Browezilla

...I'd love to see those dailies, but I know that they are difficult to post.

...

Here's another review that has the dailies posted: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1215919

Nice wrap-up Donna! I'm like you, I'm a planner. I put everything into a single Word document, including images like like boarding passes. That way, if I lose the paper, I have it on my laptop.

 

Thanks for all of the advice in the review. I tell you though, NCL is different from NCL-America (which owns PoA). I've been on 2 NCL cruises and loved them. Some of the best entertainment we've seen at see, although free-style dining isn't my cup of tea. I've been on NCL-A once. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but the "cruise" experence was definitely lower than the other cruise lines I've been on. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that NCL is a lot different from NCL-A. Give them a try unless you don't like the idea of freestyle dining.

It's interesting reading the reviews under the "Reviews" link. By and large, it seems that those that were looking for a classic cruise experience were disappointed, but those that looked at it as a way to get from island to island (e.g. floating room and board) had a much better time.

Thanks for that last installment Donna. Do you know why they took the fish and the angels? Since this is solely in the US, I wouldn't think agricultural issues would apply going from HI to mainland.

 

Oh, I know folks that have used the "check your bags in on the ship" service, and they got away with their bags being over 50lbs....but best to be under if possible.

Hey Donna, when you write your suggestions, could you include a section on the ship or cruise experience, e.g. things to not miss and things to miss? On these type of port intensive cruises, with overnights, it's nice to know that.

Donna - We have a starboard balcony cabin on Deck 9 so I'm debating whether or not I should watch the lava sailby from Deck 14, as you did, or just from my own balcony. Do you think I'll be missing out on anything if we stick to our balcony?

 

Did you go to the same place for the Napali Sailby?

 

When I was on the Pride of Hawaii, the NaPali sailby was going west to east, so it was the Port side that had the views. On the lava sail by, I think they did both sides, but it's the port side facing the lava that I remember.

Loving this review, thank you for putting so much time and effort into your adventure report. I too am very detailed when planning a major trip, want to see and do as much as possible. My questions is; how close is this snorkel company? Can't wait to read the remainder of your trip.:o

 

Hi. If you maps.google.com "Maui, HI", you'll see that it looks like an "8" laying to the left. The ship docks at the northern side of the neck. If you go due south, you'll see Makena, and off to the left a small cresent in the ocean (Molokini). Makena looks to be 15 miles or so from the dock.

I am really enjoying the review.....I have a few questions...we are going in June 2011...6 adults and 3 kids (ages 7,8,9). How was the buffet food....burgers, pizza, etc? Did any of the ports have water sports, shopping, etc.

Earlier Donna said the food was better at the buffet than in the main dining room. I was on Pride of Hawaii, and it was the same for me. The food was the same food served in the main dining room, plus some.

 

Some of the "ports" are industrial, but close by will be shopping and water sports.

I also agree that coming back from the gulch would be faster via the southern route.

 

Lower on the nausea meter as well :-)

browe, unless you are driving the southern route through Kaupo, the way to Oheo Gulch IS the Road to Hana. Granted, the southern route to Oheo gulch is faster than RTH, but be aware that some of it is dirt (and some rental agencies forbid driving on parts of it.)

 

the return via the southern route to catch the sunset on Haleakala is considerably faster because that route ends up in the upcountry, near the Haleakala route.

 

Just be aware that what you stated means you're driving the south route twice.

 

Actually, I google mapped it. RTH to Oheo is only 8 minutes longer than going the other way, so we'll likely do the full circuit, but only make 2 stops 1) see the sail-boarders, 2) Oheo Gulch.

 

A couple tips for others reading this excellent review

1) Hanalei is unbelievably under-reported. This is a beautiful location with a beautiful beach

2) If you do the Napali hike to the beach, which is 2 miles in, what Donna showed isn't an exageration. There's plenty of places where it's very muddy, and it's up and down all the way there. What I did was take an old pair of sneakers that I planned to throw away. When I got back from the hike (4 miles total), I went straight into the ocean fully clothed because I was covered in mud from the waist down....and I chucked the shoes :-)

On the POA the only time we went to the dining room was when everyone was gone to the Luau one night. Dinner still took a long time. I think that is just the custom on board ships.

