Jump to content

Dalwhitt... any news from the POA


Traveler39

Recommended Posts

Some people like myself are actually going to be on the ship and are looking for reviews:) People are still allowed to talk about the ship both good and bad. :) I hope no one here feels bullied to not express their experiences, including the recent travelers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Traveler39,

 

You will be happy to know that things have improved ... somewhat. We ate at the Palace restaurant last night (Thursday) and got in right at 7 p.m. with no wait and we were out of there (dessert included) in 1 1/2 hours. I haven't heard if they have more staff, but those on board seems to be doing much better.

 

The food still is just OK.

 

By the way, for those previous cruisers who read about our $100 onboard credit and are upset, don't be. The only reason we got it is because we are a charter and have advocates on board to fight for us. The travel agency had to fight like crazy to get it done ... and NCL reluctantly (key word is reluctant) agreed to the credit.

 

More horror stories: There are too many public toilets that are out of service on this ship. When ya gotta go, ya gotta go ... and walking around the ship to find a urinal is not good.

 

Yesterday we were in Hilo where we rented a car for $48 (including tax and fees). We drove to Volcanos National Park, then to Akaka Falls and finally up the coast for awhile justy to check things out.

 

Today we are on Maui. Again, we have a rental car for $49 and have the car until tomorrow. I've read on these boards that there is free parking at the pier so I hope they are right.

 

Right now I am in Lahaina (is that spelled right?), and finished lunch at a great restaurant, the Cool Cat Cafe, directly across the street from the giant Banyon Tree in the center of Lahaina Town. One in our group said it was the best meal he's had since boarding the ship.

 

We'll be driving to Kaanapoli (sp?) in about a half hour, then if we have time we'll head north for some more scenery.

 

By the way, looks like excursions here in Lahaina are pretty cheap ... much cheaper than those on the ship. You can go jet skiing for $29.

 

Well, gotta go. Too much to see in so little time.

 

By the way, I won't be posting from the ship again. When I posted two days ago it cost me $28 for 32 minutes. I'm doing this from an Internet Cafe in the same building as the Cool Cat Cafe at 10 cents a minute. It is 70 cents a minute on board the ship.

 

Aloha

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Again thanks so much Dalwhitt. I mentioned this on the other thread and hope it didn't get mixed up in the other responses. My question is, upon return, if you had to do it all over again would you? Hubby and I have negotiated to wait for reviews until the end of the month & then adjust our plans accordingly.

 

Thanks so much for your postings!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dalwhitt should be back on Sunday unless he is taking two back to back cruises which I doubt....... Sunday morning and hopefully a review on Monday.... I am awaiting his report and one more next week before I bite the bullet and go on this ship.... If ncl would offer me another choice for the week cruise in Hawaii I would take it.... We will be in Hawaii 10 either way...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Traveler39, I saw you asked for another poster's report above on the Virtual cruise thread, he has an address listed on a few of the other message boards, perhaps you can find it there. I've tried to adjust my contact address in the "User CP" but I don't think it's working correctly right now :confused:. Hope this helps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tried posting one for the July 18th sailing but it never showed up. I also reported on here but apparently it was deleted also. Mine was pretty positive overall. We really had no problems. I didn't care too much for the offerings at the buffet but then I haven't on the last couple of cruises we've been on. We rarely used it anyway. Our cabin was small but clean and well tended. The crew was great. We've kept in touch with some of them. I do hope things are on the upswing for for both crew and passengers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am back in Connecticut ... what a bummer. Despite problems with the ship I had a great time in Hawaii. What a wonderful place.

 

This will not be long because I have to get some sleep. I have been up 27 straight hours at this point.

 

I will begin working on the review on Tuesday (after work), so give me until Wednesday or Thursday to finish it. I have plenty of advice on some ways to make your cruise better.

 

If there is anyone onboard POA right now and you're planning on eating at the Palace restaurant, please ask for Amber. She's almost 20 and really made our dining experience relaxing and enjoyable ... despite just ordinary food. I'll give you more detail in my review ... as to why she was so good. But enjoy her while you can because she's leaving in two weeks after her contract expires.

 

And once again, I have to stress that this is not a staff of "lazy americans." They were working as hard as they could considering that they are all dog tired.

 

I also have to say it ... and I hope it doesn't cause too many anxious moments among those planning to cruise on POA the rest of the year ... but this is not a good cruise experience.

 

Well, I've got to get some sleep. I'm worn out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cnmiranda,

 

This is my first post. Hooray! I'm a buddy of Dalwhitt; my wife and I sailed with him and Buchie and her husband on the 8-8 POA. Would I sail this ship again? No. But let me qualify that.

 

Actually, I wouldn't sail ANY ship to Hawaii. In my opinion, Hawaii is a land-based vacation spot.

 

My wife and I arrived in Hawaii on July 28, obviously well ahead of our 8-8 sailing. It was our first trip to Hawaii, and the land portion was far more enjoyable than the cruise portion.

 

Before this trip, we had sailed extensively, but almost exclusively to the Caribbean. I love getting off the ship in say, St. Marteen, and being able to walk into the heart of town, or taking a taxi for a couple dollars. To see anything in Hawaii you have to rent a car and drive, sometimes for an hour or more. I didn't like that at all. I figured, if I have to have a car, then I shouldn't I be staying in a nice comfy hotel with the beach at my doorstep?

 

This certainly isn't an indictment of the POA. In time, it will be a fine cruise ship. But my wife and I felt our 10 days on land were far superior to our 7 days on the cruise ship.

 

But enough about that. Let's suppose I were considering another cruise to Hawaii. Would I chose the POA again?

 

I wouldn't do so until the POA solves its labor issues. I thought the American staff was great. These folks took pride in their jobs and wanted to provide service comparable with their international counterparts. They have a great work ethic and they want to please. However, on our cruise, the ship was understaffed by 200-300 workers.

