Sept 13-20 POA Cruise Review - pt.2

Part Two of this review deals specifically with the ship and her crew.

Overall Condition:

Although it’s a well-known fact the Pride of America is not the newest ship in the fleet, it was partially refurbished last year. Most notable were the additions of new suites on deck 13, as well as several cabins for solo cruisers, and the conversion of one of the specialty restaurants, which is now Moderno.

All in all, the crew does a very good job keeping the ship looking as good as she does. We really didn’t notice anything that appeared to require immediate attention. A couple of the drawers in our cabin were hard to open & close and the hose connected to the showerhead needed tightening, but we found nothing that warranted a formal complaint.

Our Cabin:

We opted for an Aft Balcony on deck 9… cabin #9200. Although the cabin itself was small, the balcony was huge. We were two decks below the Aloha Café and three decks above the Liberty Dining Room, with passenger cabins in between. Noise was not an issue, nor was trash from above. In addition to the bed, there were two small nightstands on either side, a pull-out couch with hide-a-bed and a small table. Our “entertainment center” held the flat-panel TV, safe, mini-fridge, desk and a couple of drawers & shelves. Opposite the entertainment center was a closet and make-up desk, with more drawers & shelves. There were three power outlets on the desk, however, I would recommend bringing your own power strip if you have many accessories that need to be charged throughout your trip. If you use a CPAP machine, you may also want to bring your own extension cord.

Restaurants:

Upon boarding the ship, instead of fighting the crowd in the Aloha Café buffet, we opted for the Skyline Dining Room for a nice, relaxing sit-down lunch. I grabbed a burger at the pool-side, sail-away BBQ later in the evening as we were leaving Honolulu.

With the port intensive itinerary, we decided against purchasing the Specialty Dining Package. Aside from our anniversary night, where we dined in Moderno, we usually ate dinner in the Skyline Main Dining Room. If you’re looking for a 5-Star Dining Experience, this is not the venue for you. The Skyline is the more casual of the two main dining rooms, and while the food is decent and tasty, the service can be a bit slow.

We ate breakfast in the Aloha Café each morning… you just can’t beat their made-to-order omelets. If you want to avoid the crowds, service is also available in Moderno after 7:30am and seating is available outdoors.

We also had lunch one day in the Cadillac Diner… milkshakes were an extra upcharge, but the rest of the menu was complimentary.

Adult Beverage Facilities:

We spent a little of our time on board at the Waikiki Bar on deck 13 Aft, the Lone Star Saloon on deck 11 and the john Adams Coffee Bar on deck 5. Fresh popcorn was almost always available in the Lone Star.

Entertainment:

We only went to three of the shows; Welcome Aboard, the Comedian/Magician, and the Frankie Valli Tribute, “Oh, What a Night.” Although we had previously seen “Oh What a Night” on the Pearl, this group of singers did a great job with all the songs as well.

We heard many of the lounge acts as we passed through the ship, but never really stopped to listen to any of them and we only heard the poolside band during the sail-away from Honolulu.

Other Ship Services:

I thoroughly enjoyed the Jacuzzi on deck 12 aft, and soaked my bones in it several times in the evening. We also used the adult pool on the same deck several times as well.

Aside from the excursion desk and guest services, we really didn’t use any other facilities on the ship… although I did attend the first art auction. First, to satisfy my curiosity; second, to enjoy some free champagne!

We attended our Cruise Critic Meet & Greet (which I organized) and the Latitudes Gathering, both of which were held in the Mardi Gras Cabaret & Nightclub. The Hollywood Theater was smaller than I expected, but adequate enough to accommodate the shows we attended.

We did not utilize the internet café or purchase any minutes… WiFi was available in the ports and besides, we were on vacation. We also did not use the fitness center nor partake in any of the spa services.

We were not traveling with kids, so I can’t really comment on what was available nor how they enjoyed their time. We did run into a small group of kids and staff that got on an elevator one evening and they appeared to be having fun, but that’s about all I can say.

