Pride of America review

[KeithJenner]

Just some final thoughts regarding Hawaii itself, and options for what to do during port time.

 

I strongly believe that people need to do what they are comfortable with, so I am not going to make any sweeping statements about whether people should or should use the ship excursions, or whether to hire cars etc. Everyone is different, so what works for me won't necessarily be right for everyone.

 

We have no fixed rules when in port. Most often we will do it ourselves, either walking, using public transport or hiring a car. We do occasionally book private excursions (usually if transport is an issue) or use things like the helicopter tour. We do also, on occasion, use ship excursions but that is fairly rare (probably about 6 or so done in all our cruises). Sometimes they are a good option.

 

It is often stated that the best way to see Hawaii is by hiring your own car, and it certainly is a reasonable option. Being in the US I am sure that this helps for the majority of passengers who are from that country. However, parking is certainly an issue in the overnight ports.

 

I went into our planning assuming that we would book a car almost everywhere. However in the end we only did so once. There were various reasons for doing other things in the other ports. We were really pleased that we took the tour with Mary Lou's Big Island Tours as the eruptions would have made for a more difficult day if we'd been by ourselves. The cost wasn't much more than hiring a car would have cost, so that seemed a sensible option.

 

The drive up to the Crater is Maui was very easy, and I'm pleased we did that. Perhaps we should have booked a car as well as doing the helicopter in Kauai, but our budget didn't allow it.

 

Contrary to popular opinion, we did get a reasonable amount of down time on this cruise. Whilst we were in port every day, we ended up with a schedule of busy days followed by quieter ones. We tend to find that we need to slow down a little when on holiday as we tire of it towards the end if we are too full on. There have been occasions in the past where we have tried to fit too much in, and haven't enjoyed some of the things towards the end. Again, this is an individual thing, and I'm not going to say what is right or wrong for others.

 

We also skipped things like a Luau, as it really didn't appeal to us. We were in Hawaii for the nature and the scenery, and skipping this gave us more time to relax. All I would say on this is don't feel pressured to do something that you don't really want to. Again, I've wasted holiday time in the past doing things that you "should do" and wishing that I hadn't bothered.

 

Basically, all of the ports have a lot to offer. Do what you feel comfortable with, how you are most comfortable doing it. If that means getting in a bus organised by NCL then go for it. Hiring a car is certainly an option, and I can see why it is popular. There are also some good inexpensive private tours available if you do your research.

[Anung Un Rama]

Thanks for the review.  Quick question for anyone who's sailed on the Pride in Hawaii.  There's a note saying that all guests must be on board 2 hours before sailing (this'll be our first NCL and Hawaii cruise but every other one has been 30 minutes).  Also says disembarking is 2 hours after docking.  Do you really lose 4 hours in each port due to these 2 hour windows?

[KeithJenner]

5 hours ago, Anung Un Rama said:

Thanks for the review.  Quick question for anyone who's sailed on the Pride in Hawaii.  There's a note saying that all guests must be on board 2 hours before sailing (this'll be our first NCL and Hawaii cruise but every other one has been 30 minutes).  Also says disembarking is 2 hours after docking.  Do you really lose 4 hours in each port due to these 2 hour windows?

 

No you don't

 

The two hour thing relates to embarkation and disembarkation days only. The wording by NCL is misleading, and you are just the latest of a long line of people who have been confused by it. This question is asked every couple of weeks, and why they don't change it is anyones guess.

 

On port days, you can be off the ship at about the stated arrival time (except for Kona which is a tender port) and will need to be back onboard 30 minutes before sail away, although it is always worth checking all aboard time on the day just in case of any changes.

[Anung Un Rama]

Great!  Thank you so much for the reply.

[vmbaskets]

Thanks so much for your review.  We are going on this cruise in March.  Do they have formal nights?

[KeithJenner]

4 hours ago, vmbaskets said:

Thanks so much for your review.  We are going on this cruise in March.  Do they have formal nights?

There are no formal nights on any NCL ships.

[vmbaskets]

Thank you so very much!  I truly appreciate your help. We’ve only been on Princess, Royal Caribbean and Carnival. What is the dinner dress code on Norwegian?

[KeithJenner]

12 minutes ago, vmbaskets said:

Thank you so very much!  I truly appreciate your help. We’ve only been on Princess, Royal Caribbean and Carnival. What is the dinner dress code on Norwegian?

The dress code is very relaxed. It is stated on the NCL website (I can’t do a link as I’m in the U.K. and it won’t work for people elsewhere).

 

Basically, there are a couple of restaurants which don’t allow shorts. In the others there are some restrictions (no flip flops etc), but it certainly isn’t a struck dress code. Jeans are fine everywhere for example.

 

i always wear long trousers and a shirt, or sometimes jeans and t shirt. That is within the dress code.

