Pride of America departing Port of Honolulu...

[BEAV]

Enjoyed watching Pride of America sailing out of Port of Honolulu last night around 5:30pm. I’ve been here a month renting a condo. Nice to see PoA floating around just off the coast every day. She goes into port every once in a while for fuel, supplies and exchange crews. Saw a couple from Tampa a couple weeks ago disembark and heading home for their break. They worked in Guest Relations and had been aboard 6 months and were elated to be heading home for a break. 

[BirdTravels]

Since the shutdown, the POA had been waiting patiently for the return of cruisers at the dock in Honolulu harbor (with the exception of a short cruise to avoid the hurricane). I posted a picture because I was surprised to see her anchored off shore last month. Today, she actually stretched her legs a bit (maybe to dump waste and manufacture water). 
 

[BEAV]

I arrived here January 24 and she was anchored offshore. Then she came back into port for 10 days. I walked down to the pier on February 2nd when she was docked, and saw the two folks from Tampa heading home on break. The cruise terminal is being used as a vaccination site. 👍

 

She came back into port for just a couple days this week, and then headed back out again last night. 

[chengkp75]

A run like that would not produce enough water to justify the fuel cost.  The ship does not "dump waste".  She likely went out to process bilge water (separating oil from the water down to the legal limit of 15ppm) and to pump treated sewage (her Advanced Waste Water Treatment Plant produces near drinking water quality from the waste water, but is still not allowed to discharge while at the dock).  Other than those two waste streams, nothing goes overboard from the ship.

 

There was likely statutory maintenance/testing done that cannot be accomplished unless underway.

[Diver2014]

(sigh!)  We were supposed to be on her last November.  We've postponed until November of 2022. Three times we've had to move the date so hopefully third time will be the charm.  Thanks for the photos, Beav (and BirdTravels).

Edited February 21, 2021 by Diver2014

[isosika]

Judging by a couple of those pictures she looks a little old, worn and tired.  I hope not since I have a cruise booked on her.

[philv]

We are booked for September cruise on POA. Fingers crossed we’ll be cruising again by then. All the numbers seem headed in the right direction. 😉🚢

[don't-use-real-name]

6 hours ago, isosika said:

Judging by a couple of those pictures she looks a little old, worn and tired.  I hope not since I have a cruise booked on her.

Maybe your views of the POA are not in same vein with the MEGA ships with all the floating bells

buzzers whistles slides mini-car racing tracks Casino exposed elevators etc.

The POA is basically just a floating hotel moving from port to port. A hotel that you leave during

the day to take in land based sites and return to rest at night to resume a new ports activity the

next day. As noted a line above the POA does not have a Casino so one is left with what few

entertaining night shows are put on.

The POA serves a different theme as opposed to other cruise ships and locations.

While the cruise maybe expensive - consider flying to each island and all the related hotel

car rentals some meals foodstuff and the POA is bargain.

 

The ONLY problem NOW is the damn Covid virus thing messing with this theme cruise concept.

 

[Silver Sweethearts]

6 hours ago, isosika said:

Judging by a couple of those pictures she looks a little old, worn and tired.  I hope not since I have a cruise booked on her.

 

Think of it as having a day off from work.  You don't want to dress up or leave the house.  You just want to hang around being casual.  When you go back to work you can get dolled up again then.

[NikiPinkston]

Thank you for the great pics!  Love the islands and that ship.  We have our second POA cruise booked for October after being postponed three times (fingers crossed & saying a prayer).😊

[farmersfight]

9 hours ago, philv said:

We are booked for September cruise on POA. Fingers crossed we’ll be cruising again by then. All the numbers seem headed in the right direction. 😉🚢

 

3 hours ago, NikiPinkston said:

We have our second POA cruise booked for October after being postponed three times (fingers crossed & saying a prayer).😊

 

18 hours ago, BEAV said:

The cruise terminal is being used as a vaccination site. 👍

 

I think the fact that the cruise terminal itself is being used as a vaccination site bodes well for her resumption of sailing in the not too distant future. Hopefully, before your cruises in Sept & Oct 2021.

 

I am also booked on her for Oct 23-30, 2021. You guys can "blaze the trail" for the PoA's cruising restart in 2021. I'll be right behind you!

[farmersfight]

10 hours ago, isosika said:

Judging by a couple of those pictures she looks a little old, worn and tired.  I hope not since I have a cruise booked on her.

 

3 hours ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

Think of it as having a day off from work.  You don't want to dress up or leave the house.  You just want to hang around being casual.  When you go back to work you can get dolled up again then.

