair and one lounge and a table, although I think you get more chairs if there are more in your party. We added the desk chair from inside and Birdnutty’s stool (no pun intended) from across the hall so the four of us could sit out there and enjoy the view.

That being said, I don’t think I would book the same location again. True, looking out the back gives you a different perspective than viewing from the side, but on the other hand, you get to see what others have already seen. Most importantly, though, is the fact that you do get some diesel fumes emanating from the smokestack depending on wind conditions. I hadn’t counted on that. Also, people eating along the back rail of the Aloha Café could observe you standing at the rail of your lanai, and you could, in turn, observe those on Decks 9 and 8 standing at their rails as well. The point here is that you don’t have a lot of privacy on your balcony unless you move in closer to the stateroom. In the final analysis, it was wonderful. We weren’t there a whole lot, and it was nice to have it to return to. On a side note, I don’t believe the rocking motion at this location while underway is any worse than on other parts of the ship (at least not on our trip, and we were supposedly experiencing the effects of Hurricane Felicia)

Our steward, Joseph, was very attentive and always had a cheerful greeting for us whenever we saw him. My wife especially enjoyed his towel animals left on our bed. For some reason, this was the first cruise where we experienced that. The only misstep we experienced was that there was someone’s leftover milk in a glass in our minibar, which indicated that an accounting hadn’t been taken. We had to make sure to tell him that we wouldn’t be responsible for charges for anything missing. Joseph made sure it was straightened out right away.

My wife loved the bed. I hated it. The pillowtop on the mattress is way too soft for my bad back. I suppose I could have asked Joseph to do something about it, but this was our anniversary cruise, so I didn’t want to disrupt anything.

We weren’t overly impressed with the Cruise Director, Doug. He comes off as being phony and full of himself. I guess he was a singer in a former life, and although he has a wonderful voice, he left the impression that it’s all about him. He was even promoting his two CDs, which were available for purchase in the ship’s store. Shame on NCL for permitting this! Also, I didn’t appreciate one of his little ditties he had on one of the ship’s TV channels about the “top dumb questions that people ask him”. Kinda makes you wonder if one of your “dumb” questions will be featured on the next sailing of the ship.

And while I’m on the subject of entertainment, I would have to say that the shows were only mediocre. If you sail with NCL for any length of time, you tend to see the same shows time after time. For instance, the magician, Bob Trunell and his wife were both on the Jewel when we cruised in Italy 2 years ago. His routine hasn’t changed much in all that time. The same goes for Second City. Although there were different cast members this time, we had seen some of the same sketches before. The variety show the crew put on the first night was lame, and not up to the very well-done performances seen (usually on the LAST night) on our previous cruises. The two “Hawaiian Ambassadors”, Kekai and Malu were very good, and added a nice dimension to the cruise. Kekai’s talks on the back deck of the Aloha Café each morning about the ports of call were very informative and are not to be missed, especially if you are venturing out on your own.

Kekai also conducted a free lei making session that my wife attended that she enjoyed very much. She said there were over 100 people there. Reportedly, NCL brought in 20,000 fresh orchids for this. She made a beautiful lei that lasted throughout the trip and the two days we spent in Waikiki Beach afterward. I attended a health clinic conducted by one of the fitness staff that really was a pitch to undergo a “body composition analysis and metabolism assessment” for which they charge $35. On a related subject, don’t expect to attend any yoga, pilates or spinning classes without paying a fee. Years ago, all this stuff used to be included with the cruise.

We were very impressed with how the PoA is furnished. It’s tastefully done with an “America” theme, so lots of red, white and blue, stars, etc. and names like “Liberty”, “Jefferson”, and “John Adams” throughout the ship. As expected, everything was very clean and the service very good and attentive.

The Aloha Café food was exceptional for a buffet. It gives you an opportunity to try different things from different cuisines from all over the world. We ate here quite often, especially breakfast, because service in the dining rooms takes too long if you’re anxious to get off the ship and explore. That’s not a derogatory comment…just stating a fact that eating in the dining room will take longer, so plan accordingly. Anyone who does not take the opportunity to sample the different foods offered is missing out on a wonderful experience in my opinion.