Hi. No, on this ship the service is very very slow. I've been on over 20 cruises on 6 lines, and this service at dinnner was the slowest I've seen. I heard others say they tried it on Luau night. I think NCL-A gives some of the staff time off that night expecting a lighter crowd. However, on this cruise, it's the itinerary, not the cruise experience that's important, so I think we'll hit the buffet each night. Of course, I'm saying this out of earshot of my wife :-)

Thanks Donna,

 

After my last response last night I did some Google image searches. We're going to forego RTH and instead do Iao Valley and then head straight to Oheo Gulch. On the return, time permitting, we'll catch the sunset on Haleakala. The second day will be whale watching (we're going in Jan) and Lahaina.

 

On dinner, your echo my sentiments in that unless we happen to catch a very uncrowded dinner time, we're probably going to do the buffet every night.

 

Thanks again for the excellent write-up. I'm looking forward to your "suggestions" post.

Thanks for the fast response Donna. In my earlier post I didn't want to give away that I did the trip "almost" to Hana about 3 years ago. It was such a busy day. We went to Haleakula, then one other stop (I don't recall what it was now), then to RTH. It was incredibly exhausting. We started before daylight and didn't get back to the ship until sometime between 10-11pm. My wife hasn't been on RTH, so I've been wondering if I should take her to experience it. You feel about it like I do, that it's nice, but hard to dedicate most of one of our 2 days to it.

 

Three years ago I was on Pride of Hawaii. The food was good, when you could get it! The first 3 nights we spent no less than 2 hours at dinner, with most of that time waiting for our food. One night it was just under 3 hours, and we finally walked out waiting for our dessert. After that, we gave up on the dining rooms and ate at the buffet. If you had it to do over again, what would you do for dinner?

..Just wanted to say the "what we planned" and "what we did" is a great idea for those of us doing our own planning...

kw, excellent report. I like this idea as well, but what I would LOVE to see added to this is "Knowing what I know now, here's what I would do.". The reason is, I think many of us "planners" try to do too much. Of particular interest to me is "what you do now about Road to Hana". Would you do it again or spend time somewhere else. If you were to go, what would you restrict your trip to? You read so many mixed reviews of it, I wonder if it is because everyone tries to do too much. Also, would doing it in reverse make sense, i.e. travel through upcountry and then to Oheo gulch? It would be going opposite of traffic and maybe faster.

 

Thanks for the help. RTH is the one part of the trip I'm the most unsure of.

 

-- B

Another recent review. Lots of fish, but a lot of dead coral as well. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1299362

 

Note: Capt Heinz is outside of the city.

 

Still not sure what I'll do. I don't think it would be bad snorkeling, but trying to justify $80-100pp for snorkeling is tough. On St. Thomas, I can do it for $5pp using dollar taxis.

Hi,

 

Well, after reading the recent good reports on Buck Island, I think I'll try it again. It was 10+ years ago when I went, so maybe it's better now. Hey RKBrooks, evidently RCCL has raised the price since your Serenade OTS trip ($87). I just checked and they're now charging $99. It's $89 just for Hotel on the Cay. For the Hotel on the Cay, do they have a day charge or can anyone use their island beach? We have some that will snorkel and some that won't, so that cay sounds like a good option for us.

 

Thanks

B

Ok, so I am not a local expert, but just to offer my bit of Buck Island Snorkeling thoughts: I wouldnt say the coral is dead...I would say the fish are few and far between. I was very disappointed with our snorkel trip which was May 14th this year. The coral was actually sort of neat to look at...I hadnt seen coral like on my other snorkel trips...but its not neat enough to make me go back nor recommend this trip to anyone. There just arent enough fish to look at...