The Crew:

The general make-up of the ship-board staff is American, and while different from the other NCL ships we’ve been aboard, there really wasn’t a noticeable difference in how we were treated… everyone smiled and greeted us as we passed in the halls. If I had to put my finger on any one thing that stood out, it would have to be the speed of service in the Skyline Dining Room.

Our cabin steward was from the Philippines… and she cheerfully accommodated my requests, which were basically empty the fridge and correct the mini-bar inventory sheet. We make it easy on our steward… we have a travel hamper for our dirty clothes and we hang our wet towels after we shower. We also carry an over-the-door shoe holder with see-through pockets for our glasses, sunscreen, flip-flops, etc… to cut down on the clutter. Basically, all our steward needs to do is make the bed & exchange the towels.

Having an affiliation with Cruise Critic afforded us the opportunity to meet with several of the officers at our Meet & Greet. We got to spend quite a bit of time with our Cruise Director, Chris Martin, and our Group Services Coordinator, Leonie Vieth. Whether it was a coincidence or not, following our second vacation fiasco with the rental car (see part one of this review) Leonie extended DW and I an invitation to dine with “Captain Ron” on Wednesday evening… of course we accepted. In addition to the Captain & the Systems Officer, there were two other couples at the table, one from Australia and the other from England. Surprisingly, the dinner was served in the Skyline Main Dining Room… however, the service was noticeably better on this night; I wonder why?

Overall, we were completely satisfied with our experience on board, so much so, we filled out several “Vacation Hero” cards before we disembarked.

Check out Part Three – Suggestions & Recommendations and Tips & Tricks on the POA

Thanks for the reviews, we sail in Feb.

Thanks you so much for your detailed review. Are there any electrical outlets in the bathroom that can be used for blow dryer or curling iron? Is there some kind storage on either side of the mirror and below the sink?

We have a B1 aft on deck 8 and I'm slightly worried about the cabin space as we have most recently only sailed in a Jr Suite on RCL for our last cruises. Did you feel your cabin was dark?

Thanks you so much for your detailed review. Are there any electrical outlets in the bathroom that can be used for blow dryer or curling iron? Is there some kind storage on either side of the mirror and below the sink?

We have a B1 aft on deck 8 and I'm slightly worried about the cabin space as we have most recently only sailed in a Jr Suite on RCL for our last cruises. Did you feel your cabin was dark?

There was one outlet above the mirror that was over the sink, but I'm not sure if you can use it for a curling iron... in fact, I'm not even sure if you're allowed to bring a curling iron on board, you may want to look into that before you leave home. There is a blow dryer in the cabin, so there's no need to carry your own. There were three available outlets near the TV... two at the back of the desk area and one behind the TV itself. There's also a shelf above the cabinet where the safe is, as well as two large drawers below the fridge. The make-up table is where the coffee pot was, and there are a couple of shelves there as well.

The closet is pretty good sized... and there's some additional storage in there too. We kept the suitcases under the bed... plenty of room under there.

There is a shelf below the sink and one side of the bathroom mirror opened up to expose three small shelves inside. I kept my razor, travel size shaving cream, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste and a container of Q-Tips on one of the shelves. There are also a couple of small shelves in the shower. Be prepared though for a small shower... and make sure the shower curtain rods at the bottom are inside the shower base, or your floor is going to get wet.

The cabin itself is easily large enough for two adults, but you will be "bumping uglies" if you try to pass each other at the foot of the bed.

One thing we do to reduce cabin clutter is to take one of those over-the-door shoe holders; the kind with the pockets. We hang it over one of the closet doors, then I place a strip of duct tape over the hooks to keep it from sliding back and forth. You can find them at Walmart for about $10.00.

I wouldn't say the cabin is dark... unless you have the balcony curtain closed all the way. We kept the curtain pulled back about half-way, so we didn't have to move it when we went in or out.

You will be impressed with the size of the balcony... great place to watch the sun rise with a cup of coffee in hand ;)