LONG Review: 2/1/2020 Pride of American cruise of Hawaii

[Budget Queen]

On 4/2/2020 at 4:28 PM, RenieRaider said:

Thank you for the super review. Just read it again. Our April 18, 2020 cruise is cancelled. We rebooked for December. We plan to celebrate the holiday season with the Aloha Spirit. Anyone cruised these islands in December?

 

Yes several times.    I do always take my wet suit due to the cooler water temps-  Always.   Reason why I really like summer for snorkeling.  (and manta ray tours).    But,  winter is a highlight for the humpbacks,  which I spend days watching-   if you really want to see them   - anytime,  then it's essential you have binoculars.  

 

I also never just do the cruise-   it certain is excellent and I greatly enjoy them,   but I also always add more time-   weeks.   🙂    It's easy to get between islands.    Typically I'll spend a week at each Maui and Kona,  an only a couple days on Oahu.   A great sightseeing place.     I always rent cars and go at least every year,   Twice this past year.   🙂        Enjoy.  

[MaChere]

Great review. Thanks!! Compiling notes for March 2022!

[NikiPinkston]

We were scheduled for our second POA cruise in March of 2020, just at the time the world shut down, so reading this was somewhat poignant, but I really enjoyed the trip down memory lane!   We're now happily booked for February, 2022.  Thank you for the fabulous review, the wonderful tips and for sharing your experience with us!  We'll be going at the same time of year that you did, so it was helpful hearing about the weather, too.  (The last time we went on the 11-day explorer during July & it was fabulous.  Next year, we're staying several days in Waikiki and revisiting Pearl Harbor for DH & the Polynesian Cultural Center for me - I thought it was incredible - as well as exploring the Bishop Museum, Iolani Palace and some other spots we didn't have a chance to see last time. Looking forward to the malasadas at Leonard's, too.) 😊

[dumbth]

On 2/15/2020 at 8:03 AM, Suskies said:

No cruise is perfect, of course. Our big disappointment was the noise outside Cabin 4606 and the time it took to resolve it, which left DD and DSIL sleep-deprived for part of their vacation.

 

That must have been propeller cavitation, where vacuum bubbles are created and collapse with a bang because they are bubbles of nothing rather than air. Strange they weren't tuned out by designers, unless they had to run with unusual thrust to push against waves or timetable. I would pay extra for the chance to listen to them, even all night.

 

I wouldn't miss the first Napali cliff sail-by even if it meant pushing your illness to the point of fatality. Murphy's law will inevitably try to stymie your shore excursion there or first or second sail-by, and maybe all three. It is a world wonder that dwarfs other HI sights

 

 

[NextOne]

Thank you for this excellent review! We will be sailing a B2B in February 2022 because we thought there was just too much to see in one week. This was a terrific guide.