 

 

I think (hope) that is just dirt on her transom and not rust. Either way, the crew needs to clean that up. No excuse with all this down time. After all, she is the Pride of America...

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, farmersfight said:

 

 

 

I think (hope) that is just dirt on her transom and not rust. Either way, the crew needs to clean that up. No excuse with all this down time. After all, she is the Pride of America...

That is rust bleed, common on bitts and chocks where the lines run through and wear away the paint exposing bare steel.  Secondly, there are big restrictions on painting over the water in US ports. And, finally, the crew is greatly reduced, and with no money coming in, why should the company spend money on cosmetics?  90% of crew painting is cosmetic and does not really address the underlying corrosion problem, since they cannot adequately prep the steel.

[dumbth]

I ran across some CDC doc on a required test cruise before resuming paid operations. I wonder if any mock-passengers want to volunteer for this on POA. While sounding interesting in concept, the details sounded grim and highly a-retentive. I think only one day was at sea and the rest was practicing endless flu outbreak or prevention procedures while docked.

 

Nothing like a shakedown maiden cruise I once enjoyed in the Med. Stelios, the affable glamorous one-name billionaire owner was on board and most of the few passengers appeared to be friends and family, generally out of sight nursing hangovers even at port stops. It cost me only a small token charge per day ($15 excluding food?) but my toilet rarely worked, and a crewman seemed always working on it's macerator or whatever.

Edited February 22, 2021 by dumbth

[ace2542]

That will likely be the first NCL ship to resume sailing at least in USA. With it's all american crew and mostly american ports.

[farmersfight]

2 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

That will likely be the first NCL ship to resume sailing at least in USA. With it's all american crew and mostly american ports.

 

My thought also. That's why I booked PoA as my 1st cruise this coming Oct. Again, fingers crossed 🤞.

[BirdTravels]

On 2/21/2021 at 12:41 AM, BEAV said:

The cruise terminal is being used as a vaccination site. 👍

While the Pier 2 cruise terminal baggage hall is being used as a vaccination center, the POA has spent the last 9 months docked down the street near berth 15. 
 

 

 

[farmersfight]

9 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

That is rust bleed, common on bitts and chocks where the lines run through and wear away the paint exposing bare steel.  Secondly, there are big restrictions on painting over the water in US ports. And, finally, the crew is greatly reduced, and with no money coming in, why should the company spend money on cosmetics?  90% of crew painting is cosmetic and does not really address the underlying corrosion problem, since they cannot adequately prep the steel.

 

"First", thanks for the info. "Finally", no need for the finger wagging.

 

 

 

[isosika]

17 hours ago, don't-use-real-name said:

Maybe your views of the POA are not in same vein with the MEGA ships with all the floating bells

buzzers whistles slides mini-car racing tracks Casino exposed elevators etc.

The POA is basically just a floating hotel moving from port to port. A hotel that you leave during

the day to take in land based sites and return to rest at night to resume a new ports activity the

next day. As noted a line above the POA does not have a Casino so one is left with what few

entertaining night shows are put on.

The POA serves a different theme as opposed to other cruise ships and locations.

While the cruise maybe expensive - consider flying to each island and all the related hotel

car rentals some meals foodstuff and the POA is bargain.

 

The ONLY problem NOW is the damn Covid virus thing messing with this theme cruise concept.

 

I'm 72 years old and don't cruise on ships with all the bells and whistles.  I could care less about that stuff.  I was talking about the rust that is appearing on the back and sides of the ship.  I've been to Hawaii 4 times, including multiple week stays,  and I have been on over 20 cruises, so no need to lecture me about cruise ships, cruises, or Hawaii.  The rust makes the ship look tired, at least on the outside.

[Silver Sweethearts]

9 hours ago, ace2542 said:

...mostly american ports.

 

Mostly??

[ace2542]

44 minutes ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

Mostly??

Doesn't it go to Mexico as well?

[Silver Sweethearts]

15 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

Doesn't it go to Mexico as well?

 

No.  Just Oahu, Maui, the Big Island of Hawaii and Kauai.

[chengkp75]

41 minutes ago, ace2542 said:

Doesn't it go to Mexico as well?

No, as a US flag ship, it does not need to call at a foreign port.

[WhoDatNan]

10 hours ago, farmersfight said:

 

"First", thanks for the info. "Finally", no need for the finger wagging.

 

 

 

Gig 'em!

[ace2542]

18 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

No, as a US flag ship, it does not need to call at a foreign port.

That is good. I suspect this will likely be the first NCL ship in your part of the world to resume sailings. Especially if Biden's statements about vaccines by July hold water.