 

I've been snorkeling in Cancun, Maui, Bora Bora and probably a few other places but this St. Croix trip was the worst as far as the fish go...the group that took us was wonderful! we had a blast and the other people on the trip were also fun (we went with Big Beards). Unfortunately, I was still disappointed with the end result being that my most favorite thing of my vacation is the snorkeling trips...

 

That was close to my experience as well about 8-10 years ago. Very very few fish. It's not the worst I've done. The worst has been a beach in Barbados and then Labadee. Where we were on Buck Island, the coral was dead, "ashen", and broken. There was a lot of it, but it really looked abused. I bet this was an eden when it was alive, but now, I can't justify going out to it again.

Is the Buck Island tours from St. Thomas the same island from St. Croix? If so is it better to book from St. Thomas or St. Croix? Again, thanks.

 

OC PAT

 

They are different "Buck Islands". The one at St. Thomas is a private island. The one in St Croix is a National Park/Monument.

Well, this isn't something to bring, but a comon mistake first timers make is to not review the Cruise Compass left in your room every night. It details the activities for the next day.

 

Ziplock bags. Good for a lot of things, and will keep your money/cards dry if you get in the water.

 

Photocopy of your passport, cards, drivers license, etc. If you loose them, having the numbers will really help in getting them cancelled or replaced quickly.

I'm now having issues with my BofA RCCL card as well. They have really issues with their rewards/affinities programs...which is the only reason I use either card

Sigh....continued problems with my RCCL card. I guess I'll just cash out and then cancel my BofA cards. The credit side of the house seems to be fine, but the affinity programs are a mess. That's too bad.

I'm now having issues with my BofA RCCL card as well. They have really issues with their rewards/affinities programs...which is the only reason I use either card

You can throw the Compass Reward Coupons away, unless you're going to do five cruises this year...We lost!:mad:

But the end loser will be BofA, I have been with that bank for 5 years, and I am closing my account, this should have been handled in a different way. They sent me my 5 Compass Reward Cerificates, "100 Points-One Category Upgrade", they all expire 1/31/2010 and they are "non-transferable", I can't even give them away.

Oh well, on to bigger and better oportunities. when youse guys find um, let me know..........;)

You can use multiple 100 points upgrades on a single cruise, however, the upgrades are nearly worthless as others have pointed out. They would do nothing to encourage me to take an NCL cruise over another line...however, that's NCL, not BofA. NCL should make these certificates worth something, e.g. convert it to $100 off a cruise, $100 shipboard credit, etc. I know I'm going to ask their rewards dept to do that

...Does anyone know exactly what compass rewards can be used for? We have our cabin booked. If we were to add air, insurance, transfers, pre-cruise hotel, romance/spa package, excursions - anything - prior to when our final payment is due, would that be covered as well? Is there a list somewhere that I've overlooked? We have $2500 in certs, with a balance of just over $1500.

 

Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

Jenny

Hi Jenny,

 

I don't mean to slight any of the appenders on this forum because I've gotten a lot of good information here, but in regard what you can use the money for, your best bet is to call them. They have been changing the program, in our favor, w/o sending out new literature. For example, I believe it says it is valid toward final payment and not deposits. When I last used certificates, they refunded my deposit because my certificates were more than my final payment.

 

I would take the printed material as the baseline, but not the absolute.

But we received 5- $100 certificates whe we should have received 1 $500 one! We also have not heard about what they are doing with our other account.

Are they $100 off the price certificates or 100 point category upgrades? $100 off is better in my opinion

...This may be worth a writing/calling campaign to NCL Guest Relations. Given the circumstances of the program stopping, I think they should:

- allow coupons to be combined

- allow inside to outside upgrades

- allow 100 point upgrades to be converted to $100 off of a cruise

 

NCL Guest Relations number is: 866-625-1164 Monday through Friday.

- allow coupons to be combined

- allow inside to outside upgrades

- allow 100 point upgrades to be converted to $100 off of a cruise

- allow 100 point upgrades to be converted to $100 shipboard credit