We only ate in the Liberty, Skyline and Jefferson Bistro dining rooms – once each --during our stay. Like Birdnutty stated, the service in Liberty was very slow, but I found the food very good. Skyline is where we experienced Kwoc and Kasper, and both the food and service were excellent. Our biggest dining disappointment came in the Jefferson Bistro, which cost extra to eat there. The room is beautifully decorated and the table settings look very impressive, but you’re not allowed to eat off of them. What’s up with that?? Not only was there the usual charge to eat at this restaurant, but some items were ala carte after that. I had the lobster, which was one of those items, and I can’t say it was the succulent dish that you get back East. In fact, it was rather chewy. My wife ordered both her onion soup and green salad without cheese, and both came with cheese. They serve you rolls individually with tongs, but the bread presented was nothing special and not even warmed! The menu stated that the crêpe suzettes would be prepared tableside flambé style, but it arrived unceremoniously, and just looked like a dish of melted ice cream.
Three separate couples were celebrating wedding anniversaries at nearby tables and the wait staff would come around and sing the same “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” each time. (We were also celebrating our 35th that week, but that’s okay, we’re good.) Overall, lots of fluff and no real value for the extra charges at this restaurant.

Here is my report on our shore excursions:

Maui – the first day, we rented a car and did the Road to Hana trip, or at least half of it. It was rather overcast and rainy that day, so the democratic decision was made to turn around somewhere past Wailua, after the point where the curves start evening out. We did happen upon a wonderful area where the lava formations looked like a black moonscape and the surf pounds the coast leaving lots of smooth lava rocks and coral fragments. Lots of photo opportunity here. Unfortunately, I can’t give you the mile marker, but it’s a sharp left turn as you’re traveling southeast, perhaps near Keanae?.

It was still early enough to do more exploring, so we happened upon Iao Valley State Park and the needle, as Birdnutty mentioned, which gave us more spectacular views of this beautiful island.

Day two in Maui was supposed to be a Molokini snorkel trip to the crater, but we had to cancel because we were afraid that Hurricane Felicia was going to stir up the water too much. No sense in spending hundreds of dollars (as a group) and not have optimal viewing conditions. Instead, we made it a beach day, exploring several along Maui’s west coast. We found that many had changing and shower facilities, but most did not. Parking was also tight in most places, but we were there in mid-afternoon. I can’t imagine what it must be like in the on-season.

In Hilo, we rented a car and toured VNP. The ranger at the Jagger Museum said that we had a near-perfect day weather-wise, because it usually rains in the morning. Visibility was very good, although the wind conditions had closed parts of the park, including the Visitor Center. One of my objectives for this trip was to see actual lava flow into the sea. As it turned out, that was not going to happen because in order to do so, you have to exit the park, travel to the end of Highway 130, park your car, and walk some distance to the site. For us, there just wasn’t enough time. I guess I’ll just have to put it at the top of my list for the next trip. The PoA did sail at night within a half mile of the site, so I did get to see the glowing lava from a distance.

Next was Kona. We took the Captain Zodiac boat tour. Be prepared to sign your life away on these tours. They have you sign waivers with language that may give you second thoughts, but sign them anyway and enjoy your trip. Worse case, you died in paradise, right? <kidding> My wife took quite a pounding on her back from the boat hitting the waves hard, and was sore for several days thereafter. A tip: If you find this may bother you, stand up and hang on. This is definitely not a trip for you if you get seasick easily. We still found the trip very enjoyable, however, with an hour of snorkeling and the spinner dolphins playing with us on the way in and out.

Kona is a tender port, so it’s a pain having to wait for a boat to and from your ship. However, we wanted to shower and grab some lunch onboard, so we burned up some time having to go back and forth. In the afternoon, we toured the Kona Brewery. After a very hot 3 block walk in 90 degree heat, and a 45 minute wait, we stood in the sun for about 20 minutes while one of the Kona Brewery people told us about their brewing process. I’m sure the ladies in our party didn’t appreciate the significance of where we were, but all were rewarded with generous samples of four of their brands at the end our tour in their beer garden. I was surprised to learn that the beer brewed on site stays in Hawaii. The rest is contract brewed in Seattle for national distribution. I made sure I sampled as many different Kona brands as I could whenever I had the opportunity on this trip. We also bought our 2nd shave ice of the trip on the way back to the ship. My take on shave ice is that it’s really no different than the snow cones we get back East, except they’re bigger, and the syrups are better and more varied. It’s interesting to watch them make it however. They grind away at a block of ice.