 

It's basic math. Six hundred people cannot do the job of 900. As a result, we saw service shortcomings in almost every area, and that's completely unacceptable. I mean, why should I pay 100 percent of the market rate when I am receving 70 percent of the service?

 

That's like playing full rate for beta (test) software.

 

The POA is not ready for prime time, and won't be until it's labor issues are resolved. It's really that simple. I would strongly advise people not to sail her until these issues are addressed by NCL.

 

The ship itself is OK. I admit being very biased, because just three weeks prior my wife and I had sailed Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas. Dalwhitt and his wife and Buchie and her husband were also on that cruise.

 

The two cruise experiences were like night and day. The Adventure of the Seas, with its stellar service and beautiful ship, was what a cruise should be.

 

The difference was like staying in a 5-star hotel and camping out at KOA.

 

As you can probably tell, I did not like POA and will not sail her again.

 

CF

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, enough grousing. Some positives about POA:

 

-- I admit to liking cigars, and I have sampled the cigar bars on all the cruise ships I have sailed. Captain Cook's Cigar Bar, aboard POA, is one of my favorites.

 

-- The pizza was good, but couldn't match the 24-hour pizza station found on Carnival ships.

 

-- The cabins (outside, oceanview for us) were small but functional. We found them roomier when the beds were pushed apart.

 

-- The service got better as the week went out. Apparently, NCL began bringing in one-day temps in some of the port to help with cleaning and other rudimentary chores. You could really tell the difference.

 

-- Getting on and off the ship in the ports was fast and efficient.

 

-- There was great 100 percent Kona in the Coffee Bar.

 

-- I bought a wireless internet access package for my laptop and it worked great. It was very fast.

 

-- I am a news junkie and was able to stay abreast of things thanks to CNN and ESPN on the ship's TV.

 

-- The sports bar was quaint and neat.

 

-- I love golf, and the POA has the first golf pro shop I've ever seen on any cruise ship. It was first rate.

 

-- I forget the name of the specialty restaurant we ate in, but I thought it was pretty good, certainly worth the $15 cover. I wish we had eaten in the speciality resturants more often.

 

-- Amber, our waiter, really cared. She has hustle, spirit and vibe comparable with any international worker.

 

-- Most of the staff was very, very friendly.

 

-- After the first day, we never really encountered any overly long lines for anything.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cigar

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cigar,

I read your initial post about your POA experience and was feeling pretty discouraged about our upcoming cruise in October. Then I returned, wanting to ask for something more positive!! Many of us have had plans for months, have never been to Hawaii, and are really looking forward to the POA! Turning back is not an option!! We are determined to make the best of an imperfect situation, and would appreciate any tips or suggestions that you and Dalwhitt can offer. Thanks for offering a few positive elements! My expectations are sufficiently lowered, so, please, how can we best enjoy our cruise-based Hawaiian vacation? Any crumbs will be appreciated by myself and everyone else who will be sailing on POA before NCL resolves those pesky labor issues!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will give some advice in my review, but here's one about dining: If you find a waiter that you like and want to dine with him/her every day, that can happen. You can only make reservations for 5:30 p.m. or 9 p.m. But we made 5:30 p.m. reservations with our favorite waitress, Amber, and never showed until 6:30 p.m. That gives you flexibility of one hour ... with no wait in line.

 

Also, easiest night to get into any restaurant is on Maui because of the overnight stay. There are so many things to do that people stay off longer. We didn't overnight in Kauia, but even though you have an overnight there I don't think many people will be off the ship because this island closes up early, unlike Maui which has a robust nightlife.

 

I can't stress it enough: do ... not ... eat .. in ... the ... buffet! It may leave a bad taste in your mouth to eat off the ship in ports, but you will hve an even worse taste in your mouth if you eat this truly bad food. Only the pizza is worth eating.

 

Unlike Cigarfriendly, I though Le Bistro was just OK. It was the best food we had on the ship, but doesn't compare with Carnival's supper clubs, or RCCL's Chops or Portifino.

 

Lastly, the Internet service onboard may be fast, but your money will also go fast. It cost me $28 for 32 minutes on the shop at 70 cents a minute. In port, I paid $3.00 for 15 minutes on Kauia at a bookstore at the Harbor Mall (free buses from the ship), $2.25 for 15 minutes right off the ship (walking distance) in Kono, and 10 cents a minute at an Internet Cafe at Lahaina on Maui in the shopping center across the street fron the Banyon tree. After using the Internet service, walk over to the Cool Cat Cafe for some really good food, and free refills on lemonade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

$2.25 a minute right off the ship (walking distance) in Kono,

Is that a mistake? I used internet while in Kona and while I don't remember the exact rate I'm sure it wasn't anywhere like that price so I'm suspecting you typed this wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Dalwhitt!

 

We really appreciate the time you spent even while ON your vacation to keep us informed and give us practical information. You are very generous!

 

One question about room service -- is it practical to order late evening sandwiches to be held over for lunch the following day?

 

Did you utilize room service? I did see a breakfast menu and it was seemed to be on the light side, almost like breakfast snacks!

 

With your favorite waitress, did they honor the 5:30 reservation as late as 6:30? Did your waitress see to this?

 

Thanks again,

Orderby

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cigarfriendly, thank you for your post and welcome to cruisecritic! I must admit my Uncle is a cigar aficianado, with the goodfella look that works well for him;) Great insights about the ship.

 

Dalwhitt, I find the comments about the buffet disappointing. Being from Las Vegas we have that eating venue down to an art form and usually enjoy them on our cruises because of the convenience.

 

Welcome back and I sure bet you both wish you were back on the islands:):):)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...