[LibbyP]

While they don't have official formal nights, they just rolled out a night called Norwegians Night Out (taken from the website: NORWEGIANS NIGHT OUT: Dress up and step out for a meet & greet with the Captain, signature cocktails, specialty dining promotions and more), so if people wanted to dress up one night they can (by no means is it a requirement). We just came back from the Pearl over New Years in the Western Caribbean, and they had the Night Out on New Years Eve. They may or may not have rolled it out on the POA yet, but they did have one on the Pearl on our sale last week.This is taken from the site as well: "The Code: Norwegian has no formal dress code. Cruise casual is acceptable most of the time and includes summer and casual dresses, skirts, regular or capri pants, shorts, jeans and tops for women, and khakis, jeans, shorts and casual shirts for men. For dinner, collared shirts and pants or "nice" jeans are suggested for men, and slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts, and tops are standard for women. Suggested dress applies to dinner in all restaurants, although upscale specialty restaurants like Cagney's and Le Bistro do require passengers to dress a bit more formally. Referred to as smart casual, this includes slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts and tops for women, and jeans or slacks with collared shirts and closed-toed shoes for men."

 

They also have what they call Freestyle Dining, which I am told is quite different from other cruise lines (my parents joined me on this cruise after having cruised with Royal Caribbean and Holland America and much preferred freestyle dining), as you can be more relaxed in dress, as well dining structure (there is no requirement that you have to sit with random people at meals, i.e., you can sit with just the members of your party whether it is 2, 4, or even 19 (which was how many we had, though any more than 12, you have to reserve ahead of time with the dining people). Here's a website for more info on it: "Enjoy a four-course meal and a great bottle of wine. Or grab a burger hot off the grill. Dress up. Dress down. Sit with your friends or make new ones. Dine inside or Oceanside along The Waterfront. Only Norwegian offers the freedom and flexibility of Freestyle Dining, which means no fixed dining times or pre-assigned seating. So follow your mood, not a schedule." and https://www.ncl.com/new-to-cruising/why-freestyle-cruising

 

Keith, do they have a white hot party on the Hawaiian Cruise? Or is that just limited to the other ships. If they do, you'll want to pack a white outfit for this party (WHITE HOT NIGHT: Wear something white and dance over to our signature White Hot Party, a cruiser favorite.)

Edited January 11, 2019 by LibbyP

[KeithJenner]

3 minutes ago, LibbyP said:

While they don't have official formal nights, they just rolled out a night called Norwegians Night Out (taken from the website: NORWEGIANS NIGHT OUT: Dress up and step out for a meet & greet with the Captain, signature cocktails, specialty dining promotions and more), so if people wanted to dress up one night they can (by no means is it a requirement). We just came back from the Pearl over New Years in the Western Caribbean, and they had the Night Out on New Years Eve. They may or may not have rolled it out on the POA yet, but they did have one on the Pearl on our sale last week.

 

They also have what they call Freestyle Dining, which I am told is quite different from other cruise lines (my parents joined me on this cruise after having cruised with Royal Caribbean and Holland America and much preferred freestyle dining), as you can be more relaxed in dress, as well dining structure (there is no requirement that you have to sit with random people at meals, i.e., you can sit with just the members of your party whether it is 2, 4, or even 19 (which was how many we had, though any more than 12, you have to reserve ahead of time with the dining people). Here's a website for more info on it: https://www.ncl.com/new-to-cruising/why-freestyle-cruising

 

Keith, do they have a white hot party on the Hawaiian Cruise? Or is that just limited to the other ships. If they do, you'll want to pack a white outfit for this party (WHITE HOT NIGHT: Wear something white and dance over to our signature White Hot Party, a cruiser favorite.)

Yes, they have White Hot Night on the POA.

 

Norwegian Night Out has been around for years, by the way. It isn't something new. It took over from what used to be called "Dress Up Or Not Night" about 5 years ago.

 

[LibbyP]

4 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

Yes, they have White Hot Night on the POA.

 

Norwegian Night Out has been around for years, by the way. It isn't something new. It took over from what used to be called "Dress Up Or Not Night" about 5 years ago.

 

Awesome! We went to the White Hot Night the past two cruises in 2014 and the one last week and enjoyed dressing in white. I guess i never knew about it being referred to it as a specific night. I always like to dress up on nights (even if it is only a sundress), so maybe we just didn't pay attention. 

Edited January 11, 2019 by LibbyP

[alohafamily]

Hi Keith! What we're all the documents you had to present during embarkation? I just want to make sure my family and I are prepared!

[KeithJenner]

52 minutes ago, alohafamily said:

Hi Keith! What we're all the documents you had to present during embarkation? I just want to make sure my family and I are prepared!

We had our passports, but we are from the UK.