On Kauai, my wife and I had planned to do one of the ship’s Zip line tours. We got as far as signing our life away, boarding the van and driving a short distance, when our driver was told that the trip was cancelled. My guess is that NCL hates to cancel tours because they lose the revenue, but someone said that there were flood conditions in the area we were going, so it wasn’t safe. So the second thing I really wanted to experience was thwarted. Bummed, we went back to the ship and sulked until we learned that Birdnutty and her husband were coming back from an aborted trip to Waimea Canyon, so they picked us up and we all went off to explore Kauai on our own by car. We headed up the Kuhio Highway to the North Shore, where we saw the lighthouse at Kilauea Point, several rare birds, and even a seal sunning himself on the rocks below. Further down the road we entered Hanalei, saw the beautiful bay and taro fields, and discovered a distant waterfall at least 3000 feet high. It was getting dark (and we were getting hungry), so we headed back to the ship for the day.

For our last day on Kauai, we had arranged with Blue Hawaiian for a helicopter tour. We booked online a couple of weeks in advance because it is about $30 per person cheaper to do it online than to wait until you get there. It’s still not cheap – about $200 per person – but oh, is it worth it!! Blue Hawaiian won’t fly if the weather’s bad – in fact, the tours had been cancelled the day before -- so we were pretty assured that we’d either get to fly or get our money back.

This 50 minute helicopter tour of Kauai was the high point of our two weeks in Hawaii. It rained quite heavily in the mountains the day before (thwarting our plans, remember?), but that made for a spectacular array of waterfalls to appear – literally hundreds of them. Our pilot, Andy, took us right up close to see them. The other scenery was also magnificent. There are many areas on Kauai that are not accessible by car or trail, but we were able to see them in their natural beauty from the air. You can kinda get a sense of what you’ll see from the videos posted on their web site, http://www.bluehawaiian.com/kauai/video/, but the actual experience is way better. The ride is much smoother than on a plane, and the pilots take great care to make sure you have a pleasant flight. I’d recommend that you bite the bullet and book this tour.

Another thing you should know is that most of the islands have either a Wal-Mart, Kmart or Costco (if you’re a member) – or all three! If you’re renting a car, stop by one of these to purchase snacks, soda (which you are allowed to bring back on board ship) or souvenirs.

I have to admit, we probably went over the top planning for this trip. The four of us met at least a half dozen times, sometimes over dinner, to try to map out every detail. We spoke to whomever we could who had been to Hawaii for tips and read anything we could get our hands on, especially Cruise Critic, to get a sense of what to do and what not to do. All in all, I think we succeeded, because we all experienced the trip of a lifetime! If anything, we saw more than we would have without the planning, and despite the fact that we had two weeks, we still didn’t see and do all we wanted to. (My third regret was that I didn’t get to ride an outrigger canoe – just not enough time.)

I hope these comments are useful to you as you plan your own trip. I’m envious, because you still have Hawaii to look forward to! Aloha!

[kazoomer]

Wow, that was great, getting to hear from both couples. I've been trying to decide if it's worth the money to do the helicopter tour and I think you've finally convinced me to go for it. You only go around once, right? This thread has tons of useful info. Thanks so much.

[smrtypnts]

Originally Posted by kazoomer

Wow, that was great, getting to hear from both couples. I've been trying to decide if it's worth the money to do the helicopter tour and I think you've finally convinced me to go for it. You only go around once, right? This thread has tons of useful info. Thanks so much.

It does have tons of useful information. Thanks to both parties for posting!

[Dusty2]

[quote=MTV43;20892078]

Originally Posted by Birdnutty

We had OB cabin on deck 7 and it had a very annoying noise only the ship sailed. NCL provided us another cabin just to sleep, so we ended up with two cabins.

MTV

Do you recal which cabin / area on deck 7 your cabin(s) were at? We have a deck 7 OB for our November cruise.

[Dusty2]

BirdNutty & grumpah1,

Thanks for the great reviews!

[MTV43]

[quote=Dusty2;20940445]

Originally Posted by MTV43

Do you recal which cabin / area on deck 7 your cabin(s) were at? We have a deck 7 OB for our November cruise.

Our parties had 4 in all of the cabins, our was 7552, the reason we chose this cabin: (1) smallest life-boat & (2) it is near elevator and stair. The location and the view were great, however the noise was so bad. It sounded like someone constantly bang on top of the dresser cabinet. The security came up and confirmed what they called "Ship Operation Noise". They let me sleep on cabin #7568 for 3, there was no noise. My friends also stayed in cabins #7560, #7632 & 7642, there was no noise like our.

BTW, for the best OB cabin for 4 is #7642, if you look at the deck plan, there is no life-boat, just frame right outside of the window. Cabin #7632 also has not life-boat, but it is located between the two large boats, so it has more frame than #7642.

MTV